Chapter 16 Part 1: To Honor an Elder
Chapter 16 Part 1:
To Honor an Elder
The Next Day-
“This does what?!”
Applejack stood on the porch of the homestead with her jaw hung slack. The sun had just risen into the sky, and with it had come a knock on the door. She’d answered it to find Pinkie standing outside, bouncing on her hooves and wearing a toothy smile. She’d ushered Applejack outside and showed her a tiny vial of electric-blue liquid from her saddlebags.
“It’ll make the pain of her arthritis go away,” Pinkie whispered. “It has no side-effects and isn’t addictive. Tasteless, too.”
Applejack beheld the Elder's Elixir with wide eyes. “Where’d you get this?”
“Zecora and I made it,” Pinkie said. “It’s our birthday gift to her. Slip it in her breakfast and she’ll be in tip-top shape!”
“Pinkie, I don’t think I can—“
Pinkie silenced her with a hoof. “Our grannies were best friends for over fifty years. We both loved it when they came to visit each other, and if I had a bit for every story they told us about the things they did growing up, I could open my own bakery.”
Applejack wanted to reply, but Pinkie’s words hit her with a wave of nostalgia. She blinked several times and tried to force it away.
Pinkie smiled warmly and gently pushed the vial into Applejack’s hooves. “This isn’t charity or pity. I love your granny almost as much as I loved my own, and I hate seeing her like this. The only thing I feel bad about is that I couldn’t do something sooner.”
Applejack stared at the medicine in her hooves. The early morning light filtered through the bottle, turning her coat neon green. “I never knew there was a cure for arthritis. This is expensive, isn’t it?”
“And rare,” Pinkie said. “Make sure she drinks all of it, okay?”
Applejack cradled the vial like a newborn. “I… I don’t know what to say.”
Pinkie shook her head. “You don’t have to say anything. After everything your family has been through, all I want is to see her smile again. I know that’s what my granny would want, too.”
Applejack lowered her head, then, without warning, seized Pinkie in an embrace. She hiccuped once and she buried herself in Pinkie's frizzy mane.
“Pinkie, t-thank you...” Applejack sobbed. “Thank you so much...”
Pinkie closed her eyes and returned the hug.
“Edith promised my Granny that she wouldn't let the past blind her from seeing the present or looking to the future,” she whispered. “Tonight’s going to be special, and I want her to be able to celebrate with us. This is just my way of making it easier for her.”
The two broke. Applejack coughed once and tried to hide her puffy eyes, fervently wishing she hadn't left her hat inside.
“I have to finish getting ready for the day,” she mumbled. “I'll see you this afternoon?”
“Yep!” Pinkie said. “The helpers'll be here at two to start setting up the stage, and the orders are all in place.”
Applejack raised a hoof and leaned against the porch. The apple trees beyond the homestead bulged with their crops, their branches weighed down by an overabundance of almost-ready fruit.
“Pinkie.”
Pinkie stopped closing the fastening on her saddlebags and looked up.
Applejack met her eyes and spoke in a level tone. “I'm sorry I couldn't come to the funeral.”
A strong gust rose from the west. Pinkie inhaled deeply, and let the scent of wet leaves and early morning dew carry her back into some of her fondest memories—those which she spent with her long-departed grandmother.
“No one held it against you,” she said in a far-off voice. “Manehatten’s hundreds of miles away, after all. Did you even hear about it in time?”
“Only just,” Applejack muttered. “Think it was like the day before, or somethin’. It’s hard to remember, the time I spent there’s just a miserable blur of smog, fancy talk, and prissy tasteless food.”
Pinkie snorted. “We all knew you wanted to come, and that's all that matters.” She quickly went back to her cheery self. “Now, we have a lot to do today, so we'd better both get going. I'll see you this afternoon!”
Applejack nodded her farewell and went back inside with the vial. Pinkie crossed the farmyard, and met up with Ras and Vigil waiting outside the gate. The three of them walked out of Sweet Apple Acres and along the cobblestone path towards Ponyville.
Pinkie hummed a snippet of a merry tune that only she could hear as she walked, and smiled as the depths of her eyes sparkled briefly with a brilliant blue light.
“I really do love surprises.”
That Evening-
“Twilight?” Rainbow knocked on the door. “You in there?”
Rainbow stood outside Twilight’s library with Esra and Tastar a few minutes before six. The sun had just set, the stars were just beginning to fill the violet, darkening sky, and the library was dark and still. Esra and Tastar flew up to examine the windows and balcony door, which they found to all be locked. The lights were all turned off, and no movement could be seen from inside.
“I think she already left,” Tastar said as he came back around.
Rainbow chuckled. “Either that or she’s battened down the hatches. This might be her first line of defense.”
The two guards had gotten to know Rainbow well enough to know when she was kidding and when she was serious. They were both surprised to find this was the latter.
“Is she really that… dedicated?” Esra leaned in closer to one of the windows.
“That’s one way of putting it,” Rainbow said dryly. “Twilight can be devious when she wants to be.”
“Do you wanna just go?” Tastar asked. “Not like it’ll take long to come back and storm the place if she’s not there.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow spread her wings and jumped into the air. “I’m starving, anyway.”
The three of them took wing and rose over Ponyville. Esra and Tastar looked down as they ascended, and noted that the town seemed emptier than usual. Many houses had their lights turned off, there were only a few ponies in the streets, and even the skies above were strangely vacant. Rainbow angled west and led them headed towards Sweet Apple Acres, and as they did, they noticed a long line of ponies heading in the same direction as them on the ground and in the air. They got high enough over the trees in the orchard and beheld the homestead just beyond.
Sweet Apple Acres was alive. Ponies of all types, ages, and gender, filled the grounds, dancing, talking, eating, laughing, drinking, and celebrating. Tall lights had been erected all around the farmyard, filling it with a warm, inviting glow. A long line of ponies still trickled into the farm, and the wind carried a thin strain of lively music to their ears that beckoned them forward to the festivities.
Tastar made a low whistle. “That’s a lot of ponies.”
“Half the town must be down there!” Esra exclaimed. “Does this happen every year?”
“Depends on if there’s a good harvest,” Rainbow said over her shoulder. “AJ told me they have a lot this year.”
The three of them descended and landed over by Rainbow’s multicolored bullseye out in the empty field beside the house. They got a better look of the festivities as they approached: A large flat stage had been erected beside the barn, and a group of earth ponies all wearing straw hats were playing an assortment of country tunes on banjos, fiddles, guitars, drums, and a piano. The center of the farmyard was filled with ponies dancing in tune to the music, and tables had been set up inside and around the barn. A large assortment of apple-related foods and drinks were set and being served, and a long, steadily moving line was moving in and out of the barn. Almost of the tables were occupied with jovial occupants, and all around the grounds were small groups of ponies engaging in various conversations. Near the farmstead was an especially large crowd, who were all gathered around a single pony that the three of them couldn’t see from their angle.
Esra wrinkled his brow. “All of this for one mare’s birthday? Is she really that big of a deal?”
Rainbow smiled. “Applejack’s grandma is awesome. She’s the head of the Apple Clan, a pioneer, one of the founders of Ponyville, the oldest mare in town, and the inventor of Zapapple Jam. Combine that with the fact that she’s a legendary cook and they have a bumper crop of apples this year? I'm not surprised at the turnout.”
“I’d wager there’d still be a lot here even if she wasn’t all that.” Tastar’s stomach rumbled. “The words ‘free food’ tend to draw a crowd.”
“Good food, too.” Rainbow caught a whiff of the scents floating out of the barn and licked her lips. “You guys do what you want. I’m getting dinner.”
“What about Twilight?” Tastar reminded her.
“I think I see her.” Esra pointed over by the homestead. They followed his hoof, and saw the pony in question at a table conversing with Fluttershy, who had her back turned to them. “Is that the Bearer of Kindness she’s with?”
“Her name’s Fluttershy,” Rainbow said with a glance, “and yes, that’s her. Don’t stare at her wings. It makes her nervous.”
“What’s wrong with her—hooooly Mother of Celestia.” Tastar’s eyes filled his head. Fluttershy had turned to let them see her profile, and he saw that her wings, while still folded, covered her entire frame and extended far past her tail.
“Doesn’t look like anything’s wrong with them to me.” Esra hid his mouth beneath a hoof. “Wouldn’t you agree, Tastar?”
“Yeah,” he said in an odd tone. “Nothing at all…”
“She’s out of your league,” Rainbow said matter-of-factly. She started to walk off, but stopped when she realized they weren't following her.
“You guys gonna give me a little freedom?” she asked.
“All the guards are here.” Esra nudged Tastar, who still hadn’t looked away from Fluttershy. “Between the thirteen of us, at least one of us’ll have an eye on you.”
Rainbow gaze flickered to Tastar, but then she shrugged. “‘Kay. Meet up with you later, then.” She trotted off towards the barn.
A bit of drool was dangling from the corner of Tastar’s mouth. Esra rolled his eyes and smacked his partner upside the head.
“You’re in no position to be stepping up to the plate!” he hissed.
Tastar laughed and sheepishly rubbed his head. “Oh, come on. Can’t blame a guy for appreciating the finer things in life.”
Esra looked over the crowd and searched for the other guards. It wasn't long, though, before his eyes betrayed him, and slowly crept over to where Tastar's had been. He finally gave in and shamelessly gawked at Fluttershy with a wistful sigh.
