Family Reunion Redux
Chapter 11: Family Reunion Redux
The reaction to Moonstone Gust’s announcement was mixed. Fluttershy gasped in shock. Caramel’s eyes bulged in their sockets. Larksong, who was perched on Scootaloo’s back, tilted her head innocently, not really understanding the situation at all. Scootaloo twitched her wings nervously and focused her attention on Dawn, watching for his reaction.
She had good reason to be nervous after all. She’d heard Dawn’s story about his life before he’d come to Ponyville. Shortly after he had been born, he recalled being thrown out of his biological parents’ cloud house, sending the flightless foal plummeting towards the ground. Only the barest chance had preserved him, as the pony who became Dawn’s Master and his first caretaker had been the one to see his plight and rescue him. He had then brought Dawn to the manor in order to try and return him to his family only for the family in question to deny having a foal at all.
By Dawn’s own admission, he had been too young to remember the event with perfect clarity. But one thing that he had been absolutely certain of, even many years later, was that the pony who had thrown him out had been none other than the mare who had birthed him, his biological mother. Any mention of her by Dawn was laced with potent venom that suggested all sorts of unpleasant things for her, should he ever meet her again.
And now, here was a mare openly claiming to be Dawn’s mother, announcing herself boldly, right in front of him. Her delight at seeing him was so over-the-top that Scootaloo could plainly see that she was putting on a show, though to what end she couldn’t quite guess.
She expected Dawn to react angrily, to see his eyes narrow dangerously and his wings begin to spread. She expected his ears to angle backwards slightly and his lips press together in an expression she knew quite well, but actually saw quite rarely. She let her senses reach out into the air around her, fully expecting the wind currents around Dawn to become agitated and turbulent. If not outright anger, she at least expected that stoic expression of Dawn exercising his control over his anger before it got the better of him.
Instead, all she saw was an expression of mild bemusement on Dawn’s face as his raised eyebrow remained up, as though he didn’t quite know what to make of the situation. “Is that so?” he said.
Moonstone nodded fervently, the gesture as overdone as everything else about her behavior so far. “That’s correct. We thought we had lost you for years and resigned ourselves to never seeing you again. To think that we would find you in some backwater earth pony village. Why it’s a miracle.”
A faint growl rose in Scootaloo’s throat. Dawn might not have been angry at these ponies, but she didn’t like their attitude one bit.
“I’m sure,” said Dawn. “And what is it that you want?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” asked the mare rhetorically. “You’ve been lost for far too long, my dear Storm Shadow. We’ve come to bring you home.”
Scootaloo’s jaw dropped. Hers wasn’t the only one as both Fluttershy and Caramel were also gaping unashamedly.
Larksong, of course, was too young to appreciate what was being said and instead fixated on a different source of confusion. “Mama, why strange mare call Big Bro weird name?”
“Um…uh…” Fluttershy was completely at a loss as to how to answer Larksong’s question. Larksong didn’t yet understand concepts, such as adoption or biological relation. It would be very difficult to explain to Larksong that she wasn’t Dawn’s sister by blood. At least Fluttershy understood the difference in names. Dawn’s name had been given to him by his Master, while he would have been born under a different name. If these two ponies really were Dawn’s biological parents, then Storm Shadow would have been his birth name.
However, that revelation played second fiddle to the bombshell that Moonstone had dropped, namely that they weren’t just here to announce themselves as Dawn’s parents, but that they were here to take him away. As ridiculous as it was, just the thought of it made Scootaloo shiver.
Dawn, however, remained as calm and collected as before, merely tilting his head inquisitively, almost as though he was actually considering going with them. When he spoke, it wasn’t to Moonstone or Swift. “Mom,” he said, turning his head to indicate quite plainly that he was addressing Fluttershy when he said that, “could you take Larksong inside? I don’t think she needs to be here for this.”
“I’ll take her,” said Caramel instead, coming up to Scootaloo. “Come on, honey. Let’s go inside. This is all boring, old pony stuff.”
Larksong’s expression showed that she wasn’t certain that she agreed. However, the fact that the conversation so far was completely bewildering to her was enough to turn her off to it and she readily agreed to return inside and to the promise of her toys and animal friends.
Moonstone’s smile faltered slightly and Scootaloo could see that happy facade cracking. “I’m sure that mare has done much for you, but she is not your mother,” she said insistently. “You belong with us. It’s time to come home and embrace your future.”
“My future?” inquired Dawn, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
“Yes,” said Moonstone. “We are so proud that you’ve gained the favor of Captain Spitfire. Obviously, you are on the fast track to joining the Wonderbolts. We’ll help you with that. I shall provide you with the best equipment, the finest trainers, all the resources you need to excel at the Academy so that Spitfire won’t hesitate to choose you as a member of her team. We’ve also arranged for meetings with several sponsors who can further support your efforts. We are even arranging to find you a proper mare so that you don’t have to consort with this scruffy waif any longer.”
Scootaloo growled, her wings flaring out as she sank into a crouch. Moonstone’s attitude had already been grating on her, but this was taking things way too far. However, a gentle breeze wound its way through her feathers, caressing them. Scootaloo realized that the breeze had come from Dawn. Looking at him, she saw him give her a small smile, which he quickly hid as he turned his attention back to Moonstone and Swift. However, the breeze remained. Scootaloo relaxed, pulling her wings back in and standing up. She used one wing to generate a breeze of her own, curling it around to entwine with Dawn’s, making them swirl and eddy together, their presences and awareness interlocking, filling Scootaloo with a sense of comfort and ease.
Instead, she decided to throw her two bits in. “You threw him away years ago and now that he might be a Wonderbolt, you want him back?” she growled.
Moonstone’s snout drifted upward so that she had to roll her eyes downward to actually see Scootaloo, looking as though the idea of even merely conversing with her was degrading. “That was an unfortunate accident caused by one of our servants. We’ve spent the last several years looking desperately for our son. We were on the verge of giving up when we finally saw him in the paper.”
She’s lying through her teeth, thought Scootaloo scornfully, disappointed by such a transparent ruse. After all, Dawn had been in the papers long before the Best Young Fliers Competition. Back when they were still foals, Dawn and Twilight Sparkle had come up with a plan to bait the Cult Solar into action by printing an article about Dawn and his history in a nationally-circulated paper. Said article had included a picture of him and everything. And yet, back then, these two were nowhere to be found. But now that Dawn seemed to be on the way to fame and fortune, they had popped up and claimed they’d been looking for him all along.
“Now then, we have a great deal to take care of,” said Moonstone, having completely missed, or ignored, Scootaloo’s agitation. “Your schedule will be quite busy for the next few months, so there isn’t a moment to waste. If you absolutely must say your goodbyes, make them fast and we’ll be off.” She began to turn around so that she could climb back into the carriage, Swift hesitating, his eyes flickering uncertainly from his wife to their “son.”
