Pinkie Pie's 4th Wall Breaking Show epi 10 Part 14
In the back rooms of the studio, Coffee Swirl grumbled about Security cameras that hadn't been there a moment before. Couldn't that dumb wolf do its job right?
Stupid mares . . . then again, there again, there were ponies who thought he was one bad day from snapping, like the ponies who had once tried to 'disable' Rainbow Dash, and the Sparkle siblings.
In the actual stuido room, Rainbow Dash and Rarity looked at each other.
"Daring, why are you all looking at a blank screen?"
"Yeah it's getting kinda weird. And what's that letter? And WHY is it blank?"
"I admit it is rather strange what you're doing . . . " Octavia admitted. "And are you speaking with thin air?" She wasn't able to see Snow Bound.
Photo nodded, "If this is that kind of paper, I can order some extra concentrated salt."
"That won't be needed." Maud said.
Hooves scuffed the carpet beside Twilight, where there had been only empty space before. "How can you enjoy this?" asked Snow Bound, his gruff voice sounding honestly perplexed. "The end of this world was the beginning of our own. You, your friends, your Equestria... none of them exist there, or ever will exist."
"What, are we trading questions now?" said Twilight, a little rattled. She took a deep, calming breath. "I wouldn't want to stop existing so that world could live again, but it is a lovely world, and it's really special to Pinkie... isn't that enough?" She smiled. "What does it matter to you? I mean, you'd still be around even if... oh."
The odd white stallion nodded. "The Blank Wolf was created so that nothing like the Disaster could ever happen again... That is your answer in trade, if we are keeping score."
Twilight smirked. "Score? No one even told me the rules."
Snow Bound glared at the screen again. "I do not like the idea that I was created on account of some... mistake, which could have simply not been made in the first place. It's too good to be true... there must be some flaw. Nothing mortal endures..." He trailed off, seeing Pinkie giving him that look.
Not-Maud looked to the Blank Wolf. "It's true the Disaster had a role in making the Blank Wolf...but isn't it also true Morning Star made Persecution due to the same thing?"
"...That is true."
"...Starlight and her world CHOSE to sacrifice themselves to make that world how it is. It is true it is not a world without death and suffering. That is the truth. But it is also a world without Persecution, and without EVIL. It's a world of innocents and kindness. "
"That still meant it required sacrifice to exist..."
"...And is that wrong?" Not-Maud asked. "Would it be fair to Starlight and her friends to undo the sacrifice they willingly made just for their sake when it created a genuine world without evil?"
"..."
"...You exist to serve, you exist to sacrifice. So why complain about the sacrifices others have made?"
Maud hugged Pinkie and the two turned back to the screen.
Coffee Swirl's argument had continued off-screen for quite some time now, mostly him either refuting or outright rejecting the points that the ghosts of his sword -- likely more in the know than him -- made against his worldview. Squire in particular seemed baffled as to why he didn't just throw away the sword, given said worldview.
'How can thou stand for the highest virtues, when thou dost not believe they exist!?'
Swirl opened his mouth to respond to the pony only he could hear, when he was interrupted by Logan.
'I think we've gotten a bit off-track here.'
'Yeah,' Patch said. 'This whole thing started because you need to apologize to Fluttercruel, not a debate about morality and worldviews.'
"So I'm stalling, sue me. I don't know how to talk to girls."
'Gee, thanks.'
"Oh shut up, Patch. You're in my head, you KNOW what I mean."
'Swirl, I know this will come as a shock to you, but mares are not some sort of mysterious and eldritch creatures! Hay, you already know she likes you! Just go out there, say you're sorry and that's all there is to it!'
"Have you not paid any attention to what sort of world we live in? It's NEVER that simple!"
Patch gave a frustrated groan. 'I am starting to wonder just what she actually sees in you!'
'I think we're going about this the wrong way.' In contrast to the other two, Logan seemed to be perfectly calm... which had Swirl fidgeting nervously.
Suddenly, pain shot up from his shoulder. "What the buck?!"
'Phantom pain,' Logan said. 'You're not really hurt, just feels like you are; go talk to Fluttercruel and it'll stop.'
"This is bullying."
'No, bullying is when you do it for sadistic pleasure; I'm not enjoying this, but it gets you to do something.'
"Jerk..." Swirl muttered.
'Yeah, yeah, I'm a jerk. Now, get moving.'
Pain flared again, forcing the pony to his feet and back out of the side room. The pain didn't lessen, even as he got closer to the Flutters. "Hey... we need to talk."
He had walked out of the back room, and had tapped on the shoulder.
"Hello Sir Runs A Lot."
" . . . I'm sorry."
". . . Will you not do it again?"
"I'll . . . try my hardest not to."
She grabbed him, kissed him, and they wrapped their wings around each other as they took to the ceiling. Rarity politely put some cloths over the cameras.
Applejack sighed.
-
Swirl broke the kiss for just a moment. "I hate to ask, but does this make us officially a couple."
-
"Yes it does!" Pinkie Pie called out from where she stood beside Maud, presenting her with her own secret recipe Marble Pound Cake. It was a magnificent piece of pastry, layered in rich frosting. "I hope you like it, Maud. I made it just the way you like it!"
"My," Rarity said, trying and failing to not drool at the sight and smell of the cake. "But that does look delightful, Pinkie Pie." The same greedy little demon that once drove her to sample the Cakes' hoof-made creation on that trip a year ago began to rise within her. A hint of Greedity entering her eyes, she said, "Would it be possible to have just one teensy little taste?"
"Yeah," Dash said, flying over. She openly licked her lips. "Just own bite. Hey, it takes a lot of energy to fly, I need to keep my strength up."
"Uh, I don't think so, Rarity," Pinkie said, looking wary. "This is a cake for family-only, unicorns and pegasus-uses can't really handle it."
"Pinkie!" The pink party pony turned away as Octavia called out, "Do you remember that one song Grandma used to sing for us? You know, 'She was Bread in Old Appaloosa, but she's just a Crumb up here'?"
"Oooh you mean about Auntys Crumb? Sure, I remember it." She hopped over.
"I'm coming to," Maud said as she took one look at the greedy gaze in the face of both Dash and Rarity. Something like a smile tugged at her lips as she said, "You might need help with it."
Dash and Rarity grinned at each other.
"Just one taste won't ruin the party."
"Of course not, darling." Both ponies looked at the cake, licking their lips. It just looked so delicious. "On one, two, three!"
Twin whinnies of pain came to Pinkie where she stood with Octavia and Maud. All three looked to see Rarity and Dash hopping up and down in pain, hooves clutched to their jaws.
"Oooh!" Pinkie yelled. "Did I forget to say that the Marble Pound Cake is made with real marbles? Your favorites too, Maud."
And somewhere in Ponyville a zebra named Bardeeya smiled. "Be tested by Temptation, mares, and pass or suffer. Just be glad it wasn't over a stallion."
"So . . . did you mom want to try some?" Coffee Swirl asked from up near the ceiling.
Fluttercruel shook her head. "No actually. She said she was done with such things. She said it feel too much like New Fluttershy if she took a bite without permission. And she remembered the dream she had where she had to perform at Sugar Cube corner as a clown for a month to pay off a cake that she ruined in her dreams and was banned for a year. But . . . now she wants to check on her friends. Even if they did it to themselves and I think the pain would be good for them."
Coffee Swirl stopped . . . he had been in the middle of remembering the proper hoof steps and wing flaps to the sacred time honored pegasi mating dance. Coffee Swirl was many things, but he was still a red blooded pegasi.
Coffee Swirl landed stretching his wings and legs.
Photo Finish meanwhile shouted, "HOLD THAT POSE! The pain! The humiliation! The embarrassment!" He took several shots of the pegasus and unicorn.
"You two got what ya deserved," AJ said simply. "And seriously, YA BOTH SHOULDDA KNOWN BETTER!!!! Ah mean a marble cake fer rock farmers?!"
"I thought Maud was inviting us to try some I swear!" Rarity said in pain.
"Now is there anything in here for sore teeth? Hmm, maybe I should just take you both to Mineutte? But then you'd miss the rest of the party."
