FOE: Hooves Of Fate Chapter 8 review

Chapter 8: Alone in the Dark

And after having realized Rose just started a slave revolt, sparked a civil war between the townsponies and the cloak-o's, as well as setting off a power struggle among the cloak-o's themselves we get a somewhat appropriate quote given which of those three is the most important.

“Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.” – Albert Camus

This is another one that I think I kind of get what it's trying to say, but don't REALLY 'get it'. I have only the vaguest idea what the 'appeal to the essence of being' bit means, but I do see how it applies, just not enough to really talk about it. As to the 'appeal to innocence part' I sort of get it. I do see where the author is coming from, but disagree that ALL of them are about that. Yes there might be some bit of longing for simpler times when things were not as bad. When you were innocent to things being that bad. But that's hardly the driving force behind EVERY act of rebellion. Some yes. Every? Doubt it. But I do see how it applies to the chapter as a whole quite well.

We open said chapter with more musing reflection by Narrator!Rose. About how stupid being an adult must be. Either chasing your lost childhood, or trying to flee any hints of it. How The Priestess was the worst of both worlds. (Kind of get what she's meaning here too, but not enough to really talk about it either.) And recapping how at one point she thought she might be sent to protect innocence itself. And yeah already covered my thoughts on that idea.

She does however bring up one other good point about it. That by it's very nature, innocence is something that as soon as you know enough about it to think about fighting for it. To know it's something that might need saving. You've already lost it. Rather, instead of innocence, she feels that she and the other foals trapped in the town might have a different virtue to them that the adults do not. Not innocence, but something she thinks could best be called 'purity.'

I like this train of thought. Though, while I get what she means by purity, the word I'd say best describes it is 'simplicity'. Not with any of the negative connotations that being simple could imply either. But rather, a lack of complication. They aren't fighting for some vague thoughts. Some ideals they only barely understand. No, they were fighting for each other. For their freedom. And one more thing. Anger, rage. The kind only being taken from your home, forced into backbreaking slavery, knowing that you will be worked to death, beaten. The kind of anger only a life like that can create. All coming to a head. Just thinking what a pony in the grips of that kind of pure, raw, directed rage could do scaring Rose more then what the Cloak-O's might be able to do.

And no, I don't think that's a contradiction with the 'simplistic' idea either. Since it is still rather simple. Powerful, staggeringly so at times yes. But still quite simple. At least as these foals are dealing with it. Even something like this is channeled through the less complicated view of a foal.

We jump back to the actual story with Rose finally leaving. Following Strawberry's directions to the next monitor. The future Steel Ranger meanwhile trying to help the foals who had beaten their slavers off regroup and link up. Playing mission control... to a bunch of colts and fillies with little more tech skill then Rose.

“Yes,” She grumbled.

A long pause.

“Yes,” She said again. “With the on button.”

The last thing I heard before I hopped on to the drivers’ seat of that big old convey-a-majig was Strawberry cursing my name, swearing to kill me herself if ever we made it out of Trottica alive.

Rose decides to simply let her get on with it and hops into the drivers seat of the cart carrying the still drugged foals. Snapping off a witty-for-a-foal one liner. Before another realization struck her about yet another problem.

I galloped back to the console.

“Um, Strawberry?” I

“What?” She snapped.

“How do you drive this thing?”

“Ugh!”

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.

I love this little scene, and such a great way to start things off after the epic ending of the last one. Letting the big, epic "FUCK YEAH!" feeling settle down a bit. Just a bit of lighthearted comedy, that doesn't really feel like it's trying hard to be comedy. Just some rather obvious issues with their situation cropping up. So yet more of the stories amazingly well executed mood lightening.

