Melody of Healing Hearts
Chapter 6: Melody of Healing Hearts
Rarity wasn’t sure how long she and Flaxseed stayed locked together in their embrace. Her ears twitched as she heard the door opening and closing, followed by the sound of no fewer than three sets of hooves that made their way across the outer showroom and into the back workroom. She slowly pulled away from nuzzling Flaxseed's mane. Coco was there, of course, as was Arkenstone. Between the two of them was a very distraught-looking Sweetie Belle.
"Flaxseed!" she exclaimed, shifting to dash towards him. However, she was brought up short by Arkenstone, who raised a hoof and interposed it between Sweetie and the object of her concern.
"Remember..." said Arkenstone in a gentle tone, "...slowly..."
Sweetie looked up at Arkenstone and nodded before carefully making her way towards Flaxseed and Rarity. When she reached them, she gently leaned up against Flaxseed's side, rubbing her cheek against his barrel in a gesture of reassurance. "Are you okay?" she asked, "That mare didn't hurt you, did she?"
"I-I'm okay," said Flaxseed hesitantly, Rarity and Sweetie's concern touching him through the layers of anxiety.
"Come dear," said Rarity, "Let's get you to bed. Would you help me Sweetie."
"Yeah," replied Sweetie. She and Rarity managed to coax Flaxseed to his hooves. As he stood up, Rarity couldn't help but notice the damp, matted sections of coat on the inside of his hind legs. She suppressed the urge to order the stallion into the bath or shower. Getting Flaxseed comfortable and relaxed came first. She would have to shelve her normal sensibilities for the time being and simply focus on helping the stallion through this terrible experience. Rarity simply resolved to wash Flaxseed's bedding at the first possible opportunity. She also made a note to clean the office floor before the urine stained the wood.
Rarity and Sweetie escorted Flaxseed up the stairs and into his room. They helped him onto the bed before Rarity used her magic to draw up the sheets and comforter, tucking them securely around the stallion, as though she were tucking in a foal. The whole time, Flaxseed watched them anxiously through his still-crimson eyes. Only when Rarity and Sweetie stood at his bedside, watching him quietly, did he relax sufficiently for his eyes to return to their normal almond color and his pupils rounded back out.
Still moving with carefully, Rarity raised a hoof and gently caressed Flaxseed's cheek, smiling down at him. "Get some rest, darling," she whispered softly, "Do you want me or Sweetie to stay in the room with you?"
Flaxseed sniffed. "I-I don't know i-if I c-can sleep," he whimpered, "I'm afraid...they'll come for me."
"They won't," said Rarity firmly, "Arkenstone is here now. He won't let anypony hurt you."
"C-can he stop them?"
Rarity chuckled. "Trust me dear, they won't be able to lay a hoof on you."
"That's nice," said Flaxseed, "But still...I..." He sighed. "The last time something like this happened, I had nightmares for weeks. They just kept waking me up..." He let out a sound that was halfway between a sigh and a sob.
"Can I try something?" asked Sweetie softly.
"What do you mean?" asked Rarity as both she and Flaxseed looked curiously at Sweetie Belle.
"I'd like to use my magic," said Sweetie, stepping closer to the bed and rearing up so she could rest her forehooves on it, "I think I can help you sleep better."
"It won't hurt, will it?" asked Flaxseed.
Sweetie smiled and shook her head. "Will you trust me?" she asked.
Flaxseed's eyes closed tightly for a second before opening again. His gaze met Sweetie's and he nodded slowly.
Sweetie's face lit up and she stepped back away from the bed, prompting Rarity to step back as well. She cleared her throat and a tiny point of light blossomed from the end of her horn. With the light came a soft, clear tone. It was a lovely sound that made Rarity sigh happily. Sweetie used her magic to produce a different tone, then another one, then...she began to sing.
There were no words for the song. Instead, Sweetie sang simple notes that were accompanied by the tones and chords formed by her magic. Together, they seemed to mesh together to produce a warm, soothing lullaby that settled across the room like a warm blanket. Flaxseed's head slumped down into his pillow, his breathing softening and his body relaxing. The tension seemed to melt out of him little by little as the song continued. Even Rarity felt her own eyelids drooping under the melody's spell.
Sweetie continued to play and sing until Flaxseed was clearly fast asleep, the stallion's breaths only faintly stirring the corner of the pillow he rested on. Finally, Sweetie used her magic to levitate Flopsy, the old stuffed rabbit she'd given to Flaxseed to help comfort him on his first night in the Boutique, and gently tucked the stuffed animal under the covers with the stallion. Flaxseed's legs moved reflexively to hug the rabbit to his chest, the only sign of acknowledgement he gave.
Rarity had to blink furiously, then shake her head vigorously to snap out of the pleasant daze Sweetie's music had instilled in her. Rarity turned to gaze unashamedly at her little sister, who was beaming cheerfully at her success.
Rarity's mouth worked silently for a moment before she managed regain some of her composure. Finally, she and Sweetie adjourned to the hallway, where they closed the door behind them. Then, knowing that her voice was less likely to disturb Flaxseed's rest, Rarity whirled on her sister.
"Sweetie! That was amazing! How in Equestria did you do that?"
Sweetie's smile melted into a slightly confused look. "Well...I was just trying to think of a way to help Flaxseed relax when I thought about the lullaby that mom always used to sing when I had nightmares. I tried adapting it and using some of the tricks and magic that Vinyl taught me."
"That was incredible," said Rarity, "You truly have a gift for music. Ponies would adore you on the stage."
Sweetie shook her head. "I was just trying to use the things Vinyl taught me. She was telling me about how certain tones and chords can produce a relaxing effect. That's all I was aiming for. That's why I didn't use words. I didn't want Flaxseed having to think or try to understand what I was singing."
Rarity sighed. "Sweetie...I think we need to talk about this. Your talent is so amazing. It isn't fair to yourself to let it go to waste."
"I..." Sweetie tried to think of something to say. Instead she sighed and walked away from Rarity. Going into her room, Sweetie closed her door behind her, leaving Rarity alone in the hallway.
Rarity found herself sighing yet again. "What am I going to do with her?"
She made her way downstairs where she saw Coco tidying up her workspace. The sound of hooves drew Rarity's attention to the office, where Arkenstone was now stepping out, towing a mop and bucket behind him.
"I cleared up the spill," said Arkenstone simply, "I figured you had enough on your plate already."
"Thank you so much," said Rarity, feeling truly grateful. That had been one particular task she had not been looking forward to. "Would you stay the night here?" she asked, giving Arkenstone a plaintive look, even though she knew he couldn't read her expression, "It would give me some peace of mind and would probably be a comfort to Flaxseed."
