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New Eden 52

[ "\"So...you have come to challenge me at last.\"\nYou say nothing back to the intimidating stallion with the pitch-black coat and fiery red mane, instead opting to give him a fierce glare. He slowly rises from his blood-red throne, and makes a dramatic trot forward, grinning as if he was playing a masterful game of chess and was only a few moves away from winning everything.\nWhile he makes his arrogant march towards you, you turn your attention to the other pony in the room. Trapped within a large ruby floating a few meters above the Black Stallion is the princess you have been fighting to rescue for so long. After all the monsters slain, dungeons explored, and sacred items gathered, the only thing that now stands between you and saving the land along with winning the hoof of its fair and lovely ruler is the dark lord who dreams to conquer the world.\n\"You are nothing more than a common foal,\" the Black Stallion declares as he finally stops his trot, \"What chance could you ever hope to have with her? This realm needs a ruler with real power and drive, not some simple-minded earth colt!\" Again, you refuse to dignify his words with a response, instead opting to pull out your weapon, the Blade of Proficiency, and take up a defensive stance. You had made a vow to never let this monster win as long as you drew breath, and now that the final battle is drawing near, your determination remains as strong as ever.\n\"Hmph\" he scoffs at your gesture of resolve, \"So be it, boy. If you really wish to die, then allow me to free you from your silly hopes and dreams!\" As he finishes, a dark cloud flows out of his mouth, spreading in a cylinder out to the side. The darkness then dissipates, leaving in its place a long thick blade that glows with a pale unholy light.\nWithout warning, the black-coated and black-hearted colt charges forward, bellowing a bloodthirsty roar through grit teeth as he clenches down on the handle of his blade. You hesitate for a moment, but then begin to rush toward your opponent as well. You lock your gaze right into his piercing red eyes and bite down harder on your sword's handle as you quickly close the distance to him. With perfectly synchronized timing, the two of you leap into the air, and time slows to a crawl. As your bodies fly ever closer, you tense up and await the right moment to strike, for the slightest mistake could spell the end for not only you but the princess and the entire world.\nSLASH!\nThe two of you hit the ground at the same time. Neither of you move a muscle for what feels like ages, not even to breathe. The suspense grows with each second passed, building closer and closer to the point where you feel you will lose your mind.\nClang!\nThe deadly silence finally breaks as you hear the Black Stallion's blade fall to the ground, the handle now adorned with a red stain. \"Im...im-p-possible...\" the evil colt coughs out, his airway filling with his own blood. You nervously turn yourself around and see him struggling to even stand up, your sword now deeply embedded into his chest. Gasping for breath, he stumbles forward a few steps and then stops, closing his eyes as the last remnants of life quickly fade from his body while he still stands.\nYou let out a deep sigh of relief. The Black Stallion is no more; you, a mere earth pony from the farm, have just saved the world and its majestic monarch from a terrible evil. All that is left for you to do now is claim your reward. You return your attention to the ruby hanging above the throne and find it slowly descending towards the ground, the magical barrier gradually fading away. You can now make out the silhouette of the princess, her tall figure adorned with two widespread wings and a long horn protruding from her head.\n\"My dear princess,\" you call out to her as she becomes more visible, \"You need not worry anymore. The Black Stallion has fallen, and the kingdom is safe once again.\"\n\"Indeed,\" she responds in a wise and heavenly voice, \"You have done a great service to my kingdom and me, and for that, my people and I can never thank you enough.\" You smile at her words of gratitude. What else could you do when the noblest of all ponies was offering a mere commoner like you her most sincere thanks?\n\"However, my hero, there is one last thing we must do before your journey can come to an end.\"\nHer words leave you deeply confused and worried. You had saved the world, what else could there be? Surely there wasn't another great evil threatening the kingdom? \"....Of course, princess,\" you slowly respond, doing your best to hide your confusion and worry, \"What do we do now?\"\n\"Simple. Now we need to PARTYYYYYYYYY!\"\nAt her shout, the ruby shatters into hundreds of fragments, revealing the mare kept inside...but, something's not right. This mare is much shorter than the silhouette, has no horn or wings, and is completely pink with bright blue eyes that house a mind of infinite cheer. You know this mare all too well, but she can't be the princess...can she?\nYou are unable to ponder this for very long, for your attention is soon distracted by all the events unfolding around you. Streamers, confetti, and balloons seemingly fly out of nowhere. A large white banner reading \"CONGRATULATIONS! ♥\" now hangs above the throne. Loud music with a solid beat blares into your ears, and several ponies who just appeared out of thin air are dancing along to it. You even spot the Black Stallion himself merrily grabbing some punch out of a bowl, your sword still protruding from him.\n\"...Uh, I, er, but, um-\" You stammer as your brain tries to make sense of what is happening. You return your gaze to the happy mare in front of you and notice that both you and her are now wearing polka-dotted party caps.\n\"Hee hee, you look sooo adorable right now!\" the pink filly says while wearing a big grin on her face, \"Come here, my big hero!\" Without warning, she leaps forward and pulls you into a hug so tight you can barely breathe. You're flabbergasted at her move and all the things happening around you, but her next move is what truly floors you. Shutting her eyes, the pink party pony firmly plants her lips on yours, letting out a comical moan complete with that clichéd cartoon sound effect you had equated with pulling a plunger off the kitchen tile.\n\"GAH!\"\nYou snap your eyes open, only to find another drastic change in venue. The party, its planner, and the Black Stallion's tower have all vanished. Instead, you find yourself staring at the ceiling of your bedroom, the light of Celestia's sun beginning to peak in through the windows.\nYou rub your eyes and sigh in both relief and displeasure as your common sense returns to you. It had all been a dream, just like the previous night you woke up out of panic. And the night before that. And the night before that. As your heart rate begins to slow down from its frantic pace, you glance at the alarm clock next to your bed. It's only a few minutes until the alarm goes off, letting you know it's time to get up and get ready for work. Grudgingly, you pull off your blankets, which were twisted and barely covered you anyway, and push yourself off the bed for another predictable afternoon.\nFor some inexplicable reason, that cheery pink mare has been showing up in your dreams for the past week, with each appearance more ridiculous and suggestive than the last. You knew her name to be Pinkie Pie; how could you not? She was the first resident you bumped into when you first moved into Ponyville, gasping and running off at your meek greeting as if you were afflicted with a deadly and contagious illness. You believed at first that she was just incredibly shy, but that was soon corrected when you first arrived at your new home, a small flat in the outskirts of town. You opened the door and turned on the light for the first time only to find most of the populace crammed inside yelling \"SURPRISE!\" It turned out a welcome party was a rite of passage of sorts in Ponyville, along with Pinkie Pie gabbing your ear off as she explained every. last. thing. about how things work in Ponyville.\nShe certainly left a strong impression on you at the party, but once she finally left you to your own devices, you quietly moved into a corner away from everyone else until the party came to its end. For as long as you knew, you had always been a reclusive colt. You barely spoke to anypony when you were at school, and kept to yourself as much as you could. It wasn't that you hated other ponies or were too shy to talk. Rather, you were just always preoccupied with your own hobbies, some of which were considered \"dorky\" by the rest of the schoolfoals. Not only that, but being socially adept was never your forte. You had lived a mundane life growing up and hardly participated in anything, so you didn't exactly have many interesting stories to share, and your hobbies were too obscure for you to discuss without getting weird looks from most ponies. In a way, you are the perfect opposite of Pinkie. Where she is full of boundless energy and exists almost solely to make other ponies smile, you are much more self-focused, preferring to while away your leisurely hours in complete privacy.\nSo why does this mare keep invading your thoughts and dreams? You haven't even seen her since your welcome party, and you certainly wouldn't have any common interests to discuss if the two of you actually sat down together. Furthermore, why do your thoughts with her keep involving...suggestive things? It's not as if you like her that much...\n.....do you?\n**********************\nHalf a day passes, and you find yourself back in the sanctity of your home. Work came and went without any noteworthy events. Not that you expected it to; you had the glamorous job of washing dishes at the local cafe, after all. It wasn't exactly a go-to job for meeting and dealing with new ponies, but then again, that was never one of your interests. Instead, your work schedule consisted of showing up, letting the boss and head chef know you're there, moving to your station and staying there until it's time to go home. Today was no exception, as you barely spoke a word to anyone aside from \"hello\" and \"goodbye\", and were all too quick to head back home.\nIn any case, you had gotten nowhere in your quest to find an answer to your Pinkie Pie problem. You initially blamed your lack of progress on the rather frantic pace of the day, with the cafe receiving new customers almost nonstop and the pile of dirty dishes never shrinking no matter how hard and quickly you washed them. Despite the change in pace and venue, however, you were still fruitless in your search for an answer. Right now, you were mulling over whether or not this mare had the power of mind control and was slowly turning you into her puppet as part of some hare-brained plan for world domination.\nForget this, you finally tell yourself as your frustration reaches its peak. It was one thing for this to interfere with your thoughts all day, but now it was distracting you from your readings as well. With a deep sigh, you force your attention back to your newly-purchased graphic novel, the latest volume of Scolt Ponygrim Vs. Equestria. Your mind fills with anticipation as you read the dialogue and gaze upon the stylish art. Will this finally be the issue where Scolt gives that smug scum Griffon Graves the plot-kicking he deserves? Will he get back together with Swords Mane, or will he finally win over Pinkamona Petals, with her gorgeous bubblegum-colored mane and strange outlook on life-\nBANGBANGBANGBANG!!\nYou could swear a gigantic exclamation mark materialized over your head for a moment as you leapt out of your chair in surprise. You aren't used to visitors coming to your place, and yet someone, or something, was knocking on your door, and quite loudly at that. Setting your comic to the side, you quickly and nervously move toward the door as another round of frantic knocks starts up. You take a bit longer than you normally do undoing all the locks on your door, the implied urgency of the knocks making you hasty and clumsy. With the last lock finally unlatched, you open the door to see just who could be coming to visit you and what matter could possibly be so important-\n\"HICANIUSEYOURBATHROOMPLEASE!?\"\nYou're almost certain that your eyes are playing tricks on you, for standing outside your door is Pinkie Pie, the bubbly mare that's been haunting your dreams. You try to process what is happening, but your brain seems to have temporarily crashed from the strange - some would say contrived - circumstances. All you can do is stammer incoherently for a few seconds while your mind attempts to restart itself.\n\"Pretty please? I wouldn't ask you any other time, but I really really really really gotta go!\" Pinkie's pleading finally jerks you out of your temporary brain freeze. You take a glance at her and see that she's not kidding. Not only did she strain her words, but she has her hindlegs twisted together and is bouncing in place rather frantically on her hooves. Her face completes the look of desperation as she bites down on her lip and gives you the most soulful pleading eyes you've ever seen. You never considered yourself the chivalrous type, but there is no way you're about to turn down someone practically begging you to help them, least of all someone with that face and that problem.\n\"Uh, sure, it's just dow-WHOAWHOAWHOAWHOAWHOA-!\"\nIn the blink of an eye, Pinkie zooms past you with almost enough speed to generate a sonic rainboom, causing you to spin around in place like a pony merry-go-round. After a few seconds of twirling around your living room like a top, you place your hoof on the side of your head in an attempt to stop the rest of the room from swirling about. It isn't until your sense of balance restores itself that you notice some certain noises coming from the other side of your flat that you'd prefer not to hear. You plug your ears with your hooves and stay planted on the floor for the next few minutes, trying to shut out the rest of the world and think of anything else.\n....\n....\nSomehow, you have a feeling you are being watched.\nUncovering your ears, you turn your head to the side, only to immediately jump back and almost run out the door at the sight of Pinkie's smiling face mere centimeters from yours. You felt that exclamation mark appear above your head again as you jumped.\n\"Tee hee, you looked so silly!\" Pinkie giggles with a big grin on her face, \"Oh, I almost forgot!\" Without warning, she throws her forelegs around your neck and pulls you in a hug tight enough to close up your windpipe. \"Thank you so very very much for letting me use your bathroom! I'd been holding that in for waaay too long! I thought I was about to lose it right when I started knocking, which wouldn't have been very nice at all! Talk about leaving a nasty surprise on your doorstep!\"\n\"No...problem....\" You wheeze out as you feel your head growing lighter and your vision dimming. You can only hope that Pinkie realizes what she's doing to you before you end up in the obituaries of Equestria Daily, filed under \"ponyslaughter\".\n\"Whoops, silly me!\" She calls out as she releases you from the hug of death. Oh, how you have missed the air. You take several deep breaths and feel the consciousness that was beginning to slip from you return. You glance upwards at Pinkie and see her nervously rubbing the back of her head with her hoof, a slight discoloration breaking through her pink-coated face.\n\"Well, Pinkie....I guess it was...nice seeing you again,\" You say to her between deep breaths. You couldn't wait for her to leave and put this weird series of events behind you.\n\"Hmm, why?\" Pinkie asks, giving you a face that's somehow both upbeat and quizzical at the same time, \"Did I come at a bad time? Were you planning on going somewhere? Were you turning in early? Were you planning on some housekeeping? Or were you going to do some housekeeping and then go somewhere to turn in early?\"\n\"Um, well, no, it's just....\" you respond as Pinkie finally lets up on her guessing game. Did she not realize you were saying your goodbyes to her for the night? Unless she wasn't leaving, but then that just raises a new question....\n\"....Wait, did you come here for something else?\"\n\"Of course, silly!\" She replies, \"I came here to visit you!\"\nFor the second time tonight, your mind goes blank from her statement. Pinkie Pie, the energetic fun-loving party mare of Ponyville, was intentionally visiting you, a quiet shut-in who hadn't even spoken to her since the welcome party? You had to be dreaming again. That, or she was playing a prank on you. You had heard through the grapevine that she loves a good prank.\n\"Visit...me?\" You try to piece together her statement out loud, \"But why?\"\n\"To check up on you, of course!\" says Pinkie. You're left dumbfounded at her reason and are about to enquire more, but she's ahead of you and starts explaining on her own:\n\"I haven't seen you around town since I gave you that welcome party, and that was a few weeks ago, so I wondered if you had moved out, so I asked my friend Twilight and she told me that chef she likes so much hired you to work for him, but then I also learned that you barely talk to any of your co-workers and stay home all day, and I know all the workers there are nice ponies, which means that either you're a meany pants, which I know you're not because hello, we talked all that time at the party and you were really nice to me, or you still don't have any friends, which means you still must be real lonely, and that's so super-sad, so I decided to come straight here after my shift at Sugarcube Corner ended and pay you a visit....and that's why I had to go to the bathroom so bad! Wait, what were we talking about again?\"\nYou don't reply at first, instead choosing to just stare at Pinkie with your jaw partly open and your eyes unmoving, the perfect look of disbelief and confusion. Is Pinkie really visiting you because she thought you were lonely? Is this just a regular thing she does for anypony, or are you a special case? Could you have possibly had some bad salad for lunch and are just hallucinating the whole thing?\n\"Um...thank you?\" You finally speak up once your brain could process enough of her lightning-fast explanation.\n\"No problem!\" She replies, \"So why do you stay home all day? That seems like a pretty boring way to spend free time.\"\nYou sigh at her question and point your head towards the ground. You didn't want to tell the truth about your reclusive nature to the literal life of the party that is Pinkie Pie, but she had come all this way for you, and you owed her at least that.\n\"Well,\" you begin while keeping your gaze affixed to the floorboards, \"I stay home all the time because I don't have any reason to go outside. I've never had that many friends growing up, and nopony has really been interested in the same things as I am. I...just don't see the point of going out and opening up to others when I don't have anything to offer that anypony wants.\"\nYou finally find the courage to look at Pinkie again, fully expecting her to be disappointed at the real you. Instead, you're once again baffled at the sight of her carrying the same light grin from before you started.\n\"Is that all?\" She says, her cheery voice completely unfazed by your excuse, \"That's a pretty silly reason to not even try and make friends!\"\n\"But...but I-\" You try to respond to her admonition, but you had made the mistake of not even having a response ready for her before you started talking.\n\"Being a good friend isn't all about liking the same things as they do!\" Pinkie thankfully cuts you off before you can put your hoof in your mouth. \"I mean, that's good for when you're starting out, but even ponies with nothing in common can be the bestest friends! My friends Applejack and Rarity are living proof of that!\" You don't know who either of these ponies are, but you let Pinkie continue with her impromptu lesson:\n\"You can be a good friend in a lot of ways. Sometimes friendship is about being a good listener and knowing that you have someone to talk to, or being there for them when they need someone the most, or sometimes it can even be just being nice and having fun with one another. You don't have to not talk or hang out with somepony just because you have different interests. I'd never have even half the friends I do if that was true!\"\nYou can't argue with her wisdom - she's friends with practically everyone in town - but deep down, you knew it would take much more than a quick pep-talk to turn you from a quiet shut-in into a socialite.\n\"I guess you're right there,\" you begin, \"Although I'd still feel a little better if I had more interesting things to say about myself. I'm...kind of a bore.\"\n\"Oh no you're not!\" Pinkie cuts you off before you can elaborate, \"Everypony, and I mean everypony, has an interesting side to them! You'd be surprised at how many cool things you can dig up about yourself if you just know where...to...look...\"\nAs her words trail off, Pinkie's eyes grow wide and her smile gets even bigger than before. You grow nervous as her face gets brighter. Just what in the world is this pony thinking now?\n\"Oh! Oh! I just had the most super-terrific idea ever!\" She exclaims, making you grow even more worried. \"We should look around your house and dig up something interesting about you! You can look for stuff in here and I'll check the other side of your house! Ready set GO!\"\nBefore you can let out so much as a sound, Pinkie races off to the back of your flat, leaving you to stand in the living room by yourself in deep confusion. Why is she so dead-set on proving that you are more interesting to others than you think you are? The foals at school certainly didn't think that. The ponies you had tried to talk to after that certainly didn't think that. You certainly didn't think that, just as much as you didn't think that Pinkie could find anything noteworthy about you in your bedroom. Nothing noteworthy except for-\n*GAAAAAAAAAASP*\n...oh no.\n\"PINKIE, WAIT!\" You yell out in vain as you hurry down the hall into your bedroom, praying that by some miracle Pinkie has not spotted it yet. You rush inside, only to stop in the doorway and look in horror at the sight. Right in front of you is Pinkie Pie, with her flank turned towards you, her face pointed at the sight directly across from your bed, the one thing you didn't want her to see the most: your most personal stash.\n\"Pinkie, um, I, er, well, you see, it's not-\" You try to stammer out, once again speaking before you had thought up a solid excuse. Then again, you're not sure if you could explain this away even if you had all the time in the world.\nYour stammering comes to an immediate stop when you hear Pinkie address your name in a voice far colder and flatter than you thought possible for the normally happy mare to speak in. \"Are those what I think they are?\" She continues, her head still turned away from you. Even though she isn't looking at you, you can still feel her gaze pierce through your stash, analyzing every last detail. You can only imagine how quickly that stare would shatter you into pieces if it turned towards you.\n\"Um, well I, you see.....yes,\" You finally confess, lowering your head to the ground and folding your ears back in shame. \"Those are....my...my....\" It was hard for you to even get the words out of your throat.\n\"My....video games.\"\nWhen you were a young colt, you loved nothing more than to come home after a long day of school, sit your rump down in front of that magical glass box, and play games to your heart's content. Ever since your mom got your first system as a birthday gift, the world of electronic gaming has seized your imagination. You have almost seen and done it all through this wonderful medium: You've battled countless mythical creatures (like those weird \"hyoo-man\" things), rescued dozens of princesses, explored vast and beautiful worlds, and even managed successful businesses and empires. Video games could do what most books couldn't; they made you the hero, letting you live out almost all your fantasies in the comfort of your own home.\nIt is your greatest passion, but you would never tell a soul about it if you could. As you grew up in school, books soon took over as the cool thing, and all the other foals quickly jumped on the bandwagon, occasionally ridiculing you about your \"geeky\" hobby. Even worse, a nasty stereotype eventually spread amongst the general populace that video games led to violent and antisocial behavior. You knew this to be hogwash (At least the \"violent behavior\" part), but you still considered it too risky to divulge this particular hobby to anyone else. At best, they would view you as a dork and a misfit. At worst, they would probably freak out and think you were going to pull a knife on them.\nAnd now Pinkie knew about your secret hobby. You are absolutely certain that she would now think of you as some kind of freak or weirdo and never speak to you again at the very least. You feel your heart sink to a new low as the gravity of losing the favor of someone as full of life as Pinkie sinks in.\n\"I...I guess you'll want to be going now...\" you force out as a knot in your throat presents itself. \"I, er, understand if you don't want to see me anymore...\"\n\"...........What are you talking about?\" Pinkie speaks up, still in her uncharacteristically cold voice. By now, you have lost count of all the times this mare has surprised you tonight, but her next surprise is her biggest one yet.\n\"I LOVE games!\"\nShe suddenly turns around to face you, giving you a face so ecstatic and enthusiastic that it's almost frightening. Her starry gaze is one that will haunt you for the rest of your days.\n\"...Wait...\" you cautiously reply. You had almost forgotten her outburst thanks to that nightmarish look on her face. \"You like video games too?\"\n\"Yup!\" she cheerfully replies, changing her expression into something less excited and bizarre. \"Well, truthfully I haven't really played that many video games, but I love all kinds of games and the few video games I have played were super-duper fun, but they're pretty expensive and I haven't really gotten the chance to...play...with...my...friends....\"\nJust like the last time her words trailed off, Pinkie's grin grows even bigger. What on earth could this earth pony be thinking of now?\n\"Oh! Oh! Oh! I just had an even besterest idea!\" Pinkie exclaims, \"We should play some games together! I'm sure we can have all kinds of fun doing that!\"\nAt first you feel confused at the strange turn of events. Pinkie Pie, of all mares, not only liked video games, but was offering to play some with you? You really had to be out of your head by now. Despite the ridiculous circumstances, you begin to feel a little of her trademark excitement seeping into you from her idea. This might be the first time you have ever seriously partaken in your favorite hobby with another enthusiast.\nThat is, until you remember a key detail that makes this request impossible.\n\"Pinkie, that's...a wonderful idea,\" you start, \"but I, er, only have one controller.\" You had never shared your hobby with anyone else, so you never bothered with buying an extra controller to any of your systems. You can now only look in disappointment at yourself for not having the precognition to foresee this moment.\n\"No problem!\" she responds, completely unfazed at your admission. \"You can play and I can just watch! Sometimes I like to watch other ponies play games instead! That can be pretty fun too!\" With that, she leaps onto your bed and, after bouncing around a few times (\"Wheeee, this bed is soooo comfy!\"), finally comes to rest at the edge of the mattress facing the magical box. With a soft grin, she pats the side of the mattress with her hoof to invite you next to her. \"Don't worry, I won't bite! I'll even let you pick the first game!\"\n\"...Alright then, if you insist,\" you say to her, not giving your brain the chance to misconstrue her words. You move towards your gaming system - the Super Neighntendo - and turn both it and the magic box on. You decide on playing Shadow of the Ursa Major, the game that was already inside the system. Turning back to Pinkie, you nervously sit down next to her while still keeping some breathing room between the two of you. Your act of respect and personal shyness proves to be all for naught, however, as Pinkie closes the distance almost instantly, placing the two of you side-to-side. Her coat gives off a comforting warmth, and you can even make out the distinct smell of cotton candy with just a hint of the hoof-soap you keep in your bathroom. You soon feel your face grow warmer than she is, and pray that she doesn't notice the redness that is surely forming on your cheeks. Thankfully, the roar of the magic box soon distracts the both of you as the game comes onscreen. You place the controller in both of your forehooves and start playing to your audience.\n***********************\nBefore you knew it, several hours had flown by and Luna's moon now shone brightly in the night sky. You had played a little bit through several of your games of choice - Super Mareo Sisters, Marble Gear Plasma: Pie Eater, Colt of War, Filly Fantasy XVI, EquestriaBound, among others - and Pinkie watched enthusiastically through all of them. You often found yourself laughing right with her when the game decided to be comical, and she didn't hesitate to tell you as many possible strategies as she could on how to dispatch of a particularly nasty boss.\nYou felt a little disappointed when you realized how late it was. You couldn't quite put your hoof on it, but for some reason playing all these games with Pinkie at your side felt....right. Maybe it was her unbridled excitement despite the fact that she didn't have a controller of her own to join in on the fun. Maybe it was the fact that someone not only accepted your favorite hobby but was participating in it right next to you. Maybe it was because her coat felt really warm and possibly gave off a substance that causes mild euphoria. Whatever the case, you were quietly wishing that this night would never end so you could enjoy your hobby with this lovely mare for as long as you liked.\n\"Hey, try using the boomerang over there!\"\n\"Huh?\" You snap out of your daydream as Pinkie offers her suggestion. You were now playing through The Legend of Celestia: Twilight Apprentice, a game supposedly based on the Elements of Harmony event that Pinkie herself was a part of, not to mention one of your most favorite games ever. Working the controller, you maneuver the onscreen representation of Twilight Sparkle into tossing a boomerang at a particular wall. You expect nothing to happen, but to your surprise, the boomerang goes through the wall and strikes a hidden switch, making a treasure chest materialize in the corner of the room.\n\"Wow, I never knew that was there,\" you think out loud. You must have played this game at least five times over without finding that. \"Good call, Pinkie.\"\n\"Hee hee, thanks,\" Pinkie giggles at your compliment, \"Although I don't really remember Twilight having to use a boomerang in a dungeon. Come to think of it, I don't really remember crawling through a dungeon, or travelling across a desert, or having to fight a horde of diamond dogs, or having to collect the elements individually, or...or....\"\nYou hear Pinkie let out a long yawn and feel the pressure on the bed shift a little as she stretches her hooves. Your head is still turned towards the magic box, but without warning, you feel a weight of some kind pushing down on your shoulder and a soft, prickly feeling on your neck and shoulder.\n\"Wow, I'm really tired. We must've been playing for hours!\" She speaks up, her voice closer than it was before. Your suspicions are confirmed; the party pony is now resting her head on your shoulder.\nYou game in silence for a few minutes, letting your mind absorb the new sensations. Her mane feels light and fluffy on your neck, letting off the sweet smell of bubblegum, and her coat lightly tickles the rest of your side, much like the down feathers on a goose.\n\"...This is really fun, isn't it?\" She finally breaks the silence, her voice lacking a little bit of its usual hyperactivity.\n\"Yeah, it is\" you reply, \"I'm really glad you decided to visit me. Nopony's ever done so much for me before, and you didn't even owe me any favors.\"\n\"Well, that's one important part of friendship,\" she says, \"You do a lot of things for your friends not because you owe them something but because you like to do them.\"\nYou pause the game for a second as her words sink into you. \"....so, does that mean you and I are...\"\n\"Yep,\" she cuts you off, \"We're friends now, and tomorrow I'm going to show you how to be a good friend to others so you never have to be lonely again.\"\nYou feel a warmth grow in your heart and cheeks at her words. For the first time since school, you finally have somepony you can call your friend, somepony that likes you for who you are, or at least doesn't mind your odd hobbies.\n\"....Thank you, Pinkie.\" Is all you can say to her through the soft smile forming on your face.\n\"Hee hee, no problem.\"\nSilence falls between the two of you once again as you return to playing the game in happiness, her head still resting comfortably on your shoulder. The minutes pass like seconds, and soon you begin to feel your eyelids grow heavy. You didn't want to bring a good thing to an end, but you have work tomorrow, and you're sure Pinkie has similar engagements.\n\"Hey, Pinkie,\" you call out, \"I think I'm ready to turn in for the night.\"\nPinkie doesn't respond to your words.\n\"...Pinkie?\"\nAgain, nothing.\nYou can't turn your head to see her, but you can hear her breathing in a slow and steady rhythm. You surmise that the party pony has beaten you to the punch and fallen asleep on your shoulder. Pausing the game and putting the controller to the side, you tenderly work your hooves around her body. As gently as you can, you lift her off your shoulder and lay her down on your bed, your initial guess confirmed when you see her eyes closed in a peaceful slumber. Your grab your blankets that were still laying on the ground from when you threw them off this morning and ever-so-carefully pull them over the slumbering pony. Your bed is too small for you to climb in with her, so you turn and walk out of your room, making sure to turn off the magic box and game system as you leave.\nAs you climb onto your couch in the front room and lay your weary head to rest, you remember Pinkie telling you that you and her were now friends, along with the wonderful feeling you felt at that moment.\nMaybe it wouldn't hurt you to have some friends after all.\n_________________________________________________________________________________________________\nNote: Hi there, Pinkie here! Don't worry, your secret's safe with me! I promise not to tell anyone you have a thing for me now....and video games too, but you probably had that long before you read this! So how did I do in this story? I've never acted before, and I was a little nervous whenever a scene was about to start, but the author kept telling me to be myself, so that's what I did! You know, reading through this, I think it's a little weird that Equestria would have these \"Video game\" thingies, but it has \"game\" in the name, so they're fine by me! As long as you remember to not play them so much and go outside every once in a while! Otherwise, you'd be a lot like my friend Twilight when she first came to Ponyville, and-\nUm, Pinkie, what are you doing at my computer?\nWhoops, gotta go! Have fun, and one last thing: You all just lost the game! Bye!\nPinkie, wait up!...great, already gone. What'd she do this ti......son of a-\nDISCLAIMER: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or its characters, nor do I make any money off this story. All Rights Reserved by Hasbro.\nWith thanks to N3uroSFG and Eights for proofreading." ]

