I'm loving this story, i hope it turns happier since it starts so sad.
Also, just saying, but pinkie and rarity spent time together alone on that episode with the minotaur.

I have a hard time with rare-dash. But this story seems to work. Excellent job.

Very impressive work, but then I'd expect no less. You are, far and away, my favorite author in the pony fandom. I can't wait to be impressed again.

awesome! Can't wait for more!

Ah, we're in uncharted waters now. Can hardly wait to see where you take this now.

I really like how you made pinkie the doctor phil of the story.

Is it weird that Pinkie comes across as like... sinister, almost? In how like she sees through Rarity in a heartbeat and challenges her as bald-facedly as she does? Maybe not sinister, that's not a good word, but I don't what else to use

Yup, still one of my favorite stories. I love the in depth character exploration and emotion conveyed in this work. It makes the characters feel like real people (real ponies? I dunno, it makes it realistic feeling, anyway ) And really, people shouldn't stop following you because there are mature bits - you can easily skim by them (or not read the fic at all, if its that big a deal), and still enjoy and understand the story. Do I stop liking a book because there's a sex scene? Nope. Just adds more depth, and as this fic is about adult relationships, both platonic and romantic, it'd be silly to not include the other parts that go with it. So yeah, long story short, loving this new content and can't wait to read more

Pinkie Pie: Romance Detective.

Either that or she's been reading along with us.

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Putting your Hoof down!
Although it wasn't really highlighted much, so who knows what actually happened at those times :o

Loving the story again, Gardez. Poor Dash :(

Pinkie Pie's manner in this chapter is emblematic of what I like best about this story; instead of shying away from or glossing over the difficulties a pairing such as this one presents, the narrative grabs them by the collar and forces them, bare and festering, into the blinding spotlight.

Nice to see that despite everything, Dash lives in the moment enough to enthusiastically throw herself into baking with Pinkie and Rarity.

It's also interesting to see that when presented with food she just inhales it, so she hasn't been starving herself on purpose.

OMG this is getting good I'm looking forward to the next chapter. You are brilliant and I so can see Pinkie doing that. I think Pinkie knows that both her friends are hurting and I also think that she knows how Rarity is starting to feel about Dash PINKIE IS A GODDESS and KNOWS ALL, So why is she not an alicorn yet Still great story keep it up.

Pinkie always was the insightful one. With any luck, and a few more happy moments with friends, maybe Rarity can be generous to herself and finally be happy.

No words could describe how i feel about this story...i cannot wait for more. This is one of the best, and possibly most realistic stories i have ever read in my life of fanfiction, you capture everything so perfectly, from their feelings to their reactions, its just so amazing.

Absolutely loving this one. Keep up the great work, CiG, and I'm looking forward to seeing more!

I really don't like the way you characterize Pinkie. For no legitimate reason..

But you know, one thing I have always wondered, is there any reason Pinkie rarely shows up in your previous works?

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I think the word you're looking for is "unsettling". Pinkie's already scarily perceptive in the show; here, she has the added maturity to understand what she's noticing, and to communicate effectively with other ponies.

My my what is here? First time I find a chapter with out an ending of two mare hoods being rubbed against each other. A good story my dear author. I love the dialogue in the story, it is that of a movie I once saw. A romance movie, but yet... I can not remember the name of it... Oh we'll. but this story does help me remeinec of the feeling and tone in the movie~ great chapter, I await for more. Ciao~

I'm liking your take on an older, more mature Pinkie Pie. Still full of enthusiasm and joy, but mellowed enough to let her intelligence and perceptiveness show through.

A lot of fic authors seem to fixate on Pinkie's randomness. They miss that, of all the main characters, she's always seemed (to me at least) to have the best innate understanding of "the magic of friendship." It's nice to see some of that in this fic, and to see a Pinkie who's both mature enough and brave enough to put that understanding to rather pointed use when necessary.

I am kinda confused right now, I just finished the unabridged version of Salvation, then I found this. I don't know where the old one begins/ends/morphs into this one... directions?

In chapter 4 you have a broken paragraph: Luxury
Spa. “Even in Fillydelphia

There was another one but I lost it.
Chapter 5: two cups of flour for 500 muffins? As an avid cook that made me cringe.

A typo: "She had been circumspect about her 'friend' when they spoke earlier, almost as if she were embarrassed to be in so emotional as a relationship."

