SteelEagle

It took Sunny Starscout, Alicorn of Equestria and Smoothie expert, a few full seconds to react to what Allegro said. She wasn't somepony was used to being complimented like that, so forward. Usually if ponies wanted to say she was cute they would be a little more...circular about it. But he just said it. And she didn't really know how to respond. It put her in an awkward position, to be honest. "Oh. Oh. Ooooooh!" She blushed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Well, umm. Thank you for the very kind compliment. I don't think I'm all that beautiful, but I appreciate the- appreciate the sentiment," she smiled, taking a deep gulp and smiling. "There isn't that much to say...I mean, not much to say that everypony, everycreature, doesn't know. My dad was obsessed with the past, proving that all kinds lived together. I followed in his hoofsteps. The only real difference between him and I is that I lived long enough to see our dream come true. Oh, and I'm a magical alicorn sometimes. And we beat an evil Alicorn. And one time my cutie mark was switched," she listed off quickly, deciding to cut the list off short. There was a book she was trying to write about it, after all, and she wanted to make sure the lessons were fresh! "Eventful, right?" She said with a friendly laugh, trying to think about what they were talking about beforehoof. She looked back at the papers and pencils, which looked small and almost childish compared to what was being discussed, but at that moment she needed it more than anything. "But...umm, we should...focus on helping you reveal yourself in a way you feel comfortable with. We need to make sure that you are able to get Maretime Bay to understand just how special and amazing you and your kind are!"

Applejack nodded. She understood better than most that you didn't want to do more than your allotted amount of work. Of course, if you asked Applejack what her allotment of work should be on any given day her answer would be a simple affirmation followed by bucking sounds. She wasn't perfect, but like most good mothers said, do as she preached not as she did. She'd have to tell her foals that one day when they caught her with cider, she knew that for certain. "Heh, well, Ah'm not so certain RD would himself up in here. Ain't much for, err, the decor. An' it'd scare mah kids, but Ah reckon Ah could...well, Ah could at least tell'm bout ya!" She offered pleasantly. It was true. She didn't think her family would wanna visit, but maybe they'd shock her. Almost as much as the next words shocked her. She wanted to be really pissed off, and the brief flash of instinctual anger that showed on her features was primal. What the hay was she implying? And what was she saying about Apple Bloom, at that? Her mama wouldn't want anything under the sun to be blamed for what happened to her! "Ha. Ha. Well, ya'll ain't gentle, ain't cha?" She said, laughing without humor. "Well, Ah did Rainbow that she'd have ta carry tha next one. I'm thinking he is excited ta not have that chance. Haha, that bird brain," she said, trying to keep herself level. "But, uhh, as for that tea, Ah can get it. Want a cup too?"

The reading made a lot of sense to her, especially if she was supposed to believe this room was wrapped up in the embrace of the Everfree's singul;sr gift, the Zap Apples and their mother trees. So, a major boon was hers. A great harvest? Heh, she knew that to be true., Every harvest was great, even the bad ones, if you worked hard and long enough. That fact gave her some pause. She wouldn't be able to work as long or as hard, and the thought bothered her tremendously. She loved the work, the hours, the blood, sweat, and love she gave her Orchard for the family. The idea that she was reduced at such an inopportune time troubled her, but she knew she had help. Her kids may not have a love of the Acres the way she did, but they'd work their manes off when needed for the good of the family. She was sure of it. Apple Bloom? Maybe not as much as before, but certainly some. Big Mac? Duh. Sugar belle, she was a bit of a klutz but she'd put the effort in. Dash? Dash would. Heck, Dash'd be better than ever. "Well, that just sounds like plum good news for me. Ah know Ah can get all manner of good help makin' tha harvest rock n' roll. Family from all over, you betcha. Friends? All sorts and then some. Ah reckon everypony'd be willin' ta help out. And if they don't, Ah'll rope'm in. You too, if Ah had ta," she winked as she leaned in. "Ain't so bad! An Apple is an Apple, an' they well know sometimes ya gotta sacrifice and one night ain't a big deal."

