//------------------------------// // Chapter Twenty-Five; The End of a Long Day. // Story: Most Daring Pony // by CowgirlVK //------------------------------// The shadows were long, and the sun could just barely be seen above the horizon. The sky was painted in pinks and oranges, but Twilight and Fluttershy could see none of it from within the great hall. Twilight leaned up against the wall, releasing a long, shaky breath. She closed her eyes, groaning. "Twilight-" Twilight Sparkle shook her head. She opened her eyes and looked at Fluttershy full on. "No, you guys need to go home. I can handle Rainbow Dash and Applejack on my own." Fluttershy frowned. "I don't know, Twilight, I think-" "Fluttershy! Angel and your animals need you at home. Despite being grumpy, they are both present and doing better." Fluttershy cringed. "No Twilight, Dash isn't doing b-" Twilight let out an exasperated groan. "Rarity has already gone home with Sweetie, and Big Mac and Cheerilee have both taken the other two girls home and to bed. Fluttershy, go home and get some sleep. I can handle it." Fluttershy's ears folded back. "I don't think you should, Twilight! After last night, what if something goes wrong?" "They’re both in the same room tonight, Fluttershy," Twilight groaned. "Besides, they aren't foals. They are both strong athletes. If we continue to baby them..." She didn't finish the sentence. Fluttershy nodded, glancing over to Angel Bunny, who was giving a poor guard a lecture he probably wouldn't forget, assuming he could understand the white furball's words to begin with. "Oh dear," said Fluttershy. Twilight blinked and shook her head after following Fluttershy’s gaze. "If for any other reason, just to make sure he gets a good night’s sleep after Discord's antics." Fluttershy didn't comment—she herself was ripped in two. Yeah, that was who he was, and how he handled things. But on the other side of the coin, she didn't expect that level of mayhem out of him either. However, knowing him- She trailed off. Much more of this, and she'd back herself into a downward spiral that would have her doubting any decision she makes for the next week. She sighed, "Twilight, are you certain- What if they, you know..." She bit her lip. "Overdo it?" Twilight sighed, but for a moment, her horn glowed. Nodding, Fluttershy walked over and retrieved her pet from the “care” of the poor guard. "You are right Twilight. Besides, Pinkie isn't too far away if you absolutely have to have somepony." Twilight nodded. "I know you are concerned, but Fluttershy, I'm hoping some peace and quiet and a good night’s rest on all our parts will... make tomorrow easier. We don't exactly know who Celestia is sending to help." The two friends embraced fondly. "We'll get through this," whispered Fluttershy in Twilight's ear. Twilight sighed, but nodded once more. "We will, and I'll take good care of them tonight. Just you wait and see.” --------------- Smack! Smack! "Oh, so you think you are so fast! Just watch this!" Lilly challenged Anda. SMACK! "Pashaw! You have nothing on me, Feathers!" Anda challenged back. With the dinner carrots finished, Anda had challenged Lilly to a veggie peeling contest. They each had fifty potatoes, fifty carrots, one ginger root, and five rutabagas. SMACK! "GO! Go! Go!" the crowd of ponies cried. Both mares had practiced with knives for so long, to them, this was an art, and to everyone else, quite the show. "Come on Captain!" Arrow cried, hopping up and down. It was no secret to her that Lilly could do this. In fact, when she and Bravo Squad had kitchen duty at the center, this was the task Lilly always did. And now she was racing one of the few pegasi in Equestria who could possibly keep up. Clang-ang! Both carrots hit the bowl at the same time. Lilly picked up a potato, Anda, a carrot. They were neck to neck. Peelings went everywhere. Water Jewel was rapidly catching and placing Lilly's in the bowl when she missed, and Crystal was doing the same for Anda. (By http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Noble+Savage,) Smack! Anda, with a flourish, tossed the carrot high in the air let it spin then caught it again on the other side. Just as rapidly, the other side was ripped of its peel. Lilly did the same with the