The Storm Blows In
“Are you sure splitting us up was the best idea?”
Trixie glanced over at Ditzy with an expression composed of 70% exasperation, 25% bewilderment, and 5% contempt. “Like I said, we can cover more ground this way. It's a lot harder to track a pegasus than it is a unicorn or earth pony, and with the mood she's in, she could be anywhere in town.”
Ditzy sighed and closed her eyes. “I understand that. It's just...why are we just sitting here?”
The mare swept her hoof across the horizon, bringing Trixie's attention back to the buildings and ponies around them. The two were seated at one of the many small cafés that dotted Ponyville, a steaming teacup in front of Ditzy and a blueish-gray concoction chilling next to Trixie. The small restaurant overlooked Ponyville's main marketplace, now in its busiest hours, with ponies swarming from all over to gather their grocieries and foodstuffs in the last hour before noon. Even the nearby staff were getting into the swing of things, setting up poles and rolling out the awnings lest the Tyrant Sun snatch up their customers before they could pay their checks.
“It's simplicity itself, my dear mailpony friend,” Trixie said, tipping her cap back and rolling the last few words for good measure. All this did was earn another frustrated grunt from Ditzy. “At some point during the day – unless she's suddenly developed photosynthesis on top of everything else – Raindrops will need to eat.” She pointed a hoof at the nearby celery stand. “As it so happens, one of her favorite snacks is celery sticks dipped in peanut butter. And her favorite celery stalks just happen to come from that stand.”
Her hooves returned to the table, along with that triumphant grin of hers. “Therefore, all we have to do is sit in this spot and wait for her to come to us. No running around or prowling the streets for a pony we might never find.”
Ditzy tried to form an appropriate counterargument, but the combined laziness and tiny shreds of common sense in Trixie's planning had successfully frazzled her brain into total compliance. All she could do was nod her head and pray that Lyra and Carrot Top were having better luck....
----------
Lyra sighed as she wandered along the nearly-empty streets of Ponyville. It was already getting dangerously close to noon, and there was no sign of Raindrops anywhere. Sure, there was probably no danger in standing under the sun that time of day; plenty of rowdy youths had done it before in her lifetime. But she bore the Element of Loyalty, and thus had a grave responsibility to Equestria to remain alive and unroasted for as long as equinely possible.
In any case, she had to stop soon and take a break. Fortunately for her, Sugar Cube Corner was just across the street, beckoning with the sweet aroma of strawberry cupcakes and freshly-baked muffins. “Well...I suppose I should at least see if she's been here,” she wondered to herself as she stepped over the threshold and into the sweets shop itself.
And that was when she saw the impossible.
Laying on a heap in the center of the shop was Pinkie Pie, the overly-excitable pink pony with a love for parties and breaking-and-entering. The same pony who had tried to steal her lyre to stop a Parasprite invasion, the same pony who had once devoured an entire platter of cupcakes in a single gulp, was now a sobbing, broken wreck. She made no attempt to even acknowledge Lyra's frantic approach. “Pinkie Pie, what happened?!”
Pinkie looked up just slightly, her eyes stained red from her tears. “I-I-IT WAS HORRIBLE!”
Lyra froze at the sound of the scream. It was like a small foal who had just had her favorite toy taken away and crushed by a manticore. Oh, why can't Ditzy ever be here for these things?
The mare took a deep breath and knelt next to the downed party planner. “Okay, tell me everything that happened.”
“R-Raindrops came in, and...and she was smiling!” Pinkie gasped and chocked back a few more tears. “She was so happy, and...and I never saw her happy before! I always tried to make her smile and laugh at my parties, but she never did! Sh-She was even bouncing like I do! I thought my parties had finally worked and got her stop being a grumpy gus! And...And she asked for some muffins, so...so I got them – ones I even made – and...”
“And...what?”
Pinkie let out a piercing wail. “And then she said they were better than the ones I usually make!”
The mare resumed crying, turning her head away from Lyra in shame. The unicorn twisted her eyes and scratched at the side of her head, searching desperately for the switch that would make Pinkie's warbled cries understandable to her meager non-sugary brain. “Isn't that a good thing?”
“I thought it was,” Pinkie said, her voice raspy as she climbed to her hooves. Lyra quickly followed suit, not willing to be the one on the floor next to a broken Pinkie. “So I asked her what was better. And...And she said it was so much nicer than those stale blueberry ones I gave Ditzy Doo two weeks ago! She said...She said they tasted like I had rolled them in fertilizer and...and that they were harder than a rock!”
Lyra cocked her head. “Wait...Raindrops said that?”
Pinkie nodded, her sobs gradually reducing to a few whimpers and moans. “But that's not all! When she was done, I-I told her that was a mean thing to say. And she...she said that she was just being helpful! That if she wanted to be mean, she would have told me th-that everypony thinks I'm annoying an-and don't really want to be friends with me a-a-and only use me for my parties!” The cries increased in volume once again, barely giving Lyra enough warning before Pinkie thrusted herself onto her body. Lyra let out a small yelp in surprise, but made no attempt to push the distraught pony away. “A-And then she said I'm still annoying a-and a thief...and I needed to get help like she did! I don't want to get help like she did! If help turns ponies into her, th-then I DON'T NEED ANY!”
Lyra stood perfectly rigid for several seconds, her little mind scraping what resources it had to analyze the situation. Raindrops would get annoyed by Pinkie Pie...but she'd never say something like this. And at the shop, she wasn't willing to listen to Ditzy or Bon-Bon when they said she couldnt' afford the basket. Perhaps that's what...whatever happened to her does. It removes some part of her self-control, like she's losing her inhibitions as she gets happier. I need to...
And then her eyes drifted downward, catching with what little she could see of Pinkie Pie's face beneath her puffy mane. The pony's eyes were stained red from tears, bringing an uncomfortable warmth to Lyra's chest. The musician shuddered just slightly as she finally laid witness to the despair that now poured out of Pinkie Pie's very heart. Not once had she seen a pony like her truly broken down; even their encounter during the Parasprite incident was more like a discussion than a comfort session.
Lyra's gaze shifted upwards, towards the rest of the store. She could already see a few ponies approaching, no doubt seeking shelter from the sun with a tasty treat. “Pinkie...are the Cakes here?”
Pinkie shook her head, rubbing Lyra's fur with even more of her tears. “Nuh-uh. Mrs. Cake wasn't feeling well, so she and Mr. Cake went to the doctor. They won't be back for another hour or so...”
Just wonderful. Raindrops is still missing, and...
