IV. Let Us Go Singing, and the Road Will Be Less Tedious
IV. Let Us Go Singing, and The Road Will Be Less Tedious
Applejack shifted her weight from one hoof to the other, ready to be off.
It wasn’t that she was eager, exactly. Eager wasn’t the word for it. She wasn’t happy to be away from her family at all. Simply looking in Apple Bloom’s eyes was difficult, seeing her trying to be a big pony and not cry. It made her want to turn around and tell Twilight that she quit. That she couldn’t do it and they would simply have to find some other pony willing to walk to world’s end and back, because she wasn’t going.
She took a deep breath and gave her little sister the best smile she could muster.
Big Mac stood with Apple Bloom. He put a foreleg around his younger sister and regarded Applejack with an unhappy look.
Princess Luna was speaking to the crowd that had assembled at the gate to see them off. Her magically amplified voice echoed out over the upturned faces, seeming to fill the empty space. Applejack didn’t pretend to know much about such things, but it seemed like an alright bit of speechmaking to her. She knew that it comforted her, and she wasn’t even the audience.
But suddenly, the princess was done. She turned to the bearers of the Elements and smiled thinly. Worried, yes, but genuine. Applejack wondered briefly if she had gotten the chance to talk with Twilight before all of this. Luna’s eyes flicked over to the midnight blue unicorn who stood off to the side. “Page Turner?”
Page Turner? I guess that’s the stallion Soarin’ was talkin’ about.
The Princess’s aide nodded, and his horn glowed. Applejack saw now that he had a small box in his keeping, which he delivered to his monarch before shuffling back to his place. Princess Luna set the box on the ground and looked up.
She cleared her throat, and Applejack noticed that the enchantment that empowered her voice was gone. In its place, her normal, soft tones had returned. She looked each of the Elements in the eyes as if trying to see inside. It made Applejack a little nervous, to be honest, but when it was her turn, she stood up straight and met the inquisitive gaze.
Ain’t got nothin’ to hide, she thought and smiled. The Princess raised both eyebrows, but her smile didn't falter. If anything, it grew. Princess Luna passed on.
When she’d done the same for all of them, she spoke.
“We are sorry to see you go, necessary or not. You have all been a boon to us in these trying times, and We thank you. Are you ready to depart?”
Pinkie responded first. Her voice was bright, energetic. It was almost like old times in that way, Applejack reflected, like this was at the start of one of their old adventures.
“Alllll ready!” She cried, and Applejack glanced over in time to see her grin. Before she could wander how genuine it was, Twilight had answered.
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, Princess. I think we all are.” She looked quickly from side to side. “Right, girls?”
Applejack joined the subdued chorus of affirmations. The Princess accepted them all with a nod and opened up the box with a hoof. From it, she lifted the Elements themselves. Applejack saw her own, and the familiarity of it made her smile despite herself.
The Princess of the night turned to address the crowd once more. “The Element bearers have once again given me their assent! As they go in hopes of aiding us all, let us send with them a blessing.”
She spun around and presented each other bearers with their Elements in turn.
“Dearest Fluttershy, We present you with your Element, in hopes that you might show kindness to our little ponies. Pinkamena, to you We present the Element of Laughter, that you might stir the spark of harmony in the hearts of Eqeustria’s embattled ponies with laughter.”
As each Element was clasped onto its owner’s neck, the crystal on it glowed brightly. Applejack was reminded of earlier days, and she could almost feel a tingle of anticipation as her body recalled the sensation of the Elements in use.
“To you, Rarity, I return the Element of Generosity.” Luna paused before continuing in a voice not amplified as she tied the necklace about Rarity’s neck. “It is strange. I am reminded of other Belles, in the past. The lost house... Once before, I decorated a fine young stallion with treasure. The House of Belle laid me low at the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, Rarity. I am glad that you honor their memory well.”
Rarity looked down. “Thank you, your Highness. You do me more honor than I am worth.”
