Shipfic Folder Seriesby SS NomadChaptersIn Which Big Macintosh Admits Something to RarityIn Which Scootaloo Leaves for CollegeIn Which Something Breaks Vinyl Scratch's WindowIn Which a Classy Mare Shows Up at My OfficeIn Which Gilda Falls in LoveIn Which Fluttershy Summons a Dark GodIn Which Prince Blueblood Tries PotionsIn Which Octavia Skips a ReunionIn Which Twilight Learns How to PrincessIn Which Teenagers Ride a TrainIn Which a Mare Just Wants to be BoringIn Which Dad Stops ByIn Which Big Macintosh Admits Something to RarityHumming as she worked, Rarity’s day was going along quite nicely. Unlike the average pony, who tended to slowly come to hate their work, she truly loved making dresses. Making the day’s prospects even more delightful was an upcoming date. She and Big Macintosh had been seeing each other for a few months now, and he had proven quite a charmer. Reserved, but sturdy. Quiet, but affectionate. Rarity beamed, perhaps this was a relationship she wanted to take further. The going had been slow, Mac being more reserved in romance than she’d expected. It took him almost a month to gather the will for their first real kiss, but what a kiss it was. Noticing she’d stopped working, Rarity got back to making dresses with added fervor. A knock came at the door. Surprised, Rarity stepped into the main room and swung the door open, expecting a customer. Instead, the doorframe was nearly filled with a wall of muscle with a vibrant red coat. “Afternoon, Rarity,” Big Mac stated in a tone most would hear as flat. Rarity knew better, she could hear the hesitance in his tone, “Mac, darling. Do come in. Is something wrong? You’re here awfully early.” “Yeah, well, Ah just came from the doctor,” he mumbled, having trouble making eye contact. “Oh my goodness,” Rarity exclaimed, rushing to his side to look him over, “Are you alright? What happened?” “Well,” Big Mac explained, “Ah’d been feeling sick recently. Kinda tired too. AJ told me to see the doctor and uh…” “Yes, darling, do go on,” Rarity egged. Big Macintosh cleared his throat and took a deep breath before announcing, “Ah think you mighta got me pregnant.” Rarity was shocked still for a moment before sense got the better of her and she started laughing, “Oh, dear, I can’t believe you just got me with that. I feel like a total fool. I must say, impressive prank.” “Uhh…” Mac scratched at the floor hesitantly, “Ah ain’t jokin’.” Rarity’s laughter froze in her throat, “I… what?” “Doc said Ah was about two months in.” Rarity raised a hoof like she was about to argue, but no words formed properly in her mind. “Ah’m not really sure how you want to handle this,” Big Mac mumbled awkwardly. Rarity sat on the ground, dumbfounded, “But you’re a stallion.” “Eeyup.” “Big Mac, you do understand how pregnancy works, yes?” Mac stamped the ground and snapped out in frustration, “Well darn it, Ah thought Ah did, but Ah guess Ah was wrong.” Rarity craned her neck around to look at Big Mac’s underside. Everything looked perfectly normal for a healthy stallion of his size. She looked up at him again in confusion. “Should we like… get married or something?” Big Mac awkwardly posited, “Like, ain’t that what you do in this sorta sityation?” “But we haven’t even…” Rarity trailed off, making hoof gestures, “You know…” “Nnope.” “Do we really-” Rarity started before a quick pause to think about what she was saying, “This feels so ridiculous to say. Do we really know it’s mine?” Big Macintosh looked insulted, “Ain’t like Ah been with anypony else in the past two months.” “I didn’t…” Rarity stumbled before deflating sadly, “Sorry, that came out wrong.” Big Mac walked over and put a hoof over her shoulder, “Don’t worry, Ah understand.” Rarity looked up at him through dampened eyes, “You do?” “Yeah,” Mac explained, “Ah was the same way when Ah got Derpy pregnant.” In Which Scootaloo Leaves for CollegeLooking around her room, Scootaloo couldn’t help but reminisce. The past four years had been like a dream. After so long as an orphan, she’d lost hope of adoption. Then came Twilight. Even though she’d never completely explained why she decided to adopt, Scootaloo was ecstatic. Moving into a castle, having somepony who truly cared for her, Scootaloo had long since stopped dreaming of that day. Yet it came. Now, after four wonderful years with Twilight in Ponyville, she was packing up her things. It had been a few weeks since she was accepted to Canterlot University, but she was still aglow with excitement. She looked around the room at all of the belongings she’d be taking with her, packed away into bags and boxes. Her eyes locked on her old scooter, once the only thing she was proud to own, now far too small for her to use. She couldn’t dream to part with it, though. The thoughts of parting made her look towards the next room. She knew Twilight was excited to see her head off for university, mostly from pride at her academic success, but Twilight wasn’t the only one she lived with. Stepping into the hall, she nervously opened the door to the room beside hers. Spike had grown tremendously in four years, now easily taller than most ponies. He sat at his desk, scribbling at something intently. Scootaloo always loved watching him when he was so focused, something in his intense stare betraying his abandoned instincts. Spike sniffed the air audibly and turned around, “Heya, Scoot. What’s up? Need help packing?” “Nah, I’m basically done,” Scootaloo replied, plopping down to sit on Spike’s bed, “What you up to?” Spike turned around to sit backwards in his chair, legs on either side of the back, and grabbed the paper he was drawing on, “Got bored, made a comic.” Scootaloo leaned in to look at the sketch, letting out a hearty chuckle, “Romantic comedy? Really, Spike?” “Eh, shuddup,” Spike retorted playfully, “I’ve never been good with action, romance is more my thing.” Scootaloo inadvertently swallowed hard, looking up at Spike. He’d really gotten handsome over the years, with his square jaw and muscular body. He smiled, the faintest suggestion of his sharp teeth visible between his parted lips. Noticing she was staring, Scootaloo turned to look out the doorway into the hall, hoping that her blush wasn’t enough to show. “You’re going to miss me, aren’t you?” Spike asked in a comforting tone. “What? N-” Scootaloo shouted, spinning to face Spike, but she stopped herself and stared at her hooves, “You know what, yeah… I am.” Spike stood from his seat and walked over, putting his arms around Scootaloo. She couldn’t help but sink into the hug, resting her cheek on his shoulder. She really would miss him. He’d been so important to her life over the past years, she wasn’t sure what life would be like without him to help her along. “I’ll miss you too, Scoot,” Spike whispered. As the moment slowly passed, they pulled apart and Spike sat on the bed next to her. Scootaloo flopped backwards, staring up at the vaulted ceilings of the castle. Spike soon joined her, and they lay down side by side, her hooves and his legs dangling off the side of the bed. “You know…” Scootaloo started. “Hmm?” Hesitating, she continued, “I really see you as one of the best friends I’ve got.” Spike chuckled, “Hey, thanks. I could say the same.” There was a pause before she finished the thought, “I’ve never really seen you as a brother, though.” “No?” Spike wondered, turning to look at her, “Yeah, I know what you mean. As much as we’re officially family, it’s… different.” Scootaloo tilted her head to catch his eye, “I just really wanted to thank you for everything before I go.” Spike reached a hand up and ruffled her mane, smiling a toothy smile, “Yeah, no big deal. You’ve helped me plenty, too.” “Really?” Scootaloo asked in surprise, “Like how?” Spike’s eyes inadvertently flicked to look at something before returning to Scootaloo, “Oh, you know, all sorts of stuff.” Scootaloo followed the line that Spike had glanced at back to his desk, the comic sketch still laying out atop it. She chuckled, her gaze returning skyward, “You too, huh?” Spike let out a deep sigh, sliding his arm behind her head, “Yeah…” In Which Something Breaks Vinyl Scratch's WindowIt was late in the afternoon and Vinyl Scratch had just woken up. With her roommate out doing whatever ponies do in the daytime, Vinyl slowly forced herself out of bed. As much as she hated waking up while the sun was still out, she had things to do. Just as she was about to leave her room, there was the bang and tinkle of her window shattering. She rushed over to look out the window and see what was going on, avoiding the glass all over the floor. Outside, three young fillies were running around making noise. She punched her window frame in an attempt to get their attention, but nothing. It was times like these Vinyl wished she was born with vocal cords. She felt the deep need to yell at the fillies, but she knew full well it couldn’t happen. She recognized the three of them, so at the very least she could get something done about it later, but right now she just wanted to tear into them. Punching the window frame once more in frustration, Vinyl turned to look at the mess. Sweeping all the glass shards into a pile with her magic, Vinyl finally spotted what had broken the window. It looked like a black rock or something, kind of shaped like a bent cone. Stepping closer to look at it, it didn’t seem like stone at all. It almost looked like a horn. As she stared, she felt something warm running down her cheek. Touching her face, her hoof came back with a trace of blood on it. Confused, she trotted over to her bedroom’s attached bathroom to check in her mirror. A tiny glass shard had managed to imbed itself in her cheek bone. Giving thanks it hadn’t been an inch higher, Vinyl pulled it out and wiped up the wound, tossing the bloody shard in the garbage pail. With the shard removed, the blood came faster, but it was still just a minor cut. Wiping off the blood with some tissue, she bandaged herself and got back to cleaning. Her first thought was to get the glass off the floor before she stepped in it. One search for a dustpan later and the job was done, the glass dumped into the bin with the bloody tissues. All that was left was the odd black object. As Vinyl picked up the thing, she immediately felt a wave of fatigue. It was taking immensely more magic to hold than made any sense, and she was quickly light headed and woozy. She quickly noticed that the tip of the cone began to glow red with energy as she held it. In firm rejection of its incredibly ominous appearance, Vinyl dunked the object with great force into the garbage where it belonged. Struggling to catch her breath and not be sick, Vinyl’s mind staggered for a next move. Crazy magical shit, probably should tell somepony. She could mention it to Rarity, see if word could get to Twilight Sparkle. No, they were out of town, they’d taken a train to the northern wastes just the previous day. Vinyl heard a crackling noise from the garbage. Suspiciously stepping forward, she glanced inside. The horn, sitting in a pile of bloody tissues and shattered glass, had begun emitting short arcs of black lightning. Soon after, a deep purple and green glow filled the bin and Vinyl staggered backward in a panic. A bolt of dark lightning knocked the bin over, sending its contents spilling all over the floor once more, between her and the only door out of her room. As the deep and foreboding glow grew larger, Vinyl dashed back over to her window. Flailing her hooves around, she attempted in vain to get anypony’s attention. She wanted to call for help, but- There was a definitive crack of thunder and the sound of all the broken glass falling to the floor again. Vinyl slowly turned to look, terrified of what she’d see. Standing before her was a pony who looked nearly identical to her, save a few glaring details. The first and most obvious difference was her eyes, a deep crimson with that same ominous magical glow smoking out of them. Her coat was charcoal grey, her mane jet black, and her horn was replaced with the object that had shattered the window in the first place. The dark mare stood there, proud and terrifying, and began to laugh. Well, she tried to, at least. Half way through what looked to be a masterful evil cackle, she paused, confused. She touched her throat, trying to talk, her voice only coming out a whisper. “What the Devil is going on?” Despite herself, Vinyl’s fear immediately shifted into amused schadenfreude, and she whispered back, “Sucks, don’t it?” The dark mare slammed a hoof down on the coffee table, attempting to shout in a whisper, “Unacceptable!” Vinyl laughed at the impotent rage. They had moved to the living room to sit and talk, and were now both sitting on the couch so they could hear each other properly. As the other mare put it, Vinyl was currently briefing her on the situation. The momentary chuckle earned Vinyl a stern glare from her visitor. “Do you think this is funny, mortal?” She hissed, “You need to watch your tongue in the presence of a king.” “Queen,” Vinyl corrected in amusement. “I don’t give a damn what body I’m in, I am a king and you will respect me as such,” she said with as much volume as she could manage, raising a hoof and striking Vinyl. The moment was a strange one. Vinyl flinched as the hoof came down, but all she felt was the slightest brush of her cheek. At the same instant, her visitor’s head cranked sideways like she’d just gotten sucker punched, sending her sprawling backwards across the couch. As she slowly realized what had just happened, Vinyl couldn’t help but point and laugh. Sitting upright and glancing around the room in shock, the dark mare mumbled something just too quiet and far away to be understood through Vinyl’s laughter. The dark mare glared at Vinyl for answers, but just received an equally confused shrug. Gently slapping herself on the cheek, Vinyl watched as her guest very clearly was the one to take the force of the blow. The act earned her a continued glare, but the point was clearly made. “What’s your name?” Vinyl finally decided to ask. Sitting upright, struggling to maintain her dignity in light of the situation, the visitor replied, “King Sombra.” “Queen,” Vinyl retorted. Author's Note To be continued???????? In Which a Classy Mare Shows Up at My OfficeIt was a rainy night like any other, the only sound