The Snippet Series Season 1 Finaleby Casketbase77ChaptersThe Pale Pony and the Maverick MareThe Creature-Crazed KidThe Familiar FaceThe School SpiritThe Pale Pony and the Maverick Mare“Look, Li! They’re doin’ the bit!” Vitty thumped her cloven hooves excitedly on the bleachers while she gaped at the performers on the field. “They’re doin’ it!” “Uh huh.” Lightning Dust was indeed looking, but it was away from the halftime show and into the depths of her popcorn bag for something still edible. All that seemed to be left were unpopped kernels. She felt it. The reflexive anger boiling up at being slighted again, this time by a worthless concession stand worker who’d sold her a subpar snack. It was wrong. She’d had enough counseling to know that by now. She had also learned to get her mind off her own ego by giving an earnest compliment to whoever she was with. “Thanks for inviting me to come to the Wonderbolt show with you, Vitty. You remembered me mentioning I almost flew with them once, which means you’re a good friend who-” “There they go!” Lightning Dust’s attention snapped to the cheerleaders performing the halftime show just in time to see the captain vault into the air. Lightning almost laughed at the absurdity of a cheer squad doing aerial stunts at a Wonderbolt show. It was comparable to an amatuer singer opening a Vinyl Scratch concert, wasn't it? Apparently it wasn't, because the cheer captain tucked into a ball and arced at the stands with alarming speed. Vitty and several others cheered for some reason at the imminent impact, and just as Lightning Dust was flaring her wings to jet out of the way, the cheer captain phased noiselessly through the crowd in a muddy green blur that didn’t leave so much as a tailwind. Applause erupted all around as the captain rose up from the ground back near her support squad’s formation to strike a bashful pose in profile. Only then did Lightning Dust notice the 'pony' had a translucent fog trail where a pair of hind legs should’ve been. “She’s a ghost?” Lightning Dust had heard rumors of the Barracks Banshee of course. Every past and present cadet had, and promptly laughed them off. “Where’d a Pegasus cheer squad recruit an undead Earth Pony?” “Stranger things’ve happened in this corner of Equestria,” Vitty reported. “I even heard tell that the local Zebra found a lost Umbrum half-breed wanderin’ the woods not far from ‘ere.” “Wasn’t that Umbrum you, though?” “Was makin’ a craic, Li. A joke. Guess it didn’t land.” “Oh.” Vitty stood up to let another showgoer pass by on the way to the aisle, and Lightning Dust followed suit. With the cheer squad’s routine concluded and the Wonderbolts themselves not due to come back for another ten minutes, the bleachers were emptying of ponies who wanted to stretch their legs or take bathroom breaks. Lightning Dust spied the cheer squad idling on field sidelines with their intangible leader, laughing at an inaudible joke one of them had told. “I’m keen to go say hi,” Vitty announced. “Wanna come with?” Truthfully, Lightning Dust was still miffed about that fakeout divebomb and didn’t want to give the smug specter any satisfaction. But Vitty’s big crimson eyes were shining bright with excitement. Only a stupid pony would say no to that. “Yeah. Let’s go.” “Go Bragh!” Vitty exalted. “Let’s pick up another sack o’ popcorn on our way, yeah? Noticed our last one is a bit lackin’ in edible bits on its low end. There’s some shameful shortchangin’, if ya ask me.” Lightning Dust allowed herself a vindicated nod before descending the bleacher stairs after her friend. The Creature-Crazed KidFlurry Heart’s hoofguard regalia lay discarded to her side as she manically dug through the dirt beneath the bleachers. Dad had suggested she attend a Wonderbolt performance to unwind, but how could she possibly do that when she just witnessed an Earth Pony cheerleader vanish in midair? Okay, technically she scrunched her eyes shut at the last second before the Earth Pony slammed into her, but that just made the experience make even less sense. She’d missed the most important part and since she was at the show alone she had no one to ask about it. Bringing her button nose as close to the dirty ground as she dared, Flurry strained to smell any of that smokey dusty glitter that teleportation spells always left behind. Nothing. She sat on her haunches and examined her shoeless forehooves for magic debris trapped under her nails. Barring some grass stains, they looked no different than normal. It didn’t make sense. Nothing outside of the Crystal Empire made any sense! Flurry’s growl of frustration was so pitiful it didn’t even reach the ears of other showgoers trotting obliviously by. It reached her own though, and the sound made her slump in dejection. Flurry hated sports. She didn’t want to be out here in Ponyville; she wanted to be back in the castle nursery where she could spend all day coloring in puzzle books or building block towers with her trusty telekinesis or pestering Dad to read her new novels that Miss Scootaloo snuck in for her. Just yesterday they finished The Nirik Who Stole Hearth's Warming and the day before that they spent all afternoon on the first few chapters of The Invisible Mare. Flurry really wanted them to hurry and get further in The Tale Of Maredusa which was the one that started her obsession with monster stories, because after that they could move on to Frankenstallion and then Draftcula and then Stallion King’s Bit and then- Flurry Heart felt herself deflate. She was acting like Aunt Twilight did at this age, wasn’t she? Supposed to be enjoying the sunshine and making nice with ponies she’d someday rule over, but instead she was rooting around under some stadium seats like a little madmare hooked on the exciting idea that monsters were real. This wasn’t how a Princess should act. If her parents saw her like this, they’d definitely stop reading those books to her. And Flurry wasn’t going to let that happen. Not until she worked her way up to The Headless Horse Of Sleepy Hollow, a book so scary Miss Scootaloo herself got all nervous whenever it was brought it up. Flurry wiped her nose and slipped her hoofguards back on. Her books and the characters in them were all at home on the other side of Equus. As exciting as it was to imagine she’d find a monster mare in real life, she had to stop pretending that would happen. What she needed to do instead was make a friend at this event. She knew if she did that, Dad would be happy. Miss Scootaloo would be happy. Flurry wondered if she herself would be happy too. Only way to find out was to try. Sufficiently psyched up, she stooped down and shuffled out from under the stands. As she did, her muzzle collided with the legs of a passing pegasus. Lightning Dust hit the ground in a heap, but sprung up fierce and alert for whoever the disrespectful chump was that had ambushed her. A few other ponies eyed her as they trotted by, but one (a pink filly with cartoonishly oversized wings) was sprawled on the grass with a hoof to her nose and tears in her eyes. “Whisht!” Vitty exclaimed as she knelt next to the newcomer. “You sprung from those depths like a bat outta Tartarus! Are ya roughed up there, dearie-doll?” Lightning Dust swallowed her indignation and patted the dazed filly stiffly on the shoulder. Her heart wasn’t in the empty gesture of comfort, but thankfully Vitty was being sympathetic enough for the both of them. “I’m… I’m fine,” the filly insisted in an accent that Lightning hadn’t heard this side of the arctic circle. “Sorry I troubled you both. I’ll go find friends now.” “You’re here with friends?” Lightning Dust flared her wings defensively and surveyed the area for any other reckless yearlings running around. She wasn’t getting knocked over again if she could help it. As she did, she heard the filly gasp. Lightning didn’t have to turn around to know it was from seeing Vitty for the first time. “Faust above, you’re…” “Colorless,” Vitty firmly finished for her. “Twas born like this, but I promise my pelt ‘n eyes belong to a meaner creature than mysel-” “You’re an Umbrum! That is so way beyond cool!” The filly had apparently completely forgotten her injury, given her giddy circling of the surprised half-breed. “Hey, do you know your kind almost wiped out my mom and dad’s kingdom? That’s what the stories say. Were you one of them who smashed down the city gates? Or part of the horde that chased Crystal Ponies around afterwards? Or were you like me and not born yet when that happened?” “Holy buck,” Lightning Dust breathed. “You’re Princess Flurry Heart.” “I mean yeah, I guess I am, but who cares? Your friend is a real life monster mare! And she said hi to me!” Vitty’s normally porcelain face was a flushed shade of flattered pink. “Alright tyke, I do admit I got some eldritch blood mixed in me, but it’s more useless ‘n sour than a spoonful o’ borax stirred into cider. I’m no nasty.” Flurry