Three Years Later, Half The Population Would Be Disguised As Jellicle Cats
There were ways in which the holiday seemed to exist just to remind Fleur how little she still knew about Ponyville and on that night, the majority of the notices remained within the overcrowded category of low-level annoyance. (The minority required a category all to itself, and likely chafed at the mere concept of being assigned that level of definition.)
She'd felt herself to be fairly familiar with the basic street layout. But Fluttershy kept leading her through previously-unseen shortcuts, because a mare that dedicated to avoiding public attention knew a lot of ways to get out of sight in a hurry. It made Fleur (justifiably) feel as if she'd been neglecting one of the major basics, and she silently vowed to spend a day in exploration of back alleys. There were aspects where she hardly minded her charge being the expert, especially given the duration which was apparently necessary to learn a few of Ponyville's secrets (and the temporal requirement was something Fleur refused to match). But this particular category was one where Fleur had to catch up in a hurry.
The town's residents? She still wasn't sure how many ponies lived in the settled zone, much less how many were truly important. She should have had more puzzles memorized by this point, and having Fluttershy at her side wasn't exactly helping that cause. But there were other means of identifying who was under the disguises, and she just wasn't familiar with enough locals to really spot anypony -- at least, not as an individual. (She'd already found three police officers, was confident that none of them had managed to recognize her -- but that had just been from the way they moved, because the pattern of cautious evaluation never went off-duty.) With the disguises at work, names were uncertain. Another area where she'd been slipping.
Admittedly, there weren't all that many ponies whom she was actively watching for. The false vet was a major target, but that was also an area where Fleur wasn't exactly certain as to what she could do if she did manage the find. For the moment, she told herself that she mostly wanted to see whether any disguise would be as bland as the mare's sexual interest: translated to the image of a monster, it might be possible to make a desperate escape gallop into something boring. And there was also the question of how Fluttershy might interact with that one when the protective layer of a disguise was in play, something which really made her want to find the settled zone's medical coward -- but ultimately, it was a wish and like nearly every wish, that night saw it denied.
(There would be a meeting.)
(There would also be blood.)
Fleur was also somewhat curious as to whether she could spot any of the other Bearers, at least for those who were also supposed to be out and about. When it came to Rainbow, Fluttershy had provided a simple caution: "...keep looking up." The weather coordinator refused to be grounded for long and that meant any disguise was going to be an airborne one, even when simply landing might have served as the ultimate cover. And with Twilight... would anything the librarian wore include wing panels, or had the alicorn not thought to include those yet? A small frame, extra room in the headpiece -- those might be the only true indicators.
With Fluttershy out of the cottage, five of the Bearers would be participating in the gathering phase of the holiday. (Several of them also nosed over a fair share of tribute, but that took place early on: the current hour would likely have them all on the street or in one case, above it.) But Fleur had been told that there was one permanent exception, and it was that which produced the newest of screams.
Manticore and timber wolf paused. Both glanced at the Boutique, which was about thirty body lengths to the right: fine details were difficult to distinguish through the crowd of disguised ponies who were pressed against the shop's windows.
"...and there she goes," Fluttershy sighed.
"So which scream was that?" Fleur asked. It was a subject upon which she'd received a surprisingly full briefing, but it was also one where making out the fine details required direct experience --
-- which Fluttershy shouldn't have been able to offer, not without prior direct exposure to the bitch's holiday activities -- but her charge was familiar with those she called friends.
"...somepony moved when they shouldn't," Fluttershy expertly decided. "You don't get poked unless you move, and she always tells them not to, but they just keep trying to get away..."
The front doors opened. A sea serpent (Recently Revised) was shoved out into the night and made an immediate break for the horizon, coils undulating with terror.
"Didn't we see that one earlier? Only it wasn't quite so..." The proper term was reluctantly brought forward. "...accurate."
"...yes," Fluttershy considered. "So that means Rarity fixed the mustache. And some of the scales. Whether he wanted her to or not." Several splinters dropped onto the road, vibrated free by the latest shudder. "It's usually best not to get that close."
The manticore nodded. In Fleur's opinion, they were wearing well-rendered disguises and she had no interest in seeing how a lesser talent would choose to disagree.
"...it's a lot of monsters," Fluttershy observed as they began to move away from the shop, clearing the riskiest sight line at the moment an ill-advised coretaint was yanked inside. "...I've been studying some of them, because it helps to know about what we might have to deal with. And there's already been a few of those. But this is more than I've seen in the books."
"It's a lot more than most ponies would ever see," Fleur allowed.
It's a narrow sample.
It's Sun-raising and it's time to --
"-- you said you couldn't talk to timber wolves." Her volume had automatically dropped, all the better to maintain Fluttershy's concealment. "What about monsters?"
"...it depends on how -- natural they are. If they're close to a real animal... sometimes I get a little. And some kinds of body language stay the same, but... anypony can see that, if they learn how."
She still would have won.
There was privacy, and so Fleur's eyes briefly closed.
And then there was a giggle.
"...I'm not sure anypony's seen that one."
She immediately focused, tried to spot what her charge was looking at, wound up following the sound of approaching laughter --
-- it was possible that he'd based on the initial construct on scarecrows. Equestria's earth ponies still needed to protect whatever their magic had grown, and so the concept had reached the continent: place something in the area which vaguely resembles a living being in outline, and then the birds will think they're at risk and stay away. The problem was that birds were smarter than that: a scarecrow didn't move, and anything which had remained motionless for a long time was probably going to stay that way.
So the more intelligent breed of farmer would refine the concept. True geniuses would scatter subtle scent across the soil, making it smell like a pony was present at all times. Those who weren't quite on that level might localize those odors on the dummy itself, followed by paying for enchantments (along with setting up an endless series of additional payments for recharges) to make the thing flail its limbs at random times. The ones who had more money than sense might even commission something which walked or rather, once an animated object with no ability to see met any fresh obstacle, something which fell over.
In the case of what was coming down the street, the concepts had been combined. The upper body (because so much of the body qualified for 'upper') had been formed from cloth and draped on a frame of sticks. Hay stuffing provided bulk, and the bits which kept working their way through the rough fabric to drop into his mouth were presumably providing some of the strength required to keep carrying the thing. The impact of undisguised hooves against the street echoed up and sent loosely-jointed arms flailing (or, more realistically, flopping) in all directions. He'd even thought to sew gloves onto the proper areas, and Fleur had no idea where he'd managed to find them.
The assembly had been carefully mounted to sit just behind the base of his neck. It was possible to see exactly how ropes were just barely securing it, along with how he had to keep turning his head back to tug things back into place. Every one of those movements was fully visible, because the word "disguise" didn't qualify. When it came to faces, you could look at the pushed-in nose which just barely existed on the upper portion, or you could regard the nonchalant thin half-smile which maintained its place in brown fur as the carrier shrugged his way along.
Nothing was easier than identifying the pony. Tracking was a close second, but a few of those whom he'd passed had managed to calm their laughter enough to pick themselves off the ground.
"Beware my power!" the earth pony called out into the night. "For I have the magic which can only come from thumbs!"
"What are those supposed to do?" a convulsing root angler just barely managed to gasp.
"Nopony knooooows!"
And off he went, hooves picking out a trail of slowly-increasing confidence.
It took a while before the manticore managed to look away, and the action took place without a single giggle. Because you couldn't blackmail somepony whose weaknesses were out in the open, but it might still be possible to collect an emotional toll -- until the target decided they no longer cared.
Nothing would have led her to expect this result. Not from a stallion who'd simply been waiting for the next crisis to serve as a distraction.
"He's owning it," the escort half-whispered, and so the words stayed within the disguise. "How is he...?"
"...spinal issues," Fluttershy diagnosed.
The manticore turned.
"What?"
