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SteelEagle

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Everything posted by SteelEagle

  1. "Oh, do they now?" She said as she got as little closer, using her tail to hide her face as if in fear. "Well, I hope, like, bat ponies don't start going blood crazy on this most totally unholy of nights. Like, after all, I'm supposed to be gobbled up by Nightmare Moon, and it'd be totally ick, like, and I'd hate for some vicious," she leaned in some more, "strong," then used her tail to brush his face playfully, "cute little monster mash minion to get his, like, unjust desserts. Hehehe," she said as she galloped back to see the results of her super fine hoofwork with the pumka-pult. Okay, so maybe she was actually really bad at pumka-pults. "Well, okay. No points for me. Grody shot. Got it. Good. Well, not good. You know what I mean, cutie. But, like, if you think about it, I just made the apple bobbing, like, totally cool this year. It's like adding pumpkin spice to something, right?" She laughed as she started going over the pumka pult, aching for another shot. "Hey, so, like, before you became a totally evil super minion of nightmare moon, who were you? You know, before she transformed you into evil minion numero uno," she said, wiggling a bit to get into the sighting of the pumka-pult. Her next shot wouldn't miss!
  2. She *was* good. He hadn't bothered really asking what the issue with the train was. He was raised to allow the experts to be experts and not get in their way. The exception was his sister, who he was sure could have done just about anything as well as anypony else. "Oh, thank you," he said happily as he trotted in, "I guess I'm in the right place. Now if you also saw me winning the lotto, that would be very exciting as well. They still run lottos down south, right?" He asked with a smile as he took his seat. He spared a few seconds to look around. It was a house that reminded him in some ways of the opulent houses of Canterlot upper society that he belonged to, except it had the thinnest vaneer of being ill-attended as opposed to the spotless liveliness that he had come to associate with that strata of society. "That particular taboo is held by the unicorns of the city, to be exact. The rest of the city doesn't share that particular hang-up. Besides!" He leaned in as if offering a conspiracy theory, "this reading isn't in Canterlot, so if such a taboo held weight we have both effortlessly swung the ship around it, haven't we?" He leaned back and shook his head. "I find taboos tend to be a bunch of foxtail. A lot of what was once taboo is now common, and I don't think Equestria is worse for it," he said solidly before he started to think about the initial question. "It...I don't know for sure. I mean, I seem to have it all. Lead dancer at the Stalliongradskiy Korolevskiy Balet. A loving husband in the REA. My father, a general, retired from the REA not long ago. But for all that...all that, something feels wrong. Broken. I don't feel happy. I feel miserable. I guess it started when my sister went away and we haven't heard from her in so long, but...I know she is okay, at least, so I don't know why that would be the case. I just feel..." he shook his head, "so I thought I'd give this a shot."
  3. Applejack could scarcely believe it. This was not her Rainbow Dash, not at all. It was like she...he...had always been a stallion. Thick muscles, a bigger frame- Rainbow was now larger than Applejack- the way his snout jutted out, and well...the obvious developments too. Dangit. Some Alicorn had to go and ruin the body of a buckin' pegasus Goddess for... "For Land's SAKES, Twilight!" Applejack bellowed, taking her hat in her hoof, crumpling it, and throwing it onto the ground in frustration. "First ya turn mah cousin inta a valley filly, an' now ya turn mah wife into mah husband! What's next, mah son into mah cat?" She asked, only kidding in the tiniest bit. "Promise me you won't be castin' spells on 'im if he has a cold." Applejack trotted over to Rainbow and quickly went about lifting her significant other's leg to inspect what had just been bolted on like a redwood tree in a lawn. "Look at tha state of ya! Yer gonna cause an eclipse if ya get a bit excited. How the hay do you plan on flying with that thing?!" She said as she turned back to Twilight. "Twi, what sorta spell is this?" She quickly turned back to Rainbow, dropping the leg. She shook her head. "Dangit Rainbow, this is why you can't turn ta magic for results. Yer an athlete, you know that! This better be reversible, for yer own sake. Don't reckon yer wonderbolts uniform'll fit you anymore," she said as she inspected Rainbow some more. She stood back and sighed, rubbing her head. "Yer certainly muscled up. Can you even take off with that sorta mass? Or fly like a real Wonderbolt can?"
