Thread 24: Stories 31-45

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NON CANON

>Spike
"32"
'42'
~~~
>Hey, big guy! Guess what I brought for you?

"A swift end to my pointless existence?"

>Even better, I went down to some thrift and outlet stores to pick up some furnishings for Blue Blood and Arana, and I decides, you know who could use wood wall paneling, shag carpet, and a lavalamp?

"... Can you just bring Sparkle back to give me a makeover?"

One groovy renovation later and after Spike's left...

32 is checking out the new furnishings, including some of the old drawers

"Well... This might not be so bad, it
s at least a change of pace-"

One drawer reveals a brick of compressed and dried plant matter, pieces of paper, and a lighter

Even later...

'What. The. Fuck?'

"Aw, shit! It's the fuzz! Who narc'd me out, man?!"
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NON CANON
>Spike
"32"

>Hey, 32, it's Spike, I got to take the stuff back, stop leaning against the door.

"Who?"

>Spike.

"Heheh, Spike's not here, maaaan..."

>No, no I'M Spike.

"Yeah man, Spike's not here."

>32!

"No, man, I'm 32."

>Yes, YOU'RE 32, I'M Spike, now let me in.

"...Spike's not-"

>Getting out Charity.

"Yeesh, okay, okay, I've had my fun."

>Thought so.
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NON CANON

>Twilight
"32"

>Hello, 32, sorry I've been gone so lo-

"Yooooooo Sparkoooo, pop a squat and join me, sweet thing, gather at my palace of wisdooooom~"

>I...what? Are you feeling okay?

"I am feeling more than okay, I am feeling fantastical. It's like...whoa, right? I just took a huff and a puff and I was beyond the sun and the moon, dancing in the stars singing all kiiiinds of kumbayas. Where that mama of mine, I wanna give her a hug and tell her little thirty-dos wants to come on home~!"

>...what?

"Wait, IS she my mom? Whoa...Twi-dye, I may be adopted...that's some crazy shit..."

>I think you should lie down.

"Yeahhh...that sounds reaalll good, just lie on down and think...just look at alll them thoughts...thousands of little thoughts sparklin' like diiiiamonds in my brain..."

>...I'll come back later.

"Oh when I lay me down to die, goin' up the Hivemind in the skyyyy~!"
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NON CANON

>spike
"32"
~~~
>You can keep the electric guitar though.

"Well that's nice, think I can actually get rights to music I make in here?"

>Why not? Flim and Flam have.

32 grabs the guitar and starts playing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39DENARnUtM
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>DT
"SS"
'PJ'
{???}
~~~~~

>Did you have to bring the bug monster?

"She's following me."

'TRAINING you. You need to learn how to lose a tailing enemy.'

"Just ignore her."

'Hey, my training is spectacular, thank you! You are learning to dodge on a whole other level!'

"She throws stuff."

>You picking on my friend? If so, I will be forced to use rockets.

'Heh, go ahead! There's nothing I can't avoid-'

*CLINK!*

>...Oh, I'm sorry, did you mean 'there's nothing I can't avoid at more than five feet?' I don't think you could avoid some TBDRLIATU hugs at point blank.

'...Fiiiine, point goes to you. Seriously, though, you think my training is bad? Ask a guard how 77's training is.'

>...Or 42's...

"...What would it be like if I trained under Chrysalis?"

'Probably boring, she's more about outsmarting others and being sneaky. Now, CHITANIA on the other hoof...'

"...Yeah?"

'Well, I've only ever heard rumors you see, lot'a legends, but from what I heard her own self inflicted training was on a whole other level. She used to pick fights with Queens pre-ascension just for the thrill. I mean, she never WON pre-ascension, but she still got right up in the strongest the Changelings had to offer, and survived. Used to crush mountains just so she could block the resulting avalanche. She was brutal to herself.'

>...You try to pull that on Silver Spoon, and I'll turn your SOUL into a crater. You understand? I will somehow figure out a way to demolish your SOUL.

'Yeah yeah, whatever. See you, SS, meet me in the woods later, I got one of those little skeet launcher things! It'll be fun.'

>...Jerk. So as I was saying... SS?

"... I can see it, DT."

