RarityDash

[colour=#99CCFF]“Glad you think so Miss Rarity! I gotta’ outdo myself constantly to keep my friends impressed.”[/colour] Rarity was not an exceptionally naïve mare and she had already observed this unfortunate filly to be a troublemaker of a more serious breed than one might typically find back in Ponyville. Her smile's artifice was thus quite hard to ignore. However, while maybe it remained that Rarity just seldom knew how best to deal with children, she doubted what this filly needed was any kind of stern hoof or belligerent mare sticking her muzzle deep into whatever mischief she liked to concoct. No, Flakey was likely expecting such things. She seemed the sort who just waited in anticipation for some clueless adult to confront her with the intention to change her ways. Rarity had no intention to play that kind of game. She'd figure Flakey out another way, and maybe in time this filly would open up to her just as Valen had.​ [colour=#99CCFF]“Hey wait a sec! [/colour][colour=#99CCFF]Your friends are pranksters too? Aren’t they too, uhhhhh... grown up to be doing that?”[/colour] At this sudden spark of genuine interest, Rarity chuckled.[colour=#663399]"So being grown up means a pony can't have fun?"[/colour] She smirked and gave a giggle.[colour=#663399] "I suppose I can see where some fillies and colts might attach themselves to that notion, but the way I see it, it is a misguided one."[/colour] [colour=#663399]"Laughter is one of the key elements of harmony after all, darling. It's as important to a fulfilling life as anything else,"[/colour] she said, nodding. [colour=#663399]"Playing pranks, like so many other things is an art--and like any other art, those who choose to pursue it do their best to just get more clever and timely as they continue."[/colour] ​

click the button in the upper left corner that looks like this: This will change everything to the raw code. The limits refer to three lines in this mode. if you plan on including links in your signature, I would suggest using a url shortener.

Never!!! No such thing. Also, yay for Pathfinder! *hugs tightly*

I wish for lots more raridash.

the comic map actually lines up fairly nicely with the "official map" released. It just shows what is to the immediate south of where that map ends.

"I acquired the item from the Museum of Equestrian History in Canterlot. In regards to it being a nice favour, I am unable to speak on Sir Goldplume's behalf. I found the arrangement agreeable of course, I accepted the terms that he presented me," Gilda was kind of surprised to find the highly suspicious mare giving her a straight answer. Seriously though a museum in Canterlot? Canterlot was pony princess land and the dumb ponies had more of their little REA guards there than any other pony place. How would someone pick a museum in a place like that, even if they were good? Sure, maybe some would say the same about Talonopolis, and that featherbrained Pathfinder had successfully wormed her way into practically every museum in the city, but it nevertheless seemed like something that should be impressive. Gilda couldn't help but wonder if she hadn't stumbled upon yet another master at such things, but this one cold and motivated only by coin where the Pathfinder was motivated only by her overpowering madness. Whatever else, this pony was definitely someone dangerous. Gilda needed to play this right or she was bound to, yet again wind up in a world of trouble.[colour=#996699]"How impressive,"[/colour] she said, nodding. [colour=#996699]"I take if your the sort who takes on a lot of jobs like this one, eh?"[/colour] she asked, not hiding her smirk. ​ "Would you like to visit the museum, I am returning to Canterlot tonight?" This question was mildly surprising for a couple reasons. For one, this shadowy master thief was being a lot friendlier than most shadowy master thieves would be, not that Gilda have met very many. For another, it just seemed like quite the feat. Maybe the pony was looking for a fallgriffon, but stupid curiosity had Gilda nevertheless interested, so she opted to inquire only about the latter.[colour=#996699]"Canterlot by tonight? How you managing that? It's quite the trip even on wing..."[/colour] she questioned, eyeing the shifty character with increasing suspicion. [colour=#996699]"Gonna snag a ride on some swift flying airship or something?"[/colour] ​"May I ask for your name stranger? You don't appear to be a member of the Goldplume family. You may call me Asteria or any other moniker that you are comfortable with," Asteria, huh? Even the name was kind of dark and shady sounding. Moreover, Gilda wasn't sure what an Asteria was. Didn't ponies typically all have dopey, silly dweeb names like Sugar Snack or Sprinkle Dust? All the more confirmation she had run into quite the unusual character... which in turn just made her all the more curious about the ponies game.[colour=#996699]"It's Gilda,"[/colour] she introduced herself with an indifferent shrug. [colour=#996699]"Gilda the griffon. Any other names I might have had, I've since left behind."[/colour] ​