  4. Once she was ready, she would wait very little before her next customer arrived. When he did arrive, he did so with three quick precise knocks. Like everything else Solar Swing had done lately, the knocks came clipped, precise, and more than a little hurried. Canterlot by birth and heritage, Solar Swing had spent his whole life trying to perfect his art in honor of his family and his sister. From his start as a humble member of the Canterlot Ballet Society, and now he was a starring member of the Stalliongradskiy Korolevskiy Balet. He had made himself proud, his family proud, his husband proud, his sister proud. He was from all signs living his best life and succeeding at all the things he had set out to do. And if that was the case, then why did he feel so miserable? He had been moving through Ponyville en route from Stalliongrad to Fillydelphia to participate in a joint production of the story of the city's founding. While in town- only for a day due to train issues- she had seen advertisements, fliers, for this place. He wasn't sure what he was really lookubg to get from this tarot, but he also wasn't sure just why there seemed to be something empty and cracked inside of him. Two mysteries, one answer at least. When the door opened, Tarot would be greeted by the graceful and athletic dancer bowing his head in a nod politely. "Miss Spell, I presume?" Solar said, his voice carrying the regality of his Canterlot heritage divorced from any of the arrogance some found to make an easy home in it. "May I come in?"
  5. "Monday an' Thursdays?" She thought about her schedule a bit. Monday was pretty dang dead most of the time at the Watering Hole, sans some manner of holiday. Thursday the same. Of course she had a lot going on at the farm too, but as long as she didn't tarry she reckoned that it was a pretty fair arrangement. "Sounds like a deal. Don't worry 'bout me causing any damaga ta this, err, historical structure. Ah've got mahself some smart workin' hooves. Ain't gonna letcha down," she winked, happy to see that they came to a deal. She wasn't worrid about how to pay or have it all made even, but it was always good to get past it. She did find her attitude once her off-hoof comment about voodoo to be a bit strange, but she let it die. She did have to deny the tea, though it did sound pretty good. She was a busy mare. Nowadays, she was always a busy mare. "Ah'd like ta, but Ah've got ta get ta work 'for long. The patrons at tha Watering Hole ain't gonna get their own drinks, ain't they?" She chuckled as she gave it some thought. Tarot had done her a solid, perhaps she could return the favor? "Speakin' of, y'all have any flyers or somesuch Ah could put inside? Ah'm sure Ah could spread 'wareness of yer good work here," she offered pleasantly, more than a little excited to help Tarot do what she seemed to do best: Help ponyfolk and likewise!
  6. The instructions om how to use the pumka-pult seemed easy enough, but she knew that it couldn't be that simple, really. If it was, then everypony would own pumka-pults and be pumka-pulting into one another's homes. The equestrian delivery complex would collapse and dozens of businesses would go kaput because of 'ka-pults. The ensuing economic downturn? The 'kapultrophe. "Okay. But I take no responsibility if, like, my pumpkin goes in a totally un-cool direction and whacks a noble in his noggin," she said as she closed one eye to investigate the mechanisms. Then she started pulling the wheel, then the other wheel, then eyed her target, then pulled the wheel some more. She looked back as she went to pull the lever. "Ha, I got this one in the bag, bucko. Wanna bet I get a bullseye?" She said as she winked at Minion Numero Uno, her tail on the lever. As she went to pull it however, she was startled by somecreature. A batpony landed next to her and- well, she had to admit it was pretty clever. She knew batponies didn't drink blood but *vampire* batponies? They probably did, if they existed. She always thought the little fangs that batponies had was pretty cute. It gave them a bit of a sense of exotic danger that was rare in ponies, but she also heard that they made squeaking sounds when excited which undercut the danger in an adorable way. "Oooh, I bet they are. I bet you enjoy the hunt, don'tcha? Well, sorry to, like, totally let you down, but I'm O-. Guess I'm failing, huh?" She laughed, letting go of the lever to use her tail to playfully dust the bat pony's face. Of course, as she did so the pumka-pult launched without her steadying hoof, sending the pumpkin off course! Not that she noticed at first. "Red eyes? Do they help you find your victims? What do they see now, huh?" She said as she struck a mildly flirtatious- playfully so, really- pose for Midnight.
  7. Her mind raced. She had known a lot of great creatures over time and she wasn't one to forget easily, but how many did she know that started with T? A name was on the tip of her tongue but try as she might her mind could not readily and in haste recall it. Personally, she blamed Roxie. Lil' pup kept her up have the night with feeding and fussing and she wasn't exactly sure what time it was when she finally fell asleep, but she could swear the rooster was having breakfast as her eyes finally closed. Point was, she couldn't think of who it was. Combined with what was a reasonable reprimand from the future teller and Apple Bloom was falling back down to Earth a little, more than willing. Lost in thought briefly, she came back to it as Tarot made her offer. Apple Bloom wasn't poor! She could pay. Having said that, she certainly would rather not dip too far into future checks to pay some sort of exorbitant magical fee. Luckily for her, that wasn't what Tarot was angling for. "Oh, that's it? Shoot, I woulda done that for free!" She said with a laugh, before shooting her hoof out and smiling. "You have yerself a deal, Miss Spell. When do you need me to work the voodoo that Ah do so well up in that there conservatory?" She asked as she sat up, happy to conclude this business with a bit of forewarning about the foreshadowing of the forefront of the problems she was soon to face. Even the shadows had to be impressed!