"Want some more marble cake?" Maud Pie said emotionlessly and no visible expression, but she was laughing her head off inside.
The two shook her head desperately.
Maud Pie had a slice and ate the marble cake with real marbles with no ill effects. She was an earth pony rock farmer.
AJ looked around, and it seemed Snow Bound had popped away again. She wished one of his 'see you later's actually WAS a later instead of a 'soon after.' That dang wolf didn't seem to know how to properly say bye. Oh well, maybe this time he'd be busy erasing annoying uninspired perfect characters in Hoofington or something. She hoped Trixie was doing well.
Twilight, on a soap box, was giving Rarity and Rainbow Dash 'The Lecture' on respecting other ponies' warnings, "AND RARITY!!! WHAT HAPPENS TO PROPER TABLE MANNERS?! YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER!"
The What If Machine almost felt relieved . . . it had been so long since it had been allowed to just rest. It actually felt nice.
Maud Pie gave it a short glance, "We are watching the rest of Pinkie Pie, Minty, and Rocky Road's day together before the party ends, understood?"
"Yes. Perfectly."
"Don't worry girls, I think I have some 'anti-tooth candy in here somewhere." Pinkie Pie said pulling various sweets right out of her mane.
"Pinkimena, I doubt that's very sanitary." Octavia suggested.
"The worst that could happen is that they'd get Pinkie Germs and act like me forever." She grinned and took other a candy.
Rarity and RD took a step back, their teeth still hurting.
"HA! Gotcha on that one! I actually had you going!" Pinkie Pie laughed. "Crossing my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye, there's no such thing as Pinkie Germs."
-
The What-If Machine glitched, throwing a few sparks and smelling vaguely like burnt cinnamon toast. "Error, time sync lost. Attempting to compensate." The screen lit up...
~*~
Back in the other Ponyville on that other world, a hedge maze had been raised on the outskirts of town. A large banner near the entrance read "Ponyville Pie Fight Championship, final round today!"
Spooky Tail and Rocky Road were there at the front of the crowd, watching the some of the action on the magical globes that Rose Quartz had conjured. They had a few more wrinkles, but they were otherwise in good health. "Thrilling!" said Spooky. "You've outdone yourself, dear."
"Hehe! Thanks, dad!" said Rose Quartz, a young adult mare now. She'd insisted that her maze cutie mark was just a coincidence, but if her special talent literally was making mazes, what of it? Everypony loved the fun amazing fun games she thought up that they could play in the hedge maze.
Star Song flew higher, shading her eyes with a hoof. "Oh look! More of them are coming out!"
A grown-up Flint Spark led the way, grinning like a shark, even though she'd taken a pie to the face. "That was awesome! Let's do it again!"
Fire Cracker, Toola-Roola, Sugar Rush, and Pinkie Pie followed her, so plastered in pie filling that ponies could hardly tell one from another. "You'll have to wait for them to bake more pies," said Sugar Rush. "Even Sweetie Belle and Butter Fry can only make 'em so fast." He looked all around. "Huh, where are they?"
Pinkie Pie shook all the pie filling off herself in an instant and hopped over to one of the globes. "They're not here because they're the last two in the game!"
~*~
Nopony had quite known what to make of Butter Fry's cutie mark when it showed up. A pair of six-sided dice wasn't so strange... but one of them had no spots on the top face, and the other had seven.
The young unicorn stallion grinned toothily as he crept around a corner of the maze, two pies held in his magic. "I've got you..." He sprang, pies ready to hurl, but found only a dead end with a table stacked with spare pies. Hooves stepped on the grass behind him. "Nuts!"
Sweetie Belle had him cornered. Worse, the white and purple mare had one of those clockwork contraptions that Rose had stashed around the maze, made to fling pies one after another with the touch of a trigger. "Okay, banana nut pies it is!"
A sudden wild inspiration struck Butter Fry. He grinned... he'd learned to go with those first, and think about them later. The grey unicorn dodged left, then right, pies barely missing him. He flung the two pies he had, then lunged backwards, bucking the table and guiding the launched pies with his magic. Amazingly, every pie smacked another pie in midair, knocking both away.
He snatched the one pie he had left, ready to throw, and suddenly realized that he was back to back with Sweetie Belle, who also held one last pie in *her* magic. "Look, a three-headed monkey!"
Sweetie Belle blinked. "What's a... hey!"
They pied each other in the face simultaneously and fell down in a heap, laughing.
"I haven't had that much fun in eons," cried Butter Fry, still laughing away. "Well, not literally eons, obviously. I don't know why I say things like that..."
Sweetie Belle caught his gaze, giggling again. "You have something on your face..."
~*~
By the time Sweetie Belle and Butter Fry finally exited the maze, Pinkie Pie was practically bouncing in place, waiting to hear how it had gone. "Well? Well, well? Who won?"
"He did." "She did." said both of them at once, and then Sweetie Belle blushed, and Butter Fry smiled and looked away shyly.
Spooky blinked and started forward, but Rocky Road stopped him, shaking her head.
"You know how he can be," said Spooky quietly. "He might hate us for this later."
"He won't," was all Rocky Road said.
"But..."
Her muzzle twitched in an almost-smile. "Spoilers, dear."-
While the party proceeded, one of the security monitors began displaying apparently random scenes of nothing in particular. Rainbow Dash watched it for a bit, scratching her mane with a hoof, but quickly lost interest.
In Trottingham, a sparkly golden alicorn with a rainbow-striped mane loomed over Trixie. "Little sister, you've been a bad pony! What you did to Twilight and her friends with the Alicorn Amulet was bad and wrong."
Trixie gulped. "But Omnixie, I don't know anything about a... Oh no, you're right! I have been a terrible pony. Can you ever forgive me?"
The Blank Wolf erased the insertion with a single slash. "No."
In the Ponyville market, a human shouted, "Do any more ponies want a belly rub?"
"Ooh, me!" cried Lyra.
"No, me!" shouted Pinkie Pie, even though another Pinkie was already at the studio.
*Slash!* "No."
Lyra tilted he head. "Why do I suddenly feel robbed?"
+
A dimensional rift opened at Sweet Apple Acres. Tiny invisible machines swarmed out, swiftly constructing a duplicate of Princess Celestia from the soil. "Excellent, this world already has ponies. I need only satisfy their values through friendship."
*Slash!*
Big Mac stopped kissing Cheerilee for a moment to stare at the huge white wolf and the fading cloud of dust.
Cheerilee nosed him. "Is something wrong?"
Big Mac smiled and nuzzled her back. "Eeenope."
The Blank Wolf trotted on his way, tail wagging. It was good to have important work again.
-
The camera swung back to the white if machine, that was already showing more of the G3 world.
Minty was tired. She just wanted to lay down in the snow and rest. A terrible storm swirled above Ponyville but she couldn't bring herself to care anymore. The entire town took on a grayish color.
There were empty indentations in the show for six other ponies, one a filly.
A unicorn mare laughed at her. She had a dark gray coat, a ghoulish blue mane, and yellow eyes. Her cutie mark, hard to see against her coat, was a swirling black storm with the center almost look like an eye. With her magic she was holding a snow globe. Around her neck was a necklace with six jewels, at the center was an empty spot for a seventh.
Razzaroo shouted, "Minty! Get up!"
"It's no use little pony, the Celebration of Friendship will now complete my set. Come Minty, it's time to join your friends."
Yes . . . Minty was tired . . . she just wanted to go to her friends . . . and rest . . .
Minty felt herself being lifted up and the world around her getting bigger and bigger, floating towards Stormy's snow globe.
The next thing Minty knew, she was a place where everything was snowing . . . everything was soft . . . quite . . . so quite . . .
She saw her friends laying in the snow, slowly being covered.
"Scootaloo and Cheerilee together. Pinkie Pie. Zipzee. Princess Rarity. Starsong. Rainbow Dash . . . now . . . now we can just sleep together forever . . ."
She laid down to rest, but somepony's singing was keeping her from going to sleep. She looked up at the intrusion to see Star Catcher towering over her.
