Gifts and Galas
Chapter 22: Gifts and Galas:
"How're ya liking your presents so far, squirt?" asked Rainbow Dash as she trotted up behind Scootaloo.
"They're great!" said Scootaloo, setting down the jar of healing balm she'd received from Twilight. The cream had been spelled with some healing magic to ease the pain of bruises and pulled muscles that the filly might accumulate over the course of her training. All the presents she'd gotten from her friends so far had been fantastic.
"I've got something special for you," said Rainbow, chuckling at the sight of Scootaloo's eyes lighting up.
"Really? What is it?" Jumping to her hooves, Scootaloo's wings spread in excitement as she gaped up at her idol, waiting expectantly to see what Rainbow had for her.
"Check this out," said Rainbow, pulling out a thin package.
Practically trembling with excitement, Scootaloo took the present from her sister’s hooves and pulled the wrapping paper off. However, her excitement faded slightly when she saw that the wrapping paper concealed a plain manila envelope. Maybe it’s a Wonderbolts season pass or a poster or something… Carefully, she opened the envelope and withdrew the papers within. To her disappointment, the papers turned out to be plain documents, several of which were composed of very small text that Scootaloo had trouble reading and it hurt her eyes to even try. Instead, she tried to make sense of the titles on top of the pages which, at least, were of a more sensible font-size.
“Transfer of title…Proof of ownership…Insurance…Mortgage, paid in full…Taxes…” Scootaloo couldn’t make heads or tails of what they were supposed to be. “What the hay is this?” she asked, looking up at Rainbow in confusion.
Rainbow merely chuckled and ruffled Scootaloo’s mane before pulling out a single sheet of paper and holding it up where she could see it. This document appeared to be more easily legible than the other ones as Scootaloo’s eyes scanned over it. “This document hereby certifies that ownership of the airborne property: lot 1368 has been awarded to Scootaloo of Ponyville, to be held in trust by Melon Cream until she comes of age…” Once again, Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow for clarification. “I still don’t get it.”
Rainbow couldn’t help but grin at Scootaloo. "Remember, because they can be moved freely, cloud houses don’t have addresses. Instead, they’re given lot numbers to identify and locate them. That lot number just happens to belong to a certain house in Ponyville…”
“A certain house…?” Scootaloo’s eyes widened as she realized what Rainbow was saying. “Your house?” Rainbow nodded in response. Scootaloo’s eyes widened further, until they threatened to roll out of her head. “You gave me your house?” Another nod.
Scootaloo couldn’t believe it. She’d known that she’d probably move out of her mom's house at some point. She’d always wondered if she would end up with a ground house or if she’d be able to get a cloud house like Rainbow Dash had. Never in a million years had she imagined that she’d own Rainbow’s house. “But why?”
“Listen squirt,” said Rainbow, gently running a hoof through Scootaloo’s mane. Reaching out with her wing, Rainbow pulled the filly up against her side. “I know this is gonna be tough to accept, but I’m gonna be leaving Ponyville in the spring, as soon as Winter Wrap Up’s done, I’m gonna be transferring to Cloudsdale to stay at the Wonderbolt headquarters.”
Oh! That’s right, thought Scootaloo, her heart growing heavy. She realized that she should have figured that out sooner. Of course Rainbow would have to leave Ponyville. The Wonderbolts certainly didn’t stay there and Rainbow was one of them now. It was inevitable that she’d be leaving the town behind at some point.
“When I leave for Cloudsdale, I’m not gonna need my house anymore,” said Rainbow, “That’s why I want you to have it. When you’re old enough to move out of your mom’s place, that house is gonna be waiting for you. It’s been completely paid off and everything. Part of my earnings as a Wonderbolt are gonna go towards paying the taxes on that place for the next ten years.”
Scootaloo couldn’t help it. For the second time that day, she felt tears building up behind her eyes as her nose began to clog. She sniffed hard. She wasn’t entirely sure if she was crying in happiness or sadness. Most likely, it was both. After all, she was sad that Rainbow would be leaving. But, at the same time, she couldn’t help but be overjoyed at the gift she was receiving in exchange.
“I promise to visit as often as I can,” said Rainbow. In an uncharacteristic gesture, she leaned down to plant a soft kiss on Scootaloo’s forehead, “No matter what, you’re still my favorite and most awesome little sister in the whole wide world and I promise that, no matter what, I’ll never leave you hanging.”
Scootaloo was fighting hard to keep from bawling now. She didn’t want to break down crying twice in one day. Seeing how hard she was trying to keep from crying, Rainbow thought of a way to turn things around. “Can I ask you one favor though, squirt?”
“Wha-what is it?” asked Scootaloo now turning up to look Rainbow in the eyes again.
Rainbow grinned sheepishly down at her. “Well…now that you’re technically, you know, the owner of my house…is it okay if I’m still living there for a couple more months…you know, until spring comes and I have to move out?”
Scootaloo couldn’t help it. Her sniffs and sobs were replaced by giggles and then by laughter as she hugged Rainbow tightly. “Of course you can! In fact, no matter what, you’re always allowed to stay there whenever you’re in Ponyville.”
Rainbow grinned mischievously down at the filly. “Careful there squirt, I may just take you up on that.”
Off to one side, Melon smiled and wiped away a tear that had gathered at the corner of her eye as she watched her daughter and Rainbow chatting animatedly. My little girl is growing up so fast.
Fluttershy and Caramel leaned against each other in quiet bliss as they watched Dawn opening another one of his presents. Neither of them had felt compelled to open their own just yet. The sight of the colt enjoying the first real Hearth’s Warming day of his life was a much better present than either of them could have thought to ask for.
As the two of them watched, Dawn was slowly approached by Scootaloo, who was carrying a wrapped box under one of her wings.
“Dawn,” said Scootaloo, prompting the colt to look up at the sound of her voice, “I got this for you.” She presented him with the box.
It was flat and broad. Pulling of the wrapping paper, Dawn saw that it was a framed picture. Looking at it, he smiled warmly at the memory the picture contained. It was a picture of him and Scootaloo, him in his suit and her in her dress, taken on the night that they had gone to the Harvest Festival together, their first official date.
“Your room’s too boring, you know,” said Scootaloo in a vaguely teasing tone, “You need some decorations in there. I thought this would be a good start.”
“It is,” said Dawn, “The first of many, I hope.”
Scootaloo nodded and quickly darted in to steal a kiss from Dawn. The ebony colt quickly went to the rapidly dwindling pile under the tree and pulled out a box of his own, which he hooved over to Scootaloo. The box was small, easily resting on top of Scootaloo’s outstretched hoof. She quickly pulled the wrapping paper off. A sharp gasp escaped her throat as she opened the box, the light coming in from outside catching on the violet facets of the cut amethyst suspended within the small, silver pendant.
