This story is a sequel to Old Fences
Derpy Doo has left Ponyville behind and returned to her foalhood home at Invitro Hall in Canterlot, serving as a lowly maid to her spiteful aunt, Countess Magnifying Glass. It is not certain how long she will be able to keep those she cares about safe from her family's wrath or how long she will be allowed to keep her precious daughter, Dinky.
Not one to back down so easily, the Doctor plans to let his beloved companion and the mother of his foal return home. He and Derpy's friends arrange for her to attend the Grand Galloping Gala where they may shed light on her torments before the eyes of Princess Celestia herself.
There they will meet old friends and new and try their hardest to find out just how deep their enemy's influence lies and how much danger they may be in.
Yes! Oh, yes, it did!
She got JUST what she so richly deserved!
Thank you SO much!
Buuuuuttttt.............
This is ALWAYS the way, sadly.
This is a case of "Cut the head of the hydra, and two more grow back in its place".
(And I'm refering to the one from classic Greek mythology, NOT the four-headed beastie from the show.)
Oh, I'm afraid I already know.
I'm just hoping that that everypony (and ESPECIALLY Princess Celestia and the ponies on the council) see through those medical "records" like (pardon the pun) a "pain of Glass".
(And YES, the way that I spelled "pain" is VERY much intentional.)
7699322 Thanks very much. I'm glad it satisfied.
I'm well aware of how much you loath Countess Magnifying Glass and Lord Nitpick (Which was largely intentional) but what do you think of Cascadius so far?
Pain?
Oh I see what you did there...
7699388 You're very welcome, and oh, did it ever!!!
In a word (or a few), he terrified the bejeezus outta me!
That is one VERY scary stallion!
7699576 Ah good. The villains I want people to hate are hated. And the villains I want people to fear are feared.
Character-wise, I have achieved success.
One of the main traits about him is his nonchalance.
I mean, the Countess would find a way to drink a glass of water in a way that would make you hate her but I tried to make him appealing in an unpredictable sort of way.
Did you actually think he was going to snap the Countess's neck?
7699595 Yes, you definitely did!
Yes, I did, actually.
7699770 Thanks.
I was trying to get the Countess's reaction to more or less mirror the reader's.
Cascadius is a massive troll.
But there's a reason the Countess relies on him.
And it's largely the reason how she and her husband keep getting away with this curd!
Have you figured out who the couple he tortured to death were yet? (Put in Spoilers)
7700277 You're very welcome.
*snickers* Well, it worked!
Yeah, I noticed that.
Yeah, I'm sure so.
HOPEFULLY, not for much longer, though.
Okay, I'M guessing Fancy Pants' parents?
Right?
Or totally wrong?
7700748 Totally right.
And yes. He is gonna' find out...
And yes. Curd is gonna' go down...
7700779 Cool, to all of the above
Congrats. You've succeeded in making me hate "Doctor" Bittersweet even MORE that I do Countess Glass.
I can readily see just WHY Princess Celestia wants to shut Glanders Gate down so badly. *clenches teeth* It's basically the Equestrian version of a Nazi concentration camp!
Which is why I hope that he, the Countess, her worthless excuse of a husband, AND that louse Cascadius fall SOON, and fall HARD!!!
On another note, about how many chapters are left in this one?
Just curious, you understand.
7707179 You actually hate Doctor Bittersweet more than Countess Glass and Nitpick?!
I had no idea I was so good at designing characters to be complete scum!
ACHIEVEMENT!
There's one more and then a timeskip.
Then...the Mane 6 happen.
7707192 Yes, I do. He seems to be the pony version of Josef Menegele, and we ALL know what a monster that HE was!
Indeed, you are! That's why your stories are just so darned goof!
Indeed! sollace.github.io/emoticons/default/rainbowexcited.png
Okay, cool.
Thanks.
Ooooo, THAT'LL be interesting!
7707214 Thanks so much.
I was also going for a rather creepy 'Dr Bumby' vibe, if you've seen Alice Madness Returns.
And don't worry, he'll get his due with the rest of them.
7707225 You're very welcome.
Well, you managed the very creepy vibe, alright. Guy gave me the cold shivers.
And no, I haven't. Sorry.
But you got that across, anyway.
And good.
Can't wait til it happens, either!
sequal?
An excellent ending to an excellent story, and I look forward, with MUCH anticipation, to the sequel.
*snickers* The "good" Countess and her allies don't know what they'll be biting off messing with the Mane 6, do they?
Just to paraphrase:
"Oh, how the might shall fall!"
Keeping an eager eye peeled the next one's publication date!
