Chapter One: The Next Day
In the Service of the Goddess
Chapter One: The Next Day
Merry May trotted happily through the woods. A faint rustling sound nearby attracted her notice. She peered into the shrubbery that lined the path. Whatever it was had retreated into shadow. After a moment she shrugged and continued on. Ahead of her was something important. The path continued and twisted onward more than a path had any right to do, nevertheless, Merry May doggedly pursued her course. The trees were taller here, blotting out the sky, but also laden with fruit and dripping with fresh dew. Something ahead of her was pushing her path to the side. Frowning, she stomped on the ground, demanding that it stay still. She felt that she was almost there.
Ahead of her, the trees arched and bowed outwards to form a massive bower. Something under the path heaved and tilted her course until it was a sheer angle, almost too steep to climb. Merry was still undaunted. She would reach her destination, come Tartarus or tornados. She crested the painfully steep hill; there it was. She could almost- A massive stone burst through the canopy, smashing silently in front of her, an impenetrable obstacle. There was no way around or over it, but thankfully there was a small window in it. At least she could see.
Peering through the tiny aperture she finally saw what she had been seeking the whole time, Princess Mara. The goddess sat, immense and beautiful, in her little hidden glen. The alicorn was faintly glowing in the mist that lazily wafted around her. Merry was transfixed by the mare. Her hair drifted gently in a nonexistent breeze and framed her timeless face. So single was Merry’s focus that she failed to spot the other pony in the glen for quite some time. Finally it registered, Mara was talking to somepony. May squinted, it was… Applejack?
Merry May sat back, confused. She didn’t have much time to ponder as something rustled in the bushes behind her. She felt a sharp pain as something stabbed her from behind. Looking down, she spotted a sharp, blue horn sprouting from her chest.
***
Merry May sat up with a start. She wasn’t in her own bed. That wasn’t unusual for the past week. What was unusual was the fact that she was in a bed at all. As she shook off the muzziness of sleep she thought back on the last few weeks. Finding out that one of her neighbors was a goddesss, chasing after her, traveling about with camels, witnessing a fight between goddesses, swearing herself in service to the new goddess, the coronation yesterday, it had all been so much. She had probably done more in the past two weeks than she had in the past two years.
This was the guest room at Sweet Apple Acres. On the little nightstand beside her was her trusty red turban. It had been a gift from the camels, and Merry had grown quite attached to it. Leaving it for the moment, she trundled over to the bathroom and took a quick shower. The water was at best lukewarm. When she was finally dried, cleaned and combed she grabbed her hat and headed downstairs.
Despite how early it felt, Applejack was already up and sitting at the table. She had her Stetson in her hooves and was busy trying to mouth the bronze off of the brim while leaving both intact. The matching hatband was sitting beside her on the table. Merry clomped a little louder on the last few steps to announce her presence.
Applejack, the newly crowned Princess Mara and Merry’s liege lady, looked up and spotted her. She spat out the hat and nodded at her amicably. “How’d ya sleep?”
“Pretty good. What time is it?”
Applejack glanced at the clock. “Little after seven.” Merry May frowned; that was very early. Applejack spotted her expression. “Don’t feel bad, Ah slept in too. Ah think Ah woke up jest before you did. Yesterday felt longer’n tha first day a cider season.”
“I… see. What were you doing while I was coming down the stairs?”
“Tryin’ ta get all this flash off a mah hat. ‘Tain’t very practical, even if it is pretty.”
Merry frowned again. “Isn’t it part of, like, your uniform?”
“Yeah, but Ah can’t risk gettin’ it dirty ‘n’ dinged up.”
“Um, can’t you afford to get a new one, new bronze I mean, if it does? It’s not like bronze costs that much, and you probably have all kinds of princess money now. What if some ambassador or something shows up in the middle of the day?”
Applejack stared narrowly at Merry May. Before she could reply, a scroll popped out of the air over her horn with a little ‘plink’. Merry caught it before it fell. It was sealed by Celestia. Applejack nodded at Merry. “Go ahead ‘n’ read it ta me.” As soon as Merry was distracted she went back to worrying at the bronze rim of her hat.
“Um, Dear Princess Mara, I’m writing to notify you of various duties associated with your new title. I understand that your background and expertise is in other areas, so don’t worry about getting it all at once, or even this year. One important facet of Equestrian government is that there is precedent for various numbers of sovereigns. I am currently dusting off the charter of the ancient tri… um-vir-ate.” Merry May shook her head. “What does that mean?”