"Howdy! Ah'm-" She said as the sound of a window shattering when a rock went through it nearby broke her conversation and sent her into business mode, "-tha crew of tha ship'll catch ya, Mars. Make sure ta get yer cute snout ta safety when yer up there. Don't need no mamas ta be worryin' themselves silly tonight, no more than needed anywho," she said as she moved her hooves alongside his waist to ensure the cord was tight. Then a point was reached on his, and he was snapped back towards the ship! Only a few seconds left for her to get to work. She pulled on her own cord tight and then unlatched it, quickly attaching it to a new piece of cord. This gave her more slack as she looked around, looking for anypony or creature else who needed help. The winds were whipping hard enough that she couldn't just walk around, and so she maintained her base on the tree- which itself was looking shakier as time went on. She finally spotted the next target- an older mare who was in a small outcropping, slowly being moved by the heavy winds. Apple Bloom timed it and leapt from the tree when the mare finally was taken by thw winds, the same winds that took Apple Bloom, the angle taking Apple Bloom to the mare just as the line to the ship grew taut again. She worked on tying the mare up just as the tree gave away, no longer achoring Apple Bloom down. Now both of them were tied to the ship and at the mercy of the winds until they were pulled back in.

Ha! Yeah, that brought back some memories. "Yeah, that was a fun one. He was convinced that his crush wouldn't give him tha time of day unless he sported a horn. Well, she had her eyes on a pegasus. Turns out, she just liked 'em small. Fancy that!" She chortled, shaking her head. Her brother was a silly colt. Silly stallion too, whenever you got past that stoic exterior of his. The Apples could be very silly ponies. "As for Rainbow, well, he's all those things. Prideful, boastful. Risk-taker. Rainbow is also brave, loyal, funny, an' adventurous. Maybe too adventurous, sometimes. Mare, err, stallion don't know when ta stop. Heh. Sometimes thats nice. Sometimes a fine-looking mare becomes a muscled up stallion, so I s'pose it can be good or bad dependin'. Ah'm sure you'd like Rainbow. Mighty playful, that one," she smiled, "Ah bet we could both sign yer copy of that book, if you've got a quill ready later." Later, of course, because they were heading to a new room. A spooky room. Something went up and down her spine, a tingle and a prick. She didn't find a lot of good things were in such places, the unusual places of Equestria. But she was here for Tarot and this was part of her business, right? She wasn't about to cut down a showmare's showmareship, was she? She followed Tarot into the darkened room. "Hehe, wooah nelly, you sure did put yer bits where your mouth went, didn't ya?" She said as she sat down, looking at the three cards. She couldn't make heads or tails of what they were supposed to mean, archaic symbols and such making her pick one instinctually. "How about...this one?" Applejack said, picking out the one on the left.

