Chapter 10
“Get up.”
Applejack's eyelids fluttered. Groaning, she rolled over and wrapped the covers further around her. Thatchholm's accommodations were a further step up from Grazezeld's- they had been given a genuine bed to sleep in. She had relished in it.
“Get up,” the same insistent voice said. She was nudged in the withers. What time was it? “Get up, hurry,” the voice said again.
Applejack rolled over and opened her eyes. Ashtail was standing beside her bed, his blue eyes grave, his mouth a thin line. “What time is it?” she asked with a yawn. The room was still dark.
“About an hour before daybreak,” the dark red earth pony said. “Get up.”
Applejack shook her head to clear the cobwebs of sleep. “All right, I'm gettin',” she muttered, rolling over and crawling out of bed. Beside her, Rarity whimpered.
“Rarity, Rainbow Dash, you two should go down to the dining hall,” Ashtail said. “Breakfast is on- the cooks got up early to make enough for the whole of the Royal Guard and my own soldiers. Heh,” he chuckled, “they're also planning a feast for the aftermath of the battle... for all who survive it, anyway.”
“I don't think it'll come to that,” Applejack said firmly, crawling out of the bed and putting her hat on. “Rarity, Rainbow, up and at 'em,” she said.
Ashtail leaned in close to her. “Do you still intend to go through with this? I think you're insane. You'll all be killed!”
Applejack smiled. “I ain't got no plans to die today, sugarcube,” she said.
The dark red earth pony huffed. “Then you'd best come with me. There's something I must show you.”
Applejack gave him a glance for a moment. “All right,” she finally said. “Rarity, Rainbow, you two go down and get some breakfast, then meet me outside a bit after daybreak.”
“Yes, yes, all right,” Rarity murmured. “Come on, Rainbow Dash, rise and shine... so to speak.” She nudged the snoozing pegasus with her hoof. Dash mumbled in her sleep and turned over.
Applejack left her friends and followed Ashtail down the long hallway of Thatchholm's third story, past the many, many rooms that housed currently sleeping Daleponies. They passed in front of the huge circular window at the front of Thatchholm, where the zigzagging ramp led them down to the second story, then across the wooden planking and down another ramp that zigzagged to the great barn's ground level. It was dark and quiet, the cavernous space silent as a tomb. Ashtail's hooves clopped softly across the stone floor, heading between the pillars on the left and following them toward the back of the hall. Applejack suspected where he was going, if Thatchholm's layout was anything like Grazezeld's. She followed him through a great doorway, down a hallway with branches leading to further hallways on her left. Just as she had thought, she was led down a stone ramp, but this ramp curved to the left, and when she got to the bottom, the torches that burned in iron scones revealed an armory of much grander scope than what she had seen in Grazezeld. It had a vaulted ceiling of wood, and the center was filled with dozens of racks on which hoof-axes, spears, knives, and even a few telescoping swords were neatly arranged. Stalls in the hundreds lined the walls on either side. Ashtail took her down the line on the left, and as she looked into them she could see that the wooden ponyquins were mounted with countless sets of boiled leather armor.
Finally, the dark red earth pony led her to the very end, where the row of armor stalls met the back wall- the tall stone of the foundation. Here, at the back, a stall had been blocked off: two wooden boards were nailed across it in an 'X' shape. Peering inside through the dim lighting, Applejack could barely see a set of armor mounted on another wooden ponyquin. Ashtail turned back to her. “This was my sister's armor,” he said.
The orange earth pony drew in a breath. “Was?”
He looked away, blue eyes glistening. “She was... caught outside the Northern Quarter's fastness one day when the komagas arrived. She had no warning- they came by surprise. No hawk or lookout spotted them.”
Applejack's heart ached. “Oh... oh, sugarcube, I'm so sorry...” This explained a few things. Actually, it explained many things, some of them very important.
Ashtail set his mouth in a grim line. She could tell he was fighting his emotions. “I miss her. I know my... my father does as well, but he never shows grief. He has taught me to remain controlled and neutral, because that is the leadership our ponies need. They need calm in the midst of a storm.”
“You gotta cry sometime,” she said.
“She would have said that,” he said.
Applejack arched an eyebrow. “Are you gonna tell me how I remind you o' her, now?”
Ashtail gave her a grim smile. “You do, in some ways,” he said. “You are so loyal to your friends and your home, just as she was. But you're also different from her. My sister was... timid. Quiet. She would never have stood up to Lord Hammer Hoof as you did.”
Applejack peered back into the stall. “Why are you showin' me this?” she asked.
“Because I want you to understand,” he said, his voice thick. “The komagas take and destroy as a matter of course. They are forces of nature. They cannot be managed as you think they can. They can only be met and fought.”
Applejack fought her own bubbling urge to cry. Ashtail followed his father's command well: he almost never showed gentle feelings, never allowed others to read his emotions. But she could see the pain in his eyes now. For him to show her this, to make himself vulnerable before her... She sighed, shaking her head. “I think I understand you better now,” she said softly. She stepped closer, leaning her head forward. “A lot better, really. But Ashtail... you're wrong. I know you're wrong.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“Because I know things you don't,” she said. “'Cause o' where I come from. Cause o' who I am.”
Ashtail met her eyes. They stared at each other for a long moment. Applejack swallowed hard. His eyes really were striking. His face was so calm and neutral, but his eyes revealed so much passion. She leaned closer. He turned away. “Then I hope you're right,” he said, his voice quavering. He looked hard at his sister's armor for a moment, and when he spoke again he was steady. “And there's one more important thing about my sister.”
“What?”
“She was just about your size.” Ashtail turned toward the stall and reared back. He wrapped his front legs around one of the boards and tugged. There was a groaning of wood, then a crack!, and the nails were ripped from the stall's frame, the board clattering to the stone floor. Applejack's eyes widened. Ashtail tore off the other board. “I'll help you put it on.”
“I... I couldn't!” Appelack cried. “It's your sister's!”
“But she doesn't need it now- you do. If you must face the komagas, I will at least see you protected.”
“Why me? What about Rainbow and Rarity?”
“Rarity has her magic, and Rainbow Dash has her wings,” the dark red earth pony said.
“And I can stand firm! You taught me!” the orange earth pony stomped her hoof on the ground. “It ain't right for me to be safer when they can't be! You can't ask me to-”
“Please take it!” he cried, whirling on her. His eyes were wide as he advanced. “This is the only set of armor to spare in Thatchholm! I wish I had armor for your friends as well, but I do not! I have only enough to protect one of you three, and I choose to protect you!” Applejack gasped. Ashtail flinched away from her. “Make of that what you will.”
Applejack's heart hammered in her chest. She forced herself to focus on the important thing right now, the need to prove herself right and win her wager. “All right,” she said with a nod. “I'll wear it.” She wondered what her friends would think. She hoped they would understand. “Ashtail, there's another thing I need- more important than this armor.”