potato just moments behind Anda. Finally down to their last veggie, this for both of them, was that ginger root. Neither pony did many acrobatics with this one, but ever so carefully, though not any less quickly, worked on each and every one of those little twists and turns in the root. Even Steady was cheering the them on. "Last one! You can do it!" he cried with the rest. "Come on, Lilly!" someone cried. "Anda! You can do it! Age doesn't matter!" Anda's father cried from her side of the room. Stroke for stroke, turn by turn, movement by movement, the two were one-hundred percent in sync with one another. The only mystery was how, but the rapidly growing crowd didn't bother to ask. Two pegasi, showing off their coordination with their wings while not flying was enough to keep them all entertained. "LAST BIT!" someone cried. Lilly's forehead felt moist; her small pink tongue peeked out on the left side of her mouth as she focused on getting every last bit. Finally, she tossed it into the finished bin. CLANG-G! They were just that close, and Lilly had lost. Lilly smiled, thinking back to the contest as she lay in her bed that night. What had started out as a lesson had rapidly gathered a crowd, and next thing she knew, Anda had ordered up the week's supply of 'needs to be peeled stuff' and the two had gone at it. Anda took Water Jewel's place at the table, and the two identical fillies had taken to catching whatever didn't make it to the scrap bin. If they had been going on speed, Anda won fair and square. If they had been going on who did the best job with the smallest mess, that award would have to go to Lilly. The two had smiled, shaking hooves as the crowd cheered. Lilly had to admit, winning or losing, that was one of the things she missed about being home, getting into contests like that. The hammock rocked under her. She’s had a hasty dinner and dealt with more than a million questions from the different cousins on 'how did you do it?' 'That was fun, when will you do it again?' and of course Lilly's favorite, 'Can you teach me to peel carrots like that?' mostly from the ponies that didn't have wings. She had to turn down those; hooves were very different, and Lilly didn't know how to do that with her hooves. She was tucked in bed with the sun still in the sky in order to get up in a few hours with enough energy to make it out of the mountains before the it rose in the morning. The last thing she wanted was to deal with sun glare or fall asleep flying. Creak! Lilly cracked an eye open. She had not heard hoof-steps, nor could she hear wings. "Sister? Are you awake?" It was Water Jewel. "I have a question." Lilly opened the other eye. "What is it Tadpole?" she asked. The young filly landed on the edge of Lilly's hammock and rolled in next to her elder sister. "Can I sleep with you until you go?" Lilly sighed, "Yes." She then closed her eyes and draped a pink and silver wing over her. Several minutes went by in peace and quiet. "Sister?" Lilly groaned, "Yes Water Jewel?" "Where are you going?" Lilly sighed. "To a friend's house," she answered. "Can I ask another question?" Water Jewel asked. "What is it WJ?" Lilly grunted. "How did you peel like that? Is it appealing?" If the filly hadn't be laying on her arm, Lilly would have facehoofed. "It's called practice. Someday you can join us." Water Jewel squealed. "Come on kid! Get some shut eye, not a peep, please." Tick, tick, tick went the clock in Catstitch's corner of the room. "Lilly?" "Yes?" she growled. "Do you have trouble preening?" "Sometimes, go to sleep," Lilly instructed grumpily. "But my wings itch." Lilly closed her eyes, then opened them again. Taking a few measured breaths, and counting to ten for good measure she looked the younger pegasus in the eye. "They do?" Water Jewel nodded, "Mom's not as well as you are." "Well?" Water Jewel nodded. "They always itch when she does it." “Good. Mom is not as good as I am. I am not feeling well, or not doin’ well,” Lilly corrected. "Why don’t you go ask Arrow, she could use the practice," Lilly grumbled. "I did." Lilly sighed, "What did she say?" Water Jewel looked uncomfortable. Lilly sat straight up in bed. "Water Jewel, if you were a puppet, would your nose be growing right now?" Water Jewel shook