I'll admit, I have no familiarity at all with G1, but this fic looks like fun.  Seems to have a lot more potential for dramatic depth than the cover image and description suggest (though I'm hoping it still delivers some cute brushie-brushie action).  Gonna have to follow this one.

Also, kudos for the Gulliver's Travels allusion.  Why did I never make that connection myself?

>>18661851866185

I tried that connection with Gulliver's Travels in a ham-handed way in an earlier story, but I like this better.  I'm particularly struck by Swift's description of the Houyhnhnms using their pasterns as hands, and I think from now on  I'm going to describe the ponies so using their pasterns, rather than their hooves, as an homage.

I don't think the ponies using their hooves in this way really became a thing until after G1, though.

(And yes, the brushie-brushie is coming!)

So... another G1/G4 crossover with G1 coming before G4.... might give it a shot

That is one hell of a start, though I wonder what Twilight was thinking about revealing the Ponies at a 4H competition.

Hmm... not what I expected given the description. Seems Equestria has a darker history, according to Megan.

>>18662941866294>>18662241866224

Thanks to both of you for giving it a chance.  My usual shtick is to take silly premises and then squeeze as much drama out of them as I can.  Admittedly, this means the cover and the contents often don't match.

>>18663161866316

I think I'm one of the few bronies that acknowledges the existence of the previous generations and seeing how they all can cross is interesting. And yes I have watched Tirek and his deeds

Fuck yea Megan was the boss back in the day.

Not stupid, Megan, they're just very, very naive... Even after everything that happened to them over the past five millennia, they still believe that, on the balance of probabilities, people would want to make peace.  I just wish they were right.

I'm wondering if the Locket would have done anything significant, though.  The Windigoes were a symptom of a very profound crisis in Pony society, something that I don't think the Rainbow of Light could have fixed, only possibly postponed.  A crisis postponed is too often a crisis worsened.  Of course, Megan probably only knows the vaguest aspects of the history of Equestria and the pre-Equestrian tribes of the Paradise Estate.

I'll be very interested, if Twilight gets around to telling her story, if she and Megan will explore together the origins of the Elements of Harmony and their apparent precursor the Fire of Harmony.  I'm wondering if Moochick... or Starswirl as Twilight knows him... could make as many magical doomsday weapons as he wanted.

Aww, yeah!

Gotta say I loved pretty much every minute and your notes might just make me sit down with MLPnF now.

"Zebrabwe" I like that name much more that "Zebrika"

I'm looking forward for more

>>18667961866796

I think I stole Zebrabwe, though I don't remember from whom.  I think Shinzakura might call it "Zebrababwe" in All-American Girl.

Megan?

Image: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/O-Ll5zaPcIE/0.jpg

>>18675971867597

Yup.  That's the one.

>>18676151867615

I see some other mixes there, it-s pretty entertaining

I love G1 and G4 crossovers.  This one is interesting, so far.

Hmm, you have my following sir.

Although I must say that you could have used more filler between the time when Megan picks up her little sister and when Twilight arrives.

Hee.

I'm liking this. Smooth dialogue, good grammar, good pacing. And enough exposition that someone without knowledge of G1 can follow this fic.

Also, G4 ponies at a 4H show. G4 ponies wearing halters or bridles please.

Yeah, Rainbow Dash does take the 'tomboy' thing a bit too far sometimes.  I think it's believable that she'd neglect it to the point where it risks her health out of fear of looking 'sissy'.  I wonder if she has some bad experience with this sort of thing - maybe got laughed out of the prom at Flight School or something for not pulling off looking pretty.  Still, if there's anything Megan's good at, it's this.  If Rarity thinks its good, I'd take her word for it.

FWIW...? This is a dumb idea; incredibly dumb.  The Equestrians don't even look like Earth equines with their coat colours, larger brain-cases and binocular eyes.  Unless Megan and the Mane Six jumps the back-stage crew and keeps them under lock-and-key, Molly and Rainbow won't even get as far as the show floor.  If they do get to the show floor, though, I'm not sure how well they'll do.  Dressage is hard enough with an Earth equine who might have his or her own view about what they want to do.  Rainbow is a full-blown sapient and a stunt-mare with a notoriously strong will.  I'm not sanguine about her ability to work with Molly as a part of a team.

