Do I Need to Spell it Out for You?
The air smelled nice after a good storm. Earthy. Damp. Cool. As long as she stepped around worms in the road, Scootaloo enjoyed the post-storm pickup. Gather branches that fell on the ground, sweep off the porch, dry the clothes left on the clothesline…
And then repair the lightning damage. Lightning rods were an excellent precaution on rooftops. Every building in Ponyville had one, and they’d saved many homes from utter destruction. Not everything had a lightning rod, though. The wagon parked outside of Quills and Sofas, for instance, did not.
Scootaloo kicked the pile of burnt wood. “So much for the Scootsmobile.”
“Coulda been worse,” Apple Bloom said. She hefted a few pieces into the Apple family’s market cart. “Th’ fahr coulda spread to yer house before the rain put it out.”
“Yeah, or it could have been loaded with griffon spark powder.” Scootaloo tossed a blackened board on top of the others. “Or hay, at least it was lightning and not, say, a dragon attack. We could spend all day thinking of worse worst-case scenarios.”
“Okay, okay, don’t get yer feathers fluffed.” Apple Bloom hitched herself to the cart. “It’s just a wagon. We can build another.”
Scootaloo sat down. “I liked this old cart. May she rest in pieces.”
“Heck, ah’ll even let yah paint the next one.” Apple Bloom tapped her chin. “You think Sweetie’d go fer flame decals?”
“Do we wanna jinx another cart?” Scootaloo asked. “’Cause a flame paintjob after the last cart burnt down is kinda jinx-y.”
“Better ’n lightnin’ bolts.” Apple Bloom snickered. “See yah at the theater tonight.”
“Yeah, see yah.” Scootaloo watched her walk away, the debris in tow. Once she was gone, the pegasus leaped onto the roof of Quills and Sofas to brush the gunk out of the gutters and the junk off of the shingles.
With that job complete, Scootaloo noted the position of the sun as it peeked through the clouds. Two-o’-clock. Sweetie Belle would be closing her shop in a half-hour to get an early start to the evening. Specifically, the three-thirty show time.
Scootaloo flicked her scooter, and it unfolded with a snap. She didn’t really need to take it out for the short ride to Carousel Boutique, but she felt the need to get some wind beneath her wings. She did a doughnut in front of the shop, kicked off the back of the scooter, and let it fold up onto her back. She almost knocked before walking in by force of habit. The “open” sign brought her back to her senses.
Nopony was in the front room. The whole shop felt hushed as Scootaloo stepped inside. Even the bell that jingled when closed the door behind her sounded quiet. “Sweetie, are you in here? Are you home?”
She walked over to the waiting area and sat on one of the comfy seats. A new delivery of fashion magazines sat on the table, still held together with string. Scootaloo snapped the string with her teeth and arranged the magazines in what she thought was a nice pattern. She placed the one with Rarity’s face on the cover in the middle. From the looks of the article blurbs, she was doing very well for herself in Canterlot. Obnoxiously well. Designing-dresses-for-the-princesses well.
Scootaloo figured it was only a matter of time before Sweetie Belle appeared on a cover, too.
Her ears twitched at the sound of a voice. It didn’t rise above the hush of the shop, but added to it. It whispered as though it was afraid to be heard.
“Sweetie?” Scootaloo stood and walked around the room. The voice was coming from the back of the Boutique, the inspiration room. “Sweetie? You in there?”
She pressed her ear against the door and listened.
“There’s a tale that’s long been told
Of three friends in days of old
Who could not be torn apart
From the song within their heart”
Scootaloo eased the door open. Sweetie Belle stood in the middle of the room, levitating bits and pieces of fabric. Her eyes squinted over her frameless glasses as she threaded a needle. It swam through the fabric on the ponnequin, cinching it together. Her voice sang clearly as she worked, even if she kept it almost too quiet to hear.
“With her strong hooves on the ground
And her head within the clouds
She stood like a mountain tall
Holding out her love for all”
Scootaloo put one hoof in the room. She tripped on the trim separating the hardwood floor from the linoleum-floored showroom. Her hoof came down with a clomp, startling Sweetie.
The unicorn dropped the needle and jumped back. “Scoot—Scootaloo! What are you doing here?”
“I came to pick up Fluttershy’s dress for delivery.” Scootaloo smirked. “Why? What are you doing here?”
Sweetie patted a cloth against her forehead. “Apparently being stalked by one of my best friends. You could have knocked.”
“Sorry. The sign outside said ‘open,’ so…” Scootaloo shrugged. She walked over to the ponnequin and looked over its flowing blues and subtle yellows. “This the birthday dress?”
“No, that’s a… special project.” Sweetie lit her horn and dragged a plain brown box between them. “This one should be to the draconequus’ liking.”
“Sweet.” Scootaloo strapped the box to her back. She gave Sweetie a sideways hug. “See you at the theater tonight?”
“Of course, I always keep my appointments.” Sweetie nuzzled her cheek. “Don’t let Discord give you any horseapples, okay?”
“Tisk, Sweetie, such language.” Scootaloo laughed and trotted toward the door. She turned around halfway. “So was that a new song you’ve been working on?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sweetie focused her gaze on the dress and returned to working on it.
“The song you were singing when I walked in.” Scootaloo extended a wing towards her. She smiled. “The one about the three nonspecific friends?”
Sweetie lowered her head. “They’re specific,” she whispered.
Scootaloo dipped her head down to try to catch Sweetie’s eyes. “Hay. It’s awesome that you’re writing songs again.”
“I’m not—” Sweetie waved a hoof. “It’s just an old one I never finished. Probably never will.” She gave a clock on the wall a pointed look. “Now unless I miss my guess, you’ve only got an hour to deliver that and get ready for the movie.” She danced her eyebrows. “And your date. Better hurry.”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes, spread her wings and ran for the door. She skidded on the linoleum as she came to a stop. She took a deep breath in. “Sweetie.”
“What?” Sweetie weaved a complex stitch into the garment. “Did I forget something?”
“Not really… kinda… maybe…” Scootaloo’s face scrunched up. “Just… Remember the promise you made to yourself?”
Sweetie’s eyes rolled to the left. “Um, wash my mouth so that I don’t scare away customers with my breath?” She shrugged.
“No, I mean the really big promise,” Scootaloo said. “You know, the really, really big promise.”