Gilda's decision to scope out the big Fetrock rock show out in the Equestrian Heartland had already proven a fortuitous one. She had, through dumb error, arrived on the scene a couple days ahead of time and for it ended up in a somewhat strange spot. While flying up over the concert stage, she had very nearly had all of her feathers singed to a fiery crisp by a rogue firework cannon suddenly going off for no adequately explained reason. Obviously this had resulted in her getting very rightly steamed and she had flown in in to confront the birdbrain down below who was responsible. That "birdbrain", a pegasus by the name of Ignition, as it were, was not actually all too lame, and was in fact stage crew for the show who had set off the firework entirely for the kicks. The two of them went and rather quickly found some common ground which ultimately lead to them dashing off together to party the night away at a rockin' club in Germaney. It had been a blast, and for it Gilda had ended up with something one might call a friend. Of course, the surly griffon was still rather interested in the whole Fetrock deal, but now she happened to have connections! Yeah, meeting a pony who was kinda pretty cool was not the only good thing she had wound up from the whole ordeal. Because of Ignition, she wasn't going to have to slum it out in the cheap section straining her eyes, ears and everything else just to experience the rock. No, instead, Ignition had been given her a backstage pass to see all of it all nicely up close and personal. It was pretty cool and it had the griffoness quite excited for when the show actually started up in full. Seeing all the musicians getting primed and the roadies and everyone hard at work to set it all up was kind of interesting. Gilda had to wonder if she would be able to do this kind of work. Heh, Ignition could and they were on a relatively similar wavelength, so maybe. But nah, it didn't quite look like her bag. Learning an instrument seemed cooler and less like work. It was probably more secure than solo flight shows and random jobs that promised to but never succeeded at getting her very rich. You probably had to be pretty good at it though. Still, it was something worth considering she supposed. For now, the name of the game was just taking it all in and doing her best to stay out of the way of anyone who had anything important to do. Except Ignition of course. Giving her pony pal a little of the business really did feel necessary. [colour=#996699]"Hehe. Well, don't you sound cool and in charge. I wonder if anyone here would be able to guess how seriously you take this stuff when you're alone with it at night..."[/colour] she said as she approached Ignition at the close of her speech to the performers. She looked around the backstage area and gave a laugh before glancing back at the mare this time taking in her full rocker getup. [colour=#996699]"Speaking of flames, nice mane, by the way,"[/colour] she said, snickering.​

I was finally able to sit down and watch this, and really I would have to say it was absolutely delightful. Better than I was expecting. It was colourful, well animated, fun, funny and had the right heart to it. The characters stuck closely to their core and it was just enjoyable to watch. The plot might have been a little simple, but it was nevertheless effective. The character designs which were initially a somewhat hard sell on me actually aren't bad when you get used to them. The climax was quite cool and satisfying beyond what I might have expected and I even thought the romantic plot, which I had expected to hate, was quite well handled all things considered. Lots of fun cameos and references to the show too. In short, almost everything I had hoped for. The songs were the one area where it maybe let me down just a little. I had gone in having read what Daniel Ingram had said and expecting awesome, MMC calibre songs, but really only one of them stood out for me. That one, the central musical number of the film, "Equestria Girls", was an exceptional song and sequence that stands with the most memorable and catchy songs to come out of FIM. The rest of the songs though... for me at least, they mostly just seemed like boilerplate pop tunes perfect to set montages to. I can't see myself finding much need to have repeat listens of any of them. The one great song aside, I gotta say I'm more a fan of the more theatrical songs featured in the episodes. Still, the songs weren't exactly unsuccessful in setting the mood and I'd call none of them terrible. I just expected slightly more, I guess. That said, not sure what else to say. Maybe some things in the story get resolved a little easily, and perhaps there are holes in some of it when you put it under a microscope. For me, I was smiling almost the whole time, and as such I can't really say much bad about it. For me, it was a rewarding watch.

Very happy to give this a stamp.

Hmm, let's see... this is what comes immediately to mind: I think RariDash is the best of all possible pony ships. Most people don't seem to agree. I also think Luna is horribly overrated and not really deserving of her following. She's okay, it's just kind of overblown for who she is and what she's done, and the way it leads to Celestia hate at times is both annoying and unfortunate. Hurricane Fluttershy is one of the most redundant and unnecessary episodes in the show. Everything in it feels like something we've seen before and it gives me the sense that we're just covering the same ground with Fluttershy. It's also just not that funny or fun and the emotions in it feel forced. Fluttershy is the least interesting, least developed of the mane six. She has her moments, but she just doesn't have as much range or depth as the other five and for it her and her episodes usually aren't quite as compelling. I like what season three did with Trixie and especially Discord. Spike at Your Service is a good episode and I think Spike is well within character in it. Gilda is a genuinely interesting and relatable character; her reactions were understandable given the situation and her final fate, though indeed largely brought on by the glaring but real faults to her character, is somewhat tragic.