  8. She didn't much like the turn this one took. She had her crushes and found plenty of creatures cute, but truth was she hadn't really settled on anypony anywhere who she reckoned much of as somepony'd to settle down with. Heck, she'd gotten pregnant purely on accident. She hadn't been thinking of family planning or the future, much to her own chagrin and the possible chagrin of her pups. She figured a marriage was in the cards, but in the future. Far away. A topic for tomorrow's Apple Bloom. But tomorrow's Apple Bloom would swiftly become today's Apple Bloom, and she'd curse mightily past Apple Bloom if she couldn't be all she could be for her family. She wasn't sure just how much stock to put into this whole future readin', but she knew inside it was a bit too much to discount. "Well...who should I marry?" She asked, at least partially rhetorically. "Ah mean, Ah haven't much thought of it Ah guess. Don't know their father, heck, not even his name so Ah don't reckon that's much in tha cards. An'...well, Ah guess it ain't like Ah have anypony serious in mind," she laughed, her mind drifting to those of foreign persuasion. "Hehe, there was a flight of fancy with some eastern noble, Prince Lee-Ann. He's a real cutie, but ain't really an option. For now," she grew more serious. "But..Ah mean, who could it be? Ah need somepony'd who'd make a real good parenthood figure."
  9. Something seemed to come over Allegro if only briefly, his demeanor taking on a subdued yet charged atmosphere that she could feel reflected somehow in herself. She didn't know whether it was honest anger or deep frustration, but she felt something would need to be done. That, as they said, was a job for tomorrow, for today they had a wounded friend to heal and help in a secure path forward. That would not require vengeance or a righting of wrongs, but an expression and acceptance of self and the community that stood waiting to love him more than he could love himself. "It's okay. There is a lot going on. Your mind must be racing a thousand knots an hour, and that is simply from coming to terms with the past, let alone trying to decide what comes next. I can't know what that's like, but for what it is worth you have my sympathies and my support," she offered with a friendly nudge, thinking to herself the myriad ways she could try to help him adapt with his true self in Maretime Bay. What scant history existed of the Sirens wasn't kind, but then again, a lot of the history they had wasn't kind in the first place. She imagined it would be easy enough to help others adjust to him, once the initial shock wore off. He spoke about his need to stay close to the water, in case his mother came back. When his mother came back, she corrected herself. Hope was a powerful thing and she would never deny it to anycreature else, even if the obvious conclusion was risible and sorrowful. She could sustain the dream long enough and allow him to make it a reality, or come to terms with what else may have happened. It wasn't her place to push it. only her place to support him as he moved through it himself. "Well, whatever it is you choose to do, you'll have support from myself and others. We're here to help you, Allegro. If you wish to stay near the water, we can help you with that."
  10. Ooh, mystic power? Well, she saw too much to discount that. She didn't know if there was much difference between mystic power and normal everyday magic, but she'd lay claim to little else other than her belief that the experts were experts for a reason and if this mare was an expert, she must know what she was talking about. "Well, Ah don't know much about them say-ance's or whatnot, but if this room is all mystical and somesuch Ah'm sure yer gonna make a bit or two here. Hehe, you ain't gonna start possessin' ponies now, right?" She replied with a wink of her own, finding an easy chemistry with Tarot. She listened to the reading and watched the cards, feeling the mane-hairs starting to get on edge as she looked the cards over once and once again. Still, it at least started off nice enough. "That must be mah sister Applejack! Or RD. She's their aunt now, too. Or...well, fashion designer is like Rarity. She ain't their aunt technically but Ah reckon she is close enough. At least they're gonna be surrounded by tha sort of love they deserve," she said happily, right before it got a little less than happy. Her heart nearly stopped when she said 'history repeating itself'. Considering she was asking what sort of mama she'd make, whether she was good ewnougfh, her mind naturally turned to issues of...well, issues of her dying. She'd almost went to that Orchard in the sky several times in her life and the idea that she'd leave her pups shortly into their lives like her mama had was enough to cause her eyes to bug out. The thought was so horrifying that it took her a few moments to get over some relief once she realized what the reading was really saying. Once she did realize, of course, she got a bit hot under the collar. "Heh, well, Ah wanna beat tha flank of anypony who calls'm a bastard," she said, her voice taking on a bite of a bite to it before she sighed and spoke as evenly as she could. "But...yeah, kinda bad form ta run ta school and discipline them something fierce. Fillies an' Colts can be so dang cruel! They ain't done a thing ta deserve being talked to like that. Makes me madder than a bull bein' made farm safe," she chuckled darkly, in a failed attempt to mask how annoyed she was at the idea of her pups being given the once over by the foals of town. She wasn't much worried about Honeygold. Apple Bloom knew her daughter was gonna excel the Apple way, through hard work, and she'd be there evry step of the way. If she had difficulty, she'd have an equal amount of aid. "Well, Ah guess life always has its challenges. Considering everything, Ah suppose it ain't so bad. Surrounded by love, we'll get through it. Don't seem so bad so far!"
