Chapter 14
The capricious nature of the wind around Las Pegasus always demanded all of Scootaloo’s attention while in flight. She rested her hooves lightly upon the wooden steering wheel of Breezy, ready to make any necessary corrections to the trajectory of the craft should the unexpected occur. But after several hours of uneventful flying, she was content to keep a single hoof near the top of the wheel and let her mind wander.
The sudden reappearance of Rainbow Dash, who happened to be napping at the moment, turned her thoughts to other ponies long missing from her life. Her semi-regular correspondence with Apple Bloom wasn’t ideal, but it far exceeded what little contact she maintained with the third member of their little group: Sweetie Belle.
How long had it been? One, maybe two years? Scootaloo wasn’t absolutely certain. The last bit of news she heard from Rarity was Sweetie Belle’s departure to Manehatten to nurture a blossoming singing career. In hopes of catching a performance, she checked the major and minor venues around the city each week for Sweetie’s name. It was a fruitless pursuit. If Sweetie ever went on tour around Equestria, Scootaloo had never seen her appear in Las Pegasus. A trip to Manehatten herself was out of the question. Bits were tight enough as it is.
Perhaps most disheartening was the pile of returned letters from Manehatten which she kept hidden under her bed. After the departure of the Apples, Sweetie and Scootaloo were left in Ponyville without the third member of their crusading party. Scootaloo wasn’t sure if she would have made it as far as she did without her friend’s cheery support, especially with the disappearance of Rainbow from her life during those rough couple years.
At least Rainbow was back now. Scootaloo looked back at the napping pegasus and smiled. Something about having familiar ponies around her once more made her nostalgic. If anything, the sprawled-out position the pegasus adopted in her sleep was too adorable to ignore. A single blue forehoof stretched out across the deck and rested against Twilight’s flank just below the cutie mark. Twilight didn’t seem to mind and kept her tail partway across the outstretched limb. Scootaloo might’ve been a little too young to understand the signs back in Ponyville, but it was pretty obvious now.
She leaned back against her seat and waved to Twilight with a free forehoof. “Hey, Twilight, how’s it going back there?”
Twilight looked up from the notebook resting between her hooves and frowned. “I’m just not sure what’s going on with my instruments. I guess I’m expecting it to be warmer, but it’s quite pleasant out here. Also, I’m not seeing the high pressure zones I’m expecting, since it is a desert and all.”
Scootaloo spread her wings wide and opened her mouth, tasting the air—an old pegasus trick for reading the weather. She could feel it in the tips of her wings and the air tasted a little off. She pressed Twilight for more information. “Twilight, what are you seeing with your instruments?”
Twilight shuffled back through her pages and glanced down her neatly penned horn-writing. “A lot of fluctuating pressure as we move from location to location. General temperature anomalies, also—there’s a few warm pockets, but most of it is rather mild.”
Sighing to herself, Scootaloo folded up her wings and turned away from Twilight. “You should probably wake Rainbow up. I thought I felt something off in the air. It’s been way too calm for my liking. And we’ve been up here far too long now.”
“Why? What’s happening?”
“I think a storm’s coming, and I’d rather not land us in the middle of the desert. I need to get us back home, and fast.” Scootaloo didn’t waste any more time. She spun the steering wheel hard to the left. The rudder-fins on either side of the craft groaned and the entire airship shifted toward the eastern slums outside of the city. The heading of the craft set, she jammed an unused lever forward and the gentle purr of the engine roared to life.
Rainbow woke up with a start and looked around blearily. “What was that?” she exclaimed loudly as her wings shot out in surprise.
Scootaloo leaned forward on the steering wheel, a grim look of determination on her face. “That’s the magic engine kicking in. Most airships use some form of petroleum or coal to power their engines. Breezy’s special. She has a little bit of magic tucked in the back.”
“Did you say magic?” Twilight hurried to the back of the airship, her horn glowing as she sensed for the source under the wooden floorboards.
“Yep, magic. Breezy was one of the first ships Mr. Highwind put together. We’re gonna use it to get back home before the storm rolls in and overwhelms us.”
Rainbow Dash trotted forward to the front of the airship, blocking Scootaloo’s view and placed both her hooves on the steering wheel. “Scoots, what’s going on? Why does this airship suddenly feel like one of those SonicCrafts that nearly killed Twilight?”
“What are you talking about? I’m just trying to fly us home here.”
“Scootaloo, this isn’t funny!”
“This isn’t funny, either! Now let go of my wheel! I need to pilot us around pockets of unstable air if we’re going to beat this storm.”
Rainbow grit her teeth and pushed her head forward. No way she was going to let this go. Something didn’t feel right.
“Dashie!” Twilight waved from the rear of the ship. “Let Scootaloo fly the ship. I think I might know what’s going on.” She stamped her hoof a couple times on the wooden floor. “The engine beneath us, it’s different. It feels like it has the same concepts built in, but it’s much less refined and has a lot of superfluous spells woven in.”
Rainbow released the wheel and peered over Scootaloo’s shoulder. “What’s going on here, Twilight?”
Twilight sighed and shook her head. “I don’t think it’s anything malicious at least. It’s an odd coincidence to be sure, but I think we’re safe in Scootaloo’s reliable hooves.” She placed her remaining instruments in her saddlebag and fastened it firmly around her torso.
