Rainbow slipped free of the embrace and sat down. "Alright, AJ. Now we need to talk. I'm not complaining that you suddenly want to move to the next level and all." She raised a hoof. "That's kinda sweet actually, but, seriously girl, that was way over the top what you did to those fillies. They probably deserved some punishment, sure, but not that."
Applejack frowned, but she had named Rainbow as her right-hoof mare, which meant listening to her. She considered the action over again. They had done wrong, and she had punished them. She even gave them a chance to get off free if they just apologized! No, she was right to punish them... "What kinda punishment do ya think woulda been better?"
Rainbow rolled a hoof lightly. "A few good swats on the bottom, make them clean up the party by themselves afterwards, or rat on them to their parents. Ya know? Maybe some combination of the above. Banishing ponies should be the last thing we reach for when everything else doesn't work." She rubbed behind her head, quietly wondering how she managed to get into a conversation of why banishing a foal to another world may not be a good idea.
Applejack clucked her tongue. "Maybe yer right, sugarcube. Ah shoulda tried that before jumpin' ta such extremes..." She smiled brightly. "This is why Ah'm glad ta have ya right here, beside me." Rainbow was about to comment when Applejack went in for a new kiss that kept the both of them silent for a time. "Ah shoulda came clean long before today. We were both just wastin' time we coulda been spendin' togetha."
Rainbow looked all the more uncertain. She enjoyed Applejack's suddenly exposed romantic side, but this was clearly an influenced Applejack. Were her feelings real? Would she recoil in horror when she came around and then hate Rainbow for going along with it? Rainbow grunted in frustration, unsure what to do. "Applejack, please don't take this the wrong way, because I have your back, girl, always, but maybe you could put that thing down?" She pointed at the scythe.
Applejack turned her head to look at the scythe, looking as if she were just reminded it was there. "Oh, that thing ain't doin' nothin'. Here." She pulled it off her back and a thrill of power ran through her. The scythe felt somehow... better... in her snout than it had before, like a dear friend and eager ally. "See? Harmless. Severance here is just fer helpin' keep the law."
Rainbow tilted her head slowly. "It has a name?"
Applejack tilted her head. "'Course he does!" She slipped the scythe easily onto her back. "But we don't need him right now. Ponyville's safe and sound." She tapped her chin, looking thoughtful all of a sudden. "But ah just got a great idea!"
Rainbow swallowed softly before asking, "And that would be...?"
Applejack thrust a hoof towards the Everfree. "It's long past time we done took care of them varmints. Foals should be able to play by tha forest, or in tha trees without being harassed."
Rainbow spread her wings. "About that. Before we go do something else, bring back the fillies? You agreed it was a bit hasty, yeah?"
Applejack shook her head. "I can banish things, not recall them. Sorry."
Rainbow sagged. "Applejack... We have to help them. They don't deserve to die!"
Applejack reached out and set a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "Ah can see this means a lot to ya. Tell ya what, pick somepony and ah'll send them after tha brats and then they'll have somepony ta watch over them."
It was better than Rainbow thought she'd get, so she nodded. "Alright, if that's the best we got. How about me? I could protect them!"
Applejack shook her head emphatically. "Yer my second-in-command! Ah need you!"
Rainbow could see a desperate look in Applejack's eyes and decided she really was needed. Applejack seemed willing to listen to her, even when that crazy thing on her back suggested crazy things. "I won't leave you, AJ... Hmm..."
With their business concluded, Sonata was leading the way back towards the train station. "You know, if you had asked me a few years back what I'd do when I got back to Equestria, this would, like, not even be on the list." She glanced over her shoulder at Lex. "Life can really change someone, huh?"
He nodded. "It was only eighteen months ago, at least to me, that I was heading to the Crystal Empire in hopes of studying their Crystal Heart to refine the magical discipline I'd developed." He paused, thinking back on everything that had happened since then. He'd been thrown forward in time, lost his horn and replaced it with Sombra's, been sent to Everglow...and fallen in love. "I never could have predicted everything that's happened between then and now."
