> Hey, Batter! Volume 1: Failure
>  by A_Mormon Brony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Introduction
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Condemn me not for my imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been."
Mormon 9:31

I've been working on this game for years now, and I think I've finally gotten all the bugs worked out.  The story of the game follows the main character, a human, as he guides the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic character, Pinkie Pie, through her life in Equestria, either to destruction through a variation of Sargent Sprinkles' story Cupcakes, which will lead to her eventual execution, or through a retelling of the cannon story to her progress away from such a destructive course, and towards a more constructive, more lengthy route.

In this first playthrough of the game, I'll choose a course of failure, as indicated by the title of this volume.  In the next volume I'll choose a course of success.

This is one of the rare games of the communication genre, also known as “talkie games.”  As the name of the genre indicates, the gamer, in this case me, will talk with the characters in the game, and they will answer me.  To make the game world more real, there will be characters that'll talk to me, or my character, before I talk to them, giving me the opportunity to respond to them.

Being a variation of the Cupcakes story, it won't follow it exactly; there will be differences, particularly based on the gamer that plays it.  The location of Pinkie Pie's pony and griffon processing will be different from Sargent Sprinkles' story.  Since I'm the one telling the story, there will be far fewer victims before Rainbow Dash, and none after her.  And, Pinkie Pie will face consequences for her actions.

For my own purposes, I will also include excerpts from the Book of Mormon.  This will not be for monetary purposes, but for the benefit of the characters in the story, as well as to convey my own testimony of that ancient, spiritual record.

Because this playthrough will lead to Pinkie Pie's destruction, the story shouldn't cover too much more than a week in and around Ponyville, leading to the possibility of many side quests being minimized.  And, because of this, there won't likely be very much following of episodes of the story in the game.  I'll demonstrate in the course of success I take that episodes of the series will play an important role in this game.  But, for the purposes of this story, only the episode “Griffon the Brush-Off” will play an important role, as a demonstration of Pinkie Pie being set on her course of destruction.

Now, don't think, because I intend to lose this game, and have the pink party pony killed, that I hate Pinkie Pie.  Let me assure you that the exact opposite is the case.  I intend to lose this first game to add value to when I win the next time I play.  But, I also intend to show that if an earth pony can do something as evil as what Pinkie Pie does to characters in this story, an earth pony may also be capable of good works equally close to what humans are capable of.

One more thing:  I plan to show Pinkie Pie's importance in the story as she chooses her destructive course.  This'll mean damage control, a lot of damage control, as the story passes Pinkie Pie's last crime, and leads to her final execution.  And believe me, there will be a lot of damage control toward the end.  But, the last chapter will simply be closing scenes leading to the execution.

So, with no further ado, let's begin.
> Chapter 1: First Arrival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My character wakes up and looks around.  I'll have control over him as soon as he stands up, in just a few seconds.

Alright, now my character is under my control.  I look around, and notice a small group comprised of three stallion ponies approaching my character.  One of them, a green pegasus, jumps at my character, pushing him backwards.

My character absorbs the impact without falling, and returns to a standing position.  Now's my time to talk.

“Ow!  Why'd you attack me?”

The pegasus that attacked my character answers, “Because you're a human.  You shouldn't be here, you're not welcome here.”

Another of the ponies, a light-blue unicorn, raises a rock with azure-aura magic and adds, “We're giving you the next five minutes to get out of Ponyville, or face your punishment.”

The last of the ponies, a dark pink earth pony, turns his back to my character and starts kicking dirt at him while saying, “So, you have any problems with that?”  Then, he props himself on his front legs and kicks at my character.

There, perfect timing.  My character just caught the earth pony's hind legs, and now he's pushing him faster than he can walk backwards, which should, and does, make him fall.

The unicorn is evidently getting furious with me.  Clearly he's not thinking very clearly, because the rock he's holding with his magic is falling.  Never mind, he's getting his composure back; the rock's rising again.  He starts saying, “Why, you …“

My character doesn't let him say more; he grabs hold of the unicorn's horn, keeping him from being able to magically support the rock any longer.

As the rock falls, the light-blue unicorn struggles and complains, “Hey, leggo my horn!”

Once again, I speak: “Not until you hear me out.”

Just then the pegasus tries to tackle my character again, only for my character to punch the pegasus in the chest, just below the throat.

My character turns to him, and I add, “That includes you.”

The pegasus coughs, the unicorn continues to struggle, and the earth pony manages to get to his feet.

Once on his feet, the earth pony turns to look at my character and asks, “So, which will it be?”

My character lets go of the unicorn's horn as I say, “You may do with me what you want, but first you must listen to my story.”

I have to remove my head-mounted microphone so it won't pick up my laughter after the earth pony says, “We're all ears.”

When I regain my composure, I replace the microphone and say, “Before I came here to Equestria, in my own world I served a mission in a place known as New Zealand.  One event that'd take place once a month or so was a meeting of us missionaries to share lessons with each other, testify of things as we were lead by the spirit, and have a meal.”

The pegasus has stopped coughing and appears to want to say something.  But, he is evidently unable to make a sound.

Instead, the unicorn says, “Yes, that's very nice.  But, what's that have to do with us?”

I continue, “One of the meals after one of these meetings was served by the missionaries from an island country called Tonga.  One of these things served at this meal was a minced meat in a gravy.”  While I can't see her, I'm sure Pinky Pie is listening near one of the houses.  I continue, “The meat was kind of stringy; but, I have to say, it tasted pretty good.  So good, in fact, that I went back for seconds.

“It was while I was going for seconds when it was revealed what that mystery meat was; and I didn't find out until I got back without seconds that we'd been served horse meat.”

The revelation is received with shocked expressions from all three ponies.

I continue, “I will admit, if I'd known what that meat in the gravy was before I'd had a first serving of it, I would likely have not even had a first serving of it.  On the other hand, I must admit, if I'd known what that meat was after the first serving and before I went for seconds, I would still have still gone for seconds.  And, if I could've gotten seconds, even knowing I was eating horse meat, I admit I would've done so.  I have to hand it to the Tongans, they did a really good job preparing that horse meat.”

If there's any idea that Equestrian ponies don't consider themselves horses, or even closely related to them, the response of these ponies completely ruins that idea.

The unicorn slowly backs away from me, shaking his head and saying things like, “No, it can't be.”

The earth pony also backs away, but is whimpering.

The pegasus, has taken a step or two back, but has started gagging, and now he's vomiting.

I continue, “Now having said that, I'm more interested in making friends of the ponies here than making meals of them.  And, I have a rule of thumb that I don't kill and eat my friends.”

The only pony of the three that has the presence of mind to change his behavior is the earth pony.  He stops and holds his ground, saying, “Just keep away from us.”  Then, he goes back to whimpering.

My character strokes the pegasus' mane as I say, “I don't want to eat any of you.  As I said, I'd rather make friends with you.”

The pegasus seems to have stopped vomiting, although I have to wonder if he's expecting another spell.

I continue, “If I can't be your friend, I hope I can at least not be your enemy.  I'll be going now, but I promise you I won't harm you.  Ki tahi au.”

The last three words serve as more than just my declaration in Maori that I intend to keep my word, it's also a signal to the computer to pause everything except my character.  It also makes doors soft, or, in other words, intangible to my character, so I can pass through them.  I also have a word, 'continue,' to say to get out of this sort of debug pause mode.

Another advantage of this debug pause mode is that I can move freely and find ponies or other characters that I couldn't find while in the regular play mode.  So, I decide to search for Pinkie Pie to see her evident reaction to my conversation with the three stallions that met me when I first showed up.  Sure enough, I find her running, angry expression and all, from behind one house and, I reasonably assume, towards Sugar Cube Corner.  I don't want to interrupt her run, so I proceed past her and continue walking around the outskirts before saying, “Continue.”

Here's also where I save the game and quit.  So far, so good.  I'll continue the game later.
> Chapter 2: First Meeting with Pinkie Pie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I start the game again, I hear a skidding sound, followed by Pinkie Pie's voice, abnormally angry, calling out, “You get back here!”  As my character turns toward the source of the sound, I see Pinkie Pie running full speed toward my character, roaring out, “You'll pay for what you did to them!”  Then, the last thing I see before the screen goes black is Pinkie Pie's face filling it.

At this point, it's notable that Pinkie, in spite of having been frozen in mid-gallop, has clearly seen me, and has somehow managed to follow me.

As my character wakes up, I hear Pinkie Pie saying, “Good, you finally woke up.”

Then the light turns on, and it should be clear to anyone that plays this game that the player's character, in this case my character, is suspended above the floor of a basement room on his side.  My character looks around to show me that he's strapped by his arms and legs to a slab of concrete, suspending him sideways against a wall.

I ask, “Where am I?”

As my character looks toward the opposite wall, Pinkie Pie's glaring face rises into view as she answers, “Where you are isn't important.  What is important is you'll never hurt another pony as long as I can help it.”

I say, “I'll have you know I didn't hurt any of those ponies, and I have no intention of hurting any ponies at all.”

Pinkie Pie turns away from me and, as her mane and tail slowly uncurl, the mane managing to uncurl to one side of her head, she walks away and retorts, “Then, what's this I heard from you about eating horse meat?  And, you even enjoyed it!”

I watch through my character's eyes as Pinkie Pie approaches what looks like a serving tray covered in a yellow table cloth.  I answer, “I didn't know it was horse meat at the time.  But, you're right.  I did like the way it tasted.  I have to hand it to the Tongans.  They did a good job preparing that horse meat.”

I pause for a moment to see how Pinkie Pie responds.  From what I see, she only pauses for a moment when I talk about the Tongans having prepared the meat well, then continues on her way to the serving tray.

I continue, “Do I regret ever having eaten horse meat?  Behold, verily I say unto you, nay.  Do I regret having had horse meat only once?  Again I say unto you, nay.”  Before I continue, let me say that yes, I'm aware of the pun.  It's just something I couldn't resist.  “And, it's clear to me that you didn't … “

I hear Pinkie Pie growling as I start my last statement, and she doesn't let me finish before she pulls the table cloth away from the serving tray and says, “I don't want to hear your excuses.”  As she noses around on a surface that's clearly deeper than a typical serving tray, she adds, “Maybe you'll think twice if a horse, or a pony, feeds on you.”

I respond, “Well, if you're not going to listen to me, then there's no reason for me to stay here.”

I can only see through my character's eyes Pinkie Pie grabbing something using her front hooves, although, being the one who programmed the game, I know she's most likely trying to grab a butcher's knife.  She states, “I don't see how you're going to get out of here in one piece.”

I answer, “I just have a few words.”  Then, as I can see Pinkie Pie indeed managing to grasp a butcher's knife in her front hooves, I count in English, “One, two, three, four,” and my character inward-blocks with his left arm, breaking the strap holding it in place.

At the sound, Pinkie Pie fumbles and drops the butcher's knife, then turns to look at me.  Seeing my character's free arm, she starts, stumbling backward into the serving tray and tipping it over.  Still focused on me, she says, “It can't be.”

As my character continues to focus on the alarmed pink mare, I say, “Well, then, let me reiterate.”  Again I count, this time in Spanish, “Uno, dos, tres, cuatro,” and my character kicks with his left leg, breaking the strap holding it in place.

Pinkie Pie is clearly panicking now, so much so that she can't even move her legs backward or forward.  She's even sweating as she whimpers, “Stop doing that.  I'm not f-f-finished with you y-y-yet.”

Now I say, “Here comes the tricky part.”  Again I count, this time in Samoan, “Tasi, lua, tolu, fa,” and my character kicks with the last strapped leg, breaking that strap.

Newtonian physics take over as my character, unhindered by all but one strap, falls ungracefully to the ground, though still supported by the strap holding his other arm in place.

At this point, Pinkie Pie stretches out on the ground, points her face down between her front hooves, and cries, “Please don't hurt me!  I wasn't really going to do anything to you.  I just wanted to scare you, that's all.”

One last time, as soon as my character is standing, I count, this time in German, “Ein, zwei, drei, vier,” and my character breaks the last strap.

The sound of the last strap breaking startles the now sobbing Pinkie Pie, and it's clear that sobbing is all she can do at this point.

Presently, my character approaches the pink mare and, when he's close enough, sits on one leg and uses his right pointer finger to lift her head so she can look at him, and he can look at her, in the eyes.

I say, “Pinkie … Pinkamena … Diane … whatever you prefer to be called right now, I never wanted to hurt you or any other pony.  I only told those stallions about my experience eating horse meat so they wouldn't attack me any more.”

Considering Pinkie Pie may still not be willing to hear the rest of the story, I don't even bother trying.  Instead, my character stands up, about-faces, and approaches the only door in or out of the basement room.

On the way out, I add, “What happened here remains between you and me.  Outside of this room, I will say nothing more about what happened here.”

I programmed this game, and even I don't know for sure if it's what I said or something else that gives Pinkie Pie the motivation she needs.  All I know is before I can finally reach the door, she's there, mane and tail curly again, in classic canine begging position, saying, “I won't let you leave unless you Pinkie promise.”

I've seen enough of the Friendship is Magic series to know what the Pinkie promise is, and how much it means to Pinkie Pie.  And, I'm also aware of how stubborn Pinkie Pie can be.  But, at the same time, I can also be pretty stubborn; and I have no intention of making a Pinkie promise.  Instead, I plan on making a promise that means more to me than a Pinkie promise:  I plan on making a Maori promise.  Thus, I say the words, “Ki tahi au,” and the pink party pony is immobilized.

My character proceeds out of the basement through the door, up the stairs, and out of what appears to be a large shed, or perhaps the remains of an old factory.  Whatever it is is immaterial.  What matters now is my character is free to go where he wants, or where I want, which happens to be back to Ponyville.

I'll never see it myself, at least not in the game play; although I've provided a way so any gamer who wants can see what happens when the game resumes.  As I've programed the game, when it resumes from this point, Pinkie Pie, alone in the basement, growls in frustration and wonders aloud to herself why she couldn't get a proper Pinkie promise out of her prisoner.  Eventually, she'll return to Sugar Cube Corner in Ponyville, where the next part of the story begins.

In the mean time, it isn't until my character is back in the outskirts of town, when my character is alone, before I give the game the order to “continue.”  But, this provides me the best opportunity to save.  I'll resume later.
> Chapter 3: Gilda
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've just remembered, as I resumed the game, that I have a mess to either clean up myself, or to help clean up.  Most likely, I'll be cleaning it up myself.  So, I head to where my character was first spawned, where I was assaulted by the three stallions.

Once I get there, I notice that the puddle of vomit hasn't been cleaned up, and the stallion ponies have long since left.  That's the good news.  The bad news is there is no cleaning equipment available, at least none that I can see.

As I maneuver around the now dry puddle of vomit and proceed to the center of Ponyville to search for a shop that might sell the equipment I need, I see the face of a dark-pink pony looking out at me from one of the windows.

The face disappears from view; and, as I continue on my way, the door to the house, which just happens to be the one facing the vomit puddle, opens, and the earth stallion comes out.  Before I can go too much further, he calls out, “Hey, human, aren't you going to clean up that mess in front of my house?”

I can see he's pointing to the puddle of vomit.

My character turns to him, and I answer, “That was part of my plan.  I just need to get some cleaning equipment first.”

The dark-pink stallion growls as he disappears into his house again, then comes out with a dust pan in his mouth.  Even though I programmed the ponies to have an unusually high level of strength and accuracy, I'm still surprised at how close the stallion can throw the dust pan to my character.  Again the stallion disappears into his house, then comes back out with a broom in his mouth.  After also throwing that to my character, he calls out, “Here, use these!”

My character collects the utensils and turns to the dark-pink pony, and I say, “Thanks,” before also asking, “Do you also have a garbage can?”

Again the dark-pink stallion growls as he disappears into his house, something about humans being too demanding.

I direct my character back to the puddle of vomit, move the dust pan to one side of it, and attempt to scoop up the mess.

But, while the dust pan appears to be wide enough to handle the mess in maybe one or two scoops, the mess itself seems to have other ideas, as it proceeds to crumble and spread out.  Evidently, my character's going to need the broom after all.

Then I hear the voice of the stallion directly in front of my character saying, “Here's the garbage container you asked for.  Anything else you need or want?”

I have my character look up from the mess to the stallion's face as I answer, “No, that's fine.  Thanks again.”  And, with that, I have my character return to cleaning up the mess.

As my character continues the cleanup, I hear activity near him, and hear the voice I recognize as that of the unicorn asking, “What's that human doing?”

The earth pony asks, “Do you remember earlier when Emerald Hill emptied his stomach?”  Evidently Emerald Hill is the name of the pegasus.

Presently I hear the unicorn answer, “Yeah, when that human told … his … story … “  After a moment of quiet, he, closer to the earth pony, based on what I can hear, adds, “This must be that human.  Did he really come back to clean up the mess?”

Before the earth pony can answer, I hear the voice of the pegasus, Emerald Hill, ask, “What mess are you talking about, Stunts?”

The unicorn answers, “The mess you made yesterday when … “  Now I know the unicorn's name is Stunts.  All I need now is the name of the earth pony.

In the mean time, Emerald Hill interrupts and says, “Yea, I remember.  That human told that story about how … “  Before he can finish his answer, he makes gagging sounds, and it sounds like the sounds are being muffled, most likely with a hoof or a forelimb.

Just then, the earth pony says, “Emerald, don't even think it.  As much as I'd like to see the human clean up more of the mess, I've seen enough for one lifetime of what you've eaten.”

I don't say anything, but, even though the effects don't include smell, I agree with the earth pony.  The mess is difficult to clean up as it is.  But, in spite of this mess's efforts to resist, my character manages to clean it up in a few minutes.  As he stands up, I say, “There, it's finally done.”

Each of the ponies studies the spot, then the contents of the garbage container.

The pegasus can't help heaving into the garbage container, evidently recognizing the meal he couldn't keep in his stomach the day before, and being unable to keep the meal he'd most recently eaten.

I have my character reach out to the pegasus and start rubbing his back as I say, “I'm sorry about having to tell you that story, and making you make that mess.  But, at least I cleaned it up.”

The earth stallion, evidently disgusted by the pegasus' lack of control, still manages to answer, “And, you did a good job of it.”  Then, with a facial expression suggesting a change of heart, adds, “I may have been wrong about humans.  You're not so bad after all.”

I open my mouth to accept the compliment, but I'm interrupted by Stunts, who agrees, “I didn't think I'd ever be saying this to a human, but you're welcome to come back anytime you want.  You're worth having as a friend.”

I've forgotten what I was going to say to accept the earth stallion's compliment; all I can think to say is “Thanks.”

Then Emerald Hill looks up at me, and I can see, from the perspective of my character, tears in his eyes as he says, “Please forgive me for attacking you.”  Then he leans into my character's chest with his head and starts sobbing.

I answer, “We're even now.”  Not knowing what else to do, I have my character stroke the pegasus' yellow-green mane.

After a few minutes, a now dry-eyed Emerald Hill nudges my character's chin and says, “I'm fine now.”

I let him go, then proceed into the town again, this time with something else in mind.

Before I can move out of their hearing, I hear Stunts ask, “Berry Ground, do you really think all humans are like that one?”  I'm guessing Berry Ground is the name of the earth pony.

My guess proves correct when the earth stallion answers, “I honestly don't know.  But, you're right about that human.  He is worth having as a friend.”

I smile as I continue on my way into town.  It's just a few minutes before I find my character in an area of Ponyville with both indoor and outdoor stores, where I notice a strange feathered creature, perhaps a little bigger than the ponies around her, but I recognize her instantly.  It's Rainbow Dash's griffon friend, Gilda, and she appears to be preparing to stir up some trouble.

Making sure not to draw the attention of the griffon, I maneuver my character around the buildings to a position behind her, as it appears she's preparing to attack an elderly mare.  Before the griffon can touch her victim, I have my character step on her leonine tail.

Instantly, Gilda lets out a long, loud squawk as the feathers on her head and neck point out in self-defense.

Alarmed, the senior pony screams something about being under attack, turns away from the squawking griffon, and, calling retreat, strolls away in a panic.

In the mean time, Gilda turns to my character and screams, “Get off my tail!”

My character looks down to show me that Gilda's tail, under his foot, has been turning red.  He then lifts his foot up and puts it down next to the tail, then looks at Gilda's face.  At this point, I say, “Oh, that's your tail?  I'm sorry.  I didn't see it there.”

Gilda mockingly says, “I'm sorry, I didn't see your tail.”  Then, glaring at my character, she pushes him by his chest into the street growling, “How could you not see my tail?”

I answer, “I guess I wasn't looking.  So, are you alright?”

At first Gilda puts a clawed front foot on her forehead and sighs, then puts the claw down again and squawks, “Would it kill you to look down every once in a while?  What a loser!”

I respond, “I think someone needs to take some anger-management classes.”

Now Gilda makes it clear she's reached her boiling point.  After growling at my last statement for a second, she inhales, then expels a leonine roar in my face.

I seem to remember that, when this happened to Fluttershy, she ran off crying, having failed at guiding a family of ducks through Ponyville.  I choose to have a different reaction, though.  As my character holds his ground, I say, “Well, when you put it that way,” then proceed to inhale.

I can only guess it's because I stood my ground and didn't run off that Gilda is getting that worried look on her face.

Now I proceed to roar back at Gilda, not as deep as her roar, but longer, ten seconds at most, and I have my character rotate his head right and left.

In reality, I'd expect a griffon to either roar back, or attack me.  And, while this isn't reality, I still find it surprising that Gilda frowns with her eyes but manages to smile with her beak, then squeaks, then turns and flies off.

My character stands there, and for a few seconds I say nothing.  When I do speak, I ask, “Did I just win a roaring contest against a griffon?”

From somewhere behind my character, I hear Pinkie Pie snicker, “I don't know, but I think she left something for you.”

My character looks behind him at Pinkie Pie, then back down where Gilda was.  Sure enough, there's something that wasn't there before: evidently, I literally scared the poop out of her.  I can't seem to go anywhere in Ponyville without causing some creature to make a mess of some kind.  Well, deciding that I might as well clean this mess up before some pony can step in it, I proceed to ask if anyone has some cleaning utensils I can use.  That's when my character puts his hands in the pockets of his pants and produces a small paper towel.  After that, he covers the small pile of griffon dung and picks it up, wrapping it from underneath.  At this point, my character looks down to show me that the mess has been fully contained in the paper towel.

Just then, I hear a quiet whisper from behind my character saying, “No, you're fine,”  just as I notice evidence of a light tap on him.

He turns around, and all I can see, through his eyes, is the face of a yellow pony with a pink mane.  I say, “I'm sorry.  I didn't see you there.  Are you alright?”

The fact that I couldn't hear what the yellow pegasa was saying suggests to me that she was saying exactly what I was saying, and at exactly the same time.  And, yes, I recognize her as a pegasa, specifically Fluttershy.

As we stare at each other, I can hear Pinkie Pie now openly laughing.  From her position, I hear her say, “That's the funniest thing I've ever heard!”

My character and Fluttershy simultaneously turn to look at the pink earth pony, then turn back to each other.

Fluttershy says, “I was just guiding this family of ducks through Ponyville.  I guess I should've been looking where I was going.”

I answer, “That's alright.  I was cleaning up a mess I'd caused.”  As my character stands up, I add, “I'm guessing you weren't pointed where you were walking.”

Fluttershy answers, “Oh, no.  I couldn't possibly take my eyes off the ducklings.  What if one of them got hurt?  I couldn't forgive myself if that happened.”

This is the position I hoped to get into.  I ask, “What if I lead the way?  Do you think you could follow my voice walking backwards?”

Fluttershy stares at me and, after a momentary pause to think, asks, “You're a human, and you want to help me?”

Presently I hear Pinkie Pie stop laughing.  I can only guess it was either my offer or Fluttershy's question that caught the pink pony off guard.

I answer, “It's clear that you can't look behind you while you walk backwards.  My choices seem to be clear: either help you out, or leave you alone to bump into maybe everything and every pony in town.”

Fluttershy, turning to the family of ducks, says under her breath, “How thoughtful.”

And, yes, surprisingly enough, I heard her say that.

My character looks at the family of ducks as Fluttershy also looks at them.

The beautifully-colored male, evidently the father, then the more plainly-colored female, evidently the mother, quack at the yellow pegasa.

Afterward, Fluttershy turns to my character and says, “Alright.  Since you're offering, they agree.  But, first you must promise not to eat any of them.”

Now, I know I've programmed the game to pause when I say the words “ki tahi au,” but I've also programmed it to unpause when I say the word “continue.”  I'm also aware that, while even she will be frozen in position and no matter what unable to make use of such keywords, Pinkie Pie will still be aware of what I'm doing in the mean time.  Still, the Maori promise will be most valuable to me.  So, I say, “If I were to eat any of the ducks, it'd be one of the adults, and at that the male.  But, having said that, I'm not hungry anyway.  And besides, like I said to three stallions, I'm more interested in making friends of the creatures here than meals.  So, I promise I won't eat any of the ducks.  Ki tahi au.”  Then, noticing that everything has frozen, I add, “Continue.”

Presently Fluttershy says, “Oh, thank you.  Now, go ahead.”

As my character turns away from the yellow pegasa and the family of waterfowl in front of her, I must admit I find myself thinking that all I need now is something to talk about until we're out of town.  But, looking through my character's eyes at the somewhat-crowded road ahead, and considering Fluttershy has yet to let me know if we're headed in the right direction, I have to believe that we'll be fine.

Indeed, having my character maneuver around ponies, or requesting that this pony or that pony pause long enough to let a pegasa and a family of ducks pass in front of them, or even informing Fluttershy that I plan to stop at one point or another, gives me plenty to say to keep the parade safe.

In the mean time, I can guess that Pinkie Pie has had to rethink her opinion of me.  The way I have her programmed, she'll think she has to repent to me somehow, do something to tell me she wants me to forgive her.  And, the way I have the game designed, this means that Rainbow Dash's griffon friend is in jeopardy.  But, the way I have the game designed, Gilda's death is an important part of the story and how it'll evolve.  But, I digress.

Back to leading the parade, my character successfully leads the group through the street to the outskirts of town.  Once there, he turns to Fluttershy, and I ask, “Do you need me any further, or can you take it from here?”

Fluttershy turns to my character and answers, “Nopony ever offered to lead me through Ponyville.  You're probably right in part of what you said.  Maybe I would've been bumping into everything and everypony I couldn't see.  Then again, there are times, you've shown me, when I might've lead this family of ducks to injury or death.”  Now I see tears in the yellow pegasa's eyes, and her voice goes up an octave as she adds, “I didn't ask you for help before; but, if it's not too much of an imposition, could you lead us to my house?  It's just along the pathway, and it'd insure we get there safely.”

I answer, “It'd be an honor.”  Then, as my character looks ahead along the path to the forest, I notice nothing coming from there.  I just need something to talk about until we get to Fluttershy's house.

Fortunately, Fluttershy has an idea.  She says, “Since it seems there's nopony coming, maybe you can sing a song, or tell a story, so I can tell where you're going.”

At that invitation, I suddenly think of a story from the Bible, a story that seems somehow appropriate for this situation.  So, as I start heading toward the forest, leading the band of pegasa and ducks, I start telling the story of a king and a prophet, giving the account based on my understanding of what I remember reading about it.

I find it surprising how much of an interest Fluttershy takes in the story; particularly how a prophet of God could be so impatient and not wait, as God had directed him, for the second delegation I mention to approach him before preparing to leave.  I'm not surprised that she expresses sympathy for the prophet's donkey, who suffers abuse for rescuing her master each of three times from an angel ready to kill him.  Yet, it surprises me that it surprises Fluttershy that a non-human creature like the donkey talking to a human such as the prophet is such a rare event.  The yellow pegasa has some questions that she asks about the prophet not seeing that angel until that third time, then how he continues to follow the evil king to each of three places, and still blesses the group of fugitives from Egypt even though he was supposed to curse them.

We get to her home before we get to the end of my story, but the yellow pegasa refuses to let me go until I finish it.  So, I tell her about the fate of the king and his people and the fallen prophet, a conclusion that doesn't seem to surprise Fluttershy after all I've said, and all the questions of hers I've answered.

Once I'm finished with my story, Fluttershy dismisses me to return to Ponyville, or whatever I intend to do next.

So, my character returns to Ponyville, to be met by Pinkie Pie on the outskirts of town.

The pink earth pony bounces around my character saying, “I want you to meet my friends at Sugar Cube Corner.  I'm throwing a party for you and Gilda.”

It's the wrong time in the story for such an invitation to raise any suspicions for me.  I know Gilda will be first to become an ingredient for cupcakes, and Pinkie Pie hasn't had enough time to do such a thing yet.  I expect to meet the female griffon there, and maybe I can certify if I actually won that roaring contest with her.  Or, maybe not.  Either way, I'll experience a Pinkie Pie party, and I might just get the chance to meet those three stallions I've already befriended.  So, I answer, “Sure.  I'd consider it an honor.”

It surprises me how the pink pony can reach the altitudes she can reach while seeming to expend so little energy.  But, such is the case as she bounces nearly into the clouds while calling out, “Great!  I'll go get Fluttershy.”  And, with that, she bounces off in the direction opposite my character.

So, my next destination is clear.  My character makes his way into town and to Sugar Cube Corner.

Wouldn't you know it, I make it there just in time to meet Gilda at the door.  My character opens the door and gestures for Gilda to enter as I say, “Ladies first.”

The female griffon glares at me and says, “And give you the chance to step on my tail again?  I don't think so.  Dweebs first.”  With the last statement, Gilda mimics my character's gesture.

Again I have my character gesture for Gilda to enter, but this time I say nothing.

Seeing me gesture again and hearing me say nothing this time, Gilda glares more intensely and starts growling at me.  Were she not doomed, I'm thinking she and I, or at least she and my character, would be destined to be best friends.

Before the female griffon has a chance to do more than growl, Rainbow Dash appears at the door and says, “Gilda!  I'm glad you could make it!”  Then she proceeds to pull the now reluctant griffon into the bakery.

Gilda resists long enough to point, with her free arm, two clawed digits at her eyes, then at me.  After that, she allows Rainbow Dash to pull her through the door.

That's when Rainbow Dash sees me.  Eying my character curiously, the azure pegasa with the multicolored mane asks, “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

Before I can answer, Pinkie Pie pushes my character into the door saying, “Well, what are you waiting for?  Get in there and enjoy yourself, silly.”

As my character stumbles into the bakery, the azure pegasa, who I recognize as Rainbow Dash, turns to the pink pony, then back at me, before saying, “So, you're a friend of Pinkie Pie.”

As my character regains his balance, I answer, “More or less.  You may call me Mormon.”

From further inside, the voice of Gilda says, “Mormon, the human that roars.”

At this point, I don't bother to take off the mounted input device as I laugh aloud.  After a few seconds, I regain my composure and say, “So, does that mean I won that roaring contest?”

Based on the element of unpredictability I programmed into this game, I cannot easily determine whether it's my laughter or my question that angers the griffon more.  All I know is she turns to me and, after growling for a few seconds, points at my character and says, “You keep your mouth shut about that unless you want me to tear your face off.”

During this time, Rainbow Dash, who'd been hovering where I could see her all this time, has moved to a position next to me.

My character tilts toward her as I say under my breath, “I'll take that as a yes.”  It's then that I remember that nothing's been done with the griffon dung, wrapped in a paper towel like a strange present, still in my character's hand.

But, before I can do anything with it, Rainbow Dash notices the strange object in my character's hand, as she asks, pointing to it, “What's that?”

As my character holds it up, I ask, “Oh, this?”  Then, seeing the hovering pegasa nod, I answer, pointing to Gilda, “She left me a trophy for winning the roaring contest.”

Before I can say more, or have my character put the wrapped-up feces away, Rainbow Dash grabs it out of his hand and unwraps it just enough to get a good look at its contents.  She takes a few sniffs of the contents, looks away, sticks her tongue out, and makes a gagging sound.  Then she flies to her griffon friend and says, “Gilda!  You come with me and Mormon outside, right now!”

My third visit to Ponyville, and I seem to have no control of where my character is going.  In a matter of a few seconds, Gilda, Rainbow Dash, and my character are just outside the bakery, with the azure pegasa glaring at both of us.

Rainbow Dash fully opens the paper towel, revealing the griffon's dung, shoves it between the griffon's eyes, and asks, “Just what happened between the two of you?”

Gilda, now wide-eyed, asks, “You think that came from me?”

Rainbow Dash points to me and answers, “Mormon says you left it for him as a trophy.”

The azure pegasa has just made it clear that she either doesn't appreciate my sense of humor, or she doesn't understand it.

Either way, I'm not altogether sure Gilda understands it either.  She turns to me and says, “Well, if you like my s--- so much, here's some more for you.”  With that, she grins evilly at my character, and I notice a change in her posture.  I can make an educated guess that the female griffon is most likely squatting.

Before she can produce any more, though, Rainbow Dash rubs the griffon's first “trophy” into the feathers of her head, then says, “Whatever comes out of you next also goes into your head feathers.”

The griffon dung, by now, should've had time to cool off so it wouldn't be steaming.  Still, I can't help wondering if the steam rising from Gilda's head is a mixture of her fury and that dung mixed into her feathers.  She is glaring, after all, and her face is turning red.  Through gritted teeth (strange, I think, to see such things in a bird's beak), she says to Rainbow Dash, “And, here I thought we were friends.”  Then, turning to my character, she says, “As for you, human, you better stay out of my way from now on unless you got a death-wish.”  Presently she turns to Rainbow Dash again and screams, “You know what?  I don't want to be here with a bunch of losers!  I ain't gonna waste my time here any more!  I'm sick of you, and I'm sick of this stupid place!  If you wanna stay here with these idiots, then you can just stay here and rot!”  After that, she turns away from Rainbow Dash and flies off, although she can't seem to get very far without running into the roof of one house.

As my character watches the furious griffon fly away, I say, “She took it better than I thought she would.”  Then my character turns to Rainbow Dash, and I can see the distraught look on her face.  I ask, “Are you alright?”

The azure pegasa, looking like a puppet hanging by one string, says, “I was hoping she could get to know my other friends.  I didn't think things'd turn out like this.”

I can't think of anything to say.  So, I just watch through my character's eyes as Rainbow Dash hovers for a few moments as tears fall from her eyes, then as she rises into the sky and disappears into a small white cloud, which promptly turns a dark gray.

Just then, I hear Pinkie Pie ask, “Where's Dashy?”

My character looks to show me the head of a pink pony peering at him out of the doorway.  He points to the cloud hiding the distraught pegasa, and I say, “She just needs time to herself right now.  I'm sure she'll be fine.”

The pink pony then asks, “And, what about Gildy?”

My character points in the direction the griffon flew off.  I pause for a moment, then say, “She flew off in that direction.”

Funny, isn't it?  I know these are fictional characters, and, in this case, video game characters; so it's not as though they had a real life in the first place.  Yet, knowing what Pinkie Pie is going to do to the female griffon, I still feel like I'm the one murdering her.

In the mean time, Pinkie Pie exits through the door, closing it behind her, then turns and waves to me as she says, “Thank you,” before bouncing off in the direction my character is pointing.

My character goes back inside where I enjoy the party, getting an introduction to Applejack and Rarity.  I don't see Twilight Sparkle there, and I'm asked questions about where Rainbow Dash is and where Pinkie Pie ran off to.  I give the question about Rainbow Dash the same answer that Pinkie Pie got, although without pointing out her location.  As for the question about Pinkie Pie, I answer that I guess she's making some kind of delivery.

I don't know how long I spend at the party.  All I know is when my character leaves I find Rainbow Dash waiting for me at the front door of the bakery.  I ask, “Are you alright?”

The azure pegasa doesn't answer vocally, just gestures in a direction.

I can only guess she wants me to join her in walking in that direction.  With really nothing else to do, and seeing her point and start walking in that direction, my character follows her.

The two of us walk silently and slowly until we are past the outskirts of town; then Rainbow Dash stops, turns and looks at my character.  She seems to struggle to find the words for a few seconds, then finally asks, “Why did I have to do that to Gilda?”

I say, “I should've thrown that mess away as soon as I got it cleaned up.  Honestly, I didn't intend it to be used as a weapon, certainly not something that'd drive a wedge between you and your griffon friend.”

Rainbow Dash turns away and says, “What's done is done.  I'm just afraid she'll hold it against me forever.”

My character sits down near the still distraught pegasa as I say, “Whatever she holds against you she'll likely hold against me as well.”

Now Rainbow Dash turns to my character again and eyes him carefully, then jumps at him.

My character catches her in his hands under her flared-out wings, slowing her down so she doesn't hurt him.  Then, he holds her close to him, supporting her underneath with one arm, then, as she folds her wings, puts his other arm around them, keeping them folded.

Inadvertently, or maybe not, it seems the pegasa has draped her forelimbs around my character's shoulders in what any human would interpret as a hug.  But, it seems she has no strength to push away from that position; and, instead, just collapses.

My character looks at the pegasa's back, and it's clear she's vibrating.  So, my character uses his free hand to start stroking the pegasa's back between her wings.  This is one of those times when the best thing to say is nothing.

After a few minutes, Rainbow Dash finally pushes away.  After my character lets her go, she looks at me and says, “Thanks for that.  Now, I'd better get going.”

Again I say nothing as I watch the azure pegasa with multicolored mane turn and fly off.  I know what's going to happen to Gilda, and by the time Rainbow Dash finds out it'll be too late.  And, when I see Pinkie Pie next, she'll have a platter of cupcakes with a “special ingredient.”  And, I intend that my character be there to sample one of those cupcakes.  But, for now, it's time to call it quits.  So, that's what I do, after saving the game.

Alright, i didn't get to my character's house this time.  But, I plan to get there soon, hopefully when I resume the game next time.
> Chapter 4: The Basement Revisited
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's occurred to me that I have yet to visit my home, or my character's home, which I have situated on the opposite side of the Everfree forest from where Fluttershy lives.  And, my character needs to go back from Sugar Cube Corner to get on the right track.

On the way there, I meet another pegasa, this one gray with a yellow mane and tail.  The way her eyes point in different directions has been described as “wall-eyed” or “cross-eyed” by others.  Yes, this pegasa is known as either Derpy Hooves or Ditsy Doo.  And, our meeting is far from the most graceful you might imagine.  In fact, she tackles my character, knocking him down.

As my character sits up and looks at the gray pegasa, she whimpers, “I'm so sorry.  I just don't know what went wrong.”

Yes, I included her catchphrase in my game.  I can't help smiling to myself as I say, “It's alright.  You're Derpy Hooves, right?”

The gray pegasa goes from whimpering to glaring as she responds, “I'm not!  You don't have to be so mean.  My name is Ditsy Doo.”

As my character stands up again, I answer, “My mistake.  So, Ditsy Do, are you alright?”

The gray pegasa hovers, but continues glaring at me, as she says, “Didn't your mother teach you manners?  It's not nice to call ponies names.  My name is Derpy Hooves.  And, to answer your question, I'm fine.”

While it's good to hear that Derpy Hooves, or Ditsy Doo, or whatever, is unharmed by our collision, the puzzle I'm left with is what to call her without offending her.  Fortunately, I have in mind a solution to the problem.  First, I ask, “So, do you prefer to be called Derpy Hooves, or Ditsy Doo?”

I hear a groan from the gray pegasa, followed by whimpering again, as she says, “Why do you have to be so mean to me?”

I answer, “I'm sorry.  Why don't I give you a nickname?”

The hovering gray pegasa groans, looks away from me, and asks, “What other mean name do you have for me?”

My character approaches her, and I answer, “I promise it won't be anything mean.”  Then, as she turns to me again, I ask, “How about Ataahua?”

The gray pegasa drifts toward my character until all I can see are her eyes before she asks, “And, what exactly does that mean?”

As my character takes a step or two back, I answer, “It's a Maori word.  It means 'beautiful.'”

The glare on Derpy's face morphs into an expression of sincere surprise, and she stops flapping her wings.  The problem is it causes her to start falling.

There is the concern that, as high in the air as she is, she could get hurt from landing too hard.  So, my character takes a step forward and catches her under her forelimbs, succeeding with some effort in slowing her down so she lands softly, or at least without getting hurt.  After that, I ask, “Are you alright?”

The pegasa looks at me and asks, “Do you really think I'm beautiful?”

I answer, “I do.  So, how do you feel about Ataahua as a nickname?”

The pegasa focuses on me with both eyes and squeaks, “Nopony has ever been that nice to me.  If you really want to call me that, then it's alright with me.”  Again she tackles my character and knocks him down, but then proceeds to nuzzle him and cry.

It takes him a little longer, and he has more of a struggle getting up with a grateful Ataahua holding him down.  To help him out, I say, “Alright, Ataahua, I appreciate you too.  But, I have somewhere I need to go right now.  So, if you'll let me stand up, … “

At my announcement, Ataahua backs away from me and apologizes again.  Then, as my character stands up again, she asks, “So, where are you headed?”

I answer, “My home is on the other side of the forest from where Fluttershy lives.”

Before I can say any more, Ataahua concludes, “And, you're headed back there.”  Again, before I can answer affirmatively, she continues, “And, derpy me, I run you down and keep you from getting back home.  I'm sorry.”

My character reaches out with a hand and strokes Ataahua on the side of her neck as I say, “It's alright.  I should've been paying closer attention.”

Just then, I hear another female voice from behind my character say, “Alright, now I'm jealous.”  Then, I notice a pale-green unicorn with silver-and-white mane suddenly next to Ataahua.  Considering Equestrian ponies generally have tails colored the same as their manes, it's logical to assume the same is true with this pony, who I recognize as Lyra, a pony portrayed by most as having a fascination with humans.  And, considering there are humans fascinated with horses, this kind of response makes sense to me.  But, again I'm digressing.

As my character turns to her, and indeed I see her tail is colored like her mane, I say, “Oh, it's nice to meet you.”

Before I can say more, Lyra grabs my character's hand in her hooves and starts vigorously shaking it as she says, “Hi.  My name is Lyra.  It's nice to meet you too.  We don't get many humans around here.  What's your name?  How long are you planning on staying here?  Can we eat together sometime?”  I must admit, there's something about her behavior that reminds me of a puppy.

I can't help laughing at seeing her level of enthusiasm.

In the mean time, Ataahua says, “Lyra likes humans, although I think you're the first living human she's ever seen.”

Once I recuperate enough that I can talk again, I answer, “You may call me Mormon.  I was just heading home, just across the Everfree forest from where Fluttershy lives.  As for eating together, I don't know that I'd have any food that you'd like to eat.”

As my character finally stands up again, Lyra answers, “Yeah, that's alright.  I can fix something, and maybe you can choose a place for a picnic.”

My character starts walking again, back on the course to his house, as I say, “I think you need to slow down.”

Lyra had also started walking, keeping up with me to the side.  But, when I mention her going too fast, she stops and says, her nose pointing toward the ground and her ears drooping, “Oh, I'm sorry.  I do have a tendency to talk too fast when I get excited.  I hope you'll forgive me.”

My character pauses and turns to her, and I can see a couple of puddles forming under each side of her nose.  I say, “It's alright.  If you want to walk with me, that'll be fine.  We can talk about whatever you want to talk about along the way.”

Whatever I said is evidently what Lyra wanted to hear.  She immediately perks up again and joins my character once more on our way to my character's home.

As we make our way to the middle of town, I comment under my breath, “So far, I have a pegasa and a unicorn with me.  All I need to complete the set is an earth pony.”

If Lyra heard me, she says nothing about it.

On the other hand, Ataahua makes it clear that she heard me.  She says, “Well, if you really want one to join us, ... ” then flies off.

My character watches the gray pegasa as she flies into and searches the market that marks the middle of Ponyville, then lands and disappears for a few seconds, then shows up again and points at my character.

I can't help notice a stallion sticking his head up and looking to see what the hovering gray pony is pointing at, sees me, then disappears into a cloud of chaotic motion.

It's not until a few minutes later when he shows up right next to me, that I recognize the brown stallion with darker-brown mane and tail, as well as the hourglass cutie mark on one of his hips, or at least on the hip I can see, as Doctor Whooves.  I do seem to remember fan works suggesting different things about this earth pony, including that he was the pony version of Doctor Who, and that Derpy, whom I've most recently nicknamed Ataahua, had some kind of romantic interest in him.  But, once again, I've gotten off track.

The stallion says, “Derpy told me you're wanting to go through the Everfree forest, and wanted an earth pony to join you.”

Thinking about what I'd said to myself, I can understand how it might be interpreted that way.  I answer, “I just said that an earth pony would complete my present set of ponies.  I already have a pegasus and a unicorn with me.  But, it is true that I'm heading through the Everfree forest.  My home's on the other side.  If you're also headed that way, you're welcome to join us.”

There seems to be something in what I say that causes Ataahua, then Lyra, to start drooping again.

On the other hand, Doctor Whooves answers, “Well, we seem to be in luck, then.  I have the tardis parked in an open field on the other side of the Everfree forest.”  After that, Doctor Whooves says something in French.  I don't know how to print it without perhaps offending a French-speaker who might read this; so, I'll just say I think it's the French term for “Let's go,” and leave it at that.

As we continue along the pathway toward the forest, Doctor Whooves turns to me and says, “So, you're named for a prophet from the ancient Americas.”

You'd think that someone who designed this game and all the characters in it would not be surprised at what those characters say.  But, I am.  I have my character turn to the only other male in the group, and I say, “I must admit, I'm surprised that you'd know about that.  So, you've paid a visit to the Nephites then?”

Doctor Whooves looks forward again and answers, “Not something on record, but yes.  I had to rescue Ditsy Doo from becoming a casualty in a fierce battle between them and the Lamanites.  Did you know that one military leader among the Nephites fortified some cities to the point that the Lamanites couldn't get inside for years?”

I answer, “Sounds like Captain Moroni.  Yes, I've read about that.  The only reason why the Lamanites were able to get in again was because the Nephites living there started forgetting their God again.”

Doctor Whooves nickers and says, “So, I guess that means there's more to your name than just being the same as that of an ancient American prophet.  You are a Latter-Day Saint?”

I have to smile to myself as I answer, “That's right.  And, I'm guessing you're familiar with that religion.”

The brown stallion answers, “Being a time lord, I've had the chance to become familiar with many religions.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only religion of its time that believes that God speaks to men again.  I have a copy of the Book of Mormon.  Fascinating reading.”

For some reason, I find myself unable to say anymore on the subject, to ask any further questions.  Whether Doctor Whooves is also a Mormon or not, I find myself unable to ask about it.  And, besides, the time lord is saying no more either.  Just as well, since we're almost out of Ponyville anyway.

Once we're far enough outside of town that I can't hear the commotion anymore, Lyra asks, “So, is it true that humans made flying machines?”

I answer, “Airplanes, helicopters, kites, gliders, machines like that, yes.”

A few seconds after my answer, Lyra asks, “And, is it also true that humans made machines that can make other machines?”

I answer, “We humans have made such machines.  And, we do use them.  In fact, humans have gone so far as to invent machines that can make imaginary objects real.”

Presently Lyra grunts, “Huh?”

At this point, Doctor Whooves chimes in, explaining, “One type of machine humans have built is called a computer.  Around two thousand years after the birth of their Christ, humans have made computers that they can use to make objects they can imagine visible to them.  Then, they've made machines called 3-dimentional printers which can use different materials, depending on the printer, to make those objects real.”

Doctor Whooves is surprising me more and more with his knowledge of different aspects of humans, not just aspects relating to religion.

Before I can comment on this, though, Lyra answers, “Oh.  And, all that without the help of magic.  Is there anything that humans have not been able to do?”

I laugh and answer, “With all that humans have been able to do, we do still have our limits.  We can die, and we can delay death; but we cannot avoid death altogether.  And, on our own, we cannot revive someone who has died, either.”

I can't say for sure why Lyra is suddenly silent.  My character looks down at her, and I can see she's just looking ahead.  I have to wonder if her not showing emotion is, in some strange way, a demonstration of emotion.

I ask, “Are you alright, Lyra?”

The female unicorn says nothing, just keeps walking.

As my character looks forward again, I can only guess what I said affected Lyra on some level I don't know about, some level that she doesn't want to talk about.

That's when Doctor Whooves decides to say, “So, I heard you gave Derpy a nickname, a word that means beautiful?”

I answer, “Ataahua, that's right.”

The time lord pony nods slowly and says, “Ah, the Maori language.  A good choice.”

Before I can respond, Ataahua says, “I don't know if I took the chance to thank you for the nickname.”

My character turns to the gray pegasa, who has settled down and taken a position between my character and Doctor Whooves, and I say, “Well, you seemed to dislike the names you already have; so, I thought I'd give you a name I thought you would like.”

I hear and see the gray pegasa sniffle as she says, “Well, you're right.  I do like that name.  Thank you.”

At this point, I can see through my character's eyes that we're approaching Fluttershy's property, as evidenced by the yellow house I recognized as belonging to the timid pegasa.

Not too much later, I see, through my character's eyes, the yellow pegasa near her chicken coop.  I wave and call out, “Hi, Fluttershy!”

Unfortunately, I seem to have frightened her enough that she disappears behind the coop for a second or two.  When she peers from behind the coop to see who called her name and sees me, she seems to only mouth some words.  But, I understand she is actually saying the words, “Oh.  Hi human,” just not loud enough so I can hear her.

In the mean time, my salute evidently attracted the attention of the ponies that are with me.

Ataahua and Doctor Whooves salute her as well, but she just hides behind the coop again.

We make our way past her house and on into the forest before Ataahua asks, “Is your house really on the other side of the Everfree forest?”

I answer, “That's right.”

After a moment, Doctor Whooves says, “Ditsy Doo is probably asking because we didn't see anything looking like a house when we came out of the tardis.”

Again I answer, “I guess I'll have to get a look at where you landed to be sure.  This route should lead to my house after passing an open field before going back into the forest.  If the field you mentioned is the one I'm thinking of, my house is probably hidden from you there.”

Just then, we hear what sounds like the howling of a wolf.

On one side of my character I'm suddenly aware that the sound of hoof-falls has ended, and been replaced by whimpering.  He turns around to show me the source of what is now whimpering, and I can see through his eyes that the pale-green unicorn, Lyra, is trembling, looking wildly to her right and left.

From behind where I'm watching the evidently terrified unicorn, I hear Doctor Whooves sigh and say, “I would suppose Lyra's probably not used to being in the Everfree forest.  Mormon, I think you'd better pick her up and carry her.”

As if to act in agreement, my character lowers to just above Lyra's level as I say, “Lyra, if you want, you can ride on my back.”

If I need any more evidence of her state of mind, I get it when she looks at my character's face.  She says nothing, just jumps into my character's arms, still whimpering.

My character proceeds to maneuver her onto his back, then stands up.

That's when I hear laughter from Doctor Whooves.

I answer, “I know what you mean.  For hundreds, maybe thousands, of years, humans were the ones riding horses.  Now it's a role reversal.  A horse, or a pony, is riding a human.”

As we resume our travels, Doctor Whooves, still laughing, says, “I wonder what kind of Yankee Doodle you'd be now.”

I can't help laughing as well at the reference to the familiar song.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to help Lyra's attitude any.

We continue on through the forest, with the only evidence of fauna being the vocalizations: howling of wolves; growling of some large creature, maybe a bear; chirping of birds and perhaps resident rodents; rustling of bushes.  It could be luck that none of the creatures show themselves, or it could be that they just don't have any incentive to interact with a trio of ponies and a human traveling together.  Whatever the case may be, we're evidently safe from attack.

None of us says anything further as we make our way through the forest.  That is, until I notice, through my character's eyes, some odd movement ahead along the path, what appear to be tree branches moving oddly up and down a tree.

I call out, “Hello there!”

As if in response to my call, the branches fall off and line up near the tree; and, as suspected, they prove to be stripes on an equine leg.  Then a zebra's head appears from behind the tree, and says, “Oh, Mormon, I didn't see the human sneaking up on me.”

I answer, “I'm sorry, Zecora.  I didn't mean to make you think I was sneaking up on you.  I just saw branches moving up and down at the base of a tree and, knowing they don't normally do that, I just wanted to know who was hiding there.”

The zebra answers, “Apology accepted.  I understand.”  Then, as she notices Lyra on my back, she asks, “You're giving a unicorn a hand?”

I respond, “Lyra, here, decided she wanted to follow me home.  Then she got spooked by some howling, so Doctor Whooves and I figured it'd be a good idea for me to carry her until we got through the forest.”

Zecora eyes my character carrying Lyra, chuckles for a moment, and asks, “Do you take the interest in unicorns that Lyra takes in Homo Sapiens?”

After a momentary pause, I answer, “I can't say that my interest is specifically in unicorns, although I do find them interesting.  Each type of pony in Equestria has their interesting qualities, whether its the supernatural talents of the unicorn, the aerial abilities of the pegasus, or the physical prowess and overall potential of the earth pony.  No doubt based on how they were designed, they have qualities that humans, such as me, also have.  There are ponies, such as Ataahua, with disabilities, that have the potential to tell powerful and inspiring stories by showing how they, by maintaining a humble attitude, overcome those weaknesses and turn them into strengths.  There are mysterious ponies, such as Pinkie Pie, that allow people to theorize why they act the way they do.  There are also well grounded ponies such as Applejack that provide an anchor for this universe.  Many different people find different ponies to connect to, to find things they have in common with them.

“What attracted me to this universe in the first place was that there is so much to laugh at.  And, I still see that.  But, like another universe that seems to have closed down a long time ago, although there was a noble effort to revive it, I just see more in Equestria the longer I stay with it, the deeper I dig into it.  If there is, or will be, a chapter in the story of Equestria that takes a page from the Book of Mormon, that'll give me the greatest incentive to really connect with this universe.”

A look at Zecora's face lets me know she's willing to listen to my soliloquy, although I'm sure I've given her more information than she asked for.  After a momentary pause, she asks, “I'm sorry.  May I ask of you, uh, who is this pony, Ataahua?”

Before I can answer, the gray pegasa drifts in front of the zebra and answers, “Mormon gave me that nickname.  Do you like it?”

Zecora answers the hovering pegasa, “Yes, the nickname Ataahua is a perfect fit for you, ah.”  She then turns to focus on me and asks, “So, if you had to choose from these three, what kind of pony would you choose to be?”

I pause for a few seconds before answering, “Well, that's a good question.  But, my decision is based on my opinion that this type has, I believe, the greatest potential.  With this in mind, I think I'd choose to be an earth pony.”

I hear Lyra loudly say “What?” and see Ataahua start to slowly descend to the ground.  Evidently, based on their reactions, my answer upset both of them.

On the other hand, I hear Doctor Whooves ask, “Is that so?”

I add, “That's not to say that I don't like being a human.  But, as for the three types of ponies, unicorns manipulate things with magic, and pegasi have control of the weather.  While I have had experience with agriculture, and the earth ponies seem to have that as their main general talent, I do have to wonder if that's the limit of their capacity.  And, if I had to be a pony, I'd want to be an earth pony so I could test the limits of the abilities of earth ponies in general.  I don't hate the other types; if I did, I wouldn't agree to have a unicorn and a pegasus join me on my walk home.  It's just the mystery of their capabilities that attracts me to the earth ponies more than the other types.”

Before the ponies with me can say anything, Zecora says, “You've given me the answer for which I did ask.  Now I must return to my task.”  And, with that, she disappears into the trees again.

As the four of us resume our walk, Ataahua approaches me and asks, “Is it true what you said about me?”

I ask in response, “What would that be?”

Ataahua pauses for a moment, then asks, “Do you really believe I could tell a powerful and inspiring story by overcoming my weaknesses humbly?”

I answer, “Yes, I do believe that.  And, by the way, don't think your potential is any less because of what I said.  It may be that there's a potential in unicorns and pegasi that I'm not seeing.  I'm not perfect, after all.”  Then, once I figure we've gotten out of earshot of Zecora, I add, “I wonder if Zecora is a typical zebra.  With those rings around her neck, she reminds me of a human culture I've read about, I believe they're called the giraffe people.  They wear rings similar to the ones that Zecora wears to make their necks longer, and more are added as they grow.  Unlike them, I doubt Zecora would be immobilized or die if her rings were to be removed.  At least, from what I can see, the rings around her neck don't seem to stretch it the way the giraffe people's rings do.”

My soliloquy isn't answered as we make our way through the forest, again to only the audio evidence of animal life.  It can't be more than an hour before we make our way to the other side of the Everfree forest, and there's no evidence of my character's home.

On the other hand, there is a dark blue box, taller than my character, that reminds me of a telephone booth, although telephone booths don't have the word “Police” on them.  This is the tardis that Doctor Whooves was talking about.

