On a cold winter's day in Canterlot, six very close friends found themselves ensconced in a coach rolling down the road that lead to the royal palace – a great, looming building that somehow seemed to grow more and more impressive as they drew nearer. It was just as fantastic as any of them could remember; perhaps even more so, with the lack of gaudy decoration and sense of festivity that had pervaded the Gala. Back then, the majority of their attention had been drawn to the gathering crowds, rather than the castle itself. Now, though, their eyes were free to wander, allowing them to admire the elaborate architecture fully.
At least, they could in theory. The six friends were too busy chatting in the carriage to bother looking out the windows at the scenery passing them by, with the possible exception of a dreamy-eyed Fluttershy. The conversation was light and flowed like water, changing easily from topic to topic, never staying on one for very long.
"This is going to be so! Much! Fun!" Pinkie squealed, squirming and bouncing on her seat. "Do you remember when we came here last time, and how super fantastic the play was and how everypony sang along with us at the end? Wasn't that great? Do you think they'll do that again? Oh my gosh, I can't wait! And then there's gonna be the big fancy party after and it'll be so cool, and this time everypony will be dancing and stuff I bet, and –"
"I can't wait to see the princess again," Twilight interrupted happily. "There's so much I want to talk to her about. Do you think Luna will be there?"
"I still can't believe nopony thought to come and get me when she was in Ponyville last time," Rarity sniffed disdainfully. "I may have had a cold, but it was royalty! I missed my chance to make a good impression on one of the princesses!"
"You don't need to make no good impression," Applejack said with a grin. "Celestia knows we didn't, and we're still goin' to the palace, ain't we? If runnin' and screamin' from a princess ain't enough to make 'em banish us, there probably ain't nothin' you could do that'd make 'em mad at you."
"Well, if I'd been there, I wouldn't have run away," Rarity answered curtly. "And honestly, we were the ones who banished Nightmare Moon, so why in Equestria were you so afraid of Princess Luna? You should've known better. I never would've expected it of –"
"I wasn't afraid," Rainbow Dash boasted, even though she'd only been listening to about half of the conversation and couldn't have said for sure what they were talking about. "I didn't run away at all."
"Yes you did!" Pinkie cut in eagerly. "After you got your tushie zapped! You were outta there so fast that –"
"Hey, shut up! You weren't even there, how would you know?"
"Twilight told me about it!"
"Well, I didn't run away. I was just surprised."
Just then, the carriage rattled from a sudden sharp rush of wind somewhere outside.
"Windigos!" Pinkie shrieked, diving head-first into a pile of cushions that decorated the carriage seat.
"Windigos?" Fluttershy squeaked, eyes huge and frightened.
"Pinkie Pie, you know those aren't real. They're just a story," Twilight chided, sounding disapproving.
"Besides, dontcha got that no-fear song o' yers to protect you?" Applejack asked.
Pinkie Pie pulled her head out of the pile of pillows, giving Applejack an exasperated look. "That's my ghostie song," she explained, rolling her eyes dramatically. "I don't even have a Windigo song."
Now that she was sitting upright again, no longer burrowed among the pillows, Pinkie Pie threw herself at Rainbow Dash, wrapping her forelegs around her in a tight hug.
"No more fighting!" she said happily, "'Kay?"
"Geez, Pinkie! Let go, you're crushing my lungs!"
Laughter, and then gradually the conversation drifted yet again. But Pinkie didn't let go, staying where she was. Her body felt warm and soft pressed against Rainbow Dash, and it brought a heat to her cheeks, but it was a pleasant kind of heat.
That feeling from the train – that this was everything she wanted, everything that she needed – was lingering. Even when they'd reached the station in Canterlot and had to disembark, that contentment remained, spreading from the very edge of her hooves to the very tips of her wings, until it was like she was filled with a sense of overwhelming satisfaction.
For the first time in a very, very long while, Rainbow Dash felt peaceful. Things were back to normal for real, with none of that horrible pretending and denial, and it felt fantastic. In the back of her mind she knew that the normalcy would only last for the next week or so, though. When they had to return to Ponyville after the holidays, she'd be returning to Mare Do Well, and she had no idea what to expect or how to prepare herself when that time came. For now, though, Dash could just focus on the present, on how easily her body welcomed Pinkie's weight as the earth pony leaned against the pegasus, and on how much she'd missed those hugs. More than she'd ever admit, even to herself.
Time passed, with Pinkie occasionally lifting her head from where it rested against Rainbow Dash's shoulder, either to laugh or offer her own opinion on whatever had just been said, but she always put it back, much to Dash's unspoken relief.
The carriage rolled to a stop at the steps of the palace, and the doors opened, allowing the six of them to disembark. Twilight went first, shoving past the others in an uncharacteristically rude way. Rainbow Dash and Applejack exchanged a puzzled glance when they heard her shout "Spike!"
"Twilight!" came the response.
A joyful laugh. Rainbow Dash shoved past Applejack, ignoring the "Hey!" that elicited from the farmer so that she could pop her head through the coach entrance and see what happened.
Twilight and Spike stood together on the steps leading to the palace, hugging fiercely as if they hadn't seen each other in years, instead of only a couple of weeks.
"Aw, man, I missed you guys!" Spike cried happily. "It feels like it's been forever!"
"I don't know how I managed to get by for so long without my number one assistant to help me!" Twilight answered as she nuzzled his cheek, sounding just as happy to be reunited as he was.
"Why was he even in Canterlot on his own fer so long?" Applejack asked in a low voice.
"I dunno," Rainbow Dash whispered back. "Royal business. Does it even matter?"
"Wasn't there somethin' 'bout a dragon ambassador?"
"That sounds good."
"Whatcha guys talking about?" Pinkie interrupted, bounding in between them, but neither Applejack nor Rainbow Dash got a chance to answer, because they were now being ushered into the palace by the stone-faced guards who stood watch at the massive double doors of the spacious entrance.
"Where's the princess?" Rainbow could hear Twilight asking one of the guards, who was now leading them up a flight of beautifully tiled stairs and towards a long hall of suites, but she couldn't quite catch his response. Not that it really mattered, anyway.
The palace had an entire wing dedicated to housing guest suites, which was where they were taken now. There were six rooms allotted for their usage, one each, all of them furnished exquisitely. The guest wing almost gave the impression of being some kind of five-star hotel, an impression strengthened by the servant unicorns silently lurking in the background, bearing trays of food and baskets of linens.
They were led to these suites by one such a servant – a scrawny male unicorn dressed in the same uniform as the others, who carried half of their luggage with a weak magical light and the other half on his own back. If he stopped walking for even a moment, his legs shook almost violently, as if they'd give out any second, but the shaking stopped when they reached Rarity's room, and his burden was lessened considerably upon her taking her things back.
Rainbow Dash's own room was just like the others: huge and luxurious, with rich and elaborate decoration, but curiously gloomy in how impersonal it was. The unicorn servant set down her suitcase, the very last one, before sighing heavily in relief and scampering out the door. Ignoring his speedy exit, Dash approached the case, unlatching it with her mouth and tipping the contents on the floor, successfully ruining Fluttershy's painstaking packing.
The neatly folded clothes scattered, her wallet fell with a heavy chink from the bits contained inside, and a piece of folded paper came fluttering down, floating gracefully to the ground. Rainbow's heart stopped.
You thought you could escape? it seemed to say, mocking her. You thought you could get away?
It seemed like the right thing to do at the moment would be to classify that fluttering feeling in her stomach as panic. But actually, that panic was competing with a sense of something like relief. The truth was, Dash had found it very, very hard to believe Mare Do Well's claim that they would have no contact in Canterlot. She hadn't expected those nightly visits to continue or anything; that would've been too hard to hide, if Mare Do Well was one of her friends, since they were all staying in such close proximity.
Notes, though, made sense. The relief was because this note was like confirmation that she was right – that she was getting good at this, at knowing what to expect. And she'd known better than to truly believe she would be left alone for an entire week.
Suck it up, Rainbow Dash told herself. Not afraid of anything, remember?