Sonata smiled gently. "I wouldn't change a bit, even the parts that were a complete bummer. The ending's just right." She let Lex catch up so she could bump against him and proceeded towards the train. A song came free of her as she went, simple but soothing in its expression of the joy she felt for her life as a whole, and the complicated path that had led her to that very moment, and the challenging path ahead of her that she was eager to start down.
Lex smiled again as he listened to her sing. He had always enjoyed the sound of her voice, but this was the first time he'd heard her singing, and it captivated him as thoroughly as any of her spells could have. The hopeful, happy tune reminded him again that, for everything he had gone through, it had turned out well in the end.
You failed to achieve your goals on your own, came the voiceless words into his mind. Glancing back, Lex could see his shadow trailing behind him. This is only because she accomplished what you could not.
Normally, the hateful words would have soured his good mood, but against the backdrop of Sonata's singing about her hope for the future - about her hope for their future - they were insignificant. It was true that Sonata had been instrumental in achieving this success, but somehow Lex didn't feel ashamed of that the way he would have in the past. Instead, the knowledge of what she'd done for him filled him with a warm feeling, and the fervent desire to let her know how much that meant to him.
Rubbing back against her, gently enough that he didn't disrupt her song, Lex could just make out the approaching train. Silently vowing that he'd do so, not just today but for the rest of his life, he watched as it - and their next adventure - sped closer.
Apple Bloom had gathered the Crusaders, including Sunflower, to the base of what once was their clubhouse. "Ah call this emergency meetin' of the Cutie Mark Crusaders ta order." She clopped a hoof against the tree. "Y'all saw what mah sister did, right?"
Sweetie Bloom raised a hoof. "She zapped Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon."
Scootaloo flared her wings. "To Everglow! They don't stand a chance! I mean, no offense Apple Bloom but they're earth ponies, without any, uh, training, at all. We at least taught ourselves some tricks before we went and we barely made it out."
Sunflower pointed at the big castle. "You said you came to Everglow from there. Why not go back and rescue them?"
Apple Bloom grinned and pointed at Sunflower. "Ah knew there was a reason we invited ya. That's exactly what we should do! Cutie Mark Crusaders Bully Rescuers!" The others echoed the war cry and the meeting came to an abrupt end as they galloped towards Twilight's castle, ready to save the two.
They didn't get past the front door. Spike glowered at the lot of them. "Twilight gave specific orders that none of you are allowed in here without her there to watch you."
Scootaloo pouted. "But Spike! It's important! Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are in huge trouble and we have to save them. They're in Everglow right now, being tortured or killed or something."
Spike raised a brow. "How in Equestria did they get there?"
A hand grasped the door above Spike's head and Soft Mane stepped into view. "You can't get to Everglow from here," said the pony satyr. "Twilight had the rune destroyed after she learned how you all went to Everglow. She said it was too dangerous to leave intact."
Sweetie Belle sank in place. "But they're in real trouble... What can we do? I... I really think Silver Spoon wanted to be our friend..."
Apple Bloom tilted her head. "Really?"
Sweetie quickly nodded. "She looked so happy for just a moment before Diamond Tiara butted in. I was going to talk to her after the party, but then all this happened."
Spike shook his head. "I really wish I could help, girls, but none of us know how to get back to Everglow without that rune, and it's gone."
With heavy heads, the Crusaders withdrew from the castle.
Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared between Applejack and Rainbow Dash. "Found you! Now let me take this nasty thing away." She plucked the scythe only to drop it instantly, shaking her hooves. "Ow! That thing stings!"
Applejack frowned at Pinkie. "Didn't yer parents tell ya stealing is wrong?" She plucked up the scythe and put it back where it belong. "Whattaya need, Pinkie?"
Rainbow saw opportunity and smiled. "Pinkie, we need a hero."
Pinkie suddenly rose to her hind-legs and saluted sharply. "Pinkie Pie reporting for duty!"
Rainbow bobbed her head. "Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon need your help. Can you keep them safe on Everglow until we can fetch all three of you?"
Pinkie tilted her head with some confusion. Applejack nodded at Pinkie. "Ah was a bit rash sendin' them that way but ah can't pull them back. It would be right heroic of ya ta keep an eye on them."
Pinkie bobbed her head with understanding. "I'll do it! I can't let little fillies be all alone and afraid. I've been there. I can handle it."