As if on cue, the brown earth pony turns to me and says, “Well, this is our stop.  I guess you were right.  We couldn't see your house from here.  But, maybe we'll come by for a visit some day.”  With that, Doctor Whooves and Ataahua turn to the tardis and proceed to enter through the visible door.

As my character passes the meadow, he looks back, and we see the tardis start to disappear and reappear, until it finally disappears with an explosive sound.

For the past ten minutes until now, Lyra has evidently been asleep on my character's back, as I've heard her snoring for that amount of time.  But the explosive sound wakes her up just long enough for her to notice the group has been reduced by half.  Then she goes back to sleep.

It's just a few more minutes before we reach my character's home, a fenced-off area that includes a house surrounded by a green lawn, with an orchard next to it, a vineyard behind the orchard, a vegetable garden behind the house, a grain field behind the vegetable garden, and a pond and a family history center behind the vineyard.  At the gate, leading to the house, my character kneels down and proceeds to allow Lyra to slowly slide off his back.

Lyra stirs awake with the change in altitude, and as she feels the ground under her hind hooves.  When she's finally on all four hooves on the ground, and after my character turns to her, she looks up at me and asks, “Are we there yet?”

I have to laugh at hearing that from her.  How often has that been the main question of a game children would play?  And, more often than not, the answer to the question would be “no,” because the question was most often asked in transit.  But, since human and unicorn have arrived, I answer, “Yes, we're here.”

My character stands up and unlatches the gate, which swings open.

Surprised at the movement, Lyra shakes her head.  Still unstable with sleep, she stumbles through the gate and on up the cement pathway to my house.

Letting the pale-green unicorn proceed ahead of him, my character lingers behind long enough to close the gate behind the two of them, then proceeds to follow her up to the porch.

While I expect her to wait for me at the door, instead she moves to the side of the door where she won't get hit by it opening, settles down canine style, and looks at my character.

Seeing that she doesn't seem to want to go inside, my character sits down next to her, two steps down to be somewhat on the same level with her, and I say, “I have fruits like and apples and pears, or vegetables like carrots and parsnips, that I can get.  Is there anything you'd like?”

The pale-green unicorn hums with interest, then says, “An apple sounds good to me.”

My character stands up again as I say, “I'll be right back.”  He then proceeds to the orchard where he picks two apples and a pear, all ripe.  Then, he returns to the house and proceeds to enter.

At this point, Lyra stands up, turns to my character, and says, “You can give me my apple whole.  I'll eat it just fine.”

I answer, “If you want to follow me inside, you're welcome to.”

The pale-green unicorn studies my character, I'm assuming, from his feet to his head and back down again, then, looking back up at his face, says, “Alright.  But, I'll have my apple now, please.”

My character holds out the fruits to her, at which point the red apple glows with a nearly-white-green aura and drifts toward Lyra's mouth.

Lyra opens her mouth as the apple makes its approach, then bites the apple once part of it is between her teeth.  After she swallows her mouthful she says, “Thank you.  I needed that.”

As my character proceeds to open the door to allow the two of them to enter, I answer, “I'm glad you like it.  There are more where that came from.”

The glowing apple moves closer to Lyra's mouth again, but, before she takes another bite of it, she says, “Thanks for the offer, but I think this'll do.”

My character allows Lyra to enter the house first, then follows behind her, then closes the door behind them.

The pale-green unicorn looks at the setup of the front room, notices two couches surrounding a coffee table, then makes her way to the couch facing away from the front door and jumps up onto it, settling down this time on her haunches, more like a human.

In the mean time, my character enters the kitchen and produces a knife from the drawer, then a small saucer from a cabinet, then proceeds to cut the remaining apple and the pear into quarters before returning to the living room to eat the fruits and perhaps talk with the unicorn that had been so curious about humans before.  After my character takes a seat on the couch opposite the one where Lyra's sitting, I ask, “So, is there anything else you wanted to ask me?”

While my character was in the kitchen, it appears that Lyra has had time to eat all her apple except for the core.  The first thing she asks me is, “Do you have a garbage receptacle?”

Remembering where I saw it as my character entered the kitchen, I answer, “In the kitchen, next to the fridge.”

The unicorn nods and says, “Thank you,” then proceeds to drop off the couch and enter through the door where I entered.  I can't help noticing she uses a front hoof to push the door open, keeping the remnants of the fruit hovering over her back.  She disappears through the closing door for a few seconds, then returns without the apple core.  As the door closes behind her, she says,”I'm hoping that strange box with the sliding door on top was the garbage.  If not, I guess I didn't get the right one.”

I answer, “It sounds to me like you got it right.”

Lyra makes her way back to the couch she sat on before as she says, “Good,” then proceeds to jump up onto it again.

At this point, I'm not sure how I should expect her to sit down.  Understanding that she's interested in humans, and having already seen her sit like a human on the couch, still I don't know if I should expect her to sit on her haunches again, the way a human would, or canine style, the way she did on the porch.  Either way, it's her choice.

As an answer to my unasked question, she proceeds to prop herself up on her haunches again and sit, in a way I sense is rather uncomfortable for her, almost as though she were standing with her backside against a well-cushoined wall.  She then asks, “So what do humans like to do?”

I answer, “It all depends on the human.  I, for example, like playing video games.  I also like fishing, and I especially like startling burglars.”

Lyra looks away and scratches the back of her neck with a front hoof as she asks, “Startling burglars?”

I answer, “Oh, yeah.  Especially unicorn burglars.  I just find it funny to see how rattled they can get.”

Just then I hear a zipper sound effect from Lyra, after which she seems to hide her crotch with her front hooves.  She then asks, “Uh, where is your bathroom?”

I have my character stand up as I answer, “If you'll follow me, the closest one is this way.”

The pale-green unicorn, now with glowing red cheeks, proceeds to jump off the closest arm of the couch as she says, “Again, thanks.  I hope I didn't mess up your couch.”

As my character heads through the kitchen door down a hallway and opens the second door down on his left, I say, “Something tells me if you did, your tail is probably a mess as well.”

As my character watches the unicorn walk in front of him, I can see that there's nothing sticking to her tail.  But, not long after she enters, and my character closes the door behind her, I hear another, longer, deeper zipper sound effect, followed by a splattering sound, then Lyra saying, “Oops.  I'd better clean that up.”

I ask, “Are you alright in there?”

Lyra answers, “I'm fine.  No need to worry about me.”  Yet, in spite of her reassurance, I sense something in her voice that suggests she may not be alright after all.  Then, I hear her ask, “What kind of video games do you like to play?”

Thinking it better to answer her question than to dwell on what I suspect happened, I answer, “I personally like RPGs, racing games, puzzle games and adventure games.  I don't mind survival horror games, as long as someone else is playing them, or has recorded a playthrough for others to watch.  For that matter, if there are games that I don't have and can't get, I'll search for the playthrough of that game and watch that instead.”

Just then I hear another deep zipper sound effect and splatter, followed by Lyra saying, “Ouch, that hurt.”  And, by the tone of her voice, I'm guessing it actually did.

I ask, “Are you sure you're alright in there?”

Lyra doesn't answer immediately.  When she does, after a few minutes, she whimpers, “Do you think I could spend some time here?  I'm not feeling well.”  After that, I hear a gagging sound and a splashing sound, followed by silence.

At this point, I wonder if there's something about the apple she took from my character that's having an adverse effect on her.  I ask, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

The only response I get is a groan.  I can only guess that the best thing to do, once Lyra is out of the bathroom, is to provide a place for her to lay down for a while.  And, my character has the same idea.  He proceeds to a nearby closet and produces from it a blanket or two and a pillow.  He then proceeds to carry the bedding to the couch where Lyra had been sitting.  I see no stain on the cushions of the couch, and my character proceeds to spread the blankets out and place the pillow near where Lyra had been sitting.  By the time the now nearly-white unicorn comes out of the bathroom, my character has also provided a bucket for her, just in case, while she's relaxing, she feels nauseated again.

Lyra stumbles toward the couch and, seeing the bedding provided for her, turns to my character and says, “As much as I appreciate it, you really didn't need to do that.”

I can only guess that she's starting to feel better, since she's been able to say that long phrase.

As she makes her way to the couch, my character offers to help her onto it, which she accepts without protest.

I see her wince when my character tries to lift her hind quarters after setting her front quarters onto the couch near the pillow.  But, once she's in position, she turns to me and asks, “Do you have any questions for me?”

After her evident stomach ache, I'm not sure I should be bothering her with questions.

When I say nothing for a while, Lyra, who's taken a more equine resting position on the blankets, says, “I just need something to get my mind off of what happened in your bathroom.”

Well, that puts a limit on the questions I can ask her.  Thinking about it for a moment more, I ask, “So, what is it about humans that you find so fascinating?”

Lyra rests her head on the pillow provided and answers, “You humans have created so many amazing things.  It's like you have your own kind of magic.”

I respond, “It's helped us to have thumbs.”

Lyra smiles, or at least tries to.  Then she says, “Some friends of mine are hoping to play a video game we've discovered.  We found a machine, I believe it's called a computer, that has all sorts of games.  If you want to join in, even just watch, you're welcome to.”  Before she can get my answer, she starts snoring.  Evidently her stomach problems took more out of her than either of us thought.

My character covers her with the other blanket, then takes the remnants of the fruit into the kitchen to finish it off.  After that, he goes to a nearby bedroom to get some rest of his own.

A message on the screen reads, “Two hours later … “

My character wakes up to pounding on the front door.  After waking up, he proceeds to the front door to see that Lyra is ready to leave at present.

The impatient unicorn looks at my character and says, “If we don't leave now, we're going to be late for that game party at Vinyl's and Octavia's.”

I know what Lyra's talking about.  This is based on another fan fiction I've listened to, where four mares proceed to play a version of Slender for ponies.  Indeed this isn't an event I want to be late for, much less make Lyra late for.

My character opens the front door, and Lyra runs toward the front gate.

As my character closes the door behind him, I ask, “Couldn't you just teleport there with your magic?”

Lyra, now at the front gate, turns to my character and answers, “After my tummy problems?  I don't think so.  I'm probably going to need you to carry me through the Everfree forest again, in fact.  I hope you don't mind.”

I answer, “No problem.  Do you think your friends will wait for you, just in case you do arrive late?”

Lyra answers, “I hope so.  There were some titles that looked really interesting to me.  I hope to get to play at least one of them.”

I don't say this aloud, but I'm hoping to be on hand to spice up their experience.  What I do say is, “I'd like to see how ponies work with technology made for humans.”

As seems to be expected, once again Lyra is too scared to move ahead under her own power.  So, once again, my character is her mount, but this time for the return trip through the Everfree forest.

The trip, which takes about an hour, is once again uneventful, with only the sounds to indicate animal life in the forest.  The evidence that we're through the forest, and that Lyra can start walking on her own again, is Fluttershy's house opposite a stream just to the side of the trail.

It seems to me fortunate that Lyra didn't fall asleep on the way back through the forest, and she seems alert enough to easily support herself and walk, or in this case run, the rest of the way to Ponyville.

She leads the way to a tall tree house, that is a house either shaped like a tree or built inside the trunk of a tree, near a tree that I recognize as one that serves as the library.  The excited unicorn waits for me at the door, only knocking when I've caught up to her.

A minute later the door opens into the house to reveal a gray earth pony with darker-gray mane and tail.  While I'm unable to see her cutie mark, I already know it's a treble clef.  Yes, it's Octavia who's greeted us, and is showing us in.

Lyra says, “I hope you don't mind me bringing a new friend along.”

Octavia eyes my character suspiciously, but says to Lyra, “I suppose it'll be alright.  We've got the computer set up in Vinyl's and my bedroom upstairs.”

Without further invitation, Lyra proceeds to run past Octavia, only stopping to wait for my character to catch up with her.

In around a minute the human and unicorn are upstairs and ready to enter the bedroom.

As I enter, I notice what appears to be a bathroom set up almost like a stage, with a toilet and a shower(?) and what could be a sliding glass or plastic wall, opposite the room from the door Lyra and my character entered.  Depending on how things go, that minimal bathroom may end up being a good thing.

Vinyl, already sitting at the computer, turns to Lyra and says, “Oh, glad to see you made it.”  She then sees me and asks, “And, who's your friend?”

Before I can answer, Lyra says, “This is Mormon.  He wants to watch us play on your computer.”

Vinyl turns back to the computer and says, “Great, we're just about to begin.  Is Octy coming soon?”

Another pony, with neither wings nor horn, yellow with pink and dark blue mane and tail, with a cutie mark of what look like three rare candies, says, “I can go find out if you want.”

Before Vinyl can accept the yellow pony's invitation, Lyra asks, “So, what game are we playing first?”  Once again, her behavior is reminding me of a puppy, although I don't dare mention it aloud.

Vinyl answers, “I found a game called Slender.  I think we'll play that first.”

Just then, the door opens, and Octavia enters with a platter of what appear to be really thin fries made from Yukon Gold potatoes, although I doubt that'd be my luck.  They're more likely stalks of hay or something like that.

The gray pony says, “I'm here with the refreshments.”

Vinyl cheers, “Yes!  Let's get started!”  Then, more calmly, she adds, “Alright, since it's my computer, I go first.”  And, with a click of the mouse, the menu screen disappears and is replaced by the scene of a quaking aspen forest at night.  And, all gather around the musical mare to see how well she does.

I have to hand it to Vinyl Scratch.  As weak-minded as she seems, she does seem to have a gift when it comes to video games.  As for this Slender game, she manages to collect two pages before the screen starts getting staticky.  And, that's when Vinyl starts to panic.

It's also her luck that I decide it's time for my character to take action.  As per my instructions, he moves into position behind the unicorn mare, then, at just the right moment, just as Slender Pony appears on the screen in all his glory, I have my character put a hand on Vinyl's closest shoulder.

Presently the white unicorn screams long and loud.  But something else is happening, as the other mares are backing away from the two of us.

Then my character releases Vinyl Scratch's shoulder, backs away, and looks down, to see his legs now suddenly have what appears to be a line of shiny chocolate just below the knees.  Whatever I did, it had more of an effect than I had really intended.

The now furious Vinyl Scratch swivels in her chair toward me and says, “That wasn't buckin' funny, human.”  Then she tries to stand up, and there's clearly some kind of adhesive effect between her and the chair distracting her from me.  It takes her a little more time to separate from the chair than she evidently hoped, but she does manage to do so.

The other mares turn away, and Bon-Bon, the yellow earth pony I described earlier, even starts gagging, when Vinyl Scratch puts a front hoof on the back of her leg, then pulls it back up to look at it and find it caked with some of the shiny chocolate that's also on my character's legs.

She says no more, just removes her goggles using her magic, then glares and snorts at me for a few seconds, before heading carefully to that bathroom attached to the bedroom.

After Vinyl Scratch has left, my character looks at each of the remaining ponies.  From what I can see through my character's eyes, Lyra is deeply disappointed in me, Bon-Bon is nauseated, and Octavia is just angry.

Octavia, evidently the only one who can talk, asks, “Didn't you see me trying to warn you?”

Before I can answer Octavia's question, Lyra answers for me, “Well, obviously not.  That, or he didn't or couldn't bother.”

Before anyone else can say anything, I say, “Well, that response was more than I expected.”  I look at the chair and ask, “Is every pony near me gonna do this sort of thing?”

Octavia groans, then puts a front hoof on Bon-Bon's back, opens the door with the other hoof, and proceeds to guide the sick pony out of the room.

As my character grabs the soiled chair, I say, “Well, I guess I'd better get this cleaned up.”

As my character proceeds to drag the chair out of the room, I hear Lyra say, “You're the one that made the mess.”

My character drags the soiled chair through the hall back along the path where Lyra lead me to the room, and outside.  I can see through my character's eyes a hose, evidently used for watering the small flower garden, and my character turns on the tap that connects to it, then proceeds to hose Vinyl's feces off of the chair.

While my character is in the process of hosing off the chair, Pinkie Pie hops by and, seeing my character, says, “Hi!  I'm glad to see you here.  I just came to invite you over to Sugar Cube Corner.  I've got some cupcakes I want you to try.”

I answer, “Sure.  I just need some time to clean up a mess first.”

At my statement the pink pony stops bouncing and sees what I'm doing.  Staring, she tilts her head and says, “Eww!  What happened?”

I answer, “I thought I'd watch some friends of yours play a video game.  Vinyl Scratch started off playing a game called Slender.  I thought I'd have some fun with her, so I grabbed her as Slenderpony appeared.”  After a momentary pause, I add, “I expected her to scream, I just didn't expect the scream to come out of both ends.”

The pink pony just stares at me for a while, confused, then straightens her head again and says, “Well, when you're ready, come on over.  I'll be sure to have a cupcake ready for you.”

Most would expect Pinkie Pie to resume her bouncing, maybe proceed to the library next.  That's my expectation.

Instead, Pinkie Pie marches up to the door, turns the doorknob with a front hoof, and just enters the house.

My character resumes cleaning the chair.  When the chair appears to be free of any stains, my character then turns the hose on himself, rinsing the pony dung off his legs.

I hear the door to the house of Vinyl and Octavia open, and my character turns to show that it's Lyra at the door.

The pale-green pony looks at me and wanders toward me, saying, “I feel responsible for bringing you here.”

Presently I answer, “Don't.  It was my idea to grab Vinyl when I did.  The mess was my fault.”

Lyra says, “Well, if I hadn't lead you here, you wouldn't have had the chance.”

My character drops the hose as I state, “You didn't know what I was going to do.”  I have to wonder if my amused smile can be heard through the speaker as I add, “Then again, I didn't know Vinyl Scratch was going to react the way she did.”  My character returns to the tap and turns it off, then returns to the chair.  As he grabs it and starts to drag it back to the door, I conclude, “Now, if I'm not mistaken, there's still a mess for me to clean up in Vinyl and Octavia's room.”

In less than a minute my character is back in the room, although he leaves the chair just outside the door.  No need to have one more obstacle in cleaning the remaining mess.

Pinkie Pie is there at the now-closed bathroom, saying, “He said you screamed out of both ends?”

While Vinyl's response is somewhat garbled, I can still make out her saying, “Just wait 'til I get my hooves on that human.”

Pinkie Pie says, “That may be sooner than you think.  He just came in.”

I say, “I just came in to find out if there're any cleaning utensils I can use.  There's still a mess in here for me to clean up.”

From behind my character, I hear Lyra say, “I think I can help.”  As my character turns so I can see the pale-green unicorn, she continues, “Just wait here, and I'll get the things you'll need.”

It's most likely because I'm on the opposite side of the screen from the activity in the game, but I feel no fear about the immediate future.  For that matter, I don't have any fear at all.

One thing that surprises me is that, as long as it takes for Lyra to return with a bucket full of soapy water and a brush for cleaning carpets, Vinyl Scratch doesn't leave the bathroom.  Perhaps her feces stained her more than I realized.

It's not until I'm well into the job of scrubbing the feces stains out of the carpet when Vinyl Scratch finally comes out.  I hear her ask, “Haven't you caused enough trouble?”

It's Pinkie Pie who speaks, and she says, “He's cleanin' up the carpet, silly.  This isn't the first time I've seen him cleaning up a mess he caused.”

Just then the door behind my character opens again, and I hear Octavia's voice say, “I'm going to take Bon-Bon to her home.  Are you alright, Vinyl?”

After a few seconds, I hear Vinyl Scratch say, “I'm gonna stay here and keep an eye on the human.  I was gonna beat him up, but I think I'll just watch him clean up the rest of the mess he caused.  I'm having more fun watching that anyway.”

My character looks up at Vinyl Scratch, and I can see she's wearing a towel around her abdomen.  The towel does a good job covering her crotch and legs.

The white pony looks at me and says, “Get back to work cleaning up your mess.”

My character turns his attention to the mess again.  In a matter of minutes, the last spots are gone, from the blankets as well as from the carpet, and my character makes his way out from under the desk.

Vinyl Scratch inspects the carpet under the desk, then the rest of the area, then says, “I don't know what surprises me more: that you came back to clean up, or that you did such a rockin' job.  So, where's my chair?”

While Vinyl Scratch was inspecting the carpet, my character was standing back up.  At her question I say, “It's in the hallway, just outside.  Do you want me to bring it in?”

Vinyl Scratch moves past me and says, “I'll get it.  You can leave now.”

As my character maneuvers toward the door, I say, “I'm glad I had the chance to clean up the mess I caused.  Now, if I'm not mistaken, Pinkie Pie invited me over to sample some cupcakes she made.”

That's when the party pony chimes in, “That's right!”  In one bounce, she jumps over the beds and lands behind my character.  She then says, “Well, let's get goin'.”

Vinyl Scratch opens the door and moves into the hallway, moving out of the way of my character and the pink pony pushing him out of the bedroom and eventually back out the door and toward the bakery.

I get no control over my character until he and Pinkie Pie are at the doorway to Sugar Cube Corner.  At that point, knowing what to expect, still I have my character proceed through the door and toward a platter stacked with what appear to be pink-colored, strawberry cupcakes.  My character walks up to the platter and grabs one of the pastries.

As the cupcake disappears from the bottom of my character's view, text at the bottom of the screen reads, “Your senses detect two types of meat in the cupcake, one of which reminds you of chicken.  The best flavors of the meats seem to have been brought out in herbal seasonings.”

I know what the main ingredient is, but I also know this is not the place to talk about it.  I compliment Pinkie Pie on a job well done, then have my character leave the bakery and proceed toward the shed where he was trapped by the pink pony, again knowing what to expect.

It's a matter of minutes before I arrive at the shed, and a matter of seconds before I find the trap door that leads to the basement.  Inside, near the doorway, I find a stack of bones, surprisingly clean.  On top of the stack is a skull with a beak.

As I proceed toward the pile of bones, I hear Pinkie Pie excitedly talking to another pony, one that sounds like Ataahua.  Then, a few seconds later, I hear a thud, followed perhaps a minute later by the sound of hoof-falls on wood, then down the stairs.  In short order, my character grabs the griffon skull and proceeds to look at it's face, as though looking into the now-absent eyes.

As I hear the door open, I say, “Alas, poor Gilda.”  I give Pinkie a moment to stop screaming, then continue, “I knew her, Pinkie.  Not as well as I would like to, although, all things considered, I'm likely closer to her now than I was when she was alive.  I never did get a clear answer about whether I won that roaring contest or not; I suppose I shall have to assume I did.”  Then, after my character puts the skull back in place on the pile of bones, I have him turn to her, and I say, “Well, enough of channeling Shakespeare.  I think we need to talk about this.”

As I look at her, I can see that her mane is straight and all to one side so that I can see her face clearly.

Pinkie Pie (or her other identity?) takes a moment to steady her breathing before saying, “So, what did you think about the cupcake?”

I pause for a moment before saying, “Well, in the sense that the meat was well prepared and seasoned, and had a pleasant flavor, it tasted just like chicken.”

The pink pony smiles and says, “I'm glad you liked it.  I could make more if you want.”

I add, “But, having said that, this is not the sort of thing I would expect from you.”

After my first word, I hear the pink earth pony say, “Uh, oh.”  After I say “having said that,” I hear her say, “Well, here it comes.”  When I finish my statement, she asks, “What do you mean?  You said you liked the cupcake.”

My character stands up and takes a hasty step toward the pink earth pony while I say, “That's not the point.”  Then, through my character's eyes, I see what, or who, the earth mare had started dragging down into the basement: a gray mare with wings and yellow mane and tail.  Recognizing her immediately, I say, “Ataahua.”

Pinkie Pie says, “You liked the cupcakes with griffon flavor.  I thought I'd try pony next.”

I answer, “No, just no.  This is not how the element of laughter works.”  As my character looks at the pink pony, I continue, “You don't make your fellow ponies into cupcakes, you make them laugh.  Pinkie, what are you doing?”

As my character walks past Pinkie Pie to the dormant Ataahua and proceeds to untie her, the pink pony answers, “First of all, you can call me Diane.  Second of all, I should be asking you what you are doing.”

I answer, “I'm putting a stop to this.  And, you'd better stay and clean up those bones before someone comes and finds them.”  By now, my character has managed to undo the ropes and unwrap the gray pegasa.

Diane looks at me and asks, “Didn't you promise you'd keep this place a secret?”

My character turns to Diane, and I say, “I don't want to have to ask your friends to intervene on your behalf.  But, I will do what I have to.  Ki tahi au.”  And, with the time the pause gives him, my character takes Ataahua and runs out of the basement and the shed, on his way back to town.  I don't say “continue” until he's approaching the  outskirts of Ponyville.  Once the animation resumes, I have my character make his way to the library, hoping Twilight Sparkle can keep the gray pegasa safe until I can take steps to gather evidence in case I do need to intervene.  And that means my character needs to return to his house.

No one, that I can immediately tell, joins my character on his way through the Everfree forest, although I am aware of something either following him, or maintaining a position next to him.

I can hear a calm, friendly voice next to me say, “So, how is Pinkie Pie?”

My character turns toward the voice, and I recognize the unusually large size, the white body, and the pastel-rainbow mane.  I answer, “Celestia, I didn't expect you to follow me.”

More urgently, Celestia asks, “How is Pinkie Pie?”

My character slows to a stop before I answer, “I'm not sure how to answer that.  She's not physically hurt or sick, but she's not her normal self, either.”

Celestia pauses for a moment, then says, “I know you brought Derpy Hooves to the library so my student could take care of her.  And, I know you and Pinkie Pie are acquainted.  Is there something about that familiarity that might explain her unusual behavior?”

Now it's my turn to pause for a moment before answering, “The first time I came to Ponyville, three stallions attacked me, trying to chase me off.  I told them a story that caused a mess, and I guess Pinkie Pie wanted to take revenge on me for that.”  After another pause, I continue, “I've done more things that I hope prove that I'm not a threat.  And, maybe I was successful.  All I know is Pinkie Pie doesn't want to get even with me for evidently hurting the stallions.  I can't say any more than that.”

By the way Celestia's face fills the screen, it's clear that she moves to closer to that of my character and says, “You must do something to divert Pinkie Pie from her present course.  At this rate, I fear she will kill a fellow pony.  You know she's already killed a griffon, and I think you're responsible.  And, furthermore, I sense you know what'll happen to her if she continues on this course of destruction.”

I only answer, “Agreed.”

Now Celestia moves away from me and says, “Good.”  She turns on her hooves a hundred eighty degrees, but looks back at my character and says, “I'll allow you to address me in the familiar in circumstances like this, when it's just us two.  But, when other ponies are present, I would appreciate it if you called me Princess Celestia.”  And, with that, she trots off.

Princess Celestia's warning has importance, but in this first playthrough I intend to fail.  When I retell this story, I'll demonstrate a way, hopefully the best way, to succeed.

My character resumes his trek back home, and the last of the journey takes perhaps three-fourths of an hour.  When he opens the door to his house, I see Pinkie Pie there waiting for him.

The pink earth pony says, “Alright, I won't hurt Derpy Hooves.  But, I am indebted to you, and I intend to pay that debt.”  Then, as her mane and tail uncurl, and her mane flows to one side, indicating that Diane is taking over, she says, going through the actions, “Cross my heart.  Hope to fly.  Stick a cupcake in my eye.”  And, with that, she walks past my character, out the door, and to the gate.  When she turns back to my character, her mane and tail are once again curly, indicating that Pinkamena is back in control.  She says, “There's no breaking a Pinkie promise.”  Then, she lets herself out of the gate and closes it behind her and proceeds back toward Ponyville.

It's time to put a plan of mine into action.  As my character enters his house, I direct him to a different room, one attached to a hallway connected to the front room, more or less opposite the hallway from the kitchen.  In that room, which I have set aside as my character's work room, I direct him to gather some equipment, including a drill and a small camera.  But, there's one last thing I'm left to wonder about:  How did Pinkie Pie know where my character lives?  Did she somehow follow him through the Everfree forest without me noticing her?  But, now isn't the time for those questions.

Another hour or so and my character is at the basement.  Inside, it's evident that Pinkie Pie hasn't cleaned up the remains of Gilda the griffon still near the door.  But, that doesn't matter right now.

My character drills a hole in the wall, then pushes a wire into the hole, then attaches a tiny camera to the end of the wire, then plants the camera in the hole, making sure there's no visible evidence of the device.  Then, he leaves the basement, fishes the other end of the wire out of the dirt, produces a solar panel, and connects the end of the wire and the solar panel.  After that, he returns to his house.  After that, I send my character to bed, at which point I save the game and close it down.
> Chapter 5: Evidence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once I restart the game, after getting him prepared, I send my character back to Ponyville.  But, he doesn't get much further than past his front gate before he's once again greeted by Princess Celestia.

The regal-looking alicorn, standing a few steps to my character's left, says, “I'm really worried about the holder of the element of laughter.  I suspect her senses are starting to fail her.”

I ask, “Is she alright?  Where is she?”

Princess Celestia approaches my character and says, “That's the problem.  I don't know if she's alright or not.  Physically, the last time I saw her, she looked unharmed.  But, I am fully aware of what she calls her Pinkie sense, and it's origins.  Twice have i seen things fall next to Pinkie Pie, and neither time has her Pinkie sense forewarned her.  Last I saw her, she was at Sugar Cube Corner.  I know not why is happening to her, and I'm powerless to stop it.”  The white alicorn lowers her head; and I can see her eyes start to water, as she concludes, "Perhaps you can succeed where I've failed."

In the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic animated series, I've seen Princess Celestia as the caring type.  And, if she's a goddess among ponies in her kingdom, what kind of deity would not care about his or her subjects?  And, in this particular case, it's one of the holders of an element of harmony, what I would figure is the equivalent to a prophet or an apostle.  Thus far, I've had two visits from Princess Celestia in a short time, and both relating to Pinkie Pie.  It's clear to me that, in a strange, morbid sense, my success may not be far away.  I answer, “Thanks for letting me know.  I'll go visit her now.”

Princess Celestia looks at me again and says, “I plead with you, do what you can to deter her from what I'm sensing is a course of destruction.  If she kills a pony, I can do nothing for her.  She is of great importance to her friends, to my student, to all Equestria.”  And, before I can say anything more to her, she disappears.

No pressure.

My character proceeds through the Everfree forest, into Ponyville, and on to Sugar Cube Corner, where he meets Pinkie Pie on her way out, carrying a tray of cupcakes on her head.  I can't help noticing one of the cupcakes nearly half-way off the back of the tray, and by itself.

I open my mouth to speak, but Pinkie Pie beats me to it, saying, “Hi.  I'm surprised to see you here.”

I say, “I've heard you haven't been yourself lately.  I came to see how you're doing.”

Then, through my character's eyes, I watch the isolated cupcake fall off the tray, onto Pinkie Pie's back.  And, as Princess Celestia has suggested, there has been no preceding twitching from the pink pony's tail.

To be fair, I doubt a cupcake, especially one such a short distance above her, would pose a threat to her life.

But then, I see Pinkie Pie's right eye twitch as she says, “I don't know what you're talking about.  I'm perfectly fine.”  Again the eye twitches.

Now, even knowing that this is the game I plan to lose, I must admit, I'm getting concerned for the pink pony.  I ask, “You didn't notice the cupcake falling on your back?  You didn't even sense something was going to fall?”  Like I said, the cupcake didn't pose a threat to her life.  Which leaves me wondering, why did I ask those questions?

Pinkie Pie turns quickly to see what I was talking about, fast enough that the tray of cupcakes on her head tips and falls toward my character, who takes a step back to avoid it.

When she turns back to my character, she flips the tray upside down, smashing most of the rest of the cupcakes, and says, “Oh, that.  I'll just eat it later.”

Now, it's not just the twitching eye; I notice her visible cheek spasmodically pulling back.  So, she's also got a facial tic.  And, what I find most disturbing of all is her mane and tail remain curly while this is happening.  I'm beginning to wonder, where's Diane?

Before I can say anything about it, an orange earth stallion opens the door, turns to Pinkie Pie, and asks, “Are you alright?  I heard a noise out here and … “  Then, noticing the overturned tray and flattened cupcakes underneath it, he stares at the mess for a few seconds, then turns to Pinkie Pie again and says, “Pinkie, this isn't like you.  I don't know what your problem is, but it's clear you need some kind of attention as soon as possible.  So, until further notice, I'm relieving you of your duties, all of them, effective immediately.  Go see a doctor, I don't care what kind, just so long as you get this problem of yours solved.  I'm sorry I have to do this, but you leave me no choice.”  With that, he grabs the tray in his teeth and drags it back into the bakery.

Before Pinkie Pie can say anything about what has just happened, I say, “I guess that means you have some free time now.  If you'll meet me back at the basement, we have some things we need to discuss.”

In the mean time, Pinkie Pie has been looking at the door to Sugar Cube Corner, then down at the flattened cupcakes, then back at the door.  I can't even tell if she heard me when she says, “Mr. Cake's never talked to me that way before.  Did he just … fire me?”  The pink pony then turns to me and, snarling, says, “You did this to me.  You want to meet in the basement?  Let's get going then.”  Evidently she'd been listening to me after all.

As we pass by one house, I can only guess someone accidentally knocks a potted flower out of a  window above the pink party pony.  The potted plant lands just inches away from Pinkie Pie, and the container shatters.

And, let me take note that not once did I see her tail twitch.  And, Pinkie Pie has been ahead of my character thus far.

The pink pony, alarmed, rears up on her hind legs and whinnies long and loud.

My character approaches the frightened pink pony, and I ask, “Are you alright?”

Pinkie Pie brings her front hooves down forcefully, producing a relatively quiet thundering sound.  She turns to my character and answers, “I'm just fine.  No need to worry about me.”

I continue, “You should've sensed that coming.  I'm beginning to think Mr. Cake is right.  There is definitely something very wrong with you.”

The pink pony growls at my last statement, then screams, “I told you I'm alright!  Why do you keep bringing up such nonsense?”

I ask, “Is it nonsense?”

At first the normally happy-go-lucky pink pony is silent.  Then, after a few seconds, she starts trembling.  The trembling increases, and Pinkie Pie begins to remind me of a volcano.  Then she points her head up toward the sky and shrieks; and I'm sure I can see, through my character's eyes, flames coming out of her mouth.  She then looks at my character, takes a few steps backward, then runs and tackles him, knocking him to the ground.  Putting a front hoof on each arm and a hind hoof on each leg to hold him down, she shouts, “Will you just shut up!  I'm sick and tired of hearing your voice!  Just shut up already!”

Under normal conditions, I'm sure, it'd be a real struggle for a human to get out from under a pony like that.  But, this is a video game.  I suppose that's as much of an explanation as I can come up with for my character being able to free himself from the furious Pinkie Pie in such a short time.  But, that's not all.  He also grabs the pink pony in his arms, gripping her front legs in one hand while restraining her hind legs in that arm.  With his other hand, he holds her head to his chest.

Pinkie Pie struggles and whines, “Let go of me.  I'm gonna scream, and the cops'll come and stop you.”

I answer, “I'll let you go when we've reached that basement.  Until then, you'll have to calm down.  And, considering Celestia is also worried about you, and thinks I'm the only one that can help you, I don't think any form of law enforcement is gonna try to stop me.”

The pink pony stops struggling, but continues whining, as though that high-pitched sound would have the power to change my mind.  And, she continues whining until she and my character arrive at the factory, and enter the basement.

My character kneels down and starts repositioning Pinkie Pie, preparing to release the pink pony into the room, only for her to kick-jump out of his grasp.  Now that his hands are free, my character turns to the door and closes it.

In the mean time, I can hear Pinkie Pie turn around and say, “Well, you've got me down here.  So, what do you want to talk about?”

As my character turns to Pinkie Pie, who's now showing evidence that Diane is taking over, I ask, “Earlier, you promised you'd repay a debt you owed me.  What debt were you talking about?  Does it have something to do with this basement, and what you did to Gilda?”

Diane Pie answers, “If you're asking if my sister plans to do to a pony what she did to Gilda, then the answer is yes.”

My character kneels on one leg in front of the door, and I say, “I don't need your help getting meat.  I can get my own.  And besides, I don't want you to start killing other ponies.  For that matter, I don't want you to kill any more creatures.”

The way Diane Pie stammers for a period of time, one would think she was arguing with herself.  And, for all intents and purposes, one would be right.  Then, it seems the pink earth pony finally settles on the question, “Well, how is my sister supposed to restore balance between you and her?”

I answer, “She doesn't have to.  There's no imbalance between us.”

Diane Pie jumps at my character and shouts, “You lie!”  Then she starts pacing in front of my character as she says, “When you told that story to those stallions, and one of them got sick from it, my sister wanted vengeance; and she would've gotten it if you hadn't escaped.  Then you proved that you were a good human by helping Fluttershy with the family of ducks she was guiding through Ponyville, and she started to believe she owed you twice over.  You said you liked the taste of the griffon cupcakes, but Ponyville's only had one griffon visitor since your arrival.  Pinkamena hasn't completely paid you back yet.”  Somehow, she's ended up back in front of me.  Looking at me again, she asks, “Why won't you let her pay you back?”

I pause for a moment, then say, “This's been a long time coming, but I think, I hope, you're ready to hear the rest of the story.  You were probably gone before I told the stallions that I was more interested in making friends than meals of the ponies that live in Ponyville.  That is to say, I want to make friends with them, not meals of them.”  Focusing more on Diane now, I continue, “If you want to pay me back, just prove yourself another of my friends.  Go back to being the party pony.  Regain your lost Pinkie sense.  Just go back to being the Pinkie Pie I remember you to be.  And, whatever you do, don't kill any of your fellow ponies.”

Diane glares at me and says, “You seem to have forgotten that I'm not Pinkamena Pie.  I'm Diane Pie.”  Looking away from me, she continues, “Besides, I think it's too late for that now.  Pinkamena has changed too much to go back to being the party pony.  You saw her earlier, first with the cupcake, and then with the flower pot.  When she's in control, she now takes full control; so I can no longer warn her of any possible threat.  She won't listen to me anymore.  Besides, look at the cement bed where she had you strapped.”

My character looks in the direction of the cement slab, and I see that, in place of the leather straps, there are now metal bonds.  Not only that, but they're closer together, as though they're meant to hold a creature far smaller than me, perhaps a griffon, or a pony.

From Diane's position, which seems to be moving away from me, I hear her say, “Now, look at what she's done to Gilda's bones.”

I already know what I'll see there, but my character looks anyway; and I can see the griffon's skull resting on a table made from bones, no doubt those of a griffon.  He then turns to see where the pile of bones used to be, and all suspicions are confirmed when I see the pile gone.  After that, my character returns his attention to Diane Pie.

The pink pony with straight mane and tail walks towards me and says, “I'm willing to be your friend, but I'm not altogether sure that's what Pinkamena wants, at least not anymore.  She's informed me that she plans on making a banner that reads 'Life is a party.'  And, whatever she's planning after that, I have a sneaking suspicion she plans on continuing her murders.  And, I don't think your friend Derpy Hooves, whom you call Beautiful, is safe from her.  If you really want to stop Pinkamena, you've got to kill us now.”  And, with that, she drops a butcher knife I just realized she was carrying in her mouth, and bows in front of my character, evidently offering him her neck.

Indeed I could stop this pony by having my character kill her.  But then, I have to wonder, what would happen to me, or, that is to say, to my character?  Of course I know this isn't real, and it'll end with the death of Pinkie Pie; but that still doesn't stop me from wondering.  Would a human that kills a pony in Equestria be held to the same laws and standards as a pony that kills a pony in Equestria?  On the other hand, if my character spares Pinkie Pie, while it would mean the loss of pony lives, it'd also mean I'd be successful in failing to divert Pinkie from her destructive course, the objective of this playthrough of the game.

My character leaves the knife alone, and I finally say, “I cannot.  Please understand, I'm not here to kill ponies, but to make friends with them.  And, whatever it means to the future of Ponyville, I won't kill any pony that holds an Element of Harmony.”

There is no visible evidence of animation from the pink pony.  I do hear Diane say, “Knowing Pinkamena as I do, she won't let go of the element of laughter easily, especially considering it represents safety from you.”  Then, Diane looks up at me slowly, reminding me of a kitten from a logo, which I've come to assume was a parody of the Metro Goldwyn Mayer logo, as she says, “But, at the same time, I know you wouldn't make a move to kill her, even if she didn't hold any of the elements.  Very well.  If you won't kill us, then I must urge you to leave now, and don't stop until you've returned to your home.  I won't leave this basement until you've been gone for ten minutes; and when we leave, Pinkamena will once again be in control.  Of course, if you have business anywhere else, go and take care of that.  I won't ask, so you won't have to worry about me revealing your location or destination to Pinkamena.  Now, go.”

As my character opens the door, I say to Diane, “I'm sorry about this.  I hope you'll be alright.”

In response, Diane only says, “Just get out of here.”

I say no more as my character leaves.  I consider “ki tahi au” pausing the game, but then decide against it.  My character arrives a few minutes later at Ponyville, to meet Princess Celestia just on the outskirts.

She asks, “So, did you meet with Pinkie Pie?”

I answer, “I did, and things aren't looking good for her.  Even her sister Diane isn't holding out much hope.”

The white alicorn bows her head and starts trembling, and I can see a stream starting from the one eye I can see and making its way to her nose.

Quietly, almost under her breath, she asks, “What do I do now?”

I ask, “If I fail, is there another pony that could take over Pinkie Pie's position as holder of the element of laughter?”

Princess Celestia answers, “I have yet to find another pony, mare or stallion, that could take her place.”  She then shakes herself out, then focuses on me, and says, “But, that's not the only reason I'm here.  My sister Luna and I suspect a threat approaching our castle in Canterlot.  We could use your help taking care of it.  Will you help us?”

I'm pleasantly surprised at the Princess' direct question.  I ask, “Could you tell me more about the threat?”

The alicorn answers, “We suspect another acquaintance of yours, a unicorn named Lyra, may be planning to break into our castle.  We are aware of her fascination with humans, and Luna has informed me of dreams she sensed from her, about going into the human world and leaving Equestria behind.  She thinks Lyra could go so far as to make sure no one follows her.”

At this point, I must admit two things in turn came to mind: first, when Celestia mentioned the mirror, my thoughts turned to the fairy tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  Then, when Celestia mentioned the hammer, my thoughts turned to a song, something about hammering in the morning.

I need to pause for a moment to regain my composure, covering it up by clearing my throat, then answer, “Sure, I'll help you.  What exactly do you need me to do?”

Princess Celestia says, “Thank you.  We just need you to do whatever you can to keep Lyra from getting to the mirror.  We have lots of security equipment in the castle, but that doesn't mean we're completely secure.”

I pause for a moment, then say, “I have to get some equipment from my home, then I can join you at the castle, if that's what you want.”

The next moment, the Princess and my character are in front of his house on the other side of the Everfree forest.

The Princess says, “Here's your home.  Go get what you need, then come back here, and I'll teleport you to the castle.”

As my character moves toward the door, I answer, “This shouldn't take too long.”

Once inside the house, my character makes his way to the work room, and it's just a matter of seconds before my character finds a tablet, a miniature audio transmitting device, a surveillance camera, and a somewhat primitive-looking microphone fastened onto a stand, along with a backpack to put them all in.  After that, my character returns to Princess Celestia's position, and a split second later we're in a room in the castle.

It's strange to me that Princess Celestia only asks questions about what my character brought after we arrive at the castle.  Then again, she doesn't see the items until my character produces them from the bag.

I explain the function of each item as the daytime Princess asks about it, which is as each item comes out of the bag.  Then, as per my instruction, my character is teleported outside, at an entranceway to the castle, with the audio transmitter/receiver in hand.  He puts the device on the ground, then is teleported in a second back to the room where it seems that Princess Luna has joined her big sister.

Another surprise for me is that either or both sisters seem to have chosen the room directly over where my character placed the devise.  But, I can wonder about that later.  I ask the sisters if there's someone who can mount the camera inside the last hallway before the room where the mirror is.

Luna volunteers, and I hand her the camera and tablet, giving her instructions on where the best place would be to mount the camera.  I let her know the best place and position for the camera is where I can see the door to the mirror room, hopefully from where Lyra is most likely to enter.

Luna disappears for perhaps a minute or two, then reappears with the tablet.  She hands the tablet back to me, and I can see the camera clearly shows the doorway to the mirror room, and indicating a position above the door where I requested it.  After I confirm that the position and perspective are perfect, it's just a matter of waiting for the suspicious unicorn to show up.

And, it's only a matter of time after the sisters lower the sun and raise the moon before Lyra shows up, planting a fake bush near the one armored pegasus standing guard in front of the entranceway.  And, more by design than coincidence, the position she takes is right over the device my character placed there.  She fastens something from the bush to her ear, produces an audio-cassette player, and proceeds to drive the bush toward the doorway.

It's only after the unicorn disappears into the doorway that I place the remaining equipment on the desk in the room, with the microphone supporting the tablet behind it.  Then, as the two princess alicorns take positions behind my character, we watch the screen of the tablet, waiting for the offending unicorn to make her entrance.  Indicated by the chronometric reading on the upper right corner, it's all of ten minutes before Lyra shows up, dressed in what looks to me like a single-piece black pajama suit, and makes her way to the door that's the focus of the camera.

Celestia impatiently asks, “Mormon, why do you wait?  Do something.”

My character turns to the daytime princess, and I say, “I'm just waiting for the right moment.  Just watch.”  Then my character turns back to the screen, turns on the microphone, and we continue to watch the tablet until Lyra reaches for the doorknob.  Then I call out into the microphone, “Raira, kei te aha?”

The phrase is in Maori, and, translated into English, would be, “Lyra, what are you doing?”

The effect is just what I hope for, as the startled unicorn rears back on her hind legs and neighs.

Of the three of us, neither human nor pony can help bursting into laughter over Lyra's reaction, especially watching the hallway fill with guard ponies.  I'm particularly surprised that the unicorn's startled neigh can be heard through the walls into this room, neither loud nor clear, but audible nonetheless.  And, is it my imagination, or is there a translucent, shiny, rippling, yellow puddle developing between Lyra's hind legs?  I speak into the microphone one more word, “Rattled.”

Neither Celestia nor Luna understand the reference, but that doesn't matter.

A now enraged Lyra screams out incoherent epithets, or whatever she can think to say at that point, as four of the guards grab her by each of her legs and drag her away.  Once again, they're quiet and garbled beyond comprehensibility, no more than audible through the walls.

As the two princesses cease their laughter, if for no other reason than lack of breath, my character turns to them; and I say, “Well, maybe I should go visit her now.  I have some questions for her, and no doubt she has questions for me.”

Princess Celestia may not be laughing anymore, but that doesn't mean she's gained her full composure.  In fact, her lack of composure is evident in her inability to talk at the moment.

On the other hand, Princess Luna does seem to have her composure back, as she says, “I can arrange it, but Lyra'll have to be under guard during the visit.  Still, after the way you served us, I believe we owe you that much.”

It's just a matter of minutes traveling through hallways, getting permission from guards, and getting doors unlocked and open before Luna and my character, who is following close behind her, make their way to the prison cell where they're holding the pale-green unicorn.

As soon as she sees me, Lyra says, “So, it was your voice I heard in my ear.  Where were you?”

I answer, “I was in a room with Princesses Celestia and Luna.”

Then, I notice the subtitles on the bottom of the screen reading, “The scent of ammonia is in the air.”

I ask the pale-green unicorn, “Lyra, did you wet yourself?”

Lyra gasps and looks away from me, but not before I notice her face turn a glowing red.

Luna leans toward my character and says, “Mormon, that's inappropriate.”

It's now that Lyra answers, “Nothing escapes you.  Now I know what you meant when you talked about unicorn burglars being easy to rattle.”

The dark gray alicorn asks, “Unicorn burglars?”

I have my character turn to Luna as I answer, “It's a long story.”  Then, I have him turn back to Lyra as I ask, “So did you come all the way to Canterlot just for seven years of bad luck?”

Lyra repeats, “Bad luck?” then continues, “I was going to get through that mirror so I could be a human.  I was going to break it so I couldn't be forced back.”

I state, “Well, maybe it's for the best that you didn't succeed.  I appreciate your interest in humans like me.  But, I'm sure there are better ways to learn about humans than jumping into a strange world and leaving yourself no way out.”  After a momentary pause I continue, “I'm sure you know humans are omnivorous.”

Presently Lyra says, “Yes, I know all about human eating habits.  So what?”

I answer, “It might interest you to know that I've eaten horse meat before.”

I hear two gasps: one from Lyra, the other from Luna.

I continue, “I didn't know I was eating horse meat at the time; all I knew about it was it was a chopped-up meat in some type of gravy.  I didn't even know what it was until I went for seconds and came back from finding it was all gone.  And, I will admit if I could've had seconds of the horse meat, after having my first taste and then finding out what it was, I would've had seconds.”

By this time, Lyra is looking back at me again, a horrified look on her face.

I ask, “So, if such a thing were to happen to you while you were a human, knowing what you've been, how would you react?”

I'm so focused on Lyra that I don't expect gagging sounds to come from Luna next to me.  My character turns to show me a view of Luna, and I can see her turning away, while her ribs and abdomen convulse, forcing her to empty her stomach.  As my character turns back to Lyra, I see through his eyes the pale-green unicorn is also starting to gag.

I continue, “The chances of you having to eat horse meat are very slim.  You'd more likely be eating, and enjoying, meats such as beef and chicken, perhaps some type of fish such as tuna.  And, there are other foods humans can eat that horses, or ponies, cannot.”

Lyra, open-mouthed and panting, answers, “That's why I don't want to come back.”  She seems to be dry-heaving, suggesting to me that she hadn't eaten anything before her escapade.  Still, she seems to be getting weaker.

I continue, “There are other things about humans you might not be taking into consideration.  Humans aren't limited to a particular time period to be able to reproduce.  As a human, you, being a female, would be more driven all the time to start your own family, to have children.  Males are more driven to perform the reproductive act with females, again not limited to one season.  I don't know if you've felt the urge to reproduce up until now, but such drives start around the time humans enter their thirteenth or fourteenth year, and humans either learn to control them or don't learn and are controlled by them.  Do you think you could learn to control such urges that generally don't go away for decades?”

I'm not sure what to think of Lyra right now.  As close as she's been to vomiting, she hasn't actually done so.  Does this indicate self-control, or simply the foresight not to eat anything before committing to what she was going to do, in case she failed and would have to listen to the story I've been telling her?  Whichever it is, I can't tell.  What I can tell is that Lyra is now trembling, silent except for what I think are dry heaves.

I conclude, “I've given you a lot to think about.  While I suppose it'd be fun for you, as a human, to be able to hold a musical instrument with hands as opposed to hooves, there's more to being a human than that.  That's not to say that being a human is not rewarding.  I just question whether a spirit used to being a horse, or a pony, could adjust to being a human.  And trapping yourself in a world you're not ready for just doesn't seem reasonable to me.”  With that, my character stands up, turns around, and proceeds to walk away from the nauseated, frightened, pale-green pony.

There are at least two reasons I can think of why Princess Luna doesn't immediately follow me out.  While she'd stopped vomiting sometime during my description of human reproductive urges, she was likely unable to focus for a while.  Then again, it could also have been that my description of human omnivory could've made her frightened of me.  Whether it's for any of these reasons, or something else, all I know is it seems to take a while before the nighttime alicorn catches up with me.

Eventually I hear hoof-falls as she catches up to my character, then I hear her voice as she asks, “Is it true what you said to Lyra, about having eaten … horse meat?”  I hear her shudder before she mentions the horse meat.

I answer, “It is.”  Then, anticipating her next question, I add, “And, just for your information, I'm here to make friends of the ponies here, not meals.  I had a similar conversation with a trio of stallions when I first arrived.  I have since made friends of them.”

Princess Luna and my character stop at the door leading out of the dungeon, and Princess Luna turns to my character and says, “I am pleased to hear that, and my sister will be as well.  I can understand why you chose to tell that story to Lyra, but I would appreciate it if you give neigh-boring ponies a warning before you tell such a story again.  Remember how I reacted.”  And, before I can respond, Princess Luna calls to the guards that the visit is over, and there's a mess to clean up near Lyra's cell.

As the dark-purple princess and my character walk through the hallway away from the dungeon, I say, “I'm sorry for not telling you about that ahead of time.  I didn't think you'd react the way you did.”

Princess Luna says no more for the rest of the journey back to the room, and I can't think of anything to say for that time either.

Back at the room, Princess Celestia is back on her feet again.  As soon as she sees us, she asks, “I trust all went well?”

Princess Luna simply nods in response before saying, “I'm thinking we should hand Lyra over to this human.  If she's so interested in humans that she'd attempt what she did, perhaps spending all her free time with a human will teach her all she needs to know about them.”

I see Princess Celestia about to say something, but this time I interrupt and say, “Begging your pardon, but I am a male human.  If I get custody of Lyra, she'll learn a lot, if not everything, about male humans, about me anyway; but, to learn about female humans, she'll need a female human to learn from as well.”

The white alicorn eyes me and says, “We have no female humans available to assist you.  But, if it'll keep Lyra from attempting to enter the human world again, and damaging royal property in the process, and if you can be trusted to respect her, then I will agree with my sister's request, and release Lyra into your custody.”

This is a decision that isn't really designed to have an effect on the final objective of the game.  On the other hand, having a unicorn to assist me could likely give me some type of advantage.  I could learn more about unicorns by having one to study.  On the other hand, I have reason to believe that the conclusion of this game is really close.  Would the effort be worth it?

Then again, I would be providing a service to the princesses by keeping Lyra out of trouble.  But then again, on the other hand, what happens to her when I fail, this game, to keep Pinkie Pie from killing a pony?  And then, and what happens to Lyra?  Would it be worth it to Lyra, would it be fair to her, for me to accept custody over her just to end up, from her perspective, in prison with her later on?  But, then there's one more thing to consider: whether I should let the game end with the end of Pinkie Pie's life, or end with Pinkie Pie repenting for killing Gilda and finding something far better to do with her time.  Either way, the game will end; and and it won't matter if I take responsibility over the pale-green unicorn or not.

Both princesses are waiting patiently for my answer.

Finally, my character looks at Princess Luna, and I say, “Well, I suppose I could use the help of a unicorn where I live.  Very well.  I'll accept custody of Lyra.”

Princess Celestia turns to her sister and says, “Go get Lyra, but don't tell her why we're summoning her.  For that matter, just tell the guards that she is wanted for an audience with you and Princess Celestia.”  Then, as Princess Luna disappears, Princess Celestia turns to my character and asks, “What did you mean when you said you could use the help of a unicorn?”

I answer, “One of the basic talents of a unicorn is manipulating things with their magic, isn't that right?”

I think I can hear suspicion in the white alicorn's voice as she answers, “That's right?”

I continue, “Perhaps Lyra can help me find things that I've lost.  Or, maybe she could help me in other ways.  I promise to treat her with respect.  You don't need to worry about that.  But, treating her with respect doesn't mean she won't be kept busy.  She'll likely be joining me on trips to Ponyville, and she will understand that humans do have limits on what they can do.”

I can sense Princess Celestia focusing on my last statement when she says, “I think you'll find Lyra will teach you that unicorns are also limited, or at least she is limited, as to what they can do.”

I can think of nothing more to say.  Even if I did have more to say, Princess Luna appears with the pale-green unicorn, now appearing more relaxed, before I can say it.

As close as Lyra and I are, with not even Princess Luna between us, I'm surprised that Lyra doesn't notice me, at least not at first.  Instead, she's focused on Princess Celestia.

The white alicorn says, “Lyra Heartstrings, by order of Princesses Celestia and Luna, you are hereby remanded to the custody of Mormon.”

That's when she finally turns to and notices my character right next to her.  Presently, she says, turning to each alicorn she names, “Princess Luna, no.  Princess Celestia, no.  Don't do this to me.  I promise I won't try to go to the human world again.  Just don't leave me in his control.”

My character holds up a hand to Princess Celestia and turns his head to Lyra, and I say, “You don't need to worry.  I won't do anything to hurt you.  You're interested in humans?  Well, here's your chance to learn from one firsthand, or first hoof in your case.”

The pale-green unicorn stops begging and just starts whimpering as Princess Celestia, seeing my character's hand lower, continues, “You will send us daily letters informing us of what you learn about humans, especially from living with one.”  What looks like a clipboard with a parchment on it drifts toward my character as Princess Celestia continues, “This device has been enchanted so that it'll never run out of parchment.  This way you can write as much as you feel you need to.”  Then, to my surprise, from behind Princess Celestia a small, bipedal, herbivorous dinosaur appears as the white princess continues, “This dragon has been enchanted to send letters to me and my sister, and receive them from us.  She will bite the letters you give her to send them to us, and letters from us will appear in her mouth.  We will be making requests from time to time, offering assignments as opportunities arise.  Are these instructions understood?”