Applejack shrugged. “Ah donm know. Ah fink Nuna faid fomefin’ ‘boud id.” she said around a mouthful of bronze.
Merry May shrugged back and continued. “Trium-vir-ate and giving it a look over to ensure its relevance to modern Equestria, so, in a sense, this will be a learning process for the three of us. I have taken the liberty of dispatching a doctor of history and civil law to tutor you in the niceties of government and legal theory. I hope you will receive him well and make him at home. As another consideration, do know that the treasury is, within reason, at your disposal. It will be important to consider expanding your lodgings to accommodate large numbers of guests, as well as providing a barracks for other guards you may wish to hire. Again, I implore you not to consider this a burden on Equestria, but rather a necessary extension of your new calling. Your sister, Celestia.”
“Well, that’s quite neighborly of her. Ah don’t much look forward to those lessons though. Ah should send a reply. Ah’m gonna go deliver a letter to Spike, will y’all make sure Apple Bloom gets ta school?”
Merry May thought about this for a moment. It wasn’t exactly what she had in mind when she thought of what the Captain of the Goddess’s guard ought to be up to. Then again, she was pretty much the entire guard. “I, um Ah ken do that Applejack.”
Applejack grinned at her. “Thanks, ‘n’ keep workin’ at that accent.”
***
Applejack had headed off immediately, regretfully putting her ostentatious hatband back on since the brim had proved so impossible to remove. Merry May had knocked politely on princess Bloom’s door for several minutes before finally just entering. Apple Bloom was sprawled out on her bed, snoring uproariously. The ceremony and coronation party yesterday had taken it out of everypony.
“Ahem… Uh, princess? Hay. It’s time to wake up.” Merry May gingerly poked Apple Bloom in the side. Apple Bloom simply swatted her hoof away, somewhat painfully, and kept on snoring. “Ow! Apple Bloom! Get up!”
The foal in question started awake with a jerk. “Wha, who, ya, hunh?”
Merry nodded respectfully at Apple Bloom, “Good morning Princess, Applejack told me to make sure that you… ya got ta school.”
“Whut tahme ‘zit?” Bloom’s accent was considerably thicker than her sister’s, especially first thing in the morning.
“Um, seven-thirty? ish?”
Apple Bloom immediately rocketed out of bed with a yell of, “Ah’mgon’belate!” Merry May was nearly knocked flat by the backdraft of her passage. She heard the water in the bathroom switch on for the barest of moments before Apple Bloom stumbled and scooted back out while simultaneously drying and tying a bow in her mane.
“Can I help? Pegasus magic can get you dry pretty fast. It’s a shortcut I use sometimes.” offered Merry.
“Sure. Go fer it.”
Merry buzzed her wings rapidly at Apple Bloom’s mane for a short while. Soon it was completely dry, but extremely poofy. “Now you do have to…” As soon as Apple Bloom had felt her mane dry, she had been off like a rocket out the front door, barely snatching her book bundle on the way. “…comb it.” Sighing, Merry grabbed a brush and chased out the door after her little charge.
***
Applejack flew into town at a fast clip to avoid getting crowded. After the coronation yesterday, the townsponies might have gotten used to the idea that there was a princess in their midst, but AJ was taking no chances. She landed on Twilight’s balcony with a gentle thud, managing to keep her balance this time. Her landings were slowly getting better. She rapped gently on the glass of the door and stepped back to wait. After a moment, Twilight trotted upstairs and spotted Applejack through the door. Her face lit up with a smile, flickered unreadably, and then settled back into a smile. She opened the door and invited Applejack in. “Hi AJ, I’m glad you stopped in for a visit. What’s the occasion?”
“Thank ya kindly Twi, but Ah’m actually here ta see Spike. Ah gotta send a letter ta Celestia. Uh, could Ah also trouble ya for a pencil ‘n’ some paper?”
Twilight’s expression flickered again. Still, the smile hung determinedly to her face. “Sure, but wouldn’t you rather use a quill?”
“Nah, Ah never liked the feel a them in mah mouth.”
Twilight smirked at Applejack. “You do have magic now.”
“Twi, Ah have about tha steadiness of one a Pinkie’s jellies in an earthquake. Ain’t no way Ah’m up ta writin’ a letter with it.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, “Well, practice! You won’t get any better unless you do.” The delivery came out perhaps a bit sharper than Twilight intended.
Applejack hesitated. “Y’alright, sugar cube? Ya seem a bit tense t’day.”