It was just a piece of paper. It couldn't hurt her. Taking a deep breath, she bowed her head to pick up the note, setting it down on a nearby table and spreading it open on the polished wooden surface.
A simple missive. Short, in that same plain, solid writing as before. No signature and only one sentence.
I miss you already.
There. Rainbow Dash released the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. That hadn't been too bad. Nothing ominous or creepy there; just a note.
But how did it get in her suitcase?
Fluttershy had packed for her, but Mare Do Well had no wings, so although the yellow pegasus was the obvious suspect, it couldn't be her. Unless Fluttershy had placed the note in there as a favor for somepony. Could somepony have asked her to slip it in? Would Fluttershy have agreed? There was no name, no sign at all that it was from Mare Do Well, so somepony who didn't know better – somepony like Fluttershy – might have agreed to do it, not knowing what it would mean to Dash when she found it.
All she had to do was ask Fluttershy right out. Fluttershy knew the whole story now; she'd definitely want to help Rainbow Dash if she explained what the note was. Unless – had anypony else had access to her bag at any point?
It would be so much easier if Rainbow Dash at least had a way to write back to her.
That evening, the six of them joined the princesses for dinner, and although that may have been a cause for formality on any other occasion, this time, it was just like having dinner with old friends. It was difficult to maintain any semblance of dignity with somepony you'd once eaten donuts with after utterly ruining one of their parties.
Princess Celestia was warm and receptive, asking gentle questions and laughing easily with her pupil. Princess Luna was silent for the most part; not cold, exactly, but maybe a little uncertain on how to behave around them. She spoke only to Fluttershy. Maybe Fluttershy's true talent lay in taming all kinds of creatures, rather than just the woodland critters she cared for. As timid as she could be, she never had trouble winning over all she met.
Rainbow Dash felt numb, unable to summon up even enough energy to fake it the way she used to. The food was good and the atmosphere pleasant, but Rainbow couldn't eat, instead settling for picking at her meal and pushing it around on her plate while the others exclaimed over it. Her thoughts wouldn't stay focused long enough to really take part in the talk going on around her, either; her mind always found a way to return to the note.
She had suspected for a long time that Mare Do Well was really one of her friends, in spite of no true proof, but this was the first time that Rainbow Dash really understood what that meant. It meant that one of the ponies who laughed so readily and talked so easily was secretly leading some kind of bizarre, twisted double life; that she didn't know one of her friends at all, and since Dash still had no idea who Mare Do Well was, it potentially meant that she didn't know any of them. If she truly understood her friends, shouldn't she have been more certain? Shouldn't her trust in them have been firmer? More unwavering? There shouldn't have been these doubts haunting her; Dash should've just known instinctively whether or not any of them was capable of such deception, and who.
Dinner came to an end, and nopony questioned her when she declared her intention to call it a night, likely chalking it up to her inherent laziness. It was easier to go along with the teasing than to try and explain how she couldn't bear to look at them anymore.
• • •
Rainbow Dash fell asleep thinking about her.
That sinuous grace and formidable strength, that velvet voice, that odd sense of humor and unexpected fragility. Her dreams were peppered with images of the mare, of bodies wrapped together and delirious warmth. Of greediness and wanting and need.
And then she woke up drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, legs tangled hopelessly in the covers.
Oh, Celestia, she thought with a groan.
Her wings were fully erect, much to her horror. They were so stiff that folding them back down again was almost painful, and after a moment, Rainbow Dash growled in frustration and gave up, diving back into the mess she'd made of the blankets.
Why'd I even wake up? she thought bitterly, but it wasn't because a part of her wanted to finish the dream.
Then she heard it. A rapping at the door.
"What?" Rainbow snapped, voice gruff and muffled by the blanket. "Come in, I guess."
The door creaked as it swung open, and she lifted her head to see who it was: the scrawny unicorn from before, who had carried their bags to their rooms. He popped his head through the entrance, looking nervous.
"Um, sorry to bother you," he squeaked, voice cracking in a grating way, like a colt on the verge of becoming a stallion who wasn't quite there yet. "But, uh, you have a message. Miss!" he added hastily, like an afterthought.
That was all it took for Rainbow Dash to bolt upright.
"From who?" Dash shouted, leaping out of bed. Her entire body grew tense, feathers bristling as she glared at him, a note of urgency in her voice.
"I don't know!" he cried, taking a step back. He was visibly panicked, now. "I was just told to deliver it to this room, I swear!"
Rainbow's mind was already whirring, the gears turning.
"Is there, like, a mail service in the palace?" she asked, pressingly. "A delivery network? Or is it just the servants who do it?"
"T-there are runners," the colt squawked, looking terrified. "Servants who just deliver letters and packages and things to personal retainers, who then deliver them to the ponies they're going to. But I don't know who it's from! If the sender wants it anonymous, the runners won't tell us!"
Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, thinking. When she opened them, the colt was still there, albeit cowering in fear.
"Who makes up the rooms during the day? Specifically mine?"
"There's a couple of us who've been assigned here."
"Us? So you're one of them?"
"Y-yes."
"Even if neither of us knows who it's going to, if I wanted an answer, could you figure out a way to make sure it gets sent back along the same route?"
"That could probably be arranged," he said after a moment of consideration, and Rainbow Dash nodded before turning to approach the desk. The colt followed, carrying the letter behind him in a soft trail of magic.
"I want you to do something for me," Rainbow announced, opening one of the drawers and shoving her head inside to rummage through it, finally pulling out a pad of stationary. There was already a jar of ink and a quill set on the desk. "When you come to clean or whatever, if there's anything left on this table, do that thing and send it back down that route, and if I get a reply, just leave it here, too. It'll be like my personal mailbox. If you do that, I'll make it worth your while somehow, I swear. Okay?"
"Uh, sure. I can do that. No problem!"
"Cool. Can you wait here for a sec?"
Without waiting for a response, she snatched the note out of the air and opened it.
Are you okay? You seemed distracted last night. If that's my fault, I'm sorry. (Did you know they have a whole system for anonymous deliveries here? You can respond that way. Just ask the messenger delivering this about it.)
Rainbow Dash scowled to herself, resisting the sudden urge to break something and instead focusing on taking the quill and dipping it in the ink to scribble out her reply.
It took a long time to write, and when she was finished, the letters were shaky and clumsy, making her response look horribly amateurish in comparison to Mare Do Well's tidy little note. It was legible, though, and that was good enough.
What the hay why are you bugging me HERE too?!? Can't you leave me alone for like a week?!?!?!?!?!?
Satisfied, she wordlessly shoved it towards the unicorn colt, who no longer looked scared that she was going to hurt him. He just gave a slight bow before scrambling to leave.
So that was done.
Mare Do Well sure had guts to try and keep up the game thing when it would be so easy for her to get caught right now. Still, anonymous notes were kind of clever, and there was something about the whole format that completely changed the overall tone. If they'd met in real life and Mare Do Well had asked her how she was in such a way, Rainbow Dash would've assumed she was being condescending and reacted accordingly to the implied insult. In the form of a note, though, it seemed friendlier. More good-natured.
Logic dictated that she rip the paper up into a million tiny pieces and burn them, but she instead dropped it into the same drawer into which she'd stuck the one from her suitcase. If anypony found them, they might misconstrue Rainbow Dash's decision to keep them as some kind of sentimentality, but she couldn't just throw away such valuable evidence, could she?
• • •
Most of their afternoon was spent rehearsing the play, and Rainbow Dash threw herself into her role with unprecedented gusto.
Last year, she'd made a habit of dozing through practice, ad-libbing most of her lines on the night of the actual performance. Pinkie had found this hilarious when Dash later confessed to it, but nopony seemed too annoyed. Although the exaggeratedly drill-sergeant style Commander Hurricane ended up genuinely terrifying Fluttershy, the play was an old one that was often subject to reinterpretation. The original used stuffy, archaic language, and modifications were often made to make it more accessible to modern audiences; as long as the general message remained the same, nopony was bothered. Still, Twilight had later told her off about it.
