36 - A Fresh Grave
I turned a little less carefully than I intended, straining some of the pulled muscles. There, in the doorway, was the person I was convinced had left me, and rightly so. Her athletic body was outlined in Luna’s moon, yet I could only see her eyes. They were so sad, and I knew I was the cause. I was convinced of this fact. I tried to get up, to go to her, to be with her.
The tone of Dash’s voice held just a hint of anger, “Fluttershy? Are you here to yell at Alex some more?”
Fluttershy started protesting in her meek, gentle voice. The sound of her voice was almost imperceptible.
Dash cut her off, her voice with a tone of forced control. “Alex, you stay where you are, don’t hurt yourself, please. Fluttershy, I... I just need to talk to my fiance in private.” Her voice became quiet and frightened, “Assuming he still is.”
Fluttershy spoke a little more loudly, “Yes, but Rainbow, I have to tell you something.”
Dash dismissed her, “Fluttershy... just leave, alright?”
By this time I had repositioned myself on the bed so I could see both pegasi. “Dash, sweetheart, Fluttershy and I had a little talk and it’s okay. Fluttershy, can you come back in the morning, please? Can you help me do the right thing?”
She gave me a little beatific smile, “Of course.” She turned and walked to the balcony to make her way home, but before she left she turned back with that damned apologetic expression that made every fibre of my being want to protect her, “You know, Alex, on calm reflection, I just can’t understand why I was so angry at you.” She turned again, preparing to take flight. Unlike my Dash, Fluttershy took her time to position herself for takeoff.
My attention placed itself fully on my angel. I didn’t speak for a moment, staring at her, lost in her eyes. “Dash...” I blurted out the rest, knowing if I stopped I wouldn’t be able to say anything, “I was the one who caused this all to happen. I know it. I’m just so thankful you’re giving me another chance.”
Dash shouted at me, tears in her eyes, “Shut up Alex! For Celestia’s sake, just... shut up. It’s not always your fault!” As I cringed like a frightened child, I noticed Fluttershy had stopped and turned back to face us, her face painted with concern. Dash’s voice became pleading, begging, “Can you let me take the blame? Please? Because from where I’m standing, I ran away from you.”
I simply couldn’t understand why she was begging anything of me.
In that moment of stunned silence, the forgotten and delicate voice of Fluttershy sounded like a deafening roar, “Rainbow Dash? Um, did you feel a little like you did when Discord broke you? Because I did.”
Dash’s head snapped toward her friend, “What? I don’t know, maybe, a little. But why wouldn’t I? I was disloyal to my special somepony. I abandoned him when he needed me most, Fluttershy.” She stopped, obviously thinking hard about recent events. “Yeah, I guess I did feel like I did when... Discord... oh...” A look of horror crossed her face. She looked at Fluttershy, then looked at me. Suddenly she rushed forward, embracing me, tears in her eyes, “Oh Celestia, no! No! Discord is back, and he’ll mess with us, and I’ll lose you forever.” She was sobbing.
I stroked her mane and the soft fur of her neck. I forced myself to lift my injured arm to stroke her wing. I kissed the top of her snout and whispered, “Dash, no. I... no, please don’t, Dash. Please, you did nothing wrong. I’m just so happy you’re here.”
She turned her face to me and kissed me with a desperation, a hunger, that surprised me. She pulled away and looked into my eyes with all of the fierceness she was known for, “I don’t know why I took off. I don’t know why I left you. But I swear to Celestia I will never leave you again. Nothing will take me away from you. Nothing.”
I could only examine her face, her perfect eyes, and answer with a kiss. “You know, when you belted a princess to save me, any doubts I might have had about us were gone. That,” I wiped a tear from her eye, “and it was totally badass.”
I had a sudden thought, “I wonder if... shit. Twilight wanted more blood tests, and she mentioned something about chaos magic. I wonder if the three of us were affected by that. It sure as hell was chaotic; me getting angry and savage, Fluttershy acting like a heartless fiend...” I raised my hand and looked away, “sorry, I didn’t mean that.”
Fluttershy’s voice was so forgiving, “It’s alright Alex, that is exactly what I was.”
“And you,” I stroked Dash’s cheek, “my loyal angel, running away from me, from all of us.” I turned to our quiet friend, “Fluttershy, when this... this mess dropped on us, were you trying to use The Stare on me?”
“I... I think so, my memory is a little fuzzy, but I recall the frustration I felt when I just couldn’t find that place in my heart. I only use it to protect, to defend, never to hurt or punish, so that’s why it didn’t work.”
I let out a small, mirthless chuckle, “I thought I was so hard, so tough, that it didn’t work on me. Good to know never to get you mad when we’re not all crazy.”
Dash smiled at me, a look of pride beaming, “Sparkle’s got nothing on you for smarts.” She leans in, kissing me tenderly again.
