Chapter VIII: Love, Death and Other Things
Sergeant Applejack let out a sigh as she kicked the dirt beside the blacksmith's shop. There was much weighing heavily on her mind as her eyes sat on a particular patch of green grass. Beside her was Corporal Rarity, watching her with some concern. The two of them were without breastplate, finally getting their badges put onto them. Rarity took it upon herself to move to her friend and place a hoof upon her shoulder gently. Applejack looked back to Rarity and gave a smile, the kind of smile that seemed racked with pain despite the attempt to curl the corners of her mouth into some form of happiness.
"Applejack, you know you can talk to any of us, right?" Rarity asked.
"I know, I jus' need time t'think, ya know?" Applejack said, her eyes returning to the patch of grass.
Rarity followed her eyes to the patch of grass and sighed. "Maybe if you just say what's wrong, you'll feel better?"
"I'm not so sure if that's a good idea, Rarity," Applejack said.
"Nonsense!" Rarity said. "I know I'd feel worlds better if I let out everything I was feeling on a good friend."
"It's just a bit more personal than all that," Applejack said.
"I won't say a word!"
"Well, I don't know."
"My lips are sealed."
Applejack let out a sigh and turned her head back towards the blacksmith. He seemed to be hard at work firing the metal and too busy to be listening. Applejack leaned over and placed a hoof over her mouth, whispering low into Rarity's ear.
"It's Big Macintosh, he's gotten himself in this cult business."
Rarity's eyes went wide as that news dropped on her like a bomb. "Wh-what?!"
Applejack waved her arms around, trying to get her to quiet down. "Rarity, consarnit, shush! This is serious!"
Rarity blushed deeply, looking around to see who heard before returning to her hushed tone. "I-I'm sorry Applejack, but you're certain?"
"He confessed t'me after he was brought in fer questioning. Th' Cap'n woulda put him away were it not fer me sayin' we should use him t'spy on 'em."
Rarity's mouth flapped open and shut, trying to figure out what to say. 'Sorry' just didn't seem like enough and going into some speech about never abandoning your family or friends seemed like too much. The best she could muster was the hoof placed on her friend's shoulder.
"I'm sure the Captain has good reason..." Rarity trailed off, still fumbling with words.
"She did, but I'm still worried about him," Applejack said. "I don't want nothin' bad t'happen to him."
The two of them sat in silence, staring back to the patch of green grass on the ground until the pounding of hooves approaching caught their attention. Rarity was the first to react by unleashing a scream unfortunately close to Applejack’s ears. Approaching the two of them quickly was Zecora, her black robe billowing in the breeze. Rarity took shelter behind Applejack quickly.
"She's come to finish the job!" Rarity cried as Applejack got to her hooves and glared.
"Please, you pony folk, make haste!" Zecora shouted. "Your captain was in a very dangerous chase!"
"What'd ya'll do to th'Cap'n?" Applejack growled. Zecora came to a grinding halt, digging her hooves into the ground.
"You misunderstand, for it is not me, you must hurry and you will see! Your captain was chasing a cart of ponies, guided by one of this cult's cronies! She was thrown from her chase, after making great haste. I and the others brought her back here, but for her health is what I most fear!"
Applejack looked to Rarity, who was now peering around the orange mare.
"Show us where," Applejack said.
*********
There was a distinct gloom that surrounded Twilight. It seemed still, but from the corners of her slowly opening eyes she could swear there were things moving. A groan escaped her, though it felt odd. She felt lighter than usual, but all the while heavier. Her legs moved as though they'd been filled with lead but they carried no weight. She blinked her eyes, trying to see past the blurred darkness ahead. She couldn't tell which way was up, nor if she was even down to begin with. It was all strange.
"Am I dead?" she asked not expecting to get a response. When one came, it chilled her to the bone. It was the sound of coffin lids being slammed shut in a deep and dark tomb.
NO, NOT AS SUCH. A SHAME IF I AM HONEST. I WAS QUITE LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME COMPANY. THINGS DO TEND TO GET LONELY IN MY LINE OF WORK.
Twilight felt her body react to the voice, curling up tightly.
"Who's there?" Twilight asked. "Why can't I see you?"
YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO PERCEIVE WITH YOUR EYES.
"What's that mean?"
THAT I CANNOT BE SEEN. FOR BEING SO GOOD WITH MAGIC, YOU ARE QUITE RUBBISH AT THE WHOLE PERCEPTION THING.