Lyra is crying right now, and clearly unable to answer Princess Celestia's question.

On the other hand, I find myself having no problems answering, “Yes, we understand your instructions.”

The dinosaur waddles up to my character and says, “My name is Weed Whacker.  I am honored to be of service to you.”

At once the questions about whether or not the dinosaur can talk, and what I'll be calling her, are answered; and there seems to be evidence of a sense of humor involved in the dinosaur's naming.

My character kneels on one knee, and the dinosaur reaches out a hand.  He takes and shakes the offered hand, and the dinosaur sticks out her tongue and touches it to the knuckle of his middle finger.

He then stands up again and puts one hand on Lyra's head while accepting the clipboard with the other hand.

In response, the unicorn rears up on her hind legs and shouts, “Don't touch me!”

As soon as Lyra calms down again, Princess Celestia responds by saying, “Lyra, if you refuse, you will return to your cell where you will get only enough food to keep you alive.  You're imprisonment will be as long as your time with Mormon would be, three years, during which time you will have limited contact from your friends.  You will also be fitted with a device that'll keep you from using any of your magic.”

As my character watches the expression on the pale-green unicorn's face, I can see that she's more troubled by the loss of her magic than getting minimal food.

I hear Weed Whacker say to her, “Lyra, listen to me.  I want to be of service to both you and Mormon, but I can't do that if you insist on serving your time in jail.  Your human friend is a good one, and wants as much as I do what's best for you.  So, do you choose no freedom in jail, or do you choose limited freedom with your human friend Mormon?”

As my character and Lyra stare at each other, I find myself unable to tell what's going through her mind, although it's evident she's studying my character.  After a few seconds, she asks, “Do you promise not to eat me?”

I answer, “I promise I won't eat you.  I only want to be your friend, or at least one of them.”

The pale-green unicorn turns to Princess Celestia again and asks, “If Bon-Bon wants to visit me, will that be alright?”

Princess Celestia answers, “That'll be up to Mormon.  You'll be in his custody, meaning you'll be living at his house, and by his rules.”

Lyra turns to my character again, and I immediately answer, “I'd welcome visits from your other friends.  And, as I said to a trio of stallions, I make it a rule of thumb to not kill and eat my friends.”

I get the feeling Lyra's chuckles are forced.  But then she sniffles before saying, “Well, if that's one of your rules, then I can live with that.”  She then turns to the white princess again and says, “Alright.  I'll go with the human.  And, I agree to send letters to you about what I learn about him.”  After a momentary pause, she asks the two alicorns, “Are you also interested in humans?”

This time it's Princess Luna who answers, “Mormon has shown us a side of humans we didn't expect to see.  Thou has shown a great interest in humans.  What better way for us to learn about them than through thee?  Will thou help us learn about humans?”

I do believe this is the first time I see excitement in Lyra's eyes.  Not unlike a certain pink earth pony I also seem to have responsibility over, Lyra bounces up and down chanting, “Yes!  Yes!  Yes!  Yes!”

Princess Celestia smiles, then turns to Princess Luna and nods.

The next thing we know, Princess Luna, Lyra Heartstrings, Weed Whacker, and my character, along with the clipboard Princess Celestia gave us, are in the front yard of my character's house, on the other side of the Everfree forest from Ponyville.

Before she disappears again, the nighttime alicorn touches Weed Whacker on the head with her horn.

It's dark enough outside that I can only make out shapes, not necessarily any colors.  I head toward the door to my character's house and open it to allow my new companions to enter.  But, before they can do so, I also turn on the light to the living room.  And, it's only when Weed Whacker enters the house that I notice her holding a rolled-up parchment in her mouth.

Before my character can do anything to remove the message, the little dinosaur drops it at my character's feet and says, “I think this is the first assignment from the princesses.”

Again before my character can react, the letter, glowing with a pale-green aura, rises and floats toward Lyra, then unrolls.

Lyra's irises move back and forth in her head, reminding me of an old-fashioned typewriter head or an electric typewriter wheel moving either a page or across a paper.  The main difference is that Lyra is absorbing the information on the page.

When she's finished, and as the pale-green-lit parchment floats to my character, Lyra says, “No, not an assignment.  It's just a copy of the princesses' orders, giving you custody over me.”

As my character catches the parchment, the pale-green aura disappears; and the parchment rolls up onto my character's fingers.  As my character unrolls the parchment, I can see that Lyra was telling the truth.  This is a good sign for her.  It means she's on the right path to repenting of her crime.

As my character lets go of the parchment, allowing it to roll up again, I hear Lyra ask, “So, what do you have for us to eat?”

Before I can answer that, I see a light flashing from the table between the two couches.  I know what's going on; I'm just surprised that the tablet was evidently teleported into the house, while the rest of us were teleported into the front yard.

As I find the tablet, I say under my breath, “Uh, oh.”  Then, as the image on the screen confirms my suspicions, and I see the gray pegasa chained to the cement bed with Pinkie Pie's back to the camera, I say, “Ataahua, no.”

Presently the tablet glows with the pale-green aura that controlled the parchment.

Before Lyra can take control of the tablet, I have my character press an area of the screen resembling a green button, ordering the tablet to record the video data it's receiving.  After that, he carries the tablet to Lyra.

As my character tries to maintain control over the tablet, I say, “I'm not sure you're ready for this.”

Clearly confused, Lyra asks, “Ready for what?”

I answer, “This is really something that I need to handle.  You really shouldn't see it.”

The pale-green aura disappears from the tablet, and Lyra says, “Well, if you're so sure about that, then go ahead and take it.  But, I'm still hungry here.”

I guess I should be happy that Lyra's appetite is back after the story I told her in the dungeon; but, I'm more preoccupied by the drama unfolding in that basement, transmitted from the camera to my tablet.  As I've already recorded, my suspicions have been confirmed concerning Pinkie Pie.  I just need to record the evidence so that perhaps one of the pink earth pony's friends, maybe Fluttershy, can intervene.

I order Weed Whacker to get something for Lyra and herself from the orchard, the vineyard, the vegetable garden, or the grain field outside, taking Lyra's order first, then bring the food back inside for the two of them.  After that, I withdraw my character to the bedroom where he took a nap while Lyra was recovering from whatever sickness she'd been facing not long ago to see the drama unfold on my tablet.

Isn't it intersting?  We can become attached to fictional characters, even, or perhaps especially, characters we create, to the point that we can feel emotional pain when we see them dying, or something similar.  Thus it is for me as I watch Pinkie Pie take a surgical blade and carve around the cutie mark on each of Ataahua's thighs, then pull it off.  But, as I watch the screen, I begin to feel as though I'm there in the room with Pinkie Pie and Ataahua.  And, not surprisingly, Ataahua is crying from the pain.

Pinkie Pie had started with the gray pegasa's right thigh, carving an oval around the cutie mark with surgical precision so she wouldn't damage it, before pulling the piece of meat away.  She then put it on the table made from Gilda's bones.

I have my character walk to the table to have a look at the cutie mark, only to see it starting to fade away.  And, when Pinkie Pie does the same thing to the bawling Ataahua's left thigh, the difference in the quality of the pictures is clear.

When the pink earth mare picks up the pieces of the pegasa's thighs and looks at them, I hear her call out, “Hey!”  She then carries the separated and disappearing cutie marks to Ataahua and holds them up to her, asking, “What's going on here?  I thought these things weren't gonna fade like this!”  Then, she just throws them behind her and says, “Well, whatever.”

The two almost completely faded cutie marks land strangely at the feet of my character, as it were, face-up.

Ataahua cries, “Why are you doing this to me, Pinkie Pie?  What went wrong?”

I see the pink earth pony glare back at Ataahua (and, yes, I know she's glaring; just don't ask me how I know, because I can't say) and answer, “Derpy, shut up!  I can do this so much more quickly and easily if you'll just shut up!”

It seems for the moment that Ataahua does quiet down, at least a little bit, if only to say, “Pinkie?”

The pink pony snarls, “What is it now?”

Through sobs, Ataahua answers, “I need to pee.”

Groaning, Pinkie Pie says, “I'll get it taken care of as soon as I can.”  She then produces a hair pin, places it on one of her ears, then proceeds to cut open Ataahua's abdomen, around the crotch area.  As Ataahua screams again, the pink pony cuts a line from the middle of the first line up the gray pegasa's abdomen to her solar-plexus.

Amazingly no internal organs fall out of the still-screaming Ataahua as Pinkie Pie reaches in under the intestines and searches for the bladder from underneath.

More amazingly, Ataahua manages to hold it in while Pinkie Pie is abusing her this way.

The pink pony makes it clear that she has found the organ she's looking for as she pushes inward with one front hoof and grabs the hair pin with the other one.  And, once again, somehow I can see the pink pony reach into Ataahua's abdomen with the hoof holding the hairpin and manage to clip the end of her urinary tract closed with it.

Pinkie Pie groans, “Ugh, why didn't I bring at least one more bucket for this purpose?”  She then proceeds to take the surgical knife and cut the urinary tube above the urethra, then hold the tube closed in one hoof as she holds it out away from her and Ataahua, then releases it.

At first nothing happens.  Then, slowly liquid leaks from the relaxing tube, then pours faster until the opening at the end demonstrates its limit.  The flow at this point continues for perhaps half a minute, then slows and stops as the bladder is finally emptied.

As she lets go of the tube, Pinkie Pie looks up at Ataahua and asks, “Is there anything else you need to do before we continue?”

As if on cue, I hear the zipper sound effect come from Ataahua.

Again the party pony groans, then proceeds to do with Ataahua's large intestine what she did with her bladder, save for cutting her open.  And, she uses the same hairpin to close off the gray pegasa's bowels that she used for her urinary tube.  This time, though, instead of letting the bowels release normally, after pointing the end of the large intestine outward, she reaches as far up as she can, then, not unlike pushing out the contents of any tube as quickly as possible, I suppose, pulls down on the once again screaming Ataahua's bowels, forcing them to empty as rapidly as possible.

Now that the gray pegasa's urine and feces are all over the floor of the basement, Pinkie Pie raises a front hoof at Ataahua's face and says, “If you start gagging, I'll tie your mouth closed.  But, considering the screaming you've been doing, I doubt that'll be necessary.”  And, with that, she proceeds to open the gray pegasa's abdomen the rest of the way.  That means cutting a line across the second one, from one side under Ataahua's lowest rib to the other side, then unfolding the abdominal skin like some kind of strange soft-cover book.

I'm having to wonder if Ataahua can feel anything anymore.  It's either that, or the pain of being further cut is just no more painful than having her bowels forcefully emptied.  Whatever the case is, she isn't crying anymore, just whimpering, as she asks, “What happened to you, Pinkie, that you'd do this to me?  Did I do something really bad to you?”

Pinkie Pie's next vocalization is a mix of a scream and a groan.  When she's finished making that sound, she says, “Why can't ponies be as fun as griffons?”

Presently Ataahua falls silent, and Pinkie Pie looks up at her and snarls, “Ah, don't tell me you're dead already!”

After another second, Ataahua whimpers, “Pinkie Pie, you're not saying that you've done this to griffons?”

At this point Pinkie Pie starts removing Ataahua's organs as she says, “Just one.  And, let me tell you, Gilda was a lot tidier than you.  She at least had the foresight to empty her bowels and bladder before I could drag her down here.  And, she wasn't as noisy as you, either, except that she had to be such a meany mouth.  I had to cut out her tongue because she couldn't keep it civil!”

Each organ that Pinkie Pie removes she tosses into, and at times over, a nearby bucket.  And, each time she hears a splat, indicating she's missed, she groans out the same phrases:  “I can't believe I did that.  Now, I'll have to hose it off.”

Strangely, the only time the pink earth pony gets splashed with blood is when she pulls out Ataahua's heart, at which point she gets the gray pegasa's blood on her face and front.

And, not long afterward, the now simply whimpering and sobbing Ataahua goes silent, and finally limp.

Noticing the gray pegasa suddenly motionless, Pinkie Pie makes attempts to wake her up, including calling out the names “Derpy” and “Ditsy,” but to no avail.  Finally, and to my surprise, she calls out long and loud, “Ataahua!”  And, when that doesn't work, she punches the corpse in the now-empty abdominal cavity.

Finally, she says, “Well, whatever.  I got what I want, what I need, from you.”  Turning toward the wall with the implanted camera, she continues, “Now, I can make cupcakes again.  No, not cupcakes.  Not in your case.  No, I shall make … “

But, before I can hear what Pinkie Pie plans to make of Derpy's internal organs, I hear a knock at the door behind my character, followed by Lyra calling out, “Mormon, are you alright in there?”  Then, I realize my character is back in the bedroom.  I cannot tell for sure if what I saw was a vision, or a dream brought on by what my character was seeing on the tablet as he watched.  But, right now it doesn't matter.  The video feed has stopped at the sight of Pinkamena Pie, angry eyes and an unnaturally broad smile, covered from that one curl in her forehead down her front in blood.  So, I order the video to end there, then save and close.

After that, I turn to the door and call out, “I'm fine!”  But, the fact of the matter is I don't feel fine.  I just watched Pinkie Pie murder another pony in a very cruel manner.  Now that I think about it, I have to wonder if this isn't the closest an Equestrian pony will come to the abomination committed by the Nephites, which lead to their destruction.  I can only hope it is.  And, Pinkie Pie did it to Ataahua.

And, now it seems that my character is rebelling against me, as he refuses to do anything I order him to do.  I have to order him several times before he obeys me.

I hear Lyra call out again, “Well, we've got dinner ready out here when you're ready for it.”

Even getting my character to stand up, walk to the door, open it, then head to the kitchen to eat something, proves to be a major ordeal; as I have to order him, as I said, several times to do so.

Weed Whacker is the one who notices my character's sluggish movements when he finally leaves his room.  She asks, “Are you sure you're alright?”

I'm the one who should be speaking for my character, and I suddenly find myself without a response for the little dinosaur.

My character, refusing to respond to my orders, won't stop a curious Lyra from entering his bedroom and finding the tablet on the floor.  At least he'll allow me to hear her say, “What's this?”

Weed Whacker, hearing the question from Lyra, decides to follow the pale-green unicorn into my character's bedroom.

Now, for the first and, as long as I can help it, the only time, my character acts on his own, standing up and following the dinosaur and unicorn to his bedroom and calling out, “Leave that alone.  It's not for you to watch.”  But, it's too late.

By the time he gets to his room, Lyra and Weed Whacker are watching the silent drama unfold on the tablet screen.

Disasters are fascinating to humans, and evidently no less so to Equestrian ponies, or, for that matter, Weed Whacker.

My character either can't or won't separate the two from the tablet, as the two watch Pinkie Pie violate Ataahua.  Then the video ends, showing an evil Pinkamena Pie.

It's several minutes before either of the two creatures can speak.  To my surprise, it's Lyra who speaks first, as she says, “I'm not hungry anymore.”

Weed Whacker speaks next, answering, “Me neither.”

You know, I can't help thinking right now that what Lyra said would be funny if it weren't said at such a poignant moment.

After a few more seconds, my perspective through my character's eyes seems to bounce once, and I hear Lyra say something about being sorry.  After that, the view through my character's eyes lowers, then blurs to near blindness.  I can only imagine that if I had allowed a camera to view the scene it'd be one of the more touching among scenes in video games: a pale-green unicorn and a little blue dinosaur with yellow stream-stripes snuggling a human, trying to comfort him.

It's a few minutes before I can see clearly through my character's eyes again.

Once my character can focus again, I hear Lyra ask, “So, what are you going to do with that recorded event?”

I answer, “I recorded it to show to one of Pinkie Pie's friends.  Seeing that I failed to help her, maybe one of them can succeed where I couldn't.”

Lyra circles to the other side of the bed from my character, then comes back around with it in her magical aura, then says, “I don't know.  Once one pony kills another, there's generally not much hope for him or her.”

After a momentary pause, I answer, “Maybe you're right.  But, I could at least use advice from one of her friends.  If there's any hope for Pinkie Pie, it'll rest with one of them.”

Presently Weed Whacker asks, “So, which one of her friends do you plan on showing this event to?”

I answer, “I'm thinking the best one to show this to is Fluttershy.”

Now it's Lyra's turn to speak.  She says, “Pinkie Pie has thrown more parties than I can count.  She's acquainted with everypony in Ponyville, including me and Bon-Bon.  And, I'm acquainted with her as well.  But, the pony in that video I don't recognize as Pinkie Pie.  She simply doesn't do things like that.”

My character focuses on the pale-green pony as she props herself on his closest leg by her front limbs, and I can see, through my character's eyes, the sadness in her eyes as she continues, “If you think you can help her even after she's murdered another pony, then I'll help you as much as I can.  And, while I don't know how a murdering pony thinks, it seems to me that such a pony would likely turn on anypony that, by him- or herself, approaches him or her professing to know what that murdering pony had done.  If you want Fluttershy to help Pinkie Pie, then I suggest you go with her for the safety of both of you.”

Lyra offers good advice.  Whatever her purposes were in attempting to invade the human world, her heart is, right now anyway, in the right place.

I answer, “You're probably right.  But, right now it's late; and we need to rest and get something to eat.  Let's go eat dinner.  I'm sure there are enough bedrooms for each of us.”

And, with that, human, dinosaur, and unicorn go to the dining room and eat the food that Lyra and Weed Whacker gathered and prepared.  During this time, we talk about different things, including what Lyra plans on putting in her report to the princesses, all the time avoiding the subject of the event recorded on my character's tablet.  No doubt, enough has been said already on that subject.  Then, after tossing the inedible refuse in the garbage, it's time to decide who wants what bedroom.

Oh, and by the way, I am fully aware that my character is no longer rebelling against me.

There are two bedrooms at the end of the hallway, which each of the two creatures claim.

As the three of them retire, I decide to save and quit.  Because I choose to save as my character falls asleep, I know the game will resume on its tomorrow.
> Chapter 6: One Last Chance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I resume the game to the sound of pounding at the door to my character's bedroom.  As my character sits up in his bed, I ask, “What's going on?”

I hear Lyra's voice answer back, “It looks like you'll get your chance to show that recorded event to Fluttershy sooner than you think.  Twilight Sparkle is at your front door, and she says Fluttershy needs your help with something.”

My character has the presence of mind to grab the tablet and place it in a pocket in his clothing as I say, “Give me a moment!  But, go ahead and let Twilight in!”  It's highly unlikely that the future princess would have any idea of what her friend Pinkie Pie has done; there's a different reason for her presence.  I finish my preparations, then go to the living room to meet my guest.

As soon as she sees my character, Twilight Sparkle says, “Hi.  Fluttershy needs your help.  There's a bad smell coming from the forest toward her house, and she needs your help to find out where it's coming from.  Do you think you can help her?”

Having made this game, I know what I'll find; but I frequently find that the journey to the goal is just as enjoyable as, if not more so than, the goal itself.  I ask, “You haven't been able to find the source?”

The purple unicorn bows her head, and I think I can see her cheeks reddening, as she answers, “Trust me, anypony that tries to go into the forest can only get so far before getting sick.”

That's something I can understand.  The sight of blood and gore, especially in a picture, for me anyway, isn't all that disgusting.  It's the smell that's the problem.  I ask, “That bad?”

At first Twilight Sparkle only nods.  Then she continues, “We think something must've died not too far inside the forest from Fluttershy's cottage.”

I ask, "How many have tried?"

The purple unicorn answers, "Fluttershy and I tried going into the forest.  Rainbow Dash tried flying overhead, where she was safe from the smell, to see if she could find the source, but she couldn't see anything.  She tried walking into the forest, then came back a few seconds later complaining about the smell."

My character looks at Lyra and Weed Whacker, and I can see in their faces that neither of them has had anything to eat yet.  If I was going to investigate the offensive odor near Fluttershy's house,  and if my friends were going to help me, now is as good a time as any to get it done.  As my character's attention returns to Twilight Sparkle, I say, “Sure.  I'd be happy to help out again.  I just need to get a few things first.”

Twilight nods and says, "Well, you'd better hurry up and get those things."

As I have my character head for his work room, I say, "Not to worry.  It shouldn't take very long."  Then, once my character is inside the room, I have him search for and find a couple of citizen's band radios and a small spool of red wire filament.

As I expect, it doesn't take him long to find the items.

After that, I return to the front room.  With the items in my character's inventory, I have him turn to my two friends, and I ask, “Do you want to come with me?”

The dinosaur and the pale-green unicorn look at each other, then back at my character, and Lyra answers, “Sure.  We have other business with Fluttershy anyway.  This way, we can take care of two objectives at once.”

I can understand that the saying about killing two birds with one stone probably wouldn't go over very well with Equestrian ponies, especially not in this situation.  Best not to have my friends incriminate themselves with an old proverb.  At any rate, my character opens the front door and allows the two ponies and the dinosaur to exit before following them and closes the door after the group.  Then, he runs ahead of the group to open the gate, and then close it again once the ponies, the dinosaur, and he exit.

Outside the gate, the ponies and dinosaur wait for my character to lead the way, although Twilight Sparkle walks next to me.  As we proceed along the path to Fluttershy's cottage, Twilight asks my character, “So, what's this business you have with Fluttershy?”

I answer, “It's nothing to be concerned with right now.  It sounds like there's something more important that needs to be done first.”

The purple unicorn groans, but seems to accept my answer.  Moving on to a different subject, she asks, “So, why's Lyra with you instead of Bon-Bon?”

Now it's Lyra's turn to groan.

I answer, “I think Lyra can explain it better than I can.  I'll just say it's part of an order from Princesses Celestia and Luna.”

Twilight lingers for a moment so Lyra can catch up to her, allowing my character to take the lead.

Lyra gives her fellow unicorn no chance to ask the question, but says, “I … broke into Canterlot Castle and tried to get to that mirror so I could get into the human world.  I was going to break the mirror so nopony could follow me.”  I can hear the shame in her voice.

Twilight asks, “And, I'm guessing the human stopped you?”

It's all I can do to keep from laughing at the memory as I hear Lyra answer, “I have yet to figure out how he did it; but, just before I could get into the room with the mirror, I heard Mormon shout something I couldn't understand in my ear.  I freaked out, and then it was all over.”

Then I hear Weed Whacker add, “Based on the smell coming from her, I think she also … “

Thinking the poor unicorn is ashamed enough, I call back, “Weed Whacker, she doesn't need to know about that!”

After a pause, I hear the dinosaur, now humbled, say, “You're right.  I'm sorry, Lyra.”

I then hear Lyra say, “Thanks, Mormon.”

I can only guess that Twilight Sparkle thinks she's speaking quietly enough that I can't hear.  And, I don't let on that I can hear her whisper to Lyra, “I don't need to know about what?”

I can also hear Lyra whisper, “Well, let's just say I was freaked out enough when Mormon shouted in my ear.  Then, when the guards came in and surrounded me, I freaked out even more.”

I then hear Twilight whisper the question, “You mean you …?“  Then I hear what sounds like liquid splattering on rock, and I can only guess Twilight urinates as a demonstration.

I then hear Lyra sigh and whisper her answer, “That's right.  I didn't even feel like it, then it was just scared out of me.”  Then, under her breath, she says, “I was thrown in the dungeon for that, then one thing lead to another, and I ended up in Mormon's custody.”

Under her breath, like Lyra, Twilight says, “Princess Celestia doesn't hand over custody of a prisoner without giving the prisoner an assignment.  What did she want you to do?”

Lyra answers, “Princess Celestia wants me to report to her what I learn about humans from my experiences with Mormon.”

Presently Twilight says, “So, what have you learned from Mormon so far?”  I must say, it pleases me to hear the future princess address me by that name.

Lyra pauses for a moment before answering, “Well, like all humans, he's an omnivore.  He's come to Ponyville to make friends with the ponies there.  He cares about the ponies that live there, including me.  And, he has made friends with many ponies already.  But, he also has a mischievous side to him.  When I went to the home of Vinyl and Octavia with Bon-Bon to play video games on Vinyl's computer, he played a trick on Vinyl and made her defecate in her chair.  Then, when Vinyl was busy cleaning herself, he cleaned off the chair, then came back and cleaned up the mess on the floor as well.  He seems to have a talent for making ponies make messes.  But, at the same time, he's also more than willing to clean the messes up.  He even took care of me when I became sick in his home.”

I must admit, I'm surprised at how much the pale-green pony has already learned about me.  I know she knows more than what she said so far; but it's also clear to me that she wants to respect my privacy, and is holding back information she doesn't think Twilight Sparkle needs to know.

I hear the purple unicorn say, “What I've read about humans suggests that they, or most of them, wouldn't do that sort of thing to creatures that they don't own.  Unless he thinks he owns you, your human is a unique specimen.”

I can't help answering, “Thanks.”

I have to wonder if Twilight Sparkle was startled by my response.  She does seem to stifle a startled neigh before answering, “You're welcome.”

The rest of the trip to Fluttershy's cottage is filled with similar conversation as Twilight Sparkle divides her attention among a human, a fellow unicorn, and a herbivorous dinosaur.  I'm pleased to hear that Lyra did send a letter to Celestia, her first report about what she learned about me.  And, considering Lyra's report to Twilight didn't include my associations with, or my last recorded video of, Pinkie Pie, I really don't expect to hear the little dinosaur say that she's still waiting for my report to send to the princesses.  But, by the time she gets the chance to mention it, or so I assume based on her grunt, we're close enough to Fluttershy's cottage that it's too late to say anything about it.

I am the one to announce that we're closing in on the timid pegasa's house.  And, as soon as I make the announcement, Fluttershy peers from the front of her house and seems to try to shout something, although, in spite of me being able to hear Twilight Sparkle and Lyra conversing under their breaths, I seem to be unable to hear the yellow pegasa trying to call to us.

But, it doesn't matter, as Twilight Sparkle, also noticing the yellow pegasa, gallops ahead of us to meet her.  I hear her say, “So, he's here, and with some friends.”

As my character leads the unicorn and dinosaur over the bridge to Fluttershy's cottage, I can't help hearing both of them groan in distorted voices, as though they were covering their noses and/or mouths.

The yellow pegasa wanders toward me a few steps and asks, “Is Lyra studying you for some kind of project or something?”

I answer, “Something like that.  She'll be living with me for a while.  So, shall we get to that smell that's been troubling you?”

Fluttershy answers, “Oh, yes,” then squees.  Approaching her back yard, she continues, “Neither I nor any of the animals here dares to get too close to it, because it smells so bad.  I don't even dare go into my back yard any more because it stinks so much.  If you could go into the woods and find out what's causing it, we'd all be very grateful.”

While Fluttershy is talking, I see the subtitles read, “You notice a strange smell in the air, almost as though something nearby has died.”

My character follows her to the edge of her backyard, where she stops.  Presently she turns to me and says, “This is as far as I can go before I start smelling that bad smell.  I don't know how well humans can tolerate bad smells, but I don't know anypony else that could help.”

My character is further away from the house than Fluttershy, and the subtitles haven't changed; although, I notice measurements showing up on the bottom of the screen: one bar showing the strength of the smell, and another bar showing evident distance between my character and the source of the smell.  Wherever it is, my character is within a hundred feet of it.  As he turns to Fluttershy, I say, “If you'll keep my friends here until I get back, I'll go on ahead.”

Fluttershy nods, and Lyra and Weed Whacker join her next to her house.

Before my character can move, though, he produces the two citizen's band radios and hands one of them to Weed Whacker.  Then, after turning them on and testing them to see if they work and if they pick up each other's signal, my character makes his way into the forest to find out what could be causing such an offensive scent.

Not far in, my character pushes a button on the side of the communications device, and I ask, “Can you hear me now?”

It's Fluttershy's voice I hear answering, “We can hear you just fine.”

I answer back, “Good,” then continue, “So far, I'm not seeing anything that could be producing a bad smell.  I'm gonna keep going.”

It's a few minutes of walking, maneuvering around and over trees and bushes, before my character comes to what looks like a small cabin sloppily put together, with what appears to be dried blood forming a trail from the base of the cabin.  While my character holds the communications device to his mouth, I say, “Wait.  I think I may have found something.”  My character lowers the CB, approaches the strange box and looks inside, to show me what can only be the remains of a bear cub, based on the remaining fur in random tufts, the one visible round ear, and the nose, now just bone bare of skin and muscle.  My character puts the citizen's band radio to his face again, and I say, “I believe I've found it, but I have some questions.”

Fluttershy's response comes in the form of a question: “What is it?”

I ask, “Is there a family of bears nearby that's missing a cub?”

It's a few more seconds before I get a response, and this time it's Twilight that answers.  She asks, “Are you sure it's a bear cub you're seeing?”

I answer, “Not many creatures have these kinds of features, even in this one's condition.”

The next time I hear something from my citizen's band, it's the voice of Fluttershy whimpering and whining, Lyra's voice trying to console Fluttershy, and Weed Whacker's voice asking, “Do you think you can move the remains over here so we can be sure?”

I answer, “I'm not sure I should.  It looks like someone or something tried to bury the remains in a box made of twigs and small branches.  I'm not sure I should disturb it.”  Then, after a pause, I add, “But, I think I can leave a small trail back to Fluttershy's cottage.  I have a wire with me which I could tie to the nearest tree, then trace my steps back, using the wire to form the trail.”

My character produces the wire filament from the inside of his coat and ties one end of it to the last tree he passed before discovering the corpse.  Then, he turns around and heads back to Fluttershy's cottage, making a trail above the ground with the filament.

Before my character can get very far from the corpse, I hear Fluttershy's voice, still whimpering, but strangely able to say, “I would've thought you'd use the wire to make a trail into the forest, and to the body you found.”

As my character continues to make his way back toward the yellow pegasa's cottage, I answer, “Yeah, I guess I could've done that.  But, I'm here now, and, having found the body, I figure I might as well use the wire one way or another.”

It's not long before my character is back out of the forest, to the evident surprise of all the ponies there, as well as my new dinosaur friend.  My character takes a few steps into Fluttershy's yard before setting the spool on the ground there, then approaching the group of three ponies and one dinosaur.  Once my character has joined the group, I say, “If you really want the body retrieved, the wire will lead the way there.  Maybe you can get help from a professional in forensics.”

Fluttershy, whose head has been lowered all this time, ears drooping, perks up somewhat and says, “Let's go inside,” before leading the way to the front door of her house.  Once there, as I had at my house, she opens the door and holds it open for the rest of us to enter first, then follows us in and closes the door behind her.

After watching the yellow pegasa close the door, my character turns and focuses on a light-blue pegasa, one with mane and tail in colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, in that order from front to back for the mane, and bottom to top for the tail..

At the same time, and in the same tone of surprise, the blue pegasa says, “Human,” and I say, Rainbow Dash.”

I then hear Fluttershy's voice moving toward Rainbow Dash, passing my character in the mean time, as she says, “Rainbow Dash said something about a human that had given her dung from Gilda.  I guess that was you.”

I answer, “I didn't exactly give it to her.  I didn't get a chance to throw it away before Rainbow Dash could grab it from me.  I never expected to scare a griffon that badly.”

Rainbow Dash says to me, “I couldn't scare her that bad.”  Then, she turns to Fluttershy and asks, “So, did you find what was making that bad smell?”

Fluttershy motions to my character as she says, “Mormon found the body of a bear cub.”

Rainbow Dash nuzzles the yellow pegasa as she says, “I'm so sorry.  Did you know the bear cub very well?”

Fluttershy answers, “Thanks.  Unfortunately, I never heard anything about a missing cub.  I'll have to ask about it.”

Just then, Lyra pipes up and says, “Mormon, don't you have something to show Fluttershy?”

Honestly, I would've hoped for a more private moment to show Fluttershy the video file of the events I'd recorded on my tablet, especially considering I know who Pinkie Pie's next victim is going to be.  I'm uncertain if my character should produce the tablet.  What if Rainbow Dash grabs it from him, then finds how to play videos, then watches the video herself?  On the other hand, what if I never got another chance to show the video to Fluttershy?  Taking these possibilities into consideration, I decide that Lyra chose the best time to remind me about the video, and I have my character produce the tablet and start preparing it to show the video to Fluttershy.  And, since it seems inevitable now, I might as well show it to Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle as well.

As my character produces the tablet, I say, “Yes, I do have something to show her; but, now I'm thinking that you two, Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle, will have this chance see it as well.”

My character kneels down as the three ponies gather around him.

Just then, Rainbow Dash grabs the tablet out of my character's hands and flies out the door.

Twilight shouts, “Rainbow Dash!  You get back here with that thing!”

If my character can't get the tablet back from Rainbow Dash, it'll lead to exactly the sort of thing I wanted to avoid.  First of all, I know that at some point Rainbow Dash will be one of Pinkie Pie's victims.  The video on that tablet will more likely than not be the catalyst, along with Rainbow Dash's attitude, that leads to her dying at the hands, or the hooves, of Pinkie Pie.  While I doubt my character will be able to reach and stop the pegasa, I have to at least try.  I turn to the other two ponies and say, “I'll see if I can get my tablet back from Rainbow Dash.”  After that, my character heads out the door to try to follow the azure pegasa before she can watch the video.

The question is, how do I find her?  That question could easily be answered if she was able to watch the video before I could stop her.  And, as it turns out, the azure pegasa betrays herself as I hear her call out, “Pinkie, what are you doing to Derpy?”  The voice is coming from a cloud nearly perfectly centered between Fluttershy's house and Ponyville's evident border.

As my character runs toward the cloud, I call out, “Rainbow Dash, I want my tablet back!”

I get no response from the azure pegasa, at least nothing vocal.  I can only watch through my character's eyes as, once he slows down and stops, the white cloud holding the azure pegasa changes to a shade of brown I wouldn't think possible from a manifestation of water vapor, then Rainbow Dash leans over the edge of the cloud and retches the contents of her stomach down on whatever is unfortunate enough to be there under her.

I call again, “May I have my tablet back?”

Rainbow Dash still says nothing.  From what my character's perspective is showing me, her expression is a mixture of nausea and grief.

I call again, “I was hoping to show that to Fluttershy, after which we could discuss what to do next.”

Rainbow Dash still says nothing.  I watch through my character's eyes as her grief and nausea turn to fury.  As she turns her face into the cloud, I can only guess she's looking at the tablet again.  Then, she turns back to my character, then throws the device at him.  After a few seconds, she turns toward the center of Ponyville and flies off.

My character managed to catch the tablet as it fell toward him.  As he heads toward Ponyville after the azure pegasa, I call, “Rainbow Dash, don't do anything rash!”  My character runs into town, approximately in the same direction as Rainbow Dash, toward Sugar Cube Corner.  He arrives in a few minutes, just in time to open the door and hear the azure pegasa demand the location of Pinkie Pie from Mr. Cake.

The frightened orange earth pony says, “I don't know.  You've got to believe me.  She hasn't been here since I dismissed her.”

Rainbow Dash had managed to get Mr. Cake onto his back and had held him in position with one front hoof.  After realizing she won't get the information she wants from the orange earth stallion, she turns away, pushing Mr. Cake away with one hoof.  She then turns to me and, snorting with every breath, says, “Unless you know where Pinkie Pie is, get out of my way.”

I answer, “I have a good idea of where she may be, but first we have some things to discuss.”

The azure pony, still snorting, marches toward my character, stomping each hoof with each step to add emphasis to her march, as she says, “She murdered Derpy.  What's there to discuss?”  Then, without warning, she jumps at my character.

As my character manages to catch the pegasa, I'm left to wonder what I can say to her.  I cannot tell her what I know without breaking a promise I made.  I could lead her to the factory and the basement inside, there's no promise keeping me from taking that action.  But, the reason I wanted Fluttershy to see the video file, what Lyra called a “recorded event,” was that, while Fluttershy would most likely react to what she would see just the way Rainbow Dash did, I have to believe that she'd take a more rational approach to the situation than Rainbow Dash would likely take, in fact is taking now.  But, since it was Rainbow Dash that saw the video first, I have to work with what I have available.  And, hopefully I can convince her to come back with me so I can show the video to Fluttershy and convince her to talk to Pinkie Pie and get her to turn away from her destructive course.  And, yes, I know I'm suddenly working against my plans.  I still plan on losing this game, I just want to keep the damage to a minimum.  And, I don't want my character to rebel against me again.

The azure pegasa, seeing that I've been silent for at least a minute now, speaks up and says, “Unless you're responsible for what she's done.”  I can see through my character's eyes that something in her expression has changed.

I know that Pinkie Pie holds me responsible for what she's been doing.  Should I tell Rainbow Dash about Gilda?  Such an action would rob Pinkie Pie of the opportunity of surprising this friend of her's with the news.  On the other hand, the news would likely give Rainbow Dash all the more incentive to go ahead on her own to face the party pony, which would be a huge mistake on her part.  But, I do have to tell the holder of the element of loyalty something about her friend.  I say, “Chances are you don't know anything about this, so I'll tell you about it.”  As Rainbow Dash looks at me in fury, I continue, “When I first arrived in Ponyville, three stallion ponies tried to drive me off.  I told them about an experience I had when, without my knowledge, I was served horse meat to eat.”

I hear a crash of metal behind me; evidently at least one of the Cakes heard what I said.

I choose to ignore the sound as I continue, “Pinkie Pie let me know later on that she had heard the story, and some time after that I let her know I intended to make friends with the ponies here, not meals of them.”

Rainbow Dash, calmer, says, “Fluttershy told me about how a human helped her lead a family of ducks through Ponyville.  That was you, wasn't it?”

I answer, “That's right,” before continuing, “It seems that Pinkie Pie thinks she owes me something for misunderstanding me.”

Rainbow Dash pushes away from me, and I decide that my character should let her go.  Once free, she lands calmly on the floor before saying, “I'm not sure I understand what that has to do with what I saw Pinkie Pie do to Derpy.”

As my character motions toward the door, I say, “Let's go back to Fluttershy's house.  I'm thinking we should discuss this more there.”

Rainbow Dash turns to the origin of the crashing sound, and my character follows suit.

The two owners of the bakery are looking at us with expressions of worry and horror on their faces.  I can see Mrs. Cake is on the verge of tears.

As Rainbow Dash and I focus on each other again, Rainbow Dash says, “You're right.  Mr. and Mrs. Cake are scared enough.  They don't need to hear any more.  Let's go.”  And, with that, Rainbow Dash moves past me through the door of the bakery.

My character follows her, and after a few minutes the human and pegasa are back at Fluttershy's cottage.  There may be a chance that I can keep Rainbow Dash alive a while longer.

As we're making our approach to Fluttershy's cottage, Rainbow Dash turns to me and asks, “Are you sure it's a good idea for Fluttershy to see that event on your tablet?”

Some part of me likes the way the ponies are calling it an event.  I answer, “I'm thinking it's necessary if I'm going to get her help in keeping Pinkie Pie from killing any more ponies.  I have to hope that your pink friend is still salvageable.”  At Fluttershy's front door my character prepares to knock, when the door opens, and Twilight appears to be preparing to leave, saying goodbye to Fluttershy.

The purple unicorn turns around just in time to see my character right in front of her, and freezes in place to avoid running into him.  She exclaims, “Oh, Mormon!  I didn't see you there.”

My character moves out of the way to allow Twilight Sparkle to pass as I say, “That's alright.  I didn't expect you to be at the door.”

The purple unicorn nickers as she passes my character, then looks at Rainbow Dash and stops.  She stares at the azure pegasa and asks, “Rainbow Dash, are you alright?”

As my character turns his attention to Rainbow Dash, I can see that she's trembling.  The normally stoic pegasa looks like she could cry at the slightest provocation.

Rainbow Dash attempts to smile and squee, but the sound comes out low-toned and raspy, almost sounding like a frog croaking.

Now, Twilight Sparkle backs into Fluttershy's house again, saying, “Maybe I should stay.  Something's troubling Rainbow Dash, and there's a reason why she and Mormon are here, I'm guessing.”

Fluttershy approaches Twilight Sparkle looking at my character, then, at her door, turns to Rainbow Dash, pauses, then backs into her home again the way Twilight Sparkle is doing, and, turning to me again, says, “Come on in.  Is there something I can do to help?”

My character allows Rainbow Dash to enter first, then follows her in, as I answer, “I hope so.”  Then, after my character closes the door behind him and Rainbow Dash, I continue, “I was hoping you'd see this first, and then you could give me advice on what to do next.”

Before I can say more, Lyra, who had been waiting for me to return, looks at Rainbow Dash and, seeing her trembling, says, “You've already watched the event.”

The announcement is evidently too much for the azure pegasa.  Her legs give out from under her, so that she slides on them to the floor.  After that, she buries her face between her front hooves and starts sobbing.

Lyra and Weed Whacker instantly walk to the fallen pegasa to try to comfort her.

Fluttershy, seeing this, turns to me and asks, “What is this event?  What happened?”

Again my character produces the tablet, then pushes points on the screen to bring up the video and get it ready to play.

Before I can say anything about it, I hear Rainbow Dash cry, “Please, Human, Mormon, don't show that to Fluttershy.  She won't be able to handle it.”

Then I hear Fluttershy's voice, trembling, ask, “W-well, can't you just t-tell me about what happened?”

As my character turns to the yellow pegasa, I answer, “I suppose I could, if I could find the words to describe it.  It's about Pinkie Pie.”

Now I hear Twilight Sparkle's voice ask, “What about Pinkie Pie?  Is she alright?”

I hear Rainbow Dash try to answer, but all she can do is stammer before she starts sobbing again.

My character's attention turns from Fluttershy to Twilight Sparkle, and it's clear to me that both are thinking the same thing: that the party pony is dead, or nearly so.  I answer, “It's best that you watch the event, then you can make your own determination.”  At this point, my character moves to an empty spot on the floor and turns so the unicorn and the yellow pegasa can peer over his shoulder, then sits down.  Then, once the two are looking over his shoulders at the tablet, my character pushes a spot on it, prompting the video to play.

As the video begins, I hear simultaneous gasps, and the observing ponies ask, synchronized, the same question:  “What is Pinkie Pie doing with Derpy?”  Then, as they see their friend carve the pictures from the gray pegasa's thighs, and she silently cries in pain; again they gasp, but don't cry out.

The image of the party pony cutting open Derpy's crotch is too much for Fluttershy, who turns away.  But, she returns to watching the video just in time to see Pinkie Pie point the helpless gray pegasa's bladder out away from her and allow it to empty out.  The last straw, it seems, is when Pinkie Pie, while removing the heart, gets splashed in the face and front with Derpy's blood.

My character pushes a spot on the screen so the video pauses as the two ponies move away from him, then I hear them gag and retch behind him.  As they quiet down, I ask, “Are you ready to watch the rest of the event?”

I can hear Fluttershy trembling and sobbing to one side of me.

From my other side, I hear Twilight Sparkle ask, “Tell me, is Derpy alright, at least?”

I answer, “No.  Pinkie Pie killed her.”

Other than the sounds of bawling coming from Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, there's silence.

My character looks at the purple unicorn, and I can see her battling with her emotions, a battle that seems to be a stalemate at the moment.  I also notice that Lyra and Weed Whacker have stopped trying to comfort Rainbow Dash.

Twilight Sparkle and my character continue to stare at each other for at least a minute, then the purple unicorn, a tear sliding down her face from her eye, squeaks out, “Why?  Why would Pinkie Pie do that?”

My character turns to Rainbow Dash, but she reminds me of a child throwing a temper tantrum.

As he turns back to Twilight Sparkle, I answer, “She's holding me responsible for something I said to a trio of stallions.  And, for some part of it I guess, I deserve it.”

I see Twilight Sparkle start to speak, but my character puts a hand on her muzzle to stop her.

I continue, “I've only told this story to a few others, but I think it's important for you to know, just in case you can help me.

“It started when I first arrived in Ponyville.  The trio of stallions I mentioned tried to drive me off, and I told them the story of my experience with eating horse meat.  Long story short, it was effective in stopping them from trying to drive me off any more, but Pinkie Pie also heard the story, and sought vengeance on me for what I said to them.

“Later on, I proved to her that I'm here to make friends with the ponies here, not meals of them.  But, she thinks she has to balance things with me.”

My character then turns to Rainbow Dash again, and I say, “I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but your friend Gilda was actually Pinkie Pie's first victim.”

The azure pony pales to the point that, at least to me, she resembles a smaller version of Princess Celestia without the horn.  She's nearly catatonic as she says, “Gilda, no.”

My character turns back to Twilight Sparkle as I continue, “I can't tell you exactly how I got the event with Derpy, suffice it to say I had an effective method for it.  I have to believe, even now, that there's some way to derail her from this type of activity.  I just don't know how.  That's why I showed you this recorded event.”

By now a small stream on at least one side of the purple pony's face has been flowing.  She looks down and, her voice trembling, answers, “I don't know if anything can be done now.  After one pony kills another, there's generally nothing to save that pony.  I don't even know if Pinkie Pie can be excused by you taking responsibility for starting her on that course.  I just don't know.”  Finally, like Rainbow Dash did, Twilight collapses and starts sobbing.

My character reaches out and strokes the purple unicorn's mane a few times before turning his attention to Fluttershy.

The yellow pegasa, seeing my character looking at her, says, “The Pinkie Pie I saw in that event was scarier than a full-grown dragon.  Pinkie Pie is extremely stubborn.  If you couldn't convince her that she isn't indebted to you, or that she chose the wrong way to try paying you back, or that her debt to is payed up, there's nothing any of us can do.”  Then, once again sobbing, she cries, “Pinkie Pie, why?  Why would you do that to another pony?”

Not the answer I'm looking for, but one I have to accept.  Maybe it is too late for the pink earth pony.  So, what now?  What of the damage I've caused to these three ponies, exposing them to such awful imagery?  I can't leave them like this.

Weed Whacker moves to comfort Fluttershy, leaving Twilight Sparkle for me to comfort.  And, after a few minutes of hugging, stroking, and me requesting forgiveness for showing them the recorded event, the purple unicorn looks up at my character's face and says, “If only Pinkie Pie hadn't killed a pony.”

That's when Lyra says, “Well, considering how many ponies know about what Pinkie Pie has done, what do we do now?”

I think aloud, “If there is any way to stop Pinkie Pie from killing any more ponies, I've got to try it.  Since none of you could think of anything, I have to fall back on methods I know will be ineffective.”  And, with that, my character stands up and starts walking toward the door.

That's when I hear Fluttershy say, “Please, don't go.  Your life could be in danger.”

My character turns to the yellow pegasa, and I say, “I doubt it.  Suffice it to say she tried once and failed.  There's no reason why she'd be successful this time.”  Then, as my character turns to Lyra and Weed Whacker in turn, I say, “You two don't have to go with me.  In fact, it's probably best if you don't.  I'll be safe, but I can't guarantee the same for you if you follow me.”

My character exits the door.  But, before he closes it, a thought occurs to me.  I have my character turn to Fluttershy one more time, and I add, “You know what?  Actually, I was wrong about not getting any good ideas from anyone here.  It may be worth it to try to convince Pinkie Pie that she's taking the wrong approach to paying me back.  Or, I could try convincing her that she's payed her debt to me.  Thanks for the ideas.”  And, with that, my character closes the door, then turns and heads for Ponyville and beyond, to the factory.

It seems to take half an hour to get to the factory where I know the basement is.  When my character finally gets there, presently he looks up to show me the figure of what looks like a blue log with wings attached to it and leading a rainbow.

I groan as I realize that Rainbow Dash has followed my character here.  I wait for her to land, then my character approaches her as I ask, “Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here?”

The blue pegasa U-turns to see me, then says, “I'm here to talk to Pinkie Pie.  You know where her hiding place is, it's the only way you could record that event.”

My character stays where he is as I say, “Unless you can detract her from her present course, I suggest you leave the talking to me.”

Pointing a front hoof at my character, Rainbow Dash retorts, “You said you didn't have any ideas on how to do that.”

I state, “Evidently you weren't listening to the last thing I said before leaving Fluttershy's house.  I said she had some good ideas, and I plan on trying them when I see Pinkie Pie next.”

Rainbow Dash turns away and says, “Yeah, I heard what you thought were good ideas.  I just think that if those are your best options, then maybe I can do better.”  Then she turns to me again, and for a few seconds my character and Rainbow Dash just stare at each other.  Then, Rainbow Dash says, “Alright, you've got one last chance.  But, if I don't see you leading Pinkie Pie out into the open, I'll find her and talk to her.”

I answer, “Agreed.  But, I plan on showing her the recorded event that you, Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy saw.  And, if I do fail to lead her out, I suggest you not let her know that you've seen that event.  No need to put yourself in unnecessary danger.”  As my character turns away from the blue pegasa, I hear her grunt in agreement.  But, before I move toward the factory, I add, “And, I think it best that you turn and walk away from me.  We don't want Pinkie Pie to think you followed me here.”

From behind my character I hear Rainbow Dash groan in disappointment, then hoof-falls that indicate she's obeying me.

It's just a matter of time before my character enters the factory, then the basement, where I expect Pinkie Pie to be.  And, sure enough, the first thing I see when my character enters is the pink earth pony standing over a brick box, evidently cooking something.

The party pony turns half around toward me and says, “Whoever you are, close that door before … “

I don't give her a chance to finish as I ask, “What happened to your pinkie promise about not hurting Ataahua?”  And, while I'm talking, my character's turning to see the gray pegasa, or what's left of her, still hanging limply from the cement bed on the wall.

Pinkie Pie lets out a startled neigh, then turns to my character and says, “That was Diane that promised that, not me.  And, how do you know that I killed Derpy?”

My character turns to Pinkie Pie, who is now walking toward him on her hind legs, again.

Lyra would want to see this if the party pony's front and face weren't still covered in Ataahua's blood, which by now has dried.

But, there's something else about this Pinkie Pie that troubles me.  As my character produces the tablet, I say, “I have something to show you.”  My character then pushes points on the tablet to bring up the video, then one final space to start the video playing, then hands the tablet to Pinkie Pie.

I watch as the pink earth pony views the moving picture of her butchering the gray pegasa alive, then drops the tablet and proceeds to search a nearby wall, evidently looking for the tiny camera I hid in there, though most likely not knowing that's what she's looking for.

I ask, “What do you think your friends would think of you if they saw you doing that to another pony?”

At the same time, Pinkie Pie is asking, “Where did you put it?  Is it in the bricks?  Or is it one of the bricks?”

I continue, “This has gone way beyond you paying back a debt to me.  I never wanted this from you.”

Continuing to search the wall, the now crazed pink pony answers, “Oh, no, you just wanted to humiliate me in front of my friends.  But, you're not gonna get away with it.  You'll see.  I'll get you back for this.”

I say, “Pinkie Pie, you've got to stop this.  You're already guilty of murder.  And, what, you're gonna make cupcakes out of Ataahua to hide her murder from the other ponies?”

Pinkie Pie turns to me, then jumps at me and says, “No, I'm not making cupcakes out of Derpy.  She wouldn't want that.  No, I'm making muffins.”

Under different circumstances, I might find this funny.  Pinkie Pie is reminding me of an old woman from the nightmare of a girl in a movie.  In some strange, twisted way, there is something respectful about how Pinkie's treating the gray pony's remains.  On the other hand, this was a pony she'd promised not to harm, no matter if it was actually her, or her other identity Diane, who'd made the promise.  In a way, she's admitted to breaking her promise.

But, I'm not here to get into an argument over details, nor to fight with her; I'm here to stop her from hurting, from murdering, any more of her fellow ponies.  Still, seeing the pink earth pony this way, I must admit, I'm beginning to run out of hope for her.

Finally, I say, “I'm gonna give you one more chance to stop what you're doing, and then I'm calling law enforcement, and they can deal with you.  All you have to do is walk out of here with me.”

The pink pony crawls up the closest of my character's legs, up his chest, until she can look directly into his eyes, then says, “Oh, I'm sure you'd like that.  Get me out of the way, then you can take all the credit.”

Were it not for the clear evidence that this Pinkie Pie is computer-generated, her appearance might be troubling to me.  And, if it were real, and it were me instead of my character, I'm sure the smell of blood on the party pony would be getting to me.  But, since none of those is true, I can easily say, “Credit, for what?  You think I wanted Ataahua dead?  She was one of my friends.  And, I thought you would be, too.”

Pinkie Pie growls, then kick-jumps off of my character, causing him to fall backward into the door.  Once she lands, she turns to the brick box, walks toward it, and says, “Then, get the buck out of here.  If you're not my friend, then leave me the buck alone.”

I watch through my character's eyes as the pink pony goes back to tending her Derpy-meat muffins.  As my character stands up again and opens the door to leave, I say, “I'm sorry I couldn't help you.”  Then, as he closes the door behind him and walks up the stairs again, I hear the sound of a thud behind him.  My guess is Pinkie Pie tried to hit my character with one of her muffins.

As I'm leaving the factory, Rainbow Dash is right there at the door.

The azure pony asks, “So, what about Pinkie?”

As my character kneels down and wraps his arms around the pegasa in a hug, I answer, “Twilight may be right.  It may be too late to do anything for Pinkie Pie now.”  Then, as my character lets her go and stands up again, I can see through his eyes that the pegasa is once again on the verge of crying.  I say, “Whatever you do, if you trust me, you won't go down there.”

Rainbow Dash tries to fly over my character, but is restrained by him grabbing her under her wings.  As he tries to pull her back down in front of him, she cries, “But, I've got to do something.  She's my friend.  I can't just let her go like this.”

As my character battles the azure pegasa and her flapping wings, I answer, “Rainbow Dash, no.  Trust me, it's not a good idea to approach her in her present frame of mind.”

Rainbow Dash continues to struggle as she says, “But, why?  She's not angry with me, she's angry with you.”

I answer, “That's exactly right.  And, I'm afraid that if you confront her right now, she'll turn on you her anger toward me.  You could be her next victim.”  The fact of the matter is, if Rainbow Dash does confront her friend, the azure pegasa will be Pinkie Pie's next victim.  And, she won't be as kind to Rainbow Dash as she was to Derpy, to Ataahua.

Finally, the pegasa that's been struggling to get past my character ceases struggling and once again collapses, this time onto his shoulder, and starts sobbing.

As her wings fold, my character supports her under her hind legs with one arm and strokes her back and wings with his free hand, and I say, “I'm sorry.  Let's go back to Fluttershy's house.  I'll get Lyra and Weed Whacker, and the four of us will go back to my house, where you can stay for the night.  Tomorrow, maybe we can head for Canterlot, and I can report Pinkie Pie to the proper authorities so they can deal with her.  But, for now, let's get out of here.”

My character doesn't wait for the distraught pegasa to respond, just leaves the factory and makes his way back to Fluttershy's cottage.

Once there, I can see the sadness in the eyes of both Lyra and Weed Whacker as they look at me, holding Rainbow Dash in my arms.

Lyra says, “I'm sorry.  Each of us could only handle one pony at a time.  We couldn't keep Rainbow Dash from leaving.”

I answer, “That's alright.  Lyra, Weed Whacker, if you'll come back with me, we'll be heading back home now.”  Then, as my character turns to Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy, I ask, “Will you two be alright?”

Twilight Sparkle, still sniffling and hiccuping, looks at Fluttershy, then at my character, and says, “I'm not sure.  Fluttershy's really taking the news hard.  I'm gonna have to stay with her for the night.  Will you get Spike?  He should be at the library right now.  Just tell him to follow you to Fluttershy's cottage, and that I'm there with Fluttershy.  I'll fill him in on what's happened when he arrives.  Once you bring him here, you'll be free to return to your homes.”

Before I can agree, my character turns to look at Fluttershy.  Believe me, as shocking as it is to see the holder of the element of laughter covered in blood and smiling that unnatural smile, even more haunting is Fluttershy's emotionless face, her eyes unblinking and staring straight ahead.  Her mane is not as messy as one might expect from a pony in her condition, but it's clear the video has affected her more profoundly than it has any of her friends who have seen it.  The best I can do right now, as I said before, is keep the damage from getting any worse.  If I can keep Rainbow Dash from getting killed, hopefully that'll help the holder of the element of kindness.

As my character turns back to Twilight Sparkle, I say, “We'll head to the library now and get Spike.  We'll be back as soon as possible.”

In a matter of minutes we're at the library, and my character knocks on the door.

From inside, I hear a little boy's voice call out, “Hold on a minute, I'm coming!”  Then, in approximately a minute, the door to the library opens, and a small, youthful-looking purple dragon appears and asks, “Alright, who is it?”  Then, seeing my character holding a now sleeping Rainbow Dash and accompanied by Lyra and Weed Whacker, asks, worry in his voice, “Is everything alright?  Is Rainbow Dash alright?  Where's Twilight?”

