Chapter 7 Sneak Peek and Something to Chew On · 5:46pm Oct 29th, 2016
First something to chew on.
That something to chew on is: Who will be the Ponies who played with fire?
Hint: This title refers to six characters, all of whom have appeared in the story so far.
Now regarding Chapter 7, I'm happy to report I'm making progress and considering how patient all my wonderful readers have been waiting for it, I think you've earned a bit of a sneak peek at it.
That peek is under the page break, so no clicky if you don't want to be spoiled.
Once again everyone, thank you for your patience and I will have the next chapter up as soon as I can.
Chapter 7
“Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.”—Lamentations 5:15
Fluttershy whimpered in her sleep but quieted as Discord cupped the back of her head. He twined his fingers into her mane, pondering this new situation. He had dreamed about her many times over the past year but in his previous dreams she had always been awake. Why was it different this time around?
While he was considering the various possibilities, she suddenly began stirring as if waking up. Looking back down at her, he saw her stretching her forelegs as her eyes began flickering open.
But wait! Why was her body going transparent again?! He tried to hang onto her but once again she vanished right before his eyes.
“Oh, come on!” he howled, pulling at his face in aggravation. “All I want is to dream I’m with Fluttershy without having to worry about explaining why I left! Is that so much to ask?! Honestly!”
She had invaded his dreams constantly for the past years no matter how hard he tried to keep her off his mind and now when he did want to see her, he seemed to hit nothing but snags!
Fluttershy slowly stired awake, feeling oddly refreshed. She couldn’t remember many details from her dream the previous night, but she could remember a vague sensation that had almost felt like Discord holding her.
Then she lifted her head from the pillow and felt a familiar sense of disappointment as she realized that it was only her blanket wrapped around her. This was swiftly followed by a mixture of grief as the memory of her friends’ murders came rushing back, and guilt that she could find the thought of their accused murderer’s embrace comforting.
It’s because your stupid heart still doesn’t want him to be guilty. But what actual proof do you have that he didn’t do it? She leaned back and covered her eyes with her hooves. She wanted to cry but her eyes felt dry and scratchy, as if she had used up all her tears the night before. Massaging her eyelids, she tried to remember details from the two murder scenes. What if there had been some clue back there to his innocence? Some clue that she had been too shocked at the time to recognize.
But all she could picture in her mind was a sort of gruesome haze. It was as if her mind had blocked out all the details to spare her the pain of having to see them again. Any other time, this might have been a blessing but now...
Now to think that there might be some vital clues in those scenes that she just couldn’t remember was maddening!
You’ll have to ask Discord to come help you take a look at those memories, a small sarcastic voice in the back of her head muttered as she thought longingly of that day when her former partner had first helped her discover clues that had been hidden in her own memory while they were investigating Applejack’s disappearance...
Fluttershy’s heart skipped a beat. Had Applejack been in the crowd the day before?! What about Rarity?! She couldn’t remember seeing either of them and the thought sent an unpleasant chill rolling down her spine. Were they all right? Or would she later discover that they had been murdered in the same manner as Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash?!
She sprang out of her bed and raced outside, spreading her wings and flying off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. Was it colder today than it had been yesterday, or was it her own anxiety making her shiver? Either way, she was panting and trembling by the time she reached the farm and knocked on its house’s front door. For a few tense seconds there was no answer, but then the door opened to reveal a surprised-looking Applejack.
“Fluttershy, you all right?”
Fluttershy visibly slumped with relief at the sight of her friend. “Yes, yes, I’m just glad to see you. I didn’t see you or Rarity yesterday in town when...” She trailed off, wondering if Applejack had heard about their friends’ murders and Discord’s supposed guilt. How could she bring something like that up if Applejack hadn’t heard?
At that moment Applejack held up her right hoof, revealing a pink heart-shaped charm attached to it. “When Twilight was giving these out? I wasn’t there. I was hiding out here.” Her tone took on an annoyed edge. “Trying to avoid a certain stallion that can’t take a hint.” Then her tone went back to normal. “But Big Mac was there and he brought an extra one of these charms back for me.”
“So ... you know about Rainbow Dash and Pinkie?”
Applejack nodded sadly. “Rarity told me about Pinkie yesterday when she stopped by to take Apple Bloom to Amberlocks’ Orchards.”
That must have been why I didn’t see Rarity yesterday, Fluttershy thought.
“And I heard about Rainbow Dash later from Big Mac,” Applejack’s voice cracked on the last syllable, but she didn’t break down and cry. Instead she briefly looked away and shook herself before turning back to Fluttershy. “Say, you, uh, want to come in? It’s pretty chilly out there.”
“Sure.” Now that Applejack pointed it out, it was rather cold. As Fluttershy came in, she noticed that there was a bunch of papers spread out over a nearby table. “What are you doing?”
“Oh, going over arrangements for Granny Smith’s funeral.”
“I’m sorry, Applejack,” Fluttershy said, brushing her friend’s shoulder with a wing.
“It’s all right,” Applejack murmured. “I’m just thankful Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and I all got to spend one last year with her.” She hesitated a bit, then added, “To be honest, I think I’m kind of glad she wasn’t around to hear about Rainbow and Pinkie... It’s ... kind of hard knowing they won’t be there.”
“Applejack... do you really think Discord murdered them?”
Applejack looked at her questioningly. “Are you saying you don’t think he’s guilty?”