"Very funny," Twilight said dryly.
FORGIVE ME FOR BEING SO BLUNT. IT IS NOT OFTEN I HAVE SOMEONE SO LIVELY TO SPEAK TO.
"Who are you?" Twilight asked, trying to get up once again, or so she thought.
I BELIEVE YOU KNOW ME.
"So you are, Death," Twilight said with a sigh, the darkness shifting again out of the corner of her eye.
CORRECT.
A pause came. Twilight felt herself roll over to stare up at the sky. At least she assumed it was sky. Much like her surroundings, it was more of the twisting darkness that enveloped her. A wealth of emotions ran through her mind, almost as though she were going through the stages of grief for herself all at once.
"Just like the others," Twilight said.
THE OTHERS?
"The other Captains," Twilight said. "Died trying to help."
YOU ARE NOT QUITE DEAD YET.
"Shouldn't you be somewhere else, then?"
I AM.
Twilight felt her head begin to sting. “I think I hit that tree harder than I thought.”
NO, YOU HIT IT AT THE APPROPRIATE VELOCITY IF YOU ASK ME.
Another sting came to Twilight’s head. “Are you always this way?”
YOU SHOULD CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY. IT IS NOT OFTEN I VISIT IN PERSON. I AM MISSING MY SHOWS, AFTER ALL.
“Lucky is the last thing I feel.”
THEN WHAT DO YOU FEEL?
“Pain.”
THEN IT WOULD APPEAR MY PRESENCE IS NOT NEEDED AFTER ALL. BE SEEING YOU.
********
It was a dull stinging pain that Twilight felt as her eyes tried to focus. She could barely see through her half-closed lids. There were many shapes and colours playfully flying about her limited visions. It was comforting to at least be able to see that, however, and not the unforgiving darkness that was oblivion. She could even hear sounds with her own ears, though they sounded distant.
"...warglshelf..." was one phrase she was certain she'd just picked up.
"...sivofraud..." there was another.
Twilight decided to try to pick herself up in her groggy state but found her limbs quite useless. Through her still ringing ears, the noises around her seemed to grow louder as more shapes and colours darted about before her eyes. It was all quite fuzzy, but at the very least she could identify a face that peered down at her with a distinctive rainbow mane.
"...s-sergeant?" Twilight managed.
"Yes ma'am," Rainbow Dash said.
"...what?" Twilight asked.
"Well I was on my way out to get back to the Watch house when Sergeant Applejack and Corporal Rarity brought you, along with some weird pony thing they called a 'zebra'," Rainbow Dash said. "Brought in a bunch of other ponies too, from some cart that was turned over not far from where you were laying. From the sound of things, I missed all the excitement while I've been here."
Twilight's mind strained to remember everything that had happened before the near-Death experience. She could recall a cart, then a lot of running, followed by a lot of flying. Beyond that, it went hazy and she wasn't certain of much before the moment she woke up. She finally felt her body able to move, but regretted doing so after the stinging pain of her fall hit her.
“Where am I?” she asked with a groan.
“You’re at the hospital, ma’am,” Rainbow Dash said. “It’s weird though. The ponies that were kidnapped were the ones that brought you into town.”
Twilight let out what seemed to be a sigh of relief, but it could have just as easily been one of pain.
“That’s it then,” Twilight said. “I saved them, thank goodness.”
“Ma’am,” Rainbow Dash said. “I realize I’ve been in here a while, but what the hay has been going on? Just yesterday all I heard was something about Filthy Rich.”
Twilight nodded and recounted the last day’s worth of news. Rainbow Dash seemed stunned, as though she hadn’t expected so much to happen in her absence. The capture and falsely accused Zecora, the indoctrination of Spike, the fact there was a talking dragon even in the Watch, Filthy Rich; all of it made Rainbow’s head spin.
“That’s a lot,” Rainbow Dash said, running a hoof through her mane.
“It’s been rather difficult being a mare down,” Twilight said as she huffed and looked to the ceiling. “Going to only get more difficult with me being here now.”
“We can handle it, ma’am,” Rainbow Dash said with a firm nod.
Twilight brought her eyes once again to Rainbow Dash and silently stared at her. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust them. They had performed admirably up to this point. Twilight, however, simply felt the Watch wasn’t ready to run out on its own and start solving mysteries without her there to hold their hand and make sure they don’t go rushing into traffic to pick up a shiny bit. The performance seen during their classes were enough to make her realize they had the skills but no idea how to apply them.
