Interference would only make things worse.
He'd just about convinced himself of that, and it was the central reason why he still didn't know what to do, if that was anything at all. Snowflake had been trying to think, to think of anything, and... it was as if his thoughts were nothing more than his namesake. Individually fragile, easily scattered by the smallest of breezes, and now there was a full tempest raging within his head -- but his hooves kept their own rhythm, maintaining the slow trot without any real conscious notice from their owner. Trotting through Ponyville, in the desperate hopes that giving his body something mindless to do would free his brain to work.
It didn't seem to be helping.
The internal storm had prevented him from giving Fluttershy an answer: what he would do if Applejack's plan worked. (He hadn't been told what it was, only that she had one -- and that was a part of what was keeping him from acting, out of fear that any action he could come up with would somehow negate hers.) All he'd been able to manage within the corridors of the police station was that he had to find out, and that was true enough -- but the initial search was taking place within his own mind, and it had been coming up empty for --
-- how long had he been doing this? Just... walking and trying, failing to think. A sufficient duration for Sun to have shifted through multiple hours (or so he presumed, as it was impossible to locate the orb behind the heavy cloud cover), more than enough to have passed some of the same places multiple times: he seemed to be on the verge of completing another loop, and even the weariness felt familiar. He'd been awake for far too many hours, and... he didn't have a goal. There was no reason to keep going, and so exhaustion slowly crept through muscles whose response time was steadily dropping.
Trotting through Ponyville, because no pegasus (and presumably hybrid) was supposed to attempt flight with their mind so disordered. For... too long. Time in which something strange had been happening, and doing so repeatedly. Something which had never really happened before, a recurring event he didn't know how to deal with.
Perhaps it would have been easier on a workday. It would have given him a destination, along with an increased level of manual labor providing something to do. Fluttershy had the advantage there: she could always return to the cottage, had trouble staying away for long, and the extended silence of his failure had finally reached the point where the need for morning feedings had called her home. But he was labor for hire. A mission meant all of his time was booked for an indefinite duration, with the palace carefully clearing any schedule he might have previously possessed. And once his near-sister returned -- well, part of the way the palace freed up booked time was through providing substitutes for him. He wouldn't be able to line up fresh work until the next market day, and that was still one Sun-raising away.
Fluttershy had gone back to the cottage, promising to bring back Genova to his little house before Sun was lowered. He had just... walked.
He briefly remembered the Princess mentioning that there were two other living ponies who shared his talent, and wondered if either of them had been gifted with mental determination. The ability to truly exercise the mind. But in his case, he was trying, he'd been trying for hours, and...
Enough time to have thought of nothing, and to have seen far too much.
Ponyville had a restaurant district of sorts, although it wasn't exactly at the level of quality which Las Pegasus hosted: for starters, his birth home didn't have to deal with the presence of Mr. Flankington. But it was something which had split. The eateries meant for unhurried meals occupied the original zone, while that which offered quick meals for those whose primary concern was being able to finish a full breakfast before the train departed (and potentially before their tongues reported on what had just been eaten) were located closer to the station. He'd wandered through that area, and huge windows designed to let those inside see exactly what was approaching the platforms had allowed him to spot the occupants.
He didn't really know any of the ponies within. Typically, what little familiarity did exist would come on the subconscious level: those who shared streets and sky with him, generally at a fairly significant distance. In that sense, just about everypony at the cafe could be described as a stranger -- but there were six whom he had never encountered before and still recognized. Some talents ran in families and in this case, so did the iconography.
Two of the Apple relatives had borne expressions tinged with confusion. (The stallion of that pair was reading a scroll, over and over: it was easy to see when his gaze shifted back to the beginning, along with how repetition was failing to bring comprehension.) One was fuming, three were openly worried, and all seemed to have been there for considerably longer than the average customer: one middle-aged mare was going through the sort of visible muscle twitches which generally appeared when a pony had both been still for far too long and had several mugs of wake-up juice suggesting that the first movement be in the very specific direction of a restroom.
The sighting had nearly made him move away from the cafe at a considerably higher speed than had been used for the approach -- but rapid movement had the potential to draw attention and from what he knew of Spike's sendings, none of those who'd been summoned to Ponyville had any idea what he looked like. (He suspected they were expecting somepony who was considerably more handsome.) But their presence seemed to indicate the elder brother's angry plan was working --
-- except that they were at the cafe. Still in town, when their first move should have been to head directly for the Acres. And given how long they appeared to have been there...
Perhaps it was something Applejack had done, to keep them off the farm for a little while: if so, it cut the chances of his trying to introduce himself to a number which threatened to dip below zero. And it was also possible that her actions accounted for the presence of another rather visible party within the cafe, although that was no guarantee. When it came to finding fast, reliable sources of food, the general rule was to eat where the police officers went...
(Earth pony officers, who were watching earth ponies.)
(He had no reason to think about that.)
(Not yet.)
Still, it redirected his path, and instinct kept the new one well away from the train station. But maintaining a degree of distance from the new arrivals still kept him among the long-time residents, and... that allowed the strangeness to happen. Over and over again.
"Are you okay?"
His tired gaze came up, managed to focus on the features of a leaf-green unicorn stallion. A pony who had never been in Snowflake's tent, had never hired him for any amount of labor, been to the cottage, or kept his distance on a work crew.
"Yeah," he wearily lied.
"That was a Tartarus of a fight," the impressed unicorn decided. "Everypony's been saying so."
"...yeah?"
"A pegasus beating an earth pony in close combat? The whole town's talking about it!"
"...yeah." Because there was no way he was going to try explaining the 'pegasus' part.
"I just wanted to make sure you were feeling all right," the stranger told him. "And Scootaloo. Have you heard anything about how she's doing?"
Which was where 'yeah' ran out. "She's... just bruised."
Physically. But Miranda knew...
"That's good to hear," said the stallion who almost had to have been victimized by the Crusade, if only because it was something which was statistically hard to avoid. "Thanks." Turned, began to walk away -- and paused, with the light blue mane shifting under the weight of humidity and awkwardness. "Are you really going out with Applejack?"
He'd found the best answer for that was a shrug.
"Good luck," the unicorn sincerely offered and in doing so, concluded the latest iteration of the strangeness. Ponies didn't approach Snowflake, and for multiple residents to just strike up even the most casual of conversations with him...
He hadn't known how to deal with the first encounter, not with a pony whom he'd made accidental eye contact with and found that mare acting in a way which wasn't instinctive retreat.. He hadn't seemed to be doing any better on the eighth. The twenty-first was uncovering no discernible improvement. It was making him look up a lot, although a society which included pegasi meant he wasn't exactly lowering his odds. (One of those sky-seeking glances had spotted a fast-moving air carriage, along with providing a momentary impression of exceptionally dark fur.) Ponies wanted to speak with him, and he -- didn't know what he was supposed to do with that.
How long had he been trotting down the settled zone's streets, moving through the little crowd of ponies without having it scatter before him? Not long enough to settle his mind, not with everything he knew (or believed) overturned. But he'd just kept going, because it was something to do and there was a chance of having a thought emerge. An idea which would give him direction, provide a chance at solution, repair all the damage which had been done to Applejack's life, prevent what might already be happening to Scootaloo, find some way of fixing the world...