I could hear was the water rolling down my window in sheets. I sat at my desk, staring down at the pile of bills and glass of scotch that I had to keep me company. I was between cases, so I had little else to do but sit in my office and wait. Ponies keep telling me private investigation is a dying business, but that hasn’t stopped me yet. The sound of a knock at my door caught my attention. Looking up, a silhouette cast on the frosted glass blocked the light from the hallway. I knew this could only be one pony. I sat there, hoping she’d assume I wasn’t in if I didn’t respond. Instead, she opened the door. Backlit by the hall, she was even more beautiful than usual. Her soft, white coat was glowing like a beacon in the dark room, and the gentle curl of her perfect purple mane was framing her gorgeous face. She was a living work of art. Rarity. The type of mare most ponies would love the attention of, but I knew her too well. Beneath that slinky black dress and extravagantly large hat was a heart of ice. She smiled at me, “Ah, Miss Sparkle, so you are in.” With a disappointed sigh, I lifted the glass of scotch to my lips, “I thought I told you not to come here anymore.” She looked hurt, but she more than deserved it. She’d put me through too much. Quietly, she walked up to my desk and sat opposite me, avoiding my gaze. “I was hoping you’d be willing to forget that if it was for business,” she whispered regretfully. Setting down my glass with a clink, I looked her over. I could already tell she was trying to play me, but I wanted to see where this was going, “Alright, I’m listening.” She looked back up with eyes full of shame, “My… coltfriend went missing.” It was just four words, but they ran me through like a lance. I wanted to yell, I wanted to kick her out, tell her I was done with her games, but I could see her expression. She knew I was going to say no, but she had nowhere else to go. Finishing off my drink in one go, I stared her down, “What happened?” “We’ve been seeing each other for a few months,” She began to explain, “It was just a casual thing, but he was always so great to me. We’d been talking about something more serious, but… One day I went to visit him and he was gone. His room had been tossed and there was no sign of him. I asked the neighbors, and they said they’d heard a scuffle. I… I just didn’t know what to do.” She buried her face in her hooves and wept gently. As much as I hated her, I still loved her. Seeing her cry like that was something I couldn’t bear. “Alright,” I replied, “You know my rates.” She stood up, looking me in the eye with her bleeding makeup, and smiled gently. I could feel my expression had softened. She had me wrapped around her hoof, and she knew it. I just watched in silence as she walked around my desk to be beside me. The feeling of her body pressed against my side sent chills down my spine, and the weight of her head on my shoulder was so familiar and welcome. Even the sound of her sniffling back tears brought back memories of a better time. I leaned my head against hers, a part of me longing for what we used to have. She lifted her head, and our faces were inches apart. I turned to look her in the eye, our horns knocking together with a gentle clunk. It had been so long since I’d seen her this close. Her eyes were like sapphires, glittering with the remnants of tears. Her lips, so warm and inviting. She just smiled. I leaned in. The lights abruptly turned on, Spike walking into the room with a scroll in claw, “Hey Twilight, I just got a letter from Celes- What the Hell?” Rarity and I both turned awkwardly, the fantasy shattered by being able to see the features of the library. Spike stared at Rarity in her dress and me in my fedora, very slowly coming to terms with what he’d just walked in on. “Nope,” he announced, turning around, “Not dealing with this.” There was a long pause as Rarity and I sat together in embarrassing silence, but she finally spoke up, “Maybe we should do this at my place, next time.” In Which Gilda Falls in LoveGilda felt disgraced. Flying home from Ponyville, she had nothing. Her only friend had just abandoned her, and she just had no idea how to process it. Nothing in her life had been like the friendship with Rainbow Dash, she just had no basis with which to cope. As she cruised over the tops of a massive grove of apple trees, she just had no idea what to do. It was too much for her to handle. Tears welling in her eyes, she was forced to land. Perching in a tree, she tried hard to restrain herself. It was more than she could manage to just focus on staying in the tree. She curled up, digging her talons and claws into the bark for balance, and just nestled in the branches. “What do I even do?” she sobbed, lost for how to deal with a failing friendship. A chill breeze cut through the orchard, cutting to the bone. Gilda impulsively pressed into the crook of the branch she lay on, relying on the relative warmth of the wood to block out the cold. Something about it felt so calming, like a huge arm around her. She wasn’t really sure what she was feeling, but she nestled further. The leaves of the tree rustled with the breeze, surrounding her with a relaxing white noise. She just felt so at peace here. It didn’t really make sense, but lying here in this tree was the only place she wanted to be right now. She didn’t want to go back home to the ruins of Griffonstone, to the desolation and reminder that she had nothing left for her life, and she certainly couldn’t return to Ponyville proper. All she had now was this wonderful spot in this tree. With a calmer voice, asking nobody, she repeated herself, “So what do I do?” The branches simply swayed. “There’s no point, is there? She’s already gone. I fucked up,” she grumbled, laying lengthwise along the bough. For some reason, a chill ran down her spine. She felt like she wasn’t quite alone. Looking around in a hurry, she didn’t see a thing, but the feeling remained. All the could see was the rustling of leaves. “Hello?’ Gilda called out, “Who’s there?” The air was silent save for the creak of the tree she sat in. It was only then that she noticed that the other trees were totally still. She paused. It was probably just her shaking the tree by being in it. It probably made sense. Yet… “Wait, can you… hear me?” Gilda asked awkwardly. The branch she lay on distinctly sagged underneath her, despite her remaining frozen. Gilda had no idea how to respond. She was talking to a tree. No, that was dumb, trees don’t talk. It was surely a coincidence. Some part of her was still hesitant to believe that, so she tested once more, “Um… do something if you want me to leave?” The tree, as with all those in the orchard, was still. Gilda felt completely ridiculous, but relieved. It was just a tree. She relaxed again, resting her chin on the branch and letting her body droop. A part of her was happy for the absurd distraction of it all. Getting her mind off of Dash was immensely helpful. “This is a nice tree, though,” she mumbled. Something light landed on top of her head and sat there. Gilda froze, surprised, and slowly reached up to see what it was. It was soft, and clearly not threatening. Grabbing it gently in her talons, she lifted it and pulled it into view. It was a single apple blossom. “Oh my god, you’re real,” Gilda sputtered, whipping around to stare at the tree trunk. She wanted to fly, but she lay there, stock still. The gentle rustle of the leaves and relaxing sway of the branch she was in slowly eased her back into calm. However this tree… existed, it clearly didn’t want her upset. Taking a big gulp, Gilda looked up into the leaves above her, “Okay. You’re a tree that understands words. I can almost pretend that’s a thing.” The sound of the leaves was lighter, higher pitched, cheery. Gilda let slip an awkward laugh, “So I guess you heard me when I got here.” The moment was quiet, but not silent, as the branches creaked sadly. “Thank you,” she mumbled under her breath, “You had no reason to care about me.” As the tree stayed silent, Gilda grumbled and covered her face with a talon, “I still can’t believe I’m talking to a tree.” Another cold breeze shook through the orchard and gilda found herself pressing more tightly to the branch she lay on, the bough groaning with the sudden pressure. Her talons had dug into the bark on reflex, and she stared down at the cuts in the branch in shock. Something about the scene made Gilda incredibly embarrassed, and she hopped from the branch to stand by the trunk awkwardly. “Sorry,” she mumbled, but the tree just rustled gently, calmly. Looking up, Gilda was hit by a rush of instinct. She really wanted to mark the tree, to drag her talons across its trunk and claim it as her own. The urge was immense, and she found herself with a single talon resting on the bark, the tips of her claws catching on the surface. Tiny chips of bark flaked off at her touch, its papery layers yielding to her touch. There was a creaking in the branches, but it didn’t sound like a complaint. In a sudden and purposeful swipe, Gilda raked her talons through the bark, leaving four deep gashes to the sapwood. The tree’s crown above her shook with the force, shivers running through them as the tense branches sagged with relief. Gilda also felt an immense pressure drained from her as her instincts were satisfied. Looking at the cuts in the bark, she saw the sweet sap running down the trenches that she’d left in it. With a slight waver in her voice and rapidly flushing cheeks, Gilda mumbled, “I should go… I’ll see you again some time.” Rubbing her neck along an undamaged portion of the trunk, she walked off with an embarrassing flutter in her heart. In Which Fluttershy Summons a Dark GodAs the warm trickle of blood ran down the length of her hoof, Fluttershy was filled with an unexpected swell of anticipation. Dripping her life down upon the carvings in the wood floor, she watched as it flowed through the groves she’d made with the same blade she’d slit her skin with. A light breeze took through the room, killing all candles but one, leaving the pegasus barely visible in the darkness. With the room plunged in shadow, there were two things Fluttershy could properly see. Her blood was slowly beginning to luminesce, and she was no longer alone. In the single flickering light, she could just barely see a form twice her size in the shadows. Its body was serpentine and it bore just the slightest glint of eyes and teeth staring back at her. It had worked. “I, um…” she stammered, her plans for what to do next thrown out the window by a swell of fear, “thank You for answering my call.” “Why would a pony such as yourself call on an ancient one like me,” It asked in a predatory tone, “Answer quickly or I may grow bored.” Fluttershy steadied herself, “The Everfree Forest. I have heard that You command it. I w-” “Nobody controls the Everfree,” It spat out, “It’s right there in the name. Do your research next time you seek to commune with a god.” “But you made it,” Fluttershy shakily mumbled, “How could it not be yours?” The snakelike body started to wrap around the edge of the shadows in which Fluttershy stood, “You ponies know nothing of reality, and even less of freedom.” Immediately aware of her blood loss, Fluttershy began to waver with lightheadedness, “I just want to know how the animals care for themselves.” It froze, “Why?” “Because they don’t seem to need ponies, and I don’t understand why the ones outside the forest do.” It’s teeth grew closer to the light, shining with a dangerous smile, “You have my attention, pony.” It was done. Fluttershy felt… good. She wasn’t entirely sure if it was because of the result of the ritual or being drunk off of blood loss, but she felt giddy. With a quick glance down to the rapidly stitching cut in her hoof, she smiled. She knew what to do next. Her God knelt down and whispered in her ear, “This fraction of my power should be more than sufficient for your needs. I’m impressed, po- Fluttershy. You accepted that with more grace than I’d anticipated.” Fluttershy turned and smiled up at the ghostly, serpentine form of her new Master, eager to begin their work. With a paw, He brushed her mane aside to get a better look at her face. Despite his physical body long since being trapped in stone, he was still a man of theatrics. He smiled, but his sharp teeth no longer looked intimidating to Fluttershy. “As long as I can make the animals happy,” Fluttershy mumbled in a low, embarrassed whisper, “I will do anything you ask.” “That’s a good little pony,” He said, planting a tiny kiss on her forehead, “I’ll have need of you in a few years. Until then, take care of the Everfree for me.” Fluttershy smiled meekly at the kiss, “Yes, Discord.” In Which Prince Blueblood Tries PotionsFormal royal affairs were always dull. The delegation from the Crystal Empire had arrived a few days ago, and it was finally the night of a formal ball. Prince Blueblood didn’t much care for all of that. Whether it was Cadance’s birthday party or not wouldn’t have much effect on his night, but it made for a lovely excuse. He stood there in the room with Canterlot’s finest, watching them mingle with the crystal ponies and their leaders, until he saw her. Through the door came his prize, a stunningly gorgeous mare, tall and lithe, her soft pink mane framing her angular white face. Apparently, her name was Fleur, but he didn’t much care. He subtly glared at the stallion beside her, Fancy Pants. He didn’t really know their relationship and, again, didn’t much care. He reached up with a hoof to pat at his collar, making sure the small pouch was still safely tucked inside. He was still uncertain if the book he’d read was history or a myth, but the recipe inside was easy enough for a foal to follow, and nothing dangerous. Still, a potion with the only ingredients being cloud and rainbow seemed awfully unlikely to work. He peeked below his collar, wanting to make sure the pouch was still alright. “Heya, Blueblood,” called a familiar, masculine voice from beside him. Prince Blueblood whipped around, tucking the pouch away once more, ready to lay into whoever it was for not addressing it properly, only to find Shining Armor beside him, “Ah-ha, Shining Armor, how have you been? You’ve been missed around Canterlot, you know. You wouldn’t believe how