That blimp...? Megan must live a long way away from civilisation for the Pony airship not to have been spotted from miles away and drawing a response.

I think Megan is worrying a bit too much about the potential safety of the ponies.  Yes, there are risks but they are manageable at this stage.  I think that those fears are infecting her subconscious and her behaviours too.

It looks like you did your research on equestrian activities and horse care.

I have a feeling Rarity's gonna love the grooming.

And Mane Six wearing tack. Me gusta!

>>18722351872235

When I decided to write pony fan fiction, I immediately started studying horse anatomy, reading articles on horse care, and watching videos on the same.  I had assumed that was common, but then I had readers, including EqD pre-readers, telling me to tone down the technical details.

>>18722461872246, ehh, it's an easter egg for those into the stuff.

Though I have to admit, you do need to strike a balance. Your story kinda lean towards the "Tom Clancy" side (excessive) when it comes to things like that.

Honestly I never thought about how messed up and irresponsible it was to trick or kidnap a little kid to face potentially lethal forces. The worst part is, tons of kids shows pulled this device! It was like the main characters couldn't save themselves without a 'chosen one' who had to be a human kid and/or his/her annoying siblings/friends.

>>18732091873209

Personally, I love that trope in kids' shows.  The idea, of course, is that every kid watching the show yearns to be the girl who gets carried away to a magical world by a winged pony, or else the young boy whose awesome dad is a globetrotting scientist who lets his son tag along and use loaded firearms.

Still, even though allowing children into dangerous adult situations where they somehow excel even though they should more realistically fold like soggy pancakes is a time-honored trope, it has high deconstruction potential.  My novel in progress, Rag & Muffin, is in its entirety an effort to screw around with this trope.

Ah, an excellent chapter!  The back-and-forth between Megan and RD impresses me the most, I think, but there are plenty of other things to love.  You’ve done an admirable job of balancing the cute, funny bits with the drama, and weaving it all together seamlessly.  I was able to move from one mood to the next as I read and it never felt jarring.  The tone is serious enough that Megan’s angst doesn’t feel inappropriate, but not so serious that it takes the fun out of grooming a magical cartoon pony.

This is a very minor issue, but I think Pinkie’s few lines of dialogue were a bit too bland and too generic.  If you’re going write a chapter about her, be sure spice up her lines with more colorful details.

At any rate, this was fantastic, even better than I expected.  I eagerly await the next installment.

>>18736621873662

I sweated over this thing, so your comments are quite gratifying.  Obviously, Pinkie's dialogue is not important to this chapter, but I may revisit it if I can come up with a way to improve it.

You may be pleasantly surprised by what I have in store for Pinkie.  Her chapter will be a major shift for the story, at least if I can pull it off.  Most of the "X Time for Ponies" stories (which this is an attempt to subvert) start off with Pinkie, but I'm saving her for later because of her importance.

AWESOME!  But I think Megan is, at the moment, a bit too much paranoic, just saying.

I imagine Fluttershy will be more tamed, but still will make it for an interesting chapter

>>18774231877423

AWESOME!  But I think Megan is, at the moment, a bit too much paranoic, just saying.

I think the rest of the cast would agree!

Hi Deej, I'm stopping by. I know you didn't enter this one, but you posted it on the board, so I thought I'd take a crack at editing and giving out my comments. Did you know that if you collect 100 of my comments and show me the punch card, you are entered in a drawing for free air? Act now, and I'll also throw in some bonus dust! Won't that impress people? I'm not going to do both chapters for contest editing, cause I want to save some for the others, but I do plan on finishing them.

Edits HO!

With a stack of textbooks clasped to her chest, Molly stood in the berm in the midst of a knot of her girlfriends and jabbered away. : Remove the berm part, Mostly because I believe that word is incorrectly used.

She slid a hand to her breast and felt under her shirt to make sure the locket was still there. Usually, lockets on necklaces sit in the center of your chest. Unless you just want us to think she is groping herself, you might want to change that to neckline instead of breast.