All I ever do is break things.
It was a thought, and a deep part of him knew it wasn't a true one. But it still felt appropriate, especially for a pony who had been born broken. One whom Doctor Gentle hadn't so much tried to fix as --
-- experiment on.
I was his experiment.
Something which could report back.
Did he ever love me?
Did he ever love any of us?
Did he ever love his daughter?
They were the kind of thoughts which did little more than curve in on themselves as they echoed, with the repetition producing an ever-tightening spiral towards the void which lurked at their center. And given any chance, time without interruption, that was exactly what they would have done.
But he'd been moving in a loop, the next hoofstep brought him back to where he'd begun, and did so at the moment the other combatant came out.
Snowflake's gaze had been directed towards cobblestone at the instant of emergence, and so the first thing he registered was red fur. Connecting the dimensions of the legs to the identify of the possessor took an extra second, the inevitable upwards shift found green eyes (the same green as the older sister) which had been prepared to blink away the brightness of Sun after hours spent away from it, started to do exactly that on instinct alone, and found only grey.
It left them free to widen. Focus.
"Y'look tired."
I'm not up to this. That was a true thought, even if he couldn't quite find the precise definition within it. There seemed to be two possible meaning for 'this' and when it came to the primary, he knew he didn't want another fight. He was just equally dubious about his ability to make it through a second conversation.
Tired, in so many ways. Overexertion seemed to account for most of it: physical, emotional, and definitely verbal. But he wasn't so weary as to not register the little gasps from the other ponies on (and above) the street, the sounds of hooves coming to an abrupt halt added to the sudden scent of fear -- with most of the last seemingly arising from a frozen pink-furred mare.
"...yeah," he wearily told the farmer.
Features far more handsome than his own briefly quirked.
"So we're back to that?" There was something almost like a degree of amusement in the words, although it was hard to find within a familiar kind of matching exhaustion.
The police station's doors opened behind the farmer. Amicable chatter emerged first, crashed to the cobblestones as the trailing officers got their first look at what was happening --
"-- ain't gonna be another fight," Mac quietly said. "We already know who'd win, right?" And softly sighed. "Why ain't you in bed?"
Two days ago, I was a pegasus.
Two days ago, the only thing I ever really needed to say in public was 'yeah.'
He wasn't sure which he missed more.
"I don't want to find out what happens when I stop moving," Snowflake wearily replied.
"Pain?" It seemed to be a sincere question.
"I'm used to pain." (The crowd didn't pull back at that, and he wondered why.)
"Then it's dreams," the farmer stated.
Snowflake silently nodded.
"Yeah," the voice of experience offered. "They're gonna suck."
The herd watched. Waited. But all they got was a moment when both stallions were doing nothing more than awkwardly shuffling their hooves.
"What happened with the prosecutor?" Snowflake quietly asked.
"Y'ever heard of 'pre-trial intervention'?"
There was a new sound now, rising from the perimeter of the herd.
"No."
The big head dipped. "It's something they can do for first offenders, when... when it's a felony. When everypony else involved asked for leniency. Kind of like probation. Only there's counseling sessions, and Ah've gotta see somepony a couple of times a week, an'..."
The wordless vocalization was spreading, and the low rumble forced green eyes to close.
"Still have t' be in court next week," Macintosh managed to finish. "But if Ah finish it all, don't do anythin' that would break probation... it gets cleared from mah record. It'll just... take a while, and Ah -- can't really go anywhere until it's over. Or Ah break the terms. It'll be a few moons before Ah can --"
But he was speaking through the murmur now. Something low-pitched, something ugly, a sound which just kept getting louder to the point where it almost covered up the pounding of hooves racing towards the inner side of the station doors --
"-- no!" The word hit the air at the instant the hard-kicked left-side door slammed into the outer wall. "I won't! You can't do this, you can't, I won't let you --"
Snowflake was facing in just the right direction to see that the one who was in the lead had been running with her head down, not looking at anything except the path ahead. He could also tell that very little of that would have been visible through the fast-streaming tears, and so she didn't see the thick red left hind leg until her forehead went into it.
The farmer tensed. Muscles bunched under fur, a wince shifted misery-filled features -- but that was all. The filly's little tumble to the right could be considered as nopony's fault other than her own, and the mare who'd followed her out perceived all of that.
"You have to," that mare called out. "You don't have a choice, Scootaloo, I don't have a choice! There's no other way this can --"
Which was when the mare, who'd mostly been focused on the fleeing filly, saw everything else.
A dark-furred head slowly lifted. Grey-green eyes carefully surveyed the scene: two stallions, a pair of officers, and a crowd whose fear was steadily transmuting into something else.
"-- oh, buck my life," Miranda half-muttered. "Snowflake, you should be in bed --"
Which was cut off by exactly the wrong voice, one everypony in the settled zone eventually came to know all too well -- but which only the experienced knew to ignore.
"-- he kicked her again! We just saw --"
There was a split-second available after 'saw', a single instant before the herd's emotions settled into a new collective state, and it was the instant in which Miranda's horn ignited.
"SHUT UP, DAISY!" (A pink jaw fell open, and the light from a hard-spiking double corona played across white teeth.) "I was right behind her! I saw what happened! She ran into him and he stayed still! Anypony moves to attack him and I'll treat it as assault! You say one more word and it's inducing a riot! SHUT UP and STAY SHUT!"
The herd looked at the new lead mare. And then it shut up.
Scootaloo slowly picked herself off the cobblestones. Looked at Mac, whose eyes had never opened. Focused on Snowflake --
He saw it coming before it ever began, recognized the trembling in the wings to go with the tension along the neck and the lowered head. He could have dodged it with the simplest of jumps, stayed out of reach using the most basic hover. And so he did none of it, choosing instead to take the blow as she charged into his right foreleg, held as still as he could as she reared up, began to kick against his sternum over and over --
"-- you! You told, you told, you told, it had to be you, it had to be and she's going to send me away, she's going to --"
Which was as far as she got before a green-grey corona gently wrapped around her body.
"I'm not reporting that as assault," Miranda softly told the herd, her field pulling Scootaloo back by half a body length as it carefully lifted the filly. "And neither is anypony else."
"-- I hate you!" The tears were falling faster now as the filly flailed within the field bubble, and every one hit Snowflake harder than the kicks ever could. "I HATE --"
It was almost a whisper, the words barely audible -- and yet they carried to every forward-straining ear. "-- I already had a search warrant."
She stopped. Stopped fighting, stopped moving, almost seemed to stop breathing, her body slumping into a near-boneless state within the corona. Stopped doing anything other than weeping.
Miranda looked at her officers.
"Shift them back," the chief ordered. "Just the crowd. These two can stay." The corona intensified again. "But I want everypony else to put a few body lengths between us and the station."
The badge-bearing ponies began to move. Miranda softly sighed.
