Fanfic about My Little Pony. How ponies tried to read fanfiction on stories is completed. Hoof of Help

Everyone loves tea.

Well, who doesn't love it? But this good thing has completely different approaches: someone has a gourmet approach and does not accept tea bags, but on the other hand, volume lovers - the taste is not important, the main thing is that it is sweeter and larger. And today we will have a clash of opinions between representatives of both tea approaches, in the form of two citrus sisters.
Which tea approach do you prefer?

Naturally, the picture would be incomplete if not A little (or not so little) story:

***
Another night has begun to give way to the morning dawn, and it’s time to go to the kitchen and brew strong morning tea. Lemon Freshfruit, although she is the head of a small factory of soft drinks, which clearly did not target the audience of certain gourmets, she herself can be called that connoisseur of exquisite drinks. Especially tea shops. And every day begins with a fragrant cup of tea, always with a slice of lemon or lime - a good way to cheer up! And the process of making tea itself is a rather intimate and meditative thing for Limonka, there is something pleasant about it: every cup of tea can be made unique and inimitable.

Just the selection of tea leaves is worth it: classic black tea - as an unchanging base, and then - according to your mood. A little mint, invigorating and giving a feeling of freshness, a pinch of bergamot to add a slight bitterness, and where would we be without the sourness from a slice of lemon? And all this for one cup - no teapots or even more blasphemous bags! Limonka is a supporter of tea ceremonies.

Watching the rhythmic dance of tea leaves in boiling water, the pegasus heard footsteps shuffling along the floor, and a moment later Limonka’s younger sister, Tangerina, appeared in the kitchen. Judging by her clothes and early time of wakefulness, it became immediately clear that she had a sleepless night.

The tangerine pony walked up to the table and took a huge mug from it, from which several tags from tea bags hung.
“Oh, it’s finally cooled down!” - the filly was delighted and confidently moved closer to her sister. A look at her small cup traditionally gave rise to a little misunderstanding in the Mandarin’s curly head: “Well, how can there be so little tea?”

Which she confirmed with her statement: “The best tea is the one that has a lot!” The filly proudly lifted the one and a half liter mug in front of her nose, hinting at the contrast in the amount of drink, and then clung to it with obvious pleasure.

Lemon began to feel like her sister was teasing her a little: she deliberately pulled out a pleasure-filled “Mmmm...” and smacked her lips a little. And then Tanguy made a sudden proposal:
- Let's try each other's teas, shall we?!

Um... - a little embarrassed Limonka nevertheless put the cup on the saucer, and then moved her tea closer to her sister.

Without thinking twice, the youngest grabbed the cup with both hooves, but quickly put it in place:
- Ay, hot!

“There is a pen,” the pegasus reminded.

The earth pony did not want to take hold of this handle, instantly thinking of leaning towards the cup to try to take at least a sip. But as soon as her lips touched the cup and its contents, Tangerina instantly pulled back, truly as if she had been scalded:
- Ho-rya-cho!

“Pour a little on a saucer,” Limonka advised rather calmly.

Oh, and also blow, right? - the earth pony awkwardly grabbed the handle of the cup, and just as awkwardly poured a little into the saucer, naturally splashing out a few drops of tea.

She began to blow on the saucer, so much so that a few more drops decorated the beige tablecloth. And then, after drinking a little, the opinion of the tangerine pony followed:
- Without sugar - how do you drink it? It’s too strong, and also bitter, a little sour because of the lemon... it’s impossible to drink. And you’re also drinking boiling water!

But only in hot water, without sugar, does the tea leaf reveal its palette of taste, and notes of bergamot give an interesting aftertaste! - Limonka tried to defend her variation of the drink.

Mmm! When does your mouth feel bitter? Such quality! - The earth pony sister abruptly pulled the tea away from her, spilling it once again.

Meh... - Lemon looked at the remaining volume of the cup, and then at her sister, who was drinking from her mug with the same pleasure. And then the pegasus was tempted to ask: - Well, let me try yours!

Mm? - Tangerina was somewhat surprised, but then confidently placed the mug right in front of the lemon pony: - Well, try my best tea!

The pegasus turned out to be much more careful in her actions: first she looked inside the mug, but its contents blended in color with the color of the inner surface, and only four tea bags contrasted in this environment. Scrunching her face, Limonka took these bags out of her mug. I sniffed the mug... nothing. Has your nose really given up? I turned to my tea, and there it was - the aroma of real tea! This is no longer the best list of qualities of sister tea, but the pegasus still decided to try: a small sip from a heavy container and...
- Ugh! Kha-kham! - the filly suddenly spat and coughed. - Cold, and also... Oh, how sweet it is! How many spoons of sugar do you add to it?

Two spoons! - Tangerine answered with an innocent smile.

What? Teapots?

Almost! - Tanguy took out a huge spoon from the pocket of her apron; in volume it was akin to half a ladle!

“So this is a sauce spoon,” noted the older pony.

Mmm, I thought it was a big teaspoon. Doesn't matter! How do you like my tea?

Limonka glanced at the saucer, on which tea bags lay on one edge, and her cup was pushed to the second. The tea left in Tangerina’s saucer next to the bags was forced to retreat due to the liquid that had leaked from them; it was almost transparent and contrasted very much in color with Limonka’s dark tea, a clear border was already visible.

Is this what you call tea? Cold, sugary water - nothing more! Where's the tea?

Well, I've brewed these teabags three times now...the second time they're a little richer!

Limonka just breathed in surprise, but there were no words.

Well, what is it? Did not like? And I'm fine! - Tangerina was confused at first. Without waiting for her sister’s answer, she drank the rest of her “tea” in one gulp, sucked on the bags that had been lying on the saucer, and then declared: “Okay, that’s it, go to sleep!”

After that, when the earth pony galloped off to the bedroom, the kitchen became quiet, and only drops of lemon tea flowing from the table, like a clock or a metronome, counted down the thoughtful pause of surprise of no less than the lemon pony: it would seem - sisters, but with such diametrically opposed tastes! To each their own? And it was only a little offensive for the wasted tea...
***

But now, after reading this story, which approach do you prefer: the Mandarin’s sweet-voluminous approach or Limonkin’s approach as a tea connoisseur?

Well, you can find more interesting things of MagnoSunsp authorship by visiting the Edge of the Setting Sun.

Which tea approach do you prefer?

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Thank you for attention!

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The writing was downright terrible until Klemm and DraftHoof turned it into something a little less terrible. Thank them very much!

13: Shadow over the ridges of madness on the threshold under the blanket

In the bright and colorful everyday life, colorful ponies are often stopped being noticed, forgotten, or even meaningfully decided to ignore the fact that with the onset of dusk, the colors fade, and at night all ponies are completely gray. And this applies not only to colors and colors, far from it. Brightness, cheerfulness, everything good and good with the onset of darkness is replaced by something completely different. Something sinister and frightening, permeating all of Equestria and penetrating even beyond its borders. So far away that just thinking about this boundlessness makes your head spin.

Such thoughts occupied Fluttershy as she tried hard to sleep. Settled under a blanket in the hotel room where they were accommodated during away games of buckball, she could not find a comfortable position, one in which sleep would finally come to her. And Angel, as luck would have it, refused to sleep with her, preferring the comfort of a spacious sofa. So the filly had to fight with her own thoughts, which obsessively crept into her head, like long-legged false pigtail spiders, huddled in fluffy flocks in the corners of barns and abandoned houses.

Although the pegasus loved spiders, imagining this black, swarming mass, crumbling into many small bodies, actively writhing with long legs, she felt uncomfortable. Turning on her other side, Fluttershy began to look at the darkness in front of her. Helpful imagination immediately completed the drawing of swaying waves of insects on unfamiliar walls, moving in a single wave in a disgustingly inharmonious parody of Brownian motion, which Twilight had talked about along the way.