"...insufficient lumbar support," her charge mused. "...and that's just on the centaur part. I'm not sure that's the best place for Caramel to be carrying the weight."
"He's an earth pony," Fleur managed.
"...it's still weight. Balance means something. And did you see those fingers? That's just begging for arthritis..."
Technically, the rock pythons were traveling as a quintet.
There were only three of the mineral shapes (or fairly rigid tubes simulating the monsters, with strategically-cut holes to allow leg movement), and the maximum height of the dense skulls told Fleur she was looking at children. But a rock python was physically incapable of fully leaving the hole from which it had been birthed: it would stretch its body out to a surprising length, snare prey and drag the wounded into the narrow cylinder as the sudden pressure fractured prey bones -- but some part of it would always be anchored to the cliff. Even so, they were one of the few creatures which quarry eels actually feared: the species competed for the same breeding grounds, the python's armor provided an advantage in any combat -- but given any real degree of width to the ravine, their respective body lengths would just leave them glaring at each other.
So for the sake of accuracy, the cliffs were present, trailing about a body length behind the attached trio. They were surprisingly large cliffs: one was noticeably bigger than the other, possessing considerable bulk along the craggy rock face -- but the other, seen by itself, would have still stood out for both the amount of space taken up and the fact that as with the larger, the occupant was managing to move perfectly well while wearing a disguise which was covered in actual rocks.
Fleur readily guessed earth ponies, and two powerful ones: nothing else would be capable of managing that level of mass. But it was all she could guess at, because the adults were almost completely concealed within the stone. There was a pair of green eyes, and --
"Hi, Miss Fleur."
The manticore's inner self blinked. Looked down.
The smallest rock python had tilted its head up at her (a head with a little extra bulk built up around the top of the skull), and light green eyes shyly attempted focus.
"It's nice to see you," Sweetie's familiar voice carefully assembled from reluctant elements. "Are you having a good holiday?"
(A semi-random wind gust set off a howler to the west. The timber wolf didn't jump. It was something which had been arranged by ponies, and so there was nothing to fear at all.)
There seemed to be a very relevant question in play, and the most crucial thing to do was getting the answer immediately. "How did you know it was me?"
"It's a very tall manticore," the little unicorn softly said. "So the pony inside is tall. The head part is wide. That means it's hiding a horn. And the tail. Um. The manticore's tail. It... sways. It moves the way your hips do. Nopony else's hips move like that. So it had to be you."
She had been doing nothing to encourage the little crush. Interactions had largely been limited to polite nods of greeting if she saw the filly while leaving her rental: actual words were held back for the times when at least one parent was with her. And she'd known that there was a chance for the coloration of puzzle pieces to become permanent no matter what she did, but the responsibility of an adult who knew a filly might be basing their future interests on her was exactly that: to be responsible --
-- and Sweetie had still been able to pick her out. Based on tail sway.
It was something which worried Fleur and at the moment, it was also something she couldn't currently deal with.
"That's very insightful," was the best she could do for a response, because it would have looked too strange if she hadn't been complimentary. (The smallest python's head bashfully tilted down.) "So it's the three of you together?"
"Ain't so!" protested the largest python. "Ain't no evidence! Y'can't jus' go an' assume that jus' because there's --" which was when the accent reached its owner's ears. "-- aww..."
"Figures," the medium-sized snake muttered. (Fleur noted the wing panels, along with the fact that they were a little larger than she would have expected.) "We've gotta be more careful. There's still ponies who won't give out tribute if they realize it's us." A little more darkly, "It's like they want us to get eaten..."
"Naw," the largest (but still small) snake declared -- then paused. "Ah mean, yeah, but it ain't gonna be a problem." She nodded back towards the cliffs. "Not while we've got company."
Fluttershy maintained her silence: something which probably would have happened regardless, along with being an activity she was rather good at. Other monsters moved around the little knot of conversation, and Fleur used the moment to examine the cliffs. Sweetie's father was unusually large for a unicorn, but she'd seen both parents now: the mother's eyes were blue --
"An' y'stay on your best behavior," the smaller cliff firmly stated. "'specially since we're, y'know, right here."
The same accent. Green eyes. A powerful earth pony mare --
The larger rock wall chuckled deep-voiced agreement. "Yeah."
The manticore's head instantly swiveled left.
A very large pony.
Red eyes.
"One of my friends is dating now. Well -- two of them, really. Each other."
...are you kidding me?
She wasn't sure just who 'you' represented in the thought. Fleur only knew that whoever that party was, it was someone she really wished would stop already -- and there was room for more than that within the disguise's shell, because they'd spent days together at the cottage during the mission, she'd insisted that he talk...
"You kept that quiet." It was half a statement, with the remaining portion as pure accusation. She was perfectly aware that she sounded miffed. She was miffed. She was entitled to be miffed. The barest glimpse at his puzzle, a preference for physical power, recently-brightened pieces...
"...yeah," Snowflake admitted. Several small rock ridges furrowed with embarrassment. "I could say it didn't come up, but..."
"An' y'ain't seen us t'gether around town," the older sister stated. "Matter of fact, Ah'm pretty sure this is the first time you an' Ah have been this close. Spotted you in the market one time, an' Ah'm sure y'saw me too. But we ain't exactly spoken, have we?"
The manticore shook its head. The occupant was still trying to reconcile the latest piece of information. She'd assumed that two of the Bearers might have started into a relationship: she hadn't gotten a look at everypony's puzzle, but Pinkie's presence in the group said there was at least one who wouldn't object to being with a mare and Rainbow's ego might just insist that said mare be her. And it was possible that Fluttershy had another friend, somepony Fleur hadn't met yet -- but for one of the parties involved to be Snowflake...
"So we're talkin' now," Applejack declared. "In private, or as much of it as we can manage. Ah'm gonna let go of mine, Snowflake. Wanna release your two for a while?"
"We can --" was as far as Scootaloo got.
"-- down the street," Applejack cut in. "Where Ah can see you. An' when Ah say Ah'll be watchin', Ah'm trustin' you're gonna believe me. 'Shy, that you in there?"
The timber wolf nodded.
"Ain't that somethin'," the smaller cliff softly mused. "Now all we've gotta do is talk Rarity out of bein' a nightmare, an' it'll finally be the full set. Been wonderin' how much tribute we could all gather if Twi laid out the plan. Not t' mention how much trouble. Take off, you three. Four houses max. Wanna have a word here. An' you two, ease over t' the side. Little quieter near Roseluck's fence." A soft snort. "She ain't out tonight. Don't take visitors neither. An' as far as listenin' at the window goes -- she'd have t' get that far."
The rock pythons left (and the smallest looked back at Fleur before moving away). The adults got closer to the slats.
"Ah'll keep it short," the final Bearer told them at the moment rock leaned against wood. "Ah'm sure you two want t' get 'round t' best stuff, an' the same applies here. We're headin' for Bon-Bon's next." A glance at the larger cliff. "This one's allowed t' have some sweets here an' there: Ah asked him t' save up his sugar allotment for the last week. We're both spendin' it tonight."
"...we're going the same way," Fluttershy softly said. "We could trot together for a while."
"No problem there," Applejack said. "But there won't be much talkin', 'cause --" and something shifted "-- I've been using my Manehattan accent to make it a little harder for everypony to figure out who we are. It usually doesn't last long, not as big as he is." An outcropping of granite affectionately nudged bedrock. "But it's Nightmare Night, Fluttershy. Every bit helps, including whatever you did to your voice."
She paused.
Softly, "Y'actually did somethin' with your voice..."
The timber wolf's head dipped.
"Actually," the smaller cliff said, "you two mind steppin' aside for a minute? Ah'd like this t' be between me an' Fleur."