"Please Minty, I'm sorry this had to happen to all of you. You can't go to sleep. "
"Go away Star Catcher. I'm super sleepy."
"Alright then, I'll tell you a bedtime story. Once upon a time Minty, our land knew things like hatred, bullying, greed . . . but ponies used their combined magics to make a better world. But one who was the giver of those awful feelings for those who LIKED seeing ponies unhappy and fighting, sought to drag our world back down."
But the gifts that we ponies celebrated prevented that darkness from ever forming or entering our world. The seven castles that stand in our lands being the basin for those gifts."
Images flashed in Minty's mind.
"Happiness." Pinkie Pie.
"Family." Cheerilee and Scootaloo.
"Kindness." Zipzee.
"Music." Starsong.
"Laughter." Princess Rarity.
"Rainbows." Rainbow Dash.
"And Friendship." Minty's own face.
"Minty . . . the seven castles gave each of you their blessing because each of you represent the gifts they celebrate . . . You didn't gain those gifts because of the castles' magic. . . . But now it's over . . . maybe in the end, everything pure and innocent, exists only to be corrupted into something ugly and horrid. . . ." Star Catcher's voice changed. "Even when given a fresh start, a new world, a new past, and a new futures, ponies were doomed to be the lambs to the wolves of tragedy and horror. In the end end. Maybe there was no point to it at all."
The image of Star Catcher changed to that of somepony else. "Ha. Your fight was over before it started."
Minty growled, now much more awake. "Stormy!"
"If you can here hoping for eternal rest, you won't find it here. Look, here are you little friends." She held up seven small decorations, revealed to be actually Minty's friends. "Aware of EVERYTHING, and not able to do a thing. Your gifts will bring misery and despair to everypony you know and love. . . . none of you will find eternal sleep here. If you thought you'd get the cold comfort by being reunited by your friends in the end, you were sorely mistaken."
Horror and shame filled Minty as the words sank in.
"Yes! That's it! Fall into despair, realize that there is no point in hope, cry out that is no answer! Let it echo across your world!"
"Don't give darling!"
Rainbow Dash?
"Don't listen to that big bully!" Scootaloo?
We're still here for you." Cheerilee.
"This is silly! Since when do we have unhappy endings?" Princess Rarity laughed.
"We christmas party to celebrate remember?" Pinkie Pie.
"Our song is stronger than her silence." Starsong.
"Just take one more step forward." Zipzee.
Minty shivered, tears falling down her face and freezing before they hit the ground. "No . . . this isn't how it's supposed to be, this isn't how WE'RE supposed to be! Everypony! This can't be the ending! I won't give up!" A light shined in her. "Everypony please trust me, let her do her worst! I promise that I'll try my best! And with you guys, I know that'll be more than enough!"
Stormy's snow globe shook, cracked, and out shot an brave little green firefly that then grew into a full sized Minty the pony.
"Minty!" Razzaroo gasped out in relief.
"You're still alive? GOOD! I'll be my greatest pleasure in killing you again!" Stormy hissed.
Minty said nothing, but then the six jewels in Stormy's necklace glowed, and and their lights shot out of them, and surrounded Minty for a moment, before flying into her.
There was a flash of light.
Minty's lower legs were now light pink, like socks, green and red outlines of snow men were on her lower body, along with white snow flakes. Her cutie marks had become larger and more stylized. Over one eye was a snowflake pattern. Yellow and blue strips were now in her hair in her pink mane and tail and the white strip.
The storm clouds were blown away in a swirl to show the bright blue sky beyond.
"Absurd! That power can not exist in this world! You were mine!"
"The light of the seven gifts have joined together." Razzaroo whispered.
"Let this be a lesson Stormy, friendship isn't something you can just take away!" Minty declared.
"Bah humbug! Your absurd delusion of a world is about to be shattered, and tragedy will be the only stories told!" Dark gray rainbow shout out from Stormy's horn that Minty deftly dodged like a hyper active grass hopper, moving closer and closer with each move.
"You can't escape me brat!" Stormy snarled and tried to stab Minty with her horn. Minty CAUGHT IT with her hooves, HOLDING BACK Stormy's next spell and the backwash left Stormy's horn smoking.
"I wasn't trying to!"
Six light flew out of Minty, circle around her, each a color of the rainbow, then shot into her, no, through her, and blasted storm in a wash of rainbow light.
Stormy squealed in alarm and fear, and broke apart into a swarm of black butterflies, that then broke down into little piles of ash that blew away. Her necklace shattered.
The six lights around Minty grew and formed into seven ponies.
The clouds were no longer a dark storm, but the normal fluffy Christmas clouds they should be. A pretty snow began to drift down. Minty's form gently returned to normal.
Minty's friends all hugged her. "You did it Minty!" Pinkie cheered.
"No, we did it," Minty replied with a smile. "That was our power."
Starsong smiled. "Yes, but you were the one that didn't give up, Minty."
They stood for a few moments, hugging and enjoying everything being safe and sound once again.
"So..." Zipzee finally said. "What now?"
"...We get things ready for Christmas!" Pinkie suggested.
In the studio a shout was heard by none but Maud Pie. "YEOW!" She looked out the window, seeing the dark gray pony, Umbra Breeze cursing as he held his leg like it had stuck with a hot poker. "One of my avatars . . . destroyed? . . . In THAT world?" He hissed.
Not-Maud-Pie said, "Merry Christmas Nephew."
Umbra Breeze grumbled as he teleported away.
In the G3 Ponyville, invisible to all who didn't know the G3 world, the pony of Ponyville were celebrating.
"Keep this on-" Pinkie Pie said what to others looked like a blank screen.
"Or you'll hurt this machine, I know." The what-if machine said.
"No, Keep this on PLEASE, I just want this. Not Discord's family except for Rocky Road, nothing against them, but just . . . I just want this for the friends I remember so dearly."
"As you wish. As a Christmas gift to you. This machine shall not shift the lime light to Rocky Road's husband and foals. It shall be kept on the 'core' 'third generation' ponies.Crossing my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
-
The breezies fluttered their little wings and blew away the last pile of ashes. Revealing a a little black breezie with a green mane and blue eyes.
"Welcome back Stormy," Zipzee said.
The black breezie snorted. "This doesn't prove I'm wrong!" She pouted. "Happy endings are still boring! Bad stuff happens all through the story and then good stuff happen right at the end? It's dumb."
Zipzee shook her head. "Stormy . . . I know it seems like it's just bad stuff after bad stuff in stories sometimes . . . but it's growing flowers, they need work to grow, it's like baking a cake, there's lots of untasty stuff it's made out of, but once it's bake, there's lot of happy stuff."
"So you just go through lots of bad stuff just to get to the little happy stuff?"
" . . . Stormy . . . you say that happy endings are boring . . . but if stories just had bad stuff and just bad stuff . . . nopony would get to the ending in the first place, they'd just close the book and go out and play."
Zipzee hugged her.
" . . . And there wouldn't be a story at all . . . so that would be kinda silly." Stormy whispered and hugged Zipzee back.
-
After the seven friends had said goodnight and gone their separate ways, Minty raced up a snowy hill. "Gotta get back home where it's snug and warm before dark... whoa!" She crested the top of the hill too fast and went sliding down the other side, socked hooves slipping and sliding. "Weee!" Minty plowed right into a snowdrift and stuck her head out, giggling.
"My goodness, darling!" said the pony that she'd barely missed. "Are you alright?"
"Rainbow Dash!" Minty shook herself free of the snow. "What are you doing out here?"
The earth pony with the extra colorful mane smiled. "Oh, just tying up loose ends, darling. It's only a few days until Christmas, after all. Have you thought about presents at all?"
"I'm going to make socks for everyone! Socks are the greatest."
"That sounds wonderful, darling. Oh, but shouldn't you have kept that a secret? You don't want to spoil the surprise."
Minty gasped. "Oops! I guess you're right."
"And what about yourself, darling?" said Rainbow. "Have you thought about what you might like?"
Minty rubbed her chin with a hoof. "Well... It's kind of silly. And a little strange. Promise me that you won't laugh?"
"Of course, I promise!"