Roleplay Type: Canterlot Chronicles Name: Starless Shroud Sex: female Age: mare Species: earth pony Eye colour: very dark brown; left eyes is permanently damaged, she wears a black eyepatch over it. Coat colour: An incredibly dark shade of violet Mane/Tail/Markings colour & Style: medium blue in colour. Fairly short in length and unkempt. She always wears a hat of some variety (currently a gray, triangular pirate hat would be most common). Her tail is medium length and full, but also somewhat unkempt. Physique: Somewhat tall for a mare, and in pretty good shape. Wears a worn out, gray overcoat at most times. Residence: Born in Beakbreak City; now wanders, but has come to reside on the airship, Freedom Wing. Occupation: Thief, drifter, con artist, and currently pirate. Cutie Mark: a night sky without stars; more specifically, a rectangular patch of black containing a few wispy dark gray clouds and a bright half moon. Following the incident at the Dragon's Peak mentioned bellow, Starless was filled with a want to prove herself and also make some bits. She marked a certain pony, an adult stallion, for a target and stalked him by night. When she didn't get caught, and in fact was able to pilfer his saddlebags without him even noticing her presence, the cutie mark appeared. It is a dark night sky, symbolizing her skill at masking her presence. Unique Traits: Starless is a master thief who excels at effortlessly picking pockets. She picked up a number of other skills from her time as a thief as well, such as picking locks and easily finding places to hide. She can be silver-tongued when needed and has a respectable knowledge of gems and artifacts. She also has a fair knowledge of airships and can manage some minor repairs if the need arises. In terms of combat skill, she is most comfortable with small blades and keeps a total of three small knives in her coat and one in her hat. She is not, however a good shot with a gun and wouldn't know what to do with a full sized sword. History: Starless lived most of her life in her birthplace of Beakbreak City. Her father was a criminal of some note named Slick Noir. He was captured by the REA after a certain botched heist and currently serves time in a prison in Stalliongrad. Starless and him never had much of a relationship, though in a way she respects him and what he's accomplished from afar. Her mother Nightmist was a lounge singer with a fair following, until her untimely passing when Starless was still a foal. Her lack of parental guidance enabled her to frequently get in trouble from her earliest days. From the start she was a street smart filly with little respect for authority. As a young filly, her and a couple friends of similar disposition snuck off through the nearby mountains up to the Dragon's Peak, to play the ultimate game of chicken by harassing an adult dragon. The ponies were ultimately successful in getting the dragon's attention, and were forced to make a break for it as the fearsome creature chased after them. The dragon, who in all likelihood just aimed to scare the young ponies away, allowed their safe escape, but in the course of the chase starless tripped and an ember from one of the nearby lava pits got in her left eye, permanently damaging it. This occurrence effected her greatly, but perhaps not in the way one might expect (aside from it directly giving her a persisting fear of dragons, who she associates with the incident). Rather than inspiring her to tame her wild ways, it served only to embolden her spirit by giving her a burning desire to become greater than that failure. To do this, she figured she had to make a name for herself, and to do that she needed to get rich. The easiest way for a pony of her disposition to do that was to take it for herself, so she became a thief. Eventually she graduated from petty thievery to more elaborate tricks, and this brought with it heat from the authorities. She left Beakbreak and drifted for a while from city to city until she ended up in Stalliongrad. Here she came to the conclusion that the best way to escape the law was to take to the skies. She joined up with a crew of sky pirates, making a point of her tough and resilient attitude and the airship knowledge she had picked up hanging around the Beakbreak airship yards, she got a crew position as a deck hand onboard the Freedom Wing, under captain Gangplank, where she does her best to stand out as little as possible. Character Summary: Starless is not a very kind pony, to put it bluntly. She has no qualms about breaking laws and she doesn't respect authority well. She judges others callously, lies constantly and keeps lots of secrets. She's also brash, cynical, impulsive, overly proud and quick to start arguments. She is furthermore something of a poor sport, she covets money and fame and is just generally kind of bitter. Starless is a tough as nails mare who is nothing if not sure of herself and her talents. Quick thinking, quick acting and relatively fearless (unless beasts get involved), she can prove to be a valued ally when things get dicey. She has a decent level of control over her harder emotions, and is at least somewhat able to temper herself when she needs to or its to her advantage. She's social, fairly well humored and enjoys having a good time. She also has a strange fixation/obsession with hats, something she has a large collection of and can get kind of weird about. On the odd occasion that a pony can manage to get through all the thick layers of cynicism, artificiality and aggression, they'll find a surprisingly firm friend. Aside from her beloved hats she also loves listening to music, arguing (but only if she wins) and learning all she can about airships. Oh, and money. She's very much of the opinion that bits make the world go round and will do virtually anything, no matter how deceitful, if it means lining her pockets. She can't abide by fools, being forced to suck up to others and secrets being kept from her. Dragons are her greatest fear.