It was Twilight’s turn to pause. “I’m fine. I guess I just didn’t get enough sleep last night. Sorry.”
Applejack considered. If Twilight wasn’t going to be forthcoming, that was her business. Perhaps a peace offering would work. “Tell ya what, Ah’ll practice mah magic. Jest point me in tha direction a some exercises ta try and Ah’ll get ‘er done.”
“You don’t have to do that on my account, Applejack. I’m just tired. It meant nothing. You have centuries to get the hang of magic anyways. Why rush?”
“Nah, Ah can tell it means somethin’ to ya, ‘sides, Ah gotta be the best princess Ah can be.”
“Well, I’ll help. Pick a time each day to come by and I’ll tutor you for an hour or so. Sound good?”
“Sure thing. Ah gotta do a bit a organizin’ a mah schedule ‘ n’ such first though. Speakin’ a which… Hay Spike!”
***
Merry May trotted back to Sweet Apple Acres, her mission of mane management and coiffure correction completed. As she arrived at the farm gate, her triumphant traipsing tapered off into a tentative trot. What now? She was pretty sure that she had been fired from her day job by this point. Most managers frowned on employees chasing after a pair of rogue goddesses and joining up with a camel caravan for a couple of weeks without notice.
As in uffish thought she stood, a faint thumping noise came to her ears from one of the nearby orchards. Aha! Big Macki… Prince McIntosh will probably have something for me to help with. After a short flight, she found where he was bucking apples off the trees. She watched him appreciatively for a few minutes. The stallion was a juggernaut. It seemed like it took more of his effort to hold himself back when he bucked than he actually exerted. Finally, Merry cleared her throat. “Uhm, Hay Prince McIntosh! Anything I… Ah ken dew fer yew?”
Mac paused his kicking and glanced at her archly. “Nnope.”
Merry deflated. “Oh, you sure? I really don’t have anything to do right now, and I’m pretty sure I was fired from my old job. Technically, I think I’m a knight, but I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.”
Mac chuckled once, “Ah been there.” He leaned down and tossed a pair of baskets on his back and gestured towards a third. Merry May took the hint and loaded it onto her own back. “Now, ya feel useless?”
“Yeah, I mean, I swore an oath to Applejack, well, I made a promise anyway. I don’t even know if it’s official really… But I don’t care! I said I would help out, and Ah intend to do just that! I just don’t know how. I wish she would just tell me what to do. Do you have any ideas Prince McIntosh?”
“First, don’t call me McIntosh. Ah hate when ponies pronounce mah name all proper like that.”
“Oh, sorry.” Merry hung her head.
“Ya done good bah mah sister though. Call me Mac.” He smiled encouragingly at her.
“Thanks… Mac.” Merry grinned sheepishly back.
“Well, ya ever consider she might not know what ta do with ya?”
“I… Well… That makes sense I guess. This has all been kinda crazy. I mean, look at us. A prince bucking apples and a knight whose greatest quest in the service of her goddess has been combing hair.”
“Ah bucked them apples ‘cause it’d be a shame ta let this crop go ta waste. Don’t matter if Ah don’t have ta work another day in mah life. Ah do what needs doin’.”
Mac was silent for a few minutes while they walked to the crop cellar. As the two of them unloaded the apples into their cradles he spoke again. “Maybe that’s what’cha can do fer mah sister. Figure out what yer for. Find a reason to be there. She’s got a lot on her mind. Be tha one thing she don’t have ta worry about.”
***
Applejack’s correspondence with Celestia had been swift, punctuated by the belches and magic flames of Spike. As the last letter formed in the air, Applejack gazed uncomprehendingly at the figures on it. “Stars above. That’s mah dis-cretionary money? Ah ain’t never seen a bigger sum in mah life. Ah’m gonna have ta get Mac ta look at this. Ah don’t have tha head for it.”
Spike peered up at the scroll held loosely in Applejack’s magical grip. “Stop waving it around. Why do you need the money anyway?”
“Well, part of it is gonna be fer repairs an’ a bit a remodelin’ and makin’ sure Granny’s meds ‘re paid for. Then Ah was gonna see about hirin’ some extra hooves fer tha orchard. If Mac and Ah‘re gonna be busy with other things, we need somepony to pick up tha slack. Seriously though. Ah can’t even wrap mah head around this sum. Mac’ll know what ta do.”
Twilight tilted her head, “Big Macintosh handles the money on the farm?”
“He handles tha math, period. Ain’t nopony quicker with a sum than mah brother, present company included, no offense.”