"I was thinking about Pinkie Pie's family. I said to myself, 'I wish I had a family as cool as Pinkie Pie's!' I have lots of friends, but I don't have any family." The mint green pony frowned, feeling strangely sad, even though they'd already stopped Stormy from doing those bad things. "But that doesn't make any sense. Everyone has a family, don't they? Did I just... forget about mine somehow?"
Rainbow Dash put a hoof over her back, hugging her snugly. "There, there, darling. It'll be okay! I'm certain that it'll all make more sense after a good night's rest."
Minty hugged her back, then smiled. "Thanks, I feel a lot better now. Goodnight!"
'Rainbow Dash' watched Minty gallop out of sight, then bowed her head and shimmered. Her coat turned pearl and grey. A long horn rose from her head, and she spread beautifully feathered wings. Even her cutie mark changed, turning into a spoked wheel marked with mesmerizing runes.
With a mystical glow, a heavy book hovered before the alicorn, and a quill pen began to write. She smiled warmly. "Merry Christmas, my little pony."
The very next day, Minty watched her friends bring out the special magical candy cane that would guide Santa Claus to Ponyville. Maybe it was all just a story for foals, but it made her happy anyway! It seemed like they put it high on top of the Christmas tree just right, but something still seemed off to Minty. "I think it needs to be just a little to the left! Uh, guys? Everybody?" They'd already left, busy with their own holiday chores. "That's okay, I'll just fix it myself!"
Minty fetched a hot air balloon that someone had left sitting around, and leaned out of the basket, reaching for the candy cane... but a sudden angry gust of wind hit the balloon! Minty cried out, hooves flailing, and tumbled...
"Minty!" cried a voice below.
She heard a great thump and wooden wheels turning before she landed in something soft. Someone had bucked a cart full of hay, just in time to put it there to catch her safely. "Thanks! That was close!" She struggled out of the cart, looking at the earth pony who had saved her. He had a light blue coat and a darker blue mane, with a foil-wrapped piece of candy for a cutie-mark. "You're the coolest brother ever, Shiny!"
Shiny grinned and nosed her. "Aw, thanks... but you need to be more careful, little sis! What if I hadn't been here to save you?"
"I definitely won't do that again!" said Minty. "Let's go find a pegasus to check on that candy cane."
-
Twilight's eyes widened. "That's...but...how..."
"Wishes and miracles still exist in that world," explained Not-Maud. "But not running rampant to the point it'd destroy everything. They're controlled and regulated Minty WAS born with a family in that world, but not a brother. Now she has one."
Twilight nodded slowly. She then allowed herself to smile. "...Hehe...he's definitely like my Shining...I hope they'll be happy."
Pinkie chuckled. "They're in that world, why wouldn't they be."
Twilight gave a small laugh. "Yeah, I forgot for a second..."
-
It was rather annoying, Coffee Swirl realized, that -- thanks to whatever bending of reality that kept him informed of these things -- he was aware of what the screen on the What-If machine was showing, but couldn't actually see any of it. Plus, he was rather curious what had become of himself in that world.
The screen suddenly flickered, showing (To those that could see it anyway) a bespectacled pegasus in a scarf trotting along in the square just as Minty and Shiny left. And his face was set into a heavy scowl, even more-so when bells started ring thanks to the season.
"Humbug," he muttered. "What's the point of all this 'Christmas' junk?"
The bells intensified slightly, an underlying melody sneaking in from nowhere in particular.
"What is Christmas? Tinseled fairy tales
Day old stockings lined up in a row
What is Christmas? Could someone tell me that?
What is Christmas? Surely, I don't know."
The disgruntled pegasus continued to walk, glaring at the various decorations as his song continued.
"And everywhere these lights!
Who needs to color night?
Could this whole thing be planned?
I do not understand."
He grabbed a loose strand of lights from one of the smaller trees, the entire thing falling off at the lightest touch.
"These Christmas trees with colored lights
Underneath they still are only trees
Do you think that one day perhaps they might
Find that Christmas is kind of a disease?"
"Every year it's waiting for me, waiting for me
Every year it constantly defies
Placing strangers there before me, there before me
Spreading hope and cheer mixed in with happiness
Fraternal bliss and other Christmas lies!"
He angrily stomped his hooves, his voice rising to a shout that caused several ponies to give him odd looks.
"And there's one more thing that I have discovered
That I would now like you to know
The reason for Christmas I now realize
Is an excuse to tolerate snow, SNOW!"
Which, of course, led to a particularly prank-happy pegasus dropping a good amount of the white stuff right on him, giggling the whole time. He shook of the powder, his glare stronger than ever.
"Blasted brat... Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes." He cleared his throat.
"What is Christmas? Candles everywhere
A fire hazard any other day
Children light them, no one seems to care
All for Christmas!"
He turned to the central tree, glaring up at the candy cane Minty had been fussing over not so very long ago.
"Every year it returns here
And every year it's waiting for me
Why can't Christmas disappear
And just pretend it never saw me?
Every year I get my hopes up
That it will somehow just leave
But every year I wake to find
That once again it now is Christmas... eve!"
With his song finished, the stallion gave a frustrated sigh and trudged away.
"Geeze, what a grouch," said the mare looking out the window of her cafe, which was going to filled wall to wall with ponies come morning. "Sweet Berry, are the rest of the cakes ready for tomorrow?"
"Coming Candy Swirl." Sweet Berry said to her husband. "Just about finished."
"Please please tell me it's not going to be another one of your 'see how high I can make the cake' experiments again."
"Don't worry, it'll be able to fit through the door." She said to the stallion. The two embraced and kissed.
-@-
Back in the studio, Pinkie Pie put a hoof over Coffee Swirl's shoulder and said lowly. "What did you expect? For that version of you to NOT be with the love of his life?"
"So that's that world's version of Cotton Candy?"
"Yep. That's you."
"...okay." And Coffee Swirl, Equestria's perpetually miserable pony, gave a small -- but entirely genuine -- smile.
"I... don't remember like you do... what was she... was I... like?"
Pinkie Pie tilted her head. "Cotton Candy? Ponies went to Kimono for wisdom. Ponies went to Storybelle when they wanted to be told a good story. Cheerilee when they wanted to hear a good story. And Cotton Candy . . . when ponies wanted to TELL their stories to somepony. She liked to talk with ponies."
Coffee Swirl chuckled a bit. "Yeah, there's a reason I have a table next to my counter, Pinkie." The pegasus blinked a bit, frowning as he seemed to concentrate more. "Okay... I said that... and I meant to say it... but it felt like there was more than just me saying it..."
Pinkie Pie smiled. "Thanks for tell me. It's . . . it's nice to know parts of my friends live on in you and my . . . my new friends."
Coffee Swirl nodded a bit, though he still looked confused. "Isn't this suppose be the part where I'm driven insane by some sort of 'Things Nopony Was Meant To Know' thing? I mean, that's why you and AJ, and Twilight for that matter, don't tell everyone about the lost third age."
"Don't worry about it, you already had your existential crisis."
"Pretty sure I've had about seven at this point, actually. Guess she's happy at least. Hope she doesn't mind spending time around 'Cruel though. I don't even know is Sweetberry was erased or recycled, or how to find her if she was recycled."
Pinkie Pie, "Trust me, makes things less confusing if you don't. You WERE erased, but it seemed someone out there decided to recycle you instead. You got lucky. Like Minty. She was supposed to be erased. But she lived on. I was supposed to be erased . . . but Starsong took my place. Now about we be HAPPY for Maud Pie's party?"
"This is me happy. Not everyone goes all 'manic' happy, some of us prefer to be more subdued."
"Oh, just one moment, Twilight, Maud, everypony," Pinkie Pie said as she turned as though to face what looked like thin air. She took a deep breath and leaped into the air, fireworks and streamers going off in every direction, and said, "HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYPONY AND -SHADOW!"
Applejack, her normal Stetson replaced with a party hat, whispered to Rarity, "New Years ain't for months yet, is it?"
"Just go with it, darling," Rarity said as behind them Coffee Swirl took the opportunity and gave the Flutters a New Years' kiss that they returned.