The princess shook her head but moved on. “Twilight Sparkle, We ask that you continue to bear the Element of Magic in service to both your comrades and to your nation. Celestia—” she paused briefly, as if considering. “—was right to choose you as her apprentice. Your country has faith in you.” Princess Luna lost the amplification quickly. She spoke very quietly, and Applejack only barely heard her add, “As do I, Twilight Sparkle.”
“I know,” Twilight answered, her face stoic.
Luna moved on, finally reaching Applejack. “To you, most dependable Applejack, we give the Element of Honesty. May you never shirk from being a light for our ponies to see the truth, and may you remind your companions of the same.”
“I’ll try,” she replied firmly.
“We would expect nothing less,” the princess replied in a normal voice and then continued on to the last pony in line.
“Rainbow Dash, to you at last we give one of our dearest possessions: Loyalty.” Her voice was amplified, and Applejack swallowed. The air was thick with some sort of tension she couldn’t begin to grasp, but she could see a strange light in those eyes as Luna continued. “Loyalty! It is important, and in these harrowing days it is a light in the starless dark. Will you continue to be true to your friends, Rainbow?”
“Uh...” Rainbow began to speak, only to stop. Her words carried, amplified. Applejack’s eyes darted from the princess and Dash. “Yeah. Of course!” Rainbow finished, managing a rather pathetic imitation of her characteristic daredevil grin.
Princess Luna nodded. It would have to do, apparently, for she came back to Twilight.
She removed the enchantment. “Twilight, We have some things to give you, if you will take them.”
“I assume it’s what we talked about last night?”
The princess nodded. “Of course, as well as something extra. First—” she looked down and with her magic acquired a small amulet. “—the tracker that I spoke to you about. It will show you the way, always pointing into the West. May it be a guide for you.”
“I’m sure it will be, Princess. Thank you,” Twilight said, smiling. She donned the amulet.
“And lastly, this.” She brought a small globe of what appeared to be solid gold and floated it before Twilight’s face. Twilight caught it in her own magic and examined it.
“It’s a scrying globe,” Luna said, almost shyly. “Old magic, from when We were younger. We recalled it after you left m—Us last night. It can call back to our own in Canterlot, and that way We can keep track of you.”
Twilight stared into the ball, her mouth open slightly as she turned it over and over in midair.
“I’m honored... this is really ancient magic, like something I would see in a display case in the Starswirl the Bearded wing. It’s wonderful. Thank you so much!” she said, looking up and offering her a wide grin in return.
The princess smiled and looked away.
Applejack’s eyes wandered over the crowd as the princess began to make her final address. She met a few eyes and tried to smile as best she could. Be brave. It seemed appropriate. It wasn’t a lie, for she was itching to be off. Her hooves wanted the open road.
Movement to her left drew her sight. There, the Wonderbolts stood as an honor guard for the princess. All but one of them looked straight ahead with a neutral expression.
The one dissenter’s head was turned only slightly, but it was enough. His eyes were covered by his goggles. Everything but his mouth and wild mane were covered in barding and flightsuit, but she knew that smile anywhere.
She smiled back at Soarin’, and on a whim, she mouthed a quick, “I love you.”
He paused, and Applejack stifled a chuckle. Fool probably tried to wink at me like he always does. Forgot I couldn’t see, she thought as the stallion opted for a big grin and a message of his own. “Come back.”
Applejack sighed. I’ll try.
It was a beautiful day. Twilight wasn’t sure how fitting it was that it be so, but she certainly didn’t mind. The sun’s punishing heat was countered by a gentle breeze which caught her mane. Errant strands blocked her view of the rising Unicorn Range, and she brushed them aside with a hoof.
Rarity trotted alongside her on the road that led into the far-off forest. Twilight kept her eyes on the verdance, tracing in her mind the forest road that wrapped around the mountain roots. She could almost hear Luna’s soft voice and see that dark blue hoof, illuminated by the candlelight, showing the way her party would take.
“Twilight?”
She blinked, brought out of the memory roughly. She turned her head towards Rarity.
“Sorry, I was thinking. What?”