"I was planning to," replied Arkenstone with a smile, "Ms. Coco has already agreed to carry some messages on my behalf explaining things to Twilight and the foals at my shop."
"Oh! Will they be alright?" asked Rarity, lifting a hoof to her mouth.
Arkenstone chuckled. "Dawn's gotten to the point where he could probably run the place by himself. He's quite taken with the work. The others are not far behind. He knows how to close the shop. I daresay things will be fine."
"That's good to know," said Rarity. She went back into the kitchen, where the tea she'd been serving Camellia was still set out. Rarity drained her cup and poured another, not caring that the tea had gone cold in the meantime. The flavor still managed to soothe her frayed nerves somewhat. Finally, she rested her chin on the table with a tired sigh. "Between Flaxseed and Sweetie Belle, I seem to spend a lot of time dealing with difficult ponies."
Akrenstone sat across from her with a soft chuckle. "Difficulties often arise when reality does not match our expectations."
A single white ear flicked as Rarity lifted her head up off the table. "What are you saying?"
"You are frustrated by Sweetie because you think she is deliberately ignoring what is right in front of her face...correct?"
Rarity stared at Arkenstone in consternation. "How did you...?"
The beige stallion raised a single eyebrow. "This has been going on for a while. My hearing is plenty sharp. I could even hear the slight argument you two had upstairs. My apologies for eavesdropping."
"I suppose it can't be helped," said Rarity, slumping down to the table again, "But I'm fairly certain that Sweetie is ignoring what she was meant to do. Her voice is magnificent, bordering on angelic even. Flaxseed climbed into bed a bundle of nerves almost incapable of resting and she sang him straight to sleep with ease."
Arkenstone grinned. "If there is one thing that life has taught me, there is no 'meant' to do that determines a pony's cutie mark. The concept of a 'special talent' is an oversimplification of the factors that determine a pony's cutie mark."
"If not talent, then what?" asked Rarity.
"Passion," replied Arkenstone, "what moves a pony and what drives them to take action, the things that make a pony feel fulfilled because she is doing something she truly loves."
"But Sweetie loves to sing," said Rarity, "It's just that she has issues whenever there's the possibility of a large audience."
"Perhaps that is because the singing is a means to an end," replied Arkenstone, "For some ponies, particularly those similar to you, music is an end in and of itself, something that is indulged in for the artistry. For others, the music itself is not important so much as what they do with it."
"And how does that apply to Sweetie's situation?" asked Rarity, "Just what does she want to use her music for? Why has she been studying and learning under Vinyl Scratch?"
Arkenstone chuckled. "That question is hers to answer. But I think that what she did tonight might very well be an important clue."
"Hmm..." mused Rarity, "You think so?"
"I'm as sure as a pony can be under circumstances like these," replied Arkenstone.
Rarity nodded. "I see...Perhaps I shall talk to Sweetie about it tomorrow. She needs her rest now as well."
"Perhaps," agreed Arkenstone, though he found himself wondering if that talk tomorrow would even be necessary.
Rarity saw Coco off and then directed Arkenstone to the couch she kept on hoof for when she needed to faint. She was too tired to make dinner and Arkenstone had not expressed any particular hunger, nor had Sweetie come down from her room. Rarity hoped she hadn't upset Sweetie too much and made a light daisy sandwich from some leftovers in the icebox before retiring to bed herself.
Sweetie Belle lay in bed, her eyes drooping. She was a little upset with Rarity, wondering why Rarity was always trying to force her onto a stage. Whenever Sweetie thought about the crowds, her body shuddered. Why can't I do something else? But what would I do?
It was a question that had tugged on her mind ever since her talk with Vinyl. She had to admit that she liked singing. She remembered the question Octavia had posed to her. Who is my audience? For Sweetie, the word conjured up visions of vast crowds watching her on stage, visions that filled her with overwhelming trepidation. Perhaps that was the problem. She was thinking of the word in too narrow a context. Perhaps her audience wasn't a crowd. Perhaps it was a single pony.
Her mind went to what she'd just done earlier that night. Flaxseed had been terrified from whatever he'd experienced earlier. His mind was shaken and he'd been unable to even think about sleeping...until she'd started her music. At that moment, as Sweetie listened to her own music and watched the spell she'd woven with it take hold, watched it sooth Flaxseed's troubled heart, seen it relax him into a gentle repose, she felt as though she had discovered something amazing. Flaxseed had been hurting and frightened. At that moment, Sweetie had been able to use her talents to help him, to ease the burden of his pain. In a sense, her magic and music had healed him; maybe not completely, but she'd managed to accomplish what Rarity, probably the pony Flaxseed trusted the most in all of Equestria right now, could not.
Maybe that's what my music should be for, thought Sweetie pensively, If my music could do that for Flaxseed, what could it do for other ponies? Could I help ponies who are suffering, who are hurt and afraid? Maybe they're my audience. Sweetie felt her lips curl up in a smile. She actually liked the sound of that. It felt...right.
With that pleasant thought in mind, Sweetie allowed herself to drift off into a peaceful sleep, completely unaware that, beneath her blankets, a spark of light had erupted from her flank.
A while later, the door to Sweetie's room slowly opened and Rarity peered in. She sighed when she saw that her younger sister had fallen asleep. Keeping quiet, Rarity crept into the room and looked over Sweetie. She'd been hoping to talk some more, possibly apologize for getting pushy regarding Sweetie's talent. But that would have to wait until the morning.
With a quiet sigh, Rarity lifted up the blankets to tuck Sweetie in more securely. However, Rarity froze when she saw what was hidden beneath those blankets. Her eyes widened and her hoof went to her mouth to stifle a gasp. After a few seconds of staring, tears began to well up in her eyes.
"Oh Sweetie...!"
Rarity wanted to wake Sweetie Belle right away. However, she ultimately decided to leave the filly to her rest and wait until the morning. Rarity would come to regret that decision when Sweetie's joyous shriek shattered half the windows in the building, along with the bathroom mirror. Still, given what had just happened, Rarity figured that a few panes of glass were worth the price of the radiant look on Sweetie Belle's face when she came rushing into the kitchen to display her brand new cutie mark.
And through it all, Flaxseed slept peacefully, without a care in the world.
Dawn and Scootaloo were at Scootaloo's house, meditating in the living room while Melon Cream, Scootaloo's mother, was working in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. However, the peaceful morning scene was interrupted by a frantic pounding on the door.