Applejack didn't speak fancy much, though thankfully Soli translated it for her. AJ didn't quite know what was happening in that equation, since she wasn't quite so sure what Rainbow had lost or what Twi had lost. Indeed, the only pony who had lost anything, she could tell anyway, was Applejack. She thought about that as she looked at the painting. It was a weird painting to be sure. Applejack hadn't seen it much when she entered, but had to take notice once it became a topic of Soli's attention. Was it making her look a bit...evil? She dispatched that thought quickly. It was stinkin' thinkin' leaking in through her mind, as it was wont to do sometimes in moments of bitterness. 'Sides, why would she draw attention to something if she thought it would make her look bad? The thought made Applejack chuckle, which helped her at least for a moment pull into a good mood. And that, in turn, helped her correct one small thing. "Oh, Twi did help. Heck, 'ccordin' ta tha doctors, Ah would probably have been paralyzed without her spell matrix knitting up mah spinal column or somesuch. But...Ah mean, magic is hard, but Ah always reckoned it could just totally fix me, ya know? Heh. Heh, 'fix'," she said, air-quoting as much as she could with a small tinge of bitterness. "Now that you mention it, there was another time. Ah had a male cousin, name of Valen Orange. Well, he was a strange colt, ya know? Liked ta be dressin' like a filly. Long enough and certain enough, we reckoned he wanted to be a she. An' then Twilight cast an' made one heck of a mistake..." Applejack thought on it for a second. "Well...maybe, maybe not a mistake in full," she said, rubbing the back of her head. "We all assumed that she wanted ta be a she, ya know? An' based on how it's all gone down, we were right. But when Twi cast that dang spell, well...mah earth pony cousin from Manehatten who sounded like he was already in some sorta fancy college came out soundin' like a dang valley filly. An' a unicorn! Dangit, Ah mean- Ah love Moonlight Glitter with all mah heart and she's a fine young mare, but Twi can't tell me that it was all accidental, can she?" Applejack pondered, getting a bit...angry. Twilight was the most powerful being in the world. She had control over magic in ways both majestic and detailed. So why the hay was she so capable of messing it up so often? And why did Rainbow really need or want to change herself? Yeah, she wanted to stay at the top but did she need to take such risks? Why the hay did everypony around her seem to take dumb risks and make dumb decisions or make dumb mistakes while she sat here, not doing any of that bull poo and yet finding herself the recipient of a field of it? It was enough to drive a mare mad. She took a deep breathe as she allowed herself to be pulled back from her anger. "Ah love Rainbow, regardless of all this. But it's just...jus' hard. Hard goin' from a hardworkin', hard-chargin' mare to not only being hurt to high heavens but now...well, now RD can do just about everything Ah could do, but so much better. 'Cept bucking, that requires finesse and all. But almost every other task...Dash is faster than me, stronger than me, has more stamina than me, is more athletic than me...well, an' obviously he can fly," she sighed, head laying on her hoof as she put it on the table, "an' a stallion, which Ah'm just...you know. Eh, not my favorite flavor. Ah feel like I'm three steps towards bein' nothin' ta nopony. Like a purse or a nice shoe...but, Ah don't reckon any of that's really true. So much has happened. Ah've been so certain of mahself for so long, and so recently it's all been upended. Suppose it's just taking me time ta adjust," Applejack laughed as she looked up, "but Rares? Land's sake, could you imagine that? Don't reckon Ah should be followin' yer lotto advice much," she laughed, looking at the cards. "But when in Roam an' all that. How 'bout these here cards?"

Twilight needed time for a counter spell? Yeah, that made sense. She needed time, she needed perfect silence, she needed to be healthy. Apparently all it took for her family to be turned into parodies was a sniffle! "Got it. Got it. I'll leave yer mane for now, but ah'm promising you this, Twi: I'm gonna tan yer hide if Ah have to lay down long with this here slab of meat," she said playfully and with a smile, though a crucially viciously tingle in her eyes told Twi that there was more truth to that statement than she would like to admit. In a short few moments she left the castle with Rainbow in tow, who was doing *his* best to assure her it would be all right. "Ah suppose," she said, rubbing her face. She did her best to keep her attention pinned on important topics. She had this whole afternoon planned with Rainbow and she wasn't going to allow recent events to totally, absolutely undermine it all. Even if, truthfully, she felt like she needed a shot of hard cider more than anything else. "Ah had a nice afternoon planned out. Some lunch, a show, then a race, though Ah reckon that is out tha window now. No reason we can't do tha rest of it though, right? Yer tastes in food ain't changed much, have they?" She asked as they walked along. As they did, Applejack checked the stallion out some more. Frankly, if you didn't know who he was before, you wouldn't be able to guess it was Rainbow. The mane was similarly colored sure, but that wasn't too rare, 'specially after her better half had become a famouse sportsmare. The coat was the same sure, but it wasn't that rare. And the wings looked so somewhat less impressive when compared to before, if only because the formerly toned and athletic mare had become one giant muscle. And his voice- yeah, it would be impossible to say they were the same. "So...uhh, how do we handle this, sugarcube?"