Rarity gave a small smile. “You seemed rather focused, dear. I must admit, I am curious. I’m sure it was not our mutual pink friend’s earlier antics.”
“Was Pinkie up to something?” Twilight asked, frowning. She had missed it. At least... I mean, I’ll have tons of time to laugh with Pinkie on the road. If she’ll want to. Which of course she will, she’s Pinkie, right?
Rarity chuckled. “That she was. We had a good laugh earlier, and I noticed you were silent. I let Fluttershy go ahead and fly while I dropped back.”
“Oh... I”m sorry. How long have you been there?”
“Only a minute or so. Not long.”
Twilight sighed.
It was the last time she would see three of these ponies in... who knew how long? She certainly had no idea. They would be doing their work, and she her own. North and west. How long was it until the crossroads? How much time had she wasted daydreaming? She wanted to groan in frustration, but Rarity would prod, and Twilight would look a fool, so she did nothing but continue on.
Twilight found she had nothing to say. She wanted to speak. Her voice sounded rusty in her own ears.
And here I am, being silent. Twilight bit her lip. But what could she say? What did one talk about with somepony who was about to go away? Just... small talk? She had not the mind for it. It just didn’t make sense. She could talk about going away, perhaps, and splitting up. How she would feel. Ask how Rarity felt about it. It’s not like there are books on this kind of thing.
Had she always been like this? Twilight didn’t think so. This is why she sent me to Ponyville, I guess. She was worried because I was like this, Twilight thought. And, now that I’m back here, I can see it to. Useless.
“It’s a shame, really,” Rarity said, breaking into Twilight’s thoughts again.
“Hm?”
“This. Well, not this exactly. At the moment, the walk is wonderful, and it is beyond simply refreshing to see Pinkie and Rainbow Dash playing tricks on each other. Or talking with Fluttershy without a shadow over everything. It’s a shame we’ve only gotten out from under it here, when we are set to part.”
Twilight sighed. “Yes, it is. I am sorry, if it helps. For all of the being… unfriendly? I’m not sure how to say it, really. Which is strange for me, as you can imagine.”
“We cannot all do all things,” Rarity said, and Twilight caught her lips curling up in the beginnings of a smile. “Even the paragon of knowledge herself trips up on words eventually, it seems.”
“Something like that.” Rainbow laughed loudly, and it drew her eyes. “Rarity, I’m curious. What was all that, about the House of Belle? I’ve heard that name, but…”
“It’s nothing,” Rarity replied quickly. She looked away, her elegant mane becoming a veil between them.
This, of course, earned her a sidelong glance. Twilight had caught the scent of new knowledge, and it was desperate for her attentive scholar’s pursuit. She dug a little deeper.
“Lu—Princess Luna, I mean—seemed to think it was quite important.”
Rarity pouted. “Honestly, Twilight, you should know that a lady has her secrets. The things she would rather not drag out into the light.” She paused, smiling. “Perhaps better than anypony, you’d know that, my dear.” Rarity drew closer, so that they were almost touching. Her voice lowered.
“Come again?” Twilight asked, finding her own voice softer.
“Since when do you call our most regal princess by her first name, devoid of title?”
“Since a while ago,” Twilight said quickly, drawing away. We’re penpals. Friends. It’s not that hard to believe that I forget she’s a princess sometimes. Or something, she thought. “It’s not a big deal. I just slipped up.”
“Isn’t it?” She was grinning now, triumphant like the huntress posing with her prey. “And, darling, I’ll be frank. That wasn’t the first time I’ve heard you say ‘Luna’ plain and simple, not even an honorific to cover it’s forwardness.”
“You haven’t answered my question,” Twilight said.
“True. Perhaps some reciprocity will grease the gears of conversation, hm? The machinery of our camaraderie. To answer your question...” she took a deep breath. Her smile withered slowly. The glee drained away. “My family was once great, Twilight. There have been many Belles, many generous unicorns. Is it arrogant to say such things of myself, that I am generous? It is as much my temperament and ancestry as anything else.”