many depressed mares I have to console.” Shining snorted out a laugh, “Hey, I suppose you’re welcome for that then. Besides, you know those days are behind me.” Blueblood turned to look at Cadance, standing there happily beside the other Princesses, “Well, I’m hard pressed to say you could have found a better one, so I understand completely.” With a friendly shove, Shining snapped, “Hey, don’t get any ideas.” “She’s yours, relax,” Blueblood reassured with a chuckle. “Damn right,” Shining joked back, “Well, I should get back to mingling, we can catch up later.” Shining Armor waved and stepped off, leaving Prince Blueblood to get back to his scheme. He glanced around the room, finally spotting Fleur again. He’d have to figure out how to slip her the potion, which would be easier said than done. With her… with Fancy Pants beside her, it would be uncouth to approach and offer her a drink. He watched the staff wandering the room, holding their trays loaded with champagne flutes, looking for his moment. Soon, as each pony present had been offered their drink, his aunt began to speak. All attention in the room turned to Celestia, and Fleur set her drink on the table beside her. Blueblood stared at it. Some part of him knew he was doing the wrong thing. He hesitated, just watching the champagne bubble, completely ignoring his aunt’s speech. With a huff of air, he decided. In a quick flash of his magic, he pulled the pouch from his collar and took the two tiny bottles from within it. Quietly, nervously, he uncorked one and poured it in her drink. Quickly confirming nopony noticed, he dumped the other in his own glass. It was done. He stood, staring at his drink, the potion dissolved into nothing within. All at once, he felt ill. This was wrong. It was almost too late to stop. Princess Celestia sounded like she was about to propose a toast. Blueblood had to act. He quickly grabbed another glass from a passing waitress and swapped out the tainted one for a new, setting the laced drink aside and out of the way. Then came the toast. Fleur raised the glass, taking a sip of the perfectly normal champagne. Blueblood felt a lingering regret for ever having this idea in the first place, but raised his glass as well. He simply pretended to take a sip, not wanting to risk the contents. The party drew on, Blueblood occasionally checking to see if the staff would collect the abandoned drink. It still sat there, alone and dejected. As time drew on and he found himself the only one who still held a champagne glass, he felt an unfamiliar pressure. Was this really what it felt like to be the one at the party not drinking? That weird feeling as everypony around you has had more than you. Apparently Shining Armor had taken note, wandering over with what was surely a fresh glass, “What, you a teetotaler now?” Blueblood looked down at his drink, not wanting to explain the situation, “I… I saw the bottle, it’s not a year I enjoy.” “What?” Shining looked at him in surprise, “That’s like… are you sure you’re the same Blueblood I know? Those words are just… what’s going on?” Blueblood just shook his head, “I think I just want a different drink. This one won’t do.” Shining shrugged and plucked the flute from his grasp, offering his own in return. Blueblood looked over the champagne glass he was being offered before taking it with a smile, “Well… if you insist.” Not wanting to look like anything was strange in front of Shining, Blueblood downed the glass. His mind quickly registered the signs something was wrong. The champagne was warm, flat, and just the slightest bit spicy. He looked at the now empty glass quizzically. It couldn’t have been a fresh pour, at the very least. Shining must have gotten it- Prince Blueblood whipped his head around in a panic, spotting the table that should have had the glass originally intended for Fleur sitting on it. There was nothing there. In his panic, he turned back to Shining Armor, who was midway through drinking down the glass he’d just taken from Blueblood. He wanted to object, to stop Shining from drinking it, but he found himself hopelessly distracted. There was just something in Shining’s pose, the way he held the glass to his lips and tilted his head back, that screamed of all of his masculine energy. He wasn’t bothering with elegance or procedure, he just saw something he wanted and took it in one go. Something in that… excited Blueblood. Shining Armor looked back at him, his glimmering blue eyes locked on Blueblood’s own. In that moment, they could both feel it. The rest of the room melted away, as they were the only two ponies in the world. It was a strange, hot feeling. They both just stared in disbelief. “Blue?” Shining mumbled. Blueblood blinked, “Yeah, Shiney?” “D’you... “ Shining stumbled over his words, “wanna be my special somepony?” Prince Blueblood smiled, “Yeah. I do.” They stepped together, nuzzling affectionately at each other’s faces and necks, entirely oblivious to the sudden stunned silence in the room. The world outside was irrelevant now, as they had each other. They didn’t notice Cadance faint, the single guffaw from Fancy Pants, or Celestia calling for them to stop. The first evidence they recognized of anypony else existing was when the Royal Guard came to pull them apart. They fought, they struggled, they wanted nothing but to be together. Shining Armor threw up a shield and they both stood inside, protected from the guard, unable to even hear them. Not that they would have cared. The world was only them. It took two days before Shining Armor and Prince Blueblood finally collapsed from lack of food and water. Until that time, the grand ballroom was entirely off limits except to the guards on post waiting for them, and even they hated to enter the room. The two of them made quite the display, their saccharine affections too much for most to handle. When it was finally too much for Shining to maintain his magic, the spell flickered and died. Even with their malnourished bodies, it took a half dozen of the guards to pull them apart. The guards dragged them each to isolation, giving them time to work the potion from their systems. As they came to, they both forgot everything that had happened. They both simply moved on with life in confusion and ignorance. The rest of Canterlot wasn’t so lucky. In Which Octavia Skips a ReunionWith a deep breath and her eyes closed, she drew her bow across the strings. A deep, resounding tone, vibrating spruce and maple panels, filled the air of a small bipartite Ponyville home. She lost herself in the sound of it, the music filling her soul and serving its purpose, to distract her from the thing she was trying to avoid dwelling on. The sound of a door slamming in the other half of the house snapped Octavia back to reality, grumbling to herself about her dear roommate’s severe lack of grace. She sighed, looking out her window into the distance, her mind instantly drawn back to the family reunion she was trying to pretend wasn’t happening just a few short miles away. She groaned and stood, setting her cello aside and resting the bow on her bed. She needed to find something better to distract herself with. Octavia wandered into the kitchen to find Vinyl silently eating a sandwich. Still more than a little frustrated at her attention having been broken, she complained, “You know, you’re going to break the hinges on that door some day, don’t you?” Vinyl casually signed back that she didn’t care. Chuckling derisively and shaking her head, Octavia opened the fridge, looking for some leftover food to reheat, but found a whole apple pie sitting there instead. More than a little confused, she turned to Vinyl, “Did you buy this?” Vinyl shook her head and gestured into the distance, adding quickly that Applejack came by with it. “She… came to see if I was attending, I assume?” Octavia tried to confirm. Vinyl just nodded and went back to her sandwich. Despite her mild frustration at the fact, Octavia couldn’t deny it looked like a nice pie. She grudgingly cut herself a slice and sat down across from Vinyl, taking a small bite, the sweet tartness of the pie pulling her mind back to a different time. She sighed nostalgically before melting back to her pit of sadness. Noting the obvious sadness across the table from her, Vinyl sat down her sandwich and reached forward to plop a hoof on Octavia’s shoulder, looking at her with deep concern. “I… do miss them,” Octavia admitted sadly, “I just…” The doorbell rang. Both mares sat upright, shaken out of their conversation instantly. Octavia leaned to look out into the living room, spotting a blonde mane and brown cowboy hat just barely visible through the window inset in the front door. With a defeated sigh, she stood, taking a few more bites of pie before she left. Octavia opened the door to see Applejack standing there, but said nothing, just looking at her like she knew why she was here. “Howdy, cuz,” Applejack said somberly, “we… kinda missed you today.” Octavia laughed dismissively, “Perhaps you did, but I doubt the rest of the family cared much.” AJ took off her hat and held it to her chest, “Tavi, it’s been years. You know ponies will be willing to move on by now. Ah-” “But I’m not,” Octavia refused, “I can’t just… pretend that part of my life never happened. The way they all acted…” “You ain’t gotta forgive ‘em all,” Applejack replied with her eyes closed, “but… she misses you.” Octavia winced in shame, her voice lowering to a whisper, “I- I can’t. I couldn’t face her.” “She’s your sister,” Applejack stated firmly, “and she don’t care none about any of that nonsense from back when you left for Canterlot.” Octavia hanged her head, “You can say that, but I still- I just can’t.” Applejack sadly put her hat back on, “Well… Ah’ll tell Fiddle you said ‘hi.’ One day- one day we’ll all play together again. Ah miss our dumb little string trio.” Chuckling sadly, Octavia nodded, “I miss it, too.” “Well,” Applejack smiled as she turned to leave, “Ah hope you enjoy that pie she made for ya.” Octavia stood just a little bit more upright, “Y-yeah. I’ll see you around, Applejack.” Applejack waved over her shoulder as she left. As she stepped back into her house, Octavia drifted back to the kitchen table. She looked down at the half eaten slice of pie, still waiting for her quietly. She sighed and closed her eyes, suddenly realizing exactly why it had brought back so many memories. She sat down in front of it, sniffling back a tear, and took another bite. In Which Twilight Learns How to PrincessThe dormitory hallway in Canterlot Castle was not exactly the type of place one usually heard a door slam open, but this day was a special occasion. Twilight Sparkle grumbled as she staggered into her room and collapsed on the bed, legs and wings all splayed out in every direction. Following behind, an amused Princess Celestia stood just in the hall, grinning at her protege. “How the hell do you do it?” Twilight grumbled into her pillows, “It’s been days, and I’m trying as hard as I can, but holding court is completely ridiculous! How can you possibly just sit there and listen to them all whine like that?” Celestia chuckled, shaking her head, “Well… to some degree you just get used to it, Twilight. There are ways to think, ways to tune out, ways to cope. I’m sure you’ll find your own in time.” “Do I have to?” Twilight asked as she rolled over to face Celestia, already knowing the answer but wanting to vent anyway, “It’s an archaic tradition that doesn’t even do anything anymore. Surely my time is better used elsewhere.” With a smile, Celestia stepped into the room and toward the bed, “It’s… just something our subjects expect of us. It’s pageantry, of course, but if it helps our little ponies get through their days and trust we will take care of their concerns, it’s worth the time.” Sitting back upright, Twilight nodded in agreement, already knowing that full well, “Well… I know I’ll have to hold my own court soon enough, but I’m not sure just learning by practice like this is getting anywhere. You know listening to ponies complain drives me up a wall. Do you have anything, any idea that would help?” Celestia stopped approaching abruptly, looking like she’d been caught with her hoof in the cookie jar, before lowering her head and taking the last few steps to sit on the bed with her former student, “There are… some things that work for me, at least.” Hearing the hesitance in the Princess’ voice, Twilight tried to press gently, “I… could really use the help Prin- Celestia.” After a long pause and some obviously averted eye contact, Celestia finally spoke again, “Okay. Just… don’t judge me too harshly for any of this, okay?” “Never,” Twilight replied with a smile, “You know me better than that.” Reassured, Celestia began to explain, “There are… well, many ways to approach it. The first, and one of the most useful, is… I assume you’ve encountered the term schadenfreude.” “Laughing at others’ misfortune?” Twilight defined quizzically, “What does that have- Wait, you expect me to-” “Well, you find them annoying, yes?” Celestia replied with a gentle smirk, “All of their petty complaints?” Twilight’s expression turned from shock to light amusement, “So… all that time you were just… laughing at them internally?” Celestia said nothing, but her blush and shrug was enough of an answer. Twilight covered her mouth, but not in shock. No, it was a shared amusement. They truly had been annoying and petty all day. As soon as she realized she was under no obligation to actually be concerned with their issues… Twilight snorted out a laugh. Grinning, Celestia added, “Remember that one complaining about grazing rights? Oh, I just couldn’t help but imagine that he was the one doing the grazing. Just think about it, picture it.” Covering her face to hide her amusement, Twilight replied, “Oh wow, he was just the worst, wasn’t he? So entitled. Picturing him…” “So that works for you, then?” Celestia asked. “It’s…” Twilight snickered, “It’s a start, at least. I had no idea you were so…” “Probably best to not finish that sentence,” Celestia replied with a wink, “but yes. It’s worked for me for centuries. I hope it serves you well.” Wiping the tears from her eyes, Twilight smiled back, “Yeah. I think it will.” In Which Teenagers Ride a TrainThe gentle rocking of a train in motion had always relaxed