“No,” said Dawn. There was no anger in his tone, no sign of hostility, only a firm declaration.
Moonstone flinched, reeling as though Dawn had struck her a physical blow. “I beg your pardon,” she said.
“I said no,” said Dawn. “I’m not leaving and certainly not with you.”
“This is not up for debate,” said Moonstone, turning to face him again. “I will not have a son of mine squander his potential in some forgotten backwater earth pony hamlet. Get in the carriage.”
“No,” said Dawn. Scootaloo could have sworn that she saw the smallest hint of a smile forming on his face. He was having fun with this. “I am staying here and you cannot do anything to make me.”
“Dear,” suggested Swift nervously, “this is all very sudden. I am sure that our son needs some time to cope with this new knowledge. Perhaps we should be a bit more-“
“Absolutely not!” snapped Moonstone, her eyes blazing with anger. “I will not have my carefully laid plans derailed by a fit of foalish stubbornness. I am your mother and I am telling you to get into the carriage.”
“I’m still not going,” said Dawn. “That wasn’t foalish stubbornness, but adult stubbornness. I am legally of age right now and free to live where I see fit. You do not have any custody of me and no authority over me. Besides, you are not my mother.”
Dawn extended a wing and wrapped it around Fluttershy, pulling her up against his side. The warmth of the gesture made Fluttershy coo and lean against him, nuzzling near the top of Dawn’s head. “This is my mother. She may not have been the one to give birth to me, but she gave me a home, a family, and all the love I could ever desire when I had been alone and left with nothing. She is the only pony I will ever acknowledge as my mother.”
Scootaloo didn’t know what kind of response Moonstone had been expecting, but this clearly wasn’t it. Her mouth worked frantically as she fought to find a way to respond to what Dawn had said. Swift was looking more nervous than ever, his gaze rapidly shifting between “mother” and “son,” as though he expected a fight to break out any second.
Finally, she found her tongue again. “You ungrateful brat!” she hissed, flaring her wings and nearly knocking Swift off their cloud. “I carried you and gave birth to you. How dare you insult me like this? I am your mother, your real mother. I will gladly demonstrate that with a proper blood test.”
“You are missing the point,” replied Dawn blithely. “I don’t care if you are the mare who birthed me. You are not my mother and you never will be.”
“Well, I never…!” snapped Moonstone. “I did not come to this hovel to be insulted. It seems I will have to school you in proper behavior, you little swine.”
“I advise you not to try,” said Dawn. “It won’t end well for you.”
Moonstone’s nostrils flared and she reared. “Guards!” she shouted. “Teach this impertinent brat a lesson. He’ll change his tune once his precious ‘family’ is on the ground bleeding.” The two lines of guards who had been standing silently during the whole exchange turned to face the cottage and advanced, their gazes fixing mercilessly on Fluttershy and Scootaloo.
Scootaloo winced internally. Ooh! You shouldn’t have done that. You’re in for it now. She cautiously took a few steps back. Dawn removed his wing from Fluttershy’s back and let her step back as well.
“Please be careful,” said Fluttershy, looking nervously at Dawn.
“Don’t worry,” said Dawn, giving her an encouraging smile. “This will take just a second.”
Dawn turned back to face the guards and, behind them, the figures of the ponies claiming to be his biological parents. “I’ll warn you one last time. It’s best for you if you leave. If you try to force the issue, it will only end badly for you.”
Moonstone only said nothing. Her guards likewise ignored Dawn’s warning, striding forward, their hooves going to the sheathed weapons they wore.
Dawn vanished from where he had been standing and reappeared directly in front of the advancing guards, his wings a pair of indistinct blurs. Before their eyes could even begin to track him, the air rang out with the sounds of six impacts in rapid succession as each one was slammed by a burst of compressed air that knocked them off their hooves and sent them flying.
Two went sailing past the front of the carriage, out over the front yard’s fence to land in the meadow beyond. A third plowed a furrow through the ground behind the carriage. A fourth was sent hurtling over the carriage’s roof to land with a dull thud on the other side of it. The last two were slammed bodily into the ebony wood of the carriage itself, one of them barely missing the officious-looking mare who had announced the Gusts. The carriage rocked from the impact, nearly tipping all the way over before it rocked back down onto all four wheels, dislodging the ponies that had been imbedded in its side and sending them spilling onto the ground on either side of Swift and Moonstone. The wooden panels on the side of the carriage were cracked and splintered where the guards had hit.
Both Swift and Moonstone stared, wide-eyed at the tableau before them. The six guards they’d brought with them had been taken out in less than a second. Dawn now stood where they had been, not even breathing hard from the exertion. “As I said,” said Dawn, “it will end badly for you.”
Moonstone and Swift gaped, unable to believe what they had seen. Their guards groaned and twitched. Dawn had moderated the force of his blows to avoid giving them any serious injuries. In a few minutes, they would at least have the capacity to fly again. Moonstone opened her mouth, anger flaring in her icy-blue eyes, preparing to berate Dawn for his actions. However, her jaw snapped shut with an audible click of teeth as Dawn’s eyes narrowed and the weight of his will dropped on her like an anvil.
“This is my home,” said Dawn. “This is my family. You are not a part of it, you will not replace it and you will not try to take it from me or you will regret it for the rest of your days. You came to me in service to your own selfish ends, not because you actually care for me as a son. Whatever it is you want, I will not be a part of it.”
Dawn relaxed and released the hold his will had over Moonstone. “Now, our business is concluded. See yourself out, if you please.”
“After you ruined our carriage-“ growled Moonstone.
Dawn had already turned around, but his wings immediately blurred into motion. The only warning of what was coming that Swift and Moonstone managed to perceive was a faint whistling noise. Of all the ponies present, only Scootaloo was able to truly sense what Dawn was doing as she sensed a thin stream of alternating air currents that stretched out from Dawn’s wing, bending and flexing as it moved. It came within inches of Moonstone and Swift without touching them, instead striking the carriage behind them.
A second later, the carriage crumbled to pieces, sliced by a blade so sharp that the cut sections looked as though they had been polished to a perfect shine.
“Now I’ve ruined your carriage,” said Dawn flatly. “You have wings that work just fine. Use them and get out.”
Continuing on, Dawn marched into the cottage, not sparing another glance for the couple behind him. Fluttershy and Scootaloo exchanged nervous glances before deciding to head in as well. As she shut the door, Scootaloo could hear an enraged Moonstone berating the guards into motion so that they could leave, trying her hardest to present it in such a way that it didn’t look like she and her husband were fleeing with their tails between their legs.
“Well…” said Scootaloo, settling next to Dawn on the couch, “…that was a thing.”
“I…can’t believe it,” said Fluttershy, shivering as she settled next to her husband. “Do you think they…that they really are your…?”
“Perhaps,” said Dawn with an indifferent shrug. “If she was willing to go through with a blood test, maybe Moonstone’s claim is legitimate.”