“Very fine.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
Twilight and Spike munched on Apple Kabobs as they sat across from Fluttershy, who’d been regaling them of her visit to Dragon Turtle Lake on Monday. Twilight had never been there herself, but the name and the significance of the place wasn’t lost on her. What she didn’t know about, however, was the presence of an enigmatic creature that Fluttershy merely referred to as ‘Master.’ She seemed to have known him for some time, and spoke of him with great fondness.
“You said he knows the Princess?” Twilight tried to keep her voice clear as she ate her dinner.
Fluttershy seemed not to notice either way. “More than that. She found him washed up on the shore of the lake nine hundred years ago when he was just a baby. She took him back to Canterlot, nursed him back to health, and he lived there for two centuries because they’d gotten attached to each other. She only took him back to Dragon Turtle Lake because he got too big.”
“How big is he?” Spike asked.
Fluttershy turned to him. “When he had to leave, or now?”
Spike flicked a piece of crust off his claw. “I’m guessing you don’t know the first one, so let’s go with now.”
Fluttershy thought for a moment. “It’s hard to say. The easiest thing would be to say that I’m about the size of one of his eyes.”
Spike looked Fluttershy up and down. His lips parted as he got an idea of the scale. “Whoa...”
Twilight swallowed her bite. “This is news to me. I thought the only pet she had was Philomena!”
Fluttershy bobbed her head in time to a new song that’d started. “Oh, he’s not her pet. Dragon Turtles are very reclusive and rare, but they’re as smart as ponies. It’d be more accurate to say they’re like mother and son.”
Twilight stopped chewing for a moment, and gauged Fluttershy’s face. Her friend wasn’t one to jest, but the gravity of such a claim made it sound like a joke.
“Doesn’t that mean he’s, well… a prince?”
Fluttershy giggled. “I asked him that, too. He said that Celestia never formally adopted him. They love each other as much as family can, but it would’ve been too complicated for him to participate in government affairs. Dragon Turtles have very specific living conditions, and for one as big as Master... well, it wouldn’t have worked out. I know he helps her in other ways, though.”
“Like what?” Spike asked.
“He watches the Great Southern Rainforest,” Fluttershy said. “That area is largely untamed and unexplored because the Changeling Wastes are right across Eternity’s Crossing, which is right on the southeast border of it. He makes sure the Changelings honor the Peccatum Pactum, and don’t overstep their bounds.”
Spike rested his head on his elbows. “You know, I’ve never known much about Changelings. Are they friendly?”
“No.”
“No.”
Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other, as they’d both spoken at the same time. They grinned and started laughing.
“Trust me, Spike,” Twilight said. “The less you know about them, the better. And get your elbows off the table.”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Yes, Mom.”
Twilight ignored the title and now turned her attention to the piece of the legendary pie she’d managed to snag. “So, how’d you meet Master?”
Fluttershy smiled. “The first time I came to the lake, I saw an island really far out that I wanted to go to, but I didn’t think I could make it back. I landed on the shore instead and spoke to a passing seagull, who introduced me to his elder, who in turn asked the dragon turtles if they could give me a ride out to the island. I spent a few days out there, and during that time, word spread around the lake that there was a pony that could understand the animal language. That caught the attention of Master, and he came out to meet me. We’ve been friends ever since.”
“And here I thought I was the only who had connections to royalty,” Twilight mused. “What does he say about her?”
Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin. “I haven't asked him much about Celestia. The only reason I know about his past is because he called her ‘Mother’ the first time we met. He’s said that she’s really kind and does everything for a reason, but that’s about it. Oh, and he thinks that the reason only we can use the Elements is because they’ve ‘left their mark’ on us.”
Twilight wiped a bit of whipped cream off her chin. “I suspect that, as well. Just goes to show, you can never be too careful with ancient pieces of magic. I guess it’s no surprise that the Princess didn’t make the Symbols of the Elements common knowledge, but I still wish there was another way I could find them without having to leave.”
Fluttershy scrunched her eyebrows. “There really isn’t any other way?”
Twilight sighed. “I’ve tried everything I can think of. The only thing left is to go do a little hunting on my own. Don’t worry, I’ve some ideas on where to start looking. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Still, though, I hate to see you go.”
“Join the club,” Spike grumbled.
Fluttershy turned to him. “You’re not going?”
Spike’s eyes flicked to Twilight for a moment, then spoke in an unconvincing monotone. “Someone has to watch the library.”
Fluttershy didn’t hear his tone over the music, and had relied on reading his lips to get the gist of what he’d said. She gave a sympathetic nod. “You’re welcome over at my house any time if you get lonely, okay?”
Spike’s face brightened. “I might take you up on that.”
She turned back to Twilight. “You’ll be careful, won’t you?”
Twilight took another bite of pie. “I won’t be alone. We each have our own little entourage, remember?”
“That’s true.” Fluttershy scanned the crowd for Megnii and Spesci. She didn’t see Spesci, but she saw Megnii standing by himself over by the chicken coop. He seemed to be holding a conversation with someone, but there weren’t any other ponies in sight. She suppressed a snicker and turned back to Twilight. “Are yours nice? I was nervous at first, but I’ve come to like mine after getting to know them.”
Twilight searched for her own guards. Blair was in line getting food, and Ace standing by the stage talking to a black stallion. Piro was nowhere to be found. “I like Piro. He’s clever and helps me brainstorm ideas for my research. Ace is… polite. I don’t know him very well, but I get the feeling we don’t have much in common. Blair’s fine. He respects my space, keeps to himself for the most part, and knows enough about magic that I can carry on a conversation with him. Living with him has been pretty uneventful... until last night, that is.”
“What happened?” Fluttershy asked.
“He scared us half to death.” Spike picked his teeth with a claw. “I’m sleeping with my earplugs in tonight.”
Twilight smacked his claw away and conjured a toothpick for him instead. She looked back at Fluttershy and ran a hoof through her mane. “We heard banging noises coming from downstairs around two in the morning. I found him violently flailing in his sleep, hitting the walls and shivering like he was out in a snowstorm. I woke him up, but when he saw me, he screamed and started rambling about something chasing him.”
“I’ve never heard of a nightmare that bad!” The current song rose to a crescendo, and Fluttershy moved in a little closer to Twilight. “What did you do?”
Twilight went a faint tinge of red. “Um... the wrong thing, apparently. I tried to get him to talk about it, but that only made him delirious. He lost control of his magic, yelled something about the horizon and a seal, and teleported away.”
“Teleported?!” Fluttershy yelled. “Where’d he go?”
Twilight rubbed the ear Fluttershy had just shouted in. “Turns out he’d gone to Piro because they’ve known each other for a long time, and he knew how to calm him down. I ran into him at the front door of the house the other guards are staying in.”
Fluttershy relaxed as the music died down again. “Is he all right now?”
Twilight nodded. “Mostly. He’s still having a little trouble controlling his magic.”
“It’s creepy,” Spike said. “He gives off a faint chill that’s feels like he’s sucking the warmth out of you.”
“Why would that happen?”
Twilight watched as Blair disappeared into the barn. “Unicorns get their magic recharged through sleeping, and it can lead to problems if it gets disrupted. I shouldn’t have tried to wake him up mid-dream like that. I’m just glad he didn’t hurt himself.”
Applejack carried two new barrels of apple cider on her back and walked over to the beverage table inside the barn. They’d run low from a sudden influx of guests, and now the line was spilling out into the farmyard. She quickly set down the barrels down with ease, pulled out a tap, and stuck it into one of the barrels. She filled an empty mug and slid it over to the first pony in line without looking up.
“You’re Applejack, correct?”
Applejack noticed a faint chill in the air that made her hair stand on end. She looked up, and saw that the receiver of the mug was a teal unicorn stallion she hadn’t met before.
She nodded and kept filling the mugs. “Nice to meet ya. You new ‘round town?”
“My name’s Blair.” he stepped to the side and lowered his voice. “I’m one of Twilight’s guards.”
Applejack paused in her work and eyed him with newfound interest. “Ahh, gotcha. She around, then? I haven’t had a chance to see who’s here.”
Blair pursed his lips and squinted with one eye. “She’s over by the house at a table with Spike talking with somepony I haven’t met.”
Applejack’s eyes went wide. “How’d you…”
“I have my ways.” Blair took a drink.
Applejack watched him apprehensively. “Uh, Blair?”
He lowered his mug. “Hmm?”
“Just so you know, that’s hard cider.”
Blair blinked and smacked his lips. Sure enough, he caught the tough aftertaste of alcohol. Strong alcohol.
“Oops.” He put down the mug. “I didn’t mean—“
“BLAIR!”
He turned to see Ras staring agape at the mug in his hoof.
“What the hell, dude?! You’re drinking without me?!”
Blair shook his head. “I didn’t mean—“
“Oh, no. Too late now.” Ras sauntered up and grabbed one of his own. “You shouldn’t have started what you didn’t intend to finish.”
“Ras, we’re supposed to to be—"
“—partners in crime?” Ras clinked their mugs. “My thoughts exactly.”
Blair looked down at his drink, then up at Ras. His face contorted with inner turmoil. “How long has it even been?”
“Too damn long.” Ras took a sip. “You kept saying you were worried about ‘providing to a minor.’”
Blair narrowed his eyes. “Watch it.”
Ras burst out laughing and leaned on Blair’s shoulder. “We’re all here, for Celestia’s sake! I’m sure the others can manage for one night. That is, if Miss Applejack here can keep our little secret.”
“The Element of Honesty keeping a secret, eh?” Blair raised an eyebrow, and they both looked to her.