"I was trying to give you a chance to gallop yourself out," she told Scootaloo. "I didn't want to drag you back, not after everything else. And you were out of my office before I could even try. Rainbow would be proud..."
The filly trembled. Miranda took a single slow step towards the bobbing bubble, raised it a little higher as the crowd was steadily moved back. (The farmer's eyes remained closed, and all Snowflake could do was watch.)
"I had to tell him that, before he gave you up," the unicorn evenly, almost gently continued, dark fur standing out within greyed light. "I already had the Department Of Foal Welfare involved. We were going to knock on the door tomorrow, Scootaloo, and then we were coming in. We would have found the envelopes. It all would have happened anyway."
"They love me," the filly whispered. Refusing to look at anything, and a body which often seemed to equate stillness with death made no attempt to move.
"When was the last time you heard them say it? Words, Scootaloo. Not anything written in a letter. Words whispered into your ear by your parents --"
"-- it's their jobs, it's too dangerous for me to be with them, they left me behind because they love me, you don't send vouchers to somepony you don't love..."
"-- when?"
And the only answer came from the trembling of orange wings.
"You know who loves you?" Miranda quietly asked. "Snowflake does. He loves you enough to finally admit that you shouldn't be living like this. Not alone --"
"-- it'll be a cot," Scootaloo whispered.
The herd might have still been close enough to hear. To listen, distort, and gossip. And as Snowflake took a step forward, he wondered why it didn't seem to matter.
"A cot?" he softly asked.
"It was our house," the filly who had been so much like a little sister told him, every word shaking in concert with her feathers. "I did a good job. You saw. It was mostly clean, mostly except for the backyard and nopony cares about that anyway. I did all the laundry and I made my bed. But in the orphanage... the stories said you get a cot. A cot in a room with a dozen other ponies --" the words were coming faster "-- I lost our house, I lost everypony, everypony forever, I lost everything --"
The field bubble rotated. A flicker of energy raised the orange chin, and the police chief offered her case for Honesty.
"It won't be an orphanage."
It was hope which opened the filly's eyes. Powerful, unstoppable, horrible hope.
"...I can stay at home? Until they come back and explain?"
Miranda shook her head.
Desperate, more desperation in her voice than he'd ever heard, and all Snowflake could do was watch. "But you said --"
"-- it won't be an orphanage," Miranda repeated. "I meant that. And the house will be held in trust. But I don't want you to lose Ponyville. So we're going to find somepony you can stay with. Somepony here. And that means I need you to come back inside, so we can talk about who that might be. Can you do that for me? Because I don't want to try picking out a place all by myself. I'll probably get it wrong."
Stillness --
-- the little puff of mane bobbed up and down.
"Do you hate him?"
Snowflake's heart stopped.
"...no."
"Then tell him."
The bubble rotated again. The elevation to Snowflake's eye level had taken place more than a minute before.
"...I don't hate you," Scootaloo whispered. "I just... what are they going to say, Snowflake? I wasn't supposed to tell..."
"You didn't." He almost managed to put a smile at the end of it -- but some burdens were too heavy to shift.
"Yeah," she quietly agreed. "I didn't." And she did smile at that, for she had yet to see that there was any burden at all.
Miranda's eyes closed. Opened again, under grey sky and dimmed light.
"Can I put you down now?" the police chief asked. "And you'll go into my office, so we can talk about this? I'll join you in a minute."
"...I guess so."
The bubble slowly floated down. Tiny flickers of energy adjusted the filly's legs into a standing position, and then Miranda's corona winked out.
The little body staggered a little: the filly hadn't quite been ready to take responsibility for her own weight. Moved forward --
-- green eyes shot open, frantically focused down and in doing so, the farmer found himself looking at the same thing as everypony else.
Scootaloo nuzzled his right foreleg again, then glanced back. Took in the shock of the watching herd.
"I forgave him," she told them, and blinked away the last of the tears. "I heard you, all of you, and... we all do stupid stuff sometimes, everypony here's done something stupid, and -- somepony forgave you. It was just a stupid accident on a dumb night, stupid instinct and... I forgave him. Why can't you?"
Her wings trembled. Unfurled to a full span which was a little larger than it had been the week before, curled back in.
"You have to forgive him," she insisted. "He needs to stay with his family. Somepony..." Newly-grown flight feathers shivered. "...somepony should get to keep their family..."
And with head held high, her tail showing no more than the slightest bit of shiver, Scootaloo trotted back into the police station.
Miranda took a slow breath. Looked at the silent crowd, and Snowflake saw that very little of it was gazing back at her. Too many eyes were closed, and nearly every head was down.
"Go home."
The ones at the back turned first, picking out their hoofsteps as if any impact might fracture an ankle. Pegasi slowly flew away. Flower Wishes had to be escorted off the street.
The dark-furred unicorn looked at the two stallions.
"Am I going to have any trouble out of you two?"
"Nope," Macintosh stated.
"No," Snowflake agreed.
"Keep it that way." Another breath, and Miranda began to turn. "Because right now, I have to figure out how I'm going to finish overturning a filly's life. And once that's done..."
She stopped. Her spine curved, and the shadow-filled tail sagged with something more than exhaustion.
"...I need to visit the library."
The question fell to Macintosh. (As far as Snowflake was concerned, the farmer had always been the better talker.) "The library?"
"As you recently reminded me," the police chief said, "there's a local way of getting paperwork distributed in a hurry. And I need to send arrest warrants out across an entire continent. EQ 6:19:1. Neglect."
A flicker of corona played across her horn, and winked out at the same moment the unicorn chose to simply kick the door open.
"So if you'll excuse me," Miranda softly requested, "I have to go back inside and see if I can get through the rest of this Tartarus-freed day without telling her that."
She went through the doorway, into the shadows of the station. Vanished.
There was silence for a moment, with red and green eyes mutually surveying the emptied street. Eventually, they sought out each other.
"So where are you headed?" the farmer asked.
"No idea."
"Me neither." The earth pony sighed. "Mind if Ah go there with you?"
I slammed him into the dirt.
It had been less than a day since the impact, and now the combatants were trotting at each other's sides. Reconciling the situation was presenting Snowflake with a certain degree of difficulty, although nowhere near as much as it seemed to be giving the startled townsponies. But under one of the other hooves, having everypony automatically back away enough to create the space for a (potential) mobile combat arena also produced the sort of privacy conditions he was used to --
-- except that the farmer was trotting at his side.
"I saw some of your relatives. In the Purple Rein."
"Yeah?" There was some surprise in that. "How did y'know?"
Snowflake silently tilted his left ear towards the other stallion's mark.
"...yeah," Mac echoed. "We've kinda got a theme goin'." Which was followed by an oddly rueful shrug. "It doesn't hold up for everypony, though. Samara didn't manifest one."
"Who?"
"My pegasus cousin."
He blinked. "You've got --"
"-- adopted." The big body heaved a deep sigh. "Long story, and she's the best one to tell it. If she can do it without crying. It... hasn't been long enough." A few hoofsteps passed before he opened his eyes again. "Anyway, she won't be here. I didn't send a scroll to her parents, because... well, y'can probably guess."