“Unless she was hoping that nopony would be willing to call her bluff,” said Scootaloo.
“It’s irrelevant anyway,” said Dawn. Getting up, he made his way over to Fluttershy and Caramel. “Even if they are the ponies who gave me life, you are my real parents. Nothing will ever change that.”
Caramel and Fluttershy reached out and pulled Dawn into a hug, Fluttershy wrapping her husband and her son in her wings. Larksong didn’t quite get what was going on, but she too tried to join in the embrace and was immediately welcomed as Dawn pulled her into the center of their little huddle.
Scootaloo smiled. It always warmed her heart to see this. Dawn might not have been born to Fluttershy and Caramel, but his love for them and their love for him was every bit as real as any bond of blood. Getting up, she moved to join the embrace as well. It went on for several minutes until Pepita, upset that he wasn’t getting any attention, started wailing. Caramel was quick to fetch him and include him in the nuzzling and hugging. Soon, the youngest member of Dawn’s family was cooing and laughing as his parents and his older brother nuzzled and tickled him in turns.
Finally, the hug-fest broke up and they returned to their respective seats. Fluttershy relaxed, feeling much calmer now that Dawn had reaffirmed his love for them all. Cradling Pepita, she leaned against Caramel and watched as Larksong resumed playing with her blocks on the floor.
“It’s a bit weird though,” said Scootaloo.
“What is?” asked Dawn as he wrapped a wing around her.
“When they said they were your parents, I was half expecting you to blow up at them,” she said. “It’s only natural, considering what they did.”
Dawn sighed. “Truth be told…I sometimes wonder if I misremembered what happened back then. I’ve been so sure, but…I was so young that everything seems blurry and indistinct. Maybe there’s some truth to their claims and Moonstone wasn’t the one to throw me out the window. However…”
“Yeah,” said Scootaloo, “if they really did care about you and were looking for you all this time, they would have shown up after that article was published in the Equestrian Times. But that was years ago and they only found you now?”
“In other words, they only decided to ‘find’ you after they learned that you and Scootaloo had won the Best Young Fliers Competition and that Spitfire had invited you to the Wonderbolts Academy,” summarized Caramel. “I’m surprised that they thought that approach would work.”
“I’m not,” groused Scootaloo. “That Moonstone had the look of a mare who’s used to getting her way. Did you see that platform of theirs?”
“Yeah,” said Caramel. “I was wondering about that.”
“They’re High-Sky pegasi,” she said with a snort. “Even my grandparents aren’t that stuck-up and that should tell you something.”
Fluttershy nodded in agreement while Dawn and Caramel shared a confused glance. “High…Sky?” asked Dawn.
“Most of the old pegasus families and clans are very tribalist,” said Fluttershy. “You know that much already.”
“But High-Sky pegasi take that arrogance to a whole ‘nother level,” said Scootaloo. “They absolutely refuse to touch the ground directly if they can avoid it. They think that being made to touch earth is a dirty act. That’s why they brought along another pony specifically to make a cloud porch for them when they got off the carriage.”
“And yet they wanted me to go back with them,” observed Dawn. “Given that I live on the ground, one would think that that would make me extra profane in their eyes.”
“Oh they’ve got something for that,” said Scootaloo with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “It’s some kind of pseudo-religious gobbledygook ritual or something. It’s complete horse-“ Scootaloo cut herself off, remembering that there were foals in the room. “It’s really stupid and pointless. Even most hardcore tribalist families don’t follow that claptrap anymore.”
“Yeah, that sounds pretty crazy,” said Caramel. "Although, given how keen they were to have Dawn back, I think maybe they're going through the motions more than they actually believe in that stuff anymore."
“Well, whatever the case, they aren’t an issue any longer,” said Dawn. “I’ll only worry if they remain persistent about their desire to take me away. Otherwise, it’s best not to bother with them.”
“Um…If we’ve identified them, shouldn’t we tell the Guard?” asked Scootaloo. “I mean, they did try to kill you when you were a kid.”
Dawn shook his head. “There’s no proof and it was a very long time ago. All I have are recollections, not evidence. I won’t waste my time trying to trick or wrangle some sort of confession from them. If they remain out of my life, I won’t involve myself with theirs, regardless of what they’ve done to me in the past.”
Scootaloo sighed. “I guess that’s fine,” she said. “This conversation was getting pretty dark anyway. Let’s just enjoy the rest of the night.”
“I agree,” said Fluttershy, leaning against Caramel with a tired sigh.
Scootaloo chuckled and nudged Dawn’s ribcage with an elbow. “Geez, first my grandparents and now those two; just what is it with our luck, huh?”
Dawn snorted in amusement before shrugging in reply.
The remainder of the evening had gone quite well. They’d chatted, played games, read to Larksong before putting her to bed, and generally did all the activities that normally came from a get-together like this. Dawn saw Scootaloo off at the door with a kiss after a short discussion. Normally, he would have flown with her to her house, but Dawn wasn’t sure he wanted to leave his family unprotected at the moment. While he might have been overcautious, he wouldn’t have put it past Moonstone to use his family as a means of putting pressure on him. Dawn planned to keep a closer eye on his parents and siblings in the coming days, just to make sure that Moonstone didn’t try something with them. Scootaloo also planned on keeping an eye on things where she could.
Finally, with a tired sigh, Dawn climbed into bed, thinking about what had occurred that evening. Moonstone Gust and Swift Bolt’s visit seemed like a distant thing, surreal in its presence. Still, they weren’t much of a weight on his mind. He couldn’t imagine being happier than he was now, with the family that he had.
Just as Dawn was about to drift off to sleep, a faint knock came from the door to his bedroom. With another sigh, Dawn slid out from under the covers and opened the door to see Larksong standing there, looking half-asleep herself.
“Did you have a bad dream?” he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.
“Uh huh.” Larksong nodded. “The bad ponies came to take you away.”
Dawn couldn’t help but smile. “Come in,” he said, stepping aside so his little sister could come into the room.
Climbing back into bed, Dawn lifted the covers so that Larksong could join him and cuddle up against him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. “Don’t worry,” he said. “The bad ponies can’t take me anywhere. I’m staying right here.”
“Good,” said Larksong sleepily. “Don’t want you to go.”
“I’ll never leave,” said Dawn, a teasing smirk hovering on his face. “I’ll stay here all the time, even when you’re a big pony. I’ll come with you to school. I’ll be right there when you get your special somepony-“
“Eeeee! No!” squealed Larksong, squirming in his grip, even as she laughed at his silliness.
Dawn laughed. “Okay. I won’t do that to you. But nopony is going to take me away from my favorite little sister.”
Calming down, Larksong yawned and closed her eyes. “Yay!” she whispered sleepily.
Dawn relaxed and held Larksong a little tighter, kissing the top of her head as she fell asleep. How could he ever be tempted by what those ponies had to offer when he had all this?