“Anything,” Ashtail said. “Ask anything of me, and if it is within my power to provide it, you will have it.”
Applejack gave him a knowing smile. “It ain't nothin' big,” she said. “I just need some rope.”
The sun rose orange from the east, setting Gildedale's golden fields ablaze in its fiery light. Rainbow Dash and Rarity sat side by side on the edge of Thatchholm's stone foundation, watching the sunrise in silence. It was not a comfortable quiet, however, as both thought with dread on the coming day. The white unicorn's mind was focused on the date. Seven days, she thought. Seven days ago today, Twilight Sparkle had been stricken with the Horn Rot. One week had passed. One week remained in which they could save their friend with certainty. After that they would be putting her at grave risk. Rarity wondered what Twilight was doing now. She hoped the lavender unicorn was sleeping. She hoped she wasn't in pain.
Rainbow Dash could not ignore her gnawing doubts. Applejack had spent much of last night telling her and Rarity about her idea, and the three of them had formalized their plan of action. She wanted desperately for Applejack to be right, in no small part because she didn't want to be locked up. But she could not be certain. She didn't have Applejack's experience, the hard-learned lessons that had granted the orange earth pony the wisdom to see what she said she saw. “Do you think Applejack's right?” she asked Rarity without turning her head. “Do you think this is gonna work?”
Rarity said after a pause, “I hope so.” She had her doubts as well. Everything was riding on the orange earth pony being correct. It was not a gamble Rarity would have made. “I hope she is right. Otherwise we may not be able to save Twilight.”
“It's been a week,” Dash said. Three more days until I need to leave on my own. She hated the thought now. The closer she got to the date, the more she dreaded trying to leave her friends- and now she might be forced to leave them even sooner.
Rainbow, Applejack had said, if this don't work, and they grab Rarity and me, I want you to take off. Get away if you can, and go get that Beneviolet. Don't worry about us.
I don't want to leave them!, she thought, her rose eyes wavering. She felt so much closer to both of them after all this time spent in their company. The thought of leaving them behind felt like it would literally kill her. Here and now she hated Gildedale and its ponies for bringing her to this.
“Are you all right, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity asked her.
Dash turned her head and met Rarity's blue eyes. The white unicorn was looking intently at her. “I just... why does it have to be like this?” she asked, sounding as hopeless as she suddenly felt. “Why do the Daleponies have to make us do this? Why don't they like us, you and me?”
Rarity turned her head back toward the fields. “I think they're afraid of us,” she said slowly.
“Afraid?” Dash repeated. “Why would they be afraid?”
Rarity blinked, and smiled grimly. “I think they see us as the death knell of their culture. You heard what Lord Hammer Hoof said.”
“But we don't want to stay and mess up their weird moneyless culture!” the sky-blue pegasus protested. “We just want to pass through!”
“They fear what they don't understand,” Rarity said, “and that's the worst kind of fear. It drives ponies to do drastic things, things that can be very cruel.” She sighed. “I've been like that before; so have you and so has everypony. I understand.”
Dash stomped a front hoof on the stone. “I just can't believe all this! I thought these ponies were free! But they're just mean and closed-minded!”
Rarity looked at the younger pony with a flutter of her long eyelashes. “But they are free, Rainbow, can't you see? They're much freer than we are in Equestria. But they're so free that they're exposed. They're naked, dear, so they and their way of life are fragile. And they know it. They know they must resist change to preserve it, so they do so militantly.”
“But Ashtail said that was mostly because of the komagas,” Dash replied.
“In part, but not entirely,” Rarity said. She put a hoof to her chin. “In fact, I wonder if they don't use that as an excuse. If the Daleponies really wanted to solve their komaga problem, why not ask Princess Celestia for help?”
“Are you saying they like having to fight and struggle? That's not what Shield Maiden said at all!”
“Shield Maiden... is very kind and gentle,” Rarity said softly. “It's because of her that I don't think there's anything deliberately harmful in what they do to themselves. They don't enjoy suffering, but they see it as a sacrifice they must make to preserve their culture. They've let themselves grow a bit too proud of it, though. It's evident in their fashion choices-”
“Fashion?” Dash repeated, incredulous. “You're going to judge them based on their fashion?”
“Oh, goodness, yes,” Rarity said. “Or their lack thereof. They don't seem to wear clothes for any occasion, except the royals, and even they just wear simple jewels. But what do they wear, and what have they put careful thought into?” She raised her eyebrows. Rainbow Dash stared at her. Rarity sighed. “Their armor. Did you see how intricate some of the leatherwork was? They use gold thread, which must be very difficult for earth ponies to create. That's to say nothing of how hard it is to work with leather if you don't have magic, and they dye it, too- at least I assume they do, if it comes from komaga hide, its most likely source.”
Comprehension slowly dawned on Dash. “So they spend a lot of time on what they wear into fights... because fights are important to them?”
“Fights and guard duty,” Rarity said. “They see themselves as under attack from all sides, so they've grown proud of their defense. They are a folk under constant siege- at least they see themselves that way. All because of that limitless freedom.”
Dash flattened her ears. “If this is freedom, I don't want it!” she cried.
“But is it freedom?” Rarity asked her.
“I...” Dash trailed off. She thought, really thought. Slowly, from the racing channels of her mind, words were summoned. “What you were saying... before... it's about being free to take risks, isn't it? It's about being free to be yourself... and you can only do that if you're safe in other ways... right?”
Rarity smiled. “There we go, darling,” she said softly.
“B-but I think you're wrong about the Daleponies!” Rainbow Dash said, her voice growing more confident. “They're not scared- they're just stubborn! And so many of them seem to want to change! Shield Maiden does, and I know some of the other Daleponies do! And they're so brave! And they discover who they are even in the face of danger- even because of it!” She rose to her hooves. “You can't discover who you are if you're safe all the time! Danger reveals a pony's hidden strength! It's revealed yours!” Rarity's eyebrows raised. “Going on this journey has taught me more about you than I thought there was to begin with! I thought all you thought about was fashion and girly junk and frou-frou stuff! I thought you were a total airhead! But you're really smart and kind and you get things that I don't! You're amazing, Rarity!”
Rarity looked up at her with wide eyes. “And you see more than I gave you credit for, Rainbow Dash,” she said.
Looking at the ground, Dash sat back down. “I didn't mean to say you were an airhead,” she said gently.
“Yes, you did,” Rarity said. “But you don't think that now, right?” Dash shook her head. “And I don't think you're... well, I don't think you're quite as dense as I used to, if I must be blunt. You can learn and you can grow, Rainbow. And I already know you're not afraid.”
“I'm plenty afraid,” she admitted. “I just keep beating fear every time.” She met Rarity's eyes. “You know, we don't really hang out.”