Now, though, Rainbow Dash managed to stay awake the entire time, eyes wide and focused, catching the others off-guard, but it was all because she didn't want to consider the possibility that one of her friends might be an even greater actress than she knew, one of them carrying the talent they now all displayed into the real world, as well.
At the end of the hour they decided to call it a day, and she actually felt a momentary flicker of panic. If she didn't keep busy, her thoughts were going to stray, and she knew it. But then Pinkie cast a glance back, and gave her a very small smile.
"Dashie?" she asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes innocently. "Wanna go play outside? They have so much snow here! We can have a super major giant snowball fight!"
"Um, sure," Dash reluctantly agreed, but then she saw the way Pinkie's face lit up at her answer, and felt herself slowly get into the spirit of things. "But there's no way you can beat a pegasus at a snowball war. We make the snow. You know that, right?"
Pinkie giggled and stuck her tongue out at Rainbow. "Silly filly! There's no way you can beat a Pinkie, either!"
And Rainbow Dash found herself smiling back.
Not everything in the world had to revolve around Mare Do Well and her attempted flirtation with Rainbow Dash, even though it could feel that way sometimes, and the way the afternoon blew by seemed specifically designed to emphasize that point. Not once did Rainbow Dash find herself thinking back to the mare or the notes or the game; she was too preoccupied with making sure Pinkie got hit in the face as many times as possible during their snowball fight. It was entirely possible that this had been intentional, a ploy designed by Pinkie to distract Rainbow Dash from whatever was bothering her, but if that was true, then it worked.
When they finally returned inside after utterly destroying the pristine, snow-blanketed winter wonderland that had greeted their arrival, they were still giggling and red-faced from the cold. Dash's mane was dripping and matted from the melting snow and she couldn't stop shivering, but it was hard to mind very much.
"I totally won that," she bragged. "It wasn't even a contest."
They were in Pinkie's room, and the pink pony was toweling off in the corner. Her hair was limp and damp, just like Rainbow Dash's was, but it was starting to bush up again as she dried herself with one of the thick, fluffy towels she'd found in the closet.
"Are you feeling better now?" she asked conversationally.
"Huh?"
Pinkie had been standing by a vanity table, making faces at herself in the mirror as she dried off, but now she turned to face Dash, giving her a sad smile. There were so many different kinds of smiles that Pinkie had in her arsenal, and she wielded them all like an expert, Rainbow Dash realized. It was amazing that she could say so much with a single expression and a single glance from those big blue eyes of hers.
"You looked sad," Pinkie explained softly.
Rainbow Dash resisted the impulse to shake off the excess snow like a dog, instead brushing it off her coat with a chilly hoof and letting it melt in a pile on the carpet. When she was satisfied that she was as dry as she could get, she let herself fall back onto Pinkie's bed. She bounced a little on the mattress – soft and cushy, like Pinkie herself – and shut her eyes, sighing.
"I'm not sad," she mumbled.
"Well, you looked like you were thinking too much, and Doctor Pinkie Pie says that's no good. It's the holidays! You need to be playing and having fun!"
It was entirely possible that Rainbow Dash had been thinking too much, she reflected. Most of her life lately had revolved around one thing and one thing alone, and it was driving her crazy.
She felt something fall onto the bed beside her with another bounce, and when she opened her eyes, turning her head to see what it was, she saw Pinkie looking back at her. She looked solemn.
"You're my very bestest friend in the whole wide world, Dashie," Pinkie said, quietly and firmly, eyes huge and sincere. "And you're also my favoritest pegasus, except for maybe Fluttershy and Pound Cake. So if something is happening that's making you hurt, it's okay to tell me. You can talk to me about anything."
"Um, all right."
"Really, it's okay. I know that Fluttershy is your oldest friend, but you can tell the rest of us stuff, too."
No I can't, Rainbow Dash almost snapped. And you know why.
But the Pinkie looking at her wasn't the same Pinkie who had kissed her; she was just the Pinkie who loved her friends more than anything and wanted them to be happy. And there was also a different Pinkie, a Pinkie lurking in the darkest recesses of her mind, who could be angry and vengeful and hold grudges, and yet another Pinkie who could be horribly, heartbreakingly lonely at times.
There were so many different aspects to Pinkie's character at play, every day they spent together, and she was a master at displaying only the personality she wanted to and hiding all the rest.
"Are you okay?" Rainbow Dash retorted, turning the tables and somehow managing to make the question sound like an insult.
Pinkie blinked, looking surprised. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
Because I can't trust you.
"Because sometimes you just fake it when you think we want you to be happy."
And Pinkie giggled. "Why would I be faking it, you goofball? I just had the funnest afternoon ever with my Dashie! Why would I be a Grouchy Pie now?"
Rainbow Dash sighed, and rolled off the bed. When her hooves touched solid ground, she began to flap her wings, taking to the air. They were still a little sore, but the best way to get used to flying again would be to do it as much as possible, no matter what Fluttershy said about not straining them.
"Are we still going to the Derby?"
Pinkie was sitting up now, looking worried.
"Sure. Why wouldn't we?"
For once, Pinkie seemed to have no answer, only giving Rainbow Dash a shrug before giving her another one of those too-complicated smiles.
• • •
Most ponies carried a mental image of the perfect pony around in their head, who was exactly what they wanted a pony to be, exactly who they thought they could love the most. Every pony they met in life, be they mare or stallion, was measured up against the pony in their head. It was pure wishful thinking, and many ponies ended up spending their entire lives trying to make that wish come true.
Mare Do Well talked big about not trying to sum ponies up, about not putting too much faith into what you saw – because most of the time, ponies projected exactly what you wanted them to see. But the truth was, in a way, she'd done the exact same thing without even realizing it. Rainbow Dash had been the pony in her head for a long time, and she'd fallen hopelessly in love with her, but that had barely scratched the surface of what real love could be.
She'd fallen in love for all of these shallow reasons. Rainbow Dash was strong and brave and beautiful and loyal and all of those good things, but with every meeting, every night that passed by and every glance exchanged and every conversation held, she fell deeper and deeper, until she wanted to laugh at the self she had once been for daring to assume she'd had even the slightest idea about what true feeling was.
When they were together under ordinary circumstances, Rainbow Dash saw her, but didn't see her. It was like a paradox. Mare Do Well could be more honest, but only because she was hiding her identity, and her true self could be more affectionate, but only because she was hiding her feelings. She could only be close to Dash in any shape or form under false pretenses. Either she hid her feelings or her face, neither option leaving her enough freedom to do what she truly wanted. And she wanted so much, too; more than anything, she dreamt of taking the pegasus and stroking those wings and holding her and maybe someday kissing her, long and deep, but she couldn't. Those fantasies alone made her blush and shiver from guilty embarrassment, and if there ever came a time where they might come true, she'd probably die.
A sheet of crisp, blank parchment from a scroll lay unrolled before her, ink and quill set beside it for when she began to write. Whenever that may be.
She wanted to say so many things. These notes were her new crutch, because she honestly hadn't known whether she'd be able to last an entire week without cracking, but even now, she didn't know what to say.
I love you, she could write. She could fill an entire scroll, back and front, with nothing but those words, and still not have said it nearly enough.
You terrify me, she could write. It would be true, truer than perhaps anything else she'd said to Rainbow Dash so far.
I'm sorry. I never meant for things to go so far or for you to be so hurt. It was never supposed to become this big, but I can't stop now. You understand, don't you?
But Dash wouldn't understand. That was just it. She was yet to see Mare Do Well as anything but an enemy, and that was only when she saw her at all. Rainbow Dash would never be able to forgive her or see her as sympathetic, not yet, not after everything Mare Do Well had done.
She started writing. Just let the words flow. Just be honest and write what she thought.
I know you want to know who I am, but I was afraid that if I told you, your mind would be flooded with all of these inaccurate, incomplete depictions of me. I had these vague notions of getting to know each other without the noise of others drowning our true selves out. But by wearing a mask, I suppose I defeated my own purpose, and even now, I find myself running into wall after wall, one of the biggest being that although you didn't know me, I knew you. At least, I thought I did, and have been painting my own ideas on you ever since. I can't be honest with you out of fear that you won't accept me, and since I'm afraid to let myself see all of you, I don't know how to trust you. But every day that we meet, every time we talk to one another, I feel myself fall more and more in love with you. I would like to know you very much, if I only knew a way to start over again, and if only I hadn't already bucked up so many times.
