I walked along, following behind Twilight and the rest of the girls through the desert, following Twilight's lead. Amber was currently hiding, doing her entire ‘ninja’ thing. I had no clue how she did it, the landscape was mostly flat. I had given her orders to stay out of sight.
Twilight peered down on the map and then shifted our path a bit to the right.
I was more than happy to let her take the lead on this one, she was the Princess after all. I was along as the dream expert.
“Well?” Sunset asked from next to me, her eyebrows raised.
“Huh? Did you say something?” I asked with a blink.
She rolled her eyes, “I was asking if you felt something.”
“...Not sure it works like that, Sunny,” I shook my head. “And no, I'm not.”
“Hmh,” she said and then nodded, trotting up to walk next to Twilight, keeping an eye out as she adjusted her saddle bags with her magic.
We kept on for another hour or so before we reached the top of a rocky hill. Seeing Twilight and Sunset duck close to the ground, I follow the mares' examples along with the rest of the Elements. I quickly crawled up next to Twilight, peering over the tip of the hill.
There was a small town there, some twenty houses maybe, all following a straight street through the middle of the village. There were ponies moving around down there.
I frowned slightly and tapped my hoof against the ground in thought. From here things looked normal.
“What do you think?” Twilight whispered. “Seems nice enough from here. Everyone is smiling.”
“I know smiles. Those are not smiles,” Pinkie Pie said and glared down at the village. I glanced at her and frowned, looking back to the village again.
They were smiling, but... I couldn't tell from here. Was she right?
“Forget the smiles, look at the cutie marks,” Twilight said, her voice filled with worry.
...What the fuck?
They were all the same. An equal sign on each and every one of them. Okay, something is seriously fucking screwed here. Now when I noticed that, I picked up on other details I didn't before. Like they were all wearing the same mane and tail styles.
“Okay, That's weird,” Rainbow said with a frown.
“An entire village with the same cutie mark? How can that be?” Twilight asked as she looked to Sunset who just shrugged.
“I bet there is some big monster behind it,” Rainbow said as she floated in the air. “Seems like a monster thing to do.”
Well, she was not wrong.
“I reckon we should head into town and talk to some locals,” Applejack said with a shrug. “See what's going on.”
Rainbow nodded, “Great idea. Let's go!” and then she was off down the hill.
“Might as well now.” I sighed and got up, trying not to be annoyed at her. That was the next step, even if I wouldn't exactly have recommended doing it like that.
Twilight nodded and got up as well and then we started down the hill as a group as I studied the village below. Sunset was whispering soundlessly to herself as she walked along next to Twilight. I didn't catch most of it, but I did get enough to understand that she was going over spells. Combat spells.
She was clearly nervous about this and who could blame her, I was too. As much as I disliked admitting it, defeating Tirek had been about thirty percent skill and seventy percent luck. If everything hadn't gone exactly as it did, I would have been mush on the floor right now.
Alicorn now or not, Sunset was stronger than me in pure magic. Not by much admittedly, but she was.
It didn't take long to get down to the town.
“Welcome!”
“Welcome!”
“Welcome!”
Those big smiles, those greetings. Yeah, this wasn't creepy as fuck at all. So, what do we have here? Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Fear Her, Stepford Wives or pod ponies?
“Welcome!” a grey stallion with darker grey hair said as he stopped in front of the group. “Pardon my forwardness, but are you an Alicorn?”
Great deduction skills there, Sherlock. What could possibly have given her away?
I renewed my illusion with a quick lighting up of my horn, just in case.
Applejack nodded. “That there is the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle,” she explained, while Twilight looked more embarrassed than anything else.
The grey Stallion smiled and nodded, “Well, you certainly have come to the right place for friendship.”
Oh good Luna, did he have to say it in that tone of voice and that smile?
A white coated stallion interrupted before he could get anymore creepy, “What brings you to town?”
“We're not entirely sure,” Twilight said with a shrug.
“Well, I see. Well, all are welcome here in our little village. I'm Double Diamond and this is Party Favor,” the white coated Double Diamond said and motioned to his companion.
...The grey one’s name was actually...
Good lord. That's an unfortunate name.
Applejack nodded and quickly made a round of introductions to us all.
Double Diamond smiled and looked closer, saying, “And you all have your own unique cutie marks...” before smiling wider.
Twilight frowned, “If you don't mind, has there been any sort of trouble here lately?”
“Trouble? Why, I don't think we have ever had trouble in our little village,” Double Diamond said with a big smile.
“It's true,” Party Favor added as he looked at Twilight, “You'll see.”
...I'd rather not if you didn't mind.
“Perhaps you care to speak to our founder, Starlight Glimmer?” Double Diamond said and motioned for us to follow him.