“We're both Twilight Sparkle's friends,” Rarity said.
“But we're not friends- or we didn't used to be,” the sky-blue pegasus said, her heart soaring. “I wanna change that!”
Rarity nodded her head. “I'd like that, Rainbow. I'd like that very much.”
“Dash.”
“Come again?”
“Call me 'Dash,'” she said. “All my friends do. Well, except for Applejack. I don't know why she doesn't.” She leveled a front hoof at Rarity.
Rarity raised her own hoof. “All right then, Dash.” The two ponies bumped their hooves together.
There was a loud bang behind them, causing them both to rise to their hooves. Turning, they saw the doors of Thatchholm opened wide. Daleponies in full armor came pouring out of the great barn, their hooves thundering on the turf outside, their spears sticking up like a great moving forest. Bright Voice was at their head, and he led four of them down the stone ramp to the great wooden gates. As the other soldiers stood about, there was a loud groaning noise. Dash and Rarity trotted through the Dale Guard, and they reached the ramp just in time to see the gates fully open. Bright Voice trotted back up the ramp. “You two- pegasus, unicorn- have you eaten?”
Rarity fought back her annoyance at the label. “Yes, sir,” she said. Dash nodded.
Yet more ponies emerged from Thatchholm. Shield Maiden was among them, and she trotted toward the two Equestrian ponies. “Have either of you seen Captain Ashtail?” she asked, a trace of worry in her voice.
“I haven't seen him since he woke us up this morning,” Dash said.
“He and Applejack left on their own, and we've not seen them since,” Rarity added.
The gray earth pony grimaced. “I shouldn't worry- he wouldn't be late for this.” She met their eyes. “Are you two feeling all right? I am worried about you. I hope your friend knows what she's doing.”
“I question your friend's competence, myself,” Bright Voice remarked.
“You don't know her,” Shield Maiden said. “I do not question her. Even if she is wrong, it will not be because of her own foolishness.”
“Yet this is the height of foolishness, is it not?” the white Dalepony said. “To control the komagas is an exercise in futility.”
“I hope she succeeds,” Shield Maiden said.
Rainbow Dash hesitated before speaking next. “Even... if it means you wouldn't need all this any more?” She tapped Shield Maiden's armor with her front hoof. “Even if it means no more fighting and glory?”
Shield Maiden nodded. “The proper dream of every warrior is to some day put down her spear for good. If my daughter can grow up in a safer Gildedale, I shall give up fighting with a smile.”
“I believe that's enough chatting,” Bright Voice said. He turned around. “DALE GUARD! TO THE FIELDS! FORM DEFENSE LINES EAST, SIEGE FORMATION!” He trotted away as the Dale Guard began to move down the ramp in unison, joined by yet more ponies from within Thatchholm.
“Good luck!” Shield Maiden said, and joined the soldiers as they left.
When she was out of earshot, Dash turned to Rarity. “See? She's brave. She's even brave enough to give up fighting, even though that's her cutie mark.”
The white unicorn said, “I believe you're right. So they're not all united in their fear of change.” Her brow furrowed. “I may have been too quick to judge them again.”
“I think you're mostly right,” the sky-blue pegasus said, “but nopony is simple. They can be afraid of change but still hope for the best, can't they?”
“Perhaps they can, Dash,” she remarked.
A shadow fell over them. Looking up, they saw Lord Hammer Hoof in full armor. Every plate of his armor was stitched and attached with gold thread, and there was a large ruby on his champron, ringed with gold. “Where is your earth pony friend?” he rumbled.
Rarity bowed her head. “My Lord, we cannot say. Last we saw her, she was with Prince Ashtail.”
“Who is missing as well,” the great stallion remarked. A howl carried long through the air. It was followed by a chorus of howls, wailing on the wind. “He had best hurry. You two will come with me.” He trotted across the grounds toward the ramp, the two Equestrians following close behind him. Rarity noticed that he bore no extra weapons- no spear, no hoof-axe, no knife. All he had was his ivory hoof.
Passing through the gates, the Lord of the Dale turned right and trotted along the stone foundation. Reaching the corner, he turned right again, and Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. Thousands of armored ponies stood facing east, arranged in three long lines that spanned the whole length of Thatchholm's foundation. They were rigid and still, like statues, staring straight ahead. In the middle of the front line, Bright Voice stood, along with Checkboard; just as Shield Maiden had said, the thin painted pony wore armor and carried a spear and knife. She spotted other ponies whom she swore she'd seen wearing golden necklaces last night in the Timbered Court. Hammer Hoof stopped there, in an empty space in the front line. Bright Voice, Checkboard, and several other ponies lowered their heads. “My Lord Hammer Hoof,” Checkboard said.
“Has there been no sign of Prince Ashtail?” Hammer Hoof asked.
“I did not see him all this morn, My Lord,” Checkboard replied.
“Here he comes!” Rainbow Dash cried. “And there's Applejack!”
Everypony looked to the north. Rounding the corner of the foundation, Ashtail appeared in full armor, bearing spear and hoof-axe. Applejack followed quick behind him. Rarity and Dash were struck with wonder as their friend approached: Applejack was wearing armor, a full set of Dale Guard armor. Leather greaves wrapped around her lower legs, tied tightly on the inside facing. A thick leather crupper was fixed on her hindquarters, two solid pieces of boiled leather stitched together on top, stamped on either flank with the branching golden grass of Gildedale; a gap in the back allowed her tail to fly free. Her sides were protected by flanchards, slotted plates of leather joined over the top of her back by a flat leather saddle. Around her chest, a peytral of leather stitched with gold thread stretched, its arms attached to a plate of leather that curved down her breastbone; there was a tie behind her neck that held the armor in place. She wore only upper criniere, a wrapping of leather around the top of her neck. On her head, around her face, was a champron of leather with gold stitching, and in the middle was a small emerald of deep green. On the very top of her head, Applejack still wore her brown cowcolt's hat. At first it seemed out of place, but the more her friends saw her, the more it seemed to fit, personalizing her altered appearance.
“My Lord,” Ashtail said, inclining his head as they rode up.
Hammer Hoof's eyes blazed. “You gave her-”
“You said I could do with it what I wished, did you not?” Ashtail replied sharply.
The great stallion said nothing for a moment, then snorted. “So I did,” he admitted. “Perhaps I was unwise.” Another howl broke out across the fields, and several more howls answered it. A faint rumble reached everypony's ears, and when they turned toward the rising sun, it illuminated a dark line on the horizon. “Earth pony of Equestria,” Hammer Hoof said, turning his gaze on Applejack, “will you still wager?”
Applejack hissed. This was it- all or nothing. “I will, m'lord,” she said.
“So be it!” He trotted to the open place in the front of the line, turning and facing the east.
Ashtail trotted to his side. “Good luck,” he whispered as he passed Applejack's ear.