“It’s beautiful,” whispered Scootaloo.
Dawn used his primaries to lift the piece of jewelry out of the box and loop the chain around Scootaloo’s neck, fastening the clasp so that it hung freely.
“How does it look?” asked Scootaloo, blushing shyly as Dawn looked at her.
“Perfect,” replied Dawn with a happy smile as he leaned in for a longer, slower kiss.
The two of them parted at the sound of Fluttershy’s giddy giggles. Looking over, Dawn saw that his parents hadn’t moved from their original spots, both of them watching him with contented looks on their faces.
Realizing something, Dawn dove once again into the pile of presents and came out with two, which he carried over to Caramel and Fluttershy, presenting them with their respective gifts. “These are from me,” he explained, “Grandpa was a big help in getting yours, mom.”
Fluttershy carefully unwrapped her long, narrow box. As she lifted up the lid, she inhaled sharply before carefully, almost reverently, lifting out the object within. It was a single, large feather, bright green in color, but with blue and purple highlights that seemed to move across its surface in ripples as she tilted it to catch the light from different angles. It was faint, but Fluttershy fancied that she could feel a faint tingle of magic from the plume. “Is this a coatl feather?”
Dawn nodded. “Grandpa managed to locate some traders who carried one. He even got a reasonable price for it.” Apparently, trading in coatl feathers, which were considered a token of good fortune by many ponies, was a brisk trade, particularly in the southern areas of Equestria. Fortunately, poaching such creatures was more or less impossible, since they could be as dangerous as any dragon when roused, even for the young ones.
“It’s beautiful,” said Fluttershy as she set the feather back in its box, “Thank you so much.” Leaning down, she nuzzled Dawn fondly before they both turned to watch Caramel open his own present.
The tan stallion removed the wrapping paper and opened the box to reveal a thick binder. Flipping through the binder, Caramel’s eyes widened as they swept across a variety of recipes for different candies and confections. “Arkenstone, Red River, and Storm Front helped me to put those together,” explained Dawn, “Those are recipes from the eastern nations, like Saddle Arabia and Guoxia.”
“This is amazing,” said Caramel, “I can’t wait to try my hoof at making some of these. I’ll bet some of these treats would be a big hit at the shop.” He closed the book and wrapped the colt in a hug. “Thank you Dawn.”
Dawn merely smiled as he enjoyed the stallion’s embrace.
“Here,” said Twilight, levitating a box over to Trixie, “This is for you.”
“For me?” gasped Trixie, taking the box in her hooves and staring down at it.
Twilight nodded and gave the other mare an encouraging smile. “Rarity and I both helped to make it. Your brother was actually the one who commissioned it though.”
“Oh?” Trixie blinked and looked sidelong at Arcana, who feigned indifference. Pulling off the wrapping paper, Trixie opened the box and looked inside. Her jaw dropped as her eyes caught the familiar sight of purple fabric, studded with glittering stars. “It’s…!”
She lifted her new cape out from the box and examined it more closely. If anything, it was even better than her old one. The stars glittered like they were made from gems that had been sewn into the fabric, while the purple shimmered under the light. “It’s amazing,” she said. She quickly pulled the cape around herself so that it draped across her back. Looking into the box again, Trixie saw that they had also made her a new hat. With a happy sigh, she lifted it onto her head. “This is wonderful. I only wish I still had my magic right now. Then I could put on a show.”
“I’m sure you will once you finish your training,” said Twilight.
“These articles feel so much more luxurious than my last ones,” said Trixie, spinning about and watching her cape billow with the motion, “What on earth did Rarity make it from?”
“It’s actually a new fabric she and I have been working on,” explained Twilight, “We call it shimmersilk. Yours is actually the first piece of clothing that Rarity’s made with it.”
“Really?” gasped Trixie.
Twilight nodded. “There’s something else too,” she said. Lowering her horn, Twilight leveled it at Trixie and fired a burst of magic. The beam of magical energy struck the cape, creating an aura that spread out to reach Trixie’s hat as well. The two pieces of clothing began to stretch and warp. Then, with a flash, they transformed. Suddenly, Trixie found herself clad in a stunning evening gown decorated with the same glittering stars that had been on her cape and hat.
“It transforms!” gasped Trixie, taking a new look at herself, “That’s amazing.”
Twilight couldn’t help but grin in triumph. Shimmersilk had actually emerged as a product of her research into the arcanasteel ring that was currently hidden within her horn. Twilight had been inspired to conduct more in-depth research into substances and materials that could be used as magical conduits. Shimmersilk was one of the more successful results. Rarity and Twilight had taken regular silk and treated it with a recipe of alchemical reagents. The final product had proven to be many things at once, durable, comfortable, light, and extremely versatile, in more ways than one. One of the things that the two of them had been able to work out about shimmersilk was that it could be magically “programmed” to assume different forms when magic was channeled through the fabric. The only downside that those forms had to be incorporated at the time of the garment’s creation and, as far as they could tell, no garment made from shimmersilk could maintain more than three different forms in total.
“Thank you so much for this,” said Trixie as she twirled about in her dress, “It’s such a wonderful gift.” She sighed. “I just wish I would be able to use it. Once I finish my training, I won’t be able to use the spells necessary to transform it.”
“That’s the nice thing about it,” said Twilight, “You don’t have to. The different forms your hat and cape can take have already been laid into the fabric itself. All you need to do is channel your magic through it. It’s just like flipping a switch.”
“Oh!” gasped Trixie, looking down at her dress again, “That’s wonderful.” She quickly rushed up and hugged Twilight. “This is the best Hearth’s Warming present anypony’s ever given me!”
“I’m happy for you,” said Twilight with a giggle as she hugged Trixie back.
After they separated, Trixie blushed and smiled sheepishly at Twilight. "Um...can you turn it back now?"
"Oh!" exclaimed Twilight, "Of course."
"How are you liking your present?" asked Rarity as Flaxseed stared wordlessly at the item in his hooves.
The item in question was a brand new abacus, made from high-quality woods and polished to perfection. The sound of the beads clicking as they moved along the length of the rods was like music to Flaxseed's ears. When he'd been working on the Carousel Boutique's finances earlier that year, he'd had to simply use a great deal of scratch paper to work everything out. Having this abacus would simplify things and the fact that it was such a high-quality one meant he would get many years of use out of it.
"It's wonderful," said Flaxseed, a warm feeling settling in his stomach. It was amazing how much a simple gift could mean, especially after all the things he had been through. It had been an excessively long time since anyplace had truly felt like home to him, but Ponyville was clearly one of those places.
However, even as gratitude welled up within him, Flaxseed couldn't help but feel guilt accompany it. "This is such a wonderful gift," he said, "I'm sorry I couldn't get anything for you."
