tacobob

The cat silently nodded her head while she tried her very best to wipe away the tears with her one, free hand. For such cute little creatures, Pegasus ponies sure hit like a ton of bricks! As she slowly made her way up, her eyes fell upon herself. There was a nasty bruise on her right knee. She could only image how many bumps she got on her backside. Ouch! If her mother was here, she probably would have broken out a potion of Iodine and poured it directly on her knee by now. How she hated that gunk! It usually hurt more than the bruise itself. "T-that's okay.", the cat stammered as her knee made it perfectly clear that it did not like pressure being put upon it that it normally would handle. "Really?", she gasped after the mare mentioned there would be other events. But would those events be the 'Annual Regionals'? Could she find an equal amount of excitement and wonder during those shows? What if they only provided her with thrills, spills and chills? She already saw plenty of that back at her circus. The sudden change of plans nearly caused the cat to tumble back, but she kept her balance. She needed to head over to the locker room? After a quick glance away from her own little problems, she realized her 'attacker' was probably one of the athletes! Well, that was one way to meet a racer. Thankfully it was just a light and fluffy mare. Some of those stallions looked like they could crash through a solid wall and keep going. The pair slowly made their way into a small building lined with lockers and the sound of showers in an adjoining room. And since ponies rarely wore clothing, this locker was coed. "I'm Thrilly by the way...", the young creature quickly scooped up the provided aid. A bit of bandage and a salve would work. "I'm a flying trapeze artist...An aerialist..." This probably did not impress an creature who could actually fly. After a quick dab of gunky lotion that smelled like bad yogurt onto her wounded knee, the fuzzy creature quickly wrapped the injured bits with the provided bandage. Since time was of an essence, Thrilly quickly finished up and was ready to move to the autograph session. She considered dropping her shorts and asking her host if there were any further bruises on her derrière, but that would probably be a little too much. Besides, they had hot tubs at the hotel. After testing her knee out, she was ready to move on!

“Canterlot! Sweet babies I’m here!”, a little brown Abyssinian-Cat let out a holler the moment the most famous of castles could be seen through her train window. “I’ve been here before, but I was just too little to explore alone.”, she placed an hand towards her neck and then raised it towards her own head to illustrate the size and or age she had been during her last visit, “But now I’m just slightly larger than before, which now permits me to go off on my own and experience the wonders of the greatest city in the world!”, she grinned rather proudly at her seat-mate, who was an middle aged stallion that had been trying his very best to read his newspaper. “That’s lovely to hear...”, he forced an smile onto his face. He had admired her enthusiasm, but the little cat had not shut up during the whole trip! “I...And when I mean ‘I’, it was my family and my friends and my fellow 'Cirkys' got to meet Princess Celestia when we last performed here....And wow...." she gasped, "She was so beautiful....And her hair was super pretty and it was always moving....even when she was standing still! Like magic!", she bounced. By now, the stallion considered just stuffing the paper into his ears. Would that help? "Uh-huh.", he groaned. "Wonder if I'll get to meet her.....oooh.", oblivious just how rude it was to do so, she snatched a page from the newspaper. This was the front page of the EVENTS section. "This sounds like fun. Do you think this sounds like fun?", she turned the paper to the pony who quickly snatched it back. "Both excitement and wonder! I would be happy with just only one of those things, but they're providing both! And also snacks. I like snacks." With great relief to her seat-mate, the train came to an complete stop. An announcement could be heard from one of the little speakers located near the corner of their cabin: This is the Canterlot Train Depot! If you’re exiting, please gather your belongings, watch your head and step, and take small foals by the hooves! The cat snatched up her bags and bounded out of the train for future excitement and wonder! After a quick stop at her hotel and a cat-nap, the fuzzy little creature made her way to the Arena. "Wow.", she gasped. This was not like any stadium she had ever seen before! There were seats on the side of a mountain! Were they put there, or were they carved into the mountain itself? And the actual arena was just some clouds. Made sense as this was a flying competition...But wait....The meet was over? She missed the whole thing! Tears started to form in her eyes...She overslept! Oh no! She would not get to enjoy the excitement! She would not get to be part of the wonder! Oh how this day could get even worse? The Pegasus pony managed to crash right into the poor-cat who tumbled onto her backside. "That's okay..I'm used to falling on my tail....", the brown cat groaned. There was a slight bruise on her knee. "Can't believe I missed the show...", she let out a painful squeak as she tried to get up.