"Are you going to talk to the ones in the cafe? There's at least six --"
"-- not just yet." Which was followed by an exceptionally slow head shake. "Anger's like alcohol. It... lets things out."
"So you're not angry any more." He didn't quite believe that.
The farmer's lips quirked. "Ah'm too tired t' be angry."
That I can believe. "...yeah," Snowflake ruefully agreed.
"But nopony can make you angry like family," Macintosh sighed. "They're the ones who know how. Ah was angry, and that let stuff come out. Everything we'd been keeping down for too long. Ah thought bringing the family in was the right thing to do. She wouldn't listen to me, so -- get more ponies, and the words would have extra weight. But anger's like alcohol, and when the anger's gone -- you start asking yourself if anything you did made any sense. I thought it was right, and -- now I don't know. And..."
A few more hoofsteps.
"...we were both angry," he finally continued. "I haven't seen her that mad since our parents died. So now Ah'm wondering just how much she might want to take back. And... whether we even can. So Ah'm not ready to go see cousins yet, not until Ah figure out what kind of idea it really was." The shrug was surprisingly small. "Ain't sure what Ah'm gonna say if one of 'em sees us together, though. Snowflake?"
Automatically, "Yeah?"
With sudden irritation, "Look, Ah know it's a decent word. But if Ah've gotta talk, then you've got to kick a little variety in, okay? There's a question you never answered last night. I need to hear it now. Why you?"
And all he had was honesty. "I don't know."
The big red body stopped moving (with the white matching), and Mac's head took a rather dubious tilt to the left.
"...really."
"I don't. She didn't tell me --"
The interruption was more curious than vicious. "-- thought you two didn't talk."
"In the station, just before Sun was raised," Snowflake clarified. "It was -- mostly about the scrolls."
"So she knows," Macintosh quietly said. "Well, knew, in advance. First ones would have reached the Acres hours ago." And frowned. "But y'said there's some in the Rein? That doesn't make sense. They all know where to go..."
There was silence for a few heartbeats. It wasn't exactly something either stallion was uncomfortable with.
"But y'don't know," the farmer finally finished. "Why it's you." Another sigh. "Guess we've both gotta ask her."
A little more walking. They were coming up on the bowling alley.
"She does have reasons for doing things, most of the time," Mac added. "Not always good ones. Ah'm pretty sure you weren't here for that one harvest..." The red brow furrowed. "The Rein. Why would they be there? There's gotta be a reason."
"I don't know," Snowflake readily admitted. "Maybe Applejack told them to stay there?"
"Why would they listen?" the farmer immediately countered. "Ain't nopony gonna take her too seriously right now, not after asking you out." (There was a part of Snowflake which realized he should have taken offense at that. He didn't quite manage to pull it off.) "She had a little warning that they were coming, so she could have planned something. But to make them stay off the Acres, or even stall... what's she up to? Did she tell you anything?"
He searched the scorched trails of memory. "Just that she was going to meet some ponies."
"So she might have seen the first ones come in at the station," the older brother considered. "And I know who that would have been. So..." The next words emerged in a low mutter. "...what would the ugliest, most stubborn mare in the world do --"
The actual crashing sound came from inside the alley. It was completely typical, represented nothing more than a ball going into pins, and only happened to coincide with the slow-motion collapse of Macintosh's features.
Every red limb had locked up. The big rib cage was heaving, eyes had gone wide with shock and horror --
"...no!"
The farmer was too young for it, far too healthy, and Snowflake's first thought was still heart attack. "Mac? What's --"
"-- how strong are you?" The words came at the same moment as the spin, and then the taller stallion was frantically staring down into his face, too-fast breaths blasting against the white snout. "Ah know you can lift me! Can you carry?"
He wasn't good with words, and they were all he had to form the questions. "Mac --"
-- which was as far as he got. "Can you carry? Can you get me t' the Acres? Tell me!"
He was tired, he had almost nothing left to give -- but he'd just been offered a goal. "If we stay low." Just in case he was wrong. "Mac, what's going on? Why can't you just gallop --"
A brief, bitter laugh, just before the farmer's accent further thickened with fear. "Ah ain't a sprinter, can't try t' reach the Acres from town at mah best speed without droppin'! Jus' get me t' the border, an' Ah'll do the rest! Will y'do that for me?" The big barrel was heaving faster now, and the speed was approaching that of hyperventilation. "Please!"
He didn't speak. He didn't think. He just went up.
"No! Don't leave, please --"
Powerful white legs clamped against Macintosh's body.
He didn't have techniques, not enough to get through the Academy, and the few he did possess were at exceptionally low strength. But there was maneuverability present in his unnatural flight and while he would never be able to match Rainbow, he also had speed.
Snowflake had been vaguely aware of ponies staring up at them as the carry had begun, along with having heard a few distant cries of alarm: his guess was that they'd assumed it was part of another fight. Those ponies were now well behind them, and Mac had shouted the contrary all the way out of town.
"Where do you want me to drop you?" Snowflake called out as greyed light began to highlight late-blooming fruit. "Your house?"
"The border!" Mac shouted. "Jus' the border! Put me down at the first Idared!"
"The --"
"-- the tree with apples which have the red an' green all mixed up! Ah'll go in from there!"
It didn't sound right. It didn't feel right. If things were that bad --
"-- I can put you wherever you need to go! If you need to search --" admittedly, there were portions of the Acres where the canopy was fairly thick, but the hunt would still be likely to go faster from the air --
"-- Ah don't hate you!"
It almost made him miss a wingbeat.
"An' not hatin' you," Mac yelled, "is why you're gonna drop me where Ah said! Let me do this, 'cause it's gotta be family! An' go left, that's the first Idared right there!"
He tilted, dipped, sent the amputations into a descent pattern while his mind was too busy to wonder if it was actually doing anything, got the farmer's hooves close to the soil and then let go.
"Stay here!" Macintosh shouted, legs already beginning to push forward. "Ah'll come back after! If'fin we're lucky, that'll be a few minutes!"
He didn't know what was happening. He didn't know what the farmer was so afraid of.
"But if you need help --"
The orange tail lashed as it went into the trees.
"STAY!"
He hovered. Listened to the sound of hooves pounding against earth.
I can't do anything.
I'm not family.
I'll never be --
Listened to the frantic breaths produced by terror, and then realized they were his own.
-- this is all because of me --
He didn't know the Acres all that well, especially not from low altitude, and going into a thick branch at high speed --
-- there was a WHUMP! There always was, and dirt went up in all directions.
I need to get there.
The hybrid began to gallop.
He'd never given chase this way before, not on hoof for more than a few seconds. Any such pursuit in Las Pegasus had taken place before he'd found the sky and as such, every last one had been strictly short-term. Whoever he'd been after would flare out their wings, flap a few times, and then laugh all the harder as they went where he could not yet follow. Moving with that intent for more than a minute brought him into several kinds of fresh territory, and pursuing on hoof over ground was completely new.
But the soil supported him in a way vapor never had, and so Snowflake ran.