[ "Original Character", "Pinkie Pie", "Romance", "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" ]

[ "Look Before You Sleep Celestia\nby A Mere Lurker\nEdited by Keyframe & Eights\nLuna stood on the balcony of her bedroom in the royal palace. She loved her room. Then again, she would love anything that had walls and something soft to lie down on. The moon wasn't exactly a comfortable place to get some shuteye, after all.\nIt was a warm evening in the early summer, and from her balcony she could see that the lights in Celestia's room next door were still on.\n\"She's probably working, still used to handling all the state's affairs,\" Luna thought to herself as she smiled devilishly. \"But she won't be for much longer.\"As she trotted towards the door of her bedroom, she decided that it was time to put her carefully laid plans to action.\nShe opened the door and turned to her guards.\"Guards?\"\"Yes, your highness?\" they responded in carefully trained unison.\"It is time. Execute order 41!\" Luna said with a diabolical grin.\"Are you sure Miss Luna? I mean...isn't it too soon?\" one of the guards asked, while the other was looking as unsure as the former sounded.\"We have prepared enough, it has to be tonight. Now go and get the others before you take out the guards at her door. Report back to me after you have disposed of them.\"\"Yes, Princess,\" they replied, again in perfect unison, before hastily departing to alert their accomplices.\nLuna stepped back into her room. She could feel her heart beginning to race in nervous excitement.\"Tonight is the night. I have been putting this off for far too long.\" she thought, grinning at her reflection in the mirror.\nShe began to pull several of the drawers out of her vanity, collecting the items from them and putting them on her bed. She procured a small saddlebag from underneath the bed itself and sat it on the edge.\"\n\"Yes! This will have her begging for mercy.\" she giggled under her breath, as she picked some of the items up off her bed and let them pass through her hooves, before unceremoniously stuffing them into the bag.\nA gentle knock on the door broke her from her daydream.\n\"Good, they wasted no time.\" she thought, as she dropped the last of her items in the bag before magically placing it on her back. Her stomach rose to her throat and her breathing intensified. \"It is time.\"She opened her door and was greeted by the sight of almost a dozen of her most loyal guards.\n\"The guards have been disposed of; we are awaiting command, your Highness.\"\"Good, good, well done. Let us go then.\"\nAnd so, late in the evening, the Princess of the Night and the group of guards surrounding her quietly tiptoed to Celestia's chambers. It wasn't even a hundred yards away, but to Luna it seemed like the longest distance she had ever travelled.Finally, they arrived at the big wooden door of Celestia's bedroom. The lights inside were still on.\nOkay, as soon as we open the door,\" she whispered to her entourage, \"you will jump on her and hold her down before she notices anything is wrong. When you do, I will place this on her horn so she can't fight back. Once that is in place, you tie her hooves to the bedposts. Then I will go about my business with her. Is everything clear?\"\nAll the guards softly murmured their confirmations and readied themselves to burst into the room as the commander of the assembled force put his shaking hoof on the doorknob. He gulped and turned it as gently as possible so it wouldn't make any noise. He looked back at his princess, a questioning, almost pleading look. Luna felt her heart beat within her throat. \"Here goes nothing.\" she thought, and gave a nod.\nCelestia was busy reading some official documents when she noticed how late it had become. She was just about to go to bed when a puff of green smoke materialized into a scroll before her.\"A letter from Twilight Sparkle at this hour? This should be interesting.\"She carefully unrolled the scroll and began to read it while trotting to her bed.\nDear Princess Celestia,\nTonight I learned a very important lesson about friendship, and that you should not assume that when\na mare is athletic and not interested in...\n-BOOOMM!!!!!\nCelestia jumped as the door to her room burst open and almost a dozen guards leaped at her.\"What the hay?!\" she exclaimed in a rather unregal fashion as the guards got hold of her legs. Then she saw Luna walking up to her, levitating some sort of thick metal cone towards her face.\"Luna! What do you think you're doing!!?\" Celestia shouted at her younger sister.\"No! What is that?!! GET IT AWAY FROM ME!!\" she screamed as she squirmed against the guards' iron grip.\nWhen Luna finally placed the object on her sister's horn, she gave a deep sigh of relief.\"There! Now my dear sister, it is time for some quality time. Tie her up gentlecolts!\"Celestia's eyes widened even further.\"What are you doing?! Let me go!\" She tried her magic, but knew it was already too late; nothing happened. It had all just happened so fast.\nThe guards blocked the doors of the room after having thoroughly tied up the reigning princess to her bed. Celestia stopped trying to free herself from the constraints and stared into her sister's eyes.\n\"Aw, you're not gonna squirm anymore? Putting on a brave face, huh?\" Luna was enjoying it now; she had full control.\"You really think this is going to work? That I am not immortal?\" Celestia tried to bluff her way out of this.\"I KNOW this is going to work, because I know for a fact that you're ticklish.\"\"What?\"\nLuna pulled a large red feather out of her bag and tried it on her front hoof. Celestia's face was awash with confusion as her expectations shattered before her.\"You're not going to...\"\"Underside of the rear hooves was the spot if I remember correctly?\" Luna flashed a mischievous smile.\"Ohh Noo! Don't do it Luna!\" Celestia pleaded. The relief had her smiling, but the panic returned; she really was insanely ticklish.\n\"You can thank Philomena for this contribution.\" Luna said as she waved the long feather in Celestia's nose. \"Always up for a laugh, that bird of yours. And this feather is amazing!\"\"No come on Luna don't, not with ponies here!!\"\"You ashamed sis? Don't be, your laughter is adorable. Now gimme that hoof!\"\nCelestia flashed her best poker-face when Luna gently stroked her left rear hoof with the soft tip of the feather. But Luna knew it was only a matter of time.The guards however were still nervous; not knowing how princess Celestia would take this forceful invasion of her privacy. They did not see how her face got redder by the second. But Luna did, and she knew what would come next. She intensified her tickling; it had the desired effect.\nCelestia pinched her eyes close, trying desperately to control herself. Her face contorted and then, she burst out in boisterous laughter. A collective sigh of relief from the guards wasn't heard, for it was drowned out by the incredible sound Celestia brought forth.\n\"Wow that was tense. But I think we're okay now.\" one of the guards said to another.\"Yeah I think so too. Her laugh is really contagious isn't it?\" the other guard smiled.\nCelestia meanwhile guffawed and gurgled in glee. Her stricken leg juddering against the constraints. Its sound was like a warm breeze blowing through the palace, and it could probably be heard by most of its inhabitants. It worked its magic on everypony in earshot, and soon a small crowd had formed outside, excited to learn who could produce this amazing sound. Nopony had heard Celestia laugh, REALLY laugh, for more than a thousand years. All she had let out during that period were polite little chuckles at appropriate times.But now, she was utilizing the entire audible spectrum of sounds and noises, from guttural guffaws to high pitched squeaks.\nLuna now directed the feather to wherever she pleased, relying only on her childhood memories, and the reaction of her sister to find the best spots. And she too could not hold back her own chuckles and giggles. The guards were in various states of hilarity; some merely shaking quietly, others rolling on the floor in hilarity.\n\"Please...Luna...enough...that's...enough!\" Celestia finally managed to utter in between hiccups.Luna gradually stopped the torture, but it took a little longer for all the laughter to die out.\"I am so gonna make you do that more often, so prepare thyself.\" Luna said with tears in her eyes.\"My body is not ready.\" Celestia replied, still out of breath from the torment of her sister.\n\"So...this was a hoot. Could you untie me now?\" Celestia said after a moment of content silence.\"Oh no, I'm not done here. There's still some stuff I want to go over.\" Luna responded.\"Huh, like what?\"\"Well, liiiiiiiiiiike THIS!\" Luna exclaimed as she pulled something soft and purple out of her bag and held it in front of her in a dramatic gesture.\"How did you...Where did you find that?\" Celestia sputtered while nervously eyeing her old Luna plushie. \"Have you been snooping in my room?!\"\"What is this madness?\" Luna opted to attack. \"Is this supposed to be me??\"\"Aw come on!! I was young, i-it was a gift.\"\"No it's not, it's worn and smells of your perfume!\"\"I just missed you! Do you have to be so mean about it?!?\"\"It has drool-stains Celly!! What the hay!?!?\"\"Ahh this is soo embarrassing!!!\"\nLuna smiled, even though the purple thing was a preposterous parody of herself, she loved her sister for having loved it so...evidently.\n\"Are we done now?\" Celestia pleaded.\"Yeah pretty much.\" Luna said as she tossed the plushie in the corner of the room.\"Oh good\" Celestia sighed in relief. \"Could you untie me then? I'm getting a cramp.\"\"Sure thing.\" Luna replied as she magically untied her elder sister.\"Oh! Guys, I think we're done here. You can release the others.\" Luna addressed the guards. \"And could you assure the remainder of the crowd outside that nothing interesting is going on?\"They nodded in agreement and exited the room one by one.\n\"Hey sis, I packed a few other things as well, ‘cause I was thinking we could have a sleepover.\"\"A sleepover?\" Celestia asked while she got on her hooves.\"Yeah, I thought it would be fun, you know.\" Luna replied.Celestia looked quizzically at her sister.\"You do know fun, don't you?\" Luna asked mockingly.\"Hey! I can have fun!\"\"Good! Then it is decided\" Luna said content. \"I hereby decree this sleepover officially initiated.\"Celestia sighed. \"Any chance I can talk you out of this?\"\"Nope. I already decreed it. And you know what that means.\" Luna said as she magicked all of her stuff next to Celestia's bed.\"No, what does it mean? \" Celestia asked flatly.\"Make-over!!\" Luna cheered.\nAnd so the Royal sisters sat on big embroidered cushions, both their faces covered in green gunk. Luna was just putting Celestia's mane in curlers, while Celestia was sitting contently on her cushion, slices of cucumber plastered on her eyes.\n\"Hey sis?\" Luna asked.\"Hmm?\" Celestia responded lazily.\"I've been meaning to ask you something ever since I got back.\"\"What is it Luna?\" Celestia replied, now showing Luna her full attention. At least, the fullest amount one can give with cucumber slices plastered on one's eyes.\n\"When did you make your mane all multicolored and flowy? Didn't pink do it for you anymore?\"\"Ehehe...well, it was a crazy idea I had, some 200 years after you were eh...gone.\" Celestia answered awkwardly. \"But I really got attached to it. It's pretty don't you think?\"\"Very, I was actually thinking of doing it myself.\" Luna responded.\"Really? Well I have perfected both spells, which was harder than you may think.\" Celestia responded while turning back into her lazy position.\n\"At first I didn't know how to keep the colors consistent, and my mane continued to wriggle when I went to bed. That was annoying to say the least.\" Celestia chuckled softly while reminiscing about the early days of her hairstyle experiment.\n\"But have you already decided which colors you want?\" She asked after her thoughts came back from memory lane.\"Not entirely.\" Luna responded. \"Well, blue of course, maybe 2 or 3 different shades of it. Maybe black, but that would make me a little dark. Maybe white, but only a highlight. And I was thinking peach.\" she concluded.\"Peach?\" Celestia asked in disbelief.Luna nodded. \"Yeah, peach. You know, because there are those rare nights when my mane turns peach, and I go around spreading love and giving ponies sweet dreams?\"\"Oh yes, of course. The night of \"sweet\" dreams. How could I forget?\" Celestia answered cynically.\"What is it sis? You used to love those nights. Everypony did. As a matter of fact, I can't wait for the next one.\" Luna said while staring into infinity.\"But unfortunately they cannot be forced.\" she sighed.\"What were the requirements for such a night again?\" Celestia asked.\"Well I haven't fully rationalized it, but it has to be hot, and the jasmines should be in full bloom.\" Luna said with a dreamy stare.\"Ah yes, Jasmine messes with your mind doesn't it?\" Celestia replied sarcastically.\"Now what is it with you?\" Luna asked annoyed.\"I just find those nights...inappropriate. Don't you get embarrassed over anything?\"\"Well look here who turned into a prude during my absence.\"Celestia answered with a discrete silence.\n\"That reminds me of my next...thing. I thought it was inappropriate to talk about it with the guys in the room. But now we can discuss it.\" Luna chirped.\"Oh? What is it?\" Celestia inquired. Her attention drawn by both Luna's little vocabulary malfunction, as well as her new habit in calling her guards ‘the guys'.\nLuna leaned forward so her muzzle was just behind Celestia's left ear, and softly spoke:\"I found your little collection.\"Celestia tensed up at the remark. The cucumber slices dropping from her eyes and on her chambers' floor with an audible splat. \"Could she mean...\"She looked back at her sister, and her stare was met with Luna bouncing her eyebrows up and down.\"Oh boy\" she thought.\"I have to say I'm really disappointed in you big sister.\" Luna's expression was stern now.\"I-I...it's not mine, I'm just...\"\"I was expecting you to have collected at least a small library full of racy stuff in those thousand years.\" Luna interjected with a dramatized pout.\"What? Oh of course.\" Celestia thought. It had taken Luna less than a year to collect an entire shelf, which she kept in full view on the shelf of honour in her chambers' bookcase. She was the last pony in the palace that would be shocked by Celestia's \"measly\" collection, except maybe by its...measlyness.\n\"I eh...\"\"And I'm also surprised that you swing both ways, is that new, or have you been hiding that from me?\" Luna interjected.\"Luna, I...\"\"Hey, I don't judge, join the herd.\"\"Well that's n...\"\"And why were there some of Twilight Sparkle's letters in there as well?\"\"Theboxsaysmiscellaneous!!\" Celestia blurted out a little too fast, as she could see Luna's eyebrow creeping upwards.\nLuna got up from her cushion and cleared her throat.\"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful, sexy student.\" Luna said in an extra sultry imitation of her sister.\"I don't talk like that.\" Celestia snapped.Luna merely smiled and continued her display.\"Oh Princess Celestia! Teach me with your horn!\" Luna moaned loudly.\nBOINK!On the other side of the door, two sets of wings popped up.\"D'you hear that?\"\"Yup\"\"Did she just say what I think she said?\"\"I think so.\"\"Man, crazy night is this.\"\n\"Luna please! Keep it down will you!\" Celestia hissed through her sister's giggles. \"The guards might hear you.\"\"So? It's not like they haven't heard such a thing before- oh wait...these aren't my guards. Never mind what I just said.\" Luna said with a guilty smile.\"Now you're just messing with me aren't you?\" Celestia asked with a glimmer of desperation in her voice.\"Pretty much. You're just so sensitive to it.\" Luna answered while slumping back on her cushion behind Celestia, and continuing the arduous task of putting Celestia's mane in curlers.\n\"I guess so. But it's just that...well; this palace has been a home to stuck-up royalty for a thousand years. It missed you. I missed you.\" Celestia said glumly.\"I know sis, these ponies are boring and mean. It took me months to get my own guards to loosen up. And I fear that these \"royal\" ponies will never let their mane down. All done!\"\"Huh, what?\" Celestia replied, thrown off from Luna's sudden exclamation.\"Your mane Celly, it's all in curlers. Which took way longer than mine, don't you ever cut your mane?\"\"Nope, never. A long mane makes Celestia the prettiest pony in Equestria.\" Celestia chimed while lovingly petting her curled up mane.\n\"Owwkay, what should we do next?\" Luna asked.\"Wait just a minute. It looks like somepony forgot to put curlers in my taihail.\" Celestia said in a sing-song voice while seemingly waving her tail through the entire room.Luna groaned. \"Seriously Tia, your tail is ridiculously long.\"\"Well that's not fair; I did your mane and tail.\" Celestia pouted.\"Ugh, fine.\" Luna replied defeated. Her horn began to glow, and with a pop and a flash, Celestia's mane was all done up in curlers. It fell to the ground bearing all the extra weight.\"Satisfied?\" Luna asked with a smirk.\"Very.\" Celestia nodded in response\"Okay, now that we finished the make-overs,\" Luna emphasized the word ‘finished'. \"What should we do next?\".\"I know. How about we tell each other stories?\" Celestia proposed.\"Ooh I have a good one\" Luna said excitedly. \"It's called: ‘The Quest for the moonstones'.\"\n\"...and when we peeked over the edge of the crater, there they were, right in the centre. The End\" Luna finished.\"Wow that was a great story.\" Celestia exclaimed and clopped her forehooves together. \"I've never known there were living creatures on the moon, let alone intelligent talking creatures.\"\"There aren't.\" Luna said flatly.\"What? But what about Alice, and Pierre, and Svyatoslav? And that team of evil sisters?\"\"All products of my imagination. I just levitated moon rocks around me and did some voice acting.\"\"But what about the moonstones!\" Celestia asked desperately as she was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the sadness that this added knowledge gave to the story.\"More rocks.\" Luna said flatly.\"That's a horrible story Luna!\" Celestia shouted with tears in her eyes.\"Aw don't cry sis\" Luna comforted her sister. \"It was just the only story I had that you didn't know yet.\"\"Okay\" Celestia muttered weakly as she dried her tears and took a couple of deep breaths.Luna flashed a wicked smile. \"Besides, I thought the goal was to make each other cry or scream?\"Celestia's eyes suddenly gleamed, and with a wicked grin she said: \"Then I believe it's my turn.\"\n\"...The last thing Rainbow Dash felt was her skin being cut away from her skull, and the metal of the blade scraping her teeth.Then she was gone.\"Luna was sobbing and dry heaving. \"W-Why would you tell this?! This is horrible!\"\"Well it IS a horror story\" Celestia replied with a content smile. \"Besides you started it.\" she added childishly.\"This is worse than 2 mares 1 stirrup!\"\"What's that? Another horror story?\"\"No it's something else. Remind me to show it to you some time.\" Luna said as she got up, rubbed the tears out of her eyes and took a few deep breaths.\n\"Phew I'm exhausted.\" Celestia said, changing the subject. \"I think it is time to hit the hay.\"Luna looked at the clock. \"Oh yeah, I guess its way past your bedtime isn't it.\" She said while trotting to her makeshift bed.\"As a matter of fact it is. I'm afraid it is going to be a short nap for me.\" Celestia said while stepping into her bed. It was huge compared to Luna's little sleeping bag.\"I'm sorry I kept you up for so long.\" Luna said.\n\"That's okay. I had fun, in a way I haven't had for a long time.\" Celestia replied as she turned off the lights. \"Now are you're sure my story won't give you nightmares?\" she asked mockingly.\n\"You sure you don't want me in bed with you? Or are you fine with your Luna plushie?\" Luna retorted.\n\"...... No.\" Celestia replied after a long silence.\n\"No? No what?\" Luna asked.\n\"No I'm not fine with my Luna plushie, so get in here.\" Celestia digressed.\"Woah, are you serious?\" Luna asked while lifting her head from her cushion.\n\"Yes I am; you look pitiful in that tiny sleeping bag, so jump in. There's more than enough room for two in here.\"\n\"Ha-ha, are you talking from experience?\" Luna mocked, but she got up anyway. \"Okay, I accept your invitation. Now scoot over will you?\" she said while climbing in the bed, facing away from Celestia. Almost immediately she was grabbed and pulled into a loving embrace. She liked it, but after a couple of seconds, it got a bit constricting.\n\"Hey, Celly I love you too, and I'm all for spooning, but you do want to sleep, right?\" Luna awkwardly inquired.\"Well I'll be darned.\" Celestia whispered in Luna's ear. \"Look here who turned into a prude during her exile.\"She let go of Luna and created a bit of space between them.\"Thanks.\" Luna said with a smile. \"Good night big sister.\"\"Good night little sister. I love you.\"\"I love you too.\"\n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\nLuna was trotting back towards her chambers. Despite Celestia's horror story, she had slept quite well. Celestia had to get up early, of course, to raise the sun, and after a pleasant breakfast it was time to go their separate ways. But it had been a wonderful night, one worth repeating for sure.There was just one thing slightly bothering her; it seemed all the guards she encountered this morning were having a laugh. It was probably because of yesterday's events, and Luna was a reminder of it, but still....\nAs she approached her chambers she could see her guards already holding back their laughter.\"Good morning Princess Luna!\" they happily chimed in unison.\"Morning guys.\" Luna responded. \"Still in stitches over last night?\"\"Eheuh, yeah that's it.\" one of the guards answered, uttering a highly stifled snicker.Luna frowned in suspicion.\"I should check myself in the mirror, shouldn't I?\" she asked slowly.\"That would be wise.\" the guard replied.\nLuna stomped into her chambers and raced to her mirror. A look of shock appeared on her face when she saw her reflection, but it soon replaced with a smile.\n\"Touché sister. Touché.\" she mumbled as she stroked her multicolored flowing beard with her hoof.\"This castle just got a lot more fun.\"" ]

[ "Princess Celestia", "Princess Luna", "Comedy", "Slice of Life", "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" ]

[ "---My Little Pony: Friendship Is MagicPony Permutation Project!: Episode 1\"The Emergency\"by Bookish Delight, 2010-2011All characters and referred properties belong to Hasbro.---\nDays in Ponyville were usually idyllic and beautiful, and this was no exception. The sun shone, the clouds were light and fluffy, the breeze was just right, and everypony was in the best spirits ever since that night would be the Summer Sun Celebration!\nTruly, this would be one of those days that absolutely nothing could spoil.\nEarly in the afternoon, Applejack trotted along the town's main clearing, taking a break from her extended family's preparatory baking session. She looked around, taking note of her friends as she did so.\nSo far, situation normal. She could see Fluttershy conducting music with the local animals in the distance. She could see sparkles coming from Rarity's house every few seconds--clearly her unicorn magic was working overtime as she tended to the decorations. Even Rainbow Dash was behaving as expected: napping in the sky, waiting for the very last minute to go on cloud-clearing duty. Super-speed sure could spoil a pony, that was for danged sure.\nThat was four down... which left only one. Applejack wasn't a big fan of not being able to take total stock of things. Especially when the issue involved the least predictable of her circle of friends.\nPerhaps she was at Sugarcube Corner. It was a favorite hotspot of hers, not to mention she was... currently obligated to it, to a degree. Applejack decided to check there.\nJust as she got to its doors, however, she heard a faint high-pitched squealing sound behind her.\n\"...eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...\"\nShe kept walking, but it kept getting louder. She was clearly putting no ground between it and herself.\n\"...eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...\"\nApplejack stopped, fearing the worst, but finaly decided to turn around-\n\"...eeeeeeeeeEEEEEEE-YOW! OOF!\"\n-and found herself tackled by a pink blur moving so fast, she momentarily wondered if Rainbow Dash had accidentally flown into a vat of icing again.\nApplejack and the blur rolled halfway across town, end over end, clutching each other to prevent being thrown clear, until they finally came to an abrupt crash into a tree trunk some distance from the main square.\n---\nWhen Applejack came to, she found herself lying at the base of the tree. A pink pony--the very pink pony she'd expected--stood directly over her, visibly no worse for wear. Applejack would have groaned if she remembered how.\n\"Applejack! I'm so totally glad I caught you!\" Pinkie Pie said, her mouth movements easily matching Rainbow Dash's flight speed.\n\"Wasn't all that hard, since I was just mindin' my own business!\" was what Applejack wanted to say. Instead, all that came out was a weak, \"Wha... whassis...?\"\nPinkie Pie remained oblivious. \"You'll never believe what I just saw! Come on, guess.\"\n\"'Kay, I'll bite,\" Applejack said, her vision finally clearing. \"What?\"\n\"No, no, nooooooooo!\" Pinkie Pie jumped up and down. \"It's no fun if I just tell you! You need to gueeeeeess!\"\n\"Listen, ponygirl, I dunno if you've noticed, but you just tackled me into a tree from halfway across town! So y'all're gonna hafta gimme the benefit of the doubt on this one, 'kay? Just tell me what you saw.\"\nWith a gigantic sigh, Pinkie Pie relented. \"All right...\" Two seconds later, she perked back up. \"There's a new Pony in Ponyville! And she's a unicorn! And she's all purple with more purple with a little bit of violet and then some more purple and when I saw her I totally went (GAAAAAAAAAAAAASP) 'cause not only is she a new pony and a unicorn but I've never seen anypony look quite like her 'cause since she's so purple she really stands out though I personally think that's awesome and--(GLMPH!)\"\nApplejack reached up and put a hoof to Pinkie's mouth. It was a reflex she'd developed for when she'd had enough of hearing it, and the two had come to an understanding about it months ago. She kept it there until the pink pony calmed down.\n\"Huh. I'll admit unicorns ain't something you see every day round these parts.\" Applejack paused in realization. \"Now that I think about it, I saw some crazy chariot overhead flyin' overhead a little earlier today. Think that was her?\"\nPinkie Pie jumped up and down again, completely unminding of the fact that she technically was still standing over somepony. \"It was, it was! And you know what this means, right?\"\n\"Uh, 'fraid I don't-\" Applejack froze, as she suddenly did. \"-...oh no.\"\n\"EMERGENCY PARTY!\" Pinkie Pie screamed to the heavens. \"Applejack, I need your help! I need balloons, and streamers, and a roundup of every pony we can find, and most importantly, food! I need your apple... food... things!\"\n\"Wha...?\" Applejack blinked in confusion. \"Why don't you just go to Sugarcube Corner for that stuff? Why do y'all need the grub I'm makin'? That's for Summer Sun!\"\n\"Well, I'm...\" For a short while, Pinkie Pie's voice went uncommonly soft. \"...still working off my tab. It'll be another week before I'm clear. Oooh, but I can't wait until that happens. I'm going to pig out like nopony has ever seen...\" She shook her head to clear it of invading dreams of ice cream cake. \"But that's then. This is now! Come ooooooooooon, you're my only hope for this! No one can put together a feast like you!\"\n\"But I...\" Applejack started, \"there's no way...\"\nPinkie Pie leaned in closer, widening her eyes as much as possible in accompaniment to the cutest pony pout imaginable.\n\"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease? Sugar frosting on top? I'll totally love you forever...\"\nApplejack tried to resist. She truly did. Unfortunately, a Pinkie Pie Pout(tm) is a dangerous weapon, especially when fired at point-blank range. With a long sigh of her own, she finally said, \"All right, all right. I'll see what I can do.\"\n\"YAY!\" was Pinkie Pie's immediate response, followed by her outright tackling Applejack yet again, this time leading into a gigantic hug. \"Gosh, you're just, like, the bestest most awesome most super-helpful pony I've ever known, and since I know everypony in Ponyville that statement's not just whistlin' Dixie--to use a term you'd usually use--but that statement won't mean anything if I leave even one pony in our happy little town without friends!\"\nShe stopped her speech just in time to avoid Applejack's hoof, opting to meet her eyes instead. \"I mean, just look what happened after we met you,\" she said in a happy, sincere voice. \"You used to be so into your work, and talk to us even less than Fluttershy does. But can you still imagine your life wthout the rest of us in it?\" She fluttered her eyes, sending a silent message that they both understood. \"Without me?...\"\nApplejack managed to fight off her blush exactly one second after it happened, but for the two of them, it was enough. \"N-no, I suppose I can't.\" She got up, looked at Pinkie, rolled her eyes, and patted her mane. \"'Cept when I gotta help throw emergency parties,\" she said, a quick grin forming at the corner of her mouth. \"Then I reckon things seem a mite brighter...\"\n\"Hey!\"\n\"Just joshin' you, Pinkie. Go get things started--I'll meet up with 'ya, soon as I can.\"\n\"Woo-hoo! Thanks! See you soon!\"\nAnd thus, the first steps towards introducing a new pony into the fold were taken.\nThe rest, of course, is future history." ]