Fluttershy exhaled noisily and lay down on her back again, fleeing from annoying thoughts. She shouldn't have listened to this lecture about the nature of things, the composition of matter and primordial chaos. The scientific explanations were nothing like what Discord had shown her. Frustrated, the pegasus raised her front leg above the blanket, indifferently looking at how she looked in the almost pitch darkness. Pale, barely noticeable, she also seemed to move on her own, twitching with the ripples of the waves. And again the imagination showed how the fur on the leg scattered in a scattering of pale spiders that lived in tiny holes in the skin.

Shivering, Fluttershy hid her head under the blanket. Now my imagination was in full swing. It began to seem to her that someone else was in the room, that someone was creaking the floorboards, window shutters, and teeth. She literally felt like someone was hanging over her, trying to grab her and drag her away, as soon as the tip of her hoof stuck out from under the blanket. “Of course, all this is nonsense!” - the pegasus consoled herself, but was in no hurry to crawl out into the light. And you can’t call any of your cute animal friends for help!

She became agitated, feeling a rush of loneliness, as if there was no one else in the whole world except her. Fluttershy was left alone against an unclear danger, oppressive and frightening, her breathing quickened, her pulse jumped. Under the blanket it became unbearably hot and stuffy. Choosing between a painful death from suffocation and some mystical danger from outside the blanket, the filly nevertheless decided and stuck her nose out, diligently snoring in the cool night air until, intoxicated by the rush of oxygen, she fell asleep in exhaustion right in that position.

She dreamed of something terrible, a chaotic struggle with an omnipresent something, enveloping her from head to toe, like a thick fog, gradually turning into a sticky, tight web, tangling the poor pegasus from head to toe. No matter how she kicked, no matter how she twitched, nothing helped. All that could be done was to plaintively call for help, but nothing came out of the compressed chest except a plaintive, barely audible thin squeak. And so, when mortal danger loomed over the immobilized, defenseless filly, she made the last throw and... fell out of bed, unexpectedly waking up.

Dawn was already breaking outside the window, dispelling the twilight and breathing positive colors into the world. The first trills of unfamiliar birds were heard, signaling the arrival of morning. Nature was awakening. Fluttershy also finally woke up and tried to get to her feet. She failed. She tried again and failed again. Then the pegasus woke up a little more and was surprised to find that she was tightly swaddled in her own blanket. And no matter what she did, she couldn’t get out. I couldn’t even just move the feathers on my wings. Only the filly's pug and the tip of her tail were sticking out of the blanket. Mentally glad that it turned out that way, and not the other way around, she quietly called for help.

Angel? Enge-e-ate! - Even if it came out quietly, it was quite effective. The scowling rabbit came into Fluttershy's line of sight, dragging an empty salad bowl behind him. His appearance did not bode well.

“Here you are, bunny,” the pegasus lisped touchingly. - I see you're hungry. But forgive me, mommy is a little... in a difficult situation right now. Could you call someone for help? And then I'll treat you to something special!

Angel thought for a moment, most likely wondering what to demand for such a service, then nodded in agreement and galloped away. Fluttershy had no choice but to make herself as comfortable as possible in her position and just wait. “Terrible night,” she was upset, remembering what she was thinking about before going to bed. “What kind of stupid things come into your head from lack of sleep. I got scared for no reason, I worked myself up, I imagined all sorts of things. And here’s the result!” She probably tossed and turned so nervously in her sleep that she swaddled herself. “What a shame! But now the girls will come...” Listening to her own inner voice lamenting the disgracefully spent night, the filly herself did not notice how she dozed off again. This time without any nightmares.

Is she sleeping again? - there was a shameless pink-loud whisper.

Of course she’s sleeping, you can see it from her face,” someone else said quietly.

“I wish I could do that,” the third voice envied with a sigh.

Of course, I am a little overly conservative in my approach to sleep, but this is simply not within any limits! No wonder she had all sorts of horror dreams! - Fluttershy recognized this voice through her slumber and immediately woke up, staring up at her friends.

Um, hi? - she greeted hesitantly, waving her eyelashes. The pegasus was not capable of large movements. - Sorry it happened this way, I just...

It’s just that you had a terrible night, as a result of which you found yourself in such an unenviable position,” Twilight concluded, already armed with a pen, she was blatantly scribbling something on the scroll. - You're lucky that Rainbow Dash plays charades well. Without her, we would never have understood Angel.

Heh, first place for Cloudsdale and the surrounding area! - the above-mentioned pegasus proudly stuck out her chest.

Be that as it may, with such a terrible quality of sleep, you will not be able to show everything you are capable of on the field,” Twilight interrupted her sternly. - As interested parties and also your friends, we simply cannot allow this to happen.

But... - Fluttershy stammered, but she was shamelessly interrupted.

That is why we will be close now! “I just made a schedule for night duty, based on everyone’s free time and habits,” Twilight now proudly puffed out her chest, showing off a scroll dotted with lines.

“Admit it, you just want to spend the night in Fluttershy’s bedroom,” Rainbow Dash countered, grinning.

Darling, please,” Rarity interjected between them. - It's just something good friends do together! So I demand that you sign me up first in line. I just happen to have a couple of unread fashion magazines lying around. With patterns, as you like!

Me too, me too! - Pinkie Pie interjected, sticking her nose out from under the blanket in which Fluttershy was wrapped. Only on the other side, of course, so that the tip of the pegasus’s pink tail stuck out right above her head, just like her mane. - A pajama-cupcake party under a blanket, just for two! And without any annoying crumbs that always get stuck in your mane!

Well, since such a dance has started, I won’t stay on the side either,” Applejack chuckled, nodding in agreement. - I always have a couple of good stories before bed.

“You can’t, darling,” Rarity interrupted her, smiling sweetly. - We are doing this for your own good!

Yes! Thank you! - Pinkie Pie chimed in, already chewing her pink tail. - Hey, what delicious shampoo do you use?

But I... - the pegasus looked confused. - I...

Relax,” Rainbow Dash winked at her. “When we get down to business, nothing can stop us.”

But I still can’t move! - Fluttershy raised her voice annoyed. - Help me free myself, please!

And also, darling, you should definitely have breakfast and clean yourself up,” Rarity fished out a comb from somewhere. - While we’re taking care of your appearance, it would be nice to have some tea.

One foot here - the other there! I just saw a teapot somewhere nearby, apparently. - the blue pegasus said and rushed away. In practice, it has been verified that if she puts the kettle on to warm up, it boils approximately twenty percent faster. The others carefully and carefully unraveled the tight lump of the blanket, removed the somewhat rumpled Fluttershy from there and put her in order.

Broadcast time: from 18:30 Moscow time.

List of online broadcasts:

Brony Network
BronyTV
Spazz
OtakuAscended
BronyState

I also write texts for you, I’m not lazy like that!

11: Aero-di-whatever

Sunday morning in Canterlot, like all previous ones, is marked by sunrise. The coolness of the night recedes, leaving behind a damp freshness in the form of tiny droplets of dew settled on the tips of blades of grass, flower petals and tree leaves. The mysterious silence of the night is gradually replaced by the melodic morning singing of birds, testing their voice before a day full of trills and chants. Ponies young and old are basking in their beds, enjoying the day off and the opportunity to sleep longer. But all this did not concern little Twilight at all.

This very young unicorn was skipping along the green grass of Canterlot Park. Her fur was wet in places with dew, and her mane was disheveled, but this did not stop her from laughing wildly and dancing with impatience. She looked back every now and then, waved her hoof and ran forward again, exposing her muzzle to the fresh morning breeze. Behind her, a white unicorn barely kept pace, barely visible under a pair of huge colorful kites.

Come on, Shining! - the little girl hurried him. - Hurry up!

“Hold your horses, Twily,” the older brother joked. - The wind is only gaining strength. Very soon the air will begin to warm up, rising air currents will form and the ideal weather will arrive for flying kites.

Can not wait! In the meantime, tell us more about these rising “stuffy” currents.

But of course she had to wait, although in the process the grass, trampled in an even circle around the white unicorn, suffered. Meanwhile, he checked the kites to see how well the rope was holding and whether there were any holes. Luckily, everything was in perfect condition and when the wind picked up a little, Shining finally nodded. It's time.