was undeterred. “So you’re like… opposite of me then! I got all these alicorn parts, but Miss Scootaloo says I still need a lot of growing to fit into ‘em.” She flared her wings and waved her horn, as if either of her most prominent features had somehow escaped anyone’s notice. “Ponies are staring at us,” Lightning Dust grunted, just threateningly enough to persuade a few paused passersbys to pick up their pace and move on. “Pipe down.” Suddenly self-conscious at having disappointed an adult, Flurry tucked her wings back and shrank behind Vitty for security. “M-my bad,” she said meekly. “I got excited cuz I thought we were all friends now was all.” As an athlete, Lightning Dust was no stranger to sweating. In her line of work, sweating meant she was on top of things. But she wasn’t at work right now, and the fact she was currently sweating under Vitty’s disapproving glare meant she was not on top of things. She’d been off her game all day, and upsetting a royal foal was her lowest point so far. Still, having the condition she had was no excuse for her behavior. It was high time she made an effort to course correct. “We… we can totally be friends, kid. We’ll start with introductions. That’s Vitty whose leg you’re clinging to, and I’m-” “You’re Lightning Dust. Miss Scootaloo talks about you sometimes.” Lightning Dust and Vitty exchanged knowing, worried glances. Fortunately, Flurry was back to chittering obliviously. “She says you’re hard core intense, and she’s gotta be right if you hang out with Umbrums on your days off. How’d you two meet up, anyway? Is it an action-packed story??” Vitty giggled mirthfully. “No action to be had, m’afraid. Ma mum is ‘er therapist, so Li an’ me hit it off after a few weeks o’ seeing one another during her sessions.” Lightning Dust cocked her head. “Zecora isn’t your mom though.” “Twas another joke, Li. She feeds and homes my shifty self, which is more motherly than anypony else has ever been.” “Oh.” Flurry’s short attention span compelled her to preen one of her wings while the grown ups talked about boring stuff. She scrambled to her hooves after she noticed them trotting away though. “Wait up! Where’re we going?” Lightning Dust looked like she was about to say something boorish again, so Vitty gently piped up. “Ya shouldn’t follow strangers you just met, Flurry Heart. Didn’t you say you had friends to catch up to?” “Nuh, I don’t. I’m here alone.” She puffed out her chest fluff, proudly kempt despite being tipped with baby fur. “I’m a toughie with enough magic to defend myself. Ask anypony who was there for my Crystalling.” Lightning Dust rolled her eyes. “Well, toughie you may be,” Vitty reasoned slowly, “but you wouldn’t want to come with us. We’re on our way to talk to a scary ghost.” Flurry’s fisheyed expression of shocked excitement let Vitty know that she’d just done the opposite of scare off the clingy kid. “You're talking about the head cheerleader right?? She’s a ghost?! That makes so much sense! I knew nopony regular was able to do that divey trick she did!” “We uh… were actually going to hit the concession stand first...” Lightning Dust was still trying to contrive a way to get Flurry to buzz off, but the Princess had clambered up onto Vitty’s back like it was the most natural place in the world for her to be right now. And up close, Flurry positively radiated foalish excitement. Lightning Dust looked back and forth between Vitty’s bashful grin at being a conscripted mount and Flurry’s joyful expectation that her afternoon journey had just begun, knowing she was outvoted. The mature thing to do would be to forget about the popcorn and just accompany the others to the cheerleader meet and greet. Unfortunately, Lightning Dust was a clinically immature pony. “I’m going to the concession stand regardless,” she declared hotly. “Don’t wait up for me.” Vitty looked like she wanted to say something, but Flurry eclipsed her with a smile and wave. “You have fun doing your thing, Lightning Dust! See ya again in a few minutes!” ‘Softie’ was not a label with which Lightning Dust identified, but she did catch herself waving as Vitty cantered away with rider in tow. It still felt like she was grouchily floundering from one weird encounter to another today, but maybe she was doing better than she thought she was. Emphasis on maybe. She smoothed out the feathers on her left wing before heading in the opposite direction of her friends. She knew there was plenty of daylight left for her to either mess things up or rise to whatever the next occasion was. Being separated from Vitty, even if it was only for a few minutes, was definitely going to be a sink or swim experience. “Temper temper,” the rehabilitating narcissist whispered to herself. Then she picked up her pace towards the concession stand. The Familiar FaceAs she claimed a spot in line at the snack shack, it took all of Rainbow’s self-discipline to not dance around giddily. Dancing would have brought attention, and lack of attention was the source of her revelry. She rocked on her heels, wondering whether it was fitting or ironic that a clone of the most famous attention hog in Equestria felt most at ease being just another face in the crowd. Rainbow had taken a huge scary risk all those weeks ago by showing up at her Source’s birthday celebration unannounced. Okay, not entirely unannounced; she’d written ahead to Spike and coordinated an admittedly dorky entrance right when it was time to present gifts. The hours after appearing to ponies she knew quite well but had never met were a delirious blur for Rainbow, but several key moments still stuck in her memory. Getting hugged by her Source was one. Being served a piece of cake like all the other natural born ponies, that was another. And of course there was getting pulled aside and politely interrogated by Twilight when the get-together was winding down. Princess Twilight, Rainbow reminded herself. She’d gone in hoping her Source’s memories were enough to let her connect with everyone, but it was quite apparent Rainbow had missed out on a lot during the two years she spent holed up in Rockville. Most significant was that eggheaded little Twilight scored wings and a Princess title from somewhere. That had impressed Rainbow even more than learning her Source had finally achieved that dream of becoming a Wonderbolt. Between getting filled in on what she’d missed and answering some stray Turing Test questions, Rainbow snuck in a joke about how maybe her own wings had ended up on Twilight’s withers instead. It was good to see that they’d gone to somepony who deserved them. Twilight had frowned instead of laughed at the quip, which still made Rainbow feel like a jerk whenever she thought about it. The Princess immediately excused herself from their talk, but after a long lonely train ride back home Rainbow found something waiting in her mailbox: a lifetime pass to any and every Wonderbolt show. Today was the first time Rainbow’d plucked up the courage to use her pass, but to her delight the experience had so far been almost the same as the party. Rainbow really was just another pony on the street out here, and that pumped her mood so much that she felt she might burst. She really needed to get out more often. “Move up,” huffed a colt behind her. Rainbow snapped back to the present and closed the gap between herself and the pony in line in front. “Sorry,” she said over her shoulder. The colt had on a Fleetfoot shirt, as well as a stylized cap that evoked that Wonderbolt’s platinum blond coiff. He was a young superfan for sure, and he was eyeing Rainbow up and down, openly impressed. “Your Rainbow Dash cosplay is really good,” the Fleetfan finally complimented. “How’d you get those mane and tail colors right? Changeling magic?” Rainbow bit back a gaggle of giggles. “Nah, this is my real hair. Looks good though, right? I style it myself.” Elated to be conversing with another actual pony, Rainbow gave her tail a few flourishing swishes. “You’re a natural five-tone?” The Fleetfan inquired. “I wouldn’t exactly call myself ‘natural,’ but I’ve definitely looked like this all my life.” Rainbow rolled her shoulders and laid a hoof on her soft belly. “Truth be told,” she admitted, “I actually met Dash once, and the first thing I noticed was that I’m pretty pudgy compared to her. I need to stop snacking so much and start working out like she does.” “Well I hope you’re not planning on cutting the snacks just yet, because it’s your turn at the counter.” Embarrassed but still smiling, Rainbow dashed the short distance that had opened between herself and the concession stand. “Lemme get some popcorn,” she requested with her nose peeking over the counter. “However much two-and-a-quarter Bits’ll buy. Gotta have munchies to get me through the show’s second half, am I right?” The worker drummed his hooves and for a moment Rainbow wondered whether she’d said something wrong. Then he produced