Twilight Gets a Puppy
Season 3
By TDR
Gibbous ponies play,
Part 1
[The Next morning, Friendship Express]
“… I mean Cloudsdale should have hosted the games one year.” Rainbow Dash sighed leaning back against her seat on the train her wings drooping. “I was super excited as a foal too, but it went to Fillidelphia..... AGAIN! These games only happen every four years and Fillidelphia has had it the last eight times! What the heck are they bribing the inspector with?”
The group of six sat in their own train car as the train chugged northward. Twilight and Big Mac were sharing one seat... not the bench, one seat, Mac looked some what uncomfortable with the purple mare in his lap. Rarity was reclined over another seat nearby, with Rainbow Dash alternating hovering and sitting in various seats as she rambled. Fluttershy sat near by Rarity and Pinkie Pie was pretty much all over the train car.
“A lot of bits and a manor or two according to many of the gossip columns darling, but that is thus far only rumors and speculation.” Rarity added with a wave of her hoof.
“Hmm...is that what they say?” Twilight muttered, her ear twitching as she looked out the window at the snow covered landscape.
The five of them looked over at Twilight, or in Mac's case down at Twilight.
“Care to elaborate on that darling?” Rarity asked.
“Legally I can't.” Twilight sighed turning back to the others.”That case was, however, one of the Day Court sessions I sat in for while I was under Princesses Celestia's tutelage. Suffice to say several ponies were fired, a couple jailed, fines were levied, property seized, and Fillidelphia is banned from hosting the games for no less than forty years. Plus there are a host of new rules and regulations involving the games inspector. To start with no one even knows who it is until they step off the train.”
“Huh.. well then. The Crystal ponies lost a thousand years to that stupid curse...”
“It's not a curse....” Twilight corrected.” There's no such...”
“... There's no way we're going to let them feel the pain of losing out on hosting the games!” Rainbow Dash continued ignoring Twilight's protest as she slapped her hooves together in determination.
“Exactly, we're gonna make sure everything goes off without a hitch and every pony has fun... or is it every pony and buggy now?” Pinkie Pie added.
“There is a limit to what we are allowed to do. And while Princess Celestia would have loved if Applejack came as well to help due to her honesty, she trusts me to make sure we follow the new rules. Posh accommodation and food are allowed, as is checking the local spots to make sure everything is perfect for the tourists and competitors that would be there. Out right bribery, of any sort, is right out. The amount of bits that will be changing hooves for these games is insane and that's before the games even start.” Twilight sighed. “With the Empire just now starting to recover, the games could bring attention to a number of possible pit falls and plights of the Empire that still need to be addressed by Equss as a whole. Not to mention I expect Chrysalis to try and show that changelings and ponies can live together peacefully.”
“Really? I didn't think it had been that long since Chrysalis went to talk to Princess Cadence and your brother.” Fluttershy added.”If changelings are already in the Crystal Empire she certainly works fast.”
Twilight rubbed her temples.” You have NO idea Fluttershy and I'm going to have a word with my brother about that when we get there.”
Big Mac let out a sigh, he wasn't looking forward to finally meeting her big brother directly in a situation where Shining knew who he was and what he was doing. Spike didn't care, Rahs could be easily bribed with a few apples and was pretty much all show on his threats any way just for drama's sake. Twilight Velvet just wanted grand foals and was quite vocal about it, how the mare had gotten a hold of his medical records he had no idea. Night Light was the only other one who worried him. The older stallion had yet to say anything directly beyond trying to stare him down, but there were plenty of rather iffy situations that he had been put in due to Twilight's father. The crossbow flock came to mind readily as well as a few rather intimidating dinners with them. Now he was meeting the over protective older brother, a older brother who had crushed a dragon in his shield and regularly hunted monsters before he got married and moved up here to the Empire. And given what Big Mac had planned for any one who went after Applejack, he couldn't do much about Spike and Applebloom considering...
This was not gonna be fun.
Big Mac glanced at Twilight's suitcase that had been stuffed under one of the seats.
This was mostly, not gonna be fun.
[Crystal Empire]
“So how were we going to work this?” Chrysalis sighed looking over the breakfast table in a smaller side room of the palace. “I've only got a hundred and one in the empire including myself and Saturnia as per the agreement. I understand studying the Heart for a year before I can bring in any more is needed, but it's going to be hard to convince any one that changelings are living in harmony with ponies with such a small number.”
“Most of the changelings are out in the open now and working on rebuilding parts of the city. “ Shining armor added sitting back in his chair on the other side of the table as he munched on some toast. ”While the crystal ponies were a little leery of them at first, the fact that they are trying to help and that no one really remembers anything but old mares tales about them is helping quite a lot. Generally they've been accepted save a few hide bound ones here and there and a few of the more stubborn Heart Guard.”
“But is it enough to show what's needed? And better still is it going to cause issues with the games inspector.” Chrysalis sighed. “If I would have known plan A and B would have come back to bite me like this when something better came along I would have done things differently.”
“Hind sight is twenty twenty.” Cadence offered taking a sip of tea, she had avoided coffee like it was a venomous snake since the Empire had been reclaimed. “Given the games are supposed to showcase how ponies live in harmony the changelings here shouldn't be any issue. I plan to have Saturnia with me when I speak with the inspector as well.”
“If you can manage to keep her awake during the day.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes.
“She's trying to match Rahs' sleep schedule.” Shining offered. “ Granted she needs to sleep nearly all the time to pull that off.”
“Still that's probably the better plan. I'm not well liked in Canterlot.” Chrysalis sighed.