Lyra gave her head a good shake and took a step away from Pinkie Pie, grabbing her in her hooves as soon as she was at the appropriate distance. “Pinkie...I want you to go to the backroom for a little while, at least until the Cakes get here. I'll keep an eye on things down here.”
Pinkie Pie's head slowly arced upward, her lips quivering with disbelief. “B-But I have to watch the store! I don't want them to be angry with me.”
“They won't. I'll explain everything once they get here. But you need to take care of yourself. What Raindrops did...was terrible, but you need to calm yourself down. If she had said the same things about me, I don't think I would have acted any differently from you. Now, as a friend, please let me help.”
Pinkie Pie's sobs ceased almost instantly. Her face twisted briefly in confusion, but just as quickly snapped into her usual mirthful smile. “Y-You mean that? We're friends?”
Lyra smiled and nodded. “Of course we are. And don't let anypony else tell you differently.”
The party pony leaned back just a step, and then sprang forward onto Lyra like a pouncing frog. This time, though, the hug was not out of pain or suffering, but from the joy of acceptance and the magic of friendship. Lyra returned the gesture without hesitation, even as the first curious customers wandered in for their noontime scones and sundaes. Pinkie Pie gave a final, smiling nod before darting through the back and clopping up the stairs to her room above the bakery.
Once she was sure Pinkie Pie was going to be all right, Lyra trotted to the other side of the counter, tossed on a nearby apron, and stepped up to the counter. “Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner! How can I help you today?”
The first pony, a pink mare with a dark green mane and tail, stepped up. “Um...hello. I-Is Pinkie Pie alright?”
Lyra nodded. “Don't worry, she's fine. I'm not going to leave a friend hanging. Now, what can I get for you today?”
----------
Carrot Top winced just slightly as she approached Ponyville Town Hall. The center of the town's government stood just as proudly as ever, perfectly beguiling the not-so-corrupt-but-still-ridiculously-incompetent politicians within. Fortunately, the front of the town hall was clear of just about anypony, with everypony who had actual business to attend to either waiting inside or having long since given up and left for the day. This made it especially easy for Carrot Top to get to the perfect location to begin brainstorming, even with her creeping back injury.
“Okay, Carrot, think this through,” she muttered to herself. “You left Raindrops here last night. She wasn't feeling well and told you to go on home alone while she vented. You did that, and...then what? What could have possibly happened between then and this morning that...?”
A sudden twinge erupted from her loin, causing Carrot to spin about with a look of absolute agony. Pokey's pills were quite obviously not designed for this kind of injury; knowing Trixie, she had probably never even read the instructions before hoofing them out. “Oh, I don't care if she's happy, but why does she have to make everypony else suffer for it?!”
Despite the agony, the mare opened her eyes. The first object to come into view was the town's bulletin board, with all the latest postings. Everything from the new petition against tax to the (thankfully undersigned) attempt to banish Sweet Apple Acres was on display, most of it untouched and unnoticed by the rest of the ponies. Even Carrot Top would have paid it no heed had she not noticed something different about it.
A few trots were all it took to recognize the problem. A large, pink piece of paper had been clumsily stapled into place, showing a growling pony becoming a smiling one. And then there was what was written:
Angry? Frustrated? Can't control your emotions?
Let me help you with that!
Take part in a brand-new discovery in anger management!
Just stop by Dr. Neighser Crane's office, open nightly!
And just beneath that was a torn interest slip.
Carrot Top tapped her chin. That picture is a pretty good picture of what happened to Raindrops. Perhaps she went there after the meeting... She shook her head and laughed. No, of course not! Raindrops would never just run off after something she saw on the town bulletin board, especially if it involved her temper! She's got more sense than that...
Her eyes drifted up just slightly, catching up with the image of that minotaur from the meeting, Iron Will. The picture showed up standing next to several ponies, all of them beaming with confidence and inner strength. “Wait...didn't he say he ran an assertiveness seminar?” Carrot Top wondered to herself. “Perhaps he knows what's going on?”
She looked at the bottom of the sheet, to the date and time. “Today at 2:30. Perfect! I hope he doesn't mind a tough little pony like me in his audience, because I am going to get some answeEERRRRRAAGGHS!”
There were a few other words muttered after her latest bout of back spasms, but they were far from ladylike.
----------
Ditzy was just about to doze off with her last cup of tea when their quarry finally landed. Raindrops slowly alighted herself next to the celery stand, still smiling with all the joy of a thousand youths on Hearth's Warming Eve. “What did I tell you?” she whispered to Trixie. “Now we can...”
That was when she noticed something rather unexpected. Trixie was still sitting her chair, not moving so much as a muscle. Her breathing had become much more shallow, her eyes widening, her hooves trembling like they were in the middle of a Buffalo stampede. Ditzy cocked her head and waved a hoof in front of her friend's dead eyes. “Hey, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost or something.”
“Huh?” Trixie gave her head a good shake, her pupils returning to their normal size as she did so. “N-No, it's nothing. I just...I wasn't expecting something like this. I-I mean...I have seen her happy before, but not while the sun was out.”
Ditzy shifted her head back into an upright position. “What do you mean?”
“I-It's nothing,” Trixie muttered. Fortunately, Ditzy seemed to quiet down after that, thus sparing the Representative of the Night Court the shame of relating how she almost lost another friend forever. The mare gave her hat a quick adjustment, straightened her cape, and hopped up from her seat, standing as majestically as a superhero about to foil some petty crook. Raindrops remained blissfully unaware, just as she had back in the candy shop, gleefully handing over what few bits she apparently had left to purchase several massive celery stalks. As she moved, the flaps on her saddlebags peeked open just a smidge, revealing two glass jars filled with peanut butter.
Heh, Trixie was right, Ditzy wondered to herself as she hopped back up to her hooves.
Trixie's eyes darted from one end of the market to another, making sure that Raindrops wasn't turning around anytime soon. Once she was certain she wasn't going to be caught, her horn began to glow, weaving her body in an illusionary Invisibility spell. Now undetectable to the naked eye, she perched herself to the ground and approached, not unlike a panther about to pounce on an unsuspecting chicken. Ditzy slowly circled alongside, keeping her vision fixed on the small indentations Trixie's hooves made in the grass.
“Thank you very much!” Raindrops shouted, causing the poor celery salespony to practically faint from the power of her voice. She raised her right foreleg, spun about...
And stopped as she felt something hard, followed by a squeal of pain, and finally ending with a resounding crash against a lamppost at the other side of the street, right next to Ditzy. Trixie gradually reappeared, her head swirling about like water going down the drain. Both the mailmare and the perpetually perky pony leaped to their downed friend's side, the former gasping in terror and the latter grinning larger than ever.
