Bonus Chapter: The Fall-Out
“Just what kind of a school are you running here?!” Pharynx barked at an increasingly frazzled-looking Twilight Sparkle. After the incident, she’d planned to quietly retire to her office so she could talk with Ocellus and Smolder in private. However, certain creatures had different ideas. “What are you teaching these kids?”
Starlight Glimmer teleported herself from Twilight’s side, interposing herself between them. Because walking around a desk wouldn’t have been nearly dramatic enough, Twilight supposed. “Pharynx, we understand that you’re upset, but it isn’t Twilight’s fault that this happened!”
“Are you blaming Ocellus?” Pharynx narrowed his eyes and loomed over her. “Because I still have my bag handy and it’s a size-you.”
“This isn’t about assigning blame.” Twilight stood up, casting a glance towards Smolder and Ocellus, who sat slouched down in chairs against the far wall, both looking absolutely miserable. She couldn’t blame them. Twilight turned to Pharynx while raising her voice enough to make sure the pair knew who she was actually addressing. “Or making them feel worse.”
The young couple looked a little buoyed by that, but unfortunately Pharynx’s frown only deepened. “Are you serious? Thorax can you believe this?”
“I certainly can’t.” Thorax nodded to his brother solemnly. “Our little Ocellus—has a steady girlfriend!” His eyes lit up with unabashed glee and he let out a loud squeal, his hooves dancing on the floor as he trotted in place. “I’m so excited!”
Pharynx face-hooved with a groan. “Thorax…”
But the changeling leader was already swooping down on Ocellus and hugging her tightly. “You’ve already made the Hive so proud by being the first changeling to go out and make friends with ponies and other creatures plus getting top marks in school and now—now you’re in a happy, healthy relationship with somecreature you love! I’m so happy for you and so will the rest of the Hive once I get back to tell them—”
“T-Thorax!” Ocellus whined in sheer mortification. “You can’t just—tell everychangeling that!”
Pharynx hmphed, crossing his front legs. “You mean like you just did in front of this entire ridiculous school with its ridiculous staff?”
“Hey!” Starlight protested. “Who are you calling ridiculous?”
“The barely reformed former villain without any training now dispensing ‘guidance’ to impressionable youth,” Pharynx replied archly.
“Pharynx, I appreciate that you’re upset,” Twilight interjected. “But perhaps it’d be best if you took a moment to pause and take a deep breath like Dragon Lord Ember has done, even though I’m sure she’s just as upset as you.”
Ember blinked. “I’m not upset. Should I be?”
“Wait, you’re not?” Relief and confusion warred for dominance on Twilight’s face. “I mean, that’s good, but why?”
The Dragon Lord shrugged. “Is this some big deal where we’re supposed to be mad? I guess that’s just some pony-thing. Or pony and changeling-thing, I guess.” She looked the two teens over. “I like Ocellus’ boldness. Reach out and take what you want is what I say, and she clearly knows what she wants.”
Ocellus let out an embarrassed meep from the depths of Thorax’s embrace and Smolder’s own cheeks flushed. “Ugh, seriously?”
“Don’t give me that, Smolder.” Ember crossed her arms. “You know she’s probably better than anything you’d get on your own.” Pharynx didn’t bother disguising his snort of amusement.
“Hey!” Smolder’s blush turned her cheeks purple enough to pass for Spike. “Come on!”
“That’s not what I--urgh, I’m no good at this.” Ember grimaced. “I wish I brought your brother with me so he could deal with this...”
Smolder’s eyes widened. “Uh-uh, no way, you can’t tell Gar-Gar!”
Ember wrinkled her nose in confusion. “Who?”
“Uh, nevermind…” Smolder slunk down, not even wanting to think about Garble finding out about this. Visions of a barbecue-roasted Ocellus floated through her mind.
Pharynx must’ve scented at least part of what she was feeling. He rolled his eyes and snorted. “Dragons...”
“What was that?” Ember narrowed her eyes and stomped towards him.
Thorax hastily set Ocellus down to interpose himself between the two of them. “Now now, t-there isn’t any cause to fight! We should be happy that a dragon and changeling have found out how happy the other makes them, right?” He squealed softly. “Just imagine it, the first dragon-changeling wedding ever!”
“Wedding?!” The young couple exclaimed, both turning cherry red.
“Oh, not right now of course.” Thorax waved a hoof. “But still, it’s never too early to start planning, is it? Especially since you two are already so close and so in love?” He squealed. “This could be the dawn of a new chapter of inter-creature relations--today could go down in history!”
“Sweet fire-diamonds, I hope not...” Smolder buried her bright red face in her claws while Ocellus sank further down in her seat.
Pharynx snorted. “You’re getting ahead of yourself … not unlike Ocellus.” At that the young changeling let out a squeak and sank down so low might have been trying to merge with her chair.
Ember boredly looked at her claws. “You’re both getting worked up over nothing.”
“That’s because we’re capable of more than two emotions,” Pharynx glowered at her, earning a snarl in reply. “There’s half of them now.”
Thorax jumped in between them again. “H-hey, maybe we should adjourn to the Feelings Forum—”
There were dual groans from Pharynx and Ember, who settled for crossing their arms and turning away in unison. “Ugh, fine.” Pharynx grumbled. “I swear everytime I try to stand up for the Hive...”
Ember was grumbling as well. “Still don’t see what you’re so grouchy about. Would you rather Smolder and Ocellus tip-toe around their feelings forever like Twilight and Trixie?”
“WHAT?!” Twilight and Starlight blurted out in unison.
“Or am I getting the two of you confused again?” Ember scratched her head as she regarded the pair.
“I don’t have feelings for Trixie!” Twilight exclaimed.
“You better not!” Starlight stomped her hoof. “I-I mean, you know, since Trixie is my best friend and all, and I want anypony who’d really care about her to be totally committed to her because we’re such good friends!”