I answer, “It's kind of a long story.  Twilight wants you to come with us to Fluttershy's cottage.  She'll fill you in on the details when you get there.  All you need to know right now is that she needs your help.”

I can see, through my character's eyes, the worry developing on the young dragon's face.  I don't dare say it aloud, but Spike has every right to be worried.  When I'm finished giving him his instructions, the young dragon salutes and says, “Just give me a few minutes.  I just need a few supplies.”  And, with that, he disappears.  When he returns, he appears to be ready for some kind of journey, having what appears to be a round object wrapped in a cloth, supported by a stick which he holds over one shoulder.  As he leaves the library, he says, “I'm ready to go.”

As we leave the library, Spike pauses for a moment to close the door, then catches up with us, matching stride with Weed Whacker.  As we proceed toward Fluttershy's house, I hear Spike ask my dinosaur friend, “So, what's your name?”

The herbivorous dinosaur answers, “I'm Weed Whacker.”  Then, she adds, “And, your name is Spike?”

The purple dragon answers, “That's right.  I guess Twilight must've told you that.  So, why are you with a human?”

Weed Whacker answers, “Mormon and I are taking care of Lyra.  She got herself into some trouble, and Princesses Celestia and Luna decided Mormon should take care of her, and that way she could learn more about humans.  I'm sort of the messenger between the Princesses and Lyra and Mormon.”

I hear excitement in Spike's voice as he says, “I'm the same way.”  More calmly, he continues, “Actually, I just send and receive messages between Twilight and Princess Celestia, but I guess they could reach Princess Luna if they needed to.  I have gotten messages that weren't specifically for Twilight, even messages directly to me.”

Weed Whacker grunts in interest and agreement, then says, “I haven't been a messenger long enough to send and receive messages for more than just the Princesses and Lyra and Mormon.  Maybe some day I'll get a message specifically for me, the way you have.  So, how do you send and receive messages?”

I hear Spike answer, “I send messages with my green flames.  I receive scrolls in my stomach, which I have to cough out.”

As much as I need the comic relief right now, I'm thinking I shouldn't be laughing at what Spike said.  So, I stifle the laugh I feel coming.

In the mean time, I hear Weed Whacker say, “I have to bite down on scrolls to send them.  Scrolls from either or both of the princesses just appear in my mouth, and I deliver them personally to either Lyra or Mormon.”

The conversation between the two reptilians continues relating to their jobs or their charges until we arrive once again at Fluttershy's house.

Once my character knocks, the doorknob glows with a purple aura and turns, allowing the door to open.

As it does, I can see through my character's eyes that Fluttershy has been moved, either by her own power or by Twilight's magic, to her couch; and Twilight has been keeping a vigil over her.

At the moment, she's looking at us.  Seeing her faithful dragon friend, she says, “Spike, come on in.”

The purple dragon enters, but I decide that my character should follow him in.

My character, once inside, puts the sleeping Rainbow Dash on the ground as the door seems to close automatically behind him.  My guess is that it closes either through the influence of unicorn magic, or by the force of Spike or Weed Whacker.  Either way, my character makes his way to Fluttershy as I say, “I'm thinking I should say a few words to Fluttershy before I head back home with Lyra, Rainbow Dash, and Weed Whacker.”

Twilight Sparkle says nothing, just nods.

As my character strokes the yellow pegasa's pink mane, I say, “I'm sorry you had to see that event.  I just didn't know any other way to get your help.  I can see now that it was best that at least some of your friends were here to watch it with you, so they could be there to support you.  I only hope that, after this, I can earn your trust, and perhaps your friendship.”  I pause for a moment before continuing, “You did have some good ideas on how I could approach Pinkie Pie.  I wish I could say honestly that they worked.  But, as it turns out, I guess Pinkie Pie was too far gone, is too far gone.  If I knew I could get your advice without showing you that event, I would've done it that way.  But, thank you for the advice you gave me.  It was worth a shot, if nothing else.”

I don't think there's one of us who isn't surprised when the yellow pegasa lifts her head up to look at my character.  She moves the closest forelimb to push my character's hand downward, moving it approximately between her front hooves, then says, “I'm happy to hear that you took some of my advice, even if it didn't prove helpful to you.  Knowing that you would turn to us, Pinkie Pie's friends, for advice on how to help her means a lot to me, to all of us.  And, I do forgive you for showing me that event.  You only did it so you could get help for Pinkie Pie.  Thank you for thinking of us in your quest to help her.”  And, with that, she, with the help of her wings, approaches my character and gives him a hug, which he reciprocates.  After a minute, they separate, and Fluttershy says, “Now, if I'm not mistaken, you, Lyra, your dragon friend, and Rainbow Dash are headed to your home to spend the night.  You don't need to worry about me anymore.  I'll be fine.”

As my character backs away from her, I say, “I hope so.  The rest of your friends need you as much now as you need them.”  My character then turns to Twilight Sparkle as I add, “I just hope you can find another pony to hold the element of laughter now that Pinkie Pie is no longer worthy to hold it.”

As my character stands up, I hear Twilight Sparkle say, “You know, that's something I hadn't thought about.  Can the elements of harmony be passed to others?  And, if so, how will I know who should hold that element next?"  She inhales slowly and deeply, then exhales just as slowly and deeply, before concluding, "I have a lot to think about now.”

As my character moves toward Rainbow Dash and proceeds to pick her up, I answer, “The next time you send a letter to Princess Celestia, you might want to ask her about that.  Maybe she or Princess Luna will have some advice.  Who knows but that they've dealt with this kind of situation before?  But, in the mean time, it seems to me that you just need to worry about finding the next pony to hold the element of laughter.”

I notice, through the edge of my character's periphery, Twilight Sparkle nodding as she says, “You've got a point.  And, thanks to Pinkie Pie, we have one less option.  Everypony in Ponyville is friends with Pinkie Pie.  That could be a good place to start looking.  And, if Princess Celestia or her sister have any ideas, that could help.  Thanks for the advice.”

My character opens the door, then holds it open for Lyra and Weed Whacker to exit, then, before my character closes it, I say, “I'm happy I could help.  See you later?”  And, before I can get an answer, my character closes the door and catches up with the unicorn and dinosaur who have already made their way to the main pathway.

As we make our way to my character's house, the group of four is silent, save for moans that come every now and then from Rainbow Dash, something about wanting to rescue Pinkie Pie.  Once we arrive at and enter my character's house, my character carefully places Rainbow Dash on one of the couches, the one kind of facing the door, at which point I say, “Lyra, Weed Whacker, if you'll stay here with Rainbow Dash, I'll go out and get us some food.”  Again, not waiting for an answer, my character exits through the front door, heading first to the orchard to harvest a few apples.

As my character is heading toward the orchard, he pauses; and I notice a change in the level of light near him.  I ask, “Princess Celestia, is that you?”

As my character turns to see the source of the light, and I indeed see the white alicorn, she answers, “Were you able to contact Pinkie Pie?”

My character resumes walking toward the orchard, and, after a momentary pause, I answer, “I was, and what I saw wasn't good.”

The white alicorn lowers her head, and there seems to be a momentary drop in the level of light from her.  She asks, “Who, w-who w-was her victim th-this time?”

I have to admit, the daytime princess's trembling and stammering is making me uneasy.  Still, I answer, “It was Derpy.”

In addition to now intensified trembling, I now hear gasping coming from Princess Celestia's position, and, as my character turns to look at her, the white alicorn seems to be in shock at the news.  I can still see her face, but I can't see her lips move; I attribute that to her vibrating so much.  I can only hear her say, “Derpy, no.”

I state, “I understand.  She was one of my friends, too.”

Princess Celestia focuses on my character and says, “No, I don't believe you do understand.  She's not just a friend, not just a companion to Doctor Whooves.  She was next in line to hold one the elements of harmony, specifically the element of kindness, when Fluttershy no longer could.”  She looks away from my character as she continues, “I'm aware of what you showed to her, and to Twilight Sparkle, the same video that Rainbow Dash saw.”

Now, I'm surprised to hear the white alicorn call the recorded event a video.  I would call it that, but all the ponies I met that saw or heard of it, that heard it, would call it a recorded event.  I have to wonder if Princess Celestia has a gift much like what Pinkie Pie had.  It would make sense.  If Princess Celestia is, in fact, a Goddess, it is conceivable that she would have all gifts, and could give them to other ponies, including Pinkie Pie.  For that matter, she could also take them away.

The white alicorn talks again, snapping me from my thoughts, as she says, “I understand why you showed them the video, but you may not be aware of the damage it caused.  I appreciate that you tried to heal the damage, but I doubt it'll be enough.”

Before she can continue, I say, “I left her with your student, Twilight Sparkle.”

Princess Celestia answers, “And, she assured my student that she'd be fine.  Twilight Sparkle left, but Fluttershy's still really hurting.  And, when a female creature in pain is left to her own devices, … “  The white alicorn trails off.

Perhaps you wouldn't expect me to interpret the silence, to know what the white princess doesn't want to say, but I do understand.  I ask, not bothering to finish her statement, “So, why bring this to me?  I'm taking care of Rainbow Dash right now.  Why don't you go to Fluttershy?  Or, why not go to your student, and send her back to Fluttershy's cottage?”

Before Princess Celestia can answer, I hear a crashing sound from my character's house.  As my character turns to the house, I see a straight rainbow leading from the doorway outward.  Just then, I near Rainbow Dash's voice from the roof say, “Tell your dragon friend I'm really sorry for hurting her.  I just need one chance to talk to Pinkie Pie.”  Once my character turns to and sees the azure pony, she continues, “Once I've had my chance, then I'll come back.  I just can't let Pinkie Pie go without a fight.”  And, with that, she flies off in the direction of the factory.

As my character and the white alicorn turn to each other again, she says anyway the words she really doesn't need to say:  “You appear to be free for the moment.”

My character runs toward the house, and I say, “This is not good.”  When my character enters the house, I can see through his eyes the blue dinosaur leaning against Lyra, looking downward, blood dripping from her nose.  She's moaning, but looks as though she'll be fine.

The pale-green unicorn growls, “If Weed Whacker weren't here, …”

I conclude, “You wouldn't be here either.  Is she alright?”

Lyra continues, “The first thing Rainbow Dash is gonna do when she gets back is repair your door.  Then, she's gonna help me take care of Weed Whacker.”

I find it pleasing that Lyra is so bonded to the little dinosaur.  It bodes well for her in case I can't take care of them any longer.  It also means I could probably leave them alone to go after Rainbow Dash, or to see if I can check up on Fluttershy.

From behind my character, I hear the white alicorn say, “You have an ability that not even I have.  You can freeze time, so that you can cover great distances in no time.  Unicorns, although with limits, and alicorns, can teleport from one place to another.  But, we need to focus.  You don't.”

Her argument doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but something else occurs to me.  Could Princess Celestia be coming to me because I'm the only one that can stop Fluttershy from seriously hurting or killing herself?  Generally, that's what most video games are all about, jobs that only the player's character can do.  Whatever the case may be, I have a choice.  I can either stop Rainbow Dash or rescue Fluttershy.  And, considering how effective I've been at trying to prevent Rainbow Dash from confronting Pinkie Pie, it seems that the better choice is to rescue Fluttershy.  So, as my character turns to the white alicorn, I say, “Alright.  I'll see if I can help Fluttershy.”

Princess Celestia picks up her right hoof and places it on my character's left shoulder as she asks, “Do you promise?”

I answer, “Ki tahi au,” and immediately everything freezes.  That is, everything except my character, who proceeds toward Fluttershy's house again.  Once he arrives and looks into the window, I can see through his eyes Fluttershy hovering over what appears to be a knife.  When my character enters through the door, it's clear that it is a knife propped up with the blade sticking up.  And, Fluttershy is directly over it.  And, noting that her wings are still unfurled and evidently still in the attitude of keeping her in the air, it's clear that she hasn't fully committed herself to the evident act of suicide.

My character takes a position in clear view of the hovering yellow pegasa, just inches from her nose, and I say, “Continue.”

I admit, if I had seen some creature appear out of nowhere just inches from my nose, it would've likely set off my fight-or-flight response.  So, I'm not surprised that Fluttershy, seeing my character that close to her all of a sudden, shrieks and flies backward away from him.

I ask, “Are you alright?”

The frightened pegasa stammers, “W-where the h-hay did you c-come from, all of a s-sudden?”

I answer, “I heard you weren't coping very well, and I thought I'd stop by to check on you.”

Fluttershy, now clearly furious with me, says, “So, you invade my home?  How did you get in here, anyway?  Aren't you supposed to be at your home right now?”

During the yellow pegasa's tirade, my character kneels down and picks the knife up by the handle.  He stands up again, and, when Fluttershy is finished and the knife is visible between the two of them, I say, “I can see I was just in time.”

The anger in Fluttershy's face melts into despair.  She says, “I was hoping I could have some time alone so I could … “

As my character lowers the knife, I ask, “Didn't I say your friends need you now more than ever?  How are you going to help them if you're dead?”

I, through my character's eyes, can only watch Fluttershy's face contort and tighten as all the emotions she's evidently been suppressing surface all at once.  In a matter of seconds, she whimpers, sobs, then starts bawling, all while still managing to hover in place.

My character drops the knife on the ground, then approaches the grieving pegasa and wraps one arm over her back across her shoulders, and the other under her hind legs, trapping the fur of her tail between his arm and her backside.

I say, “Maybe it'd be best if you spend the night at my home.  I already have Lyra and my dinosaur friend Weed Whacker spending the night there.  What's one more?”

The yellow pegasa doesn't seem to even hear what I said.  She just cries out, “I'm just so scared!  I've never seen Pinkie Pie like that!  How could she do that to another pony?  What happened to her?”

As my character heads toward the door, I say, “I'm taking you to my house.  It's best not to leave you alone right now.”  And, with that, my character leaves Fluttershy's house, then heads back to his own home.

Back at my character's home, I can see a defensive Rainbow Dash facing off against an angry Lyra.

As my character enters the gate, I hear Rainbow Dash say, “I said I'd be back, and I am.  I really am sorry for hurting your dragon friend.”

Lyra retorts, “There's more to it than that.  What about the door you destroyed?”

Rainbow Dash rubs her head and says, “Yeah, I'll be paying for that in more ways than one.  That door was obviously made of hardwood.”

Lyra proceeds to growl at the azure pegasa, until I call out, “Lyra, back off!  Now's not the time for revenge.”

Rainbow Dash whips around, and both ponies focus on my character and the yellow pegasa he's carrying.

Now Rainbow Dash growls as she asks, “What did you do to Fluttershy?”

I answer, “I stopped her from killing herself.  I need to bring her inside, now.”

Rainbow Dash's anger turns to surprise as she moves out of my character's way.

Lyra, seeing my character moving ahead to the doorway, moves aside to allow him to enter.

As my character passes her, I ask, “Lyra, could you go out and get some food for all of us?”

I don't hear her answer, at least not vocally.  I do hear hoof-falls as she runs out the door to collect the food, as per my request.

In the mean time, as my character carefully places the yellow pegasa on the couch, Rainbow Dash is suddenly next to him asking, “Is she going to be alright?  Fluttershy, are you going to be alright?”

I answer, “She's going to need someone, some pony, to keep an eye on her.  That event I had her watch hit her harder than I realized.”

The azure pegasa pushes my character on his side and cries, “Didn't I warn you not to show her that event?  I know you needed her help, but couldn't you have found another way?”

As my character attempts to get back up, I answer, “As far as I knew, I didn't have another option.  If I'd been aware of another way to get her help, I would've used that way.  But, as it is, I'm glad to see you've come back.”

Rainbow Dash starts to smile as she says, “My element is loyalty, after all, and you've proven yourself worthy of my respect.”  Then, her smile fades as she says, “So, I did go and see Pinkie Pie.”

My character takes this as an opportunity to get into a sitting position next to the azure pegasa as I ask, “And, how did things go?”

Rainbow Dash answers, “I'm not really sure.  I tried to start a conversation with her, but I was doing all the talking.  Then I brought up Derpy, and mentioned that I knew she killed her.”

I ask, “And, then what happened?”

Rainbow Dash sits down, looks down, and draws circles in the rug with her right hoof as she answers, “I don't know how to describe it.  She glared at me, growled, then said something about not being able to get a Pinkie promise out of you.”  The azure pegasa then rubs her chest with her right hoof as she continues, “She pushed me against the wall and first asked quietly, then loudly, if you told me about it.”

I want to ask how she answered, but I figure she'll tell me anyway.  In the mean time, my character strokes the pegasa's rainbow-colored mane.

Rainbow Dash looks up at me and thanks me, then looks down again and continues, once again drawing the circles, “I said you didn't exactly tell me.  When she asked, no demanded, that I explain, I told her about that moving picture thing of yours and how I saw the event on that.”  The azure pegasa sniffles, then continues, “I expected her to hit me, but instead she let me go.  She started ranting about you finding a loophole in your promise.  I've never known Pinkie Pie to be so scary.  I asked her why she'd do that to another pony, but she didn't answer me.”  Again the rainbow-haired pegasa sniffles, but she can't prevent a sob and a tear from escaping, before she continues, “You know, she reminded me of another friend I had, but she was more cruel.  If I didn't know better, I'd say it was Gilda, except more angry than she was at that party, when I rubbed her droppings in her head feathers.”  At this point, she falls sideways onto my character's lap and once again starts sobbing.

My character looks up at Fluttershy, and I say, as she looks at me, “You see, you have a friend here that needs your help.  You're not the only pony that's having a hard time.”

The yellow pegasa looks down at her azure friend, then back up at my character, then proceeds to jump over her friend off the couch without using her wings, then U-turns and approaches and starts to nuzzle Rainbow Dash.

Through her sobs, I hear the grief-stricken Rainbow Dash cry out for Gilda's forgiveness.

Fluttershy turns to my character and says, “How selfish I've been, wanting to kill myself because I thought I was the only one suffering.  Thank you, human.  I needed this.”  And, with that, she positions herself and Rainbow Dash so they can hug.  It's Fluttershy who initiates the hug, while Rainbow Dash reciprocates, and the two sob into each other's shoulders.

And, that's when Lyra comes in, supporting an assortment of fruits and vegetables with her magic.  She looks at the two pegasae hugging and crying, then at me, then somehow manages to crawl under the coffee table to get to the kitchen, most likely to clean the plant parts in the sink.

Since there seems to be nothing more I can do for the two pegasae, my character stands up and walks behind the closest couch to open the door for Lyra as she enters the kitchen.

Before I can say anything, Lyra says, “You seem to have a way with ponies.”

While I'm not entirely sure what she means by that, I decide to treat her remark with optimism.  As my character joins the pale-green unicorn, I answer, “I seem to remember something about a burden shared being a burned reduced.  They may not be grieving over exactly the same thing, but at least they're supporting each other.  And that, I think, is a step in the right direction.”

My character reaches out to turn on the sink, but a pale-green aura possesses the taps and faucet, and soon, outside of my character's control, the water is just the right temperature for cleaning Lyra's harvest.

As she uses her magic to slide a chair next to me and climbs onto it, she says, “There's more to you humans than producing things without the need for magic.  With all the trouble you've caused, you've also shown me strengths I haven't seen in many ponies.  Before I encountered you, all I knew about humans was fingers, upright walking, and amazing inventions.  Who would've thought I'd see something even more amazing watching a human work through problems I couldn't work through?”

As my character rinses a carrot under the water, I answer, “Not all humans are the same.  Some humans are better at dealing with pressure, with adversity, than others.  Some of us learn that we're better than we think at dealing with problems.  Others choose to hide from them, and never learn what their greatest strengths are.  But, that's what life is all about.  We learn what our greatest strengths are and to overcome our problems, or we never grow, and end up worse off than we were before.  Life isn't meant to be easy, but what makes it fair is that it's hard for everyone.”

I hear Lyra laugh, then say, “I'm not altogether sure why Princess Celestia wanted you to have custody of me, but I'm finding I couldn't be in better company.”

A thought has occurred to me.  I ask, “Oh, by the way, where's Weed Whacker?”

Lyra pauses, then answers, “She's in my bed.  Princess Celestia put her broken bones back together with her magic, then placed her in my bed, as per my request.”

I notice that Lyra has cleaned more items than I have.  In fact, that means the meal is nearly ready.

My character grabs one more item, an apple, and rinses it under the running water, as I say, “It's good to hear she'll be alright then.  Does that mean she'll be able to eat something?”

Lyra pauses again, then says, “I hope so.  I've learned quite a lot from and about you today.  I'll have quite a letter to write to Princess Celestia this time.”

I comment, “I'm thinking I'll have something to write to her as well.  Maybe not so much about what I've learned about unicorns, but what I've learned about pegasi.  One thing I wonder about, though.  Does the letter I write to her have to include all I've learned about unicorns, or you specifically, up to the time of the letter?”

Lyra answers, “That's something you'll have to ask Princess Celestia.  But, somehow, I doubt it.  If I were to write to Princess Celestia all I've learned about humans to date, or, all I thought I knew, well, for one thing, I'd be writing for hours, if not days.  And, the Princess'd be receiving a book, not just a letter.”  Then, after sighing with relief after cleaning all the fruits and vegetables I hadn't cleaned, she asks me, “So, what've you learned about pegasi?”

I answer, “I've learned that they can be really elusive and unpredictable.  I left Rainbow Dash inside the house, and she destroyed my front door.  I left Fluttershy with Twilight Sparkle, and she nearly killed herself after convincing Twilight that she was fine.  While I find earth ponies possessed of the most potential, I've seen superlatives in pegasi and unicorns as well.  They all seem to be worth further study.”

Lyra teleports herself next to the chair she'd been standing on, then uses her magic to slide the chair back in its place, before saying, “Well, thanks, I think.  At any rate, the food's ready to eat.  I'll inform everypony.”

My character nods in agreement, and Lyra proceeds out of the kitchen to inform the pegasae, then back through the kitchen to the hallway and to her bedroom to inform Weed Whacker.

I'm pleased to see the two pegasae, now smiling, proceed to take their places at the table.  But, I'm even more pleased to see Weed Whacker come into the kitchen and take a chair next to Rainbow Dash, who proceeds to request forgiveness of the little dinosaur.

This leaves one place for either my character or Lyra.  This, in turn, leads to a strange argument about who should get that place at the table, strange because we argue that the other should have the place.  Eventually, everyone agrees to move the meal into the living room, so that everyone can have a place to sit.

With that argument settled, we enjoy the meal and each others company forming a circle in the front room.  After that, it's agreed that the pegasae get Weed Whacker's room for the time being, and Weed Whacker and Lyra sleep in Lyra's room.  With all arrangements made, the group of five retire to their assigned rooms, and Lyra and I write our letters to the Princesses.

I've never asked Lyra what she'd write about me.  As far as I'm concerned, what she reports to the Princesses about what she learned from me is most likely none of my business; she'll inform me if she feels it's necessary.

As for myself, one thing I include in my letter is the question of one or both of the princesses having advice for Twilight Sparkle on who should hold the element of laughter now that Pinkie Pie is no longer worthy.  Other than that, I write about what I've learned about pegasi from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, which seems to me more than I learned about unicorns from Lyra.  Once I've completed my letter, I hand it to Weed Whacker, who immediately sends it off, after which it's time for my character to go to bed.  I'll save and end the game now, and continue later after a short break.
> Chapter 7: Cupcakes with a Dash of Rainbow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I continue the game, I find my character just waking up in the morning, ready as soon as he's out of bed to leave his room and meet the three ponies and one dinosaur for breakfast.

My character opens the door to his room just in time to startle Rainbow Dash, who looks at him and says, “Oh, Mormon.  Nice to see you.”

I answer, “Nice to see you, too.  Did you sleep well?”

The azure pegasa answers, “Fluttershy and I eventually got to sleep.  I guess her focusing on me kept her from thinking about what you showed her yesterday.  I don't know about her, but I found myself sleeping free of nightmares.  Oh, and by the way, when I left Pinkie Pie, she ... gave me an invitation ... to return to that factory.”

As my character falls in behind her in the hallway, I say, “I really don't think it's a good idea for you to accept that invitation.”

Before Rainbow Dash can say anything, Fluttershy, behind me, says, “As much as I hate to admit it, I have to agree with Mormon.  The Pinkie Pie I saw in that recorded event isn't the same pony that was our friend.  Your life might be in danger.”

The fact of the matter is I know that if Rainbow Dash pays one more visit to Pinkie Pie, she won't be coming back, not unless Pinkie Pie can be stopped first.  And, the way Rainbow Dash paused as she talked about the invitation, I wouldn't be surprised if she at least suspects the same thing as Fluttershy does, and that I know.  I add, “Indeed.  Pinkie Pie has already murdered a pony, and at least tried to make muffins out of her.  If I can keep one more pony safe from her, that may be a good start toward me repairing the damage I've done already.”

Rainbow Dash, the first now in the kitchen, turns to me and says, “You shouldn't hold yourself responsible for everything that goes wrong in Ponyville, or anywhere else in Equestria for that matter.”

I answer, “I'm not holding myself responsible for everything going wrong in Equestria.  Just for what's going wrong with Pinkie Pie, and the problems it's causing with her friends.  If I had it to do over again, I'd do things very differently.”  And, when I restart this game, I do plan on approaching things very differently.  But, this play of the game is about failure, not success.

Rainbow Dash says, “Well, whatever.  One thing I agree with, though, is that I shouldn't accept Pinkie Pie's invitation.  She scared me the last time I met her, and I am afraid of what she might do to me if I meet her again.  Besides, she's not just guilty of murdering Derpy.  She also murdered Gilda.”

I don't say it, but I think, I know, she's right.  Pinkie Pie has committed two murders already.  And, in a way, my character has taken part in one of those murders.  He ate a griffon meat cupcake.  For that matter, in a way I've taken a larger part in both murders, even if they were of fictional characters.  My character represents me, after all.  But, I digress.

In response to what Rainbow Dash said, I state, “You're right.  And, I don't think she should be guilty of any more.”

Rainbow Dash turns to look at me, and I can see the worried look on her face.

But, before she can ask her the question I want to ask, or say anything for that matter, we hear Pinkie Pie's voice from in the living room shouting, “Hey, Rainbow Dash, are you coming or not?”

I answer, “I don't think that matters right now.  Just everyone stay put, and I'll take care of Pinkie Pie.”  With that, my character proceeds to the living room.

As soon as Pinkie Pie sees my character, she growls, “Well, where's Dashy?”

As my character closes the door behind him, I state, “Alright, I know I don't have a front door right now."  i then ask, "But, still, don't you think you should knock before you enter?”

Pinkie Pie growls, “Don't you give me that.  I know she's here, and she will accept my invitation!”

As my character approaches the pink pony, I say, “I'm thinking some pony's just about earned herself a time-out.”

Pinkie Pie doesn't seem to notice me reaching for the clipboard and pen, at least not at first, as she screams, “Don't patronize me!”  She then proceeds to sniff around the room like a dog as she continues, “I know she's around here somewhere.  I just want her for a few minutes.”  It seems to be just then that she notices my character writing a message on the parchment, as she asks, “Wait.  What the buck are you doing?”

I answer, “I'm writing a letter to Princess Celestia.  It's an urgent request for law enforcement.  I'm letting her know you're threatening me and my home and guests.”

Presently, the pink pony glares at me and growls, “So, Rainbow Dash is here.  Where is she?”

I answer, “That's not your concern right now.  Your concern should be to make sure you escape before law enforcement gets here.  Unless you want to get arrested, I suggest you leave right now.”

Pinkie Pie grunts in disbelief and asks, “And, just how do you plan to send it to her?  Are Twilight Sparkle and Spike here as well?”

I answer, “No, but I do have a friend that can send letters to the Princesses just as easily as Spike can.”  My character completes the letter, removes it from the clipboard, and rolls it up; as I say, “I'm giving you ten minutes before I hand this over to my friend, and she sends it to Princess Celestia.  If you're not on your way back through the Everfree forest by the time law enforcement arrives, you will be arrested for the murder of Ataahua.”

Pinkie Pie's expression begins to morph into one of worry as she says, “You're k-kidding.  W-we're friends, aren't we?  Y-you wouldn't send police ponies to arrest m-me, would you?”

The pink pony starts backing toward the front doorway.  I must admit, I'm surprised that she doesn't run into anything, really, as she makes her way backward out the door, across the porch, down the stairs, and onto the walkway.  Then, she just stops.

Is it following, or leading, when one creature matches pace with another creature who's walking backward?  Whichever it is, that's what I do to Pinkie Pie until she stops in the cement walkway just in front of the steps.  There, I ask, “Oh, by the way, were you successful in making muffins from Ataahua's meat?”

The pink pony looks down as she answers, “No, I wasn't.”  Then, it's all I can do to keep from laughing when she says, “Unless pony meat is that much different from fruit, I just don't know what went wrong.”  Then she looks up again, growling and glaring, and roars out, “Rainbow Crash, you Pinkie promised me you'd come!  And, you will meet me at the factory!”  And, with that, she turns around and proceeds to march as loudly as she can out the door, down the porch, then to and through the gate and back through the Everfree forest.

My character watches her disappear past some trees, then heads back into the house and to the kitchen.

As my character enters, Rainbow Dash, who has taken a seat at the table, sobs as she says, “It was the only way she'd let me go, was if I Pinkie promised.  I thought she was going to kill me if I didn't.”

As my character drops the rolled-up parchment on the counter next to the sink, I state, “If you go to that factory again, she just might kill you any way.  Until the police ponies arrive, I suggest you stay here.  Once they get here, you can lead some of them to the factory.”

That's when Weed Whacker steps forward and asks, “Should I send the letter?”

I answer the little dinosaur, “Not yet.  Let's wait another minute or two, then you can send the letter.”

Then Fluttershy asks, “What did you write in that letter anyway, if you don't mind me asking?”

My character retrieves the letter from the counter and opens it up again, and I read:

“Attention Princess Celestia:

“Pinkie Pie, murderer of Derpy Hooves and Gilda the griffon, has come to my house, and is menacing me and my guests.  Please send law enforcement as soon as possible.”

Both pegasae bow their heads in grief as they hear me read about Pinkie having murdered the two creatures.  Somehow, I wouldn't be surprised to find that Derpy, or Ataahua, as I've been calling her, was a friend of both of them, as well as Pinkie Pie.  But, for all intents and purposes, Pinkie Pie is another friend they've lost.

And, then there's Rainbow Dash, specifically.  She'd already lost her friend, Gilda, before the griffon was killed and butchered and made into cupcakes by Pinkie Pie.  I wouldn't be surprised if the griffon's remains were still in that basement.  And, who knows what Pinkie Pie has done with the remains of Ataahua?  If, as I suspect, she's gotten that room ready for Rainbow Dash, then Ataahua's remains are either in a new pile, or perhaps part of a new line of furniture.

As the rest of us look on, the azure pegasa sobs and pounds the table, shouting, “Why, Pinkie Pie, why did you call me by that name?  What happened to you?”

Figuring it's been long enough, my character hands the scroll to Weed Whacker, who immediately bites down on it, at which point it disappears.  Next, he proceeds toward Rainbow Dash and, once next to her, starts to stroke her mane.

The azure pegasa looks up at my character and says, “You are the first human I've known.  If I ever meet another human, I hope he or she is as worthy of my respect, of my loyalty, as you are.  Thank you, Mormon.”  Then she looks down at her front hooves again and says, “But, the fact remains that I did make a promise to Pinkie Pie, a Pinkie promise.  And, I don't know if she'll ever trust me again if I break that promise.”

I pause for a moment before answering, “It sounds to me like she doesn't trust you anyway.  And, besides, I don't want her to have any more blood on her hooves than she already has.  It's best for you to avoid Pinkie Pie from now on.”

The azure pony answers, “I know.”  Then, she pushes me aside and falls off her chair, then proceeds back toward Weed Whacker's bedroom as she says, “I'm not hungry anymore.  I'm goin' back to bed.”

Just then, I hear a male voice from the front door calling, “Is anypony there?  We heard we were needed here!”

My character turns toward the door between the living room and the kitchen, then back to Rainbow Dash, and I have him hold up a hand to the azure pony, palm facing toward her, as I say, “Just a moment.  It sounds like the police have arrived.”  As Rainbow Dash pauses in place, my character goes through the door to see a pair of military-looking stallions at the front door.  As my character approaches them, I say, “Welcome.  Will you come in?”

One of the stallions, a pegasus, speaks evidently to other ponies, I can only guess to direct them to surround the house and/or search for Pinkie Pie.  For some strange reason, I can't seem to hear him very well when he's facing away from my character.  Then, that stallion turns to me again and says, “We've come here because of a report that Pinkie Pie was here, she'd murdered a pony and a griffon, and she was threatening you and your guests.  Is that true?”

I answer, “It is.  However, when I produced the clipboard and parchment and started writing a letter to Princess Celestia, she ran off.  Still, I have a friend who can show you where she'll most likely be in the next half hour.”  My character then opens the door between the living room and the kitchen and calls out, “Rainbow Dash, will you come here?”

In a matter of seconds, the azure pegasa shows up at the doorway and asks, “Yeah, what do you want?”

I ask in response, “Will you go with the police ponies to show them to the factory?”

Rainbow Dash says nothing, just nods.

As my character focuses on the police pony, I add, “Inside the factory, there's a trap door not too far from the entrance.  Open that up, and it should lead to a staircase that should lead to the basement where Pinkie Pie killed Gilda and Derpy.  You should also find their remains there, most likely made into furniture.”  As my character turns back to Rainbow Dash, I say, “Now, remember, I don't want you in contact with Pinkie Pie, especially not alone.  If you don't find Pinkie Pie, or the remains of either of your friends, just get out, along with the police ponies.  Do you understand?”

The azure pony looks at my character and answers, “Yes.”

I add, “Right now, the best way for you to show your loyalty to Pinkie Pie is to get her into police custody, so she won't be able to harm another pony.”

Rainbow Dash says, “How I wish that wasn't so.  But, I know you're right.  If this is the only way I can help Pinkie Pie, then it's what I'll do.”  And, with that, she makes her way to and out the front door.

The police pony, after watching the conversation between my character and Rainbow Dash, turns to my character and says, “I promise to bring Rainbow Dash back the way she was when she left with us.”

I answer, “Thank you for that.  As long as she comes back alive, that's what I hope for.  But, if you lose track of her and can't rescue her, I can show you her fate when you return.”

The police pony answers, “If I don't bring Miss Dash back alive, I would like to see how you can show me her fate.”

I agree, and my character watches as the police pony leaves, and he and Rainbow Dash fly off toward the factory.  I seriously doubt Pinkie Pie will be there, at least not yet.  They'll likely arrive ahead of Pinkie Pie by plenty of time to gather the remains of Ataahua and Gilda.  And, hopefully they'll be patient enough to stay and capture the pink pony and detain her so she won't be able to murder any more ponies.  On the other hand, if she turns around and comes back here, there should be enough police ponies to apprehend her before she can hurt anyone here.  At least, that's what I'm hoping.

The fact of the matter is I expect something to go wrong, and for Rainbow Dash at least to be murdered, and, if I can't stop the pink pony, I expect she'll make her friend into cupcakes.  If I'm wrong, and Rainbow Dash does return in one piece from the police investigation, while I'll be happy to see her again, I'm also certain that the matter with Pinkie Pie won't end there.  Rainbow Dash testified that she'd Pinkie promised to meet with Pinkie Pie again, and, knowing Pinkie Pie, she won't let Rainbow Dash off the hook easily, if at all.  But, I'll deal with that problem as, and if, it arises.

From behind me, I hear Lyra ask, “Are you sure it was a good idea to let Rainbow Dash go on her own?”

As my character turns to look at Lyra, I answer, “I'm hoping so, but, I must admit, somehow, I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't come back, at least not the way she left.”

Through my character's eyes I see Lyra start to glare as she asks, “So, why did you tell her to go with the police ponies?  If you expect her to … “

From behind Lyra I see Fluttershy looking up at me, sadness in her eyes, as she asks, “What if Pinkie Pie kills Rainbow Dash?  You did order her to go with the police ponies, as Lyra pointed out.  Could you live with Rainbow Dash's blood on your … hands?”

My character gestures to the two ponies to follow him as he makes his way into the living room, and they sit on one couch as my character sits in the other.  As I look at the two through my character's eyes, I answer, “I admit, I'm taking a major risk.  I don't know for sure if Rainbow Dash will be coming back alive.  And, while I admit I'm having doubts on that, I have to hope that she will return just fine.  I have to exercise faith, or at the very least hope, that she will be safe in the hooves of the police ponies.  And, besides, even if they don't capture Pinkie Pie this time, they should at least be able to collect the remains of her victims thus far.  And, another thing I'm hoping for is to let the police ponies know that I do intend to cooperate with them.  After all, I'm the one that let Pinkie Pie escape.”

At this point, Lyra asks, “Yea, about that.  Pinkie Pie has already committed two murders.  If you don't expect her to change, and go back to being the Pinkie Pie we all know and love, why did you let her go?”

I pause for a moment, then answer, “Maybe I shouldn't, but I want to give Pinkie Pie one last chance to repent.  If this last chance fails, and she kills Rainbow Dash, or any other pony for that matter, then I will take the first opportunity to catch Pinkie Pie myself and hand her over to the police ponies.  I'm just hoping it doesn't come to that.”

This is when Fluttershy chimes in and says, “I know what you mean.  I suppose, if I were in your place, though, I'd be giving Pinkie Pie more chances to turn her life around.  But, after all, she is one of my friends.”

I answer, “And, I admit I hoped she'd be one of my friends as well.  And, she wanted to be one of mine.  I sensed that from her.  But, somewhere along the way, something went wrong.  And, while I hope she will turn away from her destructive course, I still can't ignore the crimes she's already committed.  If Pinkie Pie doesn't take advantage of this last opportunity I'm giving her, if she throws the opportunity away, I'll have to take action.”

Fluttershy sniffles, then looks down and rubs her nose with a forelimb, then looks up at my character again and says, “I hope Rainbow Dash comes back.”

I answer, “So do I.”  Then, as my character stands up, I say, “Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I haven't had anything to eat yet.  And, after that, I have a door to repair.”  And, with that, my character makes his way out the doorway toward the orchard.

I don't really get a chance to find out if Lyra and Fluttershy have decided to join me in harvesting a meal for themselves, as I find my character running into Princess Celestia once again.

As my character looks up at the white alicorn, she says, “I know you waited before sending me that letter.  You realize you're putting Rainbow Dash in jeopardy.”

I answer, “I'm just hoping Pinkie Pie will repent.”

Princess Celestia asks, “And, what if she doesn't?  What if she kills Rainbow Dash, or another pony?”

I answer, “I'll capture her myself, and hand her over to the authorities.”

Princess Celestia bows her head, and I can't tell for sure if her nose is running or if a tear has run down to that nostril and dripped off.  Whichever it is, she says, “So, I see you've given up on Pinkie Pie?”

I answer, “Not entirely.  If I had, I would've sent the letter as soon as I'd written it.  For that matter, I would've delayed Pinkie Pie long enough for her to be detained by the police ponies.”  Then, after a momentary pause, I ask, “On that subject, has your student mentioned getting a replacement for Pinkie Pie?”

The white princess answers, “In her last letter, she did ask if Pinkie Pie's element could be passed to another pony.  She also asked if there was another pony to receive the element of laughter now that Pinkie Pie couldn't hold it.”  After a brief pause, she continues, “There is another pony that could take over representing laughter, but she hasn't received her cutie mark yet.  While she could still hold the element of laughter, she'll need strict and careful training.”

After thinking for a moment, I ask, “Is this pony one of three foals that don't have their cutie marks yet, that may not get them for quite some time?”

Princess Celestia answers, “She is, and she's the little sister of one that already holds an element of harmony.”

Knowing what I know about those three, I can figure it can either be Sweetie Belle or Applebloom.  But, it's enough for me to know there's a candidate to represent laughter since Pinkie Pie is no longer worthy.  I say, “So, I guess it is possible to pass the elements to other ponies then.”

The white alicorn nods, then looks up and says, “So, I see that Lyra's doing well.”

My character turns toward the house, and I see through his eyes the pale-green unicorn approaching across the lawn.  As he turns back to the white princess, I answer, “I think she's learned more from me than I have from her.  As fascinated by humans as she is, I don't know.  Perhaps I'm seeing her too much as an equine.  Should I be looking more at her human qualities?  I see earth ponies as having the most potential for human-level good, but should I be looking for that same potential in Lyra as well?”

Princess Celestia answers, “Far too often have humans considered themselves above other creatures, and been unwilling to humble themselves and see other creatures equal to them.  If a non-human wants to learn about humans, why should a human not want to learn about them?  And, if a non-human seeks to see in a human something of him- or herself, why should a human not see in a non-human something of him- or herself?”

I know what she's talking about.  When a human looks into a dog's eyes, and the dog takes it as a challenge and fights back, is the dog not canimorphizing the human?  When a cat brings a dead mouse to his or her human, thinking he or she is incapable of obtaining his or her own meat, is the cat not felimorphizing the human?  And, I'm sure there are ways horses equimorphize their human owners.  So, if these creatures see no shame in finding ways to equate humans to their own kind, should we humans be ashamed to anthropomorphize them?

Of course, in this video game environment that I've made, that should be especially easy.  Then again, I've been focused on Pinkie Pie.  I haven't given myself time to really learn that much about Lyra.  While I'm sure I've shown Lyra some part of how good a human can be, I could show her other ways of how good, how goodly, humans can be as well.  And, perhaps I should look for ways that Lyra can show me how good, how goodly, a unicorn can be.  While I doubt it'll change my mind about what type of pony I'd prefer to be if I had to become a pony, still it might just give me something especially good to occupy my free time.  The question is, do I want to start now, strictly with Lyra, in this game, or do I want to wait until the next game when I'll actually be working toward making Pinkie Pie the best pony, the best creature, she can be?

It seems that my being thus lost in thought has given Lyra, Fluttershy, and Weed Whacker the time they've needed to meet me in talking to Princess Celestia.

Lyra, as soon as she's close enough, says, “Princess Celestia, it's an honor to meet you here.  So, you've been talking with Mormon?”

The white alicorn answers, “I've just come for an update on his progress with Pinkie Pie.  I have the information I need, so I'll be heading back to Canterlot now.  In the mean time, I've given Mormon something to think about as well.  So, farewell.”  And, with that, she disappears.

The pale-green unicorn says, “I wonder if the Princesses are taking as much of an interest in humans as I have.”

Fluttershy says, “I must admit, as much as I wasn't expecting it, I'm finding humans interesting as well, or, at least Mormon.  They are definitely not dragons.  Mormon, at least, is a creature I can see as a friend.”

I don't know if my character is smiling, but I know I am.  I answer, “I appreciate that.  Thank you, Fluttershy.”  As my character turns to look at the yellow pegasa, I continue, “It seems my assignment, as part of taking care of Lyra, is to learn about unicorns from her.  Perhaps I can learn more about pegasi from you as well.”

The yellow pegasa looks away from me and says, “Oh, I don't know about that.  I'm probably not the best to represent all pegasi.”

I answer, “Maybe not.  And, maybe Lyra isn't the best to represent all unicorns.  But, neither am I the best to represent all humans.  I don't know about ponies, but I have to wonder if there is such a thing as a typical human.”

Fluttershy looks at me again, smiles and squees, then says, “Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but ponies come in a wide variety of colors; even our manes and tails are often differently colored from our body fur.  And then, there's our cutie marks.  And, our personalities also differ from one pony to another.  Then, there are earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns, even a few alicorns.  If there is no such thing as a typical human, then neither is there such a thing as a typical pony.”

I hadn't really thought about it that way, but Fluttershy is right.  And, one more distinguishing feature she didn't mention, which I choose not to mention aloud either, is, either among humans or ponies, a wide variety of disabilities.  I've observed, at least watching the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic series, as well as fan works, that ponies are just as capable of being born with a missing eye, for instance, as humans are.  And, perhaps there is at least one pony in this world with an extra visible organ, such as an extra leg or ear or eye.  And, what's to say that there aren't ponies in Equestria with more than one talent?  I know that such a thing happens among humans; I know I have all sorts of different talents.  And, once again, I'm getting lost in my thoughts.

The one to pull me out of my thoughts is Lyra, who asks me, “Didn't you say you were hungry, or something like that?”

I say something about Lyra being right, and my character joins in as each member of the group gathers food for themselves.

It isn't until we get back to the house before the police ponies that had gone to the factory return, and without Rainbow Dash.

Before I can ask, the pony who'd promised me to keep the rainbow-haired pony safe approaches my character, looking worried, and says, “None of us knows when it happened, we just know that Rainbow Dash disappeared.  We know she was with us when we were gathering the remains of Derpy Hooves and Gilda, but we only noticed she was missing just as we were flying over the Everfree forest.”

I ask, “Did no one notice whether or not Rainbow Dash had taken off with the rest of you?”

Pointing his nose at my character's shoes, the pony talking to my character answers, “Honestly, we all thought she had taken off with us.  W-we … we're … assuming the worst.”  It's clear to me that the stallion was getting the words out as fast as possible, before being overcome by emotion.

Considering she's one of the Mane Six, it makes sense that Rainbow Dash would be seen as a heroine by other ponies.  And, even the possibility of her dying would generate strong emotions for these ponies.  It makes sense that they'd grieve for her, even if she's only missing, and could be recovered and return.

On the other hand, I had ordered Rainbow Dash to go with the police ponies, hoping she'd come back with them.  I'd allowed Pinkie Pie to escape, hoping she'd take the opportunity to repent.  If Pinkie Pie is squandering her last chance, if she'd caught Rainbow Dash and is preparing to butcher her, I have to know.

My character produces the tablet, turns it on, and pushes areas on the small screen, causing the image of the inside of the basement to appear once again.  Right now, I see, through my character's eyes, the cement bed on the wall empty, and no evidence of activity.  I ask the police stallion, “You said you got the remains of Derpy and Gilda, right?  If that's the case, I'm wondering why I'm seeing a furniture set made of bones off to the side.”

My character turns to the police pony to see him, eyes closed, tapping his forehead between his eyes with a front hoof.  He puts the hoof down, opens his eyes, turns to my character, and answers, “Honestly, we didn't know that.  We did see the furniture made from bones, but we didn't think about that.”

I sigh and state, “I thought I'd mentioned something about it before you left.”  Then, as my character turns to look at the tablet again, I notice activity in the room, at least what seem to be moving shadows.  I say, “Well, there's no time to go back now to look.  I think Pinkie Pie's back there.”

The police pony follows my character into the house as he chooses to sit on the couch closest to the front door.

The police pony, in the mean time, chooses a position behind my character, peering over one of his shoulders as Lyra and Weed Whacker peer over the other one.

There's silence in the front room as Pinkie Pie appears in the scene, and all watching see that she's dragging Rainbow Dash by the mane of her forehead.

As I watch through my character's eyes the pink pony fasten her rainbow-haired friend to the cement bed, I call out, “Pinkie Pie, no!”

It's just then that I realize how many ponies I alarmed with my outburst.

Lyra growls my name while Fluttershy starts sobbing.

The police pony stumbles and falls away from my character.

But, even more disconcerting is what Pinkie does next.  Leaving Rainbow Dash hanging by a front hoof and a rear hoof, both on the same side of her body, the pink earth pony turns and seems to focus on the camera.  She must've bathed in a nearby stream or something, as her front is free from any visible blood.  She even appears to be well-groomed.  But, there is still that look on her face: the glare in her eyes, that unnaturally broad smile.  In a surprisingly human gesture, she stands up on her hind legs, then points in between her eyes with a front hoof.  From that perspective, it looks as though each clef is pointing to an eye.  Then, she stretches out that forelimb and points … at me.

As she returns to fastening her friend to the cement bed, I have no doubt that she was pointing at me.  So, she must know the location of the camera.  But, the one question on my mind right now is this: Did Pinkamena Pie just challenge me?

If other ponies are saying anything, either to each other or to my character, I can't hear it.  If they're doing anything to my character, there's no evidence of it.  My character is completely focused on the screen, and the drama unfolding on it.

Once the pink pony is finished fastening her friend to the cement bed, she slaps her once, twice, each time calling out her name.  I can't say how it's happening, but once again I can hear what Pinkie Pie is saying.

As Rainbow Dash stirs and wakes up, I can hear her say, “Huh?  What is it?”  Then, as she blinks open her eyes and focuses on the pink earth pony, she exclaims, “Pinkie Pie!  Let me go!  I don't want to be here!”

Now, before I continue with the story, let me clarify something.  I know it's Pinkamena because her mane and tail are curly.  If the mane and tail were straight, and the mane were on one side of her neck, I'd say it was Diane who was doing these things to Rainbow Dash.  Then again, knowing Diane Pie's character as I do, I know she wouldn't do to Rainbow Dash what the curly pony is doing to her.  And, for all I know, it may be Diane who's somehow allowing me to hear what Pinkamena and Rainbow Dash are saying to each other.

Now, back to the story, as Pinkamena turns away from Rainbow Dash, she says, “Now, Dashie, don't be like that.  After all, I'm gonna make you cupcakes.”

The rainbow-maned pegasa chuckles weakly and says, “Well, if you wanna make cupcakes for me, you don't have to tie me down.  Heh heh, you know I always like your cupcakes.”

Pinkie Pie laughs evilly and says, “No, Dashie, I don't think you understand.  I'm not gonna make cupcakes for you.  I'm gonna make you cupcakes.”

Now, once again, it's almost as though I'm in the basement with the two ponies as I watch Rainbow Dash swallow, evidently with extreme difficulty, sniffle, then say, “Pinkie Pie, my friend, please.  You've got to stop this.  I know you killed Gilda and Derpy.  Do you really want to add murdering me to your crimes?”

I feel like cheering for the trapped pegasa.  But, unfortunately, it seems that her plea has fallen on deaf ears.

Pinkie Pie, producing a surgical knife from a nearby table, turns to Rainbow Dash and starts walking toward her saying, “You really think I'm gonna murder you?  You're my best friend.  And, you're gonna be cupcakes.  Just think about it.”  At this point, she's made it back to Rainbow Dash's side.  I watch as the pink pony climbs not unlike a spider up the wall to the azure pegasa's ear, then whispers into it, “Now, everypony's gonna taste the rainbow.”  Presently, she climbs back down the wall, stands in front her friend, then stabs the knife into Rainbow Dash's closest flank, making sure to miss her cutie mark.

As the pink earth pony carves a circle around the picture of a white cumulus cloud emitting a rainbow-colored lightning bolt, the azure pegasa screams in pain.  And, whether it's because of what Pinkie Pie whispered in her ear, or whether it's because of the pain and shock of getting the knife stabbed into her leg, or perhaps both, the azure pegasa urinates, staining her rainbow-colored tail.

Pinkie Pie, hearing the sound of liquid flowing, twists to see the yellow fall, then, indignant, growls, “Rainbow Dash, couldn't you have done that before you came here?  Gilda, at least, had the foresight to empty her bladder and bowels before I brought her down here, and she had nothing in her stomach when I did to her what I'm doing to you.  Even Derpy warned me when she needed to pee and poop.  But you?  Oh, no.  You just had to go and wet yourself.”  Then, after thinking for a moment, she, more calmly, says, “Well, then again, I didn't give you a chance to pee before I brought you down here.  So, I guess it's my fault.”  Then, she returns to carving the circle around the picture.

As Pinkie Pie makes the final cuts to remove the mark from her friend's leg, Rainbow Dash cries, “You don't have to do this, Pinkie Pie.  Didn't Mormon tell you the debt between the two of you was over?  Why keep doing this when you don't have to?”

As Pinkie Pie circles around to start work on the other leg, she starts talking.  But, her voice fades out as another voice, one familiar to both Rainbow Dash and me, replaces it.  Before we know it, it's Gilda saying, “Why am I doing this?  You have the gumption to ask why I'm doing this?  You rubbed poop in my feathers!  Why would you do that to me?  I thought we were friends!  Now's my chance for revenge, and you wonder why I'm doing this?”

One might think Rainbow Dash would be bawling right now, due to the burning pain she'd be feeling in one of her legs because of that hole in it.  But, she's quiet.  She isn't crying, but, due to the pain, she can't keep tears from escaping.  After a few seconds of silence, she says, “So, you're angry with me.  That's fine.  But, that doesn't explain why you'd kill Derpy.  She had nothing to do with it.  Why not kill Mormon?  He's the one who let me know that you made that poop in the first place.”

At this point, Pinkie Pie thrusts the knife into Rainbow Dash's other thigh, causing her to cry out in pain again.  As she carves a circle around that other cutie mark, it's Pinkie Pie who says, “I did try to do to him what I'm doing to you.  But, he broke free of his restraints.  If I could've kept him secured, I would've done this to him.”  Once she finishes carving the circle, this time Pinkie Pie grabs the contained cutie mark, twists it ninety degrees, and rips it free of it's position.

It could be because of the pain.  It could be because of the surprise.  It could be because of both.  Or, it could be for an entirely different reason.  Whichever it is, Rainbow Dash screams louder and longer.  But the cry triggers something else.

Indicated by a high-pitched zipper sound effect, it seems that Rainbow Dash's bowels have started moving.

The illusion of being there is evidently restricted to sight and sound, as I cannot sense the stench that's clearly and presently troubling Pinkie Pie.  It's as though I'm watching the event on a screen.  But then, I realize I am.

I find myself still able to hear the conversation between the earth pony and the pegasa as though I'm there, but I'm no longer able to picture, beyond what I can see on the small screen, what the two are doing.

I realize I was too focused on Rainbow Dash to notice that Pinkie Pie had put the first part of her friend's thigh on the table with some other cutting utensils.  But, now that I can see from the perspective of the camera, I notice the pink pony placing the piece of Rainbow Dash's other thigh next to the first one, cutie-mark-side up, like the first one.  But, I also notice something else:  Just as I'd seen when Pinkie Pie had removed the cutie marks from Derpy Hooves, Rainbow Dash's cutie mark has started disappearing from her pieces of thigh.  Evidently, much like a flower plucked from it's base, a cutie mark cannot remain for long after being separated from it's living owner.  As the owner, or the piece of the owner, dies, the cutie mark disappears.  And, that's exactly what's happening to the mark on the other separated piece of Rainbow Dash.

Then I hear Pinkie Pie's angry voice roar out, “Rainbow Dash!”  My focus shifts from the pieces of Rainbow Dash to Pinkie Pie, and I hear her shout, “You weren't satisfied with wetting yourself, now you're gonna mess yourself too?”  Then, as she moves to one side, I see something chocolate-brown sprouting downward between the azure pegasa's legs.  From the top edge of my periphery, I can see her azure face starting to turn red.

Poor Rainbow Dash.  She can't hide her bowels moving, and she's feeling ashamed for it.

In the mean time, Pinkie Pie is saying, “The only difference between you and Derpy Hooves is at least she warned me when she needed to do that, too.  And, trust me, I made sure she didn't wet or mess herself.”  Then, as she watches the slow expulsion, she sighs and asks, “So, should I cover it with your tail, you know, give you some privacy?”

Then, before either can respond, a piece breaks off and falls to the floor, splashing the puddle of urine it lands in.

Pinkie Pie adds, “Or, maybe I should rub it in your mane.”

Rainbow Dash, crying as much now from the disgrace as from the pain, pleads, “Pinkie Pie, please, either let me go or kill me now!”

For a moment, I try to remember the video of Ataahua's murder.  As I remember, I realize the gray pegasa's crotch was hidden from view by the pink earth pony, leaving an audience unable to see what exactly Pinkie Pie had done to keep Ataahua from messing herself, that is until she went for a knife or something like that.  If I remember correctly, Pinkie Pie did move aside to show, at least after cutting the urinary tube, that she'd allowed it to empty out on its own, that severed end pointed away from Ataahua.  One watching the video or hearing Pinkie Pie talk about it would have to take her word for it.

The pink pony's voice snaps me from my thoughts.  She says, “Now, Rainbow Dash, what fun would that be?  I'm not finished yet.  I haven't even started harvesting your organs.  You've gotta stick around for that.”

Watching as the earth pony walks back to the table for another cutting utensil, Rainbow Dash cries, “If you're really my friend, Pinkie Pie, you'll put an end to this right now.”

Pinkie Pie says nothing, just tosses the surgical knife back on the table, ready to grab the butcher knife, when she notices the two pieces of the pegasa's thigh next to it.

Even I can see that the cutie marks are all but gone.  Not only that, but, as Pinkie Pie takes notice, I can see half her glare as she stares at the faded marks.