"Uh oh," muttered Scootaloo, turning towards the door and creeping cautiously towards it. The last time somepony had pounded on the portal like that, it had been a deranged cultist, trying to retaliate for some of the things she'd said about the Cult Solar after getting sick of hearing one too many insults against Dawn. She'd blown the cultist out of the house, along with part of the wall. For all she knew, the poor stallion was still in a full-body cast. She hadn't meant to hurt him that badly. However, given the situation, it was him or her.
Reluctantly, Scootaloo turned the knob and swung the door open, bracing herself to dodge in case some pony hurled herself through the opening at her. However, she blinked when she saw who was standing there instead. "Sweetie Belle...? What are you-OOF!" Scootaloo's inquiry was cut off as Sweetie tackled her and knocked her over onto her back.
"I DID IT!!!" yelled Sweetie at a volume that would have given the Canterlot Royal Voice a run for its money, "I DID IT! I'VE FINALLY DONE IT!!!"
"Gah!" gasped Scootaloo, her eardrums not able to take much more abuse, "Done what?"
That question seemed to be enough for Sweetie as she jumped off Scootaloo and turned sideways. "Look!"
"What? I don't see anythi-" Scootaloo's voice vanished when she saw the mark decorating Sweetie's flank.
It was a single red heart. A white bandage was wrapped around it, extending upwards, forming the stem and flag of a single eight-note.
"Wow!" exclaimed Scootaloo, her own level of excitement rising, "You did it! Way to go Sweetie Belle!"
"I know," said Sweetie, her voice shrill with excitement, "I can't wait to show Apple Bloom."
"Wait!" shouted Scootaloo, "This means..."
Sweetie quickly caught on. "This means that all three of us have our cutie marks now!"
"We did it!" yelled Scootaloo, jumping upwards in excitement, "The Cutie Mark Crusaders have officially gotten their cutie marks!"
"Uh..." said Sweetie, "What does that make us now?"
"Um..." Scootaloo paused and tapped a hoof to her chin. "Cutie Mark...Conquerors...?"
Sweetie raised an eyebrow. "Why conquerors?"
"Um...'cause we...I dunno...conquered our cutie marks?"
"What the hay does that mean?"
"Ugh! Never mind! How about the Cutie Mark...Graduates!?"
"No way. It has to start with a C."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because alliteration is cool!"
"Alliter-what. Geez Sweetie, you get your cutie mark and you're still such a-"
"Feathers!...Pluck!...Dress!"
"Shuttingupnow!"
Scootaloo and Sweetie were drawn out of their animated discussion by a wry snort from Dawn, who was watching from slightly behind Scootaloo in the living room. Behind Dawn stood Melon Cream, who was watching from the doorway to the kitchen. Both of them looked rather amused by the whole affair.
"Um...sorry..." said Sweetie, her cheeks practically glowing red.
"It's alright," said Melon, using one orange hoof to stifle her giggles, "But I'm wondering if you dashed out of your home without having breakfast."
Right on cue, a rumbling growl made its way out of Sweetie's stomach, prompting her blush to intensify. "Um..."
"Come in," said Melon with a chortle as she turned to head back into the kitchen, "Breakfast is almost ready and I think I can squeeze in one more."
Rarity's ear twitched as she caught the familiar sound of Flaxseed's hooves descending the stairs. She already knew that he'd been up for a while already. Her first hint was the sound of the shower running upstairs. With a faint grimace of the task she knew awaited her, Rarity had already gone upstairs and changed the sheets on Flaxseed's bed. The old ones would have to be washed before they were usable again.
After she'd brought down the sheets, Rarity had set to work making a hearty breakfast for her friend. Thus, as Flaxseed arrived in the kitchen, Rarity finished setting out a short stack of pancakes, along with a pair of eggs over-easy. "Good morning darling," she said pleasantly, "It seems as though you slept well."
"I did," said Flaxseed with a slightly sheepish smile. His voice was soft, almost reminding Rarity of Fluttershy. He was less confident in his movements as well, only coming into the room and seating himself at the table after a fair bit of dawdling and looking about nervously. She supposed that yesterday's ordeal had probably drawn several of Flaxseed's nervous habits back to the surface. Hopefully, with her and Sweetie's help, Flaxseed could recover all the faster.
"Well go ahead and eat," said Rarity with a warm smile, "You went to bed without any supper last night. I suspect you're quite famished."
Flaxseed nodded and began to tuck into the spread set out before him. Rarity kept her implements and ingredients out in case Flaxseed showed signs of being hungry for seconds. However, it seemed that what she'd set out for him had been sufficient to settle the stallion's appetite.
After he finished eating, Flaxseed settled in his seat and looked around a bit nervously. "Where's Arkenstone?"
"He went back," replied Rarity, "He does need to open up shop after all. However, both Red River and Storm Front will be nearby today, just in case. We've already confirmed that she left town last evening."
Flaxseed let out a relieved sigh and his posture relaxed a little bit more. After a moment's contemplation, he looked up at Rarity, who had taken the seat across from him at the table. "I-I'm sorry about the sheets, by the way...and the office..."
Rarity smiled. "It's fine," she said, "You were so terrified that I was afraid you'd just bolt off into the night. I'm just relieved that you're still here. After that, a little cleanup is a minor inconvenience at most."
"Thank you," said Flaxseed softly.
Rarity lifted a hoof and rested it on the table. Flaxseed did the same. In an almost perfect reenactment of Flaxseed's first night in the Boutique, the two of them linked the fetlocks of their forelegs and squeezed. This time, Flaxseed was reciprocating the gesture, which caused a warm feeling to flutter up from the pit of Rarity's stomach.
"You tore your dress apart," said Flaxseed.
"It's fine dear," said Rarity, "I was so angry, I needed to take it out on something, otherwise that mare would be in the hospital and I would probably be in Guard custody."
"But you worked so hard on it..." said Flaxseed, "You always put so much into them."
"Flaxseed," said Rarity, tightening her grip on his foreleg, "What that mare said yesterday was a heaping pile of the most disgusting dross I've heard in all my life and, believe me, I've heard some gems. Seeing her stand there insulting you after everything you've been through, after the things she apparently put you through, I couldn't stand to let that go unanswered. That dress was made for her and her alone. It was made with her colors and her sensibilities in mind. I wanted to make it absolutely clear that what she had said and done were unacceptable."
"But still..."
"Flaxseed," said Rarity, her tone softening, "You are worth far more to me than any dress will ever be. Those scraps can be replaced. An entire dress can be replaced. Weeks, months even, of work can be done over again. It's unpleasant and inconvenient, but they are all something that I can just start over on. You can't be replaced. If it meant protecting you from ponies like her, the I would shred my entire winter line in a second."
