The Magic of Friendship and Catalytic Goose Eggs
“… apologized to the Rhinolophidae ambassador for being late and told him that, as the Princess of Friendship, I sometimes have to deal with some very important emergencies at short notice …”
Who’s that? Sounds so distant.
“… friendship problems or evil, world threatening creatures taller than most buildings are just some of the things that I’ve had to …”
Familiar though.
“… made sure he knew I wasn’t trying to downplay the gravity of his feud with the Hipposideridae caste …”
Twilight. My friend.
“How did he take it?”
Both of them.
Both of them?
“He sighed and just dismissed me saying that the arbitration had already been delayed as the other ambassador left. Apparently one of their ancestral caves was raided by a mad mare in a cape just a few hours earlier and she went to investigate.”
“So you can stay here a while?”
Why does my head hurt?
“It’s a three night delay. The others are still in Canterlot taking care of odds and ends but they will be coming back on the evening train tomorrow. As for me …” there was a tired sigh, “I need a nap. I’ve been up for nearly forty hours now and that long-distance teleport really didn’t help.”
“You do look pretty tired. Reminds me of when I get carried away on a research project. Spi—Paws or Sunset usually have to drag me away. I didn’t know ponies could get bags under their eyes too.”
“Bags? They feel like buckets! But please wake me immediately if there’s any change.”
“Of course. I’ll be sure …”
*** *** ***
“… about this design?”
“Uh. Well, the form is reminiscent of … Ah mean it conjures up images of …. Are you sure you want me to answer that question?”
“But of course. You’re the only one here …” the voice grew softer, “awake. And I was thinking these pony-derived designs would be wonderful gifts for dear Sunset after this is all over. I’d love to make a few for you as well, and … darling? You’ve not even looked.”
What’s going on?
“Of course Ah have.”
“Not at me, at the notebook.”
“What? Oh. Sorry. … Well now, those do look interesting.”
“I’ve been adapting some of the designs we’ve seen today, and some of Share’s, to be worn back home. Apparently Sunset mostly grew up in Canterlot but also in her mother’s more rural area so I’ve been trying some ‘country’ designs. A taste of home. I believe that’s your forte.”
“Suppose it depends on what type of country, but Ah like these. Look practical. Are those little horseshoe shapes on the buckles?”
Applejack? Rarity?
“Yes, a little embellishment for flair.”
“Well Ah don’t think Sunset’s going to give up her black jackets anytime soon, but some of these could fit the look.”
“And here’s some Share showed me that are popular in Equestria’s Appleloosa.”
“Ah like those. Would fit right in at a rodeo. My cousin Braeburn has duds a bit like those but these do have more, heh, flair.”
“Wonderful! I’d love to make them for you.”
“For me? But Sunset—“
I’m here. I think.
“Is getting plenty of designs as well, but I can’t neglect my best friend, now can I?”
“A-Ah, well, thank you, Rares. Um, Caramel Apple Girls to the end.”
“Oh, come here, you. A blush like that demands a hug.”
"Whoa now!"
"Oh! Dreadfully sorry about the horn, dear."
“That's alright, Rares. Must get awkward at times. How do …”
*** *** ***
“… these ponies hold books with their hooves?”
“Can you use your wings like fingers?”
Rainbow? Pinkie?
“How would that even work?”
“Well I don’t know. I’m not any more wingy than I am hor—“
“Yeah, we know.”
“Aw.”
There was a thud.
“Dang it. I’m not even five pages in and I’ve dropped it twice already. Daring hasn’t even shown up yet.”
“Why not put it on the floor and turn the pages with your nose? That’s how I read Peachie’s recipe book.”
“Oh. That’ll do.”
Where are they?
“Hey. Is it true that pegasuses”—
“Pegasi.”
—“fart helium?”
“Wait, what?”
“We’ve been here all day, and Ponyjack’s family really cooked up a great dinner for us, you have to know by now.”
“Uh. I haven’t really … my nose is on the other end, how would I know?”