After one last glance into Scootaloo’s rebellious eyes, Rainbow pulled away and made her way back to Twilight. “Are you sure about this, Twi? You can hop on me and I’ll fly us—”
Her sentence was cut short as the entire deck shook and knocked them off their hooves. “What the heck was that?”
“We’re getting sandwiched between pockets of rising hot air and sinking cold air. I’ve never seen the sky this volatile before! I’m going to try to feel my way around them, but Breezy isn’t designed to be agile. It’s going to get bumpy!” Scootaloo spun the wheel once more, causing the entire ship to veer back toward the right.
“Woah!” Rainbow struggled to her hooves but found it almost impossible to move, her range of motion restricted by the vice-like grip of Twilight’s forehooves around her body. She lowered herself back down and nuzzled Twilight’s cheek. “It’s okay, Twi. I won’t let you fall. I promise.”
Twilight forced out a smile and nuzzled lightly in return against Rainbow’s cheek. “I know, just let me hold on until we land. I’ve had a few bad experiences with flight, and I’m not keen on adding to them.”
Rainbow nodded and held Twilight tightly within her hooves. She craned her neck back and looked toward Scootaloo. Somehow, the younger filly managed to navigate Breezy around most of the turbulence. The ship was barely rocking. She squinted her eyes and focused on Scootaloo’s out-stretched wings. Her first guess was the wings were spread for balance, but then she noticed they seemed to twitch every second or so.
Could she really be reading the air currents through slight motions in her wings?
She continued to watch silently, focusing specifically on the tips of each wing which fluctuated the most when Scootaloo moved them. The right wing would twitch then followed by the left. Less than a second later, Breezy would change course to the left and the entire deck rumbled slightly on the right side. After several more maneuvers, Rainbow realized Scootaloo had found a way to apply flight mechanics to piloting itself.
This was an ability Scootaloo seemed to naturally attuned to when Rainbow first taught the little filly to fly. Lacking the sheer wingpower to propel herself upward (and the confidence to do so), Scootaloo relied on the natural flow of the air to carry herself aloft into the sky. Her smaller but more sensitive wings could detect miniscule shifts which Rainbow often ignored with powerful wing beats. Now, it was being applied to piloting to great effect.
What Rainbow could sense was the incredible similarity between this incoming storm and the one which had caught her off guard in Appleloosa. She could see the roiling sandstorm swirling from the west and obscuring the sunset. Luckily, it seemed to be moving away from them and the city. Rainbow didn’t want to imagine what sort of damage a full-fledged sandstorm could do to a city like Las Pegasus.
After a tense half-hour, Breezy thudded to the ground outside Highwind’s metal-sheened home. Scootaloo folded her wings in and the steering wheel slipped from her tired hooves. She rolled onto her back and closed her eyes, finally breathing out a sigh of relief. That was way too close for her comfort.
When she opened her eyes, she found a blue forehoof extended to her. She grasped it gratefully and allowed herself to be pulled up by Rainbow. As soon as she got to her hooves, she was embraced by Twilight and her mane was ruffled by Rainbow.
“That was some pretty impressive flying, Scoots. I didn’t notice you could use your wings to sense for air pressure variations while piloting. That was awesome.” Rainbow grinned and ruffled Scootaloo’s mane a little more.
“Thank you, Scootaloo, for getting us back safely. Highwind was right about you. You’re a very talented pilot,” Twilight added before releasing Scootaloo from her hug.
Scootaloo nodded and scuffed her hoof against the deck of Breezy. “Thanks, guys. Do you trust me now?”
Twilight exchanged a glance with Rainbow. Rainbow sighed and nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’m sorry I doubted you, Scootaloo. I think we should tell you the whole story so you know what happened to Twilight.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea!” An exceptionally perky voice joined in from behind them. All three of them whirled around and found themselves face-to-face with a very energetic-looking Pinkie Pie.
“Pinkie! Where did you come from?” Rainbow demanded with a stamp of her hoof.
“I’ve been waiting here for you to get back! I went to the Aerodrome. and Mr. Highwind said you and Twilight went on a flight with Scootaloo. So, I hopped my way over here (while playing hopscotch, of course) and waited around. I baked some cookies in Mr. Highwind’s oven, but I don’t think he’ll mind since I left him an extra plate of them.” Pinkie shoved a cookie each in Scootaloo’s, Rainbow’s, and Twilight’s mouth with a grin.
Rainbow sputtered and tried to spit out the cookie, but it was far too delicious to spit out and she was forced to swallow it. As if by magic, when she was done eating the cookie, she felt a lot calmer. “Alright, Pinkie. Why are you waiting here for us?”
Twilight backed up a few steps and groaned. “Oh no...you’re going to say a pa—”
“A party!” Pinkie exclaimed as confetti mysteriously exploded from behind her into the air. “Well, a party for the four of us since Rarity is being all busy-bee-like with big business ponies.”
“Pinkie...as much as I would like to party, I have all these research notes I need to compile...” Twilight looked back at her saddlebags and shuffled on her hooves. “Maybe we can do it later?”
