AtGGG Chapter 11 tracker, Pt. III · 8:14pm Mar 5th, 2013
Or should it be Chapter 12 tracker, Pt. I? I dunno.
Anyway.
i. Carrot Top & Fisher Max and Fragrant
ii. Interlude: More Blueblood & Pinkie Pie
iii. Lyra, Bon Bon, & Greengrass
iv. Interlude: Greengrass and Princess Luna
v. The Plan comes to fruition
Nearly there...here's a preview again.
Carrot Top wasn’t certain if she’d ever get used to nobility recognizing her – but as long as Fragrant did, she appreciated that the duchess was focusing her as her niece’s friend, and not as the Element of Generosity. “Yes, your Grace. Though I know her as Fluttershy.”
Fragrant’s expression changed at that, to one that was surprisingly familiar to Carrot Top – her cheeks puffing a little as she frowned. It was basically the same look that Carrot Top herself got whenever she grew annoyed with something, though the duchess wasn’t directing the pout at Carrot Top in particular. “Ooh…” she seethed. “Rainbow Dash gave her that nickname. Fluttering likes it, but I’ve always thought it was belittling…”
“I like it,” Baron Mounty said. He waved a hoof in the air, a though tracking the gentle flight of a butterfly. “Fluttershy…it sounds very sweet and demure. From what you’ve told me of her, it sounds like it fits very well, and as long as she likes…are you alright, duchess?”
Duchess Fragrant had turned to the baron, directing her glare at him. The baron failed to burst into flames, or even understand that he was being glared at. Is that what I look like? Carrot Top wondered. “I think she uses it because she doesn’t want to let everypony know she’s a Posey,” Carrot Top said. “Not that she’s ashamed! But she wants to lead a quiet, simple life. And she does seem to like the nickname, your Grace.”
The duchess let out a long sigh at that. “As long as she is happy,” she said. “I’m afraid that both my brother and I put a touch too many expectations on her when she was a foal…Thunderous wanted her to inherit the weather factory. I have…had difficulties having foals of my own, meanwhile, and so named Fluttering as my heir apparent.” Fragrant shook her head. “We were both less sensitive to Fluttering’s own needs than we should have been, and we have spent years trying to make things up to her.”
A note:
I don't think that Fluttershy is still Fragrant's heir apparent. More likely, after Fluttershy moved to Ponyville, Fragrant named one of Fluttershy's siblings as her new heir, although I'm sure that she's still trying to have foals of her own. I don't think she's barren...more likely she was just unlucky and had a miscarriage or two through perfectly natural causes (it can happen), which kind of depressed her. One day she'll have a foal of her own, though.
I'd also like to take the time to point out that I don't think that Thunderous or Fragrant were ever deliberately insensitive towards Fluttershy, nor tried deliberately to toughen her up. They probably thought that they were being great, letting Fluttershy know about all that she'd one day be, showing her what was, to them, an awesome future in store, and Fluttershy, being Fluttershy, wasn't really able to let them know that their plans didn't really interest her, and actually frightened her a little. They almost certainly saw her shyness as just something she'd grow out of in her own time.
I like to think that Rainbow Dash helped Fluttershy with telling her parents and her aunt about her desire to move to Ponyville and leave the inheritance behind. Both Fragrant and Thunderous were shocked, of course, as this seemingly came out of nowhere; when Fluttershy explained why she wanted to, both suddenly felt massively guilty. This prompted Thunderous to do his thing with Rainbow Dash, and I'm certain that Fragrant probably helped out in some way, too, maybe by helping Fluttershy furnish her new home.
Fluttershy does not resent them, though; of this I am sure.
Now that you're telling us all this about the connections between Rainbow and Fluttershy and her family (more though your comment than any story excerpt, not sure how I feel about), are we going to see some progress with Rainbow being in a job she's not qualified for due to favoritism?
Oh Max, you are best noble.
Yes to more Blueblood and Pinkie Pie. Their interactions are glorious.
Blueblood X Pinkie, OTP.
Looks great!
891707 Basically the Mayor and his son from the new CGI version of Horton Hears a Who - well-intentioned and they THINK everything's hunky-dory, but really all Flutters wants to do is
build a giant mechanical music housetake care of fluffy animals. Can't wait for more Pink!Blood, and VERY excited about plan fruitions!891796
Remember, not every boss is the boss because they're hard working. Also, much like Trixie's drinking, it's probably exaggerated just how much L!Rainbow slacks off. Probably due to most of the perspective on the weather team comes from Raindrops.
Unless L!Rainbow really does slack off as constantly as our at least somewhat biased viewpoint character is, in which case...I dunno. I think I'd rant ineffectually over just how utterly brain-dead every single weather-pony above L!Rainbow to ever see L!Rainbow at "work", yet not at least demote her to somewhere below leader. Then maybe a little side ineffective rant over how yet another L!M6 is an utter broken wreck.