a slightly beat up bag tied at the top. “Officially, we’re out of popcorn,” the worker confessed. “But I saw you in line from a mile away and saved you a serving. I know it’s your favorite, and you did say you’ll need it to get through the show’s second half…” “I what now?” Rainbow could feel her ears growing hot. “N-no! I’m sorry mister, but you got it all wrong. I mean… you guessed my order right, but that was just luck since I’m not the real Rainb… I mean, ‘‘real’ isn’t the nicest word. Scratch that. Original? Actual?” The worker was staring at her, obviously confused. “Look at my back!” she whipped around to display her bare shoulders. “See? I don’t have wings, which means even though I look and act and talk and I guess eat like her, I’m not! Instead I’m… I’m…” The Fleetfan and several others in line were regarding Rainbow. None knew why she was suddenly shouting at some underpaid clerk, but the attention burned into Rainbow painfully. Everypony seemed to be waiting for this Dash doppelgänger to finish identifying herself. But she had no self. The popcorn bag behind her was proof of that, wasn’t it? Without another world, Rainbow snatched her shameful snack and fled, leaving the Bits still sitting on the counter. Getting her change back didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting away from the stares. Fat, flightless, predictable ripoff of Rainbow Dash. That was the “self” Rainbow had. The clone wanted nothing more than to keep trudging with her head down til she was back in her apartment with her paints and canvases and sleeping hammock, all alone where no one was around to compare her to the pony from whom she’d been xeroxed. Some rational part of Rainbow’s brain knew what just happened to her wasn’t that big a deal, but she didn’t have the brain of a rational pony. She had the brain of Rainbow Dash and there wasn’t anything she could do to get away from it. Rainbow stole a glance back at the concession stand. The Fleetfan was buying a carrot dog. No one was even looking in her direction. Exhaling heavily, Rainbow stopped galloping. She still felt sick, sad, and embarrassed, but at least nopony cared enough to pursue her with questions. That made her feel better. Not good, but better. Turning away again, she shakily tried to ascertain where the bathroom was. Halftime was far from over, but maybe she could camp out in a stall while waiting. Anything to be away from prying eyes for a little while. She knew Princess Twilight would disapprove, but at this point Rainbow felt like cutting her losses. Less than a minute ago she had been drunk on optimism, chatting with that nice Fleetfan and flirting with the hope she might somehow make a friend before the show was over. But realistically, when given the choice between gawking at the real Rainbow Dash or befriending the sadsack simile, only a literally insane pony would spare their time to talk to the knockoff. “Whaddya mean you’re out of popcorn?!” The shout had come from a green pegasus who looked like she’d cut to the front of the concession stand line. She had a blonde fauxhawk on her head and two front hooves planted domineeringly on the counter. Rainbow couldn’t hear anything else being said, but she did see the cowering clerk point in her direction. Blondie’s attention snapped to Rainbow with an intense anger noticeable even from this distance, but all of blondie’s bluster seemed to evaporate as soon as she saw who she was looking at. With her head hung lower than even Rainbow’s had been, the pegasus shied off in the opposite direction towards the stands. Unlike Rainbow though, she actually did have other customers staring after her. Rainbow had no idea what just happened. Maybe her Source knew blondie’s real name, but Rainbow sure didn’t. Nor did Rainbow understand the significance of popcorn in this whole confusing equation. She did however, know how to recognize a pony who was having a rough day. The unopened popcorn bag was still in Rainbow’s teeth. It hadn't even dampened with saliva, since Rainbow’s mouth was still dry from her experience at the stand. Laying a hoof back on her belly again, Rainbow knew junk food was the last thing she needed right now. Actually, scratch that; the last thing she needed right now was to keep running and hiding all the time. She’d been doing so well so far. Surely she could muster up the courage to go offer her food to the angry green pegasus, right? It’s what Spike would encourage her to do. It’s what Princess Twilight would encourage her to do. And most importantly, it’s what Dash wouldn't do. “Hey! Hey you! Lean and green!” Rainbow’s diction wasn’t that great, since she was out-of-shape and rushing forward with a mouth full of burlap, but blondie had flinched and halted at the sound of Rainbow Dash’s voice addressing her. Rainbow made it to blondie’s side before dropping the peace offering in a huff. “Pop...corn…” the clone managed between undignified heaves. “For… you.” The eyes of the Pegasus bore into the Earth Pony’s. Then they wandered to the latter’s wingless withers. “What in Tartarus..?” Blondie’s voice was quiet and cautious, but that was it. She hadn’t even glanced at the bag because her attention was completely on Rainbow. It wasn’t fearful wariness, nor leery interest, nor even in outright concern. The green Pegasus seemed to actually not be able to parse the pony she was seeing, so her expression and tone were completely blank. And Rainbow knew a thing or two about working with a blank canvas. “I’m not Dash,” the clone declared with more conviction than she would have ever believed she had. She tried to think of an explanation for herself, but came up with nothing. Those three words were Rainbow’s entire truth, and she’d said them to somepony at last, unprompted and unafraid. Blondie blinked a few times, seeming to digest what she just heard. “Not Dash, ya say? What a coincidence. I’m not Dash either.” It was Rainbow’s turn to stare blankly. “That was a joke. I was trying to joke there.” “Oh.” Both of them uneasy, Rainbow and her new companion tried to avoid one another’s eyes. Consequently, they both ended up staring at the popcorn bag between them and it was the Pegasus who extended a wing and claimed it. “You um… wanna come be Not Dash together while we share this?” Rainbow wiped her eyes, nodded mutely, then wiped her eyes one more time. “Buck yeah. I was just on my way to meet a ghost. If we’re feeling generous, we can offer her some of these kernels and watch whether they fall right through her or not.” Rainbow had no idea what she was supposed to say to that, but even if she did know, her mouth was too busy making its giant goofy grin again. Plus, the Pegasus pivoted on her pasterns and set off at such a brisk pace Rainbow had to hustle to stay in lockstep. “Name’s Lightning Dust,” blondie finally said. “Rainbow. Nothing more than that.” “Nothing at all?” “Well… nothing I’ve decided on yet.” Lightning Dust harrumphed, more to herself than anyone else. “Guess we’re both works in progress then.” With no popcorn to chew on, Rainbow chewed on her new friend's words instead. “There’s no shame in being a work in progress, right?” For the first time since Rainbow met her, Lightning Dust smiled. “Nope. No shame at all.” The School SpiritStock Image surveyed the empty field as well as the happy but disinterested ponies slowly funneling back to their seats. Then she flicked her fog tail in defeat. “I don’t think anypony is coming. Sorry girls, but the meet and greet looks like a bust.” Lighthoof filled a cup of sweetened sports punch from a nearby cooler. It was her sixth in the past hour. “We’ll, like, try to live with the disappointment Coach.” She, Stock, and the nearby snoozing Shimmy Shake were the only cheerleaders who’d stuck around after their routine in hopes of mingling with spectators who might approach and say hi. “Halftime performers sure are treated differently than when they were when I was a foal,” Stock Image lamented. “You both signed up on such short notice and learned the routine so fast. Hoped at least somepony would notice.” “Nah, don’t get glum Coach. Shim an’ me love doing freelance cheer jobs. Wouldja believe this is actually the second time we're randomly working for Rainbow Dash? The first was like… pfffft. Forever ago when she was still a prof at the School of Friendship.” Stock Image looked slightly more at ease the more Lighthoof poured on the valley girl optimism. Slightly. Lighthoof decided to pour harder. “The routine was easy too. Not like you’re a heavy teammate to toss around.” Okay, that one earned a giggle from the undead ungulate. Lighthoof took a triumphant swig from her cup at having literally helped raise some school spirit. “Guess we best start clearing our stuff out,” Stock Image suggested. “Even if the ‘bolts aren’t due back for awhile yet, we’re probably just embarrassing ourselves hanging around at this point.” With her cup