“This is gonna be great Uncle Train Wreck!” Diane danced around with excitement as if the street carnival was about to start, and not still days away. “My whole class is gonna be there, and you and mom are gonna have a cupcake booth and… what’s wrong? It’s Carrot isn’t it.”
Diane hadn’t really warmed up to Carrot Plate as much as the rest of the family. But she HAD saved her uncle Train Wreck. And having her around did make Z happy. “She’s coming back, you know that don’t you?”
“Maybe she will, maybe she won’t. Luna assured me that Fancy Pants wouldn’t keep her locked up against her will, and that if he says she’s safe then she is.” The giant stallion sighed and smiled. “That’s all I was trying to do. And I did it. If she wants to come back and be a part of our family, I hope she knows she’s always welcome. If not, then we wish her well and we hope for the best for her.”
“Seriously, Train Wreck,” Diane answered in her most grown up, serious voice, “she kidnapped you and nursed you to health in her basement while hiding you from her abusive parents. She’s totally coming back.”
The little changeling queen snuggled into her guardians side on the floor of the suite. “I bet if you still had fur back there you’d have a cutie mark. I mean you came back from THAT! If that didn’t get you a cutie mark then what the heck have you gotta do?”
“I’m sure it’s back there up under the scar tissue somewhere.” Train Wreck gave a little laugh. “Probably a wrecking ball. But anyway, kiddo, you gotta quit being so mean to Princess Luna. She’s a really nice mare, and she’s one of the co-rulers of the country we live in.”
“When did you jump into the moon-butt fan club?” The little changeling wrinkled her nose in distaste.
“That’s ‘Princess Luna’, gods in hell don’t call her moon-butt to her face.” Train Wreck face hoofed profoundly. “Again, ruling Diarch. But to answer your question, she’s been helping me alot with my nightmares since the circus. She wants to help you too, but you keep calling her nasty names until she leaves. That really hurts her feelings, Dee. Why do you hate her so much?”
“Because it’s her fault,” Diane said sulkily, “Charlie became the Nopony because of what happened when she put him in that dream world. And that means everything he did to… to everypony he hurt… it’s all her fault.”
“Diane, this isn’t really about Luna, or what Nopony did to everyone else.” Train Wreck coiled his snakes around the little filly and squeezed her gently, “It’s about what he did to you, and that was his fault. It wasn’t Luna’s fault, and it certainly wasn’t yours.”
“You don’t know that!” Diane struggled free of her uncle’s embrace and glared accusingly, “Maybe if I hadn’t stolen that damned card and projected myself into the dream, it would have worked! Maybe if he had a real nurse managing his pod he would have gotten better!”
“And then what? Dee?” The Train Wreck sighed patiently. “Z would still be dead. I wouldn’t even exist. And you’d still be living alone in Canterlot, doing things you hate to survive until one day you got old enough to lay a clutch of eggs and instead of a time traveling crazy horse, we’d have a bitter, spite filled evil queen. I like my evil queen tiny and pink and adorable, thank you very much.”
“Train Wreck!” The little changeling swatted his muzzle and blushed fiercely. “My carapace has been getting lighter lately though.” Diane pranced in a playful circle. “I was wondering when somepony besides Steady was gonna notice.”
“So you DO got a thing for Rock Steady?” Train Wreck chuckled deviously. “So I was wise to put Z on pancake watch, I see.”
“Train Wreck!” The joke earned the laughing stallion another swat. “That was SO embarrassing! I swear if you do that again, I’m gonna take Steady to the kitchen, and you know what we’re gonna do? We’re gonna actually make pancakes! Real, light, fluffy, and delicious pancakes. And then you can try to explain what’s going on to my sister!”
“No fair!” The stallion laughed out loud. “Z would have a melt down on the spot! You now how litteral she can take things! We might actually have to explain to her that actual pancakes don’t cause omelettes! And gods in hell if there’s actually an actual omelette involved! You could ruin this family's breakfast for untold ages!”
“Not my fault,” Diane giggled cheerfully, “I’m not the one who made baked goods and pastries our families code-language.”
“Yeah, I think that was your mom,” Train Wreck laughed.
“You think what was me?” Surprise strolled into the suite grinning.
“There is no time for this playful talking with words!” Z-978 burst into the room quickly. “There is a letter! You must open the letter and read it to Z! It is a letter from Carrot Plate!”
The rest of the family quickly learned that no one was going to be able to speak a complete sentence until somepony read the letter.
Dear Pastel Family,
Dear Train WreckDearest Train Wreck, Surprise, Z-978, and Diane,
I’m sorry
I’m terribly sorry to have put you through so much worry. I writing this from the station in Manehattan. The train ride here was so terrible. I knew Fancy Pants said I was safe, but I didn’t feel safe. I didn’t know if Z was safe. The diplomats' family were all very nice to me, though they had some harsh words to say to Mr. Fancy. They were under the impression the Train Wreck had been the one who had foal-napped me. They said I had to stay with them until they got everything sorted out, because they wanted to make sure they were sending me back to a safe place. I guess I understand that, but I was pretty angry at the time.