That's it for chapter 1, and I can't wait till Tom shows in the Hobbit Trilogy(Darn them for milking our money)

>>18849761884976

Thanks for the suggestions.  I'll take them.

The word berm, as I understand it, is correct here; I've placed the Williams (??? TVTropes says that's their last name, so it must be true . . . ) family ranch in Oklahoma, and according to my research, that strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street is called the berm in that region.  However, it's confusing, so I'll remove it.  And yes, I really do look up stuff like that while I'm writing.

I also agree that the other sentence you point to can be misread as self-groping.  I'll change it.

Thanks for bringing your keen eye to this tale, but, tssk, I set the story only five years after the events of My Little Pony n' Friends and you didn't even mention the anachronistic wind turbines?  I'm afraid you may be slipping, my friend.

This is amazing!

I love the way you write the ponies' voices. I love the detail you put into Rainbow's grooming. I love the pony history. I love Megan's weird ambiguous melancholy. This is the best, most unexpected thing I've read in a week! I love it!

>>19229601922960

Thank you.  Chapter 3 will be up soon, I hope.

I'm enjoying this immensely, especially the nods to Swift.

Man this story is amazing so far. Can not wait to see where it goes.

Yes the technical details do get annoying, but one thing you could do is have some sort of reference on them.

Nice so far.  Reminds me a bit of Grossman's The Magicians, in its exploration of (not to spoil overmuch) the real psychological damage that comes from being a fictional children's hero.  Also, your protagonist is really quite appealing in a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" way.  I've got No familiarity with G1, other than the vague notion that, yes, it was shockingly grim at times, so good job with the stealthy hand-holding for the newbies among us.

>>19232921923292

I've been working on a novel, under the working title of Rag & Muffin, that deals with the psychological damage that comes of being a magical girl's sidekick, but after Puella Magi Madoka Magica, my idea's not original anymore.  Of course, it wasn't quite original in the first place.

G1's Megan appeals to me with her surprising toughness and cleverness.  One of her first acts after arriving in Ponyland is to fistfight bare-handed with a dragon.  No kidding.  Typically, her methods involve ingenuity or deus ex machina, but she can throw down when she has to.  She's plainly a skilled rider even in the show, and since she's a farm girl, I assume she can also drive a tractor, shoot a gun, throw a rope, and perform other similar tasks.

>>19233991923399

...Megan took on a dragon mano a mano weaponless?...G1 was considered kiddy because?

>>19234191923419

Well, she took a swing at the dragon.  It didn't do much good, as you probably expect, but that is what she did.  (And this was an adult dragon, not a baby dragon like Spike.  It was a bit bigger than a car or van, IIRC.)

OMG I always knew someone would get Rainbow Dash to get that hooficure! Anyways, I love psychology, always have, so this is really interesting! I also happen to be very familiar to G1 having grown up with it, so when I first saw this on Equestria Daily, I knew I had to read it.

And you didn't disappoint! I can understand where the paranoia would be coming from, having killed things at such a young age and having the ponies be so reliant on her. I scrolled around the comments and others seem to have the same critique. There are some things that are not technical enough and some that are too technical. Mind you, if you get too technical, I as a reader will either be confused and move on or have the urge to look it up, interrupting the story (assuming I didn't know it). One of the not so technical ones is the part where Megan will hide the ponies. I understand she lives on a farm, but at this point, a huge air ship is bound to draw attention and pastel ponies in a horse show would get kicked out I think. Don't you have to register or something? Eh, whatever. Details, details.

Anyways this is really interesting and I hope to continue!

P.S. Don't you hate it when you have an original idea and someone else does it first and you look like you're copying? v-v I hate that.

The real reason Firefly never showed up again was twofold: Budget and the Toy-driven nature of the show.

Budget prevented them from keeping both Sandy Duncan (Firefly) and Tony Randall (The Moochik) in the cast.

By the time the Catrina special aired, they'd stopped making Firefly toys, and they wanted to push the current set of toys.

>>19236241923624

Badass attempt is still badass, most would just run and hide.