Okay, that was no good any more. It had started off so promisingly, too.
The worst part was that Rainbow Dash had, in all likelihood, spent a grand total of ten seconds pondering her own reply before sending it off. She'd done none of this crippling agonizing as she'd tried to decide what was safe for her to say.
Unwillingly, Mare Do Well's thoughts flitted back to that night in the alley, after Rainbow's wings had been broken. Horrifyingly enough, the strongest memory wasn't the guilt or terror she'd felt that night, but instead the look on Rainbow Dash's face when Mare Do Well had caressed the silky feathers of her wings. It had been a tight look, but her eyes were unfocused: a look of annoyed pleasure. One of somepony who was enjoying something they didn't want to enjoy.
The ironic thing was, if she gave into the urge to burst into tears and run sobbing from her room just to throw herself at the pegasus in search of comfort, Rainbow Dash would probably let her, if only because she didn't know who she actually was. Or who she was pretending to be. A less scrupulous individual might have taken advantage of that from the very beginning, using their prior friendship as a way to get close to her crush. But she was better than that. Wasn't she? She would never stoop so low. Would she?
And with a sigh, Mare Do Well glanced back at the note she'd received earlier that afternoon.
What the hay why are you bugging me HERE too?!? Can't you leave me alone for like a week?!?!?!?!?!?
No, she could write. I honestly don't think I can.
Rainbow Dash wanted truth. Normalcy. But if Mare Do Well actually wrote that, the pegasus would likely assume she was being sarcastic somehow.
Words were not enough. Actions were not enough. The scope of this was too vast to be communicated so easily. Whatever she felt now had evolved from mere friendship to attraction to a crush to infatuation to pure adoration, far too quickly for her to even understand it.
She groaned and slumped at the desk, slowly and steadily beginning to bang her head against it.
• • •
For some reason, Rainbow Dash didn't immediately go back to her room after saying goodbye to Pinkie. Instead she stopped by Applejack's on a whim. After spending an afternoon with somepony like Pinkie, she was actually finding herself craving some kind of structure, and Applejack was the sturdiest, most no-nonsense pony she knew. Except Applejack didn't seem especially happy to see her.
"What do you want?" she asked curtly upon opening the door. Her mane was free of its usual ponytail, hanging loose around her face. She looked bleary-eyed and sleepy, in spite of the early hour.
"I just got back from hanging with Pinkie and everypony else is doing boring business stuff," Dash explained lightly, swooping past Applejack and into the room beyond. She didn't actually know if that was true or not, but it sounded plausible enough. Twilight and Spike would likely be in the library, and Rarity and Fluttershy were probably doing some girly bonding thing together, neither of which sounded especially appealing. "Why're you so tired? You going to sleep already?"
"It's called early to bed, early to rise. Ever hear of it?"
"I like the early to bed part."
"D'you need somethin'?" Applejack snapped, looking and sounding annoyed. Apparently she became cranky when deprived of sleep.
"Nah, just wanted to hang out."
Maybe there was something in Rainbow's eyes, or in the way she spoke, that showed Applejack what the pegasus needed right then, but for whatever reason, her expression softened, and with a sigh, she relented.
"All right, all right," she grumbled. "But you'd better not be a pain in my backside, or yer outta here."
"No prob. Hey, what were you doing, anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously, floating over to the dressing table, where Applejack's trademark Stetson was strewn haphazardly.
"None o' your business," Applejack muttered, snatching it up and yanking it onto her head.
"What, it's a secret?"
"Bein' honest don't mean bein' open. I don't go 'round declarin' my personal business to everypony all day, because it's my business, not theirs."
"How does your Element work, then?" Rainbow asked, settling onto the bed. She sat on the edge of the mattress, wings opening and closing idly.
"What d'you mean?"
"Can you lie at all, like, if it was an emergency? Can you sense dishonesty?"
Applejack chuckled. "I ain't some kinda lie detector, Rainbow, an' I reckon I don't know much more than you 'bout how the Elements work. All I know is, I don't like lies and I ain't good at tellin' 'em, but I could probably do it. I just wouldn't like it. Sorta like how I bet Pinkie could probably go a day without laughing', but it'd just about kill her."
That's right; Applejack didn't know. None of them did. They had never seen Pinkie at her worst, they didn't know how she could get, and Dash had sworn that she would never tell. Unless Pinkie had drawn similar promises from them, as well.
"Let's test that," Rainbow suggested, floating over to the dressing table Applejack still stood by and pointing at the hat, now perched atop Applejack's head where it belonged. "Say your hat is green."
Applejack blinked.
"Huh?"
"Say it. I dare you."
"I don't... no! That's just plain silly."
"What, you can't do it?" Rainbow taunted, her words a challenge.
"I can do it, I just don't want to. It's silly! My hat ain't green! Anypony can see that, plain as day."
Rainbow Dash snickered, and Applejack scowled, saying, "You really don't got anythin' better to do than to get on my nerves?" She was visibly annoyed now, when before she had spoken to Rainbow with more patience. "If you don't, then you can leave."
Rainbow grew still at once, face taking on a serious expression. "Actually," she began, sounding uncomfortable. "I wanted to ask you something."
And Applejack matched Rainbow's sudden change in attitude; she grew serious as well, eyes betraying her concern. "Ask me what?"
"Um..."
Rainbow Dash's eyes lifted skyward, staring somewhere at the ceiling, feathers bristling with trepidation.
"Have, have you ever, um... have you ever had a crush on somepony before?"
Applejack turned beet red. Although considering who she was, she may have preferred it to be said that she turned as red as a Red Delicious, or something. "None o' your business!" she barked, but the furious blush stayed on her cheeks.
"I was just wondering," Rainbow said quickly. "I wasn't trying to make fun of you. I mean –"
She couldn't ask Pinkie. Rarity was the fanciful romantic type and wouldn't give her a good answer. Fluttershy would be too embarrassed. That left Rainbow Dash the option of either seeking out Twilight or Applejack, and frankly, she felt safer asking the farmer, who was practically guaranteed to be straightforward with her.
"I was just wondering if you knew anything about what it's like," she weakly mumbled, ears and wings drooping. "Is it... is it supposed to hurt?"
"Well, I reckon it ain't supposed to," Applejack mumbled back. "But I'd bet that sometimes it can feel like yer heart's takin' a proper buckin'. Otherwise, why'd there be all those love songs that end with somepony dyin'?"
"Yeah..."
If Rainbow Dash was going to get anywhere, she needed to be honest with herself, as hard as it would be, and the truth was, there was the faintest possibility that Mare Do Well could be somepony she wanted to know. At the very least, she seemed interesting: somepony it might be fun to know. The kind of pony that could probably keep up with the Dash, and could be entertaining enough in her own right to merit approval.
And if Rainbow Dash happened to potentially be kind of attracted to her, and sometimes had dreams about her or suddenly really wanted to see her, well, that was perfectly understandable, too. Because when a pony behaved as aggressively as Mare Do Well did, then, well, one was bound to respond, right? It was instinctual.
Like the wings. Pegasi wings were just overly sensitive for some reason, so if Dash got kind of turned on when Mare Do Well had stroked them, then it totally wasn't her fault. It could have happened to anypony.
So that was it: she was confronting the truth of the situation, and once she faced the subconscious enemy, it would cease to have control over her. If she acknowledged that she might kind of like Mare Do Well, or at least find her the tiniest bit appealing, then the mare would no longer have such a hold on her and her life, and Dash would be able to move on.
Applejack was giving her a funny look now, like she was waiting for the pegasus to continue, but Rainbow Dash just stared ahead blankly as she thought. Finally she shook her head, returning to the present.
"Is that a hairbrush?" she asked to stave off any questions Applejack might have had.
