Story Notes: 16 (Feathermay) · 4:02am Mar 23rd, 2020
Source: https://derpibooru.org/images/164890
Feathermay's as free as a bird now, and this bird you cannot change. I had intended from the start for Feathermay to be a bit of a 'birdbrain' (in this case, being especially interested in birds), and we see a glimpse of that in Business Trip with her pet chicken, Nadine.
Dusty Songs is based on Poco's Rusty Young. If you read the story notes for the previous chapter, you'll know I'm a Poco nut. Call It Love is one of my favorite songs, and it's a song that's been with me through some of the toughest times of my life. I've slipped multiple Poco song titles into the text of this chapter. Also, Poco's albums tend to feature horses as cover art.
But the song Feathermay sings in the first scene isn't one of Poco's, but rather Jeffrey Osborne's On The Wings of Love, which just seemed more fitting considering the setting. Pinkie Pie's tune is from Hall & Oates (or rather their Equestrian counterparts: Foal & Oats).
Source: https://derpibooru.org/images/164908
Swiftspeed and Sunny Meadows are characters I developed for another (as yet unpublished) fic. Consider this a teaser (and motivation for me to actually finish the story they're supporting characters in).
Source: https://derpibooru.org/images/501789
On a side note, I feel horrible for doing this to Feathermay, but her route takes her right through the Chemical Coast of New Jersey. It's fifteen miles of stench. She really should've gotten on that bus. It stinks too, but at least it has air fresheners. Sorry May, I can’t control geography.
Source: https://derpibooru.org/images/1678824
To make it up to her, she's now discovered that New Jersey is home to a species of parrot. Technically, an invasive species, there's a breeding population of monk parakeets in Edgewater, New Jersey, and has been since 1980. Edgewater's directly across the Hudson River from the Bronx, and just happens to be the next town over from Fort Lee, home of that bridge Snowy really likes. The bad news is, it's illegal to own one of these birds in New Jersey. You're not allowed to own one in New Jersey, but they've established a colony there anyway. Ironic, isn't it?
Source: https://derpibooru.org/images/2053358
Time to see who's paying attention. Bifröst is 'in' as one of the founders. Did anyone catch that she isn't one of the sixteen? She backs out later to help out at a car wash her friends opened. We've already seen Dewdrop Dazzle & Snowcatcher and Diamond Rose & Lily Blossom have connections predating the founding of the Mareiott. While it's certainly not beyond the realm of possibilities to see more of this, considering that ponies tend to like doing things in groups, I wanted to avoid one degree of separation for the cast. And since Bifröst already showed up in another (in universe) fic of mine, why not use her? Car Wash and it’s just-published sequel, Ponies, Horses, & Mustangs, Oh My! share the same canon with Business Trip & sequels.
Source: https://derpibooru.org/images/2009751
Also, because folks have been speculating that there's something sinister afoot in Equestria, based on comments in the earlier chapters, there's now something sinister afoot in Equestria. I admit, that hadn't been my intention, but it fits perfectly with what I see in my head. But I'm one of those folks who hates when a cute slice-of-life turns into an action-adventure halfway through, and I'm not going to do that to all y'all. There will be another sequel that will address that when this one concludes. Surprisingly, the changes it means for upcoming chapters are minimal. For example, I'd already planned Feathermay's cutie mark scene in advance, but now those feathers have significance more than mere decoration. It's a shame she got interrupted there. I guess it'll be a while before she realizes just what kind of gift she's been given. Likewise, Dewey's crazy accurate memory? That's going to become relevant later too.
That leads me to Flitterheart's chapter. I want to specify in advance it's been my intention since I started writing 16 for Flitterheart's chapter to play out as it's going to. I've been looking forward to her chapter more than any of them (yes, even Snowcatcher's). She has the best reason to leave Equestria behind, and that's all I'm saying for now. She's also conveniently in this picture of Feathermay:
Source: https://derpibooru.org/images/858429
And here's her toy. Mine has had some discoloration between her head and her body since new, and all other copies I've seen of her toy seem to share this same problem.
Source: From the collection of AlwaysDressesInStyle
She's quite a beautiful birdbrain too.
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That she is! But she's got some self-esteem issues. She thinks her colors clash horribly. Silly filly!
Whoops, I forgot to upload my pic of her toy. Let me go fix that right now.
"You're not allowed to own one in New Jersey, but they've established a colony there anyway. Ironic, isn't it?"
Somehow, my brain jumped from that to the idea of parrot gangsters...
...Huh. I'm at least at the moment not recalling any signs of something sinister afoot (ahoof?) in Equestria...
And thanks for writing. :)
Great, now I'm going to have to go back and reread everything, looking for sinisterness. What is the quadruped-equivalent of being left-handed, anyway? Does it apply to the front-left or back-left or either one?
And is the back legs being more dominant than the front, or vice-vera, considered ominous in their customs?
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I'm thinking left foreleg. I've always considered their forelegs to be the equivalent of arms.
As for hind legs being dominant, Applejack doesn't seem all that ominous to me.
Nadine parmesan was it?
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I hear she's delicious.