Twilight sagged with a little sigh, seated across from the rest of the Mane Five. "You let them put it there?"
Applejack shrugged. "Ah was busy farmin' when it happened and ah figured it was yer idea."
Spike shrugged softly. "I heard it coming and went out and saw a herd of stallions just carrying it along. I tried to tell them to stop, but they weren't listening to me..."
Twilight put a hoof to her head.
Elsewhere, Indigo enjoyed the mobility afforded by his customized dry swimmers. He explored Twilight's castle with a little smile and a curious look in his eyes. Twilight had so much to look at! He nudged open a door that led into darkness and he squinted at it. His eyes were more suited to the dark than a pony and he slowly advanced into the collection of boxes with only the clip-clop of his hooves, biological and mechanical.
He saw a large pedestal and began to grow curious about it. It seemed attached to a lot of... were they mechanics? He wasn't really sure, but he knew exactly who to ask! He galloped out of the room in search for his friends that happened to be mares, not to be confused with marefriends.
Cherry and Berry were brought in, both confused. Cherry looked around with growing curiosity. "This doesn't look like she uses it that often."
"That's putting it mildly." Berry blew off some dust from the top of a box. "The dry is gathering. Did you know dry collects on things that don't move?"
Cherry stepped up beside Berry. "I did not know that." She reached out and left a hoofprint in the dust. "Neat!"
Indigo pointed at the strange pedestal. "Take a look at this. I think it's mechanical." He looked mildly miffed at his friends becoming easily distracted. "The dry will wait."
Cherry stuck out her tongue a little. "Don't be so upset, now what do you have?" She wandered closer, eyes wandering over the platform and following the wired to the grand mecha... "I don't think this is mechanical, at least not entirely."
Berry nodded quickly. "There are a lot of parts I don't get, and if we don't even understand the start of it, it's not mechanical." Both mares crossed their forelegs and nodded with finality.
Indigo shook his head. "So what is it? Is it too complicated for either of you to figure out?" He looked towards Berry as a devious look overtook his face. "Bet Cherry'll figure it out before you."
Berry gasped with offense. "What?! No! I can figure it out. Just you watch and see." She advanced on the machine, as odd as it was, and began to poke and prod at various pieces of it, trying to figure it out.
Cherry looked over Berry's shoulder before leaning towards Indigo, "Sneaky boy." He blushed at her words but didn't argue it. "Berry, have--"
"I almost have it!" She threw a lever and something crackled to life. "We're missing a part. I think I turned it on, but it needs... something."
"It needs unicorn magic." Twilight entered on the surprised sea ponies. "What are you doing in here?"
Indigo recovered first and pointed at the device. "What is it?"
"That..." Twilight trailed off a moment. It'd been a while since she used the portal. "It's dangerous."
Spike rolled his eyes as he followed Twilight. "It's not that dangerous."
"Spike!"
"What?"
Berry looked to the dragon. "What does it do?"
Spike looked between Berry and Twilight, one looking hopeful, and the other demanded silence with a glare. He squirmed in place. "I... shouldn't say."
Cherry decided to take the fight to Twilight. "We'll just get more curious until we figure it out. At least tell us what it does before you tell us not to use it."
Indigo nodded quickly. "We just want to know what it's for. It looks interesting." He turned back to the machine. "You're a unicorn, you can turn it on, right?"
"I could..." Twilight let out a sigh. "But I shouldn't. Look, it's a portal to another world."
Cherry raised a brow, but Berry let out a sudden laugh. "I knew it!"
Indigo blinked at Berry. "You knew it?"
Berry gestured at the arch the device formed. "It looked like some kind of door or something. I just couldn't figure out how to turn it on."
Twilight's horn glowed, throwing the switch back to the off position. "Good, now that we--"
The device flared to life, fed by her magic and crackling to life, but only for an instant with the switch being toggled to the off position. It was long enough. Indigo vanished from the platform.
Twilight gaped at the spot Indigo had stood in.
Cherry pointed at the spot. "Is he alright? Bring him back."
"I-It's not that simple!" Twilight took a step back.
Berry advanced on Twilight. "You sent my precious Indigo to Waves-knows-where, bring him back!"
Twilight shook her head. "I can't just... summon him. He has to walk back."
Cherry smiled. "Oh, that's simple. We'll just wait for him."
Twilight imagined the aquatic Indigo landing in Canterlot high and swallowed heavily. "I... should fetch him..."
Berry waved between Twilight and the device. "Go ahead."
"It's not that simple!" Twilight cringed. "My copy is in there, and we shouldn't meet more than absolutely necessary."
Cherry raised a brow. "You have a copy?"
"All ponies have a copy there." Twilight let out a sigh.
"All dry ponies, perhaps." Cherry got a grin. "Turn that back on and let us get him. We'll bring him back, promise."
Twilight put a hoof to her head.
Spike raised a claw. "I could go with them?"
"No!" Twilight clopped the ground. "Your double is there too."
"I have a double?"
Twilight let out a sigh. "Yes, a dog of my copy. Look, let's just..."
Cherry advanced alongside Berry. "We can't leave Indigo alone in a strange place. Let us rescue him!"