"No!" the farmer shouted, knocking it off the table as her face turned even redder.
"It totally is!" Rainbow Dash accused, staring at the corner where the offending implement had landed. "Were you brushing your mane? Is that why your hair was down, and you didn't have your hat on?"
"Y'know what?" Applejack said loudly, grabbing Rainbow Dash's tail and yanking her back down to the floor. She grabbed her shoulders and began to steer her in the direction of the door. "Yer startin' to be a pain in my backside. I think you'd better get goin'."
"Oh, Applejack," Rainbow Dash said in mock disappointment. "How could you have fallen so far? Is Canterlot getting to you already?"
"Go. Now."
Rainbow Dash leaned forward and plucked off Applejack's hat so that she could muss the mane underneath with a hoof. "There!" she said with a nasty glee. "That's more like the Applejack I know."
Applejack shoved her into the hall and slammed the door, leaving Rainbow Dash alone to cackle.
• • •
Back in her room, Rainbow Dash found a folded piece of paper on the table – the makeshift post office. Without even opening it, she knew that it had to be another note from Mare Do Well. This time, she didn't hesitate, bolting to the table the instant her eyes fell on the missive so that she could read it.
I'm not leaving you alone because I'm afraid of finding out that you won't miss me if I go away, it said. Also, I sincerely doubt I could last a full week without breaking under the pressure. I've allowed myself this small outlet, so as to vent some of the frustrations I feel. That is my reason, but you don't have to feel obligated to indulge me by responding. It's a selfish reason, and I am a selfish mare who doesn't want to let you go.
She read it at least three times before finally putting it down.
Selfish? Yes, it was selfish. Not only selfish, but possessive and disturbing and just plain irritating. Because seriously, was Rainbow Dash never going to get to have time to herself ever again, or was she going to be hassled every single freaking day for the rest of her life?
Rainbow Dash wasn't up for writing a reply right now. She needed to think a little longer. About what to say and what she was hoping would happen. Maybe she needed to reread the note a few times, to get a better sense of what she felt about it.
She fell asleep reading it, clutching it to her chest.
First!!!
Oh, and very nice chapter you've got there!
things be happinin...Can't wait to see more
Mare Do Well is making me hate her more and more. Not allowing RD this one mercy is just plain low. Another reason I would hate for RD to end up with Mare Do Well is because any relationship between them would have developed because MDW has a stalkerish, addictive obsession with Dash.
hmI think At this rate ...
Pinkie pie will just broke down SERIOUSLy and being really, really crazy ...
Hmmm applejaaaack !
Fantastic chapter! Finally Rainbow is starting to accept her feelings for Mare Do Well I love how this story is turning out! My guess is Mare Do Well is going to get herself caught somehow with the mail system. Either Rainbow will see somepony deliver her note to one of her friends or she'll find the notes in one of their rooms. Or something else entirely, either way I'm still excited to see how it goes. My vote still goes to Rarity though
Another solid read Anonymous. I still believe MDW's going to wind up being Twilight or Rarity. But I HOPE it's going to be Applejack, as it would truly put a twist on the whole deception thing. One can still be honest without being harsh, and one can be honest without divulging everything about themselves.
I'm thinking it is going to have to be Twilight or Rarity since both of them would be more familiar with the castle and any potential secret message delivery system.. I mean otherwise MDW is randomly asking the servants if they are willing to deliver stuff anonymously which seems.. Reckless.
I dunno!
Sorry to hear about your school troubles! This was another well-written chapter and it certainly gives vent to the fears and frustrations of the characters while keeping them true to their nature. But, as I think I've said before, I just wish I could whisper in Dash's ear: JUST CONFRONT YOUR FRIENDS EN MASSE AND TELL THEM THAT IF ANY ONE OF THEM IS BEING MARE DO WELL, KNOCK IT OFF BECAUSE IT'S IRRITATING AND FREAKY.
But that's just me. I'm just wondering how much longer this story is going to get. Like Rainbow, I want some sense of closure to all this myself.
Great story!
I still don't know why people are thinking it's Rarity or Twilight or AJ. It's Pinkie, not only out of all of the hints we've been given but also because of the necessity that it be her that's been written into the story.
Think about it, out of all of the MDW Suspects in this story, who has had the most character development, interaction and relationship building with Rainbow Dash? When not about RD and MDW, the story doesn't really focus on AJ, Twilight or Rarity, it focusses on Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash together. The most relationship and character building outside of Mare Do Well has been between Pinkie Pie and Dash.
By now we know she is 1 of the mane 6 so come on and tell who it is already xD
Otherwise how much longer longer will it take before you reveal who it is?
I like how when we're reading from RD's POV, I hate MDW-but when we catch a glimpse of MDW's POV, I feel so sorry for her, and then back to hating her. P:
And Applejaaaaackkk...e3e
140591 You're forgetting one important fact. Mare Do Well is a separate pony all in herself, regardless of who's behind the mask. Therefore, if she IS Twilight, Rarity or Applejack, the reality is that one of them HAS had a lot of development...just while being hidden. I refuse to believe that Mare Do Well is Pinkie, since focusing on both of them and trying to show different sides of the same pony is beyond idiotic. If that was the case, this wouldn't even be a story; it would just be another Dash x Pinkie story about Pinkie loving Dash. The mystery aspect is about another pony who's trying to win Dash in a different way that isn't Pinkie's. Sure, a strong and angry part of me still thinks Mare Do Well could be Pinkie (just because of how the author thinks and acts), but I don't WANT to believe that, and to this very moment, I still honestly believe that Mare Do Well won't be her. It wouldn't make for a good ending or conclusion at all.
140591
I think the problem with believing Pinkie is Mare Do Well, other than the fact that they were both jealous of each other in the beginning, is just the timing with things. Pinkie had pretty much spent the entire day with Rainbow in this chapter. I personally don't see it as likely for Pinkie to be able to write the note Mare Do Well did to Rainbow, and go through the whole thought process of writing said note in the time that Rainbow was in AppleJack's room and she wouldn't have had time to write it earlier since again she was with Rainbow. A similar situation occurred back when Pinkie first kissed Rainbow. Rainbow had left Pinkie's house, with Pinkie still in it talking to Gummy, and then ran into Mare Do Well who was sitting on some rooftop for quite some time lost in thought. Although Pinkie can be known for being in two places at once it would seem like a pretty cheap cop out to use that for the reasoning in my opinion. So in my eyes Pinkie cant be Mare Do well, which is good because I'm still rooting for Rarity to be Mare Do Well.
140502
It's a shipfic. Frankly, I'd be shocked and appalled if they didn't end up together.
140640 Bless you for your great logic. Hopefully the author will see this...among a ton of others...and not allow Mare Do Well to be Pinkie...since I KNOW he's leaning in that direction. While I still find Rarity to be a very weird choice, simply because she's a hopeless romantic and Dash saved her life, I still would MUCH rather see that than Pinkie. At least if it's Rarity it would be an ACTUAL MYSTERY with a VERY big twist that would stun and fascinate readers. If it's Pinkie...the story would be a cop-out from the very beginning, since everything else being read between the lines would've meant nothing and it was Pinkie all along. It's just...REALLY stupid. I don't understand how people would WANT it to be Pinkie; what kind of ending would that be? It'd be...EXPECTED. Don't you people want something shocking and something cuter than just Mare Do Well being Pinkie? Well, I would.
140662 I fully agree. It is indeed a shipping fiction, and if Dash doesn't get with Mare Do Well, I would be appalled, too. Because, regardless of the reasons that are given, it wouldn't make any sense. What would be the point of wasting a whole story without it happening? Sure, a lot of stories turn out that way, but isn't this indeed a shipping fiction? It has "romance" for a reason.
Rainbow loves Mare Do Well!
Hmmm, things are happening...
And actually, that who scene with A.J. and something that Twilight said gave me a thought. Perhaps Rainbow could find out who Mare-Do-Well is by finding out who her friends like. Process of elimination? She already knows Pinkie Pie likes her, and A.J. seems to like somepony... It might be worth a shot.