Tears began to stream down Flaxseed's face. "Thank you so much..." he said, his voice becoming heavy from choking back sobs.
Rarity let go of his foreleg and moved around the table to wrap Flaxseed up in a warm embrace. She held the stallion tightly as he sobbed against her. They stayed like that until Flaxseed's sobs subsided. For a moment, Rarity had thought that he'd cried himself back to sleep. However, she learned she was mistaken when she let him go and Flaxseed lifted his head to look at her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Rarity, "About her, I mean."
Flaxseed blanched slightly beneath his coat and looked away. Rarity leaned in and gently nuzzled his cheek. "It's alright if you don't want to," she said, "It might help you to get it off your chest. But if remembering it is too painful for you, I won't force it."
"It...it might help," said Flaxseed after a moment.
Rarity nodded and made tea for both of them, hoping that having some of the soothing drink on hoof might help with Flaxseed's nerves. Once everything was ready, she sat across the table from him and waited expectantly.
For a long time, Flaxseed simply stared down into his teacup. Finally, he drank it, then looked up at Rarity and launched into his tale.
"It was about a year after I'd been forced to run away from my parents' home. I'd finally shaken off the Or-the Cult's pursuit and was looking for someplace to settle down, hopefully where they wouldn't find me. Maybe it wasn't very wise, but I didn't want to live on the run. I'd never asked for any of this. I settled into Hoofington, where I hoped that I could just blend in with all the other ponies there. I ended up working as a waiter in a small restaurant. It wasn't an upscale joint, but it wasn't a dump either. The tips were good and I made a fairly decent wage. I didn't bother trying to get to know my coworkers. I wasn't sure I could trust anypony."
He sighed. "That's when I met her..."
"Camellia?"
Flaxseed flinched at the sound of her name, then nodded. "She started working there as a waitress. I guess she was trying to raise money to go to acting school. She'd already been in a few local productions. She even gave me some tickets when we started...
"Anyway, she wasn't like the others. Most of the ponies I worked with were content to leave me alone once it was clear I didn't want to answer any questions. They figured I was just some loner freak...and I suppose I was. But Camellia...she...I don't know why she took an interest in me, but she did. She was always trying to talk to me on breaks or when our shifts were over or before they started...She liked to talk, I guess. She told me all about her dreams and ambitions, how she planned to make it big on Bridleway. She'd also needle me, try to find things out about me, ask me questions, that sort of thing.
"After a little while, I guess she just wore me down. I started talking with her, sharing some stuff about myself. I never told her about my history or my condition. That was still too raw and painful and I was certain that saying the wrong thing at the wrong time could send me on the run again. I guess I started to like her."
"She is a very attractive mare," Rarity conceded, "That doesn't surprise me."
Flaxseed nodded. "We started going out. We had fun together. We made each other laugh." He groaned. "Things were going so well. I dared to hope that I'd be able to put my past behind me, maybe settle down and start a family of my own. I was considering telling Camellia about my condition and what I'd been through.
"Then it happened. We'd been going out for a while. Camellia was looking at acting school, looking to make her big break in theater. We were on our way back from one of our dates..."
The laughter of the mare and stallion carried through the night. "I can't believe you actually did that," said Flaxseed in between guffaws as he remembered the sight of Camellia chucking a bowling ball at a pinstriped clown.(1)
"Well, it was his fault for trying slime me,(2)" protested Camellia. She froze as they came across the mouth of an alley. "Hey, I know a shortcut back to my place from here. If we take this alley and cut over to the next street, we can avoid having to take that detour two streets down."
Flaxseed glanced nervously down the alley. It looked like most city alleys, dark and dingy, with scattered overflowing trashcans resting along its length. The lights from the street they were on only reached part of the way down. The rest of the alley was shrouded in darkness. Flaxseed couldn't even make out the lights of the street on the other side. "Are you sure it's this alley?"
"Of course it is," snorted Camellia, giving Flaxseed an irritated look, "Who's the native around here, you or me?"
Flaxseed couldn't help but sigh in resignation. "Alright. Let's go."
"I knew you'd see things my way," said Camellia proudly. She began strutting down the alley.
It took Flaxseed a second to marshal his courage and follow her with a nervous swallow. As they made their way down the alleyway, the darkness deepened, making it difficult for them to see the ground in front of them. Finally, Camellia came to a halt as the way in front of them was blocked by a solid brick wall.
"It's a dead end," noted Flaxseed.
"I can see that," snapped Camellia, absently chewing on her forehoof. It was a bad habit of hers that sometimes got her scolded at work. "Dammit. I was sure that this was the right way. Maybe it was that earlier alley."
"Let's just head back," said Flaxseed, "We'll take the long way if we have to."
Camellia looked as though she didn't want to admit defeat. But no amount of protesting and complaining could make a wall not be a wall, so she ultimately had to give up and turn around. The two of them started to make their way back to the street, only to find their path impeded by a pair of brutish-looking ponies.
"Well well," said one, a unicorn mare with her mane tied into knotted dreadlocks running down the length of her neck, "Look who we have here."
Her companion, a burly pegasus who looked as though his coat had been slicked down with oil, leered at Camellia with a sick grin. "Looks to me like we've got a couple of prime donors to our charitable cause."
That got a laugh out of the mare. "Yeah, I bet these suckers have enough to keep us afloat for a week at least."
Both Flaxseed and Camellia were backing away, but quickly found their rumps against the wall. They froze in terror, realizing that they had no place to run. Flaxseed's mind was whirling, trying to figure out a way out the situation. His heart was thundering in his chest so hard that it felt as though the muscle might burst straight out through his ribcage.
"What do we do?" whispered Camellia.
Flaxseed couldn't answer. The memories of his previous experiences, nearly being cornered by ponies who were tartarus-bent on killing him, were making his mind go blank. He was certain that there was no chance he would walk away from this alive.
"Alright," said the mare, "Let's make this simple. Hoof over all the bits you've got, jewelry too lady. If you play nice, we might only rough you up a little bit."
"Or a lot," supplemented the stallion.
Flaxseed felt something snap inside his head. His fear spiked and his limbs locked up. He was prepared to grab a trashcan with his magic and start swinging away. However, the two ponies in front of him froze up first.
"What the hay!" gasped the stallion. He and the mare froze, the two of them gaping at Flaxseed as though he'd grown another head. A second later, that confusion gave way to fear.
"He's a monster!" screamed the mare.
"He's a freak!" shouted the stallion.
The two of them turned and bolted, leaving a pair of confused ponies in their wake.