So now I'm assuming that Dash not flying is psychological, and has something to do with Soarin's death, though no amount of sleep is going to get my psychic abilities strong enough to be more specific without knowing how Soarin' died.
Recharging has also allowed me to intuit that I am not, in fact, Digibrony, and I kind of suck at working out authorial intent when it's not blindingly obvious. Why do you think I'm always talking to the characters instead of the author? So if you saw my comment last chapter and thought, "hmm, that's a question I find myself curious about too, now that I see it," you'd best bug Gardez about it because I'm not going to be any help.

Dash was such an exotic, athletic specimen of a pegasus; why, it was perfectly natural to imagine a bit of fun with her in bed.

It sounds kind of objectifying when you put it like that.
For shame, Rarity. For shame.

But more than the sights were the overwhelming smells: the frothy warm tease of milk, the tantalizing tug of sugar browned into gooey caramel delightfulness, the pure happiness of baking bread tapping away at her mind, whispering, “Yes, I know I'm not good for you. I'm such a baaad little thing. But one tiny bite won't hurt, will it?”

Rarity. Must you make everything sound dirty?
Oh, right, you must. Anything you think or speak of sounds dirty just by association.

Lie. Make her feel better.

Rarity smiled. “Of course, dear. Why, the moment I stepped off the train, it felt just like old times.”

Just because it worked this time, doesn't mean you're right to be constantly ignoring the voices in your head. I mean, I kind of feel I should cut you some slack and give you credit for correctly discerning that they were giving poor advice, but I can't justify thinking you got it right by anything other than luck.

“No.”

“But Rarity...” Pinkie whined.

“No.” Rarity set her hoof down on the floor. “I will help you bake. I will wear the apron. I will even get my hooves dirty with syrup!” She held a foreleg up to her head, her eyes closed to mime a swoon. “But I will not, repeat not, wear that hat.”

Pinkie seemed to deflate, a sorrowful pout dragging down her face. The dejected chef's hat in her hooves, so recently offered to Rarity, sagged down to the floor as if in equal despair.

And just as quickly she was back up, the chef's hat extended to Rainbow Dash. “Dashie, would you like to—”

“Sure!” Dash snagged the hat with her teeth and flipped it up into the air, managing to catch it perfectly atop her head. “Heh, neat! Look, Rares! I'm a chef!”

See? Did that look so hard?
Some Element of Generosity you make. Too wrapped up in your haughty self-image to have a bit of fun, even for a friend's sake. Would it really be the end of the world if you lightened up for a bit? (it probably would be a sign of the apocalypse, so yes)

“Rarity! The fire department's here again!” Sweetie called from outside.

“Ugh! Tell them I just need a minute!” she called back. The thick black smoke pouring from the stove made it hard to see, but she was fairly sure the timer had less than thirty seconds left.

“Ask if they would like some cookies!”

There was a moment's pause from outside. Something loud popped in the oven, and the torrent of smoke doubled. She crouched a bit lower, where the air was still breathable.

"They say you need to leave now!” Sweetie's voice returned.

She scowled. “Fine, but if these are underdone, it's their fault!”

But seriously, I thought Rarity was fine at cooking.

“Great!” Pinkie turned to Dash. “Dashie, can you bake?”

“Not at all!”

“Great!” Apparently, either response was great for Pinkie. She dug through a drawer of implements and pulled out a mallet. “Can you break walnuts?”

“Can I?!” Dash grabbed the mallet between her jaws and stared around the room, looking for unfortunate walnuts to assault. Pinkie pointed to a sack in the corner, and Dash was on it in a flash. Within moments the loud crack of walnuts meeting a gruesome end filled the kitchen.

. . .

“But what if you get something wrong?” Rarity asked. “Won't that mess up the recipe?”

“Maybe, or maybe you'll make something amazing!” Pinkie added a generous heap of butter to the batter. “Something nopony has ever never ever tasted before! Something...” She leaned down and pressed her cheek against Rarity's. Her breath tickled Rarity's ear as she whispered in a voice deep and smokey and just a little bit sexy. “Something wonderful.”

Somepony sure isn't fitting into the culture here. Somepony isn't showing the appropriate enthusiasm. Somepony is a total stick in the mud.

But Ponyville lacked his type; there were, quite literally, no stallions in Ponyville she could imagine herself with.

Maybe if you weren't so racist you'd have more of a selection available?
For example, Big Mac. Sure, he's married, but it's just in your imagination; I'm sure you would have no problem convincing yourself that there is absolutely no reason not to fantasize about your friend's husband as much as you like. And everypony wants a piece of Big Mac. So there's no obstruction other than your blatant racism.

The idea of Pinkie participating in a conspiracy theory was simply too absurd for words.

Somepony doesn't remember that somepony will happily break the laws of physics in service of keeping secrets. Somepony has forgotten than "chaotic" doesn't mean "stupid." Somepony is being kind of offensive.