Applejack chuckled. “It’d be a bit out of my way to let Celestia know about anything. It’d be a different story if she showed up right this very minute and started askin’ about it, though. I don’t see the harm in ya’ll enjoyin’ a drink or two, so long as ya don’t go overboard.”
Ras felt Blair’s shoulders sag. Sensing his victory, Ras raised his mug to Applejack and led Blair to a faraway table. His voice faded into the background of the party as they walked off.
“I just talked to Piro. Sounds like you could use a little something to warm you up, anyway…”
Applejack continued filling the mugs, giving a greeting to any and all that passed her by. The latest song ended, and was followed by the ground shaking as the audience gave their enthusiastic applause. The crowd thinned as a few ponies broke away from the main grounds, searching for friends, food, or drink. Applejack raised her chin and looked above the crowd for Mac.
“Please tell me you have more than just booze.”
Applejack didn’t need to look to recognize the owner of the voice beside her. “Not feelin’ it tonight, Rainbow?”
Rainbow balanced a plate of food on a wing and sniffed the mugs on the table. “I just started a new training regimen. I can have the pie since I’ll burn that easily, but alcohol’s a no-no.”
“Mac’s bringin’ in some more normal cider from the house. He should be back in a sec.” Applejack caught a flash of red in the crowd, but it turned out to be a thin unicorn she hadn’t seen before.
Rainbow went around the table to allow the ponies behind her pass by. “How’ve you been? Haven’t had a chance to catch up with you.”
“I’m hangin’ in there.” Applejack pulled out a handkerchief from under her hat and wiped her brow. “You know how it is this time of year.”
Rainbow looked out the back door of the barn, which was open and led out into the apple orchards. The light from the party sparkled off the bright red apples from the closest trees. “Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you this season. Think you guys can get ‘em all?”
Applejack made a dismissive noise. “You forget who you’re talkin’ to. There ain’t been an Applebuck Season yet this family hasn’t handled.”
“Don’t think your family’s ever had an Applebuck Season like this one, though.” Rainbow nibbled on a dumpling. “There’s gotta be like, twice as much as you normally have out there!”
“More’n that.” She finally saw Mac, who had just hitched himself up to a cart filled with half a dozen barrels. He made his way around the crowd to the back door of the barn. “Some of the trees are so laden that their branches are startin’ to bend. We were gonna give it another fortnight, but with the way things are going we’re thinkin’ of starting next week, instead.”
“You know I’d be more than willing to give you a hoof if you need it,” Rainbow murmured through a mouthful of food.
“And you know I like a challenge,” Applejack replied. “Don’t you worry none about it. I’ve got my new ‘farmhands’ to help me out, remember?”
Rainbow smirked evilly. “You’ve been putting them to work, haven’t you.”
“Pushed their noses to the grindstone the minute they got here.” Mac arrived with the barrels of non-alcoholic cider. Applejack immediately took one out and started to fill new mugs. “It works out in the end. Nopony thinks anything of ‘em, and they get to earn their keep. They’ve been downright useful, to be honest, and I enjoy havin’ company out in the fields.”
“Oh really?” Rainbow said slyly. “You ‘enjoy their company?’”
“Like you don’t know what I’m talkin’ about,” Applejack said. “How boring does it get sittin’ up on one of them clouds by yourself all day?”
Rainbow downed a mug of cider. “As boring as you’d think. I do patrols to check on my workers, but otherwise I’m alone all day. I’d talk to anyone, save for Esra. Actually, I take that back. He’s not so bad anymore.”
Applejack helped Mac unload the rest of the barrels, who then took the cart away on another errand. “Esra’s one of yours, I take it? How’s it been going?”
Rainbow shuffled. “We had a rocky start. I was running them through flight training so that I wouldn’t have to hold back for them as much. I wanted them to be able to do their job, but I didn’t think they could because I was comparing them to myself. They realized that before I did, so they showed me that they have a different kind of strength.”
“Different kind?” Applejack echoed. “Like what?”
“Well, Tastar’s a—what was it again? Dragoon? Yeah, that’s it.” Rainbow took a bite of pie and was transported into ambrosia heaven. She continued a moment later. “Esra’s a martial artist. I sparred with him to see what he could do, but he wasn’t happy about it because he was afraid he was gonna hurt me.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Did he?”
“A little,” Rainbow unconsciously rubbed her neck. “He got me in a chokehold and I had to punch him with my wing to get him to break it. We’d agreed not to use our wings, though, so technically I lost.”
Applejack suppressed a sudden desire to find Esra, hogtie him and roll him down a steep, rocky hillside. “How’d you take that?”
“Not very well.” Rainbow tossed her plate in a bin. “I think it needed to happen, though. It made me see that I was being a hypocrite, and I feel like an idiot for making the same mistake twice. I stopped pushing them so hard, and we’ve been getting along a lot better since then.”
Applejack sighed. “You never can learn things the easy way, can ya?”
“I wasn’t trying to be a jerk,” Rainbow said suddenly. “I was just honestly worried that if something happened, everyone would look at them and say, ‘She took care of it by herself! You must be useless!’ And the whole reason they’re here is to make you-know-who be at ease or whatever, right? So I figured I needed to get them on my level, but then after I sparred with Esra, I realized that the only pony who thought they were useless... was me.”
The Element of Loyalty flickered. It spread out from Rainbow’s core, filling her with searing heat and transforming her body into a furnace.
“I know better," Rainbow said. "Everypony has the potential to be something great, all they need is to feel the drive. I know that desire is there for everyone else too, and regardless of what it means, at the end of the day it lets you walk away knowing without a doubt that you gave it your all. I don’t know why I’ve always felt it so strongly, and why it makes me want to make others be the best they can possibly be, but I'm not lying when I say there's no greater feeling, and I want everyone else to experience it.”
Rainbow stamped a hoof and gritted her teeth. She looked out at the orchards, and a fiery blaze appeared in the depths of her pupils. She continued in a louder, more confident voice.
“Nopony is useless. It’s wrong for anyone to look down on others, but it’s especially wrong for me because that’s not the kind of pony I want to be. I want to be someone who stokes the flames of inner fire. I want to make everypony feel the same intense, burning desire to improve that I do. I want everyone to look at how they can create a better, brighter future, and most of all, the very, very most of all, I want— “
Rainbow snapped out of her musings and noticed the strange silence around her. She turned, and saw that two dozen ponies had gathered around her, all of them filled with the same awestruck, open-mouthed looks of wonder. The ponies at the nearby tables had stopped to stare as well, paused in mid-bite and drink. The crowd around her had been slowly leaning forward, hanging on her every word as her voice gained passion, intensity... and power.
Applejack was no less affected. She rested her chin on a hoof and leaned on one of the barrels, wearing a giant smile on her face and staring at Rainbow with clear, attentive eyes.
“Go on, sugarcube,” she said softly. “Don’t mind any of us none. What is it you want most of all?”
The Element of Loyalty flared. The temperature around Rainbow rose, and waves of heat rolled off her body that hit Applejack and her audience. She stared at the floor for a moment, then looked back up through her eyelashes.
“Most of all, I want ponies to never give up. If we try hard enough and work together, if we stay strong in the face of doubt, and if we remember the mistakes of the past while looking to the future— “
The fire filled Rainbow’s irises for an instant. It flashed once, and her enraptured audience flinched as the light in her eyes became reflected in theirs. Rainbow enunciated her next words, each one shaking with the force of an echoing thunderclap.
“We. Can. Do. Anything.”
Pinkie stood behind the stage holding a clipboard and speaking with the performers about the next round of musical numbers they were going to play. One of them had forgotten their secondary instrument, and she was debating on how to acquire an empty whiskey jug when she heard a familiar voice from behind her.
“Mina.”
Pinkie’s ears twitched. There were only two ponies that called her that, and one of them was no longer in this world. The musicians noticed the speaker and hurriedly walked away with polite nods. Pinkie slowly turned around, and let out a soft gasp.
Pinkie knew that Granny Smith had led a busy life, and as such, never had much time to invest in her looks. What Pinkie didn’t know, however, was that no matter how dirty a diamond gets, it only needs a bit of cleaning to reveal its luster. Granny stood before her in a dress the color of spring grass inlaid with golden spidery lines that reflected the soft light. Emerald earrings of simple, yet elegant design in the shape of apples adorned her ears, and a beautiful rose agate pendant in the shape of a teardrop graced her neck. She'd let her snow-white hair down to hang free around her shoulders, which was set in place by an intricate silver circlet. She smiled, and Pinkie caught a brief glimpse of the ravishing beauty Granny once, and apparently still was.
“Wow,” Pinkie managed. “Edith, you’re—“
“—as gussied up as you’ll ever see me,” she said in her gruff alto. “I almost didn’ wear the circlet, but the gal who made this here dress insisted it 'had to go with the ensemble.' Jackie’s got some real interestin’ friends, I tell ya.”
Pinkie giggled. “Rarity’s so funny sometimes. She’s really good at this kind of thing, though.”
“Hmph.” Granny motioned away from the party. “Would ya mind takin' a walk with me?”
“Sure.” Pinkie set down the clipboard and followed her lead.
Granny led them around the side of the farmhouse and to the empty open field beyond. Pinkie watched Granny's stride, and held back a happy squeal as she saw that it was strong and unhindered. They approached Rainbow's haybales, and as Granny led them behind, the sounds of the party gave way to the chirping of crickets, and the rustling of the cool wind blowing through the trees.
Granny was silent at first. She cast her eyes up to the stars, staring at something only she could see. She blinked several times, then spoke in a soft voice tinged with a heavy note of loss.
“Do you know who gave me this pendant?”