[ "Applejack", "Pinkie Pie", "Comedy", "Slice of Life", "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" ]

[ "---My Little Pony: Friendship Is MagicPony Permutation Project!: Episode 2\"Full Self-Service\"by Bookish Delight, 2010-2011All characters and referred properties belong to Hasbro.---\n\"Aaaand... there! I do think we're finally done.\"\nRarity stepped back to let her client get the best view of herself in the full-length mirror. Meanwhile, she herself exhaled in exhaustion. This latest project had been the product of three whole hours of grooming, cosmetics, coordination and accessorizing. Truth be told, it had taken quite a bit out of both ponies currently in Rarity's boutique.\nFortunately, the results spoke for themselves. A bright yellow pony stood front and center, wearing a rainbow-jeweled necklace and knee-length pink dress. To complete the arrangement, her mane had been done up in a true pony's ponytail, and fastened together with a large pink bow.\nIt was a formula that made sure only the smallest parts of the ensemble clashed in any way with the client pony's original tone, and made sure that all observing eyes were instantly drawn to the pony's smiling face before anywhere else. Rarity always felt that the face was most important in bringing out a pony's beauty to its fullest. Fortunately, Fluttershy's had plenty of beauty already built-in.\n\"Well? What do you think, dear?\" Rarity asked.\nWith a tiny, impressed squeak, Fluttershy preened at her new image in the mirror. \"Wow, Rarity, it looks like everything I've heard is true. You are quite good at this... what does one call it again?\"\n\"A 'makeover',\" responded Rarity. \"And thank you. Not only is it a living, it's quite good fun besides. It's always said that you should love your job.\"\n\"Yes, 'makeover',\" Fluttershy mused to herself. In a softer voice, she then added, \"This... this might finally do it.\"\n\"Hmm? Do what?\"\n\"Eep!\" Fluttershy jumped where she was, almost shrugging off her outfit in the process. Had she said that last part out loud? She hadn't meant to, honest! \"Oops. Um... forget what I just said.\"\nBut Rarity wouldn't. In fact, after giving the statement some thought, her eyes went wide as she gasped and smiled. \"Oh, I knew it, I knew it! Fluttershy is trying to impress somepony! I always knew this day would come! I'm so glad I could be a part of it!\"\nFluttershy's breathing quickened as anxiety took over. This, she thought, was exactly why she preferred to keep to herself! Being put on the spot was never, ever fun. \"Um... actually, I... no. It's not that. It's-\"\nAgain, Rarity would have none of it, draping one front leg over Fluttershy in a friendly hug. \"Oh, come now, don't be shy--sorry, poor choice of words. What I mean to say is, it's great to finally see you come out of your shell, even if it's just a teensy bit! So, who's the special someone?\"\nA very, very long silence swept through Rarity's boutique as Fluttershy gathered the nerve to answer.\nTwo minutes later, she finally whispered it:\n\"Everypony.\"\n\"Everypony?\" Rarity tilted her head in curious confusion. \"I don't follow.\"\nFluttershy took a deep breath. She wasn't used to long explanations, but if she was going to give one, she might as well make sure she only had to give it once.\n\"Well, I figured... if I stood out from the crowd, and got everypony to notice me all at once... it might help me make some new friends.\"\nHer quick talking belied an inner desperation which Rarity picked up on. The poor pony was rarely seen in public as it was; it must have taken a lot out of her to even visit Rarity in the first place.\n\"It's really hard for me to do that on my own; I could never simply walk up to somepony and start a conversation.\" Fluttershy's gaze lowered in mild embarrassment. \"So I figured if I changed myself just a bit, I could let ponies come to me. Hopefully only one at a time, though. I'm not very good with crowds, either...\"\nIf there was any more to Fluttershy's speech, it completely vanished from her mind when a blinding flash suddenly filled the boutique's interior. She squeaked again in surprise, and when she regained her vision, she gasped in shock!\nHer makeover was gone! Completely gone! Three hours of styling and choice and trying on outfits, all turned into nothingness!\nIn the mirror, once more, was plain old Fluttershy; back to her old self, and once more by herself. Holding back tears, she managed to ask, \"R-Rarity? W-w-what just happened?\"\nRarity simply sighed, and shook her head. \"Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy. I can't believe what I've been hearing. If that's why you asked for my services today, then I'm afraid I simply can't provide them in good conscience.\"\nFluttershy's heart skipped a fearful beat. \"But... but without them, I-\"\n\"No! I will hear no more of this self-hatred!\" Rarity's voice had gone into full-on preaching mode. \"Contrary to popular belief, my socialite abilities don't come from how I look. They come from how I carry myself. I choose to move with style, grace, and pride--but more to the point, I choose to remain outspoken.\"\nFluttershy shrank back. She knew she'd touched a nerve, and was about to prostrate herself at Rarity's feet and give a thousand apologies. However, Rarity instead walked closer to her, and took hold of one of her hooves. The yellow pony heated at the soft touch, still a little afraid... but that fear slowly ebbed away as Rarity slowly stroked Fluttershy's hoof with both of hers.\n\"And for all I just said, Fluttershy,\" said Rarity in a slower, reassuring voice, \"I know you're not like that. You also shouldn't try to be. Despite what you may think, you have plenty of friends already, and they're all just fine with you being you.\" She chuckled daintily. \"Honestly. Can you imagine this world having two of anyone? Two of Rainbow Dash, for example? The very thought boggles the mind, and leaves it quite fearful besides!\"\nFluttershy let out a small giggle, her mood brightening at both the joke and the fact that Rarity wasn't lighting into her as expected.\nAnd then, seconds later, came the quick kiss to her cheek. Fluttershy shrank back in complete surprise, her entire head now feeling warm and floaty. However, Rarity held her hoof fast, keeping her close, maintaining eye contact; in all, making sure Fluttershy knew that while there was nothing to fear, there was still a message to be delivered--a message of love and respect.\n\"Your individual existence is cherished, Fluttershy. Never forget that. Friends don't care about other friends' quirks. We know you like to keep to yourself. We're also perfectly happy to wait for you. Okay?\"\n\"Th... thank you,\" said Fluttershy, her cheeks now turning a mild shade of orange.\n\"No thanks needed. Only a promise: when a true special occasion comes to pass, make me the first pony you call. The makeover I give you will be twice as good as today's.\"\nFluttershy nodded. \"I promise.\"\nWith that, she left Rarity's boutique--briefly wondering if perhaps there were any 'special occasions' she could dream up on her own.\nIt wouldn't even be for one of Rarity's beauty sessions. Simply seeing her again would be enough." ]

[ "Fluttershy", "Rarity", "Slice of Life", "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" ]

[ "A pegasus as blue as the sky she called home counted the number of clouds hovering over Ponyville at that very moment.\nThirty clouds, with twenty sharp turns between them. She could do it. She was sure of it. Maybe.\nThe pegasus steeled herself, and pushed the \"maybe\" out of her mind. The Wonderbolts certainly didn't have time for ponies who hesitated in the face of challenge--and if there was one thing Rainbow Dash loved, it was proving that she was better than challenge.\nShe put on her flight goggles and, with a cocky grin, took off in a streak of color. As each cloud was approached, Rainbow Dash stuck out a front hoof, grabbed a piece of every one she passed though, and added it to the trail. At no time did she look back to check her progress. At these speeds, doing that was a great way to separate one's head from one's shoulders. Eventually, she found herself on autopilot. This was a good sign. This meant she could handle it.\nThe last cloud was reached. Finally! Now she could see if it'd worked...\n\"...all riiiiiight!\"\nHer grin went from cocky to downright elated as she rose a hundred feet and saw that, indeed it had! All the clouds around her were now connected by strands of steam in a beautiful web of white.\nNow for the easy part.\nShe flew to the web's center, positioned herself vertically, and spun in place as fast as she could, pulling in all of the clouds into a giant airborne twister which sent everything as close to outer space as she could manage. When it was all over, the zone was clear.\nSuccess! Another morning, another sky free of clouds--and in record time!\nExcept for one.\nOne, fortunately, was all she needed for her last task of the day. Humming a tune to herself, she pushed it along, towards the outskirts of Ponyville, where a mass of similar clouds were gathered over a meadow.\nA pony she'd been waiting all morning to see was currently under that mass--a pony Rainbow Dash was more than happy to help, if it meant a strengthened friendship...\n...or for that matter, a friendship in the first place.\nTruth be told, that pony was worrying her...\n–––My Little Pony: Friendship Is MagicPony Permutation Project!: Episode 3\"Lightning Round\"by Bookish Delight, 2010–2011All characters and referred properties belong to Hasbro.–––\n\"Aaaaaaand... there! All righty, Twilight, here's the last of the cloud cover you ordered,\" Rainbow Dash said as she pushed it into place. \"Again...\"\n\"Hmm?\" A purple unicorn lying on the grass below raised her head, speaking idly. \"Oh, uh, thanks a lot, Rainbow Dash. I really appreciate it.\"\nHer head quickly went back to being buried in her book, with her horn acting as a reading light. Rainbow Dash watched, unimpressed, as she hovered above and in front of the unicorn.\n\"You know, if you really need light that badly? I could open up a tiny hole in this sucker.\" She pointed upward with a flourish. \"'Cause no cloud-cake is a match for Rainbow Dash, Ponyville's star weather-pony-\"\n\"-no, thanks. If I use my horn for light, I'm free to move wherever I want.\" Twilight got up, moved a few feet to the side, rolled onto her back and commanded her book to float above her head using unicorn magic.\n\"See?\" said Twilight, with a smile that showed just how proud of herself she was right now. \"Check it out: hands-free page turning, too!\"\nGrandma Dash had always said: never let them see you seethe. For a pegasus used to saying exactly what was on her mind, however, it was always tough advice for her granddaughter to follow. She forced a smile of her own as she slowly floated further up.\n\"Right, right. Well, I'm going now. Got a perfect sky-napping spot all picked out! Right under a sunbeam for that warm an' toasty feeling. Heh heh.\"\nThis time, Twilight didn't even bother moving her head. \"That's good! Well, take care! Same time tomorrow?\"\n\"'Same time to'-\"\nRainbow Dash stopped, first completely dumbfounded... then completely incensed. Twilight... Twilight did just not get it. She didn't understand one bit!\nIt was officially all Rainbow Dash could stand to watch!\nGoing from zero to sixty in a sonic second, she barreled through the cloud mass she'd created, destroying it on the spot.\n\"Waaaugh!\"\nThat got Twilight's attention. She recoiled in the burst of sunlight which flooded her eyes--and directly in the center of that light, she could just barely make out one angry winged pony!\n\"This is it, Sparkle! Enough is enough!\"\n\"What the--what gives, Rainbow Dash?\" asked Twilight, still shielding her eyes. \"Enough is enough of what... whoa!\"\nWith not a word in response, Rainbow Dash darted down, grabbed Twilight by both hooves, and shot them both off into the sky. Twilight could only shriek as the ground left her hooves all too quickly.\nSoon, the sky was all either could see in every direction. They were officially in Rainbow Dash's domain. Twilight Sparkle knew as well as anypony that without wings, she didn't belong here. But as determined and annoyed as Rainbow Dash looked right now, it didn't look as if she was going to get to talk any sort of sense into her.\nThey traveled for some time, until Rainbow Dash finally calmed down enough to talk again:\n\"Look. The first time you asked me to make with the overcast action? I thought you had some kind of super-geeky unicorn plan in mind. But it's been a week now, and the only thing you do with my cloud cover is stay in your own little world, away from the rest of us!\"\n\"Um...\"\nTwilight was at a loss for words. Rainbow Dash, however, most certainly was not.\n\"And if you're not half-covered by clouds over here, then you're cooped in your library house!\" Rainbow huffed, and looked across the horizon.\nTheir flight path took them over a busy Ponyville, where Rainbow Dash swooped a bit lower. At this height its inhabitants were more like ants than ponies, but they could still be seen milling about their day-to-day activities... and many of them did so while staying close together. Rainbow Dash rose again, her point made.\n\"Day in, day out, the same two places, and not a peep out of you! Today, you're getting a change of scenery if it kills me,\" the pegasus said, as a large cloud structure approached from the distance. It grew closer, until the two settled and sat upon the front steps of a literal castle in the sky, made entirely out of clouds--Rainbow Dash's home. She dropped Twilight Sparkle gently on one of the surrounding clouds.\n\"Ta-da! Feast your eyes on Rainbow Dash's Swingin' Stable!\" With a sly smile, she added, \"Maybe one day I'll let you in.\"\nIt certainly looked inviting, with an architecture straight out of classic history books, rainbows crisscrossing through the windows and doors, and even a rainbow waterfall at the cloud mass's edge. Twilight craned her neck to view the spires at its top. \"Why not now?\"\nRainbow Dash scoffed. \"You ain't earned the right yet! When I don't have to ponynap you, then we'll talk. Right now, all you get to do is gaze and be amazed!\"\nTwilight walked around the estate, doing just that in spite of herself. The castle's build was sound and consistent all around. She poked the side of a wall, and found that the \"clouds\" making up this castle felt the same as if she were pressing against stone.\nMoving further, she eventually found herself at the back, the centerpiece of which was a huge, glorious fountain. The water it spouted shone beautifully as the sunlight glinted off of it. A rainbow arced over the device as well, keeping its theme consistent with the rest of the property. Giving in to her curiosity, Twilight rushed towards it.\n\"Found the fountain, I see. Isn't it killer?\" Rainbow Dash rushed to Twilight's side, and the two peered into the sparkling fluid. \"It's fueled by thundercloud moisture, so it never runs out!\" Her voice and expression were light and happy now--a far cry from the wrath of earlier.\n\"It's... this is amazing,\" said Twilight. \"How did you end up with all of this?\"\n\"Ehhh... this whole place is just something I did in my spare time. When you're as fast as me, putting a house together isn't the huge project it is for everypony else. Before this, though? Used to just live and sleep on whatever clouds I saw. Went where they took me. Ended up somewhere new whenever I woke up.\" Rainbow Dash sighed wistfully. \"Still do sometimes. Adds adventure to life, y'know?\"\n\"I've noticed you're quite fond of that.\"\n\"Keeps me alive, sister. Speaking of which, why don't you try it?\"\n\"Huh?\"\n\"I've always wanted to try playing my favorite game with you: hopscotch!\"\n\"Hopscotch?\" Twilight stared. \"Isn't that a little pony's game? Not that I ever played it even back then...\"\nAnd the sly grin was back. \"You ain't tried it pegasus-style. Come on!\"\n\"Wh-whoooa!\" Again, Twilight found herself being dragged. Life with Rainbow Dash was going to be a constant battle to keep up, it seemed.\nThe winged pony led them to the edge of the castle, which was especially high up at the moment. Sometimes it could be seen from ground level, but today, ground level was very, very far away. Twilight Sparkle tried to check, and instantly became mildly dizzy before she felt herself being pulled back away from the cloud's edge.\nRainbow Dash chuckled, sighed and shook her head. \"Newbies. Always looking down.\"\n\"You realize,\" said Twilight, \"that I don't have wings, right? Does pegasus-style hopscotch require them?\"\n\"Require them? You kidding? They're against the rules!\"\n\"Oh.\"\n\"So to play, all you gotta do is just jump on any cloud you see, and try not to run out of them!\"\n\"That's it?\"\n\"That's it.\"\n\"You're serious about all this.\"\n\"Serious as a monsoon. You ready?\"\n\"No! In fact, I don't think I ever will be re-\"\n\"Perfect! Off you go!\"\n\"Wh--whaaaaaaaaaa-...\"\nAnd with a somersaulting kick to Twilight's rear, she launched her friend-to-be off of her castle, screaming all the way....\n\"-aaaaahhhhhh...\"\n(ploomf)\n(bloomf)\n...until Twilight found herself making a two-point landing on a cloud.\n\"...huh.\"\nShe prodded at it. Against all logic, it held her own weight. She looked around, and saw more clouds passing by. When one came close enough, she took a running start, jumped... and landed. She did it again, and again.\nTwilight's mathematical mind went to work. Being so high up, she realized, this actually wasn't a bad way to travel around. Of course, getting up here would forever be the tricky part.\nAs if on cue, Rainbow Dash showed up on her own cloud a small distance away, and called out. \"Wow! For a wingless, you're a total natural at this! Awesome!\"\nTwilight bounded onto another cloud. \"This is really all I'm supposed to do?\"\n\"Yep! You just see how long you can hop on clouds passing by! First one to get stranded or miss a jump loses! And I never lose!\"\nAs the game went on and the two bounded around, something strange and unexpected happened. Twilight Sparkle found herself... laughing.\nLaughing in the sun, in the sky, fresh air all around--restricted by cloud-jumps, true, but at the same time never having felt such freedom before!\nRainbow Dash was laughing as well. Twilight wondered what she was thinking. Maybe she was just happy to finally have a new friend who didn't mind joining her up here. Twilight would normally have questioned the methods used to do so, but right now, she was unable to argue with the results.\nEventually, she landed on a cloud pretty far from the rest of the pack. Curses--she'd let her mind wander again. If she got stranded, she'd lose!\nThen, she saw it.\nJust a little ways below her, she spied a dark gray cloud--a storm cloud, most likely. With no other choice in sight, she went for it.\nHalfway through her jump, she heard Rainbow Dash cry out, \"No, Twilight! Wait-\"\n\"Huh?\"\nCompletely through her jump... she fell through the cloud. \"Whoa! What the...\" Twilight screamed as she fell fast.\nRainbow Dash thought and acted even faster, going into her speediest dive. \"Hang on, girl! No one pancakes on my watch!\"\nDespite the pegasus's words, it was nearly too late. The ground was rushing up fast. Twilight closed her eyes, and braced for an impact... which was far lighter than expected. She stopped screaming, and opened her eyes to find herself being airlifted again, on Rainbow Dash's back.\n\"Th... oh, wow... thanks so much, Dash.\"\n\"You remember when we first met, right? Wasn't that long ago. I told you back then: I never leave my friends hangin'!\"\nTwilight gasped to catch her breath. \"This from the pegasus who roped me into a game where having wings keeps you from going splat if something goes wrong?\"\n\"You were never in any danger with me around, Twilight. But if you knew that, it'd only be half the thrill! I saw you laughing up there! Not only is pegasus hopscotch good air training, it's a whole lot of fun! And that's all I wanted to see you have for once. Glad I could.\"\nTwilight Sparkle \"hmm\"ed before finally conceding the point and changing the subject. \"All right, you win. In more ways than one. But... why didn't that last cloud hold me?\"\n\"Storm clouds are weird. You'll need more skill to handle those, and this is only your first time in the sky.\"\nTwilight nodded in understanding, then replied with, \"Well, I hope it isn't the last.\"\nA warm, triumphant smile appeared on Rainbow Dash's face.\n\"That's up to you, Twilight. You call me, and we'll hang out anytime. Definitely prefer being your chauffeur to dragging you around against your will... sorry 'bout that, by the way.\"\n\"It's all right. It appears I needed it.\" The two settled on a nearby safe cloud again, and Twilight sighed. \"Back in Canterlot, there really wasn't anyone aside from Spike and Princess Celestia who I felt close to. But here it's... different. Staying friends with all of you is something I really want to do. But I'm not used to being social. I never tried. So I don't know how, and... well, I never could find a book to give me the answers on this kind of thing-\"\nJust then she noticed that Rainbow Dash was laughing.\nRolling on her back, laughing, no less! The nerve! Here she was, pouring her heart out, and... maybe Twilight was wrong abut her after all! \"What exactly is so funny?\"\n\"A book? Seriously, Sparkle?\" She calmed down, her voice and words becoming less derisive and more encouraging. \"You don't learn this kind of thing by reading! You learn by doing. And I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure you're not a stranger. Look, if you're really having trouble with this whole friendship thing? Then just practice on me. Take it one pony at a time.\" Rainbow Dash took Twilight's hooves in hers. \"Whatever you've got, I can take it, and if it means I get to see more of you... well, I'll do anything. As you've already seen,\" she added, just before the two shared a mutual blush.\n\"We can...\" Twilight struggled to remember the word Rainbow Dash always used. \"...'hang', anytime?\"\n\"Twenty-four-seven. You should see what it's like up here at night,\" the pegasus said, her voice growing eager. \"Ooooh, or during a thunderstorm! The clouds are dangerously awesome during those--and only I can get you in there!\"\nTwilight Sparkle shuddered a bit. \"Wh-why would I want to go into the middle of a thunderstorm?\"\n\"Fantastic light shows! Duh!\" Rainbow Dash said as she jumped backwards off of the cloud and used her wings to hover in midair, never once taking her eyes off of her new best friend.\n\"Stick with me, Twilight, and you'll be riding lightning before you know it. Deal?\"\nIn response, Twilight jumped off of the cloud as well. Rainbow Dash panicked for a moment, until she felt a tap on her shoulder from behind.\nShe turned around, saw Twilight hovering next to her, by way of her glowing horn.\n\"Deal? More like an adventure,\" Twilight Sparkle said with a wink.\nA satisfied smile from Rainbow Dash was the last thing Twilight Sparkle saw before the pegasus zoomed off, leaving a trail of color behind her.\nThe words, \"Now you're getting the hang of it!\" echoed through the skies.\nAs Twilight Sparkle slowly lowered herself to terra firma, she made a promise to herself to finally take her assigned studies on friendship seriously. After all, the magic it afforded her was clearly intense.\nSelf-powered high-altitude hovering had been impossible for her until about five minutes ago." ]