The creaking of her room door opening cut the silence, causing both of them to see who was wandering in. The doctor looked between the two, a chart floating in front of him. With a practiced smile, he nodded to the two of them and closed the door behind him.
“Ah, Captain Twilight Sparkle, so good to see you awake,” he said. “Here I was thinking we would have to call up the meat wagon.”
Twilight took a moment to glare at the doctor before turning her attention to Rainbow Dash. “Sergeant, do me a favor. I need you to gather up the Watch and bring them here. They’re going to have to question those ponies that had been kidnapped. While you’re about it, tell Lance Constable Spike to send out a message to Manehatten, Phillydelphia, Los Pegasus, anywhere that has had trouble with merchants selling false products or kidnappings. Also I need the Watch’s records of prior captains and their notes. Every single record. Got it?”
“Yes ma’am!” Sergeant Rainbow Dash said giving a crisp salute. She moved past the doctor and out the door. As it shut, the doctor returned his gaze to Twilight.
“Perhaps you should consider taking it easy, Captain?” he said as he moved to her bedside and draped a hoof on her head. “You did just try to violently hug a tree.”
“I assume I’m going to be here awhile,” Twilight said, clearly not happy with that little revelation.
“At least until we’re sure you’re out of the woods,” the doctor said as a pen came from his coat and scribbled a few notes. “It’s not every day we have someone wake up so soon and form such coherent thoughts after an accident! We want to make sure there’s no lasting damage.”
Twilight grumbled again. “How long?”
“At least two days, you fortunately didn’t break anything but rest is required,” the doctor said as he hung the chart off a hook at the end of Twilight’s bed. “Try to think of it as your big chance to get away from it all!”
“Fantastic,” Twilight said sarcastically, rolling her eyes in the process.
“It’s not all bad,” the doctor said, now fluffing Twilight’s pillow. “Besides, everything gets better with smiles!”
The doctor turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him and leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts. She looked about the still room curiously. It was rather plain, as though the decorator had been having a rather depressing day. A glint in the corner caught Twilight’s eye, however. Turning to see what it was, she noticed her breastplate and helmet set off to the side. The helmet was in disarray, most of the plumage torn and the breastplate itself was badly dented.
Twilight thought back to the cart chase, rubbing her head tenderly with her hoof. It was a miracle the hunk of polished steel she’d been wearing kept all of her insides right where they belonged. Her eyes focused on the badge that had been welded to it. Thoughts ran rampant through her head as she then turned to stare at the ceiling. All she could do was wait for the others to arrive and for her to turn the hospital room into her makeshift office.
********
Filthy Rich felt there were two universal truths. The first, there’s a customer for everything you can think of. The second, customer is often another word for sucker. It was this underhanded practice that got him the lovely house for him and his wife and child, to live in. He excelled at it, even off the side of a rickety cart in the middle of a one-horse town. The money couldn’t swoop in fast enough as Filthy Rich gave side long glances to both Flim and Flam every so often as though he were expecting a thank you.
Filthy Rich had only known the brothers previously as Shadow Three and Shadow Four, and knew that they had certainly spoken a big game when it came to sales. He recalled them going on about how simple it would be to trick the average, gormless citizen of Ponyville with their fancy gimmicks and nigh prestidigitation when it came to sales. Claims that, as Filthy Rich had seen, were nothing but so much smoke and mirrors.
When a lull finally hit, and a majority of Ponyville seemed quite satisfied with the purchases and dance routines the brothers performed, Filthy Rich had a moment to converse with them.
“Some world-class sales ponies you turned out to be,” he snarled.
“How were we gonna know this town had some hotshot Watchmare?” Flim asked as he counted their gains.
“She nearly tanked the whole operation,” Flam added, also counting their gains.
Filthy Rich huffed and tapped his chin. “She is a bit of a spitfire.”
“Putting it lightly,” Flim said.
“More like a snake,” Flam added.
“Either way, you’re lucky I was around to bail you both out!” Filthy Rich snapped. “If it hadn’t been for me, you’d be through three dance routines and four songs before you made even half of those bits.”
“We thank you from the bottom of our coffers,” Flam said, rolling his eyes.