With no hesitation, Applejack drew the scythe off her back and rent the fabric between Here and There, sending Pinkie Pie on her way with a 'Whee!'. "There, now they'll be fine."
Rainbow nodded slowly. "Good, now for the next part."
"Next part?" asked Applejack with a raised brow.
"You have to explain this to their parents."
Applejack let out a slow sigh before nodding, and they walked off to see justice be done. "Then we can get ta taming that forest?"
Rainbow smiled a little nervously. "Sure thing, AJ. But parents first, and you have to promise me not to punish them for being angry. They're going to be angry, and they should be. You just zapped their foals off to Celestia knows where!"
Applejack grunted with obvious annoyance. "Ah promise, sugarcube. We'll inform them polite like. Pinkie'll take care of 'em. She's a great foalsitter ya know."
I don't like AJs tool, because it feels like she's become its tool instead.
did -or- done
I can't tell, is Rainbow a puppet that talks back, or is she just out of character?
6058947 I think you're way off-base here on virtually every point you bring up. Let's go through them one-by-one.
Point #1) Your entire premise is incorrect - what's going on between Applejack and Rainbow Dash isn't seduction. Seduction has an element of dishonesty to it, and Applejack is being entirely honest with her feelings of attraction towards Rainbow Dash, here. She's basically flinging her feelings at Rainbow Dash and demanding her submission; it's practically a brute-force assault, albeit an emotional one.
Moreover, your assertion that "lawful characters don't seduce, since there isn't a seductive devil" is taking an extremely specific point and using it as the basis for an incredibly general assertion. Lawful evil characters can seduce, lie, or otherwise deceive in pursuit of their goals - only paladins are forbidden to lie outright.
As for this not shipping AJ and RD...that's debatable. The latest chapter seems to speak to that particular line of thought anyway, so the point seems largely moot.
Point #2) Where was Pinkie Pie after AJ escaped from her snare? Somewhere else. Pinkie didn't even see the event happen, and she isn't treating it as being very much of an issue, so her nonchalance (which is characteristic of her anyway) is understandable.
Point #3) AJ made two fillies vanish; Rainbow classified it as being "murder" because she knows what it means to go to Everglow. The rest of the population just knows that they were there, and then they were gone. There was no conception of what happened as a threat, because it wasn't an obvious threat, the way a stampede would be. It's also likely that thinking of it as murder is simply not occurring to the populace; one of the most reliable townsfolk doesn't casually kill ponies and then ask for cake - I doubt Ponyville (or Equestria) even has a prison, such things are so fantastically rare.
Point #4) I think that you're mischaracterizing Willow and Kalik's relationship. From what we've seen of it, they've always been friends, albeit in a manner like "The Odd Couple," including some friendly, casual sniping. Saying that Willow is abusive and Kalik is a resentful slave strikes me as wildly inaccurate.
6059153
Yes it is. Rainbow tried to resist, and AJ changed her approach until she succeeded. Using someone's emotions to manipulate them is a Kara trick, not the Night Mare.
The latest chapter also makes no sense. Rainbow went from protesting her murder of the bullies to helping her plan their new empire in about thirty seconds.
Pinkie Pie follows ponies to the death simply for withholding information. There is no way she would let this go just because her snare didn't work.
Willow has been completely ignoring Kalik's health and welfare, going so far as to order her to go into water. Kalik has been getting hurt and taking initiative on behalf of Willow's friends and never got so much as a thank you.
6059186
No, it's not. There was no element of trickery or dishonesty in what Applejack was doing - liking someone and wanting them to like you back, and taking action to that effect, is not a seduction. This isn't AJ "manipulating" Rainbow Dash via Rainbow's emotions. This is AJ's own emotions coming out and trying to force Rainbow to return them. Using force to take what you want is entirely within The Night Mare's purview.
Did you miss the part where it was heavily implied that AJ was using mind-affecting magic? Or the subtle-but-not-that-subtle realization on Rainbow's part that AJ was clearly under some sort of influence, and so she was trying to perform "damage control" by limiting the crazy? What's going on here makes perfect sense within the context of the story itself.
Er, no, she doesn't. Pinkie can be pushy, but she's not a stalker. She was curious about her friends planning a surprise party for her, for example, but they managed to pull it off. Moreover, there's nothing for her to "let go" since she didn't see the events in question.
