Upcoming Story: Shadows of the Past · 5:10am Oct 28th, 2016
Finally got another story in this series done; once it undergoes commentary, I'll post it here. It's called 'Shadows of the Past' and is a Pinkie Pie and Luna teamup.
Here's the opening:
Pinkie’s Pie-Tastic Viewpoint:
I have come to understand the REAL reason my parents were so grim and quiet during my childhood. They were exhausted from trying to keep us alive. Teleportation is *supposed* to be very hard. Rarity only just learned it and she’s way older than Pumpkin Cake. But every time I have to babysit her, she casually teleports around as much as I poing.
Which is how I ended up on top of the Town Hall, trying to talk her off a flagpole. I could easily walk out to her, but what if she fell from the pole shifting under my weight? I can’t take that chance.
My right saddlebag squirmed; I’d trapped Pound Cake inside it so he wouldn’t go lead a bear into town again like the last time I left him alone for *two seconds*.
It wasn’t so much left him alone as turned around to say hello to Applejack, either!
The Cakes are off at Applejack’s farm, trying to find the right apples for their apple pies. There’s a secret to it and I can’t quite get it to my frustration. I’m an Earth Pony but all my skill is with rocks and dirt and gems and metal and so on. It’s a little embarrassing sometimes.
I very gently touched the flagpole with a hoof, feeling out the metal—how flexible was it, how strong was it, could it handle my weight, how fast would I have to move in order to go out without a disaster.
Pumpkin Cake was making happy noises and trying to catch birds with her magic. She wasn’t having much luck but it at least kept her stable.
I hope I never did this to my Mother.
BLAM, FLASHBACK.
I normally love these, but no, not now!!!!!
*********************
“I want to fly!” I proclaimed as I rode on Grandma’s back. Grandma Pie is a Pegasus. She and Mom never got on very well, which I never understood until recently.
“Just hold on tight, dear,” she said to me.
So, of course, I jumped off her back, trying to fly on my own. I’d carefully made myself wings to strap to my forelegs.
This actually worked better than it should, but I was still spiraling down until she caught me. And made me destroy the wings, which was heartbreaking but I know now she didn’t want me to die.
But it drove me to eventually invent my gyrocopter.
Which I could be using right now!!!!
***************
I came out of the flashback and quickly got out my gyrocopter and hopped into it, then flew over where I could grab Pumpkin Cake while there was still time; fortunately, her eyes were clouded over and she was probably flashing back to the last time she ate or something.
You really can’t have a *quality*, lesson-teaching flashback when you’re that young.
Thanks, flashback. You always have to be kind to them; they only want to help.
Even if this one didn’t have any music in it.
As I was flying down to Sugarcube Corner, I was surprised to see Moondancer pacing back and forth in front of the store; I had put up a ‘Baby emergency’ sign before I went.
I *can* be responsible.
Moondancer looked up curiously at me as I landed my craft and I smiled at her. “Gyrocopter! Wave of the future! You want to try it?”
“Princess Luna needs you,” Moondancer said, striding over to me and then wobbling back and forth on her hooves, not clumsily but urgently.
“I can’t leave until the Cakes get back,” I told her. “I have their children in my care.”
Moondancer frowned intensely, so I offered her a cupcake, which she ate silently with a scheming face. “Where are they?”
“At Applejack’s,” I told her.
BLAM, stars whirled around me and we landed in front of Applejack’s house. Apple Bloom was tumbling away from us. “Hey, don’t land on me when I’m doin’ chores!” she shouted.
In fact, we landed in a giant tub of apples which now crunched under our feet. Moondancer lithely leaped out and then PUSHED down with her magic, crushing all the apples into applejuice and bits and bits with one push.
Apple Bloom stared, eyes wide.
And I was now covered in apple juice and bits along with Pumpkin Cake.
Normally, I wouldn’t care, but I am babysitting. Pumpkin Cake began laughing happily and Pound Cake tried to escape again.
“Your chore is done,” Moondancer said curtly, then lifted me with her magic and galloped off towards one of the orchards, me bobbling in the air after her.
“Weeeeee!” Pumpkin Cake shouted happily as we flew.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” I asked her curiously. And how does she know where to find the Cakes? Or is she just planning to run all over the farm?
Well, flying is fun, so I decided to take this chance to tuck Pumpkin Cake in with her brother. Unfortunately, Pound Cake now tried to make a break for it and I barely grabbed him with my tail as I placed Pumpkin Cake into the saddlebag. I heard noises suspiciously like someone turning my cupcake supply into broccoli.
I laughed, then worried what I would do if I needed a cupcake. But you have to laugh at disasters, so they can’t break you. Grandma Pie taught me that.
I felt blood rushing to my head; I was dangling upside down as Pound Cake somehow generated enough lift to make me dangle from him by my own tail as Moondancer dragged me along. It would have been cool if I could handle this headrush.
Then frogs began to rain from the sky; suspiciously cupcake-shaped frogs.
Pumpkin Cake may well be the greatest Unicorn ever, I think. I tried licking one of the frogs as they went by. They TASTED like cupcakes. I bet Marcus would love these. And Ivan.
So I snagged a few with my tongue, leaving the others to scatter. I can only do so much.
Finally, I saw Applejack and the Cakes, who were collecting apples. Then Applejack saw us and stared in horror.
“Hi, Applejack!” I said. “Don’t worry, I have the kids *totally* under control.” Then I made a weird noise because my tail was starting to want to give up on child-grappling. “I think Pound Cake’s going to be able to lift an elephant when he grows up!”
And he suddenly clonked out; I caught him, sliding him smoothly into the saddlebag.
“My babies! You crazy mare, why are you yanking my babies around?” Mrs. Cake said angrily to Moondancer, getting in her face.
“Princess Luna needs to see Pinkie TWO HOURS AGO,” Moondancer said. “But she was out running around in a weird machine with your children!”
Mr. Cake sighed deeply. “New crib failed?” he asked.
“Yes,” I told him. “I’m not sure how Pound Cake ate one side of it, but he did, and there were traces of candy cane left behind, instead of wood.” The surprise smell of candy cane was the first sign of trouble when I was *trying* to make their lunch, thinking they were secure in the crib.
I now know they are never, ever secure if I cannot see them.
“It can’t be so urgent ya had to carry Pinkie upside down,” Applejack said. “But if Luna really needs her, we can take care of ‘em. I’m used to herding little fillies.”
There was a distant peal of thunder and the Cakes and I winced in unison, though Pound Cake tried to imitate the sound and then the thunder went off *again*.
Applejack frowned. “The sky is clear.”
Then a cold wind from the north hit us, blowing my mane in my face and totally flattening Mrs. Cake’s mane. “My perm!” she shouted in a panic.
I handed the foals over to Applejack and straightened myself out. “I’m ready, Moondancer! Someone has to catch the cupcake-frogs, though.”
“The what?” Moondancer asked in confusion. Surely she hadn’t missed the rain of frogs, though it was behind her, I guess. “Let’s go!” And then BLAMMO, stars grabbed me and took me away!
******************
Normally this is where I would post a hype train pic, but since I can't use Imgur links anymore you'll have to just picture it in your head. I'm posting it in spirit.
Awesome!
Well, that's an extremely amusing opening. Looks like Mystara's little ponies is staying high quality. Also looks like maybe I should check my feed more often.
Neat! Always glad to see more of your stuff.
Straight into action with this one, I see.
And good to see Pinkie knows how to treat flashbacks right!
Super happy to see you with new stuff in the works!