emptied and a sugar high pleasantly starting to kick in, Lighthoof got to work moving the cheer gear off the sidelines. After stacking the megaphones and placards in the correct cases, she gave the bench a gentle jiggle to rouse Shimmy Shake, who rolled over lethargically. “Did nopony show up?” she slurred sleepily. “Nopony showed up,” Stock sighed. “Oh good. I mean… it’s good that I didn’t sleep through any souvenir pictures getting taken. Didn’t mean I think it’s good that there were no pics taken.” Lighthoof cringed at her partner’s lack of emotional tact, but Stock Image just sighed again and began gathering pompoms in her translucent hooves. Scarce few props in the Wonderbolt storage room were light enough for Stock to interact with, but the paper pompoms were among them. Also among them was another item lying on a cloth in the grass. One that Lighthoof gently picked up and rewrapped to keep safe. “Either of you find my camera?” Stock Image asked as she emptied her load of pompoms into a box Shimmy Shake held open for her. “I got it,” Lighthoof reported, brandishing the bundle. “No worries Coach.” “Sure sucks we didn’t get to use it,” came a comment from Shimmy Shake. “Come off it girls,” Stock finally huffed. “I know you’re trying to commiserate with me, but stop trying to bait fate. Sitting- I mean, hovering around wishing for some fans to appear isn’t actually gonna make it happen.” “Holy moly, Vitty! She really is a ghost! Just like you said she was!” Consider the bait bitten, Lighthoof thought to herself as she and Shimmy smoothed their skirt pleats and put on their best showgirl grins to welcome the foal who’d just shouted. But even their practiced professionalism balked at the sight of an honest-to-Faust Princess speeding towards them. Scratch that; the famous Flurry Heart actually sped past them along her beeline at Stock Image. The foal’s hoofguards apparently didn’t have very good traction on grass, given her attempt to stop simply saw her skid right through the stunned specter. Predictably though, the experience just served to energize her even more. “I did it! I ghosted through a ghost! Aw-haw-haw, Dad’s gonna be so steamed that I went out and found two monster mares after he kicked me out of the house for the day! This is so way beyond cool.” A pale kirin-esque creature (Flurry’s current chaperone, Lighthoof reasoned) trotted up. “Loud whinny on that wee tyke, isn’t there? Sorry for making such a raucous entrance, all.” “Whaddya mean ‘sorry’? Are you even seeing this right now?” Shimmy Shake pushed her bangs out of her eyes happily. “Your little loudmouth is the best thing that’s happened to Stock Image all day.” True to the cheerpony’s word, Flurry Heart was gesturing to Stock Image’s fog tail excitedly and saying something none of the observers could hear. What they did hear though was Stock Image’s reedy laugh as she pirouetted and elicted squeeing approval from Flurry applauded. Then they both waved Vitty over. “...Tale of Maredusa, huh?” the specter was saying as Vitty trotted into earshot. “That’s going back a long way, but I think I actually did read that one when I was little. She marries the nice guard at the end of it, right?” “La la la!” Flurry interjected as she clamped her wings over her ears. “Don’t ruin it for me.” “H-hi Stock Image,” Vitty said softly as she patted Flurry’s head. “Thought I was the one most lured to meet ya today, but this here hanger-on has me beat, doesn’t she?” “Can never have too many ponies at a meet n’ greet,” Stock Image replied. “Hope you don’t mind me asking, but was that Umbrum slang I just heard out of your muzzle? You must be from pretty far north. Hope you and Flurry didn’t come halfway across Equus just to meet silly old me.” “Flurry did. In a manner of speaking. I m’self have actually been livin’ in this culchie town for a good spell. S’really just blind luck all three of us’re in the same spot today.” “Or it’s fate.” Flurry chimed in. Vitty’s only response was another head pat. “Well whatever it was that led you two out here today, I’m glad it did. Surprised it did though. Neither of you really look like sporty types.” Vitty’s vermilion eyes twinkled as she looked past Stock’s spectral shoulder. “We’re not, but here comes somepony who is.” “Look at the new friend I found while sniffing around the snack shack, everypony!” Lightning Dust’s entrance wasn’t as loud as Flurry Heart’s, but it was somehow more embarrassing. Not for her of course, (she was strutting across the green looking as pleased as a pegasus could be), but for the curiously familiar Earth Pony trailing behind her. Stock Image found it almost laughable to see such a dead ringer for Rainbow Dash red-cheeked from having her presence announced. Then again, she could certainly empathize with getting stared at. “Huh,” the Dash lookalike mumbled. “So these are your friends, Li?” “If she says we are, we are,” Stock Image confirmed before addressing the Pegasus directly. “I remember you. You split from the Wonderbolts awhile back, right? How are you doing nowadays?” Lightning Dust chuffed absently as she produced a bag of popcorn from under her wing. “I can say I'm doing better right now than I’ve ever been. Want some of this stuff?” “No thanks. Carbs go right through me.” Rainbow stood off to the side, not really part of the conversation but not really confident enough to break off from Lightning Dust. Vitty naturally came to her rescue. “So what’s your story?” she asked. “I’m not Rainbow Dash.” “Yeh, figured you weren’t on account of Li’s gaffing. But take it from this chalky beast born from charcoal: it’s a rough feel to think on things you’re not rather than things you are.” “Alright, fair enough. My name is Rainbow. Princess Twilight calls me an Equunculus, if that word means anything to you.” “It does to me!” Flurry Heart announced before affecting the tone of a privately tutored junior aristocrat reciting from a memorized textbook. “Clause eleven thirty-three of universal pony law states that any temporal duplicate, equunculus, form-locked changeling, or other derivative instance of an existing sentient creature may, upon completion of an aptitude test, be extended full citizenship rights and legal recognition that they are separate and autonomous of their Source.” “Uh… sure,” Rainbow confirmed. “What Queen Junior said.” FLASH! The firing of a camera bulb caught the attention of all five ponies, whose collective attention settled on Shimmy Shake and Lighthoof. The two had taken advantage of being forgotten to fire up Stock Image’s polaroid camera and snap a candid capture of everyone. Even so, Lighthoof’s deer-in-headlights expression made it very clear she’d thought she’d disabled the light. “Um…” she fumbled. “So much for a, like, natural-looking group shot.” Stock Image recovered first. “Well if we absolutely have to pose for one of those… we should all at least scooch in.” “Oh Tartarus,” Rainbow gulped. “Doesn’t the camera add ten pounds?” “Only in the facial area,” Lightning promised as she stood tall next to her. “Just avoid showing teeth in your smile and you’ll look fine.” “Sometimes when my picture gets took I blink,” Flurry warned. “We’ll do another if I blink during this one, right?” Nopony answered her. “I tell ya Vitty, you run with some weird characters.” Stock whispered as everypony gathered around. “Ha. Barbed remarks comin’ from the shtate who can't even run 'erself. Or comb her mane for a portrait. By the by, if I got red eye in the printed image, ya owe me five Bits.” “Everypony got their one-liners out and done with?” Shimmy Shake called. “Good, cuz the Wonderbolts are due back in a few minutes. Gotta make this last shot count.” Various smiles were donned by a motley crew happy to have met one another, even it was for just one afternoon. FLASH! Author's Note At last, the finale entry is done. Winston Churchill once said "Perfection is the enemy of progress," and was he right on the money because I must've drafted and scrapped the outline for this story a dozen times in the past few months. A few of my ideas to converge the Snippet storylines were pretty bad, such as a courtroom case where the protagonists all lucked into jury duty together. A few were good but too narrow, such as having starving-artist Rainbow and closetedly creative Applejack run into one another at Pastel Prancy's Art Shop. Ultimately, this Wonderbolt halftime break premise was the most balanced and robust thing I could come up with. It's not perfect, but with the exception of Idol none of the Snippets are. And for that matter, none of the five protagonists are perfect either. Every pony in that group shot has her own set of flaws, whether visible at a glance or hidden deeper in her individual personality. The daily effort of each to overcome those shortcomings is what makes all them so much fun to write about, and it’s my hope they were fun to read about too. See you all next year for Snippets Season Two. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