~~~~~~

{IF YOU CAN DODGE A ROCKSLIDE, YOU CAN DODGE A PUNCH!}

{IF YOU CAN DODGE AN ERUPTING VOLCANO, YOU CAN DODGE A BOMB!}

{IF YOU CAN DODGE THE MOON, YOU CAN DODGE... well, pretty much everything, actually. This is a bar raiser.... DODGE!}

~~~~

>...

"...It's horrifying, yet beautiful."
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Definitely not-canon
>42
"Spike"
~~~
Cursed... Celestia dammit she had been cursed. She didn't dare leave her (highly unused) personal office and let others see her in her condition.

>Hey, tough girl!

Crap, Spike was meeting her today

>I brought back your hover bike, even with a full tank. Finally found where 32 had crashed mine-

He stops and stares

>You're...

"Spike, just turn around and walk away!"

>You're a-

"SPIKE! I'M WARNING YOU!"

>You're a bloody puppet!

The tiny and fabricated 42 tackled the laughing Spike through the doors of her office and began pummeling him out in the halls
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>Chrysalis
"Celestia"
'Twilight'
~~~~~

>Okay, so when the train reaches full speed, we'll have to make sure to tag in the last magic-burst log JUST before it passes by that final blinking light. That way it should get enough of a burst of speed to jump the canyon.

"Red magic burst or yellow?"

>Red.

'So... is this just what you guys do?'

>Well, no, we've never done this particular event before. New experiences.

"We're all about new experiences."

'I meant, do you guys just frequently do these highly dangerous and insane things by yourselves?'

>What? No, we take Shiny with us.

"Your brother is an endless source of entertainment."

>He complains sometimes, but he always goes along with it.

"Half the fun is seeing juuuuust when his sanity is finally going to break."

>But it never does. Iron will, that brother of yours.

"Very trusting that we wouldn't do something that would kill him, too."

>It's only almost happened twice.

'...Okay, so, this seems kind of silly.'

>...Get on the fucking train.

"Twilight, do what she says."

'But why-'

>Because this one would probably be a third 'almost kill Shiny', and we want it out of the way before he gets back.

"We do care about him after all."

'...You're going to make me go either way, aren't you?'

>Yep! What's the worst that could-

~~~~~~

>I HAVE SO MANY REGRETS!

"YOU SAID RED!"

>I SAID RED *BEFORE* THE LIGHT!

'Are you both okay?'

>NO WE ARE NOT OKAY!

"I AM WEARING THE TWISTED WRECKAGE OF A TRAIN LIKE A SUIT!"

>WHY DIDN'T YOU SHIELD US!?

'...'

>...GODDAMN SMARTHORSE!

"I MISS BUBBLEHORSE!"

'You both deserve this.'

>"SHUT UP!"
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>AJ12
“Lyra”
'???'
~~~~

>I can’t take this job….

“Huh?”

>I just can’t, it’s a road I don’t even want to go down.

“Okay, bugdude, what are you talking about?”

>You want me to transfigure my hooves into hands and scratch you. That’s why you answered my ad in the paper, right?

“Um, nooooo? Where the hell’d you get that idea from? Turn your hooves into hands and scratch me, what? Ew, too personal. I just needed some help with groceries today and your little ad there did say anything….”

>…Oh.

“Yeah.”

>Well. This just got kinda awkward, didn’t it?

“Juuuust a smidgen, mhm.”

>…so do you still need help or…?

“Nah, I just suddenly remembered I’m a unicorn who can use her magic to levitate everything she buys.”

>Of course you did. Of course you did.

'12! Get your ass back in here, orders are piling up!'

>Fuck my life...
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>Bat-mom
"Dadling"
'Cadence'
[Twilight]
~~~~~~~

>So, uh, is this totally necessary?

"Yeah, these wires are kind of weirding me out."

'Please hold still, I need to make sure the connection is strong to get the best reading.'

[Trust her, she's by far the leading expert on... ugh... on 'sparklejoules'.]

>...What?

"That sounds made up."

'Well, technically all science terms are made up. Because they're describing something that didn't have a name before.'