Good lord, people, it's a My Little Pony fanfic! Why is everyone getting so worked up about it?!
140673 it's fun to over analyse something like this
140663
Dude, I see that you don't want it to be Pinkie, and no one can say your arguments aren't well thought out and detailed. However, do you really need to hate so much on Pinkie? You don't know how it will be written, and if it is Pinkie I believe it will be just as good even if its interesting in other ways. Don't call something REALLY stupid until you read it.
Also, great chapter, finally got Applejack back in the running.
140673
Over-analysis is the bread and butter of this fandom!
140732 Don't mind him, Tails is just like that.
140640
Yes, Pinkie spent the whole day with Dash, but (assuming she is MDW), she wasn't able to enjoy their time together by being honest and actually saying or doing the things she wants to. Observe:
"When they were together under ordinary circumstances, Rainbow Dash saw her, but didn't see her. It was like a paradox. Mare Do Well could be more honest, but only because she was hiding her identity, and her true self could be more affectionate, but only because she was hiding her feelings. She could only be close to Dash in any shape or form under false pretenses. Either she hid her feelings or her face, neither option leaving her enough freedom to do what she truly wanted."
And considering Pinkie is the only one of her friends that Dash has been significantly interacting with (besides Applejack, but come on), and that Pinkie is being much more 'affectionate' towards Dash lately... well, that pretty much says it's her.
.......................................................
Another telling line from the chapter: "There were so many different aspects to Pinkie's character at play, every day they spent together, and she was a master at displaying only the personality she wanted to and hiding all the rest." Very good, Dash. And one of your friends is hiding a secondary personality from you. Now what does two plus two equal? Yeesh...consider the possibility, at least.
So, this was a good chapter as always. I'm glad to see that they're finally in Canterlot, and am very interested to see how this will impact MDW and her game. She's trying to use the anonymous notes to keep business as usual going, but the servants may be a weak link...this is a big, complicated risk. I doubt she'll last through the week without encountering some kind of problem.
Also, the first note being inside Dash's suitcase is interesting. Further evidence that Fluttershy is MDW's accomplice, or that MDW is working directly with the unicorn servant that carried their luggage? Or it's another job for Twilight and her damn all-powerful magic. I'm thinking the first option is the most likely, but we'll see.
And I feel your pain regarding math homework. I'm out of school now (bwahahahaha! ) but I remember it well. Math is cruel and unusual...it was always my worst subject. So yeah, I fully understand your need to make that garbage your first priority. I'm not gonna call the week-long delays fun, though.
Yeeeeesssssss according 2 plan
i.qkme.me/217z.jpg
140673
Simply because you're that good AA. And a lot of people have grown really attached to this story. Personally I can't help but reading every chapter the instant I see it, no matter what time of the night it is. And I like waiting around for the chapters, much like I do with the real MLP: FiM episodes every saturday.
Also, a lot of people have made a lot of very good guesses, and who likes to be proven wrong?
Anyway, you probably knew that. I'll return to stalking the story obsessively.
140662
Any relationship between Mare Do Well and Dash wouldn't be cute or romantic. It'd be damn unhealthy. You can't base a relationship off of obsession and addiction to the degree that MDW has of Dash. Not with all the emotional turmoil and hurt she's put Dash through. Just because it's "romance" doesn't mean they'll end up together for definite. It means there's romance as part of the theme, whether it is brief romance, or lustful feelings, or romantic feelings that may be unrequited or whatever. The Mare Do Well individual is, as we have seen from her POV, quite possibly mentally disturbed. She's erratic with her actions and emotions and relentless in her obsession with Rainbow Dash. That is not the individual that a stable, mutually loving relationship can attach itself to.
The ONLY way it could work is for some serious therapy, on both sides, some serious forgiveness to whoever is Mare Do Well and a hell of a catharsis. Even then, the lingering memories of what they've both been put through will stick to them and sap at them forever, especially Dash, who's had her life turned upside down by these events. Even if it all works out by the end of the fic and even if Mare Do Well and RD get together, it would never last. Not ever.
I'm sure you get enough blab about who people think MDW is and all of that in the comments, so I won't do any. I've said in previous comments, I don't care who she is, or if it's even revealed, as long as you write it well.
I'll tell you instead that I quite nearly soiled myself laughing at the scrawny servant pony, who you seemed to be making out as rather weak, until you clarified just how much he was carrying. Something about it... I don't know, it was just really great.
It's moments like these that keep filler great, keeping the story fresh between major plot and character developments.
Keep up the absolutely awesome work!
- Midnight Specter
One other possibility that hasn't (I think) been ventured by anyone is that AA might never reveal who Mare Do Well is. RD might kiss her, or spend one romantic moment with her before MDW disappears forever, leaving RD to ponder and to contemplate.
140742
Although I never thought of it that way and it does make sense the same problem I posted above still remains, timing. With spending the whole day with Rainbow there is no way Pinkie could have had the time to go through what appears to be a very long thought process in writing the note, then actually writing the note, and also have it delivered through the anonymous system all before Rainbow got back to her room. Whether or not Pinkie truly enjoyed the time is irrelevant, it's just not possible to get the note done in the time available.
On the other hand to just throw it out there, Rarity has actually been shown to comfort and take care of Rainbow in a loving way all throughout the story. It's always been a very minor detail here and there but they are there and have been consistent throughout the entirety of the story when Rarity is present. Which is why my vote remains with Rarity.
If the story does come to Rainbow not finding out who Mare Do Well is, I doubt Anonymous wouldn't tell us, the readers. Although I'm not sure how I'd feel about that kind of ending, it may not be preferable but it is an interesting idea.
140626
I feel the same way. What I'm really hoping about the whole Pinkie x Dash friendshipping/conflict relation, is that perhaps it's diversion. Maybe the author decided to lean towards it being Pinkie to throw the readers off. Of course, that idea itself could be a diversion, as in, the author knows that the reader would think of what I just mentioned, and thus dismiss Pinkie, despite the fact that it actually would be Pinkie. Sort of a double negative, I guess. Still though, of all ponies, I'm hoping that it isn't Pinkie, for the same reasons you mentioned.
140787
Okay, your point about the timing is a good one. However, it doesn't say in the chapter that Rainbow went directly back to her room after talking to AJ. I guess it doesn't say otherwise, either, but...well, I think the pro-Pinkie evidence still overpowers a seemingly minor detail like that. For now, I'll chalk it up to an oversight on the author's part. No offense, of course, AbsoluteAnonymous. We all slip up sometimes.
But the Pinkie looking at her wasn't the same Pinkie who had kissed her; she was just the Pinkie who loved her friends more than anything and wanted them to be happy. And there was also a different Pinkie, a Pinkie lurking in the darkest recesses of her mind, who could be angry and vengeful and hold grudges, and yet another Pinkie who could be horribly, heartbreakingly lonely at times.
There were so many different aspects to Pinkie's character at play, every day they spent together, and she was a master at displaying only the personality she wanted to and hiding all the rest.
The answer to the question of who Mare Do Well is is right there: the author has spelled it out plain as day for everyone reading the story. Honestly, I think at this point even Dash knows it to an extent, even if it's not on a conscious level... those are her thoughts as quoted from the story, after all.
140787
While I can see where you're coming from, I still think it could be possible for Pinkie (as MDW) to have written the note to Dash after they played in the snow together. It would technically have been possible for the writing scene to have taken place while Dash was talking with Applejack, and afterwards it doesn't state anywhere that she went immediately back to her room, either (like how after the scene with talking to Pinkie, it pretty much implies Dash immediately went to talk with Applejack). So I think there's a large enough window for it to work.
And as far as Applejack goes, I am definitely convinced that she has a crush on Rarity at this point... the brush sealed it for me and especially when put together with all the previous hints we've been given. I actually feel a bit sorry for her, poor girl.
The AJ scene was a bit sketchy... but then of course it'd have to be to keep the suspicion on as many ponies as possible. I'm not shaking from my belief that it's Pinkie, but I'm happy to see a scene that shows that Applejack's not out of the woods just yet. Hell, I'm just happy for a scene with Applejack, since she's had so little of the spotlight after the initial preliminary deduction shenanigans.