The Pale Pony and the Maverick Mare“Look, Li! They’re doin’ the bit!” Vitty thumped her cloven hooves excitedly on the bleachers while she gaped at the performers on the field. “They’re doin’ it!” “Uh huh.” Lightning Dust was indeed looking, but it was away from the halftime show and into the depths of her popcorn bag for something still edible. All that seemed to be left were unpopped kernels. She felt it. The reflexive anger boiling up at being slighted again, this time by a worthless concession stand worker who’d sold her a subpar snack. It was wrong. She’d had enough counseling to know that by now. She had also learned to get her mind off her own ego by giving an earnest compliment to whoever she was with. “Thanks for inviting me to come to the Wonderbolt show with you, Vitty. You remembered me mentioning I almost flew with them once, which means you’re a good friend who-” “There they go!” Lightning Dust’s attention snapped to the cheerleaders performing the halftime show just in time to see the captain vault into the air. Lightning almost laughed at the absurdity of a cheer squad doing aerial stunts at a Wonderbolt show. It was comparable to an amatuer singer opening a Vinyl Scratch concert, wasn't it? Apparently it wasn't, because the cheer captain tucked into a ball and arced at the stands with alarming speed. Vitty and several others cheered for some reason at the imminent impact, and just as Lightning Dust was flaring her wings to jet out of the way, the cheer captain phased noiselessly through the crowd in a muddy green blur that didn’t leave so much as a tailwind. Applause erupted all around as the captain rose up from the ground back near her support squad’s formation to strike a bashful pose in profile. Only then did Lightning Dust notice the 'pony' had a translucent fog trail where a pair of hind legs should’ve been. “She’s a ghost?” Lightning Dust had heard rumors of the Barracks Banshee of course. Every past and present cadet had, and promptly laughed them off. “Where’d a Pegasus cheer squad recruit an undead Earth Pony?” “Stranger things’ve happened in this corner of Equestria,” Vitty reported. “I even heard tell that the local Zebra found a lost Umbrum half-breed wanderin’ the woods not far from ‘ere.” “Wasn’t that Umbrum you, though?” “Was makin’ a craic, Li. A joke. Guess it didn’t land.” “Oh.” Vitty stood up to let another showgoer pass by on the way to the aisle, and Lightning Dust followed suit. With the cheer squad’s routine concluded and the Wonderbolts themselves not due to come back for another ten minutes, the bleachers were emptying of ponies who wanted to stretch their legs or take bathroom breaks. Lightning Dust spied the cheer squad idling on field sidelines with their intangible leader, laughing at an inaudible joke one of them had told. “I’m keen to go say hi,” Vitty announced. “Wanna come with?” Truthfully, Lightning Dust was still miffed about that fakeout divebomb and didn’t want to give the smug specter any satisfaction. But Vitty’s big crimson eyes were shining bright with excitement. Only a stupid pony would say no to that. “Yeah. Let’s go.” “Go Bragh!” Vitty exalted. “Let’s pick up another sack o’ popcorn on our way, yeah? Noticed our last one is a bit lackin’ in edible bits on its low end. There’s some shameful shortchangin’, if ya ask me.” Lightning Dust allowed herself a vindicated nod before descending the bleacher stairs after her friend.
The Creature-Crazed KidFlurry Heart’s hoofguard regalia lay discarded to her side as she manically dug through the dirt beneath the bleachers. Dad had suggested she attend a Wonderbolt performance to unwind, but how could she possibly do that when she just witnessed an Earth Pony cheerleader vanish in midair? Okay, technically she scrunched her eyes shut at the last second before the Earth Pony slammed into her, but that just made the experience make even less sense. She’d missed the most important part and since she was at the show alone she had no one to ask about it. Bringing her button nose as close to the dirty ground as she dared, Flurry strained to smell any of that smokey dusty glitter that teleportation spells always left behind. Nothing. She sat on her haunches and examined her shoeless forehooves for magic debris trapped under her nails. Barring some grass stains, they looked no different than normal. It didn’t make sense. Nothing outside of the Crystal Empire made any sense! Flurry’s growl of frustration was so pitiful it didn’t even reach the ears of other showgoers trotting obliviously by. It reached her own though, and the sound made her slump in dejection. Flurry hated sports. She didn’t want to be out here in Ponyville; she wanted to be back in the castle nursery where she could spend all day coloring in puzzle books or building block towers with her trusty telekinesis or pestering Dad to read her new novels that Miss Scootaloo snuck in for her. Just yesterday they finished The Nirik Who Stole Hearth's Warming and the day before that they spent all afternoon on the first few chapters of The Invisible Mare. Flurry really wanted them to hurry and get further in The Tale Of Maredusa which was the one that started her obsession with monster stories, because after that they could move on to Frankenstallion and then Draftcula and then Stallion King’s Bit and then- Flurry Heart felt herself deflate. She was acting like Aunt Twilight did at this age, wasn’t she? Supposed to be enjoying the sunshine and making nice with ponies she’d someday rule over, but instead she was rooting around under some stadium seats like a little madmare hooked on the exciting idea that monsters were real. This wasn’t how a Princess should act. If her parents saw her like this, they’d definitely stop reading those books to her. And Flurry wasn’t going to let that happen. Not until she worked her way up to The Headless Horse Of Sleepy Hollow, a book so scary Miss Scootaloo herself got all nervous whenever it was brought it up. Flurry wiped her nose and slipped her hoofguards back on. Her books and the characters in them were all at home on the other side of Equus. As exciting as it was to imagine she’d find a monster mare in real life, she had to stop pretending that would happen. What she needed to do instead was make a friend at this event. She knew if she did that, Dad would be happy. Miss Scootaloo would be happy. Flurry wondered if she herself would be happy too. Only way to find out was to try. Sufficiently psyched up, she stooped down and shuffled out from under the stands. As she did, her muzzle collided with the legs of a passing pegasus. Lightning Dust hit the ground in a heap, but sprung up fierce and alert for whoever the disrespectful chump was that had ambushed her. A few other ponies eyed her as they trotted by, but one (a pink filly with cartoonishly oversized wings) was sprawled on the grass with a hoof to her nose and tears in her eyes. “Whisht!” Vitty exclaimed as she knelt next to the newcomer. “You sprung from those depths like a bat outta Tartarus! Are ya roughed up there, dearie-doll?” Lightning Dust swallowed her indignation and patted the dazed filly stiffly on the shoulder. Her heart wasn’t in the empty gesture of comfort, but thankfully Vitty was being sympathetic enough for the both of them. “I’m… I’m fine,” the filly insisted in an accent that Lightning hadn’t heard this side of the arctic circle. “Sorry I troubled you both. I’ll go find friends now.” “You’re here with friends?” Lightning Dust flared her wings defensively and surveyed the area for any other reckless yearlings running around. She wasn’t getting knocked over again if she could help it. As she did, she heard the filly gasp. Lightning didn’t have to turn around to know it was from seeing Vitty for the first time. “Faust above, you’re…” “Colorless,” Vitty firmly finished for her. “Twas born like this, but I promise my pelt ‘n eyes belong to a meaner creature than mysel-” “You’re an Umbrum! That is so way beyond cool!” The filly had apparently completely forgotten her injury, given her giddy circling of the surprised half-breed. “Hey, do you know your kind almost wiped out my mom and dad’s kingdom? That’s what the stories say. Were you one of them who smashed down the city gates? Or part of the horde that chased Crystal Ponies around afterwards? Or were you like me and not born yet when that happened?” “Holy buck,” Lightning Dust breathed. “You’re Princess Flurry Heart.” “I mean yeah, I guess I am, but who cares? Your friend is a real life monster mare! And she said hi to me!” Vitty’s normally porcelain face was a flushed shade of flattered pink. “Alright tyke, I do admit I got some eldritch blood mixed in me, but it’s more useless ‘n sour than a spoonful o’ borax stirred into cider. I’m no nasty.” Flurry was undeterred. “So you’re like… opposite of me then! I got all these