When Fancy Pants got there later to try and “explain” things, well, I can tell you that somepony had some things explained to him! First off I set him straight that Trainwreck never foal-napped anypony. If anything, I abducted Train Wreck, and the nobles had definitely foal napped me, but Train Wreck never abducted anypony.
-
“Told ya so!” Diane stuck her tongue out at Train Wreck.
“Be quiet little pest queen!” Z scowled at her sister in irritation. “Train Wreck must continue reading the letter until he has reached the end!”
-
Then his wife has to jump in and explain to me all the horrible things she’s heard I was going through gossipping with all the nobles wives about “that poor unfortunate little abused filly being forced into that monster’s harem”! I’m not joking. Those may not have been the exact words, but basically that was what she said.
And Fancy Pats tried to write it off as one big misunderstanding, but I was having none of it. This whole thing started because a bunch of gossipy, perverted, old mares made up a bunch of rumors and suddenly demanded their husbands do something about it! For years, my father pimps me out to every royal and dignitary on Equus who looks halfway interested, and not a peep! I spend a few days with an actual loving family, and...ew…
You don’t even want to know what they thought was going on. Just ew. I’m not even gonna write it down because I know you’re reading this to Z. And I know she won’t let you skip ahead. But seriously ew. The Nobles wives are weird. They were spreading rumors amongst themselve that would make Diane blush.
-
“Hey!” Diane huffed in irritation.
“Diane must be quiet! Train Wreck must continue reading!” Z glared daggers at her sister, who sheepishly withdrew.
-
But we can deal with that tomorrow I guess. I saved this part for last, you’ve probably guessed, I’m coming back… or home… I’m coming back home. Fancy Pants has bought us tickets on an express train back to Canterlot, so by the time you get this letter…
-
“H-hi, everypony, I’m really sorry I caused so much trouble. Is Z okay?”
“Carrot Plate must be quiet or Z will never know what will happen by the time Train Wreck finishes reading her this letter!” Z-978 rolled her eyes impatiently at the continued interruptions.
Canterlot
Z is so adorable and hurray for Carrot's return. It was amusing to imagine Fancy and Fluer being chewed out by Carrot.
Fancy and Fleur appeared to be level headed individuals in Silver's story that were above such behavior though I suppose all the gossip got to them though bring Carrot 'home' put him back in my good books...unless you have plans to do otherwise
7386203 No Fancy Pants is good ponies. He really was just trying to get Carrot top out of what he thought was a bad situation. He took advantage of the disruption caused by Train Wreck's... wrecking of the Plate Estate to bypass Golden Plate's political influence and put right an overdue wrong. Aside from assuming Train Wreck was some demented filly collector, he wasn't wrong in what he did... at least no more wrong than Train Wreck, himself. Of course when he finds out what his peers have been up to while he was off assuring Miss Plates safety... how does one call off a witch-hunt?
7386282
Good intentions or not, Fancy's actions have caused Carrot undue emotional stress which he essentially tried to sweep under the rug. Sure it may have been to calm Carrot down but it could also be misconstrued as an attempt to save his own hide. Still, I'll give him the benefit of a doubt since no one is perfect.
Can one stop a witch hunt? You can't. Unless you're an authoritative figure with oratory skills of a master and even then, the chances aren't great if the mob's anger is greater.
A rather ironic twist if you consider Fancy's role in Princess Spike.
7386365 Let us keep in mind that there is more than one mob at this point. There is the mob of nobles who have heard simply horrible things about what goes on in Decanter (what with the druggings and the rape circuses). Then there are the (fairly rightfully) outraged citizens of said Decanter, who actually had to live through the druggings and the arson and the rape-circus. Where were all these nobles when THAT was going down (they were dealing with the imminent political fallout from Silver's coronation). Then there's the third mob being assembled by Mr. Smith.
Z's dialogue was an excellent use of the rule of three. A perfect funny moment
There seem to be big wheels turning in the Silververse, and things have been quiet. Too quiet. Could this be the calm before the real storm strikes?
7386709 I feel like I could almost have called this a Z-978 chapter, even though most of her lines were written in after the chapter was actually finished. I love writing Z. Beneath all the brain damage she's still the happy little drone from the first holiday special. She's happy and feral and free as the bees. Z-978 has a terrible fascination with wild honey bees that's unlikely to ever come up in the story itself. If she ever met a bee keeper she would likely be stung many times trying to set the hive "free". She likes honey, but it makes her sad sometimes for reasons she doesn't really understand.
And yes Carrot/Z shipping intensifies.
7386417 Things are going to end up real messy soon for Canterlot, with heavy repercussions regardless of the outcomes...so as you said before, more sunshine and rainbows.
pancake
'gossiping', 'wives'
'Equus' should be capital for a name.
And my oh my isn't Z quick in the uptake!
7433545 Don't pick on Z-978, she is adorable. Good to see ya back!