“Just turn around real fast after.”
“Okay, I’m not Rarity, but still, why would I want to do that?”
“Why not? Mine are grassy and sweet. Like hayfed cake!”
“I really didn’t need to know that.”
“I bet Sunset can tell us … when she wakes up.”
They all sound so sad.
“I don’t get it. We hit her with the rainbow. A double-sized one! She should be fine.”
“It still left a honking goose egg on the back of her head.”
“Shh! If ‘Shy hears you she might start crying again.”
“Oh, sorry. And 'honking goose egg' might be an insensitive thing to say here.”
“Sunset’ll wake up soon though. Girl never stays down long.”
“I mean. Yeah. She has to wake up. Right?”
“Of course! Come on, it's only been …”
*** *** ***
“… all night. There's still no change?”
“No. I can’t believe I hit her.”
“You did what you had to.”
“But you said she was starting to come out of it.”
They’re closer now.
“After she saw that she was hurting us, yes. But you didn’t know that, and that might not have lasted anyway.
“Still, I should have—“
“Acted just as fast as you did so she couldn’t hurt anyone. And once she wakes up, that’s exactly what she’ll tell you.”
“… How’s your arm, er foreleg?”
They’re hurt?
“Looks worse than it is. The doc used some magic machine on the skin to seal it up. Won’t be a scar or anything. But they didn't want to do anything about the fur for a few days. Something about mixing magics.”
“That’s good, but does that mean you have to stay for a while? Twi's letting us stay as long as we want. We just can’t come back once we leave. We'll cover for you with school and your parents if you need to stay.”
Did I hurt them?
“Thanks, and I'm not sure. I’ll have to ask Twi about it when she wakes up. But I won’t have fur back home anyway so that shouldn’t be a problem. You think she …, that she wants to … talk?”
“Oh, I’m sure she does.”
“Really? It’s been so long, and she’s kind of … a horse”—
“Pony.”
—“and, well, she’s still cute of course, but not the same kind of cute?”
Why would I have hurt them?
“Well, we talked about you on the train a little bit.”
“You did?! What did she say?”
“Um … I’m not sure how …”
*** *** ***
“… was the pond?”
“Better than the bathtub, that’s for sure. Finally got to swim with my tail again.”
More friends.
“That’s nice. So, why do you look different than you did at the Battle of the Bands?”
“I’m a kelpie.”
So close I could touch them now.
“Isn’t that a dog?”
“A water kelpie, Floor Weed!”
“W-Wallflower.”
“Close enough. I’m not a siren anymore. All you need to know.”
“O-okay.”
If only they would get along better.
“…”
“…”
“You okay out of the water?”
“I got lungs, they just suck at gas diffusion. I can do air just fine if I stay calm.”
“Oh. …”
Why can’t I see them?
“She’ll pull through. Don’t worry.”
“Wha—oh, of course she will.”
“Hay! Get your hoof off me!”
“Sorry! I—it … looked liked you needed—“
“I don’t need anything!”
“You’re shaking.”
“…”
“…”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
“I won’t.”
I need to join them.
“…”
I need to wake up.
*** *** ***
“Ow.”
Sunset flinched when the pain struck again. Her head throbbed, but she pushed through it and opened her eyes.
Light assaulted her.
Closing them again, she debated letting them stay closed. But she had to wake up.
She opened an eye again, just a crack, and waited for the death rays to temper themselves. She didn’t count, but it took much too long before the wall of bright turned into a world. Or at least a room. A blurry room. One that hurt to look at. At least the bed was nice.
Some color had entered the room. Mostly blues and purples. Maybe some white and green?
“Sunset?”
“Nguh?”
“Sunset!”
“Wha?” Sunset opened her other eye.
A purple blur appeared above her, casting a shadow over her, and put what felt like a hoof on her shoulder. The dimmed light helped clear some of the blur, revealing familiar eyes and glasses. “Twilight?”
“Sunset! You’re okay!”
“Ugh … T—too loud.”