  11. Seemed like her family had their own fair share of dramatics. What was it with powerful unicorns and a penchant for tragic pasts? There was clearly something there, and Apple Bloom's heart bled fiercely for her in that moment. Losing family was bad enough, but feeling the negative weight of their passing and their actions every time you entered the home seemed like an awful burden for any one pony to bare. Luckily she would have the same loving community she did to help her move on and have a happier life. She looked around and about, noticing the way the shadows seemed to move about spookily. Well, she didn't quite know why Tarot had decided to make her house Nightmare Night ready so early on the inside, but maybe she just liked the holiday. She was partial to festivals herself when it came to decoration, but if she was a unicorn who could make her home be all spooky like maybe she would sing a different tune. She nearly walked through the older mare when the conservatory sent her to a stop. She peered in- yeah, that was one overgrown pile of weeds. She'd need to see about getting Tarot some help. Or heck, help Tarot herself. "Woo-wee, that place needs some T.L.C..." she whispered to herself as she allowed Tarot to gain some distance, only catching up after taking a further gander. She caught up when Tarot hit the top right of a painting and a secret room was revealed. Ooh, snazzy! She wasn't sure why she'd put her business behind such secrecy...and so deep into her home, too. Still, she trotted in behind, catching glimpses of the decoration in a flash. It looked a lot like Pinkie Pie's fortune teller gimmick, save the color of the table cloth. Of course, Pinkie Pie was a silly sort and this mare...didn't seem the sort to be silly. She took her seat. "Ooh, pretty fancy here. Why do you have it so far back? Seems like you'd want yer business more in front, right?" She asked, though as she spoke she realized it was more due to nervousness. Now that it was private and Tarot got her namesake out and ready to go, her mind started to settle on just what it was that she needed to know. That made her unsettled. "I...well, Ah dunno," she began as she leaned in, rubbing the back of her neck. "Ah guess Ah'm just bein' a worry wart and warts are never pretty," she chuckled, "but Ah reckon Ah just wanna know if I'm gonna be a good momma for mah pups. Raisin' two foals is hard 'nough, but a Diamond Dog and an Ecuanine is rougher all the more. Ah'm worried Ah'm not strong enough ta be what they need me ta be, Ah suppose..." She sighed. "And if Ah ain't good enough, what do Ah need ta do?"
  12. The history lesson didn't much shock her. Any olden building in Ponyville had some manner of Apple involved. Timber from the woods surrounding Sweet Apple Acres were the material many of the town's earliest buildings were made from, while the large and engaged Apple clan made sure to involve themselves with as many of the newcomers as possible. And if the Spell family's lineage dated back long enough, no doubt they too would have their connections. And what a mansion the two had come together to create, right? Apple Bloom had hung around the opulent long enough to know what went into furnishing this sort of place and her eyes wandered from one sign of wealth to another. A lot of screamed old money, very old money. Or knowing Ponyville, very loyal money. She took a gander about while following Miss Spell. It was easy to see why this place gave some ponies the creeps. There was something about these old houses that, when unoccupied, gave them the character of a classical haunted house. Any real investigation of that feeling was quickly silenced however when Apple Bloom's mother came up, however briefly. This mare was a year younger than Applejack, it sounded like, and had met Pear Butter. That brought a smile, however brief, to Apple Bloom. She was over the sorrow of her mother's passing. She didn't think her momma would want her memory to bring an ounce of pain into the lives of her children. Speaking of children, her own were what brought her here. "Well, yer a perceptive sort. Ah guess we haven't been tha most sociable oif neighbors for you, an' ta be frank Ah didn't know anypony had returned here until...well, recently. So sorry 'bout that," she paused a bit, "but yer right. Ah wasn't here for a social call, so and so. Ah...don't really know much what Ah'm here for, ta be sure. What...is it you do here, 'xactly?"