-
On the what if machine, another vision played.
While Minty and her family gathered by their Christmas tree, hugging and sharing gifts in their warm candlelit home, the grouchy pegasus, the one that Coffee Swirl had mistaken for himself, peered in through a window. "Everyone else is so happy," he muttered. When his spectacles fogged, he sighed and turned away, trudging through the snow. "Why can't I just be happy? Why can't I forget?"
He wandered clear out of Ponyville and onto a small rise, where the full moon seemed especially large and bright on the horizon. "Just an illusion, because it's close to the ground," he grumbled. "Even in this world, the moon doesn't magically get bigger for dramatic moments. Certainly not mine."
High-pitched yipping barks made him freeze, and the keening howl that followed made him positively shiver. "I had best be away! I'm not so miserable that I'd rather be eaten by wild beasts." He turned to go... too late! They were already upon him, eyes shining bright with reflected moonlight. They leapt… the pegasus cringed! They bowled him over and started... licking him?
Why, his fearsome stalkers were just a couple of puppies! Big puppies, he corrected himself, when he nudged his glasses back into place. Big, pony-sized wolf pups, one shiny grey with blue highlights, the other fluffy white. "Get back, I'm warning you! I assure you, I taste terrible!"
The poor pegasus nearly fainted when the wolf pups talked back! "We've found him!" yipped one. "Oh come, come and see, Lady Luna!" Then the moon seemed to flare brilliantly behind him, and a mare... stepped right out of it, winged and horned and looming over him. Her deep blue coat shone, casting shafts of brilliance around the polished silver barding.
With so many shocks one after another, it was a wonder the pegasus' heart didn't give out. "Luna? This simply cannot be. The moon goddess is a myth, there's no scientific basis for any such..."
"We will thank you not to deny us to our very face," declared the mare... the alicorn. She looked over the pups, who bowed low before her. "Snow, Rain, why did you call us and not your mother Fate?"
"He called for you," said the grey wolf pup.
"He sings for you!" said the white one, bouncing in place playfully. "You'll grant his wish now, won't you?"
The grey pup nodded eagerly. "You'll make him happy now, won't you?"
Luna, if she really was Luna, took a step closer, while the pegasus stood rooted to the spot in mingled fear and awe. "It is not so simple as that, children. He wishes to be unhappy. Why is that, little pony? You may tell us everything."
He actually considered telling her to mind her own business and leave him be. But... leave him to be what? To go where? "I was..." He shook his head forcefully. "No, I *am* Moon Shadow. "I planned parties... I mean, missions. To the moon. To your moon. I remember now... I remember it all! Our plans to go back to your moon, and even beyond! To build habitats... places where ponies could live, on your moon! And the Wish, that blasted Wishing spell..."
The pegasus shook in a sudden fury. "How dare they! Everything that ponykind accomplished, all thrown away... so ponies could be happy? Who gave them the right?! I want it all back, the way it was! That's what I wish for, Lady Luna!" He shook, fighting back tears... and the mighty goddess came to him, wrapped a comforting wing around him... him! The wolf pups made sad faces and nosed his flanks.
"That wish, we cannot grant," said Luna. "If every wish was granted, then opposing wishes would tear this world apart." Moon Shadow hung his head. "But..." He perked up, daring to hope. "We can grant another. If there is no happiness for you in this world, if your devotion to our moon and our heavens is as pure as we sense, then swear yourself to our service, and you will see and watch over our wonders firsthoof."
Moon Shadow took a long look back at the lights of Ponyville over his shoulder, then nodded to Luna, resolved. "I so swear. I am yours, Lady Luna."
She gave him a reserved smile, then spread her wings wide. The moonlight flared again... her mark burned itself onto his flank, merging with his own... and when the light faded, he was a wolf pup too, black as the night sky, with silver flecks in his fur. "Name yourself to us, my little wolf."
Rain and Snow howled, bouncing in joyful circles around him. "I am... I am Gloom of Night, mother!"
"Excellent," said Mother Luna. "Come now, swiftly. You have much to learn..."
Gloom trotted after her, then paused, looking longingly back at the other pups.
Luna smirked. "Very well, you may play with the others for a time, first."
The three pups howled together, bounding through the snow with tails wagging.
In the studio Twilight shivered briefly. "I'm starting to wonder just how close to our reality those werewolves actually are."
Pinkie blinked. "Wait, you could see the wolves? Ohhh..." She turned to one side and stage-whispered, "I guess in that world, there wasn't any reason to make wolves with the power of the void."
"Pinkie, you know I can still hear you when you do that, right?"
"No you can't! I mean, huh, I didn't say anything, Twilight!"
"Right..."
"Twilight Sparkle," Not-Maud said, "Hear this and know it to be true: It's very important to your sanity and to your brother's happiness, that you do not think deeply about the left wing of fate."
And this true was drilled into the core of Twilight's being. That she'd bring her brother nothing but misery if she dug into this. "I . . . I understand."
"The irony is," Maud Pie said, "Is if Moon Shadow had wished it, he could have inspired ponies to visit the moon, there was nothing to stop them. What child doesn't wish for a visit to the moon? But that's what brought him the most happiness."
"Oooh! Parties on the moon! It'll be so great! I bet one of us wished for it eventually!" Pinkie Pie grinned. "After all, the ponies of paradise estate were friends with the stars!" She held up the cardboard backs of some pony dolls with one paragraph stories on the back.
"Geeze, are they are gonna make no noise with their mouths and stare at that blank screen all party?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"It is rather odd darling," Rarity said.
Applejack said nothing. She asked Octavia, "Ya know, ya look a LOT like a member of my family. Ya think our families are related somehow?"
Octavia replied, "Maybe we can compare family trees sometime."
Fluttershy was talking again with Coffee Swirl who had also looked at the blank screen. Fluttershy had looked into Pinkie Pie's memories of the G3 world, but did her best not to focus on the lost reality, and the screen appeared as static rather than simply blank to her. "Coffee Swirl."
"Yes?"
"I know you hated me for what I did as Nightmare Whisper. But please, if you're going to be with Fluttercruel, can we please be friends? Just a little?"
" . . . Fine. Just a little."
"It's astounding how the three of us turned out so different," Photo Finish said.
"Just shows that it doesn't matter where you came from, it's what you make of yourself."
The Pies all gazed at Applejack.
"Huh? What's with the looks? Hey, just cause Ah'm all for family and tradition, doesn't mean Ah don't respect ponies who wanna do somethin' different with themselves!" Applejack had, after all, seen Orangejack, and knew she could have had happiness all the same.
-
The partying ponies froze when they heard the sound of gigantic barks in triplicate outside. They hurried to the windows and saw Ponyville in a panic outside. POnies fled in every direction as a giant three-headed canine romped about.
Twilight and the Flutters both recognized him at once: "Cerberus!" The huge canine romped about as the rest stared.
"What, more monsters?" Rainbow facehoofed. "Is this another invasion from Tartarus?"
"Not likely," Maud said quietly. "My husb -- Havoc," she quickly corrected after Twilight gave her a curious look, "made made sure of the defenses after last time."
Twilight blinked. "How?"
"He bought in a security expert."
###
And deep down below:
"So Turris Are You Sure This New Lock Will Work?"
"Yes, Havoc. I have no idea how the prisoners escaped last time, or even why they wanted to --"
In his gemstone prison Morning Star snorted and kicked against its sides, as uselessly as ever. On the wall hung a foal's picture of him, eyes crossed and looking like a Pony Rangers villain, being defeated by Celestia, Luna, and the Orange Wolf. It was Havoc's little gift.
"But the new locks should keep them in."
###
Meanwhile Cerberus sniffed around Ponyville, looking for monsters.
"Okay," Fluttershy said, "We'll be okay if he doesn't see --"
Cerberus looked at them and charged at the studio, all three tongues lolling and his stub of a tail wagging.
"Oh dear."
The Blank Wolf Pup froze, wondering if he was about to meet a long-lost relative or be eaten by one.
"NOW HOLD ON!" Pinkie Diane popped in front of Cerberus. "YOU HOLD IT RIGHT THERE BUSTER!"