Inb4 Pinkie Pie is MDW.
Sometimes, the expected is better than the unexpected. I don't think Pinkie being the masked mare would be a copout at all. I think it would work out just fine, in fact. Dash ends up with MDW AND Pinkie. Happy ending all around. I remember when There She Is! was going up on the internet. Each new episode just added to the story. The fourth was just tragic, and I thought to myself, "How can it get any better after this? How can anything go back to normal? Love is dead." And then the final episode was released, and you know what? I was relieved at the happy ending. That things worked out, and we got the ending that was expected. It wasn't a copout at all.
Sometimes, the unexpected can be the real copout. Why? Because it's overdone. Sometimes, getting exactly what is expected is much better.
What BubbleBerry mentioned... there's no telling how long it took for Dash to find MDW. It's not like she flew out of Pinkie's room and found her five roofs down. There could very well have been enough of a time gap for Pinkie to slip into the costume and find a roof to sit on and think.
MDW's latest internal monologue reinforces my belief that it's Pinkie Pie for reasons already stated.
140854>>140863
That's actually a good point, but as JAG says it doesn't specify either way whether or not Rainbow immediately went to her room so I suppose technically we really cant tell who is right here. Very good writing on AA's part if I do say so myself.
The only reason I'm sticking with Rarity based from this chapter is:
The ironic thing was, if she gave into the urge to burst into tears and run sobbing from her room just to throw herself at the pegasus in search of comfort, Rainbow Dash would probably let her, if only because she didn't know who she actually was. Or who she was pretending to be. A less scrupulous individual might have taken advantage of that from the very beginning, using their prior friendship as a way to get close to her crush. But she was better than that. Wasn't she? She would never stoop so low. Would she?
First off I don't think Pinkie would know the word scrupulous, though I'm just assuming that. The main thing is that scrupulous basically means thorough and attentive to detail, which is what Rarity is. Add to the fact that Rarity often considers herself higher than most in a lot of situations the fact that Mare Do Well is mentioning "stooping so low" and being "better than that" is another trait Rarity would have. (Though that can probably work for Twilight too...)
Another point is
I'm not leaving you alone because I'm afraid of finding out that you won't miss me if I go away, it said. Also, I sincerely doubt I could last a full week without breaking under the pressure. I've allowed myself this small outlet, so as to vent some of the frustrations I feel. That is my reason; but you don't have to feel obligated to indulge me by responding. It's a selfish reason, and I am a selfish mare who doesn't want to let you go.
This is only a ringer for me because Mare Do Well basically admits to being selfish, which would a particularly big problem for rarity in particular being that she is the element of generosity.
Either way we still have to wait for the next chapter to learn more so everything is just assumptions and guesses.
140928
Well really, I don't think anyone ever likes to admit that they're being selfish... I think that's universally considered to be a negative quality, and whether or not one is an Element of Generosity or not.
As far as the other part, thinking Rarity just because of the word "scrupulous" seems a little far-fetched to me, especially in light of little other evidence (as opposed to Pinkie Pie, who I feel has a lot of evidence pointing at her). Besides, this is Pinkie we're talking about, and she's been shown to know a great deal of things you would think she shouldn't know on the show before!
I HAVE SOLVED IT
MARE DO WELL IS A HALLUCINATION
RAINBOW DASH IS WRITING TO HERSELF
ALSO SHE WAS TOTALLY DREAM-WHACKIN' IT TO THAT SUPPLE FLANK
140863 Mmm. Crushin' hard. But I think the Pinkie Pie ruse was a... distaction. AKA red herring.
(free muffin to anypony that gets the refrance )
"You thought you could escape? it seemed to say, mocking her. You thought you could get away?" <----- I thought that's what the note said and I was freakin' out, man. It looked like MDW had turned psychotic. *donotwant*
"Maybe she needed to reread the note a few times, to get a better sense of what she felt about it." Sure, RD.... sure....
"She fell asleep reading it, clutching it to her chest."
D'awwww
And some AJ spotlight as well! My votes on Twilight though, especially after that second letter to RD. Gave yourself away
I could barely get through Algebra 1, I can't even imagine what taking Calculus would be like. My cousin, whom is 11 days older than me, is taking Calculus 3 in College. *sigh* I'll be happy to just graduate high school. >_>
Anyway, just take your time dude, don't rush. We'd hate for you to fall behind in your studies.
NOW GET BACK TO WORK, MULE!
Every single pony of the Mane Six has had a reason to be ruled out completely.
Twilight because of the incident at the party.
Fluttershy because MDW has no wings.
Applejack because of how Mare Do Well mentioned she never could have thought of the "putting ponies in a box" example, which was said by our apple farmer herself.
Pinkie because it's frickin' illogical, as mentioned by Tailslover.
And Rarity because of another inner monologue of Mare Do Well in Chapter 16.
Honestly, because of all this, I'm willingly to say that it's Twilight. It's the most plausible conclusion once you chalk it up to some spell of hers.
140673
I totally agree. Not pointing any fingers or anything, but people are getting WAY to worked up about this story. I understand that this is just flattery towards the author (take it from me, I love this story too), but there is no need to overreact. After every chapter, I scroll down here to check peoples' reactions. After skimming all of the comments, I find that MOST are just responses arguing with other peoples' opinions. Its great that those people have the liberty to state their opinions, but I worry that we are pressuring the author. Of course, everyone has an opinion (including me) on who Mare Do Well is. But if you are trying to convince other people that your guess is right, it will only result in arguing. The author isn't stupid, I think that we all can tell that from his writing. He knows what he is doing, and I encourage him to keep on writing (you've got an amazing talent there, anon). However, I don't want him to live in fear of what he writes, and if it will make people unhappy. (Points finger to the people acting like their world will end if Mare Do Well isn't who they want) You all are amazing. Don't sit in a corner and cry if Mare Do Well ends up being somepony that you dispise. We all have to remember that the story ending won't please everyone. When the ending comes, and when Mare Do Well's identity is finally revealed, don't look on the negative side. It was a fun and awesome story to read, and the world won't come to a end if Mare Do Well ends up not being your guess. So, what I'm basically trying to say is, take the time to comment of how excellent the story is. Anon has written a hell of a lot so far, and I totally understand about the school thing. Anyway, Anon (and I speak this about ALL of his chapters so far), you are an excellent writter. I look forward to seeing more chapters soon . I sure hope that people don't come after me because of this post though . Anyway, love your story, and please continue.
Sincerely,
-A Random Person
140906
The first time I read your comment, I somehow missed the part about you thinking Pinkie was MDW. When I saw what you said about RD getting Pinkie and MDW, I thought you meant Dash should just be a player and get with them both. I was all, "Ooh, threesome!" and then I reread your comment and felt like an idiot.
141016
"MORE FANFICS, MULE!"
(That probably won't make sense unless you're as obsessed with The Comics Curmudgeon as I am )
141007
"i HAVE the car!" *sinks slowly*
Now where's my muffin?
140995
It isn't based off of the word scrupulous alone, as i pointed out. There are several spots pointing in Rarity's direction in that thought process. However it is a major point because as i said it does in fact describe Rarity to a "T". It is who Rarity is no matter how you look at it. Though if it's more evidence you're after you can also look at how Rarity echos what mare Do Well says not once but twice. The carnation book that Rarity had back in the beginning. Even the knowledge of a pegasi's wings is within rarity's know how because of how much time she spends with Fluttershy at the spa. All of which as far as I'm concerned Pinkie cant claim.
Though I'd like to add another reason twilight technically cant be Mare Do Well, and that's the fact that she doesn't have a costume still being that hers as far as we know has been changed to fit Spike.
And that's the end of my time for now, so I bid you all Au revoir. Feel free to debate more, it's rather fun and I like all the fresh ideas and view points just makes the story even better!
Dude, for real, i think that you could say mare do well is a sack of potatoes and i think it would still be a great story. Who cares what the author eventually decides to say mare do well actually is? Its a great story no matter what.