“Aww, but we haven’t seen each other in ages! We need to catch up for all the parties we’ve missed! Especially the ones with Dashie and Scootsie over here.” Pinkie wrapped a forehoof around Rainbow and Scootaloo’s neck and pulled them into a sideways hug.
“Scootsie?” Scootaloo asked and struggled against Pinkie’s incredible grip.
“That’s right! Let’s go!” Pinkie cheered and started pulling both ponies bodily toward the city.
Rainbow smiled back at Twilight and shrugged. “How about it, Twi? You’ve been working awfully hard, how about a break?”
Twilight took one last longing glance at her saddlebags before shrugging. “Fine, I guess these can wait until tomorrow. And it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a proper Pinkie party.”
“Hooray! I have a club we just have to check out. They have the tastiest drinks in the whole city!” Pinkie wrapped her hooves around all three of them (somehow) and bounced them back toward the city.
* * *
“We’re here!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Twilight stood open-mouthed and wide-eyed in front of the brightly lit club covered in an assortment of colored lights. The entire building seemed to pulse in time with the barely restrained music echoing from within. When she first saw P-Three, she thought nothing could possibly top it. This club blew it out of the water.
As soon as they entered, the music assaulted Twilight’s ears and made her brain feel like it was going to vibrate loose. Hundreds of ponies, hot, energetic, and writhing to the music filled the continuous dance floor from the entrance to the bar area in the back. Somehow, Pinkie managed to navigate the four of them around the dancers and secured them a set of seats in front of the bar.
Sitting down did little to improve the negative effect of the excessively loud music. Twilight covered her ears with her forehooves and winced under the amped-up bass which shook the floors at measured intervals. She was about to suggest they seek a quieter locale when Pinkie returned with drinks for all of them. A blue-tinted glass filled with purple fluid dropped in front of her and she stared at it in awe. She was no stranger to alcohol, but normally wine came in red, white, or pink varieties. This was definitely not wine.
“Come on, Twilight, have a sip! It’s super tasty,” Pinkie encouraged her cheerfully and nudged the drink closer.
Twilight squinted skeptically at the oddly colored drink and sniffed at it. “I don’t know, Pinkie. Are drinks normally supposed to be this color?”
“They are when it has curacao, sour raspberry, and club soda!” Pinkie giggled and wrapped a hoof around Twilight’s shoulders.
Rainbow leaned in and grasped the glass with her hoof. “That does sound good! Let me have a taste, Twi.”
Hemmed in on both sides, Twilight could only shrug and nod her agreement. She watched in fascination as Rainbow lifted the glass and sampled the odd looking concoction within.
The pegasus licked her lips and grinned at Twilight. “That was really tasty! Try some!”
The still slightly warm glass pressed against Twilight’s lips and she felt the fluid flow up against her. Unable to refuse, she opened her mouth and allowed the cool liquid to pool into her mouth. She tasted it and found it to be rather sweet with a bit of a kick from the alcohol. It was delicious. She swallowed and pushed the now empty glass away from her mouth. Grinning slightly, she licked her lips. “You’re right! I think I’d like another one!”
“That’s my girl,” Rainbow cheered and waved down the bartender to order Twilight another one.
Twilight fished out her credit chip and placed it down on the bar counter. She stared at it and bit her lip. Perhaps this wasn’t the greatest idea. This was supposed to be for official expenses. She had her own bits she could use for this. But before she could put away the credit chip, the bartender pony picked it off the counter and stamped it in the nearby machine.
“Would you like to start a tab?” he asked politely and handed the credit chip back to a shocked Twilight.
“N-no thank you. I’d like to pay with bits next time,” Twilight stammered out as she stashed the credit chip safely back within her bag. She sighed and shook her head. What was done was done. The clink of her new drink on the bar counter provided ample encouragement to put her worries aside. She could deal with explaining why she charged a drink at a bar on Celestia’s dime later.
A wing wrapped around her and she giggled as the soft plumage tickled her side. She took another sip of her drink and nuzzled at Rainbow’s cheek, earning her a blush which matched her own. Smiling brightly, she glanced over at Scootaloo on Rainbow’s left and noticed the younger filly seemed a lot more subdued, perhaps even pensive. She nudged Rainbow and gestured toward Scootaloo with a free hoof.
Rainbow nodded and wrapped her other wing around Scootaloo. “Hey Scoots, what’s got you down?”
Pinkie’s head popped in between the feathers, her nose bumping into the now empty glass in front of Scootaloo. “Oh! You need another drink!”
Scootaloo shook her head and stirred the glass cubes in her glass. “It’s okay, Pinkie. I can’t really afford to buy any drinks. I’m trying to save my bits. Thank you for buying this one, it was really good.”
“Don’t worry about it, Scoots, Twi and I gotcha covered. Right, Twi?”
“By Twi and you, you mean me, because you don’t have any bits on you,” Twilight teased and pushed some bits over to Rainbow. “But yes, I’d be happy to pay for your drinks Scootaloo, especially after your amazing piloting today.”
Rainbow laughed and waved down the bartender once more. “See? No problems! I’ll pay you back later, Twi. It’s just so nice to finally relax with friends instead of with a bunch of showboating teammates.”