  13. Apple Bloom was having a tough time of it lately. Ponies had told her that rearin' foals was a hard enough task when there was just one of 'em, but she had the dang audacity to have two of them? Well, that would be enough to keep most young mares up late at night. And in the early morning. And throughout the day, too. If that was all of it then she would have been well prepared enough she supposed, but no. No, there was more. She just wasn't a loving mother to just any of the land's beautiful creations, she had managed to be a uniquely accented young mare who found herself the mother to two pups. One of 'em was a full-blown Diamond Dog named Roxbury Russet and his sister was a hybrid named Honeygold. Well, at least there'd never be questions about just what species the father was, eh? It was hard enough being a mother but two pups? Ponyville was welcoming enough but that didn't mean anypony knew just how to help raise 'em. What should she expect? What should she avoid? The closest and best example for her situation was Twilight and Spike, but even that smarty pants Princess found herself caught unaware for years after the fact. And she was a smarty pants! Some ponies humored Apple Bloom and told her she was a smartie herself, but she knew who and what she was and she expected to be caught off-guard by her pups. And that was without her having to come to terms with calling them pups and not foals, which she was careful not to do. She didn't want to give them a complex. Would it give them a complex? Did Diamond Dogs even get complexes? She didn't know. She knew well enough to be grateful to those around her. She had her work at the farm that was going as it usually did. If anything she was getting the sneaking suspicion that she was in line to play an even bigger role in it going forward as Applejack aged up and her own foals didn't show an interest in it much. Still, she needed more work- mostly because she was steeling herself to try and be as self-sufficient as possible. The owner of The Watering Hole, the oldest establishment around Ponyville that bordered the road the Apples used to move here in the first place, offered her a job. It wasn't that far away and it wasn't as if she was unfamiliar with it- she had her adventures you see- so she was happy to take it. It had just been her first week and it had been a learning experience in more than a few ways, but bits were bits and she was happy to provide. On her way to the Watering Hole she found herself looking around a bit more than usual. She wasn't in any deep hurry. She was tired- Honeygold had kept her up the whole night it felt like, and the farm was hard as usual- but Tempest had offered to watch her pups so she had left an hour earlier for her shift. She had her barmare's uniform on already and her mane looked real good considering all she had been through, but the real benefit is she was able to look around a bit more. And it was during this time that she finally took real notice of the ol' Spell family estate. She knew of it, of course. It wasn't that far away from her home and now her second place of work! The family history was shrouded in mystery but she had seen posters in town advertising some sort of tarot reading future-seein' service. Shucks, she was sure she had seen them at The Watering Hole, come to think of it! With a little time to kill and her curiosity piqued, Apple Bloom found herself making a sharp turn towards the Spell Manor. As she did she swore she saw some mare headin' in with a fancy hood and cloak. Well, if life in Ponyville had taught her anything it was that ponies in cloaks and and a hood were always trustworthy. She trotted up to the door and hesitated a moment before knocking politely.
  14. Gourd artillery? Well, Moonlight would give the minion an A- for effort and a C for execution. She wasn't sure it'd be possible to make the term Gourd Artillery ever sound threatening but at least the effort was in the right place. Not that she really wanted to hock gourds to and fro, not when she was needed somewhere. "I guess that makes sense. You don't get as old as she is without, like, having to eat some totally blegh stuff. I guess maybe I wouldn't be too spicy, just too well-crafted for her. I mean have you seen my mane, evil minion number one?" She asked, flipping it and showing off her costume. In the middle of it, she watched the second minion get to work on the pair of 'victims'. Moonlight watched the candy bathed in a green sickly light dance in the wavering embrace of the night before it landed in an outstretched hoof. She let out a small giggle, enjoying the performance more than her normal demeanor would perhaps let alone. "Oooh, something sweet? Like, I won't indulge toooo much because it would totally kill the mood at the party later but, like, I'd be crazy to not take something from such a totally grody and super-evil minion of miss Nighty Night, right?" She said before tossing it into her mouth. It tasted minty at first, but then it went off in a direction she couldn't quite discern. "Hmm, that was kinda totally awesome. Not so bad, evil minion two, not bad at all!" As she chewed on the candy she had to look over the wares on display. They were all pretty cool in their own way, clearly taking after the real artifacts. It was a fun gimmick, as any student worth her salt knew half of these relics and their histories thanks to Twilight's incessant schoolering of the ponyfolk at the School of Friendship. She knew a few ponies who could do with a lot of cutie mark restructuring herself, and she think she'd look fine as the sun with a rocking pair of wings, but she had something better in mind. "Ooh, The Deck of Calamity? I know a colt who deserves a little calamity his way. Nothing too grody, right?" She asked as she eyed up the item. It would make for some spooky fun with the fillies as they dished on the colts at school for sure. As she imagined herself toying with the colts some, the main event arrived. The big cheese. The head honcho. Princess Luna doing her best Nightmare Moon impersonation, which was impressive considering she had been one and the same. She concealed herself in the fog and moved around at the edge of Moonlight's vision. Once she started getting magical and spooky with it, the effect certainly got a lot better. Plus she was right; Moonlight was a full course meal served up with a side of ego. How could she not be? Did the Moon Princ- err, evil Nightmare of the Moon realize how ten outta ten Moonlight was? She found herself getting closer to the merchant out of an innate sense of herd proection, losing track of Nightmare Moon briefly. It was this loss of tracking that made it so when Nightmare Moon did show up to give the filly a fdright, it totally worked. "Gahh!" She yelped out before galloping for a few seconds away from the area before slowing to a canter and giggling. "Gahahaha, hehehe," she let out impishly, her tails swishing from excitement. It was fun getting scared! She had also launched herself towards the gourd artillery. Once close enough she started inspecting it, because...well, she was here, wasn't she? "Heeeeey evil minions numero uno and numero dos! How do I even, like, get this thing to work?" She said, pawing at it ineffectually with a smirk.