Sunset saw her friend’s blurry face smiling down at her and she forced a smile in return.
“SUNSET?!” another voice shouted, so loud and familiar that her vision turned pink even before the voice’s owner bounded into view. That owner gasped loudly, but Sunset noticed the gasp kept on growing.
In horror, she realized what that meant and covered her ears with her hooves.
As the inevitable scream began, Sunset realized she had made a grave mistake.
Her ears weren’t currently on the sides of her head.
“EVERYBODY! SUNSET’S AWAKE! SHE’S AWAKE! AWAKE I TELL YOU! A~W~A~K~E!!”
“Pinkie! Not so loud!” Twilight hissed rather loudly.
Sunset could only whimper. At least her ears had flattened on their own, but it didn’t help the throbbing.
“Oh, whoops,” Pinkie shifted to a whisper. “You think they heard me okay?”
Twilight leveled a glare at her.
Pinkie chuckled sheepishly. “I’ll go find out.”
After watching her zip away first, Twilight muttered, ”Probably heard her at least a mile away, in both worlds.”
Twilight turned back to Sunset and was about to speak when Pinkie returned in another zip to quickly give Sunset a surprisingly gentle hug before leaving in yet another zip.
Sunset had only just lifted a hoof to try and give Pinkie’s mane a pat by the time she noticed the pink blur had gone.
Instead, Sunset felt a hoof on her own mane and looked up to see the blurry purple face finally sharpen into a concerned frown.
“Why am I a pony?” Sunset weakly asked. “And … unless all that candlelight reading finally got to you, you’re not Princess Twi.”
Twilight’s eyebrows raised. “Oh. The glasses. Right, I’m Twily. Twi is sleeping—or probably not anymore though—Do you remember what happened?”
“My head hurts?”
“Oh, Twi put out some painkillers. Think you can swallow some? I can levitate you to a sitting position.”
“Sure.”
Twily’s aura covered Sunset and lifted her into the air. Feeling a little nauseous, Sunset closed her eyes until the movement stopped. A hoof behind her helped her stay upright. When she opened her eyes she saw two pills and a glass of water in the same aura. She took a breath and carefully channeled magic through her own horn and began to cover the pills in her own glow. She only faltered once before successfully getting them past her lips. But for the glass, she decided to play it safe and used her hooves, finishing the whole glass to wash them down.
“Thanks.”
Twily floated the empty glass to a table containing several pitchers, most of which were empty, and sat beside Sunset on the bed. “What’s the last thing you remember?”
Sunset thought for a while, eyes closed and almost appearing asleep, until her eyes shot open and a look of panic stamped onto her face.
“No, no, no, no,” Twily was quick to respond.
“I got hit! The building blew up! F-fires!”
“It’s okay! It’s over!”
“I turned into—“ Sunset gasped before her breathing turned shallow.
“No, Sunset, you’re okay. Sunset, look at me.” With no reaction, Twily gently turned Sunset’s head to face her. “Calm down.”
“I am calm,” she gasped immediately, despite her rapid breathing, before turning her eyes to Twily. “Did I hurt anyone.” It wasn’t intoned as a question.
“We’re all okay.”
“Did I!?”
Twily paused and that was all the answer Sunset needed as her eyes teared up. “Who?”
“We’ve all recovered.”
“Who?”
“Sunset—“
“Flash!” Sunset suddenly grabbed onto Twily’s hoof. “His leg! Aria couldn’t breathe! I was choking Wallflower! You—!”
“Sunset—!”
“I threw you into a tree!”
“We’re okay! All of us! We’re okay.” Slowly, Sunset’s features began to relax and Twilight repeated again, “We’re all okay. It’s over now.”
Sunset leaned in, pulling her into a hug.
Twily felt the fur on her back get wet and Sunset shook in her fore legs.
“I couldn’t stop her, Twilight. I tried. I tried so hard but she wouldn’t stop.”
“You kept her from doing much worse.”