Somewhere in the back of the bar a stallion nearly snorted into his drink. His companion, a fiery-maned pegasus, slapped him on the back roughly a few times.
Twilight paid the coughing pony no mind and continued to tease Rainbow. “Showboating? You’re the biggest showboating pony I know.”
“Well...” Blushing a little now, Rainbow buried her muzzle in her drink. “I just want other ponies to notice me. I try really hard to do amazing feats, so a little recognition is nice.”
“I notice. I’m excellent at paying attention to details.” Twilight responded with a wink.
“Here we go...” Scootaloo muttered with a roll of her eyes and happily indulged in the newly arrived drink via the bartender.
Pinkie’s heart swelled from seeing the smile shared between Twilight and Rainbow. This was exactly what she needed: not the party, but the smile of pure happiness which she loved to see.
* * *
“That was highly entertaining. I can’t even feel my hooves! I think I’m far too impaired to get any work done tonight.” Twilight threw her hooves up in the air and giggled.
Rainbow pulled Twilight down and steadied the obviously tipsy unicorn. “Um, Twilight, those two sentences barely made any sense together.”
“I know! I’m not even sure what’s going on anymore. But everything is so nice. You’re so warm, and soft...” The words trailed off as Twilight nuzzled into Rainbow’s neck, sending shivers along Rainbow’s spine.
“Twi, I think we should get you back to your room. You too, Scootaloo. Heh, both of you are such lightweights.”
“Hey! I’m no lightweight! I drink—” Scootaloo stopped mid-sentence and squirmed uncomfortably. Realizing what was about to happen, she ran over to the nearest wastebasket as fast as she could and promptly confirmed Rainbow’s accusation. She wandered back uneasily and groaned. “Okay...I think I should get back, too...”
Rainbow sighed and nudged the partially sleeping Twilight over toward Pinkie. “Hey Pinkie, do you mind taking Twilight back to P-Three? I’ll walk Scootaloo back to the Aerodrome.”
“What? I don’t need to be walked back! I’m a grown-up mare! I can take of myself!” Scootaloo wobbled her way down the street toward the glimmering Aerodrome which extended high above the other buildings around it. About twenty feet in, her hooves buckled under her and she swayed to one side before hitting the pavement—hard.
Rainbow sighed and reluctantly released Twilight from her grip. “Hang on just a second, Twi. Pinkie, can you help get Scootaloo on my back? I’ll carry her back home.”
“Sure thing, Dashie!” Pinkie bounded forward and helped the barely conscious Scootaloo to her hooves. Once Rainbow arrived, she bodily lifted the smaller pony up and onto Rainbow’s back. “There, you should be nice and comfy on Dashie.”
“Nngg...” Scootaloo groaned and stretched herself out on top of Rainbow.
Rainbow chuckled and shook her head. “Well, I guess I should get her back home. I’ll see you and Twilight back at P-Three.”
“Are you sure you don’t wanna walk Twilight back? I can take Scootaloo, ya know.”
Rainbow shook her head and shakily held her balance as she patted Scootaloo with a forehoof. “It’s okay, Twi knows I care. I want Scootaloo to know too.”
“Okie dokie!” Pinkie exclaimed and bounced back over to Twilight.
Taking it slow, Rainbow made her way back toward the Aerodrome. She tried not to jostle her charge too much since the slightest movement seemed to make Scootaloo groan in discomfort. “You okay back there, Scoots? I should’ve told you to have water between your drinks.”
“Nng...I drink how I want.”
“That’s exactly how I felt my first night with the Wonderbolts. I had a huge hangover the next day. It was awful.”
“Mm...hmm...”
“I hope your first night with us was better. I’m not sure how Pinkie figured it out, but Pinkie has her ways.”
“Fun...” was all Scootaloo managed to mumble out in her alcohol-dazed state.
“I’m glad. Then I guess I’m starting to make things up to you. And well...” Rainbow swallowed and glanced around as if checking for unwanted onlookers. “Well, I’m really sorry for not responding to your letters, for avoiding all the Las Pegasus shows, and just not being the kind of hero I thought you’d want to look up to.”
When Scootaloo didn’t respond, Rainbow continued. “The Wonderbolts was a dream come true, but dreams aren’t free. I didn’t know about it at first, but apparently I got in after a sponsor threatened to pull their funding. They wanted a flashy pony to headline events, and I was their pick. Sure, Spitfire and the team respected my skills. but it always felt a little different. I didn’t find out until I overheard an argument between the captain and the commissioner.”
She sniffed and sighed at the refreshed memory. “So, I worked harder. My pride wouldn’t let me quit. I was a pretty awesome flyer, but it felt cheapened. I wanted to be a Wonderbolt only because of my skill, not because some faceless corporation wanted me.”
When the hooves around her neck tightened in a hug, she stiffened and stopped walking. “Scoots...you still have a chance, though. Everything you’ve done was on your own talent. I know you’ll be an amazing pony. More amazing than me, at least.”
The pony above her shifted and she could feel moisture pooling against her neck. “Scoots?”
“You’ll always be amazing to me, Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow nodded and blinked her eyes a few times. “Thanks, Scoots, that means a lot to me.”