Spike. There was just something about the dull clatter of the wheels on the track and the idle rhythmic sway that never failed to draw him into a restful state, even into his teenage years. The ride back from Canterlot was never a particularly long one, but was always just long enough to lull him near to sleep. Lounging on the bench with his eyes closed, he let out a stifled yawn. His moment was interrupted by the sound of the door between cars opening and a familiar voice he couldn’t quite place, like he hadn’t heard it in a long while. She was grumbling about something, he couldn’t make out the details, an idle complaint about the state of the car she’d just come from. Blearily, he opened his eyes and sat up, looking over his shoulder to see the mare just behind him. Diamond Tiara looked immensely surprised to have found an adolescent dragon staring at her, but her shock wore off as she managed to recognize him despite his more angular features, “S-Spike? Well, I’ve got to admit I didn’t expect you to be the first familiar face.” Spike smiled back, his youthful cheer still quite alive, “Heya, Diamond. Wow, how long has it been? Your parents shipped you off to some boarding prep school, right?” Diamond’s sigh was enough confirmation of that, “Finally done with that waste of my time, just picking up a few of my old things before the semester starts up.” Spike settled back a bit, “Oh yeah? Where’d you wind up getting in to?” “North Manehattan Business,” Diamond Tiara replied idly, as if getting into a notable university was nothing to her, “It seems… well better than prep school at least.” The train jostled as it moved down the tracks, nearly tossing Diamond from her hooves. Spike reached out on reflex, catching her by the shoulder. Diamond seemed surprised, still reeling slightly from the near fall, but honestly far more distracted by the peculiar feeling of a scaled claw against her. Unsure exactly how to read her reaction, Spike slowly and awkwardly withdrew his hand. “Maybe you should…” Spike tried to pull the conversation along, looking around the car, “find a place to sit? Like, so you don’t fall over again?” Snapping back to her senses, Diamond looked him in the eye again, “Oh, yeah, right. Sorry, I just…” She made a bit of a show of looking around at all of the seats, plenty of open benches available, before sitting down on the one facing Spike. He watched the display with mounting confusion, his history with the mare leaving him rightfully suspicious. “So, are you coming from Canterlot?” Diamond spoke to break the silence. “Wh-” Spike stammered, “Yeah. I was just visiting Scootaloo. She goes to college there.” Diamond nodded awkwardly, “Yeah, okay, that makes sense. You two are…” Spike had no idea where she was trying to lead at first, but coughed out a confused and flustered, “Siblings. We are… Twilight adopted her.” “Oh!” Diamond replied in pleasant surprise, “That’s… good. I mean, for her. Well, all of you.” “...Yeah,” Spike agreed suspiciously, “Yes it… is.” They both sat there in strained silence for a while, Diamond clearly wanting to say something and Spike trying to piece together the conversation into anything other than what it obviously seemed. He looked down at the claw he’d caught her with, still unconsciously feeling her coat against his scales. Shaking his head, he looked back up to see her smiling embarrassedly. “Okay, wait, hold on,” Spike requested, leaning back against his bench and rubbing his face with his hands, “I’m clearly missing something here. What is it?” Diamond Tiara’s blush finally grew deep enough to be visible despite her pink coat, “W- what do you think it- Shut up!” Spike jumped in surprise at the change in tone, but this was a side to the young earth pony he was far more familiar with, “I just… I’m pretty sure I understand, but… what?” Diamond blew air through her teeth in frustration, looking out the window, “Oh, just be quiet. Going to an all fillies’ school is weird.” As the last piece fell in place, Spike turned away so she wouldn’t be able to see him laughing silently. Now things made sense. He steadied himself and turned back to her with a friendly smile, “Well hey, no harm no foul. Sorry for being dense.” Diamond struggled to hold back a smile as she held pose, staring out the window, “Well… I suppose just take it as a compliment.” Wry grin on his lips, Spike settled back against his bench and closed his eyes, “Will do.” In Which a Mare Just Wants to be BoringShe was just a normal mare, average in every way. She woke up in the morning, fed her pets, ate breakfast like any other. Perhaps she was a little more studious with the housework, but that’s far from an odd trait. No, the only oddness in her life came from the world around her choosing to make her important. When she decided to be honest with herself, she knew she was boring, she knew she was mild mannered and would blend into any crowd, and that was how she liked it. Such a shame that the world around her kept pushing her front and center when she was so… uninteresting compared to those she spent her time with. Having made her way to Ponyville square, she quietly looked around for anything happening. There was a mild commotion near a house she recognized as shared by two talented musicians, loud music and bright lights. She reflexively shied away from the disturbance and went about her business. She just wanted to buy some groceries and be fitted for a dress. Whatever… that was, somepony else could deal with it. She didn’t have any powers or useful talents, all she had was a pretty face and the ability to make ponies feel guilty. She didn’t want to risk getting involved. Stopping in front of the Carousel Boutique, she gently rapped on the door. The door slowly swung open to reveal the resident white unicorn, a mare she’d always been jealous of to some degree. Sure, Rarity wasn’t perfect. She could even be horribly mean at times. Yet still… she was jealous of knowing there was someone in the town who was not just beautiful, but had confidence, poise, and a personality that carried her. Still, she couldn’t help but smile weakly at her friend. She’d… get along. She always did. “Darling, it’s so good to see you,” Rarity announced, hugging her, “So is this a social call, or is something the matter?” “Oh,” she replied hesitantly, “I was just wondering about the dress you were working on for me.” Rarity laughed at herself, “Oh, dear me, I’ve just been so distracted. Of course! It’s mostly done, just needs a final fit and tailoring to your body, dearie.” She smiled back, honestly surprised that it was already done, “That’s great, can we do it today?” “Of course,” Rarity replied, but her smile turned coy, “What’s the rush, my dear? Got a hot date tonight?” She chuckled back dismissively, “N-no, I just… wanted to stay home for a few days if I could. I have chores to do and it would be easier to not have to walk all the way to town.” Rarity pouted with concern, “Darling, you really need to get out more. I know you’ve… got your reasons, but-” “It’s fine,” she interrupted, “I… had so many opportunities to grow like you have the past few years, but… that’s not for me, you know? I, well, I like myself how I am. I don’t really need to change. If I were to grow and develop… where would I even go?” Rarity wanted to object, but… she really had no idea. It seemed like something that should have a legitimate answer. There had to be a direction she could take, one that would make her life better. “You could try to work on your fears,” Rarity stammered, “Just think about how much happier you’d be.” She looked Rarity squarely in the eye, “But that’s all I have. If you get rid of that, then what am I? Just another nice mare, right? Then again, I don’t know, maybe that’s what I honestly want. A normal life.” The words caught in Rarity’s throat. “I know you want to help,” she continued quietly, tears welling in her eyes, “I know you think my life needs more adventure, more drama, but…” “Darling,” Rarity cut her off consolingly, “I didn’t know y-” “I’ve just always been too scared to tell you,” she replied, staring at her hooves, “But… that fear is what makes me me. I’m not going to give it up. If I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t have anything.” Rarity stepped forward and wrapped her foreleg around the mare’s shoulders in a hug, “I know things have been hard for you recently. I’m here for you.” “I just… I don’t belong here, saving the world. It’s all just so stressful. I’m not like the rest of you girls,” she stepped back to look Rarity in the eye, “I just want a normal life.” Rarity gently rested her forehead to her friend’s, “I know, Fluttershy, I know.” In Which Dad Stops ByIt was a truly rare day. A weekday off. As much as she hated to give up some of her usually unilateral control over sorting the town’s mail, the gray pegasus mare was quite happy to be lazing around the house without her daughter running around. Even though the filly was just a year shy of going to college, she was still a hoof-ful. With an adorable yawn that barely fit the age of the mare, Derpy sat upright and set aside the newspaper that had been resting on her belly. No real plans or callers, she’d just relax for once, maybe get some cleaning do- There was the unmistakable sound of metal on metal from just outside her door. Derpy turned to face it, her weak eye slowly drifting out of position from the sudden motion. It sort of sounded like somepony messing with her mailbox. Odd… her coworkers usually just kept her mail there for her to pick up the next day. Also, it was way off schedule. Her expression flattened. The new kid must have both not known to keep her mail for her and have been delayed in the sorting. With a light grumble, she trotted over to the door to see which carrier had delivered the mail and ask them what was going on. She opened the door to see the backside of a large red stallion trying to sneak away from her house. She closed her one eye and tried to control it back into a normal position, tilting her head. “B-big Mac?” she called out confusedly. “Uh,” Mac stopped in his tracks and turned back to face her, “Ee..” Derpy shook her head in a little shock, “What are you doing here, Mac? Is something wrong?” “Uh… Nope,” he replied, sort of looking down at his hooves. Derpy opened her mailbox and looked in, spotting a nearly unmarked envelope, only her name written on the outside in the stallion’s script, “What’s… this?” Mac chuckled shyly and finally made eye contact, “Surprise, Ah suppose.” Derpy chuckled a bit at him, “Better or worse than the last surprise you gave me?” “Don’t see how it could be better’n her,” Big Mac joked in return, his mood recovering, “Open it when she gets home.” Derpy tilted her head, “What are you up to, Mac?” “Nut’in,” he shook his head, “Jus’ keepin’ a promise.” Derpy eyed him suspiciously, but he turned to leave with a proud smile and his head held high. “I’ll tell Dinky you said, ‘Hi,’” Derpy called after him. Big Mac just waved to her over his shoulder. “So how was class?” Derpy asked across the dinner table. Dinky just smiled and shrugged, “Pretty good, you know how it is. Got another test back.” “Do I even need to ask?” Derpy joked with a proud smile. “Nah, not at this point, I don’t think,” Dinky giggled, “I’m sure you’d have noticed me moping by now if I did poorly.” “By ‘poorly’ you mean like… a B, right?” Derpy continued to tease. Dinky just shrugged and went back to her food with a grin. There was a long pause in the conversation before she brought up, “So I talked a bit to miss Cheerilee.” “About?” Derpy started to ask, but the context reached her quickly, “Oh, college stuff? Yeah, how’d that go?” “She’s pretty sure I could get into CU if I wanted,” Dinky reported with just a hint of sadness to her tone, “We talked a little about financial aid and stuff, but…” Derpy bit down on her lip, “Canterlot… it’s a good school. I- I’m sure if they let you in, we could make it happen.” “It’s an expensive school, is what you mean,” Dinky smiled weakly, “I was thinking… if I do get accepted there, I could probably use that for leverage somehow to get into some other uni. You know, ‘Hey, I’m smart enough CU wants me, what’s your offer?’” With a sad grin, Derpy replied, “Dinky… come on, you deserve the best. I’m sure I’ll make ends meet.” “But I don’t want you to have to,” Dinky retorted, “Don’t make yourself go broke just so I can get a fancy degree.” Derpy wanted to object, but the words caught in her throat. She knew a private university like that was way out of their budget, but… she sighed and shook her head. There was a long silence at the table, the two of them both just stick with their minds running in circles for ideas. Some things were just… out of their grasp, though. Derpy sighed deeply as she finished her food, but Dinky reached forward to take her hoof comfortingly. Derpy forced a smile and stood, taking both of their empty plates and heading off to set them in the sink. On the way out of the room, she spotted that envelope on a counter. Blinking a bit, Derpy realized she’d forgotten all about it through her lazy day. After setting down the plates, she grabbed the letter and looked around for Dinky again, who had made her way to the couch. Dinky watched her mom walk into the room curiously, “What’s the envelope?” Derpy just looked down at it and flopped down on the couch beside her daughter, “Dunno, haven’t opened it yet.” Casually lighting her horn, Dinky cleanly slitted the top edge of the envelope, “There ya go.” Derpy smiled and nodded, knowing that would have taken her far longer to pull off, and pulled out the piece of paper inside. Oddly enough, it looked like a bank statement. She opened up the folded piece of paper and looked at it for just a second before dropping it and covering her mouth. “W-what happened?” Dinky sat abruptly upright, picking up the paper in her magic and looking at it herself. Derpy just laughed once, the shock of it too much for her. Dinky just stared at the sheet blankly, “Wait, you have a college savings account for me?” “Nope,” Derpy replied with a smile, tears welling into her eyes. Dinky just gestured at the name on the holder’s line. ‘Parent of Dinky Hooves’ Derpy took her hoof and slid it down to the line that read ‘Current Balance.’ Dinky dropped the paper as well.