“I could never understand why anyone would move up to the coldest part of anywhere and then depend on magic to keep them warm.”, the griffon mused as she continued her doodles. “You either adjust like the Yaks of Yakyakistan or you find another, warmer place." She huffed at the idea of depending on magic... "Spells can go bad after years of constant use, and there's always something silly that could also interfere and cause even more problems than what the magic was actually trying to help." The black bird uttered an slight curse when the train bounced a little. "Sh....er..sassafras..." Thankfully she was using an pencil to do her sketching, and any mistakes were quickly erased away.", she chuckled to herself as the sweet little mare spoke of her 'bad' side. "Huh, Ponyville. I actually have a few friends there...." That was a silly thing to say as everypony had a friend in the 'village of friendship', even if they had not met them yet. Knowing that Loose Cannon could not actually see her picture, Zelda pulled out an special, thicker marker and sketched over the sketch itself. This was almost like an acrylic paint...The mare would be able to feel the image with her hoof. Once it properly dried that is... Daze was an fast flyer? Did that mean she was a racer? Now all those bandages made sense. The same magic that allowed flying creatures to walk on clouds also gave a slight shield 'o' protection against crashes. She had seen more than a few Pegasus ponies survive an nasty crash without only a few scrapes and maybe a broken bone or two...As opposed to making a rather nasty mess on someone's field. Being an griffon, she was a decent flyer, but her feline body did not offer the superior aerodynamics of an Pegasus ponies. They were light and sleek and made for fast, agile flying..The idea of watching cuties like Fiver and Daze racing about and doing stunts finally made up her mind! She would be attending the event! "Ppppft.", the griffon groaned, "You're going to be part of a very important race in the Crystal Empire....So that makes you rather special.....and skilled...I couldn't see my fat behind doing such a thing as I'd be left behind in the cloud..dust.." There was another bump, Thankfully she had stopped sketching for the moment. "Erm. Probably going over some old tracks." It had all been smoothing riding until just about now...Hopefully it would end soon. But what was with the clicking? Curious, the bird slid over to the end of her seat and took a look outside....

Ugh. I'm very sorry to see you go...I'll miss your art here (I am following you on your assorted art pages) and your awesome posts...Discord drove my characters crazy, but I loved every single one of those posts.

Yeah, I'd love to see an year skip....The CMCs are teens.....Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake are kids..And the main characters..Along with their friends. Or I just want a certain artist to finish her comic strip! I'd love to see another city. We already had an itty bitty village. Why not set it in the city?

They haven't said anything about the new show...There have been random character designs floating around..But that's all I've seen. What would you like to see in the new GEN?

"When you're on a train, it's not just the destination you get to enjoy, but the actual ride itself." The griffon was on high alert during the conversation and was able to quickly remove something that had popped up In her noggin. She was about to say 'And you get to enjoy the ever changing scenery outside your cabin', but that would not be suitable at all! "Meet new people, and it's nice to simply sit and relax...And not worry yourself to death on what you've left behind." There wasn't really much she was leaving behind. All of her jobs were finished. She did rely on ol' Docket to receive her packages and water her plants. There would still be time later to find a gift for a wedding she would later attend. Maybe she would find something in the 'Empire', or even an idea on what to make the couple. Loose Cannon's cutie mark reminded her of the bride to be's marking. Flaming horse shoe....Flaming meteorite. The bird wondered if she gained her branding the same way her friend did. And that was by overcoming rather extreme difficulties. Zelda turned her attention to the fuzzy brown pegasus pony, "I'm actually a blacksmith, and I sculpt as a hobby, but it's usually wise to sketch out your projects before diving headfirst into them and waste materials." While she did not work on this particular skill as much as she should, the griffon had managed to gain a decent amount of skill with her sketches. Maybe she should move to Coltifornia and get an job as an caricature artist at 'Whinny World'. "I don't believe you have what I can call a 'bad side'.", the griffon chuckled as she finished her first sketch. This starred a rather sassy looking Loose Cannon..."I'm Zelda...Formally of Rockwington...Now Canterlot...Just taking an rather random little vacation to help refresh myself.."