* * *
Getting to Scootaloo’s small flat in the Aerodrome was tougher than Rainbow anticipated. Without her wings, she had to climb up three flights of stairs and carefully cross a narrow catwalk to a room tucked against the sloping walls at the top of the steel structure.
Opening the door, Rainbow found herself in a single room shaped almost like a triangle. The roof consisted of square panes of glass about a foot across arranged in a grid fashion. The countless lights of the city filtered in and illuminated the room in an eerie milky glow. In the low light, she could see a sleeping pad raised up on legs with a single blanket tucked in the corner. Facing the outside was a table and a small cushion in front of the table, obviously used as a seat. A few boxes occupied the corner closest to the door, most likely filled with whatever possessions Scootaloo had accumulated over the years.
The whole room was no bigger than about four ponies. Walking carefully across the cold metal floor, Rainbow gently deposited the now sleeping Scootaloo on the bed and pulled the blanket over her. “Goodnight, Scoots. Sleep well,” she whispered and quietly trotted out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
On her way back down, she wondered what she expected to see. Scootaloo obviously didn’t make much as an apprentice. She probably used whatever shared bathing/bathroom facilities were available in the Aerodrome. It rarely got very cold in the city, so the lack of any visible source of heat was probably okay. Shaking her head, she couldn’t help feeling a sense of injustice. Scootaloo worked so hard but had so little.
She would’ve contemplated the inequality of the situation her entire way back to P-Three, but a familiar and unwanted scent wafted past her nose. She stopped and gritted and teeth. “Come out, Vice. I thought I smelled that nasty mane-grease you use on my way here.”
Chuckling, a deep blue pegasus with sharp piercing eyes and a slicked-back mane stepped out from the shadows. “As sharp as ever, Dash. I’m surprised you remember me.”
“It’s not by choice, that’s for sure. What do you want? I resigned. Celestia herself sanctioned my decommission from active duty after the Wonderbolts.”
“Oh, nothing in particular. I just wanted to talk. Catch up. Just like old times. Manager to show pony.”
“I’m not your show pony anymore, Vice. Whatever you want to talk about, I’m not interested.”
“Let’s not be too hasty, now. You might miss a great opportunity to earn a great deal of bits and quite a bit of fame too.” Vice slid up next to Rainbow and wrapped a hoof around her neck. “Won’t you at least listen?”
Rainbow growled and shook herself free. The suit Vice wore scratched at her uncomfortably. “No. Leave me alone. I don’t know how you found me, but I’m done with your deals, schemes, and promotions. I’m going to get back to my friends.” Rainbow spread her wings. “I hope I never see—”
“I know about the wings, Dash.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Rainbow responded quickly, but her wings folded back up against her side.
“I think you do. Does the place Appleloosa ring a bell?” Vice smirked and circled around in front of Rainbow. “It does, doesn’t it?”
“So what if it does?” Rainbow shot back, her eyes glaring daggers at her former manager.
Vice smiled, the kind of smile a cat would grant a mouse. “I’d just like to ask you some questions about them. You’ll be well compensated for your time. I promise.”
“I’m not helping you. I don’t want to have anything to do with you or your promises,” Rainbow spat out, this turn of events extremely unsettling.
“In that case, I may have to ask some other ponies who might be involved. Maybe your young friend who you so carefully carried home? Scootaloo, was it? Or perhaps that unicorn who seems so fond of you. Ms. Twilight Sparkle, I believe? She’s a famous one, if I recall. Think about this carefully.”
“No! You’re going to leave all of them alone! We want nothing to do with you and whatever you have planned!” Rainbow spread her wings angrily and flew past Vice, blowing a faceful of dust in his direction.
Vice coughed and produced a comb from his jacket pocket to readjust his mane. “You can’t run from your problems, Dash. The sooner you learn that, the better.”
In the shadows, Soarin’ the Shadowbolt narrowed his eyes. He never liked Vice, and it seemed he would soon like him a lot less.
* * *
Pinkie frowned and stopped in the middle of the street, almost causing Twilight to stumble over her own forehooves. “Pinkie? What’s the matter?” Twilight asked, still a little giggly from the alcohol earlier but mostly recovered.
“I’m not sure, Twilight. Something just feels weird in my tail.”
Twilight leaned back and stared at the fluffy pink tail. “I dunno, it looks okay to me.”
“Okie dokie,” Pinkie responded and continued walking. It wasn’t long before they reached P-Three. As the walked up to the entrance, they found Rarity with an unknown pony in the lobby.
“Hiya, Rarity!” Pinkie chirped out and waved.
Rarity spun around quickly, startled by hearing her name suddenly called out. “Good evening, Pinkie. Oh, and Twilight, good evening to you as well. Did you two have a girls night, so to speak?”
Twilight grinned and nodded. “Yep! Pinkie had me try a bunch of co...coc...Pinkie, what were they called again?”
“Cocktails!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Twilight clopped her hooves together and nodded. “Yes! Cocktails! Delicious, I might add. I’m surprised I never explored them in the past.”
Rarity cleared her throat nervously and gestured to the pony at her side with her head. “Pinkie, Twilight. Please allow me to introduce Mr. Regent. He graciously offered to accompany me home after a delightful dinner.”