alicorn parts, but Miss Scootaloo says I still need a lot of growing to fit into ‘em.” She flared her wings and waved her horn, as if either of her most prominent features had somehow escaped anyone’s notice. “Ponies are staring at us,” Lightning Dust grunted, just threateningly enough to persuade a few paused passersbys to pick up their pace and move on. “Pipe down.” Suddenly self-conscious at having disappointed an adult, Flurry tucked her wings back and shrank behind Vitty for security. “M-my bad,” she said meekly. “I got excited cuz I thought we were all friends now was all.” As an athlete, Lightning Dust was no stranger to sweating. In her line of work, sweating meant she was on top of things. But she wasn’t at work right now, and the fact she was currently sweating under Vitty’s disapproving glare meant she was not on top of things. She’d been off her game all day, and upsetting a royal foal was her lowest point so far. Still, having the condition she had was no excuse for her behavior. It was high time she made an effort to course correct. “We… we can totally be friends, kid. We’ll start with introductions. That’s Vitty whose leg you’re clinging to, and I’m-” “You’re Lightning Dust. Miss Scootaloo talks about you sometimes.” Lightning Dust and Vitty exchanged knowing, worried glances. Fortunately, Flurry was back to chittering obliviously. “She says you’re hard core intense, and she’s gotta be right if you hang out with Umbrums on your days off. How’d you two meet up, anyway? Is it an action-packed story??” Vitty giggled mirthfully. “No action to be had, m’afraid. Ma mum is ‘er therapist, so Li an’ me hit it off after a few weeks o’ seeing one another during her sessions.” Lightning Dust cocked her head. “Zecora isn’t your mom though.” “Twas another joke, Li. She feeds and homes my shifty self, which is more motherly than anypony else has ever been.” “Oh.” Flurry’s short attention span compelled her to preen one of her wings while the grown ups talked about boring stuff. She scrambled to her hooves after she noticed them trotting away though. “Wait up! Where’re we going?” Lightning Dust looked like she was about to say something boorish again, so Vitty gently piped up. “Ya shouldn’t follow strangers you just met, Flurry Heart. Didn’t you say you had friends to catch up to?” “Nuh, I don’t. I’m here alone.” She puffed out her chest fluff, proudly kempt despite being tipped with baby fur. “I’m a toughie with enough magic to defend myself. Ask anypony who was there for my Crystalling.” Lightning Dust rolled her eyes. “Well, toughie you may be,” Vitty reasoned slowly, “but you wouldn’t want to come with us. We’re on our way to talk to a scary ghost.” Flurry’s fisheyed expression of shocked excitement let Vitty know that she’d just done the opposite of scare off the clingy kid. “You're talking about the head cheerleader right?? She’s a ghost?! That makes so much sense! I knew nopony regular was able to do that divey trick she did!” “We uh… were actually going to hit the concession stand first...” Lightning Dust was still trying to contrive a way to get Flurry to buzz off, but the Princess had clambered up onto Vitty’s back like it was the most natural place in the world for her to be right now. And up close, Flurry positively radiated foalish excitement. Lightning Dust looked back and forth between Vitty’s bashful grin at being a conscripted mount and Flurry’s joyful expectation that her afternoon journey had just begun, knowing she was outvoted. The mature thing to do would be to forget about the popcorn and just accompany the others to the cheerleader meet and greet. Unfortunately, Lightning Dust was a clinically immature pony. “I’m going to the concession stand regardless,” she declared hotly. “Don’t wait up for me.” Vitty looked like she wanted to say something, but Flurry eclipsed her with a smile and wave. “You have fun doing your thing, Lightning Dust! See ya again in a few minutes!” ‘Softie’ was not a label with which Lightning Dust identified, but she did catch herself waving as Vitty cantered away with rider in tow. It still felt like she was grouchily floundering from one weird encounter to another today, but maybe she was doing better than she thought she was. Emphasis on maybe. She smoothed out the feathers on her left wing before heading in the opposite direction of her friends. She knew there was plenty of daylight left for her to either mess things up or rise to whatever the next occasion was. Being separated from Vitty, even if it was only for a few minutes, was definitely going to be a sink or swim experience. “Temper temper,” the rehabilitating narcissist whispered to herself. Then she picked up her pace towards the concession stand.
The Familiar FaceAs she claimed a spot in line at the snack shack, it took all of Rainbow’s self-discipline to not dance around giddily. Dancing would have brought attention, and lack of attention was the source of her revelry. She rocked on her heels, wondering whether it was fitting or ironic that a clone of the most famous attention hog in Equestria felt most at ease being just another face in the crowd. Rainbow had taken a huge scary risk all those weeks ago by showing up at her Source’s birthday celebration unannounced. Okay, not entirely unannounced; she’d written ahead to Spike and coordinated an admittedly dorky entrance right when it was time to present gifts. The hours after appearing to ponies she knew quite well but had never met were a delirious blur for Rainbow, but several key moments still stuck in her memory. Getting hugged by her Source was one. Being served a piece of cake like all the other natural born ponies, that was another. And of course there was getting pulled aside and politely interrogated by Twilight when the get-together was winding down. Princess Twilight, Rainbow reminded herself. She’d gone in hoping her Source’s memories were enough to let her connect with everyone, but it was quite apparent Rainbow had missed out on a lot during the two years she spent holed up in Rockville. Most significant was that eggheaded little Twilight scored wings and a Princess title from somewhere. That had impressed Rainbow even more than learning her Source had finally achieved that dream of becoming a Wonderbolt. Between getting filled in on what she’d missed and answering some stray Turing Test questions, Rainbow snuck in a joke about how maybe her own wings had ended up on Twilight’s withers instead. It was good to see that they’d gone to somepony who deserved them. Twilight had frowned instead of laughed at the quip, which still made Rainbow feel like a jerk whenever she thought about it. The Princess immediately excused herself from their talk, but after a long lonely train ride back home Rainbow found something waiting in her mailbox: a lifetime pass to any and every Wonderbolt show. Today was the first time Rainbow’d plucked up the courage to use her pass, but to her delight the experience had so far been almost the same as the party. Rainbow really was just another pony on the street out here, and that pumped her mood so much that she felt she might burst. She really needed to get out more often. “Move up,” huffed a colt behind her. Rainbow snapped back to the present and closed the gap between herself and the pony in line in front. “Sorry,” she said over her shoulder. The colt had on a Fleetfoot shirt, as well as a stylized cap that evoked that Wonderbolt’s platinum blond coiff. He was a young superfan for sure, and he was eyeing Rainbow up and down, openly impressed. “Your Rainbow Dash cosplay is really good,” the Fleetfan finally complimented. “How’d you get those mane and tail colors right? Changeling magic?” Rainbow bit back a gaggle of giggles. “Nah, this is my real hair. Looks good though, right? I style it myself.” Elated to be conversing with another actual pony, Rainbow gave her tail a few flourishing swishes. “You’re a natural five-tone?” The Fleetfan inquired. “I wouldn’t exactly call myself ‘natural,’ but I’ve definitely looked like this all my life.” Rainbow rolled her shoulders and laid a hoof on her soft belly. “Truth be told,” she admitted, “I actually met Dash once, and the first thing I noticed was that I’m pretty pudgy compared to her. I need to stop snacking so much and start working out like she does.” “Well I hope you’re not planning on cutting the snacks just yet, because it’s your turn at the counter.” Embarrassed but still smiling, Rainbow dashed the short distance that had opened between herself and the concession stand. “Lemme get some popcorn,” she requested with her nose peeking over the counter. “However much two-and-a-quarter Bits’ll buy. Gotta have munchies to get me through the show’s second half, am I right?” The worker drummed his hooves and for a moment Rainbow wondered whether she’d said something wrong. Then he produced a slightly beat up bag tied at the top. “Officially, we’re out of