Filthy Rich scoffed, frowning as he turned his gaze back to Ponyville. He watched the townsfolk mill about with their newly acquired purchases dangling from their necks. He couldn’t help but grin. Besides the bumbling, this phase of the plan had gone off without a hitch.
He began to wring his hooves until a rainbow streak cut the sky in half, making its way towards the Watch house. An uneasy feeling sat in the pit of his stomach, taking note of the gleaming armor and hat only worn by those upstanding members of the Watch.
That was when the three of them heard it. From across the way, a colt dragging a cart behind him shouting at the top of his lungs as ponies flocked to him.
“Extree, extree, read all about it!” he cried. “Kidnapped ponies come home! Captain Twilight Sparkle from bumbler to hero! Extree, extree!”
Filthy Rich felt that sinking feeling dig a hole in the pit of his stomach. Panicked, he looked to Flim and Flam who were now in the process of hurriedly getting their cart together. Filthy Rich stammered, trying to get words to come out, but finding nothing on the end of his tongue. He was in awe, not only of the ponies he had once harbored being discovered, but also at how quickly Flim and Flam seemed to be packing up shop.
“H-hold it!” he said. “Just what do you think you two are doing? We need to find Shadow One right now! She needs to know about this!”
“Great idea!” Flim said.
“You go find her, we’re gonna not be around when you do!” Flam said.
Filthy Rich leapt from the cart as it all closed up and watched as Flim and Flam made a hasty exit out of town. He fumed, feeling his teeth start to grind together. He stamped the ground with an angry grunt as the little wagon disappeared over the horizon. With a huff, Filthy made his way to the newscolt and eyed the papers that sat in the cart. The large, dubious print that read “Twilight Saves Ponyville” mocked him.
“Paper, mister?” the colt asked.
Filthy got an eyefull. There was a picture of Twilight being carried by the ponies they had kidnapped. He felt his eye twitch uncontrollably and his blood start to boil. Suddenly the plan was all falling apart. All the hard work was swirling away rapidly down a drain.
“Hey pal, ya read it, ya buy it!” the colt insisted. A few bits were carelessly tossed in his direction from Filthy Rich as he took the paper from the cart and hastily moved towards an alley way. Unfolding it on the ground, he took in the story of the daring chase as described by a certain Lyra Heartstrings. The heroic rescue as accounted by a Berry Punch. The dramatic trek back to civilization as witnessed by one Golden Harvest.
Filthy Rich staggered back and plopped down onto the ground. Wearily, he turned his eyes skyward and rubbed his face just in time to see the rainbow streak through the sky again, followed by two other bodies in glinting armor. He rubbed his temples as panic began to settle in. This could go in one of two ways, he thought. The first way, he could be identified and spend the rest of his days in a rock quarry. The second way, he could be facing the wrath of Shadow One, who he was very certain was some sort of demon beneath the black robes he always saw her in.
Both ways were certainly less than ideal.
********
Twilight sat up in her bed as each member of the Watch stood before her at attention. She felt surprised by the quick response at how everyone showed up, even Derpy who she knew had been on patrol all night. Or at least she assumed she’d been on patrol as opposed to falling asleep on that cloud last night.
“Ma’am, Watch present and accounted for,” Sergeant Rainbow Dash said offering a salute.
“You’ve got Spike working on those letters and files, correct?” Twilight asked.
“Yes ma’am.”
“All right then,” Twilight said. “Watchmares, as you can tell I am currently not in any position to go out on patrol with all of you. You will all need to be my eyes during this investigation. I recovered the kidnapped ponies, but this means nothing if we do not catch this cult before they move on to some other town. This is going to mean strict patrols of main and side roads, increased presence in the town. This means no more snoozing in the day, no more lollygagging and no more seven hour breaks just to throw a party, Constable Pinkie. Until further notice, we will need to monitor Flim and Flam, Filthy Rich as well as the Mayor for suspicious activity. They’re our best leads. Sergeant Rainbow Dash, you and Constable Fluttershy are in charge of town patrol. You’ve got wings, use them.
“In the mean time, Corporal Derpy and Constable Pinkie Pie, you will be in charge of questioning those ponies in the other room. Get all of the information out of them that you possibly can. Don’t press too hard, however; some of them have been away for quite a while. Sergeant Applejack and Corporal Rarity, I understand Zecora found you two headed this way. Since you’ve become acquainted, I want her to take you out into the Everfree forest and see if you can figure out where that cart was headed and anything else you might find while you’re there.”