"Don't worry about it darling," said Rarity with ease, "I understand that your finances are not very liquid right now. However, I do know of something akin to a gift, a favor that you could do for me."
"Name it," said Flaxseed quickly.
Rarity grinned at him. "I need you to go over the books again," she said, "You see, while we were getting ready for the pageant at the Palace, I was approached with a most interesting proposition. It seems that there is a young mare apprenticing in Canterlot who wants to finish said apprenticeship under me. I need you to go over our finances and see if there is any way we can squeeze in room for an extra pony here."
Flaxseed tapped a hoof against his lips thoughtfully. "Well...we had a little leeway," he admitted, "I'll have to check on the details. If we take out a small loan, we could cover everything but..."
"But debt can be a tricky thing to handle," said Rarity, nodding in agreement. It had taken a lot of work and care to pay off the original loans she had made to get her boutique built in the first place.
"I'm fairly certain that the bank can work out some reasonable terms," said Flaxseed quickly, "But let me get back to you on that when I find out what we have to work with to begin with."
"Thank you very much for that," said Rarity.
The sound of giggling drew her attention over to where Sweetie Belle and Luna were both enjoying a gift that Sweetie Belle had opened, a book of witty jokes from Pinkie Pie. It was a rather simple gift, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. Among other things Sweetie had received included a book on magical instruction, from Twilight, and a brand new glitter-encrusted Crusader cape from Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. The latter gift served as a heartwarming reminder that, though they'd found their cutie marks, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo wouldn't be abandoning the Crusaders, Sweetie Belle especially.
All in all, though it had been a smaller, more intimate gathering than what Rarity had been expecting, this had turned out to be quite the excellent Hearth's Warming. The previous night, after they had finished dinner, Sweetie had rushed out to pay a visit to Rumble, coming home late with a large goofy smile plastered across her face. It seemed being able to visit her coltfriend on that most important of evenings had only served to make it extra special for her. Rarity was glad that she had invited Sweetie along when Luna had promised to bring them to Ponyville.
Speaking of Rumble, his gift currently hung around Sweetie's neck. It was a light necklace of small, rosy-pink pearls that shined beautifully in the light. Though she hadn't checked, Rarity was fairly certain that they were cultured pearls, rather than natural ones. There was no way Rumble would have been able to afford a necklace of natural pearls after all, certainly not with the money he'd earned from working in the teashop for a few months. Still, given the colt's means, it was an impressively lavish gift, one that Rarity found to be extremely romantic. I must make certain that we make arrangements to get him to Canterlot for the Gala, she thought with a warm smile. It wouldn't do for Sweetie to be the only one out of her friends to be going without a date after all.
Luna looked up from where she'd been lying next to Sweetie as the two of them read through the book. Seeing Flaxseed made Luna's smile falter a little. But she quickly rallied and stood up to join them. "I wish to provide a Hearth's Warming gift for you as well, Flaxseed."
Shocked by Luna's words, Flaxseed's mouth had to work for a few minutes before he came up with an intelligible answer. "Um...th-that's n-not necessary, Your Highness...I mean, you don't need to get anything for me."
Luna chuckled. "Well...I have to admit that, after I learned about you, I did a little research into your situation. I found out what happened to you back when you were forced to leave home for the first time."
Flaxseed gave Rarity a questioning look. Rarity merely shrugged. "Don't look at me dear. I shared that information with Twilight, of course, but I trust her discretion."
"Twilight Sparkle never mentioned it to me," said Luna, "It was something I stumbled upon on my own. Anyway, after much research, I managed to uncover the location of your parents."
"Location?" said Flaxseed, blinking, "Are they still alive?"
"They are," said Luna, "They are currently living in a seaside town called Gallopoli. They have been doing quite well for themselves, if what I've heard is any indication, though they seem to be leery of trying to learn your fate."
"I don't blame them," said Flaxseed. It made sense. If they had tried too hard to look for him, then it would likely alert the Cult Solar to their location, as well as his, if they were successful. The leadership of the Cult most likely regarded his parents as traitors and criminals for aiding in his original escape.
"I am currently having a few members of the SES do a preliminary survey to make sure that they are not currently under the watch or control of the Cult Solar," explained Luna, "If they determine that it is safe, I will be more than happy to provide you with the information that you need to locate them so that you can visit them." She winked at Rarity. "Don't worry. After what happened with Shade Steel, Tia and I have been making sure to vet our Guards very thoroughly."
"I'm grateful for your help, Your Highness," said Flaxseed, bowing deeply, "I only wish that I could repay your kindness."
Luna smiled back at him. "If you wish to do that, then do your utmost to live healthily and happily. That is the greatest blow that a pony like you can strike against the Cult Solar, and that is the greatest solace that you can provide me."
Flaxseed grinned. "I'll do my best," he said, looking back at Rarity, then over at Sweetie Belle, both of whom favored him with happy smiles, "But, seeing the kind of ponies I've fallen in with, I don't think I'll have much choice in the matter, even if I didn't want to."
With a coy giggle, Rarity leaned in and planted a light kiss on his cheek, the second one she'd given him lately. Flaxseed could only blush as he listened to Sweetie and Luna's giggles.
After opening their presents, everypony was more or less free to do what they wished with the rest of their day. Twilight, Arkenstone and Spike departed to visit Twilight's parents, as well as Shining Armor and Cadance, who had spent the night and the following breakfast at their house. Everypony else spent the day enjoying their presents and each other's company. It wasn't until the day after that Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Luna returned to the Palace to join the group.
The days following Hearth's Warming passed quite quietly. After the holiday had passed, the staff filtered back into the Royal Palace and business resumed like usual. However, for Celestia and Luna's guests, there was one last major event to look forward to before everyone returned to Ponyville.
"Are you sure that this is going to work out?" asked Twilight nervously as Rarity completed the final adjustments to her fitting.
"Absolutely dear," said Rarity with absolute conviction, "With this dress, you are going to be the toast of the evening and your special somepony won't be able to take his eyes off of you...so to speak."
"If you're sure..." said Twilight, feeling surprisingly nervous. Ever since she'd made this request of Rarity, she'd been somewhat dubious of her own plan. She was sure that Rarity was more than up to the challenge, but the real question was whether or not Arkenstone would notice the difference.
"I'm absolutely certain," said Rarity, "To be honest, I couldn't be happier that you've made this request of me. Your idea has opened up an entirely new dimension to my art and inspired me in ways that I had never thought possible. My muse hasn't stopped shouting into my ear for days on end."
"I'm really happy for that," said Twilight.
"Indeed," agreed Rarity, "Between this and the shimmersilk that we've developed I fully hope to obtain the Royal Warrant come springtime."