Twilight shook her head. “I don’t think it’s arrogant. The description seems pretty accurate!”
Rarity’s lips tugged up briefly. “You are kind, dear. Yes, but we always were such. We gave freely. Money, friendship, even strength of hoof. It was Luna who unmade us. A Belle was the Imperial Marshal at that last battle, and under his command were his three sons. They all died, and the only male heir was a child. We lingered, but… we never recovered. Eventually, bankrupt, my great-grandfather’s great-grandfather was forced to sell our title back to the crown in Liquidation. Celestia was very kind to us. We received more for our holdings near Ponville then we deserved.”
“I always wondered how a unicorn with your mannerisms and interests ended up in a little farming town. I would’ve thought you were a Canterlot-born pony if you hadn’t said differently.” Twilight chuckled. “Remember how we met? You heard I was from Canterlot, and you were pretty pumped about it.”
Rarity’s eyes were back on her, and she joined Twilight in laughter. “Yes, I was a bit overdramatic in my joy, wasn’t I? You must think me silly.”
“Not at all! Well, okay, maybe a little. But you were trying to help me. I’m a little sorry I wasn’t more open with all of you, when I first came to Ponyville.”
“Ah, but all’s well and all that,” she replied, shaking her head. “To finish my explanation, Twilight, Luna has been consulting me on the Houses Major and how they’ve changed since she left. Your Rarity has been watching and studying like any Lady of yore.”
Applejack, in front of them, called. ”Twi, Rarity! Y’all comin’? You’re fallin’ behind.”
They were, she realized. She had lost track, absorbed in conversation. “Sorry! Coming!” She looked at Rarity and gestured with her head. They picked up the pace.
“Luna never told me that.” Twilight caught her own mistake and winced. It’s not weird.
“I wondered if you knew. You hadn’t asked me about it, and I found that rather curious. I beg your pardon! You seem bothered.”
Twilight grunted noncommittally. The two unicorns had caught up with the rest of the party. Pinkie was bouncing along the road, singing a song. Twilight caught scraps of it through her distraction—something about roads going on and on, something strange about it—but kept her eyes a moment longer on Rarity.
Rarity sighed. “You do, I promise you. I am sorry. I believe that she wished not to burden you with the unnecessary. Or perhaps she didn’t wish you to know how much she still had to learn.”
“Maybe. It’s not a big deal.”
“Of course.”
Applejack came alongside them, trotting at Twilight’s side. “How y’all doin’?”
Twilight shrugged best she could midstride, and Rarity answered. “Very well, thank you for asking. It’s a beautiful day.”
“Eeyup. Wish I could enjoy it more, y’know? Just me an’ some shady orchard lane. Good to be with y’all, though.” She coughed. “Think Pinkie’s about to burst.”
Twilight smiled in agreement. Pinkie was still singing, though not bouncing anymore. Pinkie led the way, with Fluttershy listening behind her. Rainbow meandered in the air above the party. Twilight guessed she was bored. Going too slow for the Dash, as always, she thought. Oh, that’s unfair. If I had wings, I’d probably be ready to go, same as she is.
Pinkie stopped, whirling about in the middle of the road. A huge grin covered her face, her eyes alight.
“I did it!”
The rest of the party—except for Rainbow, who had to circle back—stopped short and stared at her. Her grinning continued, undaunted, and finally Twilight simply had to ask. “What did you do, exactly?”
“I remembered the song!”
“Oh,” Twilight said lamely. Well, that made sense. “Um... yes, what song? I’m sorry. I’m lost. I didn’t know you were trying to remember one.”
“Well of course not, silly!” Pinkie replied. “It’s not like I toldja I was! I just was. I kept thinking about it and thinking about it, and I couldn’t remember, so I sang a bunch of other songs first, and they weren’t it but they were kinda close, and—”
“Pinkie, darling—”
“—and then I kind of remembered Granny Pie singing that one, but I couldn’t remember how it started which I needed too! Because if I know the beginning I can remember it all, because I always remember the words eventually, and—”
Applejack cut through the dense chattering with a firm voice. “Pinkie!” Pinkie blinked and looked at her, confused. Applejack chuckled and gave her a smile. “Now, why don’tcha let us hear it?”
