An End to Adventuring: The Final Chapter
Twilight took a deep breath. It had been almost three days since Moonstone had given her the warning about Pennington's trip, and he had said nothing to her, himself. Now, her parents had finally come to visit, and Pennington had joined them for dinner, as he'd promised. The table was set, and all of them were waiting for her in the main room of the library, and she had left under the guise of needing to retrieve another pitcher of water.
I'll talk to him about it once my parents have left... I can't take the suspense any more! She shook her head. Where is he going? WHY is he going? What is going to happen with us?
Taking a deep breath to settle herself before she fell into an obsessively nervous episode, she plastered across her face and stepped back out, where her three guests were all chatting happily.
"So, Pennington..." Her mother smiled, looking at him from across the table. "Twilight told us all about your 'adventures,' including some interesting facts about your nom de plume..."
Twilight had barely stepped through the kitchen door before she found herself horrified again.
"P-Pennington! I'm so sorry! It was when you were sick! I-I was just scared and I needed to talk to someone about it! I didn't mean to give away-"
"It's okay, Twilight... Quite frankly, provided that your parents are better at keeping secrets than you are, it would be a relief not to have to keep up some kind of front about it." Pennington smiled, lifting his glass to her mother before taking a drink. "I really just don't want the word out because my mother would practically have a heart attack if she found out what I've been doing..."
"What? You mean your own parents don't know?" Twilight's father asked, surprised.
"If they did, what good would it do? They'd always be worried about me, probably chew me out over a few of the events in my previous books, and my father has never had a high opinion of Scorching Quill..." He rolled his eyes slightly, chuckling. "You wouldn't believe some of the tricks I've had to use to avoid interviews with my 'intrepid reporter' of a dad." After a moment of pushing at his food with his fork, he set it down again.
"Twilight told me that you do some writing yourself, Miss Velvet?"
Twilight's mother's face flushed slightly, but she nodded. "I've dabbled, written a few novels myself..."
"I took the liberty of checking out a few copies from the library, actually. Very impressive! I was riveted!" He smiled. "Which brings me to a rather important point... I wanted to ask you for your help. Or, depending on how you look at it, offer you an opportunity." Looking over to where Spike and Moonstone were enjoying a large plate of gemstones, he gave his assistant a knowing nod, which she returned, running over to pick up his bag.
"I'm afraid that, ever since the Royal Wedding, my health has been on a steep decline. I've done my best to hide it from Twilight, since I didn't want her to worry about me, being the dynamic, kind mare that she is..." When Moonstone handed him his bag, he quickly undid the strap, reaching inside before picking up a large bundle of paper tied with read yarn. "It's taken some time for me to realize that the only thing that can really save me from becoming ill to the point of death or suicide would be a drastic change of scenery... Meaning that I've been planning on leaving Equestria for some time." All three of them seemed about to comment on the statement, but Pennington held up his hoof, begging for a moment more.
"This is a manuscript that I haven't been able to finish: Daring Do and the Quest for the Alicorn Amulet. I've given it every effort I can, and spent hours pouring over it, trying to figure out what it needs... but I just can't bring myself to work on it any longer. I was wondering whether or not you'd be able to take a look at it and see what I can't, think of something I couldn't..." He passed the bundle of papers across the table, where Twilight Velvet picked it up into the air with her magic, staring at him hesitantly.
"Why? I mean, if you really do just write from experience, why not just use your memories?"
"Bad memories, I guess. This came just before a time in my life I wouldn't want to relive in a hundred thousand years..." He shook his head. "But, I'd like to offer you this manuscript. You can rewrite it however you wish, make whatever changes you like, I'll give you full creative liberty... Only on the condition that you make sure it gets published as the next installment in the series, and under whatever name you choose to use. All authorship needs to go to you, along with royalties, credit for the book, and other profits of any kind."
Silence fell like a stone. It was several moments before Pennington forced a breaking of the stillness.
"In all likelihood, I won't be able to write on this trip, and it's already been more than half a year since the last time I published a new book... " He shook his head. "I just don't want to feel like I'm abandoning the readers..."
"And what about me?" Twilight finally spoke up, drawing the attention to herself. "Do you feel like you're abandoning me?"
Silence fell again, and again, Pennington was the first to break it.