Another really nice touch is the 'galloped' part. Went, ran, walked, hurried, any of those would have been just as good at showing what she's doing, Yet 'galloped' is unique (Well it or trot, or canter but neither of those are quite the level on intensity.) in that it acknowledges that, 'hey! These are ponies.' I love stories that do that. Keep the character unique physiology in mind with what they do. Without going overboard and shoving it in your face that "THESE ARE HORSES!" Simply treating it like a normal, common place fact about what they are and how things act because of that. Sadly, while there are a few good spots like the gallop, that's anther thing the story doesn't really do all that well. It's not BAD at all, but there are times when you really don't get the impression the world was made by four hooved beings. Where things don't quite feel like they were made with ponies in mind. Such as the three button pushing bit from last chapter. Small touches, but another minor thing the story could do better.

Also this scene brings up a question. Given just how inept everypony except Strawberry and Twinkle seem to be when it comes to computers. And we know they were both slaves for quite some time. Where did they learn as much as they do about them?

She finally figures out how to get it going and heads to the next checkpoint. Sitting on a crate and with the Priestess' cloak wrapped around her, hoping that it would be enough to fool any Cloak-O that she was one of them. At least long enough for her to get past them. Starting to see signs of the struggle she'd set off. Ones that don't bode well for the foals. Marks of something small but struggling being dragged away. Rose picturing them being tossed in a dungeon so deep, nopony would be able to find them. How she'd made things worse for them by telling them she could help free them. (More on that later.)

All of it making her realize that, as cool as "I started a war" might sound. War is real. It has casualties. Ones that she will blame herself for. Trying to hope that maybe, possibly somepony made it out. That some foal will be saved because of this. Needing to believe it, but having trouble making herself do so. Despite seeing some good signs. Like the remains of Cloak-O's that had died in their power struggle, and not a single sign of any live ones. Rose hoping that they'd whittled themselves down enough to make a few foals able to escape.

Oh and not all of Roses accidents are just the result of her rock bottom agility score.

I closed my eyes and hoped that the cloak-o rumbles, and the distractions had helped get some kid to safety. Any kid.

Then I opened my eyes again, cause, you know, I was driving.

-*Facepalm*- But a nice little joke before things turn somber. Rose passes another mine tunnel, and this one was also full of dead bodies. But these ones were foals. Killed when they had tried to rise up. Or possibly being to far from a monitor to hear about the revolt and killed by panicked guards before they could. However it went down, there was a shaft full of dead foals. All because of Rose's actions. At least that's how she sees it. Her mind filling with grief, rage, anger, even touches of self loathing. Blaming herself for the slaughter. Forcing herself to stay rationale, calm, to not react. Focusing on the foals on the back of the cart. On getting them out safely. Making this loss worth something. Desperate to get something good out of what she'd done. Only the thought of those foals in the back depending on her letting her go on.

That feeling. That blaming herself for what goes wrong, or at least what it represents. It's both one of Rose's greatest qualities, and one of her greatest flaws. That she takes responsibility for her actions. Doesn't shy away from things that she did wrong. Or from things that go wrong as a result of her actions. It is great. That she seriously considers how her actions impact others. It is great. Not so great is just how much she takes on her own shoulders. Things that, yes happened because of her. But for which she was NOT the only cause. There are many factors the led to those foals dying, of which her urge for them to rise up was just the final catalyst. The Cloak-O's were the ones that enslaved them. That pulled the trigger on them. All Rose can see is her mistake. That something went wrong, and can't see the good in it. (Not in that slaughter, nothing 'good' about that really.) Yes those foals dies. But her actions have saved so many more. And the lives these foals were living, was atrocious. It was worse then death. Since one way or another, these foals would have died down in the mine. At least this way, they went out with a small bit of hope.

But the fact that she focuses on the bad. On her mistake, on the cost of the other freedom. It is a good trait. Knowing that actions have costs, and keeping those in mind. Not simply writing off losses as numbers. Always trying to save everypony. She simply needs to not focus solely on that either. Find the right balancing point. Cause here. With what she's done. The good far FAR exceeds any bad. Though it's a very large point in her favor that she won't reduce it to that. Won't ignore the bad either with the justification.