Pharynx looked at her and then turned back to Ember. “Okay, yeah, point taken.”
Twilight lifted her coffee mug only to find it empty. She let out a martyred groan. “Let’s get back to the matter at hoof.” She looked to Ocellus and Smolder, who were sharing a grimace and clearly not happy that the focus was about to be on them again. “Now, I think we should have a serious discussion about your inappropriate behavior—” Twilight was cut off at the knees at the sound of somepony clearing her throat. She groaned when she saw who it was. “Cadance, maybe this could wait?”
The Princess of Love shook her head. “With all due respect Twilight, I think I have a little more experience dealing with young love than you. That isn’t a criticism!” she hastily added. “When you find somepony—or somecreature—right for you, it’ll be on your own time. Hopefully it’s before Flurry Heart starts dating though...”
Twilight rested her head on one hoof. “Really? We’re talking about my love life now?”
“You do like talking about theoretical issues,” Starlight chimed in, only to quail under the scorching glare she received.
“Sorry.” Cadance looked around the room, smiling gently at Ocellus and Smolder. “I just want to say that when you find the one creature you’re truly happy with, in love with, it’s the most wonderful experience there is.” She beamed as the young couple glanced at each other and then started blushing. “It’s only natural that you’d want to fully explore those feelings.” She chuckled. “I mean, it isn’t like Shining Armor and I waited for our wedding to—”
“CADANCE!” Twilight covered her ears. “Are you seriously talking about your love life with my brother?!”
Cadance scoffed. “Really, Twilight, this is why I wanted to help you handle this.”
“How, by driving me into therapy for the next five years?”
“It’s not like it couldn’t help, boss,” Starlight offered.
Pharynx snorted. “Look who’s talking.”
Ember leaned forward, squinting. “That’s Starlight, right? Or was that Twilight?”
“Hey, who wants refreshments?!” Thorax gave everycreature a too-wide grin that failed to reach his eyes.
“We’re married! You have a niece, for Auntie Celestia’s sake!” Cadance rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re still this prudish about the simple reality that your brother and I have sex.”
“There’s a big difference between knowing about it and having it get casually dropped into a conversation, Cadance!” Twilight stomped her hoof. “Especially when you’re telling me you didn’t even wait to get actually married?!”
Cadance gave her an incredulous look. “Even Applejack would call you old-fashioned.”
Twilight threw up her hooves. “That’s not the point! You’re telling my students its fine to go around having sex at the drop of a hat!”
“Is this some new pony custom?” Ember looked more lost than ever. “They have sex whenever someone drops a hat on the floor?”
“Wouldn’t be the silliest thing I’ve seen ponies do.” Pharynx rubbed his snout.
Thorax poked him in the chest. “You say that, but we both know you love singing carols as much as any other changeling.”
“That isn’t what I said at all.” Cadance huffed in annoyance at Twilight. “Honestly, you’re like this whenever the subject comes up; you just dig in your hooves and refuse to budge. It’s no wonder Auntie Celestia once said that the only way you’d ever end up with somepony would be through an arranged marriage alliance with one of our neighbors.”
Twilight’s eye twitched. “She said what?”
“Wait, marriages can be used to strengthen an alliance?” Pharynx pondered for a moment. “I have been wanting to bolster the Hive’s defenses with Equestrian magic. If it’ll make the Hive safer, I’ll agree to marry the Princess.”
“WHAT?!” Twilight exclaimed.
Smolder and Ocellus looked at the unfolding chaos, then back at each other in stunned confusion. “Let’s get out of here before things get even more chaotic,” Smolder whispered, hopping off her seat. Ocellus nodded and followed suit. They had just made it to the door, Smolder’s claw reaching for the doorknob, when it slammed open, drawing everycreature’s attention.
“What?” Discord asked as they all regarded him with confusion. “Can’t I use the door once in a while just to change things up?” Without a word being said, Twilight, Cadance and Starlight’s horns all began to glow in synch and they shut the door firmly in Discord’s face. “Well, that’s just rude.”
Twilight gave Ocellus and Smolder a look that sent them both scurrying back to their seats. Ocellus found the attention of every adult in the room on her was just too much and buried her face in Smolder’s side. The young dragon patted her head and sighed, wishing she could do the same. Cadance leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Just so you know? About ninety percent of true love is acute, ear-burning embarrassment.” She patted her shoulder comfortingly. “I’d say you’re in a good place.”
“If it’s so good, how about we trade places?” Smolder asked, only for Cadance to just smile and shake her head. “Yeah, that’s what I figured.”
Twilight cleared her throat. “Okay, I hope we can all reach an agreement on a few key points. First being that, while we might hold our own opinions on Smolder and Ocellus being intimate,” her eyes flicked towards Pharynx and then Cadance, “it is ultimately their decision. That being said, as School Headmare the safety and well-being of my students is my responsibility while they’re here. That means making sure they’re aware of all the risks and consequences that come from their decisions. What they do after that is their own personal, private affair.”
“So, uh,” Smolder winced. “What’s that mean for us?”
“It means that I’m going to add a mandatory class about sexual education.” Twilight pursed her lips. “You and your friends are going to be the first ones to receive it.”
Ocellus and Smolder blushed brilliantly. Pharynx rolled his eyes. “Really? You bring them in here to read them the riot act for having sex and your punishment is to have them take a class about sex? What’s the required reading list, PlayBug?”
“Pharynx!” Ocellus whined.
Starlight shook her head. “Twilight’s right. This isn’t about punishing them for being in love. It’s about making sure they’re aware of everything that comes with that and preparing them for life. Even if you think they made a mistake, well creatures make mistakes all the time, that’s just life.”
Pharynx snorted. “You do realize that isn’t the same as being given a license to make mistakes left and right, do you?”
Starlight frowned. “Recognizing a mistake and going forward from there is how we learn.”
“By that logic, you should be the smartest pony ever.”