[ "Rainbow Dash", "Twilight Sparkle", "Slice of Life", "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" ]

[ "---My Little Pony: Friendship Is MagicPony Permutation Project!: Episode 4\"Starting Small\"by Bookish Delight, 2010-2011All characters and referred properties belong to Hasbro.---\n\"Are you there, Fluttershy?\"\nA purple unicorn knocked on her fellow pony's door late in the evening. \"It's me, Twilight Sparkle. Can I talk to you?\"\nNo answer. That was strange--the house appeared to be occupied. She could see a light coming from the rear window. Twilight Sparkle decided to knock again.\n\"Fluttershy? Are you home? Rarity just told me you passed by her going toward your house! I was hoping to ask you something...\"\nA bright light finally came on at the front of the house. Twilight Sparkle walked forward, expecting to be let in. Well, that hadn't been so hard-\n\"Um... nopony is home,\" a faint, breathy voice finally said from inside the house.\nTwilight sighed and shook her head. \"Fluttershy. Your lights are on. You turned them on yourself just now. Then you just opened your mouth to tell me you weren't there.\"\nSilence again.\n\"...I did this wrong, didn't I?\" asked the faint voice.\n\"Fluttershy, please! I just want to talk. But it's urgent, so if I have to go unicorn on your door, I will.\"\nFinally, a yellow pony head raised slowly upward from the other side of the door's window. A tiny squeak accompanied it once the two of them were at eye level, and the head popped down again.\n\"Is anypony with you?\" Fluttershy asked.\nTwilight shook her head. \"Nope. I'm completely alone.\"\nThe door opened slowly. \"Okay, you can come in.\"\n\"Thanks a lot.\"\nTwilight Sparkle walked inside. Fluttershy's home was full of soft, happy, and sometimes even frilly things. Brilliant flowers and drapery could be seen all around, and carpeting lined the floor which felt, to Twilight Sparkle's hooves, soft as a cloud.\nSuch tranquility to be found--and this was merely the public living quarters! Twilight Sparkle was almost scared to think of what this house's bedroom was like.\n\"So... what brings you here?\" asked Fluttershy. \"You're usually in your own house by now too, aren't you?\"\nThe unicorn nodded. \"That sort of ties into why I'm here. You see, Rainbow Dash and I had a long talk earlier, and as much as I've tried, I just can't get it out of my head. Something about it just... got to me. And then it got me thinking of you.\"\n\"Of me?\" Fluttershy echoed. Most ponies didn't really... think of her. Not that she had much of a problem with this. She was all for making friends, but... slowly. Yes. Very slowly. Being overwhelmed was never a good thing in her book.\n\"Yes. From what I hear, you're a pretty shy pony, right?\"\nFluttershy simply stared at her.\n\"...right. Silly question. Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but I was never very good around other ponies either--especially before I came here.\"\nFluttershy nodded. She indeed remembered hearing something along those lines.\n\"But my problems came from me never really wanting to make friends. You... you come across as different to me.\"\n\"'Different'?\"\nFluttershy shivered a bit, and backed away. \"Different\" was a word she heard directed towards her far too often for her tastes. Eventually, she'd learned what it meant, and decided that she didn't like it.\nTwilight realized what she'd said almost instantly. \"No, no! Different in a good way! A very good way!\"\nFluttershy stopped again, now curious.\n\"If you don't mind my saying so,\" Twilight continued, \"you're definitely a very friendly pony, and it always looks to me like you'd even love to make a whole bunch of friends! But something... something you're not even sure of... always stops you short. Am I getting warm?\"\nFluttershy finally relaxed a bit. \"...maybe.\"\n\"Whew! Thank goodness--that was the only theory I had to work with. Anyway, after thinking about it, I got an idea. Would you like to hear it?\"\n\"I will listen,\" Fluttershy said, \"but that's all I can promise.\" She considered it fair--after all, many 'ideas' to this end had been tried long before Twilight Sparkle came to Ponyville. Pinkie Pie's, for some reason, had always proven the most painful.\n\"Fair enough,\" Twilight agreed. \"How about you and I work together on this?\"\n\"'Together'?\"\nTwilight nodded eagerly. \"Uh huh! Let's start small. If we can learn to be less shy around each other, then maybe we can learn to be less shy as a whole. How about it?\"\n\"Hmmmm...\" Fluttershy took pause to think before finally replying with, \"...this sounds like work. Social work.\"\n\"Probably. But at least it's less work, right? Think about it. Learn to be comfortable around me, or try to withstand an entire village of ponies at once. I've seen you when you try the latter option...\" Twilight Sparkle sighed. \"...and I'm not much better either.\"\nFluttershy sighed as well. \"You have a point. How would we go about this, then?\"\n\"Well... oh! We could share our daily activities! How's that for a start?\"\n\"So,\" Fluttershy said, piecing things together, \"you could join me in my daily caring of the animals?\"\n\"Yes! Exactly! I'll learn to help you out in whatever you do with the local animal life! Um... what do you do?\"\nAnd finally, happiness washed over Fluttershy's face, replacing the constant nervousness she'd communicated up to that very point. Her gaze shifted starward, and her voice went from zero to dreamy in no time at all:\n\"The animals around Ponyville... I make sure their days are as happy as can be. I hop with the bunnies, I fly with the birds, I feed everyone I can, I help solve their problems, I teach singing, I teach dancing... oh, it's absolutely wonderful.\"\n\"I-it certainly sounds so,\" said Twilight, fully aware of the sudden elation in Fluttershy's voice. \"And you sound like you really enjoy your work, which is just as wonderful.\"\n\"Oh, I do. Rarity once told me that ponies should love their jobs... and nothing makes me happier than what I just described to you.\"\n\"Well, then, how about this,\" said Twilight. \"I help you in your animal care... and you can join me in studying my magic.\"\n\"Your magic?\" Oh, right, Fluttershy realized. Unicorn! Magic would definitely be in the cards, then.\n\"Yep! Magic definitely has its uses and advantages--even in your field of work. Like this, for example...\"\nAt those words, Twilight Sparkle gestured for Fluttershy to step outside. After some hesitation, the latter finally walked through the doorway, joining her visitor in the meadow a short distance from her house.\n\"Watch this,\" the violet unicorn said, barely visible in the night. Soon, however, her horn glowed with a guiding, magical light, and pointed to the sky. Seconds later, it glowed even brighter, and a large circle of flowers instantly sprouted up around them.\nAs fireflies gathered around both them and the newfound plant life, a rich multicolored light show could be seen in their entire field of view.\nFluttershy gasped in wonderment. The night had just become... bright, and beautiful. She had no idea the night could be either of these things! She now almost regretted heading inside whenever the sun went down.\nWas this the power of making new friends? Would each new one she made banish her fears left and right, and teach her new things in the process?\nOh, Twilight... I think I'm beginning to understand.\nShe made a decision just then to do everything in her power, small as it was, to find out.\n\"I... I like this,\" Fluttershy finally said. \"A lot.\"\nTwilight Sparkle stood and beamed with pride. She wasn't sure if her spell would even work, but it looked like things were running smoothly. \"I'm glad you do, Fluttershy. I--huh?\"\nThe unicorn was stopped short just then as she felt, then saw, Fluttershy tiptoeing next to her, just before warmly brushing her pegasus wings against Twilight Sparkle's side.\nThey were soft, too.\nShe could practically hear her blush right now--but fortunately, Fluttershy's meek voice still cut through it.\n\"As for you, Twilight... I think I like you a lot too.\"\nA now much happier Twilight Sparkle simply closed her eyes, and brushed back as best she could.\nMaybe this plan had a chance after all." ]

[ "Fluttershy", "Twilight Sparkle", "Slice of Life", "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" ]