That's called a "working relationship." Willow is pretty clearly the boss, and sending Kalik into dangerous situations is sort of the entire point of having a summoned creature, since Kalik can't be killed on a normal summons - at worst, she's just banished back to her home plane. Her inviting Kalik to sit and relax was a change of pace, like your boss taking you out to lunch, rather than some sort of massive aberration.
6059186 Kalik would not have been hurt by the water, she just didn't want to do it. If it would have actually killed him, she wouldn't have ordered it.
6059202
That's the contradiction. If Rainbow is mind-controlled, how is she opposing all of her policies?
The mind-control is the reason I said they can never be together after this. AJ just mind-raped her best friend. They can never go back to the way they were.
6059202
6059186 Rainbow Dash is fully aware that Applejack is in a very bad place. RD is worried she will be hated afterwards if she accepts Applejack's advances, thinking some of them may be false, forced on her by the evil thing on her back.
She is not helping Applejack make an evil empire. I have no idea what part of the chapter even implied that? She has so far:
Made Applejack realize she shouldn't have banished the foals.
Send Pinkie Pie to keep them safe.
Go apologize and explain the situation to their parents and not lash out at them for being angry.
I'm not sure which of these steps results in global domination, or in Rainbow Dash compromising any of her basic values.
I'm normally with you Albedo, but this feels... odd?
6059202
Rainbow Dash told her; she knows. She also knows it's murder just like Dash does.
6059224
I didn't say evil. She's helping her schedule cleansing the Everfree after all of the "damage control"
6059218
Because she shook it off? Wasn't that obvious? I mentioned the use of mind-affecting magic because it went with the theme of "force, not seduction," not because it was successful.
I agree that this will severely impact things between them, but AJ is also a victim here - Rainbow knows that Scythe is screwing with her friend's head, and I'm not sure that she'll hold that against her forever.
6059229 I'm not sure you're characterizing Pinkie correctly, here. Rainbow thinks that two fillies on Everglow is assuredly murder, which matches Rainbow's experiences there. Pinkie, however, views everything sunny-side up, so I doubt she'd characterize going to Everglow the same way.
6059233
She may forgive her, but she can't forget. Any romance will just remind them both of the bad thing that happened.
6059241 That's your opinion; I disagree. Ponies can forgive and move past something bad. Hence the number of reformed villains we've seen in the show.
6059243 Reformed villains are still haunted by their past mistakes. Nothing ever goes away completely.
6059241
6059243 Are we just... ignoring the part where Rainbow has pretty successfully talked Applejack down? Rainbow does not feel raped, which appears to be what Albedo is pushing for. Rainbow is the one that feels she could be the one taking advantage. She thinks Applejack is way not herself, and the feelings professed are not her own, and is worried that she, Rainbow Dash, will take advantage of Applejack, not the other way around. She has accepted the responsibility of keeping Applejack calm and controlled until a more permanent solution can be found, because they are friends, true friends.
This ultimately has nothing to do with shipping, just the magic of friendship. Rainbow will not abandon AJ.
6059248 Again, that's your opinion. I think that it's possible to achieve catharsis, hence why we haven't seen Luna (in the show, not the comics) ever display any particular remorse over her time as Nightmare Moon.
6059257 The whole thing feels like when Discord turned Fluttershy; the driving force behind all of these developments feels like it's just "because I said so."
6059257 That's a good point, and one that the current chapter explicitly stated. Rainbow knows that AJ isn't in her right mind, and she's not wrong to wonder about the moral implications of accepting a more physical relationship with someone that's under an influence.
6059262
Yes we have. She's an introvert, but she's still thinking about that as late as the Season 4 finale.
6059264 That's correct, except where "I" is "Severance, the scythe" (as AJ interprets the subconscious new directives it issues, and Rainbow tries to deal with them).
6059270 Where in the season 4 finale do you see that? Because I don't recall such a recollection - though even if there was one, I'm not sure what you think that proves. Past regrets do not necessarily taint future endeavors.
6059264 I have failed to parse this sentence. Can you rephrase?
6059282 AJ + RD, Pinkie going to Everglow and RD doing damage control all taste like fiat power. You want these things to happen, so you make them happen, even though the characters would not have driven the story that direction.