popcorn,” the worker confessed. “But I saw you in line from a mile away and saved you a serving. I know it’s your favorite, and you did say you’ll need it to get through the show’s second half…” “I what now?” Rainbow could feel her ears growing hot. “N-no! I’m sorry mister, but you got it all wrong. I mean… you guessed my order right, but that was just luck since I’m not the real Rainb… I mean, ‘‘real’ isn’t the nicest word. Scratch that. Original? Actual?” The worker was staring at her, obviously confused. “Look at my back!” she whipped around to display her bare shoulders. “See? I don’t have wings, which means even though I look and act and talk and I guess eat like her, I’m not! Instead I’m… I’m…” The Fleetfan and several others in line were regarding Rainbow. None knew why she was suddenly shouting at some underpaid clerk, but the attention burned into Rainbow painfully. Everypony seemed to be waiting for this Dash doppelgänger to finish identifying herself. But she had no self. The popcorn bag behind her was proof of that, wasn’t it? Without another world, Rainbow snatched her shameful snack and fled, leaving the Bits still sitting on the counter. Getting her change back didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting away from the stares. Fat, flightless, predictable ripoff of Rainbow Dash. That was the “self” Rainbow had. The clone wanted nothing more than to keep trudging with her head down til she was back in her apartment with her paints and canvases and sleeping hammock, all alone where no one was around to compare her to the pony from whom she’d been xeroxed. Some rational part of Rainbow’s brain knew what just happened to her wasn’t that big a deal, but she didn’t have the brain of a rational pony. She had the brain of Rainbow Dash and there wasn’t anything she could do to get away from it. Rainbow stole a glance back at the concession stand. The Fleetfan was buying a carrot dog. No one was even looking in her direction. Exhaling heavily, Rainbow stopped galloping. She still felt sick, sad, and embarrassed, but at least nopony cared enough to pursue her with questions. That made her feel better. Not good, but better. Turning away again, she shakily tried to ascertain where the bathroom was. Halftime was far from over, but maybe she could camp out in a stall while waiting. Anything to be away from prying eyes for a little while. She knew Princess Twilight would disapprove, but at this point Rainbow felt like cutting her losses. Less than a minute ago she had been drunk on optimism, chatting with that nice Fleetfan and flirting with the hope she might somehow make a friend before the show was over. But realistically, when given the choice between gawking at the real Rainbow Dash or befriending the sadsack simile, only a literally insane pony would spare their time to talk to the knockoff. “Whaddya mean you’re out of popcorn?!” The shout had come from a green pegasus who looked like she’d cut to the front of the concession stand line. She had a blonde fauxhawk on her head and two front hooves planted domineeringly on the counter. Rainbow couldn’t hear anything else being said, but she did see the cowering clerk point in her direction. Blondie’s attention snapped to Rainbow with an intense anger noticeable even from this distance, but all of blondie’s bluster seemed to evaporate as soon as she saw who she was looking at. With her head hung lower than even Rainbow’s had been, the pegasus shied off in the opposite direction towards the stands. Unlike Rainbow though, she actually did have other customers staring after her. Rainbow had no idea what just happened. Maybe her Source knew blondie’s real name, but Rainbow sure didn’t. Nor did Rainbow understand the significance of popcorn in this whole confusing equation. She did however, know how to recognize a pony who was having a rough day. The unopened popcorn bag was still in Rainbow’s teeth. It hadn't even dampened with saliva, since Rainbow’s mouth was still dry from her experience at the stand. Laying a hoof back on her belly again, Rainbow knew junk food was the last thing she needed right now. Actually, scratch that; the last thing she needed right now was to keep running and hiding all the time. She’d been doing so well so far. Surely she could muster up the courage to go offer her food to the angry green pegasus, right? It’s what Spike would encourage her to do. It’s what Princess Twilight would encourage her to do. And most importantly, it’s what Dash wouldn't do. “Hey! Hey you! Lean and green!” Rainbow’s diction wasn’t that great, since she was out-of-shape and rushing forward with a mouth full of burlap, but blondie had flinched and halted at the sound of Rainbow Dash’s voice addressing her. Rainbow made it to blondie’s side before dropping the peace offering in a huff. “Pop...corn…” the clone managed between undignified heaves. “For… you.” The eyes of the Pegasus bore into the Earth Pony’s. Then they wandered to the latter’s wingless withers. “What in Tartarus..?” Blondie’s voice was quiet and cautious, but that was it. She hadn’t even glanced at the bag because her attention was completely on Rainbow. It wasn’t fearful wariness, nor leery interest, nor even in outright concern. The green Pegasus seemed to actually not be able to parse the pony she was seeing, so her expression and tone were completely blank. And Rainbow knew a thing or two about working with a blank canvas. “I’m not Dash,” the clone declared with more conviction than she would have ever believed she had. She tried to think of an explanation for herself, but came up with nothing. Those three words were Rainbow’s entire truth, and she’d said them to somepony at last, unprompted and unafraid. Blondie blinked a few times, seeming to digest what she just heard. “Not Dash, ya say? What a coincidence. I’m not Dash either.” It was Rainbow’s turn to stare blankly. “That was a joke. I was trying to joke there.” “Oh.” Both of them uneasy, Rainbow and her new companion tried to avoid one another’s eyes. Consequently, they both ended up staring at the popcorn bag between them and it was the Pegasus who extended a wing and claimed it. “You um… wanna come be Not Dash together while we share this?” Rainbow wiped her eyes, nodded mutely, then wiped her eyes one more time. “Buck yeah. I was just on my way to meet a ghost. If we’re feeling generous, we can offer her some of these kernels and watch whether they fall right through her or not.” Rainbow had no idea what she was supposed to say to that, but even if she did know, her mouth was too busy making its giant goofy grin again. Plus, the Pegasus pivoted on her pasterns and set off at such a brisk pace Rainbow had to hustle to stay in lockstep. “Name’s Lightning Dust,” blondie finally said. “Rainbow. Nothing more than that.” “Nothing at all?” “Well… nothing I’ve decided on yet.” Lightning Dust harrumphed, more to herself than anyone else. “Guess we’re both works in progress then.” With no popcorn to chew on, Rainbow chewed on her new friend's words instead. “There’s no shame in being a work in progress, right?” For the first time since Rainbow met her, Lightning Dust smiled. “Nope. No shame at all.”
The School SpiritStock Image surveyed the empty field as well as the happy but disinterested ponies slowly funneling back to their seats. Then she flicked her fog tail in defeat. “I don’t think anypony is coming. Sorry girls, but the meet and greet looks like a bust.” Lighthoof filled a cup of sweetened sports punch from a nearby cooler. It was her sixth in the past hour. “We’ll, like, try to live with the disappointment Coach.” She, Stock, and the nearby snoozing Shimmy Shake were the only cheerleaders who’d stuck around after their routine in hopes of mingling with spectators who might approach and say hi. “Halftime performers sure are treated differently than when they were when I was a foal,” Stock Image lamented. “You both signed up on such short notice and learned the routine so fast. Hoped at least somepony would notice.” “Nah, don’t get glum Coach. Shim an’ me love doing freelance cheer jobs. Wouldja believe this is actually the second time we're randomly working for Rainbow Dash? The first was like… pfffft. Forever ago when she was still a prof at the School of Friendship.” Stock Image looked slightly more at ease the more Lighthoof poured on the valley girl optimism. Slightly. Lighthoof decided to pour harder. “The routine was easy too. Not like you’re a heavy teammate to toss around.” Okay, that one earned a giggle from the undead ungulate. Lighthoof took a triumphant swig from her cup at having literally helped raise some school spirit. “Guess we best start clearing our stuff out,” Stock Image suggested. “Even if the ‘bolts aren’t due back for awhile yet, we’re probably just embarrassing ourselves hanging around at this point.” With her cup emptied and a sugar high pleasantly starting to kick in, Lighthoof got to work