As we see when she reaches the next monitor to check in with her friends. Twinkle ponying the mission control station instead of Strawberry, who was busy with a rather large group of foals that she had lead to them. Ponies that Rose had saved by getting them to rise up. A rather large amount of them at that. Twinkle calling her a hero for this. That they didn't lose a single soul yet. Not knowing about the massacre in the one sub-mine. Rose not having the heart to tell them about it.

I shook with frustration. With self-hatred. Choking back the truth actually felt like a jagged lump of coal living right up in my throat. But it didn’t matter. I made up my mind then and there not to tell anypony about the massacre, no matter what. No matter how much it hurt.

Again, she has no reason to hate herself. Yes, caring about the results of her actions. Barring the responsibility and cost. It is a rather noble virtue. But she takes it a bit to far. And the not talking about it. Is a huge mistake. This is something that is eating at her. Worrying her. Upsetting her. Something she needs to talk to somepony about. Bottling it up will just make it worse. But her reason is still a noble one. She's doing it to spare any other pony the pain that knowing about it gives her. Even if talking about it might lesson her own pain. Something that is not the right call, at least IMO. But done for the right reasons.

Between that. The desire to keep even just the emotional pain of knowing about something horrible to herself to spare others. Taking the losses caused by her actions, or inaction on herself. Taking so much responsibility for things she can't control. With all this, Rose is starting to remind me a lot of Littlepip.

Now, while this whole part is really well done, there is one bit that ties into what I said earlier which does kind of take me out a bit. The whole feeling like the world was made by ponies thing.

I gripped steering levers and throttle so hard it hurt my hooves.

This line. Which is actually a huge improvement in it, and leads to only a tiny little bit of 'huh'? Which only exists because I am WAY over thinking it. The cart is controlled by a horseshoe shaped 'wheel' Which does kind of make sense for ponies. They could rest a hoof on either top end, and press down in the direction they want to turn. But, this and another bit later imply the throttle is a second, forehoof operated mechanism. Which removes the benefit of the 'wheel' shape since one hoof has to be on the throttle. Then again, since it's just a tiny electric cart more or less, could be intended you just set one speed and go with it, having time to reach down and alter the throttle as needed. Yeah I am just WAY over thinking things now because the original version of it was a lot worse. Big improvement, I'm just over thinking it.

And as if she doesn't have enough problems, next up comes her seeing an entire group of cloak-o's standing on the sides of the tunnel ahead of it, and to late to stop and turn back without drawing attention to herself. Not to mention having no idea where to go. Pulling her own acquired cloak as tight around her as she could she just speeds up as fast as the cart will go and hopes she fools them long enough o get past. She doesn't. Or at least it seems that way. As just as she's reaching the group two of them hop onto the cart, knocking her out of the driver seat and getting ready to kill her.

I was powerless. Taken completely off guard, even though I’d seen it coming a mile away. This is the end. I thought.

But then I lucked out. He blinked. Hesitated.

So I headbutted him right in the schnoz.

And the headbutt knocks their cloaks off enough for them to see each other, and we see, the cloak-o's who attacked her were foals themselves.

Very very amazingly well done scene. You feel the terror, know something bad is about to happen, are just as worried as she is. And when the attack comes, you're just as scared as her. It feels so real. Then, the cloak-o hesitates, blinks. And it's enough to trigger a "something isn't right here' warning deep in the reader. Nothing large, but just enough to start questioning what we are seeing. To expect something else. And just as we realize this, we see the reveal of them being foals. And we know what's going on little bit before Rose figures it out herself. Those few seconds, that time where we know what's going on, simply due to things Rose herself knows, but hasn't pieced it together yet, is amazing. She's not being slow, or dumb, and you can tell she's realizing it too, just, she's still in shock, not thinking clearly, so it takes a few extra seconds. Meanwhile the reader is feeling great and working it out.