"...Whoa..."

>So, uh, why is it important you see my sparkly jewelery?

'Your SPARKLEJOULES is the rating of love you can provide at the utmost maximum. I am scanning it to make sure the child is not going to accidentally drain all of the love from your heart during baby-making.'

[Gestation is the proper term.]

'Now, see, THAT'S a silly term.'

"Wait, isn't love, like, all powerful and infinite?"

'If it were, wouldn't YOU be all powerful and infinite? If it's not finite, you would never run out.'

"...Whooooooaaa..."

>So, uh...

'...Fantastic! You're still coming off a very nice light purple, and the drain is not exceeding a mossy green. Even assuming it doubles, it wouldn't reduce you below a midnight threshold.'

>...Y...yay?

"I totally followed that."

>...

"...No I didn't."

'You're fine, is what I am saying. You might be a little more irritated than normal and are slightly more prone to rash decisions, but your tiredness and stress levels won't be pushed into dangerous levels due to the baby alone.'

>...Yay!

'Yay indeed! Well, if you don't mind, I must be off. Have to go make sure 2 didn't get into 18's cinnamon cookies again. Congratulations, you guys!'

"..."
>...Okay, now that she's gone, explain in laymens terms-

[Glimmer, last time I looked into it I ended up tye-dying my tail and relying on a giant bug Queen to keep me from going home with someone to get nailed when I went to a bar, I am not even touching that. Smile and nod, and be happy you are fine.]

>...Yay?

[Yay.]
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Pommel's world was a chaotic flurry of fighting figures, flying fist/hooves/claws, and the absolute din of conflict that is of course part and parcel of a tavern brawl. Here a diamond dog lifted a struggling gryphon overhead and threw him, there a pegasus divebombed an earth pony only to receive two hooves to his face, all around there was nothing but a seemingly endless battle with sides defined only be who each individual liked.

Also the tavern's band was still playing, though the mandolin player's instrument had been confiscated to smash a particularly quarrelsome goat over the head.

Pommel and Rat, for their part, stuck close together, their conflict far less subjective than those of the other corsairs around them. They stood side by side with Guttersnipe's unconscious body between them, hooves and various telekinetically thrown objects flying, impacting the grungiest, dirtiest, vilest assailants they could see coming for them, which they naturally assumed were Snipe's crew.

"Nothin' like a bar brawl, eh, lad?" Rat said cheerfully as he smashed a forehoof into the face of an oncoming diamond dog, "Really gets the blood flowin'!"

"For us or for them!?" Pommel asked as he ducked a swing from an angry pegasus and headbutted him, making impact just short of impaling the underside of his head with his horn.

"Both!" Rat laughed, leaping onto what had formerly served as their table to out and out leap into the fray, "C'mon! We'll fight our way out!"

"Aw fu-UHH!" Pommel yelped as a foreleg curled around one his hindlegs, he looked down to see the thoroughly pummeled and quite angry face of Guttersnipe.

"Yeh, fuckin' bashterds...yer'll nah goin' ennywerr..."

Pommel tugged his hindleg as Rat disappeared into the fray, noticing the oncoming forms of Snipe's crew, and the monstrous minotaurian shadow known only as 'Brahmos', advanced towards him. Then suddenly an idea struck, and he smirked.

"Maybe I'm not, so why don't you?"

His horn glowed with a light blue aura and Guttersnipe was lifted from the floor and flung bodily towards his allies, bowling a few of them over in the process.

"Yahtzee, asshole!" Pommel called out and dashed to follow after Rat, ducking, diving, and fighting as the situation demanded. HIs hooves flew and made contact with no less than six different kinds of faces as he fled.

Then he felt a hard tug on one of his legs and he fell to the floor, chin smacking into the floor as a furry figure moved to roll him onto his back and straddle his prostrated form. Pommel's vision swam, but he managed to refocus in time to see the cur in the tricorner hat raising a knife aimed for his chest. In a panic he tried to grip the knife with his magic, straining against the muscles of the creature Snipe had called 'Barksby' as it tried to make his friends' assumption he was dead that much more factual.