“Wow, if you’re saying it, I believe it. Where did he pick it up?” Twilight asked.
“He was in tha Royal Artillery fer a few years. He got jealous of mah time in Manehatten when we were young. It chafed on him, so as soon as he was old enough he signed up. Served a tour in Zebrica, didn’t see no action, thank Celestia. Got to be a bit of a wiz at doin’ vecters ‘n’ trajecters ‘n’ whatnot.”
“… Vectors and trajectories.” Twilight made no attempt to hide her frown this time.
“Right, he didn’t want ta make a career of it, so he didn’t reenlist when his tour was up. If ya want mah opinion, he woulda got his cutie mark in math if he didn’t already have one. That was all years ago… Before… Well, nevermind. Ah gotta go. See ya tomorrow sometime, alright? We’ll figure out a time ta practice magic then.”
Twilight waved at the retreating alicorn. “Yeah, that’ll be fun…” As she turned to re-enter the library, her face told a different story.
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At long last! The first chapter arrives! I know that there's a place to put author's notes in the chapter itself, but I'm keeping them in the comments until something convinces me otherwise. As always, your comments motivate me to write my best, you rock!
Insta-fave and thumb up.
Now to read the chapter.
Edit:
Finished reading.
Is Twilight jealous? Seems like it... what with AJ/Mara having to spend the rest of eternity with Celestia...
Do continue.
Third. I'm sure this is going to be good
So Twilight is potentially a little troubled because Applejack gets to spend the rest of eternity with her mentor? I'd be a bit narked too.
Also, Merry May is best knight.
This was a nice surprise, hmmmm.
I hope AJ doesn't seriously want Merry to always speak like her. And tutoring in legal nonsense....fun.
Huzzah!, can't wait to see more of this. As well as get an explanation of why Twilight's acting like a twit this time *grins and rolls eyes*
Why do I see Celestia enchanting that hat so the bronze decorations will not come off period? tis the Season to Troll the new Princess....
Mac was an artillery gunner? Neat, I wonder what rank he eventually had.
1816087 - Indeed, I expect there's more than a little repressed anger over that. That Applejack has become a sister to her Mentor by fluke of fate. Or could just be good old wing-envy.
I expect it's several reasons, one... AJ is hardly Princess material, being uncultured and having a fairly limited viewpoint, intentionally. AJ is happy with her life and never did seem to me like she's willing to really expand her boundries. Now she's a princess so she doesn't have much choice and Twilight recognizes this incompatibility.
Then again, could be Twilight just want's to be an Alicorn herself, I mean... who wouldn't? Lord knows Rarity would jump at the chance.
Alright, let's get to reading...
Poor Twilight is feeling jealous.
First AJ becomes an alicorn instead of her then she finds out that Big Mac may be smarter than her!
Keep the faith Twily! It will get better!
Okay, Twi's reaction to Mac's math ability was interesting. I can't wait to see what you do with that.
Do I smell a TwilightxMac background romance? Or just jealousy?
He knows math, Twilight! And he's a Prince! Hmn, now that I think about it, maybe it's more likely that Rarity would be interested.
Is Twilight...jealous?
YESSSSSSS I HAVE BEEN WAITING SO LONG LOL JK
But I have been looking forward to this
Vecters n' trajecters... hehe.
Hmm... What's up with Twi'?
Poor Twi.
Um, can somepony remind me, did we ever find out WHY Applejack was chosen to be a goddess? If so, I forgot, and I don't have the time to reread the whoe original story.1815938 Maybe you can remind me?
Huzzah, The first chapter finally here!!!
Oh this has made my day,
1816040
Celestia AND Spike.
1816402
How could I forget him... Argh...
Just read this, it's awesome, you rock, I'm gonna play some games now.
Hooray, turban!
Yep, that's the most important and interesting thing about this chapter.
And then Twilight turned herself into an alicorn
1816387 I don't remember anypony making a choice about it, it just seemed sort of like an act of, er, nature.
I don't think Twilight is jealous. I think she's more worried that she may never see her friend as often. Maybe she's even dreading the fact that Applejack will eventually outlive her.
I'm not dismissing the jealousy claim though. Twilight would like to be with Celestia more. However, she probably has seen a lot of the behind-the-scenes action on politics while she was staying at Canterlot Castle. She might not exactly desire the lifestyle of listening to "average" citizens whine about rich-pony problems (assuming that the average citizens are mostly made up of ponies who paid a lot on their political campaigns).