  15. Applejack had contented herself with the story she was reading rather than trying to interfere too mightily in the happenings of her wife and Twilight. A few years ago she would have had to be there at the whole deal. Mostly it was out of curiosity. She had to see what it was that young unicorn was capable of, and every time she ventured to poke her curious snout in she was rewarded with wonders that put the deeds of other unicorns to shame. A smaller part was somewhat protective of Rainbow. At the time she told herself it was because she needed to compete against the pegasus and she wanted to make sure that nothing happened to give her an edge or harm her. Back when she thought there was an honest competition between the two. Of course she had seen too much magic to be honestly all that surprised by Twi and she loved Rainbow too much to put stock in the lie that there was any real competition between the two mares. Rainbow Dash was a professional athlete, famed and lauded for her achievements and she earned every accolade to boot. Even as the two had aged her abilities hadn't diminished. She was just as fast, just as spry, just as athletic. Of course they were still relatively young- heck, this was the prime years for a rodeo pony- but Dashie had not one sign of being slowed by physical decline and she wouldn't for some time. Applejack? Nopony would claim she wasn't still athletic to some extent or very fit, but child-rearing and that damned Rugby match injury had forced her to admit that Rainbow Dash was a specimen and she was, in comparison, a housewife. Hard pill to swallow that, but not for nothing she at least enjoyed her life enough to shrug. She had a beautiful mare by her side and the world's greatest foals and farm. She could gracefully admit her role in life had changed when she counted her blessings. She yawned and closed the book. She wasn't all that curious and was confident it would go well, but something in the back of her neck tickled her as she remembered she forgot to ask Dash if she wanted to take Zap to the dentist herself or needed Apples. It wasn't that big a deal, but Applejack just had to see what was happening. Before she just did it. At least now she needed an excuse. She trotted to where she knew it would take place. She opened the doors and heard a sneeze, and her mind struggled to process what she was seeing...
  16. Apple Bloom scanned the situation. It was dire. This final tornado was too much for them to stop, and frankly it seemed to be the one baring down on the farms most directly. The wind and the rain, the thunder and the crashing of the world echoed down to the bones of everycreature unfortunate enough to witness such an untamed monstrosity. Made her appreciate pegasi just that much more, as in that moment she thanked her lucky stars that Ponyville never saw weather near as much this wild and unkind. She felt the ship shudder and then start to turn, and her eyes snapped back up to the rest of the crew. "We can't be leavin' them!" "Listen Apples, we did what we could! We can't risk the ship. We need to get out of the damn thing's path," the lead engineer bellowed over the storm. That answer wasn't good enough, not for her. The crew started to filter out of the torpedo room, but Apple Bloom looked at the launch mechanism. With a determined look on her face she grabbed a rope and tied it by her midsection. "What are you d-" She looked at the mechanism and jumped inside of it, cranking it to load a new munition- her. She quickly aimed it as best she could and went to make a very good, very bad decision. "Get out-" she felt the crew surge towards her, but it was too late. With a quick pull of her tail the mechanism was engaged and she was shot out of the ship like a torpedo towards her target- some farmer on the ground. She really couldn't tell who it was, all she knew was she needed to get them out of the way of the tornado!
  17. Sunny could only listen as Allegro's story continued, bringing him closer and closer to the present in details that kept on unsettling her. His story was one of tragedy, and a tragedy that evolved from the same sin of intolerance that had so led Equestrians astray over the years. Allegro wouldn't have been the first non-Earth Pony that the citizens of her *fair town* had managed to crush beneath their misguided hooves. Her blood boiled beneath her pelt, causing the orange in her to have a reddish tint. She was absolutely furious and beyond horrified. Her mind raced-when had that been exactly? It wasn't as if she kept a running tally of all such incidents and actions in her head, but she could swear that she was vaguely aware of it. It frustrated her, but she moved on. She would find justice for Allegro's past. He was clearly emotional- and duh, why wouldn't he be. But she needed to help him in the present. "A series of caves? Well, that won't do. You need something better, for sure. What sort of environments do you prefer? I assume you live a little moisture. How much? Do you need to be near the sea?" She asked as she put one arm on him. "Relax and breathe. You're safe now. And you're safe now not just here, but in Equestria. If you don't want to hold this secret in any longer, we can work on ways to allow you to grow more comfortable with being your true self," she said with a smile. "Though for now, you may just need some place to eat, or just rest. When was the last time you were able to sleep with all the outside noise?"