"I'm here, aren't I? If I was going to abandon you, I would have left early in the morning or late at night, before you woke up. However, that didn't stop you from trying to follow me and track me down, last time, did it? When we were at the border and I tried to leave you behind so you'd just go home?" He looked straight into her eyes, and Twilight found herself surprised at the deadness of his stare. Pennington had always kept some kind of exploratory look, some glimmer of eagerness and excitement, but he hadn't been making much eye contact with her ever since the wedding, not even during their lessons. Now, she could see why: that glimmer was gone. The exploratory gaze had been turned inward, leaving only a still darkness behind.
"I wouldn't abandon you in a thousand years if it weren't for your own protection, Twilight, like how I sent you away from the hive when I was captured..." He took a deep breath, looking down at his plate. "But I've been doing a lot of thinking ever since I- ...ever since my connection to the hive was severed. The entire fiasco with the wedding could have been avoided if I had just listened to you. If I had just stopped to think about what I was doing!" His hoof pounded down on the table, punctuating his remark. "Did I ever realize why I've been going on these harebrained adventures? I mean, yes, they make a good story, but my books were just an excuse. I went because it wanted to. It was stupid, reckless, and dangerous. That was why. I never thought about the fact that I was invading their home for my own pleasure, possibly upsetting forces that I couldn't control. It didn't matter, just so long as I got the thrill of the danger." He shook his head, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. "I always thought that the compass on my cutie mark just represented that I love to go 'adventuring,' and everyone always encouraged me to do so. I would go out, do whatever I wanted without consequence, sometimes bring back a pretty or powerful souvenir, and then be given a hero's welcome... Ponies being helped by what I did was always just a happy coincidence!"
"But now, the scales tipped the other way: my disregard didn't help ponies, it hurt them. Some were even killed in that invasion, and it was my fault! Chrysalis couldn't make me kill you, but the other changelings didn't care at all!" He shook his head again. "Twilight, I don't want to- I can't- believe that my cutie mark could be for something that could destroy a family or take a life! That can't be my destiny! It took a pretty blinding light, but I think I can finally see, now, that my 'adventuring' has just been selfish, done purely for the adrenaline and the praise... And seeing my own greed makes me retch." When he finally looked up at her again, silent tears were running down either side of his muzzle. "I don't want to go... I don't! But I can't live like this, believing that my destiny can leave a foal crying in the street for his dying mother. Somewhere, a little filly is still wondering why her daddy never came home from work on guard duty. I cannot live knowing that my talent rolls the dice of joy and tragedy with the repercussions of my actions!" He took a deep, shuddering breath.
"You saved my identity from being lost to the hive, Twilight, but I think I lost 'who I am' in Canterlot... And I'm going to make sure that the change ends for the better... one way or another." He silently wiped away the tears with one hoof. "So, I need to go and learn what my cutie mark means. I need to find out if that reckless disregard for others is who I really am... And the only way that I can do that is to leave and go far away from everything that comprises the life I've been living under that illusion. No more books, no more trips to Canterlot, no more disguises... Just me, trying to discover who I really am. Please, Twilight, I'm begging you to understand..."
The two of them stared for a moment, and Twilight's eyes finally turned down towards the floor, locked in thought.
"You expected me not to? After all that we've been through and all that you've told me?" When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with tears, as well.
"I remember how overjoyed I was the day that I found my cutie mark! It was the same day that Princess Celestia asked me to be her protege! If I were to look back and see that that day was wrong... that my cutie mark had lied to me? I don't think I could bear to believe that I had been living the wrong destiny." Standing up and walking to Pennington, she took hold of him and pressed his crying face into her shoulder. "Of course I would understand why you would want to leave and try looking for it all over again! However... I have a couple conditions."
Pulling himself from her enough to look up again, Pennington's questioning look seemed to ask the question when he couldn't speak.
"I don't want you to be gone forever, so your little quest needs to have a limit. So... You have to come back for a date at least once a month, and you can't be gone any longer than three months. That's how long it took you to get back to Canterlot from the changeling hive. That's how long I want you to take to recover again."
"Three months? But-"
"Pennington, I'm not going to let you lead me on. If we're in a relationship, you need to act like it!" She smiled. "But I also know that you have a good reason to leave, and that Moonstone is going to be taking care of you." She smiled and hugged him again as her silent tears began to fall once more. "For perhaps the first time... I trust you to take care of yourself. I trust you to come back alive."
The two held one another for a long time, each refusing to let go of the other.
"We raised her right, didn't we?" Twilight's mother smiled, gently tucking the manuscript away in her saddlebag in the corner.