"Wha-" From her place beside him, Camellia peaked out from behind her hooves. "What happened? Why did those muggers run?" She turned to look at Flaxseed. "What d-did you do?" Camellia froze in place, her jaw going slack. "F-Flax-...!"
Flaxseed raised his hoof to his face as though he could use it to feel the change that had come over his eyes. He realized what Camellia must be seeing. He'd only seen his eyes in the mirror once. He had to admit that they looked terrifying.
"What's wrong with your eyes?" gasped Camellia, now backing away from him.
"I-it's-" Flaxseed tried to explain. He wasn't completely sure what his condition was either. "Camellia...this-"
"What are you?" gasped Camellia, her rump now colliding with the wall perpendicular to the one that blocked the way through the alley.
"I'm a pony!" replied Flaxseed frantically, "Camellia! Please!" He plaintively reached a hoof out for her.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME, YOU FREAK!" Camellia bolted out of the alley, following the course of their would-be assaulters.
"Camellia..." moaned Flaxseed, watching her go with a leaden feeling settling into his stomach.
"I didn't see her for a while after that," explained Flaxseed, "She was only a couple weeks away from leaving for acting school anyway. So nopony really questioned it when she quit her job the next day. I tried going to her apartment to talk to her. But she either wasn't home or she refused to open the door. Either way, it was like she'd blocked me out of her life.
"After a few days of trying, I decided to give up and hope that she might come to me. I was almost too depressed to work. There were days I felt so sick and disgusted that I didn't want to get out of bed. Only the thought that today might be the day I saw her again kept me going. Then...one night..." Flaxseed hesitated and cringed, a faint whimper forcing its way out of his lips.
"If you want to stop..." said Rarity, watching him intently.
"No," whispered Flaxseed, "I need to finish this..."
Flaxseed sighed as he looked down at the sheets spread out on the desk in front of him. He'd taken the restaurant's ledgers home with him, his skill with numbers having garnered the attention of his managers. They were actually willing to let him go over the books and help with the budget, even paying him a few extra bits to take the accounts home with him and look them over before bringing them back the next day. He wasn't officially doing their finances, but it was a step in the right direction.
But the absence of Camellia from his life seemed to strip away all the enjoyment he got out of the job. He just couldn't stop agonizing over whether or not he'd see her again. Would she eventually come around and talk to him again? Or would he simply have to start of with somepony else...and possibly have the same thing happen again later on?
A faint click of a key in a lock made Flaxseed's ear twitch. He knew that sound. Camellia had a spare key to his apartment. He realized that she must have finally come around and had decided to talk to him.
Flaxseed didn't look away from his desk. He could hear hoofsteps approaching from behind. She'd done this nearly every time she came to visit him while he was working. She would come up behind him and then rise up to hug him around the neck from behind, giggling as she rested on his back and nuzzled his neck, occasionally pausing to kiss his ear. The thought of being able to experience that feeling again made Flaxseed quiver.
Almost too late, Flaxseed noticed that the approaching hoofsteps seemed heavier than he remembered. Camellia was a fairly light pony after all. Whoever was coming up behind him was a few dozen pounds heavier at least.
The hoofsteps paused and Flaxseed was conscious of somepony looming over him from behind. With a yelp, he pushed back from the desk. He saw something cross his vision and lifted a hoof to block it. The reflexive action saved his life as his foreleg intercepted a wire that bit into the skin beneath his coat. At the same time the wire made contact, the pony behind Flaxseed grunted and leaned back, using his weight to pull the wire towards Flaxseed's neck.
If Flaxseed lowered his hoof, the wire would bite into his neck next and probably crush his windpipe, strangling him. So he strained with all his might, pushing against the wire, willing it away from him.
"Give it up monster," snarled the stallion behind him, pulling harder on the wire, which continued to get closer and closer to Flaxseed's neck.
Flaxseed's first though was to use magic to dislodge his attacker. However, he realized that must have been what his enemy was waiting for. Once he began channeling the magic for a spell, all the pony behind him would have to do was reach forward and bite his horn. The pain would probably rob Flaxseed of the strength he needed to continue resisting the wire and allow him to be strangled.
With a growl, Flaxseed surged forward, throwing all his weight into moving the wire away from him. Blood trickled down his foreleg. The wire barely budged. However, dislodging it hadn't been Flaxseed's intention anyway.
In order to counter Flaxseed's foreward lunge, the pony behind him had been forced to shift his weight backwards to keep pulling the wire towards Flaxseed's neck. Because he was focused on pulling back, he didn't notice right away when Flaxseed dipped his head forward and lit his horn.
Levitating an entire pony took a fair bit of juice, as far as magic was concerned. However, Flaxseed didn't need to straight-up lift his opponent. Instead he applied a telekinetic shove to his attacker from behind. The other stallion, caught off-guard by the sudden shift, lost his balance and began to fall forward. Next, Flaxseed applied a levitation spell to the attacker's hind hooves even as he threw all his weight against the wire wound around the attacker's forehooves. The movement sent the stallion flipping over Flaxseed's body.
The desk Flaxseed had been working at faced a window, resting just under its sill. His improvised throw sent the other stallion into the window and through it, shattering the glass into fragments that glittered in the light thrown off by the street lamps below.
Flaxseed's apartment was on the fifth floor of the building.
The unknown stallion's scream lasted an uncomfortably long time before it was cut short by a wet crunch. Flaxseed flinched at the sound. For a moment, he could only stare dumbly at the window, conscious of the fact that he'd just ended a life. It had been frantic, carried out in the heat of the moment, but he'd killed another pony. Granted, said pony had just tried to garrote him, but that did nothing to stem the tide of revulsion in Flaxseed's gut.
Instead, the revulsion rose, carrying with it the contents of Flaxseed's stomach. He turned to the side, heaving up the remnants of his dinner, his entire body convulsing with the force of the action. For a long moment, Flaxseed simply stared at the unpleasant mess on the floor in front of him, unable to care about the stench as its fumes wafted up to his nostrils. He was a murderer. That was all that mattered to him.
There was a glint of light off metal that attracted Flaxseed's attention to another section of the floor, the section where his attacker had been standing only a moment ago. There, laying on the floor, was a single key. Flaxseed's eyes widened as he realized it was the key to his apartment and the pony that had just tried to kill him had been the one carrying it. More importantly, it was the spare key he'd given to Camellia to let herself in.
Flaxseed's nausea was canceled out by a surge of fear at the sight of that key. The attacker had Camellia's key. Just how had he gotten it? Those questions raced through Flaxseed's mind at a breakneck pace.
It must have been the thugs they encountered the other night. If they had told somepony about what they had seen and word got back to those weird zealots who'd been chasing him...then they might know about the ponies who he'd been associating with, including his fillyfriend. Camellia could be in danger!
