Twilight Gets a Puppy
By TDR
Pony and Dog Show,
epilogue 4
[Ponyville]
“I told you not to come.”
“And I told you, that if you thought I wouldn't be here when my brother was in danger, you're not the mare I thought I knew.”
Cadence frowned looking at Shining Armor, the white unicorn stared back at the pink Princess impassively.
“Don't mind me … I’ll just lay down over here and die because of flying captain lard ass over there the six leagues across a dangerous forest because he had to be here and he wouldn't even take his armor off.” Comet Trail called, laying on the ground in a heap not far from the pair, panting hard his bat wings twitching.
“It was an order....” Shining Armor rolled his eyes as Cadence smirked a little.
“I'm not part of your unit.” the Thestral called back. “It was a favor and now you owe me one, so right now shut up and let me die in peace. Go see your brother or something.”
“Right, thanks. Any way Princess... I may have told my Guards return to Canterlot, but I am still here now. And unless you want to order me away so I can ignore that too....” Shining began.
“SHINING!!”
“By the stars more yelling.” Comet Trail whimpered as a purple blur slammed into Shining Armor, bouncing off the armored white unicorn with a crash.
“Ow.” Twilight muttered from the ground.
“Are you alright Twilight?” Cadence and Shining armor asked at the same time looking down at her before before looking back at each other with small smirks.
At the crash, Spike, the Crusaders,Fireball, and the rest of the mane six, minus Rarity, all came out of the Town Hall where Cadence had been coordinating the 42nd Guard around Ponyville.
“I'm fine... I think...... but Cadence here is keeping me from going after Rahs......” Twilight pointed at the pink mare accusingly as she got up. “ And Rarity is down there too!”
Shining Armor raised an eyebrow looking at Cadence who simply sighed.
“Spike please inform your brother what I told everyone, and that your sister is ignoring.” Cadence grumbled.
“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are dealing with it.” Spike shrugged. “ Honestly I’m a bit worried myself. It's been an hour since every one came back with Cadence.”
“Except my sister!” Sweetiebelle shouted flailing at Cadence with her fore hooves as Applebloom and Scootaloo held her back. “ Where is she you …. you.... smarmy toad!?”
“Smarmy toad?” Shining Armor questioned looking at Cadence.
“Rarity taught her it's uncouth to swear. “ Applebloom explained.
“So she mixes up words she's read and tries to make them insults.” Scootaloo offered. “It's pretty fun most times.”
“'Ignorant Kumquat' is still my favorite this week.” Spike chimed in.
“I liked 'Chronic Drumstick' myself.” Pinkie Pie added.
“'Parasitic oak plank', was a humdinger.” Applejack added.
“Oh so it was an insult when she called Angel Bunny a 'Cumbersome gumdrop'?” Fluttershy considered.
“'Cantankerous nimbus' was a good one.” Fireball added.
“Ooh I like that one better than 'Snowflake Harlot'.” Dash smirked.
“She didn't listen either...” Cadence grumbled tuning out the others. ”Much like you and Twilight. It seems no one in your family listens to what other ponies say.”
“Oh I listened, I just came here any way.” Shining rebuked.” Now before Twily decides it would be more efficient to try and teleport to every hospital within range of Canterlot, where are Princess Celestia or Princess Luna?”
“Oh right I can do that!” Twilight beamed.
“NO!” everyone shouted, with the exception of Comet Trail who just weakly muttered it between gasps for air.
“Oh my, what is every one shouting about?”
“Rarity!” Sweetiebelle shouted shrugging off Scootaloo and Applebloom and bouncing over to grapple her sister's neck in a death hug.
“Rarity where's Rahs and Princess Celestia?” Twilight demanded getting in the other mares blue face.
“AKK!” Rarity responded.
Celestia frowned as the doctor gave the report to her. If Luna had not been livid before she would be now.
Rahs however sat on the bed calmly listening his frown deepening as everything was explained. He wanted something to eat, a bath and a nap, in that order.
Celestia turned from the Doctor to look over the Moon Dog. At first glance he seemed fine. As the doctor continued however she saw some of the issues he was speaking of.
Rahs' amber eyes were a bit dull and the small bits of skin that weren't covered by fur, his nose, lips and around his ears, were all very pale. The doctor listed that as a result of the blood he lost. The magic she had been giving him had helped, but his body was worn out from his hours of being drained and the forced regeneration he had been subjected to.