[ "\"My fellow Ponyville citizens: this is your Mayor speaking, with terrible news for us all. Our small town currently faces the largest meteorological emergency to surface since our Weather Pegasus Division was first formed. Fierce winds are expected to make normal daily activities nigh-impossible to carry out.\n\"For this reason, it is advised that you all stay in your homes until the storm is past. I say again: stay in your homes, and inform anypony you know to do the same! We'll see each other on the other side of this to discuss cleanup efforts. Thank you very much.\"\n---\n\"Oh, dear...\"\nUnfortunately, Rarity had been hours away from the town meeting when it had taken place. Now on her return trip, she could see Ponyville in the distance--but she could also see several branches, fruits and supplies swirling every which way in thin air, which could only mean one thing.\nRarity hated storms. They were nothing but ugly, ugly chaos, threatening her chosen lifestyle of order, cleanliness and grace.\nShe galloped forward, hoping to make it to her house before the worst of it. However, the closer she got to the town, the more obvious it became that the worst of the storm had already beaten her there. She met more and more wind resistance the closer she came to Ponyville, until her pace was forced to slow despite her strongest physical and magical efforts.\n\"Oh, dear,\" Rarity said again as the reality of the situation dawned on her: she might very well be stuck out here until the storm literally blew over.\nBut if it blew in her direction...\n\"No! I cannot accept this!\" she shouted into the storm. \"You won't prevent me from--ouch!\"\nA branch hit her in the face. It was small enough to not leave any bruises, but sudden enough to break her concentration and send her basket of freshly-picked herbs flying, to be scattered by the wind.\n\"Oh, dear,\" she said once more, her voice laced with a growing sense of defeat. Her horn glowed as she tried one last resort:\nThis is Rarity of Ponyville! If there is anypony out there, anypony at all, one of your fellow villagers needs your help! Please! I'm stranded in this storm with no clear path, and I-\n\"Somepony call for a taxi?\"\nHuh?\nShe looked up to see the one pony she would expect to answer a distress call that fast:\n\"Rainbow Dash!\"\nThe speedy blue pegasus swooped low. \"Hurry and grab on! I'll getcha back home!\"\n\"Gladly!\" Rarity jumped on Dash's back, and the two were soon sky high. \"Boy, am I glad to see you.\"\n\"Same here! When you and a few other ponies didn't show up for the meeting, the mayor requested an air patrol, and I volunteered to check near the village limits!\"\n\"Awfully gracious of you--but, my word! How was this awful natural disaster even allowed to happen in the first place?\"\nRainbow Dash huffed. \"Hey, we ain't perfect, okay? Weather-ponies made a bad prediction, and I'm a lot better at creating and preventing storms than messing around with ones already in progress! Whoa, hang on--I gotta do a barrel roll!\"\nRarity did so, and shrieked as her world went from right side up to upside down to right side up again, all in the name of avoiding a large chunk of tree. When it was over, however:\n\"Look, I can see my house! We're almost there!\"\n\"Get that door open, then! I can only slow down so much!\"\nOne magic spell later, the door was open, and the two swooped into Rarity's house... though not as gracefully as either would have liked. They promptly collided into Rarity's favorite dress-modeling ponniquin, and followed up by sliding across the floor, upsetting nearly the entire boutique in their wake.\nThe two moaned as they recovered, still inside the mess.Rainbow Dash was the first to stand. \"Whew!\" She looked around, surveying the light property damage. \"Well, it's like Grandma Dash always used to say--any crash you can trot away from is-\"\nA shrill scream stopped the pegasus in the middle of her proverb. She looked around frantically. \"What? What is it? Where's the danger?\"\n\"Right here,\" moaned Rarity, gesturing to her now disheveled mane and coat. \"Just look at us!\"\nWith an annoyed groan, Rainbow Dash fell over.\n–––My Little Pony: Friendship Is MagicPony Permutation Project!: Episode 5\"Slipstream\"by Bookish Delight, 2010–2011All characters and referred properties belong to Hasbro.–––\n\"Are you serious?\" Rainbow Dash threw up her hooves. \"We just escaped a huge windstorm! Of course we were gonna get a little messed up!\"\nRarity nodded, but remained resolute as she walked around her boutique. \"Quite true, but that does not mean we should take it lying down. We look absolutely dreadful right now!\" She looked at herself in the still-standing centerpiece mirrors, and shuddered. \"One might even say abominable.\"\n\"...you really are serious,\" Rainbow Dash said.\n\"As that storm we just escaped from, yes. I must get to work on restoring ourselves right away!\"\n\"Yeah, well, you do that. I'm gonna work on more important things, like--hang on.\" Rainbow Dash stopped in her tracks. \"Did you just say we look dreadful?\"\n\"Yes. We. As in, plural.\" Rarity stepped in front of Dash, who, after fighting the storm for as long as she had, was more than a little ruffled. Right now, in fact, she was downright shaggy--coat, mane, tail and all. Even her cutie mark showed signs of fuzziness--its rainbow lightning bolt design looked nowhere near as sharp as usual.\n\"You're usually somewhat unkempt, but this storm has done a number on even you today,\" Rarity said. \"But not to worry! All I need to do is find the right-\"\nRainbow Dash interrupted. \"Hmph. Don't bother.\"\n\"I beg your pardon?\"\n\"'Gee, Rainbow Dash! Thanks for saving my life, 'cause that awful windstorm might have actually done something worse than muss up my mane!' That's what any other pony might've said the second we went through your door! But oh! Not Rarity!\"\nRarity blinked, beginning to get the message. \"Rainbow, no, wait, I didn't mean it like that. Rest assured that I absolutely am grateful-\"\n\"Save it,\" Dash huffed. \"I know you are, and I know you can't help it. You're our resident beauty snob, right?\"\n\"...I might have accidentally slighted you, Rainbow Dash, but I'm not sure that sort of language is necessary.\"\nUnfortunately for Rarity, Rainbow Dash was now on a roll. She paced around the house, pointing to various beauty appliances as she spoke.\n\"Primp and curl, dress and accessorize, wash and blow-dry,\" she scoffed. \"And for what? What the heck use does it all have besides being able to admire yourself in these sickeningly huge mirrors?\" She turned around to directly face Rarity as the unicorn had done to her earlier. \"You know what, Rarity? I actually like how you look right now!\"\nThat was a surprise. \"You... You do?\"\n\"Yeah! It makes you look like you might actually be a normal pony who might not be afraid to do anything other than fawn and fluff and be scared that a tiny hair bow might be out of place! Right now you almost look interesting! But hey: what would a dreadful-looking abomination know about that?\"\nMost other ponies would have taken offense to such a tongue-lashing. However, Rarity had long since been used to being called vain and even shallow due to her fascination with outward appearances. It had taken her a long while, but she eventually came to grips with why she was who she was. Words such as Rainbow Dash's no longer bothered her.\nInstead, she stared at the pony who was chewing her out--not blankly, however, but intently. Unbeknownst to Dash, she'd been looking for something for the last few minutes... looking for a telltale sign... and she'd finally found it.\nShe finally understood.\nRainbow Dash was indeed doing what she did best--putting forth a very, very forceful attitude in response to a matter she felt strongly about. What that matter had been, however, was not the one she was actually speaking of.\nAny other pony would have fallen for it--but there was no fooling a specialist of appearance and mood. The pegasus's last sentence had given her away.\nRarity smiled inwardly.\nRainbow Dash... there's hope for you yet.\nRainbow Dash started towards the door. \"Hmph. Well, if you've got nothing to say for yourself, then I'm gonna go now. Unlike the rest of you guys, my house is about five hundred feet up, and with these winds? It's probably not where I left it. Gotta go look for it. Smell ya' later. Or, hey, maybe you'll smell me.\"\nRarity held up her hoof. \"Wait.\"\n\"Wait for what?\"\n\"At least let me give you a good grooming before you leave.\"\nRainbow Dash stood, frozen agape. \"You just don't get it, do you?\"\n\"On the contrary,\" Rarity said in earnest. \"I now understand completely. And if I can't civilly convince you to stay, then I must simply beg for you to trust me... and allow me the chance to make up for my selfishness.\"\n\"...by grooming me,\" said an impatient Rainbow Dash.\n\"Yes,\" Rarity nodded and smiled. \"Please--don't make me beg.\"\nRainbow Dash stood still, pondering Rarity's request... then walked back towards her. \"I don't even know why I'm letting you do this.\"\nMiraculously, Rarity's main grooming station had been largely undamaged in the crash. She thus led Rainbow Dash to it, and with a glow of her unicorn's horn, her brush and comb were put to work, moving intently in midair.\n\"Now the first thing we do is establish some semblance of order. Using the wide comb and thick brush should help with that...\"\nWith alternating strokes, the business ends of Rarity's grooming tools were applied to Rainbow Dash's coat, mane and tail. The pegasus had braced herself for a rough procedure... however, as time wore on, it was soon clear that she'd had nothing to fear. In fact, the strokes had gotten firmer, but also softer, to the point where it felt more like a gentle massage than a complicated grooming session.\n\"Wh-... whoa, hey,\" Rainbow Dash sighed in spite of herself. \"This... actually feels awfully nice...\" She exhaled again, the faint traces of sleepiness coming over her.\n\"Well, naturally,\" said Rarity. \"In recent polls, my customers expressed personal preference of my brush technique two to one over standard boutiques.\"\nRainbow Dash yawned. \"Aren't you Ponyville's only boutique?\"\n\"Yes. Which makes me not standard, but unique. Now, from here on out, I'll be using finer tools. I'll let you know when I'm done, so feel free to relax as much as you want, or even sleep if you feel tired. Don't worry about offending me. I won't be.\"\n\"'Kay.\"\nAnd Rainbow Dash did just that.\n---\n\"...-ash? Rainbow Dash...?\"\nThe sound of her own name being softly called woke her from her slumber all too soon. She actually still felt something sliding across her mane--looking up, she saw that it was no longer beauty tools, but Rarity's front hoof.\n\"Ahh, there you are,\" said Rarity. \"All done, now. You may rise.\"\n\"Mmmmmm...\" Rainbow Dash mumbled, still only half-conscious. \"Do I gotta?\"\n\"You said you have a house to look for, did you not?\"\nWith a heavy sigh, Rainbow Dash got up, yawned, and said, \"Guess you're right.\" Before leaving, she looked in the mirror. Through sleepy eyes, she could just make out a few hints of perfectly straightened mane, and luster around her body.\n\"You know what? That's... actually not half bad. Straighter than I'm used to, though. Well, I'll be seeing ya'.\"\n\"Safe journey to you.\"\nRainbow Dash opened the door a small amount so as not to let the windstorm enter the house, and flew out, closing the door behind her. Rarity simply trotted her way to said door, and began counting down from twenty.\nWhen she reached eight:\n\"SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!\"\nHuh, Rarity noted. She was early. Then again, given Dash's speed, the count probably should have been started from ten.\nSeconds later, she could hear hard, fast knocks on her door, Rarity reopened it, greeting Rainbow Dash with a knowing smile.\n\"Holy horse hay! Rarity, what the-\"\nRarity was still smiling. \"Hmmmm?\"\n\"The wind... that windstorm feels like nothin' flyin through it! It's blowing just as hard, I know it's blowing just as hard, but I had to fight it like crazy earlier, and now it's like it's butter and I'm a hot knife!\" Rainbow Dash gripped the white unicorn by her front legs hyperactively. \"Rarity... what did you do to me?\"\nKeeping her cool in the tense moment, Rarity simply replied, \"Hmph. I simply gave you my Pegasus Special. Free of charge, might I add.\"\n\"Pegasus Special? What's that?\"\nWith a flip of her mane, Rarity told her. \"Well, you're hardly the first of your type to come through my establishment, Rainbow Dash. My Pegasus Special is a one-of a kind grooming procedure that helps to keep ponies at their most aerodynamic.\"\n\"Aerody-\" Rainbow Dash rushed back to the mirror. Now fully awake, she could see just what Rarity meant as she gasped at the positively glowing pony which stared back at her through the glass.\nHer coat was smooth, her cutie mark was perfect, and every single color of her mane and tail stood out, vying for equal attention, radiating in the light. She shook both, and saw them move effortlessly in the air without the slightest tangle. Every single strand had been cared for on an individual level. Rainbow Dash knew that Rarity was dedicated to her work, but she had no idea it had gone this far.\nBefore she could ask how Rarity did it, the unicorn answered for her, as if on cue. \"A special order of combing, brushing, air-fluffing, and laying down a coat of my super-special, super-secret, and completely organic straightening mixture.\" Rarity walked over to meet her latest satisfied customer, deciding not to mention that the herbs she'd lost due to today's windstorm were the very ones she used to make said mixture--or that taking care of Rainbow Dash had officially exhausted her reserve supply. \"As part of the package, wings are streamlined.\"\nRainbow Dash spread hers, and it was true--she'd never seen her span so, so... symmetrical, so precise! \"Whoa, razor's edge! I hadn't even noticed this part!\"\nRarity chuckled. \"Most pegasus ponies don't as they're usually asleep, much like you were.\"\nIn a flash, Rainbow Dash was back outside, putting Rarity's work through its full paces. A cry of \"YAHOOOOOOO!\" could be heard as she performed loop-de-loops in the storm with hardly the effort she'd needed before her visit.\nWhen she returned, she was much calmer... and much happier. \"I can look stylin'... and stay fast? Rarity, you're officially forgiven and then some!\"\n\"Glad to hear it. You've told me before that you wish to go into the performing arts, yes? Well, there appearance counts just as much as skill, if not more.\"\n\"Yeah, the Wonderbolts value style just as much as speed,\" said Rainbow Dash. \"That much I know.\"\n\"Then now you have an edge,\" said Rarity, before shedding her bemused demeanor for a more serious, sincere tone. \"A little earlier, I noticed that, for all you were telling me about not caring how you look... you sounded quite sensitive about it regardless. You've oft made a big show of convincing us that you're a pony of function as opposed to form, but...\" Rarity stepped closer. \"If I may pry--there's something deeper at work here, isn't there?\"\nAfter a few long moments of silent hesitation, Rainbow Dash sighed. \"I...' She blushed, still not believing she was actually about to tell anypony this. \"...don't really have anything against prettifyin' myself. Or anypony making themselves look good. I used to do it a lot more growing up, but I also used to get a lot of cracks 'cause I didn't try to do so as often as other ponies.\"\nRarity nodded, but said nothing. Sometimes being a willing ear was the best a pony could do.\n\"I always just figured spending so much time in the mirror got in the way of practice; and if I was going to be the fastest in Equestria, something had to go.\" Rainbow Dash's voice slipped into softness and uncertainty. \"I think I made the right decision. I'm definitely total fast now, but... but sometimes, um... well, I look at other ponies, especially ones who come out of your place, and...\"\nRarity gently put her hoof to Rainbow Dash's lips, allowing her to trail off. \"Shhh. I understand. Your secret is safe with me.\"\n\"Appreciated,\" said Dash. \"Seriously.\"\nRarity smiled again. \"Though I may sometimes comment on ponies' looks without thinking, rest assured I find your outlook admirable--especially when it's officially been proven that speed and strength can withstand the forces of nature far more easily than beauty.\"\nBoth ponies shared a knowing giggle as they walked around the boutique. \"Not your fault. One size hardly fits all,\" said Rainbow Dash.\n\"Indeed. Still, I wouldn't have myself any other way--and ever since we've been friends, you've always said the same. Perhaps it's high time you believed your own words... especially since I'd love to believe them for you.\"\n\"R-Rarity, I...\"\nFor the first time since she could remember, Rainbow Dash didn't feel like moving. She therefore stopped doing so, sighing as she felt the unicorn's words hit close to home. Sensing this, Rarity touched the pegasus's cheek with her hoof, in the best interest of allowing their heart-to-heart to reach its zenith:\n\"You're beautiful, Rainbow Dash,\" she said. \"And the way you choose to show that beauty is a decision that nopony can ever take away from you... unless you let them. Don't ever let them.\"\n\"I... I won't,\" Rainbow Dash whispered. \"I refuse to.\"\nRarity smiled. \"Then you've already won.\"\nRainbow Dash nodded, then mumbled something.\n\"Come again?\" Rarity said.\nSlightly louder this time, Rainbow Dash said, \"I said, wow, 'beautiful.' I... don't usually get called that.\"\n\"Think nothing of it. I only apologize for not seeing it earlier.\"\n\"Rarity?\"\n\"Yes?\" she asked, half a second before finding herself in the world's fastest embrace. Nopony had ever cuddled into her immediately upon receiving a Pegasus Special before, and she quickly made mental notes about just how soft the process had left Rainbow Dash before returning the gesture.\n\"I jumped to conclusions,\" Dash said. \"I'm really sorry about those cracks I made about your trade, and your liking beauty, and all that stuff. You're... legit. Y'know? The real deal. Thanks.\" She backed away, then took Rarity's hoof and kissed the back of it. \"For everything.\"\n\"I...\" Rarity stepped back in surprise as the two matched blushes. \"...oh, my. You are as adventurous as they say, I see.\"\nRainbow Dash nodded with renewed confidence. \"Only to those who deserve it. Just so you know, I'll be back next week for another one of these. The all-new Rainbow Dash is gonna make lightning speed look good!\"\n\"I'll be ready,\" Rarity said, \"though Equestria probably won't be.\"\n\"Nopony ever is,\" said Rainbow Dash as she flew out of Rarity's house. \"They're too slow to see me comin'!\"\nAnd they always will be, Rarity answered in her mind. I trust you to make sure of it." ]

[ "Rainbow Dash", "Rarity", "Adventure", "Slice of Life", "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" ]