It was tricky. He couldn't follow so closely as to let Mac see him, because that might make the farmer lose potentially-precious seconds to any verbal attempt at driving him back -- but it also meant he couldn't see the earth pony. Snowflake was trying to maneuver on sound alone, chasing down distant hoofsteps, and it meant he could only hope he was going the right way, he hadn't been on the ground long enough to figure out how sound might be distorted through bouncing off wood and he was already running down echoes --
(Up ahead, at the goal which he would never reach, an emerald had just flashed green.)
-- his ears strained forward, and the last bits of long-dried blood fell into absorbing soil. Golden hooves pounded against the world, and he didn't know if he was making enough noise for Macintosh to hear him --
(An unseen sapphire dulled. The emerald flickered. Neither reaction was magically conveyed to the staff's bearer, for the enchantments had no way of reconciling his existence, and the only mare who even came close to noticing had other concerns.)
"-- NOT ALLOWED!"
-- which put all other hearing into question.
A mare's voice, an angry one -- but it wasn't Applejack, it didn't sound like anypony he'd heard before, but it gave him a direction and he was pushing, something was happening up ahead, something which was only taking place because of him and he had to get there, it renewed the goal and --
-- he just barely spotted the strange patch ahead, a strip of land which overlaid the true like taffy pulled with dirt and rock, but he didn't have much experience with ground and so merely treated it as something which had to be hurdled --
-- running, he was still running, he'd only overflown the Acres a few times and it seemed as if he'd never crossed all of it, he hadn't known how much land there was, but he still had the goal, he could run even if he wasn't sure how long he'd been galloping for, he could get there, he could --
"SHE CHEATED!"
He heard those words: there was no way not to hear them. It felt as if the entire world had been blasted by the scream, birds taking panicked flight from the trees, the irregular strips of earth almost vibrating with sheer channeled rage.
It was the last sound his straining ears would deliver to his mind, as he raced towards his goal. Pushing forward through the trees, heading for what seemed to be a lighter section up ahead. A larger patch of grey --
-- and then the earth lanced its song through his soul.
It is not deafness, not in the way some might consider the deprivation of a sense to exist. There is an orchestra, and then there is a pony who might be capable of hearing every instrument -- but only when they express themselves across what might be a single narrow range of notes. He can only hear the music which matches his own bars, and -- that's never been the whole of the song, not in the way the others know it.
He has made some form of music, in his way. But he's never been aware of it. The closest simile may be somepony whose response to stress is a nervous humming, an action which never registers within their own consciousness, a soft low note which becomes completely lost in the background chorus of the Effect. And as for hearing, even within his limited range -- how could he be expected to hear when nopony around him has ever truly sung?
It is the first time, and he has no way to prepare for that which has just taken over from every other sense he possesses. He loses the lesser kind of hearing, sight, scent, everything in the blast (and his body begins to stumble). He doesn't know what he's experiencing, has no way to recognize or reconcile. It is his first experience of the song, it comes all at once, and it has nothing of the gentle tide which rises from the Effect, something which carefully raises youthful singers through stages of awareness until their own voice finally resounds in their soul. This carries rage and fury and a demand that the world be something other than what it is, that is his first experience of truespeech, and
there's something else
a valley, a gap, a wound
vibrations
vibrations driven by anger, vibrations which shouldn't be there, which are about to
he's not sure. There's a vague impression of something resting high, something else low, and it's too much to try and interpret in the midst of the overload. All he truly knows is the vibrations, for that is what he's always had. He drives a hoof into the soil and the world trembles. Ponies think it's sheer strength. It isn't. It never has been. A low hum, a touch of WHUMP!, and
the vibrations aren't supposed to be there, not driven by rage, not something so clearly meant to hurt, and
there's singing, singing in the form of a scream
but it's singing to something and
the scream shouldn't be there
that which listens knows it
so he tries telling the vibrations not to be without entirely knowing how, when he's been pushing for too long, and he loses his goal as he tries to flounder towards something approaching music, it takes everything he still has, everything left (and his body is collapsing), all he knows is the song and all there might ever be is the song and
she couldn't use the collapsing soil, not in the face of an earthquake when anything she could force together could be vibrated apart. Her mindset was still locked into the principles of the duel, and Applejack couldn't debate --
-- the first clumps of soil fell, tumbled onto her back --
-- and then the next bunch was flung across the fosse, pushed by the sheer force of fast-emerging roots, stretching out over her back, the little white nodules flickering past her vision as the arteries of the Acres thickened into a protective roof, but it was taking too much, plants weren't supposed to grow this quickly and pushing so hard had a chance to damage the trees, she was doing it all by herself and she didn't know if it was going to be enough, if her barrier would hold, but it was her best chance to protect herself and Elstar, she was barely staying on her hooves, trying to keep the roots going while the vibrations did their best to knock her down and
the shaking stopped.
She staggered: there was a moment when it was the only thing she could do, especially after four legs which had been battling against the upheaval found nothing left to fight. Shaken eyes looked up, tried to see through the little gaps between the roots, saw only grey --
-- but she could still hear.
"Who... who did that? I didn't --"
The mare's voice was followed by that of the Advocate. The one who attended. Managed. Judged. The voice which was supposed to be heard above all others.
"...no..."
"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Akane demanded. "Did I say everypony could look at me like that? She cheated! I just --"
The earth slammed together under Applejack's hooves, began to lift her out of the fosse at a speed better suited to Rainbow and she was trying to move faster than that, frantically attempting to gallop against a slope which wouldn't let her find purchase, knowing there was nothing she could do, knowing she had to do something anyway --
"Sun and Moon," her Granny whispered. "Oh, Akane..."
"She cheated --"
"-- it wasn't over!" Rocksteady cried, and Applejack heard the tears within the words. "I didn't have a chance to seal the results! She didn't cheat, and the land --"
That was the moment when Applejack got within leaping distance of the rim.
She slid somewhat upon landing, for Akane had been responsible for that portion of the perimeter, and the skid nearly ended in a collision: her dumb brother leapt aside just in time.
There was no time available for staring at him, or looking back to where he'd just come out of the treeline. There wasn't time for anything except racing forward, desperately trying to reach her cousin, and the last bit of strength she still seemed to possess was channeled through her soul and into the land, pleading as the sobs rose from the bottom of the fosse, and Akane just...
...stared at them. In anger, in fury, in rage, and without anything approaching comprehension. Akane, who'd never been much for paying attention to stories or instructions, because her first preference for listening had always been herself.
Please! A single note, her soul held against the world as it prayed for recognition. Please, don't --
They heard her then, all of the Maluses, for they had grown up among each other's voices, and the final burst of Macintosh's mad gallop slowed, stopped, and ended with his hindquarters dropping into the dirt. Granny closed her eyes. Apple Bloom, who had felt the desperation, began to cry. And Akane simply stared from her place on the rim, with her hooves half-covered in loose soil.
"What's wrong with you? That wasn't interference! I just --"
And then her hooves were completely covered.
Rocksteady looked away. Macintosh began to shake. And Akane didn't notice, not until it had crept across ankles and hocks.
"What is this? What are you doing? Stop it, Applejack, stop it, or -- fine, I'll stop --"
All life comes from the earth.