That realization alone was enough to galvanize Flaxseed into action. He nearly smashed down his own door as he rushed out into the hallway. His ears picked up the sound of ponies coming up the stairs. If that stallion had accomplices, they would have realized that he had failed by now and were on the way up to finish the job themselves. This was no time to risk a confrontation. Instead, Flaxseed turned and bolted the other way, going out through the door that led to the fire escape and rushing down the stairs.
Rarity was quite glad for her immaculate white coat at that point. It hid just how thoroughly she had paled as Flaxseed's account went on. She carefully lifted a cup of tea to her lips and sipped it, not trusting herself to talk as she looked at the stallion in front of her, who had just admitted to killing another pony. She'd had no idea that Flaxseed had an event like that in his past. She also had no idea just what to think about it.
Certainly, it had been in self-defense. After what he'd been through, she couldn't fault Flaxseed for doing what he had done. He might not have even thought about what he was actually doing when he had done it. There were, of course, those who would have pointed out that Flaxseed's attacker had deserved his fate. But that didn't change the fact that killing was killing.
Flaxseed seemed fully aware of that. It was clear that the emotional scars left by the experience still bothered him, even now. His voice was raw and he was talking frantically, as though he could no longer stop.
Camellia's apartment was the first place Flaxseed thought to visit. It only took him a few minutes to get there. He immediately began pounding on the door, calling out her name. There was no response from within. However, after a few minutes of continuous hammering, the angry landlady approached him and sternly informed Flaxseed that Camellia had gone out and that Flaxseed was welcome to follow her and not come back if he was going to continue causing such a racket.
Having been booted out of the building, Flaxseed took a moment to think through his options. Camellia had apparently left alone, under her own power. So she hadn't been caught then. He decided to visit some of her favorite hangouts and see if there was anything he could glean from those places.
Luckily, Flaxseed found her at the first place he'd looked, a pleasant little cafe where they'd chatted over many a cup of coffee. To his surprise, he saw Camellia sitting there with one of her friends who worked at the local playhouse. Flaxseed had never been terribly fond of the other mare, having always thought she was shallow and conceited. But it was clear that she and Camellia got along very well.
Not much later, Flaxseed learned why when he learned the truth of what happened and the secret behind the large bag of bits that lay on the table.
Any trepidation Rarity felt after hearing that Flaxseed had inadvertently killed a pony vanished, replaced by a disgusted fury at the very idea that she had allowed such a disgusting, revolting, uncanny, monstrous, hideous creature into her Boutique and spoken to it as though it were a pony.
"That bitch!" The snarl that forced its way out her lips almost seemed to strike Flaxseed with tangible force. "To think that I allowed her to walk out of here with nothing more than a bloody nose. I should have shaved her tail and mane, made a rope out of them and strangled her!"
"Eep!" Flaxseed ducked down below the table, terrified at the anger radiating from the mare in front of him.
Realizing that she had frightened her friend knocked Rarity out of her angry haze. She forced herself to take several deep breaths in order to calm down. "Flaxseed...It's alright, I'm not angry at you."
"A-a-are you sure?" asked Flaxseed, carefully poking his head up above the level of the table, his eyes transformed once again, ready to duck back down again at a moment's notice.
"Yes," replied Rarity, "I'm sorry dear. I just couldn't believe that somepony would sell her coltfriend out like that. To think that she betrayed you so completely..."
"I don't like to think about it," said Flaxseed softly. His eyes returned to their normal state.
"I'm so sorry I forced you to relive such a traumatizing experience." Rarity smiled in spite of her words. "Thank you for trusting me."
"It was the least I could do," said Flaxseed, bashfully looking way from her, "After everything you've done for me, you deserve to know the truth."
Rarity went to his side again, enfolding Flaxseed in a warm embrace. "It's not obligation," she said, "You don't owe me anything. It's trust. You've finally opened up a little more. It's painful, it's frightening, but it's right and you did it."
"Thank you," said Flaxseed, leaning into her embrace, "Can we stay like this for a little while?"
"Of course we can," said Rarity, tightening her hold on him, "As long as you want. This day is for you after all."
"For me?"
Rarity nodded. "I gave Coco the day off, so there's no work for today. When you're ready, would you like to go over to the teahouse, maybe chat with Arkenstone and Dawn for a bit?"
"That sounds nice," said Flaxseed, a wry smile spreading across his face, "But didn't we already have tea?."
Rarity let out a sound that was halfway between a giggle and a rather unladylike snort. "Oh hush." She planted a light kiss on his cheek and went back to holding him tightly. She was all too happy to remain where she was. Yesterday, she'd been afraid that she'd nearly lost Flaxseed, that he would bolt out of the Boutique and out of her life at the first possible opportunity. She couldn't stand the thought of him leaving. Being able to rest there and hold him was something she was more than happy to do. Flaxseed was home and that was all that mattered.
1) You had to be there...
2) Again...You had to be there...
Apologies for the late update. I got a little caught up in real life stuff today, mostly filling out applications and going to interviews. I'm in the market for a new job, seeing as the retail company I currently work for has apparently now decided "screw you" is going to be their official stance towards longstanding employees anywhere below the management level. So I'm off in search of greener pastures where I can find more hours and, hopefully, something resembling a living wage.
So...Sweetie Belle finally has her cutie mark. She was probably the hardest one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders for me to come up with a cutie mark for...for reasons I don't completely understand. It isn't that figuring out what her cutie mark would represent was really hard, but I can't remember why (if there ever was an actual reason why) I got so hung up on making Sweetie's cutie mark be something other than just singing, which is how it goes in most fics (seeing as this is what the canon is leaning towards as well). For some reason, I really wanted to do something different with her, even though I went ahead and made Apple Bloom's cutie mark represent the usual carpenter/architect/handymare (or is it hooftymare)/whatever that she often ends up as in most fics. Oh well...
I don't have any real ideas for the real world equivalent of the song Sweetie used. If one of you can come up with a suitable one, I might post it. When it comes to music, I tend to think I do less listening and more hearing or, as I've heard it put in a music theory course in college, I'm more interested in Absolute Music, that is music itself, divorced from any particular meaning or interpretation of it. Besides the fact that I'm an anime fan, the other big reason I like J-pop and music in other foreign languages is because I don't immediately understand what the singers are saying, so I don't get distracted by the actual meaning behind a song's lyrics and I can simply listen to the singers' voices as though they were additional instruments and enjoy how they mesh with the rest of the music. Does that make me weird?
Next chapter: It's time...