  18. Luna launched into her full Nightmare Moon performance, and for a moment Moonlight felt fear. Not in the sense that she believed there was any real danger. Filly, she had *seen* Luna before and that mare was as threatening as a kitten with a ball of yarn. And not like a sphinx- look at that beautiful sphinx and that smaller, cuter, super adorable, she wanted to pet it kitten sphinix!!!- either. Maybe it was her size versus Celestia, or how soft she appeared, or even the fact that the biggest Luna simp she knew was a super nerd, but Luna felt infinitely less threatening than her attitude would try to convey. For all that and a bucket of corn however, the fear existed, and it came from the part of her that so easily could get into the world of passion that the Nightmare brought forth. She was a drama filly at heart and within moments she didn't see Luna, Princess of the Night and Guardian of Dreams, but rather the terrifying Nightmare Moon. Spooky! So Spooky that she stopped and stomped her hooves in appreciation as her minions went to work and the jaunty music began. As she walked, she couldn't help but loosen somewhat as she looked around. Moonlight didn't doubt for a second that the groups of fillies and colts she saw detaching and heading off into town would score big. They were dressed all sorts of silly and as she heard all the giggles and the laughter she found herself tempted, if briefly, to just skip the party and go trot about and scare up some candy of her own. Such an evil thought, disabused by her figure and how totally humiliating it would be for a teen, was squashed quick enough. Not that she should have been; some stallion was dressed up like a Princess. Endless sympathy from Moonlight; she knew the struggle better than anypony could guess of making a dress like that work for you. He needed to pick up something that complimented his figure more. Not that it mattered; he was probably doing it for what he assumed was his daughter who was dressed up as an alicorn? She smiled at them all as she walked past. What a cute family! Between them and the Blueblood contingent it was shaping up to be quite the evening. It was then she was accosted by one of Nightmare Moon's terrible minions, some lion-headed pegasus said some untrue things. What was she supposed to be, some sort of reverse griffon? In any case, Moonlight put her hoof to her chest in faux offense. "A treat? As if!" She said dramatically before kicking one back leg out showily and near-booping the mare with an outstretched front leg. "I'm a full meal, filly!" She leaned in as her front hoof came down. "Your mistress, like, couldn't even handle me when I'm looking this choice!" She laughed. "Rad costume bee-tee-dubs, like, super cool."
  19. Lightning Star smiled warmly at Brandon's response. "Of course, Brandon. I'm glad you feel comfortable here. Let's get you something to eat." She turned to Aluna Stars and Fuschia Splash. "Would you two like to help me prepare a welcoming meal for our new family member?" Aluna Stars nodded with enthusiasm, her earlier confusion replaced by a sense of camaraderie. "Absolutely! I'll make my famous garlic butter pasta. It's a favorite around here." Fuschia Splash chimed in as well. "And I can prepare a fresh salad with all the fixings. It'll be a nice, healthy addition to the meal."
  20. "Wowie zowie, Brandon! That was some speedy pie-eating! I'm thrilled you loved it so much! giggles Your enthusiasm is just the kind of thing that makes baking with friends like you so totally awesome! I can see you're a real pie-connoisseur, and I bet you've got a taste for adventure too! So, what do you think? I need you to grade it on a scale of one to seven in the following categories. Flavor Explosion- How would you rate the burst of berry flavors in your mouth? Crust Crunch- Did the pie crust have the perfect level of flakiness and crunch? Berry Bonanza- How well did the different berry flavors complement each other? Sweetness Spectacle- Was the level of sweetness just right, or too much, or not enough? Pie-tastic Presentation- What did you think of how the pie looked on your plate? Juicyliciousness- Were the berries juicy and bursting with flavor? Mouthfeel Magic- How did the texture of the pie make you feel while eating it? Warm and Fuzzy- Did the pie give you that cozy, heartwarming feeling? Slice Satisfaction- Did your slice of pie make you smile from the first bite? Seconds-Worthy- Would you go for seconds, or even thirds? Friendship Flavor- How well did sharing this pie with a friend enhance the experience? Overall Pie-fection- On a scale from "hoof-tastic" to "party-pooper," how would you rate the pie overall?" Pinkie rambled excitedly, continuing to add more and more details and need to know as she got closer, eventually essentially standing on poor Brandon as she looked down a chart- of pie information! It is a PIE CHART!