"Nngh...you mangy...no! NO! FUCK YOU, BARKSBY!" Pommel said through gritted teeth, his jaw clenching as the dagger descended towards his rapidly beating heart. This was how it was going to end? Stabbed in the midst of a tavern brawl by a dumpy little flea-bitten mongrel? At least getting eaten by Chitania or that eel could have been a death he could take some kind of pride in, it-

"GET OFFA HIM!" A familiar voice roared, distracting Barksby and ripping Pommel out of his pre-death monologue.

Barksby looked up in time to catch a swift buck to the face, sending both him and his knife flying. Pommel looked up as a as hoof descended to take his and haul him up, right face to face with Daw.

"C'mon lad, I taught ya better'n this!" She grinned, then looked over her shoulder, "Alrigh' boys, these scumbags wanna fight, we'll give it to 'em!"

"HURRAH!" The crew, almost the entirety of them were flooding into the tavern, rushing to the fray, smashing right into the brawl itself.

"An' here I was just wanting ta get you'n them properly acquainted," Daw smirked, "Just as well, I was hurtin' for a scrap anyway! C'mon!"

Pommel watched her spring away, a whirling dervish of hooves and wings smashing into whichever foe unlucky enough to get in her way. Pommel moved to join her, staying at the fringes of her reach, picking whatever spots he could to take out those she was not able to see. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rat lay into a gryphon with a headbutt that sent the avian crashing to the floor, unaware of the goat charging him from behind. Pommel's mind raced and with more instinct than thought, he threw a nearby bottle, that smashed across the caprine's face and made him drop to the ground.

Rat looked over his shoulder and grinned, "Nice work lad-"

Rat's eyes went wide as he looked over Pommel's own shoulder, killing off Pommel's mental thanks to 32 for stressing 'Situational Awareness'. Pommel had a very bad feeling what was behind him wasn't going to be defeated with a bottle. His fears were confirmed when a meaty hand wrapped itself around the back of his neck, lifting him like a meer kitten and slammed him face first into the floor. Pommel's vision faded in and out, he could make out the crew circling his position, Rat and Daw shouting instructions, a great charge from Rat and two others, quickly batted away like so many flies. Daw shouted demands Pommel could not hear to his assailant, he felt the booming rumble of laughter and...he was being lifted. He was being carried. He was-

"That's a wa-" Pommel's sentence was cut off by a yelp of pain as he attacker drove him through a wall, two walls, three, four, five, until Pommel felt his back smash against hard stone. Dimly, his mind noted the blue sky above, deducing that his long trip had ended with him against one of the stone walls lining the edges of Tortoiga's upper level. He was dropped like a sack of potatoes onto the ground, where he struggled to gain a footing, tasting blood. His eyes slowly refocused to regard his attacker, and his mind urged his eyes to stop the moment he saw a pair of cloven hooves on the ground. Despite every fiber of his being crying out against it, he looked up to see his would-be killer.

Brahmos, the minotaur Snipe had threatened to sic on him, was even more menacing in the light than he had been in shadow. He was a white, but not the regal alabaster of Princess Rarity, nor did he have the maggotlike paleness of the Morlock Chieftain 32 had killed, the masive minotaur looked as though some god had chisled him from a slab of marble. His upper body put any other physique Pommel had seen to shame, and was on full display but for his belt on which hung a wicked looking pair of axes. His eyes were alive with a callous cruelty, the kind you'd see in those of a little foal that like to pull the wings off of butterflies.

And those eyes were fixed on Pommel.

Pommel gulped, trying to back away, finding himself up against the wall as the minotaur cracked his knuckles and took a step forward.

"Wait!" Pommel choked out, thankful his little ride didn't have him spitting out his teeth, "I...come on...hasn't this gone a...bit far?"

The minotaur cocked an eyebrow.

"I mean...ya just ruined...like...three bulidings there...won't your...captain...be angry?" Pommel articulated as best he could with his mind throbbing and threatening to leak out of his ear like a runny egg.

Brahmos' answer was clear from the second he smirked, "You are a presumptive little weakling, aren't you?"

The voice that rumbled from within the massive frame of the minotaur was a malicious growl, the voice of a man for whom power and control was not a goal, but an imperative. Pommel's heart sank.