“Maybe I am!” Starlight snapped back. “I mean, well, of course I’m obviously not the smartest pony in the world…”
“Or even in this room!” Ember added. Nocreature was sure if she was trying to be helpful or not.
Starlight exhaled, counting to ten and putting on her best ‘I will try not blast you through the wall’ face.
Twilight cleared her throat. “To be clear, they’re not being punished because they decided to be … intimate.” Her eyes flickered to Cadance. “When two creatures gets into a consenting, romantic relationship, it’s up to them to decide how far it should go and when. It’s not up to anycreature else to make those decisions for them, no matter how much they mean to help.” She gave her sister-in-law a knowing look before turning her attention to the others. “I know you’re all concerned about their well-being but outside of this, um, incident there’s been no sign of any problems. In fact, there’s been every indication that Smolder and Ocellus make each other happy and are good for each other.”
Smolder nodded vigorously, draping a wing over Ocellus’ back and casting a defiant look around the room. Pharynx scowled but Twilight was pretty sure that was just his default expression. Ocellus frowned back at him and made a point of resting her hoof on top of Smolder’s claw. Thorax let out a low squee and was tightly hugging his brother—or potentially preparing to hold him in place. Or both. Twilight tapped her hoof on her desk. “If you want to speak with your student privately to express your concerns, that is absolutely your right, but that isn’t a matter for me as Headmare and it isn’t the place of the school to punish them for their private lives. However, the fact that Ocellus caused a disruption is another matter. She’ll receive a weeks’ detention with me after school.” The studious changeling couldn’t quite repress a whimper, burying her face in her hooves as Smolder rubbed her back.
“So Ocellus gets in trouble but not the dragon?” Pharynx stomped a hoof. “Give me a break!”
“She has a name!” Ocellus objected.
Thorax’s grin started fraying at the edges. “Pharynx, remember we talked about this: take deep breaths and focus on the positive...”
“No, he’s right!” Smolder stood up on her chair. “It isn’t fair! I should get detention too! Ocellus only got upset because I messed up explaining things.” Ocellus looked up at her with wide eyes.
“I appreciate your loyalty Smolder, but…” Twilight fell short as Cadance rested a hoof on her shoulder. Seeing her eager nod, Twilight sighed. “Okay, what do you mean?”
Smolder rubbed the back of her neck. “See, it’s like this. We wanted to be honest with our friends about, y’know, us, only we were having trouble getting them to understand.” She briefly sketched out the conversation. “...so by the end Ocellus was just feeling really uncomfortable at having this all dragged out and frustrated that the others weren’t getting it and…”
“Hold up.” Pharynx held up a hoof. “Are you telling me that after all that they didn’t get the message?” After waiting for her nod, he looked back at Twilight. “To repeat my earlier question: what are you teaching these kids? Maybe sex-ed isn’t such a bad idea after all!”
“So glad you approve,” Twilight grumbled. She took a deep breath and started again. “Smolder, thank you for telling me. I’ll be sure to mention to Rainbow Dash how much her lessons have been sinking in.”
The young dragon stepped back and prodded Ocellus forward. “Thanks Headmare Twilight, but you should also be thanking Ocellus here. If it wasn’t for my friends, but especially her, I’d be drowning at school.”
“She’s not giving herself enough credit,” Ocellus disagreed. “But I am really sorry about making such a fuss. Really, really sorry.” She rubbed her reddened cheeks, the blush might well have been permanently burned in by this point. “I didn’t want to cause any trouble but—I really love Smolder and I’ll—I’ll take whatever punishment you want.”
For the first time since this mess began, Twilight smiled. “Thank you Ocellus. Both of you. When I started the School of Friendship, I didn’t imagine all the difficulties that would come with it—” both students looked sheepish, but she pressed forward “—or just how wonderful the results would be either. Instead of a weeks’ detention for Ocellus I’d like to see you both after classes for the next three days. That’s all.”
Starlight nodded. “My door is always open if you ever want to talk. Well, except not always since that did lead to a bit of a mess with Trixie and Silverstream and the Everfree, but you can always schedule an appointment and I’ll be all ears!” She let out a nervous laugh. “I mean, it’s not as if getting into an actual relationship is all that easy, so I’m sure it’d be helpful for some ponies to know how it happened for the two of you so I—er, will have that information available. In case any other pony or creature needs advice over how to confess her feelings for somepony who might or might not be her best friend.”
“She sounds way too invested in hearing them talk about their relationship,” Pharynx noted to Ember. “I can almost taste it.”
Even Thorax groaned. “She and Trixie really need to get it out into the open already.”
“I thought a couple getting it out into the open is why they’ve crammed us in here for the last half-hour,” Ember grumbled. “Is it over? I really need this to be over. You creatures make far too big a deal about all this. Seriously, survival and mating are the two most natural things creatures do. Watch.” She strode over and regarded her subject. “Smolder.”
“Uh, yeah?”
Ember looked down at her. “So, you and Ocellus are happy?”
“Ah huh.”
“Good.” Ember scratched her snout. “I can’t say I blame you. Changelings are pretty interesting. Well, some of them.” She let her gaze drift onto an increasingly flustered Thorax. “Let me know how it goes, ‘kay?”
Smolder’s face grew hot, even for a dragon. “Sure?”
“Cool.” Ember walked back to the others, her tail idly brushing Thorax’ side as she moved. The changeling leader jolted as if struck by lightning and turned bright red.
Pharynx covered his face with his hooves. “I did not just see that. I can’t take anymore of this...” He looked over at Smolder and groaned when he saw Ocellus shooting him her most shy, hopeful smile and pressing her hooves together imploringly. She must’ve been taking more lessons from Fluttershy than what was listed in the curriculum. “Ugh, fine,” Pharynx grumbled at Smolder. “I guess, if you make Ocellus happy it’s alright. But,” his voice deepened as he shifted into a bigger, more monstrous version of himself that loomed over a stunned-looking Smolder. “If you ever hurt her, I will pop off all of your scales one at a time, encase you in resin and turn you in an all-hive piñata.”