moving the cheer gear off the sidelines. After stacking the megaphones and placards in the correct cases, she gave the bench a gentle jiggle to rouse Shimmy Shake, who rolled over lethargically. “Did nopony show up?” she slurred sleepily. “Nopony showed up,” Stock sighed. “Oh good. I mean… it’s good that I didn’t sleep through any souvenir pictures getting taken. Didn’t mean I think it’s good that there were no pics taken.” Lighthoof cringed at her partner’s lack of emotional tact, but Stock Image just sighed again and began gathering pompoms in her translucent hooves. Scarce few props in the Wonderbolt storage room were light enough for Stock to interact with, but the paper pompoms were among them. Also among them was another item lying on a cloth in the grass. One that Lighthoof gently picked up and rewrapped to keep safe. “Either of you find my camera?” Stock Image asked as she emptied her load of pompoms into a box Shimmy Shake held open for her. “I got it,” Lighthoof reported, brandishing the bundle. “No worries Coach.” “Sure sucks we didn’t get to use it,” came a comment from Shimmy Shake. “Come off it girls,” Stock finally huffed. “I know you’re trying to commiserate with me, but stop trying to bait fate. Sitting- I mean, hovering around wishing for some fans to appear isn’t actually gonna make it happen.” “Holy moly, Vitty! She really is a ghost! Just like you said she was!” Consider the bait bitten, Lighthoof thought to herself as she and Shimmy smoothed their skirt pleats and put on their best showgirl grins to welcome the foal who’d just shouted. But even their practiced professionalism balked at the sight of an honest-to-Faust Princess speeding towards them. Scratch that; the famous Flurry Heart actually sped past them along her beeline at Stock Image. The foal’s hoofguards apparently didn’t have very good traction on grass, given her attempt to stop simply saw her skid right through the stunned specter. Predictably though, the experience just served to energize her even more. “I did it! I ghosted through a ghost! Aw-haw-haw, Dad’s gonna be so steamed that I went out and found two monster mares after he kicked me out of the house for the day! This is so way beyond cool.” A pale kirin-esque creature (Flurry’s current chaperone, Lighthoof reasoned) trotted up. “Loud whinny on that wee tyke, isn’t there? Sorry for making such a raucous entrance, all.” “Whaddya mean ‘sorry’? Are you even seeing this right now?” Shimmy Shake pushed her bangs out of her eyes happily. “Your little loudmouth is the best thing that’s happened to Stock Image all day.” True to the cheerpony’s word, Flurry Heart was gesturing to Stock Image’s fog tail excitedly and saying something none of the observers could hear. What they did hear though was Stock Image’s reedy laugh as she pirouetted and elicted squeeing approval from Flurry applauded. Then they both waved Vitty over. “...Tale of Maredusa, huh?” the specter was saying as Vitty trotted into earshot. “That’s going back a long way, but I think I actually did read that one when I was little. She marries the nice guard at the end of it, right?” “La la la!” Flurry interjected as she clamped her wings over her ears. “Don’t ruin it for me.” “H-hi Stock Image,” Vitty said softly as she patted Flurry’s head. “Thought I was the one most lured to meet ya today, but this here hanger-on has me beat, doesn’t she?” “Can never have too many ponies at a meet n’ greet,” Stock Image replied. “Hope you don’t mind me asking, but was that Umbrum slang I just heard out of your muzzle? You must be from pretty far north. Hope you and Flurry didn’t come halfway across Equus just to meet silly old me.” “Flurry did. In a manner of speaking. I m’self have actually been livin’ in this culchie town for a good spell. S’really just blind luck all three of us’re in the same spot today.” “Or it’s fate.” Flurry chimed in. Vitty’s only response was another head pat. “Well whatever it was that led you two out here today, I’m glad it did. Surprised it did though. Neither of you really look like sporty types.” Vitty’s vermilion eyes twinkled as she looked past Stock’s spectral shoulder. “We’re not, but here comes somepony who is.” “Look at the new friend I found while sniffing around the snack shack, everypony!” Lightning Dust’s entrance wasn’t as loud as Flurry Heart’s, but it was somehow more embarrassing. Not for her of course, (she was strutting across the green looking as pleased as a pegasus could be), but for the curiously familiar Earth Pony trailing behind her. Stock Image found it almost laughable to see such a dead ringer for Rainbow Dash red-cheeked from having her presence announced. Then again, she could certainly empathize with getting stared at. “Huh,” the Dash lookalike mumbled. “So these are your friends, Li?” “If she says we are, we are,” Stock Image confirmed before addressing the Pegasus directly. “I remember you. You split from the Wonderbolts awhile back, right? How are you doing nowadays?” Lightning Dust chuffed absently as she produced a bag of popcorn from under her wing. “I can say I'm doing better right now than I’ve ever been. Want some of this stuff?” “No thanks. Carbs go right through me.” Rainbow stood off to the side, not really part of the conversation but not really confident enough to break off from Lightning Dust. Vitty naturally came to her rescue. “So what’s your story?” she asked. “I’m not Rainbow Dash.” “Yeh, figured you weren’t on account of Li’s gaffing. But take it from this chalky beast born from charcoal: it’s a rough feel to think on things you’re not rather than things you are.” “Alright, fair enough. My name is Rainbow. Princess Twilight calls me an Equunculus, if that word means anything to you.” “It does to me!” Flurry Heart announced before affecting the tone of a privately tutored junior aristocrat reciting from a memorized textbook. “Clause eleven thirty-three of universal pony law states that any temporal duplicate, equunculus, form-locked changeling, or other derivative instance of an existing sentient creature may, upon completion of an aptitude test, be extended full citizenship rights and legal recognition that they are separate and autonomous of their Source.” “Uh… sure,” Rainbow confirmed. “What Queen Junior said.” FLASH! The firing of a camera bulb caught the attention of all five ponies, whose collective attention settled on Shimmy Shake and Lighthoof. The two had taken advantage of being forgotten to fire up Stock Image’s polaroid camera and snap a candid capture of everyone. Even so, Lighthoof’s deer-in-headlights expression made it very clear she’d thought she’d disabled the light. “Um…” she fumbled. “So much for a, like, natural-looking group shot.” Stock Image recovered first. “Well if we absolutely have to pose for one of those… we should all at least scooch in.” “Oh Tartarus,” Rainbow gulped. “Doesn’t the camera add ten pounds?” “Only in the facial area,” Lightning promised as she stood tall next to her. “Just avoid showing teeth in your smile and you’ll look fine.” “Sometimes when my picture gets took I blink,” Flurry warned. “We’ll do another if I blink during this one, right?” Nopony answered her. “I tell ya Vitty, you run with some weird characters.” Stock whispered as everypony gathered around. “Ha. Barbed remarks comin’ from the shtate who can't even run 'erself. Or comb her mane for a portrait. By the by, if I got red eye in the printed image, ya owe me five Bits.” “Everypony got their one-liners out and done with?” Shimmy Shake called. “Good, cuz the Wonderbolts are due back in a few minutes. Gotta make this last shot count.” Various smiles were donned by a motley crew happy to have met one another, even it was for just one afternoon. FLASH! Author's Note At last, the finale entry is done. Winston Churchill once said "Perfection is the enemy of progress," and was he right on the money because I must've drafted and scrapped the outline for this story a dozen times in the past few months. A few of my ideas to converge the Snippet storylines were pretty bad, such as a courtroom case where the protagonists all lucked into jury duty together. A few were good but too narrow, such as having starving-artist Rainbow and closetedly creative Applejack run into one another at Pastel Prancy's Art Shop. Ultimately, this Wonderbolt halftime break premise was the most balanced and robust thing I could come up with. It's not perfect, but with the exception of Idol none of the Snippets are. And for that matter, none of the five protagonists are perfect either. Every pony in that group shot has her own set of flaws, whether visible at a glance or hidden deeper in her individual personality. The daily effort of each to overcome those shortcomings is what makes all them so much fun to write about, and it’s my hope they were fun to read about too. See you all next year for Snippets Season Two. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