I shared a look with Sunset as we followed the rest. She raised an eyebrow and I nodded slightly in return. Something told me that whatever was going on here, this Starlight Glimmer was in the middle of it all.
I... don't get it. What's wrong with Double Diamond's name?
Also, is the coverart new? It's amazing.
7944066 I think party favour is who was meant
7944073 Right, Double Diamond is white, not grey, and Party is grey, not blue. My mistake
This ought to be good.
What? No Fort Minor reference?
I am disappoint...
Went with DW Fear Her? I would have thought Twilight Zone It's a Good Life would have been more appropriate.
I do so very much hope that Page will be able to pretty much immediately spot the propaganda hogwash that Starlight tries giving them for what it is and calls her out on it. Or that he enters the Dream Realm, sees that Starlight is the only pony who lives in that village who does dream, and decides to interrogate her right then and there.
*Cues Communism comparison comments*
EDIT: THE STORY COVER IMAGE HAS ARRIVED!
They told me communism never works, BUT I DIDN'T LISTEN!
7944320 7944370
*Social Justice remark*
7944499
*Autistic Screeching*
7944514 why did you copy his comment?
7944066
7944073 Could it be taken as an innuendo?
Kick her a** seabass!
7944596
Took me a moment to get that joke. :)
7944066 Thank you!
7944718 I suppose it could be but to some people anything can be
This is going to be an interesting read.
MOAR MOTHERBUCKER!!!
When you have the time, that is.
Please?
-Ru
Aren't "pod people" FROM Invasion of the Body Snatchers? IIRC they put pods out that sucked their victims life out and then the clone would emerge from the pod.
Also I'd guess pod ponies too if I saw that town without the backstory. Frankly I'd be muttering about dusting off and nuking the site from orbit to Twilight as a backup plan; it's the only way to be sure.
Oh it was a monster all right. Just one that was parading around as a pony.
I knew something was off when Page reacted to Party Favors name so I checked it up on Urban Dictionary... Sometimes I wonder if the creators are aware of things like this.
7948844 Save me the trouble? Give me an abbreviated version?
Amber was the rock that Pinkie was supposed to be hiding under (if you reference back to the original episode)
When are you going to get stuff like the Map and new Castle/Library fusion stuff? This sounds like a pain to come up with new explanations.....
Me silly lol.
Forgot to fav, and I waz all confuzzled why there were no updates.
Lo and behold, I return to SO MANY! Mwahahahha!!!!!
Omnomnom.
Princess of... Friendship?
Uh.
Author?
She never found out that she's the princess of friendship.
The Season 4 Finale never happened like it did in the show.
AUTHOR WHAT KIND OF PLOT HOLES ARE YOU CREATING.
Glim Glam.
7949019
Here's what it says on urbandictionary regarding the word.
8700460
It can actually be worse. Someone brings a girl to the party who is known to be really easy. she is then passed around. The party favor. Rather like the town bicycle, or the one whos nickname is doorknob. Every one can take a ride, and every one gets a turn. Yes, sexist, rude crude and socially unacceptable.
8859132
There could obviously be innocent reasons for his name. The obvious reason could be that he’s a party pony, and party favors are common simple gifts given at a child’s party.
The other less-innocent reason for his name could also be that he was conceived at a party when his parents were drunk, and so he became a surprise gift from it.
I guess no one's figured out that Changelings can do inanimate objects too, and thus Amber is probably that rock over there.
Ah, human intuition. Great stuff to have. Looks like Sunset learned a bit of it as well.
9101319
Rock!? Where?!?!!?
7944066
Double Diamond. The jewels, man. The bros downstairs. The third let's best friends. Get it yet?
Soul tearing actually, cause CM's are a part of a pony's magic and the magic is a part of their soul(that's my theory on Cutie Marks anyway)
7944066
Party favor is slang for drugs at a party, usually cocaine.
I mean yeah she is the founder. They tend to be the one to cause this.
Seriously... Why would Starlight Glimmer fuck around with a Alicorn if not to steal the Talents and Skills... Its like a Foal trying to go against a Urasor Major
I was kinda wondering what was going to happen to Pony Stalin since the box hasn't been opened yet and therefore no Crystal-Tree Castle of Gaudiness.
Shape-shifting for Chameleon effect?
Double Diamond? He must be a breeding stud, ain't he?
Pegasus army could hide behind a huge cloud bank, that mutch for guards cannot do subtle.
You know the whole Starlight's plan here could ha e worked wonderfully if she made only one change: Everyone is equal to the best in each activity instead of the worse.
11640606
That would require cutie mark DUPLICATION and STACKING... And apart from... What was it... Heart's Desire? The flower Apple Bloom stole from Zecora, and get many cutie marks in rapid succession, I haven't seen anything else to simular effect. Grogar's bell TOOK magic from people, so no, it doesn't count.