“Pharynx!” An appalled Thorax started tugging meaningfully on his brother’s antlers. “We talked about this!”
Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Did you just threaten one of my students? Right in front of me and the Dragon Lord?” Her eye twitched. The only thing keeping her from using her magic to bury him halfway through the wall was the gripping terror that it’d unleash a potential war if she did—possibly a second one, if Ember lost her cool.
Which looked a virtual certainty as Ember’s scales began to glow with a fiery heat. “Hey! Nocreature threatens one of my subjects but me!” She lashed her tail and flexed her claws. Pharynx snorted and stomped his hoof, Thorax still dangling from his antlers.
“W-wait!” Thorax cried out. “It-it isn’t what you think! It’s, um, traditional for the, ah, parental figure to threaten their offspring’s significant other? P-perfectly normal, aheh…” Thorax shot her his most pleading smile.
“I don’t think this is something we should be encouraging...” Starlight said worriedly, looking from Twilight to Cadance, hoping one of them would step in.
But Cadance merely tossed her head. “He isn’t exactly wrong. True, it’s a little passe and not the most healthy expression of feelings, but it isn’t something unique to Pharynx. You should’ve seen what Auntie Celestia and Auntie Luna did when Shining Armor started dating me.”
“Wait, what?!” Twilight yelped. “Are you telling me that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna threatened my own brother?”
Cadance waved her off. “You shouldn’t make such a fuss out of it, they actually went pretty easy on him, seeing as they actually liked him. He was fine and didn’t have to do anything other than change his armor since it wasn’t so shiny after Celestia was finished.” Twilight groaned and folded her wings over her face. Cadance did feel compelled to add, “Though maybe Luna went a little too far when she sent him those ‘warning’ dreams.”
“So that’s why Shining asked for his old night-light back,” Twilight mumbled.
Ember watched them, then turned back to Pharynx, nodding in understanding. “Oooh, this is what you’re supposed to do? Got it!” She stomped over to Ocellus, easily towering over the meek changeling. “Listen up, bug! You better be good to Smolder or else I’ll set you on fire! Then I’ll … jump up and down on you and set you on fire again!”
Ocellus turned completely white in a way that had nothing to do with her changeling abilities. Pharynx snarled at Ember, “Don’t you talk that way to Ocellus!”
“You talked like that to Smolder!” Ember snarled back.
“Because Ocellus is the soft one!” Pharynx groaned in exasperation. “You only threaten the tough one of the couple since they’re the one likely to hurt the other! Ocellus is the weaker one!”
“HEY!” Smolder drew their attention back to her as she flew up, poking Pharynx in the snout with an outstretched claw. “I might be tough, but Ocellus isn’t weak! You can threaten me all you want, but if you talk about her like that again I’m gonna turn you into a bug-kebob!”
Pharynx blinked in stunned surprise while Twilight started tugging at her own mane. Ocellus joined Smolder in confronting him as well. “And Smolder would never hurt me! If you threaten her like that again, I’ll—I’ll—” she changed into her beige dragon form, snorting smoke and flames. “—I’ll turn your carapace into our new study desk!” Then she looked over at Ember. “And I want you to know that I would never, ever hurt Smolder. But not because I’m scared of you or because of what you said, but because I love her and would rather anything happen to me than to her. S-So um, yeah. That’s … that’s what I wanted to say.”
Dead silence reigned as everycreature present regarded Ocellus with shock. It was finally broken by Ember applauding. “I knew I liked this one for a reason. Good pick, Smolder!”
Ocellus clasped her claws over her snout before turning back to her normal form and back away until she was pressed up against Smolder again. “Sorrysorrysorry!”
“Don’t be.” Everycreature’s focus was suddenly riveted on Pharynx. He rubbed at his eyes and let out an audible sniff. When he pulled his hoof away, there was moisture in his eyes that had nothing to do with the smoke. “Way to go, Ocellus! I’m so proud of you!” Then he hugged her.
Thorax’s jaw hung open. “A-are you hugging somebug?!”
Twilight threw up her hooves, still face down on her desk. “I am so lost.”
“Have you tried Mare Krishna?” Starlight feebly offered.
Pharynx snorted and released the very confused Ocellus. “I know how tough and possessive dragons are. I wanted to make sure Ocellus wouldn’t be too nervous to speak up for herself, especially when it meant standing up to somecreature she cared about.” He pointed at Smolder. “But if Ocellus can stand up to the Dragon Lord and me, then there’s no way she’d ever let herself get intimidated by small, pudgy and orange here.”
“Hey! Who’re you calling pudgy?!” Smolder exclaimed, smoke trickling from her nostrils.
Pharynx continued on as if she hadn’t said anything. “—and Smolder here,” he dipped his head, finally acknowledging her by name, “is clearly tough enough to take care of anything Ocellus can’t. So as long as they’re safe and happy, I’m fine with them being together. I just don’t particularly want to hear about the details.”
“Oh.” Smolder blinked, so confused by this turn that she forgot to be mad. “Uh, so cool? I think we’re just gonna go back to our room now. So … yeah. Bye.” She grabbed and Ocellus and the two made a swift beeline for the door and were out before anycreature had a chance to say anything else.
“Well,” Cadance clapped her hooves once they had gone. “On that note: I think we should all adjourn for the day. We can start the summit tomorrow.”
Twilight moaned. “Fiiine. Thank you all for coming. Please close the door behind you and turn off the lights. If anycreature needs me, I’ll be in here. Alone.”
“Suit yourself.” Ember began tugging on Thorax’s antler and leading him out the door. “Come on. We can go talk about dragon-changeling relations some more.”
Thorax let out a nervous sounding “Gurp!” that could’ve been agreement.
