Publishers Note: AnonAuthor is far too hard on their own work. The only thing that became canon from the episode was Scootaloo almost drowning, which supports the premise rather than refuting it.

This is another enjoyable tale; I'm glad that AA shared it with all of us, and I hope that you all agree as well.

Unless he was referring to the early-leaked episode from this saturday upcoming...

Excellent chapter!

Well, you could argue that Dash setting up the campsite was from Scootaloo's perspective, and heavily exaggerated due to the filly's hero-worship (the river Dash dived in to collect stones was actually a very shallow stream, etc.).

damn good story

I really like it!

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I love this serie

ooooooh, this is goooooood.

Honestly, does it really matter if it isn't canon? Its very enjoyable to read and was very interesting, so it should be fine no matter what episodes come out.

I thought this was really well done. Ponies being able to swim or how well some can swim compared to others made for an interesting plot device, canon or not. Nice to see a bit of resolution in the conflict with the Honey sisters, can't say I was expecting that. My thanks to both Anons for this chapter, I can't wait to see what else you have in store for us.

I, personally, want to see the events immediately after Lero showed up in Equestria, but
I think this series will grow endlessly more awesome no matter what stories we get.

this was well written and followed through with deep consistency to the main story of Xenophilia in my opinion.
i found that character growth though this especially with honeybee and her sisters was appealing...it also shone a different side other than what appeared inside of the main story...leading one to know of a more fallible nature so to speak..as for the emotional aspects that Lyra, Twilight and Rainbow dash felt with Lero leaping into the water to save honeybee...that was brilliant...not many can emphasize or capture a moment of helplessness into words...without first-hand experience or deep imaginings of said experiences..so i applaud your story and it's continuity for however long the journey of Lero and his herd can be seen.

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He was referring to the river scene in Sleepless in Ponyville, where Scoots has to fight the current (and fails).

On that train of thought, with how small Scootaloo is and with how strong the current was, it's not surprising at all that she'd get swept away even if she was one of the better swimmers among pegasi. I don't really see how the idea conflicts with canon.

Although, there was that part in Too Many Pinkie Pies that it's implied that Dash wanted to swim in the lake...

Is this a two parter? I hope so. Kinda ended on a cliffhanger.

I imagine that this world is different from the cartoon driven physics of the show. It should all be good. Unless RD is really able to cut tree trunks with other tree trunks. That scene overall was silly.

This was quite an interesting tale, I'd love to see more of this. Does AnonAuthor have any plans to continue the events of this particular chapter? It gave us some really good insight into Honeybee's character, as well as some hints of those of her sisters. To me, I got the impression that whatever problem Honeybee has with Lero's herd could be worked out if she sat down and talked with them. Telling them her reasons why she thinks it's perverted et cetera. It seems to stem from a personal issue regarding her mother or something. Of course bearing one's heart like that isn't done easily, especially not to ponies you don't particulary like, but the end result (a potential friendship, or at least a good-neighbours type of relationship) could be worth it. It would be very satisfying to read more about this. And to have some conclusion with Honeydew, too, of course.

I'd go with "Fuck canon, this is awesome", that and this makes more than a degree of sense, ponies don't have broad hooves or legs, while humans can imitate flippers of a sorts by spreading the fingers of our hand, it makes sense that most would be bad swimmers (especially compared to humans), and that pegasi would be particularly bad due to their wings being made of drag.

Making Sense > A small, throw-away tidbit of canon (especially if it doesn't outright state that most ponies are good swimmers)

Really loved the chapter btw. Pure awesomeness as per usual

No arguments here. I liked this piece quite a bit.

That was a kick ass chapter, and your storys dont have to be canon because they are the bomb! Hell I like your MLP world better than the show. I was rolling with the part when Lero said he was going to get his shoes back, I kept thinking it would have been funny as hell if he jokingly ran for the water and his girls takled him

Commence read.

Dearest AnonAuthor, there is no need to pull this chapter. Even if you think it clashes with canon (because it doesn't).

Staying truthful to the source material is good, yes. But this is fanfiction. You are allowed to slip here and there. Especially since the show isn't finished yet. There are a lot of things in your story that will be made false as the show progresses. Keep them in mind, but don't attach yourself to them. You've built an universe of your own. Define it as you see fit.

You can't agree with canon forever. Especially with a human there. It's awwright

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I can see it now, Lero begins to run for the water, suddenly his legs are taken out from under him by Lyra, he's tackled by a flying rainbow dash, and the resulting pile is lifted by Twilight as she walks away from the lake.

We still don't know if Pegasi are good swimmers. And the category thing would still work even if they were, some good some bad. The episode didn't really say that Pegasi could swim, and we did see in a previous episode that Scootaloo could swim so she must be in the category that can but I don't think we have ever seen Rainbow Dash swim so odds are that what you got here is all good.

Cliff hangers. curses. And will we ever get a Pinkie in this herd? Just imagine poor Lero getting rutted by an in heat Pinkie XD she would crush his pelvis.

YES!!! You know how i pictured it are you in my brain?

I really don't see a problem here. A pony may be able so swim, a foal maybe.

In last weeks episode, didn't Twi stand (levitate) on a small body of water while levitating other bodies of water with Zecora? When Flutters broke her concentration. Twi didn't panic and spash all about in the pond. She was just up to her neck, (IIRC) I may have to go back to the DVR.