In Which Big Macintosh Admits Something to RarityHumming as she worked, Rarity’s day was going along quite nicely. Unlike the average pony, who tended to slowly come to hate their work, she truly loved making dresses. Making the day’s prospects even more delightful was an upcoming date. She and Big Macintosh had been seeing each other for a few months now, and he had proven quite a charmer. Reserved, but sturdy. Quiet, but affectionate. Rarity beamed, perhaps this was a relationship she wanted to take further. The going had been slow, Mac being more reserved in romance than she’d expected. It took him almost a month to gather the will for their first real kiss, but what a kiss it was. Noticing she’d stopped working, Rarity got back to making dresses with added fervor. A knock came at the door. Surprised, Rarity stepped into the main room and swung the door open, expecting a customer. Instead, the doorframe was nearly filled with a wall of muscle with a vibrant red coat. “Afternoon, Rarity,” Big Mac stated in a tone most would hear as flat. Rarity knew better, she could hear the hesitance in his tone, “Mac, darling. Do come in. Is something wrong? You’re here awfully early.” “Yeah, well, Ah just came from the doctor,” he mumbled, having trouble making eye contact. “Oh my goodness,” Rarity exclaimed, rushing to his side to look him over, “Are you alright? What happened?” “Well,” Big Mac explained, “Ah’d been feeling sick recently. Kinda tired too. AJ told me to see the doctor and uh…” “Yes, darling, do go on,” Rarity egged. Big Macintosh cleared his throat and took a deep breath before announcing, “Ah think you mighta got me pregnant.” Rarity was shocked still for a moment before sense got the better of her and she started laughing, “Oh, dear, I can’t believe you just got me with that. I feel like a total fool. I must say, impressive prank.” “Uhh…” Mac scratched at the floor hesitantly, “Ah ain’t jokin’.” Rarity’s laughter froze in her throat, “I… what?” “Doc said Ah was about two months in.” Rarity raised a hoof like she was about to argue, but no words formed properly in her mind. “Ah’m not really sure how you want to handle this,” Big Mac mumbled awkwardly. Rarity sat on the ground, dumbfounded, “But you’re a stallion.” “Eeyup.” “Big Mac, you do understand how pregnancy works, yes?” Mac stamped the ground and snapped out in frustration, “Well darn it, Ah thought Ah did, but Ah guess Ah was wrong.” Rarity craned her neck around to look at Big Mac’s underside. Everything looked perfectly normal for a healthy stallion of his size. She looked up at him again in confusion. “Should we like… get married or something?” Big Mac awkwardly posited, “Like, ain’t that what you do in this sorta sityation?” “But we haven’t even…” Rarity trailed off, making hoof gestures, “You know…” “Nnope.” “Do we really-” Rarity started before a quick pause to think about what she was saying, “This feels so ridiculous to say. Do we really know it’s mine?” Big Macintosh looked insulted, “Ain’t like Ah been with anypony else in the past two months.” “I didn’t…” Rarity stumbled before deflating sadly, “Sorry, that came out wrong.” Big Mac walked over and put a hoof over her shoulder, “Don’t worry, Ah understand.” Rarity looked up at him through dampened eyes, “You do?” “Yeah,” Mac explained, “Ah was the same way when Ah got Derpy pregnant.”
In Which Scootaloo Leaves for CollegeLooking around her room, Scootaloo couldn’t help but reminisce. The past four years had been like a dream. After so long as an orphan, she’d lost hope of adoption. Then came Twilight. Even though she’d never completely explained why she decided to adopt, Scootaloo was ecstatic. Moving into a castle, having somepony who truly cared for her, Scootaloo had long since stopped dreaming of that day. Yet it came. Now, after four wonderful years with Twilight in Ponyville, she was packing up her things. It had been a few weeks since she was accepted to Canterlot University, but she was still aglow with excitement. She looked around the room at all of the belongings she’d be taking with her, packed away into bags and boxes. Her eyes locked on her old scooter, once the only thing she was proud to own, now far too small for her to use. She couldn’t dream to part with it, though. The thoughts of parting made her look towards the next room. She knew Twilight was excited to see her head off for university, mostly from pride at her academic success, but Twilight wasn’t the only one she lived with. Stepping into the hall, she nervously opened the door to the room beside hers. Spike had grown tremendously in four years, now easily taller than most ponies. He sat at his desk, scribbling at something intently. Scootaloo always loved watching him when he was so focused, something in his intense stare betraying his abandoned instincts. Spike sniffed the air audibly and turned around, “Heya, Scoot. What’s up? Need help packing?” “Nah, I’m basically done,” Scootaloo replied, plopping down to sit on Spike’s bed, “What you up to?” Spike turned around to sit backwards in his chair, legs on either side of the back, and grabbed the paper he was drawing on, “Got bored, made a comic.” Scootaloo leaned in to look at the sketch, letting out a hearty chuckle, “Romantic comedy? Really, Spike?” “Eh, shuddup,” Spike retorted playfully, “I’ve never been good with action, romance is more my thing.” Scootaloo inadvertently swallowed hard, looking up at Spike. He’d really gotten handsome over the years, with his square jaw and muscular body. He smiled, the faintest suggestion of his sharp teeth visible between his parted lips. Noticing she was staring, Scootaloo turned to look out the doorway into the hall, hoping that her blush wasn’t enough to show. “You’re going to miss me, aren’t you?” Spike asked in a comforting tone. “What? N-” Scootaloo shouted, spinning to face Spike, but she stopped herself and stared at her hooves, “You know what, yeah… I am.” Spike stood from his seat and walked over, putting his arms around Scootaloo. She couldn’t help but sink into the hug, resting her cheek on his shoulder. She really would miss him. He’d been so important to her life over the past years, she wasn’t sure what life would be like without him to help her along. “I’ll miss you too, Scoot,” Spike whispered. As the moment slowly passed, they pulled apart and Spike sat on the bed next to her. Scootaloo flopped backwards, staring up at the vaulted ceilings of the castle. Spike soon joined her, and they lay down side by side, her hooves and his legs dangling off the side of the bed. “You know…” Scootaloo started. “Hmm?” Hesitating, she continued, “I really see you as one of the best friends I’ve got.” Spike chuckled, “Hey, thanks. I could say the same.” There was a pause before she finished the thought, “I’ve never really seen you as a brother, though.” “No?” Spike wondered, turning to look at her, “Yeah, I know what you mean. As much as we’re officially family, it’s… different.” Scootaloo tilted her head to catch his eye, “I just really wanted to thank you for everything before I go.” Spike reached a hand up and ruffled her mane, smiling a toothy smile, “Yeah, no big deal. You’ve helped me plenty, too.” “Really?” Scootaloo asked in surprise, “Like how?” Spike’s eyes inadvertently flicked to look at something before returning to Scootaloo, “Oh, you know, all sorts of stuff.” Scootaloo followed the line that Spike had glanced at back to his desk, the comic sketch still laying out atop it. She chuckled, her gaze returning skyward, “You too, huh?” Spike let out a deep sigh, sliding his arm behind her head, “Yeah…”
In Which Something Breaks Vinyl Scratch's WindowIt was late in the afternoon and Vinyl Scratch had just woken up. With her roommate out doing whatever ponies do in the daytime, Vinyl slowly forced herself out of bed. As much as she hated waking up while the sun was still out, she had things to do. Just as she was about to leave her room, there was the bang and tinkle of her window shattering. She rushed over to look out the window and see what was going on, avoiding the glass all over the floor. Outside, three young fillies were running around making noise. She punched her window frame in an attempt to get their attention, but nothing. It was times like these Vinyl wished she was born with vocal cords. She felt the deep need to yell at the fillies, but she knew full well it couldn’t happen. She recognized the three of them, so at the very least she could get something done about it later, but right now she just wanted to tear into them. Punching the window frame once more in frustration, Vinyl turned to look at the mess. Sweeping all the glass shards into a pile with her magic, Vinyl finally spotted what had broken the window. It looked like a black rock or something, kind of shaped like a bent cone. Stepping closer to look at it, it didn’t seem like stone at all. It almost looked like a horn. As she stared, she felt something warm running down her cheek. Touching her face, her hoof came back with a trace of blood on it. Confused, she trotted over to her bedroom’s attached bathroom to check in her mirror. A tiny glass shard had managed to imbed itself in her cheek bone. Giving thanks it hadn’t been an inch higher, Vinyl pulled it out and wiped up the wound, tossing the bloody shard in the garbage pail. With the shard removed, the blood came faster, but it was still just a minor cut. Wiping off the blood with some tissue, she bandaged herself and got back to cleaning. Her first thought was to get the glass off the floor before she stepped in it. One search for a dustpan later and the job was done, the glass dumped into the bin with the bloody tissues. All that was left was the odd black object. As Vinyl picked up the thing, she immediately felt a wave of fatigue. It was taking immensely more magic to hold than made any sense, and she was quickly light headed and woozy. She quickly noticed that the tip of the cone began to glow red with energy as she held it. In firm rejection of its incredibly ominous appearance, Vinyl dunked the object with great force into the garbage where it belonged. Struggling to catch her breath and not be sick, Vinyl’s mind staggered for a next move. Crazy magical shit, probably should tell somepony. She could mention it to Rarity, see if word could get to Twilight Sparkle. No, they were out of town, they’d taken a train to the northern wastes just the previous day. Vinyl heard a crackling noise from the garbage. Suspiciously stepping forward, she glanced inside. The horn, sitting in a pile of bloody tissues and shattered glass, had begun emitting short arcs of black lightning. Soon after, a deep purple and green glow filled the bin and Vinyl staggered backward in a panic. A bolt of dark lightning knocked the bin over, sending its contents spilling all over the floor once more, between her and the only door out of her room. As the deep and foreboding glow grew larger, Vinyl dashed back over to her window. Flailing her hooves around, she attempted in vain to get anypony’s attention. She wanted to call for help, but- There was a definitive crack of thunder and the sound of all the broken glass falling to the floor again. Vinyl slowly turned to look, terrified of what she’d see. Standing before her was a pony who looked nearly identical to her, save a few glaring details. The first and most obvious difference was her eyes, a deep crimson with that same ominous magical glow smoking out of them. Her coat was charcoal grey, her mane jet black, and her horn was replaced with the object that had shattered the window in the first place. The dark mare stood there, proud and terrifying, and began to laugh. Well, she tried to, at least. Half way through what looked to be a masterful evil cackle, she paused, confused. She touched her throat, trying to talk, her voice only coming out a whisper. “What the Devil is going on?” Despite herself, Vinyl’s fear immediately shifted into amused schadenfreude, and she whispered back, “Sucks, don’t it?” The dark mare slammed a hoof down on the coffee table, attempting to shout in a whisper, “Unacceptable!” Vinyl laughed at the impotent rage. They had moved to the living room to sit and talk, and were now both sitting on the couch so they could hear each other properly. As the other mare put it, Vinyl was currently briefing her on the situation. The momentary chuckle earned Vinyl a stern glare from her visitor. “Do you think this is funny, mortal?” She hissed, “You need to watch your tongue in the presence of a king.” “Queen,” Vinyl corrected in amusement. “I don’t give a damn what body I’m in, I am a king and you will respect me as such,” she said with as much volume as she could manage, raising a hoof and striking Vinyl. The moment was a strange one. Vinyl flinched as the hoof came down, but all she felt was the slightest brush of her cheek. At the same instant, her visitor’s head cranked sideways like she’d just gotten sucker punched, sending her sprawling backwards across the couch. As she slowly realized what had just happened, Vinyl couldn’t help but point and laugh. Sitting upright and glancing around the room in shock, the dark mare mumbled something just too quiet and far away to be understood through Vinyl’s laughter. The dark mare glared at Vinyl for answers, but just received an equally confused shrug. Gently slapping herself on the cheek, Vinyl watched as her guest very clearly was the one to take the force of the blow. The act earned her a continued glare, but the point was clearly made. “What’s your name?” Vinyl finally decided to ask. Sitting upright, struggling to maintain her dignity in light of the situation, the visitor replied, “King Sombra.” “Queen,” Vinyl retorted. Author's Note To be continued????????