Fluttershy’s meek little voice interrupted us, “I... think I’ll leave now. You look busy.”
Dash turned her gaze to her old friend, “Hey Fluttershy, are we, you know, okay?”
Fluttershy smiled at us angelically, “Yes, Rainbow, we’re good. I know what happened wasn’t anypony’s fault.”
We watched her leave, holding each other and smiling at our friend. Once she had left, we turned our attention to each other. I placed my hand on her cheek, “I was so afraid of losing you.”
Dash shuffled a little closer, put her head against my chest and started to cry. “I’m so sorry for... for being such a flank head. I never wanted to lose you or Scoots.”
“We’re still a family, angel. I made sure our little girl knew we were both okay. She doesn’t have to know about this. And, if my suspicions are right, it was that goddamn chaos magic that messed us up.” I stroked her mane then lifted her chin so I could look into her eyes, “As far as I’m concerned, it was something beyond our control, and it only proves how loyal you are.”
Dash tilted her head and looked at me questioningly.
I lovingly ran my fingers along her cheek, “If you were truly disloyal, you would have bolted as soon as you saw me. And, in retrospect, I can see how hard it was for you to stay. I can only imagine what it was like for you when the doctor was stitching my arm. You only left once you were sure I was okay, Dash, and not a second sooner. Even with a face full of chaos magic, you were so loyal. I’m so proud of you, humbled by you, and I love you with everything I’ve got.”
Dash sniffed and smiled sadly, “Rarity’s got some competition as the Element of Generosity.” She placed her head on my chest. “Mind if I stay with you tonight?”
“Nothing would make me happier.”
I started stirring at the smell of warm food but was fully awakened by the sound of my sister’s voice.
“Whoa nelly, what is that hussy traitor doing snuggled up to my brother?”
As I woke, trying to get myself focused on what was happening, Dash was awake in a flash. She leapt over me, throwing herself between me and Applejack.
“Back off, AJ! He’s hurt and doesn’t need any kind of excitement. He needs his rest.”
“Lollygagging in bed all day ain't gonna help him heal. And anyway, what rights do you have here? You dropped him like a hot potato as soon as he was patched up. Not exactly what I would call ‘loyal’, Rainbow.”
“Look, Alex thinks it had something to do with that chaos magic inside of him Twilight was talking about.” Dash paused for a moment, and then her tone became suspicious, “You didn’t feel anything weird yesterday, did you? Around the time you got close to Alex.”
“Well, um... er...”
Dash’s voice was pleading, “Come on AJ, if you did...”
Applejack’s voice was low and a little angry, “I did, alright. I was thinking that if you didn’t want him, I would take him. I know it’s wrong for a lot of reasons, but... I guess that would explain why I thought that.”
“Little sister, Dash did nothing wrong. I’m sure there was something... external going on. Twilight already has some suspicions, and now, we do too. So, are we all good?”
AJ gave Dash that critical look, the one that made me want to cringe a little. I noticed Dash didn’t even flinch. After a long second of this, AJ finally went and gave Dash a hug. “I’m powerful sorry I called you a hussy traitor.”
Dash sniffed, “You were just looking out for that big lug. I wouldn’t expect anything less from his sister and my best gal pal.”
I smirked, “Now that my two mare protectors have made up, how about we go downstairs and enjoy the good food I can smell.”
AJ gave that low chuckle, “Y’all can thank Bea for that. She made a mess of mighty fine vittles for breakfast. That girl cooks like an Apple.”
I smiled, “Looks like our new friend has hidden talents.”
“She sure does.” Applejack pulled her hat down a little, “Now, I think I'll be leaving you two lovebirds alone. Rainbow Dash, you take care of him, you hear.”
Dash gave her friend a subtle nod, “You can count on it, cowgirl.”
Applejack paused for the briefest moment; it was almost imperceptible if you didn’t know her, and in a soft tone I had never heard before, “I know I can, Rainbow.”
She turned and, with that half smile, headed down the stairs.
As I started getting out of bed, Dash was by my side. I waved her away, “No, Dash, I have to do this myself.”
She clicked her tongue, “Come on, stop being a tough stallion. You don’t have to impress me.”
I chuckled, “No, I just want to make sure I’m not hurt as badly as I’m afraid of.”
Dash grunted in frustration, “Fine, but I’m right beside you.”
I smiled at her lovingly, “I know you are.” I slowly swung my legs over the edge and found the experience less painful than I expected. All those bruises and pulled muscles didn’t feel as bad this morning. “Hey Dash, I guess sleeping with a beautiful pegasus cures a lot of aches and pains.”
Dash snickered, “Yeah, well, make sure you never test that with any other pegasus pony.”
“Huh, now why would I look at anyone else if I already have perfection at hand?”
Her laughter was music to my ears, “Darn right you do, you big lug. And I’ve got a pretty awesome guy. Now that you’ve sat up and you’re the toughest guy in town let me help you stand, you butt head.”