Gilda gave a sigh as she lied atop a vacant stretch of cliff overlooking the Equestrian embassy in Talonopolis, trying to take a nap. As she lied there, she couldn't help but find herself wondering just what she was even doing there? What exactly had brought her back to this stupid, annoying city. She had been born there, but many times had she left it behind. She had discarded it, rejected it, because Gilda wasn't a griffon who had any use for a "home". There was nothing to tie her to this city, nothing to keep her coming back. And yet, she invariably seemed to return. Now, even after her little adventure on the wrong side of the law last time she was in the city, here she was again. She couldn't rationalize it. All she knew is that she had wound up here once more. That previous venture to the city of her birth was still fresh in her mind. It had started while she was chilling out by herself out on a cliff overlooking the city just like the one she was resting on now. She had seen a suspicious pony and ended up following her out of curiosity. Cue an exceedingly feather-brained scheme that put her on the continual run, until... because of that blasted mare, she ended up getting caught. After months of having to put up with the Aquelian Marines on the trail of her would be accomplice, she was then duped once more and thrown into prison along with that fool pony. Stupid, stupid months followed until the two of them were able to break for it, and though eventually that idiot Pathfinder managed to get her grimy hooves on what she was looking for, Gilda was rewarded with exactly nothing. It was one of the stupidest things she had ever gotten involved in, so Gilda was in no hurry to repeat it. So when a suspicious looking mare passed by underneath where she was loitering, she tried her best just to ignore it. A big part of her didn't want to get involved in anything this time... and yet, there was something about the mare passing closely by her down below that made her hard for the griffon to ignore. She was just extremely shady. She was a black mare in a dark coat. Her movements were suspicious, and moreover she was a wingless variety of ponies; those almost never wandered into the city just for kicks. Gilda couldn't help but watch her... and when a clearly very important griffon came to greet her, her eyes went wide. She had seen the guy before; one of the top members of the Goldplume family. What was someone like him doing here on the surface meeting some wingless pony in a dark cloak? Whatever it was, Gilda was pretty sure it wasn't legal. Unable to resist, she flew a little closer so she could hear the exchange. The words spoken did nothing to dissuade Gilda of the opinion that this was a meeting that no one wanted overheard. The pony spoke without affectation and the griffon had a nervous excitement over everything he said and did. Gilda's eyes went wide as a beautiful golden figurine was revealed and passed from hoof to talon. So that was it, huh? Illicit artifact trading? The dark side of Pathfinder's trade, Gilda supposed. She chuckled and shook her head. How very curious. Her eyes stayed with the super valuable statuette. Oh how she wanted to just swoop down and take it from under the fool Goldplume's beak... Gilda was an opportunist. She was committed to living life her way, which meant eschewing rules and being her own griffon. This meant she didn't have much of a place in society. Flight was the one thing she loved and the one thing she was good enough at to profit from, but flight shows and events for unaffiliated trick fliers were rare at best. As such, she didn't have a lot of money at hand most times with which to pay for things. This meant, she was stupidly susceptible when it came to opportunities to get rich quick. She didn't want to get involved in anything stupid again, but she couldn't help it. She needed to know what this shifty mare's game was. She flew down to confront her. [colour=#996699]"Hey pony!"[/colour] she started loudly[colour=#996699]. "I saw that just now! Doing favors for ol' Goldplume there, are we? That must be real nice,"[/colour] she barked, getting close to the cloaked mare. [colour=#996699]"I think I'd kinda like to know where you got something that nice,"[/colour] she added with an abrasive huff.​

[colour=#99CCFF]“Not really. [/colour][colour=#99CCFF]It’s a concept for a prank on one of my classmates, [/colour][colour=#99CCFF]I sneak into Bright Stone’s bedroom at night, put a toy spider on a fishing pole, and I dangle it on her to see if she wakes up screaming. Pretty funny, huh?”[/colour] Rarity chuckled and shook her head slightly. Oh, to be young. Or well, being a prankster she supposed wasn't entirely age dependent. A couple of her closest friends had never outgrown such things even as they entered alleged maturity. Rarity wasn't sure she entirely understood it; even in her foalhood she had never had a desire to deceive or find laughs at the expense of friends. Dash and Pinkie always seemed to have fun with their little pranks however, and so long as no one was getting hurt who was she to stand in the way of that? She nodded to the foal beside her. If nothing else, she'd try and use this to relate to the poor filly.[colour=#663399]"Ah, so you and your friends enjoy playing pranks on each other?" [/colour]Rarity started. [colour=#663399]"I have a couple friends myself who are always up to that sort of mischief. Sneezing powder hidden in flowers and what not. They've gotten me good quite a number of times."[/colour] The mare gave a laugh and nodded again. [colour=#663399]"So long as no one is hurt and it's not done out of malice, I think that sort of thing is entirely healthy, especially for ponies your age,"[/colour] she said, smiling. [colour=#663399]"And I must say that you're prank does sound quite daring and innovative!"[/colour] ​