“A-Are you all right?” asked Ditzy.
“Um...wha...huh?” Trixie mumbled, her voice wavering and shaky from the shock and pain of it all. “R-Raindrops, what'd I do...?”
“Heh, sorry.” Raindrops scratched the back of her crest, giggling nervously even as her smile seemed to consume more and more of her head. “I didn't see you crawling around back there, and I have to get down to the school, and...”
Ditzy's eyes narrowed. “Wait, the school? As in, Ponyville Elementary?”
“Of course!” Raindrops snapped to attention, her gait not unlike a Royal Guard. “Today is such a wonderful day that I can't keep all this happiness to myself! Snails and his classmates need a good treat if they're going to keep their brains fueled and their bodies going!”
Ditzy shook her head, her forehead throbbing with an oncoming migraine. “Rainy, please listen to us. We don't know what's happened, but we want to...”
Before she could mutter another word, however, Raindrops had already leaped into the air, her wings beating furiously as she flew off into the distance. Ditzy started to flare her own feathered appendages to follow, but froze as her hoof tapped against the still-downed Trixie. Sighing, the mare leaned her body down, pushing the Representative's legs onto her neck before slowly levering her back to her hooves. Trixie hobbled about for a few moments before shaking her head and finally knocking out what remained of her senselessness.
The mare rubbed her head, especially the rather large lump that Raindrops had just gifted to her. “Guess her anger isn't the source of her super-strength, after all. You learn something new every day...”
“D-Do you need to see a doctor?” Ditzy asked, her voice twinged with worry. “That was a pretty nasty blow.”
“Ah, I'll be fine!” Trixie gloated, even as her trembling legs threatened to expose her tangled web of lies. “I get a few dozen blows on the head every day! You should have seen what happened when Pierce tried to stab through the attic. I never knew the last Representative loved weight lifting so much...”
Ditzy opened her mouth to admonish Trixie, but alas, there was nothing she could conceivably say that would adequately respond to such a statement. The only sane thing to do was just chalk it up to Trixie being Trixie and move on with their quest before something even worse happened. “I'll go find Lyra and Carrot Top. You go to the school and try to stop Raindrops before things get any worse.”
----------
Lunchtime at Ponyville Elementary, contrary to what many would believe, was actually a fairly tame and quiet time. There were plenty of foals running about, jumping over ropes or just rolling around in the grass, but there was a sense of organization to the madness. By this point in the school year, the fillies and colts had already figured out who liked who, what games they were best at, and who had the best goods to trade for.
And watching over them was Miss Cheerilee, the best darn teacher Ponyville had ever known. She was also a national hero or something, but saving the world was just a side project. As she relaxed under her favorite tree, finishing off the last few bites of her apple and watching her little ponies play about, the only thing she could think about was how wonderful it was living her dream. Very few ponies got to experience such perfect bliss, even if it was occasionally interrupted by an errant ball or...
“HELLO THERE!”
Or one of her friends going insane.
The entire schoolyard froze in shock as Raindrops came in for a landing, her saddlebags rustling just slightly as their contents shifted. The foals slowly pulled themselves away from the intruder, a few clutching their precious potato chips and jam sandwiches close to their trunks. Cheerilee's response, though, was more of confusion than caution, as she slowly sidled up to the newcomer. “Um...good afternoon, Raindrops. I-Is something bothering you?” she asked through a rosy fake smile.
“Absolutely NOTHING!” The screaming sound of the mare's voice sent Cheerilee retreating a good fifteen paces, all while terrifying the foals even more. Even Dinky, perpetual bringer of joy and tooth decay, found herself cowering under a bench rather than face her mom's friend's strange new behavior.
Raindrops' eyes never stopped scanning the field, and yet, her smile refused to fade. “Now come on, my little ponies. There's no need to be afraid of me anymore. I'm not going to be angry or lose my temper from now on. I even brought a treat.”
The foals looked about each other silently, leaving their instructor to take up the question. “A treat? Raindrops, you really...”
Her mouth came to a complete halt, however, as Raindrops' hoof fell over her lips. “Tut-tut, my dear Cheerilee! I am but a humble assistant on this fine day, providing these little ponies with extra sustenance so that their minds can expand and absorb the knowledge you bring forth.”
Now Cheerilee was beyond confused, perhaps even confuzzled. She tilted her head, twitched her eyes, and flapped her ears, but Raindrops just smiled and nodded at her friend's apparent seizure. “R-Raindrops...what's going on here? You have never talked like that before.”
“That's because that was the old Raindrops!” The mare puffed out her chest, stomped one of her hooves, and flipped open her saddlebags with her wings, revealing the jars of peanut butter and stalks of celery within. “This is the new-and-improved model, the one that doesn't make ponies tremble at the mere sight of her, the one anypony can talk to without worry of a hoof to their muzzle! And today, these lucky ponies get to enjoy celery sticks and peanut butter!”
“B-But they've already eaten lunch!” Cheerilee's voice gradually rose in intensity, slowly overtaking “snapped” and reaching “screamed.” “Aren't you worried that they'll be overeating? And you are very lucky nopony in this class is allergic to peanuts, or you might have made somepony seriously sick! This isn't...”
“E-Excuse me?”
Everypony's eyes turned to Dinky, giving the filly pause as she pulled herself out of hiding. Her little pupils zoomed in on the peanut butter and the decorative label that adorned its glass prison. “I-Is that Crown Regal Peanut Butter?!”
The minute the words pierced the air molecules floating around the playground, everypony's mouths began to water. Crown Regal Peanut Butter was the most superb peanut-based spread in all of Equestria, a rare treat for any of the foals in attendance. It was also extremely expensive, costing almost twenty bits for a small jar, but that was how you knew it was the best. And nothing went better with peanut butter than delicious celery.
Raindrops' smile grew as she cocked her head and closed her eyes. “Of course it is! You little ponies need all the protein you can get if you're gonna grow up big and strong! And there's plenty for everypony!”
“But you-”
If Cheerilee had any more to contribute to the discussion, it was drowned out by the chorus of cheers from the foals. The little ponies charged the mare with all the force of a hurricane, and would have plowed her right over if she hadn't firmly anchored herself to the ground. Not that Raindrops seemed to particularly notice; she just flipped the bags off her bag, pulled out a previously hidden spoon from one of the flaps, and proceeded to begin breaking the celery into equal pieces.
Cheerilee could only shake her head in horror. W-What happened here? Has Raindrops gone crazy? Drunk? She took a few steps closer and paused to sniff the air. Not a whiff of alcohol. But what could she...?
“Pssst! Hey, Cheerilee!”
The teacher spun about at the voice, only to find herself staring at a bush on the other side of the playground. Another hissed whisper followed, along with a blue hoof waving itself from beneath the mass of branches. Cheerilee winced as she saw Raindrops hand Dinky and Featherweight each a piece of peanut-stained celery, but alas, her curiosity finally overcame her other senses and she approached the bush.
She had just managed to get within ten steps when the bushes' bristling infrastructure was magically parted, allowing Trixie to step out. After a quick motion to readjust her hat and cape and knock off the leaves and twigs that had gotten entangled in her hair, she nodded at Cheerilee. “Thank goodness I got here.” Trixie sighed as she bore witness to the peanut butter-fueled assemblage of foals, as well as Cheerilee’s frustrated glare. “See our problem?”
“You mean that Raindrops has taken up interrupting my class and smiling like Pinkie Pie?” Cheerilee shook her head. “So what’s the deal? Last I heard, she had just lost her job.”
“Technically, it was a suspension. But yeah, Raindrops is acting more than a little weird right now. So far, she’s blown her money on a gift basket, threw out Carrot Top’s back, and just gave me a good bump on the head.” As if to answer Cheerilee’s silent disbelief, Trixie levitated off her hat, revealing the still-fresh lump next to the protruding bone.
Cheerilee gasped in shock, her eyes wandering back and forth between Trixie and the gathering around Raindrops. “I-Is she violent right now? Are my foals in any danger?”
Trixie rolled her eyes and sighed. “Cheerilee, this is still Raindrops. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t hurt a foal. It’s just that she’s...well, happy. Really happy.”
By this point in the conversation, every foal had already managed to get their piece of celery and dollop of peanut butter, and had pulled away from the intruder to resume their lunch break. Raindrops smiled, kicked back her hooves, and sat back on her haunches, still smiling like a cheshire cat. Cheerilee cocked her head and raised an eyebrow, even as Trixie resumed rubbing her newfound battle wound. “Okay, we know she’s happy. But any idea why?”
Trixie shook her head. “Lyra and Ditzy suggested drugs...”
“It’s not drugs.”
Cheerilee’s response came so suddenly that Trixie had to do a double take. The teacher’s face was twisted in a mask of confidence, her mind resolute in her convictions. Trixie, on the other hoof, was decidedly less sure. “How do you know that?”
“I’ve been around, Trixie, and I can assure you, Raindrops is not taking drugs. Besides, haven’t you read all the ‘Princess Luna Teaches Foals About Controlled Substances’ comics?”
“You mean those stupid things?” Trixie shook her head and chuckled. “Of course I remember those. Luna hated those things so much. Something about them being inflammatory and insulting and making her flank look big. But how does that..”
“Sorry we’re late!”
The two ponies spun around to find Ditzy, Lyra, and Carrot Top coming up the road. The first was the only pony not bearing any sort of strange mark from the day’s events; Carrot was still struggling to move about, and Lyra’s mane and coat were stained with the most delicate twinges of cake frosting and icing. They stopped only when they had reached the rest of their companions. “Sorry, but it took a minute to find Lyra. She apparently spent the last hour in Sugar Cube Corner.”
Lyra blushed, even as Trixie gave her the Evil Eye. “Sugar Cube Corner? Surely you weren't trying to sit back and relax while everypony else did the hard work?”
“But that's...” Ditzy started, before finally just giving up and letting out a frustrated growl of defeat.
“It's a long story,” Lyra muttered. “Point is, somepony needed help, I helped, and now it's time to stop Raindrops before she...”
“Hey, Rainy!”
Everypony's ears practically drooped right off their heads at the voice. A quick glance in the direction of Raindrops confirmed their worst fears. Standing right next to Raindrops was her little brother, Snails. Not the brightest of colts out there, but still a treasured member of the class and friend to many. “Thanks for the awesome snack!”
Raindrops giggled and gave her brother an affectionate hoof to the head. “No problem, little bro! And hey, I've got plenty of time off now, so how about we hit the lake after school? Get yourself some swim practice before the trip!”
Snails' mouth opened so much that it almost seemed to pop right off. “You mean it?! Wow, first you get your vacation time early, and now this!”
“Vacation time?”
The touching moment came to a sudden end as a new voice joined the conversation. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, the class bullies and source of no small amount of torment in Snails' life previously, took a few unwelcome steps towards the two. Their tongues licked off the last traces of peanut butter off their lips, making sure every last drop of the precious stuff was gone before unleashing the full force of their wrath. “Didn't you hear what happened? Your sister got fired!” said Diamond Tiara.
Snails' smile vanished as quickly as it had come. “Fired? B-But she's the most awesome worker ever!”
“I hear she beat up her boss,” said Silver Spoon. “They say she knocked her right through a wall!”
“It was actually a door.”
Raindrops hopped back to her hooves, her smile seemingly growing even wider. “And I was suspended, not fired. Once Rainbow Dash realizes I'm all better, she'll give me my job back.”
Snails cocked his head. “B-Better? What do you mean?”
Any further conversation ended as Tiara and Spoon broke out into giggles. “You mean you really didn't know? Seriously, you must be dumber than you look!” Tiara said with a slight scoff in her voice.
“And that's an accomplishment!” added Silver Spoon.
Snails let out a low growl as she spread his legs, no doubt in preparation for the epic buttkicking that was about to commence. “O-Oh yeah?! Well, my big sister is here right now! And she's gonna make sure y-you bullies all get what's coming to you! Isn't that right, sis?”
Raindrops slowly lowered her head towards her brother, panned it back over to the two bullies, and then back again to Snails. Cheerilee's teacher senses immediately kicked into gear as she began to canter over, avoiding a gallop only so she didn't risk running into any of the other foals. And she would have made it had Raindrops not suddenly decided to speak. “Actually, you could probably study a little more.”
In an instant, Snails' confidence collapsed like their roof had a month prior. He spun about, almost tripping himself over his own hooves as he looked his sister in the eyes. “Wh-What?”
Cheerilee froze just a few steps shy of Raindrops, her own expression quickly matching the horror on Snails'. The others slowly walked up alongside, not a single one of them able to make out just what was going on. Even Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were aghast that they weren't being silently glared at by the Perpetually Perturbed Pony. And as for Raindrops, her smile just grew and grew with every passing word, until a big, toothy smile covered her entire face.
“It's a fair criticism. I mean, you know as well as I do that you're not always the smartest colt out there. That doesn't make you a bad pony; it's just something you have to work on. Like that time you brought that snail into my room and accidentally dropped it on my face. I know you wouldn't do anything like that deliberately, but you're so clumsy at times that you have to watch what you're doing. These ponies aren't out there to be mean to you; they just want you to know how many problems you have so you can get better like I did. That way nopony will ever call you retarded again.”
The entire class gasped. Cheerilee almost felt something tear out of her chest. Trixie had to push Lyra's mouth back shut. Ditzy and Carrot Top looked like something out of a ghost story. And Raindrops just kept smiling, ever wider, ever larger...
Snails sniffed at the air for a moment, barely fighting back the dam of emotions threatening to rupture. Alas, this hurricane was far too much, and he finally let out a single loud wail before galloping away, his eyes brimming with hot tears. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon watched as he fled to the other side of the building, their own mouths hanging open in horror. Fortunately for all, the school bell chose that moment to finally ring, signaling a continuation of the day's lesson.
One by one, the foals walked past the motionless adults, their eyes peeled far away from Raindrops. It was only when Dinky saw her mother amongst the crowd that she broke formation and walked to her, not even reaching out for a nuzzle. “Mommy...is Miss Raindrops a bully?”
Ditzy was silent a few moments longer, her own eyes threatening to water under the watchful gaze of her little one. When she finally had an answer, she leaned over and gave Dinky a reassuring rub on the cheek. “No, of course not. She just...has some problems right now.”
“Yes she does,” Cheerilee muttered, seemingly ignoring Dinky rushing back into the classroom. “And at the top of the list...IS ME.”
Every step Cheerilee took resounded with the fury of an earthquake. Her eyes burned with an awesome power the likes of which even Princess Luna could never hope to match. Everything in her regarded Raindrops no longer as a friend, but as an enemy to be put down, a problem to be solved, and most of all, a villain to be punished.
She stopped her march only when she was directly behind Raindrops. The pegasus had refused to move, her head still lowered to where Snails had previously been. “Raindrops, I know you are under a lot of pressure, but you have gone too far this time! How dare you interrupt my class' lunch, distribute snacks without my permission, and then insult one my ponies! I don't care if he is your bother; NOPONY gets away with what you've just done!”
Raindrops didn't move, almost as if she had been cemented to the ground itself. Cheerilee let out another growl, grabbed her with both of her forehooves, and finally forced her around...and froze as she saw the tears running down Raindrops' cheeks. Her smile was still there, but it looked so forced, so painful, that she had to do a double-take and step back. “R-Raindrops, are you...?”
“I-I'm fine,” she choked. “Of course I'm fine. I'll always be fine!” And before anypony else could make their move, she galloped off and leaped into the air, her wings spreading majestically as she flapped into the distance.
The remaining five adults slowly walked over to each other, their faces masked with concern. “D-Did she really say what I think she said?” asked Carrot Top.
“She apparently did the same thing to Pinkie earlier,” Lyra added. “That's why I was at Sugar Cube Corner for so long. She made her cry.”
Trixie shook her head in disbelief. “Pinkie crying? I...guess she has emotions like everypony else." She paused, took a breath, and then continued. "But what do we do now? She could be anywhere in Ponyville, we still don't know what's causing this, and now we have a hurt little colt to deal with.”
“I'll take care of Snails.” Cheerilee's voice was hushed. “The rest of you...find Raindrops. We'll meet up after class.”
Having said her piece, Cheerilee slowly walked off to the side of the schoolhouse, where Snails was still curled up in a small, broken ball. The others couldn't make out what she was saying as she knelt next to him, but before long they were hugging and he was sobbing into her shoulders.
“...I found something on the bulletin board,” Carrot Top said with a wince. “The minotaur who runs her Anger Management class has a seminar going on today, and somepony ripped off some interest slip for a psychiatrist. You think he might know something?”
“It's worth a try,” Trixie said. Her attention was more focused on Snails and Cheerilee as they slowly returned to the classroom, but she still had some to spare for her friends. “Lyra and I will try to find her in Ponyville.”
And so the ponies split up once again, with not a soul noticing the cloud that was following them...
Stats
Page generated in 0.033 seconds
Total duration
1,071 users online
1,784,376 hits today, 1,822,946 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Are they Chick Tracts?!
Anyway. Overall: Excellent. I was actually cringing when Raindrops talked down to Snails. Poor colt...
Pretty much everything that follows are nitpicks and not actual problems.
Time for me to get pedantic!
You're only supposed to use "former" (and "latter") if you're only listing out two things. For three or more, you just number them ("first," "second," etc).
This line seems a bit more natural if it came out of Trixie, Carrot Top, maybe even Cheerilee. Ditzy's thing is, after all, that she knows everypony in town to the same greater-or-lesser extent that Pinkie does in the mane universe, so she'd probably be aware that Pinkie *can* have mood swings.
2078774
In a sense. It's really just a broad parody of "Scare 'em Straight" PSAs and comic material, the kind that a lot of us were given as kids in a desperate quest to keep us off drugs or cigarettes or whatever else you can think of. Since Chick Tracts use the exact same tactics, they're lumped into the rest of the parody.
So...Raindrops went to seek help from a psychiatrist named Dr. Crane...I see what you did there.
I found myself having to stop every so often in order to let the laughter subside. Seriously, this is hilarious in a morbid sort of way.
And man, I was hoping to see Cheerilee and Raindrops facing off in epic Street Fighter fashion.
and the fact Cheerilee instantly knowsit's not drugs is...illuminating.
Aw, poor Raindrops! I hope she gets better soon.
The Ditzy and Trixie scene in the beginning worked very well. It's perfect Trixie. If she was a gamer, she'd be called out on camping all the time. :-)
A little surprised that Lyra was the one to help out our favorite baker instead of Carrot Top. CT has actual baking experience (even if only a little, from her training in CTS), and it might have been neat for Pinkie to be all, "Hey, wait a minute, this is a tough job and it's not like just anyone can do it," and for Carrot Top to pull it off well. (Whereas, with Lyra, I'm not sure she could do much besides running the counter. Fanon usually has her being mediocre at best at cooking and baking, unless we've said elsewhere in the L-verse that I missed). That said, it's nice to see the other L5 acting in the 'help someone, particularly an M6 character, with their problems' role, and I think you nailed her personality. Lyra's scene with her was really good, and I liked how you made her sad and then overjoyed.
Not sure how I feel about Carrot Top's injury being, apparently, a serious thing and not a gag. It makes it harder for her scenes to be funny if she's actually in genuine pain/has a broken or chipped back. I think I would have preferred if the painkillers worked.
It was mentioned in CTS that actually destroying or torching SAA would do bad things to the local economy. This wasn't as much of a concern in CTS because, as BP mentioned, AJ could in the worst case (of the boycott not going away) start shipping her apples and selling them in Canterlot; she would then still be employing farmhands, buying goods in town, and so on, and it wouldn't have as big an effect (on the business. It was still hurting AJ, which was most of why CT and the others became worried). Actually booting SAA out, though, would result in problems that presumably no one really wants to deal with. I suppose there could just be a couple jerks who aren't thinking ahead, but it might be best to clarify that there's only one or two names on the signature sheet.
Oh, poor Trixie. Well, at least it wasn't her window again.
The school scene was perfect. The Snails bits in particular were especially good, with him going from overjoyed to absolutely distraught. And Raindrops pulls off the 'thoughtlessly insensitive advice' bit to absolute perfection. I really like the way that Cheerilee went into protective mode around her students too. That's an aspect of Cheerilee's personality that I really like to see; she values her charges and is going to make sure that they're okay to the absolute best of her ability.
Looking forward to seeing where this goes next!
I gotta read this. I read anger management, and I see Iron Will in the story tags... I can only imagine!
I'm gonna give this a read because I love OC characters (they're the best, and often very rounded because the author writes them exactly how they please)
Let me get back to you on this once I've read it~
It would have been better to have Ditzy sigh about still waters running deep when talking about Pinkie's Heroic BSOD. "The higher the high, the bigger the crash....."
2079278
On Lyra: The reason I picked Lyra was because she...well, has the Element of Loyalty. It just made more sense for her to find and care for Pinkie than even Carrot Top. Carrot Top also had a similar scene in the beginning with Raindrops, and I didn't want to double-dip there. That, and it furthers the unintentional running gag of everypony but Ditzy coming across situations where Kindness is really, really needed. And besides, L!Pinkie probably isn't allowed into the kitchen when the Cakes aren't there, so Lyra's job was just to run the counter outside of a few touch-up jobs, which used skills she would have subconsciously acquired just by living with Bon-Bon.
I hope that makes sense.
On Carrot Top: Initially, the scene would have ended the back pain joke, along with Iron Will showing up, but I wasn't happy with how the scene sounded so I moved him and the resolution to the next chapter. Carrot Top is going to get better soon.
On SAA: The idea is that it's just a bunch of malcontents, leftovers from the whole mess
that wasin CTS. Most of the Union still doesn't like SAA and really don't like Applejack, but they aren't crazy enough to drive out one of the town's economic powerhouses as long as AJ doesn't cross the line again. The signatures were just a couple of obsessed maniacs who can't let it go.Fascinating, by taking away her "need" for control, she winds up with the more devastating version of what Discord could have done to Canon!Applejack and also proving why the "Truth is a Scourge" spell from elsewhere in Lunaverse canon is so terrible a weapon.
You made Raindrops make Pinkie Pie cry.
You made Raindrops make Snails cry.
You made Raindrops cry about making them cry.
Dr. Crane, if this is your doing, then your license is about to be revoked. Violently.
Oh my god! That was straight up painful to read. Poor Snails, and poor Raindrops too considering the tears as she flew away.
Wow! This is getting intensely disturbing, which considering how disturbing it's been from the start is an impressive accomplishment. This light hearted comedy is fast becoming something of a high octane horror piece, as Raindrops increasingly illustrates the downsides of being monolithically happy and unable to experience any other emotion. Not just in the pain she's inadvertently causing others, but as illustrated with Snails, in that she can't even feel proper regret over causing that pain. I can't even imagine the kind of turmoil that's in her head by this point. None of that is a criticism, BTW. I'm absolutely enthralled and on the edge of my seat with anticipation.
Oh, I also loved the PSA at the end; it was hilariously bad.
2079278
Gotta agree, at this point it's progressed from amusing gag to just plain unsettling, but that said...
2079479
Hmm... if it turns out Iron Will is some kind of licensed chiropractor, all will be forgiven.
(Joke) Alt. Title: Across The Lunaverse!: Here I Am! Raindrops's Like A Hurricane!
Um... Quick question... A-and I don't mean any offence to the author or anybody involved in the group this fic is in... Am I the only one who thinks the Lunaverse is really stupid? I mean, I love Luna to tears, but... It just is.
....so yeah, Raindrops is crazy. Also, yep, that's a combination Chic Track and PSA Comic.
2079795 Sooo...how much of the Lunaverse have you read? Also, IAH who wrote this piece is one of this settings staunchest critics. If you really don't like it, can you give more specific resons besides "it's stupid"? That's not very constructive criticism and is a bit needlessly antagonistic. I would however be happy to address more specific concerns you may have, as I am sure a couple others would be glad to as well. If you find the Lunaverse really isn't to your liking, that's too bad and we're glad you gave us a try. We know we cannot please everybunny and that all that really matters in the end is that we tried our best to tell what we feel are good stories.
2079795 the lunaverse has little luna screentime despite the name .
2079795 In the world? No, most assuredly not. However, you're certainly in the minority around here.
I wonder if she's getting sick in the morning? The timing would be about right for Pound and Pumpkin to make an appearence.
So is Raindrops hypnotised at the moment? Her talking to Snails was painful, whats she going to feel like whenshe recovers, it'll break her. Momma Bear Cherilee was scary as well.
Next chapter: Tossed salad and scrambled eggs.
Mercy. //dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Trixie_lolface_1.png
I call shenanigans! //dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Luna_lolface.png
Hmm, maybe Corona should see these PSA's. Might cheer her up outta her crazy.
pinkie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw4496-BVqwB.gif
I think that actually broke my heart,
I actually kind of like this brutal, caustic honesty that Raindrops is showing. Furthermore, by being the element of Honesty and saying all the harsh truths that ponies don't face up to, what if she causes all the ponies to reflect on themselves, which I doubt will ever happen.
Also, I am so waiting for Raindrops to completely destroy Rainbow Dash. Wreck her emotional state of mind, Dropsy.
This is just an amazing amount of fun. Love the character development and growth. Really don't have much to say and I'm kind of tired, but if I don't leave a review now I'll forget to so excuse the brevity here. Do wish Tiara and Spoon were a bit less of a stereotype but overall though this was great. Thanks so much for sharing!
2079795
...well, I'm curious as to why you think this is so.
I'll not raise a fuss out of whatever you say, though; I don't want to clog up IAH's story with another argument. I'm tired of arguments by this point. I just want to know why you think this, that I might use it to try and improve the Lunaverse.
Oh poor Raindrops... to see her sorta break when she talked down to her brother was harsh. I kinda wanted Cheerilee to bust her head though...
2079568 Might be best not to attack him head on, for fear of the Crane Kick!!
2082392
2080709
2079903
2079984
I... I don't know what it is about the Lunaverse. I just don't like it. But I'll say this: The only way I'll read it is if somebody makes a crossover between the Luanverse and the regular MLP universe. By the way, that person is hopefully going to be me. And it will be season 5.
2084484 RainbowDoubleDash is waaaaay ahead of you: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/77094/countdown-to-crisis
2084490
Does his fic include the R63, human and Japanese universes?... 'Cause mine will... I think.
I really hope this isn't Ziziane out of fucking nowhere
Like, seriously
Please don't let that happen
If Cheerilee is suppose to be so protective, why does she let Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon spew trash?
2084484 Already in the works. It'll be worked on once the Grand Galloping Galla story is finished and tops off "Season 1". Think of it as a "Between Seasons Movie" release.
Also, humans do exist in the Lunaverse, but they're cryptids like bigfoot.
Damn, this is getting unsettling. Well, even more unsettling. This is ramping up quite nicely. One thing I do take issue with, though...
I know 'Ill Communication' is not the best or most well-known Lunaverse story, but I did establish that Trixie and Pinkie broke through a barrier at the end. By now Trixie is not... antagonistic towards Pinkie Pie anymore. Or would feel that way, either. I'm sorry. It's just something I'm trying to work on between the two.
well this was a well written chapter overall there were a few points where I didn't like aspects not due to what happened so much as how these things were presented within them, but still.
The Raindrops Snails scene was agonizing and her breaking into tears at the end was heartbreaking, I can't even read it comfortably, Cheerilee momma bear was awesome. Nice scene with Lyra helping out Pinkie.
Loved the Raindrops kick scene, though poor Trixie, and finding out she doesn't get her super strength form a rage boost is cool.
I'll be interested to see what happens with this doctor, assuming that is what they are.
As has been said, this is getting really disturbing. And I like it! A lot of pain here. Poor ponies. And a Dr. Frasier Crane expy? Also, the PSA really was hilliariously bad.
Wow, I didn't think that there would ever be a scene where I hate Raindrops as much as I do now. Yes she isn't herself and yes I know she get better but damn, that scene with Snails has got to the be biggest "What the Hell?" moment I have read in the Lunaverse. I mean when, when Fluttershy tore into Pinkie Pie & Rarity in "Putting Your Hoof Down" it was cruel and uncalled for but at the very least it was amongst full grown mares. This...I think brutal doesn't even come close to discribing it.
That said it was pretty epic to see Cheerilee ready to teach Raindrops a lesson and seeing how distraught Raindrops was showed me that there is still something of the mare we all know and love in there.
Despite the heavy-ness of the chapter it still moved at good pace and covered a lot of ground. As sad as it was seeing Pinkie Pie reduced to tears, it was cool to see Lyra helping her out.
I look forward to seeing what happens next.
2079278
Most people dont think things out that much. It seems like SAA has a lot of hate garnered for them simply by being such a powerful organization. It's easily believable that there would be a decently sized group of ponies who would have convinced themselves that being rid of SAA would be a good idea.
2126053: As I've said on the board, I'm in general against plots requiring that a lot of Ponyville citizens be stupid or cruel for no good reason. I think that, between CT and BP urging everyone to forgive AJ for her acts during CTS, and the economic problems that would result if SAA did close, that the vast majority of farmers (and other ponies) would be against any attempt to oust SAA.
2126110 I guess if that's how you would want to portray Ponyville I cant fault that. It is usually shown to be a friendly town. I just would personally view them as being like any group of short sighted people since the Lunaverse seems to go for a more realistic and gritty version of Equestria. Not dystopian but sometimes pretty close to it.
2126130: Equestria shouldn't be close to a dystopia either. Ponies are loving, forgiving creatures. Between the Union helping all of them do better anyway, AJ's obvious suffering during that fic, and the time since CTS, I can't see how there'd be any concerted effort to punch AJ in the face at this point.
2172567 I view the Lunaverse are pretty close to dystopian. An ineffective monarch who lets corruption run wild, an ageless Tyrant bent on subjugating the world, assassins, blackmail, superstition, angry crowds bent on killing Trixie on longest day, ponies bearing discord's blood, organized crime, the list goes on.
I absolutely love reading about the Lunaverse, probably more than any other series of stories. But unlike normal Equestria I would have to think long and hard if I ever found a chance to visit lol.
2172713: It's not dystopian at all. It's maybe a little more realistic than the M-verse, but it still shows what is fundamentally a good world and the creatures that live inside it.
(And hey, what's wrong with being a descendant of Discord? No one chooses their parents; that's not bad just to have Discordian blood).
2191204 How is it fundamentally a good world? Every episode shows us either a character who is willing to ruin lives to get what they want or some new horrible threat hiding around the next corner. The mane six characters are all good ponies, but we see little to show the other residents of Equestria to be paragons of virtue. The real world (shootings and all) feels safer than the Lunaverse. The Lunaverse comes off to me as much like the real world...if we were all subject to the whims of eternal beings who want to rule/kill us.
As for the Discordian blooded SPOILERS every discord blooded character we have seen has either been a villain or been a criminal (see elements of insanity and Zazani). In elements of insanity it is even revealed that there was an entire family line dedicated to birthing a new spirit of chaos. Even if they aren't all evil, having such horrible power in just anypony's hooves? Not something to help one sleep at night, that's for sure.
This story even applies to a degree. Here we have a fundamentally good mare who is such a true friend that her friendship helped save the world... and she is for lack of a better term 'cursed' to always be angry and drive other's away from her. In the Gala story (as well as other places here and there) we see how she wants a stallion to come and seep her off her hooves like a maiden... ya good luck with that when even your best friends have a healthy fear of you.
As a note please don't feel these opinions are an attack on you or any other Lunaverse writers, i'm just voicing the opinion that I developed reading these stories. I'm sure others feel differently, it's just that I get a general feeling of hopelessness and inevitability from the Lunaverse. There is always some pony to evade, some got like being to postpone. The mane six always come out okay in the stories but really, at best they are always putting a bandaid on a mortal wound when they win. How long before an assassin gets them, somepony controls them, Luna looses it or some god like thing just Fu87s everything up?