her head, but by the way her sister's eyes widened and her body trembled, Lilly knew she had lied. She bit her lip, trying to think of a way to address the filly without coming across as the bad guy. Teach the filly, but not drive her away. "You are lying," she finally said. Water Jewel squirmed. "No I'm not! I ain't lyin'!" Lilly sighed, "Oh Water Jewel." She turned the filly around and picked her chin up with her wing. "She's not going to bite," Lilly stated simply. "W-w-who's n-not gonna bite?" the filly stammered. "Arrow," Lilly replied. Wrapping both wings around her younger, timid sister, she pulled the filly close. "You don't have to be afraid of strangers WJ," she said. Water Jewel squirmed, nestling closer into her sister's breast. "Yes I do!" the filly squeaked. Lilly sighed deeply. "No, Water Jewel, you don't. Cautious, yes, but Arrow isn't a stranger. You've met her many times." Water Jewel closed her eyes and buried her face in Lilly's soft warm fur. Within seconds, Lilly could feel a wet spot. "Alright Waterworks, what's wrong?" "I'm scared!" the filly sobbed. Lilly held Water Jewel close, rocking the hammock back and forth to soothe her. The filly didn't answer for some time. Slowly, Lilly drifted back off to sleep. When Lilly awoke several hours later, the moon had just peeked up over the wall of trees, ice, and bushes lining the canyon walls and mountains' sides. Water Jewel was still tucked against her bosom, the filly's tiny wings pulled tightly around her front, adding a second shield against the fears of the night that haunted her. Across the room, Arrow slept sprawled in Water Jewel’s hammock. Slowly but carefully, Lilly untangled herself from her sister's clutches and slipped out of bed and onto the floor. Pulling her chest out from under her bed, she rummaged through until she found both a doll that could be substituted for her own presence, and her favorite cloak: a dark blue one with gold and silver stitching. Slipping the cloak on, she delivered the stuffie to her sister. Once done, she grabbed her saddlebags and tiptoed out into her family's kitchen. The kitchen was very small, only large enough for one or two ponies to work at a time. But since they never had to feed an army in there because of the big house and rarely had to eat their own meals for the same reason, it was sufficient. Catstitch was already chugging a glass of milk, and Steady sat nursing a fruit smoothie. "Mornin' Night Dweller!" Catstitch teased, licking her lips. Lilly gave a half hearted smile at her younger twin. "Morning, ready for the journey?" Catstitch nodded. "Aye," she replied. "It's been a while afore the last time Ah've been ta Ponyville." Lilly nodded. "Same." Steady looked up then glanced between the two. Lilly giggled. "You aren't going dressed like that, Freight Train," she scolded him. Steady raised both eyebrows. "Dressed like-" Catstitch went to a big brown chest by the front door. "Lika' that! Ye need a cloak ta stay warm. It be cold up here. An'a after dark..." she didn’t finish. Catstitch shook her head. "Neigh, Pa be wearin’ it." Lilly bit her lip. "Alrighty then, do we have another pegasus one big eno-" Catstitch didn't allow her sister to finish, but tisked her tongue. "Lilly! Ye doubt me way too much! Ah made ‘em one!" At that moment, from the bottom of the box, the earth pony mare retrieved a brown cloak. Embroidered on it was little green leaves.  Lilly giggled. "When did you do that?" Catsttich shrugged. "A while ago." Steady raised both eyebrows and gazed at the cloak. Setting his shake down, he scooted off the chair and made his way over to the cloak, his eyes somewhat glazed over. "Hey Cat!" Lilly giggled. "I think he needs the bucket stunt." Catstitch blinked, then scowled. "Lilly! Ye neigh dunna do that to tha poor stallion! He be runnin' on fumes!" Lilly smirked. "Yeah, I know. But I also know it is a good way to wake a pony up." "Or give him pneumonia!" Catstitch chastised. By that point, Steady had made his way across the floor and was looking the cloak up and down. The cloak was designed for pegasi, who carried goods or passengers in and out of the mountains with zippers and extra straps to hold the cloak onto the pony's body. With the wings closed, they could disappear