[colour=#0000FF]“The name of the play eludes my memory, [/colour][colour=#0000FF]But in my last year of school before university, I landed a role as a prince in one comedy. It was one of those plays where the prince doesn’t appear until the end as some sort of last-minute prize for the leading lady. All I basically did was sleep in a glass coffin for most of the play, say a few words once I woke up, and then kiss the girl to end the show. The only reason I got that role because... heh heh, the production simply needed the handsomest face it could find.....”[/colour] [colour=#000000]Crystal gave an affected giggle at the gentlecolt's story. [/colour][colour=#0000ff]"Oh my, I can only imagine! You with all the vigor of youth--oh how the schoolfillies must have swooned!"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said, smiling. [/colour][colour=#000000]The mare laughed some more and glanced slightly upward, thinking back. She gave a small sigh. [/colour][colour=#0000ff]"I'm sure it was a delight, your play though. You had the distinguish of playing a memorable role without having to memorize very many lines! What more could a young actor ask for?"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she started, chuckling.[/colour] [colour=#0000ff]"In my case, with the pageant, I fought hard to get one of the starring roles--being this was Cloudsdale, mind you, all of the students were pegasi, so all of the roles were on the table,"[/colour][colour=#000000] she said, shaking her head.[/colour] [colour=#0000ff]"I put my all into the auditions and needless to say, I impressed the director... unfortunately, it didn't quite end up as I wished."[/colour] [colour=#0000ff]"I wanted more than anything to be cast in the part of Princess Platinum, my favorite character in the silly story. I was however more than willing to settle for Commander Hurricane if that's where they felt my talents were better applied. Our theatre director... he evidently had something else in mind for me though,"[/colour][colour=#000000] [/colour][colour=#000000]she said, giving another small sigh.[/colour] [colour=#0000ff]"I was given the part of Chancellor Puddinghead. It was entirely undignified and more than a little embarrassing... but I suppose in the end I was proud of the performance I gave, though at the same time not in very much hurry to repeat it."[/colour] ​

[colour=#FF0000]"Well, I'm not really skilled with fashion either, but you are at least ahead of me with that because you read something. I really haven't had the time to read up on fashion."[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]Spirit stared ahead with an unsure exp<b></b>ression. She somehow doubted Fire's words were entirely accurate. From the book she had read she could effectively recall the processes and compositions of a number of common fabrics as well as their qualities, but the concept of "fashion" was something that almost entirely mystified her. She knew which fabrics were the most durable and insulating, but she had no clue as to why anypony would wear anything but those fabrics. Even then clothing hardly seemed a necessity to her, at least in most climates; equine coats alone offered enough protection to go without in most common situations. [/colour][colour=#cccccc]Ultimately she just slowly nodded. Fire was complimenting her after all. Refuting her and clarifying things would not be wise in this situation if she recalled her early lessons with Mr. Gray. [/colour] ​[colour=#FF0000]"Actually I didn't hear about it. What happened Moon?"[/colour] [colour=#CC0033]“You know how on Nightmare Night you’re supposed to dump some of your candy next to a Nightmare Moon statue? Well, one time for a week before, I worked on how to use a paper-mâché shell to convert this statue here into one for Nightmare Moon. Then the night before the big night, I snuck out and covered up the Clover statue! [/colour][colour=#CC0033]Looking back on it, I probably should have asked an artistically talented friend to make the thing; my own effort didn't look too convincing in hindsight, but at least the shell was easy to dispose of without damaging the statue underneath. And hey... everypony else enjoyed my work of art; maybe I should too, tehehe.....”[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]Spirit nodded. The customs of Nightmare Night were indeed something she had come to understand. Mr. Gray had had her participate in a big Nightmare Night even in Ponyville one year and it was something she could vividly recall. Throughout that night she had encountered a variety of unusual and perhaps unnatural characters as she collected candy. Because of that memorable experience, the traditions of Nightmare Night were something she had decided to research further. Spirit wasn't entirely sure why Miss Moondancer would need to modify an existing statue for the event though. This seemed unusual.[/colour]​[colour=#CC0033]"So girls. [/colour][colour=#CC0033]Got any stories of fun pranks too?"[/colour] [colour=#cccccc]At this question Spirit tilted her head aside. [/colour][colour=#ffffff]"Pranks...? I'm not sure I understand..."[/colour][colour=#cccccc] she said distantly.[/colour]​

Have fun with the Twi pony.