“You want lurid details?” Pinkie said the word slowly, as though tasting it in her mouth. She grinned and leaned forward. “Let's trade, Rarity. I'll give you a lurid detail if you give me a salacious detail about your love life.” She waggled an eyebrow at the unicorn.

See? Somepony knows that somepony has a problem. Somepony is going to get somepony to 'fess up, in time. Somepony knows that it is not healthy for somepony to be bottling up all that self-loathing.
Somepony is unfortunately unlikely to crack easily.

“Well, regardless, I feel lucky,” Rarity said. “Maybe we'd have all become friends anyway, or maybe not. I just can't imagine life without you two or the others.”

And yet, you left them anyway. You don't have to imagine life without them – you already have it.

Don't you just hate it when the voices in somebody else's head totally steal your thunder?
Still, I suppose they are slightly better at getting Rarity to hear them, so I can't really fault them for speaking up.

“Wow.” Dash gave her wings a little flap, stirring a breeze that set the curtains across the room rustling. “That's, uh... nice? You like that?”

No. But don't tell her; it's a secret. It would break her poor heart to realize how she gave up the things that made her happy so she could chase the sparkling perfect future that she always knew deep down was preposterous and unrealistic.
So tragic, when one's dream blind one to the fact that one already basically has all one truly wants.

The smile was still there, but the expression on Pinkie’s face was penetrating, as though she saw past the careful illusions Rarity clothed herself in

Somepony clearly isn't listening to anything I try to tell her. Sometimes I wonder why I bother.
But that's okay. Pinkie doesn't hate you, but she just wants to save you while there's still something left to save. And it doesn't matter in this case whether you are aware she is helping.

“You think you can help her?” Pinkie asked, her eyes still on the bathroom door. Her voice was far quieter, almost a whisper.

Now here's the question: will Pinkie be able to repeat this question during Rarity's bath? If I know Dashie, if she hasn't changed for the worse over the past years, she'd not abandon Rarity while she is needed. But if I know Dashie, she's not likely to see on her own that Rarity needs help, and she'd not think herself the proper pony to help without prompting. So is there a way to clue Dashie in, a little bit at least, that is appropriate for this point in time?

“They’re close enough,” Rarity snapped.

Yep. Close like the other side of a five-foot thick steel wall. Close like safety if you're clinging to the outside of the space shuttle during re-entry. Close like the parallel universe a hair's breadth away in a direction you can't move.

I'll take that as a "no" to my taking that other that as a "yes," then.
I had a feeling that was going to be the case, though. A little psychic message that was content to wait for morning when I could receive it. And so it arrived when I opened my third eye, content to fade from my memory before it became relevant again, since from its perspective it had done its job.

The walnut graveyard, so good.

It's odd that you've reversed Rarity and Sweetie Belle's cooking capabilities. While I can understand a bad cook learning to not suck, why is Rarity suddenly bad at cooking? Is it just baking? We've seen she can at least make breakfast.

I almost forgot about the metric comment: perfect timing.

*reads on*

The idea of Pinkie participating in a conspiracy theory was simply too absurd for words.

I'm pretty sure this aged-up Pinkie Pie could threaten Equestria's national security, actually. If she felt so inclined.

“Okay, we've got the flour,” Pinkie said. “Rarity, get two cups of baking soda?”

Are you sure that's a question?
______________

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Even Pinks in the show could threaten national security if she could find a fun reason to.

I don't much prefer shipping, and I don't like clop. But I love this story. Damnit, CiG...

I have had this story in my Read Later for one... two years? A very long time, to be sure. Finally got around to reading it. So far, I am not disappointed :>

I have to wonder if Rainbow is having the same sorts of worried conversations with the rest of the girls that Rarity is. I doubt it, as that doesn't seem to be her character, and Rarity does a much better job of hiding her problems than Dash, but still. I wonder.

I'm guessing that this story is leading to a Rarity x Dash shipping, which will take some doing. So far the story has shown that Dash is into stallions, and reinforced the fact that Rarity swings that way as well. Of course they could both be bisexual, and Rarity's fantasies about Dash seem to indicate that this is the case for her. Nevertheless, there's definitely some work to be done between now and the eventual realization. Additionally, Rarity is hardly the rough-and-tumble sort of pony that Soarin was shown to be, so it will be interesting to see how that is resolved if Dash ends up showing a romantic inclination towards Rarity. And Dash is hardly a prince, in attitude, heritage, or gender.

Or maybe this story will surprise me and it will go in a completely different direction, in which case the last paragraph means nothing.