Sweetie’s mouth opened, but she stopped short of answering. She frowned as she looked at her cutie mark. The image of a silver bell sat on her flank, surrounded by music notes. Her horn sparked as she removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. “No, Scootaloo, I didn’t forget. It’s just—”
“Hard,” Scootaloo said. “Believe me, I know. We sort of got to the part where we stop finding out who we are and start working towards who we wanna be.”
Sweetie choked out a laugh. “You really are Rainbow Junior with these speeches, you know that?”
“Well, you know.” Scootaloo backed away. “When you’re ready to talk, just give me a holler.”
Sweetie nodded as Scootaloo opened the door. “I will. Thank you.”
As she walked past a window, Scootaloo could hear soft words drifting out of the Boutique.
“There the spark lit in her breast
Shining bright to all the rest—”
Trees zipped past Scootaloo as she raced at top speed through the outskirts of Ponyville. This was where the larger houses sat: Mansions, well-to-do family homes, the occasional royal estate, and the corporate office of Barnyards Bargains. Scootaloo flicked an ear at the moving wagon parked outside and heard to a brief snippet of an argument between Diamond Tiara and Filthy Rich.
She laid her ears flat and rolled on.
Past the outskirts, through the first little bit of Whitetail Wood, and across the creek sat a tiny little cottage. The cottage was home to all animals, great and small. It was a bastion for the ill, the weak, and the tired. It was a bright light in the darkness that was the wild. For many creatures, it was home.
The sun shined through the leaves, giving the scene a yellow tinge. A pegasus flew through the branches and deposited something in a bird’s nest before landing in front of Scootaloo.
Fluttershy brushed a sweat-slicked pink mane out of her face and spat out dirt. She smiled. “Hello, Scootaloo. How are you this fine afternoon?”
“Peachy, Miss Fluttershy.” Scootaloo left her scooter leaning against the mailbox. “You got stuff all cleaned up from the storm, yet?”
Fluttershy nodded with a squint of her eyes. “Of course. Discord is always such a big help cleaning up.”
“That seems…” Scootaloo wracked her brain for the right word. “Unintuitive.”
“Maybe it is, but he doesn’t really clean up the mess.” Fluttershy motioned her closer. She whispered in her ear. “Don’t tell him I figured it out, but he just moves the mess into his private chaos room. It’s his way of keeping things in disorder.”
Scootaloo looked at Fluttershy’s cottage. “Chaos room? In there?”
“No, no, of course not.” Fluttershy pointed to a tall building close by. “Mister Wheatly didn’t leave his windmill to anypony when he died, so the city put it up for sale. Discord lives in there most of the time.”
“Aha. I guess I’d better head over there, then.” Scootaloo shifted the package on her back.
“Discord ordered something?” Fluttershy tilted her head. “What is it?”
“Just… something…” Scootaloo pressed her lips together. “Let’s call it a ‘surprise.’”
Fluttershy nodded slowly. “Not that I don’t trust Discord, but… what sort of surprise?”
“The good kind. Honest.” Scootaloo gave her a mock salute. “See you later, Miss Fluttershy. Have a good one.”
Fluttershy waved. “Take care of yourself, Scootaloo!”
A hop, skip, and a jump later, Scootaloo stood before the creaky old windmill. It rotated with the wind left over from the storm, turning the gears within. While once they had ground corn and flower, now they were little more than decoration. A few bare spots on the wall had been filled in with bricks and concrete, giving the impression that somepony had done some restoration to the aged structure. The wooden door was original, and creaked on its hinges as the locks clattered.
The door opened by itself. Scootaloo shivered.
It looked much bigger from the inside. A staircase spiraled upwards into nothing, while tiny bubbles rained from above. Flowers sprouted from rock, and the dirt floor waved as though it was water. Black light flickered in the windows, giving the white parts of her scooter a fluorescent glow. Her cutie mark, mane, and tail also took on a pastel purple shine.
“Scootaloo! What a surprise!” Discord exclaimed from all around. “I admit that I hoped Sweetie Belle would deliver the dress herself, but I won’t be too choosy when it comes to visitors!”
He inflated from the floor like a long, snaking balloon. He grinned with his snaggletooth and patted her on the head. “How’s my favorite chaos-causing pegasus crusader, hmm? Knock down any barns lately? Created a tornado that leveled the library again? Built a trebuchet that launched Sweet Apple Acres into orbit?”
Scootaloo brushed his talon off her mane. “No.”
“Splendid! Can’t let such terrible things happen to my closest friends!” He tapped his fingers together. “Speaking of such friends, is that it?”
Scootaloo handed him the package. His eyes sparkled as he held it aloft. “Excellent!” he said. “Fluttershy will be so surprised! I’m sure it’s as amazing as Rari— as Sweetie Belle promised.”
One horn glowed as he drew the dress through the brown box. It hung in the air, its reds and oranges shimmering in odd patterns in the black light. “Oh, she’ll look so nice. Don’t you think she’ll have a wonderful birthday?”
“Well, that’s sorta a question I had, Mr. Discord…” Scootaloo rubbed the back of her neck. “Fluttershy’s birthday was two months ago. You were there, I thought.”
Discord froze in place, as did the bubbles and the floor. He turned slowly to her and conjured up an ear trumpet. He stuck it in his ear. “Beg pardon?”
“Um.” Scootaloo stuck her snout into the flared end of the trumpet. “I thought Fluttershy’s birthday was two months ago. Weren’t you there?”
“Ha! You are, of course, quite mistaken. If I had been there I would have remembered…” Discord’s face dipped from haughty to concerned. “Giving her… a pendant?”
A scrapbook the size of Scootaloo appeared. He flipped through the pages until he landed on a picture of Fluttershy. It was dated to her birthday. “That’s not…” He flipped through the pages some more. “I can’t…” He snapped the book shut and tossed it into the sky, where it vanished from sight.
“Well of course I remember! I was just buying this for her next birthday. Or Hearth’s Warming. Or something.”
Scootaloo held her hooves up. “Hay, it’s okay if you just forgot. Lots of people—”
“I am a draconequus, Scootaloo. I have lived for thousands of years. I have forgotten more things than you’ll learn in several lifetimes!” He held a fist up and stared into a sunset that should not have been visible for another several hours. He lowered it as the black light returned. “I should not be forgetting a celebration from a scant few months ago.”
He rubbed his fingers together, summoning a crackle of energy. “Odd. Even for me, that’s odd.”
He narrowed his yellow eyes at Scootaloo. “What are you waiting for? A tip? Go back to Sweetie and tell her it was a job well done.”
“Well, it’s not exactly…” Scootaloo kept her wings pressed tight to her sides as she swallowed deep. “I got a question to ask you.”