All life returns to the earth.
For all the days and nights between, she will honor the contract...
"-- it won't listen!" Up to the knees now, and she was attempting to jump, leaping in place, trying to get away -- but the world held her. "Why won't it listen? Make it stop --"
They were brought to the earth in the first hours of their life, all of them. To make contact. They were brought to the world, and the world flowed across Akane's ribs, crept across her back, coated the mark as it flowed along her neck and over her frantic eyes and covered her screaming mouth and there was a statue of a mare on the rim, one created from pebbles and soil as her father sobbed within the depths of the pit --
-- the coating cracked. Fell away, leaving behind a mare whose natural hues had been masked by residual dirt, her ribs heaving, gasping over and over and over and over and
it wasn't trying for air. Eyes widened to the point where it seemed as if the corners had to rip cared nothing about seeing other ponies, and twisting ears had no ability to find something they had never had any true part in hearing.
She staggered forward, almost to the edge of the fosse. Dropped to all four knees, then sank lower. Pressing her body down, forelegs scooping in whatever they could reach, hind trying to kick it all against her. Repetitively, almost mindlessly, over and over again, as if it was the only thing left to do.
It made no difference, as they moved towards her. It never would.
She blinked up at them, as her left foreleg pushed a rock into fur and skin. Blood trickled down the edge.
"Where is it?" the hollow voice softly begged. "Where's the world...?"
Oh my god...
The earth took her VOICE...
So because Akane is a stupid whorse who cares only for herself and fuck anypony else, by interfering in such a way the very land itself on which they stood went "Bitch, you broke the rules, you are no longer an Earth Pony, and in fact are now less than dirt, because even the dirt still has a connection to the earth"
Also. Wonder if anyone will point out to Elstar that he could never hope to raise any foal "Right" considering he failed to raise his daughter right as she fucked herself spitting over their oldest and possibly most sacred tradition.
Holy shit...
Oh damn. Well I guess the secret is out of the bag partially. I think... no I hope that Snowflake’s unique nature will give him a pass.
Still I want to hug Elstar his daughter has paid a terrible price and now he must face the family and show that he didn't raise his daughter correctly.
wooooooooooah. Dayum. That was an intense ending.
I've wondered how much Snowflake and Fluttershy might have in the way of earth pony powers. This is fascinating world building.
(I love this story so much!)
Disregard the earth and the earth disregards you.
Sometimes the DM has to get out the newspaper.
And sometimes the DM has to get out the
nailbatWand of Motivationtm.Well damn, I think Snowflake just found a second voice
Also, Akane done messed up something fierce. Did the earth punish her for interfering or was that some kind of backlash for doing more than she could?
Penalty: you lose the ability to hear and sing.
Yikes. That’s a shock.
Somepony get her to Pinkie. She needs to know that deaf is not the end of the world, or her life.
Magnificent Estee. I’m looking forward to the next chapter.
Somewhat less tragic an end then I thought it was going to be, but to have an innate sense stripped from you has to be horrific none the less. But that's what you get when you mess with laws older then pony kind. It's the same reason you don't mess with the fey.
Honestly, reminds me a little of
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The earth punished her for interfering. She's Deaf now. She can't hear or speak to the earth anymore.
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Sometimes, horrible things happen to horrible people because of their own horrible actions. This is one branch of the Apple family tree that deserves to be pruned.
I just hope this doesn't traumatize Apple Bloom.
Holy shit how intense! Did Snowflake accidentally spare her from being entombed so the earth took her tools away instead? Or did Applejack or Big Mac break her free?
I don't remember what the terms of the duel were exactly, but I don't think the others put up a punishment that severe, to them that would be worse than death. Was it just a consequence of the contract being violated and this is the usual punishment for doing so?
And it's easy to forget about with all the insanity that happened at the end but damn, poor Scootaloo. I can definitely see why she would forgive him, and even encourage the town to. I liked how Scootaloo told off the crowd, and how they actually seemed to absorb it and be appropriately shamed. It reminded me of the show in a dark reflection kind of way. Snowflake's scene was awesome and poetic. I really loved the descriptions and the way you got across something that the POV character had no concept of. Great stuff, man. Estee at top-tier levels of crafting here.
Oh, my. They are going to go after Snowflake now aren't they? He got close, and he did sing, but all of that could be swept under the rug. Just convince him exhaustion overcame him and he had a vivid dream. Advocate asks, 'who stopped the earthquake?' why Mac of course. It was a stallion and in the middle of the terror and shouting who was truly listening? It could all be covered up but...
Akane has paid a horrible price. What will the rest of the Earth Tribe think of one the earth has rejected? Bet her fiancé won't have to run anymore, no way a marriage arranged for purity would take spoiled goods. Akane may have just lost everything and I somehow doubt her or her father are the type to accept the consequences of their own mistakes. It would be so easy to cover up, but Akane has been hurt, her father will most likely blame Applejack, and by the terms of the duel he can't do anything to her. At least, not directly...
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He reflexively shut down the earthquake Akane started. If that doesn't qualify him as an Earth pony, then none of the others are qualified, either.
A small realisation here. Earth ponies are essentially warlocks; they make a pact with the world,
and through it they can ask the world for help.
But if you break the contract, the world can take back what was given
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I think snowflake stopped the earthquake from entombing Applejack, while the dirt covering Akane is how the earth took hold of her to strip her of her tools
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Initially I figured just regular blindness and deafness, then I reread the last bit, and that makes a lot more sense with how she reacted.
We know SUN is sentient.
We know MOON is sentient.
The world just cut its connection with a pony, a racial in-born trait. I know magic was heavily involved at the start of the fosse and there was a lot of ceremony and contracts, but I have to wonder...
Is EARTH sentient?
"while that which offered quick"
"while the ones which offered quick"?
"to where he'd began, and"
"to where he'd begun, and"?
"what would the ugliest, most stubborn mare in the world do"
I feel like I'm missing some meaning in the "ugliest" part...
(I'm guessing this isn't a problem with the text, though, just my understanding. Or possibly memory, if the vague feeling that I should know this is right.)
...I mean, at least the earth didn't swallow you, Akane, as I thought was happening at first.
Excellent writing, as usual. :D
oof. That's just... I can only imagine losing your magic is worst for earth ponies out of all the tribes. It's not just losing part of their identity like it would be for a pegasus or unicorn. It's losing a constant connection to every other earth pony as a whole. It's losing a family that exists on a grand and incredible scale. And as much as I dislike Akane, she doesn't deserve that. If she's lucky, it might not be permanent though. The chapter's name is Atonal. She may need to simply... atone. Granted, I doubt that would be easy if possible. I imagine it would be akin to the atonal process of clerics and paladins in DnD. It wouldn't do for her to merely learn her lesson, she'd need to prove she'd learned it through a something so good and unquestionable that the earth itself was convinced. And, honestly, even if it worked like that, I'm not sure she'll ever grow enough to be capable of truly atoning.
Holy crap. They'll have to start calling it the Applejack Threshold.
Holy cheese and crackers, so much happened...and that ending....whoa
You're a master, Estee.