Pinkie took a deep breath and began to sing. Twilight was startled into a bemused smile. It was not the kind of thing she expected.
Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.
Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet hooves that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have known.
Pinkie finished, and let the final note die slowly. They were silent. Twilight was shocked. She had never expected that kind of song from Pinkie. The party pony, for her part, was quite oblivious to their collective incredulity. She simply trotted over to sit before Twilight.
“Yup! That’s it. My Granny taught me that when I was just little filly Pinkie! She taught me lots of songs. Old earth pony songs!”
“Gosh...” Applejack doffed her hat with a slow-growing smile. “Well I’ll be. That tune... sounds familiar. Never heard them words put to it, ‘fore, though.”
Pinkie turned to her quickly, her curly mane bouncing. “Mhm! She told me it’s really, really old! And we used to hum it and sing it with different words back home on the farm.”
Applejack’s eyes may have been looking at Pinkie, but Twilight thought she was seeing something else entirely. The hat rested in Applejack’s hoof, pressed against her chest. A breeze tugged on her hair and Applejack’s long ponytail swung like a pendulum by her hooves.
“Makes me wish I could still do my pickin’. Had my guitar, y’know?”
“You play guitar, Applejack?” Twilight asked, surprised. She could see her friend now, sitting beneath the shade of an apple tree. “I never knew.”
“Ya wouldn’t have,” Applejack said heavily. “Nah, gave it up when I was filly. Well, not gave it up, exactly. I liked it an’ awful lot. It was pa’s.” She paused, turning her eyes on Twilight. “I couldn’t take it with me to Manehattan when I left, y’know? Right before I got my cutie mark.”
Twilight had never thought about it. She had just... never asked. I wonder what else I don’t know. What else I just never asked about.
Applejack continued. “After I got home, just never picked it up. I had gotten out of the habit. Wasn’t that good, I hadn’t been playin’ that long. Kinda hard playin’, for an earth pony, but ya can.” She sniffed, pantomiming as she spoke. “Ya... ya kinda tune it different, so you can slide your hoof up and make chords.”
She let her hooves fall and sat back. Before she could look away or dwell on it, Pinkie spoke again, hooves waving.
“If I taught you the words, you could totally sing with me because you know it, and maybe we could find a guitar in Vanhoover, and we could, like, be a folk group with a silly name and unite all the ponies with our awesome group vocals while on the run from the law!”
Applejack was startled into a laugh. “What in tarnation?”
“It would be awesome!” Pinkie insisted, her eyes alight.
They all laughed while Pinkie continued on about fake beards and crazy guitarponies. On a whim, she grabbed Applejack’s hat despite the farmer’s protestations and began to act out her fantastic idea, singing nonsense lyrics in a low, gravelly voice.
“Hey! Give that back!”
“I-I-I am a maaaare—”
“I think we all know that, darling,” Rarity interrupted, trying to hold back her laughter and mostly failing. Applejack chased Pinkie, her voice somewhere between a laugh and a growl.
“—of constant sorr-rroooowww—”
“Pinkie, consarnit, I need that! Don’tcha muss it up, or—”
Rainbow hovered over the chase. “Pinks! Hey, Pinks, lemme see it!”
Pinkie, grinning like a loon, tossed Applejack’s prized Stetson up to her like a frisby. Rainbow nabbed it out of midair as Applejack reached for it in vain. It was a bad move: Applejack overbalanced and fell. She couldn’t help it; she finally laid on the ground laughing.
“Jus’ gimme the hat back, Dash,” she managed, holding both hooves up.
The Stetson, safe and sound, descended down onto her outstretched hooves. Applejack, rolling her eyes but still smiling, sat back up and donned it again. She dusted herself off. “I’ll sing with ya just fine, Pinkie, but let’s see if next time ya can get your own hat, ya ken?”