“I’m going to stop by Trixie.” Starlight shook her head. “I need to, well, we need to, uh … bye!” She teleported herself away quickly.
Cadance stopped by the door as Pharynx walked past her. “I would like to talk to you about this marriage-alliance idea.”
“Certainly, I just need one last moment with Twilight, please.” Cadance beamed, ignoring Twilight’s groan. Once Pharynx was gone, Cadance cleared her throat. “I thought it best that we start the summit tomorrow afternoon.”
“Why?” Twilight asked. “I still have a perfectly good day schedule that I don’t want to go to waste.”
“Well, it’s just that I thought you might need the morning to sleep in a little.”
Twilight sighed. “It is tempting to sleep in tomorrow … today has been a long day for me.”
Cadance fidgeted uncomfortably. “I’m afraid it’s not quite over yet. I have to go but I just thought somepony should remind you—” she took a deep breath, letting it all out in a rush “—thatsinceSpikeoverheardeverythingyoushouldreallygivehimTheTalknowsorrygottarun!” She quickly shut the door and made good her escape while Twilight look a moment to process what she just said. Cadance had just made it down the hall when she heard the rattling of windows and spotted smoke billowing out from underneath the door of Twilight’s office.
“WHAT?!”
Smolder and Ocellus strode in silence back to their room. Luckily the hallway was empty, everycreature else either in class or otherwise occupied. The quiet soon became too much and Ocellus spoke up. “Smolder?”
“Hmm?”
“Can I double-check something with you?”
“Go for it.”
“...the entire school heard me shout that the two of us have had sex.”
“Yep.”
“So did the leaders of Equestria and our own homes…”
“Bingo.”
“Then we just got pulled in for a talk with our leaders who almost started a major diplomatic incident over it...”
“I was there.”
“And now we’re going to have to take a sex-ed class with our friends and they’ll know it’s our fault.”
“You got it.”
“...today has been terrible, hasn’t it?”
“Oh yeah. Big time.” She stopped short when she heard Ocellus let out a whimper. “Hey, come on.” She offered Ocellus a hug, which she eagerly accepted. “Look, so today really sucked and was totally embarrassing. I wouldn’t change what happened last night for anything. The way I see it, we got plenty of other days to make really awesome.”
Ocellus sighed, nuzzling her. “You’re right. It’s just … won’t our friends be upset? I did yell at them and then everything else happened…”
“Our friends will be there for us no matter what.” Smolder asserted confidently. “Remember your book? Chapter … heck, that’s the lesson of almost every chapter and section, which just goes to show that I’m right, okay?”
“I-I guess.” Ocellus scuffed her hoof against the carpet. “But they’re still gonna make fun of us, forever won’t they? Chapter six, lesson seven.”
Smolder rolled her eyes and snorted. “Whatever. Look, unlike somecreatures, our friends aren’t buttheads. They know better than to pick at something that’s still raw. And if they don’t…” She gave Ocellus a hip-bump and a knowing grin.
“You can always set them on fire?”
“Exactly.”
As they passed one particular door Smolder stopped short with a sigh. “Hold on a second. I should probably tell Sandbar and Gallus what happened—especially since it means more classes.” Wanting to just get the conversation over with—and dragons not being the most observant followers of manners, Rarity’s classes notwithstanding—she just pushed open the door.
Less than five seconds later, she wished she hadn’t. So did Ocellus. But not nearly as much as Gallus … and Silverstream.
“Uh, whoops?”
“GET OUT!!!”
THE END
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follow-up to Silverstream/Gallus plz
Ha!
Not really in a position to comment on any particular part right now - Thanksgiving, natch - but this was absolutely the follow-up I’d hoped for.
You see what happens when you speak in vague terms, Sandbar? This is all ultimately his fault.
9964757
Thanks! Can't wait for you to put in your longer thoughts when you have the chance!
Of course it's Sandbar's fault. Everything always is.
Always.
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Seconded!
exclaimed literally everyone who ever tried to figure out what its curriculum actually is...
Yeah, while I saw a bunch of different ways Pharynx could possibly have taken this, there was never any doubt that Thorax would react like this. He is such a giant dork, I love him.
That dancing-in-place thing is probably where the tap-dancing Thorax phrase comes from...
Yeah, this is exactly how I figured Ember would take it too. "Look, I told her to come to this school and learn friendship, she's done exactly that. I've got no reason to be mad."
I read some fic, forget which one, where "BEST FRIENDS" was a Canterlot euphamism for a lesbian relationship. Really feeling that euphamism with this line.
And then immediately segues into criticism...
By the way I swear I'm trying to do more than just pull a quote from every single line, but seriously, you nailed this chapter and I've got good things to say about all of it. I'm trying to avoid quoting literally the entire thing and saying "IT'S GOOD!"
I am...80% certan that Pharynx is messing with Twilight here. 75%. Honestly I will read the alternate universe story where Twilight exlcaims "WHAT" and then suddenly we're in Canterlot with another royal wedding and Twilight is trying to figure out how they got here.
I bet Pharynx would look great in a tux.
Oh God I had a flash to the MADverse version of Starlight here. Pretty sure this line would get her to invent a Thinking Cap a la The Thinker from The Flash, and from there things would...escalate.
See first comment.
Shining Armor: "I'm pretty sure you met me before you met Cadance! Why are you doing this? I thought you actually liked me!"
Luna: "Worry not, Captain! I must leave thee with this dread nightmare-beast, but I go now to the Princess of Love's dreams to impress upon her the scale of my ire should she break thy heart!"
[A short while later]
Luna: "Ah, thou hast slain the nightmare-beast."
Shining Armor: "No thanks to you! What did you do to Cadance?"
Luna: "'Twould be more accurate to inquire what she did to me I MEAN what happens in the dream-realm remainest within the dream-realm, Captain Armor."