“Equestrians,” Hammer Hoof said, “the fields are yours.”
Applejack turned to her friends. She noticed Rarity was wearing the crystal horn-blade from the previous day. “Rarity, why are you wearin' that? You know we don't mean to do any fightin'.”
“And I hope not to,” Rarity said. “But I think this thing makes my magic stronger, and we need all the help we can get.”
“All right,” she said. “Rainbow, you ready?”
“Ready! Let's do this!” Dash cried, excitement coursing through her veins.
“Okay,” Applejack said. Sitting back on her hindquarters, she used her front hooves to lift thick coils of rope from around her neck. Setting them on the ground, she broke them up into three coiled lengths, with a long round noose at one end tied by a loose knot. “Take your lassos.” The white unicorn and the sky-blue pegasus each took up a coil of rope in their mouths. Applejack took up the remaining rope. “Now let's go!”
With that, Applejack reared back and whinnied, then charged, galloping with all her might toward the rising sun. Rarity followed swift behind, while Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and flew close above them. They raced over the golden fields, the mass of gray on the horizon quickly distinguishing itself as a huge number of moving shapes, large as hilltops. The howls came quicker now, louder, sharper. “There's sure a lot of them!” the sky-blue pegasus called.
“Rainbow, fly up and get a look!” the orange earth pony cried. Dash flapped her wings faster and gained altitude, soaring into the sky.
A few seconds later she descended. “Yeah, there's a whole lot!”
“How many are there at the very front?” Applejack asked.
“Three!”
Applejack grinned- what luck! “Perfect!” she cried. “All right, girls, remember how we planned this! It'll be easier than I thought, since there's one for each of us! I'll take the one in the middle; Rainbow, you take the one on the right, you'll need the room; Rarity, you get the one on the left! Get close and wait for my signal!”
With a nod, Rarity galloped off to the left. Dash flew off to the right. Applejack galloped straight ahead. Soon, she could see them: three huge komagas, about a hundred feet ahead of the rest of the herd. The one in the center howled, so loud it made her ears ring. Taking the end of the lasso in her mouth, she began to twirl it over her head, spinning it faster and faster, jerking it just so to open the noose as wide as she could get it. The komagas thundered closer, their clawed feet pounding the earth, making it shake. On the left, Rarity used her magic, the horn-blade gleaming white. Her lasso's noose shimmered and opened wide, while she kept the end tightly held in her mouth. Off to the right, Dash flew in a spiraling descent, using her hooves to pry the noose of her own lasso open; she had never been good at this. The three of them closed in. Applejack's vision was shaking from the pounding of so many massive feet. She focused harder than ever. Please, Celestia, Luna, any great thing listenin', she thought, let me be right!
“ROPE 'EM UP!!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. She was twenty feet from her chosen komaga- fourteen feet- she flicked her head and launched the lasso forward. The huge gray lizard lumbered right into its path, and the noose fell around its neck. Applejack quickly galloped to its right side. Dash flew low over the rightmost komaga, dropping the noose around its neck; she took up the end of the lasso in her mouth and quickly wrapped some of its length around her front legs for more leverage. Rarity levitated her lasso's noose around the head and down the neck of the komaga on the left, then galloped to its right side. Applejack shouted, “PULL!!” She planted her hooves in the earth and dug them in. She thought of Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, all her relatives, Ashtail, her home and those she loved. Her body went rigid, strength flooding her limbs. Rarity took a wide stance and poured all the magic she had into a rightward tug, the crystal on her horn gleaming blinding white. Rainbow Dash took off toward the right, flapping as hard as she could; since she was on the edge of the herd there was no other komaga to block her path.
The three of them tugged. The komagas on their lassos instantly reached the end of the ropes and were jerked hard to the right. The huge lizards struggled, and each pony felt the force of their monstrous strength. Rarity was nearly torn off her hooves; she concentrated as hard as she could, thinking of Twilight Sparkle and how she could not fail her. Dash was briefly jerked backward, but she flew with all her might, sweat beading on her forehead. Applejack concentrated on her friends and family, and she stood firm, the komaga unable to budge her for all its physical power. The komagas strained, desiring to move forward, and for a brief moment Applejack thought they wouldn't move- that they would simply run in place and strangle themselves.
The three komagas pivoted, their tails whipping around for balance; they curved rightward. “LET 'EM GO!!” Applejack yelled, jerking her rope forward and yanking it back in a single fluid motion of her head. The noose loosened and came off. Rarity used her magic to remove her lasso's noose. Rainbow Dash actually had to let go, and she frantically flew after her komaga until she could pull the rope over its head. “MOVE 'EM OUT, Y'ALL!!” the orange earth pony yelled again, and she and Rarity galloped straight ahead, then moved faster, breaking into a full run to escape the komagas and their trampling feet. Dash banked to the left, flying down to join them just over their heads. When they had run for a solid minute, Applejack slowed to a trot. The three of them turned around.
The second row of komagas was ten strong. For a second it seemed an immovable wall still pointed right at Thatchholm. Then those ten great lizards turned gently to the right, following the three at the head of the herd. The next row of komagas did likewise, and the next, and the next. Their path arced rightward, a gentle angle now, but extrapolated half a mile forward, the route would point them well clear of Thatchholm.
Rainbow Dash laughed. “WOOHOO!!” she shouted, doing a loop-de-loop over Applejack's head. “You did it, AJ! You were right! You were right!” She plopped down in front of the orange earth pony and gathered her up in a hug.
Rarity joined in. “That was brilliant, Applejack! Dazzling! You were magnificent!”
Applejack laughed heartily. “I couldn't have done it without y'all! Y'all pulled it off like perfect pie! Y'all are honorary cowponies in my book!”
Pulling apart, the three friends took up their lassos. Applejack in the lead, they galloped swiftly back toward Thatchholm. The Dale Guard was still fully assembled, frozen in place. As the three Equestrians drew closer, they could see each armored pony stock still. All of them were shocked. Not a single one stood there that didn't have wide eyes. Many had mouths hanging open. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity headed right for the center, where Ashtail, Bright Voice, and Checkboard stood, no less shocked than the rest. Only Hammer Hoof's expression remained calm, his eyes perhaps a bit brighter. The orange earth pony slowed to a halt before him, her friends behind her. She inclined her head. “M'lord.”
Nopony said anything for a moment. Ashtail finally breathed, “... How?”
Applejack smiled at him. “It's like I told you, sugarcube- it's where I come from, who I am. I'm born and raised on a farm. I been around herd animals all my life. Y'all don't seem to have any herd animals round these parts- well, except for us ponies, and we only sorta count. So I don't blame y'all for not recognizin' a stampede when you see one.”
“Stam... pede?” Ashtail repeated, his mouth working carefully over the strange word.