So, hold the kite parallel to the ground, let the wind pick it up. Due to the difference in pressure above the wing and under the wing, it flies. Just like the pegasi,” he instructed his little sister. The snake gradually rose higher and higher. - Hold the coil of rope tightly and gradually unwind it, allowing the kite to rise. The rope should be taut, but not too tight. If you overdo it, it will break...

What if she sags? - Twilight interrupted him, trying to control the noodles of the unwound twine with her hooves. The kite just dove under the air flow, dropping a little lower, and a new portion of the sagging rope fell on the filly’s head. - What do you need to do...

She didn't have time to finish. The insidious wind picked up the kite again and it quickly rushed upward. The rope, tangled around Twilight's head and hooves, pulled sharply, tightly binding her pug and hooves. The unicorn clicked her teeth in surprise, miraculously avoided biting her tongue, and fell onto the grass, being dragged away. Unable to open her mouth and call for help, she just thrashed her hind hooves helplessly and flashed magic, unable to concentrate enough to untangle herself with telekinesis.

Fortunately, Shining came to the rescue and in a matter of seconds rescued his sister from the captivity of the insidious snake. To his surprise, she did not cry, as he had feared, but on the contrary, as soon as he removed the rope entangling her mouth, Twilight burst into infectious laughter.

Have you seen her me? - the unicorn laughed, lying on the grass. - And I clicked with my teeth and went...

Shining couldn't help but smile, seeing how his beloved sister was sincerely happy about even such a small thing. They learned to untangle knots together and continued to fly kites, now much more carefully and carefully. Running around the park after each other, competing to see whose kite would fly higher and trying to perform various tricks, they could not even suspect, let alone notice, that someone was watching them.

The telescope, located right next to the window on the second floor of a nearby house, flashed the glass eye of the lens. He was chosen by a young filly of the same age as Twilight. Pressed close to the eyepiece, she watched with an unblinking gaze as the lavender unicorn had fun and frolicked with her brother. Her perked ears trembled slightly, trying to catch their every word. Loud laughter and cheerful screams were clearly audible even in this room, which made it very, very difficult to make out the abstruse words.

What a disgrace! - Moondencer chuckled, gritting her teeth angrily. - You can’t hear anything because of the screams of this arrogant one! And I really wanted to know about aerodynamics...

Pulling the glasses, which were too large for her, onto her nose, she dived under the covers again. What angered the unicorn was not even the fact that she was woken up early, not the gloomy twilight of the room littered with various books, and not even the harmful spring in the mattress, sticking unpleasantly straight into her side. She didn’t want to admit to herself exactly what feeling was gnawing at her from the inside. Envy, fierce envy, from which you clench your teeth helplessly, squint your eyes tightly and indignantly hit the pillow with your hoof, raising a cloud of dust.

Why does she get the best grades, the best teachers, the best books and the best friends? - Mundenser muttered offendedly, taking off her glasses to wipe away the tears in her eyes. “Even her brother is the best, they have so much fun and at the same time learn all sorts of interesting things.” I want too!

As if to confirm her words, shouts of “Look, Shiny, how I can do it!” just came through the window! Like you said, it’s all about pressure balance!” In helpless anger, the unicorn dove headlong under the blanket, pressing her hooves to her ears. Not that it helped much, but audibility definitely became worse. As well as “breathability”. The main disadvantage of sitting under a blanket, especially for a unicorn who can light up a book for herself with the help of her horn, is the acute lack of air. So after some time Moondenser had to stick her nose out from under the blanket and snore diligently, enjoying the fresh morning air. as fresh as it can be in a room filled with old, dusty books, more suitable for the lair of some bibliophile than for a schoolgirl, albeit gifted unicorns.

Be that as it may, in addition to the “fresh” air, the filly’s nose smelled something that made the whole pug emerge from under the blanket, including glasses that had slipped to one side, then one ear, and then another. A little later, the whole filly had already freed herself from her blanket cocoon and headed towards the kitchen, where she was attracted by the sweet aroma of something sweet, something crispy and very appetizing.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Morning Roast greeted her sister, busy in the kitchen. “I wanted to make a little surprise here, but it seems my attempt failed miserably.”

With these words, she poured a scoop of dough into the frying pan and it hissed and crackled merrily in the oil. Two neat stacks of fluffy, freshly prepared pancakes sat side by side on the table.

Sit down, eat while they’re still hot,” the filly smiled at Moondenser, straightening the slightly disheveled bun of hair on the back of her head, where she had collected her mane while cooking. - You should probably take some honey with them, judging by your upset face. Will you tell me what upset you so early in the morning?

Nothing... - Mundenser sighed sadly, sitting down at the table. - I just saw a friend through the window, walking in the park...

Mmmm,” Morning Roast said, pushing a plate of pancakes towards her sister. She drew a smiling face on the top one with honey. - And what is she?

“Nothing special, just having fun with my brother, flying kites,” Moondenser thoughtfully picked off a piece of pancake and put it in her mouth. The mood gradually improved. - And at the same time they teach about aero-di-whatever in practice. I thought how lucky she was, I want that too...

Do you want to go fly a kite? - her sister asked sympathetically, turning the pancake over in the frying pan.

“I don’t particularly like snakes,” Moondenser admitted, biting into the pancake again. It turned out to be hotter than she thought and she began to gasp for air until she was finally able to swallow the treacherous piece. - It’s just... I also want to have fun learning like this.

Well, I don’t know about your friend,” Morning Roast began to reason, removing the last pancake from the frying pan and turning off the stove. Walking through the kitchen, she casually walked behind her sister while she thoughtfully poked her fork into the next pancake. “But personally, I know that you don’t need any other brothers or snakes to have fun.”

With these words, the unicorn insidiously attacked the little one from behind and began to tickle her mercilessly. Not expecting this, Moondenser could not resist the laughter bursting out of her, which provoked her sister even more. However, Morning Roast quickly stopped, sparing the young filly’s tummy. But she didn’t let go of the hug, and remained standing behind her, resting her chin on the top of her head.

“I don’t know a thing about kites and why they fly,” she drawled, gently stroking Moondancer. - But I can teach you how to bake pancakes. We bet she doesn't know how to cook so deliciously? Then you can treat Twilight to them, and she will tell you all sorts of interesting things. Personally, I wouldn’t mind a piece of your pancake right now.

“Sounds tempting,” the unicorn grinned, carefully levitating one “bite” from the pancake somewhere approximately behind the top of her head. A clear “ah!” was heard. and her head vibrated from the way Morning Roast chewed. - We... could go to the store today for baking supplies, if that's okay. And also stop by the bookstore along the way.

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Material from the site

The animated series about colored horses has spawned a considerable amount of fan fiction, including one that has spread fame beyond the fandom:

"Cupcakes." The most (in)famous fanfic in which Pinkie Pie turns out to be a cannibal maniac. And not only her, but also Apple Bloom
"Rainbow Factory" Another dark fanfic, which was written thanks to the dark and beautiful song of one armor of the same name. The plot is that at the upper stations for receiving the rainbow, living pegasi are cut down and the rainbow is extracted in this way. Mostly pegasi who failed their exams.
"My little Dashie." A tear-jerking fanfic about a melancholic brony who is nursing little Rainbow Dash at home.
"Fallout: Equestria". A fanfiction crossover, so significant that it gave birth to its own universe with fanfictions on fanfiction (recursion, however) and even its own wiki encyclopedias. Some images like Dash the World War Soldier even made it into the series
- Project Horizons is a Fallout: Equestria fanfic with almost TWO MILLION WORDS, Celestia! This is more than the originals of The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and all 4 volumes of War and Peace translated into English combined!
Conversion Bureau - a strange magical dome appears on Earth in the Atlantic Ocean and begins to gradually expand. Soon people discover that on the other side of the dome there is another world with magical colored horses, and also that the dome is impenetrable to earthly matter, and the magic it emits is deadly to people. Princess Celestia contacts the world government and declares that the only salvation for humanity is to become a pony. The fanfiction is curious because it caused a surge of hatred among some readers. Critics claim (with good reason) that humanity is shown there exclusively as a bunch of complete bastards and murderers, and ponies are shown only as angels. It got to the point that Chatoyans, the author of several of the most sensational works on this universe, was threatened with physical harm by “non-bastards and non-murderers.” In addition, opponents of the universe have written many polymizing works, such as “Not Alone”, all countries of the world declare war on Equestria, the ponies are defeated and Celestia returns Equestria to her dimension, leaving several thousand of her subjects at the mercy of people, South Africa becomes a fascist hole, many countries began to spend huge amounts of money to the detriment of medicine and education on weapons in order to prepare for a war that will not happen. In the sequel, "Conquer the Stars", which takes place 300 years after "Not Alone", the descendants of ponies and people who fell on Earth rush to the stars.