“That impertinent brat!” snarled Moonstone, pacing back and forth across the sitting room. “How dare he treat us like shyster salesmares! I’ve never been so insulted in my entire life!”
Swift Bolt sighed and simply downed another gulp of his brandy. Right now, all he wanted to do was take a shower and go to bed. The flight back to their manor had been far longer than he was used to. He reflected that they were out of shape, having gotten used to having the carriage ferry them around, not that they could give the guards or their chief stewardess the idea that using their own wings was an arduous task. They had their pride as members of the Gust clan after all.
Despite their fatigue, Moonstone had insisted on convening in the cloud mansion’s sitting room so that…apparently so that he could listen to her rant for a few hours. Rather than draining her energy, the long flight back seemed to have only stoked Moonstone’s agitation and outrage, leaving her perfectly fit to vent it all in front of her husband.
“I told you that he wouldn’t accept it so easily,” said Swift. In truth, he would rather drop the matter altogether. He’d known from the outset that Storm Shadow…no, that Dawn Lightwing would want nothing to do with them. What was worse, he now knew that Dawn remembered what happened on that day all those years ago.
In the years that followed learning about what his wife had done, Swift had found himself wondering if they had made a mistake that day. Certainly, Dawn’s presence had been a threat to their family’s status. If word had gotten out that they’d had a foal so disfigured, they would have been excised from their social circles like a malignant tumor. Businesses associated with their peers would have refused to deal with them. It could have cost them millions of bits. But, at the same time, murder was murder. Even if Swift couldn’t stand behind what Moonstone had done all those years ago, he could bring himself to forget, forget that he’d ever had a son, until recent news forcefully reminded him.
He’d hoped that Moonstone would do the same. They could live and let live and their reputations would be safe. Nopony needed to know that they were the ones that Dawn had described in that article a few years back. However, when she’d learned that Dawn had won the Best Young Fliers Competition and had received an invitation to the Wonderbolts Academy from Spitfire herself, Moonstone had seen opportunity and had refused to be dissuaded.
“How could he refuse us?” snarled Moonstone, whipping around to glare at her husband. “How could anypony be satisfied living in a filthy menagerie in the dirt like that? He would have to be blind to not see how great we can make him.”
Or capable of holding a grudge, thought Swift ruefully. Even if it was beneficial to them to do otherwise, ponies tended to be enormously stubborn when it came to holding grudges against those who had wronged them. Case in point, he thought, eying his wife, who had not taken rejection well.
“We should back down,” said Swift. “He does have a point. Forcing a confrontation will only hurt our image.” Even if he couldn’t toss around our highly-trained guards like leaves.
“No!” snapped Moonstone. “I gave that filthy gutter rat life. I carried him inside of me for months, suffered through every ache and illness and what do I have to show for it? He had the audacity to come out of me deformed so that his very existence was a threat to our stature. He left us with no heir for our clan. And now that he finally has a use, he refuses to do his part for us. I won’t accept it. Either he comes back to our house or I will tear his life down around him.”
This isn’t going to end well, thought Swift, his ears lying flat. Though having another foal wasn’t beyond them, Moonstone had insisted that she never wanted to go through the experience of pregnancy and birth again. Swift hadn’t really argued. After all, it wasn’t like he’d been the one to suffer through the cramps and morning sickness for months on end, only to go through the disgusting experience of giving birth at the end of it all. If Moonstone didn’t want to put herself through that again, then he had no intention of forcing her to. However, Swift also secretly thought that Moonstone was afraid that, even if they did try for another foal, it might come out the same way. He kept such thoughts to himself.
After all, he hadn’t really had any concern for the Gust Clan, even though he’d married into it. He’d just done as his parents had told him to and married into a prestigious old clan for their sake. Otherwise, he simply wanted to manage his affairs and enjoy the finer things in life. Was that too much to ask?
A low chuckle brought Swift out of his reverie and he saw his wife, now sitting in the middle of the floor, smirking. Oh, that’s bad. Nothing good ever happens when she has that look on her face. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that we’ll recover our wayward son soon enough,” said Moonstone with a grin. “I have some letters to write.”
She turned and stalked out of the room, her tail swishing back and forth with each imperious shake of her flanks. Swift watched her go before looking back down into his empty glass. I’m going to need a whole barrel of this stuff if she keeps this up.
Dawn’s routine was mostly unchanged for the day. Before he left for work, though, he’d stopped to pay a visit to his neighbors, a certain pair of griffons, to ask if they could afford keep a closer eye on his mother and siblings while he was out. Skan, the ebony-feathered male, and Zhan, his brindled mate, had been happy to help. In the past, they had served as bodyguards to Fluttershy when a particularly dangerous stallion who’d once tried to rape her had been on the loose. One or the other of them was usually at home, tending to their cubs, who were also some of Larksong’s favorite playmates.
Content that his family was as safe as he could make them, Dawn had gone to work feeling less burdened. There was always the risk that somepony might try to harass Caramel at the candy store. But they would have to be willing to cause a major commotion in the middle of town to do so. On top of that, Scootaloo had promised to take weather jobs in the vicinity, just to be on the safe side.
There was one other change to Dawn’s routine, though that had been present ever since he and Scootaloo had gotten back from the Best Young Fliers Competition. Now that Scootaloo was a full-time member of the Weather Team, she worked a full day as well. Unfortunately, this meant that she couldn’t spend the afternoon at the teahouse, something that Dawn had gotten used to. She would, however, drop by for her lunch break to enjoy a pot of tea before going back up to work in the clouds. Once they both got off work for the day, it was time for training.
In the meantime, Dawn worked studiously, being careful to serve all the customers he could to the best of his ability. Arkenstone also bustled about, the two of them moving with practiced efficiency from the kitchen to the tables and back again as they took orders, prepared them, and subsequently delivered them.
Dawn looked up from dropping off a tray at another table as his ears picked up the sound of the door swinging open. Turning to face the door and greet the incoming customer, Dawn found himself smiling more widely and warmly than usual as he watched the cerise mare come in. “Ms. Cheerilee, it’s good to see you.”
Cheerilee’s curled and puffy mane bobbed slightly as she tittered. “Oh Dawn, you don’t have to be so formal with me anymore.” Her grayish-green eyes sparkled and she wrapped her forelegs around him in a hug, which Dawn gladly returned.
Seeing his former teacher to a seat, Dawn went back to fetch the blend of tea he knew she liked. Cheerilee might not have frequented the teahouse as often as some ponies, but Dawn knew her well enough to still count her as a regular. When he returned with her pot and cups, Cheerilee had a request for him.
“If you don’t mind,” she said, “I would like to talk to you about something.”
Dawn blinked, a little surprised. Still, seeing as he had one of his breaks left, he saw no reason not to join her a few minutes, after clearing it with Arkenstone first.