“I wanted the friendship rainbow but she—“
“You held her back. We were all around you. You could have lashed out but you didn’t.”
“I choked Wallf—“
“You held on a little too tight, but you put her down as soon as you realized it.”
“I never wanted to be her again.”
“I know. I know what it’s like to have that whisper in your ear, and the yelling, the—the screaming. I never want to be Midnight again and I could have just as easily have been if I was hit instead.” Sunset only moaned as Twily continued, “You saved the day, you know.” Another moan. “We could have had to fight someone we couldn’t talk down. Someone who wanted all that power and didn’t care who got hurt.”
“The school’s going to hate me again.”
“They don’t. Paws has been talking to them. And we’ve been using your journal to message Principal Celestia—“
“Celestia!” Sunset cried.
“You’re a hero, Sunset! Again. She doesn’t think anything else. Neither of them.”
“Does—“ Sunset sobbed, “does she know?”
“Yes,” Twily answered, getting another sob, “Twi said she knows. And she’s proud of you.”
Sunset just held on tighter as Twily stroked her mane and back.
“First the Friendship Games where you managed to channel all our friends’ magic through you, turning into that angel, and saving me. Then all the other times you’ve saved the day with your empathy, your magic, your compassion, your wisdom. The way you keep us together as our de facto leader. And now.“ Sunset shivered. “How you took on an amount of untamed magic that would likely have made anyone else insane with power and kept it in check. All day long, since it started, your only thought was to keep the rest of us safe. The rest was all her and she barely got you to budge after an entire day of wearing you down. And even then you only changed to wanting to make up for your long past mistakes, and make your teacher proud by helping everyone you could.”
Under Twily's caresses, Sunset’s breathing gradually slowed and deepened, fading into quiet sleep.
BANG
“”Ahhhhh!””
Sunset’s eyes snapped open at the screams, seeing a pile of ponies spilling out of a doorway leading to a hall. “I didn’t do it!” yelled Pinkie, who popped her head into the room from above the pile.
“Sorry,” groaned Rarity from the bottom of the pile.
“Girls!” Sunset yelled and tried to rush out to them, only for Twily to hold her back.
“No,” Twily told her firmly. “You’re staying in bed!”
“But—”
“They’ll come to you,” Twily turned her head and eyed the eavesdroppers, “apparently.”
The ponies in the pile looked back sheepishly
“Terribly sorry, dears.” Rarity strained under Applejack’s weight, who in turn was waiting for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to untangle their wings and get off of her, “We came as soon as we heard”—Rarity shot Pinkie a glance—“but when we arrived, considering the conversation, we thought it best to wait patiently.”
“With your ears against the door,” Twily deadpanned.
“Well … yes … but can you blame us for wanting to know how our dear friend was faring? I assure you we intended to be polite and quiet. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to remain on two legs with pony hips without leaning considerably forward.”
Aria, balancing upright on just her tail and still in the hall with Pinkie, Flash, and Twi, laughed and bounded over the disassembling pile. “Meanwhile, I don’t even have any hind legs and I manage just fine.”
“You’re a native!” Rarity argued.
“A native who’s been in the wrong body for centuries.”
“It still gives you an advantage.”
“Oh, quit your bellyaching, Prissy, and haul that a▓s.”
Rarity gasped. “I’ll have you know my derriere does not require hauling!”
“Then why is it still on the floor?”
Glancing up, Rarity noticed the others had all returned to standing or hovering with Applejack holding out a hoof to help her up. “R-right.” With a blush, Rarity took the offer.
“Aria? Flash?” Sunset asked them. “Are you two okay?”
“We’re fine, Shimmer. You still gotta put up with me leaving dishes in the sink and taking all the hot water in the shower.”
Flash discreetly angled himself to hide the missing fur on his leg. “No problems here. All healed.”
“Wallflower?” Sunset called out.
“I’m okay too,” Wallflower’s voice replied, directing Sunset’s attention to the side.
“Really?” Sunset asked the smiling mare, paying close attention to her neck. “All of you? You’re all okay?”