“It's when a whole bunch o' herd animals get scared by somethin',” Applejack explained. “And they all take off pell-mell in the opposite direction. When critters stampede they don't notice nothin' else around 'em- they're just focused on gettin' as far away from what scared 'em as they can. You can see it in their eyes,” she widened her own eyes for emphasis, “a real madness, total panic.”
Ashtail was practically stammering. “So the komagas... they are just trying to get away from something?”
Applejack nodded. “Eeyup. Somethin's spookin' 'em. Of course, that don't answer many questions- I got no idea what could possibly spook 'em over and over, year after year, for hundreds o' years. But that's what's happenin'.”
“I don't believe it,” Bright Voice breathed. “So why do they destroy and kill?”
“They only attack what's in their way- I know y'all have noticed that,” Applejack said. “As for why they don't just move aside, a stampedin' critter don't think about much of anythin' besides runnin'. And besides, y'all did say they were mindless. I don't rightly know if that's true, but it's clear they ain't very bright. They may just not be smart enough to think o' movin', and they're so strong they're used to smashin' through things instead o' goin' around 'em.” She smiled. “But y'all can make 'em move. All you gotta do is redirect the herd from the front.”
“I don't believe it,” Bright Voice repeated.
Applejack looked at Hammer Hoof. “So, m'lord... I think this means I win our wager,” she said.
Hammer Hoof said nothing. “My Lord Hammer Hoof?” Checkboard said.
Hammer Hoof still said nothing, still staring at Applejack with a neutral expression. “Father?” Ashtail said hesitantly.
The Lord of the Dale worked his mouth for a moment. Finally, he opened it. “I was wrong.”
Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash smiled. “It takes a big pony to admit somethin' like that,” the orange earth pony said.
Hammer Hoof's eyes flickered to Applejack's neck, and the rope coiled around it. “That rope device you used to move the komagas...”
“Oh, my lasso?” Applejack said, pulling it from around her neck with her front hooves.
“Lasso?” Hammer Hoof repeated.
“Yessir,” Applejack said. “It comes in real handy workin' on the farm.” She smiled proudly. “I'm pretty good with one, if I do say so myself.”
A glint appeared in the dark red stallion's eyes. “Are you good enough to teach others how to use it?”
Applejack's heart sang. “I reckon so, m'lord.”
Several hours later, Shield Maiden twirled a lasso over her head, her mouth gripped tightly around the end, her head swirling to keep the noose spinning. A missed spin of her neck caused it to fly backwards. In a panic, the gray earth pony jerked the rope forward; unfortunately, the noose had come down around her tail, and the sudden pull tightened it. “Waugh!” Shield Maiden cried as she yanked her own back hooves out from under her, sending her tumbling to the ground.
Applejack chuckled as she trotted over. “Just keep practicin', Shield Maiden,” she said. “You'll get it.”
“You're doing wonderfully, Shield Maiden!” Rarity called. She and Rainbow Dash were sitting off to the side. “You're already much better than I am!”
“You don't know how to use a lasso at all,” Dash commented.
“She doesn't need to know that, Dash,” Rarity retorted.
Hundreds of the Dale Guard and Royal Guard were spread across the fields, each of them working with a lasso. Applejack scanned them, trying to pick out which of them currently needed her attention; with so many, it was rather daunting. She had been working with them for about three hours now, not counting the more than hour it had taken to fashion enough lassos for them all. At the beginning she had lined them up and given them a single group lesson. After they had grasped the basic, she had separated them, allowing them to practice on their own. She knew most of them would not learn to do it today. She had learned lassoing in a single day as a foal, but few ponies were going to be so proficient. Of the hundreds on the fields, perhaps forty had shown real skill, and of those forty less than a dozen had truly mastered the mechanics. But those eleven would be enough. They had proven to be skilled enough that they could teach others in turn after she was gone.
One in particular was currently demonstrating amazing skill. Ashtail twirled his lasso over his head, then spun it down level with his body, whipping it from one side to the other. In a fit of daring, he even spun the twirling noose under his hooves, jumping up to let it pass beneath him.
“Go Captain, Go Captain, Go Captain, Go!” Birdspeak shouted, stomping her hooves as she watched nearby.
Ashtail finally slung the lasso in front of him and let it fall to the ground. Spitting out the end, he smiled smugly. “A lot of it is in the tongue, really,” he said.
“That's right,” Applejack said, trotting up to him. “The tongue's how you do the real fine stuff. I'm surprised you picked up on that so quickly.”
“Perhaps I am just that gifted,” the dark red earth pony said, smiling more broadly. There was undisguised pleasure on his face. It made Applejack happy to actually see him happy.
“I think you just might be,” the orange earth pony said. “And I'm glad to see it. You'll need to teach all these other ponies once I'm gone.”
Ashtail's happy expression faded. “Yes... I suppose you must leave. Your friend needs you.”
“And I don't know what Rarity and Rainbow would do if I didn't go with 'em,” Applejack said. “Plus... my farm and my family need me. Ponyville needs me, and so do all my friends.”
“Just as Gildedale needs me,” Ashtail remarked. They looked away from each other. Things were suddenly awkward between them. “There is... going to be much change now. I must be here to help with it.” Ashtail smiled, but there was sadness in it. “We both have our duty.”
“I guess so,” Applejack said. A small secret part of her heart didn't want to leave.
BONG!
The great crashing gong echoed from Thatchholm nearby. “Oh!” Ashtail said, happy for the distraction. “That means the feast is ready!” He craned his neck upwards. “Dale Guard! Royal Guard! TAKE YOUR LASSOS AND RETURN TO THATCHHOLM!” The assembled ponies began to trot towards the great barn.
Applejack trotted beside Ashtail. “I hope your cooks weren't plannin' on some ponies dyin' today,” she remarked, “'cause there's an awful lot o' mouths to feed.”
Ashtail laughed. “No, there will be plenty of food. Nopony goes hungry when Thatchholm throws a feast.”
They joined Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Shield Maiden, Birdspeak, and Sharp Sound, and followed the great mass of Daleponies up the stone ramp and through the wide doors. Passing through the great hall, The crowd banked to the right, headed between the pillars to the back of the hall, where an enormous doorway led to a dining hall of even more impressive size. Its ceiling was held up with thick wooden pillars, and massive wooden trusses offered further support. Hundreds of wooden tables lined with benches filled the space. At the back of the room, a wooden platform was raised, upon which stood a long wooden table with individual wooden chairs. Hammer Hoof stood on the platform, and his voice rang through the crowd and silenced it: “Prince Ashtail, you and your friends will dine with me this day.” He smiled. “Including the Equestrians. They shall sit two to three seats from my chair.”
“Come,” Ashtail said, and the crowd parted around them. The seven ponies made their way to the back of the dining hall and up onto the platform. Checkboard and several other ponies were already standing there. The rest of the ponies waited in silence.