Even better, the story never comes right out and explain what's going on. Tha the foals killed some Cloak-O's and stole the cloaks. That they were pretending to be cloak-o's to fool others. Same as Rose tried to do, to well since the foals thought she really was a cloak-o. (Though this brings up the question of how they could really fool anypony given the size difference.) It's clear, it's there. But it's never spelled out directly. The story knows we are smart enough to figure out and doesn't feel the need to hold your hand and walk you through this. LOVE IT!

Both parties quickly work out what's going on, with one foal recognizing her as the foal that killed the priestess and started the whole revolt in the first place. Everypony starting to praise her. Making her feel a bit sick, wondering if they'd think she deserved praise if they knew about the slaughter she had passed. (And yes, they would Rose. But already gone on about her guilt complex about that.)

She joins the group, or more properly the group joins her as she makes her way to the next station, the Cloak-O's had apparently found where the foals were being directed from and were making an attack on Strawberry and the groups position.

“Fuck you too, buddy!” Shouted Twinkle.

Ratatatatatatata-tat.

Whereever the buck they all were, Twink was having the time of her life.

Twink is awesome, that is all.

Though one more "huh'? moment. Strawberry mentions that they had found and raided the places armory. And that while they were outnumbered, they had the cloak-o's out gunned. Now if it was just the initial group of foals that had escaped the cages, that could work. But we know quite a few rather large groups of foals had made it to them by this point. And shortly we see there really is a rather large amount of them. So how are they outnumbered? Is the Slave/controller ratio that out of balance? It makes no sense to have that many more cloak-o's then slaves. Or, is it just counting the foals willing/able to fight? And on top of that, what about the rebellion from the townsponies that was going on before the foals revolted? There are enough cloak-o's to handle that, AND still outnumber the foals?

And not just enough to deal with the tonwsponies, somehow outnumber the foals with Strawberry, which seems to be almost all of them that made it except the ones with Rose, but there are still enough left over for a sizable group to start coming up the tunnel after Rose's group AND have another group large enough to block off the route Strawberry had found for them to get to her and the others, having to quickly look for a secondary route. Meanwhile two of the foals rush back to deal with the approaching cloak-o's with what Rose took to be a large birthday candle. (yeah should have been obvious what it was, but I didn't realive it till the huge explosion. Nice job with that one, that is pretty much what you would think it is if you had no idea about dynamite. Liked that bit.)

Some cloak-o's made it through the ensuing tunnel collapse, and in the fire fight the console Rose was using to talk to Strawberry got broke before she could finish getting directions. The route was to go through one of the 'wormholes' the kids used to mine (more on that later.) but she couldn't make out if it was the second, or seventh one.

They reach the tunnel were the side passage is, Rose still uncertain which one they had to go down, and not lucking out with there only being six passages. And I love the way it's handled. She's acting like she's sure which way to go, putting on a front for the rest of the foals to keep them from panicking, knowing they need that hope, need to know there is chance they will make it through, and is giving that to them. Even while panicking herself at having no clue what to do. Basically knowing their fate would come down to a flip of a coin, and it's her that would be calling it.

And, in good news, more or less, the drugged ponies on the cart were starting to come around. All of them awake by this point, though most still to weak and woozy to walk on their own, Rose making sure those that need help get paired with ponies that can carry them.

“Everypony grab a druggo!” I said.

There came a hesitant silence. Cobbler stepped up.

“Druggos!” He commanded.

He threw me a sideways glance. “Druggos? Really?”

I need to start coming up with better names for things.

Yes Rose, yes you do, and yet. Please don't because your names are always so hilarious. But yeah still love the story for these touches of levity in just the right spots.

In the end she makes a guess, telling them to head down the seventh tunnel. Figuring she'd been lucky so far, might as well just guess and hope. And luck is on her side... after a fashion. Her and only a few of the other foals making it into the tunnel, and not far down before somepony outside tells them to come back out, that it was the wrong tunnel. Coming out she sees how they knew. The explosion from earlier had filled the tunnel with dust and smoke, and it was being drawn into the second tunnel.