Two Days Later Snowfall wore a downcast expression as she looked out the window of the train. Here she was, traveling north of Stalliongrad into the mysterious reaches of the North and yet none of it was how she had been dreaming it would go down for the past many years. The return of the Crystal Empire had thrown her for a loop as it had many ponies. She couldn't however deny the business potential. The Empire had proximity to Stalliongrad and was a complete blank slate when it came to modern tech companies. None of the rival companies had claimed a foothold yet; it was an untested market, so there was risk. There was the possibility that these ponies pulled from the past would reject what they had to offer and that profits would prove scarce. All the same, nopony got anywhere without trying and they had the money to invest. This could be an all too valuable opportunity.Which was why she was sitting in a train cart with her all too obnoxious mother. Before they committed to expanding business into the Empire, the entire NSI board wanted to see it with their own eyes and work out arrangements with the locals. All six members of the board were coming along for the weekend to get the Crystal Empire tour. Snowfall wasn't really sure what to think or feel, so she just glanced out the train window at the arctic landscape. She thought of the Stalliongrad she had left and she thought of Pathfinder, out there somewhere in the beyond. Mostly she thought of her father and how somewhere out beyond the snowcapped hills and mountains all around her he had vanished forever. As the train chugged along toward this mysterious empire, a juvenile part of her wondered if he wouldn't somehow be there waiting for her. [colour=#0000ff]"You're thinking about him, aren't you?"[/colour] Snow's mother spoke, shooting her a glance as icy as the landscape.​[colour=#99ccff]"Of course I am, mother,"[/colour] Snow said through a sigh. [colour=#99ccff]"It's unavoidable, isn't it? This is where..."[/colour] [colour=#0000ff]"No, you disgrace his name if that's what you believe,"[/colour] the older pegasus said with her muzzle turned upward. [colour=#0000ff]"That stallion would have gotten much further than just this."[/colour]​[colour=#99ccff]"Ah, yes... of course,"[/colour] Snowfall said, shaking her head softly. [colour=#99ccff]"I didn't mean..."[/colour] [colour=#0000ff]"It matters not. If you truly believe this Crystal Empire venture is worth our time, what is important is you keeping your wits about you, child. As much as it pains to admit it, you are the CEO. You are the one who must make the impression that lasts with the VIPs of the empire,"[/colour] Crystal Snowflake said through a huff.​[colour=#99ccff]"I know, mother. I don't need encouragement from you of all ponies,"[/colour] Snow said, rolling her eyes.[colour=#99ccff] "I've been successfully running this company for many years now."[/colour] [colour=#0000ff]"And yet you all too often continue to make ill-advised, childish decisions,"[/colour] Crystal said icily. [colour=#0000ff]"You've proven to not be the best at judging character. Someday it's going to land you in a dangerous spot."[/colour]​[colour=#99ccff]"This is still about her, isn't it, mother?"[/colour] Snow started with a growl.[colour=#99ccff] "I've told you a thousand times that I'm happy now. As good as your last choice might have appeared, he wasn't what he seemed to be at all under the surface. That stallion was the sort who wasn't good for me, not her."[/colour] [colour=#0000ff]"It's not thinking soundly, is what it is. Selfishness. NSI is about more than silly personal happiness,"[/colour] the older mare argued. Snowfall felt angry.​[colour=#99ccff]"Sometimes I wonder if you didn't allow me father's chair just so you could scold me, mother,"[/colour] Snowfall tersely replied, glancing aside. Crystal glowered.[colour=#0000ff] "Is that how you talk to yo--"[/colour]​A knock as the train car door interrupted the mare's words. Both ponies looked at the door as it opened. It was Sure Regard, the most able butler and servant employed by Northern Storm Manor, who had accompanied them to tend to their needs while they stayed in the Empire. Snowfall nodded at him.[colour=#99ccff] "Yes, Sure, what is it?"[/colour] [colour=#000000]"I was told to convey to you and Mrs. Snowflake that we will be arriving in the Crystal Empire shortly, Miss Snowfall. The engineer informs me that the train will reach the station in roughly fifteen minutes time,"[/colour] the butler said with a nod. [colour=#0000ff]"Excellent,"[/colour] Crystal started. [colour=#0000ff]"I think it will do us both some good to stretch our wings after being cooped up in this blasted train for so long."[/colour]​[colour=#99ccff]"indeed."[/colour] Snow nodded. [colour=#99ccff]"Thank you for keeping us informed, Sure."[/colour] [colour=#000000]"My pleasure, Miss,"[/colour] the butler said as he turned to leave. He didn't get very far however. He fell forward into unconsciousness as a large bat was swung at his head. Two masked figures entered the cart, stepping over the motionless stallion. [colour=#0000ff]"What is the meaning of this outrage?"