Yeah, I also expected this from Pharynx. He's too much of a secret softy to be genuinely against Smolder and Ocellus, or at least his opposition would be born from worry about Ocellus.
Wait, seriously?! The best go at figuring out the pony's ages that I know of puts Twilight as around 18-20 at the start of the show, which would make Spike somewhere in the vicinity of 11-13 - and by the time of Season 8 about four or so years have passed in-universe if you use the Hearth's Warming episodes as markers, so that puts Spike at around 15-17. He hasn't had the talk yet?
Pharynx: "WHAT. IS BEING TAUGHT. IN THIS SCHOOL."
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Yeah, Spike has an actual job and everything, he's definitely not a kid.
Is Twixie no longer a thing? I miss when that was a thing, though I guess TwiDash can do all the things Twixie can do...
Yeah, all parents need to turn into nosy hyper-aggressive jerks around a significant love interest. It's not like a part of their job is teaching maturity.
Please more, I firming love this stupidly great series
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I love the students, but I really dislike the school as a setting, a premise and its execution.
Thorax really is an adorable weenie.
I figure dragons are pretty pragmatic with relatively fewer societal hang-ups about such things.
The vibe between Starlight and Trixie was so apparent it felt like the writers were trolling us.
Thank you so much! I may have had even more fun writing this one than the last. As soon as I started writing, the characters practically seemed to take over. I haven't had a scene flow this naturally in quite a while; the way they react to the situation, to each other, bounce off one another... it was actually kinda of amazing.
A friend suggested a joke like that and I ran with it. Like Ember, Pharynx is a pragmatist and his big issue is strengthening and defending the hive. If that means doing X, then that seems like the rational course of action.
There's a reason Chrysalis thought he made the reformed look work.
Oh mai....
He seemed like ideal the counterbalance to Thorax: the over-protective papa to Thorax's lovey-dovey nature, but not a bad egg.
I've long since stopped trying to make rational sense of the MLP timeline. That way lies madness... (stupid "moons"). Spike never once struck me as a mid-teenager. Maybe a preteen or early teen at the very latest. But regardless, I can't see Twilight being all that good at The Talk (tm). Either she'd be so mortified that she'd try to put it off until he was 50, or she'd get so technical in her terms that it'd go over his head.
Hey, Ponystar's story about Yona and Sandbar prompted Ocellus and Smolder to think about their relationship and where they stood. Why not have Gallus and Silverstream react similarly? I'm just paying it forward, if some writer who loves Gallustream wants to take a crack at keeping this daisy-chain of awkwardness going... XD
Thanks so much!
Hate to be that guy, but wasn't Luna just a teensy bit banished to the moon when that would have happened?
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The show never really established when they started dating. While the comics are fun, I don't view them as canon.
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Given that Luna was rescued in season one, and the wedding happened end of season two, as much as two years could have passed since Luna got back.
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So do the CMC yet they're still not considered old or mature enough to go on a train ride by themselves.
Absolutely Fantastic read!
Everyone was so character this can be an episode.
The whole conversation was so entertaining i had make sure i wasn't laughing like a madlad
It even had a good moral, being fully aware of what may come in a intimate relationship
Well done and Well written Author!
(PS: looks like gallus and silverstream may need that sex-ed as well)
Wonder how Cadence will react of Spike and Gabby going steady?
Well I just spent the last few minutes in stitches. This is wonderful.
I’m pretty sure Discord was technically there the whole time. Quantum nonsense. No evidence you say? Gestures vaguely at everything.
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I'm pretty sure him and Luna would make a great couple.
Although I think for the wedding I'd put him in a dress and Luna in a Tux... maybe both of them in Tuxes.
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I like this story's pitch of Pharynx and Tempest: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/436145/a-tempestuous-pharyngeal-engagement
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Hah, I'm gratified to hear that!
Okay, massive points for the Muppet Movie reference. :D
Anyway, crazy chaos there. I think you got everyone's personalities down very well. Great job.
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Yeah, neither do I. They contradict too much, and I loathe the changelings' origin story.
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To be fair, in that comic, it was implied that Chrysalis was just making up that story about the Changelings origins to mess with Twilight.
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All right, thank you. I hope that's all it is, because as it stands, it's so rife with unfortunate implications it makes my skin crawl.
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Actually while the comics might have just been Chrysalis messing with Twilight, the Tails of Equestria book The Bestiary of Equestria does directly cite it as the origin of the changelings and Queen Chrysalis, so it's got a fair bit of "oomph" as a second, distinct licensed Hasbro product that uses it as the origin. Specifically, in the entry for Chrysalis, it says:
Queen Chrysalis is the oldest and largest of th changelings, born from an ancient carnivorous plant by the foolish mistakes of a kind hearted wizard. A master of deception and with very little care for any creatures that are not Changelings, Queen Chrysalis has been a parasite upon Equestria for over a thousand years. In that time she has led her cursed Changelings from meal to meal, feeding upon the love and kindness that ponykind shares but never filling her stomach. This is becasue the need for love inside a changeling cannot be satisfied by stealing from others, but only by sharing love freely.
Queen Chrysalis oes not believe this. Her life has been one of hardship and starvation, her battles have been for survival and she does not trust others enough to open up freely.
Personally I've always liked it for being a suitably fantastic, almost mythic origin story. I think the only real potential unfortunate implication would be that changelings were born evil, but then again Thorax and Reformation in general proves that that isn't the case, no matter what Chrysalis said. Plus like you probably noticed when I wrote Trouble in Tiatarta I think it's rife for establishing reasons for why Chrysalis is the way she is. The very first thing she ever saw was starving changelings fighting each other. The very first thing she ever had to do was claw her way free from dead tree.
...oh, also there's a bitchin' poem about Chrysalis in her entry.
Chrysalis is wondrous, she wanders with us.
Chrysalis is power, a most vicious flower.
Chrysalis is protection, feeds on affection.