The foals file into the tunnel, Rose quickly starting to feel suffocated. The air filled with dust, smoke, and other foals. And feeling even more worried for Flutterstrings, the druggo she was carrying. Annoying the others around her by starting to be come the "Are we there yet?" plot-hole before realizing what she was doing and shutting up. Knowing that she was far healthier and having an easier time then most of the other foals would. Which also makes her even more worried, since if she's having these issues, how bad must the rest be doing? (Good point, but not fully right. yeah she is healthy overall, but the slaves have been worked hard, they are more used to doing things like this. So, it likely balances out. With the druggos being the worst of the lot. Having the lower overall health of the Wasteland, and not having the conditioning of the slaves.)

But, she eventually realizes the air was getting fresher, the slight breeze stronger. They were getting closer to the exit of the tunnel, and it was near the outside of the mines to boot. And of course, just as things are looking up, some shred of hope is blooming, Murphy comes along and kicks them in the plot. The Cloak-O's were coming up the tunnel behind them, causing the herd to panic and start stampeding up the tunnel, several ponies falling and getting trampled. Rose trying to pick up a second pony to carry, but soon stumbling herself. Somepony grabbing one of the other foals she dropped, but the rest just going right over her as she curled herself around Flutterstrings, trying to shield him as much as possible.

I loved this scene. So tense, so well done. Roses panic, her desperation to get out of there. Clinging to Fluttertrings, to the knowledge that she was all he had. He was depending on her to get him out of it, Using that to drive herself onwards as she was tiring, wearing out. All the while dealing with the stress, fear, and uncertainty of what had just happened. Almost leading them into the wrong tunnel and likely capture or death. Realizing she wasn't cut out for this, shouldn't be trying to lead these ponies, she didn't want that responsibility. Was to scared of letting other ponies down.

I closed my eyes and trotted on.

What was I thinking?! How could I presume to lead anyone here? How’d I get so full of myself?

I’d forgotten something so basic – so important. 99% of the time what the world really needs is a good background pony.

Which she was being anything but. She was in front, taking charge. She was supposed to be a support pony. Strawberry's wingpony. Not out front, not the one making these types of decisions. in the background, giving events a little push here and there, but not being the focus of the events. And here she was taking charge, telling these ponies where to go.

And yet, sometimes, that pony in the background needs to step up, needs to take center stage and do what nopony else can. Yes Rose is out of her element, taking far more responsibility then she thinks she can carry. But, it's working. She has already saved so many foals, given them hope, shown them it was time to fight back. Things no other pony could have done. She was just the right pony, in the right place, at the right time. Yes 99% of time, a background pony might be what is needed, but there is still the 1% of the time. And this was one of them.

That said, yes she isn't really suited for this. She has the drive, the urge to see the right thing done, to not wimp out or hold back out of fear, but to do what is right, because it is right. But she also takes far to much responsibility on herself. Like blaming herself for the death of the foals she passed. Is to uncomfortable being the pony others look to. Just naturally wants to avoid the limelight. All these, quite possibly, are reasons she was chosen to do this. Those traits, being willing to stand up and lead if there is no other choice, and yet on the whole preferring to stay in the background, to help, assist, advise, but not be the one making these decisions, the one on whom everypony was counting on. All of this shows why she was and is the right pony for this task.

And then there is the stampede. Again brilliantly done. You get the fear, the panic. And yet, despite Rose noting how bad the fear is, how everypony is panicking and fracturing. Despite that, you don't really get a sense of blind panic. That need to run, the fear and anxiety that creates a mob. Yes everypony is hurrying, pushing, but they aren't doing a "I don't have to be slower then the bear, just slower then you" type mentality. (Some maybe, but not most.) When Rose goes down, yes she gets trampled, but it's not blind, not knowing or caring what they are stepping on type trampled. She outright ways most of the foals that end up kicking her in the face apologize as they are doing it. And one foal does grab one of the druggos she was trying to carry, as well as her seeing many others grabbing dropped foals before she herself went down. It's just the ones in back, who can see the cloak-o's coming, they are pushing so hard, making everypony go go go, that there is just not room or time for anypony to give her room to get up. They are being carried along by the flow of foals, but not really stampeding. You can tell most of them WOULD stop and help if they were able. So, yes a very well done scene.