Which gave the manticore a whole new set of concerns, because every Bearer was an extra voice in Fluttershy's ears, a potential obstacle to work around, and now this one (whose Manehattan accent was just about native) wanted to speak privately. The group was now aware of the reason for her presence, one of them wanted to talk, and the conversation was going to take place while Fleur's horn was fully encased within a false manticore.
The next question came from her charge, and also saved Fleur the trouble of not being able to ask it. "...why?"
"Nothin' all that special," the farmer stated. "Jus' wanna have a few words. So take it on the road, you two. An' stay close t' those three, because Ah think we can trust Scootaloo exactly as far as she can glide. Both cases, number might be goin' up, but that don't mean it's where Ah want it t' be."
The timber wolf briefly glanced at the larger cliff. Boulders shrugged, and the two moved away.
Applejack waited a few seconds, looking around to make sure nopony was paying any real attention. Several strata shifted across slow breaths.
"Been waitin' for a chance t' speak with you," the most physically powerful Bearer stated. "For a while, ever since Ah tumbled onto why you're really here. But it ain't been easy. Cider season for me: gonna open the booth in a few days. An' with 'Shy... time's always at a premium." She shrugged. "So..."
Fleur waited.
Don't judge her by the accent, especially when there's more than one available. Don't assume she's stupid. Every Bearer had to take up their role for a reason, and without knowing hers...
Every first meeting was a fresh chance for disaster, and all Fleur could currently do was wait.
"The way Ah see it," the farmer continued, "you're kind of like a δούλα."
She wished the manticore shell could blink. "A what?" Because the vocalization had emerged as something like a soft scream: moderate volume, but maximum force --
"-- sorry," the cliff apologized -- then coughed. "Minotaurus ain't easy on the throat. Equestrian... closest Ah think Ah can get on the pronunciation is doula. For them, it's someone who stays with an ageláda -- one of their females -- while they're pregnant. Arranges the schedule, makes sure all the baby stuff gets bought, cooks the meals an' maybe does a little rubdown on whatever's sore. Ain't involved in the actual delivery, though. They jus' -- make sure the mother's comfortable. Has that much less t' worry 'bout, 'cause someone who's gonna have their first baby is usually a near-panic on legs. Y'get me there?"
The shell was capable of nodding.
"So right now, you're a doula for datin'," Applejack continued. "An' Ah know what y'did before y'got here. That don't bother me none, 'cause it's a job which needs doin'. Got a cousin in the same profession."
"You do?" She hadn't meant the question to come across with so much audible shock, but --
-- green eyes narrowed --
-- then carefully opened again.
"Y'don't know me," the farmer steadily said. "So Ah won't take offense on a first time. But from this point on, Ah'd like you t' keep somethin' in mind: Ah don't lie. Y'got me?"
An apologetic "Yes," was as much as she would vocally permit herself. Her mind was experiencing somewhat more amusement.
Honesty. The pointless Element. Unless the necklace had given its Bearer the supernatural ability to detect lies --
-- be very careful.
"Pink Lady," Applejack continued. "Don't expect you t' know the name: she's out on the east coast --"
Interesting. Pink Lady was a beloved figure in the Baltimare area (and had a figure which was well-suited for beloving). Fleur had never met her, but some reputations traveled easily.
"-- regional training supervisor," Fleur smoothly cut in. "Among other things. We've never met, but I know she's the youngest pony to ever hold the position." It took a moment of consideration before she decided to risk the rest. "She's famous for holding positions..."
The earth pony snorted: the sound of rough amusement. "...yeah. She did a lot of practicing early. Mostly in haystacks. Don't see her as much as Ah'd like. But the point is, Ah know somethin' 'bout how it all works, 'cause when she got her mark, she was afraid part of the family wouldn't respect her no more. We had a long talk at that reunion, she an' Ah. So -- nothin' against escorts. Ain't judgin' you for the job. Fair?"
Which didn't mean there wasn't a host of other things to be judged for. "Fair," Fleur partially allowed.
"So with that in mind," the farmer continued in a tone which felt a little too neutral, "there's somethin' Ah want t' say. 'bout what you've been doin' with 'Shy."
Close range with a potentially angry earth pony, when my horn is covered...
She would still be capable of self-levitation, but that would mean lifting herself within the disguise. Not only would it mean giving away one of her secrets, but the weirdly-bulging, internally-glowing fabric would make for one of the most awkward escapes ever.
The cliff took a breath.
"Thank you."
They were the words of a mare who didn't lie and within the privacy offered by the disguise, they sent Fleur reeling.
"'cause... Ah do get t' see 'Shy," Applejack softly went on. "Some of that's when you ain't at the cottage. An' the way Ah've been thinkin' 'bout it... Ah probably set some of this off. Once one of us started, there was a chance for the rest t' follow. Ah didn't think it would be her goin' second, but it's happenin', an ' --" A deep breath. "-- with 'Shy, it's hard not t' picture disaster, 'cause she ain't cut out for chasin' or bein' chased. With you here... it ain't been smooth: Ah heard how that first date went. But it's better than Ah ever would've thought it could be."
She's thankful...
Fleur didn't say anything. There was no need.
"Ah could have used you," the earth pony quietly added. "Snowflake an' me -- 'rough start' barely qualifies as an understatement, because things were bad enough t' make that kind of description into somethin' close t' its own lie. Ah could have used some practical advice, along with somepony whose job was t' smooth the way an' give me that much less t' worry 'bout. But we're holdin', him an' me. Ah know we've got a ways t' go, but -- Ah can see the road, an' Ah know where it might lead. Still -- havin' you would have saved a lot of trouble."
The chuckle didn't emerge as a dark one so much as it dug its way out of the graveyard and mirthlessly crawled off to find its place in the living world.
"Which is all Ah'm gonna say 'bout that," Applejack stated. "An' since Ah know mahself pretty well, Ah ain't sure Ah would've listened. But you're there for 'Shy, an' -- y'don't see it, what it's been like when she's jus' with us. You've been -- clearing her path, when gravel goin' deep into hoof cracks jus' 'bout describes her whole life. She's... breathin' a little easier these days, an' that's happenin' when the idea of dating should be makin' it all worse. An it ain't jus' that, neither. Y'held down the cottage for a while. She's out on Nightmare Night..."
The cliff trailed off. Stone-painted eyelids closed, opened again.
"Right now, as it all stands," the final Bearer finished, "you've been good for her. Don't let that change. But when y'do find her a match -- Ah might have some faith that it'll be the right one. Now let's reel in the kids." This laugh was lighter. "Kind of nice, havin' a disguise that keeps 'em close. Even better was not havin' any of the three figure that part out..."
She likes me.
Fleur instantly realized the thought potentially qualified as a drastic overstatement: Applejack liked the idea of somepony helping Fluttershy, and had no current objection to the results -- with that second qualifier subject to 'Don't let that change.'
(They saw her charge as the youngest, even when she was older than at least one. They protected her...)
But the earth pony hadn't been the least bit hostile, had spoken freely and -- this was crucial -- without the minor falsehoods which could so easily become part of everyday conversation. (It was possible that getting information out of the farmer was simply a matter of asking the right questions, although Fleur was wondering if Honesty permitted its Bearer the option of keeping an orange mouth tightly shut.) And Fleur still needed to make some friends in Ponyville, preferably ponies with influence. Acquiring a Bearer...
It was something she'd thought about before: the original consideration had come shortly after she'd been dumped into the settled zone. But now she felt as if it had a chance to actually happen. Fluttershy trusted her a little, it was possible that Applejack might like her, and once she had two... all right, the bitch would potentially be a perpetual sticking point, but that wasn't enough to prevent Fleur from acquiring a majority interest in the group.