Indigo fell through a space that wasn't space and landed with a dull thud, groaning in pain. He pushed to his... feet? His hooves were covered in a strange material. Some kind of fancy shoes? How did they stop being... Where was his tail? He spun around looking for it, but did little but make himself dizzy.
His hooves, his front hooves, they'd changed wildly. They had almost no fur and terminated in wriggly things, like Spike's claws.
"You alright?"
He looked up at a... thing. It was a thing that looked like him, with two-colored mane. A her, he was certain. "Um, just a little... lost?" Indigo tried to keep himself calm. "Where am I?"
She pointed one of her wriggly claws at the building behind her. "In front of Canterlot High. Are you a new student?"
"Um..."
"Wow, you are lost. Look, my name is Bon Bon." She gestured to the school. "Come on, Principal Celestia will know what to do."
Celestia, there was a name he recognized. He nodded and she began to walk away. He tried to follow and staggered clumsily at first before he at least got the basics of bipedal motion down. What was he, and why did they dry swim in such a funny way? On the bright side, he was in The Dry and didn't actually feel dry at all. Whatever he was, it was a dry species.
The stairs were a special challenge, but it had a piece of metal he could grab and hold onto as he navigated slowly.
Bon Bon raised a brow at his curious and awkward ascent. "Maybe we should take you to the nurse first."
"No, no! I'm fine, really." At least, physically. Mentally, he was freaking out. Where was he? What was he? Could he get back to his friends? "I want to see Celestia." Surely that powerful princess would have all the answers.
Bon Bon took him down a hallway floored with some kind of smooth and shiny stone. The light came from magic panels in the ceiling. There were bits of writing all over the walls excitedly reminding any passerby of any number of events that he didn't understand. "What's a Spring Formal?"
She seemed surprised at the question. "Do they not have dances where you're from?"
"Oh! I love to swi--" She looked at him like he was insane. "I mean... Um, yes, we have those." He laughed nervously.
"Well, here we are." She gestured to a door. "Just go on in and ask for Celestia. Good luck, uh, what was your name?"
"Indigo." He blushed at realizing he was being rude. "Nice to meet you, Bon Bon. Thanks for the help."
"Hope you get everything straightened out." She wriggled a few of those fleshy claws. "I have to get going. Good luck!" She returned the way she came, leaving Indigo facing that door.
All he had to do was... He saw a pony do this... He bent over and went after the knob with his mouth, but discovered quickly his new mouth wasn't suited at all to getting around the device that opened the door.
Suddenly, a loud clanging sound filled the hallway. He stood up ram stiff as lots of things emerged and began dry swimming right past him as if he wasn't there. There were so many of them! They came in all colors and sizes, male and female. Most of them were talking with one another animatedly as they swam to wherever they were walking to, and they were swimming to a lot of places! He saw a few dealing with the doors though. They used their fleshy claws to grab it and turn it.
Is that what those were for? Oh! Indigo flushed. Of course it'd be like Spike. He should keep that in mind. What would Spike do? He reached forward and opened the door, slipping into the new room where it was quiet. There was one other... thing... She? was seated at a desk and looked up at him with a raised brow.
"Um, hello. Can I talk to Princess Celestia?"
She snorted softly. "I'm afraid we're all out of princesses, but we have a special on principals." She pressed a button. "Celestia, you have a visitor."
"Send them in," came a familiar voice from the thing being spoken to. Was it like the metal robot?
The female gestured at another door. "Go on in." Her eyes fell back to whatever she was working on.
Indigo advanced past her to face that door, but he knew better! He seized it with his wriggly claw things and soon had it open with a little smile of triumph. That wasn't so hard. He could mana... That was not Princess Celestia.
...Whhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.
Uh... Two things.
One, the portal's opening mechanism requires the journal linked to Sunset's and a source of power. Since the book is enchanted, it already has magic, which makes part of what Twilight says here feel wrong.
Two, was Indigo leaning against the mirror when it switched on? Because that's the only way for him to have been pulled in.
Well this will end badly.
I understand why you didn't make Indigo keep his tail, But wouldn't be at least have
cybernetic legsLeg braces to symbolize his hind legs?God, I JUST finished this story and you give me another chapter, GGGGAAAAAHHHHHH
Sooooo . . . Did someone throw more money at this so it can continue or what?
7263620 What? It's a valid question. They're princesses, but they're the princesses of the sun, the moon, friendship and love. F*cking love! I mean, Luna and
MoleCelestia both rule the entirety of Equestria, and Candance rules a kingdom that's made out of glass/diamonds. But Twilight lives in Ponyville, in a castle in Ponyville, but it's still just a small town, weirdness magnet or not. The only way I can see her making money out of friendship would be if she started doing that douche-y thing where you ask/take money from your friends and never pay back.That did not take long to get adopted.
Not that I'm complaining - I like the story, but I was kind of expecting to have it on 'completed' for longer.
So it's been a while since Twilight visited Equestria Girls Earth, huh?
I think that by now Canterlot High should have a pony alert: if a new person appears disoriented and asks for Princess Celestia, chances are they're not from here......