Pinkie knew the moment she saw it, for its origin was a story she'd heard many times. The pendant was special for many reasons, but the one she liked the most was that the giver and the material of the pendant shared the same name.
Pinkie nodded. “My Granny did.”
Granny looked down at Pinkie with clear, strong eyes. “Rosie made it herself and gave it to me on my wedding day. It’s one the most precious things in the world to me, but it holds so many memories that I couldn’t bear to wear it after Pendragon died. This is the first time I've felt it was a special enough occasion to bring it out.”
Pinkie blinked. “Why’s that?”
A slight upward twitch of Granny's lips was all she betrayed. “Jackie told me what you did.”
Pinkie jerked. “She wasn't supposed to tell you! I had—“
“Now don’t go bein’ mad at her for it,” Granny said gently. “You can't rightly blame her, I was mighty surprised this morning after I drank my tea, took a step forward, and realized I couldn't feel the red hot poker jabbin’ into my right hip anymore. And not to toot my own horn or anythin', but I can be rather convincing when I wanna be.”
Pinkie opened her mouth in protest, but the memories of Granny's reprimanding tone and withering stare made her objections fade away. She should've known Applejack had never stood a chance.
“I just wanted it to be a surprise.” Pinkie muttered and hung her head.
Granny sighed. “Mina, I know full well there’s no cure for arthritis. My hip’s the one that’s crumblin’, not my brain. Dementia don’t even run in the family.”
Pinkie flinched, her eyes wide with alarm. “I don't think you're senile! There’s no way you could raise three kids on your own and maintain a farm for ten years, not to mention be the head of one of the most notable clans in Equestria if you were!”
Granny chuckled. “Do me a favor and tell that to Jackie. You’d think I got two hooves in the grave with the way she acts sometimes.”
Pinkie shifted back and forth. “Edith, I didn't mean—“
“It’s okay,” Granny said soothingly. “I didn’t bring you out here to scold you. After all…”
She winked at Pinkie. “I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.”
Pinkie burst out laughing.
Granny exhaled out her nose and bit her lip. “Now, whatever you gave me that's completely taken away the blasted pain, however temporary it is, I’m mighty grateful for that.”
Pinkie beamed.
“But I didn't bring you out here just for gratitude.” Granny's lips twitched again. “I told you this before, and I still dunno if you'll fully grasp what it means, but that don't stop it from bein' the truth: You are Rose Agate's granddaughter. She loved to pull harmless, playful pranks, see, but in truth her heart went out to ponies that were sufferin'. She wasn't well known for it, though, 'cause she never liked bein' the center of attention. Her methods were subtle, but that didn't make 'em any less effective, nor did it stop her from goin’ out of her way at every opportunity to do as much as she could for ponies. The world's a colder place now that she's gone.”
Pinkie got an odd feeling as Granny spoke. It was the same one children get when their parents lecture them about how they're not as clever as they think.
“I miiiiiiiight know what you mean.” Pinkie swallowed and wet her lips. “I never thought my granny was a sneaky-sneak, though...”
Granny gave her a condescending look. “Don't sully the memory of your forebear, honey. Rosie was a lot of things, but all of 'em were good. She pulled these same kinda stunts, or 'shenanigans,' as she called ‘em, all the time, and every time she did, it meant she had somethin' big up her sleeve.”
Granny's lips finally gave away, and her aged face broke into a knowing smirk. “I don’t think for a minute that you lied to Jackie just so you’d get my hopes up and then throw ‘em to the ground. I've no idea what you’re plannin', but I’d bet the farm you’re just waitin' on a chance to spring it on me. I'm givin' you that chance right now.”
Pinkie fell onto her haunches. She’d worked nonstop for the last two days with Ras on the best ways to get Granny alone, as well as plausible alibis for what would happen when she did. She’d always taken pride in her prowess in subtlety, and as a result, it was a rare occasion that she was outwitted. But here, it was a lesson she gratefully accepted, for it made her see Granny for what she was, and had always been:
A master.
Pinkie laughed as comprehension dawned at last. She played with a lock of her mane. “I really am her granddaughter, aren't I?”
“It's spooky,” Granny said flatly. “You got her curls, as well as her spirit. Don't sell yourself short, though, I just got a few years experience over ya when it comes to this game.”
Pinkie took a quick look around. They were behind the bulls-eyed haybales, completely concealed and alone. Granny really had given her the chance.
“Technically, I didn't lie to Applejack.” Pinkie stepped in close and spoke in a hurried whisper. “I just told her enough of the truth so that she'd fill in the gaps on her own. It's not my fault she came to the wrong conclusion.”
Granny raised an eyebrow. “And why would you need to do that?”
Pinkie lowered her chin into a mischievous smile. “Because the Princess doesn't want her to know yet.”
Something in Pinkie's expression made Granny's eyes gain a far-off look. She shook her head clear to stay in the present. “About what, exactly?”
Pinkie’s closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated on the desire to remove pain and suffering. To soothe the aches and hurts of this world, and fill it with happiness and love. The Element of Laughter responded, and spread out from its place in her heart to fill her body with warmth and joy.
Pinkie giggled and snapped open her eyes, half-filled with shining azure light.
“This.”
“I think we're overdressed,” Grovi said with a wince.
Rarity was walking up to Sweet Apple Acres with Elo and Grovi, who were both wearing black tuxedos complete with velvet ties and cufflinks. Rarity hadn’t thought to say anything to Elo and Grovi about appropriate attire, and wasn't wearing anything other than her earrings and platinum necklace. She’d met up with them on the way there, and now was trying her best not to laugh as the ponies that passed by gave them funny looks.
“I should've realized that Canterlot doesn't have very many hoedowns,” Rarity said with a smile.
Grovi took off his tie and loosened his collar. “They're really well hidden if they do.”
Elo plucked at his tux. “Seeing this kind of thing makes me wonder what our lives would've been like if we hadn't been stuck in the city. This may as well be a different world!”
After Grovi had told Rarity about his and Elo’s childhood, she’d invited them over the next day to let them know two things. The first was that while she was deeply flattered they were treating her like a noble, she didn't want them to do anything that made them uncomfortable. The second was that she'd defer to their judgment when it came to her protection from now on.
Elo and Grovi had insisted they didn't mind treating her the way she deserved to be, and in regards to her protection, the only additional stipulation they had was that she wear her new necklace at all times. Rarity had agreed.
“One must never be ashamed of their roots,” Rarity said firmly. “For better or worse, they've shaped you into who you are. Your morals, appreciation for decency, and sincerity come from your exposure to the callous side of the upper class, and to condemn that would be the same as condemning a part of yourselves.”
Rarity had expected some kind of rebuttal or questioning as to what she meant, but what she got was a duo of suppressed snorts and snickers. She turned, and found both of them staring at her with hooves over their mouths, wearing the same nostalgic smile she'd seen them wear several times before.
Rarity went a tinge of red and shuffled a hoof. “I did it again, didn't I?”
The three of them had developed a camaraderie ever since then due to Rarity’s resemblance to Grovi’s sister, and while he and Elo tried not to make a big deal out of it, there were times when the similarities were… entertaining.
“We're gonna start calling you Crysti at this rate,” Grovi said. “Or maybe Rarysti.”
“Crystarity?” Elo offered.
Rarity gave a snort of her own. “I think you already called me that once by accident. Do you understand what I'm saying?”
“I believe we do.” Grovi bowed. “A wise lesson from a wise Lady.”
“I wouldn't know it if I didn't have it hammered into my own head.” Rarity turned back to look at the sleepy village. “I was born and raised in Ponyville, but my heart has always dwelt in the city. I've had to adapt my crafts at times to accommodate to the tastes of the local clientele, though, and while I'm grateful that it's strengthened my skill-set, I much prefer it when I get to make something a little more... chic.”
“That's probably what threw us off,” Grovi said. “I thought that this might be a formal occasion after we saw that dress you made for the guest of honor.”
Rarity could now see the stage around the corner of the barn. “That's different, dear. This is Edith's night to shine, and she deserves to stand out. Not that she needs much help to do that if she cleans herself up a bit.”
Elo nodded to a passing stallion in stained overalls, who took one look at him and burst out into a raucous guffaw. “This Edith is the Bearer of Honesty's grandmother, correct? The one you went to the spa with this afternoon?”
Rarity nodded. “She’s aged rather well, don’t you think?”
Elo shrugged. “Can't say I'm interested in older mares, but if her looks run in the family, the Bearer of Honesty must be a real beauty.”
“I'll admit I'm jealous of Applejack sometimes.” Rarity sighed. “Some mares have to try very hard to look good, and others only have to rely on their genes. It makes me wish she paid more attention to herself.”
The three of them arrived at the front gate of Sweet Apple Acres. To their right was a long winding line going into the barn. The band was on intermission, and the farmyard was a chaotic mass of bodies and noise.
“See anyone you know?” Grovi asked over the din.
Rarity laughed and stepped aside to let Berry Punch pass her by. “See anyone I don't know, you mean. One of the advantages of growing up in a small town is that everypony knows each other within at least one acquaintance.”
“Seems like that could be a disadvantage too,” Elo said.
“It does lead to gossip at times,” Rarity admitted. She winced as she remembered some of the assumptions she'd made at times due to hearsay. “Although the ponies of this town are hardly a vindictive sort. Again, a side effect of a small town. Can't afford to burn bridges when there aren't that many to begin with.”
An earth pony mare with a blue and pink mane jostled Rarity from behind. She stumbled and fell into Grovi.