  21. Applejack had woken up on the wrong side of the bed today. She felt wrong. Something was off in the air and her snout didn't let her forget it for a full moment. Nothing had happened just yet but she couldn't help but have this feeling of insistent foreboding that threatened yet failed to take action. Her day beyond that had been swell. Grand, even! Work was easier than usual with her wife with her and her foals were off and about having a good time, probably causing trouble but she had long ago learned to trust them- if not in their natural instincts just yet, in their endless enthusiasm for trouble and trouble solving in equal measure. She had a nice afternoon planned with Rainbow, now that she didn't have the Wonderbolts in their mane for a few days. Some nice time together, something in short supply it seemed like, would easily slay whatever feeling of unease had been creeping into her lately. Of course, Rainbow was always seeking an edge. Maybe she was getting older and felt she wasn't up to her previous standards. Seemed like hogwash and manehair to Applejack, but for all that a penny more they found themselves heading to twilight's. Apparently the Princess had offered to give Rainbow something to boost her performance. Applejack swallowed her tongue; seemed like cheating, depending on what it was. But it was hard to deny an excited Twilight her prize and besides, Applejack was interested in what she had cooked up. There was never a boring day with Rainbow and when you managed to toss Twilight in the mix? Well, that was a recipe for something wild. "Heh, you better return her safe n' sound, Twi. Ah think this one's past her warranty. Can't get a replacement," she said, playfully kicking Rainbow forward with Twi. She sat down and sprawled out over a couch in the seating room. Ever since her injury she was uncomfortable just sitrting upright. Laid out, the farmer yawned and brought out a book, a good yarn 'bout spies and international intrigue. Some of it seemed propesterous but shoot, thats what she liked about it. That and she had read so many dang fairy tales to her foals that her passion for the older tales had become muted. And if there was one thing she didn't want to be for this afternoon, it was muted.
  22. Nightmare Night was a fright for any teenager. It was so totally uncool. All the little foals ran around being super grody and screaming about candy. Candy? Uggh. Talk about not watching your figure or diet. They'd regret that when they were older. That stuff went right to your flanks. It didn't really appeal to her very much, at least when it came to just walking around town and getting candy. But there were other aspects that she found pretty rad. Dressing up meant you got to rock a wicked cool outfit. You could get a little silly, a little scary, a little extreme, maybe even a little sexy. That and oncr you got past all the little foals running around for candy, there were tons of parties you could be invited to. And Moonlight? She was invited to a lot of parties indeed. And who could blame them? She was one happening 'chick', as Gallus would say. She was hipper than anypony else and had a killer sense in music, fashion, friends, and fun. Few ponies could compete with her when it came to popularity in the School of Friendship and fewer still were those who thought they could. Weeks ahead of Nightmare Night she had invitations to a half-dozen different parties around town. She decided to attend a party near the Canterlot Gardens. She had friends in pretty high places, and she was excited to attend a party where only the most sweet and elite would attend. It was bound to be...very exciting. She decided she would go as a Spice Mare, one of the members of that similarly named filly group. Costume wise they were loud, bold, and a little risque but nothing too far removed from what one would expect. It was bright pink with some nice sapphires she had sewn in by hoof and some striking boots that went just above her fetlocks. She looked pretty cute. She looked more than cute, she looked great. And she was ready to rock the casbah! Which was the name of the building near the Gardens she was going to. The Casbah. Casbah. She didn't know what a Casbah was, but it sounded totally cool. Anyway, she left the school grounds in a jazzy mood, boarded a train, and was in Canterlot as the day started to bear fruit, getting complimented with word and look many times before she trotted off the train with mane and tail held high, in time passing the castle as the groups preparing there started to prepare themselves for the night ahead...
  23. Sunny couldn't remember the name off the top of her head, though she could feel it clipping the edge of her mane. Probably because as they wandered the aisles, her mane brushed against what seemed like ten different jam brands. How was that even possible? She wasn't even aware there were ten food corporations in Equestria, let alone ten different specific jam brands. And the colors- red, blue, black. Easy enough she guessed with the different berries, but then there were seedless this and that and smooth and she couldn't even tell you what else. Jam was jam to her. Her hooves glided over the selection until she found one she thought was right. "I think this is it- seedless strawberry jam?" She asked as she picked it out and plopped it gently in the cart, She got the jar- jarred products were almost always better than their plastic counterparts. She did this while ignoring Zip's no-selling of her singing pantomime. She could be such royal pain in the flank sometimes! "Unless you think Izzy wants the seeds for texture."
  24. Gallus was fascinated by Silverstream's story. Most creatures just went about their traditions without understanding all the nuances that lay at the foundation. Gallus was no better than most in this regard and would easily admit that only a smattering of Griffon holidays and customs found within him the knowledge of what created them, their meanings and places in society. She was royalty and hadn't led him astray once so far, but still, the fact she rattled it off as easily as she did and how off base he was came together to create a rather inspiring piece of off-winged oratory. He followed her, picking up sticks as he went. "Well, not exactly what I had in mind regarding tribute but certainly a lot nicer. So this bonfire- I bet it gets pretty big, right? Can't imagine wanting to toss away old possessions, though. Probably just my innate Stonebird coming through," he chuckled as he started rapidly adding to his stick collection. Most of the sticks were right and ready to be tossed, though he wasn't being too picky. If it was easy to grab, if it was a stick, if it could burn, he was gonna grab it. He was trying his best to get into the mood of the thing, cleaning the island and helping the hippogriffs think about their world with...well, with a huge fire. He was excited to see the big fire. "How do you stop the bonfire from getting out of control? Seems like half the island could go up in flame with the wind being a little active."
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