“I...” Fluttershy hesitated, then plunged in. “I don’t want to believe he did it! I just... He saved my life, Applejack! He helped me find you—” And he also ran out on you right after that, a little voice in the back of her head pointed out.
“I know how you’re feeling,” Applejack sighed. “I’d likely still be hiding out at the Crystal Empire if it weren’t for him, so I don’t like the idea of him murdering two of our best friends... but I just don’t see any other explanation.”
Fluttershy lowered her head. She wasn’t sure exactly what she had expected from Applejack. Maybe support considering that like her, Applejack was in the unique position of owing the draconequus. But it looked like Fluttershy was alone in her doubt regarding Discord’s guilt.
“Say,” said Applejack, trying again to break the awkward silence that was stretching between them. “I was just going to take a break from this,” she gestured toward the papers on the table, “and make some cider. Would you care to join me?”
“Okay.”
When she followed Applejack into the kitchen, Fluttershy noticed several cups and saucepans of cider along with several bottles of powdered gemstones.
“Are you making Sparkling Cider?” Fluttershy had thought that was a product Applejack made only at Amberlocks’ Orchards, wanting to keep its high-class association separate from her simpler farm life at Sweet Apple Acres.
“Sort of. I’m trying to make some with extra gem powder in it called Dragon Edition. Rarity suggested it a while back as a gift for Spike since he likes the regular Sparkling Cider so much. But if I put too much powder in, it’ll be like drinking wet sand so I haven’t figured out what’s the right amount to add yet. You’ll probably just want regular cider,” she added as she took two tankards from where they were drying by the sink. As she lifted them, Fluttershy noticed a tiny alligator was standing behind them, staring out the window.
“What’s Gummy doing here?”
“Oh, Rarity brought him when she came to pick up Apple Bloom. One of us is going to try and take him back to Pinkie’s family at some point. He’s just been staring out the window like that since he got here. I think he might be watching for Pinkie.”
Just like—Fluttershy’s eyes went wide. Tank! Oh no! Oh dear! With everything else that had been going on yesterday, she had completely forgotten about Tank! Was he all right? Haystings had mentioned the tortoise was supposed to be getting ready to hibernate. Had the tech-ponies found him or was he still shut up in that room?
What kind of animal caretaker are you to just forget a poor tortoise like that? Fluttershy thought, mentally calling herself every foul name she could think of, which admittedly by most ponies’ standards wasn’t very many.
“I’m sorry Applejack, but I have to go. I just remembered I need to check on something.”
“Oh,” Applejack looked surprised but quickly recovered. “Well, see you later than.”
(To be Continued...)
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Thanks for catching that. I try to go over everything and catch all my goofs and typos but occasionally some will slip by me. I'll be sure to correct that in the actual chapter.
You know I actually did wonder if anyone had let poor Tank out lol. Probably shouldn't have read this, now I'm just MORE excited for when the next chapter comes! Still liked it though, and I hope Discord and Fluttershy actually meet up soon in the waking world. Can't wait now!!!
Oh dearie dear. The rabbit hole is an abyss by now.
Dadadaaaaaa!:o *dramatic music for emphasis* Haha lol;P
I feel ya Discord, I feel ya
We all feel ya and went "Dang it!" when Fluttershy disappeared again
Lol
D'oh!
Right there! Right there in the Gummy& Pinkie Feels
I know how you feel Fluttershy, how could I forget about Tank too?!:o What kind of animal lover am I?
What kind of Tank fan am I?!
Don't worry Flutters, you're still the best animal care taker there is
Thank you so much for the awesome sneak peek Sharkie
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Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm glad to report this chapter has finally been posted. (*Checks calendar* Hmm, only took about two weeks after posting this. Not bad considering what clunkers each of these chapters seems to end up being.)
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By the way, what did you guys think of the actual chapter if you've had a chance to read it yet?
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Still waiting for Discord and Fluttershy to meet up in the waking world though. 
It was really great!
I have to say, High Flyer wasn't bad at first, but I honestly didn't pay much mind to him, except for him and Dash clearly getting close. But the more he's shown, the more I kind of like him. I don't suppose he is going to play a big part in the story later on down the line, is he? I am curious as to why he is so determined to hide his face all the time - unless I'm a complete idiot and you already mentioned that in an earlier chapter, which I've forgotten.
But either way, whatever happens, it was still a great chapter, and I can't wait for the next one as usual.
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It's great, I'm currently freaking out, because Discord doesn't even know "what he's done", and if he shows up to make amends like we all wish, it's gonna be a nightmare...
Don't get any ideas, though.
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Don't worry, I decided how I was going to have things play out a long time ago.
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Hey, thanks. I've noticed that bringing OCs into fanfiction can sometimes be a bit dicey, so I'm glad he and Screwjob seem to have gone over pretty well so far.
Well, let's just say there's a reason I've been giving him as much page time in the past couple of chapters as I have.
It was mentioned back in Chapter 4 that he looks adorable with his mask off (Yeah, apparently even getting tattoos and shaving his head couldn't de-cute-ify him.) and considering it's hard enough for him to look intimidating as a wrestler with his shrimpy size, looking adorable is the last thing he wants, so he's gotten into the habit of keeping his face covered at all times. But when it's mentioned it's partially played for laughs, so I don't blame you if you don't remember it.
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How reassuring
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Warning: Do not read the following until after you have read the latest chapters.
*In a snooty pompous voice* Was it satisfactory, sir?
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It's ma'am to you, youngin'!
And very.
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*Chuckles* Yeah, but sir sounds funnier.
Yay!