Dawn settled down on a cushion across the table from Cheerilee so that they were face-to-face. “What is it you want to talk about?” he asked.
“I’ve heard some interesting things from some of the parents,” explained Cheerilee. “Apparently you’ve been using your skills to give young pegasi a taste of flight.”
Dawn nodded. “Yes. Scootaloo and I started it as a game to amuse my sister. The doctors even said that it was beneficial, since it helps her exercise her wing muscles. I’ve gotten the occasional request to do it for other foals at the park.”
“So I’ve heard,” said Cheerilee. “And because of that, some of my pegasus students’ parents have become very interested in the activity.”
“Have you been getting complaints?” asked Dawn, tilting his head quizzically. He wondered why ponies would take their complaints to Cheerilee, seeing as Dawn wasn’t her student anymore.
“Curiosity actually,” said Cheerilee. “The parents of those students have been making several inquiries about the activity. I don’t have much information to give them about it though.”
“You can direct them to Dr. Hearthfeather at Ponyville General,” suggested Dawn. “He was the one Scootaloo and I consulted when we first came up with the game.”
“That helps a little,” said Cheerilee. “However, I’m not just after information. A couple of them did consult the doctors and got the same information you did. They were wondering if there was some way I could work it into the curriculum and make it available for my students on a regular basis.”
Dawn blinked. “I’m not sure I understand.”
Cheerilee took a long sip of her tea. Peering over the rim of the cup, she lowered it away from her lips so that she could speak. “Basically, I was wondering if you would like to come to the school and make that a regular activity for my students. The young pegasi in my classroom are generally in need of activities that can exercise their wings and help them better develop their flight skills. I checked with the Mayor and found that you even had the activity cleared with the Department of Foal Protections.”
Dawn was taken aback, surprised by the request. Flying his sister was something he and Scootaloo had done for Larksong’s enjoyment. He’d been glad to provide the opportunity to other young pegasi when he had the time. But he’d never considered making it a regular thing. But now that he thought about it, it made sense to give that opportunity to as many foals as he could, especially since it did more than just build up their wing muscles.
“In essence, you would become a supplementary instructor for young pegasi,” said Cheerilee. “We can work out the particulars later. Are you interested.”
Dawn stared down at the table, deep in thought for a moment. “I…would be interested,” he said.
“That’s wonderful,” said Cheerilee, beaming. “Do you think we could talk about it after you get off work?”
“I guess so,” said Dawn.
“That’s great. Would you like to meet me at the school or is there someplace else you’d rather meet?”
“The school will be fine,” said Dawn. I’m going to have to tell Scootaloo that I won’t be training with her today, he thought.
“Thank you and have a nice day,” said Caramel, grinning as he watched the mare leave through the door. He’d been doing a brisk business in the store. It had been a fairly busy day as, apparently, there were plenty of ponies interested in satisfying their sweet tooth. Bon Bon had been in the back ever since they’d opened, working to make more candy to replenish their dwindling supply.
Caramel turned to checking the stock behind the counter when the sound of the bell over the door ringing told him that a new customer had arrived. “Hello and welcome,” he said, popping his head up to look at the newcomer. “Can I help you with anything…?” Caramel’s voice trailed off as he stared at the pony who’d come in.
The stallion smiled politely at Caramel, regarding him with bright-yellow eyes that reminded Caramel of a hawk. His coat was cream colored, speckled with gray flecks. His blueish-gray mane rested in a tousled mess on top of his head and neck, errant strands drifting across his eyes at random intervals. As he shifted, his wings shimmered in the store’s lights, their color and shade similar to his mane and tail, but slightly shinier, almost metallic.
“P-Perlin!” gasped Caramel. “I didn’t know you were back.”
Perlin Bluestreak grinned cheerfully. “I just got here from Canterlot. My sentence is finished and I’m officially a free stallion.”
“Th-that’s fantastic,” said Caramel. In truth, Perlin had always made him a little nervous, even though he had turned over a new leaf. After all, a few years ago, this stallion had been Dawn’s biggest rival and the two of them usually ended up trying to kill each other whenever they met, save for one notable occasion. Caramel had met him very rarely and only after Perlin had decided to reform himself, but he still found himself a little unsettled.
If Perlin noticed the hitch in Caramel’s voice, he was too polite to comment on it. Instead, he turned the talk in a safer direction. “How’s Dawn doing? I heard he and Scootaloo won the Best Young Fliers Competition.”
“He’s doing fine,” said Caramel. “He’s at the teahouse if you want to see him. I’m sure the two of you have plenty to talk about.”
“I’m sure,” agreed Perlin.
“What about Coco? Shouldn’t you be seeing her first?”
To Caramel’s surprise, Perlin blushed. “Actually…that’s why I came here. It’s the first time we’ve seen each other in a while and I was hoping to get something for her.”
Seeing the former mercenary and polished killer blush and hesitate like a bashful colt put Caramel at ease. Though he was at least a couple years older than Dawn, Perlin was still young. He’d made mistakes and he’d learned from them. Besides, if Dawn was vouching for Perlin, Caramel couldn’t really bring himself to object.
“So you’re looking for a romantic box of chocolates,” said Caramel, smiling slyly. “Hold tight for a sec and I’ll sic Bon Bon on you. She knows all of Coco’s favorites.” Bon Bon was also a hopeless romantic, which was one of the reasons she loved running a candy shop. In a few minutes, she’d have Perlin’s face dyed completely red. That’ll be a show worth watching.
Caramel was just about to head back when the bell rang again and he looked up to greet the new visitor. However, his voice caught in his throat as he saw the hulking stallion step through the door. The huge, dark-blue pegasus cast his eyes around, taking in the shelves, stacked with candies and chocolates of all shapes, sizes and descriptions. He broke into a sadistic grin as his gaze focused on Caramel, who swallowed nervously.
“Looks like you’ve got quite the place here,” he said, his voice a thunderous rumble. “A pony like you should be more careful about who they upset.”
“C-can I help you?” asked Caramel, already guessing where this was going.
“I’m here to deliver a message,” replied the brutish stallion. “But you see…you’re not the recipient. You and your shop are gonna be the stationary.”
“That’s a creative way to threaten somepony,” observed Perlin wryly. He glanced sidelong at Caramel. “Has Dawn been rubbing ponies the wrong way again?”
“You could say that,” said Caramel with a nervous shrug as the hulking stallion looked back and forth between them, a bit confused by their conversation.
“Oh? Who is it this time?” asked Perlin.
“A couple from a high-class pegasus clan,” said Caramel. “They’re claiming they’re his biological parents.”
Perlin blinked. “Well…that’s a new wrinkle.” He turned to regard the large stallion again. “What was your name, by the way?”
“Slab,” replied the brute. “Stay out of this, pal. If you aren’t careful, I’ll add you as a post script.”