Celestia hadn't even been aware that he could recover as fast as he had. As a pup his few injuries had healed quickly, but this was something that probably should have killed him.
He was also rail thin, his body having converted what fat he had on him it energy to heal. So far he had eaten everything put in front of him and likely would have kept going until he overstuffed himself and become sick. He was known to do that and the doctors were aware of that.
It was his right arm that had Celestia more worried than anything else. Right now it was heavily bandaged , but she and Rarity had seen it when they first dropped him off at the hospital before popping over to Jynx and her pack.
To say it was mangled was an understatement. There was very little fur from his wrist to his bicep and it was covered in bite marks and places where strips of flesh had been torn off. Thankfully Butch had enough control over his pack to keep them from getting more than samples and nearly draining him dry. The current worm food had wanted him to last as long as possible to continually supplement their food supply until Butch could eat his heart before it gave out.
Rahs was anemic, on the verge of collapsing, and had an arm to regrow, but according to the doctor he was to make a full recovery.
While hearing that was a relief, Celestia was still concerned.
Rahs had yet to say a word, nor try and Cant anything with his ears to any pony.
Thus Celestia was quite worried about what his mental state was like after his ordeal. What he had been through was torture pure and simple. It was that thought that eased her mind in letting Luna do as she wished to the Bone Hounds. Still she wanted to know how he was coping, he had only been imprisoned for perhaps two or three hours at best depending on how long it took them to drag him through the tunnels.
Her questions would need to wait however as a trio of figures suddenly appeared in the room with a flash of light.
Spike yelped as he fell off Twilight's back. Shining Armor crashed into the doctor and they fell down in a heap trying to untangle from each other.
Twilight managed a glare at Celestia before she was nearly on top of Rahs looking him over with an appraising eye.
Rahs raised an eyebrow at his sister's inspection before sighing and rolling his eyes as she checked him out.
“What happened?” Twilight demanded though if it was from Celestia, the doctor, or Rahs no one was sure.
“Woof.” Rahs shrugged.
“What do you mean they played dirty?” Twilight demanded. “That doesn't explain anything?!”
Rahs shrugged again.
Twilight turned on Celestia as if to demand an answer to what had happened. Celestia was about to explain, only to take note of the faded amber glare that met her gaze over the top of Twilight's head.
"Don't."
Celestia frowned glancing at Shining who was to busy trying to get up to have heard him, Twilight was too busy glaring at her to hear evidently. She sighed as she lightly nodded.
“I only pulled him out of there Twilight. I don't know what happened after he was captured.” Celestia lied.”I was a little concerned with the pups chewing on my legs.”
Celestia lifted a leg showing the teeth marks in her gold hoof covers.
“Pups? What?” Spike asked.
“There were … some hostile negotiation that Luna took part in. Negotiations that required the safe relocation of the Diamond Dog pups in the warren.” Celestia continued picking her words carefully.
Celestia took note that Spike seemed to be trying to translate that. She also took note that Twilight and Shining Armor flinched, understanding the double talk. Rahs just sat there which was even more worrying.
“Sooo she beat them up... good. Maybe they'll think twice next time.” Spike huffed.
Shining and Twilight glanced at each other , but Celestia was certain she saw Rahs crack a smile at Spikes innocence in the situation.
“So what's wrong with him?” Shining asked the doctor looking at how thin and pale his brother was.
“Well as I was explaining to the Princess....” the doctor started to say before there was a massive flash of light and the whole room was suddenly filled with ponies.
“ See this is what happens when you rush me!” Cadence shouted from some where near the bottom of the pile.
“That was a teleport? That was COOL!” Scootaloo shouted.
“DO it again!” Pinkie Pie cheered.
“Git yer hoof out of my face.” Applejack fussed at Rarity.
“Darling that is not my hoof. Sweetiebelle is currently clinging to my hoof.” Rarity snapped back.
“I can't see anything.” Sweetiebelle fussed from under Rarity.
“Well who evers hoof that is is gonna get a slap if they don't move it.” Fireball grumbled.
“Umm I think it's my hoof sorry.” Fluttershy muttered.
“Are we there yet?” Applebloom asked.
“For the love of everything all of you get off of me! Why was I even brought along!?!” Comet Trail whined.