I may need to have sex with Pinkie. Something which was going to require a great deal of planning, careful pre-exclusion for a number of potential activities, and two saddlebags' worth of high-energy snacks. And even then, Fleur still wanted to settle things with somepony else first --
-- was Joyous out tonight? What was her disguise like? (Fleur could normally watch for any glints of light reflecting from metallic fur, but such would currently need to be passing through seams.)
It was something else to watch for, and she carefully surveyed the crowd as they all moved towards the candy shop, dating couple (and even with the benefit of knowing that there had to be pieces which matched, she couldn't really picture how that had happened) and children taking the lead. But there were just too many ponies out and about, most of the disguises were too bulky to distinguish the exact shape of the occupant and even if Fluttershy hadn't been present, Fleur didn't know what Joyous' puzzle looked like. Another gap in the gallery, and one she needed to fill.
Too many ponies to start with, and so much of the herd had come to the same decision. To seek out quality tribute, and so claws, hooves, talons, and the occasional quartet of simulated feet was heading for the candy shop. Fleur initially wound up reprising her actions from the train station: no attempt to fend off unwelcome advances, but simply trying to keep Fluttershy out of what was threatening to become a crush. But then the scent of chocolate drifted in through the mouth of the disguise, the herd began to organize itself because the shop's owner had a reputation and those who tried to cut in line might receive a free serving of bruises --
-- a second scent appeared: pure sugar, almost flavorless, and it was carried on something very much like a thin white mist. It took Fleur a moment to realize that the hue was comprised of the most finely-ground sugar she'd ever seen, something where crystals had been broken down into dust, with the residue carried on the wind --
-- which meant she wasn't just scenting sugar. She was breathing sugar, and Fleur wondered if that had the chance to do any damage to her lungs. It certainly didn't feel like something which would be advisable for long periods, and she wondered what the candy seller had done.
But she had to keep moving forward, because that was where everypony else was going. She had to stay with her charge. All she could do was hope to limit the exposure.
And then they reached the proper part of the street, saw the lines sorting themselves out, and did so at the moment when the scent trails split.
Drifting along the trail of chocolate led to the candy shop, at least for those who wanted to risk getting that close. It was one of the only times during that night when Fleur immediately identified just who was within the disguises, and that wasn't just because the couple was in front of the shop. Holding the position necessary to simulate a siren (or somepony's interpretation of a siren, as nopony had ever seen the mythical monsters) would require double-jointing, and as for the unicorn's spouse... the earth pony was currently (and poorly) concealed within the shell of a slingtail. It was something which had clearly been rigged to the sturdy body in a similar fashion to Fleur's own elastics, because the heavy tail was moving. Over and over again.
Following the white mist brought that part of the herd to a pony who hadn't bothered to follow the dominant disguise trend for his true public debut. (There had only been a few of those, and Fleur had been intermittently wondering just who had chosen to go about as a giant seafoam-echoing flower: the actual disguise had been well-rendered, but the look of the petals had been ruined by the thin line of red around the edge.) It could be argued that the stallion had simply chosen to enhance the look he'd worn to Fleur's party. He'd added false thin strands of extra white fur all over his form, keeping the coating lightest around his features. This had been teased to its maximum length, made to stand out in a explosion of softness coming off the skin. Combined with the dusting of glitter and a faint application of pink, it gave the unicorn the look of a mobile puff of cotton candy -- although Fleur felt he should have done something about the eyebrows.
He was standing in front of what would soon be his own shop, as a corona which was just about all sparkles stirred multiple twirled cones against the sides of a vat. White mist wafted from the rim, and a puffy cloud of barely-solid sugar slowly accumulated around the pointed ends: the paper mouths were carefully slipped over eagerly-raised small hooves or, in the few cases where they were available, ears. There were children watching the process, laughing at the sheer silliness of how the future proprietor looked, marveling at how a substance only slightly denser than vapor melted upon their tongues.
The rock pythons took one look, then dragged their anchors towards that side of the street. The slingtail twitched again, the spikes flinched up...
It was possible, with a touch of imagination, to watch boulders of hatred fly through the night. However, those who lacked the vision simply had to glance at the siren's current position, because it was also possible that only having forehooves firmly planted on the slingtail's back was preventing her spouse from following them.
"...that's not good," Fluttershy whispered. (They'd hung back: Fleur's charge had yet to pick a line, and that meant the manticore was currently stuck.) "...I know when Bon-Bon's angry. That's part of why her line is so short, because most ponies don't want to be there if she... lets it out. She's furious..."
"It looks like she's kept some adults," Fleur softly replied. Cotton candy tended to be the province of fillies and colts: it took youthful resilience to deal with that much pure sugar, and the dosage still had to be moderated. She was fully expecting most of those who were going back for seconds to grant their half-digested tribute unto a nearby bush. And just about all of the puffballs were being eaten on the spot: in part, this was just to free up those hooves again -- but the ear-mounted cones wouldn't keep.
"...they're used to her shop. She was pricing a little too high for most of the kids, at least until the last few moons. They mostly got stuck with Barnyard Bargains..."
"And now they'll just mostly get stuck," Fleur sighed. "Cotton candy does that."
With some surprise,"...is that what it's called?"
It isn't in the sky cities? "I've heard it called cloud candy," Fleur admitted. "Just not on the ground." Maybe it was a recent import. "There isn't much to it, and it's easy to get sick if you eat too much." She examined the white mist again. "And I'm not sure he should be breathing that."
"...at least his pet doesn't have to." Fluttershy echoed the sigh. "...since I couldn't match him with one."
The smallest rock python squirmed up to the edge of the vat. The proprietor leaned in closely, carefully fitted the cone over the offered exposed hoof.
"...it looks interesting," the timber wolf decided. "But I'm not sure I want it."
"Our hooves are covered anyway," Fleur reminded her. Not that having them in the open would have necessarily helped: the unicorn sadly shook his head as Applejack approached, then politely nodded towards the open end of the cone: the necessary tight twirl had produced a diameter insufficient for an adult. "That shouldn't go in a saddlebag. And I'd rather stick with the chocolate. Because if we don't, we're going to stick to everything else."
Which brought out a soft giggle. "...okay..." And they got in line.
Their first foal by next spring...
The battle for dominance had started ahead of schedule, and the older link in Ponyville's social chain was no longer certain as to whether the opponent could be defeated.
They stayed with the quintet for a little while after that, eventually broke off because the youths had a bedtime and the sheer amount of consumed sweets meant going home to not honor it. Applejack and Snowflake moved in the general direction of Fleur's rental, dropping off Sweetie first: manticore and timber wolf continued on their own.
(Fleur briefly wondered whether there had been any traffic to her own temporary door. Then she considered the number of ponies who would have an easier time finding the courage to flirt when their forms were covered, and switched to estimating just how many disappointed hooves had slumped away from the bell.)
They visited businesses, private homes, took what tribute they could. Fleur considered trying to steer for the Rich estate (because any holiday offering almost had to be quality, and time with the family patriarch was a goal she had yet to meet), suggested it to Fluttershy -- and was told that on any given Nightmare Night, the father simply escorted his daughter and her best friend around town, while leaving the actual candy distribution to the store. It spoke well of him as a parent, and did so as it simultaneously frustrated the mare who was still considering whether her best long-term move would be to renew the plural.
The mares moved through the town, staying in the streets as the crowd thinned. And Fleur continued to learn about who her charge was when everything about her form was concealed, when she had nothing to hide because she was already fully hidden.
It wasn't much of a revelation. Fluttershy would approach houses (as long as Fleur was approaching the same structure), softly thanked those who nosed over the treats. But she didn't strike up random conversations. There were a few inquiries regarding what had gone into the more spectacular disguises, and they were made to Fleur. If she saw somepony whom she was sure she knew (and she was surprisingly skilled at working out just who was hiding at the core), she might identity them -- to Fleur. (That was how Pinkie and Twilight were spotted: the encrusticon had a decent lead on the furiously-pursuing cipactli and was managing to maintain it through a storm of giggles.) She spoke somewhat more, she was more free in her choice of topics -- and that seemed to be it.