In Which a Classy Mare Shows Up at My OfficeIt was a rainy night like any other, the only sound I could hear was the water rolling down my window in sheets. I sat at my desk, staring down at the pile of bills and glass of scotch that I had to keep me company. I was between cases, so I had little else to do but sit in my office and wait. Ponies keep telling me private investigation is a dying business, but that hasn’t stopped me yet. The sound of a knock at my door caught my attention. Looking up, a silhouette cast on the frosted glass blocked the light from the hallway. I knew this could only be one pony. I sat there, hoping she’d assume I wasn’t in if I didn’t respond. Instead, she opened the door. Backlit by the hall, she was even more beautiful than usual. Her soft, white coat was glowing like a beacon in the dark room, and the gentle curl of her perfect purple mane was framing her gorgeous face. She was a living work of art. Rarity. The type of mare most ponies would love the attention of, but I knew her too well. Beneath that slinky black dress and extravagantly large hat was a heart of ice. She smiled at me, “Ah, Miss Sparkle, so you are in.” With a disappointed sigh, I lifted the glass of scotch to my lips, “I thought I told you not to come here anymore.” She looked hurt, but she more than deserved it. She’d put me through too much. Quietly, she walked up to my desk and sat opposite me, avoiding my gaze. “I was hoping you’d be willing to forget that if it was for business,” she whispered regretfully. Setting down my glass with a clink, I looked her over. I could already tell she was trying to play me, but I wanted to see where this was going, “Alright, I’m listening.” She looked back up with eyes full of shame, “My… coltfriend went missing.” It was just four words, but they ran me through like a lance. I wanted to yell, I wanted to kick her out, tell her I was done with her games, but I could see her expression. She knew I was going to say no, but she had nowhere else to go. Finishing off my drink in one go, I stared her down, “What happened?” “We’ve been seeing each other for a few months,” She began to explain, “It was just a casual thing, but he was always so great to me. We’d been talking about something more serious, but… One day I went to visit him and he was gone. His room had been tossed and there was no sign of him. I asked the neighbors, and they said they’d heard a scuffle. I… I just didn’t know what to do.” She buried her face in her hooves and wept gently. As much as I hated her, I still loved her. Seeing her cry like that was something I couldn’t bear. “Alright,” I replied, “You know my rates.” She stood up, looking me in the eye with her bleeding makeup, and smiled gently. I could feel my expression had softened. She had me wrapped around her hoof, and she knew it. I just watched in silence as she walked around my desk to be beside me. The feeling of her body pressed against my side sent chills down my spine, and the weight of her head on my shoulder was so familiar and welcome. Even the sound of her sniffling back tears brought back memories of a better time. I leaned my head against hers, a part of me longing for what we used to have. She lifted her head, and our faces were inches apart. I turned to look her in the eye, our horns knocking together with a gentle clunk. It had been so long since I’d seen her this close. Her eyes were like sapphires, glittering with the remnants of tears. Her lips, so warm and inviting. She just smiled. I leaned in. The lights abruptly turned on, Spike walking into the room with a scroll in claw, “Hey Twilight, I just got a letter from Celes- What the Hell?” Rarity and I both turned awkwardly, the fantasy shattered by being able to see the features of the library. Spike stared at Rarity in her dress and me in my fedora, very slowly coming to terms with what he’d just walked in on. “Nope,” he announced, turning around, “Not dealing with this.” There was a long pause as Rarity and I sat together in embarrassing silence, but she finally spoke up, “Maybe we should do this at my place, next time.”
In Which Gilda Falls in LoveGilda felt disgraced. Flying home from Ponyville, she had nothing. Her only friend had just abandoned her, and she just had no idea how to process it. Nothing in her life had been like the friendship with Rainbow Dash, she just had no basis with which to cope. As she cruised over the tops of a massive grove of apple trees, she just had no idea what to do. It was too much for her to handle. Tears welling in her eyes, she was forced to land. Perching in a tree, she tried hard to restrain herself. It was more than she could manage to just focus on staying in the tree. She curled up, digging her talons and claws into the bark for balance, and just nestled in the branches. “What do I even do?” she sobbed, lost for how to deal with a failing friendship. A chill breeze cut through the orchard, cutting to the bone. Gilda impulsively pressed into the crook of the branch she lay on, relying on the relative warmth of the wood to block out the cold. Something about it felt so calming, like a huge arm around her. She wasn’t really sure what she was feeling, but she nestled further. The leaves of the tree rustled with the breeze, surrounding her with a relaxing white noise. She just felt so at peace here. It didn’t really make sense, but lying here in this tree was the only place she wanted to be right now. She didn’t want to go back home to the ruins of Griffonstone, to the desolation and reminder that she had nothing left for her life, and she certainly couldn’t return to Ponyville proper. All she had now was this wonderful spot in this tree. With a calmer voice, asking nobody, she repeated herself, “So what do I do?” The branches simply swayed. “There’s no point, is there? She’s already gone. I fucked up,” she grumbled, laying lengthwise along the bough. For some reason, a chill ran down her spine. She felt like she wasn’t quite alone. Looking around in a hurry, she didn’t see a thing, but the feeling remained. All the could see was the rustling of leaves. “Hello?’ Gilda called out, “Who’s there?” The air was silent save for the creak of the tree she sat in. It was only then that she noticed that the other trees were totally still. She paused. It was probably just her shaking the tree by being in it. It probably made sense. Yet… “Wait, can you… hear me?” Gilda asked awkwardly. The branch she lay on distinctly sagged underneath her, despite her remaining frozen. Gilda had no idea how to respond. She was talking to a tree. No, that was dumb, trees don’t talk. It was surely a coincidence. Some part of her was still hesitant to believe that, so she tested once more, “Um… do something if you want me to leave?” The tree, as with all those in the orchard, was still. Gilda felt completely ridiculous, but relieved. It was just a tree. She relaxed again, resting her chin on the branch and letting her body droop. A part of her was happy for the absurd distraction of it all. Getting her mind off of Dash was immensely helpful. “This is a nice tree, though,” she mumbled. Something light landed on top of her head and sat there. Gilda froze, surprised, and slowly reached up to see what it was. It was soft, and clearly not threatening. Grabbing it gently in her talons, she lifted it and pulled it into view. It was a single apple blossom. “Oh my god, you’re real,” Gilda sputtered, whipping around to stare at the tree trunk. She wanted to fly, but she lay there, stock still. The gentle rustle of the leaves and relaxing sway of the branch she was in slowly eased her back into calm. However this tree… existed, it clearly didn’t want her upset. Taking a big gulp, Gilda looked up into the leaves above her, “Okay. You’re a tree that understands words. I can almost pretend that’s a thing.” The sound of the leaves was lighter, higher pitched, cheery. Gilda let slip an awkward laugh, “So I guess you heard me when I got here.” The moment was quiet, but not silent, as the branches creaked sadly. “Thank you,” she mumbled under her breath, “You had no reason to care about me.” As the tree stayed silent, Gilda grumbled and covered her face with a talon, “I still can’t believe I’m talking to a tree.” Another cold breeze shook through the orchard and gilda found herself pressing more tightly to the branch she lay on, the bough groaning with the sudden pressure. Her talons had dug into the bark on reflex, and she stared down at the cuts in the branch in shock. Something about the scene made Gilda incredibly embarrassed, and she hopped from the branch to stand by the trunk awkwardly. “Sorry,” she mumbled, but the tree just rustled gently, calmly. Looking up, Gilda was hit by a rush of instinct. She really wanted to mark the tree, to drag her talons across its trunk and claim it as her own. The urge was immense, and she found herself with a single talon resting on the bark, the tips of her claws catching on the surface. Tiny chips of bark flaked off at her touch, its papery layers yielding to her touch. There was a creaking in the branches, but it didn’t sound like a complaint. In a sudden and purposeful swipe, Gilda raked her talons through the bark, leaving four deep gashes to the sapwood. The tree’s crown above her shook with the force, shivers running through them as the tense branches sagged with relief. Gilda also felt an immense pressure drained from her as her instincts were satisfied. Looking at the cuts in the bark, she saw the sweet sap running down the trenches that she’d left in it. With a slight waver in her voice and rapidly flushing cheeks, Gilda mumbled, “I should go… I’ll see you again some time.” Rubbing her neck along an undamaged portion of the trunk, she walked off with an embarrassing flutter in her heart.
In Which Fluttershy Summons a Dark GodAs the warm trickle of blood ran down the length of her hoof, Fluttershy was filled with an unexpected swell of anticipation. Dripping her life down upon the carvings in the wood floor, she watched as it flowed through the groves she’d made with the same blade she’d slit her skin with. A light breeze took through the room, killing all candles but one, leaving the pegasus barely visible in the darkness. With the room plunged in shadow, there were two things Fluttershy could properly see. Her blood was slowly beginning to luminesce, and she was no longer alone. In the single flickering light, she could just barely see a form twice her size in the shadows. Its body was serpentine and it bore just the slightest glint of eyes and teeth staring back at her. It had worked. “I, um…” she stammered, her plans for what to do next thrown out the window by a swell of fear, “thank You for answering my call.” “Why would a pony such as yourself call on an ancient one like me,” It asked in a predatory tone, “Answer quickly or I may grow bored.” Fluttershy steadied herself, “The Everfree Forest. I have heard that You command it. I w-” “Nobody controls the Everfree,” It spat out, “It’s right there in the name. Do your research next time you seek to commune with a god.” “But you made it,” Fluttershy shakily mumbled, “How could it not be yours?” The snakelike body started to wrap around the edge of the shadows in which Fluttershy stood, “You ponies know nothing of reality, and even less of freedom.” Immediately aware of her blood loss, Fluttershy began to waver with lightheadedness, “I just want to know how the animals care for themselves.” It froze, “Why?” “Because they don’t seem to need ponies, and I don’t understand why the ones outside the forest do.” It’s teeth grew closer to the light, shining with a dangerous smile, “You have my attention, pony.” It was done. Fluttershy felt… good. She wasn’t entirely sure if it was because of the result of the ritual or being drunk off of blood loss, but she felt giddy. With a quick glance down to the rapidly stitching cut in her hoof, she smiled. She knew what to do next. Her God knelt down and whispered in her ear, “This fraction of my power should be more than sufficient for your needs. I’m impressed, po- Fluttershy. You accepted that with more grace than I’d anticipated.” Fluttershy turned and smiled up at the ghostly, serpentine form of her new Master, eager to begin their work. With a paw, He brushed her mane aside to get a better look at her face. Despite his physical body long since being trapped in stone, he was still a man of theatrics. He smiled, but his sharp teeth no longer looked intimidating to Fluttershy. “As long as I can make the animals happy,” Fluttershy mumbled in a low, embarrassed whisper, “I will do anything you ask.” “That’s a good little pony,” He said, planting a tiny kiss on her forehead, “I’ll have need of you in a few years. Until then, take care of the Everfree for me.” Fluttershy smiled meekly at the kiss, “Yes, Discord.”