And as she lays there, curled around Flutterstrings, getting trampled and trying to soften the blows for him, she looks up and sees the shadow she had seen earlier, under the stage. The one that till here, I had thought was all in her head, since there was no Ba'al to be sending it. But now, it's back, and in a way that makes very, very clear, she is not imaging things. The air around her turning ice cold as it reaches for her, grabs her hoof, and suddenly she was somewhere else, seeing images.

Children. Screaming. Hiding. Shivering. Great turbines turning. Smoke rising from a chimney - cold smoke. Black as the shadow I'd gotten stuck in.

I could see vials and tubes getting all bubbly like in science class. There was a great big castle perched on a dirty old cloud. Around it everything was as dark and endless as the night sky, but without the stars. The kind of night that would make Luna sad.

Instead there were just shards of ice that seemed to rain down and up and left and right and forward.

From that castle came a sound so piercing – so shrill – that even I could hear it, far away as I was. Screams. Coming from the inside. Worse even than the ones that had scratched at my brain when I first saw the bomb. It was like some kind of pained choir making a sound so terrible that it could curdle milk.

Whiskey! Tango! Foxtrot!

I, I really have no idea what to say, what that is. The only guess I have is that it is a vision of the future if she fails. But that is just a pure wild ass guess. Whatever it was, it was suitably unsettling.

And she wakes up back in her room in Ponyville in the, present? past? Stupid time travel tense troubles.

Okay. This whole bit was a really well done fake out. At first, I thought she might really BE back in the past, waking up from her 'dream' at the last moment. That whatever force was sending her to the future was watching out for her. That if things got so bad, there was no chance she could escape to continue her mission. That death was a certainty no matter what she did, she would be sent back. Albeit with the quick show of what her failure might mean. Being forced to suffer a bit in the process.

But, as it goes on, you slowly realize.. something isn't right. First, something isn't right about what sent her back. How it made Rose feel. It wasn't just some force that was upset with her failing her task. But something evil, cruel, wrong. And she could still feel it watching her. Then, Roseluck is nowhere to be found. And just as you're starting to believe this isn't what it looks like you get proof. Rose Petal is transformed into a little filly, frantically searching the house for her sister, scared out of her mind at being alone. Some part of her remembering this, knowing what was going on, but unable to stop it. The.. entity, shadow, whatever you want to call it, hadn't sent her anywhere. No this was all in her head, it was making her relive her worst memories, making her remember all the times she'd been the most scared, alone, hopeless. Rose having the impression it wasn't just watching, but enjoying it, maybe even feeding on that despair. The deep, bone chilling cold of it sinking deeper into her.

And it goes from that memory of waking up all alone in the house, to the memory of the last time she saw her mother alive., slowly dying in the hospital from... what the impression is is cancer of some kind. (okay, do not like that, at all. Yes it was pretty clear her mother had died. That part I'm okay with. Just the how I don't like. And it's not really bad, just a personal thing. Even some kind of sickness I could be okay with, but cancer? Just, 1. way overdone. 2. It just, feels really REALLY out of place in the show's world. Even with all the dark stuff added in FOE, that... for some reason it's normal enough, mundane enough, 'real' enough that it just, seems even more out of place and at the same time worse then everything else. Yeah just a personal issue with that whole idea.)