There are other fanfictions of this type:

- TCB: The Cold War - the action takes place in the 1980s, again Equestria with a dome, the USSR and the USA protect humanity, ponies attack under the leadership of Celestia, (In fact, it was Chrysalis who took her form).
- TCB Worlds Where It Wouldn’t Work is what it says on the package.
"Sins of the past." Another cult fanfic about the unexpected consequences of the revival of Nightmare Moon by a dark cult. This is a very high-level work for fan apocrypha, with bright characters and at the same time (especially in the second edition) not destroying the canonical images of the heroes, which is always especially valuable.
"Anthropology" is a fanfic about Lyra the unicorn and her obsession with people. In the middle, it turns out that she is actually a person who ended up in Equestria as an infant. After the truth is revealed, she is restored to human form and sent back to her homeland, the USA. Quite a well-written lamp fanfic.
- “Background Pony” is a sad fanfic about the unicorn Lyra, who was cursed by someone to oblivion and she is stuck in Ponyville...
"Cadence of Cloudsdale." A series of stories (currently the stories “How to Pull a Unicorn’s Teeth”, “Lady Prismia and the Princess Goddess”, “Call her Cadence or not”, “Seeing her for the first time”), revealing details of the biography of Princess Cadence when she was a foal, are ready, Twilight Sparkle's nanny and Canterlot's ambassador to Cloudsdale. They are considered one of the best in the fan community.
"Wings of Steel" A rare example of significant Russian-language fanfic, revealing that there is no world under the olive trees in Equestria. It is a colossal brick and suffers in full from the problem of opposing assessments.
"Broken Toy" and numerous spin-offs based on it. Another Russian-language fanfic about a rusty future in huge futuristic cities, where humanity has learned to create artificial living organisms (“synthetes”) - yes, including little ones. They don't have much fun there...
"Spiders." A fanfic that is done so poorly that it’s already good, and on purpose. The plot is that Twilight and Big Mackintosh turned into spiders, a lot of grammatical errors and a scene with the hatching of a bunch of little spiders and the subsequent death of Spike from them, which, oddly enough, is written correctly.
“Friendship is the best” is an anti(?) utopia fanfic, written in the spirit of the well-known fanfiction by LessWrong. After thinking about the refrigerator, he realizes that it is so creepy that they take it away creepypastas.
The Dresden Fillies is a crossover where Harry Dresden is brought to Equestria. And he not only gets there, but also helps the locals fight the demon.
- There is a sequel to False Masks, in which Harry is mistaken for a local ancient evil: a unicorn lich. Secret societies, intrigue and, again, demons are included.
A mare in a high castle - well, you get the idea. A story about how the notorious Lunar Republic lives.
“The Pale Pony” by K. Solovyov - and here Comrade Stalin ends up in Ponyville after his death. And he begins the struggle to build communism in particular Equestria.
Princess Trixie Sparkle is also a musical series with high-quality voice acting (including songs) and fairly high-quality video. The Russian translation partially exists, but there is nothing good to say about it. It all starts with a body swap between the Great and Powerful Trixie and Princess Twilight Sparkle. Not exactly a voluntary exchange.
In Kharitonov’s “The Adventure of Buratina” (consisting of the most obscenely twisted references to everything and everyone, organized into a completely coherent setting) there is a whole race of ponies who have cuteness - hypnotic abilities that allow them to enslave most living beings. Basically, an inversion of the land of good ponies. Although, taking into account the extremely black-black morality of the work, hypersexuality, fantastic racism, pedal-to-the-floor matriarchy, slavery and the extremely consumerist attitude towards other creatures among the Japanese people look like nothing by the standards of the setting...
Turnabout Storm- a 9-hour video fanfic, a crossover with Ace Attorney. Phoenix Wright ends up in Equestria and defends Rainbow Dash from murder charges.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Main heroines	Twilight Sparkle Rainbow Dash Applejack Pinkie Pie Fluttershy Rarity
Rulers of Equestria

To the glory of the princesses, it worked! - Twilight exclaimed and hit the mouse with her hoof.

For the glory of princesses? Twilight, don't forget! - Luna, who was lying nearby and watching the actions of the aspiring princess from the side, made a friendly remark to her.

Sorry, Luna, I’m still confused,” she smiled, without taking her eyes off the monitor, “But in the end, I’ll finally be able to read this story!”

Is he that important to you? Why? “The princess of the night asked, raising one eyebrow.

How why? This is an example of the creativity of human children! We can't miss this chance!

Is he that important to your research?

For research... Not important,” Twilight admitted.

But then why? - Moving a little closer to her, Luna asked.

Now you’ll find out, Lu,” the alicorn whispered in response.

Well, I can wait a little,” Moving a little more, Celestia’s sister pressed her side to Twilight and rubbed her cheek against her neck.

Lu... - Blushing, she muttered.

The princess of the night covered her younger friend with her wing and lowered her head onto the pillow in front of the monitor.

Yeah! Ready! - A minute later the purple alicorn exclaimed and Luna flinched in surprise.

What? Already?

Yes Yes! All! Let's read the first chapter!

Ten minutes later they were rolling on the floor laughing and bursting into tears.

A... A... - Gasping in an attempt to take in a new portion of air, Twilight tried to squeeze out of herself, - And then he ended up in Equestria!

Luna, who had just caught her breath, burst into boisterous laughter again. She covered her face with her front hooves and rolled over onto her back, constantly kicking her back legs, unable to stop laughing.

And... And... - Wiping away tears, Twilight continued, - And Pinkie threw a party in his honor!

What's going on here? - Celestia, who looked at the light, asked in bewilderment, - You laugh so loudly! They even woke me up!

Se... Se... - The purple one tried to pronounce.

What is it, child? Are you feeling unwell?

To whom? What's wrong? - The eldest of the princesses went inside, and, closing the door, lay down near the monitor. - What are you reading?

She began to silently move her lips as she began to study the paragraph presented before her. Her eyes opened wide, and Celestia froze, staring at one point. Her lips trembled in time with the lower eyelid of her right eye.

Twilight stood up and walked up to her former teacher on shaking legs.

Read from the beginning, Celestia.

Just Tia, Twi, just Tia... - She answered abstractly in an unchanging voice, continuing to look at one point.

Yes, of course, Tia,” she said with a faint smile, “But read carefully, okay?”

Yes, of course... - The Princess of the Sun drawled, reading the contents of the page.

After another seven minutes, she was laughing too.

In the name of magic! - Celestia screamed through her laughter, unable to contain her emotions, - How do they manage to write something like this?

These are people, they can,” Twilight noted, giggling at the sight of Equestria’s co-ruler rolling on the floor, “And this one is especially good.”

Yes, I see, - Having calmed down a little and wiping away tears, the Princess of the Sun said, - How much more has he written? Or is it her?

There are still seven chapters, and there is a note about the incompleteness of the fanfic. We haven't read further yet, let's try it together?

Oh, I have to get up early tomorrow... - Celestia said hesitantly. Luna, who still couldn’t catch her breath, crawled up to her and buried her muzzle in the wing.

Well Tia, when will you be able to see something like this again? And even among friends? Put things aside, nothing will happen if you don’t prepare that order a day later! There is still a whole month before the holiday, can you rest at least a little?