I smirked, “Hooves off the merchandise, woman. I can do this. I had better be able to do this...” My expression became sober, my voice a little less jaunty, “I have a full day of work ahead of me.” I cheered up again, “Anyway, you heard your future sister-in-law, lollygagging all day in bed won’t help me heal.” I winked, “Well, not alone, anyway.”
I stood slowly and deliberately. “So far, so good. On the bright side, I can’t even feel my threes.” This earned me a snort from Dash. I usually did my stretches on the balcony, but I wanted to keep this private today. I slowly stretched, bending my good arm a little. The ceiling was just under two and a half meters, so stretching to my fullest extent was next to impossible.
While my body ached and every muscle group protested, there was nothing some willow bark wouldn’t fix. I got dressed slowly so as not to hurt myself. Once dressed, I walked past Dash and ran my hand along her back, ending with a quick goose.
I looked back, and she seemed totally surprised. She simply looked at me with a slack-jawed half-smile.
I stopped in mid-step, worried, “Did I do something wrong?”
She shook her head a little, maintaining that goofy smile, “Heh. No, it’s just that you’ve never done that before.” Her eyes flicked away from me for a moment, “No one’s ever done that before.”
“Really? No one?” I thought for a moment, “Well, I guess without fingers, it would be tough. But, I guess a slap on the rump would be the same thing.”
“No, I mean you’re the first to do... anything like that.”
“Well, why wouldn’t I?” I couldn’t help but smirk, “I love everything about you,” I snickered, “including your rump.”
Dash gave a little laugh, “So, you really do love the whole package?”
I knelt down in front of her so we could be face to face, “Inside and out. I want to be with you for the rest of my time in this world, and showing you how much I love you in every way I can think of is very important to me.” I give her a quick kiss, “Besides, I couldn’t resist copping a feel. You’re soft and firm, just plain old gropable, as a matter of fact. It’s not something I would do in public, or at least not in an obvious way. But if I thought I could get away with it...”
Dash leaned forward with those half-closed bedroom eyes and a little grin. “You can go ahead and do that anytime you want.” She finished off with a kiss on the nose and started laughing.
I joined in her laughter and stood with cracking joints. This was quickly followed by a growling in my stomach. “Well, my beautiful angel, I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.”
“Yeah, whatever they brought smells pretty good.” Still chuckling, she warned me, “Now, take your time going down the stairs.”
“Yes, dear. I think I’ll take them three steps at a time, backwards, while juggling flaming chainsaws.”
“That sounds cool. I’ll just get some popcorn and watch. By the way, what’s a chainsaw?”
“Heh. On second thought, I think I’ll go with your plan.”
Dash gave me one of her smirks that melted my heart, “That’s a little disappointing, but I’ll let you off the hook this time.”
I made it down the steps without any incident. A quick stop to the medicine cabinet gave me four willow bark tablets swallowed with some tepid tap water. I put the bottle in my pocket, knowing I would need some again by mid-day. When I finally stepped into the kitchen with Dash by my side, we were greeted by Applejack, Big Mac, and Bea.
I chuckled, “Well, look at this, the whole family's here.”
Applejack pushed her hat up and flashed that easy smile, “There’s my lazy brother. Finally decided to come down to join your hard-working kin?”
I yawned, and did my best Elvis impression, “Well, I don’t know little sis, I was thinking of spending the day with my little filly here,” I put an arm around Dash, much to her amusement.
Beatrix giggled, “Elvis Parsley, Alex? Really? That old hay-puck?”
I answered with a hurt tone, “That’s Elvis Presley, madam. The king of rock and roll. Well, about twenty years before I was born, anyway.”
Beatrix started snickering, “You mean, Elvis Parsley, the prince of rock and roll.”
As we laughed, there was a knock at the back door. Applejack answered and exclaimed, “Why howdy, Twilight. Were you coming to give us a helping hoof?”
Twilight responded with a slightly manic voice, “No! I mean, no. I’m here to get a blood sample from Alex, see?” There was a pause where I assumed Twilight was showing something to Applejack.
“Ain't that what they use for foals? Oh, wait, that’s right, normal needles hurt for him. That should do just fine.”
The door closed, and Twilight joined us. I notice right away her dishevelled hair and the bags under her eyes.
“You alright, Twilight? You’re looking a little worse for wear, pal.”
She giggled a little off key then spoke at a slightly higher pitch than normal, “Oh, I’m fine, Alex. Just fine. Can’t you see I’m just fine? Now, give me your foreleg so I can drain some blood.” I noticed she had a slight tremble in the hoof and wondered how that translated to her telekinetic control.
“Have you had breakfast? Maybe a nice cup of coffee?”
“Spike made me a mug of espresso shots. I feel great! Now, let’s get that rich, rich haemoglobin juice you’ve got in that body of yours. Foreleg, please.”