The beast stopped dead in its tracks, confused at this tiny pony standing in its way.
"This is Maud Pie's party! Not yours! You don't get to barge in here and do what you want! Got it?!"
"You heard her! This is a party for our family!"
Pinkie turned to her right. "Octy?"
"I am not recalling seeing your name on the guest list! Vamoose!"
Pinkie Diane turned to her left. "Finish?"
"We're sisters! We're family! It's feels like we've never been all together!" Octavia said.
Applejack from her spot lowered her head silently.
"If you know what's a good for you, you'll vacate the premises at once! Or I'll have to call security!" Pinkie Pie's paled hair sister said.
"You hear them!" Pnkie Diane said empowered and emboldened. "There's three of you! And there's three of us! We're rock farmers! Crunch the Rock Dog would run screaming from us! You wanna try yer luck? Just take one paw print closer!!!"
"GET BACK TO TARTARUS!" Octavia boomed.
Cerberus' heads looked at the three sisters in confusion and shock and . . . the dog ran.
The three sisters, sweeting bullets, trotted back inside the studio, to the cheers of everypony.
"Sorry Maud," Pinkie Diane said, "This is YOUR party, we should have let you be the hero."
"Don't be silly." She said blandly and hugged them. "I'm so proud of all of you, my little sisters."
-
Inside the studio, a familiar voice echoed in the back of Applejack's head. "What are you doing... " Her ears pricked up. "Stop that, you're slobbering all over... This is so undignified."
"Snow?" she asked cautiously, under her breath.
"He took me back to Tartarus!" whined Snow Bound in her head. "To play!"
AJ smirked. "So? If you don't like it, just leave."
"Yes, yes... the Blank Wolf cannot be bound, but none escape Cerberus. As Lord Havoc's own watchdog, his powers rival my own... when he remembers to use them, the big brute."
Applejack tried hard not to laugh out loud... she would have had to explain that to Rarity and the others.
"Applejack... my friend! Will you not come to my aid? Tell the wizard pony to open a portal. No, the pink one... yes, tell Pinkie that there is a party in Tartarus, and everyone is invited!"
"Oh, just play with him, ya big puppy."
AJ heard sounds of scuffling and things being knocked over. "Fine. You want to play?" Snow's voice became a deep growl with an ominous echo. "Let's play!" Another heavy thud, with growls and happy triple-barks. "Oh, you did not just encase Lord Morning Star's cell in a rubber bouncy ball." Several more crashes echoed in AJ's head. It sounded like boulders crashing together and shattering over there. "I saw it first! Come back here, you!"
"Eeeyup," said AJ cheerfully. "Hey, Octavia! Round 3, electric guitars."
-
Back in the G3.1 world, where the newly christened wolf frolicked with his cousins, sat a quiet and simple house. As it was getting late, only a few decorative lights remained lit, waiting for the annual visit from Santa.
However, one last lamp had yet to be extinguished.
Next to that lamp, sporting a pair of glasses of his own, Candy Swirl smiled at a book set before him. He watched the last few lines of a chapter labeled 'Moon Shadow' write themselves into existence, before the next page was graced with a script reading 'Gloom of Night'. He watched as the first few lines of the new wolf's life were written out by an invisible pen, then closed the book for later.
"Everyone has a story," he said, setting his glasses back on the magical tome's cover. "I just hope this one is happier for you."
The tome had been in his family for as long anyone could remember, with none sure exactly where it had come from. But they had all insisted on one thing: that it be kept secret and be kept safe. Sweetberry hadn't liked the idea of keeping secrets from her friends, but had agreed in the end... though she still regretted asking WHY they had to keep it secret, as had he for several years after asking his parents the same question.
She still couldn't bring herself to eat bananas...
Either way, things were looking up considerably for at least one pony (or wolf, now), and his story was safe until such a time that it could be told.
Candy Swirl gave a huge yawn, feeling the lateness of the hour catching up to him. Mentally chiding himself, the stallion quietly slipped into his bedroom; Sweetberry was already curled up in a deep sleep, and only mildly stirred as he climbed in with her.
"Good night, dear." He kissed the top of her head with a smile, then gently placed his hoof on her belly, which had been slowly swelling in the last few months. "And good night to you, as well."
---
Back in the studio, Coffee Swirl blinked in shock, then covertly glanced at the Flutters, grateful neither had seen that.
Not that having a child would have been terrible... he just wasn't entirely sure it was POSSIBLE, given their unique situation.
-
Something wasn't quite right in Ponyville, Sunny Daze decided. Not wrong, exactly... everything was so beautiful out here today, just like it always was. Ponies were busy in the streets, some clearing the fresh new snowfall out of the main paths, some taking down Christmas decorations, others putting up new decorations for next Christmas. Pegasus ponies looped and glided through the moonlit sky, playing hide and seek in the aurora lights. "Something's missing," she mused to herself.
While she was busy trying to think, Minty sneaked up beside her and hoofed her a colorfully wrapped gift. "Merry Christmas, Sunny Daze!"
"Wow, thank you! Um... is it socks?"
Minty gasped! "How did you know?"
"Um..." Sunny fidgeted a hoof, not sure what to say. Minty gave her socks every Christmas. In fact, she had so many socks now that she'd started giving Minty's socks to other ponies for Christmas, just so her whole house wouldn't be filled with them. "Just a lucky guess! Say, Minty? Do you ever feel like something is... missing?"
But Minty had already galloped off, having more presents to give away.
"Whatever happened to... hoofball?" mused Sunny Daze, walking on down the path. Music swelled from nowhere as she rambled out loud, but that wasn't anything strange. "Picnics with ice cold lemonade... Playing on the beach." The cold winds gusted past her... it was a good thing she'd worn her scarf. "I remember them all so clearly. How long has it been... when was it summer last? I can't seem to remember at all!"
At the edge of town, on a rise that was popular for stargazing, sat Rain and Snow, the big friendly wolf pups. They didn't seem to be in the mood to play today, though.
"Been Christmas too long," growled Rain.
"Ponies like Christmas!" said Snow.
"Ponies will freeze!" insisted Rain.
"Won't freeze," yipped Snow. "Ponies don't want to freeze."
"This can't last," said both of them together... and then, eerily in sync, the young wolves turned to regard Sunny.
"Hello, Rain and Snow!" said Sunny Daze. "Can you help me? I miss summer, and I don't know how to find it again."
Rain pricked his ears up. "You're the one!" said Rain. "We've been waiting!"
Snow nodded vigorously. "Come, we'll take you to her!"
Sunny blinked. "Her?"
Rain nipped at her hooves, hurrying her along. "To Lady Celestia! She is the summer!"
"She is the sun!" echoed Snow.
Sunny's mind whirled. "Summer is a person? So, I just have to find her, and summer will come back again? That sounds great!" She started trotting along, with a wolf pup on either side, and the land sped along, practically blurring past.
"There," said Snow reverently.
The biggest pony that Sunny had ever seen stood before her, facing away towards the horizon. She wore golden armor, and her perfect white hide shone, even whiter than the snow. She had wings and a horn too, and her horn blazed like a sunrise. "Come on," she urged her magic. "A little more... yes!"
The horizon grew gloriously bright, and the sun lifted above the horizon, casting long shadows over the snowy world. It felt so good and warm to Sunny Daze... she couldn’t help but grin, shading her eyes with a hoof.
"At last, I have done it!" declared Celestia. "Now all will see... what? NO!" The sun had lifted itself in a shallow arc, and it was already setting again. “Stop! I command you!” All for nothing… the sun fled away, and only the moonlight remained.
Celestia panted, an ugly scowl on her face. “So, they don’t want my day any more? Those ungrateful little ponies!”
Sunny Daze cowered, hooves shaking, and the big wolf pups whimpered. Tension grew in the air, like something awful was about to happen. The air snapped, shattering, and ribbons of inky darkness began flowing out, wrapping themselves around Celestia. Her hide darkened… her gentle flowing mane ignited like a bonfire.
“I see your scheme now, sister,” sneered the alicorn. “It has failed! If the little ponies will not love my sun, then they will learn to fear it! I’ll shove it right in their moon-loving faces! They can all BURN!”