"So... You're going to do it? Daring Do's fan base could get vicious when they see a different name on the next book."
"I'm not worried. It's a welcome challenge and a rare opportunity! Besides, you heard him yourself, honey... He needs this break, and I doubt he'll want to write immediately once he gets back."
Nightlight nodded. "A stallion's gotta do what a stallion's gotta do, I guess... Besides, as you like to say, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder,' right?" He leaned over and gently kissed his wife on the cheek. "But don't you go anywhere..."
Eventually, inevitably, the day came that Pennington had chosen to leave. A small group of his friends had gathered together outside Inkwell Commissions to bid him farewell. Whipstitch, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Zecora, and Pipsqueak were all there, waiting for him to emerge to say their last goodbyes.
"Wait, where's Lily?" Twilight asked quietly.
"Dear Pennington is being silly..." Zecora muttered, "and insisting we don't tell Callalily."
"But- what about his mane?"
"He's going to let it grow in its natural color on his trip... I've never actually seen the real color of his hair." Whipstitch pondered for a moment before shrugging. "But if Lily heard that we was leaving on a trip like this so soon after the wedding, she would NOT be happy."
Before Twilight could ask any other questions, the door to Inkwell Commissions slowly swung open, and Pennington emerged, followed closely by Moonstone. He was carrying a huge rucksack on his back, much larger than he had taken on his trip with Twilight. He stopped short when he saw the small group of ponies waiting for him, then smiled as he turned around to lock the door behind him. After a few seconds of fiddling with the lock, Pennington finally turned back around, tears already brimming in his eyes. He didn't take long to reach the end of the short path to the street, coming to a stop in front of the group.
"So, you're really going through with it?" Whipstitch asked quietly. "You're doubting yourself THAT much?"
Pennington nodded, barely able to keep the tears at bay.
Whipstitch stared at him for a moment, then grinned and hugged him. "Then pick me up a nice souvenir, would ya? Maybe one of those nice things you keep in your basement!"
Pennington laughed, though it was sightly muted by the tidal waves of other emotions washing over him together.
"Yeah! And don't forget to tell Scorching Quill I won't be able to get his next book from you!" Rainbow Dash grinned, floating down to the ground and giving him a gentle punch on the shoulder. "And I'm pretty sure I'll come up with a good commission idea by the time you get back! So you better take care of yourself and get back in one piece!"
Pennington rolled his eyes, shaking his head with a smile. "Dash, can you keep a secret?"
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, but nodded.
"Pinkie Promise?"
Rainbow Dash's suspicion seemed to grow, but she nodded again. "I guess so... Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"
"I'll trust you to be loyal to your word..." Pennington leaned in close, whispering something in her ear. Rainbow Dash's eyes grew wide, and her jaw fell open wider than Twilight had ever seen. Rainbow Dash stared at Pennington for a moment, who was quickly beginning to break down into uncontrollable snickering.
"B-B-But- But- HOW?"
Pennington rolled his eyes again, and for a moment, Twilight caught a glimpse of that mischievous smile she was so familiar with.
"Then- then that means-" Rainbow Dash still seemed to be struggling to understand what Pennington had told her. "OH. MY. GOSH!" With that exclamation, she finally fell backwards onto the ground, the shock knocking her unconscious with an enormous grin across her face.
"Ah dunno what you told her, cousin, but ah think ah can guess..." Applejack took her turn to step forward, taking off her hat. "And your secret's safe with me, too." Reaching into her saddlebag, she pulled out a dark-blue cloak with a small apple embroidered into the corner. "But Granny wanted me to give you this before ya left. Stitched with love."
Pennington smiled, momentarily shrugging off the huge bag on his back to try on the cloak. He stared at it for a moment, reflexively trying to use his magic, then shook his head and reached out with his hoof, throwing it across his back. He fumbled with the clasp for a moment, and Applejack quickly helped him to fasten it.
"It's perfect..." His eyes beginning to water again, Pennington looked up at Applejack. "How did she know it would fit?"
"Penn, if there's one thing you should have learned back when your mom forced you to come to our family reunions, it's that Granny Smith can size up a filly or colt just by lookin' at 'em!" She chuckled, even as Pennington leaned forward and wrapped her in a tight hug.
"Tell Granny I thanked her from the bottom of my heart... And that I'll be at the next reunion."