I reluctantly pulled my sleeve up and presented my arm, thinking it best not to look. I felt the cold of the alcohol swab, then the smallest of pricks, a sensation of pressure, then the needle being removed. “Wow, Twilight, that was great! I’m very impressed.”
“I practised on Spike all night.” She stared into space for a moment, “I think I need more coffee after all. Maybe more Espresso? Spike makes a great Espresso!” Twilight spoke faster, “Oh, or I could have iced coffee, a nice, cool drink. Maybe Café au lait, like the cows make. I’ve heard of Zebra Mocha. I wonder if Zecora knows how to brew it. Or I could be naughty and have Gryffin Coffee with extra salt. Hmm... decaf? Now that’s just silly. Who would want that?”
“Err... right. Remind me to get Spike a few rubies from Rarity,” I spoke softly, afraid to upset the powerful unicorn, “Twilight, how about we get that blood sample on ice, and you skip the coffee and get some sleep instead?”
“Maybe...” She wavered slightly, “Maybe I should.”
I looked at her kindly, “Yes, I think so too. Anyway, you’ll think better if you’re well-rested. Twilight, I appreciate everything you’ve done so far but as a good friend, I want you to rest and sleep until tomorrow.”
“Sweetie, he’s right, you know. In fact, I’ll make sure you get back home.” Bea started to leave, “Twilight, please don’t make me pick you up and carry you to your bed because you know I can.”
Twilight blinked at Beatrix, then started giggling in a more normal tone. “Thanks, Beatrix, you’re a good friend. But I can assure you that will not be necessary. If only to keep the two Paladins of Redemption happy, I’ll put a cooling spell on this sample. I'm off to hit the hay.” She seemed to think momentarily and got a sheepish expression, “And apologize to Spike.”
With Twilight safely heading home and everyone fed, we began to organize ourselves for the trip to the edge of the Everfree Forest. Of course, no one wanted me to carry or do anything, so I got a little frustrated. “Darn it all, I’m not disabled. I just have one arm in a sling.”
Applejack and Dash were about to argue when we were interrupted by a happy squeal. “Mom! Dad!”
I immediately turned with a happy smile. Dash, forgetting her argument, rushed forward to meet Scootaloo, “Hey, squirt. I hear Dad,” Dash glanced at me with a grateful look, “made sure you were okay last night.” She gave her daughter a tight hug.
“So, where were you last night, Mom?”
Dash’s expression became worried and a little panicked, “I... um...”
Applejack put a hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder, “Sugar cube, your mom had to take care of some important personal stuff. What matters is that she’s here now, and she loves you a whole bunch.” I saw the exchanged glances, Dash’s gratitude and Applejack’s modesty. It only lasted a split second, and I would have missed it had I not been looking right at them, but I did see it, and it gladdened my heart to see such love between friends.
“We’re both really happy to see you, Scoots, but we have to get cracking. We have a lot of work to do today. Why don’t you hang out with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle? Do some crusading, and have a fun day.” I smiled at her, hopefully communicating that this was a command from Dad, not a suggestion.
The little filly glared at me, “Do you think I’m going to leave you two to do something dangerous again? You might need my help today.”
“Sweetheart, where we're going is something really... unpleasant. I...” I suddenly realized something, I don’t know what the pony standards are for kids here. “Can you excuse me for a sec?”
I took Applejack, Dash, and Bea aside. “Ladies, I’m in serious need of some advice here. I know if she was a human child... well, I might consider asking her to come, so she can see death in a safe way. That way she’s not as afraid of it in life. But Scoots isn’t human. I don’t want to hurt her, you know?”
Dash caught my attention, “No offence to those two, but I’m her mom. Why are you bringing Applejack and Bea into this?”
“Oh... yeah... okay... fairly straightforward reason. Applejack’s been raising Applebloom for a while, and Bea’s seen a lot in the world.” I suddenly realized I had just acted unilaterally in raising our daughter, “I didn’t mean to overstep, Dash, I just...”
Dash put her hoof on my arm, “I know you don’t, big guy. I’m cool with it. Anyway, I don’t think she should go. That was... really nasty, Alex. I think it might mess her up.”
Applejack pushed her hat back, “Sugar cube, Applebloom grew up on the farm. She knows why we have pigs; besides, gryphon folks have to eat too. I say you bring her, maybe keep her back from the mess, but let her help out.”
Dash grew a little annoyed, “Look, AJ, I know you’re trying to help, but Scootaloo is my daughter. I say we leave her here.”
Applejack pushed her hat forward, “Dash, I’ve been raising Applebloom since...” Applejack takes a deep breath. “Since Ma and Pa passed on. I know a thing or two about raisen' young ‘uns. You don’t even have any brothers or sisters.”
I could see Dash was getting upset, “Now look, I may not be the most motherly type, but I’ll do anything I can to keep that filly safe.”