Well... - Looking at her sister, she thought, then turned her gaze to Twilight. She looked straight into her eyes with a joyful smile, “Of course, it can wait,” the princess finally decided, smiling.

Yeah! - The younger sister jumped up and pointed her hoof at her, - Are you reading! Aloud!

Fine. Where can I continue reading?

A few minutes later, the three alicorns were again rolling on the floor, unable to fight the power of the creation of the human mind.

And Re... Re... - Twilight completely lost control, and now she could not utter a single word.

Did you make him clothes? - Luna tried to continue for her.

Yes! “She nodded as she took a breath and continued laughing. Celestia joined her, recalling the author's description of the behavior of one of Equestria's best fashion designers.

Okay, we need to be a little quieter,” Luna concluded, “So we can raise the whole of Canterlot to our hooves.”

And the surrounding area, if we continue to laugh so loudly,” added the eldest of the sisters, “Lu, please protect us with a spell.” I can't do this.

No no no! - Twilight jabbered, interfering in the dialogue, - Definitely... Oh, that is, under no circumstances! I'll do it myself, it's extremely fine tuning! We can accidentally cast a spell to connect with the world of people,” she said, skipping words from excitement and the consequences of a long laugh.

What by chance? - Luna was surprised.

Accidentally, a spell for connecting with the human world,” Twilight repeated without hesitation or a shadow of doubt, “I’ll be quick.”

Her horn began to glow, and the walls began to be covered with a greenish veil of magical barrier.

That's it, I'm done! We can continue!

OK OK. Let me in! - Impatiently pushing her away, Twilight tried to make her way to the monitor, - Yes! Let's get started! - Having settled down on the pillows, she clicked the button. The next chapter began to load slowly.

Error four hundred and three...

What does it mean? - The Princess of the Sun frowned, - What happened?

This... Ah... You!.. - Luna began indignantly, spreading her wings, - They... Same!..

What is it?

They blocked this story! Blocked!

Blocked? What does it mean?

Don't miss it! We didn't miss it at all! We won't be able to read it! - Twilight continued to be indignant, - No way at all!

Ahh... We can't bring him back?

No way! There are no means of personal communication! None! I can't write him a letter!

Ahh... What can we do?

Never mind! Nothing! Discord take them!

But at least something?

I can do something... - Twilight admitted, looking down, - I can publish fan fiction there. Complain. But... This should be a fanfic about us! About ponies!

So write! Write, Twilight!

But about what? You can’t just go ahead and complain to people!

So write... About us!

Yes, it should be about us! No other way!

Twilight,” Celestia began, sighing and calming down, “Just write about us.” About how we read it. Then they will know that we are unhappy.

Oh... - The young princess beamed, but then thought, - But how will we convey our indignation?

Easily! - Luna cleared her throat, and spreading her wings, began to broadcast loudly, - Hereby we declare that we, Princess Luna, express our indignation at the fact that we cannot finish reading the charming and incredibly terrible human stories on this resource! - She folded her wings. - Is that okay?

Yes, Luna, quite,” Celestia said, shaking her head. “I don’t seem to have gone deaf this time.”

But where do I end?

Yes right here! But add something to the end, okay?

I don’t know what to write, but you’ll read it, right? Fine. Therefore, I will add on my own! Me, Twilight, and I'm an alicorn! Wings are good! Do you understand me? I hope you got it

So, I couldn’t help but intervene. Twilight has truly earned her wings, and now we can spend more time with you.

I, Princess Celestia, conclude this fanfic!

Everyone loves tea.

Naturally, the picture would be incomplete if not A little (or not so little) story:

Um... - a little embarrassed Limonka nevertheless put the cup on the saucer, and then moved her tea closer to her sister.

Without thinking twice, the youngest grabbed the cup with both hooves, but quickly put it in place:
- Ay, hot!

“There is a pen,” the pegasus reminded.

“Pour a little on a saucer,” Limonka advised rather calmly.

Oh, and also blow, right? - the earth pony awkwardly grabbed the handle of the cup, and just as awkwardly poured a little into the saucer, naturally splashing out a few drops of tea.

But only in hot water, without sugar, does the tea leaf reveal its palette of taste, and notes of bergamot give an interesting aftertaste! - Limonka tried to defend her variation of the drink.

Mmm! When does your mouth feel bitter? Such quality! - The earth pony sister abruptly pulled the tea away from her, spilling it once again.

Mm? - Tangerina was somewhat surprised, but then confidently placed the mug right in front of the lemon pony: - Well, try my best tea!

Two spoons! - Tangerine answered with an innocent smile.

What? Teapots?

Almost! - Tanguy took out a huge spoon from the pocket of her apron; in volume it was akin to half a ladle!

“So this is a sauce spoon,” noted the older pony.

Mmm, I thought it was a big teaspoon. Doesn't matter! How do you like my tea?

Is this what you call tea? Cold, sugary water - nothing more! Where's the tea?

Well, I've brewed these teabags three times now...the second time they're a little richer!

Limonka just breathed in surprise, but there were no words.

But now, after reading this story, which approach do you prefer: the Mandarin’s sweet-voluminous approach or Limonkin’s approach as a tea connoisseur?

Well, you can find more interesting things of MagnoSunsp authorship by visiting the Edge of the Setting Sun.

Which tea approach do you prefer?

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Holiday skepticism

Greetings.
Naturally, everyone knows what holiday it is today; you don’t even need to remind them about it. Wherever you look, almost everywhere you can find its manifestations.
I can tell you one thing: I have no words for congratulations, it seems that I can’t come up with anything original. And is it necessary? And without me you will be congratulated more than once, so I will stand aside from all this.
The wishes are all so identical, stereotyped... What is the point of them? I don’t see it in simple words. You can wish for anything, even the same success, even the same “less procrastination,” but, as my sister likes to say, “What the hell is it for?” After all, if the person himself is not interested in the same successes, in reducing the proportion of the same tired, but so beloved laziness, then no words will correct anything at all!
So what is this holiday? Simple change of numbers in calendars? Lies about “miracles” for naive children? Reason for overselling among various types of businessmen? Motive to spend a lot of money on a feast? Or a force that unites people? Each person has their own answer to this question, but my position is somehow very skeptical about all this.
But okay, you can see a holiday-themed drawing below, but... maybe we can do without congratulations and wishes? It won't affect anything anyway...

And the heroines of this sketch were two sisters: Astra and Astoria Prize, a couple from two thousand and fifteen, long forgotten by the person who invented them. But then a small “miracle” happened for these characters, and they again received attention.
The scan number of this drawing also turned out to be interesting: three eights.

***
The Warming Hearth Day, awaited by many ponies, has arrived. As expected, the streets of all Equestrian cities turned out to be decorated with festive paraphernalia: here and there colorful garlands, windows and doors decorated with tinsel, bells, toys... oh, you’ll get tired of listing all the variety of these decorative elements.
And in the central squares and alleys of cities, ponies gather, unite around tall, no less heavily decorated Christmas trees, sing songs, dance in circles, play snowballs and a whole host of other festive fun.
So two Phillydelphian sisters, the unicorn Astra and the earth pony Astoria, decided not to sit at home that night, but went outside. More precisely, how... It was Astra, her native pony, who literally ate her baldness with her proposal to walk around the city at night! And poor Astoria simply had no chance to just fall asleep...
They walk along the central alley of the city, and the closer to the epicenter, the more noticeable the state of the unicorn dressed in a robe became: it was as if some miracle was waiting for what was about to happen, her eyes were burning, a smile from all over her face, and a clearly hasty gait . The earth pony can barely keep up with his older sister.
And when the spire of the central Christmas tree appeared from behind the hill, the unicorn, it seems, could barely restrain herself from breaking into a gallop, with reverence she trotted towards the stairs, before that they entered the park. It seems that Astra already couldn’t have been happier, but now, seeing the tree and the ponies gathered around her, she joyfully jumped up on her hind legs, in one of her hooves there was a “magic wand” with a star from where it came from. She threw it up, trying to match it with the top of the tree standing lower down the alley. The starry sky was painted with bright, colorful fireworks.
“Finally it happened again! - exclaimed the happy Astra. - Let's go have fun and celebrate! Look how many ponies have gathered!”
Astoria did not share her sister’s enthusiasm; her facial expression wordlessly expressed misunderstanding, a desire to express her “Astra, are you serious?!” the skeptical earth pony was itching.
Despite the fact that Astoria is younger than her sister, it always seemed to her that she was much more mature than the unicorn, and therefore she never shared Astria’s literally foal-like enthusiasm for this holiday. This is all a fiction for foals and a profitable ground for gift sellers - the earth pony thought.
Maybe there is some truth in her thoughts, but perhaps her skepticism is not so strong, since she is here now, next to her joyful sister? But in any case, there was no escape from the holiday...
***

I still don’t congratulate you on anything.