Twilight didn't know exactly how important reunions were to the Apple family, but the joy that lit up Applejack's face definitely signified that Pennington willingly attending was definitely significant.
"Do ya- Do ya mean that?"
Pennington nodded. "It's high time I got back to my roots, rather than trying to rip them up... So I'll be seeing you later, cousin."
"If you insist on leaving, Pennington, don't forget your medicine!" Zecora chirped as she placed a fresh, filled pill bottle into a pocket she had opened in his bag. As he turned to face her, Pennington and Zecora simply stared at one another for a long time before each giving a silent nod.
"My old friend... Keep on your hooves our there in Everfree."
"With sweet sentiment, your words do drip. I will say the same about you on your trip!" The two smiled at one another, exchanged only the briefest of hugs (more like a friendly pat on the shoulder), and Zecora returned to where she had been standing: near the back of the group, able to leave and disappear at a moment's notice.
Pennington never told me much about his friendship with Zecora... But I guess that the two of them have gotten to the point of not needing a lot of words to express what they mean. Twilight thought to herself.
Finally, Pennington turned to the last of his friends that he hadn't spoken to yet: Pipsqueak. The tiny foal was trying to put on a brave face, but was quickly falling apart as tears ran down the sides of his face.
"Mister Penn... Why do you have to go? It seems like you only just got back!"
Pennington knelt down, meeting Pipsqueak at eye level.
"I know, Pip, and I'm sorry that I haven't had time lately to teach you much about writing... But you can take this chance to practice on your own! Your mother told me that your poetry is coming along really well!" He raised the colt's chin up, giving a gentle smile. "When I come back, I can teach you all about writing your own stories, just like me, okay?"
In a sudden leap, Pipsqueak wrapped his front legs as far as he could reach around Pennington's neck, shaking his head. "But I don't wanna practice on my own! I want to practice with you!"
Pennington seemed surprised, at first, but quietly smiled and accepted the hug, gently returning it for a few seconds.
"Hey, you know what, Pip? I think it's possible that you might get a cutie mark in writing while I'm gone, if you really try! Now THAT would be a great surprise worth coming home to!" He smiled, letting Pip go again. "Then maybe you could teach ME a few things!"
Pip wiped away some of his tears, looking up as Pennington rose back up to his full height, strapping the huge backpack back onto his shoulders.
"Do you really think so?"
"Pip, I think you've got the potential for some great adventures of your own! You could be setting up the base of what will make you happy for a long time!" Pennington smiled. "Besides, this means that, in a way, we're both going to be looking for our cutie marks while I'm gone!"
Pip finally smiled, though he still seemed to be crying. "Okay, then! I'll have that cutie mark by the time you come back, Mister Penn! That way I can grow up to be just like you!"
Pennington smiled and gave Pipsqueak a short salute before turning to Twilight. It was his turn to begin to cry as the two of them embraced one another, though he hid his tears in her shoulder.
"Take care of yourself out there, okay?" Twilight whispered, and Pennington nodded silently in response.
"Write to me every day..."
Pennington nodded again.
"And remember my conditions."
"O-okay..." He barely seemed to be able to force the word out.
"And, so help me, if you die, I will never forgive you!"
Pennington laughed into her shoulder, finally pulling away again and moving his face upwards to whisper in her ear.
"Twilight... Just let Inkwell Commissions gather dust. Don't worry about it. But if you ever need help, and I'm not here... if the Elements are ever out of reach or Ponyville is in danger again, I want you to go to my study. Take every copy of 'Daring Do and the Dangerous Descent into the Dragon's Den' off of the shelf. You'll find my iron wings and anything else that you could need to fight back... And if the evil can't be fought, I want you to hide in that vault. You couldn't be safer. Promise me that?"
"I promise..." Twilight whispered in return. Pulling away slightly from the hug, the two stared at one another for a moment.
"And Twilight, even more importantly... Promise me this: If you have any adventures of your own while I'm gone, make sure that they're happy. Happy adventures are what bring you the best memories, and any other kind of adventure... what you get from it can never last. So please... just promise me that your adventures will be happy, even without me. They're the only ones worth having." He smiled, looking straight into her eyes. "Just keep a smile on that beautiful face..."
