Unity
The run to Sweet Apple Acres wasn’t that long, but Pinkie wasn’t that fit either. She was already heaving like a bellows by the time she knocked on the farmhouse door. It was Applejack who answered.
“Figured it’d be you.” Applejack yawned, “It’s late, Pinkie.”
Pinkie blinked, tilting her head back to look directly up at the full moon overhead. “How can you tell?”
“It’s late ‘cause I’m tired and the clock says so. What are you doing here?”
There was a long moment of silence as Pinkie realized she spent the entire run up here not working out what she was going to say. But then again, she wasn’t much for planning, was she? “You know how you warned me about Rarity, and said not to drag my problems to Ponyville?”
Applejack sighed. “You stuck your hoof in it, huh?”
“The Guard knows to look around here for Twilight, but they don’t know where she is, so they’re probably going to be interrogating ponies, and since Rarity’s the one telling them about what to do-”
“I swear, I’m going to break that girl’s legs.”
“Twilight nearly did! I think she got her ribs anyway. So I think that means they’re going to come after you and Fluttershy first and I’m sorry, I’m so sorry--”
Applejack made a ‘hold your horses’ gesture, and closed the door. There was the rattling of pots and pans in the kitchen. The door opened again, as Applejack was back with a cast iron skillet. “So the Guard’s following you? And you came here first? You made sure you weren’t followed?”
She hadn’t. She’d just run here the whole way. “I’m sorry!”
Applejack tested the weight of the skillet, took a few lazy swings with it. “I’ll take that as a ‘no’ then. Here’s my question. Say they’re around here and I turn Twilight in. Do you reckon I’m safe?”
“You should do that! We can handle ourselves, we don’t need you to put yourself in danger for us, honest.”
But at that, Applejack shook her head. “Nah, because then it ‘comes a question of how did I know so much in the first place? Then I ain’t ever safe again. You put me between a rock and a hard place here, Pinks.”
“I’m sorry!” Pinkie said again, as if this time saying it would actually fix anything.
Applejack leaned against the doorway, head tilted low so that her eyes were hidden. But you could still see the tears streaming down her face, even as her voice remained steady. “I need you to know something. I ain’t ever going to forgive you for this. I suppose you didn’t mean it, and it’s more Nightmare Moon’s fault than yours. Heck, I’m surprised they held off as long as they did. Must have thought Twilight was dead or gone until you poked your head up. But they’re here ‘cause you poked your head up, and now you’ve forced me to stick my neck out.”
“What are you... Applejack, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying you finally did it, you dang idjit!” Applejack shouted, smacking the skillet into the door frame hard enough to splinter it, and dent the pan. It sounded like it woke up Big Macintosh and Applebloom. “Now I don’t got a choice but to help Twilight. Only way out is through, here, Sugarcube. I can’t be the sensible pony and hide if you’ve gone and got me accused of treason no matter what I do.”
“But you didn’t do anything!”
“And that don’t matter anymore, now, does it?” Applejack spat. Big Macintosh was standing behind her, listening to them carefully. “Listen, Pinkie. I know you’re sorry. I get that? But you just took everything away from me unless we can take down Nightmare Moon. I’m going to get Fluttershy and tell her what’s happened and... well, I think she’s going to be mighty ornery. Heck, I’ll say it, she’s going to be pissed off about all this. Then what?”
“Then what?”
“We’re on your side, now, Pinkie, ‘cause there’s no where else to go anymore. So what would you have us do?”
“Ah-” Pinkie stammered. She hadn’t thought about this before.
“Goddang it, Pinkie, two years now you’ve been gnawing my leg off about us helping, and now that you got me you got no clue what to do with me, do you? ‘Cause there never really was anything, was there?”
“No! I mean, you could... I don’t know! You’re going to have to ask Twilight.”
Applejack spat. “See what I mean? It was always the idea of helping, but it’s not like I could ever do much, was it?”
This wasn’t supposed to be Pinkie’s job. She was supposed to do, not lead, or instruct. But Applejack was yelling at her, and she was right, and-- and Pinkie had told Twilight she was supposed to be good at this. Even under the weight of Applejack’s cold fury, and hateful stare, she swallowed back the lump in her throat. “Are you saying there’s nothing you could do to help?”
Applejack paused. “Well, I wouldn’t know how to even start,” she said, because her pride wouldn’t let her admit anything less.
“Maybe that’s the first thing you can do then. Figure out how you can help. You’re supposed to be smart, right?”
