Not every pony who lives in Cloudsdale is a pegasus. Some are unicorn or earth foals born to pegasus parents; some have been drawn there for employment or love; some simply see it as home and follow their dreams to the clouds.
All survive their days through a regular diet of cloudwalking potions.
And lately - here and there - those potions have begun to mysteriously fail.
It was only supposed to be Rainbow Dash who was dispatched by Princess Twilight to investigate, but even her plans never go as expected. Because Applejack isn't letting her marefriend charge into danger alone.
Written for the AppleDash Contest #6 - Go Big Or Go Home, where it got Fifth!
Chapters (3)
Very interesting start!
Looking forward to see how their investigation is going! Does the potions come from a single lot or source? Multiple sources?
10021945
That exact question shows up at the start of next chapter, in fact!
My first thought?
Cozy Glow's magic vacuum is back in business.
Intriguing... Very intriguing...
At last at the moment, the possibility of adulteration at the source is out with the failure of Applejack's potion...
It opens to possibility of foul play targeting specifically the non-flying citizens of Cloudsdale...
Looking forward to see hoe they will solve the mystery!
10068638
Seems like alterations to the laws of magic to me...
Well, name like ‘Placebo’, guess I should have seen that coming.
annnnnd I have another story to follow. This is a lovely little tale so far!
Following this one, it's really good!
Half of me wanted to bet it was the cloud creation themselves, but it'd affect *everyone* and not just non-pegasi.
Waiting to see where this goes!
Great conclusion!
As mystery, the solution works fairly, and the ending is heartwarming!
the fanfic was great
will you make another appledash story?
10092222
Tsk, I'm sorry! I could have sworn I responded to this.
And I probably will? There isn't one on my current slate for the next two months but I'm sure I'll have the two of them causing problems again at some point.
It's review time
10159811
Well, that's a surprise! Thank you very much!
Oooh. I love a good mystery!
Auuughhh! I love it! <3333
Nice mystery - I also like the dash of romance {no pun regretted} without it being overwhelming.
I knew the preacher was going to be a factor the moment he got mentioned twice, though.
I admittedly would have gone darker with this. But I'm me, of course I would have gone darker! Anyway, this was loads of nail-biting fun. (Spoiler alert: I did not actually bite my nails; that's gross.) The idea of non-pegasus ponies in Cloudsdale is one of those deliciously normal bits of fridge horror that I've never seen a story about, but always wanted to. (I've considered writing one myself one day, but that isn't a high priority.) Admittedly, I would have liked to see some of the little prologue blurbs be worked into the story more naturally, but I understand this was under a deadline. I'm glad to see we have a similar way of thinking about what it would be like as a non-pegasus in Cloudsdale, so I will consult/credit you whenever I get around to unearthing that idea.
This was a criminally underrated little romp in one of Equestria's least-utilized cities. This sucks, considering it is one of the biggest, most unique, and earliest locations we get any insight into. A lot of magic and action went into this, and the characters faced a compelling problem. The villain was neat and dastardly, plus we got to see earlier season magic come back. Thrillers are underrated pony genres, and this is a good bite-sized one. I hope it placed well, 'cause it sure is clever with the prompt.
The title is nice, too.
Sorry I'm not up on all my fanfic lingo. What is Griffonese analogous to?
You know what I like most about this? The little touch? ThAt when the unicorn calls it isn't just wonderbolts that go to help. They don't stand around gawping. Random passerbys dive to help.
It's a little touch. Doesn't change the story at all. But it justifies the tone of MLP. Where the average person is, whilst not flawless, fundamentally decent.
In real life, when disaster occurs you will always find a handful of people helping. Sometimes even at their own detriment. It's just... Nice. But yeah. Obviously. You *would* help if you could. You'd reach out desperatly. It's the little flourish that sets the tone of the piece. I like it.
Funny how it's the little things sometimes, that stick with you. But that random stranger throwing aside her shopping, suddenly made the whole concept that much realer. That much more relatable.
this story is so amazing!