Twilight didn’t want that moment to end. It had to, eventually, but not yet. As Rarity commented wryly, Twilight hoped it dragged on. She didn’t want to leave this behind. She wanted it to go on forever.
It just snuck up on her.
One moment, her friends were in high spirits. She was transported back in time to another summer day, stepping off the boat to visit the Zebrahara in the name of the Princesses. The smell of adventure in the air, the warmth of the sun on her back, the company of her dearest friends.
They were out in the open, the trees on either side cut back from the road. Of course, the fork in the road was visible from far-off, but Twilight had let it pass out of mind. She had been absorbed in Pinkie’s nonsensical singing and chatter. Applejack had been coaxed into singing a bit with Pinkie, and she had listened. Rarity’s gossipping had importuned upon her attentions. All in all, she had let the coming split fade from memory.
And here it was, sneaking up on her. The six of them stood at the crossroads around the sign in the intersection of roads.
None of them said a word. Six pairs of eyes just stared up at the signs declaring that Stalliongrad was along this road, and the way to Vanhoover was along that one. Once again, Twilight found herself going over the calculations—how long it would take to get to the crossing, how long the walk through the gap to the other side of the Unicorn Range would take. How long Rarity and the others would be walking until they made it to her brother.
Twilight didn’t want to break the silence. She didn’t want to be the one who spoke and set them both on separate paths. But, she thought, biting her bottom lip, if it’s not me then it’ll be Rarity. I’m supposed to be in charge here. It should be me. It’s what Celestia would want. Well, Luna would want. Who knew what Celestia wanted.
“Well... I guess this is it.” She blinked. Wow. Wow, that was lame. I guess this is it? C’mon Twilight, you can do better than this. Twilight coughed, and began again. “I...”
Nothing came out.
Her heart beat madly in her chest. She needed to stay something. Anything. It was like sinking in quicksand, and three of her best friends in the world were about to be gone, and she couldn’t manage to say anything.
“It’s not really goodbye,” Pinkie said suddenly.
Luna bless you, Pinkie. “No, it’s not. You’re right. We’ll be back here again,” Twilight said, managing a shaky smile. “We’re the Elements of Harmony; we’ve done stuff like this before. Saving the world, you know?”
“Quite right,” Rarity said quietly, her eyes still fixated on the sign. “Just ta-ta for now. Like...”
“Going out for a walk or somethin’,” Applejack finished when she didn’t. “Just like a long, long walk.”
Twilight looked away from the milepost to the faces of her friends. Rainbow, who scowled. Fluttershy, pawing at the dust with a hoof and looking down. She met Twilight’s eyes for a moment. Rarity, whose face was stoic. She missed them already.
“Dangerous business, I guess,” Applejack continued. “Steppin’ out your front door onto the road. I sure will miss y’all.”
Rainbow’s wings fluttered on her back, and her jaw clenched. She sighed and looked at Pinkie, who stood beside her.
“Pinks, you’re gonna be safe, right? Gonna come back in one piece with all of your legs without me there to keep ‘em off you?”
“Of course I am, silly Dashie!”
Rainbow looked to Applejack. “And you’re gonna take care of the egghead, right? Without me there to help?”
Applejack chuckled despite herself. “Sure, why not? Like her enough.”
It was Twilight’s turn. “And you’re not gonna get busy reading and fall into a hole or something, right? You promise? ‘Cause I’m not gonna be there to fish you out.”
Twilight laughed. “I’ll try my best, Rainbow.”
With that, the pegasus’s wings flared out, and she rose into a hover. Her furrowed brow was replaced by a smile, and Twilight didn’t know how real it was. But it seemed real.
“Then let’s go. Why not? Can’t just sit around here forever! We’ve got stuff to do, places to be! Plans and stuff. I’ve got some awesome flying to do, and you have... I don’t know, cool egghead and apple stuff?” She shrugged as best she could in midair. “Anyway, we’ll just be worse off if we stand here. So here, let me say it, and then let’s do what we do best.” Rainbow took a deep breath and then burst into a quick stream of speech. “I-love-you-guys-and-I’ll-miss-you. And stuff. Jeez.”