“I think you mean a favor.” Discord giggled as he stretched the word out like a piece of taffy. “Go on, spit it out, what’s your problem?”
Scootaloo winced. “I didn’t really mean it like—”
“Do I look like an idiot? Don’t answer that.” Discord pulled a chalkboard down from Nowhere. There was a picture of Scootaloo, a picture of her flying complete with her flight trajectory, and finally a picture of her crashed face-first into the ground. “Anypony else would have thrown the package inside and run for it. Ponies don’t tend to hang around unless they need something.”
“I wasn’t gonna come to you either,” Scootaloo said. “But Pumpkin recommended you pretty highly.”
“Hmm.” Discord motioned for her to follow him up the staircase. As soon as she put her hoof down, the stairs climbed up by themselves. “Loose lips really do sink ships. I recall that particular daily good deed.” He flashed a glare. “Just like I recall most of what goes on around here. Pretty close to all of it, in fact.”
“Fine, fine. You remember.” Scootaloo spread her hooves out to keep herself steady. “So, you’re willing to help me fly?”
“In any way I can. I warn you that I’m no doctor.” Discord bounced a stethoscope like a yoyo. “They never sent me that mail-order medical degree, alas. I’ve had to make do with learning practically. Such as the time I removed—”
“Removed Rainbow Dash’s wings, I get it.” Scootaloo spread her wings and gave them a lazy flap. “It’s not exactly something I enjoy hearing about a million times.”
Discord turned around and continued to walk backwards. “What? When have we talked about it before?”
“Like every time we’ve run into each other this week.” Scootaloo’s eyebrows arched. “Are you feeling alright?”
Discord stared into empty space. “I’ll be right back,” he said as he splintered into glitter.
The stairs climbed forever, but she was at the top in a blink. She looked down where she came and was unable to reconcile the difference between the distance and the time spent traveling it. “This is Discord’s house alright.”
“Indeedadubitably,” Discord said. He pawed through the large scrapbook. “Yes, yes, yes, no, yes, no, yes.” He rubbed his chin and tossed the book into a fireplace. “Now, about your flying…”
Scootaloo pawed the ground. “You think you know a way to fix it? Is it even broken?”
“Scootalo, Scootaloo, Scootaloo, I haven’t even examined you yet.” The fireplace transformed into an easy chair, which Discord rested his tush in. “To have done so before, without your consent, would have been a violation of not only personal space, but of your own privacy.”
Scootaloo crossed her forelegs. “So whadda yah got?”
Discord’s neck grew to impossible lengths and craned his head down to her level. “Magic imbalance.”
Scootaloo backed away as fast as her hooves would take her. “W-what? Imbalance? Th-you-what?”
“Relax. Magic imbalance isn’t always a bad thing.” Discord counted down on his talons. “There’s an imbalance every morning sunrise, there’s an imbalance when Twilight teleports from Canterlot to Ponyville, there’s even an imbalance when Rainbow Dash performs a sonic rainboom.”
A sofa popped out from under Scootaloo and caught her in a cushion. A cup of hot chocolate appeared in her hooves. “But… but I thought imbalance was, you know, evil.”
Discord laughed and chuckled and guffawed, not necessarily in that order and probably all at the same time. “Imbalance just means that there’s more of one thing than there is of something else. In this case, magic. Don’t go telling me an imbalance in favor of fun is worse than equal parts fun and boring.”
He smirked. “True balance… is stagnation. True chaos… is destructive.”
Scootaloo scratched her mane. “So… you gotta find a balance between balance and no balance.”
“Precisely!” Discord held a finger up. He let it droop a moment later. “When you say it like that it sounds silly.”
“Okay,” Scootaloo said, “okay, but what does that have to do with flying?”
“Simply put, it’s exactly what I said,” Discord said. “You’ve got a magical imbalance.”
Scootaloo tapped her hooves together. “Is that a good imbalance or—?”
“I don’t know! I can only detect an imbalance, I can’t divine its source at first blush.” Discord popped the footrest of his chair up. “But we’ll have to talk about that later. I think you’ve got mere minutes until your date with Rumble.”
Scootaloo slurped up the last of her cocoa. “How the hay do you know about that?”
“I’m an outcast, Scootaloo. I’m not shunned.” Discord held up a framed picture of her rainbow tornado from Monday. “The grapevine trailed in here a time or two.”
Scootaloo stared at the picture. She snickered. “Public displays of affection are really public around here, I guess.”
“Quite.” Discord pulled a fedora over his eyes. “Run along now.
“And Scootaloo,” he added as she walked towards the stairs, “don’t tell anypony about our little forgetfulness talk.”
Scootaloo puffed her lower lip out. “The one where you told me in no uncertain terms that you weren’t forgetting stuff?”
“Look,” Discord said as he peeked out from under the hat. “I’ve been holding in chaos for ten, eleven years now. Maybe. It’s only natural that it’s started to seep into my brain.”
Scootaloo looked Discord up and down. “A magic imbalance in favor of chaos?”
“My, you catch on quick.” He snapped his fingers, and the doorway to the outside replaced the staircase. “When the chaos has nowhere it may go, it goes where it may. I’m sure it’s nothing big.”
Scootaloo put her hoof on the door. “What happens if it keeps going? What happens a few years down the line?”
Discord steepled his fingers. He tapped the tips together, one at a time. “I suspect someday I won’t be me anymore.”
Scootaloo let her hoof slip to the ground. “What?”
“Given time, the chaos will take its toll and jumble my mind and body up so badly I won’t even know who I am.” He lowered the brim of his hat over his eyes. “It’s like I told you, Scootaloo, true chaos is destructive.”
“B-but…” Scootaloo ran up to him. “But there’s got to be a way to fix it! There’s gotta be a way to, I dunno, stop it or reverse it!”
“Of course there is,” Discord said. “All I have to do is take over Equestria and make it the Chaos Capitol of the World. Simple.” He raised an eyebrow at her slack-jawed expression. “Don’t give me that look, I’m not going to do it. I can’t.” He flapped his wings and flew off of the chair. It morphed back into a fireplace, from which he drew the book. “For the sake of six mares, I can never.”
He paged through and showed her a picture of Applejack, Lord Mayor of Ponyville. “Did you know that Applejack shows love to me? She brings me red gala apples because she knows they’re my favorite. Pinkie Pie, too, she brings me Boston cream pie. Even after everything.”