“Oh, stop fussing,” Aria scoffed. “We’re fine. You’re the one who’s been through the wringer.”
“I’m fine. Just a headache.” Sunset replied, getting Fluttershy to squeak and hold onto Rainbow’s hovering tail for support, absently tugging her downward. “What happened at the end? Everything just went black.”
Twi stepped forward. “You stopped and—“
“I HIT YOU IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD WITH A TREE BRANCH!” Fluttershy sobbed. “I’M SO SORRY!”
Sunset blinked at her and felt the back of her head, wincing when she felt the bump. She then looked up to see an airborne Fluttershy rocketing toward her. She braced for impact and immediately found herself pressed flat against the mattress with the sobbing girl on her chest.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
After a few breaths to settle her lungs and stomach, Sunset stroked Fluttershy’s mane. “Thank you,” she nuzzled into her ear. “I’m glad you stopped me. It’s what I needed.”
“Y-you’re sure?” Fluttershy murmured.
“I’m sure.” Sunset stroked her mane a few more times. “Are you okay?”
Fluttershy nodded, slowly getting up and drying her eyes with a small smile.
Satisfied, Sunset said, “What happened after that?”
“We rainbow-blasted you!” Rainbow exclaimed with a proud grin that turned into a playful smirk. “Again.”
Sunset returned her a bashful grimace. “So … all that magic’s gone now, right?”
“Actually,” Twi began, “you absorbed it.”
“What?!” Sunset’s eyes went wide. “No! No, no, get it out!”
“Sunset, it’s okay! It’s harmonized. It’s your magic now,” Twily calmed her with a hoof. “It’s safe. She’s gone.”
Sunset put her hoof over Twily’s and steadied herself with a deep breath. “That’s not going overpower my geode again, is it?”
“I think you’ll be okay,” Twi answered. “This should be completely internal magic, possibly not even accessible in the other world. You appear to have turned it into pure Equestrian-Harmony magic of some flavor.”
“I turned it? But the rainbow—“
“Seems to just have been a catalyst. You did the work, the rainbow just gave you a push.”
“But that was way too much power for one pony to take in all at once. Maybe not even Celestia.”
The Twilights smiled brightly and Twily took over. “We theorize that your transformation at the Friendship Games, itself an impressive feat, had a lasting effect.”
“But. But, still, I can’t hold that power. It’s going to dissipate eventually.” Sunset put a hoof to her horn, pressing on it slightly. “Why can’t I feel the surge?”
“You appear to have a much greater magic capacity now,” said Twi. “Likely ever since the Games. You just never noticed because you’ve been living in a world where most of the magic is dormant from stagnation.”
Sunset gaped at them as Twily continued. “This new sudden rush of magic may have overwhelmed you, but that, combined with a bit of friendship harmonic recalibration was all you needed.”
“N-needed for what?” Sunset breathed.
The Twilights glanced at each other, a glimmer of a smile flashed between them before they turned back for Twi to continue, “Oh, just giving you a larger thaumatic pool to draw from when using Equestrian magic. Again, you likely won’t even notice in the other world, but you’ll be stronger here from now on.”
Sunset leaned back and stared at the ceiling while the Twilights shared a smirk.
“Hooo-weee!” Applejack sang out with a playful smirk of her own. “That’s a lot of fancy words to just say we had to do the ol’ slap a villain with a friendship canon and make her see the error of her ways bit. No offense.”
The reply was automatic, “None t—“ Sunset stopped herself. “Ugh. Don’t start that again.”
“We’ll take offense from that for you,” said Aria. “Right, Wall Petal?”
“Uh, flower,” corrected Wallflower.
“Same thing.”
Taking advantage of everyone remembering she was in the room, Wallflower stepped up to Sunset’s bed and laid a bouquet of daisies beside her. “I grew these for you. Daisies mean innocence, purity, and new beginnings. I thought that would be fitting.”
Blushing, Sunset took the flowers into her fore legs and gave them a sniff. “They’re beautif—wait. You grew them? How long have I been out?”