“Oooh! Somepony’s been brushing up on their threats,” said Perlin, smiling. “I should write that one down. The whole delivery has a literary quality to it.”
“I bet Twilight would enjoy it,” suggested Caramel, unable to keep from chuckling.
Slab’s lips curled upward, baring teeth. “A couple of jokers, huh? I can see why somepony would want to shut a couple of smart mouths like yours. I’m being paid a good fee to make an example out of you, but I’d almost do it for free.”
“Now now,” said Perlin, adopting a consoling tone. “As someone who’s worked as hired muscle himself, I can appreciate a certain degree of professional pride in carrying out your assignment. However, I’m afraid I can’t let you run amuck in here. It would cause a mess. So I’m going to have to ask you to step outside.”
“Ha!” crowed Slap, rearing up, displaying all the formidable muscles his body had at its disposal. “Try and make me! A mess is exactly what I want to cause!”
Perlin shrugged. “All right then.” He shot forward, closing the distance between him and the hulking pegasus in an instant.
A startled Slab hadn’t even settled back onto all fours when Perlin reached him. Before he could raise a hoof to attack or defend, Perlin twisted his body around, one blueish-gray wing extending, its feathers slashing through the air like knives. Slab lunged forward, swinging a hoof the approximate size and weight of a large brick. However, to his shock, the hoof disappeared into the space between him and Perlin. Thrown off by the lack of resistance, Slab stumbled forward, his entire body disappearing. At the same time, Perlin allowed his own momentum to carry him into the space he’d just slashed so that, for the briefest of seconds, the two of them seemed to merge together until they both vanished into the invisible line that had been apparently carved between them.
Caramel blinked and stared at the space where the two pegasi had been. It was the first time he’d seen Perlin’s wings in action. Dawn had described the phenomenon, but seeing it was something else entirely. His ears perked up as he heard a low thud and a muffled exclamation from outside.
“Caramel? Is something wrong?” Bon Bon poked her head out from the back, looking in confusion at the now empty store.
“Um…I guess not,” said Caramel. “A stallion just tried to wreck the place. Luckily, Perlin was here and took him outside.”
“Really?” Bon Bon blinked and stared at the untouched store. “Wait! Perlin’s back?”
Caramel strained his ears and heard an angry shout, followed by the muffled sounds of somepony being struck repeatedly. “Yeah. He wanted to pick up some chocolates before going to see Coco.”
Bon Bon’s eyes went wide. “Oh! That’s wonderful! I’ll help him with that.”
“I figured you would,” said Caramel with a chuckle, still trying to follow the commotion outside. “Give him a minute and I think he’ll be back in.”
The sounds of the scuffle terminated and Perlin came back in through the door, not even looking winded, though his mane appeared to have gotten a little more tangled. “Okay. That was simple enough,” he said. “I had to mark that message ‘Return to sender’ though.”
Caramel burst out laughing. “That’s fine. Thanks.” He grinned at Perlin before turning to head back. “Well Bon Bon, he’s all yours.”
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As hoped, his reaction was amused. Also lol really? a pony named slab? That is just sad
So Dawn's parents are like the World Nobles of One Piece... I really want Twilight to pass her judgement on these ponies...
7317783
If they really want to intimidate or even hurt Dawn... they'd have to bring in a whole army just to scratch him
Pretty sure that should be Slab...
7317809 And it would be barely a scratch. Especially with him being on the level of a Grand Master. He was already pretty powerful, like top 10 strongest beings on the planet, while still a kid. Now he's a full grown adult, with probably LOTS more experience. He can probably handle an entire army alone without them even getting within 100 feet of him. Especially since he can just make Invisible blades of pure air, and tornadoes at will. There is also that special state of being he was just starting to get to and understand in the last story, again years ago. Now he's probably perfected that state of being.
you know one day the world is going to figure out that sending thugs into this town is a bad idea i can see it all know the thugs 4 less brand will be well established as a proper union with customer service reps health insurance and a sterling call center and several towns and ponies names posted up on a giant map on the wall with the words do not engage for anything less than retirment with full benifits and ponyvill will just be a giant red circle with the words do not enter for any reason Or its were they send the newies to break them in
7317844
Hmmm, I don't think so... don't get me wrong, I think he's a pretty powerful fighter and all... but not on a level of a Grandmaster (like Dark Wing was)... I'd say give him about another 10 years before he can be called Grandmaster...
Yeah, I'm standing by my old position. The whole jerkface with slight to heavy tribalism shtick is getting really tired. Except, now I have a new complaint. Particularly, that it's not actually conflict. What could these ponies plausibly do to him? Their hired muscle is inevitably less powerful than any cast member with even rudimentary abilities. Their connections are inevitably less deep than Dawn and his family's crazy princess oriented connections (which, seriously, I'd think his parents would know at least a little about). The only thing they could plausibly do to inconvenience him would be some surprise attack, but that just means an extra chapter or two to find the hired muscle before trivially dispatching them.
Point being, this is the stuff that Dawn is the best at. Best to the point where it'd be like God getting cornered by some street toughs that happen to know a local assemblyman. It can be the background to the story's conflict, but when you keep returning to the well again and again, it becomes what the story is about, and that's dumb. As I said before, as an arbitrary example, an awkward dinner with parents who may or may not have tried to kill you is something Dawn is really bad at. Trying to convince Cyclone that her parents are jerkfaces without them setting muscle to attack is something Dawn and Scootaloo alike are really bad at. This isn't about you leaving your comfort zone. It's about giving the characters the ability to leave theirs, and making that the main part of the story, especially now that you have a slice of life angle again.
It sucks, cause your writing has improved in quite a few ways, but the plot underlying the whole thing has probably gotten worse. If you look at the first few stories, you have some jerks with few muscles, and some jerks with several more muscles, but there's also a pile of stuff that Dawn is bad at. I think that, had you the opportunity to write those stories with this quality, you'd have something that's better than either.
Hmn, I have to wonder...
Perlin is a legal adult. Did he inherit Trotigham estates and finances in full, or was he striped of those as part of his punishment?
I can see Celly keeping those in trust for him until he had proven to have reformed himself. Also, I can see him also being considered as a candidate for knighthood once he had conclusively proven not to be in danger of backsliding.
That segment with Perlin was written perfectly. I also can't help but feel that Larksong is about to gain a huge sign that says, 'Please try to kill or kidnap me!'
7317878 I have to agree. It'd be nice to have some bad guys who don't have the whole "I'm a snobby, pretentious noble, blah, blah, blah" attitude.
7317910
Does this mean they're going to have to deal with earth pony nobility later? Should we be worried about Uncle and Aunt Orange coming to take Applebloom with them back to Manehattan?
Great. Yet another Noble problem. Then again, we've only dealt with the Unicorn Nobility. I wonder how they're gonna approach this one?
7317878 Sadly, I have to agree with this guy here.
The best part of the stories is seeing Dawn or Scootaloo kicking pony's asses in epic combat.