Pretty good. btw does anyone else remember how there a mirror from a g1 book that creates pony children, well i think it's frozen mirror pool water strengthen to be less chaotic and create smart YOUNG duplicates (Instead of those no smarter than a video games AI as seen with the pinkie clones.)

I wonder if you will have megan have them say that humanity is not peaches and cream (Wondering if she should mentionstuff like world war 2 and the likes)

>>19237941923794

I was unaware of that book.  Maybe that explains why all the baby ponies look like exact duplicates of their mothers.  Since they have no stallions around (except the big brothers, who apparently spend most of their time running around the world or something), I figured the G1 ponies must reproduce through cloning.

>>19236641923664

Oh, yes, but, you know, fansaving . . .

In fact, I don't think any of the ponies from Rescue at Midnight Castle show up in Escape from Catrina, even though the ponies are having a welcome back party for Megan.  G1 really cycled through the characters in order to give maximum exposure to the toys, with the result that, sadly, only a few of the pony characters become memorable.

>>19239061923906 OH yeah, (Btw i meant comic1 not book my bad) you see My Little Pony refers to two different comics based on the original My Little Pony comics that ran in the UK during The Eighties.

The first comic, simply called My Little Pony, came out in 1985. An issue came out every two weeks. The next comic, "My Little Pony And Friends" (not to be confused with the American cartoon of the same name), came out two years later. It was twice the price and came out every two months however it had more pages.

For the most part the comics were more Slice of Life themed then the western cartoons and Megan wasn't in the comics. Many characters also have very different personalties from My Little Pony And Friends. It was not uncommon to see illustrated stories in the comics. The comics typically used vector artwork instead of original drawings for most characters.

NOTE not to be confused with IDW My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic which is out on itunes.

You've got my attention.

Wow, now that was quite an opening. I am glad that I saw this on EQD and I decided to go it a read.

So, Megan and her family were from Oklahoma in G1? That's a detail I haven't ever seen mentioned before.

Of all the G1 villains, only the Witches, Hydia & her daughters, got a second crack at the ponies.  Everyone else got zorched.  Porcina got crystalized, Grogar banished, etc.  Never mind that the entire planet was trying to kill you anwyays.

It seems that Ponyland was a dark place before the ponies came and made it all shiny and bright.  And it just kept trying to turn itself back to crap.

>>19239061923906

Here's a link to the mirror story.

Some other fun stories are:

Applejack's Amazing Adventure  (Trust me, read this one.  G1!AJ has an major CMOA in here.)

A Worrying Time

The Trolls and the Castle of Darkness  (one of my favorites.  Also, you get to see Majesty in action!)

The Uninvited Guest (G1!Twilight was rather OP too.)

Baby Lucky Disobeys (Why no one dares disobey Majesty.)

Take a read, they're all fairly short.

>>18865581886558 Oddly enough, I never got an indication from the site that you had responded. Huh. No matter, but I do want to congratulate you on another EQD mention! Way to rack them up.

This is wonderful!

I'm a big nostalgic fan of G1, so I'm really enjoying the homages. I like what you've done with Megan's character and the realistic and affecting ways that experiences like she had would have shaped it. It's adult without being over-the-top gritty for the sake of being dark.

Hmm.  I'm gonna agree with Megan.  That is a pretty stupid idea to introduce them to humanity.  Like, holy shit bad.

>>19239061923906

I figured the G1 ponies must reproduce through cloning.

     I was in college when the first Pony specials and the original series were broadcast--I've still got a couple VHS tapes full of episodes I recorded back then--and my theory involved the Ponies reproducing through a process of parthenogenesis that was triggered by pheromones released whenever the Big Brother ponies returned to Dream Valley from their adventures around the world.  So as you can see, I have a long history of overthinking this Pony stuff.  

     This is a terrific story, by the way, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

                              Mike

>>19245771924577 A bit like the Everfree maybe

Enjoying the heck out of this, i'm looking forward to where it goes.

And with this all the memories come rushing back. Damn I choked up so many times with Megan, I grew up with the old G1 stuff and I remember being so scared for her. I remember hiding in my dad's lap when Tirek showed up (I was a wuss as a kid)

A nice tribute to the (sadly underrated) G1 pony cartoons. Plus, it'll be interesting to see the different reactions the Mane 6 have in response to their respective grooming ordeals.