Applejack had to think back far and hard to remember their last visit together, especially here. It was impressive that Soli had such good recall! When Applejack did remember, it brought a smile to her face quick and easy. Her mama had come by to give Soli's parents some top-shelf cider while the two fillies played. Well, not much playing really. Applejack just talked her friend's ear off about something new she had learned about frogs, having recently captured half a dozen in an effort to start a business about frog petting. Shockingly, it did not pay off, but the days of youth- how she sometimes wished she could do it all over again! She sighed as she leaned back, the softness of her seat relieving her back a bit. "Oh, just mostly here ta shoot tha hay. Nothing too much has been happenin' on mah end. Ah mean, Ah got mahself hurt but Ah feel better now," she said, lying to herself more than anypony else, "an mah wife ha gone crazy, Ah think. Wife..." Applejack scoffed, hoof to face and shaking it. "Husband. Rainbow went ahead and got herself- himself, darnit- all mixed up cause of a spell gone wrong. Now he's bigger than mah brother an' half as feminine. Ain't that a kick in the flank! At least mah foals ain't turnin' into this or that. Can't say Ah expected that when Ah got up that day, but...them's tha breaks. How've you been hangin' on, aside from all of Abby's free work for ya?"

Applejack took a few seconds to readily recall the mare in front of her. When she did, she was more than a little happy to see an old face. Unicorns weren't the most common type of pony in Ponyville those days and so they tended to stick out in her mind, especially ones like Solitaire here who was just a bit...weird. Not bad weird, but certainly different from the rest. Ponies like her were memorable in many ways and while AJ wasn't gonna pretend like they were the best of friends or anything, her smile was genuine. "Solitaire? Why, sure Ah remember you. Y'all used ta do card tricks that left mah brain scrambled somethin' fierce. An' remember that time Rarity was convinced you could tell her what sorta gem would look prettiest in ten years?" Applejack snorted as she laughed. "Those were fun times. Ah'm happy ta see ya back. Ah reckoned it mighta been you when Abby was tellin' me 'bout this here place but Ah couldn't be sure. Happy ta see it in good hoves, sugarcube," Applejack said as she followed the mare inside. "Happy ta hear Abby's been helping you. Truth be told she is running haggard, but it's good to get her out and about 'sides from work and her lil' ones. Ain't such a bad deal for yerself. Them plants look mighty nice," she said as she gave them a quick look over. "That there ain't a prickly paired poinsetta, ain't it? Those things have a heck of a time in this climate. Must be hard ta maintain it, Ah reckon," she said as they continued to trot about. Applejack turned her attention back to Tarot. "What made ya come back, anywho? Can't say no to this here big country air, can't ya? As for tea, that sounds pretty good on mah account."

The whole world was a blur as she made quick time at the farmer. Her aim was pretty dang good and she couldn't tell just how well she hit her intended target but in a flash she found herself pulled into the furred embrace of some Diamond Dog against the tree he had anchored himself to. She had a lot of thoughts, namely that she thought she had a concussion, but most importantly there was work to do. "Heh, well today is a day of firsts, fella," she said as she started to throw a cord around his midsection. "Here's tha plan! Ah'm gonna tie you tighter than a steer at tha rodeo and we're gonna get back to mah ship-" she said as the line started to grow taut, the ship starting to pull her back in, "an' then you get yer tail, Mister Dog, inside and be safe. Any questions?" She asked over the roar of the tornado as she tied him tight as tight could be to her. "Aww, yer coat is pretty."