Applejack snorted in frustration, “I understand that, Rainbow, but what I’m saying is-”
Beatrix cleared her throat, a noise obviously amplified enough to interrupt the two bickering mares. “Applejack? Rainbow? Alex? You all know I consider you dear friends.” We all agreed. “And, while I’m not a mother, I helped take care of enough foals in the circus to know what a child needs. And you’re both right. That little filly can’t be exposed to that gore, but she shouldn’t be sheltered either.”
Bea seemed to steel herself. “Here’s what I propose. When we get close to the site, I’ll skip ahead and say I’m scanning for more popping cats. Then, I’ll cast an illusion, hide the worst of it. It will be kind of complex, but I’m a big filly. Besides, if I can’t stretch myself a little for my friends...” Bea shrugged and grew a well-earned smirk.
Dash’s smirked, too, “I think I can live with that.”
I exclaimed, not very loudly, “Hot damn. Miss Beatrix, you are brilliant.”
Applejack gave Beatrix that half smile, “Shoot, sugar cube, that’s a mighty fine compromise. Well, I’d better finish getting things sorted out. Let’s leave the new parents with their little filly, Bea.”
Bea gave us a knowing but kindly smirk, “Alright, you two take care of that fabulous little filly. We’ll nail the shoes and pop the clouds.” When we hesitated, she gestured with her hoof, “Shoo. Both of you, off you go.”
Grateful to our friend, Dash and I returned to Scoots. We were presented with a look of annoyance by a little, orange-coated and purple-maned filly. "So, Mom and Dad, have you guys worked it out?"
I dropped to a knee and put my good arm around Dash. With a little smirk, I started lecturing my new daughter. "Hey, cut us a little slack. I've parented before, but that was a long time ago, and it was human kids. This is mom’s first time. We were both a little unsure, and we both wanted to do the best job we could. We love ya a lot, pumpkin. We just don't want to hurt you."
Exasperated, the little filly rolled her eyes and made a gag expression, "You're not going to be those smothering parents, are you?"
Dash laughed and mused Scoots mane a little, "No way, squirt. But I do want to keep my little filly safe. You getting hurt or messed up would be totally uncool."
The young pegasus seemed to consider this for a moment, then she got a bashful look and, in a reverent tone, said, “I guess it shows you guys care.”
My answer was jaunty, “Yes, it does, my dear little daughter. We will bring you if, and only if, you agree to listen to and do everything we ask you to do.”
Scootaloo hopped up in excitement, almost hovering, and exclaimed, “Yes! I promise I’ll listen to you for the whole day.”
Applejack joined us, “Alright, you lollygaggers, we’re all packed. Scootaloo? Applebloom will be coming too, so you two stick together, you hear?”
“Yes, Miss Applejack. Come on, Applebloom! Maybe we can get our cutie marks for something.”
The red-bowed filly objected, “What about Sweetie Belle?”
Scootaloo, ever loyal to her friends, “Yeah, we can’t crusade without Sweetie Belle. She’s our pal. And what about Sapphire?”
I piped up, “Girls? How about you go get your friends and meet us along the way? We’ll walk slowly, and you can catch up before we get to the place we need to be.” The two hyperactive fillies cheered as one and charged enthusiastically to get their friends.
I worriedly thought to myself, ‘I hope Rarity doesn’t mind we dragged Sweetie Belle into this mess. For that matter, Sapphire’s parents. I hope they’re the understanding types.’
With that settled, we all started walking to the edge of the Everfree Forest. Despite high spirits, it was a sombre, quiet walk. I steeled myself for the upcoming grim but necessary task.
I found myself a bit behind the others, deep in thought, and Dash must have noticed the expression on my face because she hovered up to me, put her hoof on my shoulder and quietly spoke to me, “You okay?”
I put my hand on her hoof and smiled sadly at her. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m fine. Just... not looking forward to the scene of the crime, know what I mean?”
Dash rubbed my back, “Yeah, I do. But this time, we’re together, right?”
I stopped and gave her a quick peck. “Yeah, we can do this together, angel.”
Dash and I laughed when we were interrupted by a certain pegasus filly’s exasperated voice, “Mom, Dad, do you have to do that in front of my friends?”
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were both snickering behind their hooves. This did not go unnoticed by my pony daughter. I replied first, “Yes, we do. Just like I have to give my little pumpkin-doo a hug.” I went to a knee, and Scoots reluctantly accepted a little hug. “Anyway, I think mom has a cloth she can use to wipe your face.”
Dash snickered, “Don’t worry, squirt, I’ll keep Dad in check. And I don’t do spit baths... unless you really need it.” I did an exaggerated pout, which drew laughs from the young ones.
After this little exchange, I felt much more hopeful about the coming task as we joined the others. The kids chatted excitedly, speculating on what super important job they would be given. They were very... creative.