2191696: The main-verse also has a lot of 'new threat around every corner' going on, and there's only been one big threat so far in the L-verse -- Corona. No Discord, windigos, or changelings yet. The other ponies aren't supposed to be paragons of virtue (here or in M-verse), but they are on the whole good ponies and good friends. The real world certainly is a lot less safe than the Lunaverse; setting aside violent crime and the atrocious state of our political system (nothing we've seen in the L-verse even comes close to the depravity of some real-world politicians in office right now), the L-verse seems to be a friendlier and more pleasant face.
As for the Discordians, I seem to recall an orphanage full of Discorded foals who aren't evil -- after all, they are stil foals. Just the proprietor is evil. Discorded magic might not even necessarily always be 'horrible' anyway; Fizzy and Emeral were saying that it always manifests a bit differently from foal to foal (in the 'Treasure City' comments).
Raindrops isn't 'cursed to always be angry.' She has an anger problem, sure, but that just means she has a flaw. The M-verse characters have flaws too (for instance, S2 Pinkie Pie the sociopath). It's not a dystopia just because the characters are imperfect.
I don't see how despair/destruction is inevitable. The L6 win pretty reliably, and are always the stronger for it.
2191765 They live in a world where immortal beings who want to destroy them exist. In the M-verse the worst Discord did was play mean pranks. When it comes to the real world and Lunaverse comparison...I really don't see their situation being anything better. It's equally bad at best nightmarishly worse at.. well worst. As corrupt as politics can be, at least there is the concept of having a voice. These ponies exist in a government of nobles who are only vaguely aware that they represent ponies... okay so maybe it is the same. That aside my point is that in the real world one has to worry about things like crime and murder... not so much birds made of fire destroying your town because a mad goddess is angry at six random girls. For a resident of Equestria tings like murder, robbery, vandalism, etc. are all things to worry about. Then on top of that you have to worry about evil gods, the complete lack of social programs, and the fact that one third of the population has a ranged weapon of unknowable effectiveness attached to their cranium.
The m-verse isn't more utopic because these things are lacking, but because they are so much more childish and safe. You don't have to worry about Discord destroying the world, Celestia won't go insane, friendship makes everything better, and so on. The Lunaverse took the things we see in the show and put them through a darknight style gritty reboot. The result of that is that Lunaverse is going to become a hellish nightmare world, much as any adventure cartoon would become if it were treated realistically.
To touch on an earlier point, unicorns. Now the show has unicorns but hardcore violence doesn't even really exist and we are never shown a more complex attack spell than 'shot a beam at them'. Now if we treat it with more depth and realism ala the Lunaverse, we end up with an entire 'tribe' of ponies that could kill you soon as look at you. Imagine if there were people with a head bone that could teleconetically crush your heart in your chest, or push you off a bridge, or set you on fire (it's magic, ain't gotta explain Sh- ) all without going anywhere near you. A world with magic would be terrifying. Hell, discordians can make your body parts disappear! That is also why what one thinks of as an orphanage of discord blooded foals can also be seen as a room full of death traps with no sign of what will set them off. They may be good little innocents, but all it takes with that kind of power is one bad day...(as you may guess I always kind of felt that the non-mutants in x-men were kind of in the right, in so far as wanting mutants to be registered with the government)
My overall point i guess is that the Lunaverse is dystopian simply because of the world it is.
As for Raindrops, i fail to see how she can ever lead a normal life let alone a happy one. In the episodes fic Trixie had to prove to Drops that she really did view her as a friend. I never understood that fic because I don't see how you can be a friend to someone to treat like a ticking time bomb. You might not hate them, hell you might even kind of like them. But, how close could you be if you think they will unleash on you at any miss step. Their is mental illness in the real world... and it's just as applicable to be called a curse. You cant help it if your born with one, but it will never go away. All you can do is hope it doesn't get worse. Raindrops isn't shown as someone 'easily angered' so much as someone who is composed primarily of rage. Every moment that focuses on her is related to her anger. Weather its the focus of the fic like here or just her being grumpy and withdrawn like she is...well in every fic at all times. The reason I love the Raindrops character so much is because I feel like I can relate to her. My problem may not be anger but I know what it is to have an illness in the most important part of me (my mind), and I know that sometimes when you draw that bad luck card there is no escaping it. That to me makes for a pretty horrible reality/world.
Oh yes and as for why destruction is inevitable, if one mob boss from another city can almost take the element of kindness view kidnapping. What happens when someone actually competent tries? Even if they go their whole lives successfully stopping threats I cant help but feel in the dark universe of magic their isnt some eldritch creature waiting to emerge from the abyss and drag Equestria into a spiraling fall of eternal madness and death... Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn
looking towards to the next
Anyway, I'm amazed with how funny and heart breaking this fic is. Also, the part with Raindrops grinning like a psycho and crying at the same time....yeah, that image is terrifying! Anyway, love this fic and really can't wait to see it updated.
I liked the Crane reference, first off. I hope CT's back gets better, though...
And poor Pinkie, though it's nice to see Lyra being nice to her. Loyalty and all.
Trixe, never change.
Raindrops at the school? Why do I have a bad feeling about this?
And...
Except for that whole bit where she spend a decade drunk after Celestia's imprisonment...
OK...
Author's Note:
A heavily-stilted rendition of a “Princess Luna Teaches Foals About Controlled Substances” comic!
Pony A: Dude, let's drink beer.
Pony B: Okay.
Luna: Stop right there.
Ponies A and B: Princess Luna!
Luna: You should never drink. Drinking is a very bad thing that can hurt little ponies like you. That is why I have never touched alcohol, and neither should you.
Pony B: You're right. I will never drink beer again.
Pony A: Well, I think you're wrong! And so I am going to drink beer and pull a cart around!
(Pony A drinks beer, pulls his cart about, and crashes into a parked one. Cut to the Sun.)
Corona: BWAH HAH HAH! Your soul is mine, misbehaving pony!
Pony A: Oh, if only I had never drank, I would not be burning forever on the Sun!
THE END
The Moral: Drink, and you will burn on the Sun forever. So follow Princess Luna and don't drink ever.
If you replaced Luna with a religious figure, and Corana with Satan, this could have been an actual comic.
I can only feel that our anti-drug efforts may have some key weakness...
Ah! The best of plans, simple, lazy, and enough logic to make it all sound reasonable.
__________________________
This chapter hit me in the feels. Both a crying Pinkie Pie and a crying Snails. Great chapter.