"That would be nice," said Twilight. Part of her felt a bit uneasy about the whole thing. The future of both Rarity and Applejack could hinge upon whether or not they were able to obtain the Royal Warrants for their respective businesses. While Twilight did not doubt that her two friends stood near the top of their respective fields, she couldn't help but worry. After all, Equestria was a big country. There were countless, highly skilled ponies who would be vying for the same honor and only a small hoofful could actually claim the prize.
Twilight desperately hoped that her friends were among that number.
"Eep!" Twilight's voice leaped out of her mouth in a shrill yelp as Rarity lightly pricked her with a pin between the shoulder blades.
"Come now dear," said Rarity, giving Twilight an amused smile, "This is no time for you to be pessimistic. We are here to indulge ourselves and, in your case, wile away the evening hours with your special somepony. This is not the time or place to be worrying about politics."
"Right," said Twilight in an irritable tone, "But did you have to stick me?"
"When you start one of those downward spirals of yours, drastic measures are sometimes required," declared Rarity loftily as she set her pins aside, "But we're all finished now. I'll have to have you step off the podium. After all, I have to get through the other girls next. How does your dress feel."
Twilight twirled about in her dress, analyzing the feeling of it against her coat and the skin underneath. "It feels amazing," she admitted. The fabric was incredibly soft and light, gliding against her coat in the most wonderful fashion. Though it was wrapped securely around her body, Twilight had the strange sensation that the dress almost always seemed to on the verge of floating away in the wind. She imagined that this is what wearing moonbeams might be like.
"Very good dear," said Rarity with a triumphant grin, "Would you like to stay for the rest of the girls. I'm sure that we could find some time for some highly interesting gossip."
"I'm sure we could," said Twilight, her mind drifting back to a previous session that they had enjoyed earlier in the week in the Royal baths.
"I must say," said Rarity with a sly tone as she glanced sidelong at Fluttershy, who was lounging on one of the underwater benches next the alabaster mare, "It would seem that this little vacation of ours was even better for some ponies than it was for others."
Fluttershy's cheeks turned a shade of light-pink as she gave Rarity a wary, yet friendly look. "Um...what do you mean?"
Rarity couldn't help but lift a hoof to her mouth as she giggled. "Fluttershy dear, you're glowing. You look positively radiant and you haven't even had your beauty treatment yet."
In perplexing display of combined shyness and happiness, Fluttershy's smile widened, even as the color in her cheeks deepened and she sank slightly in the water. "Ah...well..."
"Now tell me," said Rarity, leaning forward slightly, "Did something special happen between you and your stallion?"
"I'd say so," said Rainbow Dash in a teasing tone from where she sat, on Fluttershy's other side, "You should've seen the looks she was giving the guy after dinner on Hearth's Warming Eve. If you ask me, I think she gave Caramel an extra-special Hearth's Warming present."
Rarity couldn't contain her gasp of shock. "Really? Fluttershy! Is this true?"
"Rarity!" admonished Twilight sharply, "That's a private matter for Fluttershy. If she doesn't want to talk about it then we shouldn't pressure her."
Turning her attention from the irate unicorn across the bath from her, Rarity once again looked at Fluttershy, not at all surprised to see that the canary-colored mare was slowly sinking into the bathwater until it had come up to her muzzle. "She's right, of course. I'm terribly sorry Fluttershy. It isn't my place to pry."
Lifting herself just high enough above the waterline to free her mouth once again, Fluttershy gave Rarity a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Rarity. Actually...I wouldn't mind talking about it."
"So you did...?" prodded Rarity.
Silent, but still smiling, Fluttershy nodded.
"Oh!" gasped Rarity, an exclamation that was joined by the rest of the mares in the bath, "That's so wonderful dear."
"Ah gotta say," said Applejack, "Ah'm awfully impressed by yer gumption, sugarcube. Ah'd never think in a hundred years that ya'd be the first one 'o us to take that step with somepony."
"Tell me about it," said Rainbow Dash, waving a hoof above the water, "It used to be that Fluttershy couldn't even look at a stallion without turning into a shivering mess."
"I'm super-duper excited!" exclaimed Pinkie, "In fact, I'm so excited that I could throw a party!" She paused, seeming not to notice the utterly mortified looks of everypony else. "But Mr. and Mrs. Cake always tell me that's not the sort of thing that I should be making a party for."
"I should certainly hope not," said Rarity in agreement with the absent Cakes, "That is a private matter, not one to be broadcast across the width and breadth of Ponyville." She paused to cough delicately. "So anyway...how was it dear...if you don't mind me asking?"
"I don't," said Fluttershy in her usual soft, whispery voice, "It was...Well, it hurt at first."
"That is the norm for first times," said Rarity, nodding sagely.
"But after I got used to it, it was wonderful," said Fluttershy, her eyes drifting closed in blissful reminiscence, "Caramel was so gentle and warm..." She hummed softly.
Fluttershy was so lost in her memories of the event that she completely failed to notice that everypony else was blushing fiercely, save for Melon Cream, the only mare in the bath right now who'd had experience in such matters.
"It sounds like you've found somepony very special," said Melon with a knowing look as she watched Fluttershy, "You're very lucky to have found yourself such a wonderful special somepony."
"It sounds to me like the two of you might be looking at going farther than just sex," added Mayweather, who was blushing as much as the rest of the girls, "Are you two planning to tie the knot."
"Um...well...that's certainly a possibility," admitted Fluttershy, "If Caramel asked me, I wouldn't say no. Also...he's told me that he's going to be looking for buyers for his house."
"Hold on!" exclaimed Rainbow, nearly shooting out of the water in surprise, "You mean he's gonna be moving in with you."
"Well, that's pretty much the obvious course of action," said Twilight, "I mean, there's no way Fluttershy's going to give up all her animal friends and she can't bring them to Caramel's house, which is inside the town. So he'd pretty much have to move in with her."
Rainbow sagged slightly. "Um...yeah...well...that's true." She blushed as she heard Fluttershy's faint tittering.
"It sure looks like things are goin' mighty swell fer y'all," said Applejack, "Were pleased as punch fer ya."
"Thank you," said Fluttershy.
"Oh dear, I'm almost as excited as Pinkie Pie," said Rarity, rubbing her hooves together, "I can't wait to get started on your wedding dress!"
"And I get to plan the reception!" added Pinkie gleefully.
"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves everypony," said Twilight, raising a hoof as she saw Fluttershy sinking back beneath the water, "Let's let Fluttershy take care of things at her own pace and just be ready for when she needs our help, okay."
"Yes, of course," said Rarity.
"Okey dokey lokey!" said Pinkie, seemingly oblivious to Fluttershy's near complete submersion.