But it still represented an improvement. And once Fleur taught her about the next level of disguise --
"...my saddlebags are just about full," the timber wolf quietly observed. "I don't think I can carry much more."
"We could go make the offering," Fleur told her. "That should give you some room." Not that Fleur planned on doing more than slipping in something she wasn't personally going to eat -- which, admittedly, was most of it. She couldn't risk consuming anywhere near this much sugar, there was probably too much fruit for eating all of it before a portion started to go bad... but that didn't means she was going to sacrifice an unearned portion of the haul to a statue.
She idly wondered what happened to the offerings. Looked at realistically, the holiday was blackmail on a national scale: pay up or something bad might happen. It meant somepony had to be collecting.
Maybe Celestia has the world's biggest sweet tooth --
"...I'm not going to do that," her charge softly said.
The fruit is probably going to the animals, but she can't scatter the sugar... "Why?"
"...there's no reason to make an offering," Fluttershy quietly stated. "If it was alive, you couldn't hold it off with candy and treats. It wanted so much more than that. And... it's dead."
Fleur blinked. Wood briefly shivered.
"...maybe there's another one out there in one of the deep places, waiting for somepony it can take," said the voice of something far too close to certainty. "Another chance for one of them to pretend it's the real, to make everypony around it hurt by saying that's what the buried one always wanted. But the Nightmare... that one is dead, Fleur. I heard it die. It can't come back."
She's talking...
There had been a story released to the public on the day after the Return, and there hadn't been much in it. Darkness, Bearers, and a Princess. The Princess was supposed to be the important part. And because the darkness was gone, ponies had focused on the new, the miracle of a third alicorn. That was what the palace wanted everypony to think about: the restoration of the Lunar Wing, the hiring of a full staff, everything which came with the rebirth of a Diarchy -- but not what had actually taken place to allow any of it.
How many Canterlot nobles would give just about anything for the real tale, just to say they had it? Fleur knew that answer: too many of them. But Fluttershy knew what had happened, because she had been part of it. And she was talking.
Fleur surveyed the street. Just a single body in sight -- no, a double: conjoined within a rather odd shape, something she couldn't quite recognize at that distance under Moon. But it was moving in from the far end of the block, and that meant they had time.
"You said it wasn't Princess Luna," she carefully risked. "When we were talking about coming out tonight." 'Except it isn't her. Wasn't. Not really.'
"...it was something which -- wore her." A deeper shiver, one which sent stray beams of lambent green all over the street. "She... doesn't really talk about it, and we all understand that. But when she's come close... it's always been the same words. Internal burial. And one time, just once, when she'd been up too long and Sun was just about here, just before she left, she always leaves because she said it would be too intense for us if she moved Moon where we could feel her doing it..."
And this was a shudder.
"...she said there were mirrors. Endless mirrors, and every one showed... a choice. Something she'd done which brought her closer to the moment when it -- happened. It was... the most she ever said, and after that night, we didn't see her for a whole moon. She..." A deep breath and for the first time, wings poked against the drop panels. "...hurts. She still hurts. Because of the time they lost, because so many ponies think it was her, or that the same thing could happen to the Princess. Some ponies... think it could happen to Twilight, or Cadance. But it could happen to anypony, Fleur. It just takes another one of those things, and..."
Four knees began to bend.
"...I heard her say something to the Princess, after Sun came back. I don't think I was supposed to, they were whispering, I was the only one close enough and it was hard to hear the words through the crying, but... it sounded like she said... 'I let it in.' And the Princess was crying too, nopony else saw her crying, and she said... 'I was just trying to get it out...'"
The false head pitched forward --
-- but Fleur had already moved.
"Easy," she quietly told her charge, taking the weight against the manticore shell: something which indented the fabric, had rough wood almost making its texture known against her fur.
Internally, she was fully aware that she had just taken possession for one of the world's greatest secrets -- and simultaneously recognized that there wasn't enough to work with, nowhere near what it would require to blackmail Celestia. But it was a start, it was something she could try to build on, and if she could just learn the rest...
the deep places
it could happen to anypony
Nightmare Night. It was the first time Fleur had truly experienced the holiday in the same manner as the majority: her time in Canterlot had seen her at parties, where tribute was distributed by waitstaff and deposited at the base of an ice statue: whatever was collected by an eventually-puddled threat was likely treated as a tip. She'd never been out on the streets among false terrors. Not when she had the chance to become what they were afraid of.
Nightmare Night. A night for nightmares...
"Just breathe." It was very close to an order, and perhaps it was the tone which made the oddly-costumed tube of dual life notice them, perk up the visible head and accelerate its awkward writhing approach. She could almost identify it --
"...I'm sorry." Breathing too hard, fast enough that Fleur could feel it through two layers of disguise. "...it's just -- hard to even think about. I don't like thinking about it, because... I start to imagine what it would pretend with us, and... sometimes, I can almost see the mirrors --"
She stopped. Her ribs heaved one last time, wings trembled against what wasn't quite Fleur's sides --
"-- that's offensive."
It had been a statement, one from which all the fear had been banished. And it had been an angry one.
Fleur looked down at the timber wolf. Tried to focus, pick out what her charge was seeing --
-- it was just the approaching disguise. A crude one, something where the main fabric tube (far too great in diameter, and twisting awkwardly without internal supports) seemed to be the verge of collapse. The forelegs of the lead pony barely fit into poorly-rendered upper limbs, and the movements told Fleur that a conglomeration of body parts which had never been meant to exist as a single entity was at least slightly better off on the vertical. The talons pitifully dragged along the street because the hoof hit the stones at the wrist, the paw wasn't much better off, and whoever was operating the back couldn't even make familiar inner and outer shapes match. It was probably best not to look at what was happening with the claw for too long, while the tail wasn't so much afterthought as lack-of-thought. And the head just sort of bobbed along, often coming close to hitting the street, rubbery antler and fractured horn bouncing to the beat of the middle hooves (back and fore) which kept distorting the torso over and over and over...
"It's not well-made," Fleur admitted. (Given the subject, she wasn't entirely sure 'well-made' would have been a good idea.) "And I understand why you wouldn't like seeing ponies disguised that way. But when you think about it --"
And then her charge wasn't thinking.
The timber wolf pushed itself away. Furious claws began to splinter their way down the street.
"Take that off!" Words which had emerged without hesitation, at something very close to normal volume. "Right now! You don't get to wear that, not on this night!"
The disguise turned in stages, and painted eyes failed to raise enough to regard the approach. (Fleur was scrambling to catch up, but the shell wasn't meant for speed.)
"Really?" asked two cracked voices. "And why should we?"
"Because it isn't right!" Fluttershy demanded (and it was a demand, the pegasus had just demanded something and the approach was accelerating, getting very close to charge). "You don't know what he is! You don't understand!"
"We don't?" Vague bemusement, and the pair tried to rear themselves up somewhat: the attempt failed around the middle. "I'd say we know as well as anypony --"
-- the timber wolf stopped moving.
"...oh," Fluttershy softly said. "Oh, you..." The false predator shook its head. "Did you really think you could fool me?"
"And just who do you think we are?" the mostly-tube demanded. "Since clearly something with a brain made out of wood is in the perfect position to know everything --"
"-- you didn't bend properly," Fluttershy peacefully told them.
Fleur froze.
Not 'them'.
"If there were ponies in there," she softly continued, "there would have been the outline of a head at the center. But it was just more spine, wasn't it? You're making yourself look wrong, and it isn't wrong enough. So stop it." She took a shallow breath. "...please?"