Before Twilight could say anything, Pinkie was on the move, jumping up on the low-hovering Rainbow Dash and ringing her arms around the pegasus’s neck. Rainbow cried out, hooves flailing, trying to right herself.
“Ah! Gettof!”
“Don’t get hit by arrows or crash or go too fast and break the sound barrier and melt or get lost or starve or get your wings swapped with Rarity’s horn—”
“Pinkie,” Rainbow yelled, trying to push her off, “I’m gonna crash! Let go! I love you too!”
Twilight hid her chuckling behind a hoof. Rainbow, overbalanced, found herself head down, hindlegs straight up, and her wings couldn’t handle the bizarre position. She fell into Pinkie and they ended up in a pile.
Pinkie was unfazed. “Pinkie promise. You have to!”
Rainbow growled, but it dissolved into laughter. “Fine, fine. I Pinkie-Promise.” Pinkie glared at her, and she rolled her eyes. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” she deadpanned.
Pinkie made an indescribably happy sound, hugged Rainbow, and then was gone. She made the rounds, doing much the same to them all. The icy pit in Twilight’s stomach was gone, washed away. She felt warm, happy. Perhaps it wasn’t so bad. Just a long trip, after all. Like going on a research trip and coming home after a month or two.
Pinkie hugged her tightly, and Twilight hugged back, a bit bewildered. “Pinkie, you’re going with me. You do know that, right?”
“Of course, silly! But I have to hug all of you!”
“I... Sure? Sure, I guess,” Twilight replied, deciding once more that Pinkie was impossible to understand.
Pinkie squeezed her harder, and suddenly she was whispering fiercely in Twilight’s ear. “Are you sure? They’re gonna be all right, right?”
Twilight didn’t let her surprise show on her face as she answered. “I think so. Don’t you? Rainbow’s got them.”
And then Pinkie had bounced off to Applejack, who was also bewildered. Twilight blinked, surprised. She shook her head and turned to say her own goodbyes.
After a few sniffly goodbyes, they parted ways, and Twilight felt that she was parted into thirds. One part went north, one part went west ahead of them, and one stayed with her. As they left the other three behind, Twilight felt the heavy scrying globe jostle around in her saddle bags and thought about home and Luna and all of her friends sitting in the drawing rooms together, in another time.
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I believe you wrote 'dissapears' instead of 'disappears' in this story's short description.
Loving the multiple POV thing. Very ASOIAF-ish.
2661980 derp.
Thank you!
"wander" should be wonder
Manly tears have been shed, much like a hailstorm of sports cars, or a waterfall of nails.
*cries* freinds never say goodbye. Because goodbyes are never forever, they will meet again.
You are good at this, the emotion of seeing the group spilt and the bestowing part are all well done.
2664658 It sneaks up on ya, don't it?
Got an extra ' there.
Double space after the just.
You split the party
It was inevitable, but still. 
On the whole the chapter was pretty good. Rarity's family history is awesome, and I want to see more of it
I was a little thrown that Luna was speaking in the Royal We again, despite being in front of a large crowd. It's possible that the emotion of it was causing her to revert, or that she thought it was appropriate, but it threw me a bit after the last chapters telling us that she had dealt with it. :shrug:
2664935 It's a formal event, so she's kind of reverting to it for the sake of "Hey look traditiony stuff"
2664994
Fair enough
Love the Tolken references!
2669250 I enjoy them as much as you! muwhahaha
So many LOTR reverences. I am exceedingly pleased.
Also, I though I was helping edit this
2669432 shit. Did you not do this chapter?
Ugh. I'm an idiot.
This is honestly one of the better stories I'm reading. It's very well done! You need to start putting more out though, this anticipation is almost as bad as the wait for season three last year. Lol
2705974 *rolls around in agony*
Yes, I know. It's written up to like 6. The problem is entirely editing, because while Sunny's there, I'm often too shy to ask/need to do lots of work/am generally stupid.