He blinked. “And Fluttershy… Fluttershy never let me down, even after I let her down. Rainbow Dash actually invited me to her celebration for joining the Wonderbolts. Rarity talks with the nobleponies in Canterlot about me, shilling my ‘improved attitude.’ Twilight…”
Discord shook his head. “Twilight gave up her magic, the thing she loves most in the world, to save my life. I can’t repay that.”
“D—” Scootaloo swallowed hard. “Isn’t the windmill an outlet for your chaos?”
“This little corner of the universe? Not nearly enough.” Discord shut the book and tucked it away into Nowhere.
He tapped his chin. “You’re really late now. Don’t you need to get dressed or put on makeup or something?”
“Uh…” Scootaloo froze. “You think you could perform some magic mumbo jumbo and make me gorgeous?”
“Nope.” Discord held out empty hands. “I can’t just create stuff, Scootaloo. You can’t get something from nothing, and Celestia frowns on theft. Besides, Rarity has told me in no uncertain terms that my sense of style is ‘atrocious.’”
Magic lifted her bodily through the doorway. She shrieked as she was cast out of the windmill and onto the grass. Scootaloo looked at the doorway as the hinges creaked and the lock bolt clattered. The windmill spun in the breeze, turning the gears that she never saw a wink of the whole time she’d been inside.
“I’m never gonna get used to him, am I?”
A very short fifteen minutes later, Scootaloo trotted down the stairs in Quills and Sofas. She had managed to put on the proper eye shadow and lipstick, though that was gonna have to do as far as makeup was concerned. Her feathers were all in their proper places, her coat was brushed, and the skirt she’d pulled out of the closet flowed nicely when she walked.
Her dad greeted her at the bottom with a hug. “You have a good time tonight, Kid. Keep out of trouble.”
Scootaloo chucked his shoulder. “Yeah right.”
Davenport walked with her, his foreleg around her shoulders. “You’d better get a move on. Rumble got here a couple minutes ago and Rosie’s been keeping him company.”
“Mom?” Scootaloo cringed. “How’s she doing?”
“Not bad, just a few shivers.” Davenport gave Scootaloo a squeeze. “She just cares for you.”
“I know.” Scootaloo rushed forward. “Pegasus filly to the rescue!”
They came to the showroom, where Rumble was nervously sipping juice. He jumped up the instant he saw her. “Scootaloo! Hi! We should probably get going. The show’s almost starting.”
Roseluck set her own glass on the table slowly. She gave Scootaloo her best reassuring smile. “You two have a good time.”
Scootaloo gave her a nod, gave her dad a wink, and dragged Rumble into the street.
Rumble struggled for a second trying to keep his balance. A flap of his wings steadied his hooves, and he set out at a brisk walk through the town. “You’re beautiful.”
Scootaloo snorted. “I threw this look together in about ten minutes. You don’t get to call it beautiful.”
“If I thought the dress was the most beautiful thing about you, I would have said your dress was beautiful.”
Scootaloo blushed. “It’s not a dress, it’s a skirt.”
Rumble frowned. “What’s the difference?”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. She gave Rumble closer scrutiny. “Wow. You’re actually wearing a tux.”
Rumble was indeed wearing a black tuxedo, white shirt, and red bowtie. “I know we won’t be seeing much of each other in the theater, but I wanted to look nice for supper.”
“You look a little overdressed for Hayburger.”
“We aren’t eating at Hayburger.”
Scootaloo scrunched her nose up. Her eyes widened as she realized the restaurant where a tuxedo would be appropriate attire. “You didn’t—”
Rumble gave her a smug smile. “I did.”
“Are you even kidding me?” Scootaloo’s hooves did a nervous dance. “I am super-underdressed for the Silver Spoon Restaurant.”
“No you’re not.” Rumble nudged her with his shoulder. “I told you, you’re beautiful.”
Scootaloo ruffled her wings. “Maybe I feel underdressed. What do you think of that, huh?”
He kissed her cheek. The hair on the back of her neck stood up straight.
“I think it’s cute,” he said.
She smoothed the hair down, then straightened out her feathers as they almost-trotted. “I think you’re a doofus.”
“Nicest thing you’ve said all day,” he chuckled.
Scootaloo’s forehead scrunched up. She sighed. “Then, hay…”
She stood in front of him and put her hoof on his chest. She leaned forward and pressed her lips quickly, gently, against his. “Thanks.”
Rumble blinked as he stood still in the road. A goofy grin spread across his face. He let himself be led by the hoof the rest of the way to the cinema. A few figures were lined up outside.
“Hay, ’bout time the lovebirds got here,” Apple Bloom said. She wasn’t wearing any clothes, but there was an apple blossom in her mane. “You almost missed th’ three-thirty show.”
Sweetie Belle, on the other hoof, wore a simple, ruffled white dress. Her mane was slightly curlier than usual, and her face sparkled. “Rumble, I never thought I’d see you in a tuxedo.”
“Desperate times call for fancy clothes, Sweetie.” He looked down at Scootaloo. “So who got your free ticket?
“Where’s Spike at?” Scootaloo asked.
“He said he was gonna—there he is.” Apple Bloom pointed down the street.
Spike charged forward on all fours. He huffed when he got to them, his scaly chest heaving. “Sorry. Twilight. Abominations of science. Epic battle. Usual excuses.”
He reached to straighten the red bowtie on his neck. He and Rumble raised their eyebrows. “Nice tie,” they said simultaneously.
Apple Bloom jerked her head. “C’mon guys, all the good seats are gonna be taken if we wait any longer.”
“By the good seats,” Sweetie said, “I assume you are talking about the far back, where we can see everything on screen?”
“Naw, the front seats so we’re closest to the action!” Apple Bloom grinned. “Last time, I saw Russet Crow’s nose hairs during his big close-up!”
“Riveting,” Sweetie groaned.
“Clearly,” Spike said, “this calls for a middle-of-the-theater seat.”
Scootaloo snickered. “That way lies stagnation,” she said under her breath.
“What?” Rumble said.
“Ask me later.”
Sweetie led them into the cinema. She laid her ticket on the counter. “Just a lemon soda, please.”
A young stallion with a brown coat had his head in the popcorn maker. “Just a minute!” he called, his voice echoed by the glass walls. He scooped popcorn into a bucket, then returned to the counter. His eyes popped almost as much as the corn. “Sweetie!”
Sweetie Belle’s mouth moved without making a sound. Her throat constricted as she forced the word out. “Button? You work here?”