She growls at the pieces until there's another splash from under Rainbow Dash, at which point the pink pony grabs the pieces of thigh, keeping the blue side facing away from her, marches over to Rainbow Dash, and shoves the pieces into the azure mare's face, snarling, “Well, at least you and Derpy have one thing in common.  Neither of you would let me have your cutie marks.”  Then, she looks at the now solid blue sides of the pieces of thigh, then tosses them behind her.  After that, she marches back to the table and grabs the butcher knife, then marches back to Rainbow Dash's closest wing, raises the knife, and brings it down with as much force as she can muster.  And, she misses.

Rainbow Dash had twitched her wing just enough to avoid getting it chopped off.

Pinkie Pie, through clenched teeth, snarls, “Rainbow Dash!”  Shifting the knife to the other hoof, she uses the hoof that originally held the knife to hold down the pegasa's wing, then again holds the blade back, then thrusts it forward with all her strength.

Unlike the original version of this story, Pinkie Pie actually succeeds with her first attempt at severing the wing.  Pinning the appendage down made all the difference.

Again the pegasa cries out.

Pinkie pie moves away, releases the wing, allows it to fall on it's own to the ground.  She shifts the knife to the hoof that had originally held it as she walks toward the other wing.  This time, she pins the wing down with her free front hoof before making the attempt to chop it off.  And, as with the first wing, she succeeds.

As the earth pony allows the azure wing to fall to the ground, the now wingless pegasa screams, “Were you ever my friend?”

The pink pony stares into the eyes of the trapped Rainbow Dash, holds the stare for a few seconds, then says, “Were you ever my friend?”  The voice is a mixture of Pinkie Pie and Gilda, as though the two were saying the same thing at the same time.

As the earth pony turns away, Rainbow Dash's abdomen suddenly convulses.  The first time, Rainbow Dash just belches.  The second time, her cheeks bulge as she tries to keep her mouth closed.  The third time, her mouth opens involuntarily, releasing a spray of vomit.  The fourth and fifth times, she tries to point her face downward, trying to get some of her vomit on her front.  But, she finds herself unable to point her head that far downward, at least not while vomiting.

Her attention is grabbed by Pinkie Pie saying, “Dashie, if you really weren't feeling well, you should've said something.”  The pink pony approaches the pegasa, touches her forehead with a front hoof, sniffs her mouth, then backs away and says, “Oh well, there's nothing to worry about.  If you're sick, I can fix that easily enough.”  And, with that, Pinkie Pie approaches the brick box, opens the top, produces a pair of tongs, and grabs a metal stake with it.

Her voice now hoarse, Rainbow Dash asks, “Pinkie Pie, what're you doing?”

Pinkie Pie turns the tongs in her hoof, getting a good look at the metal stake from as many angles as possible, and says, “Ah, nothing like an electrical shock to get rid of germs.”

Rainbow Dash, confused, grunts, “Huh?”

The pink earth pony produces a hammer from no where and approaches the azure pony, saying, “No need to worry, Dashie.  I'll have you fixed up in no time.”

Rainbow Dash, seeing the glowing red piece of metal, and watching Pinkie Pie approaching her with it, in a panic says, “Pinkie, no.  Pinkie Pie, I'm fine, really.  You don't have to do this.  Please, Pinkie, don't do it!”  Then somehow she manages to scream once again as the hot metal touches one of her lower legs and Pinkie Pie starts pounding the spike in.

Once.

Twice.

Three times, and finally Pinkie Pie backs off.

Rainbow Dash, no longer able to form words, just bawls.

As Pinkie Pie goes for another stake, she says, “Honestly, Rainbow Dash, I didn't expect you to be such a cry baby.  I mean, not even Derpy made so much noise.  Then again, I didn't have to heal her of … whatever it is you have.”

To make a long story short, it's just different motives for the same actions.  Pinkie Pie hammers in a spike to Rainbow Dash's opposite lower leg, one in each of her forelimbs, then attaches wires to the spikes, then produces a battery from some unknown origin, and attaches the wires to the battery.

Either because she can no longer scream or because my character refuses to hear it, Rainbow Dash opens her mouth and no sound comes out.

As with an animation I saw bringing the story to life, the electricity running through the wingless pegasa causes her skin, muscle, and internal organs to intermittently disappear, so that all I can see for a split second each time is her skeleton.  This happens for a few seconds, with the only sound I can hear being the crackling of electricity.

Finally, as Pinkie Pie disconnects the wires from the battery, there is silence, except for the sound of sizzling.

As the pink pony disconnects the wires from the spikes in Rainbow Dash's limbs, the pegasa turns to Pinkie Pie and whispers, “Alright, you've cured me.  I'm fine now.  You can let me go home.”

Pinkie Pie leaves the wires on the ground in the mess of Rainbow Dash's expulsions, but walks to the table and grabs the surgical knife again, then returns to the suspended pegasa and says, “But, Dashie, it's time for the harvest.  You can't expect me to skip that.  Why else do you think I killed all those germs that were hurting you?  Now, just relax, and I'll get right to it.”  With that, the pink pony places the sharp edge on Rainbow Dash's skin, just above her left leg.

The pegasa's defensive instincts take over, and she recoils from the blade.

Presently, Pinkie Pie pulls back.  Hitting her forehead with her front hoof, she says, “What was I thinking?  I can't have your organs fall on the floor, not after the mess you made.  That'd defeat the purpose of killing all those germs in the first place.  Just give me a minute, and I'll get the bucket.”

The activity takes less than a minute, and the pink pony is back with the bucket, ready to make the cuts she needs.

The first is just above Rainbow Dash's crotch, the second just below her chest.  The third forms the shape of an I or an H, depending on how someone would choose to look at it.  A few more cuts along the first three lines, and, like double doors, the flaps of skin holding in Rainbow Dash's internal abdominal organs separate, revealing intestines, stomach, liver, and other organs.

Pinkie Pie names each organ as she fishes it out: stomach, liver, pancreas, heart, and so forth.  As she names and removes the large intestines, she sniffs the end connected to the small intestines.  An expression of hatred and/or disgust flashes on her face, and she groans, “Eww, Rainbow Dash, what did you eat before you came here?  It stinks.”  When she gets no answer, she looks up to see the azure pegasa's head hanging limply.  As she drops the bowels into the bucket, she reaches up and nudges the pegasa's chin.  Not getting a response, without thinking she puts her head against Rainbow Dash's chest to listen for a heartbeat.  Then, as she looks into the bucket, she remembers and says, “Oh, that's right.  I removed it already.”  She retrieves the syringe from the table and injects its contents into the azure pegasa's chest, then pulls it out again.  When the pegasa refuses to respond to the injection, Pinkie Pie, through clenched teeth, growls, “Rainbow Dash.”  After a few seconds, she sighs and says, “Very well, then.  Have it your way.  You've given me more than enough already for cupcakes.  If I need more, I know where to get it.”

That's when I'm finally awoken from my trance, as my character responds to a nudge from behind him.  As he turns away from the screen in his hands, I notice that the tablet's been recording the event.  Not knowing when the recording began, and not really caring either, I say, “I think it's time for us to get back there.”

Lyra, from the side of me opposite the officer pony, says, “What about Fluttershy?  She's in no condition to go anywhere.”

My character turns to look at the yellow pegasa, and I can see the only movement she makes is breathing.  The way she's sitting, looking straight ahead, she looks like an equine sphinx.

As my character turns back to Lyra, I say, “You're right.  Will you stay here with her while the rest of us go get Pinkie Pie?”

The herbivorous dinosaur, clearly shaken, says, “A-are you s-sure you want m-me to g-go with y-you?”

My character turns to Weed Whacker, and I say, “Very well.  You don't have to go if you don't want to.  But, I have to go.”

Joined by the police ponies, my character heads to and out the front doorway.  As I enter the chariot, I'm sure I hear Fluttershy start to cry out the names of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.  It's going to be painful, but the pink pony has left me with no other choice.  I leave with the police ponies to apprehend Pinkie Pie.

Not surprisingly, it takes, I suppose, not even ten minutes to reach the factory.  As we land and my character dismounts the chariot, he turns to one police pony, and I ask, “Does any pony have a rope I could use?”

The police pony produces a rope and hands it to my character, then asks, “So, what do you need the rope for?”

I answer, “If I'm gonna apprehend Pinkie Pie, I need something to make sure she doesn't escape.  And, what better way to do that than to tie her hooves with a rope?”

The police pony raises a hoof and opens his mouth to ask a question, then partly lowers the hoof, then finally puts it down completely and says, “Whatever you do, get it done as soon as possible before she can get away.”

My character salutes the police pony, then heads into the factory and proceeds to the trap door to open it and enter the basement.  At the lower door, I hear a male voice behind me saying, “I'm here for backup.”  My character turns to see the police pony that'd promised to keep Rainbow Dash safe.

I couldn't blame the police pony for wanting to support my character now, after having failed to bring back Rainbow Dash before.  Still, I say, “If you've watched what was happening on my tablet, you'll know what to expect.  Not only was Rainbow Dash butchered, she also urinated, defecated, and vomited.  Whatever mixture of smells is in there, there's no reason why it'd be pleasant.”

The police pony says, “Just open the door.  Whatever's in there, I'll deal with it.”

My character shrugs, or so I assume, and I say, “Have it your way.”  Then, he opens the door.

The police pony shows evidence of the scent hitting him, as he backs as fast as he can out of the tight hallway, turns around, and proceeds to gag and retch the contents of his stomach all over the floor.

I think to my self, 'Yeah, that's how I thought you'd deal with it.'  As my character turns to the door and enters, I see Pinkie Pie reaching into the bucket, evidently fishing out some organ to prepare it for cupcakes.  As my character closes, no, slams the door behind him, I say, “Pinkie Pie, I think we need to talk.”

The pink pony turns to look at my character, then says, “So, you've finally come for more cupcakes?”

In a few steps my character reaches Pinkie Pie, grabs her by her mane, and pulls her to the ground where he can trap her under one knee on her back.  He grabs her front hooves and wraps them twice in the rope, then grabs the hind hooves and pulls them to the front hooves, wrapping all four in four more tight loops.  Finally, he loops the remaining rope around the loops and between Pinkie Pie's hind then front hooves, tying both ends together to keep the rope secured.  As my character finally backs away, I say, “Think again.”

Pinkie Pie looks at the job done on her legs, then looks up at my character again, rolling on her side toward my character, then says, “You hog-tied me.  My ancestors' pneumonia-ridden remains, you buckin' hog-tied me!”

I answer, “More like pony-tied.  Either way, you're not goin' anywhere without help.”

As my character grabs the rope to drag the pink pony out, she nickers and says, “You just wait 'til I get free.  When I'm finished with you, you'll make Derpy's remains look beautiful!”  But, that's all she says, only snorting menacingly as my character opens the door, then carries her out of the basement.

Once the two are out of the factory, my character places the restrained pink pony on the ground near the police ponies, and I say, “Take her away.”

Some of the ponies look at her in surprise and disbelief, others in grief, others in disgust.

As she once again rolls onto her side, Pinkie Pie, looking at the ponies staring at her, sarcastically asks, “What's the matter?  You've never seen a hog-tied pony before?  Well, just come and untie me, and I'll give you something to really stare at!”

The police pony that'd been vomiting not long ago stumbles toward the other ponies and says, “You heard him.  Get her out of here.”  Then, as the other police ponies proceed to move Pinkie Pie into the chariot, he turns to my character.

I say, “You may want to let that basement air out before going back inside.  When you do find it tolerable to go in there, you'll find Rainbow Dash's remains where Derpy's were hanging.  And, you should find Gilda's remains made into furniture close to the doorway, assuming Pinkie Pie didn't move them.”

The police pony nods, then says, “You're dismissed.  You've done well.  Now, you can go back home.”

My character salutes the police pony, then proceeds on a course away from the factory and back to his house by way of Ponyville.

Once at his house, he meets up with Twilight Sparkle, who asks, “So, how is Pinkie Pie?”

I answer, “She's in custody.”

The curiosity on the purple unicorn's face melts into horror and grief.  She stammers, “A-and, w-what about R-rainbow D-dash?”

As my character kneels in front of Twilight Sparkle, I answer, “If her remains aren't already in transit to the morgue, or wherever they'll be kept, they'll be on their way shortly.”

I watch as Twilight Sparkle's lips twitch to try to form words.  But, it's clear that she has no voice to even stammer.  After a few seconds, my character holds out his arms and grabs the purple unicorn in an embrace, which finally allows her to release her emotions in sobs and sniffles.

How many friends has she lost now?  Two?  Three?  And, one of those isn't dead, at least not yet.  The fact of the matter is Pinkie Pie may be in a condition worse than death right now.  And then, what about the remaining Mane Six?  How many of them considered Ataahua a friend?

Fluttershy will most certainly take the loss of Rainbow Dash hard, if she isn't taking it that way already.

But, what of Rarity?  She's been known to use the term “the worst possible thing” on things such as missing jewelry or something similar.  But, those were trivial things, especially compared to this.  Would she, could she, bring herself to use that term so appropriately on this event?

And, what about Applejack?  I'd expect her to turn on me, on my character, for failing to help Pinkie Pie when I had the chance.  And, if a pony were to inform her that one of her friends is dead, and another is in police custody for killing the first friend; she'd likely turn on the messenger for bringing her such news.  Not logical, but natural.

And then there's me.  I'm as much of a friend of Pinkie Pie as any of the Mane Six.  And, while I know this is just a video game, and it was my intention to fail this first playthrough, that doesn't mean it makes my strange success any easier.  But, there's one more thing.

Whereas Sergeant Sprinkles' fan fiction ended with the death of Rainbow Dash, this volume will end with the death of Pinkie Pie.  While I may not have demonstrated it in the best possible way, Pinkie Pie murdering Rainbow Dash is what leads to her, that is Pinkie Pie's, death.  But, she needs to go on trial first, and prove she will not repent.

These are the thoughts that run through my mind as my character holds the grieving unicorn in his arms.  Then, as Twilight Sparkle regains her composure, she pulls away from him and says, “I need, no, we need, to tell the others about what happened.”

I state, “Fluttershy already knows about Rainbow Dash's death.  She just needs to be informed about Pinkie Pie.”

Twilight Sparkle cocks her head in curiosity and asks, “How does she know?”

I answer, “It's kind a long story.  Suffice it to say I have the event recorded.”

The purple unicorn, her head still tilted with curiosity, restates, “So, she knows about Rainbow Dash, but she doesn't know about Pinkie Pie?”

My character nods as I say, “That's right.  I've just come back to inform her, as well as Lyra and Weed Whacker.”  And, no longer holding, or needing to hold, Twilight Sparkle, my character proceeds to stand up, then head for his house.

Just then, the purple unicorn appears in my character's path, causing him to stop, and asks, “Wait, Fluttershy is at your house?”

I answer, “That's right.  When you left, I came by to see how she was doing, and caught her trying to kill herself.”  After letting the news sink in for a second, I continue, “I brought her to my house, and we've been taking care of her ever since.  Right now, Lyra and Weed Whacker are taking care of her.  If you want to visit her, you're welcome to come in with me.”

Twilight Sparkle puts a front hoof to her mouth, then I hear her say, “Fluttershy.”

Again my character kneels next to the purple unicorn, then props her chin upward, forcing her to look into his eyes, and allowing me to see into hers, as I say, “I don't blame you for leaving her alone, and I don't think she does either.  How can I blame someone, some pony, for not knowing something I didn't know?  If I had known, I would've brought her with me then and there.”  My character lets go of Twilight's chin now, and I continue, “When I left her, she was still alive.  I have no reason to think that has changed between then and now.  I'm sure we'd all be honored to accept a visit from you.”

Twilight nods slowly and says, “Alright, if for no other reason than to say I'm sorry for not being there for her when she needed me last night.”  Then, as the purple unicorn and my character head side-by-side up the stairs and to the doorway, she asks, “So, what happened to your front door?”

I answer, “In a few words, that was Rainbow Dash's doing.  She was rather eager for what turned out to be her second-last meeting with Pinkie Pie.”

As my character pauses to let her enter first, Twilight says, “That's Rainbow Dash for ya.  Once she got an idea in her head, there was really nothing to stop her.”

Once both are inside, Lyra, positioned between the unicorn and the pegasa, turns to me and says, “Mormon, I think she's getting worse.  She hasn't moved at all since you left, and I think she's getting stiff.”

The unicorns move aside quickly as my character runs as many as three steps to the stagnant pegasa's side.  As he puts an ear over where her heart must be, I can hear a definite heart beat.  After confirming that, my character picks up the pegasa, and indeed she moves nothing noticeable, as though she was a statue.

A panicked “No” from Twilight Sparkle indicates that she's thinking the worst.

My character turns to her as I say, “She's still alive.  She's just frozen right now.  I'll talk to her, see if I can get her attention.”  Then, not waiting for a response from the purple unicorn, my character turns back to the yellow pegasa and places her back on the couch as I say, “I'm right here, Fluttershy.  I'm sorry about scaring you with my outburst earlier.  I brought you here to help you feel better, but it seems I've just made things worse for you.  I couldn't help Pinkie Pie, so I had to apprehend her.  But, I hope I'm not too late to help you.”

As my character looks into the pegasa's eyes, I see no evidence of intelligence.

I continue, “Ever since my first visit to Ponyville, it seems I've been responsible for all sorts of messes that ponies have made, even one mess made by a griffon.  But, I've been able to clean up almost all of them.  All except the most important mess, the most dangerous one.  And, even now that I've been able to keep that mess from getting any messier, there's still the cleanup.  And, where better to start than with you?”

Another look into the pegasa's eyes shows that tears are streaming from them, the first evidence of intelligence I've seen in them since I got back.

As my character strokes her cheek, I continue, “You still have three friends, and they need your kindness more than ever.  However long it takes for Ponyville to recover from this, it'll no doubt require your kindness, Rarity's generosity, Applejack's honesty, and the friendship of Twilight Sparkle's magic.  The Mane Six are down two, but that doesn't mean such a team as this can't function with just four, and can't recover.  Laughter and loyalty need new representatives, and they will need your help, not just yours, Fluttershy, but that of the rest of the Mane Six as well, in order to fit in.  Will you be there to help the new team members?”

Finally, the yellow pegasa statue melts.  Her neck straightens, but her head curls into her front hooves, and she begins to moan, long and surprisingly loud.

At this point, I'm sure I can hear Ataahua's voice say, “Mormon, please relay this message to Fluttershy from me.”

Then, as I hear the words, almost instinctively I recite them:  “Life is difficult for everypony.  If it weren't, it really wouldn't be fair.  Things go wrong, and more often than not we don't know what or how.  But, that doesn't mean we are to blame.  Sometimes, they just happen.”

At that statement, Fluttershy looks up at my character.  Gasping, she says, “Derpy.  That was Derpy.”

I answer, “She wanted to deliver that message to you, and I was just the best way to deliver it.”

Just then, I hear another familiar voice say, “Mormon, I have a message for Fluttershy, too.”

I add, “Now Rainbow Dash has a message for you.”

The yellow pegasa sits up more rapidly than I expect, although my character manages to avoid getting hurt by her sudden rising.  She says, “I'm ready.”

I can't help smiling.  As I hear the words, again instinctively I recite them:  “We only get as much as we can handle.  You are stronger than you realize.  You've had trials in the past few days greater than you've ever had before, but you've survived them.  Remember that.  I'm grateful, I'm proud, to call you a friend.”

I begin to wonder to myself if that last statement wasn't as much for me as it was for Fluttershy.

A bit shaky, the yellow pegasa, like a human soldier, looks at my character, raises a front hoof to that eye almost as though blocking light from above that eye, and, with a look of serious determination, says, “Reporting for duty.”

My character then turns to Twilight Sparkle and gestures for her to approach Fluttershy.

As the purple unicorn approaches, she turns to my character and says, “You know what, you've done something for Fluttershy that I couldn't have done.  With my magic, I can't do miracles.  That requires something greater than magic.”  Not waiting for me to thank her, she approaches Fluttershy, who puts down her hoof, and says, “I'm sorry for abandoning you last night.  Mormon informed me that you tried to kill yourself.  Is that true?”

The yellow pegasa turns to my character, and I can see in her eyes that she wants him to move out of the way.  As he does so, she jumps off the couch and, head bowed, says to her purple unicorn friend,, “Oh, Twilight, I don't blame you.  I told you I was alright.  I lied.”  She takes a moment to sigh, then continues, “I knew you had much to do at the library, and I didn't want to hold you back from that.  And, I thought I'd be just fine on my own.  I should've realized that time alone meant time with my depression.  I don't blame you for leaving.  I blame myself for lying to you.  I represent kindness, not honesty.  But, that doesn't mean I shouldn't be honest with my friends.”  Looking into Twilight Sparkle's eyes, she asks, “Do you forgive me?”

The purple unicorn stares into the eyes of her yellow pegasa friend.  After a few seconds, she points to herself with a front hoof as she says, “All this time, I thought I'd done something to cause you to distrust me.”  Now, she points to Fluttershy as she continues, “It hadn't crossed my mind that you'd done something to lose my trust.”  Leaning toward my character, she continues, “Thank the goddesses Mormon was there to stop you from killing yourself.  And, now he lets me see him bring you back to life.  Both of us, all of us, owe him a great debt of gratitude.”  Sitting straight up again, she concludes, “I suppose if you had succeeded in killing yourself, I would've held it against you.  But, you approach me with this confession.  I've never lost trust in you, but I do forgive you.  Like Mormon said, we all need you more than ever.”  And, with that, Twilight hugs Fluttershy, and Fluttershy hugs Twilight back.

After perhaps a minute, the two separate, and Twilight Sparkle says, “Well, if you're ready, Mormon, shall we be going?”

Before I can answer, Lyra steps toward Twilight and says, “I wish to go with.  If it means learning more about humans, or at least about Mormon, I want to come with, to observe him.”

I notice that Twilight's still focused on me.  I answer, “Well, if Lyra wants to come with, I think it's a good idea if Fluttershy comes with as well.  And, for that matter, I think Weed Whacker should also join us.”

At my last statement, Weed Whacker steps out from behind my character and says, “Oh, I'm not sure that's such a good idea.  You'll be delivering bad news, right?  I think I've seen enough of ponies crying.  If it's alright with you, I'd rather stay here.  I have work to do here anyway.”

My character focuses on the little herbivorous dinosaur, then turns to Lyra, then to Fluttershy, then finally to Twilight Sparkle.

Again before I can say anything, Fluttershy, leaning toward Weed Whacker, says, “Weed Whacker's sounding like me.”  Then, dividing her attention between my character and Twilight Sparkle, she adds, “I know we'll be confronting our remaining friends with bad news, but they're still our friends.  Mormon, as you pointed out, they need me, my kindness, more than ever.  If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it.”  Then, turning back to Weed Whacker, she asks, “Are you sure you want to stay here?”

My character turns his attention to Fluttershy, and I notice, while she's given the herbivorous dinosaur her full attention, she isn't staring at him.  He then turns to Weed Whacker, and I can see she's not so sure about her previous answer.  I say, “It is still your choice.  But, who knows?  You could prove helpful.”

Weed Whacker looks up at my character, then at Fluttershy, then back to me.  Finally, she says, “I only wanted to stay behind because I was sure Fluttershy was going to refuse and stay here.  If she's not staying, then there's no reason for me to.  Sure, I'll go.”

Twilight, seeing the matter settled, says, “Well, I guess that's it then.  If we're ready to go, then let's go.”  With that, she turns and heads toward the door, two ponies, a dinosaur, and a human following close behind her.  As she exits the door, she asks, “So when are you gonna get your door fixed?”

I answer, “Hopefully it'll be part of the cleanup.  I keep on meaning to get the job done, then things keep coming up, occupying my time so I never get to it.”

Twilight Sparkle sighs and says, “I know what that's like.  At the library, I start getting the books in order, then one of my friends, like Rainbow Dash, … “  She doesn't exactly trail off, she just stops before she can finish her thought.  Her ears stand straight up, then she lowers her head and her ears droop again.  Her voice starts to shake as she says, “That is, if she hadn't been … “

As the purple unicorn sniffles, Fluttershy gallops toward her and, slowing to a stop next to her, asks, “Twilight, are you alright?”

Twilight Sparkle rubs her nose with a front hoof, then stomps with it as she says, “I won't be alright for a long time.”  Then, looking up at the sky, she shouts, “Pinkie Pie, how could you do that to your friends?”

In the mean time, my character has made his way ahead of the group and opened the gate.  He turns to the three ponies and the dinosaur, but I decide not to say anything.

Twilight Sparkle shakes herself out, rubs just below her eye with the top of the hoof she used to rub her nose, then, forcing a chuckle and a smile, answers, “You're right.  Let's get going.”

As the group heads along the path, Weed Whacker asks, “So, where are we going first?”

Twilight Sparkle looks up and thinks aloud, “Well, let's see.”

Before the purple unicorn can complete her thought, Fluttershy says, “Well, once we get through the forest, Sweet Apple Acres is closest to my house.  Shall we go there first?”

Twilight turns to Fluttershy and answers, “Sure.  Let's go there first.”

After that, it takes more than an hour for the party of five to make it to Fluttershy's cottage.  After that, foregoing a trip through Ponyville, they turn and follow the edge of the forest toward the orchard and the red barn that mark Sweet Apple Acres, a trip which takes perhaps another half an hour.

As the group passes under the wooden gateway over the dirt road, I hear Applejack's voice call out, “Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, it's mighty good seein' y'all!  What brings ya here?”

My character turns to find the origin of the voice, at this point galloping, and sees the orange mare running toward him, but more directed toward Twilight and Fluttershy.

Just inches away from the two, she slides to a stop.  Evidently noticing the expressions on the faces of her friends, she, worry melting her face, asks, “Twilight, Fluttershy, what's wrong?”

As my character approaches the orange earth pony, I'm aware of more galloping, and he looks toward the source to show me that Big MacIntosh is also approaching.

Twilight opens her mouth to speak, but can only stammer out, “I-I-I … “  Realizing her inability to say the words, the purple unicorn turns away.

Applejack, even more worried now, asks, “Twilight?”

Before Fluttershy can make an attempt, I have my character kneel near Applejack, and I say, “There's some bad news.”

Now becoming angry, Applejack stomps and says, “Well, somepony spit it out.”

I state, “Rainbow Dash is dead.”

Applejack, evidently thinking the news was about Twilight Sparkle, sighs with relief.  Then, as the news about Rainbow Dash starts to sink in, she perks up in surprise and says, “Wait a minute.  Rainbow Dash?  Is dead?  When did this happen?  How?  What happened to her?”

I add, “Pinkie Pie killed her.  She's in custody for it.”

The surprise on the orange earth pony's face morphs into fear, and she backs away as she says, “No, that can't be.  Pinkie Pie wouldn't … “  She swallows, then shakes her head wildly, then says, “No, you're lyin'.  There's no way Pinkie Pie'd do something like that.  She's the element of laughter.”

I'm not blind to what Applejack is about to do, but neither is Fluttershy.

Before the orange pony can begin her run, the yellow pegasa flies into her path and says, “Applejack, Mormon's not lying.”

The orange pony pushes her friend aside as she says, “Well, then, he must be mistaken.  Ah know Pinkie Pie.  She'd never kill Rainbow Dash, not deliberately.  They're best friends.  Ah've gotta put an end to this right now.”  And, with that, she begins her charge toward me.  But then, she begins to glow with a purple aura, and rises above the ground before she can reach me.

Next to me, I hear Twilight Sparkle say, “No, he's not mistaken.  I can't say how, but he witnessed the murder himself.  He's the one who apprehended Pinkie Pie.”  Maintaining her magical hold on the struggling earth pony, she continues, “I'm sorry to have to give you this news, but Pinkie Pie also murdered Derpy.”

For another second or two the orange earth pony struggles, then suddenly stops.  She looks at each of the messengers, then laughs and says, “Oh, Ah see what's goin' on here.  This is a joke.  Yeah, that's it.  This's one of Rainbow Dash's shenanigans.  Oh, she's pulled a good one on me this time.  And, you're all in on it.  Yeah, she must be havin' a good laugh, right?  Ha ha!  Rainbow Dash, you can come on out now!  And, bring Derpy with ya.  Pinkie Pie, you come out too.”

I'm aware that Twilight Sparkle won't be able to suspend Applejack above the ground forever, so I have my character stand up again and take the step toward the suspended orange pony and grab her out of the air.  Then, as he turns to the purple unicorn, I say, “It's alright.  I have her.”

I hear Twilight Sparkle say, “Thank you.”

Then, as my character turns his attention to Applejack, I say, “It's not a joke.  I could show you the event if you want, but I've already seen the effect the moving picture has on other ponies, such as Fluttershy.  If you really want to see it, I'll show it to you; but I must warn you, it's really violent, really graphic.”

Suddenly aware that it's human arms, not unicorn magic, that's keeping her above the ground, Applejack looks up at my character's face and asks, “How can you show me something from the past?  You're not a time traveler, are ya?”

I answer, “No, I'm not.  But, I can record events as they happen, then show them afterwards, and they'll appear as though they're happening right now, right where they happened.”  At that moment, my character kneels down and prepares to set the orange earth pony on her hooves again.  In the mean time, I say, “I'll have to put you down so I can get the device and show it to you.  Is that alright?”

Sensing that I'm in the process of doing so, Applejack answers, “Alright.  Ah reckon Ah won't have nothin' to fight over if'n you don't show me nothin'.”

Taking that as a cue, my character places the orange earth pony carefully on her hooves, then produces the tablet from a pocket in his clothes.  He pushes a few areas on the screen, and the video file appears, ready to play.

I then ask, “Applejack, are you sure you want to see this?”

Applejack, more gently, says, “Well, not really.”  Then, back to her normal tone, she continues, “But, Ah suppose Ah won't be able to believe it until Ah see it.  Just show me the event before Ah change m'mind.”

My character pushes a spot on the screen, and the video begins to play.

At first, my interest is where the recording has started.  It seems that whoever started the recording started it before Pinkie Pie had started restraining Rainbow Dash.  Halfway through the restraining process, Pinkamena, the one with the curly mane and tail, turns to the screen and points between her eyes with a front hoof, then at the camera, at me, again.  After that, my character's attention turns to the orange earth pony as she watches the event unfold before her.

As morose as this may sound, I must admit, I find myself respecting Applejack as she watches the event.  She is clearly horrified by what she sees, but, whether it's because she can't turn away or because she's forcing herself, she keeps watching.  And, either she's hiding her nausea amazingly well, or she isn't sickened by what she sees.  That, or living around and cleaning the barnyard creatures has left her more or less immune to what she's watching.  If she really isn't nauseated by what she sees, there are two other reasons I can think of for that:  either she knows that what she sees cannot hurt her, or there's still a part of her that doesn't believe what she's seeing.  If it's the latter, I can't blame her.  It's difficult to believe that something like this is happening, has happened, even with this level of detail.

And then, there's her brother.  Big MacIntosh, it seems, is unable to watch more than a minute without exhibiting signs of nausea.  When Pinkie Pie chops off Rainbow Dash's wings, that seems too much for him.  To his credit, he turns away from the screen and takes a few steps away from my character and his sister before emptying his stomach.

I'm not sure what exactly it is that finally convinces the orange earth pony of Rainbow Dash's death, or of Pinkie Pie's guilt.  I can theorize that it's the pegasa's electrocution, the time it takes from the time that Pinkie Pie begins the organ harvesting until Rainbow Dash finally dies, the pegasa's expulsions, or perhaps Pinkie Pie's general behavior and attitude.

When the video is over, my character turns to the orange earth pony to show me that tears are streaming down her face.

She looks up at my character's face and, trembling, says, “Y-you humans m-made th-things like that a-all the time.  H-h … h-h-how do Ah know … “  Applejack is unable to say more, as, like Rainbow Dash, she's suddenly seized by abdominal convulsions.

In the mean time, my character puts the tablet away, and manages to stand up before the orange earth pony gags, then retches on my character's closest shoe.

My character takes a step back as he kneels again, then proceeds to stroke Applejack's back as I say, “I'm sorry.  If I could've prevented Rainbow Dash's death, I would've.  And, as for Pinkie Pie, I'm sure you'll get a chance to talk to her in the near future.”

By now, Applejack's stomach is evidently empty.  She is only able to stammer out the name Rainbow Dash, then Pinkie Pie, before melting into sobs.

At this point, Fluttershy approaches the grieving earth pony and extends a wing over her back.

As my character stands up again, I hear the now recovering Big MacIntosh saying from behind my character, “Ah reckon it's time for you to leave now, human.”

As my character turns to focus on the red stallion, I can see him glaring daggers at him.  I answer, “I suppose you're right.  I came here with Twilight Sparkle to deliver the news about Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.  Since I'm done, there is no reason for me to stay.”  And, with that, my character proceeds toward the gate again.

Before he can go too much further, I hear Twilight Sparkle call out, “Mormon, wait!”  Then, as he stops and turns around, the purple unicorn mare says, “Please don't leave yet.”

I then hear Lyra say, “You can't leave yet.  None of us can leave just yet.”

The red stallion growls, “Just get outta here!”  The masculine voice cracks as he says, “Pinkie P … Rainbow Da … “ then the red earth pony collapses and, like his sister, starts sobbing.

How can I, how can my character, leave these two ponies like this?  Fluttershy is attending to Applejack.  I suppose I, that is my character, could attend to her brother, Big MacIntosh.  Indeed, already my character is approaching the fallen stallion, ready to help him up, or just comfort him.

As my character approaches Big MacIntosh, he starts kicking with his front legs, trying to get back up on his hooves.  All he succeeds in doing, though, is spinning around, which reminds me of other characters I've seen doing that on various television shows.  The only thing missing is a “Whoop whoop” sound effect.

But, now isn't the time to laugh at the display.  As soon as my character is close enough, he kneels down, then reaches out and catches the spinning stallion, then proceeds to pick him up and place him on his feet, his hooves, again.

Big MacIntosh, evidently surprised to be on his hooves again, stops kicking and turns to me and asks, “Why did you do that?”

As my character stands up again, I answer, “You looked like you needed help standing up again.  Are you alright?”

The red stallion sniffs at each of his sides, then turns to my character again and says, “Ah'm fine.  Ah'm just surprised you'd do that for me.”

Just then, I hear Applejack say, through sobs, “Big Mac, you go back to the barn and tell Granny Smith and Applebloom what happened.”  Then, inhaling and exhaling in a deep sigh, she concludes, “Ah've gotta go with Twilight, Fluttershy, and the others.”

That's when I hear Twilight Sparkle say, “That's right.  We haven't told Rarity yet.  She needs to know.”

My character turns to Applejack, and I ask, “Are you sure you're alright to go with us?”

The orange earth mare turns to me and says, “Thank you for carin'.  Ah'll be fine.  Besides, Rarity's one of my friends, too.  Ah'm sorry for tryin' to attack ya'll.  Ah'm sorry for throwin' up on yer shoe.”

As my character joins the now moving group of ponies and dinosaur, I answer, “As for attacking me, I kind of expected it.  I was the messenger of bad news, after all.  If someone had come to me with similar news, I probably would've lashed out in anger too.  As for you getting sick on my shoe, well, considering what I showed you, again I can't blame you.  It was really disgusting.”

As I hear Applejack sniffle and say “Yeah,” I can't help wondering what she thought I was calling disgusting, and, in turn, wondering what the orange pony is agreeing to.  But, then I think better of it, and decide to let the matter rest.

As we head for Ponyville and Carousel Boutique, I notice that, as the orange mare gains control of her emotions, Fluttershy removes her wing and folds it to her side again.  Once more, they're displaying very human behavior; but, that's to be expected.  After all, these are fictional characters, based on real creatures, but still invented by humans.  And, like any inventions, it only makes sense that they'd take on the qualities of their inventors.

Thus are my thoughts as I follow the group into town and to the boutique.  The trip takes perhaps ten or twenty minutes.

Once inside, I hear the familiar British-accented female voice call out, “I'll be with you in  a minute.”  And, like clockwork, no more and no less than a minute passes before the white unicorn with purple mane and tail descends a staircase to greet us.  Seeing me, she says, “Well, it's unusual to have a human as a customer.  Still, I'm sure I can make you look fabulous.”

I have to cover the microphone to keep it from catching my laughter.  The one thing I don't need right now is for the ponies to think I'm not taking the matter seriously.

It doesn't matter anyway.  Rarity sees the somber expressions on the other ponies, and her attitude changes as she asks, “Is there something I should know about?”

I quickly gain control, remove my hand from my microphone, and say, “Rarity, we've come with bad news.”

I pause for a moment, just long enough for the white unicorn to say, “Well, don't keep me in the dark, darling.”

I speak the news directly, the only way I can think of: “Rainbow Dash has been killed.”

The white unicorn gasps, then asks, “Rainbow Dash?  Are you sure?”

That's when Applejack steps toward her and answers, “Ah'm sorry, but it's true.  She was killed by … by … “  The orange earth pony, perhaps still incredulous about the news, can't bring herself to say it.

Rarity says, “Yes?  Killed by?”

I finish the orange earth pony's answer, “Pinkie Pie killed Rainbow Dash.”

The white unicorn relaxes as she says, “You must be joking.  If Pinkie Pie did something like that, it would be the worst possible thing.”

I rip the headset from my head and toss it away as I start laughing uncontrollably.  She actually said it.  As appropriate as it was, it was too funny not to laugh at.  But, what made it so funny was her tone of voice as she said it.  There was no emotion attached to it.  And, it was said relatively fast, as though she didn't believe it was that important.

It takes me at least a minute before I can regain my composure, and, in the mean time, the ponies and dinosaur seem frozen in time and place.  I have to wonder if the game paused.  But, when I can talk without laughing, I reclaim the headset and place it back on my head.

As I look at the screen again, I notice everything that should be animated is still not moving.  Wondering if the program though I'd made a Maori promise, I say, “Continue.”

It seems as though the program had thought that, as immediately the animation resumes, indicated by Twilight saying, “Rarity, it is the worst possible thing.”

As the news finally starts to sink in, the white unicorn freezes in place for a moment.  The irises in her eyes shrink until they're barely visible, and her ears rotate a hundred eighty degrees and fold.  Her mouth hangs open.  Then, she shakes her head slowly and says, “No, it can't be.”

Watching this, I almost feel ashamed for having laughed at Rarity's statement a few minutes ago.

Applejack paces toward Rarity, taps a forelimb of hers with her closest front hoof, and says, “Ah'm sorry, Sugar Cube.  It's true.”

Now Rarity closes her mouth and swallows, then says, looking down while continuing to shake her head slowly, “Pinkie Pie.  Rainbow Dash.  Why would she do that?”

And, that's when Twilight's faithful assistant appears, asking, “Is there anything else I can help you with?”  Then he sees Rarity and freezes.  Seeing the rest of the group, he asks, “Rarity, what's going on?”

What really starts to alarm the little purple dragon is when Rarity, her face a mask of grief, asks, her voice shaking, “I-is th-there any e-evidence of this?”

I answer, “I could show it to you.  But, as Applejack can attest, it's pretty gruesome.”

Spike, confused, demands, “What's gruesome?  Will someone please tell me what's going on?”

Twilight Sparkle looks at my character, but I answer, “He trusts you more than me.  It's best if he hears the news from you.”

The purple dragon growls, then roars out, “Someone tell me something!”

Twilight sighs, then turns to her assistant and says, “Spike, … Rainbow Dash … is dead.  She … was … killed … by … Pinkie Pie.”

At this point, Rarity's battle with her emotions finally ends in her defeat.  She whimpers, then inhales sharply, then her legs finally fail to support her weight, and, stretched out on the floor, she hides her face in the ground between her front hooves and starts sobbing.

The image of the white unicorn, normally known for her melodrama, now demonstrating such sincere grief, is emotionally painful to see.  I admit, I'm feeling sorry for her.

Fortunately, Fluttershy is there.  She flutters to the aid of her friend, settling down next to her and covering her back with a wing, resembling a mother hen with at least one of her chicks, or perhaps a companion, on one side.

And, wouldn't you know it, this is when Rarity's little sister, Sweetie Belle, appears from behind a door and asks, “What's going on in here?”

Then, Spike, trying to process the news, restates, “Wait, wait.  Rainbow Dash is dead, and Pinkie Pie killed her?”

From the white unicorn foal's position, I hear, “What?”  My character turns to the source of the voice to show her to me; and she, looking at her sister, asks, “Rarity, what's Spike talking about?”

That's when Weed Whacker takes action.  She approaches the confused foal and says, “Why don't you show me your room?  Your sister needs to talk with her friends.”

Sweetie Belle, eying the herbivorous dinosaur suspiciously, lowers her head and paws the ground as she says, “Get away from me.  I want to know what's going on, now!”  For emphasis, she stomps the hoof she's been using to paw the ground and quickly raises her head while saying the last word.

Weed Whacker whimpers in fear of the foal, then runs back to Lyra's side, trembling.

I'd laugh if the subject matter weren't so serious, so poignant.  Evidently, from Weed Whacker's perspective, the little white unicorn foal was, is, an intimidating sight.  From my point of view, though, not so much.

As my character focuses on Sweetie Belle, I ask, “What's your name?”  Obviously I already know the answer, but there's no need to let the characters in the game know that.

Turning her attention to me, the white unicorn foal answers, “My name is Sweetie Belle.  What's yours?”

I answer, “You may call me Mormon.”

The anger on the foal's face melts into confusion as she asks, “So, Mormon, do you have something to do with this?”

I pause for a moment, then answer, “I guess you could say that.”

Sweetie Belle cocks her head to one side and asks, “What do you mean?”

My character turns to look at Twilight Sparkle, but she appears to have no answers.  He turns to look at Lyra, but she is also silent.  He turns to look at Fluttershy, but she's too occupied comforting Rarity to notice me.  Finally, he turns back to Sweetie Belle, and I make my decision.  I begin, “I can't think of anywhere else to start, so I'll start from the beginning.”  I find myself speaking to all the ponies and dragons, although my character's attention is directed at Sweetie Belle.

The white foal says, “Well, go ahead.”

I sigh, then say, “It all started when I first came to Ponyville.  I met up with three stallions, who tried to drive me away.  Suffice it to say I told them of an experience, and it stopped them from attacking me.”

Just then, Lyra approaches the foal and says to my character, “It'll be offensive to Sweetie Belle, but you're going to have to tell her the story you told the stallions.  It's the only way she'll understand what happened.”

My character nods, and I say, “Alright, then.”

Before I can say more, the little white foal turns to Lyra and asks, “Why would his story be offensive to me?”

Settling down next to Sweetie Belle, Lyra answers, “He'll explain.”

As the two turn their attention to my character, I continue, “In an island country called New Zealand, I was a missionary for two years.  During that time, in one area, I attended a meeting with other missionaries, after which, as is customary, or was at the time, we had a meal.  Part of that meal was a chopped-up meat in a gravy.  I guess we all assumed at the time that it was beef.  I had a sample of it.  It was stringy, but it had a pleasant flavor.”

I can see through my character's eyes that the foal is becoming upset, but I can't really tell what type of upset.

Rarity has gained some control of her emotions, and is also watching my character.

I continue, “The flavor was so good, in fact, that I went for seconds.  When I got there, there was no more left.  When I returned to where my companion was, I was informed that it'd been revealed that the meat in the gravy had come from a horse.”

Through my character's eyes, I can clearly see terror in the face of the little foal.

My character turns to Rarity for a moment to show me evidence of nausea in her face before turning his attention back to Sweetie Belle.

Before I can continue, I hear the foal's trembling voice ask, “Th-that's wh-what you m-meant by o-o-offensive, L-lyra?”

Lyra only nods.

I continue, “I admit to you, as I did to the stallions, that, knowing what it was, if I'd been able to have seconds of that meat, I still would have.  I might not have tried the meat if I'd known beforehand what it was, but after having it, had I been informed before I went for seconds, it tasted so good to me that I still would've gone right ahead.”

Sweetie Belle starts bawling, while her older sister starts retching.

I continue, “I tried to inform the stallions that I wasn't there to make meals of them, or any of the other ponies here.  My objective in coming here was only to make friends.  It still is.

“At any rate, it wasn't until later that I found out that Pinkie Pie had heard the story I'd told the stallions.  To make a long story short, she tried to avenge the stallions.  I managed to escape from her, and later I proved my intention to make friends by providing a service to Fluttershy.”

That's when the yellow pegasa chimes in and says, “That's right.  You helped me lead a family of ducks through Ponyville and back to my house.  Thank you for that.”

Rarity, her stomach now empty, can do nothing more right now than pant.

Lyra seems to be doing a fine job of calming the crying foal.  At least Sweetie Belle isn't crying so loudly anymore.

I'm sure I can hear Rainbow Dash say, “Mormon, aren't you forgetting a part of your story?”

I nod and continue, “Oh, and I also drove off a griffon.  Let's just say I won a roaring contest against her.  Anyway, I guess Pinkie Pie felt indebted to me for that, and has been trying to balance things between us ever since.  At least, that was her original intention.

“I learned later that she'd killed the griffon I'd chased off, and made cupcakes out of her.  I know because I … ate one of the cupcakes.”

All around me, I hear either horrified gasps, or angry shouts of “What?”

I continue, “Later on, in a conversation with her, I complimented her on the cupcakes; but, I also told her the holder of the element of laughter shouldn't be butchering other creatures and making cupcakes of them.”

That's when I hear snorting from Applejack's direction.  As my character turns to her, she says, “You appealed to her by her element?”

I answer, “That's right.”

The orange earth pony's next sound is a mixture of sigh and groan.  She then says, “That explains ever'thin'.”

I ask, “What do you mean?”

Applejack glares at me as she asks, “Did it ever occur to y'all to tell her ya love her?”

I pause for a moment, then answer, “I guess not.”  I don't say it aloud, but, considering the number of encounters between us, it doesn't, it didn't, make a lot of sense to talk to her about loving her.

The next thing Applejack says surprises me:  “It doesn't matter whether it makes sense to you or not.”

Did she just read my mind?

Before I can ask, the orange earth pony continues, “All you had to do was say somethin' 'bout lovin' her, and she'd be more willin' to listen to y'all.”

That's true.  I had programmed Pinkie Pie that way.  Aloud I say, “I guess you're right.”  I continue, “When she killed Derpy, I—“

Before I can finish my sentence, Sweetie Belle cries, “Derpy's dead too?”

I continue, “I caught Pinkie Pie making muffins of her.  I didn't eat any of them.  I did try to protect Rainbow Dash, but she refused to cooperate.  When Pinkie Pie came to my house and threatened me and my guests, including Rainbow Dash, I wrote a letter to Princess Celestia requesting police assistance.  I let Pinkie Pie go before sending the letter to give her one more chance to change her ways.  I ordered Rainbow Dash to go with the police ponies so she could lead them to the factory where she'd killed and processed the griffon and Derpy, and I gave the police specific directions on where to find the basement.  The police ponies and Rainbow Dash left together, but only the police ponies returned.”  My character turns to the orange earth pony as I continue, “Applejack has seen the recording of the event of Pinkie Pie killing Rainbow Dash, but I also have a recording of Pinkie Pie killing Derpy.”  As my character turns back to a now quiet but still frightened Sweetie Belle, I conclude, “The last time I went to the factory and the basement, I personally apprehended Pinkie Pie.  She's in police custody right now.  I don't know what's going to happen to her, but I'm willing to accept responsibility for her becoming what she is now.”

At this point, I hear Twilight Sparkle say, “You can't accept full responsibility for what Pinkie Pie became.  She did have the choice to make different decisions any time she wanted.”

Next, I hear Rarity say, “Thanks, Fluttershy.  Thanks, Lyra.  Human, Mormon, how could you do that to Pinkie Pie?”

I can't think of anything to say beyond what I've already said, but Lyra answers for me, “He's unfamiliar with how things work around here.  He didn't know how to address Pinkie Pie's behavior.  I'm sure if he'd been informed earlier about how to talk to Pinkie Pie, things would've turned out better.”

I don't say it aloud, but what Lyra said isn't exactly true.  I do know how to talk to Pinkie Pie; I've known since I came up with the idea for this game.  I chose this course of action, knowing how it'd end.  When I start this game again, I'll make different decisions, including what Applejack suggested, about telling Pinkie Pie I love her.  But, now's not the time.  I want to play this game to its conclusion.

Rarity's voice shocks me out of my thoughts when I hear her say, “I guess your right, Lyra.  Mormon, I'm sorry for my outburst.”

I answer, “That's alright.”

That's when I hear Twilight Sparkle once again, this time saying, “Spike, I want you to come with me.  We need to leave Rarity and her little sister alone to talk.  And, I need you back at the library.”

As my character turns his attention to the little purple dragon, I notice he seems to be fighting with his own emotions.  He doesn't say anything, just nods as he wanders to Twilight's side.

The purple unicorn turns to Fluttershy, Lyra, Applejack, Weed Whacker, and my character, and says, “Let's go now.”

Each complies, and the group of five join Twilight on her way out of the boutique.

Once outside, I hear Spike sniffle and say, “Rainbow Dash is … , and Pinkie Pie is … “ then sniffle again and start whimpering.

Then I hear Rainbow Dash say, “Spike, I had no idea you felt that way about me.”

Knowing the azure pegasa is dead, I choose to say nothing.  While Fluttershy and Lyra and, I suppose, Twilight know she and Derpy visited me to comfort Fluttershy, I'm not sure how Applejack would think of me hearing voices, even of a friend.

The group makes its way to the library, where Twilight Sparkle dismisses everyone else, except for Spike, to go back to where they live, or where they choose to go otherwise.

Applejack salutes the group goodbye and heads back to Sweet Apple Acres.

Fluttershy turns to my character and says, “Well, while I suppose I can go back to my own home, I think I should go with you instead.”

I ask, “What about your animals?  We'll be passing by your cottage anyway.  I could help you take care of your animals, if you want.”

The yellow pegasa covers her mouth with her front hooves and says, “The animals.  I can't believe I forgot all about them.  Oh, I hope they're alright.”

Watching the yellow pegasa start to whimper, I say, “We'll see when we get there.  But, like I said, I'll be happy to help you take care of them.  I'm sure they're just fine.”  As I think about it, I wonder how my character must look, considering he's probably had only one meal in the past two or three days.  For that matter, he hasn't showered either.  I wonder if Lyra has had such a chance since she's been in my custody.  But, those things seem immaterial considering I've volunteered to help Fluttershy with her animals.

Fluttershy, speaking of, continues to whimper, but nods her head in agreement.

Perhaps a half hour later the group is in front of the yellow pegasa's cottage.

As my character looks around Fluttershy's home turf, I see animals showing signs of life, most of which is evidently aimed at searching for the yellow pegasa that normally takes care of them.

A white rabbit, which I recognize as Angel, seeing Fluttershy, taps its foot a few times on the ground, then runs to the pegasa.  Once a few inches away from her, the rabbit stops, looks up, and glares at her.

Fluttershy says, “I'm so sorry, Angel bunny.  I've been busy.  Is everything alright?”

The rabbit growls—to my surprise—then turns away from Fluttershy and sticks it's nose up in the air.

My character looks around slowly, and I can see that the creatures surrounding him seem healthy enough.  At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if some of those animals, particularly the caged ones, are hungry.  As my character turns back to Fluttershy, I ask, “So, how can I help?”

She looks around for a moment, then says, “Go check on the chickens.  See if they've got enough food.”

My character nods in agreement, then starts toward the chicken coop.  Looking inside, I can see that the three chickens inside seem to be healthy.  I can also see, as my character looks to what I can only guess is the food dish, that there seems to be a little food remaining, indicated by the bottom being visible, save for a few spots hidden by small piles of feed.

As my character pulls his head out of the small doorway and turns to where I'm sure the pegasa most likely is, I ask, “Where is the food for the chickens?  They look like they need more.”

I don't hear the pegasa answer at first, and I decide to give her a few seconds before calling out again, “Fluttershy?”

From one side of the cottage, the pegasa's head appears, and she asks, “What did you want?”

I answer, “I think your chickens need more food.”

Fluttershy disappears for a few seconds, then reappears carrying a few dried cobs of corn in her mouth.  She approaches, head bowed, resembling a frightened puppy, although perhaps from a larger breed, until she's right next to me, then drops the cobs at my character's knees.  Looking up at him, she says, “Give them these, but clean off their dish first.  Did you see if they needed water?”

Two things that I didn't mention aloud to Fluttershy.  I never thought of cleaning a chickens' plate before giving them more, and I hadn't checked their water.

My character looks inside to search for whatever would serve as a watering container.

Nothing I see reminds me of something that I've seen used to provide water for chickens.

My character looks back to the pegasa, and I answer, “I don't see anything in there that looks like it'd be used for water.”

The yellow pegasa stares at my character for a moment, then, shooing him away with a hoof, says, “Move aside, please.”

My character obliges, allowing the pegasa to walk up the board and enter the chicken house.  A minute or two later, she comes out with what looks like a dog's food dish in her mouth.  It's not clear exactly what she's saying, but it is funny seeing the dish moving up and down in her mouth as she tries to talk.  I think what she's saying, or trying to say, is, “This is it here, and it's empty.”  Not sure she's making herself clear, she puts the dish on the ramp in front of her and repeats herself.  As it turns out, I interpreted her muffled message correctly, except it was two separate sentences:  “This is it here.  It's empty.”

I ask, “Is there something I can use to fill it?  For that matter, where was it?”

Fluttershy backs into the small red house and says, “It was right here.”

As my character puts his head through the doorway, I can see through his eyes where the yellow pegasa is pointing, a now empty spot next to the food dish.

As he backs away from the structure, Fluttershy peers out of the opening and says, “As for a place to fill it, there's a spring nearby.  I clean it out and then fill it again with water from there.”  She then makes her way out of the structure, nudging the watering bowl so it slides down the ramp, then, following close behind it, says, “I'll take care of the chickens' water, and you can take care of their food.”  Then, without waiting for an answer, she grabs the watering bowl and follows the stream against its flow, evidently intending to take care of the water for the chickens.

My character goes to work, re-entering the chicken house, grabbing the food dish, pulling it out, emptying and cleaning it, putting it back in place, and finally placing in it the cobs of corn Fluttershy had given him to give to the chickens.

Whether it's because of fear and uncertainty about me, or because of thirst, the chickens seem uninterested in the cobs of corn.

That's when Fluttershy comes back with the water bowl, nearly filled with water.  She enters the red structure and, a minute or two later, I hear the pegasa's voice say, “Alright, ladies.  Come and get it, if you don't mind.”  Then, through my character's eyes, I watch the pegasa back out of the chicken house as I hear the sound of activity from inside.  She then turns to me and says, “You did a great job cleaning out their food dish.  I'm sure, once they've gotten their fill of water, they'll enjoy the corn.  I had expected you to separate the corn from the cobs, though.”

I offer, “I could go in now and separate the corn, if you want.”

Fluttershy answers, “I wouldn't suggest it.  They've already claimed those cobs of corn, and they won't want somepony trying to get them back.  Sorry.”

I answer, “That's alright.  If that's how it's going to be, who am I to change it?”

Fluttershy looks toward her cottage and says, “I have Lyra taking care of the seals and other water creatures, and Weed Whacker taking care of the birds.  I should go check on them, to see how they're doing.”

I don't say it aloud, but I had hoped she'd find something for them to help out with as well.  What I do say is, “I should go with you.  I'd like to see how they're doing, as well.”

The yellow pegasa nods, and my character follows her to the back of her house, where I see the herbivorous dinosaur attending to various waterfowl in a pond.  I see a family of wild ducks, the adult male of which quacks a few times when he sees me.

Fluttershy says, “He recognizes you.  He's thanking you for helping his family and me get back to safety.”

I answer, “I was happy to do so.”

Weed Whacker, hearing the two of us, turns to my character and says, “So, those are the ducks you helped, along with Fluttershy.”

I answer, “That's right.  And, I must admit, it was fun helping them.”

Just then, Lyra appears and, evidently exhausted, says, “I'm finished feeding your carnivores.”

Before the yellow pegasa can check Lyra's work, I, no we, hear a scream from further up the trail, and a familiar voice calls out, “Lyra, where are you?  Somepony help me!”  It's Bon-Bon's voice.

Lyra and my character look at each other, and Fluttershy asks, “What's Bon-Bon doing in the forest?  Doesn't she know it's dangerous to go in there alone?”

Lyra whimpers, “She knows, alright.  She'd only go in there if she thought I was in there.”

My character is already on his way to the trail and heading toward his house as I call, “Fluttershy, stay with Weed Whacker!  I'll go with Lyra to see how Bon-Bon's doing!”

In a matter of minutes, my character and Lyra find Bon-Bon cowering, and what appears to be a dog or wolf composed of wood approaching her.