“Well, shucks, I don’t know so much about that...” Now Applejack was on the back foot, defensive. Big Macintosh watched with interest over her shoulder. He didn’t say anything, but the look he gave Pinkie Pie filled her with confidence.
“You knew better than me about Rarity, and you’ve been working out how to grow the farm even in the dark, and you’ve been helping ponies for all this time so they trust you. And you’re getting angry at me because I can’t give you instructions?” Pinkie was getting a lot more confident, now. She wasn’t getting angry, she was just... reassuring herself she was right, and believing it more.
“‘Course I’m angry. You had all this time to figure something out for me, but you couldn’t!” Applejack, on the other hand, was getting angrier as she got less confident.
“No, Applejack. We’ve had all this time to work out how to work around you. And we tried to do that as long as possible.”
Big Macintosh winced at that one, hard. Applejack didn’t react at all, which kind of was a reaction in a way. “What exactly are you trying to say? Think careful.”
So Pinkie did. Applejack looked like she was about ready to smack her with the skillet, but... “You chose to ignore a world where innocent people could have their life ruined at any moment, just because it wasn’t happening to you.”
Applejack whipped around. “Big Macintosh? If anypony comes knockin’, I went to Fluttershy’s, otherwise you don’t know nothing. Don’t bother trying to hide, it’ll just make you look guilty. Got that?”
He nodded, slow and solemn. “Eeyup.”
“Take care of Applebloom for me.”
Applebloom walked around Big Macintosh, rubbing her eyes. “What’s this about me? Applejack, where you going?”
“Out. I’m going out for a while, I’ll be back later, you hear?”
“With our skillet?”
Applejack looked at the skillet. “Yeah, with the skillet.”
“Huh. Are you crying?”
“Ain’t nothing you gotta worry about.”
Applebloom tugged at Big Mac’s back leg, but he didn’t bother looking at her, just tilted his head in acknowledgement. “Big Mac, you know why Applejack’s cryin’?”
“Eeyup?”
“You gunna say why?”
“Eenope.”
“Rats. Grown ups are weird.”
“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh agreed.
Applejack gave a big sigh, miserable and exhausted and worn-down, and walked out past Pinkie, marching a brisk pace towards Fluttershy’s cottage. “Come on then. Let’s get all this over with so I can get home soon.”
Pinkie let her lead the way.
Applejack gave Pinkie a ‘Let me handle this’ glare when they got to Fluttershy’s cottage, and knocked on the door. Fluttershy answered, and was obviously surprised to see Pinkie and Applejack together. “Oh, my. Something’s happened hasn’t it? How was Rarity?”
“Evil,” Pinkie said, “I messed up. She’s sent the Guard to look for Twilight, and she knows about you guys. She also guessed that Rainbow Dash is playing mole, but she might have just been guessing and hoping I confirmed it for her. And I didn’t!”
“Well done, Pinkie,” Applejack said in a dead monotone, “We’re all proud of you for not messing up as badly as you could have.”
Fluttershy hid behind her door. “The Guard are coming? Why? To look for Twilight?”
Pinkie nodded. “Yeah. And they know to come after you and Applejack first, because I talked about talking to you.”
Fluttershy thought about that. “Is that it?”
Applejack nodded too. “Yeah, that’s the long and short of it. So I’m heading out to throw my lot in with them. You coming?”
“If it’s all the same to you girls, I might just explain to the Guard I have nothing to do with it.” Fluttershy shrank a little more, “If that’s okay?”
“What? You can’t just ignore the problem and hope for the best, Fluttershy. We’re in danger, we have to do something!”
“The sensible thing is to just tell them I don’t know anything, and I haven’t done anything.” Fluttershy explained to Applejack in the same patient, mature tone she’d used on Pinkie so recently. “Because it’s the truth.”
“You think that’s going to matter? You’re guilty by association!”
Fluttershy stood her ground though, or at least her doorway. “They’re still ponies just like us, and I haven’t done anything wrong. They’ll be reasonable. You should be too.”
Pinkie bit her tongue and didn’t say anything, but Applejack could feel the weight of the unsaid ‘I told you so’s’ burrowing into the back of her head where Pinkie was staring at her. Applejack hefted her skillet. “Fluttershy-”
“They’ve had two years to come after us, and they didn’t do anything. I didn’t do anything. Everything will be okay, girls,” Fluttershy gave the most reassuring smile she could manage, which came across to Pinkie as condescending... must have been to Applejack, too, because she tensed right up, “Really, it will be. I think you’re overreacting right now. ”
“Fluttershy, these are bad ponies. They don’t need a reason, they just need an excuse. You can’t just knuckle under and hope for the best this time.” Applejack turned to Pinkie. “And don’t you say a word.”