Somewhere in that massive pile of ponies Princess Celestia , the doctor, Twilight, Shining Armor and Spike lay buried. Only Rahs sitting on the bed had missed out and he was clearly amused by that.
Why am I reminded of that Deadman Wonderland anime? The only part related is that they both involve blood.
Ain't this epilogue double the size of the "episode" already? I like you style
Rahs probably need some therapy session after this. I don't think even Moon Dog would unaffect by PTSD.
yea i can see future when lady what her anem try to court Rah or go to rairty, rairty going to say "i love to help you darling but Rah has said he want no dealing with dimond dogs of any kind. "
8930987
It seems like he's currently pulling a honey badger, whether he finds the fucks to give or not once he's rested/decompressed remains to be seen.
What happened down there Rahs?
Rahs is enjoying not being on the receiving end of the slapstick for once.
8931056
"...Woof."
8930972
Not the intent but it works and there's another one coming tomorrow.
8930955
Not seen that , but i have heard it is good.
8931133
he has been the target quite often hasn't he
8931140
Come on Rahs. We both know that what happened down there had nothing to do with drama club.
8931191
Yeah, it's kinda grimdark though
Well, I'm glad he's finding the humor in things still. Rahs isn't the only one that understands somethings are best left unsaid.
Dog pile on The Doctor!
8931056
They were cannibalizing him in an attempt to get stronger.
8931580
No something else is hinted at happening inbetween the cannibalization and Rahs getting captured that Rahs doesn't want Twi to know about.
8931699
It's explained as she's walking to Butch.
8931767
Not really he just doesn't want Twilight or Spike to know they were trying to eat him.
8931216
Sometimes my ideas go that way, though humor will come back to the forefront here soon. There are three or four chapters of what i already have planned that go dark.
8931699
Only one pack. The other sort of brow beat her into a bad deal. But yes that was explained on the trot to butch, she thought he was one of the packs omegas looking to cause trouble.
8931990
Been a while but i think it was from legaly blond or some other 90s coming of age movie
8932122
ThatsTheJoke.gif
8931936
No, I meant the anime
8932410
Ugh i know right
8932123
2004, Mean Girls i think. Silly quote, perfect for making marshmellow horse jokes.
9502672
Oh. Ooooh! I know maaaannnnyyyy tooorrrrtuurrreesss and tooorrrmmeeeeennntttsssss..................maaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnyyyyyyyy............Would you like me to sssssssshaaaaaaaaaare?
9502672
Last time I checked, being torn to bloody shreds of meat tends to be a fairly quick way to die. Luna doesn't do torture when she's angry.
And now this one. Overall, still really good, but also some stuff that, didn't quite work or kind of, felt over-done and unneeded. Just, the whole darker twists in and of itself is fine, even a mostly silly story can have some darker, more serious moments. The overall plot was good, and works, but the level it goes to to get darker felt... gratuitous might be the best word. Though nowhere near the level of being out right bad or ruining things. Mostly of the " Really story? You are going there. Alright." reaction.
Two bits there, first, the description of the Crystal War and just how much larger and more epic and deadly it was then we've seen. I do lie that, and it's been hinted at and set up before that something really, really freaking serious was going on up there. But, the level the journal entry describes, wiping out whole races, altering the habits of others forever as they try to survive, being a massive, world wide catastrophe, it just feels, a tad over done. It being a huge threat that many would band together to fight, wrecking the North, have repercussions, those are all great ideas. but the level the story built it up as felt to me, just a tiny bit starting to toe over the 'trying to hard' line.
Same with what was happening to Rahs. The overall idea, darker and serious sure. But the way it's handled felt, a but trying to hard to be dark for the sake of dark when, nothing really needed it. Even keeping the overall everything the same, and just tweaking a few minor details would work and keep it from being such a outlier compared to the rest of the story. Nix the whole seeing them drinking blood and tone down the descriptions of what they were doing to a more general 'They wanted to eat him for strength' and everything would fit and also avoid having to add tags.
And again, it's done pretty damn well, this is more an overall writing philosophy thing for me, tossing in sudden random dark parts in otherwise very, very not-dark stories always feels so.... wrong, unless it's done really, really really well and had a really good reason for being as it is. This story's, are good and it does overall work, didn't put me off the story at all, but, as above, unneeded for the effect the narrative required. Doing something like this, especially this far into the story, can cause all kinds of mood whiplash and be really jarring for the audience. While at the same time, having to add a warning tag that could put people of of a story just for one scene that could have been tweaked to have the same idea, but not detailed enough to need a full on warning tag for the whole story afterwards.