Some background pony. Calling it.
Yikes, and people thought I was all worked up over this story.
Why does everyone always take that stupid calculus class? I never took it, and I'm glad I didn't. I seriously don't need to be like Twilight and prove that I'm smarter than everyone else; I already am without that junk. I just don't see the point in making your life hard and struggling with something that is beyond pointless, just to prove you're smart. Be happy with who you are and be glad that you're alive and you can even MOVE. From there, you can do whatever you want. If people actually take calculus because they willingly WANT to or they find it fun...I seriously pity them. I really do.
The chapter was...nice. I really hate it when people say that they hate Mare Do Well. They seriously do not know what hate REALLY is. Mare Do Well is the one you should hate? Oh, no no no, not at all. She is far from it. I personally love her. She has feelings and she's doing what her heart tells her to do, not her brain. The brain will fool you, your eyes will deceive you, but your heart will lead you. That's my personal quote ever since I was a youngster, and I always use it. Your brain lies to you and your eyes don't tell you what's there; your heart will always be the key to leading your life. Mare Do Well is trying her best to win her love. How DARE you idiots hate her? What kinda heartless jerks are you? Honestly, I'm nauseated by all the Pinkie and Dash moments; I don't know why, but it really makes me ill when I see it. I'm not kidding; I started to read the parts where Dash and Pinkie were together, and I felt faint and now my stomach hurts. Very, very odd.
Ugh...okay, that was mean...I'm sorry. I've had a very, very ugly week. A few of my best friends let me go...friends I've known for years...and I'm still really hurting. My heart wasn't really in reading this chapter. Sorry, CAD...I despise you for liking Pinkie and for most likely making Mare Do Well her at the end of your story...but, you're still a friend (one I don't hope to lose), and you deserve a better review rather than me just whining like a foal. Forgive me, folks. I just always speak my mind and say whatever I feel like saying, not caring what others think. I have since the day I was born, and I never plan to change that. When you restrict your speech and yourself, you're a coward and you should live in a hole. Okay, enough of this negatively; let's just get this over with so I don't bore you all to death with my nonsensical drivel.
SUSPECT LIST:
1. Twilight Sparkle - My heart isn't in this, so I don't have much to say. Mare Do Well just talks and writes way too intelligently to be any of the other ponies. Plus, I love Twilight, and I'll always pick her first over anyone else.
2. Rarity - I don't know, and I don't want to give a reason. Once again, my heart isn't in this. Sorry, CAD. I appreciate your stories, but...yeah, don't feel like thinking too much on a heavy heart. But, Mare Do Well is/should be a unicorn.
3. Applejack - So...can she lie or can't she? Whatever, she's not Mare Do Well. It makes no logical sense. She can't talk like a genius and she can't write like one, either. She's only here so I don't have to face that stupid pink pony below...yet.
4. Pinkie Pie - Okay, now I do. Seeing CAD's polls made it obvious. Despite our hearts, we all know that Pinkie is the "obvious" choice. But, I'm still holding out hope that it's not her and thus we don't get a bad ending. I'm starting to really detest her...but that's probably just my pained heart talking.
5. Fluttershy - One thing bothers me. Dash "said" that Mare Do Well had no wings. But...in reality...how can we really KNOW that? In my opinion, a Pegasus' wings could easily be hidden inside of that costume with a little work. It's certainly possible.
PERCENTAGE OF EACH PONY BEING MARE DO WELL (1-100 SCALE):
Twilight Sparkle: 75% Chance She's Mare Do Well
Rarity: 60% Chance She's Mare Do Well
Pinkie Pie: 40% Chance She's Mare Do Well
Applejack: 35% Chance She's Mare Do Well
Rainbow Dash: 5% Chance She's Mare Do Well
Fluttershy: 1% Chance She's Mare Do Well
Good luck with your schooling and homework and calculus and lunch and all that jazz. Sorry I could only give a half-ass comment, complete with my idiocy mixed in just to get it off my chest again, but what kind of reader would I be if I didn't give you something you deserve for all your hard work? Writers work hard to put out great pieces of literature, so the least readers can do is give good comments that aren't just one line or one word things that read "MOAR!" or "Great job!" or "Can't wait for the next chapter!" Seriously, those are just weak and pitiful examples of poor readers who don't give a care. Anyway, see ya later.
First off, hope the pre-calc test went well. I feel your pain. Pre-calculus and calculus were two of the hardest courses I took in high school, and it was a long, painful slog through both of them.
I loved this bit, but then, as a Rainbow Pie shipper I would:
Time passed, with Pinkie occasionally lifting her head from where it rested against Rainbow Dash's shoulder, either to laugh or offer her own opinion on whatever had just been said; but she always put it back, much to Dash's unspoken relief.
I find it quite interesting how much Dash focuses on physical intimacy, how important that is to her. Not necessarily sexual intimacy, but just ... being in physical contact with another pony, hugging, etc. It makes me wonder if she was starved for physical affection when a youngster or something. Or perhaps it's simply a reflection of the fact that she's not good with words or emotions--she's very much the show, don't tell, sort of pony.
I really, really like how complex and interesting and often surprising I find Rainbow Dash to be in this story.
Dinner came to an end, and nopony questioned her when she declared her intention to call it a night, likely chalking it up to her inherent laziness. It was easier to go along with the teasing than to try and explain how she couldn't bear to look at them anymore.
Oh, Rainbow Dash, you break my heart. Though I must admit, I keep wondering why her attempts to solve the mystery of Mare Do Well have been so feeble as of late. She could've asked the CMC if anyone had requested use of their zip line (though I imagine MDW probably found a way of asking that kept her identity secret), could've sat all five of her friends down and asked them point blank if they were MDW and gauged their reactions (as has been suggested by other readers), etc., etc. There are a lot of avenues she hasn't yet tried, and I find that curious.
That she hasn't suggests to me that some part of her, at least, doesn't quite WANT to know who MDW is. Not yet, anyways. But I'm not sure about that. I'd like to see some clarification in further chapters, if possible, as to why Rainbow hasn't followed up on some of these possible leads.
For once, Pinkie seemed to have no answer, only giving Rainbow Dash a shrug before giving her another one of those too-complicated smiles.
I like the idea that smiles can be too complicated (and now that I think about it--of course they can be). And I like the idea that Pinkie has too-complicated smiles.
I would like to know you very much, if I only knew a way to start over again, and if only I hadn't already bucked up so many times.
I hadn't expected this particular development--that MDW is finding out she doesn't really know all of Rainbow Dash, in much the same way that RD doesn't know all of MDW--but it makes total sense and I like it quite a bit. Seems to put the two of them on more equal footing. And I really dig the idea of these two friends, who've known each other and been reasonably close to one another for some time, both feeling like they barely know one another.
No wonder they're both so scared. Speaking of which ...
You terrify me, she could write. It would be true, truer than perhaps anything else she'd said to Rainbow Dash so far.
This isn't the first time MDW has commented on being terrified of Rainbow Dash, but I think this is a particularly poetic passage about it. And while I can guess at some of the reasons that Rainbow terrifies her--fear of vulnerability, fear of rejection, fear of having someone fully and really know her--these are just educated guesses, I'm very interested in knowing more about just why Rainbow terrifies MDW so.
Mare Do Well is ... well, at best, she's a complicated character, isn't she? Perhaps an anti-hero. I understand completely why other readers question whether she deserves to win RD's love. But I do sometimes find myself sympathizing with her quite a bit and hoping good things for her, and this was one of those moments. Because as much heartache and terror as she's brought upon Rainbow's head, I don't think it's half as much heartache and terror as she's bringing upon her own. That doesn't justify or excuse anything she's done, of course, but it does spark some kindly feelings towards her in my chest.
Lastly: Applejack brushing her mane! Awwwww. Somepony's got a cruuuuuuush.
And we've come full circle: They both wish they could just drop the act and go back to being normal, to start over, but at this point that simply isn't an option anymore.
What I found particularly telling was Rainbow Dash being unable to look at her friends at dinner. Her logic on that matter is perfectly sound, and it's damn sad.