Twilight tapped her head for a few moments. The plan was sound, at least in her head but there was still the nagging feeling that something was going to go topsy-turvy. She needed more eyes. For the most part, the Watch was good at their jobs, but there was still the fact there were so few of them. Twilight nibbled at her hoof suddenly, frowning as the gears in her head spun wildly trying to churn out what was bugging her so much. The six standing in front of her looked to one another curiously before Twilight finally nodded.
“Right, I suppose that will have to do for now,” she said, sounding less confident than before. “Take copious notes and make sure you give them to Spike to compile into a report for me. Dismissed.”
They saluted and walked outside of the room, leaving Twilight to once again lay back and stare up at the ceiling. Once outside of the hospital, they gathered in a circle in silence, only gazing around at each other. Finally, Applejack spoke up in the middle of the group.
“Does anyone else get that feelin’?” she asked.
“You mean the feeling like there are eyes on you at all times?” Pinkie asked.
“No, I mean, sometimes, but jus’ th’ feelin’ that th’ Captain ain’t all she’s cracked up to be.”
“She did only arrive a few days ago,” Fluttershy said.
“But all this fussin’ about discipline an’ note takin’, we ain’t had none of that with Captain Boltrider or any of th’ other Captains,” Applejack said.
“I remember when I first got here when Captain Shines was alive,” Derpy said kicking the ground. “She gave me my first truncheon.”
“It was a stick, darling,” Rarity said. “Either way, she doesn’t know a thing about us and yet she orders us around so brutishly!”
“Come on now,” Rainbow Dash said. “Let’s not be hasty here. Like Fluttershy said, she’s still pretty new. She’ll come around.”
“Did she even visit you once?” Pinkie asked suddenly.
“W-well no,” Rainbow Dash said.
“I mean, we all visited you a couple of times when you were in there! I even threw you a big party until everyone got thrown out cause of that silly fire code about not having fifty ponies in a room that only has a maximum occupancy of four.”
“I’m sure she was busy, these have been a really weird couple of days for all of us,” Rainbow Dash said as Rarity turned to look at Applejack who was now staring at the ground.
“Reckon yer right, RD,” she said. “It has been a really strange few days.”
“So, why don’t we all do what we need to and we’ll bring this up when she’s feeling better?” Rainbow Dash asked. The group seemed to agree and split off in their separate ways.
Rarity galloped to Applejack’s side and placed a comforting hoof on her. “Are you going to be okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” Applejack said. “Jus’ need to get this investigation underway and get my mind off of all this stuff.”
“I can do the investigation if you want, why don’t you talk to your brother?” Rarity offered with a smile.
“Y’all sure you can handle it?”
“Of course, go see your family,” Rarity said. Applejack nodded and smiled in kind before giving Rarity a hug.
“Thanks, good luck with Zecora,” she said before trotting off.
Sergeant Applejack moved down the road dragging a heavy heart. She greeted the other ponies who waved and smiled but she simply wasn’t into it. Her mind was moving from one disaster to another. Chief of them being her brother Big Macintosh. Ever since she’d discovered her brother was one of the cultists, she couldn’t shake this feeling of her family finding out and disowning him.
His reasons, crazy as they were, seemed sound enough. Trying to protect everyone from Nightmare Moon’s return, was noble. But the way he went about it was what tore her up inside. Soon the farm was in view and the sight of trees shaking violently caught her attention. He was out there tending the fields, much like he always did when Applejack was working. She winced, knowing she would have to talk to him at some point.
Her mind told her she had every intention of simply going into her room and thinking more about it, but her body had other ideas. She moved towards the apple trees, following the sound of hooves slamming into their trunks to shake them loose.
Big Macintosh seemed surprised to see his sister as she came through the trees. He almost seemed to shrink a little as she approached.
“Y’all here to arrest me now?” Big Mac asked in his usual stoic manner.
“No, I’m not,” Applejack said. “I’m here to jus’ talk.”
Big Macintosh looked her over a few moments curiously. His eyes nervously darting from one side of her to the other as though he expected Watchmares to descend upon him. He sat on the ground across from Applejack silently, the only sound to be heard being the chirping of birds and the occasional gust of wind.
“Y’all have a meetin’ tonight, right?” Applejack asked finally.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac answered.