My character slows to a stop, and I can only assume Lyra does the same, as I hear her say, “A timber wolf.”

I find myself having to fight back the urge to laugh.  In reality, timber wolves exist; but as wolves that live in the forest.  I have to wonder to myself, who originally envisioned timber wolves as dogs completely composed of wood?  But, once again, now isn't the time for mirth.  A pony, Lyra's friend, is in trouble.  And, one, or both, of us has to do something about it.

Before I can react, a large rock sails past my character and into the wooden canid's backside.

The creature yelps and whimpers in pain and surprise, then turns to get a look at it's attacker.

As my character prepares to defend himself from an eminent attack, I hear Lyra say, “Get away from my friend.”

I'm unable to see what happens next, as my character's defensive posture means that his arms hide from my view anything that might be coming.  I hear sounds of things colliding with other things, sounds of pain coming from dog and pony, and sounds of things flying past my character's head.

When everything is quiet, I hear Lyra say, “Mormon, you can stop cowering now.”

That's when my character finally moves his arms away, allowing me to see through his eyes twigs and small branches everywhere, and Lyra herself has sustained a few injuries, mostly scrapes and bruises.

Bon-Bon has a bite mark on one hind leg of hers that I can see, just below her cutie mark, and she's lying down, stretching the injured leg at her side.

Lyra approaches her and asks, “Are you alright?”

I watch the yellow earth pony try to stand up, then yelp in pain and fall to the ground again.  As she looks up at Lyra, I see a tear in her eye.  She answers, “I don't think so.”

My character rises, then moves to the injured earth pony, circles around her, then picks her up from underneath, letting the legs dangle under her.

Bon-Bon struggles until she moves her injured leg, then grimaces and stops struggling.

I say, “I'm thinking it'd be a good idea if I carry you to my house.”

Lyra says, “Before we head there, I think we should go to Fluttershy's cottage so Bon-Bon can get properly cared for.”

My thought was to take care of her at my character's house, but Lyra may be right.  Then, there's also Lyra herself.  I voice agreement, and Lyra leads the way back to Fluttershy's cottage.

By the time we get there, the yellow pegasa is leading a happy-looking Weed Whacker while evidently studying Lyra's handy work.  When she sees us, she asks, “Lyra, what happened?”

Lyra answers, “Bon-Bon was attacked by a timber wolf.  I fought it off.”

Fluttershy flies toward my character and sniffs the injury on Bon-Bon's leg, then backs off and, turning around, says, “Follow me,” then leads my character and Lyra into her cottage.  She nods to the couch and says, “Mormon, put Bon-Bon on the couch.”

My character circles around the couch and carefully places the injured yellow earth pony down so she's lying on her side, her injured leg on top.

Through my character's eyes, I see the knife that'd been left on the floor rise, glowing with a light-green aura.  I hear Lyra ask, a moment later, “Is everything alright?”

Not waiting for Fluttershy to answer, I say, “It is now.  If you'll give that to me, I'll put it away.”

In response, the knife floats toward my character who, when it's close enough, grabs it by the handle, then, as the aura disappears, walks it to the sink in the kitchen and sets it in the deepest basin.

In the mean time, I hear Fluttershy say, “Thanks, Mormon.”

Again I'm not sure if she's referring to me putting the knife away, or if she's referring to how I placed Bon-Bon on the couch.  Whichever the case is, I vocally welcome her gratitude.  When my character returns to the front room, I see the yellow pegasa with a first aid kit, attending to Lyra's wounds.  As soon as she sees me, she says, “I'm taking care of Lyra.  You take care of Bon-Bon, if you don't mind.”

As my character approaches the yellow earth pony, I answer, “I'd be honored.”  My character stops at Bon-Bon's leg, grabs something that looks like gauze from the first aid kit, then a bottle that reads “Hydrogen Peroxide” on it, opens the bottle, places the gauze on it, then quickly turns the bottle upside-down and right-side-up again.  As he turns back to Bon-Bon, I say, “Now, this is probably gonna hurt.  So, brace yourself.”  At that point, my character applies the gauze to the outermost tooth hole.

The yellow earth pony grimaces and gasps at first, then calms down again and says, “I was expecting it to hurt, but it doesn't.  Actually, it feels … kinda good.”

My character taps the gauze on the mark, until it starts bubbling, then turns the gauze over and taps the next mark.  Once that one starts bubbling, he turns to Fluttershy, and I ask, “Where can I throw this away?”

The yellow pegasa turns to me and, seeing the gauze, turns to one wall and says, “You can put the used gauze in the garbage over there.”

As my character turns to where the pegasa is still pointing, I see a small metal bucket near the door to the kitchen.  My character throws the piece of gauze, and, to my surprise and delight, the gauze lands in the middle of the bucket.  My character then grabs another piece of gauze and soaks it with more of the hydrogen peroxide.

As my character applies the gauze to another mark, I hear Fluttershy say, “I didn't think you'd actually throw it.  From now on, get up and go to the container and drop the dirty gauze in there, if that's alright with you.”

In the mean time, I watch as the third bite mark bubbles, then my character turns the gauze over and applies it to the next mark.

Only four more to go after this one.

I answer Fluttershy, “I didn't mean to frighten you.  I'm sorry.”

Fluttershy, focused on more of Lyra's injuries, answers, “It's not that.  You got it in the container this time.  I'm just worried that you won't next time.  I don't want to clean up any messes.”

The fourth mark is bubbling now.

My character stands up and walks over to the bucket.  As he drops the gauze in, I say, “Maybe I should bring the container closer to where I'm working.  That way I won't have to walk across the room.”

Sounds of activity from Fluttershy stop, and she says, “I should've thought of that.  I'm sorry.”

I answer, “That's alright.  I'll bring it over now.”  My character then proceeds to pick up the bucket and return to where he was working on Bon-Bon's injuries.  He grabs another piece of gauze and soaks it in more of the hydrogen peroxide.

After a total of four pieces of gauze have been used, my character covers the bite in a large gauze bandage, then wraps it in some cloth that appears to be designed for wrapping injuries.

Bon-Bon looks back at the leg, studying the bandage, then tries flexing the leg.  Immediately, she straightens it out again and, straightening her neck out, cries out in pain.

As my character puts a hand over the wrapped injury, I say, “Yeah, you're probably not gonna want to walk on that for a while.  I don't think there are any broken bones, so I think you should give it at least an hour before trying to move it again.”

The yellow earth pony turns to look at me again and says, “You're probably right about that.”

That's when Lyra chimes in, asking, “What in all Equestria were you doing, wandering in the Everfree forest like that?”

Bon-Bon's ears curl back, and she glares back at the pale-green unicorn and says, “I was looking for you.  I knew you'd gone to Canterlot Castle, but I couldn't find you there.  It was as though you'd disappeared.”  Her expression goes from anger to sadness as she continues, “I had no idea what happened to you, but I'd heard a human was taking care of you.  I heard he lived on the other side of the forest, so I was trying to find where he lives.  I followed the path through the forest, but I didn't see anything that looked like a house.  So, I headed back.”

Lyra, sighing, concludes, “And then, you went and got yourself in trouble with a timber wolf.”

The yellow earth pony says, “You make it sound like I picked a fight with it.”

Lyra growls, then says, “What were you thinking, prying into my business like that?”

Bon-Bon retorts, “What were you thinking, making me worry like that?”

I can understand that the two friends need to vent, but this is looking like it could lead to something more serious.  As my character puts his arms up in front of the arguing ponies, showing each one the palm of the closest hand, I say, “Alright, that'll be enough out of both of you.  Any more arguing, and I'll muzzle both of you.”

Presently, the two resume their argument, but they talk so fast I can't understand what they're saying.  Not only that, but they're talking at the same time.

After a few seconds, my character leans toward Bon-Bon and grabs her muzzle, squeezing it closed.  He then leans back toward Lyra and grabs her muzzle, similarly silencing her.

Once I have the effect I'm looking for and the two ponies are quiet, or at least quieter than they were, I say, “I said muzzle, not nuzzle.”  When the two are no longer even mumbling through their closed mouths, I continue, “Now that I have your attention, you'll notice I'm holding your muzzles closed.  I could get this same effect by wrapping a piece of cloth around each of your mouths.  This is muzzling.”

Now, my character looks at each of the ponies.

Lyra's expression suggests sadness, but her face is turning a different, perhaps truer(?), shade of green.

Bon-Bon has a similar expression to Lyra's, and her face is also turning green.

Still focused on Bon-Bon, I conclude, “I'm going to release you now.  But, if I hear anymore arguing from you, I'm gonna look for pieces of cloth.  Do you understand?”

As my character looks at each of them, I can see that they're both nodding.

So, my character releases their muzzles at the same time.

Immediately, Bon-Bon grabs the bucket, pulls it to her, buries her nose in it, and starts retching.

Lyra, in the mean time, groans and says, “When did you last wash your hands?  They smell like … “  But, she can say no more, as she starts gagging.

Presently, reading signs from the pale-green unicorn's abdomen, Fluttershy rises, helps Lyra keep her mouth closed, and guides her to the bathroom, or so I assume.

My character sniffs his hands, and the message at the bottom of the screen reads, “The smell of rotting meat is all over your hands.”  No wonder the two ponies are sick.  I have to wonder to myself, though, when my character touched rotting meat with his hands.  I know he didn't touch that dead bear cub.  Or, did he?

My character turns toward Bon-Bon, but before I can say anything, I hear Fluttershy say, “I hope you're happy now.  I was able to keep Lyra's mouth closed just long enough to get her into the bathroom and over the toilet.”

Well, I was right about the bathroom thing.  As my character turns to the yellow pegasa, I say, “I really need to apologize.  I honestly didn't know my hands smelled like that.  Could I wash my hands in your sink?”

Fluttershy sniffs one of my hands, backs away quickly and groans and holds her nose, then says, “Go ahead.  But, I think you'll need more than water to wash that off.”

Taking that as his cue, my character heads to the kitchen sink and, once there, proceeds to wash his hands.  After that, he returns to the front room where, through his eyes, I can see Bon-Bon collapsed on the couch over, but just beyond, the bucket, now occupied by the blood-and-hydrogen-peroxide-soaked gauze and what was previously the contents of her stomach.  As he turns to Fluttershy, I ask, “Do you have anything I can use to dry off my hands?”

As she U-turns, the yellow pegasa answers, “Just give me a moment.”  She then proceeds to the stairs and heads up.

In the mean time, Lyra stumbles back into the front room, saying, “Ugh, I hope I don't have to do that again.”

As my character turns to the pale-green unicorn, I say, “I really am sorry about that.  I had no idea my hands smelled like that.  I've washed them, so you shouldn't need to worry about it anymore.”

Lyra looks at me and asks, “Do humans … throw up?”

I answer, “Only when we're sick.  And then, it has to be a problem with the stomach.  For me, that's very rarely.”

Lyra looks at her friend, collapsed on the couch, then back at me, and says, “Well, intentional or not, you found an effective way of keeping us from arguing.”

Hearing that from Lyra, I start laughing.

Lyra also starts laughing; whether it's because I'm laughing or because she understands what I'm laughing at, I can't say for sure.

And, that's when Fluttershy shows up, descending her staircase, a towel on her back between her wings.  Looking at Lyra, then my character, she asks, “What's so funny?”

I answer, “Just something Lyra said.”

Once at the bottom of the staircase, the yellow pegasa approaches my character, offering him the towel.  Once he accepts it and starts drying his hands, Fluttershy says, “Well, it's nice to hear you doing something besides arguing.”

Somehow, over our resumed laughter, I hear Bon-Bon groan and ask slowly, “What's so funny?”

Evidently, we've awakened the sleeping earth pony.  As my character turns to her, I answer, “Nothing to worry about.  Lyra just said something funny.”

Lyra regains her composure and says, “Well, since Bon-Bon is awake now, I think we have a decision to make: whether to stay here, or to go to Mormon's house.”

Fluttershy looks out her window and says, “Well, it's getting late.  I think we should stay here for the night.”

My character glances out the window, and I regain my composure and say, “I don't know about that.  It looks to me like there's plenty of sunlight out there.  I think we should have no trouble making it to my house before dark.”

Bon-Bon turns to my character and asks, “Is there a particular reason why you want us at your house tonight?”

I answer, “When Princess Celestia last visited us, she suggested I should do something to learn more about unicorns.  I have something in mind, sharing a book that's come to mean a lot to me over the years.  I have copies of that book at my house, so we can all read it together.”

That's when Weed Whacker, who up until now has been silent, speaks up and asks, “You mean together, as in at the same time?”

I answer, “Not at the same time.  I mean each of us could read a paragraph from the book, until we finish reading a chapter.”

Lyra chimes in with, “That does make more sense.”  Pausing for a moment, she then says, “Well, if it's that important to you, I suppose I could go with you to your house.”

Fluttershy says, “Well, I still think we should stay here for the night.  Bon-Bon needs to recover, and I still have my animals to take care of.”

Bon-Bon, looking at my character, says, “You were able to place me on the couch by getting behind it.  How are you going to pick me up again?”

I pause for a moment as my character turns to the yellow earth pony, then say, “I suppose I could hoist you over my shoulder.  Then, I'd have a set of eyes looking behind me.”

From the ponies and dinosaur I hear gasps and worried moans.

I then say, “Then again, I suppose I could just go behind the couch and try to pick you up again.  Or, I could just pick you up from the front of the couch.”

Bon-Bon tries to move her bandaged leg again, and succeeds at pulling it a little closer before wincing in pain again.  She says, “Personally, I'd prefer to stay here and recover some more.  But, if you insist on going back to your house, whichever way you decide to carry me, please be careful of my leg.”

I open my mouth to agree, but then we suddenly hear growling and scraping at the front door.  It can only be that timber wolf again.

As the ponies and dinosaur are frozen in their places, my character gets up and heads to the door.  He opens the door to see the wooden canid's head enter the house and start looking around.  Seemingly by instinct, he pounds the creature's head with his available hand, causing the head to explode into twigs on the ground.  As he turns to the alarmed ponies and dinosaur, I say, “I don't think there's much of an argument now.  It's definitely not safe here.  We'd better head to my house as soon as possible.”  And, with that, my character heads to Bon-Bon on the couch, pushes his arms underneath her, and picks her up with apparent ease.

Fluttershy, Lyra, and Weed Whacker, in the mean time, seeing the twigs start to glow again, run for the door, with my character carrying Bon-Bon close behind them.

Once the group is outside, Lyra uses her magic to close the door, trapping some of the timber wolf's twigs inside the house.

I wonder to myself, if a timber wolf needs all it's branches and twigs to consider itself complete, then Lyra's plan could very likely work.  Especially if the door keeps the twigs inside the cottage separate from the main body of the timber wolf.  On the other hand, if it fails to distract or slow down the wolf, well, who knows what could happen to us?  Right now, it doesn't matter.  We're all running to my character's house on the opposite side of the forest.

We maintain such a pace that we reach my character's house in perhaps ten or twenty minutes.

As my character looks behind us, it seems as though closing the timber wolf's twig components in Fluttershy's cottage was a good idea after all.  As far as I can tell, there's no evidence that the creature has followed us.

Once we're all inside, my character sets Bon-Bon on the couch facing away from the door, on top of the bedding that hadn't been removed since Lyra had her first sleepover at his house.

In the mean time, Lyra uses her magic to place a pale-green force barrier in the doorway.

The yellow earth pony looks at my character, staring at him for a few seconds, then turns to Lyra and says, “It seems that not only does your human exit, but, like you said, he is a nice, friendly one.  I owe you an apology.”

My character turns to the pale-green unicorn, and I can see her eyes vibrating.  After a moment, she says, “Thanks.”

As my character stands up again, I say, “Well, now for that book I was talking about.”  My character then turns to a nearby closet and opens it up to reveal stacks of books, all with dark-blue covers, all with the same label, all in new condition.  My character grabs five copies of the book, one for him, one for each of the ponies, and one for the dinosaur, then backs away from the closet and closes the door, then hands out books until he's holding only one, then sits down on the couch on the opposite side of the coffee table from Bon-Bon.  He opens his copy of the book, and the ponies and dinosaur circle around the table, Weed Whacker and Lyra on the couch where he's sitting, and Fluttershy next to Bon-Bon, not sitting on the couch, but sitting up next to her just off the arm where Bon-Bon is resting.

My character opens his copy of the book, and the ponies and dinosaur follow suit.  At this point, I ask, “So, where shall we start?”

Lyra, using her magic to turn pages while supporting the volume in her lap, says, “Start wherever you want.  Do you plan on reading first?”

Fluttershy hasn't opened her copy yet.

Bon-Bon is holding her copy between her front hooves, using her nose to flip through the pages.

Weed Whacker, having hands like mine, is having no problems manipulating the pages.

Neither the ponies nor the herbivorous dinosaur seem willing to begin reading.

Seeing, through my character's eyes, their unwillingness to volunteer, I say, “Very well, then.  Let's begin at First Nephi, chapter one.  You may read the introduction and testimonies on your own time.”

Bon-Bon, looking at me, nods first, followed by Lyra, then Weed Whacker, ending with Fluttershy saying, as she turns pages frantically, “Just let me find the page first.”

I wait as the yellow pegasa manages to find the page, then my character looks down to see the first verse, and I begin, “I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.”  My character looks up, and, as I'm about to ask for a volunteer, I see Fluttershy's eyes quivering, and she appears to be tearing up.  I ask, “Fluttershy, are you alright?”

The yellow pegasa, hearing her name, jerks her head up to look at my character, then looks down at the book again, and I can see a tear escape from her eye and make it's way down her cheek.  She sniffles, then swallows hard, then says, “I'm just wishing I had good parents like Nephi had.”  She then snifflees again and starts whimpering.

Both Lyra and Weed Whacker jump off the couch and approach her and try to comfort her, Lyra nuzzling her chin, and Weed Whacker stroking her neck with her available hand.

I turn to Bon-Bon and ask, “Would you like to read the next verse?”

Bon-Bon nods in agreement and reads the second verse, after which Lyra reads the third verse, followed by Weed Whacker reading the fourth.

By the time Weed Whacker has finished reading, Fluttershy is sufficiently composed that she reads the fifth verse, and I read the sixth.

After four rounds total this way, the five of us have read the entire first chapter.

After Fluttershy finishes reading, I look up and ask, “Shall we continue on to the second chapter, or do you want to call it a night?”

At this point, I hear the sound of a stomach growling, and suddenly Bon-Bon has the attention of two other ponies, one dinosaur, and one human.  Blushing, she says, “Well, I haven't had anything to eat all day.  If you don't mind stopping now, I'd appreciate having something to eat.”  She then looks at her bandaged leg and starts flexing it inward.

As far as I can tell, all of us are pleased to see the earth pony able to fold her leg under her without any hint of pain.

Looking at each of us, the yellow earth pony squees and says, “If that's any indication, I think I may be able to walk now.”

My character closes his copy of the Book of Mormon, sets it on the coffee table, then walks around the table next to Bon-Bon, ready to help her up, as I say, “Just in case you need help.”

Bon Bon nods, then proceeds to stretch the bandaged leg out and back in again, then attempts to prop herself up on her front legs on the couch.  Succeeding at that, she begins to push her behind up with her hind legs.  Then, she yelps in pain as her bandaged leg buckles under her.

My character manages to catch her before she can fall off the couch.

Bon-Bon tries to stretch out her bandaged leg so it can support half the weight of her behind, but finds it impossible without another jolt of pain.  Finally, she cries, “Help me down, help me down, help me down!”

Even Lyra helps with her magic as my character manages to set the yellow earth pony back down on the couch.  As he looks at the bandage on the leg, I can see that some red spots are beginning to show through the bandage.

Safely reclining on the couch again, the bandaged leg once more stretched out, Bon-Bon says, “Well, I guess I'm not ready to walk again just yet.”

After a pause, Lyra says, “I'll stay here with Bon-Bon, and the rest of you can go gather food for yourselves and for us.”

I can see that's the best plan.  My character nods and proceeds to stand up and walk toward the doorway, followed by Fluttershy and Weed Whacker.  My character only pauses at the front door to wait for Lyra to turn off her force shield, after which the three proceed outside.

It seems my character is unable to reach the orchard without running into Princess Celestia first.

The white alicorn looks toward my character's house, then back at him, and asks, “So, how is Bon-Bon?”

I must admit I'm surprised to hear the white princess ask about a guest that's just arrived.  I answer, “I'm sure she'll be alright.  She had a run in with a timber wolf and got bitten, but I'm sure she'll recover.”

Princess Celestia answers, “That's good to hear.  It's also good to hear that she made it to your house after all.”

Presently, I say, “Oh, it might interest you to know that the five of us read a chapter from a book I thought would interest them.”

The white alicorn asks, “What book would that be?”

I answer, “The Book of Mormon.”

Princess Celestia smiles and asks, “Your autobiography?”

I laugh and answer, “No.  It's actually the religious history of a family that left their home in Jerusalem six hundred years before the birth of the Christ because their God ordered it.  They arrived in what is known as South America a few decades later, where they separated into two groups, the Lamanites and the Nephites.  From there, the story follows the Nephites through their generations of history, during times when they're at their best, times when they're at their worst, and times in between.

“The visit of the Christ among these peoples, which serves as the climax of their history, is also recorded, as well as the ultimate destruction of the Nephites, some four centuries afterward.

“There's also the record of another people that moved to and lived in what's known as North America some two millennia before the family I mentioned would arrive in South America.”

The white alicorn, after hearing my description, says, “I do not believe I have heard of such a book.  I should like to have a copy so I can read it for myself.”

I answer, “I have to gather food for me and my four friends.  I have two others helping, and when we're finished, you can come in with me, and I'll get you a copy of the book, if you want.”

Princess Celestia squees and answers, “I would appreciate that very much.  Go ahead and gather what food you and your friends will need.  I'll then follow you into your house, and you can retrieve a copy of this Book of Mormon for me.”

My character nods in agreement, then proceeds into the orchard to pick a few apples.

As he's studying one apple before picking it, Princess Celestia asks, “So, did the reading of this Book of Mormon help you learn anything new about unicorns?”

I answer, “Well, I now know Lyra's a really good reader.  Beyond that, I don't think so.  I suppose I'll have to see as we continue reading.”

The white alicorn says, “I think you'll find that most ponies, if not all of them, are really good at reading.”

I answer, “I guess I'll find out for myself at some point.  I know that Fluttershy and Bon-Bon are also good readers.”  I then add, “One more thing, after I read the first verse, Fluttershy said something that suggested that she had a troubled child-, uh, foal-hood?  Did something happen to her?”

Princess Celestia points her nose at the ground.  After a moment, she answers, “If she chooses to tell you about it, that's her choice.  But, I will leave it up to her whether she lets you know or not.”

By this point, my character has collected five apples, and returned to the white alicorn's side.

While the possibility of a dark chapter of Fluttershy's personal history hasn't been affirmed, it hasn't been denied either.  Perhaps I'll have to ask her about it some time.

In the mean time, guided by the white alicorn, my character returns to the house, where Lyra's force shield is back in place.

When Lyra sees me, she lowers the shield and allows me and Princess Celestia to enter.

Seeing their daytime Princess at the front door, Lyra bows, and Bon-Bon does her best to do the same, which means only looking down and closing her eyes.

As my character deposits the apples on the unoccupied couch, then heads to the closet to retrieve a copy of the Book of Mormon, the yellow earth pony says, “Please forgive me, Princess.  I've hurt my leg, so I can't bow more than this.”

Princess Celestia answers, “That's alright.  Mormon explained what happened.”

It's only a matter of seconds after opening the door before my character has obtained a copy of the Book of Mormon, then another few seconds after that he returns to the white alicorn's presence to hand the book to her.

Princess Celestia graciously accepts the book, then disappears, no doubt teleporting herself and the copy of the book my character gave her back to Canterlot Castle.

In a few more minutes, Fluttershy and Weed Whacker return, Weed Whacker holding vegetables, and Fluttershy holding berries and grains.

After that, it's a matter of minutes before the items are prepared, and the five congregate in the front room around the coffee table to eat.  After all have eaten, Lyra decides to stay with Bon-Bon in the front room to make sure she's alright, while Fluttershy and Weed Whacker occupy bedrooms at the end of the hallway past my character's bedroom.

While this has undoubtedly been one of the busiest days, this is not quite the end of the story.  In the morning, my character needs to visit Pinkie Pie in prison, and her friends will visit her as well.  She'll be facing a trial where she'll prove whether her freedom would mean she would continue her crimes or she would choose a different course.  If she decides to repent and choose a better course, she'll win her freedom, which will most likely mean I'll be taking care of her.  Otherwise, she'll be executed.

As I save and close the game, there's one more problem I need to address: that glitch that caused my character to freeze in defensive mode.
> Chapter 8: Party Pony on Trial
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think I understand why my character froze in defensive mode.  I'm thinking it was the connection to a certain variable.  It was either a Boolean or an integer, or both, that wasn't connected to the result I wanted.  I'm starting with testing the Boolean variable.

As I start the game, I have my character leave his bed, then defend himself.  Again, my character's arms don't allow me to see anything beyond them.  I try to order him to cease defenses, but he refuses to respond.  Evidently the Boolean variable wasn't the problem, at least not on its own.  I decide to shut down the program and try the integer variable.

After a few moments of changing the connections, replacing the name of the Boolean variable with that of the integer, I compile the program and run it again, choosing to resume the game.  Once again, I order my character out of bed, then order him to defend himself.

This time he blocks, then immediately he ceases defending himself.

Again I order him to defend himself, holding down the appropriate key, to see what happens.

This time, he blocks and holds the defensive pose.

I release the key, and my character returns to his original stance.  It seems I've found and corrected the glitch.  Time to continue with the game.

My character opens his bedroom door to see the herbivorous dinosaur ready to knock.

Seeing the action unnecessary, she instead looks up at my character, and I can see, through his eyes, that she's holding a letter in her mouth.

My character kneels down and accepts the scroll from Weed Whacker's mouth, then opens it.

Though not aloud, I still read, “Mormon:  you, Fluttershy, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Lyra Heartstrings, and Weed Whacker are requested and required to come to Canterlot Castle to take part in the trial of Pinkamena Diane Pie.  You, Lyra, Fluttershy, and Weed Whacker will testify as witnesses against Miss Pie.

“Miss Pie will be given the opportunity to repent of her murders.  If she does, she will continue as holder of the element of laughter.  Otherwise, her element will pass to another, and she will be executed.

“This trial comes at great sorrow to all of us, especially considering the nature of this crime, and the fact that a bearer of an element of harmony is the criminal.  We wish not to have to do this.  But, we know what has been done, and we can only hope that Miss Pinkie Pie will repent of her murders.  If there is any chance that you can help convince her to repent, we request that you visit her and do so.”

The herbivorous dinosaur looks up at the human and asks, “So, what does that mean, exactly?”

I'm guessing Weed Whacker must've read the letter before giving it to me, but that's not what matters to me right now.  I say, “Go get Fluttershy and Lyra, and we'll meet in the kitchen.  I'll discuss this then.”

Obediently, the dinosaur heads down the hallway to get the yellow pegasa first.

My character closes the door, then makes preparations to leave for Ponyville, then for Canterlot by train.  When he's finished gathering two changes of clothes, as well as other necessary items, he heads to the kitchen to find Lyra, Fluttershy, Weed Whacker and Bon-Bon waiting for him there.

As I see the yellow earth pony sitting in one of the chairs, I say, “Bon-Bon, this meeting is strictly for Lyra, Fluttershy, Weed Whacker, and me.  Why don't you go wait in the front room?”

Bon-Bon answers, “Lyra is my friend.  I came all this way to see how she was doing.  I'm fine to leave now, but if there's some way I can help, I'd prefer to stay.”

I sigh and say, “Alright.”  Then, after my character moves behind Bon-Bon toward the sink, then faces the three ponies and one dinosaur, I begin, “Lyra, Weed Whacker, Fluttershy and I have been ordered to Canterlot Castle to testify against Pinkie Pie.”

Not surprisingly, the news hits Fluttershy worst of all, as she freezes up once again.

Lyra and Weed Whacker just look down at the table and start trembling.

Bon-Bon, seeing the reactions, turns to my character and asks, “Why would you testify against Pinkie?  Has she done something wrong?”

I answer, “Pinkie Pie murdered two ponies and a griffon and made them into pastries.”

The yellow earth pony covers her mouth with both front hooves.  Slowly shaking her head, she says, “No, it can't be true.”

Lyra specifies, “She killed Derpy Hooves and Rainbow Dash.”

I add, “She also killed Gilda, Rainbow Dash's griffon friend.”

At this point, my character moves to Fluttershy's side and starts stroking her mane.

In the mean time, Bon-Bon starts gagging, and it's clear that her front hooves cannot stop the contents of her stomach from escaping by way of her mouth.

Lyra jumps off her chair and moves to her friend's side, then strokes her closest leg as she says, “It's no easier for the rest of us to take.”

Bon-Bon, when she's finished vomiting, collapses her arms in front of her, lowers her head between them, and starts sobbing, calling out, “Derpy!”

My character picks up the frozen pegasa and holds her close, and I say, “I'm guessing Bon-Bon and Derpy were friends?”

Lyra answers, “She was a friend to all three of us.  She may have been wall-eyed, but she was one of the kindest ponies we've ever known.”

I don't know if I needed such a testimony to indicate why the gray pegasa was going to be the next to hold the element of kindness in case Fluttershy was unable to.  Looking at Bon-Bon, I say, “I think you understand, now, why I wanted the meeting to be strictly with Lyra, Fluttershy, and Weed Whacker.”

The evidently inconsolable earth pony is now wailing her dead friend's name.

Lyra, calling over her friends cries, asks, “So, when are we supposed to be there?”

My character gives me another look at the letter, and, after this further inspection, I answer, “There's nothing here about a specific time, but the logical assumption is that sooner is better.”  Directing my character's attention to the catatonic pegasa in his arms, I say, “Fluttershy, you have a friend here that needs your help.”  After that, he sets her next to Bon-Bon.

Fluttershy starts moving again, looking up at Bon-Bon, then starts stroking her closest leg.  In a few seconds, she uses her wings to lift herself up to approximately the yellow earth pony's level in her chair and starts nuzzling her.

In response, the earth pony looks up at her, remnants of her vomit dripping from the front of her mouth and a sad look on her face, then asks, “Can I go with you?  I don't think I should be alone right now.”

I answer, “I suppose that'll be alright.  The letter didn't mention you; but if you want to join us, I can't see why not.”  After a pause, I wonder aloud, “Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity were also mentioned in the letter.  I wonder if they'll be meeting us at the train station.”

Weed Whacker answers, “It wouldn't surprise me.  Spike can receive scrolls from on of the Princesses just as I can from both.  He just has to belch them out in a flame.  And, Twilight Sparkle can contact Applejack and Rarity, probably more easily than we can.”

My character nods, then I ask, “So, how many of us have eaten yet?”

Bon-Bon answers, “I'm not hungry right now.”

My character turns to her, and I respond, “I understand.”  then, as my character turns to the others, I ask, “So, anyone else?”

The three shoot glances at each other, then at my character again, and, in unison, answer, “We're not that hungry either.”

I sigh and say, “Very well.”  As my character turns to the yellow earth pony, I continue, “Why don't you take a bath or a shower, Bon-Bon?  It should make you feel better.”  As my character turns next to Lyra, I add, “I'm going to need help picking food for the trip.  No one may be hungry right now, but that doesn't mean we won't feel like eating later.”  My character then focuses on Weed Whacker as I say, “While Bon-Bon's getting cleaned up, I think you should clean up the table.”

As my character turns to Fluttershy, she says, “I'll take care of Bon-Bon.  You'll be happy to hear that she's been walking without any pain for at least an hour, since she woke up.  I removed her bandage, and her bite marks are healed.”

I answer, “That is good to hear.  Thanks for helping her.”

In the mean time, Bon-Bon, numb now, I'm guessing from the news, dismounts the chair and stumbles toward the hallway, accepting assistance from Weed Whacker on her way to the bathroom.

As my character sees the herbivorous dinosaur return, I say, “Well, let's get going.”

Presently, Weed Whacker grabs the chair Bon-Bon had been sitting in and moves it to the kitchen sink, then climbs it to search for a dish rag.

Fluttershy, having observed Weed Whacker guide the yellow earth pony to the bathroom, slowly walks to the doorway, waiting for Bon-Bon to finish her shower or bath and exit.

Lyra, in the mean time, joins my character near the door between the kitchen and the front room.

Lyra and my character exit the kitchen, head for the front door, then make their way outside.  Once there, once again I head to the orchard, while Lyra heads elsewhere, each of us to find food for the trip.

For once, it seems that my character is able to enter the orchard and look for fruits without running into the white alicorn.  As my character gathers the fruits, mainly apples, pears, and a few summer fruits, I find myself wondering if Princess Celestia is occupied with preparing for Pinkie Pie's trial.  But, that doesn't matter right now.

As my character exits the orchard, Lyra is approaching with forelimbs loaded with various vegetables and a few berries.  She and my character make their way back into the house, where my character enters the kitchen and searches for and finds a bag and dumps the fruits into it.  He then brings the bag back out to Lyra so she can drop her harvest into it.

Lyra, presented with the bag, looks inside and sees the fruits my character had already dropped in there.  She looks up at my character, and he nods at her.  Finally, the pale-green unicorn shrugs lightly and dumps her harvest into the bag.

My character then heads to the kitchen to see Weed Whacker has just finished drying off the table.  All that's left is to see if Bon-Bon is ready to head out now.

As my character looks into the hallway, a solemn Fluttershy, seeing him, says, “Bon-Bon hasn't come out yet.  I think she's still in the shower.”

My character turns to look and point to the door opposite Fluttershy, and I say, “The closet there should have some clean towels.  You can get one of those out and give it to Bon-Bon so she can use it to dry off when she comes out.”

Quick to take action, Fluttershy opens the closet door and, seeing the towels, grabs one in her mouth and pulls it out.  Still holding the towel, she closes the closet door.  Then, she turns to me, spits the towel onto the ground, and says, “Thank you, Mormon.  I'll give it to Bon-Bon now.”

As the yellow pegasa grabs the towel in her mouth again, my character turns and heads into the kitchen, then exits through the door and enters the front room again.

As soon as she sees me, I hear Lyra ask, “So, what about the Book of Mormon reading?  Will we be continuing that in Canterlot?”

As my character turns to the unicorn, I answer, “I suppose it depends on how long we'll be staying.  Do you have your copy of the Book of Mormon with you?”

Lyra, reaching under the couch closest to the door to the kitchen, answers, “Bon-Bon and I kept our copies under this couch.”  As she manages to fish the two books out from under the couch, she asks, “Is it alright if we keep them?”

I answer, “Sure.  In fact, if Bon-Bon wants to take her copy with her when she returns home, she's welcome to do so.  As I said before, you are welcome to read ahead, read the introduction and testimonies at the beginning before First Nephi, or re-read the first chapter of First Nephi, whatever you want.”

Lyra smiles and thanks me.

Just then, Weed Whacker exits the kitchen and says, “I'm finished cleaning the kitchen table.  I also had to clean the chair Bon-Bon was sitting in.  I hope she'll be fine.”

Before I can say anything, Lyra turns to the herbivorous dinosaur and asks, “Do you have your copy of the Book of Mormon?”  Eagerly, the pale-green unicorn continues, “We're going to have a reading in Canterlot.”

I state, “I didn't say that for sure.  If we have to spend the night, then yes, we'll read chapter two of First Nephi there.”  After a momentary pause, I add, “Still, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to be ready, just in case.”

Before Weed Whacker turns and disappears through the kitchen door, she says, “I suppose we should all bring our copies, then.  I just have to wonder, though, what if other ponies want to join us in the reading?  Princess Celestia has her own copy, so she's set.  But, what if her sister, Princess Luna, wants to read with us?  For that matter, what if there are ponies besides them that want to read?  What if Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity also want to read with us?  And, what if Pinkie Pie wants a copy to read?  You'll want to get more copies, maybe a dozen or so, just in case.”

It really hadn't occurred to me that we might have to spend the night in Canterlot.  Now, there are possibilities that other ponies might want to read with our small group.  I decide to get another bag to place copies of the Book of Mormon inside, to prepare for the contingency that Weed Whacker mentioned.

While my character is inside the kitchen, I hear Fluttershy say, “Bon-Bon, I've got a towel for you when you're ready to come out.”

As I listen, I note that I can no longer hear the sound of spraying water coming from the bathroom.  My character grabs another bag, this one for the books, then heads for the door.

Just then, I hear a door open, this time from my character's right.  As he turns toward the sound, I notice that Bon-Bon, still soaked, is halfway out of the bathroom.  Before I can say anything, Bon-Bon sees my character, screams, and backs rapidly into the bathroom again.

Fluttershy turns to me and, glaring, snarls, “Get back into the front room, now.”

As my character passes through the door, I think aloud, “O...kay.  I'd expect that kind of behavior from humans, but not from horses.  Then again, these ponies are anthropomorphic.  But still, why would creatures that don't wear clothes act like that around me after they've taken a bath?”

I then hear Lyra ask, “What happened?”  As my character turns to her, she gasps and asks, “You didn't see her … “

I answer, “I didn't see anymore of her than normal.  Actually, less.  The only thing different about her was she was wet from taking a bath.”

The light-green unicorn closes her eyes and taps her forehead between them with a front hoof for a second, then puts the hoof down, opens her eyes, focuses on my character, and says, “Mormon, we ponies don't like strangers seeing us in less than dignified conditions, such as when we're wet.”

After a moment, I answer, “I didn't think I was that much of a stranger.”

Lyra asks, “You didn't laugh, did you?”

Noting in the mean time the opportunity I have, I go to the closet, open it, and start taking books out and putting them in the bag as I answer, “No, I didn't.  I saw her mane soaked with bath water, but I didn't see anything to laugh at.”

I then hear Lyra's voice as she says, “Well, she must've thought you were going to laugh at her, or do something worse.”

Something I never intend to tell these ponies is that I have laughed at a wet pony, Rarity, when she appeared that way in that episode when she and Applejack had a sleepover at the library with Twilight Sparkle.  Rarity'd accepted a dare from Applejack, to go out in the rainstorm and allow her hair to get wet.  She did look less than dignified with her mane and tail weighed down with the rain water.  Then, there was that episode where Zecora the zebra was introduced.  Rarity didn't get wet, at least not the way she had during the sleepover, but she did enter the library resembling something of a sheep dog the morning after wandering with her friends into the poison joke.

But, Bon-Bon isn't that way.  I had her take a bath, not to make fun of her when she was wet or take advantage of her in some carnal manner, but to allow her to clean up after receiving and reacting to the news about Pinkie Pie and Derpy Hooves, or, as I called the latter, Ataahua.  She had taken the news hard, though not as hard as Fluttershy had taken it.  The yellow earth pony has given me no reason to disrespect her.

Now, this is not to say that I have any disrespect for Rarity.  It is true that she has had moments where she hasn't been the best example of what an Equestrian pony can be, but she has had her shining moments.  All of the Mane Six have had their moments of least brilliance, not to mention moments when I've seen them shine the brightest.  Just because an Equestrian pony demonstrates a moment of disgrace doesn't mean he or she doesn't deserve respect.  After all, I, a human, am not always at my highest levels of grace.  Should I disrespect a fictional creature because I see in him or her qualities that I have?

At this point, I have some twelve books in the bag, and I find I can't put in anymore and still be able to close it.  Backing away from the door and closing it, I answer the pale-green unicorn, “Lyra, I have no reason to disrespect your friend.  If I did want to disrespect Bon-Bon, I wouldn't have carried her back to Fluttershy's home.  I wouldn't have cleaned her wounds and put the bandage over them.  I wouldn't have carried her back to my house.  And, I wouldn't have given her the copy of the Book of Mormon and encouraged her to read with us.  I do respect your friend, and I mean her no harm.  If you ponies really feel that way about situations like that, you could've let me know about it.”  It's about this time that I notice that Lyra'd been pointing a hoof at me, the one she'd used to tap her forehead with.

Lyra drops the hoof to her side and lowers her head, then says, “I had no idea that you didn't know.  If you still respect her after seeing her at a less-than-dignified moment like that, I hope you'll let her know.”

As my character sets the bag of books on the nearest couch, I answer, “I think I understand you, though.  There's a reason why us humans wear clothes, and I think you already understand why that is.  Even when we need to urinate or defecate, we humans like our privacy.  If a human, in the process of urinating or defecating, is interrupted by some intruding creature, chances are that creature's going to be in big trouble.  You ponies have things that you consider sacred, and so do we humans.  In that way, we're also similar.”

Through my character's eyes I see Lyra open her mouth to say something, when I hear Bon-Bon's voice behind him say, “I didn't expect to hear you say that.”  As my character turns to see the yellow earth pony, she continues, “If you're searching for similarities between ponies and humans, I can only guess that means you really do respect us.”  She then lowers her head as she says, “I'm sorry about thinking about you the way I did.  After all, you've already shown me that you care.  Will you forgive me?”

My character reaches out a hand and places it under Bon-Bon's chin and, stroking it gently, raises it slowly, forcing her to look up at him.  A moment later, I answer, “It's alright.  You've simply shown me something that you ponies consider sacred.  As I said to Lyra, we humans also have things we consider sacred.  One of those things I shared with you last night.  Holding something sacred is nothing to be ashamed of, nor to try to change.  On the contrary, it's something to respect and appreciate.”  Presently, my character lets go of the earth pony's chin and stands up.

Bon-Bon continues to look up at my character and, once he lets go of her chin, squees.

Before I can say more, Fluttershy bursts in and, flying at my character, says, “I appreciate you helping my friends, and even suggesting a relaxing bath.  But, you do not, I repeat, you do not violate any of them!”

If there's one thing I appreciate about the yellow pegasa, especially after her demonstration in that episode when she stood up to a full-sized dragon with a similar message to the one she gave me, it's her willingness to stand up for her beliefs in spite of odds stacked against her.  As much as her anger toward me is misdirected, she feels she's in the right; and she just needs to know I have no intention of disrespecting her friends.

That lesson, as it turns out, comes from Bon-Bon.

My character backs away from the angry Fluttershy until she suddenly stops, and I then prepare to let her know I have too much respect for her friends to harm them.  That is, until I notice that her sudden stop is followed by her looking behind her.  My character follows where she's looking to the end of her tail, which Bon-Bon has gripped in her teeth; and she is holding on, both to tail and carpet, enough to keep her from advancing on my character.

I can hear in the yellow pegasa's voice that her anger has been replaced with concern as she asks, “Bon-Bon, what's wrong?”

As the yellow earth pony lets go of Fluttershy's tail, I notice Fluttershy doesn't move at all from her position, indicating to me that she's only flapping her wings enough to maintain her position in the air, and isn't trying to escape from Bon-Bon.

The yellow earth pony answers, “It's alright.  Mormon just explained that he hadn't understood at the time that we don't like strangers seeing us undignified.  He just informed Lyra and me that we appreciates that we ponies have things we consider sacred.”

Fluttershy turns quickly to my character again and, when he's looking into her eyes as well, says, “Oh, I'm so sorry.  I thought you were going to do something bad to one of my friends.  I didn't hear what you said to them.”  When she looks down again, I can see through my character's eyes she's starting to tear up as she says, “I hope you can forgive me.”

As far as I know, there's no way to program a computer to sense the nuances in someone's voice.  So, I doubt this Fluttershy would be able to hear the mirth in my voice as I say, “It's alright.  What matters is that you understand now.”  Seeing her perk up again, and, as my character turns to the other characters in the room, I ask, “So, is everyone ready to go?”

Lyra answers by asking, “Do you have your copies of the Book of Mormon?”

Fluttershy is the first to answer with, “I left my copy in my room.”  As she lands and starts heading that way, she adds, “I'll get it now.”

I look through my inventory and find the Book of Mormon absent from it.  I answer, “I'll need to get mine as well.  It shouldn't take too long.”  With that, my character follows Fluttershy back into the kitchen and into the hallway, where he turns to open his bedroom door and enter his room.

The quest for my character's copy of the Book of Mormon in his room takes a very short time, as it's clearly visible on the floor.  He places the volume in the suitcase packed with the changes of clothing and other things and closes it, then picks up the suitcase and returns to the front room to wait for Fluttershy.  The wait isn't very long, as the kitchen door opens, and Fluttershy floats into the front room, the book in her mouth, and nods, indicating she's ready to leave now.

Weed Whacker takes the bag of copies of the Book of Mormon and Lyra takes the bag of food as the group of creatures makes their way to and out the front door, then towards the gate.

Noticing my suitcase, Bon-Bon says, “I wasn't aware the Book of Mormon meant that much to you.”

My character looks down at the yellow earth pony, and I can see she's tapping her nose on the suitcase.  I answer, “My copy of the Book of Mormon is in there.  It's just that I also have other things in there.”

I hear Fluttershy start to say something; but it's clear her mouth is occupied with her copy of the book, as nothing she says can be understood.  As my character turns to her, she sets the book on the ground, then turns to me again and asks, “Could we put our copies of the Book of Mormon in your suitcase, please?”

The short parade stops in the middle of the yard, and, as my character puts the suitcase down and opens it, I answer, “I'm sure there's plenty of room if anyone else wants to put their copies in here.”

One by one, each of the ponies, then the dragon, hands their copy to my character, who puts it in the suitcase.  Lyra offers the bag of food, and Weed Whacker offers the bag of books, but I say, “The individual copies of the Book of Mormon are filling up the space that my clothes and other stuff isn't.  The bags will have to hold what's in them.”

No more is said on the subject as my character makes his way to the gate and opens it, allowing the ponies and dinosaur to pass through it, then he goes through the gate and closes it behind him.  From there on, it's a matter of perhaps an hour before the group has arrived at Fluttershy's house.

There, Fluttershy gives her rabbit pet instructions on caring for the other animals, informing him that she'll be going to Canterlot.  After a few minutes, we head off again; and it's a matter of a few more minutes before the group has made it to the outskirts of Ponyville.  From there, the group is joined by Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Applejack, and Rarity in the middle of town.  Twilight leads the way to the train station, where she pays for the tickets, and the party of nine are then admitted onto the train.

Once we're in our places and the train is moving, Bon-Bon says, “I wasn't hungry after hearing the news about Derpy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie; but I am hungry now.”

As my character retrieves the bag from Lyra and starts fishing inside for something for the yellow earth pony, Twilight Sparkle says, “I wasn't aware you'd told everypony else about that.”

Before I can answer, Lyra says, “Yeah, about that.  It was kind of inevitable.  Bon-Bon was there, and refused to move when Mormon said the meeting was for us three.”  My character finds an apple and starts pulling it out as Lyra concludes, “She took the news hard at the time, but she seems fine now.  Still, she said she'd rather come with us than be by herself.”

As my character produces a dark red apple and hands it to Bon-Bon, Twilight, seeing the fruit, says, “Oh, you didn't need to bring your own food.  If you're hungry, I'm sure we can order whatever we want from the train's kitchen.”

As the yellow earth pony graciously accepts the fruit from my character, I answer Twilight, “Yeah, we didn't know that at the time.”  My character reaches into the bag to find something else as I continue, “I brought the food anyway just in case we got hungry on the way.”

As my character produces a pear for himself, I hear Applejack say, “Well, as long as ye'r offerin', do ya have a carrot in there?”

Lyra answers, “There should be more than one.  I got five or six from Mormon's vegetable garden.”

As my character puts the pear on the seat next to him, then reaches into the bag to fish out a carrot, Rarity asks, “Do you have more apples in there?”

Before I can answer, Lyra raises a front hoof and calls out, “I'll have one too!”

Spike says, “I brought some gems to snack on.”

Weed Whacker asks, “Lyra, did you put any beets in there?”

Before Lyra can answer, an angry Twilight Sparkle waves her front hooves in the air and calls out, “Enough!”

From elsewhere in the train car, a male voice calls out, “Will you keep it down over there?”

A chorus of voices outside the immediate group murmurs in agreement.

I call out, “Sorry about that!”

As things quiet down again, Twilight closes her eyes and puts a hoof between them, above her muzzle, then says, “If Mormon's going to take orders, let's be organized about it.”  Then, putting the hoof down and opening her eyes again, she turns to Applejack and asks, “Applejack, you wanted a carrot, right?”

Applejack answers, “That's right, sugar cube.”

That's when my character finds a carrot and pulls it out of the bag.  He hands the orange root to Applejack, who, like Bon-Bon, accepts it graciously.

Twilight then turns to Rarity and asks, “And, you wanted an apple, right?”

Rarity answers, “That's right, dear.”

Again my character reaches into the bag, then, a moment later, produces another apple, this one a greenish-yellow, and hands it to Rarity, who accepts it with a word of gratitude.

Twilight then turns to the pale-green unicorn and asks, “Your name's Lyra, right?”

Lyra answers, “That's right.”

Twilight asks, “You wanted an apple?”

Lyra shakes her head and answers, “No, actually I wanted a carrot.”

My character reaches into the bag again, then produces a carrot which Lyra, like the other ponies before her, accepts with a word of gratitude.

Twilight then says, “I know Spike brought some gems with him.  I saw him pack them himself.”  Before her dragon friend can answer, she turns to Weed Whacker and asks, “And, you wanted some beets?”

Weed Whacker answers, “Actually, just one'll do.”

Lyra answers, “I did pick some, and I put them in the bag with the fruit Mormon picked.”

In the mean time, my character fishes in the bag and produces a large, raw beet, which Weed Whacker, like the ponies around her, accepts gratefully.

Twilight then turns to Fluttershy and asks, “Do you want anything?”

The yellow pegasa turns to my character and says, “I'll have an apple too, if you don't mind.”

My character again fishes in the bag for an apple, which he produces a moment later, this one red like Bon-Bon's.

With a similar word of thanks, Fluttershy accepts the fruit from my character.

Seeing that she's the only one without anything, Twilight turns to my character and says, “Now, the pear you took out of that bag looks good to me.  Do you have another one?”

My character nods as he reaches into the bag one more time, then produces another pear from it and hands the fruit to the purple unicorn.

Twilight, like the others before her, accepts the fruit with a word of gratitude.

The fruits and vegetables are eaten in a matter of minutes, and Fluttershy produces a bag, which becomes occupied with the parts of the fruits that weren't eaten.

It's clear, as the ride progresses, that it is not in a straight line, nor is it without bumps.

During a particularly wavy patch, my character happens to look at Bon-Bon, and I can see through his eyes that the normally yellow earth pony's face has started turning green, and she's not acting well.  I ask, “Bon-Bon, are you alright?”

Presently she gags lightly and covers her mouth, and her expression turns to one of worry.

Then I hear Lyra say, “Uh, oh.”  Before anyone else can do anything, the pale-green unicorn grabs her friend and, helping hold her mouth closed, says, “Please give us a few minutes,”  then guides the nauseated earth pony through the hallway, out of the car we're in, and into the one ahead of us.

Presently, after we hear the door to that car close, the cars run over … something.

As if we need evidence of that being a possible catalyst, we hear a loud, lengthy gag and an equally lengthy splatter from the car the two ponies entered, followed by exclamations of disgust and anger.

I say, “I guess Bon-Bon's prone to motion sickness.”

As we hear Lyra call out, “Sorry!” an angry Twilight Sparkle glares at my character and snarls, “And, you didn't know about this?”

I answer, “Trust me, this is my first experience with ponies on a train.  She said nothing about that kind of problem.”

As we hear another gag and splatter, followed by another chorus of disapproval, Twilight says nothing more, just closes her eyes again, puts a front hoof between them, and slowly shakes her head.

As my character looks at the other members of the group, I can see through his eyes one look of worry after another.

It's just a few minutes later before Lyra and a sobbing Bon-Bon return and take their places between my character and Fluttershy.

Lyra takes a position between her friend and my character.

As a couple of ponies, carrying buckets, brooms, mops and other cleaning materials, pass through the hallway, Twilight turns to Lyra and says, “Why didn't you tell anypony about your friend getting motion sickness?”

As Fluttershy attempts to calm the yellow earth pony, a now penitent Lyra looks down toward the purple unicorn and answers, “I'm sorry.  You're right, I should've mentioned it.  I guess I didn't think she'd have troubles with what Mormon and I had picked.”

For the rest of the trip there is no further incident, mainly because, after what Bon-Bon went through, no one's even hungry.

At the train station in Canterlot, a solemn Princess Celestia is there to meet the party of nine.

Fluttershy and Lyra are supporting a clearly exhausted Bon-Bon.

Lyra is also carrying the bag with the rest of the food she and my character had harvested for the trip, while Weed Whacker is carrying the bag with the copies of the Book of Mormon.

My character is carrying the suitcase with all the things he brought with him, including the five copies of the book that he, Fluttershy, Lyra, Bon-Bon, and Weed Whacker had packed in there.

The white alicorn, seeing Bon-Bon, says, “I heard about the incident on the train.”  Focusing on the yellow earth pony, she asks, “Bon-Bon, are you alright?”

Bon-Bon slowly looks up at the white princess, then looks down again.  Suddenly her abdomen is seized by a convulsion, and once again the yellow earth pony vomits.

Presently, the white alicorn jumps back, flaring her wings out.  Once clear of the biological eruption, she folds her wings again.

I say, “I'm sure she just needs a good night's sleep.”

Princess Celestia says no more about her, just turns around and says, “Follow me.  I've prepared rooms for you in the castle.”  As she starts her march, she says, “Mormon, I have some questions for you.”

Once my character catches up to her, I ask, “What kind of questions?”

Quietly, the white alicorn asks,  “First of all, why is Bon-Bon here?”

As my character turns back to the yellow earth pony, still being held up by Fluttershy and Lyra, then turns back to Princess Celestia, I answer, “This morning, when we got the letter from you, I called a meeting with Lyra, Fluttershy, and Weed Whacker; and, Bon-Bon decided she should join in.  She wouldn't leave when I let her know the meeting wasn't for her.  And, that's when she learned about the deaths of Derpy and Rainbow Dash, and about Pinkie Pie being in jail.  She took the news really hard, and said she didn't want to be alone.  So, I agreed to let her come with me.”

The white alicorn nods quickly, causing me some alarm as it reminds me of a carousel horse from a survival horror game.  Then, she says, “You did the right thing bringing her along.  She was more willing to admit her need than Fluttershy, and you didn't refuse her.”  Shifting to another subject, she says, “I've also been reading that book you gave me.  I did not expect it to be so fascinating.  It was all I could do to pull myself away from it to meet you at the train station.”

I answer, “I'm glad you enjoy it.  Do you have any questions?”

The white alicorn answers, “I do have some questions.  First of all, do you have any plans to spend the night here?”

I answer, “I have come prepared for such a contingency.”

Princess Celestia says, “Well, in that case, I'll save the rest of my questions for then.  I assume you'll be reading the book together again?”

I answer, “I am planning on that tonight.  Would you like to join us?”

The white alicorn answers, “I would, and so would my sister.  And, I'm sure Fluttershy's friends would also like to read with us, as well as my faithful student's dragon assistant, Spike.  And, I may have other guests that would want to join in on the reading.”

I say, “That's perfectly fine.  Lyra, Bon-Bon, Weed Whacker, Fluttershy and I brought our copies of the Book of Mormon with us, and I brought a bag of copies of the book for anyone else who might want to read with us.”

The alicorn princess asks, “How many copies are in the bag?”

I answer, “I brought a dozen copies.”

Princess Celestia turns back to the ponies and dragons behind her, then turns to me again and says, “I'm sure my sister will want to read with us.  And, with Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Spike, assuming each gets a copy of the book, that means seven copies for seven more ponies who might be interested.”

I find myself having to stifle a laugh at the reminder of a movie title.  I cover the stifled laugh with a cough, then ask, “So, depending on the size of the group, would we be meeting in the library, instead of the room you assigned me?”

Princess Celestia answers, “You are welcome to meet in the library anyway, and the room assigned to you will also be for Lyra and Weed Whacker.  I've prepared a room for Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity; and one more for Twilight Sparkle and Spike.  If they'll agree, Twilight and Spike will be joined by Bon-Bon.”

Hearing about Applejack and Rarity having to share a room reminds me once again of the episode when the two had to spend the night at the library with Twilight Sparkle, and I have to wonder to myself how Fluttershy will handle the situation.  Choosing not to say anything about it, I ask, “So, when we get our rooms, should I keep the copies of the Book of Mormon in my room, or should I pass some out to those who don't have copies yet, that we know will be at the reading?”

By this point, we seem to be approaching the castle.

After a second, Princess Celestia answers, “Perhaps you should invite everypony to the reading, and give books to those who accept.”