But at this point in time in the story... Dawn was one of the few people that SAVED THE WORLD. Not from chocolate milk rain, or turning the sky into night time all the time. No, this was straight up, going to kill everything within seconds, massive conflict that nearly crippled the entire nation and had a lot of ponies killed, including nobles to the Canterlot Court who are HIGHER ranking nobles than any kinda family living Cloudsdale or anywhere else in the world.
At this point in time, EVERYONE who is even remotely above Citizen Rank should know Dawn's standing, how he fights, his skill never, every possible conflict he has ever been in. How can people still be ignorent and stupid about him?! It's as if Batman walked down the street, and no one knew who he was. Just... what?! It makes no sense, yet is the biggest draw back in your story.
You make not just the common ponies stupid and ignorant. But the ponies in power, that need to be on top of things, and knowing this kinda info to survive and not be assassinated by rival nobles are being so ignorantly stupid.
i hope dawns biological doners, or at least the female, loose the ability to fly, or even walk on clouds.....forcing them to walk everywhere...
PERLIN!!! Probably my favorite original character in this series, to be honest.
7317910
I'm fairly certain Celestia already dissolved the Canterlot noble court, so unicorn nobility with actual influence is a non-issue at this point.
7317909 I highly doubt that. But, then again, what do we know of the Earth Pony Nobility? Just a few bits and pieces.
7317973 I'm pretty sure I've stated that, We've only dealt with the Unicorn Nobility. I'm wondering how they're gonna approach the Pegsi Nobility issue? That's the question.
7317978
Where was it explained about earth pony nobility? I don't remember reading anything about that.
7317987 Filthy Rich's ex-wife came from a prestigious Noble family, and she was an Earth Pony herself. Although, that doesn't amount to anything at this point.
Oh Celestia.... they're fucking morons too!
dashie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw2847-132894275521.png
Let's see... 'Dear Princess Celestis', Dear 'Princess Twilight', 'Dear Spitfire'... and a few others.
pinkie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw3014-yzSaE.gif
pinkie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw10865-facehoof.gif
...Slab's gonna die...
7317879 I'm sure it was mentioned he wouldn't see any of it, the funds would be used for something else, but I have no idea where to even look.
bout time perlin shows up coco was missing him.
a grate chapter I love it.
I am wondering just how long it will be before Dawns supposed parents end up in jail?
7317879
a good point. but the bigger question does he want it?
7317986
Oh, sorry man. I totally misread your comment, I must be more sleep-deprived than I thought. Honestly though, I hope we don't go too deep into pegasi nobility past Dawn's biological parents and Scootaloo's grandparents, as that might make the story a little unfocused and be kind of over-reaching. Or at least that's how I feel, personally.
After all, the things I'm most interested in seeing in this story are the characters I've grown to love reconnecting post-time skip, Dawn finding his life's greater purpose, and finally getting a reveal on WHO THE HELL MELON'S BOYFRIEND IS!
7317995
Ohhh, right. I forgot about Diamond Tiara. Still, I can't help but feel that Spike and Applebloom are going to have to deal with some form earth pony nobility, maybe after or during the whole Dawn's parents situation. Wow, Equestrian nobility is scum.
7317878 to be fair the last story had him fighting against what could be considered demi gods at the worst at this point just enjoy the story he already saved the world and has been in fights with sentiant cataclisams just enjoy the moron of the week bit as this story seems to be just some fluff and feel good moments its basicly being true to form for the hero story after you save the world what more can you do how do you walk through life knowing you can beat almost anyone who challanges you within an inch of there life simply by glareing at them
that bit at the end was pure art.
have a mustache.
7318006 Well, ain't that the fucking truth, and quite the teaser too!
7318008 No shit. But, you might be on to something, seeing as how we completely forgotten about those two.
7317942 That's a strong element of it, yeah, that these seemingly in-the-know characters would be so remarkably ignorant about essential facts abut their world. It's one thing for a couple of characters to misunderstand the threat Dawn poses to their plans, but yet another for just about every one of these sorts of antagonists to do so. It registers as something of a plot hole, and, even worse, evens out the characterization of these folks even more. Something as simple as a, "Yes, we're aware of your little relationship with Celestia. And of your dealings with matters concerning global safety. The fact of the matter, though, is that does nothing to derail our plans. In fact, it helps them," would serve to make a character both a legitimate threat, and, more importantly again, an interesting threat.
But, at the same time, it's not really the most important element. Plot holes are stupid, but they're not usually that harmful to the overall structure of a story. You can say, "Yeah, that doesn't make much sense," and you'll be pulled out of things for a few minutes, but you can suspend disbelief again, and go on your merry way. What's more important, I think, is what this means for that underlying structure. What really matters is that you wind up with a story that's boring and repetitive, where the protagonist isn't all that challenged.
As an example, compare this to something like The Dresden Files. In either story, you have these giant world rending threats, and badass action to defeat those threats, and a bunch of world building around the edges. And, in fact, I think that the author of this drew a lot of inspiration from Butcher. Except Dresden is way better (something that shouldn't be much of a revelation, given that it's a particularly awesome series), and for a number of reasons too. And I think looking at those differences can serve as insights into what this story could be doing better.
First, just looking at the action itself, victory isn't seemingly a strict forgone conclusion. Granted, he wins practically every time, but any major victory typically comes at some loss, and a long term one at that. He loses a friend, or his hand, or his connections, or his soul, or worse. And that means that, even when his superior firepower, or at least his determination, can wipe an enemy away, and when you know there's gonna be a lot more books with his name on it, battles are still suspenseful. They matter. Look, by contrast, at just about any fight that Dawn goes through. He's typically taken out of commission for some chapters, but there's nothing that really hurts, or anything long lasting. Granny dying was one of the few big things that happened, and that was foreshadowed for like two or three books, and so wasn't really related to the ostensible death source. The pattern always remains the same. Enemy comes in, Dawn beats the crap out of them after some setup, and then things mostly return to normal after a few chapters of thinkery.
Second, the conflict in The Dresden Files rarely centers around the crazy action, even though it's important. Dresden is typically in a smaller scale conflict, and that conflict is usually over his soul. He's constantly pulled around by temptation, or dealing with the aftermath of his choices, or any number of other things. Hell, the book following Changes had barely any big fireballs at all, and was all that kinda stuff. This story did some of that near the beginning, where the fight was but an outgrowth of a larger issue, but that's rarer nowadays. Now it's just, "Here's a bad guy. I attack them." And that stuff happened near the beginning too, as was kinda the case with the pegasus tribalist fight. And, notably, the things the story is really in Dresden is the stuff he's less good at. He can throw fire with the best of them, but if you ask him to sell his soul to save someone important, it's a tossup whether he will do so.