Sequel! Awesome.
I'm already wondering how the Diamond Tiara's going to react to her archrival becoming a for-real princess.
Yesh been waitin fer dis
>> 1816419 Well, Spike will eventually die as well, but he will have a much longer lifespan (probably along the lines of 1000 years tops though).
Green isn't your color, either, Twi.
I suspect Twilight is doubting the capabilities of the new princess. Questioning the wisdom of... whatever the heck made this choice's selection.
gifninja.com/animatedgifs/212050/surprise-its-mlp.gif
I found my third "Applejack is an alicorn" story.
But then again, I love these stories.
Please keep going.
Big Mack and Prince Blueblood need to meet
After should be capitalized.
W00t! It's out! I can't wait for updates...
I want more of Prince Mac!
Twilight shouldn't be so jealous. There's an entire group on this site for Alcorn Twilight fiction. Give someone else a chance at godhood for a change Twi : ajbemused:.
1817224
I actually want to see this too, make it happen Blue Print, Hillarity will ensue.
And as in uffish thought she stood,
The McIntosh with eyes aflame,
Came whiffling through the tulgy wood,
And burbled as he came.
Why hello there, that was fast.
Very good, I get the feeling that Twilight is going to have a meltdown over the immortality thing, if Applejack doesn't first. Is it bad that I really want Twi' and Mac to get together.
This chapter seems a lot technically weaker than the previous story. Comma splices abound, sentence structure is repetitive, and there are a bunch of capitalization errors. I remember the previous story being a lot better. Did some of the prereaders not get back to you?
Two things.. awesome writing as usual... but does any1 else ever consider other long lived creatures making their way into these alicorn fics? I never see undead, other dragons, ego-manics with live forever spells ( http://www.dota2wiki.com/wiki/Invoker )
Hmm... Twi wondering why not her, or possibly wondering what it's going to be like knowing one of her best friends will now live forever? Only time will tell...
Definitely watching this. I wonder what's eating Twilight, thought?
Heh, there's a story idea. "What's Eating Twilight Sparkle?"
Pinkie: "I'm going higher!"
I am such a bastard.
Applejack just went from earth pony to suddenly having more magic than Twilight. Twilight's entire purpose in life just got uprooted. When it was Celestia and Luna, it was fine - they were around long before her. AJ pops into an alicorn one night, around the same age as Twilight, and is more powerful than her even though she knows squat about real spellcasting.
Twi is right to feel weird, she just had her whole world snatched away from her unintentionally. Everything she knows about herself is in question now. "What's the point of being the most magically talented unicorn alive if an earthpony can suddenly turn into a goddess overnight?"
1816176
Quicker, not smarter. He could calculate a problem pretty fast, but that doesn't mean he would be able to do more complex equations and calculations.
1818282 1816040 1816087 1816108 1816163 1816176 1816201 1816265 1816294 1816361 et al.
I think Twi might be jealous - her best friend got picked seemingly at random to ascend into godhood, and she's wondering, "What am I, chopped liver?" She might also be a little nervous about Applejack spending less time with her, or maybe even becoming like those pompous, self-centered jack
es in canterlot. On top of that, what made Applejack ascend is an enigma, and we all know our favorite scholar's perceptions of enigmas... 
It could also be wounded pride hearing Big Mac is "better" at mathematics than she is. Honestly, though, it seems like Applejack's opinion would be biased, and that Twilight wouldn't be that believing without empirical evidence to back up AJ's claims. Sure, Mac balances the financial books of Sweet Apple Acres, but Twi uses advanced mathematics everyday in her spellwork.
1816136
fa la la la la, la la la la. Mess her hat up, make it shiny, fa la la la la, la la la la.
1818291
You bring up a decent point, too. "What's to keep other ponies from spontaneously ascending? Is my purpose in life to have everypony I know constantly passing me by?" For her one true purpose in life to suddenly be shaken, this is going to be very, very difficult for her to deal with.
1816040 I will continue indeed, though Twilight's thoughts are a closed book for the moment.
1816078 Assuredly.
1816087 May I say that 'nark' is one of the best words ever? Also, eeyup. Merry May, La Cheval Sans Peur et Sans Reproche. (Yes, I know that the french is incorrect, but, ponies.)
1816104 Equestrian legal system?
3.bp.blogspot.com/-CnOWqTGqXIY/Tr2k8QFqYoI/AAAAAAAATww/pDh9Qyyqxls/s1600/83255+-+Ace_Attorney+The_Great_And_Powerful_Trixie+Trixie+franziska_von_karma+objection+parody.png
I kid.