We were almost to the scene of the fight when we met up with Fluttershy. She was sitting patiently, with an angelic expression and a sad little smile. The one that says she’s sorry, even if you’re the one who wronged her.
I called out to her, “Fluttershy, thank you so much for helping us out. I really appreciate it. I really do.”
“Alex Roberts, I’m happy to help. I was going to search for the popping cat’s nest and hopefully find its kitten.” She seemed to notice the three fillies for the first time and smiled kindly. “And there are my three little angels to help me in this task.”
The three fillies lined up before her and chorused, “Yes, Fluttershy. Whatever you say, Fluttershy.”
With a slight attitude of superiority, Fluttershy spoke to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, “Come along, girls. Let’s help Scootaloo’s father do the right thing.” Then, without another word, the four departed.
I muttered to Dash, “That... is fricken amazing.”
Dash leans into me, her tail rubbing against my lower back, “I don’t know how she does it. Ever since she saved them and Twilight from a cockatrice, they always listen to her. It’s freaky.”
I sighed, “I’ll be happy as long as she listens when it counts.”
Dash snorted, still looking at Fluttershy and the fillies, “That’s a little... bleak.”
I gently touched the back of her head, and her attention became focused on me, “Nope, just being practical. She’s a high-energy kid with a mind of her own, Dash. She’s like sand. The tighter you hold on to her, the more she’ll slip through your fingers.” I chuckled, realizing what I said, “Heh... you know what I mean.”
Dash smiled at me and replied softly, “Yeah, I do.”
I left my happy mental place and came back to the task at hand, “Okay! The Element of Kindness is off on a quest to find kittens and has taken the kids with her. So, if I remember correctly, the location is about half a klick that way.”
Dash took off, calling back to us, “I’ll scout ahead, save us some time.” We all continued walking in the general direction where the incident happened. Soon, I saw Dash coming back with a sad expression. She landed and hugged me, whispering, “I need a hug.” I simply gave her what she needed without question, as she had done for me. After a few moments, she pulled away, sniffed, and confirmed the direction and location of the site.
When we reached about two hundred meters, Bea moved ahead as planned. She thought it best even if the kids were not with us.
As we reached the scene, we could see Bea was standing off to the side, a look of calm boredom on her face. I first looked tentatively at the popping cat itself. The belly had a nondescript cut, and the ground was free of blood and gore, as well as any sign of a struggle. In fact, the ground about five or six meters around the dead beast had been roughly cleared. That would make our task much easier.
I strode over to Bea, “Hey, Bea, I just want to-”
“Shut up. Focusing.” She developed the slightest of smiles and added, “Boss.”
I snorted and shook my head, “Okay, nobody bothers the pretty blue unicorn.” I was rewarded with a little shoulder check from Dash. I smiled at Dash and shrugged apologetically.
“Okay, first, we need to dig a grave. Looks like it should be about two by three meters, maybe four meters deep. So that’s twenty-four cubic meters. Should take about seventy-two man hours...” My voice trailed off when I noticed everyone around me was chuckling. “What’s so funny?”
Big Mac actually smirked at me, “Human folk don’t work too fast, do they? Shouldn’t take more than three hours, four if we lollygag.”
I chuckled along with the rest, “Alright then, let's get to work. Give me a shovel, please.”
Applejack scoffed, “Alex, you’re outmatched even when both your forelegs are working. How are you going to help with only one?”
I smiled at Applejack, “My dear, doubting sister, I will help because, as a very wise pegasus once said, every little bit helps.” Dash and I made eye contact for a moment. She gave me such a loving look I felt my heart ache. I snapped my attention back to Applejack, “So, let me help, please.”
Applejack sighed, “You’re an Apple to the core. Grab a shovel then, and break the ground.” With a smile I took the tool from Big Macintosh, then awkwardly planted the blade. It was much more difficult to do the task than I expected, but after some fumbling, I managed to move half a spade of soil.
While I helped along the edge of the pit at first, it was Mac and Applejack who did most of the digging. The amount of soil they moved was astounding, but considering their physical strength, it wasn’t completely surprising.
The smell of the soil was strong but comforting, in a way. I spoke softly to my friends and my family, “Could I have a moment alone, please?” I knelt down and placed my hand reverently on the popping cat’s head. I gently stroked the rough, cold fur. ‘I’m so sorry I had to kill you, but I can’t change what happened.’ I felt a sense of sadness overwhelm me, ‘I was going to remember you with my flesh, but I just can’t do that anymore, thanks to you. I was interrupted by a kind friend, and her presence made me realize I just don’t have to mark myself, not anymore. For the chain of events you kicked off, I thank you. While I can’t remember you that way.’, I felt my cheeks getting wet, ’ I do promise to remember you with my heart.’