Button Mash’s spiky mane waved as he nodded. “Yeah! It’s pretty great. I’m gonna be getting lots of hours this summer, and I get to see the movies when I run the projector.” He shuffled around behind the cash register. “I didn’t expect you to ever come here. It’s not exactly high society.”
“Well…” She bit her lower lip and smiled. “A mare can be persuaded,” she giggled.
“Cool. I’m glad somepony talked you into having some fun.” He looked her ticket over. “Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone? Really awesome movie right there.”
She shuffled in her change purse for bits. He placed the lemon soda in front of her. “Hay,” Button said, “your song Sunday was great. They always are, but, you know…”
Sweetie pushed her glasses up her snout. “Thank you. It was an old one, but a good one.”
She levitated two bits out of her purse, but he waved her off. “On the house. I hope you like the movie.”
“Thank you, Button.” She bobbed her head and hurried away.
“Do I get my popcorn on the house?” Spike asked with a laugh.
Button Mash tapped the cash register, making it ding. “Only if you eat it on the roof.”
Scootaloo tapped Sweetie on the shoulder as she passed. “What gives?” she whispered. “Just talk to him.”
Sweetie tried unsuccessfully to hide her blush. “I don’t think either of us are ready for—”
“I didn’t say propose to him,” Scootaloo said. “Talk to him.”
Sweetie brought her mouth close to Scootaloo’s ear. “When did you start giving me relationship advice?”
“When you started having relationship issues.” Scootaloo gave her a lopsided smile. “Do I need to spell it out for you? You’re spelling it out for everypony else.”
“Some other time.” Sweetie looked towards the clock. “We’re gonna miss the movie.”
Scootaloo spoke at a stage whisper as Sweetie walked away. “The movie you didn’t even want to see!”
“Shut up!” Sweetie hissed.
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I can't tell if all the subplots here are all going to be part of this story, or if it is going to be buildup for future stories...
I don't think I care either way, and I'm a big fan of "Here's the obvious plot of this work, except the real important plot is very different, and still awesome."
In which of your stories did Twilight give up her magic for Discord, or is that something your going to write?
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Most of the time, even if I'm paving the road for a future story, I try to have everything tie in some way or another. In some cases the plot will get a satisfactory conclusion, but it'll be obvious it isn't quite "the end," so to speak.
One character in this chapter is just shameless build-up, not gonna lie. But the way he interacts with a certain mare is the important part.
Me, too! I love the parallel plots school of writing. What's interesting with My Little Pony is the potential to build the big myth arc through both adventure and slice of life stories. Simultaneously.
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That wasn't my story, actually! That was during the finale for My Little Pony Season Four, when Tirek had all of Twilight's friends encased in bubbles. She gave up her magic so that they would be set free, and she specifically mentioned Discord. It was really the turning point of his character arc, I think.
Movie time! Lots of undertones of sadness and dissatisfaction with life going on here.
5144292 Ahh... I thought something happened in your universe that resulted in her loosing her powers permanently. I'm going to have to check out your new stories. I haven't noticed them until now. :/ Shame on me.
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Woo hoo!
Those are key points in Scootaloo's and Sweetie Belle's arcs. Apple Bloom, too, to a smaller extent. And Rumble. And a little Discord. Maybe Roseluck, also.
Who else is there? Spike? Nah, he's doing okay. Or is he?
But seriously, that's probably a good 50% of the story's themes right there. For the other 50%, take a good look at Rainbow Dash. Her arc is more subtle, but maybe even better for it, I think.
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Nope, nope, nope. She's still the most magical pony in the land. I just like to reference canon a lot when it comes to character arcs.
I don't think there's any shame in missing a story or two. Life gets busy, and there's a bajillion good stories on this site! I hope you enjoy them when you get a chance to look.
Two words: flaming bunnies. Trust me girls, it'll be a great reference.
Huh, I wonder what happened with Sweetie and new songs.
Discord and the Broken Down Windmill of Chaos. Scary.
Hmn, magic imbalance. Wild guess, Scoots' water trick is an artifact of either earth pony or unicorn (the former seems more likely given her parents) magic mixing with her pegasus magic, but the conflict is also causing her flight problems.
So, Discord is intentionally letting himself go chaotically senile in order to keep his friends safe from himself? That seems like a story unlikely to have a happy ending for anyone involved, especially if he gets to the point where he cannot remember the ponies that he is trying to protect.
Nice idea, Rumble, but Silver Spoon's restaurant tends to be a little flammable for dates. On the other hand, Scootaloo and water have a close relationship, so it might just work out.
*ponders*
Given that Discord(or whatever he morphs into) will eventually try and take over Equestria anyways, it seems the sort of thing that the Princesses and Bearers should know so they can find a cure. Maybe give him the Badlands and let Chrysalis deal with living in the Chaos Capital of the World.
Or he could divide himself in mini Draconequusii! A million inch high Discords, roaming the world!
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See this is why I think the site should let you tag stories Adventure and Slice of Life - I mean, that's what the show actually is.
All that aside, this is yet another amazing chapter of an amazing story of an amazing series (try saying that three times fast
). There are so many little threads in these, and I can't wait to see where they all end, but even discounting the broad story arcs this is just a really, really good story.
Button and Sweetie sitting in a dark theater when he invites her to a movie he knows she'll like, maybe for a debute screening???
On the matter of Discord... I think Celestia should know and he should be given a day a month to make things crazy in Equestria to vent and also just liven up the place. Or make Chocolate milk clouds in a can, I know I'd buy those!
5145441 I like him taking over the badlands and making them the Chaos Lands, pure awesome!
DUN DUN DUN!
Oh God, you just made me realize a fundamentally tragic confluence of your version of Equestria. I believe you said cutie marks in your story are not basically destinies branded on ponies by the mysterious weave of fate as they are in most stories, but rather a promise that kid makes to themselves. But kids are stupid, and cutie marks don't change! How many fillies Sweetie Bell's age got their cutie marks when they promised themselves they'd be the next Sapphire Shores? Probably a lot more than there is room for in the music industry.
Fate in most versions of Equestria is like a superior version of an economist/sociologist, able to make predictions on what careers, or at least hobbies, will be popular for many decades to come, so when a pony gets a singing cutie mark, they have a good chance of becoming a professional singer, or at least they make it a fun side hobby while they do something else for a day job, and they're content because apparently it was their destiny to sing friendly tunes to neighbors while pulling the trash cart or something. Fate/Destiny acts to prevent all those stupid foals who think they can all become cowponies or wonderbolts or ninjas or whatever from getting that as their cutie mark.