“You may take your seats,” Hammer Hoof said. Wordlessly, the Daleponies branched off into groups and factions, choosing one table after another until all of them were filled. Hammer Hoof's own table had a high-backed chair at one end. Ashtail sat to the right of this, Checkboard to the left. Applejack sat at Ashtail's side, Rainbow Dash at Checkboard's, Rarity at Dash's side, Shield Maiden at Applejack's, and Birdspeak and Sharp Sound sat beside Rarity and Shield Maiden, respectively. Hammer Hoof remained standing. The hall grew silent. “Let us bow our heads,” the Lord of the Dale said. Everypony did as commanded; Applejack removed her hat. “Let us give thanks this day, for on this day- a day in which much bloodshed was expected- nopony died. And let us give thanks that it may mark a new beginning for our Dale. Let us give thanks that perhaps, in the years to come, nopony need ever die in battle again.” He paused for a moment. “And let us give thanks for the virtue of an open heart, willing to accept lessons learned.” He stomped his ivory hoof on the wooden platform. “To the Wills That Draw The World, to the Earth and the Sky, to the Sun Queen and her Heavens, let us give thanks! The feast begins!”
A great stomping of hooves on tables thundered through the dining hall. As it subsided, the air filled with talk and chatter. Hammer Hoof slowly took his own seat. “The royal table is served last,” he explained to the Equestrian ponies, “for it is the duty of a ruler to put their ponies' welfare above their own.”
“Sounds mighty fine,” Applejack said, setting her hat on the ground beside her. She grimaced. “Er, not to press you, m'lord, but you never actually talked about our wager... and I did win it, didn't I?”
“You did indeed!” Hammer Hoof thundered; his deep chuckle rattled their stone plates. “And I am a stallion of my word. All three of you have full permission to travel across Gildedale, both in the remainder of your journey westward and on your return trip eastward. Indeed,” he knocked his ivory hoof on the table, “I formally declare Applejack the earth pony, Rainbow Dash the pegasus, and Rarity the unicorn to be Friends of Gildedale. Whenever any of you wish to enter our land, you will be free to do so, and we shall welcome you as our honored guests.”
“It will be recorded, My Lord,” Checkboard said.
“Furthermore,” the Lord of the Dale continued, “you have changed the way life in Gildedale will be lived forever. Your names will be included in this year's entry on the Dale Stone, so that all who come in ages hence will know of the great thing you three have done.”
“Ohmigoshohmigoshohmigosh, we're going down in history!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “This is so awesome!” she squealed. Serving ponies now appeared in their midst, filling their stone goblets with water. Then a sturdy earth pony with a barrel on his back came to Hammer Hoof's side. He opened a spigot on the front of the barrel, and an amber liquid flowed into a stone mug beside the dark red stallion's goblet. He raised it between his hooves and took a sip, his beard catching white foam. “A good stout indeed!” he cried, slamming the mug back down.
Dash was ecstatic. “Beer! They have beer!”
“Ah, none for her, please,” Applejack shouted at the beer pony.
“What?! Some for me, yes some for me!” the sky-blue pegasus shouted at the same pony. She glared at Applejack. “What are you talking about?”
“Rainbow, we're gonna need to leave soon after the feast is done, and the last thing we need is you all loopy-like!”
“I am not gonna be loopy!” Dash shouted.
Applejack gave Dash a look. “Rainbow, you know as well as I that you can't hold your liquor.”
“What, and you can?”
The orange earth pony arched an eyebrow at her. “Uh, yes, actually, I can. Did you forget about how I drank you under the table at the Winter Moon Celebration?”
“Th-that didn't count!” Dash pounded a hoof on the table. “I'd already had a few drinks!”
Rolling her eyes, Rarity turned toward Hammer Hoof. “Pardon me, My Lord,” she said, getting his attention. “I may already know the answer to this, but just to be certain, I must ask: do your kingdom's borders extend to the Archback Mountains?”
Hammer Hoof shook his head. “They do not. They come fairly close, but they do not reach that far.” He leaned forward to speak more clearly; Applejack and Rainbow Dash were now listening to him. “Between Gildedale and the Archback Mountains lies the Shimmerwood, a great forest. It is not nearly so large as Gildedale, but it is still formidable.”
“A forest?” the sky-blue pegasus groaned. “We're gonna have to go through a forest?”
“Don't worry,” Hammer Hoof said. “Though large, it is fairly easy to traverse. It is not unfriendly, either. In fact, you Equestrians more used to magic may find it welcoming- especially you, unicorn.”
“Welcoming?” Rarity said. “Whatever do you mean?”
Hammer Hoof smiled cryptically. “You'll see.”
At that moment, the food arrived- so much food! There was hay and grass, toasted and grilled and salted and broiled. There were carrots and potatoes and radishes, stews and soups, and a rainbow of breads in every size, shape, and color. The table groaned with victuals, and soon everypony was busy eating, conversation interspersed with chewing and swallowing. Water and ale flowed freely, though at Applejack's stern insistence Rainbow Dash was only given a little of the latter. Rarity had to keep herself from eating too much. The food was so good, and she hadn't eaten at a gathering like this since Plowpony's Day last week; the company, the friendship that flowed so freely through the air, made it easy to eat with abandon. It made her realize that there was a benefit to the Daleponies' guarded society: if you were inside, considered a part of them, you were treated like family. They loved their own just as much as they distrusted strangers. Losing the latter tendency could also mean losing the former. But I think Dash may be right, she thought. It doesn't have to come to that. The three of them had given the Daleponies a chance to change for the better, and the love she felt in the air now made her hope that they wouldn't waste it.
When most of the food was gone, Hammer Hoof rose from his chair. A sharp bang of his ivory hoof on the wooden platform silenced the talk in the hall. “Let the children come in!” he cried. “It is time for them to eat as well.”
Shield Maiden rose from her chair, just as many Daleponies throughout the hall likewise sprang to their hooves. At the entrance to the hall, several old mares led more than a hundred foals of varying heights and ages into the large space. The little herd quickly broke apart, young colts and fillies galloping between tables on their stubby legs searching for their parents. Shield Maiden sat back on her haunches on the floor and opened her front legs wide as a light gray filly with a dark gray mane and tail barreled into her, the young pony's orange eyes sparkling. She was the very image of the drawing Shield Maiden had shown Rarity in Grazezeld. After they embraced and nuzzled, Shield Maiden led her foal up onto the platform, the young filly's eyes wide at the presence of so many nobles. She stopped and bowed to Hammer Hoof, who nodded his head in turn, and Ashtail, who likewise nodded.
“Here you go, my little one,” Shield Maiden said, retaking her seat and lifting the filly into her lap. “This is my gray filly. Little one, these are some of mama's new friends! That's Applejack,” she pointed at the orange earth pony, “that's Rainbow Dash, and that's Rarity. They're from Equestria! They have done us a great good service today.”