"You're the...fucking captain, aren't you?" Pommel crused whatever god existed that governed over luck, for surely uninfluenced chance could not have landed him in such a situation.

"Guilty as charged, and guilty of many other things too, one of which will soon be your murder," Brahmos took a step forward, one of his giant hands reaching down to wrap around Pommel's throat and slam him against the stone wall once again, "I should have known Evergreen would crew his little floating wreck with fools like you. Still, your assault on my crew means I get to have a little fun at his expense, so I'll thank you by...attempting to make this painless."

Pommel gritted his teeth for the slam that would fracture his skull, scramble his brains, render him a flopping broken mess on the ground...but it never came. The glint of metal in the sunlight suddenly shone from Brahmos' throat, the minotaur stopped in his tracks as the tip of a hook pressed to his jugular.

"You always were a long-winded bastard, weren't you, Brahmos?" The gruff voice that came from behind Brahmos heralded Captain Evergreen, his good eye narrowed.

"Captain...a pleasant surprise," Brahmos' face had flashed with irritation when the earth pony had spoken, but now it was back into the same condescending happiness it had shown when he was toying with Pommel.

"Lad," Evergreen regarded Pommel with a singular critical eye, "What did I say? You get in a fight, you had damn well better win it. Drop him, Brahmos, he owes me a debt, and I intend to collect on it."

"Answer me this, old man," Brahmos said evenly, "Do you think you can cut my throat with your little fishing hook before I snap this half-pint's neck?"

"No, I don't, which is why I'd rather you put him down, everybody wins," Evergreen's voice seemed to be more of a growl than usual, utter contempt for the pitch white minotaur bubbling to the fore.

"Hmph...fine, captain, I will do as you ask..." Brahmos slowly lowered Pommel, the hook eased away from his throat.

Then Pommel discovered what whiplash felt like, as his body was whipped around and flung at Evergreen, who dodged him deftly, drawing his cutlass with his mouth. Pommel fell to the ground for what felt like the hundredth time that day, vaguely aware of the clash of metal upon metal and two sets of hooves climbing the steps that lead to the stone wall's battlements. His head throbbed, his muscles ached, and it felt like every bone in his body was but a poke away from being reduced to powder. A part of him was shouting for him to escape, for him to get help, or just plain get gone and disappear in all the confusion. He had no stake in this fight, Evergreen had held a debt over his head with the threat of slavery if he didn't pay up. There had been no kindness from the pirate captain beyond allowing Pommel to breathe a litle longer, all he had to do was limp away...

Then the faces of Rat and Daw flashed before his eyes. Smiling at him, teaching him how to fight and how to sail, being the closest thing he'd had to friends in this strange and foreign land...

"...besides..." Pommel muttered, "Nobody...throws me...through a bunch of walls...and gets away with it!"

Ignoring the agonized protestations of his body, he climbed the stairs after the two dueling captains. As he reached the top, he was greeted with the sight of the Minotaur and Earth Pony locked in mortal combat, cutlass and axes swinging and clashing as the smaller combatant countered the brute strength of his opponent with his surprisingly spry agility. Gritting his teeth, Pommel made it onto the battlements as Barhmos and Evergreen locked blades, glaring at one another until the minotaur slammed his head down in a wicked headbutt that sent the old earth pony sprawling, sword clattering and sliding away far out of reach. With a grin, the minotaur advanced twirling his axes deftly in his hands.

Pommel panted, there was no time to think. He hoped to holy high hell his funeral in Canterlot had been a good one, because there was a good chance it was going to have to do.

"Best...in the..."

He flung himself bodily at Brahmos, who turned to see him a moment too late as the unicorn's body smashed into him, weight and force carrying them forward, over the side of the wall...