But I'm trying to be better! I promise.
2705988
Dude, I can preread and edit this stuff, I'm just blew through all my college level english classes with pretty good grades.
Send em' my way bro! @citadel.edu
You just make Pinkie better and better, you know that?
~Skeeter The Lurker
Ouch, so few stories made fell this sad. This is amazing, though I want to cry, I hope for happy chapters ahead. Looks like I'll get to see soon
I am a bit confused by the groups at this point in the story with it being in the twilestia, twiluna, twijack and twi-harem groups.
You should probably be citing sources (the stuff you mention in the author's note) a bit more clearly and marking that in the story somewhere relative to it.
Otherwise, good writing so far, if fairly sad.
Frightening mental image, there.
'To' should be 'too.'
'It's' should be 'its.'
I've never seen "Frisbee" spelled like that, and though Google suggests that "Frisby" is a misspelling, I concede it could be a cultural difference.
This is great! The world building, the characterizations are awesome, and lemme tell ye, I don't often come across folk that walked with the Ka-Tet of the Rose, and it tickles me pink! I'm far behind, but I've got nothing but high hopes for this.
Blimey, how many Tolkien references do y' need? Bloody Battle of Unnumbered tears.
Jesus. I cried like a baby when they were saying goodbye
Spectacular job capturing the emotions and awkwardness of the characters in this chapter. Rarity was especially fun to read.
The ride starts here, although for balance's sake i would have loved to see 1 unicorn, 1 pegasus, 1 earth pony per group but i imagine you did what you did for a reason so on we go.
They made a big Error with their Travel, they walk.
In LotR it was important to travel hidden, to hide from Mordors Spys, but this is not needed for Equestria.
The use of a Chariot, pulled by two Pegassi would be faster, less exhausting und more safe.
I would maybe send the Wonderbolts, who are not only Stunt Flyers, but also the Equestrian Air Force to the North, because this is more important and need to be done fast.
The Mane 6 would take an Chariot, pulled by Rainbow alone or with the Help of Fluttershy and would be fast in the west at Seaddle, San Fransiscolt, Las Pegasus or Los Ungulas.
Thats the farest they can go on the Map, if they go further, they would enter the Map on the east Side, like Marco Polo has do it in the real World and would reach Trotkyo, Cowrea or Shanghay.
Antother Error, the Raiders have Tech who not Exist in Equestria.
In our World Guns exist since the 13th Century, in form of Pipes who worked like Canons and Pictols or Rifles was not there before the 14th Century.
Equestria is in a Time of the 11-12th Century and there exist no form of Ranged Weapons, not even Bows if I remember right.
If theres any Chance for Raiders to Exist, it would not be possible in that Way.
They are still Equine and Equine just deffend themself or run, but are not Aggressive like the on Apes based Humans.
The Land would never look like this, mostly because the Ponys would work together to keep the Country running, Celestia or Luna are not realy needed for that.
Luna would not need to power herself out, the Sun just need a Push to go up and wander itself until its lowered.
They could also go back to the Raise of the Sun with the Help of Unicorns for 1 Day per Week, so Luna could rest and recover or Cadance could help out.
Celestia would also not stay away for such a long time without Messages or they would search her after 2 Weeks, not after 1,5 Years.
The Guards are not Part of any House, like Shining Armor they are normal Ponys who have join the Guards.
I would never add any Noble releated Members in the Guard, they need to stay neutral to Nobles and any other Group similar to the real Army.
I not think there are any "Houses" in Equestria, it's not Game of Thrones or The elder Scrolls.
Blueblood is not in a House and has none, we not even know any other Relatives as Celestia, Luna and Cadance.
Rarity is not a Noble, she just want to be one and Belle is part of Sweety Belles Name, not a Family Name, so no "Rarity Belle".
Ponys have no Family Names like Humans.
Belle, Sparkle, Dash, Shy and others are no Family Names.
They are always individual Names or Sweetie Belle und Suggar Belle could be releated in some Way.