“Huh? Ah! I'm so sorry Rarity!” Bon-Bon tried to help her, but was cut off as Elo politely, but firmly pushed her into the party. Grovi supported Rarity with a hoof.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
Rarity was about to reply when a wave of dizziness swept over her. She stumbled again and leaned fully onto him.
“I just... need a moment,” Rarity murmured, ignoring the stares she was getting.
Grovi whispered in her ear. “Did you stop taking your medicine again?”
“No!” Rarity said. She ducked her head as she realized how loudly she'd spoken. “I swear I've been taking it.”
Elo turned and saw that Rarity was barely supporting herself. He bit his lip and disappeared into the crowd.
“How often?” Grovi asked.
“As much as I did before,” Rarity dodged.
“Which is?”
She hung her head and closed her eyes. “Twice a week.”
Grovi led them over to a table. “It's getting worse, isn't it?”
Rarity held a hoof to her head to try and stop the world from spinning. “I don't know why! It's never been this bad before!”
Grovi watched as she swayed back and forth. “Did you sleep at all last night?”
Rarity whimpered. “The dreams came in quick, vivid flashes the minute I drifted off. They were so powerful I couldn’t get back to sleep, even with the pills.”
Grovi took his hoof in hers, his voice oddly urgent. “What did you see?”
Rarity cast her mind back to what she had seen the previous night, and as she did, a cool drop of water landed in the depths of her core. It rippled outward and turned into a swirling spiral that spread outward through her body like a whirlpool of flowing water.
Rarity opened her eyes. Her pupils were filled with a cool silver light, and her faint whispers lingered in Grovi’s eardrums.
“A bolt of lightning being guided by a trio of colorful shadows. It streaked across the sky and disappeared off into the horizon.
A pair of warm, glowing blue lights that hovered over Ponyville, and bathed the citizens in their luminance.
A beautiful rainbow, cloaked in crackling flame. It exploded outward in a shockwave with a sound like thunder.
A massive circle of ponies and wild beasts facing outward. They were guarding a gentle pink light that shone like the sun.
A flawless diamond wall being struck again and again by a trio of hammers. Each of their blows shook the very foundations of the earth, but the wall stood strong.
A river made of silver glass held at bay by a tall, impregnable dam. The waters of the river were rising, and on the other side was a featureless void.
A cracked opaque glass sphere, frozen in time and teetering on the edge of collapse. The silhouette of a pony was inside, still as a statue and baptized in a chaotic spectrum. Beneath it was an abyss, and from it came a noise... an agonizing, excruciating noise that pierced my soul like the sharpest knife.”
Grovi looked around. The band had started again, and Rarity's message was almost lost to the sudden outpouring of music.
“What was it?” Grovi spoke a little louder. “What was the noise?”
Rarity shivered, and the silver light in her eyes faded away.
“Screaming.”
“I brought some help.”
The two of them looked up, and saw Elo standing beside a thin red unicorn. The newcomer met Rarity’s eyes, then gave a sharp intake of breath and clucked his tongue.
Rarity raised her chin at Piro's reaction. “I assure you that I—“
“—should be lying down.” Piro rounded on Elo and Grovi. “How could you let her come here in this state?!”
Grovi shot Elo a dirty look. “You didn’t need to go get Piro! She’s just having a dizzy spell!”
“You know what dizzy spells could mean for her!” Elo shot back. “She might be hovering on the edge of the Danger Zone!”
Piro hadn't sat idle. He now had his hoof on Rarity's forehead and was muttering to himself.
“Are you a doctor?” she asked icily.
“No, I just like checking the temperature of every mare I meet,” Piro snapped. “My name’s Piro. I’m the medic of our platoon, and you, Miss Rarity, are deep in Magical Fatigue.”
Rarity was at least thankful that the three guards were standing around her and blocking her from view. She noted the way Piro’s eyes swept across her, so similar to the way her mother’s did every week. She sighed and held out a hoof, having long ago learned that the best way to deal with doctors was to let them check the basics.
“Do you know the nature of my condition?” Rarity asked.
“I know it has something to do with your magic not getting recharged.” Piro took her wrist in his aura. “Are you not getting enough sleep?”
Rarity flushed as she felt a familiar tingling sensation race through her veins. “You have no idea.”
“This isn’t the place for this.” Grovi looked around apprehensively. “Can we do this another time?”
“Won’t be another time.” Piro made a tiny ball of red light and gently held open Rarity’s eye with his magic. “I’m leaving tomorrow with Twilight.”
Rarity jerked away. “Wait, what?!”
“She’ll be back,” Piro said in an offhand tone. “She’s going to tell you when she finds you. Oh, and on that note, Elo, Grovi, go to Blair right now. He has something to tell you.”
The two guards looked at each other. Elo gestured towards the party, but Grovi looked back one more time to Rarity. “You sure you’ll be all right?”
“I’ll be fine,” Rarity reassured him. “I’ll just have a little chat with Dr. Piro here before I go meet up with the others.”
Elo grunted and yanked on his partner’s tail.
Grovi yelped. “Okay, okay!” He followed Elo into the party. “Yeesh, didn’t have to do that…”
“You’re not in the Danger Zone, so that’s good at least.” Piro sucked on his teeth. “You must feel like you’ve been run over by a cart, though. I'm sure the Bearer of Honesty will let you lie down in the h— “
“That isn’t necessary.” Rarity said. “I’m quite capable of taking care of myself.”
“Any doctor will tell you that if you push yourself much harder right now you’re going to be in serious trouble,” Piro said flatly. “You need to sleep. Preferably for about three days straight.”
Rarity’s body ached at the mention of sleeping for that long, but she didn’t let her discomfort show. “And as much as I wish I could, I unfortunately can’t. Don’t worry, I’ve taken steps to deal with this.”
“Such as?”
“I see a specialist once a week that’s been treating me my entire life, for one.”
“Does she check your font?”
“That and other things,” Rarity said patiently. “She’s very knowledgeable about my affliction, and you can be assured that between her thoroughness and my own experience with my symptoms, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. The only reason I’m running ragged tonight is because I got ambitious and made something that’s out of my comfort zone.”
“What was it?” Piro asked.
Rarity produced a triangular blue manepin out of her saddlebags. “I’ve been reading a lot about Spell Fusion lately, so I was going to show this to Twilight and see if I did it right. I was planning on giving it to her if I did.”
Piro wrinkled his brow. “May I? I’m somewhat versed in advanced magical arts, as well.”
“Help yourself.” Rarity gave him the pin.
Piro took it in his aura and mumbled a few words. Rarity watched him expectantly.
“I’m impressed.” Piro returned the pin. “Spell Fusion is a very delicate process regardless of the level of spells you use, but this has been done perfectly. I didn’t know you were talented in Abjuration.”
Rarity laughed. “More like I have a lot of time on my hooves some nights due to my condition. Twilight gave me a spellbook as a gift some time ago, and it seemed like the easiest thing to do since you can combine any two spells, even low-level—“
“Rarity!”
Rarity looked over to see Twilight waving at her from the edge of the crowd. Standing beside her were Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Spike.
“Oh! There they are.” Rarity delicately got to her hooves and put on an enthusiastic mask. “It was very nice to meet you, Piro, but I think I’ll be going now.”
Piro glanced at the other Bearers out of the corner of his eye, then leaned in close to her. “I highly recommend that you don’t use any magic for several days, not even telekinesis. Even if you can’t sleep, your font will recover a little bit during the day, and that’s better than nothing.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Rarity replied. “Thank you.”
Piro stepped away, bowed, then went about his business.
Rarity carefully weaved through the crowd and closed the distance to her friends. It took her longer than normal, as she was alternating between keeping a normal pace and trying not to bump into anypony. The others didn’t notice. They’d fallen back into conversation amongst themselves, and Rarity came into earshot just in time to hear Rainbow in mid-rant.
“—not a matter of how long you’re going, it’s that you’re going at all!”
“I didn’t want to resort to this, believe me—“
“Then don’t!” Rainbow said. “There has to be some other way to find the other Symbols.”
“Don’t be irrational,” Applejack cut in. “You honestly think she wants to go?”
“Of course I don’t.” Rainbow crossed her hooves. “But that doesn’t mean I like it. This sucks! You’ve only been here a few months, and now you have to go again?!”
“It’s not going to be for very long,” Twilight assured her. “A few months, tops, then once I finish my thesis, I’ll be taking a break for a year.”
“I give it a month before you crack,” Spike said as he lounged on her back.
Twilight narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. “Applejack?”
“Yeah?”
“Swat him for me.”
Applejack obliged and gave Spike a face-full of Stetson. They broke into laughter as he almost lost his balance.
“Will you be spending that m—year here, or in Canterlot?” Fluttershy asked.
“Here,” Twilight shifted as Spike readjusted himself. “The only thing in Canterlot is my family, and they’ve got their own lives going on. I’d have to either go back to the palace or move back home, and all I’d be doing is lounging around reading books all day in either case.“
“And you’re not gonna do that here?” Rainbow teased.
“Of course I will,” Twilight said, “but I get paid to do it here.”
They all laughed again.
Applejack turned and acknowledged Rarity, who had been listening in. “Fashionably late, I see.”
“I didn’t mean to be this time, believe it or not. I was going out the door on time when I decided to check my mail, and saw that I got an invitation.”
“To where?” Spike asked.
Rarity paused for dramatic effect. “To attend the Canterlot Fashion Week!”
“You really got in?!” Fluttershy clapped her hooves. “That’s so great!”
Twilight looked at Applejack and Rainbow, who both shrugged and shook their heads.