[/colour] Crystal shouted loudly as one of the stallions closed the door to the large, private train car. [colour=#0000ff]"Guards! Arrest these criminal miscreants!"[/colour]​[colour=#8b4513]"No one will be coming for you," [/colour]the masked pony with the bat said before swinging it again, sending the older mare to the ground. Just then, the train screeched to a sudden halt. Snowfall backed up, fearful of what was happening. [colour=#99ccff]"If this is about money, I'll pay you what you ask now,"[/colour] Snowfall said cautiously. [colour=#99ccff]"Just don't do anything more to my mother or my servant."[/colour] [colour=#ffa07a]"I'd love to take you up on that offer, Miss CEO, but we have orders, you see,"[/colour] the second masked stallion said as the first lumbered toward her with his bat. Snowfall thought about what to do, and immediately thought of Pathfinder. She couldn't give in. She had to fight this. Someone evidently had it out for her, it seemed, but she couldn't just let them win. She needed to make her escape. As the bulky stallion swung his bat, she ducked and then slammed her hoof into his chest. As he staggered back she flew at the window, but the thick glass wouldn't give. [colour=#ffa07a]"There's no escape, Miss CEO," [/colour]the second stallion said, rushing at her. He was unarmed, but he was also quite large and could easily overpower her if he caught her. Snowfall had to act quick. She flew from the window right toward the door, having to adjust her path as the stallion with the bat recovered and swung at her again. [colour=#99ccff]"C'mon..." [/colour]she muttered as she fought the door open as both stallions started coming after her again. Just in the nick of time, she worked it open and found herself on the outside. She managed a few steps from the door, thinking she was in the clear, until another stallion jumped up from behind her and forced her into a hold. He forced something into her face and soon she felt her strength leaving her all at once. [colour=#99ccff]"Path... finder..."[/colour] she muttered as she collapsed into an unconscious heap. ​--- [colour=#006400]"Snowy, you're so naive it's funny! Most adventures start with you fighting cloud serpents miles above the ground, getting knockeed out, falling into a near bottomless pit and waking up before you go splat on the bottom! [/colour][colour=#006400]And then you find this little cavern and boulders are all like CRASH and arrows are all like FLIT FLIT FLIT and poison fumes make you dizzy and suddenly FIRE EVERYWHERE! [/colour][colour=#006400]BOOM! [/colour][colour=#006400]The ground explodes and you fall, swinging on vines because you can't see because of the poison you see, but you fall into a rapid current and in the current, CROCS! [/colour][colour=#006400]The crocs try to bite your head off and you're like, 'HECK NO CROCS, I'M NOT YOUR MEAL TODAY!' and you're like BANG BOOM ZOOM! [/colour][colour=#006400]and you relax when you suddenly land on the ground after a short drop in a waterfall. You think you're safe, but then a drop bear attacks! [/colour][colour=#006400]...well, sometimes they start like this too, so come and show me a good time!"[/colour] Snowfall couldn't help but giggle affectionately as her beloved let free all of her excited insanity. Pathfinder could be absolutely irresistable. Moreover, she was actually quite fascinating. Sometimes it was hard to tell where Daring Do, fanfiction and general imagination started and real life events began when she told stories, but Snowfall had learned to accept that most of it was more real than one might be tempted to believe. Everything about Pathfinder was incredible in every sense, which was part of why Snowfall loved her so much.[colour=#99ccff]"Drop bears, huh?"[/colour] she started, still chuckling. [colour=#99ccff]"I believe I remember reading about those once. Where have you encountered them?"[/colour] She flew toward Pathfinder, who was hovering in front of her and nuzzled her cheek. [colour=#99ccff]"You seriously know how to make your adventures sound fun, Pathfinder. It's utterly infectious,"[/colour] she said in a warm voice. [colour=#99ccff]"As for today, I doubt it will be quite so action-packed, but I hope to at least show you a good time," [/colour]she said with a smile. [colour=#99ccff]"For now, let's just start with a nice flight over the city. Maybe we'll see something that catches your eye."[/colour] She gave a soft giggle as she flew upwards a little and did her own little loop in the air.[colour=#99ccff] "I'd love to hear more about your recent adventures while you're at it," [/colour]she said. She could already tell this was going to be a good day. Pathfinder made everything so easy and so fun. A warm smile stayed on her face as she climbed even higher into the clouds as they continued to snow softly on her city. ​