Part of Sunny wanted to run and hide in the deepest hole she could find… but another part of her recoiled, feeling how sad and hurt this strange other pony was. She just couldn’t leave her like that! “Please, don’t!” she cried out, rushing towards Celestia, seizing her hoof and hugging it tight, even though it was so hot, and the metal armor burned her. “I love your sun… your summer! I’ve been looking for them everywhere! Please, we’re so sorry… we didn’t know, we didn’t mean to hurt you! Please, don’t be so angry!”
Celestia froze. “You… love my sun?”
“Yes!” Sunny closed her eyes, trembling… but no wrathful fires incinerated her. She dared to look up, and saw the alicorn… with tears in her eyes?
Celestia lifted her head, still wreathed in darkness and fire, to glare at the crack in the air. “I will NOT do this.” The darkness exploded off of her. “So long as there is even one little pony who loves my sun, they will always feel my warmth, not my wrath!” The darkness fled away like a snake slithering into its den, and even the crack in the air blurred and went away.
Celestia’s expression softened, and she turned to look at the pony at her hooves, horn glowing softly. Sunny Daze flinched, but soothing light surrounded her, healing her burns. “My little pony, you have saved me from a terrible fate. I would have become a Nightmare to this new world.” Her cautious smile was like a warm blue sky. “I would reward you.” She glanced at the wolf pups, who yipped and ducked behind piles of snow before peeking out cautiously. “You will be MY wolf, my Sundog… If you are willing.”
Sunny Daze blinked, bewildered. “How can I be a wolf? I’m a pony.”
Celestia laughed musically. “You will change, Sunny Daze. I could not force ponies to accept me… but you can persuade them. You can touch the dreams of all the little ponies and rekindle their love of the sun. Remind them of hoofball games and picnics and playing at the beach, and they will wish for summer to come again.”
Sunny Daze gasped. “That sounds great! But… what about my pony friends?”
Celestia nuzzled her. “You can appear in the form of a pony and be with them again, any time you like.” The other pups gave her a quizzical look. “What, did you own mother never tell you?”
Sunny Daze grinned. “I’ll do it!”
Celestia smiled gently and spread her wings, horn blazing with light. “Then rise up… Heat!”
"Blaze!" barked the golden-orange wolf pup with a red ruff around her neck.
"A new day is dawning..." Celestia blinked. "What?"
"Blaze! I want to be Blaze, mom! It rhymes with Daze and it sounds way cooler!"
"But... very well, Blaze it is."
~*~
In her distant realm, Rota Fortuna sighed and started crossing out lines in her book, writing in the new name. "It's always the little things..."
In the G3.1 world, Celestia felt a tug at her soul.
"Star Catcher, has anyone seen Star Catcher?" Thistle Whistle called out to her friends.
Star Catcher at that moment was laying comatose on a cloud above Butterfly island.
"Oh dear." Celestia's eyes widened as she bid her beast adue, and vanished into a twinkle of light.
Star Catcher opened her eyes, and stretched her wings.
"I wish the sun would rise." She said to herself. And low and behold, Butterfly Island has a wonderful sunrise.
"Star Catcher!" Thistle Whistle found her at that moment, and gave her a warm hug. "I was so worried about you!"
"You worry too much Thistle Whistle." Star Catcher nuzzled her friend back.
Back in G3 Ponyville.
Sparkle Work's eyes shot open as dawn came, odd since many ponies wished to simply sleep in, but she had a stronger wish. A wish not to forget a friend, and a wish not to let that friend go.
Ponyville's local lover of all things sparkling and fireworks nut leapt through the air and grabbed an invisible wolf, that turned into a visible pony.
"Sparkle Works! Let me go!" Sunny Daze said to her housemate.
= Lunar Silver Star Story Complete Music Soundtrack - 11 - Determination =
"No! You're staying right here!" Sparkle Works stamped her hoof.
Sunny Daze lowered her head.
"Well, this was predictable." Said a big blue pony with horns and wings who appeared in their living room.
"Who are you?" Sparkle Works asked.
"I'm Luna. I'm just a pony who makes sure the moon goes where it should every night." Said the normally bombastic goddess.
"How could she see me?!" Sunny Daze/Blaze asked.
"You and . . . Sparkle Works, were once a pair. Your wish, though you don't remember making it, was to understand mares from their point of view. So your wish was granted in the only way it could be granted. You weren't the only stallion to make this wish." Luna though of Cheerilee.
Sunny Daze and Sparkle Works looked at each other, surprised at this reveal. "Really? I made a wish like that? What did Sparkle Works wish for?"
"Sparkles Works . . . she wished to be the most beautiful mare in the world. But beautiful is subjective by its very nature, and many mares have many different definitions of beauty."
"Wouldn't a lot of mares wish to be the most beautiful?"
"Yes they did."
Luna looked at Sparkle Works' soul. 'Heh. I've seen a mare who was born from the combination of three souls, another who was born from five souls, but you, heh, I've never seen a soul that came into being from so many joining as you to become one pony. No wonder you have such spiritual strength to see and grab a wolf.'
Luna had a small coin appear out of thin air, with the symbols of the twin Alicorns Imperatrix and Princeps on either side, (of female and male traits). And gave it Sunny Daze/Blaze, who was still being held by Sparkle Works.
"If you wish to become a stallion, and experience like how you did before, and be with Sparkle Works as more than just a friend . . . just wish it, and this coin will grant it, and all ponies will know you as having been a stallion all your life (as you were once before), but you will retain the wisdom and memories you have gained from being a mare, as will Sparkle works. Your choice. It will work for only you, so don't worry about that. It seems, Sparkle Works' wish for you to stay wth her, is stronger than your duty to my sister who guides the sun. I never imagined she'd actually leave her body when the night went on for so long, and stop being the mortal pony she is in this world when she felt her day wasn't being loved unconsciously. But at least now her friends have her back. And it seems your friends don't want you to leave. Still, it is your choice."
Stats
Page generated in 0.037 seconds
Total duration
1,046 users online
2,517,598 hits today, 2,814,898 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
The Blank Wofl is rather busy.
Well, with all the stuff he puts up with, I'd imagine that it'd be very easy for Coffee Swirl to go insane if he had to deal with One Bad Day. Not one bad day, but One Bad Day, Joker levels of One Bad Day.
StuDIo.
Reasons.
I don't get it?
Maybe, but that doesn't mean she can't enjoy their happiness.
Yeah.
I see.
Hm.
Perhaps.
Yes...
Thankfully.
So?
No.
Daaw...
Because reasons.
Yep.
Mhm.
No kidding.
You and me both.
Oh boy.
Meanie.
Yep.
No kidding you do.
Ouch...
OK then.
Nice!
Question mark not period.
Nice.
Considering it's likely literally marble, I wouldn't.
ONE bite. And considering Dash is always in the air, i can see how that works.
Pegasi.
Aunty's Crumb. Apostrophe between Aunty and s.
Oh yeah.
Knew it.
That didn't rhyme.
YouR mom.
It probably would, it'll teach them a lesson.
Heh.
I suspect she's having fun. And Photo Finish to my knowledge is a mare.
They really should have.
Now you know better.
MinUEtte. And probably, yes.
I can imagine Maud laughing her head off like Pinkie would. It's hilarious.
This is a really subtle moment of awesome, since ti shows that she can eat rocks with ease. Wonder how she'd fair against Hercules Beetle's Ultimate Shield?
Probably. And I hope so too, we haven't seen much of her in ages.
They really should have. And what happenED.
I can imagine.
Cool.
Anti-tooth?
She's done weirder.
Phew.
That doesn't sound good.
Sounds like Pinkie would love that place.
It does sound like fun.
Maze huh? Reminds me of Pandora's Imagination maze thing, and on a more sinister note, Discord's Hedge Maze Of Corruption.
Sounds like me.
Makes sense, even both Cakes and Pinkie can only make so much.
Ah.
What DOES it represent anyway?
Clever.
Nice.
DOUBLE KO!
Heck if I know.
GO FANFICTION WRITERS! TO YOUR KEYBOARDS!