My character nods in agreement, just in time for the white alicorn to open the door to the castle and allow the rest of the group to enter.  She lingers at the door while all enter, then afterward closes the door and takes the lead position of the group once again, as the group heads through the castle.

As my character catches up with Princess Celestia, I hear the voice of Twilight Sparkle say, “I heard you talk about a book reading.”

My character turns to the source of the voice as I answer, “Yesterday, Fluttershy, Lyra, Bon-Bon, Weed Whacker and I started reading a book together, one I've really learned to appreciate over the years.  You probably wouldn't know anything about it.  It's called the Book of Mormon.”

The purple unicorn tilts her head for a moment and says, “It doesn't sound that familiar.  Do you have extra copies of it?”

I answer, “In fact, I do.  I was going to offer copies to you, Spike, Applejack, and Rarity.  I was thinking, if the group was large enough, we might choose to read in the library.  Fluttershy, Lyra, Bon-Bon, Weed Whacker and I each have our own copies.  And, Princess Celestia will be there as well.”

From above Twilight I hear Princess Luna's voice ask, “And, what about me?  May I have a copy?”

My character looks up at the dark purple alicorn; but, before I can answer, Twilight Sparkle says, “I'll join my friends, and I'll ask them about the reading.”

As the purple unicorn stops to allow her friends to catch up with her, I answer Princess Luna, “I'd be honored to give you a copy of the book.”  My character then turns to where Weed Whacker is, but the herbivorous dinosaur is prepared ahead of me, holding a copy of the book to my character to give to the dark purple alicorn.

As my character reaches out for the book, I see a purple aura surround it, and the book rises up on it's own and floats to Princess Luna.

The nighttime princess says, “Thank you.  Tia's been obsessed with the book you gave her, hasn't been able to put it down.  I have been curious about how a book could be so fascinating.  If you'll dismiss me, I'll start reading the book immediately.”  And, before I can invite her to the reading, Princess Luna disappears.

After allowing my character the time it takes to turn to Princess Celestia again, I say, “I guess you'll be the one to invite her to the reading in the library.  Since the five of us have already read the first chapter of First Nephi, we'll be starting with the second chapter, and see where it goes from there.  Among the five of us, we've each been reading a verse until we read through the chapter.  If we can form a circle in the library, we can go around that circle, each reading a verse, and, as I said, see where it goes from there.”

Before the white alicorn can answer, I hear Twilight's voice on my character's other side say, “Applejack and Rarity are looking forward to the reading, they said, and Fluttershy wants her copy of the book as soon as possible.  And, if I can separate Spike from Rarity for long enough, I'm sure he'll be interested as well.”

Presently I hear something of a thud behind my character.  He turns around to show me that Weed Whacker is separating and pulling out four books to hand over to Twilight Sparkle.

Once the stack of books reaches four, Twilight nods to the herbivorous dinosaur and says, “Thank you.”  Then, as she rises again and levitates the books with her magic, she turns to me and says, “I'll go ahead and pass these out to my friends now.  Just let me know when the reading will be.”  and, like Princess Luna, before I or anyone else can answer, she's off to deliver the copies of the book to her friends.

And, once again, Weed Whacker picks up the bag, which has evidently become lighter after five of the books have been removed.  No doubt one of the reasons why she chose to stop then to distribute some of the books.

After a few more minutes, which include sounds of gratitude from the ponies and dragon, we arrive at the rooms we're assigned to stay in.  The room for Twilight, Bon-Bon and Spike is first, followed by the room for Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity, and finally the room for Lyra, Weed Whacker, and my character.

As my character enters the room assigned to Lyra, Weed Whacker and him and begins the process of unpacking, suddenly a yellow pegasa and a yellow earth pony are in the room with him requesting their copies of the Book of Mormon.

My character can only step back as the two ponies sniff through the suitcase like dogs until they each find their copy, then grab it in their mouths, and return to their assigned rooms.

Next is Weed Whacker, who finds her copy easily enough.

Lyra is similar, leaving my character with the last copy.

After that, it's a brief period of time before my character has unpacked his suitcase and placed his changes of clothes in the drawer next to the bed, and the other belongings of his on top of the drawer.

I then realize I'd forgotten something.  Looking at Lyra, I say, “You know what?  Of all the things I talked to Princess Celestia about, I forgot to ask about visiting hours for Pinkie Pie.”

Almost on cue, Weed Whacker approaches my character with a scroll in her mouth.

My character accepts the scroll from the herbivorous dinosaur, unravels it, and reads aloud: “Concerning the trial of Pinkamena Diane Pie, events are scheduled as follows:

“The accused will be allowed visits until dusk.

“The trial starts at dusk, and ends when all the witnesses have given their testimonies concerning the accused, and have plead with the accused to change her ways.

“After all the testimonies have been given and pleas made, the accused will be given the opportunity to speak on her own behalf.  If she promises to repent, she will be handed over to the custody of Mormon to prove herself.  If she chooses not to repent, she will be executed.”

Lyra has come around to my character's side of the bed to hear me read the message.  Hearing that Pinkie will be executed if she doesn't repent, uncharacteristically the pale-green unicorn drops down on all fours, looks down and starts mournfully whinnying.

Weed Whacker backs away from my character as he stands up and moves toward the pale-green unicorn, then kneels down and grabs her in an embrace.

As she starts to reciprocate, I say, “Now, it's alright.  There's always the chance Pinkie'll choose to repent.  She's not dead yet.”

I hear Lyra ask, “Do you really think she'll choose to repent?”

As Lyra pushes away from my character, and he looks at her face, I can see her eyes vibrating.  I answer, “We have to hope she will.”

I now watch the pale-green unicorn's eyes close, and she buries her face in my character's shoulder and resumes her mournful whinnying.

I continue, “Right now, we have the chance to visit her.  So, let's go and do that.”

Lyra pulls her face from my character's shoulder, then rests her muzzle on it, as she says, “Just … I … need a moment to compose myself.”

My character looks out the window to see the sun, which is at approximately midday.  I say, “We don't have much time.  If you don't feel like going, you can stay here with Weed Whacker.  I, for one, need to visit Pinkie Pie.”

At my announcement, the pale-green unicorn backs away from me, then shakes herself out, then says, “Alright, I'm ready.”

As my character stands up, Weed Whacker hands a copy of the Book of Mormon to me and says, “I think you should offer this to Pinkie Pie.  She might not be able to attend the reading, but she can at least read from the book to herself.  Maybe it'll help her decide to repent.”

As my character accepts the book, I answer, “You may be right about that.  It's worth a shot, anyway.”

Lyra rises to her hind legs, back to human posture, and asks, “So, are we going, or not?”

My character turns to Weed Whacker and asks, “Do you want to come with us?”

The herbivorous dinosaur answers, “I'll go with you, but I don't want to visit with Pinkie Pie, not the way she is now.  She's too scary.”

As my character heads to the doorway, I say, “That's fine.  You don't have to do anything you don't want to do.  So, let's go.”

My character opens the door and allows the unicorn and the dinosaur to exit first, then follows to close the door behind them.

In the hallway, the other six are there as well.

Fluttershy canters up to me and says, “I forgot to thank you for letting me get my copy of the book from you.  Rarity, Applejack and I have already been reading the book together.”

Bon-Bon follows her and says, “Same here.  Twilight, Spike and I have also been reading the book together.”

I say, “So, I'm guessing we're all headed in the same direction?”

Twilight answers, “We are, if you're headed to the dungeon to visit Pinkie Pie.”

I have my character nod in agreement, then gesture for the purple unicorn to go ahead of us.

Twilight, in response, leads the way as we head toward the dungeon.

I ask, “Are we all going to visit Pinkie at the same time, or one at a time?”

Twilight answers, “Equestrian law requires that visitors come one at a time, with a guard for safety.  Oh, and gifts to prisoners are tested by the guard before the prisoners can receive them.”

I think aloud, “I guess that makes sense.  I don't know how many in Equestria would try to hide, say, sandpaper in a cake, but it's not something I would try.”

Rarity stops until I've caught up to her, evidently hearing about the idea of the sandpaper in cake, and snarls, “Mormon, don't talk like that.  It's enough that a pony is in trouble.  And, it's enough that it's one of our friends.  But, you don't have to get yourself in trouble saying things like that.”

Well, Rarity is right.  I should've kept that thought to myself.  Better yet, I probably shouldn't have been thinking of such a thing in the first place.  As my character turns to the white unicorn, I say, “You're right.  I'm sorry.  I'll be more careful from now on.”

At the dungeon entrance, the guard at the door says, “By order of the princesses, Mormon enters first.  When he is finished visiting and returns, then Twilight Sparkle will visit.  Then, Applejack, then Rarity, then Fluttershy.  Visits from anypony else are optional, unless they are relatives.”

As I hear my character's name, my name, my character proceeds toward the guard and, once he's finished with his statement, follows him into the dungeon and to the cell where Pinkie Pie is waiting.  In fact, I seem to recognize the cell as the one Lyra occupied before.

The pink pony looks slowly up at me, and the blank expression on her face morphs into a glare as she says, “Well, I hope you're proud of what you've done.  Do you realize how long it took the guards to cut away that rope you hog-tied me with?  They had to prop me over a bucket so I wouldn't mess my tail.  I think it took them three hours to get that rope off my legs.  And, they were cramping for an hour afterward.”

As she looks down, I see tears form in her eyes.  But, for some reason, I can't help being suspicious about the sincerity of those tears.

She continues, “I've never been so ashamed in my life.  And, worst of all, I don't know if it was from being dragged out of that basement tied in that rope, peeing and pooping publicly, or being trapped in this cage!”

Presently, she jumps at my character and reaches for him with her front hooves, growling and snarling.

My character kneels down, and I say, “Pinkie Pie, no one, least of all me, asked you to kill Gilda, Derpy, or Rainbow Dash.  You're the one that did that without anyone making a request.  I gave you chances to repent, but you squandered them.  If I'm guilty of any part of this, it's supporting your actions by eating that one griffon cupcake.”

Now, as I see the pink earth pony's face through my character's eyes, she seems horrified as she says, “You said you liked them.”

I answer, “Those weren't my exact words, but they're close enough.  I also thought you'd have more respect for your element when I said the bearer of the element of laughter wouldn't do such things as you did.  Evidently I was wrong.”

Pinkie Pie's horror turns to surprise as she says, “My element?  My element had nothing to do with this.”

I answer, “Obviously.”

Once again furious, the pink mare reaches at my character through the bars of her prison as she says, “You just wait 'til I get my first chance.  Then, I'm gonna hit ya, and you're gonna laugh.  Then, I'm gonna look down, and I'm gonna fall!”  Again she growls and snarls as she continues to reach for my character, for me.

My character turns away from her, and I say, “Pinkie Pie, I think you've fallen far enough.”  My character then produces the copy of the Book of Mormon and hands it to the guard as I say, “This is for Pinkie Pie.”

I can only tell by the sounds, or the absence of them, that Pinkie Pie has stopped trying to grab at me.  Instead, she calls out, “What is that?”

I answer, “It's a book that's come to mean a lot to me over the years.  I have several copies of it, but that doesn't make it any less valuable.  I think you should have a copy of it, and, if you feel so inclined, read it.”

A moment later, the guard says, “The book checks out.  I'll give it to Pinkamena now.”

Oh, and by the way, it is Pinkamena I've been talking to.  The pink pony I've been talking to has curly mane and tail.

I can hear her voice shake as she reads the title, “The Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ.”

I can see and hear the guard catch up as my character slowly moves toward the dungeon doorway.

Just then, I hear a calmer, Vulcan-sounding voice say, “Mormon, wait.”

As my character turns around to show me the pink mare, I recognize it isn't Pinkamena anymore.  Instead of the mane being curly, it's straight, and all flowing on one side.  I can't see the tail, as she's sitting canine-style on the bed.  But, I'm sure if I could see her tail, it'd also be straight.  I recognize her at once.

I ask, “Yes, Diane?”

She looks down at the volume in her front hooves, then back up at me, and says, “As much as it hurts me, I must thank you for stopping my twin sister.  If you hadn't stopped her when you did, more than three lives would've been lost at her hooves.  I understand you wanted her to repent, which is why you allowed her to escape.  But, ultimately, you did the right thing.”  She pauses before concluding, “I share this body with my twin, and we cannot be separated and even one of us survive.  But, if my death means that no more ponies, no more creatures, die at my sister's hooves; then so be it.  I won't be able to say much more than this.  Now, go.  Pinkamena is recovering.”

The strangely, and sadly, ominous words echo in my thoughts as I make my way through the hallway back to the door.  I know the next time I see Pinkie's face will be in a courtroom setting, where I'll be testifying against her.  The question in my mind, though, is will the book I gave her give her hope of repentance, or will it cause her to lose all hope?  And, somehow, I already know the answer.

As my character enters the waiting room and Twilight enters the dungeon hallway, we say nothing to each other.

As my character takes a seat next to Lyra, Weed Whacker approaches me and asks, “Did you give Pinkie the book?”

My character nods as I answer, “I did, and Diane had a few words for me.”

The name echoes around the room in surprised and questioning voices.

Lyra asks, “And, what did she have to say?”

I answer, “She said she's willing to die if it means Pinkamena doesn't harm anyone else.”

At that moment, Lyra and Weed Whacker hug my character, and his vision blurs to near blindness once again.

A few minutes later, I hear a new, but familiar, voice call out, “What have you done to my sister?” Then my character is suddenly able to focus again, on the glaring, snarling face of a gray earth pony with light-purple mane.  I recognize her by her coloring, if not by emotion which she doesn't normally demonstrate.

I then hear Fluttershy's voice ask, “Are you related to Pinkie?”

I then see the gray mare turn toward Fluttershy's voice and answer, “I'm Maud.”  She then turns back to my character, tackles him, takes a position on his chest, and demands, “Answer me.”

Maud is evidently heavier than she looks, although that's not so surprising considering she has been shown in her first appearance eating a rock.  It's not a stretch of the imagination to think she eats them frequently, maybe rocks are all she eats.  At any rate, she's keeping my character from moving out from under her.

I answer, “I haven't done anything to her directly.  I think she just misunderstood some things she heard me say.”

The gray earth pony settles on my character's chest, not unlike a cat, and says, “I'm listening.  What exactly did she hear you say?”

I answer, “When I first came to Ponyville, I was attacked by a trio of stallions that tried to force me to leave.  What I figured was my best chance of escape at the time was to tell them the story of my first taste of horse meat.”

Before I can say anymore, Maud Pie places a front hoof under my character's chin and applies pressure as she says, “You are a human.  Why should I not believe you eat horses, or ponies for that matter, on a regular basis?”

I answer, “Like I said, it was my first taste of horse meat.  But, it was my only taste of it.  Besides, I didn't know at the time exactly what I was eating.”  As Maud removes her front hoof from the vicinity of my character's throat, I continue, “I was introduced to it as a missionary by some Tongan missionaries in New Zealand.  And, I'll admit I did like the taste of it.

“After telling the three stallions about my experience, I added that I didn't come to Ponyville to eat any ponies, but to make friends with them.  That's still my objective.

“I proved that to Pinkie Pie by helping one of her friends, but that only came after she sought revenge on me for what I'd said to the stallions.  I guess she's felt she needed to balance things between me and her ever since.”

The gray earth pony moves around so she slides off my character's chest and lands on her front hooves on the ground next to him.  Slowly moving away, she says, “That sounds like Pinkamena Pie.  When she started killing, you probably didn't know you could stop her by saying something about loving her.”

I don't mention it to Maud, mainly because she's a character in the game, and she need not know about it; but I do know about that.  After all, I programmed this game.  What I do say, as my character moves to a sitting position, is, “I said that the holder of the element of laughter shouldn't be killing other creatures.”

Maud pauses for a moment before saying, “You know by now, th-th-th … th-that was the wrong approach.”

I watch, through my character's eyes, Maud sniffle, then rub her nose with her front limb, or at least I'm assuming she was rubbing her nose.  While this other demonstration of emotion also is evidently unusual for Maud Pie, I have to wonder if her having strong emotions isn't so outside of her character, especially when it concerns her sister, Pinkie.  It's hardly a stretch of the imagination to parallel her with the Vulcans of the Star Trek franchise.  And, they're known for hiding very strong emotions behind a wall of emotionless stoicism and logic.  Could Maud be the same?  When one Vulcan lost his self control on the Enterprise D, the ship was nearly lost in chaos.  While I don't see that happening to Canterlot castle should Maud loose such control, there may still be some parallels.  Whatever's going to happen, these are the thoughts running through my mind as I see the normally stoic gray pony's clay mask starting to crumble.

Everyone in the room, both pony and dragon, seems surprised when I say, “You've shown that you really care about Pinkie Pie, your sister.”

Presently, Maud turns to look at my character.  I can see tears streaming from her eyes, and she pants somewhat as she asks, “H … h-how did you know about Pinkie … ?”

I answer, “I have a good source for my information.”

Maud takes a step toward me, but then the door to the prison opens, and Twilight Sparkle comes out.

At this point, before the guard can call out a name; Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity huddle, as close as equines can, and talk amongst themselves for about a minute.  When they separate, Applejack turns to the guard and says, “If'n it's all the same to y'all, we've decided Maud should go next.  Then, whoever you call will follow.”

The guard looks at the gray earth pony, but she doesn't answer immediately.

As my character stands up and looks at her, I say, “I've already visited Pinkie Pie.  If the rest of the Mane Six think you should go next, I can't see why you shouldn't.”

Maud sniffles a couple more times as she turns away from my character and toward the guard.  As she passes the trio, she says, “Thank you.”  Finally, once she reaches the guard, she signs and says, “I'm ready.”  Just before the door closes, though, I'm sure I hear her whimper.

Applejack turns to the others with her, now joined by Twilight Sparkle, and says, “We did the right thing, giving Pinkie's sister the next chance to visit her.”

Fluttershy says, “I know.  I just can't help worrying about her.  Do you think she'll be alright?”

After a second, I hear Rarity say, “I know what you mean.  I can't help wondering, what if Sweetie Belle were in jail?”

Applejack responds, “Ah know.  Ah wonder the same thing about Applebloom.  And, then there's Pinkie Pie's crimes.”  I see the orange pony's mouth vibrate, then the shakes away the emotion, dropping her hat.  As she picks it up again, she says, “Maud didn't seem like the type that'd wear her heart on her sleeve.  Ah get the feelin' this is especially hard for her.”  Focusing on the yellow pegasa, she concludes, “Fluttershy, you asked just the right question.”

My character sits down in the nearest empty chair and turns to the doorway, and anymore talk from the ponies, or from any other source for that matter, quiets down to near inaudibility.  A few minutes later, I notice some minor vibration in my character's vision, and I'm sure I hear Fluttershy's voice say something.

As my character turns to see the source of the sound, I see that it is indeed the yellow pegasa, trying to get my attention.  I finally hear her say, “Mormon, are you alright?”

My character nods and reaches toward Fluttershy with the hand closest to her as I answer, “I'm fine.  Is there something you wanted to talk about?”  I notice the expression on her face, either sadness or worry, or both.  I notice her wings twitching in turn, the tips seeming to play leap frog, indicating agitation.

The yellow pegasa accepts my character's hand, rubbing her cheek against it.  She then says, “I'm just curious about how you know about Maud being Pinkie's sister.”

I answer, “Like I said to Maud, I have a good source for my information.”

I'm sure I hear irritation in Fluttershy's voice as I hear her say, “I'd hoped you'd tell me more than you told Maud.”

I answer, “Maybe later.  Is there something else about Maud you want to ask me about?”

She nods, then answers, “My friends and I were talking about her, and Applejack and Rarity were theorizing about what they would do if they were in Maud's position, having a sister who'd committed murder.”  She then canters a few steps so she's in front of my character, then sits canine style.  Resting her head in my character's lap, she continues, “Pinkie Pie is the closest thing I have to a sister, and murder is something that just doesn't happen in Equestria.  But, Pinkie Pie committed three of them.  Do you think there's any chance of her repenting?”

My character strokes the yellow pegasa's mane as I say, “That's up to Pinkie Pie.  She's salvageable as long as she believes she is.”

Fluttershy looks up at my character, lifting her head from his lap, and says, “That's what worries me.  How does one repent of one murder, much less three?”

I'm given no time to answer as the door opens and Maud comes out.

She looks back at the door as it closes, pausing for a moment, then turns ahead of her again and slowly walks toward my character.

The guard says, “Applejack, come forward.”

As the two earth ponies pass each other, they don't seem to acknowledge each other.

All things considered, that doesn't surprise me.

As the prison door closes behind Applejack, I notice the gray earth pony staring at me for a moment.  She then says, “I noticed a book in Pinkie's cell.  Is it true you gave that to her?”

My character nods as I answer, “It is.  I gave her a copy of a book known as the Book of Mormon.  It's a book that's come to mean a lot to me, and I thought it'd be a good idea to give it to her.”

Maud, not moving, asks, “May I have a copy of the book?”

As my character stands up, I answer, “That was the only copy I brought with me to the prison.  I have others in my room.  If I'm allowed to go back there, I can get a copy of it for you, if you want.”

Is it just me, or did Maud just vibrate?  She says, “I would like a copy of that book.  I will go ask one of the guard ponies for permission.”

My character starts to stand up as I say, “I'm thinking you could ask Twilight Sparkle.  She's the purple unicorn with the compass-like star and five white stars around it for her cutie mark.”

The gray mare nods and turns away, evidently searching for the pony I described, then, finding her, trots to her to ask.

I can't tell what they're saying, not even by their actions.  All I know is when Maud approaches me again, she says, “Twilight has informed me that, since we've visited Pinkie Pie already, we no longer need to stay here.  We are free to go to your room, as long as Lyra comes with us.”  Before I can say anything, she turns away from me again and calls out, “Which one of you is Lyra?”

The pale-green unicorn turns as she hears her name.  Trotting toward my character and the gray earth pony, she asks, “You want me for some reason?”

I answer, “Maud here wants a copy of the Book of Mormon, and I know I have some left in my room.  Since Maud and I have visited Pinkie Pie already, we're free to go, but just as long as you come with us.”  It's only then that I notice Weed Whacker next to her.

The pale-green unicorn answers, “Well, since I have Weed Whacker with me, I suppose there's no problem with us leaving right now.”  And, with that, she leads the way to the door leading out of the waiting room and into the hallway.

Once out of the waiting room, Lyra turns to Maud and asks, “So, will you be joining in the library for the reading?”

Maud answers, “I don't usually read anything other than my own poems.  And then, I usually read them by myself.  But, considering I'm getting a book that's none of my own works, I suppose I could join others in reading it as well.”

Presently, Lyra says, “Mormon, Bon-Bon, Weed Whacker, Fluttershy and I read the first chapter of the book, a book within the main volume called the First Book of Nephi, yesterday.  So, we'll be reading the second chapter next, maybe more than that.  I don't know how many ponies will be reading with us, but I do know, besides us five, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Spike, and the two Princesses will be joining us.  And, Princess Celestia said she'd invite others to join us, as well.”

The party of four makes a turn and enters another hallway, lined on each side by doors.

As the four make the final stretch to the room for my character, Lyra, and Weed Whacker; Maud says, “It sounds as though you already have a large reading group.  Are you sure you need one more?”

I answer, “I'm familiar with an old saying: the more, the merrier.  Even if you're not interested in reading, you can just come and listen if you want.  And, I'm thinking we're far enough into the book that anyone who has a question could ask, and anyone who has an answer can offer it.”

Maud asks, “Do you expect the book to be that complex?”

I answer, “There are parts of the Book of Mormon that are quotes from other books of scripture.  In the Second Book of Nephi, for instance, about half of it is from the Bible, especially the Book of Isaiah.  There are also quotes from the New Testament, as well as a story from the Book of Zenos.  I doubt we'll be getting that far.  But, that doesn't mean there won't be anything to ask about the chapter or chapters we'll be reading this evening.”

At this point the group has arrived at the door, and my character reaches out to open it.

Presently there seems to be a pale-green aura covering the door, and the door seems to open on it's own.

I'm aware it's Lyra who opened the door with her magic.

The four enter the room, and my character immediately heads to the bag containing the copies of the book.  As he fishes out a copy and places it on the bed, I suddenly hear whimpering coming from Maud's direction.  As my character gets the book and returns to Maud's side, I ask, “Are you alright?”

At the same time, Weed  Whacker runs to the door and closes it.

Maud, in the mean time, starts sobbing and shaking her head.

For the moment, the book can wait.  Right now, this earth pony needs some comforting.  The problem is, how do I go about comforting this mare?

Then, a thought occurs to me, and I ask, “Did Pinkamena say something to you?”

The gray earth pony shakes her head again and sobs, “It was Diane.”

I ask, “What did she say?”

Maud looks at my character and says, “She told me to thank you again, first for giving her and Pinkamena that book, and second once again for stopping Pinkamena before she could do more damage.”

Something's telling me I should press the question about Pinkamena Pie.  So, I ask, “Are you sure Pinkamena had nothing to say?”

Maud pauses to sniffle, then answers, “I asked her about what you'd told me about, telling the stallions about eating horse meat, then helping a friend of hers.”  Her voice cracks as she whimpers, “She admitted to killing the griffon and the two ponies, and that killing one of her friends was nowhere near as satisfying as she thought it was going to be.”  She gags, but nothing comes out.  After swallowing, she continues, “When I asked about her repenting, she said she wouldn't be able to seek repentance to the ones she'd killed.  I think she's already given up.”  Finally, after a raspy inhale, she starts bawling.

My character closes his arms around the grieving earth mare and holds her close to him.  I feel like if I were in Maud's place, I'd find my mane combed strictly to the side facing the human an advantage.  But, I'm a human.  Perhaps ponies think differently?

As it turns out, Equestrian pony instincts are more similar to my own, at least, then I thought.

The gray earth pony, in response to my character holding her, collapses onto his chest and allows the emotional release.

In the mean time, I have my character just stroke the side of her neck he can reach with his one available hand.

Some few minutes later, as Maud's regaining her composure, we hear a knock at the door.

Weed Whacker answers the door, opening it just enough to see who knocked.  I hear her say, “Bon-Bon, what are you doing here?”

I then hear Bon-Bon's voice answer, “I came here when I didn't see Lyra come back.  I've visited with Pinkie Pie, and I thought I'd come here and relieve Lyra so she could visit with her as well.”

Lyra canters to the door and, seeing her friend, says, “That's very thoughtful of you.  Thank you.  I would like to visit her before the trial.”  Then, she and Weed Whacker back into the room.

Once the yellow earth pony has entered, Lyra makes her way out.  Before Weed Whacker closes the door, I hear the pale-green unicorn say, “Keep an eye on Maud.  She's Pinkie's sister, and Mormon's trying to comfort her.”

On the one hand, Lyra's last statement could be construed as insulting, suggesting that Maud didn't like having Pinkie as a sister.  But, then, on the other hand, being taken the more logical way, I have been comforting a pony whose sister is facing trial, and perhaps execution, for three murders.

As Weed Whacker closes the door, Bon-Bon approaches my character and Maud and, seeing the gray earth pony sniffling every now and then, says, “You have a gift for comforting ponies.”

I suddenly find myself with the urge to ask what kind of gift I have, but then I think better of it, thinking it best to keep the thought in my head where it's more entertaining.  So, I say nothing.

A few minutes later, Maud pushes away from me, then turns to me and thanks me for defending her.

I answer, “I'm glad I could help.”  Then, my character retrieves the book from the bed and offers it to her as I say, “Here's a copy of the Book of Mormon, by the way.”

Maud bows to my character and says, “Thank you for the book.  And, please forgive me for attacking you.”

I answer, “That's alright.  I probably would've done the same thing if I were in your place.”  As I watch Maud rise again, I say, “At any rate, here's the book.”

Maud says no more, just grabs the book from my character and proceeds toward the door.

It's Weed Whacker that opens the door and allows Maud to leave.

After watching the gray earth pony leave, my character turns to Weed Whacker, who closes the door after her, as I say, “I wonder if we should go back to the dungeon waiting room, and wait for Lyra.”

The herbivorous dinosaur looks at the window and says, “I don't know.  It's getting time for the sun to go down.  If Lyra hasn't gotten her chance by now, she won't get a chance.  By the time we get there, anyway, they'll likely be on their way back here to find you so all of us can go to the courtroom together for the trial.”

As my character looks out the window, I can still see the sun out at midday; but then I remember that Princess Celestia controls the sun.  I can't seem to remember at the moment whether there's a gradient between the time Celestia causes the sun to set and the time Luna causes the moon to rise.  For that matter, I can't remember whether there's a gradient between the time Luna lowers the moon and the time Celestia raises the sun.  One thing I do remember is the episode when Twilight Sparkle had control of the sun and moon, and the entertaining event when she raised the sun and lowered the moon, twice.  But, that's a story for another day.  All things considered, Weed Whacker is probably right.

I say, “You may be right.  We'll wait here for Lyra to return.”

I will only record that for the next few minutes Weed Whacker, Bon Bon and I talk about various things.  I won't go into details about what we talk about.  All I will say is that the door opens when I'm in the middle of a sentence, and Lyra walks in and tells us it's time for the trial to begin.

Considering it's an element holder that's on trial, specifically the holder of the element of laughter, it's not surprising that very little or no conversation takes place.  In fact, save for the foot- and hoof-falls, there's really no sound coming from the group, lead by Twilight Sparkle, making their way through the hallway.  In fact, considering the level of emotion that must be going through everyone in the group, what is surprising is that Twilight Sparkle leads the group so easily.  In a matter of minutes, the group arrives at the courtroom.

Once there, each member of the group is lead to their chosen seat.

A sad-and-scared-looking Pinkie Pie is sitting in a wooden-barred cage on one side of the room next to the judge's desk, while there's another wooden-barred cage on the other side of the desk.  A soldier pony stands guard next to Pinkie Pie, perhaps as much for her own protection as for those around her.

Lyra and Bon-Bon sit with other ponies in a group of benches.  I'm guessing that's where witnesses to the trial sit.  Weed Whacker and Spike are with them, in between.

The rest of the group is seated, Princesses Celestia and Luna enter from doors on each side of the judge's desk and meet and sit next to each other where traditionally the judge would sit.  Evidently the Princesses are going to be the judges.

In the presence of the Princesses all the ponies and dragons in the courtroom bow to their Princesses and stop whatever conversations they were having amongst themselves.

After a few seconds, Princess Celestia says, “All arise.  The trial will now begin.”

Princess Luna looks at my character and says, “Mormon, you will stand and give testimony against the accused, Pinkie Pie.”

Another soldier pony approaches my character, who stands up and moves around the desk.  As he and the soldier meet, my character follows the soldier to the cage opposite Pinkie Pie.  Once he's inside, the soldier pony turns around and says, “The plaintiff, Mormon, will now speak.”

In response, I say, “I don't know Pinkie Pie as well as I'd like to; I only met her maybe a week ago.  Before I can tell you more, though, I have to tell you about what happened when I first came to Ponyville.”

Princess Celestia taps a front hoof twice on the desk and asks, “Is this important to the case?”

As my character turns to her, I answer, “It is.”

The white alicorn points at me with the hoof she tapped on the desk and says, “If it isn't, it will be removed from the record.”

I answer, “Fair enough,” after which my character turns back to the audience, and I continue, “When I first arrived in Ponyville, I was met by three stallions who tried to drive me out again.  To make a long story short, I was able to stave them off partly by telling them of an experience I had as a missionary, when I had my first taste of horse meat.”  As my character turns to the white alicorn again, I ask, “Should I tell the story, or go on with how Pinkie Pie and I first met?”

For a few seconds there's a discussion between the two Princesses.  When it's over, Princess Celestia says, “You don't need to tell the story.  Just go on with your first meeting with Pinkie Pie.”

As my character turns back to the main audience, I continue, “Well, after effectively stopping the stallions from attacking me, promising that I was here to make friends of the ponies here, not meals, I met Pinkie Pie a little further into town.

“She attacked me, wanting to get revenge for what I did, what I said, to the stallions.  Suffice it to say, my successful effort to keep the stallions from attacking  was not a tidy one.  What Pinkie Pie doesn't know is I went back and cleaned up the mess I'd caused.  And, I did make friends with those three stallions.

“Later, I proved to Pinkie Pie that I intended to make friends with the ponies in Ponyville when I helped one of her friends, Fluttershy, guide a family of ducks through town and back to her cottage.  I can only guess it was my efforts helping Fluttershy and driving off a mean-spirited griffon that caused Pinkie Pie to believe she had a debt of some kind to pay to me.

“A day or so later, after a party that both the griffon and I were invited to, Pinkie Pie had some cupcakes she invited me to have a sample of.  When I ate one of the cupcakes, I noticed it had two flavors of meat, that were somehow blended together and seasoned so that the flavor combination tasted just like chicken.  That is to say, I liked the flavor.  I'd heard somewhere that griffon meat is supposed to taste like to different kinds of meat.  Pinkie Pie and I met later in a different location where it was confirmed that what I had eaten was indeed a cupcake made from griffon meat.

“I wasn't able to stop Pinkie Pie from killing Derpy Hooves and trying to turn her into muffins.  When I gave her one last chance to repent, instead she killed Rainbow Dash.  And, as I promised, I apprehended her myself after that.

“I admit I failed to stop Pinkie Pie from killing any ponies.  And, I even encouraged her by eating one of those cupcakes made from griffon meat and saying that I liked the taste.  It can be argued that Pinkie Pie could have decided to change course at any point, and that's true.  But, that doesn't excuse me from my part in her crimes.  It's already been agreed, from what I understand, that if Pinkie Pie agrees to repent, she'll be handed over to me so I can help her.”  As my character turns to Pinkie Pie again, I conclude, “I hope you will repent.  It'll give me a chance to make amends as well.”

As I look through my character's eyes at the pink earth pony, her face looks like melted wax.  Her ears are drooping, the normal smile is replaced by a frown, and even her eyebrows could form an arrow pointing upward.  Not only that, but there's a waterfall from each eye.  This time, as she reaches for me, she squeaks out, “Mormon, I'm so sorry.”  And, unlike in the prison, the reach is not of a pony wanting to attack my character, to attack me.  I'm not really sure why she's reaching out to me this time, i just know she doesn't want to hurt me.

Before I can determine what Pinkie Pie wants, I hear Princess Luna say, “Fluttershy, you will be next to testify against Pinkie Pie.”

As my character turns to look at the yellow pegasa, I hear her say, “No.  Please, no.  I can't.  I just can't.”  While she's pleading not to go up, she shrinks behind the desk.

Through my character's eyes, I watch Twilight turn to her and say, “I know how you feel, Fluttershy.  Pinkie Pie is my friend, too.  But, we have to do this.  If we want to get Pinkie Pie back, we have to testify against her.  You saw, you heard, how Mormon did it.  You just have to tell everypony what you saw her do.  And, after that, you can plead with Pinkie Pie to change her ways.  That's all you need to do.”

Looking at the poor yellow pegasa, I wouldn't be surprised if she's on the verge of leaking from more than just her eyes.  She's already terrified, she doesn't need to be disgraced as well.

As my character turns to the Princesses, I say, “If you'll waive from Fluttershy the requirement of testifying against Pinkie Pie, I'll show you two videos, two recordings of events.  Both are murders that Pinkie Pie committed.  The first is Derpy's murder, the second is that of Rainbow Dash.”

Presently, Twilight Sparkle stands up and says, “If you're going to excuse Fluttershy from testifying, you'll have to excuse me as well.  And, for that matter, you'll have to excuse Applejack.  All three of us have watched at least one of the events recorded on Mormon's … device.  I don't know if Fluttershy has watched both events, but I know Applejack and I have each watched one of them.  If watching at least one of those videos makes a pony a witness, then Applejack and I also qualify.  And, if everypony in this room watches those events, that makes them all witnesses.”

When the purple unicorn is finished speaking, I hear Lyra stand up and say, “Well, if watching those events makes a pony a witness against Pinkie Pie, then Weed Whacker and I qualify as witnesses as well.  We should testify against Pinkie.”

My character turns to the pale-green unicorn as she speaks, then turns to Princess Celestia for her agreement or disapproval.  I notice something for the first time about the white alicorn: she's trembling.

Princess Celestia looks down, and I'm sure I see her lower jaw quiver.  She sniffles, then rubs her nose with a forelimb, then looks up again and says, “Very well.  I will forgo all further testimony, but only if we watch the two events on Mormon's device.”  Turning to me, the white alicorn asks, “Do you agree?”

I answer, “Yes.  But, I'm going to need a projection device first.  If you don't have such a device, you just need the components and I can make one.  We just need a couple mirrors, a box of some sort, and maybe a convex lens, just in case the image needs to be flipped right-side-up.”

The white alicorn turns to the soldier pony guarding me and asks, “Do we have the device Mormon's talking about?  If not, do we have the components to make one?”

The soldier pony answers, “As far as I know, we do not have such a device.  But, we do have all the items Mormon mentioned, and he should be able to make this projection device with those items.  In fact, I believe we have two or three boxes that Mormon can have.”

Princess Celestia turns to my character and asks, “How long will it take, once you have all the components, to make this projector?”

I answer, “It shouldn't take that long.  It depends on certain factors, but I'm thinking it shouldn't take more than ten minutes.”

Princess Celestia says, “Very well,” before continuing, “The wall behind the audience should be perfect for a surface for viewing the projection.”  Then, she points to the benches and says, “It'll take everypony to turn all the benches to face the wall.  In the mean time, Mormon will build his projector, then all witnesses that have not already done so will be exempt from testifying against Pinkie Pie, but you will still be required to plead with her to change.  Otherwise, Fluttershy, you will be next to testify.”

To my surprise, I hear Fluttershy say, “Very well.”

With that, commotion ensues.

The soldier pony guarding my character escorts him back to the long desk, then leaves to accumulate the items I requested.

Other ponies show up with tools to loosen bolts under the benches.

In a few minutes, the materials I requested arrive, and my character begins the process of assembling the projector.

I hear Fluttershy's voice say, “Thank you, Mormon.  You really didn't need to do that.”

As my character turns to the yellow pegasa, I say, “That's alright.  If you need to use the mare's room, you can do so now, I think.”

Fluttershy looks down as I hear something inside her growl.  Timidly, she says, “I didn't think I was that obvious.  Thank you.  I'll go now.”  Then, as she rises, my suspicions are confirmed as she starts to urinate in her chair.  Quickly she sits down again, splashing her urine around her.  She squeaks in disgrace and says, “Now what do I do?”

Twilight Sparkle, unable to ignore the situation, just closes her eyes again, places a front hoof between them, and shakes her head.

Applejack taps Fluttershy on the shoulder and says, “Oh, Sugar Cube, why didn't ya say anythin'?  Ah'm sure Princess Celestia would've dismissed y'all to go.  Y'all could've asked while Mormon was a'testifyin'.”

I can see from the yellow pegasa's expression that Applejack's statement is just making her feel worse.  Fluttershy likely didn't need to use the bathroom, didn't feel the need to go, until attention was drawn to her.

Rarity, grimacing, says, “I don't usually use my magic this way, but … if it helps, … I could hold your … you know … closed and follow you to the mare's room, then let you go when you say you're ready.”

The fact that the white unicorn suggested such a violation surprises me.  If I were in Fluttershy's position, I think I would prefer to stand up and eliminate in front of an audience.  But, I'm not a pony.  It could be that such a course of action would be acceptable among ponies.  I'll just have to see how Fluttershy responds.

If Rarity's offer surprises me, Fluttershy's response surprises me even more.

The yellow pegasa says, “I appreciate the offer.  But, I've already wet myself.  Even if you keep me from doing any more, I'm still sitting in my own pee.  Maybe, once that's cleaned up, I'll take you up on your offer.  But, in the mean time, we'll have to wait.”

Well, if that works for ponies, then who am I to argue about it?  My character still has a job to do.

But, as it turns out, the matter isn't quite settled.

I hear behind my character a young male voice call out, “Ew, gross!”

As my character turns around, I see through his eyes a cream-colored foal stallion with a brown circle around each eye pointing at Fluttershy and the ring of yellow liquid around her and her chair.

If that's not enough embarrassment for the poor yellow pegasa, more ponies notice and start pointing and making comments of disapproval about an uncivilized pony urinating in the courtroom.

Having heard more than I want to hear of the subject, I call out, “That's enough out of all of you!”  Once the room is silent, I continue, “Now, all of you, get back to work.  If you can't work without getting distracted, then leave now.  And, while we're at it, I may as well mention that the events I'll be showing are going to be very gruesome; so, unless you need to be here, anyone that has a weak stomach better leave as soon as these benches are switched around.  For those who have a weak stomach and need to be here, you'd better have a container next to you just in case.”

Just as I finish my speech, the door from which we entered the courtroom opens and some white earth mares enter, one carrying buckets, another carrying cleaning utensils, another carrying what looks like a stack of white bed sheets.

The one carrying the buckets sets one of them next to the chair where Fluttershy is sitting.

Two or three others remove the white bed sheets, unwrap them, then surround Fluttershy with them, one of them holding the bucket in place next to Fluttershy.

As they close in on the yellow pegasa, the one directly in front of her encourages her to slide off her chair and over the bucket.

All three of them support her as, once she's directly over the bucket, I hear the sound of splashing into wood(?), followed by a few seconds of silence, then solids splashing into liquid.

After that, Fluttershy tells the ponies surrounding her that she's finished, and as the pony that was holding the buckets enters the sheet behind the yellow pegasa, I can only assume she's preparing to clean Fluttershy's backside.

My suspicions are once again confirmed, or so I assume, by Fluttershy jumping forward a little in evident surprise.

But, Fluttershy and her friends have been enough of a distraction.  It's time for my character to get back to work on putting the projector together.

The assembly of the device isn't that difficult.  The mirror goes in the corner, where it can make an isosceles right triangle, in each of two equal-sized boxes.  Once the mirrors are securely in place, put them on top of each other, removing the connected sides so the mirrors can face each other, more or less.  Then, place the lens in the third box, removing a space in the second box so the third box can be held secure.  Also, open a hole in the first box to allow light from the tablet to enter the sequence of boxes.  Finally, a few test runs to show that the projector will display the image from the tablet onto the wall.  When the background image of the tablet shows up clearly on the wall, that indicates the projector is ready.

In the mean time, with the help of all the ponies that can help, the benches have all been turned around and secured once again to the floor.

At the same time, it appears that Fluttershy has been cleaned and dried, her chair has been replaced, her urine ring has been cleaned up, and the bucket containing her urine and feces has been carried out of the room.

In other words, everything is ready for the trial to get back under way.

As soon as the Princesses are informed, they enter and take their positions, and Princess Luna orders me to play the first event.

I have to remove the tablet from the projector to find and start the video, and I request that the lights be turned out, which is done.  Before the lights are turned off, though, I notice that the population of the audience really hasn't changed in size since my speech.  Once I'm confident the video is playing, I place the tablet in the projector, and the event begins to play on the wall.

From the perspective of the camera, it's difficult to tell exactly what Pinkie Pie is doing to Ataahua.  Considering Ataahua's crotch is frequently covered by Pinkie Pie's head, it isn't hard to get the idea that Pinkie Pie is violating Ataahua's reproductive organs in some way.  That is, until Pinkie Pie moves out of the way of the camera to get a blade of some sort.  Then, it's evident the progress the pink pony is making in disassembling the gray pegasa.  Then again, it's all too evident when Pinkie Pie surgically removes the cutie marks from each of Ataahua's hips, and as the pieces of thigh are set aside, the images on them start to fade almost immediately, and they fade gradually.  Then, when it comes to Pinkie Pie cutting open Ataahua's abdomen, first to control her excretions, then to remove her internal organs, the only evidence is when Ataahua looks up or away to soundlessly scream.  The only blood the audience sees is when Pinkie Pie removes Ataahua's heart, which produces a fountain directly into the pink pony's face.  Finally, I notice that the gray pegasa evidently died approximately the same time in the harvest that Rainbow Dash died: shortly after the removal of her heart.

During the play of the video, I hear a familiar male voice call out what sounds like some kind of poem, perhaps the lines of some type of requiem.  If certain keywords were intended to be another character's name, they've been replaced with the name “Ditsy Doo.”

As my character turns to look at Pinkie Pie, it's clear that the poem is as emotionally painful for her to hear as it seems to be for the familiar male voice to say.  Then again, as my character turns back to watch the video playing on the wall, I suddenly realize something … scriptural about it, as though I read it from the Book of Mormon somewhere?  I may have to look into that after I've saved and closed the game.  Besides, I find it admirable that there have been no gagging or retching noises around the room.  I  have to wonder if my luck will hold up through the next video.

Once again, I have to remove the tablet to get the next video to play.  One might think that finding one more video on a tablet that just has two would be easy, I thought so.  But, as it turns out, it's a little more difficult than that.  In fact, it takes at least five minutes before I can find that other video, then it's a matter of clicking on it to make it play.  After that, I put it back in the projector so it'll play on the wall for its audience, just in time for all to see Pinkie Pie do that human action that caused me to wonder if she was challenging me.

I hear a moan of shame from Pinkie Pie, and my character looks at her to show me the pink earth pony is hiding her eyes in her front hooves.  As I see that she clearly regrets the action, my character turns back to the wall to continue watching the event unfold.  If she had intended to challenge me at the time, she's clearly feeling differently about me now.

I, with the rest of the audience, watch as the pink earth pony finishes fastening the blue pegasa to the cement bed on the wall, then proceeds again toward the table with the blades.

At this point, I hear Rarity say, just barely above a whisper, “Rainbow Dash, no.  Pinkie Pie, why are you doing that?”

It's then that I remember that this is the first time Rarity has seen this video.  There's no way I can reach out to her to comfort her easily, most certainly not without alarming her.  All I can do is monitor her to see how she reacts to the events unfolding on the wall.  She hadn't gotten sick from watching what happened to Ataahua.  I can only wonder if she'll be fine watching what happens to Rainbow Dash.

This time, I don't hear the voices of the two ponies as Rainbow Dash begs, either for her own life or for her friend to commit no further murders.

Then again, there was no audio for the previous video, either.

I am unable to see when Rainbow Dash urinates on her tail, although I can see Pinkie Pie cleanly chop off the blue pegasa's wings.  However, I, as well as the rest of the audience, get to see the shame of the blue pegasa as her bowels move once Pinkie Pie moves out of the way of the camera.

The sight triggers gasps and shouts of surprise and disgust around my character.

We also get to see Rainbow Dash vomit, which triggers gagging and retching sounds throughout the room.  Then we see the blue pegasa electrocuted, and I'm sure I hear a chorus of instances of the zipper sound effect from the benches in front of my character.  Somehow, I wouldn't be surprised if various ponies messed themselves watching that scene.

I have to wonder how many of those sounds are coming from ponies that had been pointing at Fluttershy and talking about her being so uncivilized as to urinate in the courtroom, things that had made her feel all the more ashamed when she'd wet herself earlier.  If my suspicions are confirmed, it's poetic justice on them.  At the same time, I'm sure Fluttershy wouldn't wish such a thing on them.

Again we watch as the pink pony begins harvesting her friend's internal organs.  I remember, as I watched the video at my character's house, that Pinkie Pie had named each organ as she removed them from Rainbow Dash, although there's no audio, at least none that I can hear, as the video continues.  And, as I mentioned earlier, as with Ataahua, Rainbow Dash dies not long after Pinkie Pie removes her heart.  But, all we can really see, during the harvest, is the pink earth pony appearing to bow to the dying blue pegasa.  We also see Pinkie Pie try to wake her friend before realizing she's dead.  Without a clear shot at the pink pony's face, there's no clear information of her anger at Rainbow Dash having died at that moment, nor what appears to be her acceptance a moment later.  But, the video ends a short time after that.

As my character removes the tablet one last time, I say, “That's all the evidence I have.”  As the lights turn back on, I turn to the pink earth pony and add, “I'm sorry to have to expose you like that.  But, if you hadn't done those things, I wouldn't have had to show them.”

Pinkie Pie lowers her front hooves from her eyes and looks at me.  Sniffling and rubbing her nose, she tries to speak; but all she can do is stammer before she starts sobbing again.  But, something tells me that she wouldn't have been making excuses, at least not for herself.  It's clear to me that the holder of the element of laughter understands how badly she's betrayed that element.

Before I can think about it any further, I hear Princess Celestia call out, “All arise.”

My character turns to the benches, showing me that indeed there had been some ponies that had messed themselves during the course of the last video.

Not all the ponies rise immediately, and those that rise more slowly have the hair of their tails glued to their backsides by what looks like a dark-green, opaque slime.

My character turns to the white alicorn, and I see her face starting to turn green, not unlike the slime on the backsides of the ponies that had risen more slowly.  After a few seconds I clearly see her swallow; then she turns and runs to the door where she'd entered the courtroom.  Impatient, she rears up on her hind legs and kicks the door down with her forelimbs, then lands and runs into the room opposite the door.

As we hear loud belches and splattering sounds, Princess Luna taps a front hoof on the desk, then says, “There'll be a short recess.  In the mean time, you ponies that need to get yourselves cleaned up, please do so in the bathrooms. The rest of you clean up the benches and get them turned around again.  And, get the messes on the floor cleaned up as well.”  Again the dark gray alicorn taps her front hoof on the desk, then heads to the broken door to tend to her sister.

As my character turns his attention to the remnant of the Mane Six, I see Fluttershy rise and say, “I need to help those poor ponies that soiled themselves.”

As I watch, through my character's eyes, the yellow pegasa making her way to help her targets, I can't help developing a new respect for her.  She reminds me of a certain human, one of whom there are three or four known testaments.

My character turns to the three other element holders, but they're already on their way to help return the benches to their original positions, and perhaps to clean them as well.

With the four friends in action, my character turns his attention to Pinkie Pie.  Before he can get too close to the pink pony evidently still in mourning, the soldier pony guarding her moves to a position between her and my character.

The soldier pony says, “There'll be time to visit later.  For now, either help with the benches, put your projector away, or sit back down.”

My character nods, and I say, “I just wanted to know if Pinkie Pie was alright.”

As my character turns around and walks back to the projector, I hear Pinkie Pie stammer, “I-I've killed … I-I-I … “ Then, as my character turns to her again, she finally says, “You heard how they reacted to what I did!  I'm disgusting to them now!  No, I'm not alright!”

I find myself unwilling to have my character do anything more than sit down in his place.  Again, I have the remainder of what I really intend to do, which is to lose this first game and show what happens as a result.  But, just because I intend to do so doesn't make it easy.  Somehow, though, the most difficult part isn't deliberately failing Pinkie Pie; it's the damage control.  I've succeeded in failing the pink earth pony, and I think I've succeeded in keeping the damage from getting any worse.  But, there's still the final results.  And, because I don't expect to be the only one to play this game, to lose this game, I've provided hinds in the game to let others know how to win.  And, that's also one of the reasons why I'm playing this game, the first time to lose, and the second time to win.  Then again, in this first play with the objective of losing, I find myself feeling that I'm betraying a close friend, perhaps an adopted child.  But, then I remember, if I don't lose this first time, my win the second time I play this game won't mean as much.  But, somehow, that doesn't make it any easier.

In spite of me not feeling like doing much, my character still proceeds to disassemble the projector.  He manages to separate the three boxes before I hear Twilight's voice say, “You don't have to take that apart completely.  It could be that the Princesses will have their own uses for it.”

As my character turns to the purple unicorn, I find myself at a loss for words.  All I can think to say is “Thanks.”

Twilight tilts her head and asks, “Are you alright?”

After a moment, I answer, “I'll be fine.”  Maybe I won't be for a while after losing this game, but eventually I will be.

The purple unicorn straightens her head again and, gently putting a front hoof on my character's hand closest to her on the table, says, “You're worried about Pinkie Pie.  It's alright.  Everypony's worried about her.”

I appreciate Twilight's attempt to sympathize with me.  While it isn't necessarily the reason she may be thinking of, I admit there is a part of me that's worried about the pink earth pony.  As much as I intend to lose this game, and am sure I've already succeeded, as I mentioned before, I do feel like I'm betraying a friend or an adopted relative.  But, this is not something I can talk about with Twilight Sparkle, or, for that matter, any other character in the game.  But, seeing that I have to say something to her, I finally say, “Thanks for caring.”

The purple unicorn looks down for a moment, then lifts her front hoof off my character's hand and, I assume, puts it down on the floor again.  She turns away from my character and starts walking toward the door as she says, “Follow me, Mormon.”

My character obeys as Twilight Sparkle leads him out of the courtroom.

Once just outside the door, she turns to me and says, “There's something you're not telling me.  What is it?”

I answer, “It's not something I can talk to you about.”

The purple unicorn groans under her breath.  Looking away from me, she says, “Well, if you can't talk to me about it, then you'd better find somepony to talk to.  Because, it's clear it's really bothering you.”  Turning to me again, she concludes, “If this interferes with this case, we could lose Pinkie Pie.  Either sort out your thoughts and feelings or find somepony to talk to about them.  Now, let's get back before somepony comes looking for us.”  With that, she circles around my character and opens the door, holding it open for my character to enter before her.

As my character enters the courtroom, I say, “Thanks for the advice.”

As my character makes his way to the long desk, I notice most of the benches have been switched around again, and there are still some soiled areas on some of those that I can see.  As he sits down and turns to Pinkie Pie, I can see her ears are limp, but she still smiles and waves at my character, though weakly.

A few seconds later, Princess Luna enters through her sister's doorway, walks up to the desk, and says, “My sister isn't feeling well.  She's given me authority to carry on with this case until it's conclusion.  With that in mind, I invite volunteers to step forward and invite Pinkie Pie to repent.”

With that, Pinkie Pie is brought out of her cage and led to the midway point between the judges' desk and the witnesses' desk.  Her chains are removed, and the soldier pony that's been guarding her calls for volunteers.

As each of the remaining members of the mane six approach Pinkie Pie and petition her to repent, their pleas are very similar: appeals to her sense of friendship, requests that she allow my character to help her, offers of forgiveness, and similar invitations.  In fact, most of the petitions follow those lines.

Then, Maud steps toward her sister and offers the following petition:  “Pinkamena, you always favored me above your other sisters.  I was uncertain why until I met your twin sister, Diane.  It was your body, but with straight mane and tail, just like me.

“Pinkamena, not until now had you shown any hint or even tendency toward evil; but your twin sister was always good.  No, she was better than that.  And, she was more than logical; she was wise.  I looked at her, and it was me, but the best kind of me.  I realized that you, Pinkie, were seeing your twin sister Diane when you were looking at me.  And, I am honored that you see me that way.”

The gray earth pony closes her eyes tightly and turns so that her mane keeps her face hidden from Pinkie.  But, I can see her fighting with her emotions, and evidently losing.  When she's finally able to rein them in, she continues, “I don't know what happened to you, Pinkamena, but, if you'll repent, and if it's allowed, I want to help Mormon reform you.  He gave me a copy of the book he gave you, and I've been reading from it.  If anything can help you, at least reading from that book can.  Will you promise, Pinkamena?  Will you Pinkie promise?  And, will you let Diane help you again?”

Pinkie might not have been able to see her sister Maud fighting with her emotions, but I'm sure she could read it in the silence in the middle of her plea.

When the gray earth pony is finished with her petition, the two sisters hug and sob on each other.  While for some reason I am unable to hear what Pinkie Pie says to Maud, while I'm not even sure it's Pinkamena saying it, I know one of the spirits in Pinkie's body says something to Maud.  Considering Maud is not the type to show emotion, her release is all the more meaningful, all the more poignant.

When the two finally separate, my character rises and approaches the pink earth pony.  After watching Maud return to her place, my character turns to Pinkie Pie again; and I say, “I hardly know where to begin.  I wasn't in Ponyville for very long when I first met you.  I'd already met a trio of stallions that tried to drive me off, but you already know that story now.  It really was an honor to help Fluttershy, and to show you that I intended no harm.”  As my character kneels in front of her, he strokes her under her chin as I continue, “I would've been honored to be a friend of yours, if only I'd known how.”

I notice streamers forming from inside Pinkie's nostrils as she sobs, “I tried to be your friend.  I took everything I knew about you, and I tried so hard to be your friend.  But, you wouldn't let me.”

Ouch.  If anything she could've said could sting, that does.

I continue, “As I told you, I never regretted eating horse meat; and, I never will.  But, neither will I regret only ever having eaten it once.  But, didn't I let you know that I wasn't here to eat you or your friends?  Didn't I mention that I was here to make friends with these ponies?  And, while I have made friends with many ponies here, I failed with you.