“Almost a day.”
“You grew these in a day?”
“I was surprised too, but the seeds just … spoke to me? I’m not sure how to describe it.”
“Wow. I bet they taste delicious.”
“T-taste?”
“Why the new beginnings part though?”
“Uh ….”
Twi coughed.
Flash quickly stepped forward. “W-we want you to know how much we all care about you.”
There was a chorus of nods, shouts, cheers, and whooping in agreement from the whole room. They all gathered around the bed and took turns reaching out to her.
“Our friendship may have had a rocky start,” began Flash Sentry.
“But those trials only strengthened us,” added Rarity.
“We’re all better friends because of it,” cheered Pinkie Pie.
“We’ve weathered many a storm since then,” Applejack put in.
“And through it all, you’ve been the glue—uh—bond, that’s kept us together,” Twily covered quickly.
“You always look out for us,” Wallflower smiled.
“There’s no way you could ever hurt us,” Fluttershy added softly.
“And if you ever did, we’d just kick your literal tail!” Rainbow Dash mock-challenged.
“Bringing us all back together as friends again,” noted Twi.
“Yeah. All that. Ditto,” finished Aria Blaze.
Sunset looked around at them all, her bottom lip beginning to tremble. With a sniff, she gently laid down the daisies and brought her fore legs up to her eyes to wipe away the tears streaking down her cheeks. “Th-thank you, everypony.”
“Ahem.”
“And kelpie. I-I don’t know what to say.”
“Hug pile?” suggested Pinkie.
Sunset broke out into giggles. “Hug pile!”
Pinkie was the first to pronk onto the bed, glomping onto Sunset tightly. She was quickly joined by Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and the Twilights. Flash, Wallflower, and Aria stood by until they were pulled in by Twi, Pinkie, and Twily respectively. Though Wallflower wasn’t sure how Pinkie managed to grab her from deep inside the hug pile.
Aria was the first to grow antsy. “How long are these things supposed to last?”
“Until the party starts!” shouted Pinkie, standing up on the bed and pushing back all the huggers around Sunset. There were multiple thuds as several members hit the floor.
“Oof.”
“Ow.”
“Pinkie!”
Sunset chuckled, “Of course you have a party planned. What’d you name this one?”
“It’s the Hi-My-Name-is-Pinkie-Pie-and-I’m-New-in-Town-Even-Though-I-Probably-Look-Just-Like-Someone-Else-You-Know-Who-is-Also-Named-Pinkie-Pie-But-I-Want-to-be-Your-Friend-Too Party! It was supposed to be yesterday but I put up a notice that it was delayed until Sunset Shimmer woke up. That’s you!”
“Wait!” Twi snapped her head up. “You didn’t actually advertise it with that name did you?”
“Hrmm,” Pinkie hummed, “You’re right, I should change it. How about we name it the, Hi-Our-Names-are-Pinkie-Pie-Applejack-Fluttershy-Rarity-Rainbow—“
“Pinkie!” Twi cut her off.
“I already said that.”
“How about something simpler?”
“Okay! How about the We-Just-Crossed-Dimensional-Barriers-To-Save-Our-Friend-And-Now-She’s-Safe-And-We’re-Hungry-So-Let’s-Have-a-Party party?”
Twi rolled her eyes.
“How about,” Sunset spoke up, “the Just-Because party?”
“Well, that would fit on the signs easier. And just think about how many times I could re-use them! I’ll go tell Mrs. Cake, but the party's all set to be right outside the palace and people will start showing up once we ring the bell-tower! Meet me in the foyer in sixty seconds!” Pinkie all but shrieked in excitement before zipping out of the room. The others all looked around at each other.
“Sixty seconds?” considered Rainbow. “There’s no way she can …. I gotta see this!” She shot out of the room as if trying to outpace Pinkie.
Fluttershy turned to Sunset. “Will you be okay for a Pinkie party?”