Even in a forgiving culture like Equestria, there have to be consequences.
6059282
6059278
I'm sorry, I'm getting mad. I'll try again later when I'm ready be civil. Peace.
6059302 No worries, dude. I respect that you can recognize and step back when things start to become acrimonious.
6059313
6059282
You know it's time to take a break when you think "go to Tartarus" is a persuasive argument. I'm too much like Lex; I know I'm right and pity the fool that dares oppose me.
I really only get this way for canon characters. OCs are always (almost always) true to their nature because their nature is what the author wants it to be. Canon characters are subject to interpretation, and it's inevitable that different people will have different interpretations of their core values.
I don't like where this is going, but I admit that your version of the characters can behave this way. *sigh*
6059313
6059347 I'm still confused because I don't know what really went wrong here?
Are we mad at the ponies of the town, who have no idea what really happened?
Are we mad at Rainbow Dash, who is doing her best to help Applejack not lose her shit?
Are we mad at Applejack, who is busy losing her shit?
Who is acting out of character here? I just don't see it.
Are we mad at Equestrian justice? Because it's been pretty wack from day 1. When is Rainbow getting punished for her massive crimes against all other pegasi?
6059369
They gloss over them in the show, but they are people too, and people react.
Infiltrating and fixing from the inside comes as naturally to Dash as it comes to Lex
No, but I'm mad at the Night Mare. She pretended to empower AJ to bring her law to Equestria, but she actually gave her an artifact that creates chaos everywhere it goes. She's either incompetent or in the wrong domain.
If Equestrian justice is that bad, why is Lex wasting his time on the economy?
Rainbow should absolutely be punished for that, but I don't think she was caught.
6059480 What actual chaos has she wraught? She murdered, if we use the most extreme term, two anti-social and uncooperative people then moved on to wanting to tame a widely known source of danger and chaos.
Are these good acts? No.
Are these chaotic acts? I'd also vote no. If Applejack was allowed to run roughshod over the area, you'd end up with a perfectly orderly tyranny. All hail Applejack! She knows what's best for us!
6059494 That's related to my objection about the background ponies. They don't realize how bad things are, but they would be very confused. Confused people ask questions, so there should already be a wide-spread rumor that something weird happened at Sugarcube Corner. The mayor would have heard it, Twilight would have heard it, Filthy Rich would have heard it, and there would be public pressure to investigate.
6059503 I'm getting lost here, mostly because no one is keeping any of this a secret. Rainbow Dash is literally, this instant, walking Applejack to talk with their parents and it's only been like a few minutes! I don't know how much faster you want it to be.
6059513 I'll just shut up and see where it goes.
6059480
It's not creating chaos, as I see it; it's forcibly installing her own brand of order.
The Night Mare's artifact is essentially dominating Applejack and forcing her to behave in accordance with The Night Mare's tenets. Dominating others to act as she wants them to is pretty much what The Night Mare does. Now Applejack is doing the same thing to Ponyville, etc.
Because Equestria's criminal justice system is so rarely invoked. The crime rate is so low it's practically nonexistent. Most ponies simply don't commit crimes, and those that do are usually petty crimes, which would normally be subject to tort penalties as much as criminal prosecution (e.g. the Flim Flam Bothers).
Obviously there are actual criminals, but the vast majority of those tend to reform fairly quickly (e.g. Trixie, Troubleshoes) or become fugitives (e.g. Starlight Glimmer). Either way, they're isolated cases that don't need systemic reform the way the political and economic situations do.
Wheeee.
Is Pinkie needing not so much, just to gain her next character, class level, or is she going to go for a level in multiclassing this time to have even more fun?
Now with Pinkie back in Everglow does that mean she took the typos with her?
and the sequel is all most laid out we need the cmc going to help yet.
good chapter.
6059369 I have to agree with 6059503. They saw the fillies there. Then AJ swings a very sharp, dark, and evil looking WEAPON and suddenly the fillies are gone. If you pay attention to the show, the town's people freak out over EVERYTHING. They went mad crazy over a bunny stampeid! The very thought that would enter their mind at seeing what happen would either be "OMG She killed them! She killed those fillies and are going to kill us next!" or "OMG She banished them! She imprisoned them in the placed she banished them to and are going to do that to us next!" It is NOT "Huh... What happened to the fillies?" Not even humans would react that braindead stupid.