In spite of the dread of seeing Pennington leaving, Twilight couldn't help but smile and blush. Without a word, she leaned forward, pressing herself into a deep kiss with Pennington. Just as it always had, the sensation sent electric thrills down her spine and made her heart race, pounding harder and faster in her chest with every passing second. As the heat from their lips mingled and grew, a happy spark of energy leaped from her horn to his, and she once again could feel and even smell and taste the faintest of wisps of his energy, like the smells of the ocean and mint tea mingling together. After almost a minute, the two finally parted again, their horns gently colliding as they each stared lovingly into the other's eyes.
"I promise, Pennington..."
Pennington smiled and nodded.
"Thank you..."
Stepping away to he could address the group together (except Rainbow Dash, who was still unconscious), Pennington nodded. "Thank you all... I'll be back, I know that I will. But I can't live what I think is either a lie, or a horrifyingly cruel truth."
"During all the years, I've been taking care of you, and you in return have been taking care of me. You're still my best friends, and always will be. One day, I will come back..." He glanced down at the ground, tears once again beginning to fall. "Yes, I will come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties..." He glanced from first Zecora, then to Pipsqueak, and finally to Applejack. He turned to look at Whipstitch, now, before finally stopping at Twilight again. "Just go forward in all your beliefs... and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine. Goodbye, everyone..." His speech finished, Pennington turned and began walking towards the railway station, Moonstone following closely behind. Twilight could tell by his hasty stride that he was forcing himself not to look back, and she knew that if he did, he would be tempted once again by everything that he was leaving behind, possibly beyond what he could resist.
However, there was one more thing that she needed to say before he was gone: a thought, a hope, a prayer that she knew he needed to send him on his way. So, taking a deep breath and shouting as loudly as she could, Twilight waved her hoof to her departing love.
"HAPPY ADVENTURING, PENNINGTON!"
The words caused the stallion to stop in his tracks for a moment before slowly turning back around. This time, he had an enormous grin that nearly filled his entire face, and shone in the sunlight with every ounce of vivacity and joy that he had held when Twilight first met him, and he waved back to her just as enthusiastically as she had.
"HAPPY ADVENTURING, TWILIGHT!"
Wow. What a journey. This has been one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had and one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. So, as promised, this is my vlog, speaking to all of you face-to-face and from the bottom of my heart! I was limited to only 15 minutes, so I apologize for rushing through my ending! I thought that I had more time!
So, for those of you sharp enough to pick up on it, I DID directly quote something in Pennington's farewell! Old-school Doctor Who fans may have noticed, but for the rest of you, here's a clip of the quote!
So, thank you all so much! I'd like to leave you all with this quote as we move on and begin anew in our continuation: "Penn and Stone: Dynamic Duo!" There's so much to look forward to, I can't express it in words! I can't wait to see you all there! And again: THANK YOU ALL!!!! I wouldn't be here without you! So, until the next time we meet I wish you all happy adventuring!
And I can't wait to get back to work!
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Holy Jesus. I freaking LOVED this story. Good work.
3433887 Thank you!!!
Can't wait! Wonderful story!!
the background of video looks familiar are u at nnptc
All great stories must sadly come to an end. I can't wait for your next installment. What will Pen and Moon get into during their adventure to who knows where? I'm keeping my eye out for this.
That was a truly wonderful adventure you took us on.
Thank YOU so much!!!
You are my favorite pony fanfiction writer, Pennington Inkwell is one of my favorite characters ever, he's my favorite pony character ever too, Happy Adventuring is, honestly, my second favorite story/series ever (second only to Harry Potter, which I love more than anything in the world, so the fact that it's right under Harry Potter on my list means that when I'm reading it I'm in the seventh heaven and above! 
) and you are also my second favorite writer ever (second only to J.K. Rowling)!!! Again, thank you, thank you for writing this and many more AMAZING stories to come! 
Thank you for the amazing story! It was great and I enjoyed it.
I haven't read it yet but I'm going to venture that this is the kind of story where the main character literally gets written INTO the book and has to make it to the end to get out alive. Or something to that effect. Yes?
One thing quickly:
"My old friend... Keep on your hooves our there in Everfree." //out
With that out of the way, very glad to see that the story is continuing and that we get to see more development of the secondary characters. One of the things that grabs me about your stories is that you tie several of them together while still having each be it's own self-contained story. You have done a very good job of integrating your characters into established cannon and while I can understand the self-insert comments, I think that Pennington has enough depth and personality that it works (remember, tropes are not inherently bad). At some point I'd love to hear some of the stories behind the vault artifacts and more of Moonstone's adventures with Luna (I assume they had some, anyway), as well as more stories told from her perspective. Using her to show Penn's emotional progress like you did two or three chapters ago would not only develop her, it would force you to show his internal conflict rather than tell it through his thoughts. It would also forestall the Mary Stu (whatever you want to call it) arguments and excite English majors (I assume).