Sunset pushed the covers down and flexed her four legs before slowly sitting up. “I doubt I’ll make it in sixty seconds, but I’ll be there.”
“I’ll help you.”
“Me too,” added Wallflower. Flash and several others nodded and came closer.
“Whoa! Nope! I don’t need that much help,” Sunset protested with a lopsided grin. “I’ll take no more than two. The rest of you, go on.”
The group traded looks and eventually settled on the first two offers. Applejack and Rarity left together, with Aria and Flash following behind.
The Twilights watched them go. “We’ll catch up,” Twi called as the last of them headed through the doorway.
They glanced at each other, stifling a pair of giggles, before Twi placed the bouquet in one of the water pitchers.
“ ‘New beginnings’, huh?” mused Twily.
“Yeah. Might need to make a crown.”
Twily looked at the mattress, smiling coyly, and lifted out an amber-colored feather. “When do you think she’ll notice the wings?”
“HOLY FREAKING HORSEAPPLES! WHAT THE BUCKING TARTARUS!?”
“I’d say about now.”
~~~ F~I~N ~~~
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Fin?
I dont see no shark?
Still, that music sounds familiar.
I just get this image of Dash watching three Pinkies carry a ladder accross a road.
9846292
It's in the synopsis. You'll have to click on "More". Please respond to this comment.
IIRC, Lauren Faust followed up the helium tweet by stating Unicorns fart neon.
it's still incomplete
there's more
9895919 Since neither Helium or Neon could be part of a pony's diet, since the first is only found in quantity in natural gas and the second as a minute fraction of air, this means that both unicorn and pegasus stomachs must have specialist magical bacteria that perform elemental transmutation.
To produce helium you'd need a two reactant process one energy producing, one energy absorbing, to prevent the imbalance in binding energies from vapourising the pegasus. But if you start with water, several moles of Deuterium to Helium fusion (2H2 to He4) would provide sufficient energy to drive 1 mole of Oxygen fission (O16 to 4He4) resulting in an aneutronic process that balances out energetically.
My Little Pony - Pegasi are Fusion/Fission reactors.
I leave working out a similar reactant chain to produce Neon as an exercise for the student.
Edit: I just noticed the title of the chapter, which is a weird co-incidence. I got the idea of a biological nuclear reactor from an Issac Asimov story called 'Pate De Fois Gras'. It had a goose that lays golden eggs, or rather eggs with golden eggshells, which creates the gold by a similar nuclear reaction chain (Oxygen to Iron fusion produces enough energy to drive Iron to Gold fusion) using enzymes in it's liver. The problem is, the gold poisons the eggs, making them infertile. So it can't produce offspring and there is only one goose that lays the golden eggs.
The title 'catalytic goose eggs' reminded me of that.
Chapter says "Fin" here, but the story is still marked as incomplete?
9896008
Maybe that's where all of their magic comes from--it's waste energy leftover from the process, manifesting as the respective pony's chief magical talent, e.g. flight for a pegasus, spell-casting for a unicorn, earth magic for an earth pony, etc.
Speaking of earth ponies--if pegasi fart helium and unicorns fart neon, what do earth ponies fart? Or are their farts just decidedly more ordinary by comparison?
9896026 Krypton? It's a noble gas like the others, and Earth ponies have super-strength and toughness.
9896031
Reading up a bit on real-world krypton gas now, and as it turns out that it does happen to be a common byproduct of certain fission processes...so that lends some amusing support to the theory.
That was (is?
) a great story! I hope you write more, especially in this world you've built.
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But she's probably a special case.
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Well, she does subsist on a diet of mostly cake and sugars and other party foods, so I'd think that'd affect the end outcomes of her digestion just as much as it would anyone else.
please tell me that was screamed in the royal capslock
That was a wild and enjoyable ride. Good world building and characterization. I like what's implied for those on the other side of the portal. Good stuff. Thank you for creating and sharing.
Called it!
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Spoiler tag please?
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I certainly hope it was.
Alicorn Sunset is always the best