The little pony's orange eyes widened. “You're a pegasusus!” she squeaked at Rainbow Dash.
“That's right!” Dash said, pounding her chest with a hoof. “I can fly! Watch this!” With a flap of her wings she was airborne, hovering above her seat. The little filly gasped, filled with wide-eyed wonder as only children can be.
The little filly turned to Rarity. “You're a u-u-unicorn!” she stammered. “Oh, mama, she's just as beautiful as your stories said!”
Rarity fluttered her eyelashes and fluffed her purple mane. “Thank you very much for the compliment. You are just the cutest thing!” she squealed, beaming at the small foal. “I'm proud to be your first unicorn.”
“Madam Rarity was the one who braided mama's mane,” Shield Maiden said, turning her head to the side to show her foal her white braids.
“It's so pretty, mama!” she squealed.
“Would you like me to braid your mane as well, little filly?” Rarity asked.
The gray filly gasped. “Oh, yes, yes, yes, mama, please yes!” she looked up at her mother with pleading eyes.
“All right,” Shield Maiden said, scooting back in her chair. The little filly hopped down and scampered around the table, where Rarity made room; soon the foal was sitting in her lap, and Rarity set to the task of braiding her mane. She had lovely hair just like her mother.
“Is it true that if I make a wish on your horn, it will come true?” the filly asked.
“Well...” Rarity paused. “Why don't you make a wish, and see if it comes true?”
“Okay!” the filly exclaimed. She closed her eyes tightly, scrunching up her face in concentration. “I made one!” she squealed, opening her eyes.
“Very good!” Rarity said. “But you musn't tell anypony what it is, or it definitely won't come true.”
“I won't!”
Smiling, Applejack turned toward Ashtail. “I wish we could stay another night- I really do- but we gotta get movin'.”
Ashtail nodded. “I understand. It's a ways yet to the Archback Mountains, and even to the Shimmerwood. My Lord,” he turned toward Hammer Hoof, “can we outfit the Equestrians with some provisions?”
“Certainly,” Hammer Hoof said. “I shall see it done.”
“We have to at least wait until Rarity's finished,” Dash said, settling back into her seat. “And in the meantime, I think I'll have some more beer.”
“Oh no you won't!” Applejack said. “You've had a whole pint already!”
“That was just a half!”
“It was a full and it was more than enough!”
Rarity smiled, comforted by her two friends beginning their usual routine. She used her magic to twist the little filly's hair into the beginnings of another braid.
Within the hour, the feast was done, provisions were gathered, and Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were standing in the fields outside of Thatchholm, their saddlebags once more on their flanks. The Daleponies had even given Dash a set of leather saddlebags. Rarity had been asked if she wanted to keep the horn-blade she had borrowed, but she had politely refused. Dash's new bags were packed with bread, carrots, and a few potatoes. The three of them stood side-by-side, saying their goodbyes to Shield Maiden, Ashtail, Birdspeak, and Sharp Sound. Hammer Hoof, standing a ways off, had already given them his blessings.
“We'll miss you three so much!” Birdspeak said. “This is the most exciting it's been in Gildedale since I was a filly!”
“We'll be sure to come back and visit sometime,” said Dash. “When we're not in a hurry, we can spend more time here. You could show us around!”
“When the komagas are gone, you can take your time seeing the kingdom,” Sharp Sound said. “It's really quite peaceful most of the year.”
“Perhaps now Lord Hammer Hoof will rethink his ban on travelers from Equestria,” Ashtail added. “He will certainly be more open to changing things from hereon out.”
“Goodbye, all of you!” Rarity said. “Goodbye, dear Birdspeak, dear Sharp Sound! Farewell, My Lord Ashtail, and good luck,” she lowered her head. “Shield Maiden...” the white unicorn trotted forward and wrapped her neck around the gray earth pony's. “Thank you so much, for everything you did. I won't forget you.”
“Nor I you, Rarity,” Shield Maiden said. “I am very glad you were the first unicorn I got to meet. I shall think of you always.”
“I promise to try and come back someday,” the white unicorn said, her eyes watering. “I want to see your lovely daughter when she's older, when she's got her cutie mark and has a name!”
“I don't think she will forget you either,” Shield Maiden said.
“Yeah, thank you so much, Shield Maiden!” Dash exclaimed, wrapping the gray filly in a hug. “You did so much for us. I wish we could do more for you!”
“More for us?” Sharp Sound repeated.
“You've done so much for us, all three of you!” Shield Maiden exclaimed.
“Thanks to you, everything has changed,” Ashtail said.
“We were happy to help,” Applejack said. She doffed her hat. “So long, Birdspeak, Sharp Sound, Shield Maiden.” She turned her gaze. “Uh...”
Ashtail blinked a few times in silence.
Shield Maiden and Rarity met each others' eyes; understanding passed between them. Shield Maiden nudged Birdspeak and Sharp Sound, and the three of them turned around. Rarity nudged Rainbow Dash. “Come along, Dash, let's get a head start- you know Applejack can catch up with us.”
“But why don't we all just get going now?” Dash said. “If we get too far ahead we're gonna have to wait for her!”
“Yes, well... I think we should just get going now,” Rarity said, her tone insistent. “Come on, let's go.” She began to tug Dash's tail.
“But I don't-”
“Let's get going, Dash!” she snarled, pulling Dash's rainbow-streaked tail with all her might.
“Okay, okay, sheesh!” Dash said, flapping her wings. “Bye, Ashtail! Thanks for everything! I want to see you again someday!”
“And I you!” Ashtail said. “Farewell, Rainbow Dash!” He bowed his head. “Farewell, Rarity.”
“My Lord,” the white unicorn said, bowing her head. “Goodbye, Shield Maiden! Goodbye Birdspeak and Sharp Sound! Goodbye to you all, much love!” With a soft smile at Applejack, Rarity turned around and trotted away, into the west, where the sun was just starting its descent toward the horizon. Dash followed, grumbling under her breath. Shield Maiden, Birdspeak, and Sharp Sound trotted off toward Thatchholm, and at last, Applejack and Ashtail were alone.
“So...” Applejack began. She said nothing more.
“I...” Ashtail said, but he trailed off. They stood in silence for a few moments, dodging each others' glances.
“Thank you, so much, for everythin'!” Applejack exclaimed. “We couldn't have done anythin' without you!”
“Thank you,” Ashtail said. “Without you, and your bravery, and your strength, this season would have been as grim as it ever was. Now... there is a new spring. There is new hope.”
“There was always hope, I guess,” Applejack said. “Y'all just needed to see it.”
“Not without you,” Ashtail replied. They stared into each others' eyes. Ashtail presently blinked. “I would very much like to see Ponyville someday.”
“You're welcome anytime,” Applejack said. “I... I would really like to see you again. Come by whenever you can.”