The horrible disguise stood up.
Him.
"The spine," he said as his skin snapped into place, clearly miffed about the whole thing. "Really?"
"...it's the vertebrae..."
"Details," the draconequus snorted, waving a dismissive paw: the talons were still straightening out into full solidity. "Always details. Very well, Fluttershy: you've found me out. And may I congratulate you on having been the first to do so. I have, for the most part, been garnering little more than laughter, along with a few comments regarding my exceedingly poor taste. Plus a quantity of chocolate. And hard candy. And... what do you call the white stuff with the little bits of candied fruit inside?"
"...nougat."
He thoughtfully nodded. "Nougat.' I am certain something can account for its existence, and I am hoping nopony has assumed the guilty party is me. I have standards and let me assure you, they do not allow for something so base as nougat."
Red eyes glanced up, moved across the timber wolf's back, traversed three body lengths of street before stopping in front of false paws.
"And holiday wishes to you, Fleur," was declared with faint petulance, and then the orbs snapped back to their sockets. "Whatever those are supposed to be. Fluttershy, what would be appropriate for the occasion? Am I meant to be wishing everypony... nightmares?"
He'll be waiting for me.
As soon as I sleep, he'll be there.
Which meant his presence would be displacing certain recurring parts of her nightscape.
It's an improvement.
She forced herself to step forward, with every movement just so.
"...don't," Fluttershy softly said. "Please don't..."
"I would not dream about violating the copyright of Madame Angst And Her Thousand-Year Reflective Period," the draconequus declared. "Especially seeing as how, were I an entity who was regretfully prone to such pointless things, I would be temporally overqualified. So how does the occasion find you, Fleur? I must say, the current look is a distinct improvement. And also possesses what I am currently assuming is unintentional irony."
Which brought every lesson to the fore at once: all of her legs steadied, and her expression (which he probably couldn't see, but it wasn't a wager she was willing to place) became one of mild exasperation. "You're waiting for me," she casually began, "to ask if you would explain that."
"Am I?" He pulled the talon close to his chest, and ripples of electric shock ran across brown fur. "Is that what you think? Well, then! Proceed!"
She looked at Fluttershy.
"I can give you two some privacy if you need it," she told her charge. "Or we can just catch up together."
"...if..." She heard the pegasus swallow, within the heart of the shell. "...if you want to stay..."
"I haven't seen him in a while," Fleur shrugged. "But he's not my friend --" and ignored the snort of false offense "-- he's yours. I wouldn't presume to intrude."
"I have," Discord immediately declared, "been at the cottage a few times since your shadow was cast over Ponyville. While you weren't there, because I wish to stay in touch with my friend. How many times have I visited, Fluttershy? Just since she arrived to begin her tutelage, of course." Which triggered another snort. "Lessons which are so important as to completely escape any and all scrolls. I wasn't aware the Grimcess even permitted that."
Grimcess. Fleur was going to use that.
"...three," Fluttershy said. With clear reluctance, "It... hasn't been as often as usual..."
"I," he stated, "have been traveling. Seeing changes in the world, for change is a precious thing. Learning about certain subjects, and there has been more to discover than I had initially imagined. So the visits may be somewhat occasional for an unknown amount of time to come, especially as I hardly wish to intrude on teaching sessions. But tonight? I simply wished to experience the holiday for myself." With sudden, deep, and almost terrifying thoughtfulness, "I was considering the creation of something where ponies would bring tribute to me. As a sign of rather basic consideration, of course, since I happen to still exist and it would be a polite gesture if more ponies would care to acknowledge that. But what could they ever grant which I could not simply conjure for myself?"
And before they could say anything, he looked at Fluttershy.
It was something which registered on the level of deepest instinct. The red eyes weren't regarding the disguise. He was looking directly at what was inside...
Uneven shoulders tossed off a casual shrug, which landed on a nearby lawn. "So pointless, really," he smoothly added. "But all things considered? The night was something other than boring. Some of the tribute was lacking and I will be putting nougat on trial for its life in the morning, but to simply be out and about? Wouldn't you agree this was a special occasion, Fleur? To join the parade of those wearing a disguise?"
He leaned in. The horn bent the manticore's left ear.
"Admittedly, I saw fit to stop at a single layer," he evenly said. "How do you manage, going around like that all the time?"
No.
"The makeup comes off," Fleur stated. "When I need it to."
"Does it?" Discord softly asked. "It seems as if you've been halting well short of the skin..."
No.
"...stop."
It was barely a whisper, almost inaudible through the sudden burst of rooftop howlers which had been set off by the wind, and still the lesser sound pushed on him, sent his head back, made the torso straighten as much as it ever could.
"Incidentally, Fluttershy," he casually switched topics, "why was my disguise offensive? I am Discord, and I went out in the guise of Discord. It seems to me that as a member of a very singular, and also extremely repressed minority --"
"-- because tonight was for monsters," she gently interrupted. "And that's not you."
He blinked.
The talons slowly reached down, passed through the wood of the false head. There was a faint scritching noise.
"It's interesting that you think so," Discord quietly told her, still carefully moving the sharp talons between strands of the unseen coral mane. "But I worry about your ability to identify monsters, Fluttershy. There are so many kinds of disguise..."
He looked at Fleur.
"You haven't asked about the irony."
"What irony?" the manticore casually asked.
It triggered one last snort. "Well! I know when somepony is rather rudely going to decline information which frankly, I wasn't going to give out anyway! So as there's a touch of night left to work with, let me go see if I can find something in the way of a kumquat. Because I understand somepony was nosing them over, they sound rather amusing and until I actually see one, I can't ask for the justification. I'll be at the cottage soon, Fluttershy." With open petulance, "When she isn't."
He dropped closer to the ground, skin roughening into uneven cloth.
"...I," her charge tried. "...I don't want you to feel like you can't --"
"-- they are lessons," the draconequus stated. "I'm told those are very important. So I don't intrude. And I also try to do some learning of my own." Limbs true and false began to march away --
-- paused.
"Lately," he finished, "I've been studying the art of timing. What do you think of my progress?"
"...um... what progr --"
Light flared.
"...I'm sorry," wasn't becoming any less irritating by the third block or tenth repetition. It was getting late now: no children were in sight, and most of the adults were either tucking them in or learning that there were only a few years between 'candy-induced hyperactivity' and 'sugar coma'. They just about had the main streets to themselves.
"He dropped by," Fleur tried to counter. (Again.) "He's your friend." Or wanted everypony to believe he was. "So he's going to do that."
"...and you're okay?"
She was still alive, and that was how she knew she'd won. "Yes. Although if he's going to keep talking about rudeness, he can stop rudely teleporting out." Manticores were entitled to small snorts. "But we were just about done for the night anyway, weren't we? Since your saddlebags are just about full."
"...yes," Fluttershy decided. "Um... do you want to go home now? It's a long walk to the cottage, and then you'll have to go back to town again..."
"I can sleep on the couch if I get tired," Fleur reminded her. (She'd also heard that there was a minor tradition of swapping tribute, and was curious to see what the trade rate looked like: it wasn't as if she needed the tangelos. However, she had no intention of staying, because the night would only truly end when she woke up and if she remained in the cottage, there was a chance for Fluttershy to hear it.) "And I helped you get into this disguise: I have to help you get out. So I'll walk you back."
"...okay."
The temperature was dropping again: the Bureau itself bringing down the closing curtain. And there was moisture in the air, beading on dead and dying leaves: Fleur was sure that hadn't been on the schedule --
-- it took some time before the last peal of thunder faded away, especially with all the houses present to echo the sound and the lightning flash so close. It still wasn't quite enough to drown out the increasingly-distant sound of pounding hooves. And when it came to the outraged chirping, they were practically right on top of it.