7709535 Eeyup
7709551 Thanks so much for all your support.
I hope you enjoy what I have planned.
7709558 You're very welcome for it, my friend.
Well, I have everything that you've written about this so far, haven't I?
This series started a bit shaky but has really come together. I shall keep an eye out for what comes next.
7710960 Thanks.
So that I know what to improve, what did you find shaky?
7711069 The thing I can remember is dodgy paragraphing making it had to follow what was happening. I'll write a better reply once I've got time to go back and read it over again.
7711157 Okay thanks. I appreciate your input.
Is the Countess really that stupid to go after a town that Princess Everfreakin' Celestia favors? Really? 'Cause it sounds like she may.
7729529 The Countess is utterly without patience and severely overestimates herself but if she's going after Ponyville, she will at least make sure she has the resources necessary.
Let's not forget about what Cascadius is capable of.
Read the first part of this chapter here for a small glimpse.
7729555 Oooh... Reading that little sequence... He reminds me a little of Silcardo Jenazad from History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi (utterly ruthless killing machine who does what he can to perpetuate conflict), mixed with with Hibiki Kohaku from BlazBlue: Centralfiction (butler who his also a master ninja and utterly fecking crazy but good at hiding it).
*considers the combination*
Um... dayam...
7729574 I'm afraid I haven't seen either of those (I might do so though) but you're quite correct.
When you think about it, he's just escalated a civil war and turned what could have been a recovering region into a total warzone for the sake of profit. And he wasn't even going to stay there long.
There's a very good reason the Doctor fears him.
And he's largely the reason the Countess keeps getting away with this curd.
7729602
Silcardo took over a small country just to keep it in a state of perpetual war. He's so psychotically violent that the army of martial artist assassins he worked with deemed him insane and helped the heroes take him down.
Hibiki is very calm, very collected, very much one spark away from murdering everything around him in a bloody rage...
7730286 You know it's funny.
Those two personalities are really contrasting but very apt.
There's meant to be a sort of air of affability around Cascadius, a 'nothing personal' persona.
What do you think?
7730935 There is. A Lecter-ish air of amiability about him. Which makes him freakin' TERRIFYING.
Doctor, you sly stallion! And it's so cute that dinky tries to say Mama and daddy
7757430 Yeah, she's caught on already.
Dinky's smart like that.
Nice. If the TF2 Sniper was here, he would be like this to the Countess
And for the Doctor and Fancy Pants this
After a very long time, they're finally reunited!
Only the Doctor can stay calm while somepony yells at him in rage.
Very good!
7757750 To the first:
To the second:
7757769 They look out for each other.
That's their way.
7757787 The Doctor deals with the Countess's sort on a daily basis and shuts them up with a mere glance.
There's nothing the Countess can do to scare him.
Cascadius, on the other hand, will be another matter.
Glad you liked it.
It's either Derpy Hooves or Ditzy Doo. It's not Derpy Doo.
7757871 What are you talking about?
7797236 I know everyone confuses these but I thought that, since Hooves/Whooves already exist, Doo is Derpy's maiden name. And Ditzy was what everypony in Cloudsdale called her mother.
7797237 Cascadius, he and the Doctor have a...history.
Stupid bitch should just give up. You DO NOT want to make the Doctor truly angry... just ask The Family.
7826493 I think it's safe to say she's abandoned reason at this point.
This is a prime reason why, when you discover a vermin infestation, you don't smack the rats on the nose and tell them to be have, you gas the nest or worse if need be to destroy the infestation.
And on the Doctor's side, when hunting something that likes to hide in the dark, better to turn on all the lights than to stumble around with just your flashlight.
8055781 I realise. All too often protagonists favour honour over practicality.
But still, they have their reasons.
On Fancy and Celestia's side, arresting a very powerful noble at a Canterlot festival would have caused a colossal outcry. The Countess would have used every bit of her influence necessary to deny the charge and have the city crying for her release. It certainly wouldn't look good for Fancy, who's running in the polls against Nitpick (I mean, imagine if an electoral candidate arrested the wife of his opponent. Brows would be raised)
And on the Doctor's side, you'll know why he wants to keep Cascadius in the dark later.
He doesn't want his friends involved.
Over their encounters, Cascadius has already cost him quite a few.
*dies*
NO!!!
*sees the villain hurt Derpy*
You. Hurt. Derpy.
*batman voice*
YOU WILL DIE!
SUMMON THE WRATH OF THE BRONY FANDOM!
Fancy is now my number 2 stallion
I love him
*dies*
8173843 Yeah, I'm afraid that's no laughing matter.
It'll actually become more important later on if you've read Prelude: Call To Arms.