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was a bit worried when I didnt see the update on my Ipod
Damn. So! who else wants to hunt down Camilla, and Tar and Feather the cold hearted mare? and WOO! Sweetie finally got her mark! and I do say it fits her in this story, and one of the best representations ive seen of her. Good chapter all around.
5792241 I DO I DO!!!!
Oh I just can't wait for the bloodshed to occur!
Welp, looks like another pony that needs a bullet hole between their eyes. I'll be right back.
That doesn't quite say it in my opinion.
thecollegetown.life/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/bitch.jpg
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sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/don-t-keep-calm-kill-that-bitch-3.png
That's better.
5792340 Best comment ive seen tonight
The deed is done, the crusade is won, the ponies have their cutie marks! So that was the 3 reference in the last chapter. .....why do I get the feeling in the next chapter something bad happens during winter wrap up?
Yay! New update!!!!!!
5792241 Wait for me! I have seen all SAW movies and have some ideas I want to try
Celestia. you were far too soft with the Cult Solar. you have to nip this in the bud. NOW
5792376 I was always fond of the reverse bear trap.
5792387 I think its progressed way past the point of that being done easily. She should have after the first attack on Dawn, but by now they have their plans in place, and seems to be growing lately. I believe this will end up with outright conflict across quite a large area possibly.
If I'm not mistaken, Dawn is still part of the CMC, and DOESN'T have his mark yet. Though I suspect that will change after he confronts Terra Heart.
(Moguera, Good luck on job searching, BTW)
Running away in fear of your coltfriend's condition is one thing, but selling him out for bits to a murderous cult... Celestia really needs to crack down on this. I know she fears if she did that she would enter a state of tyranny, but doing nothing other than 'influencing and branding the cult as bad' is just not helping... I mean, when is she going to realize that mere words against them is not enough to end their reign of terror upon innocents?
So...much...focus on the "lady" in the comments...
My dear author, I like how you unique you made each CMC Mark Getting Moment.
Yeah, Scootaloo is a little bit of a given considering how important she's is to the tale. But still, using that as a key moment in the relationship is interesting.
You may have gone fanon stereotypical with Applebloom, but it was still unique and in the context of the story.
And you gave Sweetie the path of Musical Therapist, which is a very unique take on the concept!
(Been Googling the term Musical Therapist for about 20 minutes... it's a fascinating field of study.)
(Related note: I think Absolute Music is a nice term for the song she used, as well as Relaxing Music or Therapeutic Music.)
Okay, enough fanboying from me.
Some ponies just need a hug. With a freight train.
"the" should be "then"
Man, Flax can be quite resourceful when he needs to be.
Yet another chapter that has made me feel extremely close to the characters.Great work.
5792241
Anypony want some Cupcakes?
Wait for me. I have so many delightfully insane ideas that i'd like to try.
and this
those should explain my mindset towards her.
together we shall be her worst
5793142 I like the song Nightmare. Nice choice. And seeing as we Bat ponies are creatures of the night.. and Look like something out of a normal pony's nightmares...*grins and laughs maniacally*
5793204
It's refreshing to see another lover of the night (as well as an Avenged Sevenfold fan). So, when and where shall we meet to go after the bitch?
That's two prediction wrong. Can we go for a third. And I was an idiot. The third. Should have seen that.
Now, I'm really hoping that she comes back just to so she'll get her just deserved payback for what she's done. Though hoping she doesn't clue in the other members, but I'm going to guess that it'll happen and that'll just make everything worse. Bitch though, seriously.
And so Sweetie gets her cutie mark, as was alluded to. I'm quite pleased it turned out to be musical therapy (or something along those lines), rather than simple singing. Like you said, that's awfully common at this point - and while there is nothing wrong with common interpretations, especially as they seem to be lining up with the in-show canon (or so it seems), giving the same theme a new spin is a good way to freshen up the experience.
Not to mention that this also adds the potential for all sorts of interesting interactions between Sweetie and ponies with all sorts of mental issues - perhaps not in the immediate future, as she is too young to really understand and delve in psychology (outside of ponies she is already well acquainted with) to a truly complex degree, but Sweetie as a psychiatrist is an interesting thing to think about.
As for Camellia and Flaxseed - well, not much new to say there I suppose, in general strokes his past with her went pretty much as expected. Though I must admit that selling him out for money of all things was a particular low point I hadn't expected her to hit - in a way, that's almost more disgusting than the Cult members who want to hunt Flax and those like him down because of simple religious zeal. Both are dungeon-worthy either way, of course.
And why do I have a feeling that Camellia won't pass up a chance to try and cash in on Flax's location a second time, especially as she will be looking to stir up trouble out of revenge if nothing else. Expecting more Cult crazies to show up sometime soon.
And here's the obligatory shout-out that Celestia had best get off her flank and do something about this cult. And by "do" I mean dismantle and persecute it with all the relentless determination the Guard can muster. Every second she doesn't do so is a second she is failing in her duties to Equestria's citizens who are being unfairly persecuted for a simple physical condition they have. Her self-image concerns (especially in the eyes of those deranged enough to participate in a manhunt of adults and foals alike) should be so far below the concerns about the actual lives being ruined and lost because of the Cult that you'd have to dig underground to find the marker.
On the contrary, your tastes in music are not out of the ordinary. I can't say that I particularly enjoy any genre of music above any other, though I can say that I tend to listen to music more for the music and less for the kind of things I end up doing in English class. I know a few people whose tastes coincide with that kind of thing, too. So, it might be uncommon, but it's not like we've grown a few extra heads.
Was listening to this during Flaxseed's story. Ah, Spotify, I love you.
5793063
Or a chicken.
img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100721170725/supcom/images/6/69/SeraphimT4Ythotha.jpg
5793220 Soon. very soon.
5793398 I love this piece of music. The fates chose a good piece of music to come on for ya during this chapter.
5793473
*smiles sinisterly* just let me get my tools ready. *digs around in a bag* yellow ring, red ring, pliers, bonesaw, beartrap, bamboo, cauterizing equipment, car battery and jumper cables. All check.....now where did I leave my senbon?
Not really. The singers voice is always another instrument in a song. It just has a different impact based on if you can understand it or not.
Has the color of Sweetie's magic changed now that she has her mark? The color of a pony's magic matches one of the colors of their cutie mark, usually the dominant one. It only matches their eyes if their mark is completely black and/or white, or if they don't have one yet.
5793398
That does indeed seem to be an appropriate level of Hug.
I don't know weather to cry for Sweaty Bell or Flaxseed.
I agree with rarity that mare was luck to walk out with a bloody nose.
and come on rarity just Kiss him and admit to your feelings.