Oh, wow. Season 4 needs to come already. This looks amazing. Seriously.

Hmm, well, I'm no gallery moderator or anything, but what I would guess you need to do is just wait for your picture(s) to be approved. Users obviously won't be able to approve their own gallery images (though it looks like you maybe found a way to try, somehow); they need to be approved by one of the staff with the permissions to do so. I would expect that the pictures you uploaded will appear in the gallery in time, unless there is something more fundamentally wrong. If days pass and they do not appear, let the staff know.

Applications get filed by staff after periods of inactivity by the applicant. To avoid this in the future, please make sure you inform the RP Helper working with you if you plan on taking an extended absence while you have an application active. For now, if you wish to have the application unarchived, I would suggest contacting a moderator and requesting it be moved back to the applications forum.

I love how this qualifies as a news item.

Mares can bid? Hehe. In that case, I might have Serendipity show up as a bidder.

Rarity was still unsure how to feel about Equestria Fashions. It truly was a mix of strange emotions, many of which she didn't quite know how to deal with just yet. She felt guilt for the burden her silence was putting upon young Valen. She felt anxiety about being away from her shop for it, and of course for how her fashions themselves would be received at the shows. It was still early in the tour, however, and as such she still had most of her confidence and optimism remaining. No, she wasn't going to let herself worry just yet. Valen had reason to worry. She was an adult. She needed to retain her strength and act as somepony that could offer the young ones involved support when they needed it. Speaking of which, sitting with her in the train cart along with Aloe and Lotus from the Ponyville Spa was another young pony who had gotten involved in this because of her. Flakey Shards was spirited if perhaps a little misguided, but she had talent. Rarity had encouraged the girl to become involved as she hated the thought of such a genuinely talented child continuing to feel as if she had no other option than to try and sell fake gems to passersby in the Crystal Empire. Flakey seemed eager to get to work, but looking at her face, Rarity could see signs that her nerves were acting up. It only followed, she supposed. This was a filly, out on her own, so very away from home and all those who knew and cared for her. Rarity wanted to comfort her. She wasn't sure, however, how exactly was best to do that. Flakey from her experience was a somewhat precocious and brash filly. She wanted to make her feel more comfortable without coddling the child. She noticed the filly was actively sketching in a notebook and decided this was probably her best window to strike up a conversation. Nodding subtly, she spoke, [colour=#663399]"What is that you're drawing, Flakey dear?"[/colour] she asked. [colour=#663399]"ideas for gem shapes, perhaps?"[/colour]​

[colour=#DDA0DD]"Well… The experiment overall was sort of important, but the truth was I was just real tired and mixed some basic chemicals at a quantity I shouldn't of, so really it was a foal like mistake, and nothing cool came of it, unless you wanted to make stink bombs. You wouldn't believe how much chemistry I was required to know just for the biology degree Cloudy."[/colour] [colour=#ffffff]"Heh, and you learned it all! You're so smart, Flit. I wouldn't even know where to begin with that kind of thing,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said with a smile as they moved back toward the bar. Flitter was struggling a lot, she could see. She moved toward the mare to help support her.[/colour]​[colour=#DDA0DD]"Whoa.. I think I'll just lean on you sweetie. [/colour][colour=#DDA0DD]I'll take one of those ice waters… Umm, actually, make it two. It was a heck of a storm last night, didn't do nearly well as the natural weather ponies here."[/colour] [colour=#000000]Cloudchaser just grinned quietly and helped her mare move slowly back to the bar. She nodded when Flitter ordered the ice water. That was probably all they needed at this point. She nodded again when Flitter smiled back at her and then looked at the barmare.[/colour][colour=#ffffff]"Yeah, just a water is probably enough for me too at this point,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said. After a pause she smiled at the mare.[/colour] [colour=#ffffff]"And... uh... thanks for before,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said, remembering how she had encouraged her earlier.[/colour] ​[colour=#DDA0DD]"Cloudy… Do you have to be home for weather work tomorrow?"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Chaser looked back at Flitter when she spoke. She shook her head and gave a laugh. [/colour][colour=#ffffff]"Nah, I would doubt it," [/colour][colour=#000000]she said.[/colour] [colour=#ffffff]"The schedules all get cleared after these kind of things, and as you know, I'm usually on night shifts anyway. They probably won't want me in again until tomorrow night."[/colour] ​