"Sure, why not," said Twilight as her mind came back to the present, "It could be fun."
Spike yawned and stretched his arms upwards, arching his spine until the bones popped loudly. "Geez, is Rumble's train ever going to get here?”
“It will get here when it gets here,” said Dawn, eyeing the schedule, “It should only be a few more minutes. I am sure that there will be plenty of time to visit Donut Joe’s.” In truth, Dawn wasn’t quite enthused with the idea, given his lack of fondness for sweets. However, Spike had insisted that it was a tradition to visit the donut shop with the “guys” (though exactly who constituted the “guys” was a detail that Spike had been rather reluctant to define more thoroughly).
"Yeah, but we'll have to rush a little bit," groused Spike, "We'll need to get back to the Palace and change into our suits and then Rarity'll probably want to make some final adjustments or something."
Dawn couldn't help but smile slightly at Spike's irritation. "If I recall what the others have told me, there was a time when you would have been overjoyed at the idea of spending that much time close with Rarity."
Spike turned to glare at the ebony colt. "You know, sometimes I yearn for the days before you learned how to snark."
Dawn merely shrugged. "When in Roam..."
"I never thought that I'd honestly regret being a bad influence on somepony," said Spike as he slapped a hand to his face with a sigh.
Even as they bantered, Dawn kept a wary eye out. The platform wasn't exactly crowded, but it wasn't remotely close to deserted either. Now that the holiday had passed many ponies were either leaving Canterlot after coming to visit relatives or coming from doing the same abroad. Other trains were arriving at different platforms right now. Ponies were coming and going in droves.
Amongst them were no small shortage of the Canterlot upper-crust. Even as he and Spike waited, they were subjected to a large number of stares. Dawn supposed there was no helping it really. His eyes were an oddity that had the potential to attract a great deal of attention. Adding to that, thanks to the article that had been written about him, he was now known far and wide across Equestria. There was no shortage of ponies who recognized him. Spike, of course, being a dragon, was just as much of an oddity in his own way. Dawn was both grateful and mildly surprised that nopony had made any attempt to harass or even approach them.
Of course, amongst all the looks and stares, Dawn could make out the occasional expression of condescension, or even outright revulsion. Whether it was him or Spike that was drawing those reactions (possibly both), Dawn couldn't say.
Fortunately, the screech of brakes drew Dawn's attention back to the platform itself, where the train that had come through Ponyville was just now pulling in, just on time.
Dawn and Spike waited anxiously, watching the ponies stream off the train. Then, a young gray colt took to the air, lugging a small suitcase with him as his grayish-purple eyes swept over the platform until they alighted on Dawn and Spike. "Hey guys!" shouted Rumble as he swooped down to join them.
"'Bout time you got here," grumbled Spike.
"It's not as though he could have made the train go faster," Dawn pointed out.
"Yeah," added Rumble indignantly, "What'd you expect me to do, get out and push?"
"Sorry," said Spike, "I'm just really antsy. I've never actually had a date for the Winter Gala before. It's making me kinda nervous."
The two pegasus colts shared a confused look. "It can't be all that different from going to the Harvest Festival," said Rumble.
"Trust me, it's loads different," said Spike. Taking Rumble's suitcase from him, Spike hefted it over his shoulder. "Come on, we've got some donuts to eat before it's time."
"Ugh..." groaned Dawn as he stared ahead glumly, "I can't can't believe you talked me into that."
"Oh come on!" griped Spike, "You didn't even have half a donut."
Dawn didn't answer, still too preoccupied with getting his rebellious stomach back under control. It was a work in progress. Donut Joe's namesake confections were as sweet and decadent as any creation of Pinkie Pie's. Dawn had been reluctant to try his luck with one of them at first. However, continued prodding from Spike had prompted him to give in. I suppose Miss Cheerilee could use this for a lecture on why peer pressure is a bad thing, mused Dawn sourly.
At least Donut Joe had been understanding enough not to lose his temper when Dawn set aside the uneaten half of his donut and turned a disturbing shade of green. That had been an hour ago and Dawn's queasiness still hadn't completely subsided.
"You remind me a bit of what it's like for me whenever I go out with the other stallions for drinks," said Arkenstone as he trotted out to join them.
"But you don't drink," Caramel pointed out wryly.
"I can't," replied Arkenstone, "My liver is deficient of the enzyme that metabolizes alcohol. When I drink, rather than get drunk, I simply get sick. I have no tolerance to speak of."
The males, both colts and stallions, were presently waiting outside the dressing room, or rather, Rarity's guest suite in the Royal Palace, which she had at less partially converted into an extension of her boutique. The girls were within, getting their final fittings for their dresses, while the stallions, colts, and one dragon, waited with varying degrees of patience outside.
"Geez, I'm starting to get a weird sense of deja-vu," muttered Spike.
The others nodded. After all, this was starting to become a familiar situation for all of them. A few minutes later, the doors swung open. Dawn couldn't keep a warm smile from his face as Scootaloo came striding out, looking a bit shy, even blushing slightly as she approached him. She was wearing the same dress that she'd worn to the Harvest Festival, but had augmented it with the pendant that he'd given her for Hearth's Warming. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle followed her, both of them likewise clad in their own dresses from the festival. Like Scootaloo, Sweetie's ensemble was augmented by the pearl necklace Rumble had given her.
"Well, Bloom I can understand," said Spike, "But I'm surprised that Rarity didn't at least make Sweetie a new dress."
Sweetie Belle shrugged. "Well, Rarity got really busy making dresses for the others. I didn't want to bother her."
Spike nodded sagely. He knew from experience that Rarity would work herself to the bone for the sake of her friends and family if asked. Nopony was keen to put that kind of pressure on her when she already had her hooves full running her own business.
"It's bad enough that she wouldn't stop fussing with our manes," grumbled Scootaloo, using a hoof to idly play with some strands of her mane. Dawn hooked his fetlock around her own and pulled her hoof back down, prompting Scootaloo to give him a questioning look.
"You don't want her to drag you back in, do you?" inquired Dawn in a playful tone, prompting a giggle from Scootaloo.
"Good heavens Scootaloo! Do not ruin your mane already!" protested Rarity from within, making Scootaloo wince.
"She's scary sometimes," muttered the orange filly.
The doors now swung open wide to reveal Rarity, poised in a dress of stunning royal-purple and dark-blue highlights. The dress glittered as countless small gemstone fragments caught the light. As Rarity moved to stride out from the doors, her audience's ears could pick up the faint tinkling sound almost reminiscent of dozens of tiny bells playing. She passed between Caramel and Red River.
Caramel's nose twitched as he picked up a faint smell in the air. "Smells like...roses," he said after a moment.