I continued slowly, softly stroking its head. For a few moments, my vision was obscured by emotion. I wiped my eyes and started to drag the remains to their final resting place. My vision was still blurry, so I didn’t see the others helping me with my sad task. I assume Beatrix helped lower the beast into its grave. All I knew was that it was done slowly, reverently, and with kindness.
I took the shovel awkwardly in one hand and placed the first clod of dirt on the body. Dash simply used her hoof to scoop up a small amount of soil and dropped it on the corpse. She stood beside me, comforting me. Applejack dropped some earth in the pit, and I noticed there was a little bit of green new life on the dirt she had sent. She simply stood by my side, close to me. Finally, Big Macintosh placed his own clod of dirt in that hallowed place. He then placed a hoof on my shoulder and spoke, “You dun the right thing.”
I glanced at Beatrix, and I could see she was getting tired. We made eye contact for a moment, and I nodded. There was a movement of some kind. A distortion toward the pit. I presume it was the entrails and other mess being moved. Then, the pile of dirt glowed a blueish silver and went back where it came from.
I heard a small grunt and turned my head toward that disquieting sound only to see Bea starting to slowly fall over. Big Macintosh was beside her in a flash, holding her up.
Her voice was weak, but I could hear her clearly, “Keeping up that illusion for so long was a bit tiring, even for Trixie.” I could see her smile, “However, it is nice to wake up in a good stallion’s hooves.”
What was a heavy and sombre mood a moment ago became lightened by all of our chuckles. Everyone was except Big Macintosh. He just blushed brightly.
Fluttershy interrupted us by landing beside our group, “Congratulations, Alex, we found a kitten.”
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......
......that is all
Aw man.... i just Posted my first Fanfic on this website... and then i Figured out that my fanfic Starts out Just Like this One.... what do i do Now???
1558325
Beg for mercy?
Just kidding. I hope it does well. I hope it does better than this one! In fact, let me go read it so I can
steal ideasenjoy it!Such a nice chapter. I cannot get enough of adorable Scoots/CMC being babied (or her "that's gross" reactions)
Either cut-off sentence or something different.
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.....That's when you're ready....
Wait so this is here now?! Guess I better start reading it again.
Daaaaamn, AJ. Hussy traitor?
Oh lord, Twilight's been drinking straight espresso? That's slightly worrisome.
Reasonable compromise on the corpse, though I'm not sure Rarity or her parents are going to be happy. And they're about to adopt a scary as hell kitten, I'm assuming?
1558440
Fixed! Thanks for that! I will give you 400 quatloo and 1 vacation days!
1558501
More like thrust upon them.
1558506
Yay! Gotta need that day... I'm tired...
I wonder if there are any benefits to his inner chaos magic in a world so ordered based.
1558580
Lateral thinking, thinking outside the box. At least by pony standards. Stuff we would say "Well duu", like the teleport pads, ponies don't see it, at least not normally.
Also, there may be other uses.
This chapter cheered me up, thank you
Twilight on expresso rush?............................well, it was nice to live on Equestria because now its about to get fucked...........HARD
also......weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/yes-moar-of-that-biden.jpg
seemslegit.com/image/470.jpg
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1558680
The thing is though the ponies might want to suppress his chaos magic just to be safe. When all you have is Discord as your only example chaos would leave a bad taste.
My favorite fic has a new chapter?
Epic win.
was the person I was convinced had left me,
I believe RD is a pony. Bad techogre.
1559613
Define person, please.
No sense in categorizing someone as something other than a person just because they're not the same species.
At least, in my opinion.
1559663
Yes, that would be true if who he was talking about wasn't defined, but it clarifies that he was talking about Rainbow Dash. The term person is used during unspecified, and legal matters.
1559691
And it's also generally used to define different cultures and, in the cases of theoretical first contact, sapient species as being equals, peers.
As in, you're not seeing whatever as 'less than a person' or anything.
I love crazy Twilight
1559928
We all do!
1558680
Thinking outside the box is all well and good... But can he think inside the chimney?
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Great chapter, there's hardly any noticable mistakes in this one, I must've came too late or you're really good at proofreading your work.
All that happened because of Chaos magic huh, I feel like the fights that everyone had something to do with the cat's abilities hopefully we'll know what a displacer beast is in this world and hope it doesn't have a father that will come straight after the ponies once it notices it's mate is dead and kitten was taken.
Been playing Assassins Creed III non-stop. Came on here and suddenly, a new chapter! Bravo, my good sir! Although after this, it's back to killing Templars.
Bucking chaos magic...
Glad this all turned out better than I had expected it to. Nice heartwarming chapter.
By all means, i just want to make sure my ideas don't seem like they've been taken off anyone elses...
By all means do, i dont want my ideas to look like they've been taken off anyone else...
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1562829 i do know that pEd means foot
and some dirivitives are: pedometer, and Quadruped. but NOT pedifile 
i dont know if hexopod is even a word, whate is has err on spellcheck and isnt a corection option
but i dont know pod...