Chrysalis is fear.
Chrysalis. is. fear.
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I never thought too much about the comics. I respect the creators and generally love the art, but the Mane Six (and others) always seemed like caricatures of their actual show-selves: a little bit cruder, a bit dumber, a bit more exagerrated in their flaws, etc. Still, I preferred when the comics tried to be their own thing. When they started trying to have them tie-in to the show more, with preludes or epilogues to episodes, I thought the quality took a step down.
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I'll agree that the comics were better when doing their own thing. Nightmare Knights was a great arc, you should read it.
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I've read 'em all! I think my favorite arcs/mini-series are Nightmare Knights, Feats of Friendship, Legends of Magic, Zen and the Art of Gazebo Repair and Niegh Anything.
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If I'm remembering things correctly, during Princess Twilight Sparkle, Celestia said that it had only been a year since the events of The Mare in the Moon and The Elements of Harmony. So, no.
Unless I'm wrong, of course. That's been known to happen.
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Yes, but it makes more sense for that to be a script error than for it to be true
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Trying to make sense of the show's timeline is a rabbit-hole I have little interest in diving down because it's unintelligible. I've seen folks try to incorporate every reference to the passage of time to establish a comprehensive timeline, and it always collapses under the weight of its own impossibility and non-coherence.
Yes, the show did establish at the start of season four that just one year had passed since the beginning of the series. I wouldn't call that a script error per se--at least not in the sense that it was something they said by accident and would've changed if they could've. I don't think they would've. Rather, it's reflective of the fact that, for whatever reason, working out a comprehensive timeline just was not a priority for the show runners. In Season One we had Winter Wrap-Up come two episodes before Fall Weather Friends. We had Tank hibernating for winter and then have the next episode be a clear sunny day, and Tank himself pop up again without explanation a few episodes later. You had a Hearth's Warming episode take place before a Nightmare Nights episode, and so on.
Speaking as a fan of Star Wars' Expanded Universe, I have nothing but sympathy for fans who try to make sense of all the contradictory information and try to establish plausible explanations for them and create a singular, rational timeline ... but the simple fact of the matter is that for some shows or franchises it just cannot be done. There are too many mutually counterposed things said and shown in MLP that cannot be reconciled in-universe. Sometimes you just have to acknowledge the metatextual reality that the show contradicts itself because different writers said different things and it wasn't a priority to make sure everything lined up in-universe. Sometimes it's minor stuff that you can shrug off. Sometimes it's more blatant and harder to rationalize. It's fun to try to come up with in-universe explanations for things and sometimes you get interesting, plausible or at least inventive theories that do shore up the holes. Other times you get ludicrous theories that hold less water than a Flat Earthers' sieve.
As for the specifics of when Cadance and Shining Armor started dating -- there is, to my knowledge, no information on that score in-show. I don't tend to go by the comics since their cannonicity is fluid at best. There are really two options: one is that Shining Armor and Cadance had a very quick courtship, fell in love quickly and moved to get married fast a.k.a. the traditional Disney formula. That's a problematic narrative that has been endlessly deconstructed, including in newer Disney movies so I don't feel the need to comment on the issues.
However, I find I dislike the other alternative more. That's the idea that Shining Armor had been dating Cadance for a longer time, including back when Twilight still lived in Canterlot, and neither Shining nor Cadance nor their parents nor anyone else who knew ever bothered to tell Twilight for no reason. That makes them all look really bad and damages their likability. It comes down to personal preference, but for me: I'll more readily accept an weaker story with likable characters over an arguably more sophisticated story but with unlikable characters. Good characters can elevate a pedestrian premise. You can have a great story, but if I don't care about the characters, there's little chance of being invested.
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Thanks! I freely admit to getting a lot of mileage out of that joke and others that I've grabbed from the Muppets.
True story: after Applejack got trapped by a wall bed in Rainbow Roadtrip, I was appalled that none of my friends saw that as (potentially) a homage to a similar gag in The Great Muppet Caper. So i insisted that we watch it that weekend for our weekly movie night. It remains awesome.
If you want a good appreciation of comedy, I recommend a steady diet of the Five M's: Muppets, Monty Python, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Marx Brothers and Mel Brooks.
This was an enjoyable read, well done!
I freakin' loved reading this! It was funny, enjoyable, and honestly made me feel happier than what I was before reading this. It was super fun, and made me smile. This was awesome! I wouldnt mind reading more, if some one decided to make this into a series. My point being, I loved this and it was super well written. Please continue to write wonderful and amazing things =^±^=
Wow. Just when I thought the previous chapter was next to perfect, this one topped it! Excellently done, and a hilarious read!
the startrix implications can go die in a dumpster fire(starburst otp), but the rest of this was great
9.5/10
So, were Gallus and Silverstream actually doing... it, at the end there? Y’know... Banging?
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If i could i would so be up fkr teaming up on the continuation but im nlt that good at conversations
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Heres a insane idea why dont you both collab on a series of fics around the school as well as the effects of them growing up also i soooo call gallus throwing a pillow or throwing smolded put the room
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I...may have some plans around that idea already, if Trinary’s up to it, but I’m also sort of trying to get things in place and square away some existing commitments. Not just Trinary, either...
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Well i wil be honest yoyr fic before this one is the first i have read of your work and you do it well any recomendations from your works lol
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Note me. I'm listening~
I just read this in the fic trouble in tiatarmat by rainbowdoubledash on here and oh my buggy butt it fits phyrax is hilarious
Is Smolder there? Because if anything happens to Ocellus then I'll transform into the prettiest she-roc ever just so I can convince all the male rocs to hunt her down and bring her to me as a trophy. THEN I'll start pulling one scale at a time fr somehow reading that made me think of this fic and I totally could see him saying it with ember there
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I think I speak for everycreature here when I say we know it's gonna be amazing funny adorable and more then likely someone is gonna end up in a wall lol
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you're a coward if you support anything but a poly between all 3 of them
I really wanna see where it goes with the Gallstream. I didn't see that coming but it was a very funny ending.