Pinkie said, as innocently as she could manage, “What? I was just going to agree with you.”
“You’re pushing it.”
Fluttershy edged behind the door further, and moved to close it. “I’ll be fine. If you’d both please leave now?”
Pinkie turned to leave. “Alright. As long as you’re warned. Good luck!”
Applejack ran in front of Pinkie and blocked her exit, fuming. Fluttershy took the opportunity to close her door the rest of the way and click it, then the deadbolt, then the latch. “What are you doing? We gotta get her to listen to reason!”
“I’ve tried for like, two years to do that. If you have any better plans than me, that’d be really helpful.”
“It ain’t the same as all that though, now. It’s different!”
Pinkie tilted her head and pricked her ears. “How?”
Applejack stared at her. “Whadda ya mean, ‘how’? How’s it different?”
“Yeah. From before.”
“Well... I guess ‘cause it’s happening to us now, we can’t ignore it anymore.”
Pinkie shrugged again. “Fluttershy doesn’t think it is happening to us though. So nothing’s changed for her. So it’s the same as it ever was.”
Applejack kicked the dirt hard, not finding anything else better to kick at that moment. “She’s not going to get a chance to help herself until it’s too late, then.” Pinkie didn’t say anything. “Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Yeah, well say it quieter.”
“What do you want to do now, then? You coming with me to see Twilight?”
Applejack grumbled. “Yeah, guess if Fluttershy ain’t signing on... we might as well head out.”
“Just follow me and you should be fine. Stick close or the lion might get you.”
“There’s lions now?”
“I think there always was lions, I don’t think they’re just a ‘now’ thing.”
Applejack stared into the Everfree and gulped. “Do rather miss the sun rightabout now.”
“You get used to it. The Everfree, I mean. I- Do you hear that?”
Applejack stared at the forest, scanning it. Her ears flicked back and forth. “Hear what?”
But Pinkie Pie was looking up. “Shadowbolts!”
Crackling stormclouds trailed behind a group of three of them, still wearing their bodysuits and goggles. Armor would just slow them down, even on combat missions. They were coming in fast from the direction of Cloudsdale. Pinkie grabbed Applejack and pulled her into the cover of the forest as quick as she could, ducking behind a rotting log and looking over.
The Shadowbolts were there a few seconds later, landing at Fluttershy’s cottage like stars falling to earth. Pinkie filled her hair with twigs and leaves before popping her head up, trying to keep only her eyes over the lip of their log. Applejack started scraping leaves onto her hat.
One of the ponies knocked. Fluttershy opened the door and smiled, and offered them inside. They said a few things to each other, but Pinkie couldn’t read lips. Now they were asking Fluttershy to step outside. Applejack’s hat, now sufficiently camouflaged, popped up beside Pinkie.
Fluttershy didn’t leave her house, and seemed to be hugging the door tight. The Shadowbolts weren’t hostile, yet. They just seemed to be asking questions. Fluttershy pointed out into the Everfree, just over Applejack and Pinkie’s heads. They ducked just as the Shadowbolt’s head turned to look in their direction.
They both kept silent, the breath you hold in when you’ve stubbed your toe in front of a baby and are trying so hard not to swear. Pinkie counted for a few seconds before raising her head again.
The Shadowbolts had gotten Fluttershy out of her cottage and were surrounding her out the front, their wings held out stiff to emphasize the sharp cutting edge running along the edges of them. They were marching Fluttershy out towards the forest itself, trying to get better directions.
Then Fluttershy stopped, and there was some shouting. Fluttershy wasn’t going into the forest after them. There was some more shouting, and then Fluttershy was on the ground crying. One of the Bolts had kicked her, but Pinkie couldn’t see it happen from this side. Applejack grit her teeth so hard her jawbone clicked.
A bear charged at the guards, roaring. The Shadowbolts turned to it, but Fluttershy was shouting him -- it was a him -- down. It looked like the bear was still furious, and being told to stop was just confusing it. Applejack had practically crawled on top of the log at this point, and Pinkie had to pull her back down.