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More to the point, they're computers. Tools, put in in practise, sound an awful lot like programs.
The question is who built all this? Were ponies truly this advanced? Were there Alicorns before, as Discord implied? Splitting them in three and making tribalism a thing would be hilarious.
This whole business with Akane raises a frightening thought. They keep mentioning a Contract, something that binds them to the Earth, makes earth ponies what they are. It occurs to me that there's likely some unthinkably ancient fosse out there somewhere where the first deal betwixt Earth and Equestrian was made. A bargain struck, power to equal the other tribes, at a cost.
What kind of cost I wonder, what can ponies have that the Earth desires? Dedication perhaps? Tradition? Secrecy? How is it that so many centuries have passed, and not once has anypony successfully given it away? I believe that Akane has answered that question quite ably.
The Secret belongs to the Earth. And the Earth, will keep it.
Applejack heard. Applejack will know.
If that isn't cause for making Snowflake family, nothing is- he literally made the Contract without even knowing on Apple land, and shares the bond tighter than blood.
Also, called it. Akane was silenced. Deaf AND dumb to the earth. It'll be a miracle if he doesn't jump off a cliff inside of a month, because it doesn't sound like earth ponies that aren't born deaf to the Song function very well if they stop hearing it for very long.
Wow, that ending...
But backing up a bit, I gather from the clues that Luna traveled to Ponyville and was involved with the “pre-trial intervention” in Mac’s case. It was good seeing Mac out of jail, and with a path towards clearing his record. It was also good to see him and Snowflake having another chance to talk, although them both wondering why Applejack chose him made me think about how many secrets are intersecting in this story... from Earth Pony Powers, which can’t be shared with non-Earth ponies, to the existence of hybrids, which the Princesses wasn’t kept quiet until they have a chance to find and alert them all, to the nature of the traumatic mission Applejack just finished and how it affected her. The answer to why Applejack asked him out is at the intersection of these secrets, although the answer to simply “why him” may be a lot more basic. Regardless, it’s a crushing amount of life-altering secrets to pile upon any pony, even one as sturdy and stubborn as Applejack.
My first thought is that obviously Scootaloo should move in with Snowflake, but we’ll see how that goes. In our world, a bachelor who gets by on odd jobs probably wouldn’t be the authority’s first choice in a foster parent without any direct family blood, but it would be the happiest home for her, I’d imagine. I believe aunt Holiday and Lofty were alluded to, but Miranda might not be too pleased with them if they actually exist unless they too were unaware of the apparent neglect the filly was receiving. The Apples are probably right out, what with Mac having kicked her... that detail can’t look good on a foster form.
And now, that ending... Poor Akane. Earth Ponies have a religious-like relation to the Earth, and her god has just forsaken her. Some people have always had a problem with the “instant redemption” that the Elements did with Luna and Sunset Shimmer, but I’ve always imagined getting hit with them as a religious experience, the kind of humbling that could only come from a sudden, profound understanding of how disappointing they were (whereas Discord shrugged off the emotional effects of the Elements by having too little conscience to care about cosmic judgement.). Akane has just been delivered a judgement on that level... rejection and exile embrace of her Mother Earth. Like Luna and Sunset, I hope that it’s still possible for her to atone and find forgiveness and acceptance again.
And finally Snowflake’s part in the battle... is what he did considered interference as well? Does the Earth understand and judge, or are the punishments tied up in the ritual magic without a conscious mind behind their execution? Applejack begged for Akane, so it seems she believes there’s a consciousness there to be swayed. So maybe he’s in no danger from the Earth, as he wasn’t part of this contract and so can’t be punished for interrupting events. But is he in danger from the ponies (Who knows what Elstar’s emotional state will be following this) and will that force the truth out about his nature? Is that truth out regardless, now that others have heard him?
Lots to wrap up here... I’m looking forward to more! Great job on it all!
Called it.
What I did not see coming was Macintosh. Figured Miranda and Scootaloo would have taken the train, not an air carriage. Makes sense though. If the Chief of Police can't justify the expense to transport a minor victim/witness, then who can?
And speaking of Scoots…
It looks like Estee is leaning into the canon version of Scootaloo's parents. We got a solid hint that this was the case a few chapters back when Holiday and Lofty were name-dropped. The question in front of us is, are they horrible, awful people in this universe or—
—is there something else going on?
Rarely have I seen a sentence that is simultaneously so ominous and so encouraging.
Luna? Or somepony else racing to the fosse?
... No, it may just be Miranda returning to the station after searching the Allgood-Shutter residence.
Miranda is a very good pony.
So is Scootaloo. I wish the same could be said about her parents. Best case scenario, they found some exotic flora in Mazein... though having the presence of mind to send money back home may actually undermine that defense.
Given your history with the Pony Tangentially Connected to Prince, I have to wonder how the Purple Rein got its name.
Oh. Oh my. Violate the contract and it is null and void. And so are you. I get the feeling that Akane can still speak. Still scream. But now nothing will answer her.
Haunting chapter, but there's not much the rest of the family can do. Especially not after this tragedy. Though the stallion passed out from magical and physical exhaustion merits some concern...
9896900
"Atonal" as in "without tone." Any connection with atonement is either coincidental or a bit of wordplay that applies to the actions of other ponies in this chapter.
9896940
The earth never consumed Applejack when she revealed the Secret to her friends, and stories of loose lips end with tall branches and short ropes, not this seismic severance. The Secret appears to be a purely social construct... though "appears" could be the operative term. Still, the evidence suggests otherwise.
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Well in Applejack's case 'twas more a matter of clarifying than revealing. Triptych had already handled the big revelation. As to the lynching's, one wonders how such things could happen so reliably if the guilty ones were aware of the certain outcome of loose lips. One way or another it seems ponies know when the Secret's been broken.
Perhaps the Earth acts, perhaps it doesn't. There's deucedly little information to go on. But the thing that my mind keeps circling back to is that a contract defines an exchange, one thing for another. The Earth gave the ponies power/magic/voice/life, what did the ponies give the Earth?
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It's Miranda and Scootaloo returning from meeting with the prosecutor in Canterlot.
9896989
Yes, I did gather atonal was a musical term. It's simply also close enough to the word atone as to make me wonder if there's a layered meaning. There are a bunch of other ways to have described the same thing, although I suppose none of them would necessarily fit the formality of the chapter name theming as well.
Poor Miranda. She gets to suffer more aching in her mark as justice gets aborted by royal decree again. We find there is a limit to the degrees of separation from the Militant Arm of Harmony where the blanket immunity works as Scootaloo’s parents can actually get arrested. The drama and backstory for Scootaloo is quite interesting.
Needing the results sealed isn’t something I expected. Akane getting her voice ripped from her and crying into the earth while cutting herself with jagged shards of rock in an attempt to feel something again is a nice touch. Can’t argue she didn’t violate the rules which a clarification of the rules in the text. She was a horrible one-note pony with no redeeming features. Maybe if they weren’t the most garbage of garbage ponies it would hit a bit harder. She’s sad, and that’s sad, but she’s bad, so it’s not that bad.