“Y’all know we got them ponies back, don’t ya?”
“Eeyup.”
“I’m worried somethin’ is gonna happen to ya,” Applejack said, turning her green eyes to Big Mac.
“Eeyup.”
“Dagnabit, Big Mac, will ya jus’ talk to me?”
Big Macintosh looked to the ground, his ears flattening.
“Please, jus’ talk to me,” Applejack said as she wiped her eyes lightly, feeling tears welling up suddenly.
“I’m sorry,” Big Mac said.
“Sorry ain’t gonna bring them ponies half their year back!” Applejack shouted suddenly. “What were ya thinkin’? Nightmare Moon or not, we’re a family! We woulda survived all this and y’all know that! But you had to go an’ do some fool thing like gettin’ wrapped up in all this!”
Big Macintosh said nothing, his eyes towards the ground. Applejack adjusted her hat and decided this possibly wasn’t the best point to start waving hooves accusingly.
“I’m sorry big brother,” she said. “I jus’ don’t like secrets bein’ kept in th’ family like this.”
“I hated keepin’ them from y’all,” Big Macintosh said. “But I got so wrapped up, I wasn’t thinkin’ about anythin’ but us. Jus’ wanted nothin’ to happen to th’ farm.”
“But kidnappin’, joinin’ some cult and lyin’ about it, it jus-”
A twig snapping caught their attention. There among the trees stood Apple Bloom, her eyes big and watery as tears ran down her cheeks. Her lower lip quivering and her body looking like it was beginning to follow suit. Silence fell on the three of them as they stood in an awkward sort of stand off. Finally, Applejack took a step towards her sister.
“Apple Bloom,” Applejack said.
“Why Big Mac?” she asked, her voice wavering.
Big Macintosh didn’t answer, he instead flattened himself to the ground as though he were trying to disappear.
“Apple Bloom, listen to me,” Applejack insisted.
“Why would you do that to someone?” she pleaded.
“Apple Bloom, jus’ come here an’ lets talk about it.”
“I hate you!” Apple Bloom cried and dashed off into the orchard.
Applejack reached a hoof out towards her sister just as she took off and sighed. Turning her eyes back to Big Macintosh, she could see him covering his head with his hooves. Moving to him, she would place a gentle hoof on him until he suddenly grasped at her to hold her closely. Applejack simply stroked Big Macintosh’s back gently as she watched tears fall from him to the ground.
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That's some premium class necromancy you did there to this story. I just hope there won't be another 2.5 year waiting for the next chapter.
On the other note, I just can't wrap my mind around the fact, that there's some serious shit going down, and all the rest of M6 thinking about, is having slack officer who will let them laze around. Unless I'm misunderstanding this, they are not too good in their heads.
Been a long wait. Gonna need to reread this to familiarize myself with the story again...but a good chapter. Enjoyable to read.
Well, that went well.
There's a couple places where it changes viewpoint that could use some dividers. I... don't actually remember what the plot was.
6767746 Fixed to prevent further confusion.
6766809 It's more the fact they're afraid of being lead by someone ineffectual.
6767851
Someone ineffectual who almost died rescuing ponies.
Jerks.
The worries the Watch has would make way more sence BEFORE Twilight rescued the missing ponies.
Also, IS THEIR TOWN, THOSE ARE PONIES THEY KNOW AND TWILIGHT RESCUED THEM!
It would make more sence if they feel sidelined, after all Twilight first priorities made them lose time when she patroled alone. And then she goes and almost gets killed facing the bad guys alone.
Then could argue that Twilight is a glory hound and not a team player, aa she has just used them to gather information then tried to be the hero on her own.
So yeah more that Twilight being ineffectual they could argue that Twilight teies to get all the glory for herself. That she is trying to make it look like she did all the job so she gets transfered back to Cantelot.
ALMOST 3 years in the making!
Glad you are back, though. I will read this shortly for sure.
Haven't read it yet at all, but the premise alone has all of my yes.
Twiligth Sparkle as Sam Vimes.
TWILIGHT. AS. SAM. VIMES.
you know, girls, maybe you should worry about how your boss treats you AFTER the kidnapping cultists attempting to ressurrect what is in your minds a treacherous demon is dealt with, methinks.
also ponyville is a town of flipflops
How'd I miss this update
Good to see ya getting some new words our, AB! Loved the bit with Death, that was gold 
Lookin' forward to more!