“I... would... also like to see you again,” Ashtail slowly ground out. “You should come to Gildedale- I mean, when you're free.”
“I'll... I'll try,” Applejack said. “But I'm so busy...”
“Duty,” the dark red earth pony said gently. “It seems we are both snared by it.”
“It ain't so bad,” she said. She looked away. Her heart was pounding again. “Not... not normally, anyway.”
“I...” Ashtail started again, but again he found no words.
Applejack looked toward the ground. She didn't know what to say either. Her eyes drifted over the golden grass, across his red legs, toward her own... wrapped in leather greaves? “Oh!” she cried, looking back over her body. She was wearing Ashtail's sister's armor! “I put your sister's armor back on! I must have just been in a gearin' up state o' mind when I was puttin' my saddlebags on, and it was right there.” She blushed. “Sorry, I'll get it off real fast-”
Ashtail held up a hoof. She looked into his eyes. “Keep it,” he said. Her green eyes widened. He smiled. “My sister has... moved on. It's time I did as well. Wherever she is, she must be happy to see you make use of it. Besides, it looks good on you.” His smile vanished. “Not that you don't look good normally, of course.” He frowned. “That didn't come out right.”
Applejack smiled. “It sounded just fine to me, sugarcube.”
“I...” Ashtail again struggled with his words. “I... I don't know what else to say.”
“Ashtail...” Applejack said softly. “I...”
Suddenly, from a ways off, Rainbow Dash yelled at the top of her lungs. “APPLEJACK, QUIT TALKING TO YOUR BOYFRIEND AND LET'S GET GOING!”
Ashtail's eye twitched. Applejack whirled around. “All right, hold your horses! I'm comin'!” She looked back to the dark red earth pony. “Well... I...” She shook her head, took a deep breath, and smiled. “I gotta go.”
“Indeed you do,” Ashtail said.
Applejack held up a front leg. “Goodbye, Ashtail.”
Ashtail held up his own front leg, pressing his hoof into hers. “Farewell, Applejack of Ponyville- until our next meeting.”
They lingered there for a long minute, their hooves together. Then Applejack pulled away. “So long, sugarcube,” she said, turning around. She trotted forward a few paces. She stopped. She took one last glance over her shoulder. Ashtail was smiling warmly and broadly- a more genuine smile than she had ever seen on his face before. It filled her heart with warmth. Smiling in turn, she set her face forward, and rearing back, she galloped off into the late afternoon sun.
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Alright, get your stupid, fuckin' rope.
Also, domesticated komogas.
4242418
I like the idea, but for what purpose, I wonder...
That would've been a perfect scene for those two to kiss.
Why are they acting as if they won't see each over for years? They'll be going back home the same way they came, after all.
4279998 You don't know that.
4242418 Ah The Boondock Saints.
That's exactly what I was thinking about when Applejack realized she forgot to bring rope. Wait till they get to the Shimmerwood though, and she gets a better rope.
Oooh! Somepony's got a crush!
That can be taken a number of different ways.
Yeah, Rainbow surely knows how to ruin a moment.
That goodbye between Applejack and Ashtail was just so charged with unsaid longing. It always irritated me that we never get to see that longing fulfilled for this is unfortunately the last time we see Ashtail in this story. But there is a sequel, and it better have Ashtail and Applejack coming together, in all senses of that phrase.
4252365 That's what I was thinking.
I was like screaming in my head "Why don't you just kiss him already!?"
I noticed this is a lot like the hobbit so far. Did you try to make it like that?
Oh Lord, the metal image: it's hilarious!
If you could see my face right now
I think this may be one of the better chapters yet. I'm impressed with how you handled the entire roundup scene, as well as how Hammer Hoof submitted. It was quite a breath of fresh air to finally read a chapter where things settled down a bit.
Also, Rainbow's a bitch.
Total occurrences of "sky-blue/cyan/rainbow-maned pegasus" so far: 56
Total occurrences of "the lavender unicorn" so far: 13
Total occurrences of "the white unicorn" so far: 46
Total occurrences of "the butter-yellow pegasus" so far: 5
Total occurrences of "the orange (earth) pony" so far: 54
Total occurrences of "the pink (earth) pony" so far: 4
Total other occurrences of descriptions of characters by ways other than their name: 128
This really, really reminds me so much of lord of the rings, I even had to play some of the more sadder "the Shire" variations, from the hobbit, in the background for the last scenes including the feast.
I...I even had to shed some happy tears at the part with the feast and the little filly that Rarity took care of...
I see what you did there.
4281285 Well personally I'd prefer they wait for marriage on one particular aspect...
4286466 Dude, the name is a Hobbit reference.
The incredibly dense mind of Rainbow Dash. Honestly, I wish I could actually characterize these characters correctly instead of imagining perfect pretty pony waifus.
A compilation of Rohan and Gondor themes were playing in the background this whole chapter. The best way to read this chapter. The only right way.
Why is everyone comparing this to the LOtR and Hobbit movies?
5580427 Cause it sorta is. We've had the old forest near the shire, crossing the misty mountains, and we've just finished pony Rohan
5631623
Note the emphasis on movies. I was lamenting the fact that not many people were comparing this to the books.
Hundreds of years and this really never occurred to them?
With the description of the feast came a vision of Redwall. Eulaliaaaaaaaaaaa!
So Ungula's version of Rohan, and now they head for Lothlorien.
5580427
Because it was in LOTR the movie that they took over ten minutes just saying good-bye at the end.
Honestly, I understand, three ponies to four ponies that's twenty-four good-byes to exchange and if you detail every single of them this is going to take some time, but when Rarity began her SECOND ROUND of good-byes, saying her good-byes to every single pony ALL OVER AGAIN, I cringed hard.
First time reading this story, so I'll feel free to speculate though I know any answers would have already been addressed in later chapters:
What in the nine hells keeps stirring up all these critters in a tizzy? Cause it certainly seems somebody is aiming them at these not!Riders Of Rohan.
Fine work! The Dale ponies were interesting and fun!
Also... great work on the not romance that almost developed. Good tease... I like being teased.
5974349
No agriculture, no herding.
Yeah, I'm not seeing the LOTR references (and I love that movie and book.) This story is awesome. I love RD and Rarity's continued discussion of what freedom means. You do need to be safe to truly enjoy freedom (and free to enjoy true safety). The moments between AJ and Ashtail were really good. Both were awesome. The herding scene was great. A sad part about Gildesdale's isolation is the advancements they're missing out on. This happens to isolationist societies-stagnation.
LOVED THIS CHAPTER! The way that the creatures were handled, the characterizations, everything was perfect.
Shield Maiden is definitely gay.
9547814
Recall the scene before the girls first met Ashtail and the gang they found, like, a wheat patch that Ashtail told them was owned and planted by them?
Then after the Ashtail finds them and they start heading to Grazeld: