A cold breeze drifted through, causing my fur to puff up a little. Suddenly, I was thankful that I had neglected to return to Rarity and get the rest of my coat trimmed down again. Staring upwards, I watched the two earth stallions slowly put the undercarriage up for Twilight's balcony. Apparently, they used wooden frames, and then encouraged the branches to grow into and around them.
My shoulders bunched up a little, pulling the warm scarf up further around my neck. I had a lot to thank Rarity for lately. She had dropped off this hoof-crafted blue and silver scarf earlier, its colors just a little darker than my mane. It took her ten minutes to decide if it was the right shade, but I didn't mind modeling it for her. Spike was totally fine with the process, too, of course, and Rarity got a free breakfast while she was here, whether she wanted it or not.
Twilight seemed uneasy over the process, but sat and watched the fitting anyway. I had thought she'd have rather gotten a start on the report she was behind on, but I could also think of a few reasons why she didn't. A distinct sensation of Rarity being chaperoned during the entire ordeal was rather pervasive. It wasn't me she was worried about, I sensed. Still, the pearly unicorn was on her best behavior the entire time, apart from complaining about having to take back and shoulder measurements again. Apparently, I had gained a little definition since she last measured me. I didn't know why she only wanted those two readings, though.
I glared up at the work they were doing. Even with no direct sun shining through the overcast sky, I could see a couple flaws. "Is the tree branch supposed to grow through the whole thing, or does it only follow the support struts?" I suddenly asked, standing and walking over to the construction director near the base of the library.
"Eh? It mostly follows the struts. Why?" he questioned after a brief hesitation. Aww hell. Two struts for the entire balcony? I flattened my ears back and shook my head rapidly at him.
"If that's going to be the new balcony, you need either a stronger undercarriage or a middle support strut to maintain and spread out the structural support. It would be really bad if it fell off the side of the library while somepony was on it," I warned. That somepony would probably be me, given my luck and lovely, busted gravity suppressors.
He rapidly shook his head, however. "Relax. This isn't the complete work. We won't be able to add the extension until we get a secondary tree growing anyway, and that'll have supports on the other side of the bridge," he returned.
I blinked. Wait, what?! "Uh, extension? Twilight's putting in an extension?" I questioned. Well, getting the old balcony torn off would be an ideal time to start a project like that, I guess. Applejack unknowingly allowed her to cut a corner then by providing free demolition work.
"Look, I can't just discuss the private building plans of the Element of Magic herself with a civilian. It's good that you're concerned for her safety and are trying to help, but it's private," he explained in an exceedingly condescending manner.
My expression drooped as I glared at him. Was it worth the time and trouble to bitch him out, or should I just ask Twilight later? Hmm. She might lie to me, but I didn't see a reason for her to. Plus, she'd been getting a lot better about that and seemed sincere in trusting me lately. I weighed it for a moment before sighing and shaking my head.
"Eh, forget it. I'll just ask Twilight later," I said, officially giving up. Maybe I just didn't hold an air of authority or something?
He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Sure ya will. Can I get back to work now?" he asked, earning another glare from me.
The door of the library opened up before I could shoot back a witty and belittling retort that would crush his happiness for the rest of the day, sadly. To my surprise, Twilight herself pranced out and looked about for a second before locking onto me, expression shifting to a grin. I brightened my mood and gave her a smile as she trotted over, a bit of a spring to her step, interestingly enough.
"Ah! Miss Sparkle! I was hoping you'd come to investigate soon. I wanted to let you know that the tree is going to be delivered by tomorrow, and we can start construction on your extension as soon as it gets here," the annoying construction stallion spoke up as she approached, cutting her off as she was about to open her mouth.
She looked momentarily confused as she regarded him. "Oh. I forgot that was coming tomorrow. Well, that's good!" she exclaimed, giving him a polite smile and nod. He grinned back, but she immediately went back to being oblivious and rotated to face me instead. Only then did I notice she was wearing my saddlebags.
"I was so hoping you were still out here! If you're still going to go for a walk, can you take these and drop off the measuring tape Rarity left here this morning? She'll probably be wondering where it is," Twilight requested. Oh! Well, it was a good thing that I got distracted by the crappy construction work, then.
I nodded happily to her. "Of course! I was going to go see Pinkie, and that would be on the way anyway," I remembered, mentally running through my basic map of Ponyville. Then my short-term memory kicked back in. "Oh yeah. What's the extension you're having built?" I inquired a moment later.
The stallion, now eavesdropping on us, made an indignant, shocked scoffing noise. Twilight ignored him. Again. "Aww. I was gonna keep it a surprise! Well, it's not a huge surprise, so surprise!" she added instead, giving a little hop into the air. I snickered at her. Sometimes she was so awkward, it was just adorable.
"I figured Spike wouldn't mind a bit more privacy at night, and we probably wouldn't either, so I'm building us a bedroom off the side of the loft. Lots of privacy that way," she chirped, giving me a wink.
Oh. Predictably, I felt the heat rush up into my cheeks. "Oh, uh, well if you're sure we need it. Spike probably would be more, um, comfortable if we're not... I mean, he doesn't seem very pleased when we..." The longer I talked, the more of a stumbling mess I became, of course. I was getting really good at that.
Twilight giggled, however, a light flush appearing on her cheeks as well. "You're adorable. Let's just stick to all three of us needing privacy. Anyway, I'll tell you more about it when you get back. Better get going before Rarity sets the boutique on fire looking for the measuring tape," she reminded, giving me a light peck on the lips.
I sighed gently and smiled back at her, nodding. She returned a single nod before prancing back inside again. Wow. She was in a really good mood today. I wonder if there was something going on? I wobbled for another second or two in the pleasant aftermath of her kiss before shaking myself out of it and scooping up the saddlebags she'd floated over to me. I managed to get them on, and then used a burst of magic to strap the underside with a barrier. Having magic made the task infinitely easier, I decided. It wasn't hard to remember my first clumsy attempt at getting saddlebags on after my first hospital visit.
It took me a moment to notice the stupefied gawk that was aimed my direction from the construction stallion, however. I glanced back over at him questioningly, momentarily forgetting why he'd be giving me such a look. Oh. Wait. He didn't believe me that I knew Twilight. Now I remembered.
"Er, sorry about the public display of affection. I kinda forgot you were there," I apologized, in place of Twilight, of course, since technically she'd initiated it. It was hard for me to believe that she was as oblivious as I was to the surroundings, though. Did she just not care?
He started, and then shook his head rapidly. "Oh, no, no! It's all right. I just didn't know what you looked like, Mr. Moon Mender! I'm sorry!" he apologized in a rapid-fire voice.
I deflated a little. "Seriously? How many ponies know that I'm dating Twilight? Is it really that big a deal?" I asked, somewhat saddened that yet another pony knew my name way ahead of time. I mean, what the hell? Were their fliers up and I just kept missing them or something?
"Er, I'm pretty sure the entire town knows. The Element of Laughter was shouting it at the top of her lungs this morning while advertising the huge party coming up in celebration of that, amongst other things," he informed. My brain lagged for a moment as I stared blankly through him. It took almost five full seconds for me to fully process what he'd just said.
My right forehoof hit my forehead a moment later. "Pinkie! Gah. I hope Twilight doesn't mind. Well, I'd better go talk to Pinkie. Uh, keep up the good work, I guess," I said, excusing myself and trying really hard not to choke on the 'good' part. He still looked a bit shell-shocked, but gave me a nod as I walked off slowly, metal brace on my left foreleg clinking with each step. I mean, seriously. If they really knew about me, I figured the battle damage would easily give me away. Not that I was pleased that everypony knew about me in the first place. Still, I'd rather have one extreme or the other! Either have nopony know who I was, or at least have them recognize me to the point where they wouldn't deny me information.
Well, one thing at a time. Twilight wanted me to drop off the measuring tape, so that came first. Stewing still, I set out on my slow, limping pace towards the Carousel Boutique.
* * * * *
Of course, it had started raining by the time I made it over to Rarity's fine establishment. It was a cold rain that seemed somewhat more wet than usual, even though that didn't make much sense. Still, only my hooves felt it, so I wasn't complaining. I casually limped along with a hemispherical barrier above me, staying pleasantly dry. I'd never cease being thankful for my magic, I decided.
Visibility was crap at this point, so I was almost within spitting distance of the boutique when I saw that I wasn't alone. Out front, somepony had their teeth locked firmly onto Rarity's mailbox handle, and looked like they were trying to tear the thing from the ground! My eyes widened as the wooden post shifted a little under the wet mud and wrenching motions. Why was somepony assaulting Rarity's mailbox?
I picked up a bit more speed and got closer, ready to stop the individual if need be. To my surprise, a familiar gray pegasus with a blond mane came into view. She was tugging desperately at the front of the mailbox, which appeared very much stuck. To my surprise, she was also crying!
"Derpy! What's wrong?" I asked as I walked up, slowing a bit. She probably was just attempting to deliver mail.
She stopped her thrashing against the box and looked over at me, one eye focusing on my position. "M-Mender? I'm almost done with my deliveries but I can't get this box open. I wanna get out of the rain!" she yelped, looking downright miserable as her ears drooped.
My barrier expanded above me, instantly covering her too as I gave her my best reassuring smile. "Let me take a peek at it," I offered, stepping up next to her. She looked up in surprise at the barrier, and then gave me an amazingly warm smile as she nodded. I felt better already, even though I hadn't solved the issue yet. Derpy's smile was definitely heartwarming to see. I wasn't used to seeing somepony who wore their feelings so close to the surface.
I pretended to peek inside the slot, my left eye flashing with a scan real quick. The results surprised me. I frowned, and then examined the picture I'd taken a little closer. There was an extremely rudimentary spell inside of the box that was holding the door closed. There wasn't even a power source attached to it. Instead, a line of magic was extended from the mailbox, off to the far right somewhere. Worse yet, there appeared to be a tin of whip cream pressurized inside. This was a prank...
"Somepony's trying to prank you. Or Rarity. Just a second," I informed, popping out another barrier a moment later and simply snipping the line of energy leading from the mailbox. I heard a light thud from inside and realized that the spell had collapsed, simply dropping the tin of whip cream to the floor of the mailbox instead.
Derpy sighed, however. "They're probably pranking me. It's so fun to watch the wall-eyed pegasus soak out in the rain, after all," she muttered, ears lowering again.
"It's okay. You're welcome to come into the Carousel Boutique with me to dry off. You did say it was the end of your shift, right?" I suggested, opening the mailbox and drawing the tin of whip cream out.
She hesitated for a moment, giving it a questioning look before her expression shifted to that of recognition, followed by a glare. Oh. This wasn't the first time she'd encountered this particular prank. My eyes traced the direction of where the line went. There appeared to be a series of bushes near a tree that was just outside of the boutique. If the spell was that crude, it was probably an inexperienced unicorn. They'd have to be close, which meant...
"Do you really think I can?" Derpy asked me, looking back up with a bit of hope glimmering in her eyes. She shifted to shock a moment later as I fired the tin with my hoof, launching it directly at the bushes.
"Aaah!" was shouted out as I heard an audible splattering noise. A short yet extremely round unicorn dove blindly out of the bush, pie tin of whip cream attached to his face. I tilted my head as a brownish-looking, much lankier colt followed his bluish green friend in full retreat, running back towards town square.
I shook my head, glaring after them. "Jerks. You could catch a cold being wet in this weather. Come on, Derpy. I'm sure Rarity has towels we can use to dry you off," I suggested a moment later. There was something about the vindictive and downright cruel prank that really irked me, I noticed. Of course, I knew I didn't like seeing others being treated badly by those 'stronger' than them, even though that didn't necessarily apply in this case. If Derpy had really wanted to, she could probably paddle those two with very little effort.
The gray mare perked, however, and gave me another warm smile. "Thank you, Mender! It must be amazing being an earth pony with magic!" she exclaimed, following after me as I hobbled towards the door in front of us.
"It's not all amazing. Some things I can't control. For example, I have a gravity field that likes to draw falling things towards me through the air. That's not very fun," I corrected, shuddering a little. Then I realized we were forgetting something. "Wait, didn't you have mail to deliver for Rarity?" I questioned, turning back to face her.
She perked and nodded, pulling out a moderately sized package from her mailbag using her teeth. "Yuph. Ah'll jus dehlihver thish ooh er ihrecktly," she explained, beaming.
"Er, what?" I asked, having no idea what she just said.
She paused for a moment before turning and putting the package back in her bag. "I'll just give it to Rarity myself," she corrected, grinning as she looked back around at me. Ooooh!
I nodded happily to her before resuming my moderate hobble. The boutique's door squeaked lightly as I opened it, and a little bell chimed. Both Derpy and I scurried inside and I shut the door so excessive rain wouldn't get in. Bleh. My shield slowly faded and I dried my hooves off on Rarity's welcome mat.
"Oh my. Welcome to Rarity's Carousel Boutique. Dreadful weather we're hav-" Rarity's voice sounded out from the side hall. I glanced that way just in time to see her draw to a stop, eyes widening as she looked at me. "Oh, Mender! What a pleasant surprise! And Derpy?" she asked, finally noticing my soggy companion.
"Do you have a towel Derpy can borrow, Rarity?" I asked politely, giving the unicorn a soft smile. Normally I tried to pay more attention to manners, but Derpy was probably cold.
Rarity shifted to a small smile and nodded, however, not looking offended. I heard a door opening as she glanced to the right, horn lighting up. Hall closet? I vaguely recalled seeing one before. I wasn't nearly as familiar with this place as I was the library, for obvious reasons.
A large beach blanket drifted over Rarity a moment later, and she gently wrapped the shivering pegasus in it. "T-Thank you, Rarity! I got stuck out in the rain while just finishing up my route, and Mender threw a shield over me to act like an umbrella. Oh, and he stopped a nasty prank that was being played on me," Derpy spoke up finally, shivering lightly as she wrapped the large blanket around herself more.
"A prank?! In this weather? You could have caught a cold! How very inconsiderate. You two should come to the back. I'll serve us some hot tea," Rarity suggested. She had my attention instantly, every bit of focus remembering exactly how amazing her tea was. She gave me a knowing grin before trotting back through the hallway. Heh, my expression probably just gave away exactly what I thought about the tea.
Derpy gave me an extremely pleased smile and I nodded to her, reaching over and helping her dry her hooves off first and foremost with the blanket before we slowly made our way to the back work room. Rarity was already sitting on her sofa when we arrived, Opal lying regally next to her as if queen of the house. I gave the feline a wide birth as I settled onto the couch across from Rarity. Derpy got up next to me, blanket first as to not get the cushion wet. Tea was already sitting out on the table between us, steam gently drifting from the large pot. I saw Rarity had a half-full cup, and surmised that she had actually already made it before we got here. She poured us both a cup with her magic.
"Thank you, Rarity. I was actually on my way here to drop off the tape measure you accidentally left at the library," I explained, settling into the cushion and sighing contently as the warm and delicious liquid drifted down my throat. It was a little sip of heaven, especially after getting out of the crappy weather.
Rarity halted for a moment and gave me a blank stare before she slapped her forehead with a free hoof. "That's where I left the thing! I had to get out another roll because I couldn't find it. It slowed me down significantly. Thank you for returning it," she said, watching passively as I pulled off the saddlebags and dug into the right side, looking for the measuring tape.
"Admittedly, I thought you'd be busier than this with the orders you mentioned this morning," I added idly, perking as I finally found the tape at the bottom of the bag. This thing still had a bunch of random things from our Canterlot trip in it. After pulling the tape out and setting it on the table, I took another peek into the bags.
Rarity snickered as she watched before finally explaining, "I was taking a brief break from the order, actually. The creative process cannot be rushed. Well, not with good results, anyway. Plus, it gives me time to fit your suit for your decidedly expanding build." I detected a bit of hesitation with that last part and smirked with my head still inside the bag. She'd been on edge about mentioning anything to do with my build after accidentally insulting me way back when we met, I noted.
"I don't have to wear it to Pinkie's party, do I?" I asked wearily, popping my head out of the bag again and pulling an impressive looking abacus with me a moment later. This thing had to be made for a unicorn. The beads were way too small to be manipulated with hooves. Although it was Twilight's, so that kinda made sense.
Rarity snickered merrily. "Of course not. Admittedly, I doubt it would be the right dress for what she was explaining. Unless you want its protective qualities. It does make you fire resistant, and I'm working on a complex feather fall enchantment to put on it, but admittedly, I've never used it before," she rambled.
I stuck my head out of the bag again at the word 'enchantment', having tucked the abacus back into the bag while she was talking. "Feather fall?" I asked curiously. Was that as self-explanatory as it sounded?
"Well, I've noticed how gravity seems to simply adore you, so I figured an enchantment that let you fall slower and significantly less painfully might be nice," she detailed, giving me that self-aware smirk again.
I averted my eyes for a moment before nodding in agreement. "As much as I'd love to deny that, I honestly can't. In truth, after I'd seen Canterlot from a distance while on the train, I really thought I was going to end up falling off the cliff it's built into," I admitted, remembering the oh so graphic images easily.
Rarity started laughing, and Derpy actually gave me a grin at that, snapping out of her shivering stupor a little more. I noticed the strength of the shaking seemed to be dropping, which hopefully meant the pegasus was warming up a little bit. "Oh dear. I believe that thought had crossed my mind as well, once or twice. But I'm glad it turned out so... ah..." I raised an eyebrow while turning, but stopped when I saw the frozen, wide-eyed mare. Eh?!
Self-examination told me I hadn't accidentally turned into my armored form, sprouted tentacles, or grown a third head, so I gave her a questioning glance. She shivered, and then shook her head, losing her smile and looking away from me. "Sorry. I almost said it turned out well, which wouldn't have been entirely honest, would it?" she finally explained.
Oh. The kiss. "Uh, what? From what I read in the papers, a really big disaster was averted. Isn't that good?" Derpy asked, now down to just her head peeking out of the comfy looking blanket. I sighed and lowered myself to my stomach, lying down on the cushion. However much Rarity wanted to say was entirely up to her.
"Oh, disaster was averted, but I created some of a different sort afterwards," Rarity corrected, ears lowering a little as she watched me. A hesitation. Finally, she closed her eyes and seemed to try to pull up strength from deep within. "I was a complete foal. Watching Mender almost hurt himself without the slightest hesitation in order to save the orchestra... Well, it did something to me. A part of me realized that I'd been being silly," she continued, apparently gathering her courage up.
Derpy remained silent, watching the mare respectfully with one eye, the other drifting sideways to peek at me. Idly, I wondered if she could control them individually or if the one was just a 'lazy' eye and did its own thing. Admittedly, I didn't know a whole lot about her specific condition. Asking would be rude, however.
"I've always wanted a prince. Everypony in town probably knows that by now. Maybe, however, I was looking for the wrong kind of prince? After realizing that, I decided that I really just wanted a polite gentlecolt who would treat me with respect. Mender was more than that even. A humble if not somewhat clumsy hero!" I decided the longer Rarity talked, the more I couldn't tell if I should be insulted or embarrassed. I went with the latter and just let my cheeks flush without fighting it this time.
The pearly unicorn had been watching me like a hawk, however. "Ooooh no. Not this time. I know you just happened to be there, and wouldn't have risked bodily harm if there were another choice, and were probably scared. Regardless of any of those things, you saved them, so you're a hero whether you like it or not!" she refuted before I had even said anything. I opened my mouth, and then realized she'd rebutted everything I usually say in this situation. Five seconds later, I just felt awkward and slowly closed my mouth again. Damn it.
“Oooh. It almost sounds like you like Mender!” Derpy exclaimed, eyes widening as she looked back and forth between Rarity and me.
Rarity hesitated, and then nodded. “I do like him. I went about it entirely the wrong way, however, and kissed him before even asking if I could. Twilight saw me do so and I panicked, running away. It wasn’t a pleasant night,” she finally finished, lowering her eyes away from me. Derpy gave out a small gasp, and I couldn’t tell if it was out of shock or worry.
I sighed wearily. Admittedly, I knew this confrontation was coming. Part of me had prepared for it, at least subconsciously, so I somewhat knew what I wanted to say. It had to be said, obviously. “Rarity, I’m sorry. I mean, you’re an amazing mare and a true friend, but-“ I started to explain.
Rarity held up a hoof, however, and gave me a soft, sad looking smile. “There’s no need to go through the motions, Mender. I knew you didn’t feel the same way the second I kissed you. My only intent with this was, well, to apologize for not simply asking. Twilight said she didn’t get mad at you. Was that the truth?” she asked quietly.
My ears lowered a little, but I nodded. I hadn’t expected her to already know my feelings. The sad part was that I couldn’t tell if it was better or worse this way. Probably better. There was no chance for me to shove my hoof down my throat when trying to explain myself. “I’m sorry, too, Rarity. I wish there was something I could do for you,” I agreed.
Oddly, Derpy looked about ready to cry as she continued following the conversation between us. Rarity smiled to herself as she looked downwards, nodding after a moment. “Ah, there is something you could do. I’d very much like to put the whole situation behind us and continue on with a wonderful friendship instead, if that’s possible at this point,” she requested.
Okay, now she was just being silly. “Rarity, I never stopped being your friend. Of course I want to stay that way,” I revealed, smiling at her in hopefully an assuring manner.
She stared blankly for a moment before that more confident smile returned. “I should have known you’d be a gentlecolt. That’s why I was so interested in you in the first place, I remind myself. Hmm. Although this leaves me with a quandary as I had worked out a bribe; well more of an incentive, to give friendship another try. Now what shall I do with it?” she questioned. My turn for the blank, confused stare, I guessed. She wore a playful smirk, however, so I was fairly certain she was just kidding.
“Rarity, you didn’t have to get me anything!” I protested, really wishing I were dealing with somepony other than the Element of Generosity. There might actually be a chance that I could convince her otherwise if it weren’t for that.
As if reading my mind, she simply shook her head. “Then it’s a good thing I didn’t get anything for you. I made it. It’s something I should have made you a while back, though,” she revealed, tossing a playful wink in for good measure.
Derpy burst into snickering, but rapidly quieted as Rarity activated her magic and slid something out from under the sofa she resided on. For just the briefest of moments, I wondered why she’d put something under a sofa and have it get dusty. It passed rather rapidly once I reminded myself whose house I was at. Even her dust was probably clean. Then everything momentarily left my mind as she lifted up the wonderful article.
A doubled up saddlebag set complete with harness attached to them. Two bags on each side appeared to be comprised of sturdy, dark leather with silver inlay around the borders. Each bag was completed with a beautiful, sapphire clasp to keep them closed. The clasps themselves appeared to be shaped as my Cutie Mark. This must have been a recent project of hers, then. The whole set looked surprisingly heavier than what I had on right now, as if it were built for function as well as appearance.
My attention was snapped back to reality when Rarity’s confident smirk returned. “That, my dear, is an artist’s greatest reward. That look of awe you just displayed makes it worth every stitch,” she cooed, causing me to cough lightly and blush.
“Rarity, uh, I don’t exactly have any bits yet. It’s only been a day since I decided to try working,” I reminded. Four sapphires of that size would have been absurdly expensive back in my old dimension, if I recalled correctly. I had no idea what their price was in Equestria, but the saddlebags looked amazing, so it couldn’t be cheap!
Rarity gave me a skeptical, disbelieving look. Oh no. She wasn’t going to… “Mender, were you not paying attention when I said it was a gift?” Damn it. She was. She was just going to give it to me. For a moment, I’d forgotten whom I was dealing with.
Derpy snickered again before adding, “Technically, you said it was a bribe or incentive.” Ha! That was true. I shouldn’t assume that it was still being offered as I already gave her what she was using them to bribe me for.
She gave an exasperated stare to Derpy for a moment before chuckling herself. “Okay, I have to admit that I did indeed say that. They’re a gift now, however. You did mention liking saddlebags, if I recall,” she said.
I twitched, looking back down at the amazing bags. “Like? I love those! They look absolutely beautiful. I didn’t know you cut gems yourself!” I corrected, eyes widening a little.
The white mare flushed lightly, the coloration being extra noticeable against her coat. “Well, I’m very glad I made them for you, then! Gems are something of my specialty, so of course I know how to cut them myself. Also, given the nature of your luck, I made the entire set out of heavy-duty materials, and layered several protective enchantments onto them. I’d hate for them to get scratched or damaged,” she added, looking back down at them wistfully.
“Heh. Are you sure you don’t want to keep them and use them yourself?” I asked impishly, noticing her longing expression. I bet it was hard to part with such masterful work.
As predicted, Rarity recovered instantly upon me finishing saying such. Her grin returned, albeit slightly more mischievous this time. “Scandalous! Imagine what ponies would say if I started wearing articles of clothing with your Cutie Mark on them! Why, you’re liable to start even more absurd rumors,” she playfully observed.
Okay, I choked a bit at that. “Aaaah! I meant you’d take the buttons off and replace them!” I rapidly appended, front legs flailing a little bit. Derpy burst into more laughter and rolled over in her blanket.
Rarity didn’t falter in her smirk, which made me relax a little. Okay, she really was joking. “That was worth it just for the reaction. You’re too easy to tease, Mender. Although that does give me an idea,” she muttered, looking back down at the set. I really did have to stop second-guessing myself. These ponies had already proved a lot more easygoing than Keldarians.
I followed her gaze, and watched as she peeked at each gemstone clasp. “Yes. Wouldn’t it be romantic if I replaced the back ones with Fluttershy’s and Twilight’s Cutie Marks? That would simply be adorable, and they’d probably love it!” she pondered in a hopefully rhetorical manner, as I myself had no idea if it was romantic or not. I’d just learned what ‘dating’ meant not even a week ago, after all. I tilted my head and watched her think.
“Ooooh. That is kinda romantic. It’s almost like he’d be showing that they’ve claimed him or something!” Derpy squealed in agreement. She might have said more, but my mind froze at the ‘claimed’ part, a bolt of ice tearing down my spine and causing a full body shiver. My eyes widened of their own accord, as I was both disturbed and surprised by my own reaction. No, they weren’t like the Keldarians. They weren’t!
I forced my eyes shut and took a couple deep breaths, feeling my spiked heartbeat slowly returning to normal as I reminded myself that I was in Equestria. To ‘claim’ somepony was probably entirely innocent. It wasn’t ownership over the individual, right? Slavery didn’t exist here. At least I didn’t think it did.
“…okay, Mender?” Derpy suddenly cut back in. I snapped my attention back to my surroundings again and looked over at her. She was giving me a worried expression. I felt along my neck and noticed the cold sweat that had developed. Damn it.
“It’s okay, Derpy. Just let him relax,” Rarity warned, also looking concerned.
After another deep breath, I shook my head wearily. “Sorry about that. Just a momentarily bout of not feeling well,” I excused, carefully wording around a direct lie. Rarity gave me a skeptical glance, and I knew she probably had guessed as to what the problem was. Still, there wasn't a lot that I could do with Derpy here.
After a few moments, I managed to calm myself down again. That was silly anyway. Equestria didn't have slavery. I'd read the sociological books myself. Ponies definitely didn't seem to promote the enslavement of individuals. Opening my eyes again finally, I decided that the best bet was to simply change the topic. "Well, I'll keep this set for now if you're going to add their Cutie Marks to the saddle bags. You're right, of course. Both mares would probably like it."
Rarity's eyes narrowed slightly, and I knew that she knew that I was trying to change the topic. "Now I'm not so sure that it's a good idea after all. Are you sure that you're all right?" she asked, eyes giving me a once over.
I nodded with only a slight hesitation. "Just a bad memory is all. I'll be fine, Rarity. Do you really think they'll like it, though? I'd hate for you to go through all the trouble of making additional buttons only to have them not like it, or be uncomfortable with me wearing it," I pointed out. The second option was far more likely, given the two mares involved.
Rarity actually considered it for a moment before finally nodding. "Yes, I believe so. Your fears aren't entirely unjustified, of course. Fluttershy will probably be extremely embarrassed by the gesture at first, but once she recovers, I believe she will be delighted by the aspect. Twilight is a bit harder to predict, but I don't think she'll be nearly as embarrassed. Deep down, I think she has a very well-guarded romantic side to her," she speculated, somewhat surprising me with the in-depth character analysis. It was almost as if she'd done this before. I was just thankful for the distraction and opportunity to learn.
"I think it's a wonderfully romantic idea. Most mares would be delighted that their stallion was even considering it!" Derpy chimed in softly. Rarity nodded along in agreement. Wait. Why was that?
"Is it really that big of a deal?" I asked, suddenly somewhat worried about walking into a relationship minefield. Big deals struck me as a high risk, high reward sort of gamble. I'd be the first to admit that gambling for me was a seriously bad idea. Jumping off a balcony in Canterlot was probably better for my health. At least fate wouldn't take that as a personal challenge.
Rarity snickered before giving a noncommittal shrug. "It's no secret that stallions are stereotyped as inconsiderate to their partners or outright unromantic sometimes. I'm pretty sure they already know that you're an exception, but more examples never hurt," she hesitantly explained after a moment's thought. Unromantic, huh? I could see why Rarity would prefer a gentlecolt, now. Her bias showed through, even with her trying to be professional.
Finally, I nodded in agreement. "Alright then. I'll trust your judgment. Let's surprise them with it, though?" I suggested, smiling towards her. Plus, that way there'd be lots of ponies around and I was less likely to be murdered right away. I mentally chuckled to myself. At least with Rarity’s explanation, I was fairly certain I could put fears about ‘claiming’ to rest.
She grinned and nodded, apparently approving of my idea. "A very good thought. I'll whip up some appropriate gems and have them ready in time for the party!" Rarity added, seeming pleased with the turn of events.
Slowly, I stood up again and stretched, making sure to be careful of my injured leg and the brace attached to it. Derpy watched me with interest for a moment before snuggling further into her blanket.
"Derpy, you should stay here. You're not warmed up yet and it's still raining outside. I'll get you some more tea," Rarity suggested.
"Aww. But I wanted to go with Mender," the gray pegasus protested. She looked back over at me instead, eyes large and pleading, even while drifting in different directions.
Rarity shook her head wearily, admitting, "I obviously can't stop you, but I would very much like for you to get warm and dry first. Maybe even borrow an umbrella? Besides, I'm sure Mender has things he needs to do."
I blinked again, momentarily confused. "Actually, I figured that you were busy and I didn't want to get in the way. Everypony seems busy today, so I was just going to go bug Pinkie Pie for a while," I corrected, perplexed. I knew Applejack was busy with the harvest, and Twilight was preoccupied running energy sample tests in the basement. Spike was dutifully assisting her, of course. Rarity said that she had three orders to fill for Canterlot elite when she left this morning. I’m guessing the party had paid off for her already. Fluttershy was in a nigh panic over something to do with the animals and organizing something. I didn't dare try to help there, lest I just get in the way. Rainbow said she had to get a head start on next week's weather arrangements for some reason, and felt extremely grumpy when I asked her using the link this morning. Even my fellow CMC members were currently in school right now.
"You're certainly not a bother, Mender. I do have a lot to do, but if you're bored, I can entertain you," Rarity offered almost immediately. That gave me pause. Was I bored? I'd never had a day to myself like this before. Everypony being busy did remind me how little a life I had here. Should I go out and try to get a job? Fitting in and making myself useful seemed close to one and the same.
"Like I said, I'm done with my route and totally don't have anything to do," Derpy interrupted, breaking me out of my chain of thought. Rarity gave her an exasperated glance.
"If you really want to, sure. I'm gonna wander over to Sugar Cube Corner if you want to come. Pinkie might not be too busy, and I wanted to ask her about the party coming up," I offered. Derpy lit up and grinned, fluttering into the air and spinning once, dislodging herself from the blanket. I snickered at her rather cute display.
Rarity finally shook her head and recovered her smile. “I can see that I can’t dissuade you. At least try to stay dry, Derpy. You remember how hard it was to fly when you got that last cold,” she said, finally giving up.
Derpy hovered closer and nodded rapidly to Rarity. “I’ll stay under Mender’s awesome umbrella spell thingy, don’t worry. I’ll come visit you later as well. I just haven’t gotten to hang out with Mender at all yet,” she explained, wobbling in the air and momentarily drifting sideways before righting herself. Actually, now that I thought about it, how did she fly with her eye condition? Wasn’t that a little dangerous?
Rarity smirked but lifted up her left hoof gently. “It’s understandable. Just be safe, you two. I’ll probably see you later today or tomorrow, Mender,” Rarity assured gently. I nodded to her and slowly got off the couch, careful to step down with my right foreleg first. Both mares seemed momentarily drawn to the metal clink as my left foreleg touched down, but Rarity rapidly averted her gaze a split second later, avoiding looking at my leg. I watched her for a moment before looking away, trying not to sigh. The memories were still fresh and probably would be painful for everyone involved for a little while.
“I’ll see you later, Rarity. Let me know how the commissions are going,” I spoke softly as I withdrew from the room, suddenly self-conscious of the noise my left hoof made on the wooden floor.
“Well, of course. You did help get them for me. Do stay safe, Dear,” she called out, followed by the gentle sound of the teacup sliding along the saucer again as she lifted it. My ears swiveled back around and faced forwards again as I headed towards the exit of the building, Derpy hovering along above me in a happy bobbing motion.
* * * * *
Stepping to the side, a barrier held the door open for Derpy as she walked past and inside. I ducked after her, letting my umbrella barrier dissolve above me as I entered the building. It wasn’t like I was superstitious or anything, but I guess my luck didn’t need to get any worse. Although, did it actually count as an umbrella?
"It's still a good idea. If you can help ponies with your enchantments, and make a job out of it, then I say you should go for it," Derpy continued from her prior point. A part of me already knew that much, but the larger parts questioned if I was truly up to the task. Could I pull off something like what I did for Applejack totally on my own initiative? All I could remember was building things that destroyed. That was the first time I'd ever made something that helped to create.
The inside of the Sugarcube Corner was surprisingly busy today, with a small line of ponies at the counter and over half of the tables taken. What was going on? Derpy momentarily hesitated, giving a worried glance around the room. I walked past her, however, giving her a light bump to gain her attention before heading to the counter. To my surprise, there was a mature looking mare stationed there instead. I wracked my brain trying to remember her name. Mrs. Pie? No, it wasn't anything to do with Pinkie. Muffin? No, that was Derpy's favorite food. Salad? No, that didn't sound very 'Sugarcube' to me. Tea? Ack! No! Get your mind off the cup of tea you forgot to finish back at Rarity's!
I was totally disrupted by Derpy flying past me in a sideways drift before crashing into the cupcake display on the counter. I blinked, noticing that up until the rather rough awakening, she had been focused solely on the muffin display on the other side of the line. Cupcake? Cupcake! Wait, no. Cake! Mrs. Cake!
My barrier shot out as fast as possible and I scooped the cupcakes out of the air before they hit the floor, lifting them back up and into the tray again. The startled, and then panicked Mrs. Cake eyed the display for a moment before apparently deciding it was safe and rearranging all the cupcakes so they stayed upright again while I held them in place.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Cake! I got looking at the muffins and wasn't watching where I was going," Derpy apologized upon recovering from the surprise.
Mrs. Cake smiled, despite the rather annoyed looks from some of the costumers still in line. "Oh, it's okay, Derpy. The cupcakes were saved. Thank you as well, um?" she started, turning to me with an expectant stare. To my amusement, she frowned a moment later, probably starting to recognize me or something.
"Moon Mender. It's nice to meet you. Mrs. Cake, right?" I introduced while I still could. As nice as it was to have bits of conversation skipped completely, it was awkward when it was purely one sided.
She perked up, and then smiled, giving me a nod. "Oh yes. I thought you looked familiar!" she said excitedly. I knew it. "Pinkie talks about you all the time. I got an extremely detailed description of you." Oh. Okay, that I hadn't been expecting. Wait. Extremely detailed?
"Wha! Mender! What are you doing here?" suddenly exploded out from behind Mrs. Cake as an excited looking Pinkie Pie slid out of the kitchen. A large tray of assorted baked goods balanced precariously on her back, and she somehow pulled off a happy bounce without jarring the thing.
"Pinkie! Your side!" Mrs. Cake reminded, turning around just in time to see the energetic display.
Pinkie grinned, however, and assured, "This 'is' taking it easy. Besides, I feel a hundred percent better today!" Less than a day after the accident in the market?! I doubted that. Did she really heal that fast?
"Just take it slow, Pinkie. I don't want to see you hurt yourself again," I added, mentally shivering as I remembered her pained expression from yesterday. Maybe it was just me, but it didn't feel like that face belonged on Pinkie. She was one of those ponies who deserved to be eternally smiling.
The smile she held now softened considerably as she nodded to me. "I'll try to be good. It's hard sometimes, though. I get so excited! Besides, you give yummy massages, which gives a mare incentives to get hurt around you," she pointed out.
"He gives good massages?" Derpy asked quietly, landing beside us. Okay, the logic of this concept was starting to hurt my brain.
"Pinkie, you're still on shift. It's really busy right now so can you please continue waiting tables?" Mrs. Cake reminded, interrupting the conversation anyway.
Pinkie looked devastated almost instantly, but I considered the situation. Well, I did need practice. I smirked at her and activated my left foreleg again. It was weird that I always used my left one. Technically I could extend magic through any hoof now, but I guess it was just habit. Pinkie's eyes widened as I snatched up the tray, flicking on her link a second later. "Tables?" I whispered into the link.
Her eyes danced in delight as she nodded and zipped off to take orders instead. Her memory was amazing, however, and I got the image of a pony for each treat on the tray. Smirking, my magic burst into action, expanding outwards in each direction and taking treats with the little barriers. Each drifted high above the surprised yet amused ponies before drifting down to the different tables on little strands of energy.
It didn't take us long to get a pattern going. Pinkie took orders and dropped them off to Mr. Cake in the kitchen, removing the line completely. Derpy surprised me by joining in as well, snagging the finished goods from the kitchen and delivering them to me. I was surprised at how fast the little pegasus could move on her hooves! I'd then pull the treats into the air and shoot an image of each to Pinkie as they went. Pinkie was much better at using images in the link than actually talking, I quickly discovered. What happened the first time we tried made more sense now. She'd shoot back an image of the pony who ordered it, and I'd send it along the enchanted ceiling tracks I built to be delivered. Mrs. Cake watched in awe after the pace quickened and the line disappeared. She then only had to take payments.
Things became fun really fast with Pinkie zooming between tables, Derpy's balancing act, and everypony laughing as the food zipped around and delivered itself. After getting the pattern down and making the tracks solid so they were way easier to maintain, I started adding twists, spins, and loops just for fun. More than once, the girls got distracted watching rather than doing what we were supposed to. I'd snicker every time I caught Pinkie trying to chase one of my deliveries.
Then something unexpected happened. Apparently word of mouth traveled absurdly fast in Ponyville. Our amount of customers increased instead of lessening as lunch came and went. Some ponies appeared to order things just to watch them fly around through the air. I started to get a little tired from the exertion after a while, but kept it up regardless. Pinkie's job was easier this way while she was recovering from the injury. She'd gotten injured protecting me, so it wasn't asking much of me to just suck it up and help her out. Besides, it's what friends did for each other and I didn't have anything else to be doing right now.
After the hour and a half mark passed, my head was starting to hurt. It would be so easy if the book were here. It held almost unlimited energy, it felt like. Still, it defeated the point of exercising my magic. Plus, a part of me just didn't like the thing. It felt like it was almost giving me suggestions sometimes. Really bad suggestions. I exhaled quietly and slid my heavy feeling saddlebags off, shivering as the cool air licked the newly revealed skin through the fur. The left bag popped open upon hitting the floor, however. Remembering that I hadn't opened that side at Rarity's, I peeked down to make sure nothing had spilled. Twilight would be upset if I accidentally lost her things.
Time ground to a halt and I momentarily froze in place as I watched Prudentia slide out of the bag. No. That wasn't possible. I'd left it on Twilight's bedside table this morning! Why would she pack up the book before giving me the saddlebags? She didn't like to touch it anyway, saying it felt amazingly like 'mine'. So much so that she said she felt dirty even magically lifting it. Like it was chewing her out.
I paused for a moment. Yeah, of course. That must have been it. She felt it was mine and wanted me to have it with me. That made sense. I doubted she wanted it around the library after all, right? I guess it kind of was my duty to take it. Just like it was my duty to guard the sword once Keela gathered enough solar energy to send it to me. Apparently, dimensional travel took a lot of power. Who'd have guessed? I snickered to myself, earning a curious smile from Derpy.
Finally, things slowed down an hour later. All three of us took a much-needed breather on the sidelines while Mrs. Cake brought us some milk.
"On the house, Mender. You two helped us serve more customers in three hours than we normally get all day!" she exclaimed instantly upon seeing me hesitate. Eh?! What, had Pinkie warned her about me or something?
Pinkie gave me an innocent grin from my left, and I rolled my eyes. Eh, a glass of milk was fine. "It was a lot of fun. Plus I need the practice using my magic. I'm really rusty still," I excused simply, giving my temples a little rub as emphasis.
Pinkie watched for a moment before leaning over and replacing my hooves with her own, gently massaging my head. "You should take your own advice and take it easy. You don't want to get a nosebleed again," Pinkie pointed out in a rather impish manner. I smirked, closing my eyes again, but wondering what to do with my head.
"Oh dear. Most unicorns only get those if they really overexert themselves," Mrs. Cake added softly, sounding a little concerned.
I shook my head as best I could with Pinkie there. "It happens a little faster with me. I'm out of practice, and I don't think Earth Ponies were meant for this kind of magic," I furthered, idly starting to really enjoy Pinkie's ministrations.
"And they're a lot worse than a unicorn's!" Pinkie tacked on, pulling my head down against her chest before continuing the massage. I blushed a little but reminded myself that it was just Pinkie being Pinkie. She was a really nice mare who truly cared for her friends.
“I’ll be fine,” I tried to return, if somewhat muffled by the pink fur in my face. It must have tickled, because Pinkie let out a squeak and giggle a moment later.
I heard Mrs. Cake walk away for a second, and then come back and set something down in front of us. “Muffin!” Derpy exclaimed a second later. Curiosity finally got the better of me and I shifted to peek, opening my eyes again. A small tray of muffins and donuts were laid out in front of us. Eh? She was giving us lunch, too?
“Before you ask, yes, it’s also on the house. A couple bits worth of food is the least I can do for all the help you ponies have been. I also heard you’re looking for commissions, Mender?” Mrs. Cake questioned after watching my expression.
Somewhat caught off guard, I looked back up at her questioningly. She smiled softly and added, “Applejack dropped an apple shipment off this morning and told me that you were trying to apply your engineering skills and magic to others for bits.” My eyes widened and I flushed lightly. I hadn’t expected Applejack to start so quickly, and be so earnest about it.
“Ah, I didn’t realize she was actually telling ponies. Yeah, I’m kinda hoping to get a bit of income coming in,” I said.
Pinkie snickered and gave my shoulder a playful nudge. “This is Applejack we’re talking about; the most dependable of ponies! When she says she’s going to do something, she does it. Besides, she’s terrible at lying. Everypony would have known instantly if she weren’t going to do it,” Pinkie explained.
I gave her a somewhat blank stare before chuckling. Yeah, I probably should have seen that coming. “Yes. She was very resolute in insisting that your skills were top notch. I’d asked her how her farm project was going, which is how we got on the topic. I was surprised, admittedly, when she said it was already done. Plus, your magic show there gave me a few really fun ideas!” Mrs. Cake continued, looking up along the ceiling as she spoke.
“Ponies did seem to really like that! It would be super-awesome if we could do that all the time!” Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing in place slightly before wincing, and stopping.
I shook my head and immediately pushed a hoof into each of her sides, gently massaging with magic starting to flow into her. Pinkie’s tongue lolled out almost instantly and she slumped against my shoulder this time, giving out a happy sigh. Derpy started snickering at the display, mouth completely jammed full of muffin.
“Even though she insists on hurting herself, I do agree. If you could whip something up that was similar that didn’t need you here to manually control, it would be amazing,” Mrs. Cake agreed, gesturing absently towards the ceiling.
I looked the ceiling itself over while massaging Pinkie. It was high enough to have something like that. If I used enchantments, I could save space, too. “If you didn’t mind wooden tracks being laid out, I think I could manage a few enchantments that would allow that, yeah. It might take a couple days to set up, though. And I’d need wood supplies,” I muttered absently, working out the design in my head while talking. Little rolling lifts would be cute. A square ceiling attached to the rolling pin, with four wooden posts going downwards. The floor of the lift would be made out of a barrier, and sides would have to be projected to keep the snacks in the lift, of course. Then when the little lift got to the tables, the bottom barrier would disappear and gently drop the food the remaining few centimeters onto the table’s surface. It would work! It was gimmicky, but also cute at the same time. It also removed the need for a line to order the food with Pinkie taking the orders herself.
“Well, I’d offer you free run of the place with heat season coming up next week, but Pinkie stays here over the week or so and that might be uncomfortable for you,” Mrs. Cake returned, frowning and thinking to herself for a moment.
My ears flattened back. That’s what I’d been forgetting! Damn it! “That’s next week? Um, this is my first time dealing with it, so I’m not entirely sure what’s going on,” I warned.
Pinkie backed up a bit and smiled at me. “In smaller, closer knit towns, they usually come up with some means of sending the stallions off for a week or two during the two heat cycles in the summer,” she explained simply.
I swallowed uneasily, the lump in my throat feeling a bit painful. Memories danced back of Keldarian estrus cycles, which were a nightmare. Our females didn’t sync with each other and had somewhat varied times every half a year or so, but the pheromones were a nightmare. “Uh, does that mean it’s really bad?” I asked uneasily. Mrs. Cake gave me a questioning glance, but Pinkie just giggled and shook her head.
“Nah. The smells just make stallions a little dizzy and woozy so it’s harder for them to get work done. In close communities, all the mares kinda link together and all go into heat at the same time, so it’s worse than in cities, is all. We let them go to the cabins in the Whitetail Woods so they can be more comfortable during the week. Of course, it’s kinda hard for us to get work done, too, so I guess nopony gets much work done during the week! I think that’s why Applejack gets so grumpy, because she really likes to stay on schedule and things slow down a lot. Of course, in a couple years, Apple Bloom will be staying with her so maybe things will get done faster? I mean, two ponies are better than one and-“ Pinkie started rambling, shifting off topic rather rapidly.
I chuckled and nodded, feeling a little better. It wasn’t anything overbearing then. Of course, they were a civilized society, so I guess their biological cycles were more of an inconvenience instead. I guess they could have a menstrual cycle instead and cut out the pheromones entirely, but always being fertile might also be inconvenient, at least for a few individuals.
Pinkie’s rambling and my thought tangent were both cut short by Mrs. Cake starting to giggle. “You two are very silly. Regardless, do you think the weekend after heat’s officially over would be okay? We can obviously budget a little bit your way for the effort,” she asked softly. She seemed earnest in wanting the upgrade. Of course, if it was cute and popular, it would probably bring a lot of income their way too.
“I don’t see why not, unless Twilight has something else she wants me doing. I’ll let you know if it doesn’t work,” I offered, returning her smile.
She gave a happy nod before turning and heading back to the kitchen. Pinkie watched her go before turning and giving me a huge grin. “This is gonna be awesome! I’ll totally help you decorate it. Ponies are gonna love it!” she exclaimed excitedly. Heh. Leave it to Pinkie to instantly think of making it cuter. Of course, it subtly hinted at her focus on ponies enjoying it rather than it making the shop more bits. That made me happy, deep down.
Derpy swallowed the muffin she was working on and lowered her hooves again, suddenly seeming a bit lost in thought as her eyes softened. I gave her a questioning glance, and she perked up upon catching the attention, smiling at me. “What’s wrong, Derpy?” I asked gently. Pinkie caught my words instantly and shifted attention to Derpy instead, switching from excitement to concern faster than I could follow. Dang. No wonder she had trouble ‘talking’ using the link. It was like her entire system was wired three times faster than normal. She was also extremely more image oriented than most.
“I’m just a little worried. I know Prince Shining Armor lowered the barrier, and the mayor called off the state of emergency, but I’m still a little concerned about the cabins this year. The stallions and little foals off in the middle of the woods after what happened is a bit scary,” Derpy explained quietly, frowning down at the remaining muffins on the tray.
Pinkie shook her head rapidly, of course. “It’s okay, Derpy! Princess Luna took care of the problem in the woods, so there’s nothing out there that could hurt them. Besides, that was in the Everfree Forest, not the Whitetail Woods where the cabins are!” she rapidly attempted to assure. I was somewhat pleased by her explanation of the ‘problem’ in the woods, admittedly. At least she avoided using ‘creature’ or ‘monster’ like I’d heard so often around town.
Derpy nodded halfheartedly, and sighed again. “I know. I’m not the only pony who’s a little concerned this year, though. I know Miss Redheart is coming along too like usual, but she expressed a little concern over the potential risks too,” the gray mare countered, looking back up at us finally. Nurse Redheart went to the cabins as well? Well, it made sense that they’d want somepony with medical training there.
“I’m apparently staying with Big Mac and Apple Bloom. From the way Twilight talked, our cabin is right next to the medical cabin, so I’ll help keep an eye on things too,” I promised, giving her my best reassuring smile. Of course, if Apple Bloom were there, I had the sneaking suspicion the unwritten statement was that all three Crusaders were staying with us. Unless, of course, they had their own parents or fathers there. I’d have to ask Apple Bloom later.
Derpy smiled softly and nodded to me, looking back over at me after I finished. “It’s a little better knowing somepony with experience is with them all apart from just Miss Redheart. Sometimes it just makes me wish Ponyville had a standing guard force like the bigger cities,” she explained. That did make sense, of course.
I nodded, unwavering. “Of course. I don’t have anypony to look after except for myself, really, so keeping an eye on things was something I was going to do anyway,” I assured. It was obviously a lie given the fact that I knew there was no danger in the first place, but I couldn’t exactly tell her that, so this was the best assurance I could offer.
Pinkie grinned in my peripheral vision, however. “Yet. You don’t have anypony to look after ‘yet’. The way Fluttershy talks, that could totally change in a couple of years” she teased mirthfully. I blushed, catching her meaning and intent almost instantly and shooting her an awkward glare.
The gray pegasus next to me grinned, however, and nodded. “Watching after all the little foals might be good practice for you, then,” Derpy pointed out, grinning before shoving another muffin into her mouth whole. That was… actually rather impressive. I knew I could distend my jaw to eat things, but she somehow managed it without injury. Wait, when had I become unofficial guardian of the camp?
“Oh! I just remembered that I should probably talk to the Crusaders anyway. I think they wanted to get my help with Cutie Mark searching today.” Clocky informed me that school was almost done for the day.
Pinkie grinned even wider, however, and rapidly shook her head. “Nuh uh! All four of you are totally helping me decorate after work today! I have a massive party to throw you tomorrow, if you recall,” Pinkie corrected rapidly, raising an eyebrow to me.
Her exuberance threw me off and I swallowed, backing up from her a bit while nodding and hoping she didn’t pounce on me or something. “Oooh, I can probably help, too! Decorating sounds like a lot of fun,” Derpy offered behind me.
“Settled then! Bring the Crusaders over if they’re interested, and Derpy can help as well!” Pinkie announced, pumping a hoof into the air excitedly, her mane bobbing with the motion.
Snickering, I nodded in agreement. Well, I guess I didn’t have to worry about not having anything to do today after all! It was nice that it actually felt like I was in control of what I was doing, too. Sure, it was offered by somepony else, but I had actually wanted to do so, and agreed to it! Maybe, just maybe, things were starting to look up.
Looks like his first job was easy to get. So... heat...Mender is going to wake up too late, after all the others have left, isn't he?
Ah, time to find out if Scootaloo has a family. Which she better.
And as I can't find any pictures appropriate for this chapter, have these two instead.
1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPpobl6Oi04/T1qP8RJO73I/AAAAAAAAiAs/ECSewlDUaDA/s1600/twililicious_by_johnjoseco-d4sbslx.jpg
sphotos-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/p480x480/1185640_442841355831029_1149360094_n.jpg
Wonderful! simply wonderful! thank you so much for writing this it makes me look up to Fridays even more now
but on another note, i wonder whats going to happen in white tail woods? who knows..
Another beautiful chapter, as always.
I almost forgot it was Friday until I saw this on my feed.
And the fact that there would be blood dripping out the rear end area for a short while during it would be a problem to. It would be one thing if they were anthro style ponies that walked on 2 legs and wore clothes, but they're not, they're on 4s and don't wear clothes.
Things do seem to be looking up. But given the length of what has yet to be uploaded, I can only assume that things are going to happen to make Menders life go to living hell; DIRECTLY to a living hell.
Either way, great job as always, eagerly looking forward to next week,
I like this little break we've had from all the bad things that went on with Mender a few chapters ago. It's nice to see things going Mender's way for once. Based on his track record, I'm really doubtful things are going to go swimmingly for him for long though.
That statement right there is just asking for it.
Derpy decorating for a party combined with Mender's luck.
Yeah. I'm sure he'll be fine.
I guess they found a use for Mender's old leg.
hmm... CMC and Mender at a cabin in the woods... I'm sensing shenanigans. Also I think that Mender should wear his fire proof suit while decorating with Derpy, just to be safe.
Heat week will be coming soon
Twi and Shy, not ready for Moon
can't wait for that chapter,
I'm on the edge of my seat
I can't wait to see Mender
deal with mares in heat
-Eclipse
This phrase sounds awfully familiar...
its making me nervous...
>.>
Another fun day in the life of Mender. The appearance of Derpy was a fun addition. I didn't think we would see her again after her little cameo earlier. Does she have Dinky in this story and will we get to meet her, possibly next week, or not?
I was under the impression that only single stallions were went away. I guess I can understand that it would be uncomfortable for foals to be around during that time but you also said their fathers were going too which doesn't make sense to me after that whole conversation (which I think was on the train but that was a while ago.)
Hoo boy. Scary, sentient(?), possessive(!) book. Stallions and foals off in the woods. Hormone-addled mares. Yeah, Mender. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
3094825
How the hell do you do this? I can't write poetry with days of work and you just pull it out of your ass!
Derpy and Mender together for almost an entire chapter without a serious disaster. I don't believe it.
Sooo... He'll be staying in a Cabin In The Woods... My experiences with that particular set-up (or movie title for that matter) aren't all that positive... Cue more actionz!
Also, decorating with Pinky Pie, the CMC ánd Derpy?.. Sure! What could go wrong?!.. *slowly creeps into bunker*
Anyway, this was a fun chapter, nice and relaxing.
Looking forward to next week!
~Baasz
I suggest our protagonist here go into the... pharmaceutical business. Go underground. Make some happy pills. Get some real good cash flow going... Make a... Crystal Empire.
So Pinkie is a Picture Thinker? I can relate to that. That actually makes a lot of sense and explains a few things.
Derpy, the Crusaders and Mender all in one room? Shit is gonna go down.
Huzzah for the new chapter!
3095043 Daddy mender how was I born?... well it all started when Twilight went into heat 2 days early....
3094983 Guessing the stallions that DON"T want more kids. As such if they wanted kids guessing we would see a stallion stay if not they leave.
3094936 agreed
.5—2.5 chapters until things go wrong again.
*Screech of joy* Hm. I seem to make odd noises when new chapters of this come out. Probably because it's FUCKING. AWESOME.
And then a piano fell on his head.
Derpy quickly said, "I was right here the whole time. You saw me, Pinkie!"
Heat week is gonna be interesting, I tell you what...
Finally had a ton of time to get a new chapter read on its release day, yet had to read in three chunks over the course of 7 hours. Oh cosmos... Still unsure whether I should rant on everything or give small happy comments each time, but I have the time so lets do the former.
-Looking back, we just had Chapter 21 released when this chapter was written. Funny to think we were just about to get to the kiss when the resolution to that kiss was being written. Not to mention all the stuff in between.
-First thought on Rarity getting the back and shoulder measurements was that she was making a life-sized Mender doll. For reasons. Fill in the blanks however you want.
-When heading for the Carousel, I expected the kiss stuff would get resolved. When it started raining on the way over, I expected things to get saucy. I guess some things only come on Christmas...
-Random thought came up about dust. Most we have (in houses especially) is shedded skin. What would it be in Equestria?
-Love a character who always plans this way, even if he 'knows' it's not necessary.
-Glad to have a fair amount of time passage over the past few chapters, especially since the hospitalization. Sometimes things feel like they happen too fast or too compactly just by the form of chapter writing, these make progression and things settling feel more natural.
-Reminds me of a recurring line from the Negima! manga, though not directly connected it can easily apply to Mender. Essentially, it says "you are going to grow up to make a lot of girls cry." In other words, he's an enchanter who makes all the girls fall for him naturally and unintentionally breaks all their hearts. Applies heavily to Mender.
-The Pinkie image-thoughts made me ponder about thinking voices. My own is very word based, but lacks a voice (aka no specific person saying those thoughts, just the words existing).
-Hints at more to the book than we already expect? Likely.
-Heat season... Very curious how that shall be handled. No theories, just anticipation. We shall see...
....aaaaand I'm done. Enjoyed.
Defecations better be htting oscilations
Or else you'll be meeting my good old friend
HAVEL THE FUCKING ROCK
31.media.tumblr.com/43a96aec94a41dd27c273c2655afe985/tumblr_mkj8z9C4p51rcfcwlo1_1280.jpg
3095137
My mind just works that way
so I just go with it like "what the hay."
To bad I can't write stories worth a damn
and neither do I like green eggs and ham.
And I will end with this statement, to Knighty addressed
A Zecora emoticon is needed, Before Spike settles down to nest
-Eclipse
So Rarity is giving Mender enchanted clothing that would help in the situations he finds himself in?
I guess you could say he's...
i.neoseeker.com/mgv/60953/953/123/rainbowdashshades1_display.png
...wearing protection.
...
...
...
Sweet Celestia that was terrible, even for me.
Posting it anyways!
3094983
There was a blog on Dinky Do
she is not Derpy's daughter by canon true
so Kiro had to write her out
causing his many fans to shout
"By Luna bright pink knickers, WHY?!"
then proceed to fall to the ground and cry
-Eclipse
You did it again, silly!
all I can say is another awesome chapter.
I didn't think Flutters would be ready yet but I was starting to think Twi would let him stay actually.
I still don't count Rarity out of the 6 in the herd, I just see her being one of the last ones.
Did Derpy forget to give Rarity her package?
3094936
It does seem to be Kiro's signature signoff for any chapter where nothing has gone horribly wrong,
You'd think that Mender would've learned not to taunt that particular deity by now. Of course, he is Murphy's whipping boy already, so things can only get worse from here.
I believe this applies to Mender's current situation, 'cause that trapped mailbox should've gone off in his face in a spectacular manner.
3094785 You are a horrible person, prepare to have a muffin delivered to your car.
media1.break.com/dnet/media/2007/12/11-muffin-top-car.jpg
Can't wait to see what happens to mender during this heat cycle! I bet twilight and fluttershy convince him to stay and things get ....... "Heated" ....... Any pony ? No? Ok.....
Kiroberos lisen, i love the story i realy do, loved the first, but, where is Menders backbone? No, im serious, where is his backbone, the only time in 54 chapters you have writen he has show some signes of backbone was when he just walked out of barn, and in next morning dash was like ''go back to twilight'' and mender went. seriously, im half expecting twilight wiping out strapon and menders simply bending over!! pleas for once make him say no to something and actualy stand on it, please , i cant take this enymore.
your fan BeerBearBeard
3098016 Should have but i think because Derpy was there Murphy decided to give it a pass. Derpy got it bad by not doing anything wrong. Murphy isnt a sadist after all.
One word......................
DERRPY!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!
Oh.... I have waited so long for this moment! YES
Notes
1. I love how Rarity and Mender have this deep personal conversation and Derpy is there just rolling around in a blanket. I want a picture of that.
2. It would HILARIOUS if Mender got stuck and/or kidnapped in Pinyville during hear and Big Mac had to come and save him and all the Mares are like 'WE LOVE YOU!' and Twilight is just like ' GET OFF MY STALLION!!'...... Yeah
3. Please please please please please have Dinky stay with Mender and the CMC! My prayers would be answered.
4. MUFFINS
5. That construction worker.... Hehehe
QUESTION
So, if Mender was to hold a barrier above his head, what is the maximum amount of weight he could hold on said barrier before he is crushed? Without Prudentia, of course.
This chapter has reminded me that I really like the way you wrote Derpy for this story. She may be a little klutzy, but that's not so much her defining trait like so many authors have decided. She's more just this energetic, lovable, adoracute ball of fur and feathers and love that you just can't help but enjoy being around. Kind of reminds me of one of my closest friends, in the real life (minus the feathers and fur, of course, though I so wish humans had wings sometimes...)
I seem to recall this concept of all the males 'round Ponyville going off to these cabins in the Whitetail Woods before. Due to my ever-fuzzy memory, I'm not entirely sure whether it was mentioned before in this story (as in, Mender's story from the moment he woke up in Equestria til now) or some other fic.. either way, it provides a somewhat logical solution to the Ponies' estrous cycle that many people have decided on- that being the whole "heat cycles" instead of menstrual cycles like a human would experience. I find that the heat cycle concept can lead to more interesting story plots revolving around the cycles themselves, because such an occurrence would obviously cause problems in most forms of civilization. Now, you may be wondering where this comment is going. That's great, because it's 2:47 A.M. and I'm wondering the exact same thing. I guess I just think that the heat cycle can be seen as a really good method to shuffle Mender and Twilight and a whole slew of other important ponies out into the woods away from Ponyville so something can happen. Be it character development, plot-thickening, or something else, nobody knows (except you, Kiro, and some proofreaders, I guess)
3094729 I think this is the second time a chapter has ended with Mender saying / thinking that. While I keep expecting something to go sour sooner or later, the past few chapters have been relatively smooth sailing. Makes me wonder just what is in store for Mender when ol' Murphy comes around to bite him in the ass.
I can forsee the future. Mender is going to go into one of his 'moments' and he is going to go armored. Then everypony around him is going to attack him and he will sustain serious injury, thank Celestia that Redheart is there so she can begin first aid.
*Glances at comments before reading*
Uh oh, I see mentions of 'heat season' going around. I hope this doesn't get played the way it usually does.
*After reading*
Okay, not as bad as I thought. At least the justification is different from the usual.
Also, Mender, I don't think it's a good idea to tempt the universe like that. You still have several more chapters to go before we let you out of this story. That's plenty of time for the whole town to find out about your little secret (Edit: Just an example of something else that can go wrong; mere speculation on my part).
Oh no you don't, Kiro. Not this time!
You may sneak in a lot of references into your story, but you'll never slip this one past me!
Don't think I don't know who you are referencing with all those unnecessary tea bits!
I'm sure some of our mutual reader base might just get it too, if they stop and think about who else do they know that is strongly addicted to tea.
TIRED! I finally got all these done. Sorry for it being a day late, but I totally forgot about Julia coming over yesterday. My brain’s been lagging the last few days. My sincere apologies. I’ll reply to the RIP blog either tonight or tomorrow.
3057807 - Vic Viper
I've never been propositioned quite like this before... But you have to wait like everypony else.
3057818 - Moon Shine
Junk?
3058007 - 1995olafur
Yuppers.
3058009 - XxAshiikox3xX
At least the truth known so far.
3058048 - Blaise Brony
That's my point. There's a huge amount of canon evidence of Dinky NOT being Derpy's daughter.
3058169 - Nikto
I'm glad you're enjoying it. That's my goal for writing.
3058177 - Flare
It's become a shocking twist chapter reveal for NOTHING to happen. Well, I've succeeded in my mission. Also, did you happen to change your username? Your avatar was used by somepony else before...
3058185 - Phoenix999
Ha! As of this point, I only have a vignette with her. I was going to put her up as a fourth option in that vote a while back, but decided that chronologically, hers wasn't soon enough to where I am in the posting.
3058197 - Sylthsaber
I love how paranoid I've made everypony. He's not even recovered from the last one! Heh.
3058212 - Midnight Blues
Soon.
3058231 - Zontargs
I had to give props to Spike. After that rather saddening episode, the only thing I could think of is that he was so obsessed with repaying Applejack that he literally forgot everything else. Including basic skills. And motor control.
Oh, also, it might be a disappointment to some of you. My attempt at showing 'Estrus' is in a civilized, 'realistic' light as compared to some fics where it's used for comedy.
3058239 - Vic Viper
Please don't. If you died, I wouldn't be happy.
3058293 - High_Wind
Heh, exceeded levels shoot right from diabetes to heart attack, so be careful.
3058399 - RoboRed
I was hoping for the cuteness to spike in this chapter.
3058433 - mrclootis
*return witty reply here* (Thanks! )
3058436 - Willsons
Heh, it amuses me how paranoid I've made my readers. However, given the natural flow of story progression, this would definitely be considered a lull in the action, so one would indeed expect things to speed up soon. Although given I use arcs for my story, it would be safe to assume that you'd have to transition into a new arc for things to really go to pieces, unless I have a twist planned for this one.
(1/7)
3058455 - Moon Shine
Heee. *wonders if this is going to be a chapterly thing, now*
3058489 - Skijarama
HA! Okay, that's awesome. The circle looks a little funky, but I should hope he approves of his own story. *reminds himself that he needs to plug your new chapters in his next blog release*
3058500 - Phoenix999
Mender needed the break.
3058522 - SilverFlame
I'm SURE he'll remember sooner or later... Maybe his brain is mentally blocking it?
3058567 - My Nerf Herder
Good timing! I hope you're enjoying.
3058676 - JokeTrail
I know that feeling! Keeping up with my own work load is difficult enough when not in school.
3058711 - Saint coulombe
Heh, I was subtle there, but yes, you're right. Law of story dynamics labels this as a down point, which will cause the plot to go upwards in action next. The real question is the time-frame on that 'next' thing. It being Mender just makes it a tad more likely that upwards action means downwards healthy and happiness.
3058790 - blindbronyinblack
That's a lot of questions, and I can answer none of them, really! How sad. I love answering questions, too, but spoiler rules dictate that I cannot. DARN IT! So not fair. Regardless, I'm glad you're enjoying!
3058808 - Enmar
Is there such a thing as TOO cute, baring heart attack?
3059053 - Black Sun Eclipse
I think you could if you gave it a try. Confidence is... a difficult thing, I know.
3059325 - Black Sun Eclipse
Okay, the mental images that invoked were more than a little hilarious, especially when my brain automatically switched out Moon with Luna.
3059338 - MuffinTop
As intended! That is a very much unanswered plot point. Of course, if Mender would ever get some guts and watch the recording...
3059586 - Unwitting Brony
Heh, even though they haven't progressed into that word yet, you are indeed correct. It actually shows character progression on both accounts, because Twilight herself would have been unlikely to pursue something such as this prior, probably not seeing the reasoning behind it.
Ha! While his body stands up fairly well to medical scans and examination, prolonged monitoring in a hospital setting will indeed show... irregularities. It's probably obvious by now, but his doctor and nurse, Nurse Redheart, are in on the secret as well, although sworn off by Princess Celestia. (Another reason she showed up personally in the last arc.)
Looks at the dozen additional chapters, and five more planned story arcs... Okay, I think you're cheating and using meta knowledge for that one. Heh.
It's a standing point of curiosity for Mender. He's decided that their fur actually mimics their skin tone underneath, for both blushing and cutie marks. That would make their actual fur a strange form of magic optical fiber, if so. So a more interesting point would be, does their fur keep its color if it's snipped off their body? Interesting in all likelihood, but not high up on the priority list of story coverage. Mender just doesn't have the time for curiosity research.
(2/7)
3059588 - Blaise Brony
Glad you're enjoying! I hope it's a happy tear, however.
1. It's not specified. To all outside onlookers, including Mender, it's a form of 'hero worship' in all likelihood. Regardless, I doubt I'll ever actually go so far as to filling it out further as such, so you're safe to just pretend whichever you prefer.
2. You really like the concept, don't you?
3. Heh, okay, my mind totally just fell into the gutter with that statement. But you're right. They trust each other, so it makes for strong social dynamics.
4. Ha! I THINK I know what you're implying.
5. Here's the pictures that destroyed my headcanon (I didn't make this.):
ponilauta.fi/k/src/13638903075090.jpg/Dinkys%20Parents.jpg
6. Yup, there's definitely a strong relationship forming.
7. Adorableness was FULLY intended. I'm quite pleased with how the scene turned out, myself.
8. I'd rather shoot myself in the gut with a 9mm than add anything to do with Equestria Girls. Apologies. I don't agree with it on a fundamental level.
That's a very strange question. It's strongly implied that humans existed in his old world, so your question is actually more asking what would happen if he went back to his old dimension. In this regard, horror.
Er, what?
3059743 - Lucky424
Oh, he wasn't transformed when she caught back up with him. He'd gotten his leg brace by then and turned back to normal. The library scene was the first time she got a real good, close up look of it.
3059762 - LMessenger
HA! I knew I'd heard it before! I swear, my memory is horrible.
3059896 - LMessenger
Heh, I write with my heart, so you probably see more of the real me in my creations than I'd ever tell you myself. Being compared to the Princess of Love is definitely an honor, but I'll easily settle simply for a spell weaver. Not sure if I'd consider myself the 'best' author on the site though.
3060006 - Dhuradhan
Hopefully I can bring you one step closer to that through my writing.
3060016 - Lucky424
You were amazingly accurate with your predictions. Also, I agree. Him living through his encounter with Twilight Velvet and Night Light is of utmost importance. Heeee. It would be very unlikely should Night Light actually walk in on that particular scene in the morning.
3060171 - wickedmatt717
I'm glad for that. It makes me happy to know I'm entertaining ponies. I've said it hundreds of times, but that is THE reason I'm writing this.
3060729 - JockeTF
I'm glad you're enjoying still, Best Alpaca.
(3/7)
3060864 - Buckin Bronco
Also something I secretly strive for. Entertaining ponies is my main goal, but cheering them up is even better! I try to do that through entertainment, but a huge dose of cuteness is always a plus.
Not necessarily square one. Mender has learned important things through his interaction with everypony, and isn't likely to forget what's been shown to him, no matter how bleak things may become. If anything, he's a far better pony than when he started out.
Ooops. That you know is changed now. Rarity HAS talked to Mender a bit more, although I doubt you've seen the last of it. Pinkie is VERY difficult to read, so that last part is almost impossible to guess. And Twilight's about as oblivious as you'd expect her to be, in all likelihood.
It didn't look like rape to me... It seemed very cuddly and happy, which I'm fairly certain is the opposite. Heh.
3060946 - lilsamsam223
*Happy!* I'm glad, and hope to never, ever disappoint.
3061416 - Bubbabob
Given my normal pattern of things, it will either be a slow and grinding progression downwards, or flinging itself off the proverbial cliff into the waves below. Either way, I'd probably give it a few more chapters.
3061890 - FlyingChurro
Given how I write, hearing this makes me very happy. It shows me that what I'm doing is working, and to keep going as such. So thank you. I agree that ideally, the best stories have living and breathing characters that feel just like we're watching them from right there. Feeling the emotions of the scene is important to me.
3062862 - Twitwi2000
*snickers* Pinkie's exceptionally sensitive to Mender's style of magic. It's really hard to read what she actually wants, however.
3063913 - chavis54
I'm sorry. Should I put a trigger warning up for romance, too?
3065916 - J4mie
Very solid observations on Mender's personality. He really wants to stay positive, but he'll probably never get away from the extremely analytical side of himself that always looks for reasons and conclusions, sometimes far ahead of or outside of what would normally be apparent. It makes him paranoid, even when he honestly does trust the ponies around him. More on that later, in all likelihood.
3066585 - tomla134
A good thing, I've decided. So long as you don't ACTUALLY die. I prefer my readers very much alive and without necromancy influences.
3068140 - Ebrony Black
It's actually more akin to a slowly dawning shock at how purely different Equestria is from his old dimension. He sees more and more differences every day with each interaction rather than similarities. The cultural shock mirrors the elation at this point, which conflicts with the guilt he feels inside. The bottom line being, does he really 'deserve' to be in Equestria? Unsure. Forgiveness pending.
Also, yes. From a purely meta standpoint, we're obviously nowhere near done yet.
3071245 - Sir Baasz
Girlfriend... *mildly jelly*
Obviously however, you're right. We have a long way to go before the end. And miles to go before I sleep.
3072204 - Narishia98
Mender's good at that.
(4/7)
Due to DouglasFir and Periphery having such a massive comment each, you get your own section!
3091007 - Eratosthenes
Considering I'm two days late for the comments, no, you're not late at all.
He's getting better at not panicking or going ballistic inside over reactions and comments! I think this is an improvement.
Heeee. Hammerspace... But yes! He could likely add any anatomy he wanted, pretty much anywhere. Not that it wouldn't be absolutely disgusting and horrifying for all involved and witnessing the event.
Fillies are Best Accessories.
Heh, shall I take this as yet another vote for playing with tentacles in the Censorship Pending scenes? Playground equipment would be ADORABLE, though.
(5/7)
3093625 - DouglasFir
Whoa! A super long comment! *happy!* Although I ALMOST had to split this reply into two sections...
Heh, the best theories are grounded in reality, of course. That was taken from actual tree growing and shaping techniques. Look up Tree Shaping if you're curious. It made the most sense for me, too. In my canon, Earth Ponies are amazing at it.
I enjoyed writing that particular scene with the CMC. They're just so adorable, and I tried to make it as realistic as possible while maintaining that. Scootaloo is a unique exception to the whole accepting him thing, of course. She has the 'cool' thing going of course, so doesn't really mind the other look, but the big thing is that her hero worshiped idol has specifically approved of Mender, directly in front of her no less. I wonder if Rainbow did that intentionally? I have a feeling you're only going to see Scoots' opinion of him growing stronger, even more unnaturally so than Sweetie's.
*snickers and shudders in combination at the hash tags* Yes, the central themes are definitely starting to show, although I didn't name the fic due to AJ's reaction in particular. She plays into the theme well enough and is a very nice lead in to the actual central involvement, however. Good observation. Also, yes, forgiving yourself without any external help tends to take a very, very long time. I also know this.
You are dead on with the positives and neutrals. Rainbow DOES approve of his new form, mind you, but maintains the uncertainty more for being worried about AJ than her own dislike. Apple Bloom was the most shocked of the CMC, but still accepted him fairly easily, probably due to having just been told he was an alien and not thinking he was something else for so long. Sweetie and Scootaloo would accept him regardless. Rarity thinks the other form is a bit too violent and visually unappealing, and AJ is absolutely horrified, but ironically, not at his form. She's not taking the news that she 'technically' killed him very well at all. #thingstobecoveredmorelater
Tree bark is another good way to describe it, yes. It covers the layers well. It's not that important to the story, but he has three layers of armor, one of which is on almost constantly unless he's trying to get comfortable and sleep or something. The under-dermal layer is under his pony skin and pretty much always on. Thin and light, but fairly tough. He can get nicked and damaged with it up, but larger wounds are fairly well reduced. In armor form, he gets an above-skin layer of interwoven mesh that further prevents piercing and damage, and thick/large overlapping plates over that to limit crushing and slashing, and fully negate piercing. He also gains about a hundred and fifty pounds in that form, as a slight downside. The information was probably super boring, but I figured I'd explain seeing as you were on topic and it probably wouldn't be fully covered in the story. Partially covered is the fact that his outer layer of armor is Ablative and Reactive.
Heh, everypony always mentions the tongue thing. Also more on that later, in all the best possible ways.
Well, no, his 'errors' he was getting were just slight movement flaws. It more means they get clutzy rather than acting on their own. Also, you're perfectly fine in liking watching Mender get hurt. It was documented quite well by Aristotle for the value of a work in the hurt/comfort genre. He called it a 'clensing' by feeling the emotions of wanting to comfort the individual suffering in the story.
The mares are definitely trying to help Mender and support him. It's a good thing. Mender needs the support, despite everypony being busy doing their own thing.
Fluttershy is indeed adorable, and incredibly good at invoking all sorts of feels. Careful to take her only in small doses, or you might develop diabetes or a heart symptoms. Same applies to the CMC! If they're all in the same area, just run.
Fillies are Best Accessories.
Heh, removing the link from Keela would be very, very bad for her state of health, and despite how insane Nirru is, there IS only one thing in existence you can truly state she cares about. I'm not sure if bringing Prudentia to Mender was a good idea either, but for a different reason.
Prudentia did seamlessly transfer ownership to Mender, with or without his input whatsoever, which might be due to the clone thing. Those are two very solid choices, but you're right on the timeline thing. Mender's original HAD Prudentia while both individuals were alive, so given that we know an individual dies in the creation of said artifact, neither work.
Mender does indeed have an extremely strong connection with Prudentia, which you'll see even more of later. So you're very right there, too. *so proud of you* Kyliona is indeed not a barrier expert, although that's not always needed, which is something your theory slipped on a bit. One must only be able to cast an Aegis Barrier. A further slip is the absolution of the requirement, I noticed. An individual MUST die to make an Aegis Artifact. Keela wasn't lying when she said that. It's due to... other things that I can't exactly go into yet.
Another thing I noticed you didn't cover was the fact that Prudentia seems to be undocumented by the Keldarians, both being an Aegis Artifact made without supervision, and kept hidden from their government. It's subtly implied that this is rare, if not unheard of. Due to Nirru's reaction in the introduction to the book as well, it's also fairly safe to assume that males are NOT taught how to make an Artifact.
This was indeed a long comment, but very, very fascinating. I greatly enjoyed it, so thank you. You're rivaling Periphery now, which is scary as you both dropped these back to back...
We also have a very long ways to go before this story is done. So maybe properly paranoid?
(6/7)