But here, the 99% of ponies with a cutie mark in a winner-take-all industry like music, who can't make a living of it, have to stare at their ass every day and remember a promise they broke to themselves. Sure, some get music related professions, and lie to themselves over and over until they believe that their cutie mark meant they were destined to be a sleazy club promoter, and hopefully plenty do what Rarity does and reinterpret their cutie mark as some sort of complicated metaphor that justifies why they are making dresses instead of gem mining. But there have got to be a lot of unhappy ponies out there who wish they had listened to their parents and promised themselves something sensible....
OH GOD, Diamon Tiara's cutie mark is because she promised herself she would be an actual Princess, and now she realizes that's never going to happen, no wonder she's fighting with her Dad, she probably blames him for letting her think as a child she could become a princess or something.
I honestly checked this story briefly to see if it had a sad tag at this point. This makes a lot of sense, too much sense for there to be a simple cure. A senile Discord is just to dangerous, in a few years the other 5 are going to have some tough arguments with Fluttershy, and then I guess they will do the Rainbow-Power equivalent of putting a pillow over Discord's head.
This makes me feel like Pinkie Pie and Rumble must be friends. Why? Because Pinkie Pie loves every game in existence, and it's clear here that Rumble has plenty of game.
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Oh my gosh, yes!
Cheese would be proud!
You've got most of the clues, but the final piece to the puzzle is still out there.
That's a good theory.
I'm afraid happy endings are not quite in Discord's foreseeable future. Unfortunately, consequences aren't always fair. He's not gone yet, though.
Makes yah wonder why she didn't try out for the fahr department, don't it?
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"In an effort to improve relations, here is a gift horse. Please don't look in his mouth."
"What?" Chrysalis said. "Wait, what?"
That sounds like a spectacular story. Like, oh my gosh, that could be hilarious.
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I can see that, though it isn't usually both at the same time. I guess I gotta settle for making separate stories for the genres.
Thank you very much for saying so! It's super-important to make each story stand well on its own. Come for Scootaloo, stay for Epic World-Building.
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Remember Fahr Drill? Remember setting a cloudhouse on fire? That was a Tuesday.
Maybe if either of them get up the nerve to say something.
You know, Chaos Day is a marvelous idea. Shame nopony's thought of it. Though there is a very real chance it'd be too little, too late.
Taking over the Badlands... with an army of little Discords...
I may never get around to writing it, but it's worth keeping in mind.
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Juuust in case you forgot about our fine feathered friends across the sea.
Rainbow Dash said it first in chapter two. She also explained it in a way that maybe takes some of the tragedy out of it.
It really isn't so much stupid kids deciding they want to be an astronaut. It's less talent-oriented than it is heart oriented.
That said...
It's very possible for a pony to get into that situation, to hate their cutie mark more than any old embarrassing tattoo. It's a fact of life that not everybody's gonna make it. It's the way the dice roll.
I don't know if it's a good idea to discuss themes too much while the story's in progress, but c'est la vie, here it comes.
Scootaloo can't fly. That's a fact of life right now. But she doesn't have to roll over and say, "Well, that sucks. Guess my promise wasn't worth anything. Guess my dream was impossible." Naw. Naw, that ain't right. She's fighting for it. You can find yourself in a place where your big dream looks like a pipe dream. You can find yourself physically unable to accomplish that thing you set out for.
But you don't have to give up.
Her promise was to be somepony who would look for the hidden beauty in others... and bring it out.
It's not that complicated.
I thought about it before writing it, but the point of this story isn't quite to make people sad and depressed. That's a chapter-by-chapter thing. It's funny, it's cute, it's sad, it's heartwarming, it's tragic, it's occasionally triumphant... It's life, and life sucks except for a few utterly amazing things.
That's a bit more tragic than what I have in mind for the guy, depending on how you look at it. The nature of his "senility" won't result in a relapse.
*Snerk*
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Frustratingly ferocious fine-feathered furry feline friends from far away?
So if the kid was a company, cutie marks don't arrive when you create a product plan, they arrive when you draft a mission statement? That makes a lot more sense.
I respect the heck out of you as an author, because you are willing to admit there are downsides to your world building, and it won't automatically work out for everyone (Even if it works out for all the main characters).
So are there like 85 year old ponies who keep trying to become hoofball, stars, and they still train every day, because they promised they'd be the kind of pony who never gives up? I bet that explains a lot about Trixie, now that I think about it.
Sorry about that, I let my headcanon leak without noticing it again.
Seeing the huge disparity in the way cutie marks and special talents work on the show, I've always figured cutie marks are actually much simpler than they are described. Applejack's cutie mark gives her insight into growing apples. Rainbow Dash's cutie mark gives her a speed boost. Rarity's cutie mark magic helps her find gems. I think that's all the magic they really have.
I think the rest of it, destiny and purpose in life and such, is all in each pony's head. They look at their cutie mark and it gives them confidence to push forward and master their occupation. If the occupation ends up not fitting their mark, they reinterpret the mark until it fits.
Just like I think Cheerilee loved growing daisies as a filly, I think Rarity wanted gems to beautify her dresses and she got them. Later when she realized what she wanted to do was "bring out inner beauty," she decided that's what her cutie mark meant. Her special talent doesn't help her make extra - beautiful dresses, that's all Rarity's hard work and creativity, though she probably reassures the customers when she says "my special talent is making you beautiful."
You don't, because you're good at switching off within chapters so the mood doesn't stay dark. This chapter did end with adorably awkward Sweetie Mash, after all.
I just realized, Thunderlane was coaching Rumble, wasn't he? If so, Scootaloo should watch out. Rumble's gonna be all "hey Scoots, you and Dash are like sisters, right? I've been told sisters like to share..."
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Frankly, frightfully so.
That's pretty spot-on, I think.
Hey, thanks. Convincing worlds ain't all sunshine and rainbows, sunshine and rainbows notwithstanding.
It hasn't been mentioned yet, but average life-expectancy for a pony is roughly 250 years. So yeah, you've probably got 85yo ponies looking to try out.
As for Trixie, I haven't quite thought about that. It would make for an interesting dimension to her character when I write her story.
You know what? I need to do another blog about projected stories for this series.
When headcanons clash, nopony wins!
My real headcanon regarding how destiny works in the cartoon is a strange mix between what you see here and Hyperportentia. Destiny's a thing, but it's very much catered to what the individual enjoys. I've never actually done a story that focused on cutie marks following my personal views on the issue.
That said, I kinda really like what I've done here with the heart's promise ideology.