And, hey, ancient, strict traditions are bad, so the theming and message stay on point.
Very poetic, she spent her whole life not listening to anyone but herself, so the World decided that if she will listen to nothing but herself, then that what she will get.
9896979
Probably not, though they could have traveled to Mazein at some point in their lives. Either that, or the plant somehow ended up in Equestria.
9897030 The earth ponies tend to the earth and its life.
This might be the best option for AJ. Not only did she win, but the opposing side choose to break the rules and she tried to save them.
Only the stupidist members of her family wouldn't side with her now.
well this was a darker chapter.
Miranda finally acting on Scootaloo's situation. hopefully she gets to live with snowflake.
I got Mac's arrival right, didn't expect snowflake to show up too. thats going to be interesting if he shows up before they finish things. do his actions also merit a response? he wasn't interfering so much as he was stopping Akane's actions. Will AJ be teaching Snowflake about earth pony magic now since he knows the truth about his birth, and can hearand sing somewhat.
Akane. . . wow. the earth itself took her magic. maybe now she will be able to learn to listen and think before acting. Or will she be unable to change, and simply have a new target to direct her near constant anger at?
*stares at update feed waiting for new chapter*
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Or will she jump in front of the train? We can always dream.
These new chapters are incredibly intense. I'm reeling.
First the fosse setup and the fight were so well written, I loved the description of how exactly Applejak and Elstar used their magic. And of course once again Friendship saves the day... coupled with creativity. I like when the basic message of the show comes up in unexpected ways like this even during your darker scenes.
I must say I pity Akane just a little. Even though she brought it upon herself and deserved it, it's a harsh fate.
The interesting thing of course is that my little pet theory of Earth is sentient just like Sun and Moon and the earth ponies are all interfacing with it gains a lot more traction with this. Why else would it be able to be taken away. Fascinating to think about.
And HELL yeah Snowflake gets to hear the song. And sing! Enough to cancel out a full earth pony even - that's pretty amazing all things considered. He must have strong magic for that to be possible in spite of his hybrid status. I wonder how much he could do if he was taught properly. Really hope he'll get a lesson - since Granny Smith specifically is good with vibrations, he might have exactly the right kind of teacher for his specific toolset right there, and it would mean she'd get to pass that kit on to a new generation after all, after it didn't take with Applejak.
And then Scootaloo's situation. Really wonder where they'll put here. Snowflake? One of her friend's houses, aka Applebloom's or Sweetie Belle's? A nice foalless couple like Lyra and Bon Bon? New characters? I'm intrigued. And also really wonder what her parents will have to say for themselves once they're arrested. Even if they haven't come into contact with Redtinge as some suspected, there's another condition that produces nearly exactly the same effect: falling into the mark. I wonder...
So, hm. Snowflake sang - but was it him who effected Akane, or is it because she broke the contract? It seems like the others know what's going to happen, so I'm guessing the latter, and his song only stopped the quake.
I also like the bit about the gems, was wondering how they'd react to him. That kind of tool could be used to help find all the hybrids, now that I think about it. Could be really useful, if Celestia and Luna have access to one.
To clarify my offhanded comment that Akane might jump in front of a train, I wouldn’t be surprised if Akane does commit suicide. As a pony whose entire self image is built on being a pure and powerful paragon of earth pony magic, what does she have now? With all the calls for them to be purged from the family tree by the readership, is it really that surprising I’d think the people calling for blood would be happy to get blood?
With the explanation of the rules of the fosse in this chapter, there’s no doubt she brought the punishment down on herself. It’s quite horrifying. Applejack pleading while running toward her cousin that, while brash and bad-tempered, is still family was heart-wrenching. I can’t help but think if they hadn’t been painted so clearly as wrong and bad that the people cheering their fall now would have to face stronger emotions. A more sympathetic villain would have given the scene more impact.
It will be interesting to see how Applejack internalizes the unintentional tolls of her decision. It goes back to her already having paid the cost, but yet more bills still seem to be coming in.
I have a very love/hate relationship with this story. There’s some good stuff in here, and it’s required reading for the sequel I’m looking forward to. That’s why I keep reading. I have admittedly been rather flippant for the last three chapters. That’s unbecoming and I’ll apologize for the antagonizing tone.
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It is the latter - its presented that having your magic taken away, apparently by the earth itself, is the penalty for interference - something Akane never seemed to hear until it was far too late.
Back in Cantata:
Granny's reaction is a shuddering breath, as if recalling something horrible. AJ's is frantic FEAR - for AB to suffer penalty when her magic hasnt fully emerged yet is a thought nopony wants to contemplate longer than it takes to prevent. Akane yet again fails to listen. in hindsight, the reactions are very similar to the stories WE have of mutilation as punishment going back millennia.
I strongly dislike Akane, but I still pity her somewhat, and won't say whether I think she deserves it or not, though something believed she did and acted accordingly after she had been warned. A single unthinking action, taken in haste anger, with devastating consequences.
Snowflake's actions were to simply negate the earthquake "this is wrong and made to hurt, so STOP", and it looks like the effort knocked him out, probably due to pushing so hard with a sense and magic he doesn't fully have. maybe he'll wake up with a stronger connection to that magic.
As to his actions constituting interference, see here:
in particular the last line: it seems the earth knows Akane is in the wrong, and willing to accept actions to negate. I am unsure if further action would be tolerated. It would be past simply stopping her interference, but she isn't part of the duel beyond being a second and its not interference with the duel itself, so we'd need further clarification. As to the reactions of the ponies involved, i assume that will come next chapter.
Damn...
9897772
I'm sorry for my more emotional outburst; if I had a problem I should have explained it politely at least once before getting angry.
I kinda want to see Akane again; her pride was blinding her to reality, and ironically, now that one of her sense is removed she might be able to see more clearly. Though we probably won't, she's doing the same thing as Diamond Tiara and Diamond Tiara is a part of the main cast. One of the main casts.
I don't think the Earth took away her ability. It took away its ability to hear her. She has been muted. Wears the Scarlet Letter. She broke the rules and now the rules have broken Akane.
I think she is better off dead. And her father will never be able to forgive himself.
As for Snowflake. This time it's the opposite. He has heard the Earth, Snowflake has sung back if badly.
The Earth knows him now where before it wasnt aware of him. I think it's a thing to be thankful for.
Estee, you magnificent bastard. No one expected this.
The great irony is that Applejack is the only one who actually knows what Akane is going through.
9897399
Well the toolset Snowflake has will most likely depend on who’s soul the ‘good’ doctor used on him, as it’s normally something passed down in the family, so probably bound to the soul. I think it was alluded to at some point, but was very vague. But we might get a glimpse of potentially who it came from if things progress well.
9896900
She made her bed, knowing the consequences she bound herself to. She'll live.
Although now I wonder if Bon Bon's ever tried to sing through Lyra's personal spell...
9896940
Care. Especially after the Discordian Era, which I am sure damaged the land worse than Sun or Moon.
The Earth needs somepony to help put it right again, tame the chaos lands and bring them back into harmony.