Not to mention being gawked at and judged by a crowd of slack-jawed hairless monkeys...

never watched g1, but this is great none the less

The premise is a little silly, but it's caught my attention. I echo the thought where a somewhat PTSD Megan is reacting in a realistic way. I'm not sure where this is going with the official meetup venue, but it would be gratifying to see a story where humans are realistic, but we don't eat babies and delight in the cries of pain of ponies at night.

>>19253681925368

I agree, but a part of me really wants it to work out. I have a soft spot for stories where things work out for the good at the end, and Megan really deserves a happy story, I think.

This gets liked and followed for "Zebrabwe" alone.

>>19289281928928

I do think somebody else first came up with it, though, or at least something similar.  It might have been Shinzakura.

Always enjoy a good Houyhnhnm reference in my pony fiction.

You're off to a good start.

This...this is a great story

I have never been more tempted to give a story a thumbs down before I read it than when I saw the synopsis. Ponies at a dressage show? Ugh. The stupid makes my head hurt. Glad I gave it a chance though, and very glad Megan thinks it's a dumb idea too. Though I'm still a bit confused on why she has yet to simply say so. The narative causality runs strong in this one?

Good characters, though the central conflict is painfully forced, and the flashbacks sometimes get confusing. +thumbs & +favourite

>>19320311932031

Ponies at a dressage show? Ugh. The stupid makes my head hurt.

Please tell me you at least see the irony in that.  

(Joke) Alt. Title: The Ultimate Groom: Manestyling Has Never Been So Featured

Walking into it I thought this was going to be one of those silly fics I only look into out of curiosity.

Walking out I feel all tingly inside :D. Nice characters. Even though I never watched G1, I still felt a connection with Molly, was it(? I suck with names), when she opened up to Rainbow. Gotta suck being a kid thrown into a mental-scarring situation, even if you get to chill with talking ponies.

But yeah, as said before: nice fic, great characters, good dialogue. I never thought a story about horses being groomed would hold my ADHD self's interest without violent explosions, but it did. Good job! Suck it, Michael Bay. I can like other things except explosions!

>>19340711934071

Thank you, and I'm gratified to hear you say so.  I was actually expecting at least somebody, somewhere, to tell me this story is boring.  Maybe the people who are thinking it are just too polite.

I have just one question. does the ponies, Celestia and Luna included, know anything about the human world. about our technology, all of our countries and our history. (please say no, please say no, its funnier if they don't know.)

It's always nice to see someone dabble into G1. You also brought up a point that I never had thought of til now, compared to the rest of it's colleagues during the 80's it indeed was the only one with an actual body count(not counting the TF movie or the japanese series).

You have a nice habit of peppering of old show and toy trivia throughout and interesting and intriguing story.

So keep up the good work.

Also, yeah the UK comics kinda explained the origins for alot of the toyline/show's ponies, especially the mirror for the babies and well the Twinkle-Eye ponies' has to be read to be believed. They also had a bunch of weird adventures with a stroybook flavor to them.

>>19417791941779

I knew about the twinkle eye ponies' origins.  That's probably the most famous of the old comics because of its grim, if cursory, story line.  The origin of the baby ponies I did not know, and now I'm scrambling to revise some of the stuff I was going to bring into this story in order to bring it into line with the comic.

So, Flutterhshy is wearing tail extensions and is very embarassed about it... It might be a tough one.

>>19475131947513

Shhhhh . . .

Crawling backwards until she could gain her feat, Megan rose and walked numbly into the barn.

"Gain her feat" should probably be "gain her feet".

Great as always

Ouch, a point blank Stare Attack. I'm surprised that she could make a coherent sentence.

>>19554661955466

Whoops.  No matter how many times I read over the thing, eh?  It's fixed now.

>>19555071955507

Yes, true.  But the biggest bad-awesome in two worlds probably has an unusually quick recovery time.

>>19555021955502

Thanks.  And thanks again for your help.