So, the cutie marks themselves give the talent? Or at least give the talent power? It sounds a bit like learning a skill in a roleplaying game. Or an equipable item. A permanent equipable item, but you get the idea.
And then you've got poor Fluttershy in the Canterlot Royal Garden trying to befriend the exotic animals therein.
It's an interesting headcanon, for sure. Kinda feels like it build off of the attitude "Fate gave me this thing, and by golly I'm gonna make it fit no matter what!" It sounds like you're interpreting a special talent as not quite being the result of hard work and creativity, but the result of some outside force. Well, destiny obviously, duh.
I guess me personally, I like to focus on the fact that the cutie mark is a manifestation of the pony's deepest dreams. Whaddayah gonna do?
I am trying to keep the mood light overall. Blueblood's Ascension got a little dreary, for comparison. It's an odd balance, all this pacing nonsense.
I will swear by Sweetie Mash until the day the Fimfic server melts to the ground.
We haven't seen too much of Thunderlane just yet. He's just been sorta "there" occasionally.
And how dare you imply that he's less than honorable?
He and Cloudkicker are in a very loving marriage. He's a perfectly okay-ish role model to Rumble.
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Oh, that old thing with Granny Smith? I thought that was something TCB people came up with to make being a pony sound better than being a human.
That's exactly right, I almost called it a "static skill bonus" but I wasn't sure if that would be understood, although different cutie marks give different bonuses, like an at will/spell for some ponies, +30 feet movement speed for Rainbow Dash, etc.
Exactly, because Fluttershy's cutie mark magic is probably the equivalent of a permanent speak with animals. From the way certain animals act, it's obvious they aren't charmed by her magic, but mostly by her being kind and patient and friendly, etc.
On the other hand, I bet Fluttershy's self-proclaimed "destiny" is to befriend animals, and for a gal with low self esteem like her, it's easy to attribute her success to her destiny, rather than her own efforts. Then she meets a large group of shy animals with no chance to warm up, and she think's she's failed her "destiny," so rather than interpret it differently, she goes nuts. I bet in the days and weeks after the gala, she probably convinced herself that her cutie mark was actually "befriending animals who need me," like refugees from the Law of the Jungle surrounding the Everfree Forest, but not the pampered pets of the Royal Gardens. That or a similar fabrication. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad thing, it's just ponies resolving the cognitive dissonance between doing what the want to do and what they feel they are destined to do. Now they can enjoy whatever they're doing without feeling like they've disappointed the 10 year-old version of themselves.
Depends on how you define special talent. In Applejack's case I would say you have a good point there, although she certainly throws in a ton of hard work and some creativity as well. (I bet if you asked AJ in your story what her special talent is right now, she would say its coordinating and working hard to help her extended family, which consists of all of Ponyville now. Or maybe she wouldn't because if anypony would stick to their original version and never tolerate any lying to themselves, of course it's best apple horse.)
Rarity on the other hand, has become a famous designer, and Rainbow Dash a famous wonderbolt, with practically no help from destiny at all. They have a little skill bonus, and some ponies end up with that skill bonus unrelated to their actual career, but in my version their is no destiny that actually determines your fate (at least not related to cutie marks, lets leave alicorns and the elements of harmony out of things). It's 99% all you, or 100% if you decided after you get your cutie mark that you want to do something your cutie mark magic doesn't help. I think cutie marks are only a big deal in the sense that ponies use them as a social tool in a lot of ways, and appreciate an external locus of blame for when things go wrong.
Dreary is a strong word. It had awesome fight sequences, and it's really hard to cut in comedy and fluffy slice of life with those. Curse of the adventure tag I guess.
Oh yeah of little faith! I will swear by Button Bell until the Fimfic servers independently evolve past the singularity, become CelestAI, and forcibly induct me into Equestria, whereupon I shall demand the chance to hang out with that cute couple having milkshake races!
I never said he was less than honorable! I'm sure that he's a paragon of respect to mares, I just meant that
TwitterFlitter and Cloudchaser are twins who love to share everything with each other, and who can judge them for that?5153247
Yeah, it's more the Granny Smith/Ponyville Bicentennial Celebration reconciliation kinda thing (Don't remember if there was a bicentennial or not, come to think of it).
Can't speak for the TCB crowd. I, personally, think opposable thumbs are the bomb.
I always kinda wanted to try out a pony tabletop rp game.
(though most of my knowledge of that comes from Darths and Droids.)
It's a very interesting thought to give cutie marks power in and of themselves. It fits well with the Cutiepox episode and "Miracle Cure," too.
Only thing I have trouble stomaching is ponies making excuses for destiny's little tendency towards railroading. That's just me, though, and you really shouldn't mind me.
It's offset, too, by this:
Gotta love that personal choice. Gotta love that free will.
In her heart, she might say that. Out loud...
"Mayor Applejack, we have received reports that your special talent makes you unsuited to office. Can you tell us what your special talent is?"
"Buckin' apples! Get outta mah office!"
What my cutie mark is telling me is that I'm building stats for the wrong class.
Awesome action, yes, but I also managed to turn Twilight into an antivillain, somehow. It's a little rough for a story tagged "comedy," ain't gonna lie.
I am in awe at your devotion!
...You think CelestAI would sneak me in as a dragon?
Cloudkicker, dude. Cloudkicker.
And speaking of her, right now I can't tell if you're gonna love or hate her. 
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Full disclosure, I found the fandom because I was already into d&d, and then I found this: Friendship is Dragons. That's probably where I developed my views on cutie marks.
See I think we agree here, because I'm saying for the average pony, destiny has practically no effect on them. I just think it's a popular delusion that it does, the Equestrian equivalent of "every vote counts" or something. Now, if you're saying some ponies might be assholes and then be all "well, that's what my cutie mark is telling me." Yeah, that would get pretty annoying.
Ponies who wish to question the personal life or destiny of the mayor can take it up with the Press Secretary, Bucky McGillicutty. (Kicks Magee doesn't have a position, he's the lazy hoof.)
3 Words: Dark Shadow Lightning. And how many great stories have Twilight as a nightmare-possessed anti-villain? Tons, heck the Petriculture Cycle does it, and it's awesome.
I had that idea since day 1, but the whole series was written before Twilight could effortlessly change pony's species, so who knows how it would go?
Hmmm. Either you mean Cloudkicker is dating Flitter, in which case I don't really care, or you mean that Cloudkicker is some sort of prudish scold, which would be the most hilarious thing ever. "Banging... Banging everywhere. and I'm gonna stop it!"