“Um, when is it?” Twilight asked.
“The third week of this month!” Rarity danced in place. “I submit a piece every year, but this is the first time they’ve ever accepted me! Oh, this could be my chance to make a real name for myself!”
“You’re going to Canterlot for an entire week?” Rainbow asked.
Rarity’s excitement faded, and for an instant she looked very tired. It passed, though, and she continued with a nod. “I was thinking about where I’d be staying and how I’d be transporting my ensembles, and then I lost track of the time. This is going to be a lot of work, but I’m very excited to do it! I only have ten days to get ready.”
A smirk crept up on Spike’s face. He leaned forward and whispered something in Twilight’s ear, which caused the smirk to spread to her face, as well.
“Have you made reservations anywhere?” Twilight asked.
“Not yet,” Rarity said absentmindedly. “I only just found out less than an hour ago.”
“Don’t bother,” Twilight said. “I can get you in somewhere for free.”
“You don’t need to do that,” Rarity said with a dismissive wave. “I have a little bit of money saved up. I’m sure I can find somewhere nice to stay.”
“Doubt you’ll find somewhere nicer than what we had in mind.” Spike jumped off Twilight’s back and sat on the table to be eye-level with all of them. “We were gonna get you a room in the castle suites.”
All of them, save for Twilight, slowly turned their attention to him.
Rarity tilted her head, alternating between looking at the two of them. “The…cas—buh?”
“I’m the Princess’ personal protégée, remember?” Twilight was finding it harder and harder not to smile. “I may not like to admit it, but it does come with a few perks.”
Rarity took a step back. “I couldn’t possibly impose on the Princess like that!“
“Canterlot Castle has sixty guest rooms,” Twilight said. “In the ten years we lived there, not even half of them were ever filled.”
“We used to play hide-and-seek in them all the time,” Spike said with a nostalgic smile. “Drove the maids nuts. And even by if some bizarre coincidence they are all full, you can just stay in Twilight’s tower.”
“Ix-nay on the ower-tay!” Twilight hissed out of the corner of her mouth..
“You have a tower?” Rainbow asked.
Twilight turned back to see that all the attention had shifted back to her. She coughed once and became very interested in the ground.
“I wouldn’t call it a tower, per se, more like a, um... circular nook... that happens to be in it’s own section of the castle... which miiiiight be in close proximity to... the... Royal... Apartments—you know what?! That doesn’t matter! The point is that you’re not imposing, and there’ll be a place open for you regardless of whether there are any guest rooms! And don’t worry about having to behave because you’re around the Princesses. The Castle is huge! I doubt you’ll see either of them.”
“She might, actually,” Spike pointed out. “You’re all kinda in her good graces right now because of Luna. She might ask you to dinner or something.”
Rarity was swaying back and forth at the implications of dining with royalty. Applejack put out a hoof to steady her.
Rainbow smirked. “Gotta love connections. You’ll have to—”
A thought suddenly came to her. She cleared her throat and scratched her nose. “Hey uh, Twi? I’m gonna be in Canterlot around that time too for a Wonderbolts show. I wasn’t planning on staying the night, but… do you think you can hook me up?”
Twilight chuckled. “I think I can work something out.”
Rainbow did a small victory pump with her hoof.
“I-If it’s not too much trouble,” Fluttershy began, “could I possibly go too? I’ve always wanted to go to Fashion Week, but with hotel expenses I didn’t think—”
“Say no more.” Twilight looked to Applejack, who had zoned out and was tapping a hoof in time to the music. “You want to come, too?”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “A Fashion show, the Wonderbolts, or Applebuckin’ Season. Hmm, I dunno, Twilight, that’s a toughie.”
Twilight laughed. “I’m just checking.”
Rarity finally snapped out of her daze. She squee’d and hugged Twilight. “You’re the best friend ever, you know that?!”
Twilight’s ears went pink at Rarity’s sudden gesture of gratitude. “It’s no big deal, really!”
“No big deal?!” Rarity echoed. “You’re getting us into the palace! I’d call that a pretty big deal!”
Twilight smiled guiltily and raised her eyes to the sky. Rarity broke away, still smiling and giggling like a schoolfilly.
“I’ve never seen that necklace before.” Fluttershy motioned to Rarity’s newest piece of jewelry. “Did you make it?”
“Partially,” Rarity said. “I had the idea and started it, but Grovi finished it for me.”
“I’m assuming Grovi’s one of your guards,” Rainbow said. “You know, we really should just all meet up and introduce each other so we know who we’re talking about.”
Rarity looked over and saw Grovi standing next to a table talking to Blair. “He’s such a dear. It broke while I was making it, but he fixed it for me! And not only that, he reinforced it and placed enchantments on it!”
Twilight was staring at the necklace with a curious look in her eye. “Does that symbol mean anything, by chance?”
Rarity shook her head. “I saw it in a dream and thought it was pretty. My brain has a tendency to make random things sometimes.”
“It’s beautiful,” Fluttershy murmured. “The sapphires match your eyes.”
“Yeah,” Spike said wistfully. “Beautiful.”
Twilight pursed her lips as she stared at the jewelry. “Huh.”
“Oh! That reminds me.” Rarity reached into her saddlebags and pulled out the triangular manepin. “Twilight, I have a gift for you.”
She looked up. “What is it?”
“I was going through that spellbook you gave me for my birthday and I decided to try my hoof at Spell Fusion.” Rarity set the manepin on the table. “Seeing as you’re the one who gave it to me, I thought you should be the one who gets to have my first real success.”
Twilight blinked several times. “You actually read an advanced Abjuration spellbook written in Old Equestrian Grammar?”
“Why is everypony so surprised?” Rarity’s gaze darted to each of her friends. “It’s not like I’m inept at magic.”
“I-I never thought you were—I just, well…”
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Just what?”
“Never mind.” Twilight took the pin and examined it much in the way Piro did. She raised her eyebrows and frowned.
“Very impressive!” Twilight admired the manepin as it caught the light. “This is as stable as anything I could make! What’s it made of?”
“Hopestone,” Rarity replied. “It’s a rare kind of gem only found around Dragon Turtle Lake. It’s often mistaken for sapphire, but a trained eye knows how to spot the difference. ”
“Oh, I’ve heard of it before!” Twilight said. “It’s said to have a calming effect on ponies when they wear it for long periods of time.”
Rarity nodded. “I thought it might help you concentrate during your studies. I never went to University, but I understand how stressful it can be working under a deadline.”
“What? Me?” Twilight looked between Rarity and the pin. “Oh no, I couldn’t—”
“Of course you can.” Rarity set it in Twilight’s mane. “It goes perfectly in your pink streak.”
“Rarity, I—”
“You’re getting me into the palace, dear.” She considered the placement of the pin. It set half of Twilight’s mane to the side, which gave her a pleasantly exotic look. “Besides, I never would’ve made it in the first place without you. Who knows? It might come in handy while you’re away.”
Twilight tried to continue to protest, but she was drowned out as the musical number ceased and the ground shook with applause. The lead musician stepped up to a microphone and cleared his throat.
“Thank ya’ll kindly for the applause. Now if’n ya don’t mind, the Guest o’ Honor would like to come up and say a few words. She’d be mighty pleased if ya’ll would give her your attention.”
“Hey gals!”
All of them turned, and saw Pinkie standing behind them eating a slice of apple pie. She chewed on it thoughtfully as she looked past them to the stage.
“There you are!” Rainbow exclaimed. “We’ve been looking all over for you!”
“Obviously not in the right places, silly!” Pinkie took another bite. “A party doesn’t run itself, you know. Next time come and look behind the scenes. Never mind that, though, Edith’s about to speak!”
Granny had indeed taken the stage. She was still wearing her dress and jewelry, but something seemed different from before. Her stride was strong, her posture was straight, and her wrinkles, while still present, were faded. She cleared her throat into the microphone, and everypony winced as it became amplified across the yard. Her eyes widened as she took a step back and turned a faint shade of red.
“Sorry ‘bout that,” she mumbled. The gruffness in her voice had vanished, leaving it deep and smooth. “Not used to these modern do-hickeys…”
Pinkie smiled and quickly looked down upon hearing Granny speak. She quickly used her napkin to wipe the joyful tears that’d fallen from her eyes.
“Thanks again for makin’ the dress,” Applejack whispered to Rarity.
“Anytime,” Rarity said back. “Now we just need to make one for y—”
“Shh!” someone whispered from in front of them.
“I wanna thank ya’ll for comin’,” Granny said. “Every year I get talked into throwin’ this here shindig, and every year ya’ll surprise me by showin’ up and bringin’ your friends. Not that I mind, o’course, just means we can get more ponies hooked on our apples.”
The audience chuckled.
“That’d be what we call a shameless plug, by the way,” Granny said with a wink. She waited until the audience became silent again before continuing.
“Seventy-three years is a lot of life to live, my friends. It comes with a lotta things, but what I think is the most important are the memories. I remember comin’ down from the northern mountains with my family, when the Equius Valley was nothin’ but hills and meadows and Ponyville was just an idea. I remember helpin’ to build this here farm and countless other buildings in town, then watchin’ as ponies came to settle here and start their own lives.”
Granny closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “Speakin’ of ponies, I remember them, too. Good, bad, happy, angry, smart, dumb, silly, sad, broken, mischievous, resolute, you name it. I seen ponies born, come of age, build a life, have children of their own, and then pass on before me. It’s been hard at times, wonderin’ what decides who goes and who stays, and I’ve had my highs and lows just like everyone else. But regardless of all that, I don’t regret what I’ve done with my life, or the choices I’ve made.”