Yeah, I'll be bummed. But this isn't the end! As they will be starting a new 'gen' (5th), which I believe will start with the next movie....

The griffon looked up from her pad as she heard the arrival of another new passenger. This one was just as cute as the previous pony. But something about her....The eyes...They were rather milky looking, which probably meant the mare was blind. The sudden desire to feel bad for this poor little pony...Blind and alone...Who would take care of her? This was not a feeling she needed to have right now. The little pony was obviously far stronger than her handicap and even the loss of her eyesight could not keep her from doing things like anyone else. And being alone? She probably had the same reason the griffon had. Noisy friends! She loved her little pony pals ever so, but goodness gracious they loved to gab! Getting away from those silly fillies was a good idea! The blind mare spoke, but those words were meant only to reassure herself. She was here early. The train probably would not continue its trip for at least an half-hour. The griffon's eyes lingered on the new mare just long enough so she could see the book the pony pulled out. It had those odd little bumps ponies could learn to read by rubbing their hooves against. She had read somewhere that this had been originally developed to use during wartime when messages needed to be read without any light that would give away one's position. She was just about to return to her drawings when another passenger arrived. Could this be new passenger number one's sister? Both had similar coats and were very athletic looking. The newcomer was rather tall for a pony. She did not openly greet the mare or even intact as one would do with a sibling. Nope. They were strangers. This mare dared to spy upon the griffon's sketches! Soon she would feel her wraith for violating the black bird's personal space...Nah. Fiver would get a good look at a page of sassy dragon drawings. "Yep. First time visiting the old empire..." Thankfully things had been quiet as of lately. The poor residents had to endure for so long. That beast Sombra held the empire in his cruel hooves until he had to banish the entire lands along with its ponies to a void for over a thousand years! And even with its return, also brought the shadow pony back as well. He was defeated, but they still had more problems to deal with, including nearly losing the kingdom once more...To a grumpy foal? Ho-Boy. The griffon nearly bounced out of her chair the moment the door closed. That was quick! She could only assume there wasn't a good deal of passengers waiting for this train. While she was curious why the bandaged mare was so...anxious...Was it her business to ask? Maybe not, but she still had one question. "You gals don't mind if I sketch you during this trip?" All three were idea models....And if she couldn't sketch, the poor bird would probably doze off. And she hated to sleep while sitting up.

The griffon known as Zelda, opened up her eyes as the large beast of an train slowed down for its next stop. Where was she? Did it matter? This was not the Crystal Empire, so she was staying put for the moment. As she glanced around the cabin that had been her private domain, at least since the last stop, the black bird turned her attention back to her trusty notepad. There were an assortment of sketches she had created to pass the time during the rather lengthy journey. There were quick scribbles of a few passengers, including one of an obnoxiously beautiful dragon who had no issues posing for the artist. All of her perfectly shined scales gave the griffon ideas for a personal project. In the very old days, blacksmiths wouldn’t think twice about using real dragonscales in the armor, but not anymore. She could see using stainless steel chain mail with layers of metal scallops. Red and black to match the impressive creature's scales. Zelda also made sure to snatch a bit of personal information from the girl so they could meet up in the future. Her name was Simmer. Along with working the forge, the Canterlot resident also enjoyed a second career as an sculptor. She would see about creating something special with Simmer's help. This all could not help but make the cat smile. She had left Canterlot to travel to the Crystal Empire to be refreshed and inspired. The empire was filled with beautiful crystal homes and towers. The Crystal Ponies had shiny, gradient manes and tails, and those wonderful eyes! There were also an assortment of statues she really wanted to look at. These were statues of griffons, which was very unusual for a pony city. These were probably of the white griffons that lived not that far from the empire. A friend of hers has a brother who encountered a drift of the white griffons or as they called themselves, the 'Stormfast' during an adventure he had with a group of explorers. These white griffons all lived in an rather large tower, which had been built by their ancestors for one special purpose. They were to wait until the return of the empire that vanished. One could guess what empire they were waiting for. Pocket Change went into detail about the tower, and probably a little too into detail with his encounter with an female Stormfast Griffon that caught his fancy...Mental images the blacksmith had not wished to receive. As she ran her claws through her pictures, a sound caught her attention. She was going to have an cabin-buddy! Zelda turned her attention to the newcomer. Thankfully, it was just one pony. Not one adult with a dozen of bratty foals. Or even worse, a couple that would blather on for miles and miles. Or even try to convince the bird to leave her cabin so they could experience the 'Mile Long Club'. This was an rather attractive mare that even a few randomly placed bandages could not scar her beauty. The blacksmith always liked ponies with brown or yellowish coats. Be it your handsome Dunders or even sweet Prestezas...Those colors just seemed to work on the adorable equines. The griffon smiled politely at the new passenger, but did not say a word, as it would be rude to start jabbering as the girl was trying to get comfortable. If she wanted to talk, she would once she was ready. No need to push it. So for now, she continued to review her old sketches.