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Booookmaaaarrrrkkkkk!!!
Delusion isn't very magical.
I can see a million teenagers in a million basements, all crying out "But I got a cutie mark for Nuclear Fusion! I don't wanna work at Hayburger!"
The Perticulture Cycle's on my long shortlist (or maybe short longlist) of stories I need to read. I like what I've read of Flash Fog, so I'm looking forward to how Kwakerjak pulls the Twilight thing off.
Dark Shadow Lightning still sends me into giggle fits. He's a costar in the next Background Ascension, which I'll post just as soon as I finish it. It may be a month, it may be next year, but it's definitely coming!
I mean Thunderlane is married to Cloudkicker, not Cloudchaser. Don't know about Prudish Scold, but we're gonna find out what ponies from the Highlands of the Rocking Mountains are like.
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Were you asking for a link? I embedded it in Friendship is Dragons, but here you go (I linked to the page where they are going on about the bonuses from their cutie marks): http://friendshipisdragons.thecomicseries.com/comics/14
True, it's not. But it's the only way I see ponies squaring the circle of permanent tattoo gained at the age of 12 that contains lifelong relevance, without the crushing hand of destiny micromanaging everyone. For example,
I really hope these teenagers can convince themselves that mushroom cloud represents a bloomin' onion or something, so they'll be happy.
Dare, I ask, will we be blessed with his musical gifts again? I still laugh every time I think "crush a pagoda."
Oooops. I thought you meant Cloudkicker was just some nosy busybody who didn't approve of old-fashioned herds or something. Damn Pegasi having like 30 weather names and just repeating. How many ponies in Cloudsdale are named Cirrus right now? Final question: Will Cloudkicker help us understand the logical fallacy of "No True Scottsmare?"
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I mean that I bookmarked the page with my web browser. Thanks.
Asparagus farms. That's where the famous physicist Einszwei got his start.
Hehehehehe. I'll see if I can't fit it in.
Latest census shows about three hundred ponies with some variation of Cirrus, ranging from Cirrus Alee to Fly So Cirrus.
I'm sorry about that last pun.
She's maybe more likely to fall prey to it, in her own special way.
"Nae pegasus in their right mind wears a kilt, ye ken? There's drafty, an' then there's askin' fer the wind tae blow where the sun dinnae shine!" There's a reason she moved to Ponyville.
Don't be, I think we just figured out who Surprise's boyfriend is!
That phrase could have a different meaning in Equestria, one you might want to save for Daybreak. After all, where in Equestria do villainous assassins and nefarious foes plot the downfall of all ponykind? "Where the sun don't shine."
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I'd play off that, but it'd be dangerously close to explaining the joke. And if you explain the joke...
That would be properly chilling. Although, the problem with plotting in the dark places of the world is that they're Princess Everloving Luna's domain. I look forward to showcasing just what lies in the shadows where villains fear to tread.
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Man, can't plot in the sunlight, can't plot in the darkness, and nowadays you can't even plot in the twilight. I guess true villains in Equestria have to buy a lot of fluorescent bulbs, huh?
So, it seems that Discord is dying? Maybe there is some kind of scope for one last Crusade after all...?
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I'm thinking their best bet is to farm bioluminescent slugs and hope for the best.
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Dying... maybe not so much physically as he is mentally. Being an immortal spirit of chaos, he doesn't have much in the way of a lifespan one way or the other.
There may be hope for him, even though we won't see the final final outcome of it in this particular story. We will get some finality here, though. A certain degree of closure.
5161623 It's pretty unlikely, but I really hope this is all some elaborate scheme of Discord's to guilt everyone into adding Draconequi to Sunday prayer.
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No, the 'bringing out inner beauty' thing was there from the beginning, albeit significantly less metaphorical. Remember where Rarity got the gems from? She found them hidden inside a dumb rock.
5167506 Sure, she did bring them out, but what have we seen her do? Use her magic talent to dig up more gems. We've never seen it help her design a dress or makeup for someone. She's good at those things, because its a skill like any other and Rarity has worked very hard to perfect that skill, but there is no magic radiating out from her flank that changes the design of her dresses to some superior configuration that optimally complements the looks of the customer, which is what would be happening if her special talent really was "bringing out inner beauty."
See my earlier comments above for how/why ponies believe in destiny and attribute their prowesses to their cutie marks.
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It's highly unlikely, but maybe it'll result in the same?
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It's always been the way I looked at it, but when you've got conflicting headcanons, all you can do is compare, contrast, and bid each other a good day.
It's why for this story I just abandoned all headcanon and did my own thing. It makes sense to me, it has internal logic, and it fits. What more can I ask for?
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She's also used her magic to fashion a finished dress out of swaths of cloth and repair a broken wagon wheel with presumably the same "Put it together and what have you got? Bippity boppity boop" spell. I realize you weren't trying to confine her to just the one spell, but me personally, I think she's got a whole repertoire of spells that help accentuate her core destiny. All parts need to come together to make a whole, after all. The gemfinder was just the one that kickstarted her quest to shine across Equestira.
But again, all I can do is share my perceptions until they give us something more concrete than "It thowth what maketh a pony thpethial."
Well, you can't argue with the series creator's avatar, can you?
Also, regarding what I was saying earlier about cutie marks and employment trends, there's a great new 1000 word story that makes a much more cogent point.
Time for the Chapter 10 Review:
Have griffons figured out gunpowder so fast that it's already common knowledge what it can do? Also, that's a different wagon, right?
It's nice that between Scoots and Button they're starting to get through to Sweetie Belle. When exactly did Button and Sweetie start crushing on each other in this universe?
I'll be honest, that whole scene with Discord was pretty awesome. Not only were the "visuals" entertaining, you managed to turn him into a tragic hero, who could save himself by hurting others but refuses to do so. You showed how the season 4 finale affected him, and it was even supported by the latest Discord episode. The scene was rather moving, so kudos for that. It also nicely followed from earlier scenes with him.
Finally, the beginning of the date. Man, Rumble's good. Smooth compliments, taking her to a nice restaurant, snazzy suit, take notes people, this stallion knows how to treat a lady. He also knows how to treat Scootaloo.
So yeah, great chapter, especially the Discord scene, and nothing to complain about anywhere else. Till next time, shalom.
A Discord cameo and a Button Mash cameo? ...Give Luna my thanks, this is the best dream I've had in a long time.
Ha!
I see what you did there!
Just ask him out Sweetie, and nice job on this chapter.