And after watching the scene, the chill of the creature sinking deeper into her, trying to fight it off with everything she had... she was back in the future, back in the tunnel being trampled by the last of the running foals. Looking back, she was able to see the light of the Cloak-O unicorns' horns at the entrance to the tunnel, hear them starting to try and get into it. Granted given the tunnel is supposed to be sized for foals, going to be rough. But, then again given how many of them could make it through at a time, likely the tunnel is big enough for at least the less beefy Cloak-O's to squeeze through. Though how much of a threat they would be since they couldn't use their size or numbers to their advantage is a question. Though with the state Rose is in after the trampling and the encounter with the shadow, she's in no state to put up any fight, and she knows it. Curling around Flutterstrings, doing the best she can to shield him, even if it only buys him a few seconds, it was the only thing she had the strength left to do. All while shouting her defiance at the approaching ponies.

Only for one of the other foals to help her up. Having noticed she'd gotten left behind and going back to help her. Though at her insistence grabbing Flutterstrings first. Or at least the pony she thought was Flutterstrings, but turned out to be the second 'druggo' she had grabbed after the stampeded started. The three of them slowly making their way out as the Cloak-O's start closing in from behind.

I thought we might even make it to the light, but that hope shattered when we ran into another fallen colt.

Morning Flower and I looked at one another and nodded. It was understood. Better to get caught than to leave somepony on the floor to die. We struggled, we grunted, we lifted him up and draped his weight over our backs.

GO ROSE PETAL! Just, such a tiny thing. Even after standing up to the Priestess. Sparking the revolt. Saving so many ponies already. Even though stopping to help this one will turn an almsot sure escape into almsot certain death. She proves what type of pony she is. Just... so, damn powerful. Just such a tiny little thing, but so touching, moving, powerful.

Though, this is muted a little as we go right into another "huh?" moment of.. story you REALLY need to explain things better and do a better job describing the settings.

They were marching behind us. Stomping in unison like big kettle drums.

DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM!

How is the tunnel large enough for them to be not just marching, but marching in unison? These are supposed to be small, tiny holes that they need foals to get into. How is an adult pony.. several of them.. not just moving, but marching through them? Now, given this shaft leads to another larger corridor, not just a dead end or mine. And the flow of air thought it meaning it's close to the surface. It's possible, or even likely, this isn't a mine shaft, but rather a ventilation shaft and it isn't as small as the other holes we saw. BUT, that is the story's fault for not making that clear. Including just how wide the tunnel is. It gives the impression of being really cramped, really small. But, being that small for the foals would make what the Cloak-o's are doing impossible. Just, it doesn't feel right and really needs better clarification.

But.. I can't stay mad at you story when you then follow that little WTH? with more perfectly timed and perfectly suitable bits of not making things depressingly dark and heavy, without breaking the serious mood or the tension. As Rose tries to run as fast as she can, her hoof feeling like it was broken though she forced herself to walk on it anyway.

“Ow, fuck! Ow, fuck! Ow, fuck! Ow, fuck! Ow, fuck!” The battle cry of the wounded.

But they make it to the end, getting out of the tunnel just as the Cloak-O's get close enough for the lead unicorns to grab Rose with their magic. Only for some other pony to toss themselves on her before they could drag her back, pinning her down while the foals waiting on the other end open up with what guns they managed to acquire. And with that many holding the opening, and the tunnel the cloak-o's were coming up being so small (I guess, maybe, sort of, possibly). Yeah something about fish and barrels seems appropriate.

And as the roar of gunfire fades the pony that had tackled her pulls her up. Revealing Twinkle. Rose to stunned to do more then get nearly squeezed in half as the pint sized powerhouse hugs her.

Above us, out of nowhere, I heard some more of those rapid banging noises.

Ratatatatatatatatatat!

“Yipe!” I said.

“Do you fucking mind?” Said Twinkle, sitting up. “Fucking friendship going on over here.”

Once more. Twinkle is just pure awesome. And Misty.... is well... Misty.

Misty Mountain stood over us, draped head to hoof in the priestess’ jewels, and rigged with a giant metal ratatatatat-a-majig. It was some kinda battle saddle, (yeah, I know, I really gotta work on coming up with better nicknames for things).

And, okay, that joke... that joke is just pure win.

And despite what a douche he could be Misty does seem glad to see Rose, grabbing her and Twinkle in a massive bear hug. Only dropping them as hey realize how much pain Rose was in, and the constant squeezing wasn't helping. The miniature filly starting to curse the Cloak-O's for how bad they'd beaten Rose as she tried to explain it wasn't them, but being trampled by all the foals. Only to trail off as she actually looks around the room and sees just how many foals there were. How many had made it out safe. Not just the ones she's freed from the cages, not the group she helped lead here. Not just the few dozen she thought might be here. But hundreds of foals who had escaped. Fought back, Who were now much closer to freedom then ever before thanks to Rose. (Though that makes the question of how the hell they were 'outnumbered' much bigger. But do love that it's so huge. 1. it makes Rose's accomplishment that much grander. saving so damn many. 2. it makes the whole world feel bigger. A lot of times with things like this. Stories will downplay how large a population is. You only see a really really small amount of people since once you go past so many, it all just blurs together and becomes hard to really understand in more then abstract terms. Meaning you only see a few dozen at most people, and even that is on the upper end. So you tend to get the impression of towns, groups, villages etc... only having a really really small population. Like, so small it's hard to believe they'd be viable. If THIS many foals can be here, then there are a LOT more ponies living in the wastes then you'd think.)

As she waves her hoof around Misty notices something odd, calling her attention to her aching appendage. She had thought it was broken due to how bad it hurt. But, it wasn't. It was black. A dark stain covering the hoof with tendrils of darkness curling up her leg. Twinkle and Misty both freaked out by it, though Misty in a way that makes it clear to Rose, he does know more about this. Though she's to shocked by the sight of her hoof and the pain and coldness coming from it to take advantage of the pony who had done everything he could to deny knowing anything about the whole cream-traveling despite clearly knowing something. And he was now pressing HER for details about something related to it. Twinkle realizes this as well. That he knows something, but in the end all he would say was that 'Cold is bad'. Their bickering actually warming Rose's heart a bit, lifting her spirits. Yes they weren't safe, they still had to get out of mountain itself. Still had well armed Cloak-O's between them and freedom.. but...

I wasn’t alone anymore.

Thoughts!
Well, overall, a great chapter. Not quite as many FUCK YEAH! or OH SHIT! moments as the last one, more focused just on Rose, on how she was dealing with things. But still amazing. And what we saw was great. Her compassion, her need to take responsibility, and also how she pushes it to far. A really amazing look at the little filly.

Really only one huge things to talk about. That shadow. The.. whatever it is. Clearly it's some product of, somehow related to the time traveling. Something that ponies who have been traveling enough know about. Or at least know something about. And yet Roseluck never mentioned it. Something like that, she would have warned Rose Petal about, meaning she never saw it. Is it something that is unique to ponies going into the future? Some byproduct of the war? Or did Roseluck simply luck out and never end up in a position where the shadow would be drawn to her, Never ended up lost, alone, in despair while on her journeys?

It clear feeds, or at least enjoys despair, fear, terror, hopelessness. Seeking out those memories, those experiences. But how? Why? What ever it is, we know to little to really tell.

But, there is something else that we do know. It was a hint at a much larger story. That this trip to Trottica, this dream, it's only the start. There is something bigger out there. How this will unfold, I have no idea. But I love this. While everything in Trottica has been amazing. The knowledge that there might be more. Something bigger, grander, larger going on. I simply love it. The Shadow was just a perfect addition here. It was scary, creepy, unsettling, and horrifying. makes you wonder what the fuck is going on. And at the same time, it presence is somewhat exhilarating, as it promises something much much bigger is brewing. Without screaming it out loud, just subtle hinting that Rose's journey is far from over.