Granny stood tall and looked out over the crowd. “I ain’t claimin’ a thing in terms of knowledge or wisdom, and ya can take my words for what ya will, but if there’s one piece of advice I can give ya’ll, it’s this: Friends and family are what make it all worth while. Time’s a funny thing—it seems to move so slowly, yet so very fast at the same time. Whether ya get a few decades or a century, ya need to use the time ya have ‘cause it don’t wait around. Cherish the present, look to the future, and don’t dwell too hard on the past, ‘cuz If ya do that, I guarantee that when it’s all said and done, you can look back at it all and say this.”
Granny spotted Applejack in the crowd, and the two locked eyes as her words carried with them the weight of a lesson they both knew all too well.
“It was a life worth living.”
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Thanks to LittleSallyDigby for pre-reading.
Part 1 of 2. I decided to break up this chapter due to the amount of material to cover before moving on. I release snippets of upcoming chapters in my blog every Friday or Saturday. Follow me if you’d like to catch a sneak peek.
Yes, Edith Smith and Pendragon are kinds of apples.
http://www.fruit.usask.ca/apples/edith_smith.html
http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/pendragon.html
WTB art. Would make some myself, but that'd imply I know how to draw.
'Super-Powered Pinkie Pie Throws Fucking Awesome Parties' was almost the name of this chapter. It sounded good when I was drunk, at least.
I love this story, especially now that its starting to get to the best part so far, can't wait till the next chapter.
-Minty
I wonder how long it's going to take Twilight to realize that Rarity is wearing the symbol of Generosity.
So just so we're clear, this is the part where you kill her off, right?
As always, a great chapter. I honestly check this site everyday just to make sure I can read the latest chapter as soon as it's out. Keep bronying on!
Glorious - especially at the end there. I think I may have shed a not-so-manly tear. I can't wait for more, and I definitely look forward to Libra's lecture to Twilight about magic addiction. If power corrupts, then absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Yeah, that last line doesn't sound ominous or anything.
Great story, though.
i had to doublecheck the names, but then again, there is an apple named Rambo, so edith and pendragon did not surprise me.
Eeh, I have to admit, I'm having a hard time making myself care about any of the Zodiac Guard here. There's nothing really wrong with them, as such (except maybe for the fact that thirteen of them may be too many); you don't fall into any of the Noob OC Traps. It's just, it feels like there's two stories here; one about the main cast bonding to the Elements and getting superpowers, and one about Horizon and the history of the Zodiac Guard and all that; and the former gets top billing in the summary and cover image, but so far it feels like you've mainly been focusing on the latter.
I am loving this story so far. I'm just wondering if your going to bring up an ethical quandary. I know doctors aren't supposed to treat their own family or friends. Will that ever be brought up with Rarity and her mother?
You know that comment?
the one about the Marina trench? 
It was right. Nice authors note, by the way.
1088134 Well, that's a bit unnecessary, since this story updates every Wednesday.
1088065 I was wondering about that myself.
Also, “Ix-nay on the ower-tay!”. Damn, that got me laughing for a while.
Lastly, in the description:The Mane Six continue their lives, unawares. Shouldn't it be "unaware"?
1088065 Shh! No spoilers!
Can't wait for part 2.
Pre-comm-OH GOD!
*Steel launches out of his chair, falling backwards. He flails a bit before scooting backwards to his couch.*
T-T-T-T-The c-c-c-cover...
*Twilight walks into the room, raising her eyebrow. She keeps her eyes locked on Steel's shivering form as she moves to the computer, finally looking at the cover.*
T-Th-Th-Th CHIIIIINS...
Got a lot on the To-Do List already...tack it on...we'll fight this monster someday.
Day at a time, Miss Sparkle. Day at a time...
As always thanks for the awesome reading. Though is there ever going to be a definitive list the the mane 6's special abilities? Also Twilight's Thirst For Knowledge sounds like a downside more than a special power. I can't wait to find out what is up with the Zodiac and what it will mean for the girls. I assume the residents of Tartarus are unpurifiable.
1088803
Someone made a pretty good one based off the information revealed thus far in the Chapter 15 comments.
Thanks I'll look for it
1087708 i do want to remind ya that we are in a world of ponies not humans so this statement should be changed (Elo shrugged. “I can't say I'm interested in older women, but if her looks run in the family, the Bearer of Honesty must be a real beauty.") it should be (Elo shrugged. “I can't say I'm interested in older mares, but if her looks run in the family, the Bearer of Honesty must be a real beauty.”)
but keep up the good writing
1088831
LOL
You're the first one to catch that flub. Fixed.
I've been reading through this for a while, and I have a couple of (hopefully) constructive criticisms.
- It's hard to keep track of all of the OCs. Thirteen characters, all with their own distinct personalities, appearances, and histories, plus all the main characters from the show is a lot to handle. Because there are so many, it's harder to bond with each of them. Even if therewas just one guard per Element of Harmony, it would be a challenge to give them their due. If these guards all had different roles in the story, it might have been easier to handle them, but they are all main protagonists serving basically the same function in the story.
- The perspective feels rather wonky. Is this a story from the point of view of the guards? Then we should know about the secret of their histories and what powers the Elements of Harmony are expected to develop. Is it from the perspective of the main show characters, who don't quite understand what's happening to them and are trying to cope with their guards? Then why do we already know so much? We end up feeling that information is being withheld not because the characters aren't informed yet, but to keep the us interested.
- The plot hasn't moved forward much. Part of this is because of the issue I mentioned with the high character count. If there are lots of characters, all with their own separate storylines and issues, it takes much longer to move the plot forward. For example, instead of one scene to introduce guards to an Element of Harmony, six are necessary. Instead of having one scene where an Element's Level 2 power is displayed, you need six
New authors trying to get a novel published are advised to have 120,000 words or less in their manuscript. This fic is currently over 150,000 words long, and the Mane 6 still aren't fully informed about their powers.
Traditional stories work like this:
The main character has a goal. The main character confronts problems to reach their goal. The character reaches their goal, fails, or a little bit of both.
Here, it's not quite clear who the main characters are or what their goal is.
Main Characters: Mane 6.
Goal: Discover powers, learn mystery behind guards, deal with Horizon or whatever.
But...if that's the case, why have we been in the perspective of the guards? Only one of the Mane 6 knows about their powers. They've been living life as normal.
Alternatively:
Main Characters: Guards
Goal: Monitor Mane 6's recovery and powers
This makes sense because we've been in the guards' perspective more, but they don't have much of a goal. What exactly do they have to lose? Monitoring the Elements mostly requires watching. And what do they have to lose? It's not clear the guards have an important role to play in the ending. If the Elements of Harmony are the ultimate solution to the problem, the guards are sitting on the sidelines of their own story, waiting for the real heroes to get ready to do the heavy lifting.
Not that nothing has been happening at all. There have been subplots: Twilight trying to discover the symbols of the Elements, Rarity's sleeping problems, Apple Bloom's issues with her parents' deaths., etc. However, they're not really enough on their own. As a side dish, they'd be great, but thus far they've been the main course while we wait for the Elements' powers to kick into gear.
Most of what we're getting is character development, but it's hard to have meaningful character development without basing it on dramatic events in the plot. There's a lot of "let me tell you about my past" moments. These are a rather quick and easy way to do character bonding and development, but they aren't that effective. And again, because of the huge cast the reader's attention has been spread so thin they can't properly bind with anyone. I still can't tell the guards apart.
As a side note: In Chapter 1 Twilight is told about the guards, and it takes all of Chapter 2 and some of Chapter 3 to gather her friends to tell them about what's going on. I mention this because it's a good example of something that can be cut.
The lack of consequences has also been a problem. Both Pinkie and Fluttershy had experiences with their powers. Naturally, the reader, after looks forward to seeing how this will play out. But all that happens is that Fluttershy immediately has her memory of the incident erased and Pinkie decides not to tell anyone about anything anyway. And when events don't have an effect on the plot, it's much harder to care about them.
There are lots of interesting elements in this story, and I will keep reading, but I'd suggest working on pacing. I get the impression something big is going to happen soon. Imagine if you'd had this big thing happened in, say, Chapter 4?
Whelp, that was long.
Such a sweet chapter. Everypony is happy and all is right in the world for the most part. What could possibly go wrong?
1088217
That would be where the 'Part 2' of this chapter comes into play.
1088725
Are you following me? I've seen your comments pop up on two different stories now, both right after I get done prereading a chapter and it gets posted.
1089189 Am I following you? No. Are you following me? I dunno!
1089117
Well, I suppose I shall just have to wait and see, then!
But really, I'll second what Kitty Hamilton said: It's been 16 chapters, and we're only now getting to 'the good part'?
I think the multiple points of view is useful because we can see developments on horizon, the mane six unwittingly activating (in most cases) their new powers as well as get the guards responses to both with little character analysis trying to guess at what is going on and since the plot is driven externally, it does not spoil anything and gives us more to work with. As for the many people causing the story to move too slowly, all I can say is that's an opinion. I love longer series as they make sure ideas are fully developed and explored, and game of thrones shows lots of characters don't make a story bad.
/soapbox
1087708
And apparently Fluttershy could turn everypony around her into helpless mind-slaves, and Rainbow Dash could talk a handful of untrained foals into a fighting force that would make fully-grown dragons flee in mindless terror.
I LOVE THIS STORY.