“Oh, hi Mr. Regent! I’m Pinkie!” Pinkie bounded forward to hug the new pony.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Regent. My name is Twilight Sparkle.”
Regent nodded to Pinkie, but otherwise ignored her. Instead, he leaned his head down and grasped Twilight’s hoof, kissing it lightly. “The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Sparkle. Ms. Rarity here has told me a lot about you. I find your work very fascinating.”
Twilight smiled and drew her hoof away, a little startled to see Canterlot behavior from a pony not in Canterlot. “Really? I’m surprised. I don’t often meet ponies interested in my research.”
Regent smiled graciously and raised himself back to eye level. “I am a pony of many interests, Ms. Sparkle.”
Twilight smiled back, albeit a little woozy from the alcohol earlier. “There’s no need to be so formal, Mr. Regent. Twilight is fine.”
“Of course, Twilight. I’d be delighted if you would refer to me as Shade, my given name.”
“I’d be happy to.”
“Wonderful! If you’d allow it, I’d love to assist you in any way I can with your research. I have access to airships, equipment, and many helpful ponies who are interested in furthering science.” Shade removed a business card from his suit and presented it to Twilight with a flourish.
“This is very generous of you, Shade. Rarity, you have such wonderful friends.” Twilight beamed at Rarity, who smiled back nervously.
“Perhaps we can adjourn this until tomorrow? It is getting rather late,” Rarity interjected and placed herself between Twilight and Shade.
“Ah yes, of course. I apologize if I’ve overstayed my welcome. Good night, mademoiselles.”
Once Shade was safely out the door, Rarity pulled Twilight aside. “Twilight, be careful around Shade. His intentions are never what they seem. Whatever he’s doing to help you, he is looking to gain something more for himself.”
Twilight hugged Rarity gently. “I’ll keep that in mind, Rarity. I’m sure everything is going to be just fine.”
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Vice and Shade. If those two meet...
Things just got (more) interesting...
~Skeeter The Lurker
Trouble be brewing...
Shade is in for a surprise when he discovers Twilight's research is how to properly care for and maintain a library.
2866573
I was under the impression that they were working together.
2866873
Were they? Musta missed that part.
~Skeeter The Lurker
2866877
I don't think he said, I'm just guessing.
2866884
Still. If they DO meet... Look out.
~Skeeter The Lurker
Famous last words...
I think you should drop another antagonist into the mix, someone darker, with more mysterious--and possibly malice--intent that would offset the existing antagonists into different directions when dealing with said new character or interacting with the protagonists. As of current, the plot seems to mold around special interest groups and the Mane 6 reestablished bonds, and aside from the S.I.G. seemingly to be financially (and possibly socially progressively) motivated--and not getting their way, I think the plot's turning stale. I think that needs to be threatened. Something that'd have even Celestia shaking like a shitting dog.
But, meh. I LOVE THIS STORY!
ooo Pinkie now I really have to start paying attention.
2867217
True enough. It just seems short, you know?
~Skeeter The Lurker
cdn.derpiboo.ru/media/BAhbBlsHOgZmSSJdMjAxMi8xMi8yOS8xNF81Ml8zNF8xNjZfMTk2NjQwX19VTk9QVF9fc2FmZV9waW5raWVfcGllX2FuaW1hdGVkX21vdXN0YWNoZV9zcG9pbGVyX3MwM2UwOQY6BkVU/196640__safe_pinkie-pie_animated_moustache_spoiler-s03e09_spike-at-your-service.gif
The plot thickens...
I keep seeing this story get featured, and I'm slowly becoming interested in it. Perhaps someday I'll actually break down and read it.
I'll add it to my read later list, and hopefully get to it.
twilight looks exactly like reaver from fable 3 in the cover photo.
Lets see here, I already don't like Vice and we find out Regent's First Name:
Okay Shade Regent, does that name also describe your Business dealings?
Love the way Scoots uses her wings to Pilot an Airship like a Race Car Driver feels how his (or Her) Race car is handling through the Steering wheel and the seat!
We all know what happened last time Twilight said everything was going to be fine.
What part does she play in the story? Does this mean we'll see what species she was before her alicornification? My bet's on pegasus! 
24.media.tumblr.com/69d1e312432f6c6b3f17d2015c34c169/tumblr_mil6jaDB4C1qf7krko1_1280.png
A regular Cadence?!
famous last words Twilight...
2867844
Funny that's always been my theory for Luna, Celestia having been a unicorn first. thinking on Cadence I don't feel the pegasus though, feels unicorn to me.
2866892 Shade Regent and Vice are both on the Board of Directors for the United Equestrian Bank. So they are definitely working together.
2869065
Ahhhh. I must have missed/forgot that.
Still, the comment still stands.
~Skeeter The Lurker
I'm not actually going to read this (sorry, I just don't like romance,) but I thought you'd like to know what can be observed in the show indicates that the ponies have probably already gone through their Industrial Revolution.
After all, there is a rainbow factory, and factories are a distinctly post-industrial occurrence.
Steampunk MLP... almost nothing can top that! Each chapter leaves me drooling for more... Damn you, CalmNQuiet!