completely under the cloak and had a slot where they could easily go in and out without much difficulty. "Finish yer dinner, Sir Steady. Ya gunna be wantin' it," Catstitch instructed, laying the cloak across the back of the chair with her own. Catstitch's cloak was almost identical to Lilly's, but had silver snowflakes instead of gold stars. Catstitch led the very sleepy stallion back to the dining area and started brewing coffee. Lilly smiled. "Could you put that over ice?" she asked her younger sister. Catstitch shrugged. "Da ya really need it?" Lilly nodded. "Coffee is good for you!" she protested. "Black," Catstitch glared. "Neigh with sugar and cream and ice! And most definitely neigh without chocolate!" Lilly pouted, "But I like chocolate!" Catstitch rolled her eyes. "Ah know," she said, pulling out two mugs and preparing one the way Lilly liked. “Ah still question givin’ it ta ye.” Lilly's eyes sparkled, not paying attention to that last bit. "MMM!" Both eyes turned to the doorway where their mother stood. "You girls heading out?" she asked. Lilly nodded. "Yes Mother," she beamed. "Why are you still up?" Grace Research yawned and shrugged. "Waiting for you guys to leave and for your father to come home. Coach should be here any minute." Lilly smirked. "Do you really expect him to be on time?" she complained. "No," Mrs. Research and Catstitch said together. Lilly chuckled, “Thought not.”  Catstitch placed a steaming hot cup of black coffee in front of Steady. In front of Lilly, she placed a tall glass of iced coffee with extra cream and chocolate syrup. Lilly beamed, licking her lips. "Oh Mom, WJ is in my bed," she stated. With a nod, Mrs. Research sat down beside Lilly at the table. "I know." "She's still having issues with preening?" she asked. "It's mostly in her head," her mother affirmed. Lilly groaned. "Good grief! She's almost what? Six now?" Grace nodded. "Sure is, but remember, her wings are still really small. It's hard for her to get the ones at the base." Lilly rolled her eyes. "Trust me on this one mom, it's just an excuse to get somepony else to do it. Really need to get that filly out a bit more." Grace looked hurt. "Is that so?" Lilly nodded. "Mom, you are a unicorn. Wings are out of your realm of understanding." Catstitch coughed. "Really Lilly? I think I recall her teaching ye." Lilly smirked. "Grandma helped more." Her mother smiled in amusement. "Then you should be around more to teach her." Lilly sighed, "I wish I could." She finished her mocha frappe in a few chugs before turning to the now more awake Steady Flyer. "Alright, we better head out or we won't have time for breathers." She stood and stretched, allowing a slight yawn to escape. "Or have breakfast anywhere." The sound of screeching chairs, and hooves hitting the floor echoed through the house as each of the travelers prepared for departure. "Leaving now?" Lilly glanced up to see Arrow holding her stuffed panda bear in the doorway. Lilly nodded. "Yep, be good. I'll be back tomorrow night." Arrow frowned. "I want to go too!" Lilly sighed. "Arrow, you are acting like Water Jewel, and last time I checked, you were much older than my sister." Arrow hung her head. "Arrow," Steady said, stepping forward and pulling Arrow into a gentle hug, "Be good for Mrs Glass." He looked her in the eye. "Stay here ‘till I return for you, and we will do something special this summer." A tear leaked out of the corner of the young mare's eyes. She bit her lip, then pulled Steady close. "Please! You are all I have left!" "I will regard my well being and take it into account," he stated calmly. Lilly ruffled Arrow's already ruffled mane. "You'll be fine," she said. "Alright, the night is young. Let's fly." The last thing Lilly saw as she and Steady with Catstitch on his back took off was Arrow leaning against Grace Research's side, waving. Tears streamed down Arrow's cheeks.  