1816108 Oh, Twilight, you so silly.
1816136 That's a very reasonable guess. No promises though.
1816153 That's something I need to research a bit more, actually.
1816163 Well, I can promise that it isn't just one thing that's got her down.
1816176
fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/072/2/c/hang_in_there_pony_by_tess_27-d4sorvv.png
1816201 It plays a role. What role, I won't say.
1816265 Um, I'm not shipping, not at the moment anyway. *checks* Nope, no romance tag so far. If I was to ship somepony based on this chapter, I would be more likely to say Merrimack. (Best shipping name ever)
1816279 Hah, RariMac amuses me. One's a high-class fashionista trying to hide her country roots, the other is a down to earth farmer who just wants to put in an honest day's work, together, they fight crime! ... Hmmm... I may do a one-shot on that...
1816294 Oooh! The Thick Plottens!
1816320 I KNOW! It took me years of preparation to get this ready for you guys.
1816327 Can you tell that I've taken engineering calculus?
1816361 She's just being a grumpy-pants. You'll see what it is as the story unfolds.
1816387 I left it deliberately mysterious in Appletheosis. It was mentioned that she was 'chosen by Harmony' Harmony plays the role of a sort of guiding spirit or force in my mythology. Kind of like the Roman 'goddess' Ananke. It's not really personified, but more of a general rightness behind nature.
1816400 Wow, that's awesome. If I can make one person happy, I'm happy.
1816402>>1816419 Important to note.
1816464 Maybe, we'll see.
1816480
3.bp.blogspot.com/-77Cw07RYgp8/TZ7F_GVQDrI/AAAAAAAADOM/Wgi3U_y0Nqc/s1600/Trixie_delivers_a_brutal_Shoryuken_to_Twilight-%2528n1302235831361%2529.png
1816560 Um, I hope not... But thanks I guess...
1816643 "No Twilight, you are the goddesses." And then Twilight was an alicorn.
1816658 Pretty much.
1816665 The reasons behind her mood are multifarious.
1816702 Haha, Apple Bloom will tell us all about it when she gets back.
1816760 Well, wait no longer!
1816778 Good point. I've established the lifespan of a princess as unfathomably long. Dragons are still a bit in the air.
1816858 Heh, reference joke!
1816858 It's kinda hard to argue with a non-corporeal, unincarnated metaphysical entity though.
1817167 When I started writing Appletheosis, there weren't really any. It's become kind of a thing all at once.
1817224 Yes they do.
1817320 Fixed.
1817553 I know, right?
1817558 It was always gonna happen.
1817600 That is the best thing I have ever seen.
1817749 I just don't see the TwiMac in this chapter... They were on the opposite side of town.
1817851 Truth is, while I have had a lot of prereaders, I have never had a proofreader. Comma splices, maybe, I wrote this with a head cold. Capitalization, no. You are, to the best of my knowledge, incorrect. I fixed the one legitimate capitalization error long before you read and did a careful scan of the document looking for others. The only place where I might be mistaken is in failing to capitalize 'princess Apple Bloom' which is really a matter of style. Don't go quoting manuals at me. The Queen of England would frown on that. If you have another, unrelated example and would like to discuss it, please send me a PM. I would love to fix it if there is a genuine problem. Thanks!
1817897 Well, I have actually written about an egomaniac with a live-forever spell. See: The Shadow of the Goddess.
1818186 She's got several things on her mind. Not all of which she even realizes bug her.
1818282 What?
1818291 Well said, but that isn't all of it.
1818330 Then again, he can also calculate vecters and trajecters.
1818407 Again, that's not all of it. But also well said.
[Edit:] Once again, Fimfiction strips my ludicrously long comments of emoticons. Grr...
[Edit Edit:] Fixed!
1818437 That role is what I'm excited about. An accurate portrayal of Twilight's character could result in anything from a dogged attempt to see this mathematical skill in action to attempting to pressure Mac into applying those abilities else where. I expect great things from you, sir!
1818407
Given that Twilight's hitching facial features occurred before AJ mentioned Mac's mathematical prowess, I'd say it's less that and more "what am I, chopped daisies?"
1818437
There's a movie called What's Eating Gilbert Grape. It's rather... interesting. Thinking of what's eating Twilight Sparkle made me think of a terrible, horrible crossover. The fact that in my comment I cast Pinkie in the role of the "special" younger brother of the named protagonist means I'm going to Hell.