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Season nine finale

Well, here we are waiting. It was a good nine seasons. But why were they? They have not gone away and nothing prevents you from reviewing them from time to time, alone or with your partner or with friends. What I am sure of is that thanks to the series I have made many new friends, close and not so close. I hope it’s the same for you. By the way, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the show time has changed. Make no mistake!

Broadcast time: 10/13/2019 from 3:00 Moscow time.

List of online broadcasts:

Brony Network
BronyTV
Spazz
OtakuAscended
BronyState

And now the final text. Thanks to Vedont for proofreading.

20: One sleep for two

Leisure is a magical and amazing, illusory time when you can devote yourself to whatever you want. It is especially illusory for royalty, the rulers of all of Equestria, the alicorn sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. But if they still manage to carve out a couple of hours from their busy schedule and do something other than sitting on the throne, issuing decrees, meeting ambassadors and sending meetings, few can imagine what happens at this time behind the closed doors of their personal chambers

But if you look there with one eye, you can see how, for example, Princess Luna sits at her desk in a comfortable soft chair. A mug of something hot and fragrant hovers nearby, and next to it is a small plate of cookies. The alicorn herself, surrounded by papers, feathers and inkwells, is in a state of deep thought. A dreamy, absent expression wanders across her face, and her half-closed eyelids give the impression that she simply dozed off.

But this impression is false. The very next second she perks up, grabs the first piece of paper she comes across and begins to diligently write something down, drinking hot coffee and snacking on cookies. Even the most cunning spy, if he had a chance to look into these records, would not be able to understand a single line, not a single character. Because these were special lunar runes used to describe dreams. Sometimes the Princess is satisfied with the result, but sometimes she mercilessly crumples the sheet and throws it aside. And only after being completely satisfied with the result, Luna nods approvingly, rolls it up and puts the finished sheaf in a neat pile. They will still come in handy at night.

A familiar balcony, a familiar cool breeze and the light of the moon, just peeking over the horizon at the behest of magic. The princess took a deep breath and, like many times before, fell into the darkness of the dream world. Today, in addition to the usual observation of the dreams of her subjects, she had something special. Burning with impatience, she headed towards one particular pony, who had just fallen asleep, judging by the haze of dreams that had just begun to emerge around him.

Luna busily waved her hooves, driving away the dream that was trying to manifest itself. Today she has other plans for this pony. Having fished out a piece of paper with runes from her mane, she re-read them several times, trying to remember them, and got to work. The princess closed her eyes and concentrated on her feelings. It was necessary to start with something simple, say, a breath of breeze, barely perceptible, soft and slightly warm, bringing the smell of autumn leaves, apples and a little dampness. And in fact, she felt how this breeze tickled her fur.

Next you need to create an image. Without opening her eyes, a small autumn undergrowth was forming before the Moon's mind's eye, trees of an unrecognizable variety, a few bushes, golden fallen leaves here and there. In the clearing you can see a farm nearby and their apple orchard, from where the enchanting aromas of fruit can be heard. Even further away is a mountain range with snow-white jagged peaks.

Luna opened her eyes: exactly this image actually appeared around her and the pony sleeping next to her. Everything looked almost like the real thing, and it was, to some extent, real, if that’s what you can even call something in the world of dreams. With boundless dense darkness instead of the sky above, this landscape looked tremblingly uncomfortable and frightening. After checking the notes, the princess continued her dream-working miracles. She squinted slightly, as if the bright midday sun was shining into her eyes and, as if by magic, it appeared above the horizon.

Now it is the turn of the sleeper himself. One of the guards, no longer young, is very tired in the service of the earth ponies. Under the gaze of the princess, he turned into the young, stately stallion that he once was, according to archival photos. In gratitude for his service, for dedicating his entire life to his work, Luna wanted to do something special for him. Memories of his home, of the fishing line nearby, of those days when he was young and full of strength. Give him the opportunity to experience all this, even in a dream.

Having double-checked once again that she had not forgotten anything, Luna left the visibility zone in this dream, not forgetting to “wake up” the owner in it before leaving. His misunderstanding, embarrassment, and then delight in his eyes were the best reward for the Princess. The way the stallion galloped through the trees, how he lay in the autumn leaves, like a foolish foal, enjoying his youth to the fullest, enthusiastically inhaling the aromas of the forest and apples, laughing loudly with happiness and the energy seething in him.

Luna was also pleased, watching him enjoy her creation. This part is the most enjoyable in the whole process. The pony's sincere feelings are precisely what motivated her to continue doing this, day after day, spending what little free time she had on thinking through ideas, searching for materials, forming a complete picture and sometimes even a plot for a dream. Not to mention the recording of mental images in runes and the very thin line between sleep and nightmare.

It was precisely the lack of understanding of all the subtleties of this line that once played a cruel joke on her. And not only with her. The sweet and friendly quiet maid, who constantly put things in order in the royal bedchamber, also fell under the blow of fate, and seemed to Luna an ideal target for another sleep as a thank you. The princess spent several days selecting and experiencing different images and sensations to create the perfect gift. It was a delightful summer meadow with fragrant cornflowers, buttercups and dandelions. It stretched as far as the eye could see, endlessly green and fragrant.

Luna woke up the filly and began to wait for a reaction. But what happened next exceeded all her expectations. Rising, the maid blinked sleepily, rubbing her eyes with her hooves, and then looked around. Her gaze was filled with horror, her legs gave way, and she, squeaking and howling in fear, buried her nose in the ground, covering her head with her hooves. In addition to everything else, red spots began to appear on her fur, and the filly herself began to sneeze furiously, so that she was thrown all over the meadow. It was a truly terrifying, downright nightmarish sight. The princess hastened to dispel the dream and plunged the pony into deep oblivion without any visions.

After that incident, she was terribly upset and abandoned all attempts to create dreams. Until Celestia found her sad and depressed drinking her third mug of tea in a row, sitting alone at night right in the castle kitchen.

Well, how could I know that she has agoraphobia?! - Luna lamented, complaining to her sister. - She never left the castle! And those damned flowers! A thousand years ago there were no allergies!

“You had good intentions, sister,” Celestia stroked her back comfortingly. - Failures happen and what has been done cannot be changed. But this does not mean that you should stop your studies. Dream-making is truly an amazing art and I deeply admire your achievements in this field.

What's the point of that? - Luna waved it off, finishing her mug of tea in one gulp and wincing at the disgusting bitterness that had accumulated at the bottom. “I’ll only create more nightmares and injure more innocent ponies.” At this rate, my dreams can be used as a weapon for especially malicious criminals.

Quite an option... - Celestia said thoughtfully, jokingly pretending that she was really interested in this. She had to use her magic to catch an empty cup thrown at her no less playfully. Having sent this improvised projectile to the sink to do the washing on its own, the Princess suggested: - What if you have someone checking these very dreams. A trusted editor who can save you from mistakes. Someone close, perhaps even family, with whom you can share even your most secret dreams.

Sounds great! - Luna perked up, but then immediately dropped again. - I wish there was someone like that nearby.