1088907
I'm not only talking about fighting, like in one-on-one, but a full blown battle or war. Can anyone truly handle what goes on without any repercussions? I think anyone who has seen combat has had something break in them. Would Rainbow be able to handle it? And ramming into someone full speed, while may incapacitate a large group on enemies, would just leave her open to more attacks, and if someone is determined enough, a broken or lost limb won't be enough to stop them from finishing her off. Which begs the question, would she be able to do it? kill someone while looking them in the eye? I think not, unless forced to.
Again, experience is everything.
As for the Black Belt, Dash says (thinks) it herself. She went to a commercial class advertising black belts and slept through most of the classes. Nothing like an actual Dojo were a black belt takes at least a decade to earn.
In a street fight, or a sparring match, I'd give her the benefit of the doubt. But I agree with Ersa.
-Delta-
Mighty Morphin' Harmony Rangers
1089472
Game of Thrones may have lots of characters, but they all have different roles to play in the story. The characters are necessary. In this story, we have 13 characters who are basically performing the same function: mysterious guards observing the Elements of Harmony. But look at Game of Thrones: can you even compare the roles or experiences of Tyrion, Eddard, Catelyn, Sansa, Arya, Danaerys, Rob, Cersei, and John Snow? If you switched the positions of Tyrion and Ned, you'd have an entirely different story. But if you switched the guards around, would there be any significant changes?
A common piece of writing advice is to combine multiple characters into one, whenever possible. By serving multiple roles in the story and displaying more character traits, a single character becomes more interesting in addition to simplifying the narrative.
1087708
If you're looking to commission art, you might want to try a bit of digging around FurAffinity. You can find good artists who offer commissions for dirt-cheap prices, (I've seen full colour with background for under $50).
1089734 The problem is, having the thirteen guards is an important of point. At most, you could probably reduce it down to 6, but then it wouldn't make as much sense.
Fuck yeah, Granny!
The quality of this story - I'm SERIOUSLY considering putting it on par with that of CRISIS:Equestria and the Immortal Game.
I get the chills everytime I read a chapter. This is seriously some of the best literature I've read in a while.
And Granny Smith is such a bouse.
inb4 "Dark" tag is placed on this story...
This is one of my favourite fics along with Upheaval! I just finished catching up and I must say that it was a pleasant surprise. I think this story has so much potential and you could possibly gain more viewers if you got a new summery and picture. I thought this was gonna be like some sort of a superhero fusion fic :D
Oh wow that was awesome
I've been craving some more Pinkie backstory and this delivered. 
The Pinkie Pie and Edith scene was beautiful, and linking directly to a great OST was a wonderful touch.
It was great to have a group chapter with mane 6 for what is perhaps only the 2nd time in this story. I hope we start seeing them interacting and playing more off eachother from hear on out..though then Twilight is leaving
I will note some confusion and contradiction in terms of making this story semi-canonical to the show. Obviously with these dramatic changes it doesn't have to be perfectly in line with the events we know will unfold in the show in the future- and that's perfectly fine. Making efforts to do this are certainly interesting, and a decent (though perhaps unnecessary touch). It was done well with the allussion to Applebuck Season. I, however, found Rarity's small speech about respecting your roots a rather flawed alusion, given your hinting at Applebuck Season. In this chapter it makes it look like Rarity has learned a lesson that she isn't necessarily supposed to learn until Sweet and Elite. Deep down she may have always known to cherish her roots, but I just can't see her being so eloquent about it at this point; especially given her frosty relationship with her mother and her just taking off as a designer.
It just seemed odd to me to have a character hinted at not knowing a lesson to be taught in the show later, and another chacacter already learning a lesson they will be taught in the show later, somewhat strange.
----
As far as the structure of the story that KittyHamilton brings up, I won't say those are unvalid. This wouldn't make a the best of novels..
But to me, it's a great fanfic. Improvements on streamlining it character wise could be done, and consequences could be made more severe sooner, but I'd still hate to cut out all the exploration of character backstories, even if they aren't changing too significantly as of yet. This is an interesting story in its hybrid of slice of life as well as adventure-eqsue elements, and in that sense it remains true to the show.
I feel like exploring the boundries of literature is a good thing. We don't have to always follow established rules- exploring what can be done with the written medium can be an enriching experience to me, especially if it has results like this. This story is unconventional, true, but all I know is that I really like reading it and I don't want this ride to end.
On that note- WHEN IS PART TWO COMING OUT I WANT IT NOW
1089978
But why is it an important point? The only reason I can think of is that there are 12 symbols of the Zodiac Matching the symbols of the Zodiac is only a symbolic and aesthetic choice. The knights could have just as easily have been represented by...I dunno...the six colors of the rainbow. The Six Rainbow Knights. And then you would tell me that it wouldn't make sense to have twelve.
1090205
Wanted to point out that it's never a choice between character development and plot movement. The best writing develops the characters and moves along the plot at the same time. Applejack and Apple Bloom could have their moment in the graveyard and talk about their parents because of events surrounding Applejack's developing powers. Rarity's sleeping problems could be exacerbated by her attempts to figure out if she could really see the future
Genre mixing can be risky. People read a story because the blurb and first chapters make certain promises, like "This is a story full of adventure and magic," or "This is a story that will make you laugh!" It's like chocolate cake and spaghetti with meatballs: both are great on their own, but not so great when you have both together. Some people will like the combination, but many others will be confused. Different genres have different expectations, and if those expectations aren't satisfied, problems occur. For example, if a story promises a mystery/romance, but in the end the solution to the mystery is obvious, mystery lovers will be frustrated.
This fic has that issue. It promises the Mane 6 developing powers, but hasn't been focusing on that primary plot point. Readers who would have enjoyed a slice-of-life fic never read this because they expect magic and action, and readers that came for magical action are waiting for it to show up in a significant way.
It's always worth considering whether one is enjoying a story because of the way it breaks the rules, or despite it breaking them. For me, it's the latter.
1090741
But... There's 7 colours in a rainbow, you forgot Indigo. Poor Indigo, no one likes him. They keep mistaking him for his sister Violet, or his brother Blue. I suppose he would be allied with Twilight to make up the two guardians.
If you wanted 6, Chocolate Knights might be better: White, Milk, Dark, Semisweet, Bitter, and Orange. Or the classical elements: Piros, Cocytus, Windshear, Terra, Astra, and Null. Or seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Hockey, and Blackfly!
As for the story, I'm going to summarize it in meta-terms:
A fan of D&D writes a fanfic of ponies while having played just a little too much Final Fantasy Tactics beforehand. D&D 3rd edition, by the looks of it, too, though it could be 1st ed AD&D with a splash of outside material, though the spell categorization "iced tea" wasn't mainstream until 3rd, and 4th mostly did away with awesome spells like Disjunction. Luckily, D&D is awesome, MLP is awesome, and FFT is awesome, so you're pretty much in the clear there. Nice work so far, I look forward to its continuance.
1087708
That sounds like a great name for this chapter! And I'm sober!
I think...
This is some good stuff. Except the Rarity part, but for me that's personal: I haven't been getting enough sleep myself lately, so it kinda hits home.
My main issue is that I'm really starting to get impatient for answers and plot development. There's been some and that's been great, but it would be nice if we could at least get to the part where the Mane 6 are informed of their growing abilities.
But other than that, this has been highly enjoyable, and I want to read more.
1090741 I am fairly certain that the zodiac has something to do with horizon, and the sealing of Tartarus. Of course, I could be wrong, and probably am.
Looks like someone has a crush on Fluttershy.
Awesome chapter, by the way.
I love Rainbow Dash's speech. I was laughing when she noticed that everyone was listening.
Not in the crowd Dash, it's too early to go storm the gates of Tartarus with your own private army! Her little speech gave me chills.
Mina!
I really like the idea that Granny Pie and Granny Smith were old friends. We need fanart of Granny Smith's dress, stat!
Rarity, please try not to kill yourself, okay? Really curious about the hairclip she made for Twilight.
I quite enjoy this story a lot so far. To those of you who say the mane 6 aren't expressing their powers enough this far along, I feel that is not the case. Once my attention was brought to Pinkies powers, it got me thinking about the others powers, and indeed, they are expressing them and it is shown. Maybe not as explicitly as Pinkies powers. Look at is as an "I spy" sort of challenge to the readers. I spy Twilights drive to resolve her thesis spell as a manifestation of her stated "power". Though I am having difficulty spying Raritys increased generosity manifesting on a more meaningful level. Sadly, at this moment, I too lack sleep and am mentally exhausted. Therefore say what you will about my comment, I've said my peace.
if that aint forse shadowing i'll eat applejacks hat.
1092978
Now if only I could fix my pacing issues
Thank you for the compliment.
1093014
We understand, it can be hard to get out everything you need to get out and be concise as the same time; you don't like that feeling as if there's something missing.
One other thing I meant to comment on last chapter, though, is that I really love the theme of balance (harmony!) you play at. Each character, Zodiac or Element, is balanced in some way by the others to the point that to be fully effective, they need to be with one another. Blair sees Piro for his addictions, for example, or having "Future Sight" be nullified by "Rejection of Fate." You're playing with that concept in a very neat way, and I quite enjoy it. (The other thing that makes me smile inside is that "future sight" is built-in foreshadowing
)
1088975
I get the impression something big is going to happen soon.
.
..
...
....
......
....
...
..
.
I can neither confirm nor deny the possibility of the events of the story occurring at anything other than a pace that may or may not be perceived to be as correct.
1094628
And that is why Superman sucks. The dead should stay dead, or it losing all impact. That said most comics are guilty of this.