Shade Regent, the Shadow King... one who fancies themselves as the true power in the land. Fits in with the whole Omniscient Council of Vagueness theme.
2869065
oh Now I REALLY Don't Like those Two...
I wonder if the UEB Behaves like the 4 Largest Banks in the United States; and Screws their customers in the Plot, without Lube, and with Sandpaper only because they hold a monopoly over Equestria's money, with the exception of being over the Royal Treasury.
I
Pilot Scoots.
Pilot Scoot was awesome. Shade and Vince seem to be making their move... and poor RD.
Hmm. I am getting some awful vibes from that Shade guy...
And Sweetie Belle... I hope she's okay.
2867587
From someone who has tracked it since Chapter Three or so, it is very worth your time. Read it.
Well, I am back for your chapterly review and/or text wall! And might I just say, I am never, ever, not surprised by this story. It just continues to amaze me with every chapter.
We start off with Scootaloo once again, and hurray for me, I love her. We get a little bit more of an insight into how she thinks, which is something I have been waiting for for a while. While it was indeed short, I felt it was perfect even though it was. But what took me by surprise is that you seem to be so lax with how you choose your point of view. You seamlessly go from one to the other, without having to try too hard. And that is something I enjoy a lot about third-person omniscient, and you seem to have a very good handle of it.
After that, we go through some things till we reach Rainbow's POV. This is where things get rather interesting for me. Usually, people make it to where Scootaloo still ends up flying, no matter what. I find that kind of too perfect. But you made it to where she can fly, but she isn't a strong flier, so flying isn't really that much of joy to her, most certainly. But what your body is unable to do, it diverts more attention to other senses. And that is why I loved how proficient she was with detecting slight, almost minuscule, disturbances in the air with just her wings, and to a higher degree than Rainbow Dash. It works in two ways with this story: it is a stark realization to Rainbow Dash how much she truly missed with Scootaloo, and how Rainbow Dash finally has something she is jealous of in Scootaloo. This realization is what strengthens things between them, that unseen connection between the two more fully fleshed out. It takes a lot to show connections that were made in a unnarrated part of the story, and you seem to make it apparent and stronger with every single dialogue between the two. But I don't really see it until they are alone, where she is able to apologize once again.
And that takes us to the bar scene. I found it hilarious, the entire thing. I believe that Drunk Twilight is my new, favourite pony (that is a cue for people to start drawing her drunk). But I never really pegged Pinkie being a drinker, honestly. But then again, she is some sort of crazy being that defies anything and everything logical. In the end, it is a hopeless thing to try and pin down something that she definitely doesn't do. But I feel like that scene, no matter how odd it seems to me, was needed. The way I see it, it was intentionally made to be a relaxation scene; the calm before the storm. It is the little fun they will have before, if you will excuse the saying, shit hits the fan. Very well played.
Next, we are jumped into a scene where Rainbow Dash is taking home Scootaloo because she is too drunk. This scene was one of the most touching things I have seen in this since Twilight was saved for doom in the skies. It was so, so very important to Rainbow Dash growing as a character, I was so very happy to see it. Breaking it down, I can basically see that it was a general resolution scene between characters, where they are able to come to an understanding finally, and rekindle the love between them (of course, it is the platonic type). It works so well with this because Rainbow is so very sincere in saying what she said, and Scootaloo is so very happy to hear those words from here. But if Rainbow Dash ever thought that Scootaloo was not respectable (which she never did), it is all torn away when she sees how she lives.
This is the quote right there. The ever resonate quote that will certainly transcend time. This ends the realization of how much Rainbow has missed, how much she has done an injustice of not writing back and spacing herself out from her friends. And it was so, so very well done.
The next villain arrives right after that. I was a little surprised at how fast it happened; Twilight and Rainbow were only there for two days. But alas, that is how things work. It was interesting to learn that little bit about what exactly happened while Rainbow was gone. I have been waiting for her past to become more open instead of it being left as, "I really messed up." I believe that Regent and Shade will end up being very interesting and long-lasting villains. Also, I like the name choice, Regent. It fits his position well, though it also makes me wonder if it isn't his position that fits him, but rather his intentions that run with his namesake. Either way, I am sure we will learn if the former or latter is true.
That about wraps up this one. Overall, the chapter was fantastic, as always. Continue to push out great stuff!
Your Personal Text Waller,
JustAnotherTimeLord
2869203 well, that is a good point, but this appears to have been a more industrial industrial revolution.
I love how ominous these two new villains feel in the overall story, yet there is the added comfort of Rainbow's 'tail,' so to speak. Can't wait to see where this goes.
2873461
I think I see what you mean. Whereas the canonical Industrial Revolution was probably quite gentle and peaceful, this story gives what would happen if it had occurred in the time of the show, and if it had been as cruel as Earths Industrial Revolution.
2875340 That is exactly what I am saying!
2867844
I haven't read it myself, but in the comic Crystal Heart Spell or w/e it's called, we get some of Cadence's backstory. She was indeed a Pegasus, supposedly.
That was a wonderful chapter very well written
I think how Rainbow and Scootaloo are reconnecting is fantastic 
I look forward to see where the villains take this I think their names are perfect 
I WANT MOAR SOON 
If that is alright with you 
I apologize for not responding to feedback/comments for so long. I'm so happy everyone took the time to read and comment. I'll do my best to address any questions or comments. And hopefully, life will get a little less busy and I can go back to responding to comments much faster in the future.