In Which Prince Blueblood Tries PotionsFormal royal affairs were always dull. The delegation from the Crystal Empire had arrived a few days ago, and it was finally the night of a formal ball. Prince Blueblood didn’t much care for all of that. Whether it was Cadance’s birthday party or not wouldn’t have much effect on his night, but it made for a lovely excuse. He stood there in the room with Canterlot’s finest, watching them mingle with the crystal ponies and their leaders, until he saw her. Through the door came his prize, a stunningly gorgeous mare, tall and lithe, her soft pink mane framing her angular white face. Apparently, her name was Fleur, but he didn’t much care. He subtly glared at the stallion beside her, Fancy Pants. He didn’t really know their relationship and, again, didn’t much care. He reached up with a hoof to pat at his collar, making sure the small pouch was still safely tucked inside. He was still uncertain if the book he’d read was history or a myth, but the recipe inside was easy enough for a foal to follow, and nothing dangerous. Still, a potion with the only ingredients being cloud and rainbow seemed awfully unlikely to work. He peeked below his collar, wanting to make sure the pouch was still alright. “Heya, Blueblood,” called a familiar, masculine voice from beside him. Prince Blueblood whipped around, tucking the pouch away once more, ready to lay into whoever it was for not addressing it properly, only to find Shining Armor beside him, “Ah-ha, Shining Armor, how have you been? You’ve been missed around Canterlot, you know. You wouldn’t believe how many depressed mares I have to console.” Shining snorted out a laugh, “Hey, I suppose you’re welcome for that then. Besides, you know those days are behind me.” Blueblood turned to look at Cadance, standing there happily beside the other Princesses, “Well, I’m hard pressed to say you could have found a better one, so I understand completely.” With a friendly shove, Shining snapped, “Hey, don’t get any ideas.” “She’s yours, relax,” Blueblood reassured with a chuckle. “Damn right,” Shining joked back, “Well, I should get back to mingling, we can catch up later.” Shining Armor waved and stepped off, leaving Prince Blueblood to get back to his scheme. He glanced around the room, finally spotting Fleur again. He’d have to figure out how to slip her the potion, which would be easier said than done. With her… with Fancy Pants beside her, it would be uncouth to approach and offer her a drink. He watched the staff wandering the room, holding their trays loaded with champagne flutes, looking for his moment. Soon, as each pony present had been offered their drink, his aunt began to speak. All attention in the room turned to Celestia, and Fleur set her drink on the table beside her. Blueblood stared at it. Some part of him knew he was doing the wrong thing. He hesitated, just watching the champagne bubble, completely ignoring his aunt’s speech. With a huff of air, he decided. In a quick flash of his magic, he pulled the pouch from his collar and took the two tiny bottles from within it. Quietly, nervously, he uncorked one and poured it in her drink. Quickly confirming nopony noticed, he dumped the other in his own glass. It was done. He stood, staring at his drink, the potion dissolved into nothing within. All at once, he felt ill. This was wrong. It was almost too late to stop. Princess Celestia sounded like she was about to propose a toast. Blueblood had to act. He quickly grabbed another glass from a passing waitress and swapped out the tainted one for a new, setting the laced drink aside and out of the way. Then came the toast. Fleur raised the glass, taking a sip of the perfectly normal champagne. Blueblood felt a lingering regret for ever having this idea in the first place, but raised his glass as well. He simply pretended to take a sip, not wanting to risk the contents. The party drew on, Blueblood occasionally checking to see if the staff would collect the abandoned drink. It still sat there, alone and dejected. As time drew on and he found himself the only one who still held a champagne glass, he felt an unfamiliar pressure. Was this really what it felt like to be the one at the party not drinking? That weird feeling as everypony around you has had more than you. Apparently Shining Armor had taken note, wandering over with what was surely a fresh glass, “What, you a teetotaler now?” Blueblood looked down at his drink, not wanting to explain the situation, “I… I saw the bottle, it’s not a year I enjoy.” “What?” Shining looked at him in surprise, “That’s like… are you sure you’re the same Blueblood I know? Those words are just… what’s going on?” Blueblood just shook his head, “I think I just want a different drink. This one won’t do.” Shining shrugged and plucked the flute from his grasp, offering his own in return. Blueblood looked over the champagne glass he was being offered before taking it with a smile, “Well… if you insist.” Not wanting to look like anything was strange in front of Shining, Blueblood downed the glass. His mind quickly registered the signs something was wrong. The champagne was warm, flat, and just the slightest bit spicy. He looked at the now empty glass quizzically. It couldn’t have been a fresh pour, at the very least. Shining must have gotten it- Prince Blueblood whipped his head around in a panic, spotting the table that should have had the glass originally intended for Fleur sitting on it. There was nothing there. In his panic, he turned back to Shining Armor, who was midway through drinking down the glass he’d just taken from Blueblood. He wanted to object, to stop Shining from drinking it, but he found himself hopelessly distracted. There was just something in Shining’s pose, the way he held the glass to his lips and tilted his head back, that screamed of all of his masculine energy. He wasn’t bothering with elegance or procedure, he just saw something he wanted and took it in one go. Something in that… excited Blueblood. Shining Armor looked back at him, his glimmering blue eyes locked on Blueblood’s own. In that moment, they could both feel it. The rest of the room melted away, as they were the only two ponies in the world. It was a strange, hot feeling. They both just stared in disbelief. “Blue?” Shining mumbled. Blueblood blinked, “Yeah, Shiney?” “D’you... “ Shining stumbled over his words, “wanna be my special somepony?” Prince Blueblood smiled, “Yeah. I do.” They stepped together, nuzzling affectionately at each other’s faces and necks, entirely oblivious to the sudden stunned silence in the room. The world outside was irrelevant now, as they had each other. They didn’t notice Cadance faint, the single guffaw from Fancy Pants, or Celestia calling for them to stop. The first evidence they recognized of anypony else existing was when the Royal Guard came to pull them apart. They fought, they struggled, they wanted nothing but to be together. Shining Armor threw up a shield and they both stood inside, protected from the guard, unable to even hear them. Not that they would have cared. The world was only them. It took two days before Shining Armor and Prince Blueblood finally collapsed from lack of food and water. Until that time, the grand ballroom was entirely off limits except to the guards on post waiting for them, and even they hated to enter the room. The two of them made quite the display, their saccharine affections too much for most to handle. When it was finally too much for Shining to maintain his magic, the spell flickered and died. Even with their malnourished bodies, it took a half dozen of the guards to pull them apart. The guards dragged them each to isolation, giving them time to work the potion from their systems. As they came to, they both forgot everything that had happened. They both simply moved on with life in confusion and ignorance. The rest of Canterlot wasn’t so lucky.
In Which Octavia Skips a ReunionWith a deep breath and her eyes closed, she drew her bow across the strings. A deep, resounding tone, vibrating spruce and maple panels, filled the air of a small bipartite Ponyville home. She lost herself in the sound of it, the music filling her soul and serving its purpose, to distract her from the thing she was trying to avoid dwelling on. The sound of a door slamming in the other half of the house snapped Octavia back to reality, grumbling to herself about her dear roommate’s severe lack of grace. She sighed, looking out her window into the distance, her mind instantly drawn back to the family reunion she was trying to pretend wasn’t happening just a few short miles away. She groaned and stood, setting her cello aside and resting the bow on her bed. She needed to find something better to distract herself with. Octavia wandered into the kitchen to find Vinyl silently eating a sandwich. Still more than a little frustrated at her attention having been broken, she complained, “You know, you’re going to break the hinges on that door some day, don’t you?” Vinyl casually signed back that she didn’t care. Chuckling derisively and shaking her head, Octavia opened the fridge, looking for some leftover food to reheat, but found a whole apple pie sitting there instead. More than a little confused, she turned to Vinyl, “Did you buy this?” Vinyl shook her head and gestured into the distance, adding quickly that Applejack came by with it. “She… came to see if I was attending, I assume?” Octavia tried to confirm. Vinyl just nodded and went back to her sandwich. Despite her mild frustration at the fact, Octavia couldn’t deny it looked like a nice pie. She grudgingly cut herself a slice and sat down across from Vinyl, taking a small bite, the sweet tartness of the pie pulling her mind back to a different time. She sighed nostalgically before melting back to her pit of sadness. Noting the obvious sadness across the table from her, Vinyl sat down her sandwich and reached forward to plop a hoof on Octavia’s shoulder, looking at her with deep concern. “I… do miss them,” Octavia admitted sadly, “I just…” The doorbell rang. Both mares sat upright, shaken out of their conversation instantly. Octavia leaned to look out into the living room, spotting a blonde mane and brown cowboy hat just barely visible through the window inset in the front door. With a defeated sigh, she stood, taking a few more bites of pie before she left. Octavia opened the door to see Applejack standing there, but said nothing, just looking at her like she knew why she was here. “Howdy, cuz,” Applejack said somberly, “we… kinda missed you today.” Octavia laughed dismissively, “Perhaps you did, but I doubt the rest of the family cared much.” AJ took off her hat and held it to her chest, “Tavi, it’s been years. You know ponies will be willing to move on by now. Ah-” “But I’m not,” Octavia refused, “I can’t just… pretend that part of my life never happened. The way they all acted…” “You ain’t gotta forgive ‘em all,” Applejack replied with her eyes closed, “but… she misses you.” Octavia winced in shame, her voice lowering to a whisper, “I- I can’t. I couldn’t face her.” “She’s your sister,” Applejack stated firmly, “and she don’t care none about any of that nonsense from back when you left for Canterlot.” Octavia hanged her head, “You can say that, but I still- I just can’t.” Applejack sadly put her hat back on, “Well… Ah’ll tell Fiddle you said ‘hi.’ One day- one day we’ll all play together again. Ah miss our dumb little string trio.” Chuckling sadly, Octavia nodded, “I miss it, too.” “Well,” Applejack smiled as she turned to leave, “Ah hope you enjoy that pie she made for ya.” Octavia stood just a little bit more upright, “Y-yeah. I’ll see you around, Applejack.” Applejack waved over her shoulder as she left. As she stepped back into her house, Octavia drifted back to the kitchen table. She looked down at the half eaten slice of pie, still waiting for her quietly. She sighed and closed her eyes, suddenly realizing exactly why it had brought back so many memories. She sat down in front of it, sniffling back a tear, and took another bite.
In Which Twilight Learns How to PrincessThe dormitory hallway in Canterlot Castle was not exactly the type of place one usually heard a door slam open, but this day was a special occasion. Twilight Sparkle grumbled as she staggered into her room and collapsed on the bed, legs and wings all splayed out in every direction. Following behind, an amused Princess Celestia stood just in the hall, grinning at her protege. “How the hell do you do it?” Twilight grumbled into her pillows, “It’s been days, and I’m trying as hard as I can, but holding court is completely ridiculous! How can you possibly just sit there and listen to them all whine like that?” Celestia chuckled, shaking her head, “Well… to some degree you just get used to it, Twilight. There are ways to think, ways to tune out, ways to cope. I’m sure you’ll find your own in time.” “Do I have to?” Twilight asked as she rolled over to face Celestia, already knowing the answer but wanting to vent anyway, “It’s an archaic tradition that doesn’t even do anything anymore. Surely my time is better used elsewhere.” With a smile, Celestia stepped into the room and toward the bed, “It’s… just something our subjects expect of us. It’s pageantry, of course, but if it helps our little ponies get through their days and trust we will take care of their concerns, it’s worth the time.” Sitting back upright, Twilight nodded in agreement, already knowing that full well, “Well… I know I’ll have to hold my own court soon enough, but I’m not sure just learning by practice like this is getting anywhere. You know listening to ponies complain drives me up a wall. Do you have anything, any idea that would help?” Celestia stopped approaching abruptly, looking like she’d been caught with her hoof in the cookie jar, before lowering her head and taking the last few steps to sit on the bed with her former student, “There are… some things that work for me, at least.” Hearing the hesitance in the Princess’ voice, Twilight tried to press gently, “I… could really use the help Prin- Celestia.” After a long pause and some obviously averted eye contact, Celestia finally spoke again, “Okay. Just… don’t judge me too harshly for any of this, okay?” “Never,” Twilight replied with a smile, “You know me better than that.” Reassured, Celestia began to explain, “There are… well, many ways to approach it. The first, and one of the most useful, is… I assume you’ve encountered the term schadenfreude.” “Laughing at others’ misfortune?” Twilight defined quizzically, “What does that have- Wait, you expect me to-” “Well, you find them annoying, yes?” Celestia replied with a gentle smirk, “All of their petty complaints?” Twilight’s expression turned from shock to light amusement, “So… all that time you were just… laughing at them internally?” Celestia said nothing, but her blush and shrug was enough of an answer. Twilight covered her mouth, but not in shock. No, it was a shared amusement. They truly had been annoying and petty all day. As soon as she realized she was under no obligation to actually be concerned with their issues… Twilight snorted out a laugh. Grinning, Celestia added, “Remember that one complaining about grazing rights? Oh, I just couldn’t help but imagine that he was the one doing the grazing. Just think about it, picture it.” Covering her face to hide her amusement, Twilight replied, “Oh wow, he was just the worst, wasn’t he? So entitled. Picturing him…” “So that works for you, then?” Celestia asked. “It’s…” Twilight snickered, “It’s a start, at least. I had no idea you were so…” “Probably best to not finish that sentence,” Celestia replied with a wink, “but yes. It’s worked for me for centuries. I hope it serves you well.” Wiping the tears from her eyes, Twilight smiled back, “Yeah. I think it will.”