Just my 2 bits.

Also on a side note. Don't horses swim in the wild. They have to cross a river or creeks somehow.

Wow 4 bits. This is getting pricy..

Your ability to create and control tension is uncanny. Well done!

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Equines in the wild can swim, but they don't tend to be good at it.

Vary good chapter AA. It's this kind of stuff that got me really to love the Xenophilia story's. The charectors are deep, the emotions are strong and the story has a plot that's not forced. keep'em coming well keep reading and enjoying every bit.

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That just says about everything I could ever want to say about this series :3

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Yes, horses can technically swim, but they generally try to avoid swimming whenever possible, because they're not altogether very good at it. Especially when one compares them to humans, who are surprisingly good swimmers for non-aquatic creatures. This is probably a physical and behavioral adaptation from tens of thousands of years ago before "modern" humans even existed.

1796561 THAT MENTAL IMAGE!!!

So anyone else think lero studied a human martial art? Perhaps only proficient enough to run escape and defend with?

Honestly if you tried to stay in canon you would end up with past sins version 12 only xenophilia....

Loved the chapter it picks up on those in polished bits from the main storyline

Eh, I don't mind a few little deviations form canon for the sake of a good story. One other minor difference I noticed between this story and the show is that Rainbow, Twilight and Lyra aren't actually in a relationship with a human in the show (I didn't think it'd be polite to point that out before now since it would have required rather a lot of rewriting at this point to fix it).

Maybe you could bring this particular story back in line with canon by making a few little edits to change the lake from water into something that ponies do have trouble swimming in, like acetone or rubbing alcohol? True, Lero might have difficulty swimming in that too, but it reduces the number of things that suspension of disbelief would be required for.

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That's really nice chapter that tells a lot about ponies living around Lero, I don't see why it shouldn't be posted (Scootaloo was more draged by river than swimming in it)
I love that Lyra is finally part of herd and well that stuff with lake, their reactions, in my opinion, are really realistic and well done.

I said it before and I'll say it again.

Sometimes, canon will only hold you back. To reach beyond some barriers while sticking to the main elements can broaden your perspective.
ESPECIALLY because this is an AU story anyway, it could be possible to only run off of Season 2 canon and completely ignore Season 3 canon.

I was glad that this chapter was posted. To redo or delete this chapter would have taken away too much character development. Fantastic as always AnonAuthor.

i hope honeydew does try something.
just because humans are not as tough as ponies doesnt mean were not dangerous were the apex predators for a reason and its about time ponies like honeydew find out why

Rather enjoyable chapter. I liked the character building of the anti Lero(or anti Lero Herd) gang. I look forward to seeing what Honeydew's motivations are.

I really liked this chapter. As others have said, the whole swimming thing is nothign to be concerned over, and the character development for the Honey sisters was fantastic.

My only concern with the chapter is Lero's reaction to Honeybee's opinion of their relationship. I can completely understand that he would be upset by her treatment of the girls, but it seems like he would be more understanding of her opinion, even if he didn't agree with it. Given the fact that he had to get over a nearly identical opinion before starting his relationship with RD, and that he grew up in a world that would view his current relationship as not only perverse, but most likely criminal as well, it seems like he would be in a pretty much ideal situation to help her understand her conflicting emotions on the matter. It's not a huge deal to me, but it was somethign that kind of stuck out as I was reading.

I like this chapter please continue.

Like everyone else, there's nothing wrong with deviating from the canon because you've already done that so much about the other characters. I know you're worried about the technicalities and abilities of the characters of that world, I'll say it again you've already done so much by introducing martial arts to the ponies. So the swimming problem is not that big of a deal.

Now onto the story, I'm glad that Honeybee is okay with Lero now but when I read about Honeydew and her friends I thought she meant that Honeydew is gathering a bunch of ponies to have a Yakuza style beat down on Lero rather than Honeybee's friends just watching Honeydew. I was totally expecting this from Honeydew in the next chapter: (Skip to 2:15 to see what I mean about a beat down)

I like the way that this side story is clearing up this lose end about those antagonist ponies, and there's no need to change the story because of what happened in the show because it barely affects this story. So go on and continue this part of the side story.

1797775 from Bee and Dew's argument sounds like the conflict has something to do with their mother. Perhaps she hooked up with a non-pony.

I've a scene in my head now of Lero deciding to teach his mares to swim. Hijinks ensue.

i really want to see you flesh out the conflict between honeydew and lero

I love the non clop parts of this story, the very concept of herd life is really fun to read and the shenanigans that follow are very well executed.

Also: Yay for internet! It taught me to selectively ignore smutty parts while reading stuff.

Good chapter, as always.

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Same here. Heck, what made me LOVE the original story and these "one shots" was precisely the huge amount of world building put into them, making it all the more believable and alive. And that's coming from someone who usually shuns clopfics!

On the chapter itself: nothing to say, it's AA quality. Very high quality. The character development of the Honey sister was very touching, and of course Honeybee's apologies were really touching.

Eagerly waiting for the next story now!

Canon-shmanon, the story is great, so who cares?
And you know what would be awesome? If Honeydew actually manage to attack Lero one on one, and he kick her ass himself. With all that talk about ponies been stronger then humans, it neglects the advantages that humans has in terms of fighting. Posture, mass, reach, HANDS. You can be strong as fuck, but one hand with piece of metal pipe levels it in a moment.