What's going to be funny is them trying to groom Pinkie.

>>19555381955538

I have plans for Pinkie.

>>19555461955546

With her mess of a main probably requires solid steel combs, heavy duty brushes, straps that would keep a draft horse still, enough seditives to knock out a blue whale, and an industrial strength can of hair spray.

>>19555271955527

Yup.  There's certainly no shame in missing the occasional word, especially when it's one the spellchecker won't catch.  You should see my notes on some of the people I proof for

I'm quite enjoying the story so far -- the research you've put into it is adding a nice air of authenticity, and I'm enjoying the Megan/Magog dichotomy you've got going on.  Keep up the good work!

Dude, G1 sounds hardcore. I outta watch it sometime.

Holy cow. I... just... Holy cow.

>>19557551955755

I'll, um, take that as a compliment?

>>19555811955581

What are you talking about?  Pinkie just needs to go crazy, and her mane will be perfectly straight .  With all the DRAMA in this story, there is no way that she won't go crazy or sad.

edit: Added youtube video

Wow.  So that's how you made this chapter dramatic.  Heavy stuff, but very well-executed.  I think the funny/serious balance was a little bit off in this chapter as compared with the previous one, but not jarringly so.  I laughed quite a bit at Molly's adorable antics.  I'd love to see more of her, though I don't know if that's what you have planned.

Interesting turn you've taken with setting up "Magog" as the ponies' returning savior.  This story seems to be going in a very different direction than I'd expected, but now you've got me hooked.

>>19559731955973

The idea that G1 is G4's ancient history that has been mythologized over time is one I've been working on for a while, and I predict I'll recycle it in a bajillion different ways in other stories.  It is partially inspired by The Elements of Harmony and the Savior of Worlds, but I have slight dissatisfaction with that story and wanted to take things in a different direction.  I don't know why, but since I first decided that G1 should be G4's ancient history, I have envisioned Megan as growing into an angry, violence-prone, foul-mouthed teenager with daddy issues.

Thank you for the compliments and encouragement.  You are by no means obligated, of course, but I wonder if you could elaborate on what is off in this chapter's humor/drama balance.

>>19560031956003 In chapter two, the humor and drama both stemmed from one source of conflict, whereas in this chapter, there are several sources (Fluttershy's spiritual insecurity, Fluttershy's tail extensions, Megan's dismay at finding out she's the ponies' messiah, etc.).  The way the focus moved from back and forth between them was a little choppy, and made transitioning from one mood to the next more difficult.  That said, I doubt I would've seen it that way had the "Megan Grooms Rainbow Dash" not been so straightforward.

At any rate, I'm glad you've found my comments encouraging.  Do keep up the good work!

I thought grooming sapient equinoids would be easier than real equinoids because you can reason with them and tell them to do [blank].

I guess not.

------------

My guess is that Rarity will be be a huge pain to groom because she'll be extremely demanding. She'll want things that aren't horse show legal, are impractical, cannot be acquired on Earth, are above Megan's skills or all of the above.

>>19560971956097

However, she's also probably scheming right now to sell show sheen to Equestrian ponies.

This continues to amaze. I love how deep you can turn something as simple as some grooming into this amazingly deep look at Megan, her experiences in the G1 show, and the consequences of that.

Also, I'm kind of amazed by how stupid the Equestrian's plans for First Contact are.

This is a great story; I should have read it sooner! And now, on to the next chapter!

>>19561661956166

I realize the premise is stupid.  I make no apologies for that.  I'm enjoying trying to drag as much drama as I can, kicking and screaming, out of the stupid premise.

In my defense, I think if we look at the way the ponies actually behave in the show, this method of contacting Earth might not be so implausible.  Whatever they did, it would probably be silly, at least.

DAYUM. There were hints of this the previous few chapters, but now we're starting to see just how emotionally messed-up Megan is. "Don't let them see you bleed," indeed.

>>19560971956097

Either that or she'd have already done it herself. Cause she is a fashonista.

>>19563361956336

Rarity's chapter will be two sentences, of course.

Megan looked Rarity over.  "Well . . . it looks like we're done here."