Celestia regretted sending the mug to wash and couldn't throw it back. However, it was clear from the completely animated Moon that she liked the idea. After discussing the details and features, they pretty much hit the nail on the head. So the alicorn sisters acquired their own little common hobby, which brought them together even more. Luna was busy composing dreams, and Celestia was throwing out ideas, suggestions about what and how could be improved, what shouldn’t be done, and sometimes even discarded entire ideas. In this way, a fair number of ponies were saved from nightmares, and the quality of the dreams of many lucky ones increased significantly. Dreams took on characters, plots, and even formed into entire stories. The princesses could hardly contain their smiles, unwittingly overhearing the guards retelling their amazing dreams to each other.

But one day, when Celestia came to the door of her sister’s private chambers, ready to work on another idea, Luna did not let her in.

Sorry,” she muttered, blushing slightly and looking down, “I’ll work without you today.”

Somewhat discouraged and even a little offended, the Princess was forced to go home, to her bedchamber. There she lay on the bed for a couple of hours, unable to sleep, painfully wondering what had caused Luna’s strange behavior. The most crazy thoughts came into my head, from a secret conspiracy to a secret lover. Eventually, fatigue took its toll and Celestia fell asleep.

Her sister was not idle at this time, but was working hard on her next dream. It was very special and therefore she approached it with special care. The key point and main difficulty was the complete absence of any landmarks. You could only rely on your memory. So Luna spent the entire evening and part of the night deeply immersed in her own memories, good and bad, searching through it in search of scraps and scraps of various thoughts and ideas, piece by piece restoring the whole picture in its original form. There had been a shortage of paper for runes for a long time, so we had to switch to rare extra-sized parchment manuscripts. Twilight shared the contacts of her suppliers.

By the time Luna finished, it was well past midnight. Feeling that there was absolutely no time left, she dived almost without preparation into the world of dreams, as she was, right with the chair. Noting to herself that she should not forget him here, the princess hurried towards her today's goal. She had just fallen asleep, blinking in the infinity of darkness with a new, unusually bright dawn. The next moment, Luna was already nearby, involuntarily smiling at the sight of her sleeping sister. Her mouth opened too funny, causing all the feigned grandeur of the princess to evaporate. In its own way it was very cute.

But there was no time to admire, a little more and a natural dream would begin to form and you would also have to spend time eliminating it. Luna unfolded the parchment, which turned like a rustling waterfall towards her hooves. Rune by rune, she resurrected fragments of memories in her memory, as if weaving the outline of a dream with a silk thread, assembling it from various scraps. Gradually a room appeared, the most ordinary, but so familiar and sweet to the eye. Furniture blossomed in it like strange flowers: a large bed, a simple chest of drawers, a small floor lamp, a closet with toys, a chair with various everyday clothes. A scattering of trinkets appeared on the floor: all sorts of buttons and figures, a couple of dice and a ball.

Celestia herself also underwent changes. Shrinking in size, she gradually turned into a completely foal, a cute little snow-white filly, touchingly snoring on a bed that was huge in comparison with her. Her nose trembled slightly, sensing the aroma of cocoa that appeared on the dresser in two large cups. Nearby there was a saucer with fresh cookies just out of the oven.

As a final touch, before waking her sister, Luna made herself look like she could match her. She had almost forgotten what it was like to look at the world through the eyes of a foal, when everything around her seemed amazing and terribly interesting. Her fur looked much lighter than usual, and her whole body was filled with unprecedented lightness and freedom. Climbing with difficulty onto a rather high bed, she crawled up to the sleeping Celestia and butted her nose in the forehead.

Hey, wake up! - she demanded, noting with satisfaction that her voice sounded just right. - Get up, come on!

Mmmm... What? - little Celestia stretched sleepily, yawning sweetly. The realization of the situation did not immediately dawn on her, so she blinked in surprise with her huge foal eyes, remembering this environment, this bed, these toys. The warmth and tenderness of the memories overwhelmed the princess, almost making her cry from such a touching gift. Until she was shamelessly distracted.

You promised to read with me! - Luna stomped her foot capriciously, nodding towards the book of fairy tales lying next to her. Lowering her nose as if about to cry, she complained in a broken voice: “I even brought cocoa and cookies.”

Well, in that case, I’ll be happy to read with you,” Celestia smiled softly, noticing with pleasure how her sister beamed. Within a minute they were comfortably settled under the blanket, huddled close to each other. They had a mug of cocoa in their hooves, a plate of cookies next to them, and an open book in front of them. The reading of fairy tales lasted all night, but this did not bother them at all.

They had an eternity ahead of them.

And my good friend Stink drew an illustration for the story. Thank him very much!

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Twenty-third episode of the ninth season

What's on our list? “We are inexorably approaching the finale”, “Seven days left”, “The end is near” and all that. Somehow they started to panic early, the series will only end in a week, but they were already tired of being afraid of the end, they resigned themselves and dutifully await the release of the full-length film. This week will truly be the last. Next Saturday we will have three episodes at once and that’s it, it’s over. Don't let the sadness of this realization stop you from enjoying the ending to the fullest. You have another week to mentally prepare for this. In the meantime, rehearse on today's episode. Links:

List of online broadcasts:

Brony Network
BronyTV
Spazz
OtakuAscended
BronyState

19: Helping Hoof

Morning. A magnificent and brilliant period of the day, when the sun barely peeks over the horizon, hinting to all the ponies of Equestria that it’s time to wake up and start a new wonderful day. Fillies and stallions lazily get out from under their blankets, rubbing their eyes, stretching and yawning, enjoying the warmth of the sun's rays on their fur, receiving a charge of vigor and good mood for the whole day. Fantastic.

Raven Inkwell was no exception. The only thing that distinguished her awakening from the rest of the ponies was the need to put glasses on her nose in order to see the sun, and not a big bright blurry spot. She always puts these glasses on the dresser before going to bed, exactly fifteen centimeters from the edge, with the glasses away from her - ideally at the distance of an outstretched hoof, so that she could grab it without looking. Still, years of working with papers had a detrimental effect. No matter how much this earth pony wanted to continue admiring the sun, she still needed to get ready for work.

That Friday morning was little different from normal for Raven. Shower to keep your snow-white fur looking immaculate; a light, hearty breakfast with oats for energy for the whole day; ten minutes in front of the mirror, tidying up my mane. The tuft of black hair at the back of the head was as perfectly arranged as the similar configuration on the tail. The starched collar took its place on the neck, tied with a scarlet tie. After making sure that she looked perfect, the filly finally went to work.

Raven always arrived at the town hall half an hour before the official start of the work day. This gave her the opportunity to fully and thoroughly prepare: lay out and sort papers, sharpen every pencil and pen to the perfect sharpness, brush away dust from every shelf in her department and, of course, prepare a to-do list for the day for herself and her boss, Miss Mayor. Meetings, weddings, conventions, public speaking, awards, budget decisions and more. If Raven had a need to compile a complete list of the actions she performs, it would require an entirely separate shelf in the Canterlot library. And that's just for the table of contents.

Miss Mayor did not keep herself waiting and showed up for work on time, as befits an adult and respected filly in society. But few people besides Raven knew what she really was. And now the secretary noticed a sly sparkle in the eyes of the middle-aged earth pony and internally shuddered with a bad feeling.

“Good morning, Miss Mayor,” Inkwell greeted as usual.

Your kindest, Raven,” the Mayor answered her in a somewhat overly elated mood.

Here is your list of meetings for today,” the secretary handed over a neat piece of paper with lines written in calligraphy. - Let me note that, in addition to the usual evening, you will have a visit from Princess Celestia.

Darling, tell me, do you know what day it is today? - The Mayor suddenly leaned close to the filly and asked quietly.

Friday, ma’am, the twenty-ninth of the month,” Raven recoiled in surprise, but retained her composure and, adjusting her glasses, again became a model of impeccability.

Exactly! - the Mayor said in a sing-song voice, accompanying this with a couple of simple dance steps. - And this means that tomorrow is the weekend. What's my plan for the weekend, Raven?

I... just a second, ma'am... - the filly began to frantically recheck her papers in search of the necessary information. She had to make an effort not to make a mess, carefully returning each piece of paper to its place. Until the Mayor, who jumped up on the table with her hooves, interrupted her search.