[ "The Proper Care and Feeding of Monsters\nApplejack surveyed the damage to her orchards from the Sweet Apple Acres barn, a small, tight frown on her face.\nApples and branches littered the neat, orderly rows of trees, snapped off in the powerful winds of last night's storm and tossed about the farm like toys. Here and there entire trees lay toppled, their trunks nothing but splintered stumps sticking from the muddy earth. Fresh green leaves formed a soggy wallpaper on the side of the barn, and as they dried slowly fell away to reveal the bright red wood beneath.\nHigh above, incongruous to the destruction on the ground, a brilliant blue sky and shining sun welcomed the new day. Birds flew through the cloudless morning, filling it with cheery songs that did nothing to improve Applejack's sour mood.\nSure, she thought. Now the weather is good.\nA faint rustle of feathers and the thud of hooves striking the ground betrayed the arrival of her friend. She turned and nodded to the cyan pegasus, who wore a stricken expression as she gazed about the orchard.\n\"It didn't look this bad from the air,\" Rainbow Dash said quietly.\nThe earth pony shrugged. \"It coulda been worse. I thought the roof was gonna come off at one point.\"\n\"We tried to stop it,\" Rainbow Dash said with a high, insistent voice. \"Everypony on the weather patrol was up there, but...\" she trailed off.\n\"It happens, sug. I know you can't stop the storms over the Everfree. Nopony can.\" She gave the pegasus a friendly jab to the shoulder. \"C'mon, let's see what's left.\"\nThe damage wasn't as bad as it could have been. Of the hundreds of trees in the orchards, less than a dozen had blown over, though several others were so badly damaged they would have to come down. Most of the fallen branches were deadwood and of no consequence, but they occasionally found themselves stepping over leafy boughs laden with fresh, ripe apples.\nThe sun was well on its way to the zenith when they approached the edge of the farm nearest the Everfree Forest. The damage was most intense here, with nearly every tree in the row down or badly damaged. Applejack sighed at the sight, and even Rainbow Dash was taken aback by the sheer destruction.\n\"How long will this take to fix?\" the pegasus asked, her voice quiet.\n\"Years,\" the earth pony replied tonelessly. \"Ah think we cin afford it, but it'll be a bit tight round here until these regrow. Gonna be some hard work come spring.\"\nRainbow Dash wasn't an expert on hard work, so she kept her counsel. The two moved down the file of ruined trees in silence, until a faint sound broke through the quiet morning air.\n\"Is that... somepony crying?\" Dash asked. She spun in place, her wings beating the air and setting the nearby leaves trembling. Applejack shushed her, and trotted over to one of the fallen trees. The broken crown was the size of a small cabin, speckled with bright red fruits that hung ponderously from the slowly dying branches.\n\"Hello?\" she called. \"Is anypony in there?\" She stuck her hooves in the branches and pulled them aside. Dark green shadows were visible in the hole she created, and the sound of crying suddenly cut off.\n\"It sounds like a filly,\" Rainbow Dash whispered. She snuck her snout into the branches, and before Applejack could stop her she dove into the tree.\n\"It's okay,\" Applejack heard her say over the sound of rustling leaves. \"We're going to get you out of here and back to—WAAGHHH!\" the soothing tones broke off in a startled shout, followed by a cyan blur as Rainbow Dash blasted out of the tree at close to her top speed. She came to a panting rest behind Applejack, who looked in confusion between her friend and the branches.\n\"It's not a filly!\" she said, her eyes wide as she peered over Applejack's back at the tree. \"It's some kind of weird cat...\" she trailed off, searching for the right word. \"Thing!\"\nCat thing? Applejack glanced at the tree. The crying resumed, though softer and more subdued than before. After a moment of indecision, Applejack stuck her head in the branches, searching for the source of the sound.\nIt wasn't obvious, at first. The creature was smaller than she expected, and blended easily with the shadows inside the fallen tree. She stared at it for a while before pulling her head back.\n\"Go grab an apple basket from the barn,\" she said to Rainbow Dash, keeping her voice low. After a moment's thought, she added, \"And a lid.\"\n***\n\"So, let me get this straight,\" Twilight Sparkle said. She stared at the lidded basket sitting on her library floor. It shook occasionally as the creature within clawed at the sides.\n\"You found this... thing on your farm after a storm blew in from the forest, and your first thought was to bring it to me?\" she continued. She tapped the basket with a hoof, and jumped back when it rumbled in response.\n\"Ayup,\" Applejack said. She and Rainbow Dash were standing in the doorway leading to Twilight's kitchen, where they could safely observe the unicorn's progress without actually being near her. \"We figured if anypony was smart enough to know what that thing is, it's you!\"\n\"Well, I'm flattered, I guess,\" Twilight said. \"But I think this might be more up Fluttershy's alley. Would one of you mind seeing if she's home?\"\n\"Ah think she means you, sug,\" Applejack whispered to the pegasus. Rainbow Dash was faster, and besides, she wanted to be around in case the creature in the basket suddenly became violent. Dash nodded and trotted out the back.\n\"Okay, ‘cat thing,' let's see what we've got here,\" Twilight said. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and gently levitated the lid. The basket abruptly stopped shaking, and after a moment a quiet keening sound filled the library.\nApplejack trotted up to Twilight, and together they slowly approached the basket. The crying silenced as their shadows fell over the tiny creature curled within.\nIt was smaller than Twilight expected, barely larger than a housecat. Any similarities to a pet ended at its size, however – the creature was hairless, its smooth hide a dusky grey that blended eerily well with the shadows. Tiny bat-like wings, uselessly small, laid flat against its back. A lion's tail, as long as the rest of its body, curled around to tuck under the creature's forepaws.\nMost fascinating to the researcher in Twilight was its face. Large, expressive eyes stared up at the ponies, and its mouth – stuffed full of wickedly sharp chisels – was wide open to emit its keening cry.\nThe two looked down at it for a long while, and eventually it stopped crying, instead curling into a tiny, trembling ball. Having no other ideas, Twilight set the lid back on top of the basket.\n\"So... any thoughts?\" Applejack asked.\n\"None whatsoever,\" Twilight said. She looked thoughtful for a moment, then suddenly brightened. \"But that's what books are for!\" She darted over to her shelves, horn glowing as she plucked volumes seemingly at random into the air. They danced around her in merry orbits, forming a literary solar system with her as its sun, until finally she gathered them up into a single stack and returned to Applejack and the basket.\n\"Let's see, Euripony's Bestica Naturalia, definitely,\" she read the title off one slim volume and set it aside. \"The Field Pony's Guide to Monstrous Carnivores, hm, maybe.\" She set that tome into another pile.\n\"You have all these books on monsters?\" Applejack asked. She nosed the field guide open and flipped through its worn pages, stopping to peer at the graphite illustrations at the top of each entry.\n\"Not monsters, AJ,\" she corrected. \"These are scientific works on the animals of Equestria. I'm sure that... whatever-it-is is in here somewhere.\"\nNearly an hour passed while Twilight skimmed through her books and Applejack looked at the pictures. The unicorn was going through them for a second time when Rainbow Dash returned, a butter yellow pegasus trailing in her wake.\n\"Well, there's the pony we need,\" Applejack said. \"Thanks for comin', Fluttershy.\"\n\"Oh, you're welcome,\" she answered. \"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting. Rainbow Dash said you found a baby animal?\" She was already halfway to the basket as she finished, and before anyone could warn her grasped the lid with her mouth and pulled it away. She let out a quiet gasp, and reached into the basket with her hooves.\n\"Well, aren't you just the cutest little thing?\" she cooed, lifting the creature free of the basket. It mewled quietly and buried its face in her coat, its tiny wings flapping as she hugged it to her breast.\n\"Er, are you sure that's safe, Fluttershy?\" Twilight said. The pegasus gave her a disappointed look in reply.\n\"Have you seen one before?\" Applejack asked. \"We cain't find anythin' in these books like it.\"\nFluttershy smiled down at the tiny bundle in her hooves, and made silly faces at it before looking up to respond. \"Don't you have a magical bestiary, Twilight?\" she asked. \"It should be in there.\"\nTwilight scowled at the books on her desk, and trotted back to her bookcases. She pulled an old, neglected tome from its place on the highest shelf, and opened it in front of her.\n\"This thing?\" she asked, an incredulous note in her voice. \"Fluttershy, this covers monsters. Dragons, chimaeras, manticores... are you sure it's in here?\"\n\"Oh yes,\" Fluttershy responded. She touched the creature's tiny nose with her own, provoking a delighted cry. \"It's a gargoyle.\"\n***\nA loud thump filled the room as Twilight lost her magical grip on the book. It bounced and fell open to an entry on sea serpents and their hazards.\n\"You brought a GARGOYLE into my library?!\" she shouted at Applejack, whose attention was torn between the suddenly loud unicorn and the tiny creature in Fluttershy's hooves.\n\"A what?\" Rainbow Dash asked. She crept closer to Fluttershy, her wings flared and trembling with alarm.\n\"A what?\" Applejack seconded.\n\"Shhh,\" Fluttershy gently berated them. \"You're scaring him.\"\n\"Scaring him? What about us!\" Twilight hissed, nevertheless keeping her voice down. \"Fluttershy, those are dangerous!\" She picked up the basket and lid with her magic, ready to snatch the beast from the pegasus' grasp.\n\"Dangerous? Sweet!\" Rainbow Dash edged her way to Fluttershy's side, and peered down at the gargoyle. Its long fingers were curled in the pegasus' pink mane for support, while its head rotated fully around to regard the three ponies.\n\"Are you sure, sug?\" Applejack asked. \"It don't look so bad.\"\n\"Everything looks cute and harmless as a baby,\" Twilight said. She grabbed the bestiary off the floor and flipped through its pages. \"Until one day you wake up with this thing.\" She levitated the open book over to Applejack. Rainbow Dash floated over her shoulder to read.\nThe illustrated creature was startling. It was taller than a pony, even when hunched over nearly double. Wings larger than any pegasus' stretched high into the air. A pair of curved horns swept back from its brow, and curled into wickedly sharp tips angled just right to tear apart its foes. Dragon-like claws rested uneasily atop the stone blocks placed beneath the monster by the artist.\n\"Oh,\" Applejack said, quietly. Rainbow Dash stared at the drawing, her eyes wide.\n\"They're not dangerous,\" Fluttershy said. \"If you're nice to them, that is.\" She smiled down at the gargoyle cradled in her hooves, and rubbed its nose again with hers. \"Who's nice? You're nice!\" The tiny creature squealed and batted at her snout.\nTwilight recoiled. \"Fluttershy, don't let it near your face!\" Her voice was an octave higher than normal. \"Look at those teeth!\" Fluttershy ignored her advice.\nRainbow Dash snuck closer. \"So do they eat ponies, or something?\" she asked. The gargoyle turned its head to sniff at the cyan pegasus, and let out a quiet bird-like whistle.\nFluttershy gently set the creature on the library floor, then lay down next to it. \"Oh, no, they would never eat ponies,\" she said. The creature crawled up onto her back and began exploring her mane. She giggled as its tiny paws tickled her coat. \"They're lithovores. They eat stones.\"\n\"Like dragons?\" Applejack asked. \"D'ya think Spike'd have anything he could eat?\"\nFluttershy tilted her head slightly, either in thought or because the gargoyle was hanging from her mane. \"Maybe, I suppose,\" she said. \"You could ask if he has any soapstone or gypsum. Something soft.\"\n\"No. We're not feeding him,\" Twilight said. \"We're going to put him in the basket and take him back to the forest. Right, girls?\" She looked expectantly at Applejack and Rainbow Dash.\nThe two shared a glance. Fluttershy gazed up at them from the floor, the tiny creature held lovingly between her hooves.\nIt wasn't a hard decision to make.\n***\n\"That's so cool!\" Rainbow Dash whispered. She fed another amber pebble to the creature and watched, fascinated, as it crunched the tiny stone to pieces with its teeth.\nThe gargoyle had grown braver as the hours passed. After an initial meal confiscated from Spike's leftover baby food, it explored the library, crawling across the floor and up the walls. Its claws, though tiny, provided it with enough purchase to scale any surface, and even to hang from the ceiling. Eventually it grew tired and returned to the floor, where it found Rainbow Dash waiting with more stony treats.\n\"So do ya reckon it came from the Everfree?\" Applejack asked. She lay between Rainbow Dash and Twilight, and occasionally reached out with a hoof to stroke the gargoyle's back.\nTwilight looked up from the book resting in front of her. Although still wary of the creature, she had calmed down after it went several minutes without maiming anypony, and by the time Rainbow Dash began feeding it pebbles she felt a bit silly for her earlier hysterics. Still, she kept a first aid kit open at her side as a silent warning and protest.\n\"We have to assume so,\" she said. \"Gargoyles normally live around castles, and there's that old castle in the center of the forest. He must've gotten lost in the storm, or simply blown here.\"\n\"Oh you poor little thing,\" Fluttershy said. She lowered her head to the floor and allowed the gargoyle to nuzzle her cheek. \"All alone in those woods! That must've been very frightening.\"\n\"Well, now that the storm's over, hopefully it will be able to find its parents,\" Twilight said. \"We can drop it back in the forest tomorrow.\"\nFluttershy gasped quietly. \"Twilight, no! What if it can't find its parents? What if it...\" she trailed off, her huge eyes brimming with tears.\n\"Jeez, Twi,\" Rainbow Dash said. \"Isn't that a little harsh?\" Applejack nodded in silent agreement.\n\"No,\" Twilight said, setting her hoof down firmly. \"Just because it's playful doesn't mean it's safe. This isn't a bunny, or a ferret, or a turtle. It's a gargoyle – a monster. If we let it stay here it will get used to being around ponies.\"\n\"What's wrong with that?\" Rainbow Dash asked. \"Maybe that will make it nice!\"\n\"Did you see the picture, Rainbow Dash?\" Twilight retorted. \"The literature is very clear: it's dangerous. It may be cute and harmless today, but what about in ten years, when it decides to wander back into Ponyville? Somepony might get hurt. Or worse.\"\nRainbow Dash was about to respond when a yellow hoof lightly touched her shoulder. She looked over at Fluttershy, surprise written on her face.\n\"It's okay, Rainbow Dash,\" the pegasus said. \"Twilight's right. He's a wild animal and it wouldn't be fair to keep him like a pet. I'll take him back to the forest in the morning.\" She sighed quietly and nuzzled the creature again. It cooed in delight, oblivious to the conversation around it.\n***\nFluttershy politely declined the offers of assistance from the other ponies. The gargoyle was light and clung easily to her back, interfering with her flying not at all. She was more familiar with the Everfree than anyone in Ponyville but Zecora, and by flying she could avoid most of the ground-level hazards of the forest.\nThe perpetual fog that smothered the Everfree Forest was lighter than usual, allowing the occasional beam of sunlight to pierce through to the ground. The weak light cast dappled shadows on the earth far below. Quiet stillness reigned over the early morning, broken by the occasional shaking of trees and branches as something large moved through the woods. Flocks of birds broke from the canopy as the trees swayed beneath them, searching for safer and more stables places to roost.\nThe castle was unchanged from when she last visited. Only a few upright portions remained, the rest either scattered or buried beneath a thousand years of forest growth. She circled the ruins several times, searching for any sign of life, and finally alighted on an exposed stone outcropping that looked like it might have sheltered a family of gargoyles at one point.\n\"Okay little one, here we go,\" she said softly to the bundle clinging to her mane. She lowered herself to the stones and gently pushed him off her back. The gargoyle sniffed at the stones, then looked up at her questioningly.\n\"See? You're home now,\" she said. It mewled quietly.\n\"I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you,\" she suggested. \"They'll be sooo happy to see you safe again.\"\nThe gargoyle looked around the desolate ruins. It crawled over the stones, as if searching for something, but quickly returned to her side.\n\"Go on.\" She gave it a gentle nudge with her nose. It squeaked in protest.\n\"I'm... I'm sure you'll be just fine here,\" she said, stepping away. \"I'm sorry, but this is best for everyone.\" The gargoyle followed until she lifted into the air. She flew in a slow circle around the outcropping, and began the long flight back to Ponyville.\nA tiny wail broke the silence of the forest, wrenching her heart. She sighed and turned back to the castle.\n***\n\"Now, this is only for a few days, until we find your parents.\"\nThe gargoyle chirruped.\n\"And we can't let anypony else know you're here. They might misunderstand.\"\nThe gargoyle cooed and attempted to burrow into her mane again.\n\"Especially Twilight,\" Fluttershy said. She managed to extract the gargoyle from her hair and set it on the table in her kitchen. \"Twilight's a good pony, but sometimes she's not as kind as she could be.\" The pegasus winced as she spoke. \"Oh, you can't tell her I said that.\"\nThe gargoyle tilted its head at her.\n\"Now then, you need a name,\" she said. \"How about... Flappy?\" The gargoyle blinked in response.\n\"No? Then how about... Angel! Angel Gargoyle!