One of the Shadowbolts had a blade held to Fluttershy’s throat, and the other had rooted themselves preparing for the bear to charge. And then the third Shadowbolt bucked the first one in the head, they dropped in a way that made their entire body just go all limp at once and fold in on itself as it fell. Then the third Shadowbolt twisted and bucked the second one in the head, as well, felling them like a tree. They’d just gone all stiff and sort of fell to the side with their legs locked.
Applejack hissed air through her teeth, quietly. “That ain’t ever good when they go down like that.”
Rainbow Dash ripped her hood off. “Damn it, Fluttershy! Why’d you have to tell them?!”
Pinkie charged out of the forest and crashed into Rainbow Dash, a fuzzy, loving cannonball. “I knew Rarity was bluffing!”
“Pinkie Pie? What are you doing?”
Applejack walked up to the the small group left still standing, and she seemed over all of this. “Heya Rainbow Dash. Good to see you’re still kicking.”
Rainbow looked at her hooves self-consciously. “Yeah, I guess. What’s this about Rarity bluffing?”
Pinkie hugged Rainbow Dash tighter and laughed. “I didn’t ruin everything! Rarity said she totally knew you weren’t really loyal, but I pretended and said I didn’t know that. She was just saying she knew to trap me! Or you! Us?”
Rainbow’s face went slack. “Wow, I’m going to have to break her legs, aren’t I?”
Applejack snorted. “Take a number, sugarcube. Reckon we’re only this deep in it because Twilight took a shot, herself.”
Rainbow was so surprised it knocked her into a coughing and spluttering fit. “Wait, Twilight took a swing? How’d that turn out?”
“I think she broke a few ribs? Not legs though.”
“Awesome.”
Fluttershy was lying on the grass with her arms over her eyes, shivering like a chihuahua in the snow. “Are they gone?”
Applejack nudged one of them, who was definitely still breathing because they were blowing spit bubbles. “Well, they’re out if that’s what you mean. Think this one’s even awake, just don’t got the inner ear to stand up.”
Rainbow Dash winced. “Sorry.”
Fluttershy stood up, with Applejack and Rainbow Dash helping her up from either side. “What do we do now?”
Pinkie pointed in the direction of the Castle. “I’m going to head back to Twilight. You guys are free to come with me, if you want.”
Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash all looked at each other, waiting for someone else to have a better idea. But none of them could really think of any. They didn’t have any place to go after this.
“Alright, well, follow me I guess. Move quickly, but not suddenly, always watch your step, and Fluttershy, if you hear Leonard, tell him I change my mind. He’s hired.”
“Leonard?”
“He’s a lion I know.” Pinkie led them into the forest, past the log she and Applejack had hidden, the leaves and twigs still in her mane.
Rainbow said, “Why are you hiring a lion?”
“The usual thing you’d hire lions for, I guess.”
They followed her after that, eyes fixed on their steps just like Pinkie asked. It was pointless trying to see anything coming in the Everfree at night. The real trick, she’d found, was in the listening.
-----
Pinkie opened the door, and let the other three wander around in awe for a bit. The castle was still filled with that mix of magic candles and the warm, soft crinkling of normal fire burning at the wicks.
“Twilight! I brought friends over, is that cool?”
There was a panicked flash of green from the top of the castle’s grand staircase, and a brightly painted Owlowiscious flew down and landed in front of Pinkie, hooting grumpily. Pinkie didn’t know whether to laugh, or feel left out that she hadn’t been here to help. Probably laugh, because it meant she wouldn’t have to ask his forgiveness so much.
She was definitely tying tiny bells to him later though.
Twilight came running after, jumping down more steps than she was taking. “Applejack! Fluttershy! Rainbow Dash! You’re all here.”
Applejack held her hat to her chest and looked away. “Look, Ms Sparkle, I’m sorry to be an imposition-”
But Twilight was already at the bottom of the stairs, and wrapped them all up in a big hug, squeezing them each one-by-one. “I don’t care, as long as you’re here now.”
“I’ve been rubbing off on her!” Pinkie was so proud of her.
Applejack looked around the castle, trying to look like she was just taking in the view but mostly just trying to avoid eye-contact. “So, if there’s anything we can do to make ourselves useful-” There was a pause, but however she was going to finish it got steamrolled by Twilight snapping off orders.