Fluttershy softly groaned. "...Rainbow," she predicted, and the timber wolf looked up. It didn't take long to find what she'd been expecting. "See?"
Fleur followed the sight line, quickly locating the world's largest parasprite. (As disguises went, it was a fairly poor one: far too aerodynamic a body, and one pair of fully-exposed cyan wings over the limit.) "I see her."
"...I see the cloud," her charge sighed. "And she's just lurking there, waiting for the stragglers. But she's facing the wrong way to spot us. Maybe we should just go around..."
Steadily, "Why?"
"...because she's going to prank anypony she sees. She must have startled the last pony, and once she sees us --"
"-- as a prank," Fleur cut in. "One we know about. Something we're expecting. And you said she spends every Nightmare Night doing this?"
"...yes. I think most of her tribute is from dropped saddlebags," Fluttershy sadly said. "Ponies dumping weight to move faster. She always pranks, whenever she can. And when she doesn't know it's me..."
"That's the idea."
The timber wolf looked at her.
"...I don't understand."
"She doesn't know it's you," Fleur explained. "Even if she saw you, she can't know. And you still owe her payback from the date. That little downpour?"
The disguise visibly thought about that.
"...I think that's more Caramel than me," her charge said.
This is about assertiveness...
"But he can't get up to her."
"...I can't either," Fluttershy pointed out. "Not in this. She'd recognize me as soon as she saw my wings. And she'd see your glow."
The manticore made a point of looking at the nearest tree.
"That burst woke up a lot of birds."
"...yes. It'll be a while before they can rest again. They'll be too upset, and waiting for the rest of the storm. And as long as Rainbow's at it..."
"Birds," Fleur carefully repeated.
The timber wolf looked at her.
Giggles made their way down the last stretch of path.
"...do you think she's stopped screaming yet?"
"I don't know," Fleur admitted. "She managed to make your name stretch out longer than I thought it could." The mockery was automatic. "'Fluttershyyyyyyyy!' And I told you she wouldn't attack them, not when she realized they were from you. All she could do was get out of the area before they pecked all the way through her disguise." With a shrug which substituted for a smirk, "It's her own fault for fitting it that closely."
"...and she took the cloud with her," Fluttershy laughed. "Why would she do that?"
Fleur had been in Ponyville for a while now. There were still things she was trying to learn -- and when it came to the weather coordinator, there were aspects which everypony discovered just about immediately.
Innocently, "Bringing the napping bed along?"
More giggles, as one of the sources failed to recognize itself. They were approaching the base of the bridge, with no birdsong of alarm: even with the disguise, the cottage knew when its mistress was returning home.
"...this was... nice."
Which, given how Fluttershy regarded the opposite, came across as a major compliment. "I'm glad you had fun."
"...did you have a nice time?"
"It was interesting," Fleur allowed.
The timber wolf's head dipped.
"And -- nice," she continued. "In its way. And some of the disguises weren't bad. Do you want to swap some of the tribute before you go to bed?"
Approaching the crest now, with the false wolf about two body lengths ahead.
"...yes. And I have some blankets, if you need the couch. I can ask everyone to give --"
She stopped.
It happened all at once. Her legs had been moving, and then they weren't. Frozen at the apex, with the false tail sent into a twitchstorm.
"-- to give -- to... oh..."
Fleur's hearing expertly separated the notes within the words: half stun, with the rest as fast-rising panic. The combination made her move all the faster, scrambling (and now the disguise's paws were trying to skid out on the bridge) to reach her charge's side, she was expecting a sick animal left on the doorstep, a basket of kittens in desperate need of milk, something which qualified as a normal crisis --
The assignment of blame arrived as a three-part equation, with one (extremely) variable yet to be solved. All Fleur could do in the moment she first saw the result was work with the portions she knew, because part of what had happened came from the holiday itself.
That had been the initial reason for the timing of it: she was certain there. Somepony had been though what they considered to be a brilliant idea, and then they'd acted on it. But ponies were a herd species, and any idea which an individual considered to be brilliant had the chance to be echoed by so many other minds: in this case, all of them would believe themselves to be acting alone. But they had all acted, and now...
As far as Fleur could determine, the first deliverypony had deposited a package in the most favored position. Whoever had come along next might have checked for signs indicating fragility and upon (hopefully) finding none, had used the first box as a base. The process had continued until even the pegasi had begun to worry about the stacking, which was probably when things had really spread out to the sides. There had been a chance for things to slide down the incline, but that was likely the point when the most vital local delivery had appeared and in the absence of sandbags to build an overflow barrier, bags of animal feed substituted nicely. And there was wrapping and calling cards and signature labels from so many of the major stores and it was all piled up and around to the point where it was just about impossible to see the door itself.
It was Nightmare Night. And in the hopes of gaining something closer to dream, the suitors of Canterlot had sent their tribute.
Stats
Page generated in 0.033 seconds
Total duration
1,016 users online
1,475,838 hits today, 2,073,628 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Oh dear...
Well... Maybe it'll be good... tribute...?
The manticore's tail. It... sways. It moves the way your hips do. Nopony else's hips move like that. So it had to be you.
From the mouths of babes and all that. She's just a hopeless wriggle-butt.
Five bucks says none of those packages contain critter medicine or critter bandages, which show just how thoughtful the aspirants are.
That was a fun Nightmare Night. The part with AJ and Snowflake was really nice but the best was Discord showing himself.
There is going to be a confrontation between Discord and Fleur at some point...
But oh man does Fluttershy is popular.
You know what, I really like our Lord of Chaos in this. But I really enjoyed Fluttershys reason to be angry at his choice of costume. Bravo little one, bravo.
And it looks like Sweetie Belle has a crush. Or a potential future. Also good to see the three together again. While the Crusade seems to be dead, it's good to see there friendship continue again.
So many good things this chapter! Thanks for the double update on my favorite story.
I loved so much about this but especially good was the scene talking about Nightmare and the confrontation with Discord. It's almost like he's doing Fleur a favor there, not showing up to not interfere with the lessons. I liked Fluttershy going to bat when she thought ponies were wearing a shitty costume of Discord; she didn't initially know it was him and it shows she genuinely cares about how others perceive him and how that could affect him. Good shit. Also good demonstration of how Fleur has er, 'rubbed off' on Fluttershy with encouraging her to assert herself more. Or it's the costume lol.
The little moment with Fleur and Snowflake was extra funny to me because it reminded me of how everything was released and how we didn't know about the relationship in the group yet when the pertinent chapter of this was released way back when.
I'm still confused about the 'plurals' line but maybe it will make more sense on the inevitable re-read. Thanks for the update, it was a joy.
Oh, Fleur. I don’t think she, nor most ponies, realizes how little they understand discord. He is the spirit of CHAOS. Death, on the other hand, is one of the ultimate representations of ORDER. How things that are born, eventually die. Animals, plants, ponies...they all eventually dwindle away due to the ravages of time. Why would Discord do something as “orderly” as death when there are so many other creative ways to achieve his ends?
If Discord wanted to do something to someone, I believe he’d make sure that they were very, very much alive while he did it, even if they didn’t want to be...especially if they didn’t want to be.
Shy got a lot of attention in Canterlot?
coretaint?
...Dammit, I was sure I knew what the local Nightmare was.
I had assumed that the Nightmare was something Luna made while trying to remove her own powers; locally, becoming an Alicorn places a copy of each Bearer in the recipient's mind. I thought that Luna might have tried to remove them to be mortal, and when she tried to remove the copy of herself she forked up her own mind. Nightmare Moon is a shallow version of Luna's worst traits; self-important Gothic drama queen without any of the generosity Luna feels.
I haven't read a word and I want to favorite this from the premise alone. And generally speaking, I dislike discord centric stories.
10055647
The word being pluralised is 'parent', as applied to Filthy Rich.