\" she frowned after she spoke. \"No, that's silly Fluttershy. Besides, Angel Bunny wouldn't like it.\"\nThe pegasus puttered around her home as she thought, looking for any food that might be edible for a gargoyle. Aside from some gravel for the fish tanks, there was nothing immediately at hand.\n\"I guess we'll have to go rock hunting later,\" she said. \"There are some shale deposits near the river you might like.\" She turned around to find the gargoyle fast asleep on the kitchen table, its dusky grey skin blending easily with the soft shadows of her home.\nShe smiled and tiptoed over to the creature. Its chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm.\n\"Shale,\" she whispered. \"That's not a bad name. Welcome home, Shale.\"\n***\nThe rose tint of dawn filled the cool morning when Fluttershy woke. She was momentarily perplexed by the unusual weight resting against her side, but a quick glance revealed it to be Shale's tiny, sleeping form. His wings fluttered occasionally as he dreamed, gently tickling her belly.\nShe remained motionless for a while. There was no shortage of animals in her cottage, but most preferred their own roosts or dens or beds. Few were willing to spend the night with her, and it was an unusual experience, much like she imagined it was to have a foal.\nEventually he woke, either due to hunger or the warm touch of her breath on his bare skin. He yawned hugely, showing off an impressive array of teeth, and looked up at her, a quiet whistle emerging from his throat.\n\"Hello little one,\" she said. \"Hungry?\"\nHe rose to his feet and stretched like a cat, his forelegs extended out in front of him. His tiny claws caught in the tight weave of her blankets, and together they spent a moment untangling him before her favorite sheets could be shredded. He flapped his wings a few times to warm them, then peered up into her face, his large eyes wide and shining in the dim light.\n\"I'll take that as a yes,\" she said.\nMost of the fog that drifted from the forest every morning burned away by the time the two emerged from Fluttershy's home. The grass was still dewy beneath her hooves, and she took care to step around the dozens of gauzy spiderwebs strewn about her yard, their multitudinous strands rendered thick and cloudy with mist. Shale clung to her back, his tiny fingers wrapped around her mane for balance. She spoke as she walked, and he was a good listener.\n\"Now, gargoyles are very strong and tough,\" she told him. \"So I can't believe anything bad happened to your parents. If we keep checking the castle in the forest, I'm sure eventually we'll find them.\"\nHe mrrrr'd in agreement.\n\"But we're not in any real hurry, right?\" she asked. \"You're a growing boy, and it's more important that we get you enough food!\"\nHe declined to answer, instead climbing up her mane onto her head. She tolerated this for a few minutes until her neck began to ache, and carefully tilted her head back until he was forced to climb down.\nThere were several streams within easy walking distance of Fluttershy's home. She headed to the nearest one, a quick brook that twisted and turned through the forest and carved several tall bluffs from its banks. The water was low, a result of a dry summer, and she floated easily down from the edge of the bluffs to the rocky stream bed, which was dry except for a thin trickle near its center.\nShale hopped off her back onto the rocks. He ignored most of the round, polished riverstones, and darted straight to a large limestone boulder partially exposed by the running water. Tiny fossil shells dotted the white, chalky stone, which yielded easily to his impossibly hard claws and teeth. Within moments he chewed a groove into the rock, sending powdery dust into the air and giving his dusky skin a comical sugar-like coating. Fluttershy giggled at the sight.\n\"Oh my, you must have been hungry,\" she said. He flapped his wings, and went back to chewing on the stone.\nShe let him continue his meal while she walked around, stopping occasionally to pick up a piece of shale or sandstone in her mouth and drop it in her saddlebags. Though they felt incredibly hard in her teeth, the relatively soft stones would make good snacks for the gargoyle.\nAfter a few minutes of scavenging her saddlebags were heavy and jingled like wind chimes. She turned back to the limestone boulder.\n\"Okay Shale, let's head back...\" she trailed off. The gargoyle was gone.\n\"Shale?\" she said. \"Shale?\"\nThe length of the stream was empty, though she knew his grayish skin would blend easily with the rocky streambed. She tried to listen for any of the wide variety of sounds he seemed able to make, but only the silence of the forest greeted her.\n\"Shaaaale...\" she called. \"Are you hiding?\"\nShe floated up to the top of the bluff, and gazed into the forest. The dim verdant shadows of the Everfree blocked her sight after just a few yards. She took a tentative step toward the trees, ready to venture deeper in search of her new friend, when the dry leaves to her left rustled, and the gargoyle bounced out of the brush.\n\"Shale!\" she said. \"There you are. Don't scare your momma like that!\"\nThe gargoyle ducked its head and let out a low trill, though its remorse was short lived. He padded, catlike, through the grass and jumped onto her back. He buried his face in her mane, and she decided to forgive him.\n\"Come on,\" she whispered. \"Let's go home.\"\n***\nThe weeks passed for Fluttershy in their usual way, though the addition of Shale to her household required a few changes. Most of the fellow animals sharing her home adapted to the gargoyle's presence easily enough. Only Angel Bunny seemed annoyed by the addition, but Shale's friendly demeanor eventually won the rabbit over.\nHer friends were a more difficult matter. Shale possessed a disconcerting ability to escape from rooms or hutches, so it was no use to lock him away while company was visiting. Instead Fluttershy spent more time at her friends' homes, giving them the odd impression that she was more sociable than usual.\nAs summer edged into fall the gargoyle spent more of his time outdoors, digging up rocks in her yard and testing them for edibility. Most of these he discarded as too hard, and as a result he and Fluttershy continued their regular trips into the forest in search of softer rocks. For treats she purchased semiprecious stones like amber and coral from the markets in Ponyville.\n\"Darling, why are you wasting your bits on this... dross?\" Rarity asked, to the great annoyance of the shopkeeper whose wares they were perusing. She levitated a small moonstone into the air, inspecting it critically before putting it back in its tray with an almost audible disdain.\n\"Oh, well, I like the, um, color on these,\" Fluttershy said. She nosed a few bits across the counter to the merchant, a tan earth pony with a trio of rubies for his cutie mark. The stallion passed a small bag filled with stones to the pegasus, and gave Rarity a smirk.\nRarity graced him with a dark look as they trotted away, but Fluttershy's hesitant stabs at conversation quickly recaptured her attention. By the time they reached the spa for their weekly appointment, the gemstones were completely gone from the unicorn's mind.\n***\nThe morning air had a definite bite to it as Fluttershy landed at the castle in the center of the Everfree Forest. Many of the trees had lost their leaves to the encroaching fall, but a few stubbornly hung on to their foliage.\nShale hopped from her back as soon as they landed, his wings buzzing furiously in a partially successful attempt to float to the stones. He was larger than when they had first met; his skin was darker and firmer, and his teeth could handle harder rocks like feldspar. The two tiny buds above his eyes were beginning to grow into actual horns, though it would be years before they posed a danger to anypony, or so she told herself.\nThey had visited the castle at least once a week for the past several months. At first Fluttershy hoped to find his parents searching for him, though with each trip that feeling had fallen further away. Now she dreaded the idea, and each trip was filled with foreboding that was relieved only when they began the flight home.\nThis visit seemed like every other. The empty castle was as desolate as always. The wildlife of the Everfree seemed to avoid the place, and given its history Fluttershy could not blame them for doing so. She sighed quietly.\n\"Shale, I've been thinking,\" she said. \"It's getting colder, and that means it's more dangerous... yes, dangerous. So maybe we should stop coming here every week?\" It was a weak excuse even to her ears. She waited for his response. None came.\nHe was gone again, she realized. He was doing this more and more often. It no longer caused her to panic, but every time a small worm of worry burrowed into her heart. He was still such a tiny gargoyle, not yet ready for the world. She couldn't bear the thought of one day accidentally leaving him alone, like his parents had.\nShe waited for a while, to see if he would return. When he didn't she began her usual search, taking to the air and circling above the ruins while calling his name. She reached the edge of the forest and began to circle back inward when a loud chirrup reached her ears. Shale was on the ground below her, jumping into the air and flapping his wings in a poor attempt to fly.\nShe landed beside him and they shared a nuzzle. \"Now Shale,\" she said quietly as he rubbed his face against her neck. \"You know it worries momma when you do that.\" He chirped and half-climbed, half-flew onto her back.\n\"So, it's agreed, we'll only come once a month,\" she said. He tilted his head. She chose to interpret that as agreement, and together they returned to Ponyville.\n***\nThe first snow came early that year. Shale spent the entire day outside chasing snowflakes, pouncing on them with his claws and trying to stuff them into his mouth before they melted. He didn't have much success, Fluttershy noted, though his antics brought a smile to her face.\nThe kittenish behavior was unusual. As he grew larger Shale also grew less playful. He remained friendly and could always be relied upon to cuddle up beside her in bed, but his wonder at the world was more contained, his demeanor more restrained.\nLately he had started imitating a statue. After a particularly large meal he would literally freeze in place, every bit of movement ceasing for minutes at a time. Even his breathing stopped, until she called his name and he broke from his pose.\nHe was doing that now, she noticed. The snow accumulated on his still form, building into a thin layer that deepened his resemblance to a sculpture. Was this why gargoyles were associated with castles? she wondered. What possible purpose did it serve?\nShe pondered as he sat, and realized how little she knew about gargoyles. How fast did they grow? Did their behavior change? When did they start families? All unknowns.\n\"Shale,\" she whispered, so quiet she barely heard herself. He broke from his quiescence and bounced through the snow toward her waiting arms. The shared a hug, and trotted back inside.\n***\n\"Fluttershy! Come in!\" Twilight Sparkle greeted her friend with delight, and dragged the pegasus through the door before any more warm air could escape outside.\n\"Hello Twilight,\" Fluttershy said. \"I hope I'm not bothering you.\"\n\"Nonsense,\" the librarian said. \"It was getting a bit lonely here. Everypony's staying inside because of the weather, I guess. Would you like some tea?\"\n\"Oh, no thank you. I'm actually here for a book.\"\nTwilight blinked, then beamed. \"A book? That's wonderful! Spike, Spike! Somepony wants a book!\"\nA faint cheering sound could be heard from upstairs.\n\"Do you know how long it's been since anypony actually checked out a book?\" Twilight asked. She bounced over to the bookshelves, as excited as Pinkie Pie. \"I was starting to wonder why this town even had a library. Now, what book did you need?\"\n\"Um, well, I was thinking...\" she trailed off, blushing.\nTwilight leaned forward. \"Yes? Yes?!\"\n\"Well, do you remember that gargoyle Applejack found last summer?\"\nTwilight blinked. There was a long pause.\n\"I do,\" she said slowly. \"Why?\"\n\"Um, well, with all this snow and cold, I was worried about him being all alone out in the forest. Do you think the magical bestiary would say if it's safe for him?\"\nTwilight resisted rolling her eyes. \"Fluttershy, that's very kind of you, but I'm sure he'll be fine out there. Still, if it will make you feel better...\" She levitated the worn book from the top shelf and floated it over to the pegasus, who grasped it between her teeth.\n\"Fank foo,\" she mumbled around the book. Twilight chuckled and held the door open for her friend, then went and warmed up some tea to take off the chill.\n***\nFluttershy waited until Shale was curled up beside her, asleep, before opening the book.\nIn retrospect there was no need to be so secretive. The gargoyle had no idea what books were, and he certainly couldn't read. But the thought of reading in front of him seemed impolite. She resolved to try reading him some bedtime stories later, to make it up to him.\nThe entry on gargoyles was short. Although fearsome, they rarely troubled ponies, and tended to keep to themselves even when they lived atop crowded castles. With a diet of rocks, and skin that grew stonelike as they aged, they had little to fear from ponies or any other predators.\nThat much Fluttershy already knew. She turned the page to the section on gargoyle behavior.\nThey laid eggs, which surprised her. Only the mother gargoyle tended to the young. Within weeks the newborn gargoyles were mobile, independent, and left the nest to start their own life. They did not form extended families.\nFluttershy stopped and read that paragraph again. And again.\nShe remembered the first time Shale vanished. How every time she ventured out with him he wandered away, and took more and more time to return.\nShe read the paragraph again. The words grew blurry as tears built up in her eyes.\nFluttershy cried herself to sleep.\n***\n\"Another cup?\"\n\"Why yes, I think I would like some more,\" Rarity said. \"You're so lucky to have an assistant who can brew such delicate teas.\"\nTwilight Sparkle waved a hoof. \"Well, he's not my number one assistant for nothing.\" She paused, thinking. \"Though his tea seems much better when you're around, for some reason.\"\n\"You're probably just imagining it,\" Rarity said. \"It's not like my presence alone makes everything better.\" She preened.\n\"Mhm,\" Twilight responded neutrally. They shared another sip, enjoying the quiet of the library.\n\"So,\" Rarity eventually said. \"Did you think of any ideas for your Winter Solstice dress?\"\nTwilight nodded. \"I did! Something better than my original gala dress.\" They shared an uncomfortable moment of silence. \"Much better. I was thinking something subdued, with turquoise and opals.\"\n\"Turquoise? Really dear? All the gems in the world, and you choose turquoise and opals? You're as bad as Fluttershy sometimes.\"\nTwilight blinked. \"As bad as Fluttershy? What do you mean?\"\nRarity took another sip. \"Oh, well, I shouldn't speak about another pony behind their back.\" She waited for all of two seconds before continuing. \"But anyway, she's been buying all sorts of cheap gemstones in the market. Says she likes their color. The poor dear. To think she actually had a career as a model!\"\n\"Wait, she was buying gemstones?\"\nRarity nodded. \"Cheap gemstones, dear.\"\nTwilight pondered that for a while. Eventually she glanced at her bookshelf, where a book was missing from the top row, and sighed.\nShe had a visit to make.\n***\n\"Shale?\"\nThe knifing winter wind shoved at her. It kicked up loose, powdery snow, forming a white curtain that blocked the trees. Her house, though only yards away, seemed part of another world. All else was lost in the blizzard that blew from the Everfree.\n\"Shale!\" Fluttershy cried again. Her voice caught, and she stifled a sob. \"Momma has rocks for you!\" She dumped out her saddlebags, creating a huge mess of semiprecious stones that glimmered with unnatural color against the snow.\n\"I have t-topaz!\" she called. \"And s-some garnets! You love garnets!\" The forest around her remained still except for the swirling winds.\n\"Shale! Please come back, it's so cold, and...\" she trailed off. Ahead of her, at the edge of the woods, the bushes stirred. Shale stepped out to regard her. She shuddered in relief. Today wasn't the day.\n\"There you are,\" she said. \"Look, momma has rocks...\" The gargoyle stared at her silently.\nShe gulped. \"C'mon, Shale. Let's go back inside.\"\nThey looked at each other for a while. He was still as a statue; she trembled. Eventually he turned, and without a sound vanished into the snowbound forest.\nShe was still crying when Twilight found her an hour later. The snow had caked over her wings, and she shivered even as she sobbed. The pile of gems at her feet shone through the faint layer of powder.\nTwilight didn't interrupt. She regarded the pegasus's miserable, hunched figured, and the pile of stones at her feet. The lecture she was prepared to deliver vanished from her mind, and she sat beside her friend in the snow.\nEventually Fluttershy's sobs trailed off. She drew a quaking breath, and raised her head.\n\"Twilight?\" she whispered.\n\"Yes?\"\n\"Do you... do you ever think our parents miss us?\"\nThe lavender unicorn was silent for a while as she thought. She remembered her parents' joy at her acceptance to Celestia's school for gifted unicorns. She remembered their tears as she moved to the castle. She remembered the packages they sent, and how slow she was to respond, if she bothered to reply at all.\nShe closed her eyes and thought of all the letters she had sent to Princess Celestia -- a mountain of parchment, dwarfing the pitiful few she sent her mother and father. She wondered why she had never asked herself that question before.\n\"Yeah,\" she finally said. \"I think they do.\"\n***\nDear Princess Celestia,\nI'm sorry I haven't written more. It's been a slow winter in Ponyville; unlike Canterlot, things tend to shut down here once the snows arrive. The weather has us all looking forward to the Solstice.\nRather than include my latest report in this letter, I intend to deliver it in person. Once the weather clears a bit I plan to visit Canterlot and spend some time with my parents. I'll be sure to visit the castle as well, and we can discuss my findings over tea.\nYour Faithful Student,\n-Twilight Sparkle" ]