"Indeed," said Rarity, spinning about and waving an imperious hoof at the doorway, "May I present to you...the future of Equestrian fashion!"
Applejack was first out of the gate, clad in a deep, forest-green dress with undulating borders of tan along the hem, which complemented her stetson. Her hooves were clad in boots that clicked in a pleasant staccato against the marble floor as she trotted towards Red River with a slight but sultry smile on her face.
"What do ya think sugarcube?" she asked teasingly as she turned to brush the skirt of her dress across Red's flank.
Red blinked as the fabric slid across his coat. At first, he thought it felt slightly coarse. But that was countered by an almost feathery softness. As the dress passed under his nose, Red's nostrils were tantalized by the faint scent of apples (What else?), with lingering notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and the faint odor of citrus. "It's wonderful," he said as Applejack sidled up next to him, "But the scent is making me a little hungry."
"There'll be food at the Gala hun," said Applejack with a chuckle, "Ya can wait."
Pinkie Pie was next, bouncing out of the room with a heavily ruffled gown that seemed to float about her with each bounce. The gown was a mix of pink and yellow stripes that flowed away from Pinkie's back towards the skirt behind her. Like Rarity, her motions were accented by the sound of bells, or rather, a bell, striking a faint, but clear note every time she came down after going up.
Mayweather accompanied Pinkie out of the dressing room, clad in a rather simple dress with the same green, blue, and magenta color-scheme as her mane and tail. She couldn't help but smile as she leaned up against Pinkie, forcing the energetic party pony to settle onto the floor and relax a little. Leaning against Pinkie's dress was like sinking into a fluffy pillow as Mayweather breathed in the aromas of flour and yeast, accompanied by the faintest hint of chili peppers, which seemed to have been woven into the fabric as thoroughly as the threads that made it up.
"Easy there, try to save something for the actual party," said Mayweather playfully.
"Aww...Okay..." Pinkie sagged a little at the idea of restraining herself, but acquiesced nonetheless. Mayweather couldn't help but giggle in response.
"My turn!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, coming out after Pinkie and Mayweather had cleared the doorway. As she came out, she spun in place slightly to give her audience a sideways view of her, allowing the light-blue feathery wisps that made up her skirt to flare out like an extra set of wings, sending the refreshing scent of rainfall washing over the group. "What do ya think, squirt?" asked Rainbow, grinning at Scootaloo.
"It looks awesome," said Scootaloo, grinning back up at her idol.
"It certainly fits her well," added Melon Cream as she followed in Rainbow's wake, a warm smile on her face. Like Mayweather, Melon hadn't gotten the chance to get one of Rarity's new brand of creations made for her. However, she made a fine picture in her own right, wearing a silky, deep crimson dress that flashed in the light as she walked.
"You're coming too mom?" asked Scootaloo, a bit surprised to see her mother, of all ponies, there.
"The Princesses were kind enough to invite me as well," said Melon with a warm smile. Leaning down, she whispered into Scootaloo's ear, "Don't worry, I'll keep my distance so that you don't get smothered."
"Thanks mom," said Scootaloo, taking the opportunity to nuzzle her mother's cheek.
"Alright then," said Rarity, turning her attention back to the doorway, "Fluttershy! It's your turn."
"Oh...okay..." Fluttershy tentatively stepped into view, blushing slightly as she saw Caramel watching her.
Caramel's heart thudded alarmingly in his chest as he got to see Fluttershy's new dress. The whole affair was the same shade of teal as her eyes. It clung closely to her frame, showing off her slender figure and whispered quietly with every step she took. Her flowing pink mane had been drawn back and tied into a tail, not unlike the style Applejack usually wore. As she closed in with Caramel, he caught a whiff of fresh pine wafting through the air. Hooking his neck around Fluttershy's, his chin brushed up against the fabric of the dress where it came over her shoulders. It felt silky smooth against him.
"Do you like it?" asked Fluttershy softly.
"I love it," said Caramel, pulling back away from her, planting a light kiss on the side of her neck as he did so, which prompted a giggle from Fluttershy as her blush deepened.
"You look wonderful, mom," commented Dawn from where he stood next to Scootaloo and Melon, which only made Fluttershy smile more widely.
"Well then," said Rarity, pulling her gaze away from the lovebirds, "Last, but certainly not least...Twilight dear...It's time for your debut."
"Okay..." Surprisingly, Twilight Sparkle seemed even more uncertain that Fluttershy had. She carefully sidled into view. Her mane had been tied up tightly into a bun behind the back of her head. She was clad in a dress of an even darker, deeper shade of purple than Rarity's. The hem was accented by a single, thin streak of hot pink that ran along its length. The folds of the skirt seemed to alternate in patterns of texture, smooth and shimmery along one pleat, lacy and ruffled along the next, which were only visible to the naked eye as a slight difference in the shading.
"How does she look?" Arkenstone whispered to Red River.
"She looks very beautiful," said Red, a sly smile spreading over his face, "But I think that Miss Rarity reserved the true beauty of her dress for you to witness for yourself." On Red's other side, Applejack blinked in confusion and stared at her coltfriend.
"Hmm?" Stepping forward, Arkenstone could hear the whispering of Twilight's dress, soft and subtle, like a gentle caress against his ears. A second later, as she met him in turn, the light scents of lavender and hydrangea danced into his nostrils. Rarity had gone especially light with working scented oils into the cloth of Twilight's dress, in order not to overwhelm Arkenstone's acute sense of smell. As a result, the scents from the flowers mingled with Twilight's own, stirring up a sense of warmth and affection from within Arkenstone as he recalled the earliest days of their friendship, back when they were foals.
Then he felt Twilight's gown brush against him. Arkenstone's deft sense of touch immediately perceived the alternating textures of her skirt's pleats, one smooth and light, the other soft and full. The feeling of the fabric alternately ruffling his coat then smoothing it out made Arkenstone's muscles quiver and, before he'd even realized it, he'd raised a hoof in order to run his sensitive frog along the length of the skirt, gently brushing it along Twilight's back as he did so. His eyes had opened, the appearance of the milky-white orbs betraying the beige stallion's surprise and enchantment.
Twilight's cheeks were heating up like they were on fire. Never had she felt Arkenstone's hooves wander across her body so freely. Naturally, as they were in an early, rather reserved stage of their relationship, he'd always been at least somewhat conservative with physical contact. Now, however, the feeling of his hoof running along her back, pressing the fabric of her dress up against her own body made Twilight's heart beat faster...and then pick up pace as Arkenstone slowly moved to bring his nose closer to her shoulder and inhale deeply, seeming to drink in her scent and the aromas woven into the dress that faintly complimented her own.