>>19563541956354 Ah but that means you'll have more time for Character Development and Plot points.

I just watched "Rescue at Midnight Castle" to get some context for this story.  It turns out my older sister watched this episode when I was younger, and, as weird as it is to say this, the sound of thunder during Scorpan's invasion was nostalgic.  Thats right, the sound of thunder.  How does that work?

You used the word inane.  That is one of my favorite words.

In Equestria ponies wear saddles for fashion, but there is no one around to ride in them.  Do ponies even know that saddles are intended to seat a horse rider?  After all, Rainbow was confused when Megan wanted to fly.  Will Rarity be revolted by the idea of someone sitting in her beautiful saddle?  Will Rarity's chapter consist entirely of Megan convincing Rarity to allow a human to debase her designer saddle with a human buttocks?  Will Rarity's chapter be next?  Will the ponies groom Magag the Mighty?  Will I stop asking for spoilers?

Anyway, thanks for another entertaining chapter of pulling drama and developed characters from a stupid idea.  This super power of yours has impressed me both here and in Brony Steve Makes Out With Fluttershy.  I eagerly await the next chapter.

>>19565501956550

Don't stop asking for spoilers, please, because you're giving me some hilarious ideas.

Incidentally, I'm gratified to hear you say I'm successfully pulling drama and developed characters out of a stupid idea.  That is one of my favorite things in the world, which is why I'm a permanent fan of things such as Bone and Duck Tales, and that's probably the reason I got into ponies, too, since writers have been pulling interesting stories out of Hasbro's line of brushable plastic horse toys since 1984.  I love complex stories based on deceptively simple and especially cartoonish things.

I just love this. I'm a old school fan and have been wanting to write some G1/G4 crossovers myself, but I think I'll sit back and let a pro do it instead. I do like the mythological/apocalypse direction you've taken in in, but I'm curious as to your justification that ponies are unaware of gods/goddesses as a potential myth type. No religion at all even in other species? This is perhaps the first time I've really seen this implied, especially since a lot of writers like to refer to the Princesses as goddesses.

And wow, that comic magic mirror bit? I gotta say that's a piece of trivia even I hadn't heard of!

>>19567351956735

Good question on the "goddess" thing.  This is some bleed-over from an HiE novel (un-posted) that I'm working on, in which the normal form of government in the world of Faerie (i.e., "Ponyland" in the present story) is literal theocracy, that is, rule by deity.  The actual words god or goddess are unknown, since whoever's in charge, the princess or king or whatever, is the deity they recognize, and there is no religious cult distinguishable from the honors paid to the monarch.

In canon, the ponies swear by Celestia as if they recognize her as a goddess, but they only call her a princess, so I presume here and in my other works that the word goddess is unknown to them.

>>19565701956570

Some less inspired questions/ideas...

Stirrups seem to be absent from pony "dresses."  They will probably feel weird, especially to Rarity.

Saddles will probably need to be worn much tighter to hold a rider than the ponies are used to.  New idea: Human saddles are Pony Corsets.

Do horses wear blinders during a 4-H show?  Might be good for Fluttershy's fear of crowds.

Do riders wear spurs at a 4-H show?

Rainbow Dash will despise reins.

Bits cannot be comfortable or tasty.  Will Twilight magic something up to help?  Will Rarity fahionista something up to help?

You can't turn this story into a slave trade, but what will the ponies think about studs?

Will Molly look a gift horse in the mouth?

Could Mister Ed really talk and was he actually a pony from Equestria.

Will ponies get sick on Earth?  Equestria seems mostly disease free, so the ponies probably have weaker immune systems.

How do I know all these horse terms off the top of my head?  Last time I rode a horse I was like 5.

And I'm out of ideas.  Till next chapter.

>>19568821956882

You know, the Mister Ed/MLP/BraveStarr crossover has been a long time in coming.

Who says I can't turn this into a slave trade?

Oh, studs . . . well, I personally would think the ponies would think the same thing about Earth horse mating habits that humans think about the mating habits of chimps, which is to say, not much, unless they're anthropologists who like to draw invalid analogies (and I have an anthropology degree, so I get to say that).