[ "Applejack", "Fluttershy", "Rainbow Dash", "Rarity", "Twilight Sparkle", "Sad", "Slice of Life", "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" ]

[ "She had grown up among shades of gray.\n\"There was no talking. There was no smiling. There were only rocks.\"\nRock farms didn't exist, obviously. Who would farm rocks? It was ridiculous.\nShe had, however, grown up among rocks.\n\"There were only rocks...\"\nThat part wasn't a lie.\nShe'd been born and raised on a depressingly barren settlement along with her two sisters and her mother and father. There, stones littered the cold, hard ground in lieu of grass and flowers, and the trees were dead and almost skeletal with their bare branches. The citizens had long-ago rejected the help of the Weather Pegasi, deeming it \"unnatural\" to have ponies that controlled the seasons and instead leaving it up to fate. The sky must have been confused by this neglect, and ended up settling on a neutral dull grayness that nopony ever cleared away. The sun never shone, the rain never fell, no plants could grow, and the land began to die, slowly but surely, until there was nothing left but the clouds in the skies.\nGray, just like everything else.\nThe community they had lived in firmly believed in the rejection of pride and arrogance and in the acceptance of ideals such as \"humility\" and \"submission,\" and the Pie family had long ago rejected all their worldly goods, surviving on just the barest necessities. Growing up, she'd had no toys or books or games, and they had never celebrated any but the most religious holidays. Days were spent trying to keep the family farm going - \"thriving\" would have been too much to ask for, so they ended up settling on just scraping by, a decision that suited their minimalist lifestyle.\nShe'd never had a birthday before coming to Ponyville. She had never expected one or even noticed the absence, as her sisters before her had never had them, either, and it never occurred to any of them that a birthday might be a cause for celebration. In their family, growing older meant that you were expected to do more work.\nAs the youngest, for a long, long time she was considered too weak to be of much help with the chores, and so she spent her days trying to find amusement wherever she could. Even if she ended up spending the time moving rocks around for fun and trying to make shapes in the dirt with them, or sorting them into different piles based on what little colour they had.\nAnd then one day there was an explosion.\nThe barrier between magic and reality exploded, sending shockwaves of rippling colour and light across the gray sky.\nOnly it wasn't gray anymore. The clouds had been cleared for the first time in her memory, revealing the glorious sun and a streak of beautiful colour dancing across the sky.\nAt the tip of the trailing rainbow wake was what seemed to be a dot of cyan.\nShe stood and stared in awe, completely oblivious that her normally razor-straight mane had been utterly obliterated. And for the first time, she felt the corners of her mouth begin to turn up into something like a smile.\n\nxxxxx\n\nThe shelf in the closet held a cupcake with a bite taken from it, a jar of liquid rainbow, a blurry photo, and a clutch of cyan feathers. To anypony else this assortment of items might seem like random trash, but to the pink pony examining them, they were her most precious treasures.\nThe cupcake had vanilla frosting and was filled with her favourite hot sauce. She'd given it to Rainbow Dash a few days ago as a joke, who'd taken a single bite before smiled faintly, eyeing it affectionately as she held it. I supposed some ponies just can't handle spicy stuff. Oh well.\nShe pushed it back to its place on the shelf, and took up the jar of rainbow.\nShe'd stolen it when Rainbow Dash had given them the tour of Cloudsdale at the Best Young Fliers competition. When nopony was looking she'd secretly filled the jar so that she could take some of it back home with her. She wanted to always have her own personal rainbow to brighten her life with. But then she thought she saw Rainbow Dash notice her sneaking the sample and panicked, pretending that she was trying to taste it, even though she knew how spicy rainbows were supposed to be. Luckily, the others had just written it off as her being random again, and nopony saw her slip the jar of stolen colour into her pocket.\nThe photo was one that she'd managed to snap in secret while Rainbow was out flying one day. It was blurry because it was almost impossible to get a good action shot of the pegasus, since she just flew so impossibly fast. It had depressed her, and she had begun to practice running so that she could try and keep up with her someday. The thought of being able to run alongside her made her want to sing. She knew she could never fly with her, as much as she wanted to, but that was okay. She'd take whatever she could get.\nThe feathers had been gathered from all around town. Rainbow Dash was always crashing into things and losing feathers, and Pinkie always found them afterwards. Nopony ever noticed her sneaking them. Nopony ever questioned why she didn't leave feathers everywhere the way other pegasi did.\nThe memory of Rainbow's scent was so strong that she could swear that it still seemed to cling to the feathers, even after she'd lost them. If she'd asked anypony else they would've said that was impossible, but then how did they explain the scent? It was fresh, like grass and rain and clean air. It was so different from the cloying sweetness that permeated Sugarcube Corner. The scent of chocolate and sugar and warm bread tended to be so thick in the bakery that it made her gag whenever she paused to think about it for too long.\nShe closed her eyes and smiled, absently stroking the feathers she held. They were so soft, just like Dashie's wings, and if her eyes were shut she could pretend that they really were her wings.\nThese were her treasures.\n\nxxxxx\n\nOne cold, clear night, long after she'd come to live in Sugarcube Corner, she'd been sitting by her bedroom window and gazing at the stars. The streets had been empty, lit only by the glow of Luna's silver moon; and then she'd seen that now-familiar bolt of colour, trailing a shimmering rainbow in the air.\nShe hadn't even thought about it at the time. As soon as she saw that rainbow, she practically threw herself out the window and began to chase that precious colour, following the trail to its source. And there she was, a pegasus the colour of her precious sky and with a shock of multicolour hair, perched on a cloud, eyes shut in sleep.\nThat had been the first time she truly saw her. Her first instinct was to wake her up and introduce herself; but as she approached the sleeping pegasus she was struck by a sudden terror, and fled.\nSince that very first almost-meeting, she knew, she just knew, that it must have been her. When she'd seen her very first rainbow all those years ago, she could've sworn she saw a pegasus leaving the rainbow wake behind her, but she'd never been sure; and surely only somepony composed of sky and cloud and colour the way Rainbow Dash was could've done something like Sonic Rainboom at the competition confirmed it; the shockwave of colour was identical to the one she'd seen when she was just a little filly.\nRainbow Dash had given her a reason to smile. Her Dashie had brightened her desperate existence, and she would forever be grateful to her for that.\n\nxxxxx\n\nNopony else knew that she kept these memories.\nEvery night, when she was all alone and knew that nopony else was awake, she would sneak into the basement of the bakery and into the hidden back room where she locked these treasures away.\nShe was the only one who even knew this room existed. It was the biggest secret she had, and she didn't want to risk revealing it to any of her friends, as much as she loved them all in her own way. They wouldn't understand how important the items were to her. They would laugh at her, or find it creepy and weird and another sign of the instability they seemed so determined to find in her, or dismiss it as her being unfathomable again before forgetting all about it.\nAnd for some reason the idea of these feelings being dismissed as unimportant was even more unbearable than the idea of her being rejected because of them, because she had never felt anything more important in her entire life.\nSome nights...the happier nights, when she'd had a day of Rainbow Dash and pranking and fun and partying...the memory of lingering joy would still reside with her. And then she would wake up and sneak down to her private room and she would sit among her treasures, smiling and dreaming.\nSome nights...the sadder nights, when she'd had an especially lonely day for whatever reason...she would wake up and sneak down to her private room and cry and cry and cry, tears trailing down her cheeks and great, heaving sobs breaking free against her will. She never woke up anypony; the room was so hidden away that no one heard her cry. Sometimes she wished that they did, so that they'd come and ask what was wrong, but that never happened.\nShe cried because she knew that as much as she wanted it, this was something that she could never have. As much as her heart ached for her dearest friend in the whole world, she knew that she would never, ever be able to confess how she really felt, and that she would never, ever be with her, and for a very simple reason.\nEventually, even on the happier nights, a time would come when she couldn't bear to be around Rainbow Dash anymore and she would have to leave the room where she kept the fragments of her. She was always back in her bedroom by sunrise.\nShe would step inside and close the door. Brush the hair from her eyes and wipe the streaks of tears from her face, hoping her eyes wouldn't be puffy in the morning. It wouldn't due for anypony to notice she'd been crying.\nAnd like every other night, she approached the mirror.\nShe pressed her hooves against the glass, touching her reflection and sighing in resignation, breath fogging up the mirror as she pressed her forehead against it.\nShe pulled back, wiped away the fog, and got a good look at herself.\nLong, straight pink mane shrouding her face. Dull, expressionless blue eyes with a far-off look to them. Something like a grimace written on her mouth as she stared at herself in stony silence.\nEvery night ended this way, and every morning began this way.\nPinkamina turned away, and returned to bed.\nShe wrapped herself in the thick comforter as tightly as possible before closing her eyes. My shift's almost over, she thought with a weak attempt at a smile.\n\nxxxxx\n\nThey both wanted nothing more than to be happy. It was just...Pinkamina had lived a childhood of bleak depression, and didn't know how to be happy...and life couldn't be all smiles all the time, yet Pinkie didn't know how to be sad.\nThe ways things were now were for the best.\nPinkie was for the day, happy and bouncing and full of songs and cheer, spreading love and joy to all the ponies in town. But at night, Pinkamina would slip out for a few hours of quiet freedom and reflection; and if things ever grew too frightening or upsetting or confusing for her alter during the daylight hours, then it was Pinkamina's job to take back the reigns to spare her.\nAnd nothing was more confusing than a love like this. She was strong, though. She could handle it. It was okay. But she knew the truth, and the truth was that as long as she was pushed aside and forgotten, she would never be able to be with Rainbow Dash. Her job was to protect Pinkie from complicated feelings like this, and she couldn't just go ahead and screw everything up between her and Rainbow Dash for her own selfish whims.\nShe would have to keep them to herself.\nPinkamina was the ghost that Pinkie laughed at to keep at bay. She barely understood who Pinkamina was, or that Pinkie had only manifested because Pinkamina needed her.\nShe'd accepted that long ago.\nIn the morning, when Pinkie woke up with a spring in her step and Pinkamina was back in the corner, forgotten and alone, she would only have the faintest memory of what had happened that night. Maybe she would have a sudden desire to find Rainbow Dash for a day of pranking, or maybe she'd throw a spontaneous party for her best friend. Maybe the lingering affection would manifest in some other, wildly unpredictable way. The same way that when Pinkamina woke up at night, she would still feel the lingering joy from Pinkie's happiness. Joy that she would never be able to feel otherwise.\nPinkie would never have the faintest idea of what Pinkamina did at night, because it was her job to keep her happiness safe from troubling emotions like that. She was like her bodyguard, in a way. A knight in shining armour, but without the armour. Or a physical body of her own.\nAs long as Pinkie had her day, Pinkamina would have her night. And even though she knew that she would never be able to confess her feelings, that she had to bear the burden of them alone for Pinkie's sake, she would still have her dreams, and her memories of colour and of the time she could smile." ]

[ "Romance", "Sad" ]

["Original Link:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-RBxcO_pz9-42z4i-oxUf9L_yhl-OxXxzti4Yv3wPAY/edit(...TRUNCATED)

["Main 6","Original Character","Dark","Horror","Mystery","Romance","Sad","Tragedy","My Little Pony: (...TRUNCATED)