Solar nodded happily. He wouldn't speak to them until after. He was very good at following orders, just ask his sister! He wasn't wholly happy that bad luck would fall on somepony else, but his family deserved some good luck after all this apparent string of bad luck. One good day was all they would need, right? "Got it. Don't speak to them until afterwards, don't tell anyone about your show, and be wary that the bad luck goes somewhere else," he nodded before pirouetting out of his chair in excitement. "Thank you so much for this. They really need it. heck, I do! And now everything will be better. Well, marginally at least, and I do well with margins!" He said as he pranced his way out. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I hope your day is as fantastic as mine will be!" He said, finishing with a flourish as he left. It would be some time before a series of hard knocks would come again on her door. "Howdy? This tha home that Apple Bloom been workin' at?" Came a very familiar voice from the outside, sounding somewhat more harried than usual. It had been a trying time for Applejack. After her injury she had never fully recovered, though she was more than well enough to fake it for the good of others. Both of her foals were as beautiful and fantastic as the day's brightest rays but boy howdy were they energetic. The farm asked a lot; Tempest Shadow was staying with her and she was a bag of emotions. Abby was staying with her, and that was an ordeal. Her brother's family was around. All of this she enjoyed tremendously, but it was a lot to take in, and her wife- husband- wife- husband- dangit, her Rainbow Dash, had gone ahead and done a fool thing. There was so much going on, and she didn't feel like she could turn to her usual sources for help. So why not chat up somepony that Abby was stumping for, even if AJ thought of it as hokum?

Applejack sighed. She could feel a pressure in her head build and build as she looked at Rainbow and Twilight. How in the wide wide world of Equestria was a mare as intelligent and powerful, detail oriented and empathetic as Twilight capable of messing up this bad? And how could somepony so body-conscious as Rainbow be so comfortable trying something like this? As Twilight flipped through her books and worked on trying to find an answer that would placate her, Rainbow tried to calm her down. AJ didn't need to calm down. She was perfectly calm, as calm as she could be. Rainbow needed to be less calm. Look at her- him! Look at him! He was bigger than her now and by not a small margin. And every part of him was made of rock and muscle. He flapped his wings and if AJ had her hat on, she was sure it would have blown off. And that wasn't even discussing his...bits and bobs down there! Why was she the only one losing her apple-picking mind?! "A few days? Well, thank tha moons that Grand Pear is takin' tha kids out ta see tha Pear Estate in Vanhoover. We can try ta keep this all on tha down-low 'till then. Look at that thing! You could play cricket with it. Ah've seen plenty of stallions in mah time- Twilight, how in the hay- Rainbow-" Applejack said, rubbing her face. "Ah can't take you anywhere. You're gonna drag it on the ground and leave a dang trail," she said, trying to lighten her mood with some exaggerations. "A few days, got it. Well, I suppose it ain't all bad. You could plow the fields well enough without taking Big Mac's plow."

Solar found himself very well impressed by the show she put on. It was tinged with something eerie or off, but he chalked that up to the performance art being important to her. Part of all magic to some extent was the emotional connection forged not only between the caster and the spell and how emotions powered one and the other alike, but between the caster and the observer. Some ponies took a direct approach and did little to embellish their spells. Others pulled on the many fanciful arts employed across time and did their best to make the act of magic as exciting to modern ponies as it once had been to their ancestors when magic was still new and unusual. He watched as the demonstration seemed to imply that his sister would be kept safe from bad luck, at least for now. he smiled, breathing a sigh of relief. This mare was Twilight-sent, no doubt. "Oh, thank hoofness. You're a miracle worker, ma'am! Now everypony will be safe for the show. I can't wait to see everypony together, and give my sister the biggest hug of her darn life," Solar said, his wings flapping gently in excitement before he took flight, hovering right over the table. "I must leave, but I'll be sure to spread the good word of Tarot Spell, Ponyville heroine! Well, at least to me you are."

Not only his sister, but his parents? This was almost too good to be true. As long as everything went to plan, he could make sure that everypony came together and let her know how much they loved her and cared for her. If he was in a clearer mind he would be concerned about a few things, namely how a charm like that could even function. Or why she was so ready with them. But in Equestria, you learned quickly that magical mares made magical times and you didn't always need to know the secret behind it all. Everything she had said so far all seemed to fit with what was in his heart, and he wasn't going to pretend as if he wasn't hooked. Bits would be no object, especially a mere twelve-hundred. If it helped his sister and helped his family- he'd have to call ahead and let the Royal Hall know about who was attending!- then cost was a null issue. He nodded and quickly reached into his saddlebag. His travel bits were rolled up nice and neat into one-hundred and five-hundred rolls for ease of use. Quickly, he pulled two of the larger and two of the smaller out with his wings and put them on the table. "Twelve-hundred, up front and golden. Anything for my sister, I can't stand to bear the thought of what she must be going through, the poor dear. A deal it is!" He agreed, shaking her hooves with his wings. The whole time, her spooky visage was noted but he looked at that as part of the 'show' of a fortune teller. He wasn't going to begrudge a performer of the mystic arts the performance aspect of her business, right?