“I learned too late how I could've gone about making friends with you.  Is it too late to show you how you can be my friend?  And, is it too late for me to learn from you how I can be your friend?  If not, then I plead with you to repent.  Remember the gift I gave you.  I would be honored to share it with you.  But, if you won't allow that, will you at least read it for yourself?”

Even if I did have more to say, I'm interrupted by the pink mare suddenly jumping into my character's arms.  Again she sobs, and I can only allow my character to hug her in return.

When the two finally separate, my character returns to his place behind the witnesses' desk.

There are several others from the audience that plead with Pinkie Pie to repent.  Many say that it isn't her but her actions, her murders, that they find disgusting.

When all pleas are made, Pinkie Pie is chained again, then led back to the wooden cage.

Princess Luna sniffles and rubs the end of her nose with a forelimb before saying, “Seeing that all have made their pleas to Pinkie Pie, we will now hear her decision.”

The pink pony raises a front hoof to look at the chain on it, then looks at her audience and says, “After what I've done, there's no doubt in my mind that I deserve these.”  Putting the hoof down again, she continues, “I'm grateful for your pleas to me.  They mean a lot.  But, how do I seek forgiveness of Gilda the griffon, or of Derpy Hooves and Rainbow Dash?  Because of me, they aren't here, they aren't alive anymore.  Of course, if they were alive, I wouldn't have to seek forgiveness for murdering them.”  The pink pony looks down and sighs, then looks up again and continues, “If I could seek forgiveness of those three, if I knew I could even begin to repent, I would.”  Her voice cracks as she concludes, “I've murdered one griffon and two ponies.  I don't know if there's a punishment worse than death, but if there were such a thing, I'd deserve it.  I can't repent of my crimes.”

I find my character buzzed by a gray earth pony with purple mane and tail as she jumps over the witnesses' desk on her way to her sister.  As soon as she can reach the pink earth pony, Maud pleads, “Pinkie, you must repent.  Do you want to fail your favorite sister, or fail Mormon?”

Pinkie Pie turns to Maud and answers, “Everypony here already sees me as disgusting, and I don't blame them.  It's not just that I murdered Derpy and Dashy, it's how.”  Turning back to the rest of her audience, she continues, “You saw how I killed Derpy Hooves and Rainbow Dash.  I also harvested Gilda's organs, but if she hadn't fought so much, … I wouldn't have enjoyed torturing her, … wouldn't have enjoyed killing her so much.  And, that's why I deserve the punishment I'm getting.  I tortured three creatures to death, hoping to get as much enjoyment from the last two as I got from the griffon.  I don't know what's wrong with me, but it's gone too far.  How can I seek forgiveness from anypony else if I can't even forgive myself?”

I can see through my character's eyes Maud searching her sister's face for even the slightest doubt in her decision.  When she can find none, she pushes away from the wooden cage, turns around, and slowly canters back to her place in the audience.

My character's attention turns to Princess Luna, who's clearly struggling with her own emotions.  As she opens her mouth to speak, no sound comes out, and I can see her lower jaw quivering.  She closes her mouth again, swallows hard, pants for a moment, then finally says, “Th-th-the … P-p-pinkie P-p-pie … “ then, unable to hold in her emotions any longer, the dark gray alicorn collapses on the judges' desk and just sobs, pounding her front hooves on the wooden surface.

The soldier pony guarding Pinkie Pie says, “We have Pinkie Pie's decision.  She will be executed by beheading tomorrow morning.  Everypony is dismissed.”

As my character looks around the room, it's clear that Princess Luna isn't the only one grieving over the doomed pink mare.  In fact, the only ponies who aren't in tears are Pinkie Pie, who has evidently accepted her fate, and the soldier pony, who was programmed with that level of stoicism.  Something of a testament to the influence Pinkie Pie has had on the world she lives in.  Now, all that's necessary is to find out which pony, which filly, will hold the element of laughter after her.  Then, there's Rainbow Dash.  Who will be next to hold the element of loyalty?  I suppose we'll find out tomorrow, that is, the game's tomorrow.

Surprisingly enough, time doesn't just fly by when we're having fun.  I don't even notice the time between when all are dismissed and when all are back in our rooms.  I finally become aware of my character's surroundings when I hear Lyra say, “I don't feel much like reading right now.”

I answer, “I know how you feel.  I'm sure all of us were hoping Pinkie Pie would decide to repent.  And, not only that, but Princess Celestia is sick.  It's a dark time for Equestria.”

Before I can say anymore, I find my character's arms full of grieving, pale-green unicorn.

As my character strokes her mane, I continue, “I can't blame you for not wanting to read.  But, our darkest hour is the best time to seek comfort in the word of God.  We need to get together and read from the Book of Mormon.  It might not take away all the sting, or maybe it will.  But, we can't just sit here, stewing in our misery.  Pinkamena Pie wouldn't want that, and neither would Diane.”

Lyra looks up at my character's face, sniffles, and says, “You're right.  The Pinkie Pie I know and love wouldn't want us to wallow in grief.  I don't think she'd want us to celebrate her being lost, but she would want us to celebrate her life.  She's not dead yet, and maybe she'll be allowed to read with us just this once.”

I think aloud, “There are two possibilities, both worth trying.  Either everyone else meets Pinkie Pie next to her cell; or Pinkie Pie is allowed, most likely under guard, into the library.”

Lyra smiles, albeit weakly, and says, “Well, I think we'd better consult Twilight Sparkle before we do anything.  She's a bookworm, and she most likely studied up on the matter before coming here.”

My character turns to the door, and I can see through his eyes Weed Whacker there, ready to open it.  The herbivorous dinosaur says, “Well, wherever we're going, we'd better go now.”

The pale-green unicorn rises and canters to the bed near where my character's suitcase is and says, “Well then, let's get our books.”

As my character also rises, I hear Weed Whacker say, “That's right.  And, I know exactly where I put my copy of the book.”  And, with that, she disappears under the bed for a moment, then comes out with her copy.

In the mean time, Lyra searches the room with her eyes, focuses on something behind my character, then gallops to it.  As my character turns to see where the pale-green unicorn ran to, I can see through his eyes a book with a dark-blue cover on the dresser.

The book, presently possessed by a familiar pale-green aura, rises and approaches Lyra, hovering over her back, as she turns to my character and says, “I have my copy of the book.  I'm ready to go when everypony else is.”

By this point, Weed Whacker is back at the front door, ready to open it, and holding her copy of the book.  When the other two approach, she opens the door and proceeds through it, holding the door open for Lyra and my character, and closing the door behind them.

Lyra follows after her, leaving my character to bring up the rear.

On the next door down, Lyra knocks.

After a moment of sudden evidence of life, the door opens, revealing a depressed-looking Twilight Sparkle on the other side.

Before anyone else can say anything, Lyra asks, “Is there a chance that we could go to Pinkie Pie and read with her?”

I can't help noticing an incongruity, and, before the purple unicorn can answer Lyra, I ask, “Just a minute, why are you in this room?”

Twilight looks at my character and answers, “Applejack and Rarity were worried about Fluttershy.  She wasn't responding to them talking to her or touching her, so they hoped I could get her to respond.”

The purple unicorn looks like she's going to say more, but she's interrupted when I hear Fluttershy's voice roar out, “You monster!” and my character is presently assaulted by the yellow pegasa.  I can't tell if she even moved my character, but still she pounds (or maybe taps?) away at his chest as she rants, “You killed two of my best friends!  All you had to do was save Pinkie Pie, and you couldn't even do that!  Why don't you leave before you do any more damage?”

As my character wraps his arms around the raging pegasa, closing her wings against their connected sides, her punches slow and stop, and she buries her face into my character's chest and bawls.

My character then looks at Twilight Sparkle, and her blank expression either indicates a flood of emotions all at once, or that she's gone numb.  That, coupled with the actions of the yellow pegasa in my character's arms, gives me nothing to respond to.

Applejack peers past the door, behind Twilight.  Seeing Fluttershy in my character's arms, she says, “Well, good news is she's respondin', at least.”

Lyra, having watched the drama, turns to the purple unicorn again and asks, “Uh, Twilight, about reading with Pinkie Pie?”

The pale-green unicorn's question snaps Twilight out of her trance.  After shaking her head, she turns to Lyra and answers, “Oh, yeah, about reading with Pinkie Pie.  I suppose I could go and ask about it.  The rules are, during visiting hours, it's one pony at a time.  But, visiting hours are past.  And, if Pinkie Pie joins us in the library, it's got to be under guard, and in chains.  Criminals have a limited amount of freedom, but I think they are given the right to make their own decisions under certain conditions, including the final request after the death sentence is passed.”  Then, tilting her head, she asks, “Do you think Pinkie Pie will request to be part of the reading before she's executed?”

Lyra lowers her head and answers, “I'm hoping so.”

Twilight sighs heavily and says, “Well, I suppose it won't hurt to ask.”  then, looking at Lyra, she says, “You go to Spike and Bon-Bon and tell them I'm going to see about allowing Pinkie Pie to join us in the reading.  She does have a copy of the Book of Mormon, after all.”  Turning to my character, she adds, “You come in and take care of Fluttershy while I'm gone.  The whole thing shouldn't take very long.”

Weed Whacker asks, “What about me?”

Before Twilight can say anything, I answer, “You can come with me.  You can help me take care of Fluttershy.”

The herbivorous dinosaur salutes me, then approaches Twilight Sparkle, clearly intending to enter the room.

The purple unicorn moves aside to allow Weed Whacker to enter, then looks at me and nods, saying, “Alright then.  I'll go on ahead and ask about Pinkie Pie.  I'll let you know the answer as soon as possible.”  With that, she walks through the doorway and toward the dungeon.

My character enters the room carrying Fluttershy.  I wouldn't be surprised if he's carrying the yellow pegasa the way any human would carry their own child.

Once the two are inside the room, and after Applejack closes the door, Fluttershy pushes away from my character and says, sniffling, “I'm sorry.  I didn't mean those things I said.”

I answer, “That's alright.  You needed to vent.  I understand.”

Fluttershy opens her mouth to say something, but before she can speak, there's a knock at the door.

As my character turns to see who's at the door, I see through his eyes Applejack open the door to reveal Lyra, Bon-Bon and Spike ready to come in.

Bon-Bon, the first to enter, says, “We've brought our books with us.  As soon as Twilight Sparkle returns, we'll decide where to go from there.  Never hurts to be prepared.”  Then, seeing my character holding Fluttershy, she adds, “We heard the commotion in the hallway.  Anything we should know about?”

My character turns to the yellow pegasa, showing me that her expression and posture suggest some level of disgrace.  As he turns back to the yellow earth pony, I answer, “It's nothing.”  I think about adding more, but then decide what I said is enough.

Once the three are inside the room, the orange earth pony closes the door, leaving us to wait for Twilight Sparkle to return.

After a minute or two, Spike turns to Lyra and asks, “Are you sure it's a good idea to invite Pinkie Pie to the reading?”

Lyra glares at the purple dragon, leaving me to wonder exactly why.

I answer the dragon, “What harm could it do?  I did give her a copy of the book.  It's all up to her whether she accepts or not.”

Spike, turning to my character, says, “But, she's killed three creatures already.  And, two of those were ponies, and friends of hers.  Aren't you afraid that she'll kill all of us?”

The pale-green unicorn's glare at Spike intensifies.

Directing my words first at her, I say, “At ease, Lyra!”

In response, Lyra backs away from Spike, but continues to glare at him.

Directing my next words at the purple dragon, I say, “I'm sure Pinkie Pie's already punishing herself more than we could for what she did.  She had said she doesn't trust herself anymore.  And, she's accepted the death sentence.”  After a momentary pause, I continue, “Making the offer is a risk on our part.  But, I don't think it'll hurt to make it.  If she accepts, there's also the question of where the reading will take place.  None of us knows if the decision will be hers or someone else's.  Whether the reading takes place here, in the dungeon, or at the library, at least we'll have our answer.  And, as for Pinkie Pie killing all of us, and making cupcakes out of us, I sense she won't be doing anything like that.”

Spike looks down, sighs, then looks back up at my character, and says, “I hope you're right.”

None of us says anything more.

Fluttershy falls asleep in my character's lap, Lyra leans on his shoulder and also doses off.

Applejack and Rarity look at each other; and I can see, through my character's eyes, the looks of worry on their faces.

Bon-Bon paces between the front and back walls.

Spike appears almost ready to cry, and Weed Whacker takes a defensive position in front of my character and the two ponies asleep on him.  That is, until perhaps ten minutes later, when the door opens and Twilight Sparkle enters the room.

The two sleeping ponies immediately come to life again as the attention of every other creature in the room turns to the purple unicorn, who's head is lowered, ears drooping, and is generally frowning.

She sighs and says, “Pinkie Pie appreciates the offer, but she doesn't want to be bothered, or to bother us.  I don't know if she read the book you gave her, Mormon, but she said something about appreciating the gift.”  Sighing again, she continues, “Besides, visits are only allowed during designated hours, and then only one at a time.  There's no way all of us would be allowed in the dungeon with Pinkie Pie at the same time.”

Lyra's inhale and exhale sound somewhat labored to me.

As my character puts his closest arm around the pale-green unicorn, I say, “Well, it was worth a shot, anyway.”

Her voice trembling, she answers, “Yes, you're right.”

It's Applejack who asks, “So, are we still goin' to the library for the readin' then?”

While the other ponies are rising and getting ready with their books, Spike says, “You can go ahead.  I don't feel like reading right now.”

That's when Weed Whacker gives him the speech I gave Lyra.  When Spike says, “Really?” Weed Whacker answers, “Well, that's what Mormon says.”

I find myself smiling at what the herbivorous dinosaur said, although I'm sure they can't see it.  I say, “I'm sure Rarity will be there.”

At that moment, Spike hums with interest.

Twilight turns to her assistant and asks, “So, are you coming?”

The purple dragon disappears in a puff of smoke or dust, then returns a moment later, holding a book with a dark-blue soft cover, and says, “Sure, I'll come with.”

The purple unicorn smiles at me curiously, but doesn't ask the questions she clearly wants to ask.  Instead, she backs out of the room, saying, “So, let's go. Just follow me.”

Bon-Bon doesn't need to say anything, but still, after all have exited the room and are following Twilight to the library, the yellow earth pony catches up with me and says, “If anypony knows where the library is, Twilight knows.  I'll bet she knows where every library in town is.”

I can think of many responses to what the yellow earth pony said, but none of them seem appropriate or pleasant to say in the present situation.  I find myself wondering if she expects a response to her statement.  But, now I find myself thinking of nothing else but her statement, leaving me with nothing to say.

Then I hear Lyra groan and say, “Bon-Bon, don't you think at all before you say anything?”

I hear Bon-Bon respond, “What do you mean?”

Lyra says, “You put Mormon on the spot.  How many libraries do you think are in Canterlot, anyway?  And, what about Twilight's feelings?  Ugh!  We'll talk about this later.”

Lyra's last question seems to have put the yellow earth pony in her place.  As my character looks at her, I can see her head lowered, and I'm sure the appearance of closed eyes is just because she's focused on the ground, and not wanting to look at anything else.

As my character turns to focus on the pale-green unicorn, I say, “Lyra, I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings.”

Lyra answers, “I heard what she said.  How do you respond to something like that without saying something that'd hurt somepony else?”

I can't argue with her on that point.  I find myself respecting the pale-green unicorn even more now.  I say, “In the mean time, I appreciate you watching out for the feelings of others the way you did.  I really respect that.”

Lyra says nothing more, just looks up at me and grins, somehow managing to communicate gratitude to me in that smile.

Then I hear Twilight on my other side asking, “Is everything alright?”

At first my character focuses on the lead position, and I notice a white alicorn there.  He then turns to the purple unicorn's position next to him, and I say, “Everything's fine.  Just a difference of opinions.  Nothing to worry about.”

The purple unicorn sighs and says, “I heard something about me and libraries.  Anything I should know about?”

I hear a moan from Bon-Bon, and my character turns to her to show me that she's evidently trying to hide from Twilight behind me and Lyra.

After a second, I hear Twilight's voice behind my character asking, “Are you alright, Bon-Bon?”

Presently, the yellow earth pony starts, running ahead to Princess Celestia's side, then slowing to her pace.  As my character watches her canter next to the white alicorn, I can't help noticing her trembling.

I then hear a reasonably confused Twilight ask, “What was that all about?”

I open my mouth to say something, but Lyra beats me to it.  She says, “I think it was something I said.”

Before Twilight can ask the obvious question, I say, “I see Princess Celestia is feeling better.  That's good to see.”

The purple unicorn seems at a loss for words for a moment.  Then, she says, “Yes, I guess alicorns don't remain sick for very long.  She'll be there for the reading.”

As much as it's clear that my change of subject was successful, it's also evident that Twilight probably didn't want to pursue the matter with Bon-Bon any further.

Somehow, the conversation between the yellow earth pony and the white alicorn is sufficiently quieted that I, as far as my character is behind them, only hear mumbling.  I can only guess the two are discussing the matter between Bon-Bon and me, and what Lyra had said to her about it.

As my character turns back to Twilight, I ask, “Have you been reading from the book Weed Whacker gave you?”

The purple unicorn answers, “I've been too busy to read anything from the book.  Why?  Do you have any questions about it?”

I find myself smiling at the question.  I answer, “I was going to ask you that question, just in case you had read it.”

Twilight says, “Oh.  I'm sorry.  Like I said, I've been busy.”

I say, “That's alright.  If you have any questions during the reading, don't be afraid to ask.  If I don't have the answer, maybe someone else will.”

Twilight nods and says, “If I have any questions during the reading, I'll be sure to ask.”

It's not long after that when the parade arrives at the library.

As we enter, I can't help noticing another alicorn, this one pink, on one side of a long line of tables with a white male unicorn with blue mane and tail on the other side.  Somewhere midway in the line of tables, Princess Luna sits opposite where we enter, talking to a pale-gold pegasa with mane and tail of varying shades of gray.  The pale-gold pegasa, facing away from us, sits on the opposite side of the table from Princess Luna.

Three of the ponies, seeing Princess Celestia enter the library, rise to attention, prompting the pale-gold pegasa to look behind her, then also rise when she sees Princess Celestia.

As all of the four bow to the white alicorn, each one rises as she points to him or her with her horn and says, “You already know Princess Luna.  Our guests are Princess Cadence, Daring Do, and Shining Armor.”

Now I realize I forgot to bring extra copies of the Book of Mormon.

In the mean time, I can't help noticing Twilight's reaction to the three ponies in the room.  In fact, considering her reaction, which reminds me somewhat of Pinkie Pie's reaction at first meeting Twilight Sparkle in Friendship is Magic, I wouldn't be surprised if she expels something.  She runs up to the pink alicorn, Princess Cadence, and performs with her a dance while reciting some poem, reminding me of a Maori war dance, although nowhere near as scary.  She then runs around Daring Do to Shining Armor, and the two share a hug.  Finally, she approaches the pale-gold pegasa and talks rapidly about being her biggest fan, having all her books, and a few things I have trouble making out.

That's when Princess Cadence steps in and says, “Alright, Twilight, calm down now.”  Turning to me, she asks, “Did you bring extra copies of the book?”

I answer, “I did bring extra copies, but I left them in my room.”

That's when Lyra steps forward and says, “If you'll give me a moment, I'll go get them.”  Without waiting for a response, she disappears, then reappears perhaps half a minute later with three more copies of the Book of Mormon, which she hands out to the three guests.

At this point, all the remaining ponies proceed to take places around the line of tables.

I find my character taking a position next to the pale-gold pegasa, with Lyra occupying the space on his other side.

Twilight takes a position next to Shining Armor, while Princess Celestia takes a position next to her sister, across from my character.

Weed Whacker takes a position next to Lyra, opposite my character, while Bon-Bon sits on Daring Do's side opposite my character again.

Rarity takes a position next to Princess Cadence, while Spike takes a position, predictably, next to Rarity.

Applejack takes the position between Bon-Bon and Twilight, while Fluttershy takes the position between Princess Cadence and Weed Whacker.

Once all are seated, I have my character open up his copy of the book as I say, “Yesterday, five of us read the first chapter of First Nephi.  If it's alright with the rest of you, we'll start tonight's reading with the second chapter.”

In the subsequent commotion, which reasonably doesn't include Bon-Bon, Lyra, Weed Whacker, or Fluttershy, I hear remarks of irritation about having to catch up in the reading later, consent based on having already read the chapter, and one voice that doesn't seem to care.  Princess Celestia's is the final voice, as she announces agreement.

As my character looks around, I notice each of the creatures has turned to the right page.  I ask, “Do I have a volunteer to start the reading?”  When I hear nothing from anyone, I have my character turn to the pale-gold pegasa while I ask, “Daring Do, will you start?”

Daring Do nods in agreement, then looks down at her copy of the book and begins, “Lehi takes his family into the wilderness by the Red Sea … “

Before she can continue, I state, “You don't have to read the chapter's introduction.  Just start with the first verse.”

The pale-gold pegasa looks up at my character, hearing my statement, then quickly looks down at the book again.  Looking back up at him again, she says, “Oh, I see.  I'm sorry.”

I answer, “That's alright.  Go ahead.”

After a quick “Yes,” Daring Do looks down at the book again and reads, “For behold, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, and said unto him: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life.”  Looking up from the book, she says, “I know what that's like.”

After a brief wave of laughter subsides, I turn to the yellow earth pony and ask, “Bon-Bon, will you read the next verse?”

Bon-Bon agrees, and reads.

Applejack, noticing the evident pattern, reads the third verse after Bon-Bon, followed by Twilight Sparkle reading the fourth.

Shining Armor reads the fifth verse, and Princess Luna reads the sixth, followed by Princess Celestia reading the seventh.

Spike then reads the eighth verse, Rarity reads the ninth, and Princess Cadence reads the tenth.

Fluttershy reads the eleventh verse, Weed Whacker reads the twelfth, Lyra reads the thirteenth, and I read the fourteenth.

Daring Do, seeing the single-line verse in front of her, looks up and says, “Well, here's a long one,” then looks down and reads, “And my father dwelt in a tent.”

After another wave of laughter, Bon-Bon reads the sixteenth verse, followed by Applejack reading the seventeenth, Twilight reading the eighteenth, Shining Armor reading the nineteenth, Princess Luna reading the twentieth, Princess Celestia reading the twenty-first, Spike reading the twenty-second, Rarity reading the twenty-third, and finally Princess Cadence reading the twenty-fourth verse.

Sensing disappointment in the sigh I hear from Fluttershy, I say, “Well, let's go ahead with chapter three.”

Taking that as her cue, the yellow pegasa presently reads, “And, it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father.”

Weed Whacker then reads, “And, it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem.”

From Lyra I hear a confused grunt before she reads, “For, behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass.”  Looking up, she then says, “Now, wait a minute.”  Having everyone's attention, she continues, “I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but this kind of makes the Lord sound absent-minded.  I mean, first He has Lehi take his family from their home in Jerusalem and travel for a few days, then He orders him to send his sons back to get the records?  Why couldn't they get the records and then leave?”

As my character focuses on the curious pale-green unicorn, I answer, “Lyra, that's a good question.  We'll get the answer to that in the rest of this chapter, and in the next one.  Now, I'll continue reading.”  My character then looks down at his copy of the book, and I read, “Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness.”

Daring Do reads the fifth verse, Bon-Bon reads the sixth, and Applejack reads the seventh.

Twilight Sparkle reads the eighth, Shining Armor reads the ninth, Princess Luna reads verse ten, and Princess Celestia reads verse eleven.

Spike then reads, “And he desired of Laban the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, which contained the genealogy of my father.”

Then Rarity reads, “And behold, it came to pass that Laban was angry, and thrust him out from his presence; and he would not that he should have the records.  Wherefore, he said unto him: Behold thou art a robber, and I will slay thee.”  Looking up from her copy of the book, the white unicorn says, “That seems harsh, does it not, wanting somepony dead just for stealing something?”

As my character turns to her, I answer, “I can't argue with you on that.”  Then, as he looks at the rest of the group, I add, “But, this statement from Laban will play an important role in later verses.”  As my character turns to Princess Cadence, I ask, “Will you continue?”

The pink alicorn swallows, but nods and reads verse fourteen, followed by Fluttershy reading verse fifteen, Weed Whacker reading verse sixteen, Lyra reading verse seventeen, and me reading verse eighteen.

Daring Do reads verse nineteen, followed by Bon-Bon reading verse twenty, Applejack reading verse twenty-one, Twilight Sparkle reading verse twenty-two, Shining Armor reading verse twenty-three, and Princess Luna reading verse twenty-four.

Before she reads verse twenty-five, Princess Celestia turns to my character and says, “This may be one of the verses you were talking about, when you said that Laban's statement would play an important role in later verses.”  Turning to Lyra, she adds, “This may also help answer your question about why the Lord would order Lehi to take his family out of Jerusalem, then send his sons back to get the records after they've been traveling for so many days.”  She then looks down and reads, “And it came to pass that when Laban saw our property, and that it was exceedingly great, he did lust after it, insomuch that he thrust us out, and sent his servants to slay us, that he might obtain our property.”

Presently, Applejack grunts derisively and says, “Now who's the robber?”

I answer, “Indeed,” then say, as my character turns to the purple dragon, “Will you continue?”

Spike growls, but nods and reads verse twenty-six.

Then Rarity reads verse twenty-seven, Princess Cadence reads verse twenty-eight, Fluttershy reads verse twenty-nine, Weed Whacker reads verse thirty, and Lyra reads verse thirty-one.

As my character looks around at the ponies and dragons, I say, “I think we should read one more chapter.  Then, we'll call an end to the reading, for now.  We'll see what happens afterward.”  Turning to Princesses Celestia and Luna, I add, “If you want to continue readings after this here in Canterlot, I'll be happy to send you more copies of the Book of Mormon, and you can invite others to read with you.”  As my character turns to Princess Cadence, I add, “If you want to set up a time of reading in the Crystal Empire, I'll be happy to send you copies of the book for you to read with those who want.”

Now, before I continue the story, let me state right now that I know this comes after Pinkie Pie has already accepted the death sentence, and there's no way to reverse that.  And, I know that this game will end with the death of Pinkie Pie, which will happen on the game's tomorrow.  But, having established that, it doesn't mean I have to give the characters in the game the idea that I've given up.  I still want to give these characters the idea that life will go on.  Now, let's continue with the story.

Daring Do, before I can say anything to her, says, “I seriously doubt I'll find anypony who'll want to read this book with me.  I'll continue to read it on my own.”

I answer, “Excellent.”  Then, as my character turns to Twilight, I continue, “After this, when we return to Ponyville, I plan to continue readings at my house on the other side of the Everfree forest.  If you and your friends want to join me in the reading, you're welcome any time.”

Twilight squees at my character and says, “Well, thank you, Mormon.  I may just take you up on that.”

As my character turns back to his copy of the Book of Mormon, I say, “Well, with that taken care of, let's continue.”  With that, I read, “And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord, for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?”

After making a comment about Nephi having a lot of confidence in the Lord, Daring Do reads verse two.

Bon-Bon follows by reading verse three, then Applejack reads verse four, followed by Twilight Sparkle reading verse five.

Shining Armor then reads, “And I was lead by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.”

Princess Luna reads, “Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near unto the house of Laban I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was drunken with wine.”

Princess Celestia reads, “And when I came to him I found that it was Laban.”  As my character looks at the purple dragon, I notice an unnerving, predatory look in his eyes as he hums and says, “Interesting.”

Spike reads, “And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel.”

Rarity reads, “And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit … that I should kill Laban; but I said in my heart: never at any time have I shed the blood of man.  And I shrank and would that I might not slay him.”

Looking up, the pink alicorn says, “I don't like where this is heading.”  She then reads, “And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands.  Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property.”  Looking up again, she says, "Now it's just getting worse."

Fluttershy swallows and reads, “And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;”

Weed Whacker reads, “Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes.  It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.”

I read, “And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spoke unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.”

Daring Do reads, “Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.”

Bon-Bon reads, “And, I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass.”

Applejack reads, “And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.”

Twilight reads, “Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword.”

Vocalizations of horror ripple across the group at hearing Laban's fate.

Before the next pony can continue reading, I say, “We'll read later on that Nephi and his brothers returned with the brass plates, which Nephi retrieved from Laban's treasury.  I got and watched a live-action moving picture of this story, comprising all of First Nephi and much of Second Nephi.  And, while this isn't written in this record, later on when Nephi's older brothers Laman and Lemuel rebel and try to return to Jerusalem, in the movie Lehi says, 'You killed Laban.'  It took me hearing that to realize why the Lord had Lehi lead his family so far into the wilderness before sending his sons back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates from Laban.  He knew Nephi would have to kill Laban in order to get the records.”  As my character turns to Lyra, I continue, “Had they gotten the records from Laban before leaving Jerusalem, seeing it would've required killing Laban first, then left, the people of Jerusalem would likely have hunted them down and imprisoned or killed them on suspicion of the murder of Laban, leaving them either way unable to make it to South America and start a new life there.  There would've been no Nephites and Lamanites, no one to reclaim another group that had left Jerusalem and made it there earlier, no one for the Christ to meet in the Americas, and no Book of Mormon altogether.  God knows what he's doing, even when we don't.”  As my character puts a hand under her chin to gently force her head upward to look at him in the face, I ask, “Does that answer your question?”

The pale-green unicorn smiles, even squees, and answers, “It does.  Thanks.”

My character lets go of Lyra's chin and turns to the others as I ask, “So, shall we continue reading, or call an end of it now?”

It's Shining Armor who answers, “Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I want to see how this chapter ends.”

At this point, staggered comments of consent ripple around the table.

Hearing that, as my character focuses on him, I say, “Well, everyone agrees.  So, go ahead.”

Shining Armor begins the rest of the story, and the rest of us, in turn, read as Nephi directs a servant of Laban, Zoram, to lead him to and retrieve the brass plates, then follow him out of the city to meet his brothers.  We read about the promise made between Nephi and Zoram, that Zoram would have his freedom if he would go with them, and how they make their way back to the camp of their father Lehi.

After the reading, all are dismissed, and, while five remain in the library, the party of nine, my character included, makes it's way back to our rooms, where we separate and enter, and eventually retire to our beds.

This has been quite a chapter.  And, the story isn't quite over yet.  Clearly Pinkie Pie has given up.  We need to find out who'll replace Rainbow Dash as the holder of the element of loyalty, and who'll replace Pinkie Pie as the holder of the element of laughter.  And, finally, Pinkie Pie must be executed for her crimes.  But, since this is just a video game, it can wait.

I save and close the game, in preparation for the final day of this story.  But, still, I'm left to wonder, what happened to Maud?
> Chapter 9: The Execution of Pinkie Pie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I resume the game, I find my character being probed by Weed Whacker.  As he turns to look at the herbivorous dinosaur, I notice a rolled-up scroll in her mouth.

My character takes the scroll, unrolls it, and I read aloud: “In anticipation of the execution scheduled later today, and due to the death of Rainbow Dash, you and your friends are requested and required to attend a meeting in the courtroom.  There, the next ponies to hold the elements of loyalty and laughter will be announced, and said ponies will be invited to accept said elements.  After the ceremony, all in attendance will be lead out to the guillotine where Pinkamena Diane Pie will be executed.

“Signed, Princess Celestia Princess Luna”

I hear a mournful whinny from my character's feet.  As my character looks to the source, I see that indeed it's Lyra crying, the blanket under her head developing a growing, somewhat darkened spot.  As my character turns to Weed Whacker, I can see that she's also grieving, somehow reminding me of another fictional dinosaur, a parasaurolophus from a movie series.

I say, “I understand how you feel.  But, this is something we need to do.  So, let's get going.”  With that, my character leaves the bed and makes his way to the door.

The unicorn and dinosaur follow close after my character, and we make our way out the door, to meet five more ponies and one dragon, all of which are moping.

As the party of nine slowly makes their way to the courtroom, Applejack says, “Ah can't believe we're given' up on Pinkie Pie.  How can she and Rainbow Dash be replaced, just like that?”

I open my mouth to say that Pinkie Pie already gave up, but then I think it better to keep such a thought to myself, and I close my mouth again.

On the way to the courtroom, in fact, Applejack is the only one that says anything.

Once we get there, we're met by two surprises: Applejack's brother Big MacIntosh, and Rarity's sister Sweetie Belle.

The conversations between Applejack and Big Mac and between Rarity and Sweetie Belle are pretty much identical.  Applejack and Rarity ask what their sibling is doing there, and Big Mac and Sweetie Belle answer that they don't know, but that they got a letter from the princesses ordering them to come to the castle in Canterlot as soon as they could.

Before Applejack, Big Mac, Rarity and Sweetie Belle can think about it too much, the two alicorn sisters make their way through their doors on each side of the courtroom, and behind the judge's desk.  Evidently, Princess Celestia's door has been either repaired or replaced by now, most likely replaced.

As I watch Princess Celestia make her way to her position, I notice that Pinkie Pie is also in position, in the wooden cage, evidently waiting for her replacement.  Whereas she seemed resolute the night before, I can see her trembling now, clearly terrified.

The commotion dies down as the white alicorn taps a front hoof on the judge's desk and calls out, “Order, order in the court.”  Then, as soon as the room is quiet, she continues, “We are here to present one pony with the element of loyalty, and another with the element of laughter.  Big MacIntosh Apple, will you please step forward?”

The red earth stallion canters a few steps forward and stops, then emits a stoic “Eeyup.”

Princess Celestia, focusing on the red earth pony, says, “In light of the death of Rainbow Dash, it is clear that the Mane Six needs a new member to carry the element of loyalty.  And, it has been decided that you will be the one to hold that element.”

In something as close to a whine as a deep voice like his can muster, Big Mac says, “No!  Princess Celestia, there's already an Apple in the Mane Six.  And, besides, how can Ah, a stallion earth pony, replace a pegasa like Rainbow Dash?  Please, Princess, isn't there another pegasa that can replace her?”

Princess Luna answers, “Thou has not been chosen to replace Rainbow Dash, but to hold the element that she held.  Thou needs not be a pegasus to hold the element of loyalty, just be the best to represent the element.  And, with the loss of Rainbow Dash, thou can represent loyalty better than anypony we know.  So, do thou, Big MacIntosh Apple, accept the element of loyalty?”

Now, let me interrupt the story for a few seconds to let you know that I'm fully aware of how badly the pronoun “thou” was used.  But, it's evident to me, in episodes of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, that second-person familiar pronouns are generally not properly used, least of all by Princess Luna.  The use of the pronoun “thou” in this instance is simply to reflect how I've observed Princess Luna use it in the animated series.

Now, back to the story, the shaken earth pony sniffles, rubs his nose with a forelimb, then says, his voice cracking, “Ah … accept.”

As soon as Princess Celestia dismisses him, his sister trots forward to his side to guide him back to the audience.

Once Big Mac is back in the audience, Princess Celestia says, “Now, Sweetie Belle, please step forward.”

As my character turns to the little white unicorn, I can see her trembling, seemingly frozen in place.

Her sister, Rarity, nudges her forward, to the position Big Mac had taken previously.

Once in the position on the floor, Sweetie Belle turns to her sister and props herself up on Rarity's forelimbs and pleads, “Rarity, I'm scared.  Don't make me do this.”

In a comforting voice, Rarity says, “Now, Sweetie Belle, I'm sure it'll be alright.  No need to worry.  I'll be here with you.”

Before the little filly can protest further, Princess Celestia says, “As Pinkamena Diane Pie is no longer worthy to hold the element of laughter, another pony must carry it now.  And, it is our decision that you, Sweetie Belle, are best qualified to bear the element of laughter.”

Presently, the little white unicorn pushes away from her older sister, turns to the princesses, and says, “If the mane six can have two members from the same family, then I can see I won't be able to excuse myself with that.  But, Ma'am, please, I'm too young to bear an elephant.”

Ripples of laughter echo throughout the room.

I can't help laughing at the statement either, and I can see even Pinkie Pie is chuckling at it.

The princesses themselves are having trouble keeping their composure.

Sweetie Belle turns to her sister and innocently asks, “Why is everypony laughing?”

After a few seconds, it's Princess Luna, still not quite able to keep the laugh out of her voice, who answers, “Thou has proven your right to the element of laughter.  And, thou are not too young to make others laugh.  So, will thou accept the element of laughter?”

Rarity looks down at her sister and says, “You have the rest of us to help you adapt to your element.  But, the decision is yours to make.”

The little white unicorn turns and looks at Pinkie Pie, who's still chuckling lightly at the elephant comment.

In response, the pink earth pony nods and salutes her.

Finally, Sweetie Belle turns to the princesses again and says, “Alright, I accept.  I'll learn how to bear an elephant.”

Again laughter echoes through the room.

In the mean time, Princess Celestia says, “Excellent.  Now, if all but the remaining four of the Mane Six, Mormon, Big MacIntosh, and Sweetie Belle will leave, one of the guards will escort you to the outer court.”

As ponies and dragons make their way out of the room, the Princesses make their way from behind the judge's desk and to the middle of the courtroom.

In the mean time, Pinkie Pie is escorted to the middle of the room, and Big Mac and I make our approach from our own positions to the center of the room.

As soon as the room is clear of all but the requested ponies and my character, Princess Celestia says, “Big MacIntosh Apple, if you'll step forward first, we'll confer on you the element of loyalty now.”

The red earth pony steps forward and, although trembling, still manages a slightly-less-than-stoic “Eeyup.”

The white alicorn then turns and focuses on something to my character's left and says, “Rainbow Dash, will you approach?”

It is to my surprise that I see the blue pegasa with the rainbow mane and tail appear next to my character and drift toward the princesses and Big Mac, saying, “Yes, princess.”

Princess Celestia closes her eyes and puts her horn as close to the visual manifestation of the pegasa spirit as possible.  Someone who didn't know better would think the two were actually touching.

The white alicorn's horn glows for a few seconds, then stops, and she then turns her horn toward Big Mac.

In the mean time, Rainbow Dash says, in a sad tone, “I'm going to miss representing loyalty.  And, I never got a chance to join the Wonderbolts.  I wonder if I'll be able to do a sonic rainboom without a body.”

Just after Rainbow Dash finishes talking, Princess Celestia opens her eyes and says, “Big MacIntosh Apple, I bestow upon you the element of loyalty from Rainbow Dash.  Remember that you now represent this element of harmony as a member of the Mane Six.  Now, go forth, and learn all you can about loyalty, and represent it the best you can.”

As the red earth pony backs away from the two princesses, he's silent, either by choice or because he can find nothing to say, or both.

Then, Sweetie Belle, unbidden, steps forward past Big Mac.

Pinkie Pie is guided out of her cage next to the little white unicorn filly.

Princess Celestia closes her eyes again and touches her horn to the pink pony's head.  Her horn glows again, and for a few seconds the two seem frozen in time.  Then, the white alicorn moves her horn toward Sweetie Belle, and Pinkie Pie starts sobbing.

I find myself wanting to do something, either to comfort Pinkie Pie or ask if she's alright.  But, I find myself unable to do any of those things, unable to direct my character to do any of those things.

After a few seconds of Princess Celestia touching her horn to Sweetie Belle's head, the white alicorn backs away, her horn ceasing to glow.

At that point, I hear Pinkie Pie whimper, “I've lost everything now.”

My character turns to see the pink earth pony, and I can see that even her cutie mark on her hip has disappeared.

In the mean time, I hear Princess Celestia say, “Sweetie Belle, I bestow upon you the element of laughter from Pinkamena Diane Pie.  Remember that you now represent this element of harmony as a member of the Mane Six.  Now, go forth, and learn all you can about laughter, and represent it the best you can.”  I then hear her add, “You will carry Pinkie Pie's cutie mark until you earn your own.”

As my character turns his attention to the little white unicorn, I notice that indeed she has on her hip, the one I can see anyway, the three balloons, two blue and a third yellow between them, that had once been on Pinkie Pie.

The pink earth pony's head eclipses my character and Sweetie Belle as I hear the pink pony say, “Take care of that element, Sweetie Belle.  If my experience of the past few days can be any kind of example to you, let it be an example of what not to do.”  She then turns to my character and says, "Now, before we leave, I have a story to tell you.  I'm sure you remember back in that basement, when I tried to take revenge on you for what you said to those three stallions.  When you left, I wondered aloud to myself why I couldn't get a proper Pinkie promise from you.

"Well, as I stood there wondering, I was suddenly aware of another pony in the room.  She looked just like me, except she was wearing this dress made of patches of pony skins, each one with a cutie mark on it.  The dress had six wings, one of each of a different pegasus or pegasa.  She also had a necklace with six unicorn horns.  She promised that I could become an alicorn princess like her if I could get my revenge on you, by killing the ponies you'd make friends with.

"I was so angry at the time that I couldn't think clearly.  So, I agreed to do what she told me to do.

"She told me to wait for you at that place where you stopped Gilda from causing trouble.  Then, while I watched you, you did something I didn't expect.  You helped Fluttershy.

"At that point, I started questioning my decision about getting revenge on you.  When I left the town square, and started heading to Sugar Cube Corner, the strange pony stopped me, and I told her about what you did.  She said you were trying to confuse me, and that I should still try to get my revenge on you.  She promised she'd give me special powers if I went ahead and got my revenge on you.  And, she said the best way for me to do that was to throw a party and invite you to it.  Then, whoever left the party first would be the one I should kill first.  Well, I was the element of laughter, and parties were my specialty.  So, I agreed to do that.  I just didn't expect Gilda to be the first to leave the party.  But, since the strange pony didn't specify that it had to be a pony that left first, I decided I should go ahead and kill Gilda first.  And, the strange pony didn't even sound disappointed that it was Gilda that I chose to kill first.

"Another thing I didn't expect was for Gilda to be so much fun to kill.  Remember when I said I cut out her tongue because of her being such a potty mouth?"

At this point, I hear Ataahua's voice say, "Yes, I remember."

Pinkie Pie continues, "Well, that's not exactly true.  She kept talking about there being two of me in the room, and that I shouldn't be listening to the demon next to me.  It was the strange pony that told me to cut out Gilda's tongue.  She also told me how to make the braces I used to hold her to that cement bed on the wall, the braces that also held you, Derpy, and you, Rainbow Dash, there.  Anyway, the way that strange pony taught me to butcher Gilda while she was still alive, it was so much fun.  She fought to the end of her life, which was, oh I don't know, more than an hour after I started, long after I removed all her internal organs.  The strange pony even taught me how to make cupcakes from the organs I harvested from Gilda.

"I was so happy when you said you liked the cupcake you ate, one of those that was made from Gilda.  But, it really wasn't the right move to tell me that the element of laughter shouldn't be killing other creatures and making pastries of them.  If you'd said something like the Pinkie Pie you know and love doesn't do things like that, then I would've listened to you, I would've been willing to listen to you.

"I started believing that strange pony was a goddess when she talked about knowing about my twin sister, Diane.  She said I should stop listening to her, that I should have better control of my body.  And, when I stopped listening to Diane and took full control of our body, that was the end of my Pinkie senses.  If only I'd listened to Diane instead of that strange pony, I'd be better off now.

"When I caught Derpy, I knew you'd do something to try to stop me.  The strange pony told me to cut off her cutie marks first, then go ahead and cut her open and start harvesting her organs.  But, nothing went right, and she wasn't anywhere near as much fun to cut open as Gilda was.  Her cutie marks even faded away before I could do anything to stop them.  Then, when she said she needed to pee, the strange pony told me I should keep her from ruining herself by taking control of her ability to pee.  It was the same way when she threatened to poop.  And, Derpy died way too fast after I removed her heart.  I couldn't even make decent muffins from her.  She was a complete failure.

"Then the strange pony told me I should try one more time, and she'd show me which pony I should kill next.  And, that pony happened to be Rainbow Dash.  And, she was worse than Derpy.  She peed all over her tail, messed herself, even got sick.  It was the strange pony that told me how to cure her, using a battery connected to those metal spikes by wires to shock those germs out of her.  She did fight a little longer than Derpy, so I guess she was a little more fun.  But, I couldn't keep her cutie mark either.  If you'd just given me enough time, I know I could've made cupcakes from Rainbow Dash.  But, Mormon, you came too soon, too fast.

"I couldn't do anything right that the strange pony told me to do.  I guess I should've known that I wasn't going to be able to get the powers and abilities of an alicorn princess by stealing wings from pegasi, horns from unicorns, and cutie marks from ponies in general.  The fact of the matter is Derpy wasn't the failure, and neither was Rainbow Dash.  I am.  I've failed to become an alicorn princess.  And worse, it cost the lives of two good ponies and one griffon, who proved to be good in her own way.  This is the crime I can't repent of.  This is why I deserve to die."

I open my mouth to say something, but before I, or anyone, can respond, the soldier pony with Pinkie Pie says, “I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time to go now.”

As Pinkie Pie is dragged away, I find myself unable to even think of anything to say.

As the group leaves the courtroom, and the scene fades to black, I'm sure I can hear Gilda's voice say, "Pinkie Pie, if you'd just listened to me, you'd be a lot better off than you are now."  In the few seconds of black screen, the words "better off than you are now" echo.

From the time we leave the courtroom to the “Game Over” screen, I have no more control of what happens.  It's all controlled by the computer, by the game.

When the light returns, it comes back full.  I see, through my character's eyes, the group making it's way through the hallway past the doors to our rooms, out a back door, and along a lengthy pathway, crowded on both sides outside lines of twine, to a tall guillotine.

My character looks to each side of the pathway to see various ponies from Ponyville, Canterlot, Cloudsdale, Manehattan, and evidently other places where Pinkie Pie's influence has reached.  I'm surprised to see the rest of the Pie family grieving as they watch the parade pass by them.  It's a real testament to the number of lives the pink party pony has touched.

The more that we pass by, the more it's evident that none are there to make derisive remarks at Pinkie Pie.

I also see a small group of five ponies, who I recognize as Vinyl Scratch, also known as DJ Pon3, Octavia Philharmonica, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, and Doctor Whooves, all grieving the doomed party pony.

I can't help noticing Vinyl Scratch isn't wearing her goggles as she would normally wear them.  In fact, it seems as though she isn't wearing them at all.  And, strangely enough, there's something about a sad, teary-eyed white unicorn mare with red eyes such as hers that I'm finding attractive.  I find myself unable to explain it.

And, I'm not sure, but I think I also see a brown earth stallion with slightly-darker-brown curly mane similar to that of Pinkie Pie, a little past the five I mentioned before, also grieving.

It takes minutes to reach the guillotine, but a few seconds for two guards to place the pink earth pony's head in the empty circle that provides a place for an equine head.

One of the guards says, “Pinkamena Diane Pie, for the murders of Gilda the Griffon, Ditsy Doo also known as Derpy Hooves, and Rainbow Dash former holder of the element of loyalty, will now be executed by beheading.”

The blade comes down, easily severing the head from the body.

If anyone expects a blood particle effect, they'll be disappointed here.

The head comes to rest in the bowl provided at the base of the guillotine.

As my character looks directly over the severed head, I watch through his eyes as it speaks these last words:  “Now, restart the game, and this time, win.”  As the visible eye closes, above the head the words, “Game Over” fade into view, and below the head, the words, “You Lose.”  After a few seconds, the scene fades to black.


Even with the breaks, the energy it's taken for me to lose this game has been enormous, far more than I expected.  I need to take a break now, a really long break.  But, when I return, I plan to do as Pinkie Pie suggested, and win the next game I start.  So, until then.
> Concluding Notes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, now we see what happens when a gamer has to contend with the monster that gamer helped create, or at least what I expect the monster Pinkie Pie would become, in the communication game "Hey Batter."  In the next volume, Success, I will avoid that monster altogether, and show how good I imagine an earth pony can be, or at least I'll get Pinkie Pie started in that direction.  Along the way, I hopefully demonstrate that I'm open to the possibility that other pony races in Equestria are capable of as much good as earth ponies, a capacity I plan to demonstrate in Pinkie Pie.

In the mean time, here are some game components that you might not be aware of.


Controls:


Use the up and down arrow keys to move your character forward and backward respectively.  Use the right and left arrow keys to rotate your character in those directions.  Hold down the <Shift> key while pressing either right or left to have your character strafe in those directions.

During game play, you can right-click on an item to direct your character's attention to it.  This will also cause a menu to appear, and you can choose what you want your character to do to that item based on what's in that menu, and your character will automatically do that.  If obstacles are in his way, he will maneuver around them.  And, as has been demonstrated in this playthrough, if your character refuses your commands, it very likely means Pinkie Pie is getting too far of course.

The program is designed so that a game can use any audio input device as the primary for communicating with the characters in the game.  However, if you don't have such a device, you may use the keyboard and type your messages to specific characters.  Either way, you can click on specific characters to talk to them directly, or you can address them by name.  Whichever way you choose, the other characters within range will hear the message; but they'll also be aware that the message is for the specific character.


Ingredients of Failure:


For those of you who want to try your hand at making your own variation of the first volume of my story, there are some basic elements you need to take into consideration.

First and foremost is the main object character.  It can be one of the Mane Six, a family member of one of them, a background pony, or any other character you think may have a potentially murderous Achilles heel.  I chose Pinkie Pie specifically because of the Cupcakes fanfic written about her.  But, as I said, it can be about any character in the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic series.  And, it doesn't have to be influenced by an existing fanfic.  Do you see Derpy Hooves as having a murderous side you could exploit?  Is there perhaps such a component to Snips, Snails, Button Mash, or any other known foals you think you could tap into?  Do you think you could picture Princess Luna murdering at least one creature, and thus turning into Nightmare Moon?  Perhaps you could even make up your own character, give him or her a murderous side, a way to demonstrate it, and explore the possibility and results.  You know, come to think of it, there's no reason why a group couldn't be involved, such as the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Now, how is this murderous tendency triggered?  Is there something that could be said to turn it off?  This question is especially important for the next volume, in which the objective is to make the main object character(s) into the best he, she, or they can be; but, for the present time, we'll focus on the object character becoming his or her worst type.  For my Pinkie Pie character, the trigger was an event where my main character talked to three stallions about how he was fed horse meat once, and that he liked it.  That doesn't have to be the trigger.  It could be a variation of the One Ring of Power from the Lord of the Rings, or it could be an abandoned factory haunted by evil spirits.  It could be an order that was misunderstood.  Whatever you can think of, if it sounds reasonable, or you can make it sound that way, go ahead and use it.  There may also be a way of shutting down the tendency, or avoiding it altogether; but, we'll get into that in the conclusion of the next volume.

Now, how about the setting?  I used a video game, but it doesn't have to be that way.  It can be an alternate universe or a series of them, the start of a temporal loop, an interactive book, a puppet show, whatever works for you.  And, if you want to twist your character in a completely friendly environment, please feel free to do so.

Now, what victims will you choose for your object character?  Mine were Gilda, Derpy Hooves, and Rainbow Dash, which were based on variations of what I'd seen and heard of the Cupcakes fanfic.  And, Pinkie Pie does not kill herself.  That'd be too easy.  And, besides, this was my story.  There are, in fact, a lot of characters to choose from in My Little Pony Friendship is Magic.

Next, after all these deaths, how do you plan to stop your object character?  Will you kill him or her directly?  Maybe set up a trap for him or her to fall into?  Will you do as I did with Pinkie Pie, and have your subject character apprehend him or her and then hand him or her to the police?  There is much that can be done with this part of the story.

Finally, how will your object character die?  As I stated before in my story, suicide was out of the question for Pinkie Pie.  Instead, she was executed by beheading.  You could choose some type of natural death for your character, like food poisoning or exposure to extreme temperatures.  Or, maybe you'll want your character to be killed by a lynch mob.  There is as much leeway for the intended death of your object character as for any other part of the story.

Now, let's get to your subject character, the main influence of the object character.  Is the subject character a teacher? a businessman? a stranger? a hero? a close friend? a hated enemy? a confidence artist? a religious leader?  It doesn't have to be any of these types, you can choose your own.  Or, he or she can be a combination of these and/or other types you could think of.  My subject character was the one that designed the Hey, Batter! video game, and his avatar, which he called his character, was a stranger that spawned in Ponyville and has a home on the opposite side of the Everfree forest.  But, once again, there's a lot of liberties that can be taken with this component.

Now, you should have all the ingredients you need to make your own story of the downfall of your object character.  Tune in to the conclusion of the next volume, when we'll discuss how to make your target character rise to his or her greatest strengths.


Game Secrets:


One thing I have programmed for pegasae is an erogenous zone along the spine between the hips and where the wings begin.  A gamer wanting to keep Rainbow Dash from breaking down the door and flying off to her destruction could order their herbivorous dinosaur friend to touch her in this area, thus causing her wings to open involuntarily, a response known as a wing boner or wing erection.

While this would be effective in keeping Rainbow Dash from breaking down the door and flying away, it'd also cause her to resent the dinosaur, and likely the gamer who revealed the secret to the dinosaur and ordered him or her to use it.  So, the question is what is more important to the gamer: Rainbow Dash's life, or her respect?


Alternate Endings


In these notes, I will not discuss the winning endings.  Those will be for the conclusion of the next volume.  But, I will mention more of the losing endings.  And, for the information of the reader, there will be no random deaths for Pinkie Pie.  She will not, she cannot, suicide herself.  And, neither can she, nor will she, die in a random creature attack.  Her death is strictly for the gamer to decide.


One of the losing endings, besides the one in the story, happens in the basement if the gamer decides to kill Pinkie Pie as Diane requests, after she has killed her first fellow pony.  However she's fatally wounded, the gamer's character focuses on her head, and, as with the ending of this playthrough, except with Diane Pie, she says, "Now, try again, and this time win."  And, once again, as she dies, the words "Game Over" appear at the top of the screen, followed by the words "You Lose" appearing at the bottom of the screen.  This works the same way if Pinkamena's in control, in which case it's Pinkamena saying, "Now, try again, and this time win," followed by the losing game over text.


If the gamer chooses to kill Pinkie before she can kill Gilda, with the camera focusing on her head, she asks, "You couldn't have let me choose first?"  After that, the losing game over text appears.


I never intended for the main subject character to join forces with an evil Pinkie Pie.  So, if a gamer tries to pursue such an option, the game will most likely end with a fatal exception.


Also, there is the possibility of getting a bad ending while pursuing the good option.  If, while in such a pursuit, the gamer kills Pinkie Pie, she will ask you, "Why did you kill me this time?  We were headed in the right direction.  Are you bored with the game?  Why?"  And, as she dies, once again you'll get the losing game over text.


Outtakes


One little known fact about Pinkie Pie is she likes tongue twisters.  So, when she came across the line about the "proper Pinkie promise," she figured she was going to have some fun.  And, so it seemed when she started trying to say the line normally, and "proper Pinkie promise" came out "proper peepee promise."  At first, it didn't bother her too much when she misspoke the line, then wondered aloud why anyone would want to make a "peepee promise."

Then, when she found that, after so many takes, that was the only way she could read that line aloud, well, she started getting frustrated.

We decided there were two solutions available to us.  Either cancel the line altogether, considering it wasn't really that important to that part of the story anyway, or just set it aside and give Pinkie Pie a chance to practice the line and see if she could finally read it right.

Pinkie Pie is one of those types that doesn't give up easily, especially in this case when she Pinkie promised herself that she would practice the line until she could read it correctly.  The only problem was she was always reading it the same way, and it didn't help her make any progress.  After a week, it became especially frustrating for her.  So, she came to me for advice.

I gave her the idea to read the line robotically, that is in monotone without emotion, and slowly for a while until she was more comfortable with the line, then slowly speed up.  Later on, she could add emotion to it, and hopefully she could read it as "proper Pinkie promise" instead of "proper peepee promise."  Also, I encouraged her to take it slowly, and not rush the process.

As I remember, the pink pony did try to rush the process at first, but then realized that she wasn't getting any closer to success that way.

Ultimately it took, as I remember, about a month, until one day Pinkie Pie came in and was finally able to read the line, "Why couldn't I get a proper Pinkie promise out of him?"  And, we all celebrated that success.


There were countless times when ponies would stumble and fall.  For instance, when the main subject character first meets the three stallions, the first take involved Emerald Hill crash landing at the main subject character's feet.

Every pony who had to get up on a chair ended up falling off of that chair one way or another at least the first time.

Even the human character had his moments.  Due to a collision-detection glitch, when the main subject character was first strapped to the cement bed on the wall, he'd fall out of the straps.


Those weren't the only problems.  Because of a joke Pinkie Pie had told her, Rarity had the giggles when she first did that scene when she was being informed about the death of Rainbow Dash and the incarceration of Pinkie Pie.  As I remember, a total of ten takes were needed before the white unicorn with the purple hair could go through the scene demonstrating appropriate emotion.