Harts Fire
Dude, if you don't bring that mare back and have Rarity give her a MAAAAAJOOOOORRRRR BEATDOWN, then you and I shall have "words"!
I mean it man, MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!
5793348 If past stories have taught me anything up to this point, it's that Ol'Celly IS doing something to try and take them down, but she's doing it quietly.
Probably because she's caught on that there's more then just mobs and slander going on this time, but what that is, not even WE know yet. And to act rashly with such a lack of info could be playing into Silicon Horns hooves(past experience talking here), so for now she needs to figure out what they're doing, figure out how to stop it, THEN take them down.
Sounds stupid I know... but more is lost by rash/ill-informed action then with patience and fore-thought.
This chapter was an emotional sandwich (for lack of better term.) It started with the heartwarming aspects of Rarity and Sweetie comforting Flaxseed, the top slice of bread. Then it went to Sweetie celebrating her victory with all the subtlety of a flying rainbow brick, the additional toppings and condiments. Next was Flaxseed's flashback serving as the main meat. It's what one would expect at this point, but it still hurt when we got to it. Then we polish it off with another heartwarming interaction between Rarity and Flaxseed. Ah, good sandwich.
You know, I may be quite angry at little miss backstab at the moment, but I won't pursue my rage for once. I'm going to take the gentleman's approach here, and gentlemen don't start fights. We make deals. Pulls out phone. Slendy, my main stallion! Hey, you know that twenty you owe me for last week's chess match? I'll drop it, but you have to do something for me. Don't worry, it's quick and should be right up your alley.
Great version of Sweetie Belle! And her cutie mark is spot on. Too bad there is no counterpart to such a calling in our world.
quotehd.com/imagequotes/authors42/kathleen-murray-quote-there-are-so-many-extenuating-circumstances.jpg
5792340 u sir, i am in complete agreement with
YOU GOT FIRED FROM YOUR RETAIL JOB?
I remember you talking about it in previous stories.... I remember you telling us about how you hate the winter retail, twice... Not sure to be happy or sad for you.
It does. Because I feel same and I'm weird.
Actually canon is weird. Canonically Sweetie said herself she only listens to Show Tunes, and really doesn't have any idea of the current music scene. Has zero interest in singing in front of crowds (The Cutie Mark Crusader talent show the only exception). And doesn't really care that much for music, as she does magic. The dream sequence in AB's episode was craptastic where Sweets and Scoots was concerned (complete opposite of Twilight Time foreshadowing, and things Sweets and Scoots have said / done prior to that episode.).
What exactly is Sweets Special Talent? I was thinking and hoping it'd be in generalized Music Magic (kind of like a Twilight of Sonothaumaturgy (much more variables / usefulness / applications)), but is she just going to be using her skills to calm ponies? Or is she going to have a far more wider range of medical magic? Or what exactly is her range going to be?
As for AB, canon has her built up and moving towards Potion Making (something they've been building up and working on since the Cutie Pox episode. What with both Zecora and Twilight teaching her potion making / alchemy). But construction / making things with her hooves could be interesting. Wonder if she'll ever try using potions / alchemy to enhance her construction / creation skills (you never see anypony do that. It's usually mundane stuff).
Sorry for the early morning Rant. First thing in the morning (if I'm up before 9 AM EST) I'm particularly ranty. It's both a special talent and a character flaw XD.
Anywho, I like your take throughout the series of Cutie Marks and what they mean. Sure a Cutie Mark automatically gives buffs, power bonuses, and skills that are magically above an average pony. But it's cool to think of them as a compass, or a starting point rather than an end all type of thing.
Kind of Reminds me of http://www.fimfiction.net/story/191808/1/the-hypocrisy-of-tolerance/again-always with the Elements:
A snippet where the elements are mentioned:
Still good chapter. And Good Sweetie Belle, can't wait to see what you do with her.
5793063 Ammen to THAT!
5954112
I know this comment is old, but they pretty much threw everything out the window when they gave the CMC their joined marks.
Which is just another example of how the Talking Heads at Hasbro are far more concerned with the Bottom Line than what us fans of the show think. The CMC can't be individuals, because we can't sell them that way.
Stupids.
7314999
*headdesk* Yeah, that pissed me off so hard (not as much as the Bigmac Sister Hooves social, screwing us out of a ScootaDash episode, but close). And the CMC episode after that with AB thinking they weren't friends anymore was stupid as well. Not only did they cut away their individuality of their marks. But they also show that Sweet's take on music is completely different than was stated prior not even a season before.
But their Crusade? The show only used what was shown in a few episodes as the only things they've tried. Instead of the large list of things AB ended up doing, which would have made more sense, what with them having a few years to get things done / tested. So yeah, Hasbro is getting stupid.
7315727
Actually, the lackluster approach that has been taken in regards to most of the episodes in the last couple of seasons is why I can count on my fingers the number of episodes I've actually seen. There's been a few gems, but by and large, it's mostly been either lazy writing or writing that's cross purposes.
I mean, look what they did in the season six start episode. What made me cringe wasn't Flurry Heart's shattering of the Crystal Heart, but that Cadance (not Shining Armor, as he's pretty much still as one-dimensional as most males in the show outside of Spike) decided to commemorate a storm that nearly destroyed the Crystal Empire by naming her foal after said event, when said foal's magic surge is what shattered the heart in the first place. What really made me cringe though was the fact that the two alicorns that move the Sun and the Moon around couldn't even beat back a bloody storm!
I'm sorry, but the length that the show has taken to showcase how bloody useless both Celestia and Luna are just pisses me off. I get that the storm was probably something that only the Crystal Heart could affect, but that could have at least been mentioned. I don't buy that a super-cell would be beyond them, as that storm was just a heavy cold front. If it had been a super-cell, that would be more believable as those are fairly chaotic to deal with.
So yeah, even though I'm a brony and still love MLP, I've not watched much of the show since the end of season four. Honestly, I don't blame the writers; for the most part, I do see that their hands are tied by the Talking Heads at Hasbro.
7318326
Yeah the talking heads at Hasbro really fuck things up. Especially when it comes to lore, and making something good without crapping all over it for the merchandise.
What the heck is that about? I'm having trouble figuring out what's happening here.
Don't care how big the company is, I would've both sued and started a boycott of the company.
I'm being perfectly serious. It's actually a fantasy; I hope and pray that some dickwad of a manager decides to fire me because I'm disabled. Not only would I file suit against that company, I'd do everything in my power to get people to boycott anything even remotely connected to said company. Nothing hurts a company worse than the bottom falling out of its bottom line.