Sorry for potentially giving you more ideas, I know how frustrating it can be.
3434135 Not quite. I actually filmed it in the corner of the recreational basement room in my dorm at BYU.
3434337 Not quite, though I am thinking of a reversal of that idea for another story!!
3434404
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If you'll all excuse me, I'm going to be locked in my study for the next few weeks!!! I HAVE AN IDEA!!!
3434199 You have no idea how much this means to me... That you think of me so highly...
global3.memecdn.com/manly-tears_o_1625067.jpg
I actually took a test that compares your style to those of major writers, and it told me that I was the most like J.K... Which might explain at least a little bit!
I don't want this to turn into a "who can say thank you more" contest, but my writing is owed very much to readers like you! People who are willing to tell me, "Hey, you're doing a good job!" Without you and others like you, this could never have happened! I'm looking forward to having many more adventures together!
static2.fjcdn.com/thumbnails/comments/My+relationship+with+my+father+isnt+the+best+_ea2cbd9e8bc08da6ebc7b3d9fdcf67a7.gif
Think you might want to put that last bit in an A/N...
Anyway, I'm hopeful for what comes next.
Bravo!
Well... It's been an incredible journey you've taken us through with this novel (yes, it is definitely a novel!) and I'm thrilled to hear this is only the beginning!
You better get used to having me around, because just like Twilight, I'm sticking with this adventure to the end!
From the sounds of things, this saga is going to be great! I can't wait to read it! 
Happy adventuring, Pennington! We'll keep our eyes peeled for the next installment!
In the Vlog when I heard "This is NOT 'the end.'"
YES!!! YES YES YES!!! I KNEW IT!!! I KNEW THERE WAS A SEQUEL!!!
"Well he must be writing a sequel" "Not exactly"
So... It's a book series?
Bro, MLD made me cry for 20 mins, I am NOT going back there again!
Doctor Who video: 'And until then, there shall be no tear, no regrets, no anxieties'
Found that quote like a fanboy
"Banish it... TO THE MOON!!!"
"This is gonna be... one... FANTASTIC adventure"
ITS NUMBER 9!!!
3366951 Hehehehhehe... That's for me to know and you NOT to find out.
th02.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2013/085/b/3/cheerilee_vector__if_you_know_what_i_mean_megusta__by_lampknapp-d5tr5rb.png
IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
*a single droplet of liquid pride drips down my face* Well said Penn....well said *salutes*
Pennnington Inkwell is the only OC x CC ship ive ever really supported so kudos to you on that accomplishment
honestly this is probably one of the best oc ship fic ive ever read its soo good in every way and between you and me
........... that . was . epic
i will be following you for sure
That. Was. AWSOME!!!
Can't wait for the next one!
3438727 Thank you!! I tried my best... And every follower is appreciated!!!
3438907 Neither can I!!!!!
3439051 Cheesy? Yes. Bad? Debatable. The "accidental kiss* actually did happen to me once in real life, so it's not unrealistic.
(the girl didn't feel like telling me it was accidental out of embarrassment, which resulted in my being led on into thinking she had feelings for me that she didn't, but that's another story 
)
3434742 BYU Provo?
Good choice 
I'll probably be there soon.
3440574 Really??
Hey, if you want to meet up, I can tell you where you can find me on campus!
3438907 HEY YOU STOLE MY PUNCHLINE!
3442979 well technically I was quoting RD and anyway it was AWSOME!!!
You're welcome, so much.
I really liked the first part of the story, the Changeling hive arc I guess you could call it, so much.
I liked the focus on Twilight, because I love Twilight so much. It did take me a while to realize that was taking place before "A Canterlot Wedding". That almost confused me so much. But then you reversed the order of "Magic Duel" and "A Canterlot Wedding" for some reason. I wasn't expecting that so much. I did hear though that Lauren Faust or just the writers of MLP had intended Trixie to show up in the second season since the fans loved Trixie so much. 
So, I guess that still works so much. I also like Moonstone so much. I look forward to seeing her get developed more so much. So, I look forward to the next installment so much.
What exactly is the difference between a sequel and a continuation? They seem the same to me so much.