Is this what it's like? wondered Twilight as she leaned in to gently nuzzle up against Arkenstone's neck, Is this what it's like to have somepony "look" at you like you're beautiful? Arkenstone, like the rest of her friends and family, would probably have argued that Twilight already looked beautiful. But now, after seeing it with Fluttershy and Caramel, Red and Applejack, Rainbow and Soarin', Pinkie and Mayweather, Twilight could understand what it meant to essentially cultivate that beauty and use it to captivate her special somepony.
From off to the side, Rarity couldn't help but watch in triumph as Arkenstone was enthralled by Twilight's beauty, a beauty that he was exploring with all of his available senses. Of course, Twilight's visual impact wasn't to be underestimated either. With her talents, she had brought out Twilight's beauty for all to see and experience through all the senses, to make her shine in a way that a blind stallion, like Arkenstone, could perceive for himself. This may be my greatest success yet, she thought proudly, My friends truly are the source of my greatest inspiration.
The receding sound of hoofsteps caught Rarity's attention and she noticed that Melon was carefully ushering the foals off down the hallway. Looking over her shoulder, Melon flashed Rarity a sheepish grin. Blinking, Rarity realized what she was doing. Oh yes...I suppose that what Arkenstone and Twilight are doing does have rather intimate overtones, she admitted as her cheeks flushed, Perhaps we should give them a moment.
Reaching over, she quietly tapped Mayweather's shoulder, getting her attention. As Mayweather looked over, Rarity gently signaled that they should probably head out. Mayweather, catching the hint, nodded and turned to tap Pinkie's shoulder in turn. Though Pinkie, being Pinkie, was admittedly more reluctant to abandon watching her friends being so happy with each other, they managed to convince her to tap Rainbow, who in turn tapped Applejack, who signaled Red, who signaled Caramel, who gently nudged Fluttershy away from Twilight and Arkenstone. The group followed Melon and the foals down the hallway, giving Twilight and Arkenstone some much needed privacy.
Twilight and Arkenstone didn't fail to notice their friends heading off. Twilight couldn't suppress a light giggle.
"Should we follow them?" asked Arkenstone.
"No. It's fine," said Twilight, pressing harder up against him and resting her head across his shoulders, "I want to stay like this for just a little bit longer."
"I think I can do that," said Arkenstone. He was feeling a bit reluctant to pull away himself, "You went through this, for me..."
"Of course I did," said Twilight, "I wanted to dress up and look my best...in a way that you could experience for yourself." She stepped away from Arkenstone to quickly lift a hoof to his lips as he opened his mouth. "I know what you'll say," she said, "You'll say that I'm always beautiful to you."
Arkenstone nodded.
"But I wanted more than that," said Twilight, leaning in again, this time pressing her cheek up against Arkenstone's, "I don't think I can really put it into words. Rarity's dressed me up dozens of times. But I wanted to experience that feeling that all my friends have experienced. I wanted you to really 'see' me as a mare, not just as the little filly you've grown really close to."
Arkenstone let out a quiet sigh. "Well, I can't exactly argue with that. You feel wonderful Twilight. It makes me so happy that I get to be here with you." Turning his head, Arkenstone captured Twilight's lips with a surprising degree of passion, making Twlight hum lightly as she returned the pressure of the kiss, leaning into it even as Arkenstone raised a hoof around her neck to pull her closer.
The two of them enjoyed the experience a few minutes longer before they finally pulled away. For a moment, they rested their foreheads together, Twilight being careful about the angle to keep from poking Arkenstone with her horn. "I guess we should go," she said finally.
"I suppose so," said Arkenstone, feeling surprisingly reluctant.
Twilight giggled and danced away from her stallion, spinning about so that the hem of her gown kicked up off the ground and brushed ever so lightly across Arkenstone's nose. "Come on then," she said playfully, "We've got a gala to attend."
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Daww! So sweet! This "shimmersilk" is quite intriguing. Flax's parents? Nice work with Twilight Rarity! Why not have them commissioned if you want to see the dresses that much? I know a few good artists who might be up to the task. First comment!
...
The damn baron is going to use this whole "debt" thing to get his hooves on Rarity and so on, right? That would explain why he was so bent on sending Coco there... clever. Dastardly clever.
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Haven't read latest chapter but wanted to reply to your comment before going back to sleep.
You are kidding me right? Rooted Mountain allows for moving without moving. She did that. Punched with the tips of her hooves rather than the flat part to disintegrate rock (spear hooving it, and that if done wrong could’ve been disastrous as well as shown an attack beyond the normal 'attack with flat surfaces' that other ponies are shown using on the show to do maximum damage), chopped a rock to fine powder, and used pony magic to an extreme that granted her super pony levels of skill and combative ability.
Also you're right she was pretty one sided. But then again she was retconed into existence, and Spits on the show was a pretty one dimensional jerkass and team betrayer and Dees was a created to be a Hate Sink yet Moguera turned them into something awesome. And Maud's powers showcase the things that Rooted Mountain do, with a few twists. I'm sure he can make her amazing.
And now I'm off to sleep and I can't wait to see the next chapter.
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Question... do Wonderbolts get maternity leave In this universe?
Bravo on Twilight's dress and Arkenstone's reaction to it.
The others were great too, but the point of this, and the kudos, is that dress.
5226070 Are you reading the story only to firstcomment every chapter? The stories are made to enjoy them, not to show that you read the fastest. Also those one-two-three word sentences usually don't bring any useful information, not to mention there are too many different topics cramped together in one paragraph...
"Ok! who let pinky in to the psychology books again!?!"
You know I think it would be interesting if Caramel didn't sell his house, but instead rented it out over spring, summer, and fall and then have Fluttershy, Dawn and him move in for the winter. Kinda like a winter home instead of a summer home.
Good job with Twilights Dress and Arkenstones reaction. And the Rarity x Flaxseed shipping is getting stronger and stronger^^
5226114 But I'm sure Flaxseed will have a reserve plan^^
Perfect gifts all round.
No doubt that there will be someponies from the ball Twilight and Arkenstone attended, gossiping about her chosen partner. Elderflower will most likely be there, and offer something to Rarity in order to cover the cost of Coco being at the Boutique, but I think Flaxseed would be able to sort it. After all, I don't think Elderflower knows of Flaxseed, does he?
Hmm... the Winter Gala... time to see which of the nobles have the same beliefs as the Cult. Watching their reactions as they meet Luna should be able to do it, especially with Dawn and Flaxseed there. Rumours will be abound about 'Nightmare Moon gathering her troops'.
5226213 That's a good idea and all, but that would essentially mean evicting the tenants every winter. Do you really think Caramel would do that?