A knot grew in Lilly's stomach. ------------------ A messy room is a rat's play place. Whether that rat is black, white, gray or, in this case, pink. Pinkamena Diane Pie giggled as she chose her target through a particularly high stack of odds and ends in Cowgirl's editor's bedroom. KillerRobotQuote, or Rad McAwesome as Cowgirl kept calling him, lay flopped down on his stomach, typing away on his black laptop computer. Pinkie giggled behind a hoof before deciding to come out of hiding. "Hiya!" Pinkie cried. Quote yelled, tumbling from his bed onto the messy floor, groaning as something hard poked him in several places. Dusting himself off, he stood up and gazed into the face of Pinkie—or to be more exact, the human Pinkie. Pink hair, pink skin, blue shoes, the human Pinkie Pie! "I said hiya!" she repeated. "Close your mouth before you catch something." Poor Quote didn't know what to think. Yes, he wrote with a human Pinkie Pie, but wasn't Most Daring Pony's Pinkie... a pony? "Uh-" he stammered. Pinkie shook her head, tisking her tongue. "Come on Quote, the floor is no place for an editor.” Quote rubbed his head, trying to process what he was seeing. "Okay, so you’re Pinkie.” “That’s right!” the girl bubbled. “I guess this makes sense, seeing as you like to pop in on Cowgirl when she’s working. Kind of surprised you didn’t stop by sooner, to be honest. That being said, are you supposed to be from Most Daring Pony or Chasing a Dream? Because you’re not even the title character in that.” Pinkie giggled, "I'll let you figure that one out." She started snooping about the room, then suddenly disappeared and reappeared on his side of the bed. "I could be from either, or both, or neither. But Cowgirl did say I could come, or she told me to. You can take a guess on that one." "You do know I read the chapters, right? I already know it was back in Chapter 23. But why are you talking like Discord?" Quote asked. Pinkie smiled and nodded. "I guess I am," she sighed. "But that is neither here nor there. For five chapters, or four, or twenty... I've lost count... you've waited ‘till the last possible second to edit! I can't see the story ‘till she publishes it! And I want to see it NOW! Therefore, I need you to hurry up." Quote blinked. "That doesn't quite fit the story how-" "That wasn't me! There are two Pinkies, remember. I've not picked on Cowie, that's my pony counterpart. Or maybe it was me and I'm just trying to make you confuzzled." “Well, mission accomplished. I have no idea what you just said. And I’m supposed to make sense of that and edit it. So what is it you’re trying to say to me?” “Silly. I’m saying that Cowie wants you to finish editing the chapters a few days before they’re published. It’s hard for her to make all of your nitpicky changes hours before the chapter goes up!” Quote blinked. "Oh. Wait, why didn’t you just say that before? That makes a lot more sense.” “Well, that’s what happens when two authors take turns writing the same character. I don’t think you even know how to write me at all!” “Guilty,” Quote admitted. “But okay, yeah, you’re both right. I do need to be a lot more diligent with the edits. It’s just sometimes pretty hard to sit down and do them. I wouldn’t mind so much if I didn’t have to make over a hundred corrections every page in a 12 page chapter.” Pinkie nodded, her happy smile going more serious. "Well, she does appreciate it. She's not as good at grammar as you. Plenty of crazy imagination, which, by the way, makes her fun. Did you know that she hates parties? Like duh! Who could ever hate parties? Besides Fluttershy, but come on! She's Fluttershy, not a big ol' tough-" “Okay, first of all, Fluttershy does not hate parties,” Quote defended. “You of all people should know that. She’s actually a lot like me when it comes to social gatherings, which is why I’m writing my own ship fic with her.” Suddenly Quote looked up at his computer screen as it blooped for his attention. "Hey McAwesome, I can't find Pinkie... I need her for this- Oh dear. Have you looked at chapter 25 recently... Is she over there? -Cowgirl"  Quote quickly got to his computer and started typing. “Pinkie found her way over here… somehow… I think. She’s not a pony though, so I’m not sure. She’s- crap, she’s going through my stuff. -KrQ” After a few seconds, a message popped back up. "Hold on... Not a pony, going through your stuff... Um... McAwesome, What? I think you need to start over from the beginning... maybe. I'm confuzzled. -Cowgirl." Pinkie gazed over Quote's shoulder. "She's found me, huh? Just remember to tell her this was her idea." “She said this was your idea,” Quote