Keep up the good work so much.
My "So much" Count: 11.
At least I can keep track of it. 
Oh man this was sooooo good! I don't know how you did it but you ended this absolutely amazing story with an absolutely fabulous ending.
How you have actually created a character with a personality that didn't faulter during the chapters is amazing for it is easy to make them do something out of character for them.
This has to be my favourite adventure fan fic and I hope to read more from you. Thank you for the feels, inspiration, magic, ideas, awesomeness, characters, imagination and much more. You have given a lot to the mlp fandom that have read this.
Sincerely,
Soulyman
so much! x13 (including the whole page)
talk about an anticlimatic ending. "Oh, everything is now resolved, and away goes Pennington again!" I give up.
3479021 Pennington has lost most if not all of his magic, doubts his own identity, his destiny, and the value of his life, and Twilight makes the altruistic choice of letting the one she loves go and risk life and limb to try and re-discover himself, quite possibly risking their relationship...
And everything is resolved?
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I know that I chose to "pass" on the idea of some kind of massive clash at the end that would have given a peak to the fighting, but I realized that there could be a lot more meaning, both to ourselves and the characters, with an ending that left a lot of unanswered questions about the future and what is to come. Something that could really pierce the characters themselves and allow for their continued development.
I'm sorry if it wasn't the kind of ending that you expected or wanted, but I stand by my choice as the right one. If you choose to end the adventure here, thank you for staying with me this far.
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Confession time; i started chapter 1, 11/30/13. Today is 12/4/13. This was an amazing read. the characters were real, and had depth. The dialogue was authentic. Something else I really am impressed with was the growth; both in the quality of writing, from great to amazing, and the characters OC and cannon alike.
The ending didn't leave unsatisfied, at least no more then the ending of any story I've loved.
I want to say thank you. Thank you for putting your heart into this, and thank you for being courageous enough to share this story. It's stories like this that make me look at my own sad scriblings, and feel incompetent. They then make me think, that I may not have that skill, but I still have a story to tell. So tell it I will.
Thanks for being an inspiration to a novice.
Your fan,
Lexomancer
3577929
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Every now and then, someone says something to me, leaving a comment that I simply don't know how to respond to. Not because it seems outrageous or frustrating, but because the sheer emotion it elicits in me is truly hard to put into any words other than "Thank you."
So thank you. Thank you for reading, thank you for commenting, and thank you for thinking of me so highly.
Whenever I hear about someone simply reading through the entire story in a matter of days, it always leaves me completely dumbfounded. I've never been a speed reader, it takes me longer for everything to sink in, and working on this for a year and a four months leaves me amazed that someone would want to put so much time and effort in to read it all in such a short time.
Don't be ashamed of your own writing, not at all. After all, you left me speechless today. You said yourself that you could see my writing style progress over time in this story, and we all still need practice. Just keep working at it.
Thank YOU for joining me on this adventure, and for being an inspiration to a fellow novice.
Your friend,
Pennington Inkwell
I get the feeling that the new episode was inspired by this. Wouldn't you agree?
3593234 I have to admit, I came into that episode expecting to be canon bombed... But I wound up feeling more like it was an adoption of this story into the real canon... Or at least as close to adoption to canon as I could possibly get.
If somebody at Hasbro really WAS reading this and wound up being inspired, I think that I might faint.
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3593788 Somebody at Hasbro inspired by this? I think I might faint myself, because that would be simply amazing!
Oh and I watched the episode, it was great, but... I still say Pennington wrote the Daring Do series, even if canon says otherwise!
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By the way, I made the picture above.
This is a first...
I'm...
leaking...
because of a story. Take my seventeen stache salute and be done with it.
I know I'm a bit late to the party but I have to say, this story is one of the best things I've read. I have been reading about 20 or so stories on Fimfiction at once (because I have no life) but this story caused me to just stop all reading and read nothing but this story. If you ask me, you took cliches and made them enjoyable, this story is easily one of my favorite stories on the site.
I tip my hat to you good sir!
4131521 Well, Trixie does appear, but this was actually started a long time before I wrote Pennington's Trix, so it does take a while for her to appear.
I wish I could tell you that you aren't going to have to wait long to see Trixie and Penn reconcile, but I can't.
Basically, Trixie gets her own story arc, but not until about 30 chapters in.
When she DOES show up, she comes back with what she left for: The Alicorn Amulet. And she comes back looking for Pennington, wanting her boyfriend back.