Gah! How many posts do you need? *Does research*

Well, whatever you choose, just make sure to give us the link to the RP when it starts! And Zelda will be there!

I don't think one simply 'hops' onto an ghost train. You'd probably notice the difference right away. For example, the train would end with a Ka-Boo-se!

Maybe not the train itself...That would be rather morbid..All the deaths..And they would send the big guns over (Alicorns...Main Six..) to recover survivors.. I was thinking a train car...Or even something simple. 1: The Train Made A Pit-Stop and our guys left to stretch their legs...But missed the train as it left. 2. The train breaks down at a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere. The engineers can fix the train, but a part needs to be sent and it would take a few days. Our guys decide they could make the trip via wings..Or Hoof (and foot) Depending on who goes. And maybe it's too windy to fly. As for Loose going to the Crystal Empire, there's a ZILLION reasons to come to the Crystal Empire 1. Sight Seeing! Tons of places to check out! 2. Very good Vodka. Comes in a crystal bottle. 3. That show they're going to watch and/or attend. 4. Unique Snow-Globes that are exclusive to the Crystal Empire! Buy a bunch and sell them on E-Bray! 5. They also have a fun game. Collect pieces of their former ruler. You might think you've found them all, but there's always A'more to find! 6. They still sell Crystal Pepsi there. 7. Seriously you have like 100,000 airline train points. You got to use them or they will expire! 8. Meet & Greet Princess Candace. She's kind of hot and smells like apricots.. Just don't get too close to her, or her child-god will murder you to death!

Yeah, I also vote Fiver....She could be also attending the aerial meet....Zelda is just a random schmo who was also on the train. Actually, being an ADVENTURE....Maybe something more dramatic? An wild beast attacks the train...One of those giant birds from last season...A Roc attacks the train and knocks the car off the track into a lake....And then adventure happens. Or they all die. Cause normally, if the train broke down, the train company could send either another train or just pick them up with a cart. Hmm.

Did you do the pics of your OC or were they commissioned? No matter who did 'em, they are all utterly adorable. As for the character....Zelda it is! This will continue the poor griffon's streak of utterly bad luck. Ever since she broke up with her colt-friend, she has started to have some not so good luck..... She finally got to hang around with an stallion she rather liked from afar (Big Mac) but they were attacked by a vicious swam of termites. Ouch! So after that went south, she decided to take a nice little trip to the Crystal Empire to be inspired. As an artist, she sometimes takes little trips to help her produce new pieces..

This sounds like fun. I was thinking of using my adventure pony Pocket Change...But it looks like you'll need an character that can fly for this...And even if you didn't, your character is too dang cute! I wouldn't trust Pocket to be hanging around her for too long. He might want to cheat a little, which would be bad. I was thinking of two characters. Either my griffon Zelda or show character Smolder. Who would you prefer?