And down.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRLLLLLLLD!"
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>Idris
"Gwen"
~~~~

>GRRRAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHHH!

Two burly claws slammed into the dinner table, rattling the plates on top of it.

"No no, please, scream louder, I don't quite think that one reached that time you found out the immortality serum didn't work."

>CLAMP YOUR BEAK! This is all your fault in the first place!

"Oh, so it's something that is mostly positive but you are too stupid to realize the benefits. Carry on."

>I'm serious Winny! That pest you let scurry about my kingdom is a headache I do not need right now!

"Fine, I didn't want to finish this book anyway. Whatever is the problem, dear husband?"

A newspaper slammed onto the table.

>That blasted bug is making me look like an idiot!

"Ah. Was wondering when you would notice. That's last weeks paper, dear."

>I ENDORSED THAT GOVERNOR FOR TEN YEARS!

"And it turns out she is a bigger drain on our schools funding than textbooks. Seems like you backed the wrong candidate. Told you I liked that other fellow better."

>Do you have any idea what it looks like when a changeling does a better job uncovering corruption than me!?

"You're right, that does look bad. Hey! I know! Why don't YOU uncover it first! Beat her to the punch! That'll show her!"

>...

"Aww, will that cut into all of your 'interests'? Will that make it harder for you to get your spending for out 'military expansion'?"

>...If that thing comes back-

A different set of claws slammed against the table.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING USE MY FAILURE LIKE THAT!"

He paused, backing off slightly.

"If I see her again I WILL have her head on a pike and a heart in my belly, make no mistake. But unlike you, I'm not blaming the fact I was incapable of doing anything to her, that I had to be SAVED by her of all things and had to watch as she slipped away from me while I sat helpless, on anyone but myself. And unlike you, I'm not letting my home degrade further to justify it."

She regally sat back down, recomposing herself and picking her book back up.

"If you want her gone, fine, you're still king of this land, and I suppose that still means something. But I want no part in it. I open this paper every day and wonder who I am going to drag to our courts next, I would be nothing less than a fool to give that away.”

He did not speak any further. Slowly, he sat back down, and picked the paper off the table.

>...You didn't fail, Winny. That damned princess did when she let that thing out.

She just buried her beak in further to her book, and pretended to be utterly engrossed by it.

>You couldn't have known those idiots were going to try to stop her by-

“I would like to finish my reading, please.”

Had he any lips to do so, he would have frowned. Unfortunately, he was going to have to settle for narrowing his eyebrows slightly, and resigning himself to leafing through his own reading material.

>...She's pretty good at finding information, I guess. Suppose it comes with the territory of being an infiltrator species.

No reply. No point in keeping it up.

Letting out a tired sigh, he left the table. Letting her catch up on her 'reading'.

Damn her... she always knew how to make him feel like an idiot.
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>AJ56
“Dash”
______

“So that’s the deal, squirt.”

>Oh come on, at least be reasonable! That’s like taking a piece of my heart and dashing it on the ground!

“Ha, that’s funny, you used my name to describe breaking your heart.”

>I’m being serious!

“You’re being cute, you little perverted thing, you. Now, I know how you dream to fly with Luna one day, right?”

>Y-yeah….

“Then consider this a stepping stone, a testament to your desire and conviction to see that goal through to the end. I mean, really, despite how hard you think this is, it’s actually the easiest thing you'll do here.”

>But… but I’ve had them for so long!

“Tell me about it.”

>And they smell so nice….

“Too much information, 56.”

>YOU CAN’T MAKE ME DO IT!

“Hm, so you don’t want to fly with Luna, then. That what you’re sayin’, squirt?”

>I- …no, that’s not what I’m saying….

“Really? Sure sounds like it. And she’s a princess, too, she’s going to have some massive wing power to fall back on, stuff that would leave a scrub like you in the dust on the very first flap.”

>…

“But that’s where I come in. Look, I’m the best flier this side of Equestria, you know it, I know it, the whole world knows it. I can teach you. I can learn you the basics, the advanced, and the ‘shit that will make your wings fall off’, too. You can join Scoots in her class and in no time be flying with your mare, smiles and all. The only thing you need to do is… give me back my thongs.”

The look on 56’s face could be likened to being handed the death penalty. His ears fell back and his nose crinkled.

>If… if I do… you’ll help me fly?

“I guarantee you’ll be pulling the Changeling equivalent of a Sonic Rainboom before you know it.”

>…fine.

“All the thongs.”

>Okay.

“Even the pair you’re wearing on your head right now. You can start with that.”

>B-but these are my favorite….

“What a coincidence, they’re mine, too. Fork 'em over.”

>...that's why Spitfire rubbed her ass all over your breakfast this morning.

"Spitfire did what...?"

>Nothing, here.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Spike
"Twi"
~~~
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

"Spike?"