1562957
Fair enough. Because all the hexapods are also hexapeds in the real world, it's not a word in normal use, even in biology, but it is a "correct" word meaning 6 limbs. Anyway, lets call it artistic licence with the science.
If I'm wrong, let Twilight sort me out. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Twilight_Sparkle_lolface.png
I just picked this up today, and the first chapter really impressed me, but I was immensely depressed by the internal inconsistencies from chapters two and three.
For that I'm afraid I must downvotes it. I can forgive many things, but having the rules change between chapters is something that just breaks me for me.
On a different note, I actually liked it better when he was unfamiliar with the MLP universe.
Well, that went well. Keep writing. This was a nice conflict-arc ending, but what has Twilight been up to that has kept her up late again? She must be close. Will he have to stay there forever?
Have a nice day,
--Not a brony
12:30 am - oh look a story recommended by the Traveller. -starts readin-
2:30 am - wow pretty good so far, ok getting late, one more chapter.
4:30 am - WHY CAN'T I STOP READING?!?!
5 am - DONE!!!! -passes out-
1 pm -wakes back up and posts comment.-
know what....I'm just done with this story. Is not interesting and the characters love each other WAAAAY too much. not only that but the action is...too actiony. right now the slice of life doesn't apply to this story in my opinion because there's too much adventure and no sit down and talk stuff.
I mean I saw some of it early on but now it's just business and pleasure and there's no enjoyment coming out of it for us readers. I'm sure others will disagree but this is my opinion.
1568320
I'm sorry you feel that way and thank you for voicing them in a civil, respectful tone.
I appreciate your past readership and thank you for that.
I write this and all the Memoir-verse stories for myself and my own amusement. There are others who share my tastes, but I realize everyone is different.
Again, thank you for your opinion.
P.S. If this is coming off as sarcastic, I apologize for that. It was not my intention. Damn internet unable to transmit my facial expressions, tone of voice, and hardy handshake.
1567762
I am so sorry you lost all that sleep.
1569665 oh no it's nothing to be sorry about. You see, i'm somewhat of a night owl anyway(not usually that late though) but when I see a story that catches my interest i'll keep reading it. If it is a good story, i'll stop myself partway through to get some sleep and catch up the rest at a later time. But if the story is actually really good and interesting, my mind will make me want to keep reading as much as I can. So in a way it's a compliment that i was wide awake for several hours reading your story.
Why is it, that you somehow manage to find the time just after my free time has ended and only while I am busy to post a new chapter? I mean literally this has been happening since chapter 25!
Enough about my own problems though, this chapter was exceptionally excellent and I look forward to the next one!
the CMC come back to see a mound of earth and some blood stained soil
1569655
You're welcome. Though you did hold my attention for most of the story. I'm glad you were able to give me that much but the real problem is things are too dragged out right now. And not frequent enough updates for us to remember important details of the previous updates.
The characters are cleche as well...but over all it's a great story.
and you ddind't come of as sarcastic.
hell I've had that problem a few times before
i must have more! this has been one of my MOST favorite stories of this whole site! You gotta give MOAR into it!
(P.S.
this is whta is going through my head right now
you got a mustache!
Would you like to equip?
no no )
1582151
First off, no stupid questions. Well, maybe, "Does the VCR go in the bath tub?" You are currently on very safe grounds.
Alex Roberts is a character I've used for years, playing those little mental games of "What would an ordinary guy do in _____ fictional world?" This character has had no name, the oh so cool name of Agen Ericman ("A generic man"), and now Alex Roberts. I've also used him as an NPC in various role playing games, always as the reasonable guy who points out something obvious the players missed.
I've been using him or his concept for over 30 years (as long as I can remember, really), but this is the first fandom / story / show I even considered writing fanfics for. Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D, Dr. Who, and god knows what else, nothing. Never even read fanfics until MLP. I'm sure someone could write a Masters thesis on why MLP inspires so much artistic output.
Who knows, I may write his adventures one day. But today? Equestria beckons!
1585470 lol, okay. Good, I was worried that Goggle wasn't working correctly. I would like to read about more of his adventures, though. It sounds very Indy meets Gandalf meets Monty Python meets that one evil dude from that movie that was a total ass but no one can ever remember his name.
MOAR!
Good chapter all around, and now he has his very own popping pet cat. LOLZ.
Trix-mac ship? i hope so, that would be VERY original. oh wait originality is loathed n the internet. let me get my torch and pitchfork. BLASPHEMER! HEATHEN! lol. i do like the Trix-mac ship tho (if that's what you're going for), keep it up.
1700431
Take a look at the Third Q&A for an answer to your question.
You know, for the longets time, I thought Alex looked like this handsome devil.4.bp.blogspot.com/-DVDnG2fIij4/TwnmMIcA7ZI/AAAAAAAAAIA/VELbz-B61XM/s1600/HawkeyePierce.jpg