2866686 This would be a hilarious twist. Unfortunately for Twilight, Shade is far more interested in the librarian than the library itself.
2866873 You are absolutely right! Shade and Mr. Vice are working together because they both sit on the Board of Directors for the United Equestrian Bank. These board are hold absolute power over a corporation and can be considered the figureheads beyond the CEO (Shade is the CEO) with the entire corporation's resources at their command.
2866991 I'm glad you like the story thus far. It's actually pretty impressive that you've sensed it. What is coming on the horizon is something well beyond Celestia herself. Or at least, that is the plan. But, you don't take down the Princess of the Sun easily. We probably won't see it quite yet, but Shade, Vice, Silverhoof, Fixer, and the rest are all pieces of the puzzle which hint at the coming doom.
2867739 I have Fable 3,but I haven't had a chance to play it yet. I've heard lots of good things! Maybe when I finish writing this series I can finally get back into my gaming habit.
2867796 Shade's business dealings may reflect his name (a lot). He's not a very restrained pony when it comes to practices he feels he can get away with. And he's more than happy to enable his underlings granted it benefits him without bringing a great deal of risk to himself. In terms of Scootaloo, I really wanted to do something special for her. A lot of people have her flying, doing her own form of rainbooms, etc. But, in this world I wanted to give her something unique to her physiology on the show. Being particularly tuned to the air and world around her, it will make a great difference in the future.
2867844 Cadence? I don't know... I haven't given her much thought yet! To be honest, I've really left out that pair of characters (Cadence/Shining Armor) thus far. Maybe you have some thoughts?
2868945 I'm so glad you liked it. Thank you! I was trying to go for something touching which the artist conveyed very significantly in the cover image.
2869460 Thank you so much! I'm certainly going to work hard to keep it up.
2870026 I'm really appreciate all of these comments. You've picked up on a lot of things which is really cool. Highwind is indeed inspired by a certain fellow who enjoyed airships since 1997. The phrase involving the TV was suggested by my editor when he read the scene so props go to him there. The names are indicative of a certain level of behavior for their given ponies. So, yes, he sees himself as the Shadow King of sorts at the head of his corporation.
2870120 Pilot Scoots is one of the best Scoots I've imagined. I really intend to do a lot more with her over the series. My intention is to have her stick around from now until the end!
2870262 You're right, this is the very beginning. Things are going to ramp up from this point. They'll start slowly to see what they can get away it, but I wouldn't expect them to take too long given the external pressure from stockholders.
2871613 Sweetie Belle, she's all right. Or at least, that's my intention. We'll see her later on. What's important is that Scootaloo remembers her more vividly because after Apple Bloom left it was only Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle left in Ponyville.
2873351 Thanks again for your detailed review of the chapter. My approach with Scootaloo was to stress her enjoyment of flying, but make it difficult for her. The harder you work for something, the more amazing it should feel when it actually happens, right? Scootaloo's strength comes from her determination and attention to detail which she trained through piloting smaller craft and her own difficulties in flying. She needs to use every available resource so it's always a struggle. As such, she is framed as a struggling character from the very beginning. This is contrasted with Rainbow who seems to get just about everything, but ends up struggling in the end as well. However, since they have one another, I'm sure they'll pull through just fine.
The calm before the storm as you called it was exactly that. I wanted to lower the tension just slightly before ramping it up. Vice shows up as set up from Chapter 13 in the board meeting, and his ability to find Rainbow and Twilight is indicative of the little slip Twilight makes with the credit chip. This is why Luna keeps a copy of the Credit Chip's records in the royal archives, because she doesn't trust the United Equestrian Bank having a copy of it as well (now that she has the information from Fixer's interrogation). Now the pieces must fall into place and watch who comes out ahead.
2874725 As ominous as they are. It's amusing that they are just business ponies on a mission to secure themselves more and more. Or at the very least, maintain the status quo which they have become comfortable with.
2880239>>2875340 This was exactly the general idea of the story. The show's canonical factories are quite clean and the working environment seems rather nice for the workers. In the case of the story, this is turned upside down as ponies strive for more and force themselves into worse situations. The challenge and struggle is to get back to equilibrium original present without losing the massive production power of a changed Equestria.
2885136 I'm glad you enjoyed how this chapter turned out! I'm working on the next one so you should see it published as regularly scheduled. It's a little rough with all the work I have to do in real life, but I definitely want to keep writing this story until its completion.
2895989
Sweetie's my favourite Crusader.
i'm a little protective of her.
Amazing chapter
This is getting better and better each chapter, please MOAR
Why do ya got'ta keep added more plot twist ta keep me readin'. Awalys with the 'keeping you hooked' thing and what not. Cant wait ta see ze chapter!
I wonder when Twi and RD will find out about Pinkie´s and Rarity´s problems and find a way to help them like they did with AJ and her farm. Shade is shadey btw, i don´t trust him around poor drunk Twily. <_<
I permit your existence Vice...for now
Really? Shade and Vice? You're going to be that blatant with your characters?