6060516 Considering they are not even on camera, there sure is a lot of worry about these background ponies and their insufficient reaction in the minutes after a superhero did something confusing.
Assuming the scythe is both axiomatic and unholy... Well, I just hope I'm wrong about that assumption.
Perform! It's not just for bards.
Twilight's a fast learner; no more portal runes, period. Far too dangerous. Of course, the same could be said for certain divine artifacts. Hard to say how the town will react to Applejack now. Especially the bullies' parents. Filthy Rich in particular might take this very hard, and his financial clout might in turn lash out at the Apples. Even if that isn't the case, Dash is going to have her work cut out for her.
6060560 Rainbow will try her best. She made Apple promise to not smite the parents, that will help a lot.
6060532 Well that's the thing. In the show, movies, cartoons and so on, It takes time and energy to actually draw/animate all their reaction. But even if you did, it would mostly be filler stuff half the time. Such as in Dragonball Z, don't see to focus on people running around in fear.
In stories tho, like this, there is no days/weeks of extra time animating reactions. And it IS tied into the story. They were there, in that room, and some most likely saw what happened. You can't have Pony A, walk into a room with Pony B, C, and D, have A brutally beat C to death, and have B and D just be completly ignored. You placed the ponies in that room, it was a 'party' And with a LOT of people, someone is going to see something and react to it. In cartoons/movies, can be over looked because of time or money. In a written story? There is no excuse. Especially since, as I said, it's part of the story.
Everyone is calm right now, no one seems to care. If they reacted, the story would change, because the ponies would be panicing in the background. AJ wouldn't need to go tell DT and SS's parents because they would have already been told by the panicing parents. The other Main6 would be trying to figure out what was wrong, not just Rainbow. Twilight would have gotten back and see the panicing and try to find out what is wrong and go see AJ too when the town people rally to her to help their fear.
Cartoon and movie? Panicing background people don't matter much. Written stories? Those background people's reactions actually matter.
6060740 Who is everyone? I've shown noone beyond the initial moment, and that's what bothers me. They could be organizing a blood hunt on Applejack right now, but they are off camera. Who knows?
Ultimately though, I still don't see why they would. Applejack, known hero, did something odd and made two fillies vanish. When -asked right then and there-, she said she sent them someplace.
That's kind of... a thing the mane six could do. The parents weren't there to demand more answers, and Applejack left soon after before others could think of anything. Worst case scenario? Applejack foalnapped two foals. This seems terribly unlikely to anyone who knows Applejack.
6060757 That would be true. If they were rational and human. But these are ponies, ponies that are shown in the show to panic over pretty much EVERYthing. From bunny stampeeds, to cloaked ponies walking in town, to a foal getting more than 1 cutie mark.
And while you said, you have not shown them, but the reactions should still be there. Ponies should have been panicing in the background, be seen running around, going to PRINCESS Twilight for help/answers, lots of noices of them moving around.
But nothing. No mention at all, no reaction, not even a footnote. She just, for all intent and purpose, murdered 2 foals and no pony reacts other than Rainbow and the CMC, the others are completly ignored.
6060891 All your examples hinge on a basic point: Something they can see that is alarming to them.
Two foals vanishing is something they cannot see anymore that is alarming. After a moment of panic, and being told everything is fine, there's nothing to get them worked up again.
See the cutie mark thing. When Spike said 'Nothing to worry about', they calmed INSTANTLY. Why wouldn't they for Applejack, who ranks higher than Spike on every social totem pole the ponies have?
6060891 As David noted, this is incumbent on one thing - that there be something that it obviously frightening or otherwise threatening. What happened with Applejack and the fillies doesn't qualify.
A stampede of any nature is threatening. A scary-looking cloaked figure is similarly frightening. Those things are unsubtle in their presentation of something that should be feared. What happened with Applejack is not unambiguous to that same extent, however. Applejack has a great deal of trust and goodwill in Ponyville - seeing her take action automatically earns the benefit of the doubt among the townsponies.