In Which Teenagers Ride a TrainThe gentle rocking of a train in motion had always relaxed Spike. There was just something about the dull clatter of the wheels on the track and the idle rhythmic sway that never failed to draw him into a restful state, even into his teenage years. The ride back from Canterlot was never a particularly long one, but was always just long enough to lull him near to sleep. Lounging on the bench with his eyes closed, he let out a stifled yawn. His moment was interrupted by the sound of the door between cars opening and a familiar voice he couldn’t quite place, like he hadn’t heard it in a long while. She was grumbling about something, he couldn’t make out the details, an idle complaint about the state of the car she’d just come from. Blearily, he opened his eyes and sat up, looking over his shoulder to see the mare just behind him. Diamond Tiara looked immensely surprised to have found an adolescent dragon staring at her, but her shock wore off as she managed to recognize him despite his more angular features, “S-Spike? Well, I’ve got to admit I didn’t expect you to be the first familiar face.” Spike smiled back, his youthful cheer still quite alive, “Heya, Diamond. Wow, how long has it been? Your parents shipped you off to some boarding prep school, right?” Diamond’s sigh was enough confirmation of that, “Finally done with that waste of my time, just picking up a few of my old things before the semester starts up.” Spike settled back a bit, “Oh yeah? Where’d you wind up getting in to?” “North Manehattan Business,” Diamond Tiara replied idly, as if getting into a notable university was nothing to her, “It seems… well better than prep school at least.” The train jostled as it moved down the tracks, nearly tossing Diamond from her hooves. Spike reached out on reflex, catching her by the shoulder. Diamond seemed surprised, still reeling slightly from the near fall, but honestly far more distracted by the peculiar feeling of a scaled claw against her. Unsure exactly how to read her reaction, Spike slowly and awkwardly withdrew his hand. “Maybe you should…” Spike tried to pull the conversation along, looking around the car, “find a place to sit? Like, so you don’t fall over again?” Snapping back to her senses, Diamond looked him in the eye again, “Oh, yeah, right. Sorry, I just…” She made a bit of a show of looking around at all of the seats, plenty of open benches available, before sitting down on the one facing Spike. He watched the display with mounting confusion, his history with the mare leaving him rightfully suspicious. “So, are you coming from Canterlot?” Diamond spoke to break the silence. “Wh-” Spike stammered, “Yeah. I was just visiting Scootaloo. She goes to college there.” Diamond nodded awkwardly, “Yeah, okay, that makes sense. You two are…” Spike had no idea where she was trying to lead at first, but coughed out a confused and flustered, “Siblings. We are… Twilight adopted her.” “Oh!” Diamond replied in pleasant surprise, “That’s… good. I mean, for her. Well, all of you.” “...Yeah,” Spike agreed suspiciously, “Yes it… is.” They both sat there in strained silence for a while, Diamond clearly wanting to say something and Spike trying to piece together the conversation into anything other than what it obviously seemed. He looked down at the claw he’d caught her with, still unconsciously feeling her coat against his scales. Shaking his head, he looked back up to see her smiling embarrassedly. “Okay, wait, hold on,” Spike requested, leaning back against his bench and rubbing his face with his hands, “I’m clearly missing something here. What is it?” Diamond Tiara’s blush finally grew deep enough to be visible despite her pink coat, “W- what do you think it- Shut up!” Spike jumped in surprise at the change in tone, but this was a side to the young earth pony he was far more familiar with, “I just… I’m pretty sure I understand, but… what?” Diamond blew air through her teeth in frustration, looking out the window, “Oh, just be quiet. Going to an all fillies’ school is weird.” As the last piece fell in place, Spike turned away so she wouldn’t be able to see him laughing silently. Now things made sense. He steadied himself and turned back to her with a friendly smile, “Well hey, no harm no foul. Sorry for being dense.” Diamond struggled to hold back a smile as she held pose, staring out the window, “Well… I suppose just take it as a compliment.” Wry grin on his lips, Spike settled back against his bench and closed his eyes, “Will do.”
In Which a Mare Just Wants to be BoringShe was just a normal mare, average in every way. She woke up in the morning, fed her pets, ate breakfast like any other. Perhaps she was a little more studious with the housework, but that’s far from an odd trait. No, the only oddness in her life came from the world around her choosing to make her important. When she decided to be honest with herself, she knew she was boring, she knew she was mild mannered and would blend into any crowd, and that was how she liked it. Such a shame that the world around her kept pushing her front and center when she was so… uninteresting compared to those she spent her time with. Having made her way to Ponyville square, she quietly looked around for anything happening. There was a mild commotion near a house she recognized as shared by two talented musicians, loud music and bright lights. She reflexively shied away from the disturbance and went about her business. She just wanted to buy some groceries and be fitted for a dress. Whatever… that was, somepony else could deal with it. She didn’t have any powers or useful talents, all she had was a pretty face and the ability to make ponies feel guilty. She didn’t want to risk getting involved. Stopping in front of the Carousel Boutique, she gently rapped on the door. The door slowly swung open to reveal the resident white unicorn, a mare she’d always been jealous of to some degree. Sure, Rarity wasn’t perfect. She could even be horribly mean at times. Yet still… she was jealous of knowing there was someone in the town who was not just beautiful, but had confidence, poise, and a personality that carried her. Still, she couldn’t help but smile weakly at her friend. She’d… get along. She always did. “Darling, it’s so good to see you,” Rarity announced, hugging her, “So is this a social call, or is something the matter?” “Oh,” she replied hesitantly, “I was just wondering about the dress you were working on for me.” Rarity laughed at herself, “Oh, dear me, I’ve just been so distracted. Of course! It’s mostly done, just needs a final fit and tailoring to your body, dearie.” She smiled back, honestly surprised that it was already done, “That’s great, can we do it today?” “Of course,” Rarity replied, but her smile turned coy, “What’s the rush, my dear? Got a hot date tonight?” She chuckled back dismissively, “N-no, I just… wanted to stay home for a few days if I could. I have chores to do and it would be easier to not have to walk all the way to town.” Rarity pouted with concern, “Darling, you really need to get out more. I know you’ve… got your reasons, but-” “It’s fine,” she interrupted, “I… had so many opportunities to grow like you have the past few years, but… that’s not for me, you know? I, well, I like myself how I am. I don’t really need to change. If I were to grow and develop… where would I even go?” Rarity wanted to object, but… she really had no idea. It seemed like something that should have a legitimate answer. There had to be a direction she could take, one that would make her life better. “You could try to work on your fears,” Rarity stammered, “Just think about how much happier you’d be.” She looked Rarity squarely in the eye, “But that’s all I have. If you get rid of that, then what am I? Just another nice mare, right? Then again, I don’t know, maybe that’s what I honestly want. A normal life.” The words caught in Rarity’s throat. “I know you want to help,” she continued quietly, tears welling in her eyes, “I know you think my life needs more adventure, more drama, but…” “Darling,” Rarity cut her off consolingly, “I didn’t know y-” “I’ve just always been too scared to tell you,” she replied, staring at her hooves, “But… that fear is what makes me me. I’m not going to give it up. If I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t have anything.” Rarity stepped forward and wrapped her foreleg around the mare’s shoulders in a hug, “I know things have been hard for you recently. I’m here for you.” “I just… I don’t belong here, saving the world. It’s all just so stressful. I’m not like the rest of you girls,” she stepped back to look Rarity in the eye, “I just want a normal life.” Rarity gently rested her forehead to her friend’s, “I know, Fluttershy, I know.”
In Which Dad Stops ByIt was a truly rare day. A weekday off. As much as she hated to give up some of her usually unilateral control over sorting the town’s mail, the gray pegasus mare was quite happy to be lazing around the house without her daughter running around. Even though the filly was just a year shy of going to college, she was still a hoof-ful. With an adorable yawn that barely fit the age of the mare, Derpy sat upright and set aside the newspaper that had been resting on her belly. No real plans or callers, she’d just relax for once, maybe get some cleaning do- There was the unmistakable sound of metal on metal from just outside her door. Derpy turned to face it, her weak eye slowly drifting out of position from the sudden motion. It sort of sounded like somepony messing with her mailbox. Odd… her coworkers usually just kept her mail there for her to pick up the next day. Also, it was way off schedule. Her expression flattened. The new kid must have both not known to keep her mail for her and have been delayed in the sorting. With a light grumble, she trotted over to the door to see which carrier had delivered the mail and ask them what was going on. She opened the door to see the backside of a large red stallion trying to sneak away from her house. She closed her one eye and tried to control it back into a normal position, tilting her head. “B-big Mac?” she called out confusedly. “Uh,” Mac stopped in his tracks and turned back to face her, “Ee..” Derpy shook her head in a little shock, “What are you doing here, Mac? Is something wrong?” “Uh… Nope,” he replied, sort of looking down at his hooves. Derpy opened her mailbox and looked in, spotting a nearly unmarked envelope, only her name written on the outside in the stallion’s script, “What’s… this?” Mac chuckled shyly and finally made eye contact, “Surprise, Ah suppose.” Derpy chuckled a bit at him, “Better or worse than the last surprise you gave me?” “Don’t see how it could be better’n her,” Big Mac joked in return, his mood recovering, “Open it when she gets home.” Derpy tilted her head, “What are you up to, Mac?” “Nut’in,” he shook his head, “Jus’ keepin’ a promise.” Derpy eyed him suspiciously, but he turned to leave with a proud smile and his head held high. “I’ll tell Dinky you said, ‘Hi,’” Derpy called after him. Big Mac just waved to her over his shoulder. “So how was class?” Derpy asked across the dinner table. Dinky just smiled and shrugged, “Pretty good, you know how it is. Got another test back.” “Do I even need to ask?” Derpy joked with a proud smile. “Nah, not at this point, I don’t think,” Dinky giggled, “I’m sure you’d have noticed me moping by now if I did poorly.” “By ‘poorly’ you mean like… a B, right?” Derpy continued to tease. Dinky just shrugged and went back to her food with a grin. There was a long pause in the conversation before she brought up, “So I talked a bit to miss Cheerilee.” “About?” Derpy started to ask, but the context reached her quickly, “Oh, college stuff? Yeah, how’d that go?” “She’s pretty sure I could get into CU if I wanted,” Dinky reported with just a hint of sadness to her tone, “We talked a little about financial aid and stuff, but…” Derpy bit down on her lip, “Canterlot… it’s a good school. I- I’m sure if they let you in, we could make it happen.” “It’s an expensive school, is what you mean,” Dinky smiled weakly, “I was thinking… if I do get accepted there, I could probably use that for leverage somehow to get into some other uni. You know, ‘Hey, I’m smart enough CU wants me, what’s your offer?’” With a sad grin, Derpy replied, “Dinky… come on, you deserve the best. I’m sure I’ll make ends meet.” “But I don’t want you to have to,” Dinky retorted, “Don’t make yourself go broke just so I can get a fancy degree.” Derpy wanted to object, but the words caught in her throat. She knew a private university like that was way out of their budget, but… she sighed and shook her head. There was a long silence at the table, the two of them both just stick with their minds running in circles for ideas. Some things were just… out of their grasp, though. Derpy sighed deeply as she finished her food, but Dinky reached forward to take her hoof comfortingly. Derpy forced a smile and stood, taking both of their empty plates and heading off to set them in the sink. On the way out of the room, she spotted that envelope on a counter. Blinking a bit, Derpy realized she’d forgotten all about it through her lazy day. After setting down the plates, she grabbed the letter and looked around for Dinky again, who had made her way to the couch. Dinky watched her mom walk into the room curiously, “What’s the envelope?” Derpy just looked down at it and flopped down on the couch beside her daughter, “Dunno, haven’t opened it yet.” Casually lighting her horn, Dinky cleanly slitted the top edge of the envelope, “There ya go.” Derpy smiled and nodded, knowing that would have taken her far longer to pull off, and pulled out the piece of paper inside. Oddly enough, it looked like a bank statement. She opened up the folded piece of paper and looked at it for just a second before dropping it and covering her mouth. “W-what happened?” Dinky sat abruptly upright, picking up the paper in her magic and looking at it herself. Derpy just laughed once, the shock of it too much for her. Dinky just stared at the sheet blankly, “Wait, you have a college savings account for me?” “Nope,” Derpy replied with a smile, tears welling into her eyes. Dinky just gestured at the name on the holder’s line. ‘Parent of Dinky Hooves’ Derpy took her hoof and slid it down to the line that read ‘Current Balance.’ Dinky dropped the paper as well.