So I'd say that yes, Trixie does show up again, but it's going to be a long wait with a possible letdown. (Most people consider Trixie's arc to actually be a weak point in the narrative, including myself...
) Don't read this story just for Trixie, because you'll probably be disappointed in how little of her there is.
Honestly, I almost feel like I should apologize for setting up Penn and Trixie as such a good couple, because it really doesn't come up in this story. I guess Pennington's Trix is really more to set up the unseen character progression Penn goes through by falling in love with Twilight, rather than to establish a status quo.
So, to make a long story short: yes, there will be Trixie, but probably not as much of her as you would like. She just shows up to tie up loose ends. I'm sorry if I misled you with the prequel...
Whoa i guess im a bit late, but i just need to let you know that i LOVED this story so much!! I cried at the last chapter tho
but still worth it! Keep up the good work and i look forward to reading your other stories! 
4379308 Thanks!
Well, finally finished this story; been in my Read It Later list for a while before I got around to it. Might as well give my thoughts.
Before anything else, though,, I'm puzzled that this doesn't have the "Alternate Universe" tag. Maybe it didn't necessarily start as such, but it clearly presents alternate versions of Magic Duel and A Canterlot Wedding (not the least of which being that their order is reversed).
I'd say the biggest issues with the story was that the beginning was a bit slow and boring and the Magic Duel portion felt sort of like a side story that was spliced into the main story; the whole thing feels like the story is suddenly put on pause for something unrelated to happen. I also wonder if the romance angle was really necessary (the romance being a bit dull was part of the reason for the beginning being sort of boring), and that maybe Twilight and Pennington should've just been friends. It does sort of pay off towards the end, but for most of the story it feels unnecessary.
Now, I didn't really have any problem with Pennington Inkwell as a character, but naming a character after yourself is often a red flag, doubly so when said character is put in a relationship with an actual main character. Again, I didn't have a problem with him as a character and didn't really think he was a self-insert, but just the simple fact of "character named after the author is in a relationship with a main character" could be a turnoff to people who would otherwise read the story, and this is all fixable by simply adjusting his name.
Still, on the whole, the story was fairly enjoyable, and my above notes should be taken less as a criticism and more as advice on how the story could've been even better. The take on changelings was interesting, and the adventuring portions that the title refers were entertaining. I always feel disappointed when I write a review of a story I enjoyed and write more about what I didn't like than what I liked, but it's always easier to expend time on the former than the latter.
As a note, though, I'm confused as to what story the sequel is supposed to be. The site lists "Carnival Cat vs. Pennington Inkwell" as the sequel, but the description of "Penn and Stone: Dynamic Duo" indicates that takes place afterwards as well. Maybe the latter takes place after the former, but the former is incomplete, so that would seem to be odd. The story was good enough to make me want to check out a sequel, but I'm a little confused as to how "Penn and Stone: Dynamic Duo" fits into it... and a little disappointed to see neither of those stories has updated in quite a while.
6327386 Sorry about the confusion on the sequence of the stories, allow me to clarify:
Carnival Cat vs. Pennington Inkwell takes place between the events of Magic Duel and A Canterlot Wedding. I did want to include it here, but for he above reason of feeling more like a spliced-in side story, I decided to make it its own entity. Penn and Stone takes place approximately two months after the end of this story.
I'm definitely going to take your advice into account, thank you for taking the time to read it and write down such a well-thought-out review!
As for the Alternate Universe tag... well... In hindsight, I should probably add that, yeah. I try to make everything fit believably into canon, but there are undeniable discrepancies.
7626238 Hey, thanks for taking the time to comment! Thanks for pointing that out. The first few chapters of this story were literal years ago, so they unfortunately suffer from some early installment weirdness and some clumsy execution. I really appreciate you taking the time to read! My writing did improve GREATLY over time, including the overuse of exclamation points. I can almost guarantee you that if you stick around, it'll get better.
7759665 I'll admit you're right. I guess it's what TvTropes would call "Early installment weirdness." I chose Twilight as the main character because I had tried writing her before and she'd come across as EXTREMELY OOC, so I wanted to practice. She gets better, I promise.
Overall, an exemplary story.
I quite look forward to reading the rest of the series.
10/10.
7762420 Thank you, good sir!
7788270 Heh, that's something that'll have to be left to other authors.
8705343
No, rats are. Compare death rates. Rats killed 2/3 of Europe