The only thing that would overcome that would be if she did something monstrously horrifying, and this doesn't qualify. She made two fillies vanish; that's confusing, but it's not "murder" in terms that the townsponies could tell. They just know that those two are gone; they don't know where they went or how it was done. For all they know, it was a magic trick - in other words, that entire event is a big question mark, one that they're sure will work out okay because it's Applejack, of all ponies, who did it.
Panic would not be something that would ensue following this.
In this chapter, we see that things are rapidly becoming serious, in more ways than one! Applejack continues to put the moves on Rainbow, who surprisingly realizes that she may need to exercise some subtlety in her response, even as AJ makes it evident that she's falling further and further to the dark side. Also notable is that Lex and Sonata have exited the story.
Insofar as Applejack goes, it's now clear that she's completely under the thrall of that artifact, Severance. I had thought that it'd take some time for it to solidify its hold over her, since this is still the same day that they made it to Viljatown, met Lex and Sonata, had a run-in with two evil goddesses, and got back to Ponyville! But apparently it doesn't need that long.
I had also thought that it was being more active in its control over her, to the point where I thought it might be alive, but I'm not so sure of that now. Applejack seems like she's suffering from an alignment change more than anything else - one that's mental as well as moral, and as such I doubt she'll want to go back to how she felt before - and the scythe isn't otherwise evincing any evidence of sentience. It was notable, at least to me, that Rainbow was able to walk back AJ's confidence in her actions before, to the point where Applejack admitted that she might have been "hasty" in banishing the two to Everglow. On the one hoof, it's good that AJ can still be reasoned with to some degree - on the other, if she has that much flexibility in her new attitudes, it going to be hard to break her of them through appeals to reason alone...if something has flexibility, it doesn't break easily.
What I found particularly interesting here was how obvious it's become - at least to Rainbow Dash - that Applejack is no longer in her right mind. Usually, in these types of stories, it's almost obligatory that we get a drawn-out sequence of "what's happened to her?" where various possibilities are brought up and investigated, usually while the viewers are wondering how the cast could be so obtuse. Here, however, the cast is fully aware of both the nature of the problem and its source; the question is instead what can they do about it.
It's also an interesting twist to see the moral quandary that this places Rainbow in regarding how affectionate AJ has become towards her. She's basically operating under the logic that Applejack is no longer in her right mind, and that it's wrong to do anything physically intimate with someone who's been compromised. The problem is that it's unclear regarding the extent that AJ's judgment has been impaired (she can read the signals, after all, and knows that there's been tension between her and AJ for a while), leaving Rainbow unsure if she should return her affection...and it's clear that she really wants to.
I also wonder about how well Pinkie Pie can function on her own in Everglow. Even if we assume that she was sent to the same location as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon (which is a big "if"), she's a mid-level bard with two noncombatants...that could be tough. Moreover, there'd be quite the clash of personalities, as Diamond Tiara in particular seems to find Pinkie irritating (as per "Pinkie Pride"). There's also the question of whether or not the story will follow AJ's continuing corruption, or switch to Pinkie and the girls back in Everglow.
One pair that we won't be following any longer, I expect, is Lex and Sonata. Their sequences here really came across as them riding off into the sunset, happy at last. I suppose the story could keep following them, but it really doesn't seem like it plans on it. While that's something of a shame, it's not at all inappropriate, at this point.
I do think that the two of them would make for a great spin-off fic, but that's doubtlessly too much to hope for (and I'm certainly in no position to write it, at the moment). As such, I suppose we'll just have to wait until their paths cross with the Mane Six again. In the meantime, there's certainly more adventures awaiting them in Vanhoover!
6062412 I plan to leave Sonata and Lex for the moment. It's the first graceful seeming ending I've done on FimFic, so yay for that!
Willow has achieved a level of calm and is basically 'done'. Sunflower has the girls, one romantically, and is a happy cat. Really the only big question mark floating around is Applejack.
Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Pinkie Pie? They're for a sequel if I do it.
Does this mean ANOTHER sequel, perchance?
Just a quick note for anyone who didn't notice David's blog post - while Lex and Sonata exit the story here, their tale continues in their own adventure: Lateral Movement.