Wasn't expecting a chapter tonight, but I'm glad of it. Fluttershy's outrage at a Discord costume was excellent, though I am somewhat curious to see what would have happened had it not been Discord himself.
Has Twilight mentioned to anyone her dream/nightmare when a Nightmare tried to possess her back in Trotter's Falls (assuming the timeline doesn't diverge before that point)?
A minor quibble: Manhattan -> Manehattan
10055647Going from Wife to Wives
Another tease for the list. Centaurs keep turning up next to the Continuum but not in it.
I was thinking that was the first mention of sirens in the greater 'verse, but a depiction shows up in Mint Condition. Luna seemed to be quite familiar with them.
10055950
It's also just a particularly sweet and tasty kind of apple. My personal favourite, if I have a choice. But that cocktail does sound nice...
10056085
As an Apple, that's sort of a given
But this is what is in that candy
Um, whose blood? Shy's? Sweetbark's? ...Fleur's, somehow
Or the more mundane possibility of an animal? Which raises the question, does Sweetbark have a pet of her own? I forget if the answer was mentioned somewhere else. Though that would be an interesting way to reveal her incompetence, to have to go to Fluttershy to put her own animal friend down. That, combined with her general failure to accept death does make it easy for me to understand why she wouldn't have a pet of her own.
Also, small typo,
Should, of course, be gust.
Great chapter! Tons of reveals!
And ooh, those Monster Chats! So good!
...
But the biggest mystery, to me, is the location of Harem Fantasy. We've seen her with Discord in every scene since her creation...
I guess she's hiding somewhere??
Another good chapter, I found this; thank you for writing, and I hope that, at least by your current standards, things aren't going too badly.
Curse you for the mental images called up by that chapter title.
The key question with that sort of hint is "Whose?"
Good on Caramel for making the theater incident work for him. Even if it's not the most ergonomically sound costume.
Some fascinating hints of this Equestria's bestiary. Makes me wish there were an RPG supplement with all of the Continuum's assorted horrors.
Heh. Almost a reference to the comics if you squint. And that would be a thematically approrpiate time for her to have a relapse. Hmm...
Ooh, Applejack using the Manehattan accent. Nice. Don't see nearly enough of that. Also nice to see she appreciates what Fleur's done... thus far.
There's certainly evidence to suggest that.
... Oh. Oh my. I was closer to the truth than I realized with that Nightmarity comment.
Well, it's almost like getting along.
There it is. I knew why she was upset the moment you described the costume, but it's wonderful to see it said aloud.
I'd honestly expected Discord to transform Fleur beneath the costume, just to prove his point.
And that tribute... Hoo boy. This Equestria may not have much in the way of religion, but they certainly have one aspect of worship down pat. We'll have to see what the unwilling idol does with all of this.
I wonder how much Fleur will mistakenly credit the costume for Fluttershy’s confrontation with what she thought was a pair of ponies in a Discord costume. She’s not one to stand up for herself, but for her friends? She makes dragons turn tail. I’ve lost track... has Fleur witnessed the stare yet?
I love the constant tense mental reassessing that went on through Fleur confrontation with Applejack, from the flight options to the consideration of the value and possible dangers of interacting with her particular element, to the idea of seducing Pinkie and what kinds of prep work she’d have to do. But through all of that, the reveal of AJ’s approval was sweet, and it’s good to see her and Snowflake out on the town together, even hidden.
And finally, Sweetie Belle’s crush is just adorable. Although Rarity surely won’t think so.
Amazing
10051813
Yeah, we saw Fluer covering for a sexual predator when they were in Canterlot, I'm going to take controversial position and say that's bad.
10055950
Thinking about this, it strikes me that a Pink Lady is exactly the sort of frou-frou cocktail that Rarity would drink -she thinks mixed drinks are genteel. This MIGHT have something to do with "why does she get smashed so quickly?"
First off, the description specifies "80 proof gin" Gin comes up to 152 proof (depending on type)
Plus Applejack is made by leaving "hard" (fermented) cider outside on a cold night & freezing the gunk out. Remove the gunk & repeat until it stops freezing. So, homemade Applejack can vary considerably.
Thus, those cocktails could be about twice as strong as she is used to in Canterlot & that's even IF they put in the egg white. They leave that out & it would easily be 3 times as strong
Hey, bars in Ponyville are patronized by working ponies. Social drinkers stick to beer (or cider). Those ordering something else do so because they jolly well want to get drunk without fooling around with fillers like egg whites
Another typo: seaform -> seafoamIt's interesting that Luna didn't come to Ponyville this Nightmare Night as she'd recognize the flower, but perhaps more interesting is that the new-to-town candy seller knows of that flower:
10058947
For the record: that was Joyous. She disguised herself as the thing which was most monstrous in her family's life.
10058947
Since it was used in both the original description of the flower as well as the costume, I assume the “seaform” description was intentional:
Seaform Glasswork
Good catch on the flower (and a fun reveal of who was in it)... that’s a tidbit in the story that I originally missed.
10058975
I completely misread that paragraph...
i.pinimg.com/564x/c7/65/06/c76506f5b183c61a2c4ee19b6854167f.jpg
10063401
Insistence: Effusively the tool of choice against the non-gregarious and those ill-equipped of esteem.
Breathing any particulates are not good, but sucrose is water-soluble, so the sugar will not build up in the lungs like asbestos.
10055591
If it isn’t all candy, I’m really confused as to why it all lands on Fluttershy’s doorstep on Nightmare Night.
10082369 Word has gotten out. The Most Eligible Bearer is available for romantic engagements. A number of hopeful male (and some female) suitors with absolutely *zero* idea on how to properly romance her have purchased presents.
Let the games begin. There will be no scoring. Just pain.
10057047
We didn't see her cover for a sexual predator. We saw her warning Fluttershy about a mare who does things that are "not nice", and who makes contracts with escorts that are of questionable legality; she even specifically mentions that the mare is close to being blacklisted by the escort community.
She is no more covering for that mare than she is covering for Lens Cap/Photo Finish: In both cases, she is not doing something about an abuser primarily because Princess Celestia wanted her to drop everything and help Fluttershy date; she would like to deal with them, and has plans to do so when her work in Ponyville is done, but she is under royal decree to tutor Fluttershy instead.
IMO, the fact that one of them is having a foal might be a factor.
"Oh, that scoundrel, they need every bit & he's treating her like that"
10056437
I would happily pay for this.
Fleur: "How do I go about making friends?"
Also Fleur: "Honesty, Kindness, Joy, Loyalty, and Generosity are for chumps."
Yeah... I bet no one in their right mind would have. The first step would require either an unlikely set of interactions, or opening up in a way that's just not done. The effort that Flutters went through just for that first talk with Celestia is notable in the extreme.
Probably the only reason it happened was Flutters had outside impetus goading her to action. Nothing else likely would have shifted her; certainly not herself, and nopony else would have any idea where to push.
Which is what makes this whole situation amusingly bizarre. Flutters isn't seeking true love for herself. She seeks true love expressly for the benefit of someone else
And this is the drama-builder. Fleur can't know what affect she's truely having in Flutters' life until she looks for changes in Flutters' puzzle. And Fleur relying so much on her talent, means that lacking it easily marks her as the adorably oblivious one!
But.... but... I LIKE nougat!
I always have! It's tasty and chewy! I LIKE IT! HOW DARE DISCORD NOT LIKE WHAT I LIKE?! I'LL KILL HIM FOR THIS OUTRAGE!!! 
*Alondro brutally murders Discord for offending Nougatism.* 
That disguise was perfectly in character for Discord.
Also, I'm going to be exceptionally unsurprised if, some years later, it turns out that Sweetie has a thing for tall and glamorous unicorn mares.
Well I'm impressed.