Still, for all the A/N's talked it up and warned about it, it was incredibly mild compared to some other stories that have done this. (Days of Wasp and Spider pretty much made me quit reading partway through the chapter and ready to give up on the fic till it was clarified that said chapter was a non-canon, 'what-if the villains won' scenario that was published on a certain why the fuck is this a thing day.)
Also, question about a bit of confusion in that opening timeline. Celestia mentioned that the Diamond Dogs turned on them after Luna had been corrupted, but later, it's written as the Diamond Dogs were part of Sombra's forces.
The whole 'found other beings to help wield the Elements. Ehhh, I know it's a popular fanon and pops up a lot, but I never cared for that idea. Plus we've seen that that is not the case.
Still, this history does do a great job explaining the differences in the D-Dog's in this 'verse and why events went how they did.
I wouldn't say Cadance is pinker the Pinkie, Pinkie is all Pink, Cadance has other colors as well.
And Cadance, I know you are trying to help, and the Sister's have this covered. But let's face it, as scary as Luna was, there are few things in the Multiverse more dangerous and worse to have to deal with, then a righteous pissed off Twilight Sparkle whose friends/family you just fucked with.
"Tell him I said it in my Princess tone"-I freaking love that line for some reason.
Hmmmm, calling the lowest in the pack 'Omega's' does make sense, last letter, lowest down, etc... but it's just so hard to actually mentally see that given just how many places use 'Omega' as something incredibly powerful and top end of the power curve. Gotten too used to that word being story shorthand for "Really freaking powerful and/or dangerous.
When going through, an added bit that made the whole above bit worse was just how freaking stupid the Dogs' whole motivation was, but very nice to see it was meant to be stupid, as it was an idiot being goaded into something needlessly and pointlessly cruel for the sake of some pissed off Small God. And dude, as noted, if you really would prefer non-existence to what you are now, keep screwing with Twilight Sparkle's family.
And we see the massive dog pile of plots and schemes and designs, all focused on Rahs just getting deeper and deeper.
So yeah, other then the darker aspects feeling a bit gratuitous for the sake of being darker, still a good episode. Do NOT fuck with Moon Horse!
9676455
The reason i made it seem bad was because of a few things that will show up in three. the crystal empire was an empire in it's hayday, not just a big city . There's more than that but spoilers.
What the Bone Hounds did i had to temper. This is a comedy series and there would be a lot less comedy if i had to make one of the main chars take too long to recover from something.
I had to judge plot versus overall theme for this one. There have been darker undertones of things for a while, hence why Tia reacted like she did in the first chapter to Rahs.
The DD thing gets explained later. The DD did turn on them after they had been.... well it's a sort of corrupted.
The pinker pony pinkness is a Pinkie perception problem.
I think you mean, "heart"?
I feel bad for Comet. Know I laugh for your sake.
See, here again you for no reason write out Rahs' words in English. Was it stated that Celestia could understand him? I forget. Also, Twilight being right in front of him and not hearing was a stretch. Why not instead have it be nothing but visual communication. Like this:
See? Not only do we skip the English words and Twilight being deaf as doornail, but we also get just a hint of insight into he and Celestia's relationship. A good character moment to boot.
10657229
he did speak
i had to do a double take as in this story so far he seems to only talk outloud not in barks in certin situations
Seriously how is Discord not already free in hiding like party hard while watching...
10905194
Dramatic timing
10905194
My dear friend why escape when this is the best entertainment in years now if you will excuse me my popcorn is ready.
And Comet Trail is now a candidate for being The Best Pony.
Well... That happend. Fun for everyone and boredom is about to run extinct.
10950055
Sounds about right.
10955657
Indeed, he has not even to lift a Talon to enjoy it.
Personaly i think he is free and enjoy it as he left a Stone copy of himself.
11143724
Best pony? I doubt it. A romance option? Hm... Maybe...?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
8930972
When Gods act things get resolved fast vs mortals it seems. Tragic comedy is apperently a thing.
8931133
Indeed, Murphy is mercyful in the end...
Rahs sure is a tough cookie, but therapy might be needed still. Me most certainly will be less non lethal next time... Or at least more vicious.