typed. “If the idea was to subject me to the horrors you experience to scare me into editing more often, you just might have succeeded. -KrQ” Quote chuckled at his own joke, but the humor of the moment was lost when the response came. "The idea... Well, it was spoken in a moment of frustration- I would rather not go into the details- but between issues, then she deciding to pick on me on top of it all, (With Discord’s help mind you.) I honestly didn't mean it... But you do deserve a chance to shine as well. You do so much for the story. It wouldn't be half the hit it is. I get at least two new favorites a week on it. But if you are tired of the insult... Just throw her at your computer screen... it won't break, I've tried it. -Cowgirl" Quote blinked a few times at the screen in shock. He’d never expected anything like this from Cowgirl. Thinking to himself for a moment, he finally typed his response. “Really? I… wow. I never knew. Sorry for all that. Thanks for letting me know. -KrQ”  With a sigh, Quote rolled on his side and looked at Pinkie. “Well Pinkie, I think it’s about time you skedaddled. I’ve got my own things to do, and I’m sure RD could use a pep talk.” Pinkie frowned at Quote. "Oh, but I like it here! It's so messy! Like Dashie's house. Hey, that poster looks like Principal Celestia!" “Hey!” Quote snapped. “You leave Solomon alone!” “And these plushies! Fluttershy and Twilight? You’re so weird!” “Pinkie!” Quote yelled, his face red as Big Mac's coat. "OHH!" She wrinkled her nose as she held up a dirty, white sock. "An ear warmer! Or a nose warmer. Hey look! I'm an elephant!" She trumpeted pitifully. "Ew! It stinks!" "GET. BACK. IN. THE. STORY!" Quote yelled, losing his temper with the pink girl. "If you say so," she sighed. "But it's kind of fun hanging with you. You are so metallic." She laughed as she started tapping all over his body, creating clanging sounds of metal that reverberated throughout his body. “That’s it,” Quote muttered. He got up and walked to his closet and slid the door open. Reaching up and grabbing an armful of clothes, he stormed out of the room and into the bathroom. A few minutes later, he emerged in his final form: red cap, lime green transceivers on his ears and scarf around his neck, black tank top, and red jeans. Hanging from the waistline of his pants was a plastic holster, and in his hand, a bright blue gun was drawn. It was impossible, but he could swear he heard some music in the background. Pinkie laughed at the getup. “You look so funny!” “Unless you want to feel the wrath of my Polar Star, you’d better jump back through that computer screen,” the killer robot threatened. “But that’s a Nerf gun,” she pointed out. “GO!” he shouted, pulling the top of the gun back, readying it to fire. “Hmph. The real Quote can’t say anything,” Pinkie mumbled. "Well too bad, you’re with me! You are in my room, messing with my stuff, and have overstayed your welcome! Didn't you learn anything with Cranky?" Quote growled, aiming the weapon towards Pinkie. "And don't second guess this either. You are imaginary, so my make believe gun can deal with you. Now GO!" Pinkie Pie blinked, but decided not to question it. She had completed her mission and had entertained the readers in the process. She sighed dramatically, leaning up against the bed she yawned. "Well, it is way past my bedtime, and I need to make snack-a-doodles tomorrow, so I'll leave. Good bye!" She leaped and disappeared into the screen. Quote let out a snort, "’Bout time!" However, then something attacked him on the cheek. It felt wet and slimy. Pinkie hung through the wall, inches from his ear. His cheek felt slightly damp. Had she kissed him? "But that doesn't mean I'll stay gone forever! I'll be back... but I have another editor to visit as well... she's doing worse than you. Toodles!" Quote could feel his cheek heating up where Pinkie had kissed him. What was he doing? Azure_Shadow already had dibs on her. Quote turned to see the poster of Headmaster Celena Solomon from Starswirl Academy staring right at him, slightly amused. “What are you looking at?” he scoffed. He was just about to call it a day when his computer blooped one last time. “And for the record Quote, I have NEVER called you Rad McAwesome! XD -Cowgirl.”