Eh? I know Rocky Road and Spooky and Entropy and Havoc respectively and their children are probably the other draconequui, but what does she mean?
Nice work.
Because it's funny. And heR head.
Way too close.
I can imagine.
WhAT-if machine.
That got dark.
Uh oh...
That doesn't sound good.
That doesn't sound good.
That's not good.
That's not good.
Thank you Star Catcher.
Indeed?
Quotation mark before but.
Rainbows. Really? Really?
In the end. Not in the end end.
ORLY?
Talk about an And I Must Scream.
Piss off.
Don't give IN or UP, opening quotation mark in front of we're.
Awesome!
Nice work!
Well screw you too.
The Rainbow Power? Also, white stripE.
And now she's not, now, if you would do us the favor of getting beaten already, that'd be very nice.
A dark gray rainbow SHOT out from Stormy's horn.
Awesome!
Reminds me of how the Dazzlings' Elements of Chaos shattered in Rainbow Rock.
Your humility is a good thing.
True.
Works for me!
Reminds me again, who is Umbra Breeze?
Did, Entropy just troll Umbra Breeze? Wow. I'm impressed.
That sounds fair.
Thank you. Also, space between ponies and crossing.
Not always. I can appreciate the characters having to deal with dark stuff to get their happy ending, but still.
She has a point.
Not that easy, but in a sense.
Agreed.
Exactly. I'm glad you get it.
Silly pony.
I'm sure she has.
I'm not surprised.
She's right.
Go on.
She may have stopped trying to create a grimdark world, but that doesn't mean that negative emotions are gone.
Hopefully.
Rota Fortuna...
Daaw...
Oh boy..
Minty really IS G3 Twilight.
Let's not go there.
Seems legit.
Question mark not period, but yeah.
That does sound rather annoying.
Scrooge pony?
Scrooge pony.
NO comment.
Considering the nature of G3, she's right.
This would be a non romantic version of When He Smiles.
I see.
It is. And tellING me.
I'm fairly certain you've already had an existential crisis or seven, and everyPONY. I know you don't write all these segments but come on! At least check for spelling mistakes, being who I am, I can't resist correcting them. You know that.
Good idea. And one space between we and be, not 2.
Clearly.
Probably for the best, yes.
I guess we're gonna find out.
Oh?
Eh?
Cute.
Riddle me this, are you sure it's such a good idea to try and deny her to her face? You just saw her come out of the moon, what more proof do you want?
I don't suppose we're going to be filled in at any point soon, are we?
Huh?
I don't think she can grant that wish, considering that the last time every wish was granted, there were naturally contradictions which tore G3 apart.
Eh? Again?
Heh.
Guess not.
I suppose it's for the best.
Hm.
I don't get it.
Right, they can't hear them or see the G3 world.
It might prove interesting.
It's a start.
NO kidding.
Fait enough.
Oh great, him again, and lowercase O in ponies.
He bRought in a security expert. And nice quick thinking Entropy.
Hehe, I almost feel bad for Morning Star. Almost.
Oh boy.
... Yes?
YEAH!
This is actually kinda nice.
And what exactly would security be against Cerberus? Short of Havoc or Entropy with his leash.
Guess Cerberus is smart enough to realize that screwing with the angry mares is a bad move. Also, PInkie Diane.
Daaaw...
BAHAHAHAHAHAAA! THIS IS HILARIOUS!
Shouldn't it be everyPONY?
Oh this is hilarious!
Go on...
Oh?
Interesting.
Aye.
Hm.
Do I even have to make the joke?
Aye.
Is she, oh my god she is. Nice work Candy Swirl!
You're both pegasi, so I'd imagine on the biological aspect of things you're compatible, but, yeah, with the two minds, one body thing, that, might be weird, another reason why I want to write a thing for this where Heart World Discord gives Fluttercruel her own body.
(Gonna have to continue this in another comment. Seriously though, proofread this stuff before you actually put it here. It'd allow me to focus less on whatever grammar/spelling mistakes may exist and more on the actual content of my play by plays. Sorry, just had to get that out of my syste
Oh?
Lucky guess.
Wow, that's a lot of socks.
You OK?
Creepy.
Isn't Sunny, oh no, that's Star Catcher, I think.
Summer is a PONY.
Cool.
Huh?
Oh dear...
Oh dear...
Phew, that was close.
Of course they do.
Good, she didn't go Nightmare, that'd have been bad.
Phew!
Yeah, and I'm not sure they have a way to banish you for 1000 years.
Cool.
YouR own mother.
Heh.
Basically, yes.
Lo and behold. No w.
Oh?
Huh?
Fireworks, reminds me of Trixie.
What's going on?
Oh?
Why ISN'T she bombastic here anyway? Probably because it's no time for theatrics.
I dunno.
Interesting. And Luna thoughT of Cheerilee.
I supose that's true.
Not surprised.
Impressive.
I wonder, could Trixie ascend into Imperatrix under the right circumstances? Because then she'd be Imperatrixie!
*dodges thrown tomatos* I REGRET NOTHING!
WIth her. Proofread dammit! Also, good to give Sparkle Works a chance to return to her stallion life if she so wants.
(Sorry this took a while, I was taking a break from these play by plays. This was a hard chapter for me to visualize since I never have or ever will watch G3, but still enjoyable. Now I have to work on your latest Season 8 chapter's play by play, in the meantime, this is ShadowLDrago, signing off.)
5652092
"I don't get it?"
Salt makes my little ponies drunk.
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean she can't enjoy their happiness."
Exactly.
Twilight smirked. "Score? No one even told me the rules."
:-D
Knew it.
BWAHAHAAHHA!!!! You expected less from rock farmers?
That didn't rhyme.
Apologizes. No excuses for that one getting by me.
"This is a really subtle moment of awesome, since ti shows that she can eat rocks with ease. Wonder how she'd fair against Hercules Beetle's Ultimate Shield?"
It might cancel out the universe!
" Nopony had quite known what to make of Butter Fry's cutie mark when it showed up. A pair of six-sided dice wasn't so strange... but one of them had no spots on the top face, and the other had seven."
Chaos?
"Eh? I know Rocky Road and Spooky and Entropy and Havoc respectively and their children are probably the other draconequui, but what does she mean?"
I didn't write this part.
"Way too close."
Know that fan verse eh?
"Rainbows. Really? Really?"
It is stated in G3 to be what one of the castles celebrates.
"ORLY?"
????
"The Rainbow Power? "
YES!
You never saw Ronin Warriors did you?
"Your humility is a good thing."
:-) You made me smile.
"Reminds me again, who is Umbra Breeze?"
The guy who sponsored the new and improved foal free press?
"I don't get it."
There were little stories on the back of the packaging of the 80s MLP dolls. The stars were buddies of the ponies.
"And what exactly would security be against Cerberus? Short of Havoc or Entropy with his leash."
It's called bluffing.
5653000
Oh yeah.
Good to know I get the idea.
I suppose I should have seen that coming.
It's OK.
Ah. I suspect that might annoy the Pantheon since that screws over a significant amount of things.
Ah. Ok then.
Not in the traditional sense, but I have heard of Celest A.I, yes, the most dangerous of the malicious Celestia variants in the MLP Time Loops.
You cannot be serious.
It's Internet speak for Oh really.
Oh I am good!
Never heard of it.
Happy to hear that.
Oh yeah, in Season 8, right, right, it's just that it's been with the Nightmares for so long that the Discord thing seems to have been put on hold. Though knowing you, it's probably related to Discord trying to force reality to turn into a contradictory grim dark hell hole that would make all pony grimdarks together seem relatively tame.
OK... I'd question it, but it's a world of magical talking ponies where wishes can literally come true. That and in Lion King, Mufasa said that the great kings of the past look down from above in the form of the starts so, yeah.
Or being the king of Crazy Awesome that comes with being a Pie. Between Pinkie's Medium Awareness and Toon powers, Maud's incredible strength when motivated, not to mention her speed, as well as whatever Crazy Awesome thing Octavia and Photo can do, since Pie + ponies x family = Crazy Awesome.