Something tells me Elderflower is going manipulate Twilight into working with him by using the Royal Warrants as leverage
5226252 I would love for Flaxseed to throw someone's diabolical plan for a loop.
Also, it's not really evicting them when they've known from the start they have to be out by a certain time/specific date. It'd be the same as here, you agree to pay for a predetermined amount of time and money, then leave(or pay for more time, which wouldn't be an option here). He would probably have reservations about it, but could be talked into it.
5226354 That could be a way to do it, sure.
But how about this? Instead of having Flaxseed go visit his parents, make arrangements to have his parents move to Ponyville.
And oh look, with Caramel selling his house, there'll be somewhere for them to live!
5226358 That seems like a great idea, assuming they could afford it. I doubt Caramel and Fluttershy could afford just giving it to them. Don't think I would have come up with that myself, I'm pretty bad at these kind of things. Could also be the fact it is almost 7 in the morning here and I'm tired.
5226376 I'm pretty sure they could. It would be a small 'chain-buy'. His parents could sell their house, and use the money to buy Caramel's house. And if they didn't have just the right amount, I'm pretty sure Luna would give up the last bit of funds out of some misplaced form of guilt she feels for what ponies suffer supposedly because of her.
Of course, this is all speculation, so I guess we have to wait and see, huh?
This chapter was a thousand shades of adorable. You did an amazing job describing the dresses, and while I admit my initial foal like glee on getting to see the mystery Knights was ruined via yesterdays conversations with people and replaced with a tempered disappointment and vaguely torn between hoping those three aren't Knights and it's a happy suprise on one hand. And the other hand knowing getting my hopes up is stupid.
But none the less you make a great series, and spin a good tale. So we'll see. And yes I get it, some ponies while powerful would make sucky Knights. After all Pinks and Cheese Sandwhich are S rank Reality Warpers, have Precognition, and have their own party weapons created appropos of nothing. But would not make good Knights. Maud shows skills and powers that Arkenstone mentions as traits of the Rooted Mountain, and would be a cool canonical Knight. But undoing the one dimensional bs the writers wrote her into like you did with other characters who were also one dimensional or McGuffined Antagonists, would be too much work or might not even work at all. As pointed out.
And while good inspiration for EP masters, I mostly wanted to see what you could do with the other races. Since we see alot of Pegasi awesomeness, but the other two races are basically massively over looked. I mean there might be other Flying Earth Ponies, Pies, or Reality Warpers / Precognitive Ponies (party powers) that are Knight Material. Or even Uni's even cooler than Arcanum [pun not intended].
Nonetheless, the partyception that I was eagerly awaiting might be deadened for me a bit. But I'm still looking forward to the character interactions in the series. And still is one of my top 3. Sorry if some of my opinions make me come across as an ass, jerkwad, or unappreciative of your (literary) artistic skills. I really do love the series. Just sad that not all the races get show cased as much as others in best group ever invented in FIMVerse (although I can unerstand Uni's. Since they are naturally weaker, and not many Equestrian's would be interested in Goxian Unicorn Martian Arts), or martial aspects of some of the most awesome scenes in the show.
Although with how much the Knights stink at working to gether Tia needs to make a Ryozanpaku for them to learn to mesh, or die trying. If the Grand Pontif is as scary as you've made him out to be, they'd need to grow as a group rather than a loose band of fighters with a vague common interest.
I had completely forgotten about Twilight's horn ring. It was multiple stories ago. I'm interested in the description of the shimmersilk here. Regular silk is already one of the strongest fabrics we know of. If shimmersilk is anywhere near the level of durability of spider silk it could prove to be quite effective light armor. That would be something quite useful to a martial artist.
The chapter was very sweet.
The greatest artist is the mind itself.
5227407 Probably some good alcohol. She might have an illegal distillery out there like moonshine.
5226376 Back to the idea of renting it out... He could do it something like a time share. People, usually the upper middle-class, purchase a one to two week stay at a moderate price. It would certainly fill up and fetch a higher price around the Summer Sun Celebration, Running of the Leaves, Harvest Festival, Hearts n' Hooves, Nightmare Night and whatever other holidays there are. Having 3 seasons of holidays opens up a lot of potential for such a venue. Ponyville being a rural community might count against it in some ways, but it is close to Canterlot while also having the Bearers and Dawn would make it at least noticeable as a tourist spot. Also, don't forget how often the princesses show up there compared to the rest of the nation.(Like Luna showing up for every Nightmare Night) The bits they could get out of it would at least cover taxes and maintenance and allow them to still have a winter home. I would expect them to actually make a bit of extra from it too.
Getting rid of the house could prove winter to be a difficulty for caramel. That stretch of path was stated to not get cleared regularly and the only reason it wasn't much of a problem is that Fluttershy is a pegasus; which, allows her to not give a flying feather whether or not the path was cleared by flying over it. The problem then becomes that Caramel would still need to get to work regularly and would have to trudge trough it. Though I could see Dawn just blasting a path through the snow for him. Which also brings to mind a heavily snow-dusted, white Dawn.
you know i think the Still Way sucks if even at the end Trixie still can't do simple things. It may be a good martial art but crappy else where.
Amazing description of the dresses (even though my mind's eye doesn't seem capable of "seeing" them; it's just the way I am, not due to any deficiency on your part). There are two things I am incapable of writing and one of them is descriptive prose (action is the other).
With all the drama that's going on in this series, it was nice to see the ponies so happy and content. Too bad it can't last.
Dawwwwwwwwwwwwww
I would only be better if either Arkenstone or Twilight said I Love You, then every reader would hear fireworks in the background.
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Doesn't take genius to figure out the bombs gonna drop next chapter... ANYONE UP FOR ONE OF ARKYS NOBLE SMOOTHIES? I'M BUYING!
I'm so loving this story your chapter email makes my day!
Your last preview was a lie :-P
I just now finished the complete sires and I give you a hole hatred bravo and my best wishes as you are doing a super job I will be following you for the long run.
harts fire
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hole hatred bravo? what's that? is it code for something?
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I have no idea, but it certainly doesn't sound good, does it?
As it happens, I'm reading this chapter on Anzac Day, of the 100th year since the battle of Gallipoli.
Lest We Forget.
That scene with twilight honestly had me in tears. It was beautiful
5444014
I think they mean "whole-hearted." Although it is rather difficult to tell.
The scene with Twilight and Arkenstone, nearly had me tearing up with how sweet it is!
Well I hope you've learned your lesson Spike
I really feel for that stallion, I hope he gets to see his parents soon ^.^
My cousin has the same problem.
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Hello there.
I have a feeling that Mayweather and Pinkie are gonna be an excellent match
Twilight and Arkenstone, too. They are an adorable match, and Arkenstone’s antics make me laugh every time. He seems like a stoic, no nonsense, no-fun pony, but he cracks jokes and hangs out just fine at the most random times. Makes me laugh real hard