“Neither are my siblings.” Shining chuckled.” But I've got to over see the basic running of everything and Cadence has to get gussied up for the meeting. That means you get the job of helping my sister and her friends.”
“Okay full disclosure sweet flanks, your sister scares the crap out of me, and I regularly fight Celestia to the death.” Chrysalis added.
“Which is why you should try to make friends.” Cadence smirked. ”Besides if I let Shiny be their point of contact he'd spend the whole time trying to threaten Big Mac away from dating her.”
“Not the whole time.” Shining Armor protested getting a halfhearted glare from both the mares.
“At any rate you can try to guide her to heavier concentrations of changelings working with the crystal ponies. I'd suggest bringing the games inspector to many of the rebuilt areas and perhaps one of Sunburst's classes. Hosting the games here next year would be a great boost to the economy as well as to the morale of the empire as a whole.” Cadence finished. “So lets try to make sure everything goes well today.”
Not a lot to comment on, but a good setup chapter.
I am Rarity in this scene
Actually it depends on what one would label/consider a curse.
It can be considered a magical effect/spell/enchantment that has negative repercussions on the victim or victims in the area on which it was cast over an extended period of time, then there is few ways that describe it better than "curse".
Sure it's easy to call something like that a spell or enchantment, but the first gives more of a sudden and short lived effect and an enchantment gives the impression of having more positive effects on it's target/targets.
While the word curse gives of the impression of having a negative short to long term negative effect that is less obvious than something like a fireball to the face.
And I still feel that Twilight's insistence on saying that curses don't exist is like insisting that there is no such thing as ice since it's just water in a different physical state... I would also like to point out that I am taking this way too seriously
Only like 95-98% of the time
Emphasis on the word "try"
9867044
Twilight is still on that even after Spike pointed that very thing out to her in the Brendle Gossip chapters.
Ooh, I expect in this version, where the main characters are much smarter and more cynical than in the show, to go way different from the show. That whole thing with that random mare being confused with the inspector was quite stupid.
9867057
Christ, a well written set up chapter so soon after the last. Seriously dude, way to make the rest of us look bad. I love your Chrysalis and your take on these episodes. Most are better then the episodes themselves.
At the very least, she didn't try to tempt fate like her sister-in-law.
9867112
it's more i have an idea of where to go and i'm just rolling with it. I want to get through this episode as Just for sidekicks is the chapter i've been working towards. Magic duel took far longer than i wanted it too for a fluff episode. These two move the plot.
9867136
Speaking of plots, that suitcase Twilight brought... I really wonder what's in it, er, besides mostly books and checklist-making stuff. Has me pondering what complicated things a unicorn would wear that would also completely flummox an earth pony trying to remove it. You know, like small buckles, buttons, ties and zips. Not that simply ripping it off with said earth pony strength wouldn't accomplish the same result.
(Good thing she brought Rarity along to fix it later!)
A whole world of good indeed!
All this sounds great! So how is everyone gonna fuck it up?
9867236
Considering even other earth ponies balk at his strength and that he lives just outside the everfree? Depends if he can get a blow in, if not Shining will slap the crap out of him. It would be a talented amateur against a trained soldier.
9867136
Looking forward to it.
But is it waxing or waning?
9867546
Talented amateur versus a Talented trained and OP solider.
Of course that would be if they are fighting. Mac would when in hoof wrestling , math, staring, and keeping his mouth shut.
And he would give Shining a run for his bits in O&O too.
9867567
Like I said, if Mac got a lucky blow in he might take Shining by surprise, but otherwise Shinging would slap him around. Otherwise I completely agree.
Yay fast fun pony times! I need something after that bullshit at work today.
You'd think there's be some kind of time limit for how often you can host them. Then again the way the Olympics are going, they might be stuck bouncing between the same few cities every time as no one else wants to foot the bill for them anymore.
Yes, yes my mind is going to the naughty place with this image.
Well, this sure helps, and also sets up things to make a bit more sense.
Twily and Shiny had to get it from somewhere.
That he touches a single scale, and Coltfriend or not, Twilight will make him SUFFER!
Well, Twilight can smack him down easily, just bring up his own.... happy fun times.
Shiny has a point, even if only a few, they do stand out quite a bit, so easy to see them at work and notice them.
Sometimes you can go a bit too far......
But they don't care, and nopony can do a damn thing about it.
Take note of this Bitch God! Piss her off enough, she will either find a way to END YOU immortality or no, or she'll take advantage of you being immortal to make you suffer for eternity.
Alright, getting the pieces in place well enough, and setting up for some fun times. This is going to go soooo well.
9867099
Not really smarter, just genre savvy and yes, cynical enough to always assume something is up.
Goes well? Hope it goes well at that? Yep, it's all gonna fall apart.
How does a pony sit once another pony’s lap. When they don’t have laps
9871504
They found a way. Hence another reason mac is uncomfortable . Think Lyra.
Shining Goofed up several times.
Time to play big op brother...
Is the Empire repaired enough to house all the tourists and are the Crystal Pony immune system's up to it? I doubt you dont run a massive cold for everyone oppon first contact with about every connor of Equestria and beyond...
I feel sorry for Big Mac ...
10914767
Pretty sure changeling construction can handle the workload of building all of that, plus the snake god Whatserface saw to the immunization almost immediatly after the empire was secured.
Corruption in Equestria? What a shock
Not really...
Huh, neat little flip there.
No bribes? Guess no harem for Harshwhinny than
Big Mac will probably have to watch his step around Shining, while Shining has to watch out for his wife's promotion of love and lust.