Keep going! ;)
7263883 Commerce in Equestria is woefully undefined by the primary canon. In the end, they did buy a train, they just didn't commission a whole brand new one be built from scratch, and instead purchased a retired one. Considering it was for someone to tear apart, this really wasn't a bad call.
He span around - He spun around
but it a piece - but it had a piece
down hallway floored - down a hallway floored
*****
I wasn't expecting this to continue so soon, but I'm happy to see it!
7263956 Typos fixed! Welcome to Canterlot High! What could go wrong here?
How does their school exist without mermen? Way too dry.
Have him ask Bon Bon to the dance to make both Cherry & Berry jealous
We could see the plot of this story a mile away.
7264060
You mean mermaid/men, they're probably at another school that is very popular with swimming.
7263973
I could already imagine them with Australian accents and turning into mermaids once they touch water
By the way, it's okay to incorporate some relationships as long as it still count as "drama" and not "romance".
Looking a little,
Flushed?
Indigo?
As a matter of principle, I need to tell you that you spelled principal wrong.
7264514 Fixed!
7264514
7264660
Remember, the principal can be your pal!
7263781
I figure that he had a fully functional tail and fins so there would be no analogue for a disability required.
A healthy hippocampus becomes a healthy human-like thing.
7263973
7264660
Now, while I am okay with idea of commissioning someone for a fan fiction instead of fan art, with these typos and your prices being 1 dollar for 100 words, I DO think you are ripping people off.
I mean, you earned 670 dollars for writing this story so far? That's... Who had so much money to spare for this, I want them to hire me
7265367 I believe what you want to check out is the 'laws' of supply and demand.
Your thoughts on 'ripping off' are not really of concern, since only the person who pays really needs to have an opinion on the value of it and, from what I know of Mr. Silver, that value is good.
If you want in on being paid to write, I would highly suggest writing. Write stuff, every day, post it, build a buzz around your work and get your readers to love your stuff. People will likely ask in your comments if xyz could be added, give them a way to do that by paying you.
I would also point out that the reason the price is so cheap is that he (David Silver) retains the rights to the work and publishes them to be read by all (for free).
Is this work any different to say, laying bricks? Where you get paid per brick to do the work?
7265439 the problem with pricing so high is that it tempts Hasbro.
Weren't you around for the great plushy maker massacre? Author man already tempts fate for Ponyfinder, but his material is different enough to muddy any claims there. If you start making too much money Hasbro gets interested and makes you either pay licencing fees or shut down.
He's fine so long as people keep their yaps shut.
7265984 Ponyfinder is safe. It has nothing to do with the MLP brand, characters, art-style or, well, anything.
This site, however... yeah, it could get hit, I doubt it would just for David's works. Fanfiction has been, typically, quite protected by US courts and as such they would be a little nuts to go after any of it. What they would need to prove is that he, in any way, either detracts from their brand (afaik, they don't have any strictly written media) or that he is trying to masquerade AS Hasbro, which he isn't.
Now, any of the mature stories on here DO tempt fate. They detract and sully Hasbro's brand and trademarks, which could totally get up their skirt and be attackable in a court.
7266100 I already said Ponyfinder is safe... otherwise I wouldn't own any of it. Or be in a game using half the source books.
What puts him at risk here is profitting from the fanfiction. Even at the worst point the plushie people didn't get hit unless they were making vast sums. Remember when good plushies sold for $150-$500? My seller didn't get hit and she sold for under $100
David isn't hitting the insane levels of profit that they were but at the same time he is making money that Hasbro isn't getting a cut of.
$50 for a story isn't bad it's a waste or their time. $500 for a story? That sounds like something they might be interested in if they're bored.
As I already said. I don't care. I'm not paying for it, I'm enjoying reading it and if someone wants to pay him to write, good on them, we should feel grateful.
7266209 No, profiting just exempts him from one 'fair use' claim. Heck, everything on this site is 'profiting' since there are ads on here.
What protects them (and David) is exactly what I said. Hasbro are not in the business of writing novels for MLP, and hence there is no brand damage to be done by the works on here, nor are any of the writers purporting to be Hasbro.
Apart from what I have already said, what makes them more likely to be targeted?
It makes me sad that Equestria Girls was invited into the story. Hopefully they won't be there long?
Oh god
*the sound of flesh hitting wood could be heard*
That's what I said!
This is a different story now. The previous story ended in the middle of a sentence, leaving multiple loose ends (as is your custom )
Now we have a different setting, a different protagonist, mostly different characters, and a plot that does not use most of the things that made the original interesting. Cherry was what made the original story work. She was fun and curious, she made friends easily, and had a unique perspective on Equestria. Indigo's character was mostly defined by his relationship to Cherry, so he's nothing without her.
EQG is the biggest problem, but I realize that was probably dictated by the new sponsor. Moving to EQG sacrifices most of the unique perspective; now it's just another pony reacting to the "human" world. Again.
7279031 At least this episode it is only a few chapters long.
Ooo this is gonna be fun
First sentence. Mane SIX.
9718326
If there are more or less ponies present.
Huh this guy is just like me!