Finally, returning to the core argument, the antagonists are way more different. You have the fey, who usually involve some crazy mystery stuff, or the Denarians, who are more direct evil with some trickery tossed in, or other Denarians, who are more brute force, and you have a lot of one offs, who are basically entirely different from each other. I don't need to explain again how that differs from this story, with its pile of idiot assholes who don't pose a real threat.
Point being, Dresden Files is cool, and I might reread some of it.
7317809 unless Fluttershy told her there is good chance Twilight doesn't know. I can't imagine Twilight at least alerting Celestia and one of them advising the Gale clan not to try anything. Especially considering they threatened Fluttershy
Isn't Slab the guy who tried to beat him up in Cloudsdale? How under informed he must be.
Should the last sentence end in a question?
Also, glad to see Perlin is back! I rather like his character! I really hope you keep his personality intact while he reigns in his ruthlessness just enough to be the Deadpool of this series.
Everybody loves Deadpool.
Something tells me that Dawn's 'mother' will have a very hard time trying to intimidate him to do her bidding. There are, what, eigth or nine martial arts experts and masters, a dragon, and an alicorn princess that is very fond of the colt and is like his aunt (mother's friend and all that)? Yeah, unless Moonstone has a real army to her name, I don't really see any more trouble in disposing mere thugs. And business harassing? Twilight would eat any lawyer without chewing.
I am fully okay with the next few chapters of this story being a hit-parade of all the enormously powerful friends Dawn has made spoiling little plots by his mother to cause trouble.
"This is where Dawn lightwing works, right? I'm here to create a hostile work environment!"
"Oh..?" Arkenstone murmurs, setting aside his teacup.
"This is the house, right? Come on, help me set up the explosives."
"Looks like you were right, Zhan, there are some unusual rats scurrying around our neighbour's yard." Zhaneel gives Skandranon a grin, her feathers rustling in anticipation.
"You don't think she'd mind if we ate THESE rodents, hmm?"
Ad etcetera, ad infinitum. Those poor, hopeless thugs... Eventually people will figure out you don't mess with Dawn.
Or Ponyville in general, really.
Naw, they'll never learn
A wild Perlin has appeared!
7318022 I dunno why the fact that he fought super-powered beings in the last story should influence my thinking. Dunno why any quantity of variously powered beings should matter at all. What matters is that the conflicts in the story are meaningful, that the antagonistic forces are delineated and interesting, and that things which are made out to be impactful have impact. Actually, that's doing a disservice to what makes a story good. There's roughly a bazillion things that help produce a good story.
The thing is, as you say, we're off of big enemies, and onto more slice of life stuff, so if that's the case, frigging do that. There's been a bit of not-fighting, but we're eleven chapters in and there've already been three separate antagonists stopped through fighting (the hidebehind, the grandparents, and now the parents), with this chapter featuring two separate fights if you don't want to count the hidebehind. That's not a slice of life thing. It's a big fights thing.
I wasn't seeking an escalation of baddie to fight. Quite the opposite. I was seeking an antagonistic force that can't be defeated through a combination of their own idiocy and punching. That force could be Dawn dealing with the pull of a second life that he's never even considered, or trying to forgive people who he's had slotted in his mind as monsters, or just making it through some long term interactions between his family and his birth-parents with his sanity intact. Tons of ways to have this plot go down that aren't identical to all the crazy tribalists in the past.
Or, hell, maybe one of these villains could actually be as cunning as they make themselves out to be. I could do with someone hoisted by something besides their own petard for once, defeated by someone that's facing off against them as equals. Even in the big Morning Star fight, it ended up with him solidly outplanned at every turn, his intelligence only really expressing itself in the quality of his magic. I talked about a lot of positive Dresden Files quality, but one other one, one that ties into the diverse nature of villains, is that the bad guys are actually halfway intelligent in the pursuit of their goals, and their underlying motivations aren't just stupid. It's easy to make a villain that thinks stupid things and does stupid things and then just falls over during the confrontation. It's much more difficult to make a villain that is complex, engaging, and capable of changing the structure of the story with their presence.
Maybe Dawn should've destroyed the cloud under them
Perlin's got a neat trick there, I must say. Taking it outside, literally.
And clearly he's gotten very good at disabling but not killing.
Perkins sense of humour right now is killing me.. the "return to sender" line had me on the floor for a good 8 minutes.
Remember Superman vs the Elite when Superman stopped holding back? I have a distinct feeling Dawn is about to do something similar.
7318123
and if she does, we can have a Arkenstone/Dawn teamup. seriously, short of Discord, what can Dawn+Friends(minus the elements) not defeat?
7318182 heck, having his challenges change to ones he can't blast away at is actually pretty thematic. He's grown up, and like our lives, as he's done so his problems have grown in personal complexity. Having to deal with the issues of birth parents and bigots by means other than the Gale King would be a very decent end to the story. Sure, we can have a few Monsters of the Week thrown in for fun, but they shouldn't need to dominate, like this series of mini-arcs.
this honestly is just more of the same, which while being a good bar to meet, is a little disappointing with how much time Dawn's life has had to change, He's an Adult now, and while the author has touched on that here and there, it doesn't seem to be the focus like I expected it to be, as a finishing, satisfying note.
maybe the rest of what he has planned blows this out of the water, I don't know. Even if it didn't I can honestly say I've enjoyed this series from the first chapter, to the latest so far.
So....does this mean we're going to see some evolving Perlight action going on, now that Perlin's picked up those "literary" pickup lines from
SlapImeanSlabAt least Swift seems to have common sense regarding Dawn, and knows when to back down. Moonstone, however...
7318327 I think she'd need several armies and that doesn't include the inevitability of at least Twilight getting involved
I'm getting the feeling over the last couple of chapters that the author is just enjoying himself a little too much, giving Dawn and Scootaloo stupid people to beat the shit out of.
I enjoy it immensely, however.
I was afraid this was going to be the last chapter but I see something new has been added. Trouble never seems to end for Dawn, Scootaloo, and Co., does it?
It's both hilarious and disturbing that the ponies have gotten so used to random attack a by thugs and the ensuing beat down from the well-trained attack ponies of their community that it doesn't even break their stride.
7318327
Dawn can take on a small army himself. Add scoots loo in and you get a good-sized army.
Too be honest, dawn and co. Would run Mooks 'R Us out of stock in less than a day.
Huh. I was worried the parents were just going to be cookie-cutter jerks, but I actually like Swift.
Other news, yay Perlin! You're back! I'd also like to see Bonbon embarrass him.
7318182
just add 1 cup Ramsay Bolton for flavor.
You gotta almost feel sorry for anypony that steps into Ponyville for trouble since 1 in 5 of the residents there are martial arts masters. Again, almost. Speaking of, where's Swift Stride? Could he be Melon's mystery beau?
"We'll send hired muscle to rough his new family up! That'll show him (and totally not get us arrested)!"
*incidental Perlin happens*