Clang! Clan-

>Oh, hey, Twilight, what's on your mind.

"Well, this crown you gave me for starters."

>That? Heheh, oh, it was no big deal, a belated mother's day gift, and to be honest, it ended up rushed since I was hoping it would help.

Twilight suddenly hugs Spike and kisses his cheek

"It did help, really."

>By pushing you over the edge?

"By breaking my mask, if only for a moment while I had tried to harder to hide. Thank you."

>Aw, you're welcome. I'm working on one for Celestia still. And Cadence, as a 'thank you' for stepping in, and she's a mom too with Two. Also, one for Luna... And Shining.

"Heh, you're making crowns for everyone, aren't you?"

>Yep... I'm gonna have to make one for Chrysalis, aren't I?

"Well, in the interest of fairness, yes. And she did help too."

>True.

"So... if you intend to forge crowns, what's with all the knives, swords, maces, and such?"

>Practice, those crowns are supposed to be masterpieces.

"At the rate you're making these things your body is going to end up made of swords."

>... actually, that sounds kind of-

"No, Spike. you're trying not to be a weapon, as I recall. You are not a gun."

Twilight hugs him again

"you're the best friend anyone could ask for."

>Thanks.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Applejack
“Twilight Note”
______

>Eh? What’s this'n?

“Journal Entry Number 1-6-7: Apple Division, Sector Six, note 16. Dear Journal, my never-ending fascination with the correlation between Applejack and apples continue, rather unfruitfully at that if you’ll forgive the poor pun. I’m led to believe that her love of apples, indeed, of the entire Apple family’s love of apples stems somewhere deep in the lore books of old. It just seems uncanny when I think about it. An entire line of ponies focused on one fruit? On one tradition? On one passion? Even if it is for the betterment of Equestria as a whole, I can’t shake the feeling that something else is at play here. I’ve run through several scenarios for why this might be and so far none of them had found wind. The latest was the theory that somehow the juice of an apple sustained them, or that it might be another source of blood. I looked towards Granny Smith for the sustaining aspect and found that she has indeed lived well beyond that of a normal pony, and shows no signs of slowing down. A question mark there. As for the blood portion, Applejack has seen her fair share of scrapes back in the day and not once have I ever seen evidence of an apple juice-blood transfusion. A disappointing large, red X there. But I remain hopeful! My study of the Apples and their engrossing customs will continue until I have an answer!”

>…

As Applejack’s eyes floated over the last words of Twilight’s journal entry, she couldn’t help but crack a grin, chuckling to herself.

>An’ Ah still prefer this than her tryin’ ta’ paint mah hooves and do mah hair. G'luck, Twi'.
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>42
"Random Changelings"
~~~~

>...You want an apartment.

"Yeah!"

"Now, I know what you're thinking, 'why do you want an apartment if you have this nifty ballroom here? Well, we'll tell you.."

"MERCHANDISING!"

"Here's the catch, we get 10, have her film a reality show there, make it into a series of films and release them in the cinema, and make a BUNDLE!"

"I've already got my character picked out! I'm going to be the bitter nerd who just arrived in the apartment."

"I'm his loyal sidekick, the wisecracker!"

"I'm going to be the hard working sane one."

"Prissy one here!"

"I'm the awesome one who's always up for a fight!"

"I'm the quiet but helpful one."

"And I'm the party dude! GNARLACIOUS!... Still working on that, it's a work in progress."

>...This is moronic.

"Why!? I think we're marketable!"

>Do you at least have different cloths or disguises?

"Naahhhh, our personality will set us apart!...Really!"

>...

"...Please?"

>Tell me right now you will not set it on fire, and be honest, and I will consider it.

"..."

>...That's what I thought.

"SLHLICKED MAN!"

>...

"...Still working on it."
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