“Fluttershy, you remember Spike, the dragon?” Fluttershy’s eyes sparkled, so that was definitely a ‘yes’, “Go tell him we need three more beds made, and if you could help him with that, please? I know hotel maid isn’t the most glamorous job-”
“It sounds safe.” Fluttershy said, and that was that. She was already flying up the stairs, looking for Spike.
“Rainbow Dash, my brother’s here now. I need you to tell him everything you learned from the Shadowbolts, and see if he can work out how we best use you tactically, if it comes to it.”
Rainbow Dash saluted, then went to fly up. Twilight turned to watch after her. “Shining’s actually on the ground floor, but it’s probably not worth going after her to tell her that. She’ll figure it out pretty fast. Uh, Applejack.”
“Yes ma’am?”
“First time I met you, I think you were feeding a family of over two dozen ponies mostly by yourself.”
“Well, Granny and Applebloom helped.”
“Do you think you could manage,” Twilight closed her eyes and her lips moved as she counted names off in her head, “seven and a half ponies? By yourself?”
Applejack chuckled. “Shucks, that’s what you got me for? That’s my big help to the resistance? Head chef?”
Twilight nodded. “At the moment, that would be the biggest help you could be. I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal, like stealing secret documents, or infiltrating lairs, or making bombs, or learning how to fight... but all those other things take time and energy. By just taking charge of something small, like cooking, you’re responsible for all the good other ponies do with the time and energy you’ve given them.” Applejack nodded, that made sense to her. “Besides, you’re great at it.”
Pinkie felt a little bit undermined by that. “Don’t I normally do great at it?”
“You’re fantastic,” Twilight smiled at her, and she meant it, “but I need you for something else right now.”
“Hang on.” Applejack interjected back in between them, “You’re saying even though I can’t do anything myself, by helping ponies who can do something, I’m making them be able to do more?”
“That’s the long and short of it, yeah. For instance, Pinkie has basically single-handedly kept me alive for the last two years, in spite of my best efforts to work myself to death. So, my successes are basically hers at this point.”
“I guess you got a head chef then, Sparkle. If I’m being honest with you, I’ve been wondering how I could possibly make any difference, and it’s seemed useless to me. But hearing you put it like that makes an awful lot of sense, I guess. Who made the grocery lists, you or Pinkie?”
“Pinkie did.”
“Welp. Better get started working out a menu that makes sugar seem healthy. I’ll see you when I ring the dinner bell. Ah... point me towards it, so I don’t do a Dash?”
Twilight pointed to the East Wing, to the right of the entrance, where the kitchen area was. Applejack tipped her hat in thanks and trotted off, muttering to herself about maybe rosemary and honey glazes.
That left Pinkie alone with Twilight, who’d changed out of the outfit she really liked. “You needed to talk to me?”
“Pinkie, you’ve been my absolute best friend for two years now, and you only seem to take breaks when I do. But now with Shining doing security, and Applejack cooking, and Spike being my number one assistant again, I don’t think there’s anything you need to be doing. I think it’d be good if you took some time off.”
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9181091
If I remember right at the end of Teen Titans go movie had the 03 titans saying that they are back or something.
9181091
Oh, clearly I meant the live action show because it looks like it'll match the tone perfectly.
*Sarcasm over.
So, no one knows if the '03 show is back back, but they directly stated that they're returning in some form in the stinger for Teen Titans Go to the Movies, the cast has been vocal about wanting a return, and they started playing re-runs of the original on Cartoon Network.
I think the logic is; if Go can pull these numbers, what could the good one do?
Oh, sidenote: Grant Morrison is doing the new Green Lantern book in a few weeks. I'm so excited!
Oh, that's gonna end well.
Noooo Twilight what are you doing
The position of Smoocher-In-Chief is currently vacant, you gotta do something about that
Helping other people help is an incredibly valuable lesson, very topical.
Good on Dash, picking a moment.
I am still very disappointed in you, Fluttershy. At least Applejack got a better perspective when it was rubbed in her face. So far, you're just here because you don't have a choice. Very. Disappointed.
Darn it Twilight, if you don't take a break too and make with the smooches... but of course you can't, because you finally have research to do. So that was NOT the right thing to say. Darn Purplesmart, why do you have to be so unwise?
I love your story. 😻
Mm, kinda wish Twilight was shipping with Nightmare, but pretty good so far.
I see Pinkie Pie and Twilight and my heart finds joy.
It's nice that Rainbow is back, but I was really hoping to see three anonymous Shadowbolts get savaged by Harry and Angel.