His mind raced back to the recent string of ill-fortune that had struck the tour. The Stalliongradskiy Korolevskiy Balet's Strand tour, while largely successful, had a number of shows being cancelled or delayed due to a variety of issues. Leaky roofs, fires, illness in the hosting troupe- that and more. The idea that his beloved sister had found herself foiled so viciously by fate's cruelty during her pursuit of a show attendance broke his easily broken heart. On the other hoof, it also helped him realize just what had been going wrong. Clearly, he was so close to his sister that her distress had somehow made him feel lessened, sorrowful, and unhappy. Clearly he had to make sure they met and that fate itself did not conspire to break the one to harm the other. So the show in Fillydelphia had to be next on her list, no? The train repair wasn't that big of a deal. they had plenty of lead time, and the Fillydelphia Royal Hall was one of the best facilities in the nation. Surely it couldn't happen again, right? Surely. He stood up, his wings flaring out in anxiety. "In the rain! She HATES rain! She hates being let down, she hates things not going to plan, she hates not being loved, and she hates hating!" He said, folding his wings back in and leaning in. "Is she going to be at the Fillydelphia show? That show has to go off without a hitch! Or what- what needs to happen?!"

World of Equestria is for G4 characters. We have rules and certain expectations there. Free for All is as it says! Just follow site rules. We also have the Gen 5/ANG section, much like WoE.

Here is the application form: Here are the species: Here are the rules: Feel free to ask questions as you work on a character!

Welcome to Canterlot! I hope you enjoy your stay. Plenty of RP and if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Yeah it is fine for a short burst of fun but is rarely memorable. It does have some nice songs, though.

I am glad someone else likes the Royal Sisters. They are super fun.

His mind started thinking back to the last letter he remembered being sent. As far as he could remember, there wasn't anything too bad about it. He always expressed his admiration of all that she did and acted as an emotional anchor for her in the way she had for him. Or at least, that was always his intention. The whole family were very close. He knew that his father, proud of both his children, had always wished for his eldest daughter to focus herself on her career a bit more, but what was so bad about the last letter? His husband sometimes said he was more like his sister than his sister sometimes, but he was a joker. And their mother was as easy going as the summer breeze. He hadn't been home in a bit- maybe it was more recent? Or was it home, meaning her home? His mind raced as he tried to formulate the possibilities in a reasonable manner. "Maybe...huh, well, I don't think I remember anything all that bad...unless she misread it?" He shook his head, "In any case, I have to believe she knows we all care for her. We have always been a close family. She knows we love her and care for her, right?"

Sunny smiled softly. "Well, those worries are now in the past. The future is yours to make, and you will make it alongside new friends and allies who will be willing to life you up when you feel down," she offered, allowing him to finish his leaning. Sometimes, physical support and comfort was just as necessary as emotional or mental support. A lot of creatures could become rather unnerved by that, but it was true- a hug, a lean, a friendly pat and smile could help somecreature no matter what they were going through. It was one of many ways you could show them that you cared. "As part of that, let's just start focusing on what you need to do next, what you want to do next," she asked, hauling out a piece of paper and some pens for the two of them to work. He said something that started to get her mind racing. Sunny gave some thought to this description of a kind, beautiful mare who lived in the brighthouse. There were a few standout choices. "Oh, you mean Izzy? She is very friendly. Almost too friendly! I guess there is no such thing though, right?" She laughed, then sighed happily. "She can be the best friend a pony- anycreature really- could ask for," then she cocked an eyebrow. "And I'll make sure to tell her that somesiren thinks she's beautiful," she winked, giggling. She could see it. Izzy was a rather beautiful mare, wasn't she?

"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!

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."