The whole chapter was possibly even funnier than the first. And that was hilarious.
I think the dragon lord wants something out of Thorax... Their interactions brought extra laughs. Poor Pharynx. Between him and Twilight, there was plenty of misunderstanding and not getting the point. And although Cadence probably didn't need pipe up about her love life with Shining, the reaction out of Twilight was good.
This was good, although there was no way it could beat the first part.
I like this phrasing.
Good on you, Twilight.
Such a good response! perfectly appropriate for the changelings to focus on the symbiotic loving relationship and respond so positively to this.
I'm really impressed by how you craft viewpoints that fit these different creatures so perfectly.
Nice callback to that, used for a perfect stroke of humor.
*snerk*
Honestly, it really wouldn't.
Escape! Escape while you still can!
This echoes my comment last chapter on the unfair detention Gallus was given.
BEST line of the story!
Close second for best line.
HI TRINARY I'M HERE I'M SORRY FOR THE LATENESS
I know you didn't specify a deadline but I'm frustrated with myself for not getting to this sooner because I was set on doing it the day after I wrote your review and it just
vacated my mind, much like half of the things that i attempt to keep inside of it
Anyway! I'm now giving you feedback. This isn't the first time I've read this story, it's not even the sixth! So I definitely enjoy this story and I think I've given you a comment before However, that comment wasn't me trying to be critical, as I only really do that when I'm asked. But now I'm being asked. So without further derailments, here is the review you asked for
The opening is nice enough. I'm not the biggest fan of the exposition covering the other two stories—that kind of thing is always gonna be a bit clumsy—but I understand why it's there. I just wish it were a little less cramped. I feel like because the entire story is in the library, it could have been integrated into the moment when Smolder and Ocellus find their friends' table.
I really adore the meta commentary throughout this. It's fun. Makes me smile.
Something that I think would make it stronger is a little bit of what I like to call Thematic Coherency
I realize that this is a fun, silly one-shot whose goal is to just deliver a fun conversation between the Student Six culminating in adorable Smolcellus, and thus doesn't necessarily need a theme on first glance. But I'm seeing some interesting stuff within the story you wrote—there's a link between how you use the show as a textbook that exposes the Professors' private lives and the Smolder/Ocellus trying to willingly invite their friends into a part of theirs. Or maybe I'm crazy. But I don't think I am. Seeing you push that a little bit more in this would have really taken this story to the next level, I think. But before this gets into a weird spiel on how I would write this let me move on.
Characters! That was the thing you were the most interested to know how I think you did with this, right? Well, first off, I want to say that I actually quite enjoy the dynamic you have between Smolder and Gallus. Their competitive natures clashing and Ocellus having to rein Smolder in from pushing Gallus too much is a lot of fun to read. I also appreciate how different your Smolder and Gallus are from each other! Smolder's very cock-sure and Gallus is a lot quicker to give into self-deprecation. It's a minor thing when you take it in the context of the whole story but it shows a care for the characters to me.
On that note I think Ocellus is super adorable here. Her interactions with Smolder and the rest of the group are so cute and it's interesting—she kind of feels like the group's mom while still maintaining her delicate nature.
You mentioned trouble with writing Pinkie Pie in your reply to your review of Into the Dragon's Lair, and I think I'm seeing that a little bit in how you treat Silverstream here. I was wanting a little bit more from her during this story! Not too much, just a little more talking past her energetic one-liners. This is pretty understandable, however. When you do a dialogue piece like this with six characters, whether they be the Student Six or the Mane Six or the EQG cast, there's always going to be a bit of an imbalance.
I just wanted to say that I love this. I approve of Sandbar and Yona in this story. They get a lot of spotlight in We Finally Did It so I don't think it's a bad decision to have them a little more on the sidelines here. The things that they do contribute are cute and I didn't find either of them particularly out of character.
Now, the whole selling point of this story is the crew misunderstanding the point of what Smolder and Ocellus are trying to tell them, and you do it great. It's really funny and ending with Ocellus's frustrated yelling is great. What I feel is missing a little bit is the motivation for why they're telling their friends that they had sex for the first time. Why is it important that they know? Heightening our understanding of that would totally make this whole bit a lot stronger.
The bonus chapter is awesome. Deliciously embarrassing on all sides. Also Twilight/Pharynx might be my new otp. I appreciate the Embrax and the ending was a great place to leave on.
All in all, this is an enjoyable comedy/shipping story and, seeing how many times I've read it already, it's doing pretty well for itself. All of my above criticisms aren't really pointing out any flaws within the work as much as they are trying to give suggestions to how it could be a stronger piece of writing. I have fun every time I read this, Trinary. Good stuff
I've read this whole little series, and it's hilarious. I also like how different authors have taken it upon themselves to turn this into a series.
To think this whole thing started with a misunderstanding due to ambiguous wording by Sandbar about his and Yona's activities. The new textbook was a clever way of packaging the show's seasons into textbook lesson plans.
The argument with the kingdom leaders was really fun. Glad it all worked out for the best. Thorax and Pharynx's dynamic is always interesting. Reminds me a little bit of me and my brother, except my brother isn't as edgy as Pharynx. Haha, the Discord cameo was perfectly timed.
All of this was a blast to read. Though there's one little problem. It's been months, and we still don't have a story for Gallustream to complete the set. Gallustream is my favorite pairing of the Young Six, and I'm sad that they don't have a story in this collection.
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Thanks for your kind words! Yeah, this wasn't anything planned by the authors involved, like a round robin series. RainbowDoubleDash had his own idea to pick up the threads from Rated-Ponystar and I did the same in turn. I'd love it if someone rounded this out with a good Gallustream story.
This is so freaking funny 10/10 IGN