9182427
Could be a "no one is that stupid" moment where Nightmare Moon doesn't expect Twilight to stay in the giant castle because it's so conspicuous. Kind of like Luke Skywalker keeping his dad's last name and being sent to live with his dad's family to, in turn, hide him from his dad. It's so stupid that Darth Vader doesn't even think of it as a possibility.
I'm more confused by the vault full of bits left in the old castle.
Just... why?
9182458
Anakin/Vader REALLY fucking hates sand. And with all the trauma he went through on Tattooine he'd be incredibly unlikely to ever return there or ever think about it again. Tattooine is also a backwater way out on the edge of the galactic rim. It was outside of Republic space and didn't use credits in... uh... the generally unspoken of film there. And they did eventually get there, most people seem to forget the whole "stormtroopers burning down the moisture farm" thing.
And at the end it loops back to what I said at the bottom of my post. Vader was a Sith to his core, burning his agony and hatred for power, but at his core there was a tiny little candleflame that believed in the Light still. A tiny light that would overlook his son, that would push him to become greater, that would put him through temptation of the Dark Side to temper him into a stronger Jedi. As powerful a Force user as Vader was there's not much of a chance he didn't know exactly where Luke was. That didn't see in him a chance to fix what he once broke.
Much how like banter aside, I believe Rarity is pulling the same thing here. A TRIPLE cross. She ostensibly knew enough to know that Fancy could get out of it, that Twilight would never let Pinkie go to Canterlot without some kind of gohome. Now she can cozy up tighter to Nightmare because she learned a little bit more about the resistance cell and even though they escaped she's got some impressive bruises, barely made it out with her life don'tchya know.
Or it's 6:30 AM and I'm running on no sleep and I think too much about things.
9182427
The thought had occurred to me. The other explanation is that Nightmare Moon just doesn’t care about her or consider her any kind of a threat. It’s hard to take someone seriously when their dramatic speech and rainbow laser ends in a big raspberry.
And it seems that Nightmare Moon actually is busy, and working hard to keep control, judging by the fact that even Cadance appearing in person didn’t draw her out. She may just not have time to think about it, she’s dealing with the REAL threats.
Or every time she scrys on Twilight she sees her busily stressing herself into an early grave/insanity and considers it an amusing and futile self inflicted hell. I think Twilight speculates on that in chapter one.
And on top of that, maybe the memories at the palace plus the Tree of Harmony nearby are enough to keep her away. Lots of options.
After these initial 11 chapters, I can say that I've enjoyed the story so far. Though, I can't help but wonder if Rarity will still end up with the group. Her failed plan regarding Pinkie, Fancy Pants, and others will not reflect kindly in the queen's eyes. If Rarity gets ousted, where else could she turn to but the resistance.
Those that lose everything most easily learn Generosity.
Well, the artwork makes a whole lot more sense to me now! I’m really enjoying the story and especially the work with Pinkie providing the viewpoint for the reader. There’s some very charming stuff that comes from that, and her attitude in general provides a nice lift to what could otherwise be a gloomy take on Equestria.
Let me also praise the inclusion of Owlowiscious! He’s an excellent silent third player in the relationship drama, and the way he’s used here just reinforces the idea that the show has squandered his potential as an observer character in the backgrounds.
Now that the gang is (mostly) together, I’m curious to see how things continue from here. I do hold out hope that there is more to the situation with Rarity than what it seems... (We are missing Chrysalis still, going by the timeline of the original show. But then we’re missing Discord as well.). If not, we’ll... it’s a less than generous interpretation of one of my favorite characters, but we we see how it plays out. I did like the idea that Twilight is smart, Rarity is clever and Applejack is wise, to varying degrees.
I am a bit surprised that they seem to be settling into the Castle of the Two Sisters... I thought that Fluttershy gave their location up to the Shadowbolts that were going to arrest her.
11 CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY? Gods... I'mma keep my eye on this!
Fluttershy, you're a disgusting coward. So, no change from usual, then.
And about fucking time AJ got her head out of her ass. Pinkie did a good job there. Still think she's a moron, AJ?
Now hold on now, you post a story that I spent half my day reading and you're not even done? You're a helluva machine.
They should totally go antiquing. It would make a nice date. Plus, you never know when something useful might turn up.
9183196
yes antique NMM
Pinkie: I'm going to go look for a date
goes out door goes back in
Pinkie: Hello sexy pony, wanna go out with me?