L-a-a-as Pegasus! - her enthusiasm overflowed, while Inkwell diligently tried to carefully release the papers crushed by her hooves, hoping that they would not get dirty or wrinkled. - Harshi and I have booked a room in the best hotel and are going to have a blast! Well, you remember Harsha, she came to us on... what’s his name?

Selection of applicants for the flag carrying ceremony in the Crystal Empire,” Raven said without thinking. - Ms. Harshwaini has demonstrated outstanding professionalism in her work.

That’s it,” the Mayor nodded in agreement, carefully getting off the table. The descent down was a little more difficult for her. - It turns out she also knows how to have a blast professionally. So cancel all my meetings, I have a train in half an hour.

Ma'am, what about meeting Princess Celestia? - Raven tilted her head in confusion, hoping to hear an answer.

“Think of something,” the Mayor waved it off carefree, heading towards the exit. - My presence there is necessary solely formally. Accompany the Princess, smile at her, maybe say a few compliments, nothing complicated. You'll figure it out. You somehow cope with my other paperwork.

Adios! - the no longer young filly made a move with her hoof and ran out the door, leaving her secretary completely alone. If Raven had told that to anyone in Ponyville, no one would have believed her. Well, maybe her twin sister is from Canterlot. She also says other things about her boss Celestia. It's a pity that she won't be able to visit this time.

The secretary sat down in her seat and began to methodically rearrange and sort papers, thinking about her plan of action. No, she could not replace the Mayor at this meeting, under any circumstances. The princess will immediately understand that this is not clean and everyone will be in big trouble. Having finished with the Papers, Raven began nervously sharpening her pencils. She sharpened those that were already sharpened on both sides. “Reschedule the meeting citing illness? An epidemic? Attack on parasprite city?”

The filly shook her head. All this is no good. Before she could think of anything, she discovered that she was out of pencils. Literally. Lost in thought, she whittled down each one until it completely disappeared. And this is a mess. Her office should be in order. There must be order. In the office and in business. Raven's eye began to twitch, and a couple of strands of hair fell out of the perfectly collected bun on her head. The filly began to literally shake from the feeling that engulfed her. Helpless rage, anger and almost animal hatred surged within her. First this stupid meeting, and now pencils. This is something she never expected from them.

Startled, Raven came to her senses before breaking down. Problems must be approached one at a time. And now pencils were the first priority. Her office should be in order. Definitely. So the filly got up from her desk, straightened her mane in front of the mirror and headed in the only possible direction: the Sofas and Feathers store.

No matter how surprising this combination of goods was, this establishment flourished. In a small town there is always a demand for both, whether it is due to the nearby friendship school or the boutique of one famous and overly dramatic couturier. The owner of the store even gives discounts to regular customers, which includes Raven. So once inside, she quickly walked through the aisles, here and there adjusting uneven or inconsistent items on the shelves. Having reached the pencils, the filly carefully selected exactly a dozen, checking each one for its number in the lot: it had to be even.

There was a small line at the checkout. It seems that someone in a wide-brimmed frilly hat was dissatisfied with the wholesale supply of sofas and was actively sorting things out with the owner of the store. Raven was already prepared for a long and boring wait, during which she could continue to count simple numbers to herself for pleasure, but then a familiar mark flashed at the end of the line. Without thinking twice, the filly headed straight towards her.

“Hello, Twilight,” she greeted politely, attracting attention with a quiet cough.

A? Oh... ahem... Hello? - the Princess of Friendship answered somehow uncertainly and fussily, looking around hauntedly.

Everything is fine? - Raven asked worriedly, looking into the eyes of her interlocutor. She knew her well and such behavior was not so much unusual for her as it was a little inappropriate in this situation.

What? Oh yes, completely! - Twilight waved with feigned enthusiasm, almost knocking over the stand of feathers standing next to her. - Why do you ask, Inkwell?

“Inkwell? Twilight never calls me that,” the secretary thought, peering intently at the princess squirming under her gaze, noticing the droplets of sweat appearing on her forehead. “She behaves strangely, speaks strangely, her manner of speech and address are different from the usual. If I were obsessed with conspiracy theories, one might assume that this is a fake.”

You won’t believe what idea just came to my mind,” Raven smiled, moving closer to the alicorn, leaning close to her ear. “You’re acting so strange today, as if you’ve been replaced.”

Shhh! - Twilight hissed at her, blinking for a moment with turquoise compound eyes instead of the usual purple ones. - Please, not here and not now!

Throwing a couple of coins onto the counter to pay for her purchases, the “princess” hurried away bypassing the line. Raven, shaking off her stupor, repeated the maneuver and gave chase. However, she didn’t have to run for long. Twilight was waiting for her outside, nervously picking at the ground with her hoof.

I am not what, but who. “My name is Ocellos,” admitted Liarwilight, turning into a skinny changeling in a flash of light.

And why were you pretending to be Twilight? - the secretary pressed, noticing how the creature in front of her was looking at her with caution.

“Loyal customer discount,” Otsellos admitted gloomily, barely audibly, lowering her head guiltily. There was silence for a moment.

Hm. “I see,” Raven calmly nodded with a straight face, internally rolling with laughter. For the sake of a discount, she bought the appearance of Twilight, and she only bought feathers, ink and scrolls. It's just great. The filly's mood has definitely improved. And she also had an idea. “Still, you should have studied Twilight’s manners a little better.” And stay calm. For example, for this I count prime numbers in my head. This helps to maintain composure in any conditions.

“I’ll try,” Ocellos nodded confusedly, still looking extremely guilty. - Just don’t tell Director Twilight about this, please! She promised to revoke my library privileges if this happened again.

Only if you help me with one little matter,” Raven allowed herself to smile a little.

What do you want from me? - the changeling asked with some caution, feigning offended innocence just in case.

Just to portray Miss Mayor at today’s meeting with Princess Celestia,” the secretary explained as a matter of course. As if by rote, she repeated word for word, observing the intonation of the Mayor: “Your presence there is necessary solely formally.” Accompany the Princess, smile at her, maybe say a few compliments, nothing complicated.

But... I... The princess herself?! - Ocellos, in a panic, began to breathe deeply and shake, her eyes ran around, and her words were confused.

Prime numbers,” Raven reminded her, almost moved, recognizing herself in the changeling.

Yes... thank you,” she got down to business and after a couple of seconds her gaze became much more focused, if this can be said about her strange faceted turquoise eyes. Having collected her thoughts, she clarified: “How much time do I have?”

That’s enough,” Raven nodded contentedly. - Follow me. Let's get you ready.

The couple spent the next few hours constructing the perfect image of Miss Mayor. Inkwell's pathological meticulousness and perfectionism were perfectly combined with Ocellos' intelligence and tendency to grasp everything on the fly. Gait, behavior, habitual speech patterns and addresses, manners of moving, speaking, even peculiarities of thinking were taken into account. The accomplices coped well with the few simple meetings that were planned for the day. Changeling coped with a bang, so much so that even Raven herself sometimes forgot that the real Mayor had gone off to conquer Las Pegasus in the company of a friend.

The X-hour has come and a carriage pulled by snow-white, absolutely identical pegasi in golden harness descended from the heavens in front of the town hall. Princess Celestia herself stepped onto the soil of Ponyville, illuminating the square, the fountain and the nearby park with a certain special, invisible, but quite tangible light. Surely even Zecora, in the middle of the Everfree Forest, felt the presence of the royal alicorn.

The Mayor and the Princess exchanged greetings and routine courtesies, and then proceeded further according to plan. Raven followed them relentlessly, appearing like a silent shadow behind Ocellos at moments when she was lost or needed support. The tour of the city was accompanied by a simple, non-committal conversation, which the Mayor handled very well, with the exception of a couple of tricky half-joking questions about parasprites and Twittermites, and one incident with a couple walking past in an embrace, to which the whole company paid unexpectedly close attention.

Returning to the town hall, Celestia proceeded to the Mayor's office and, as soon as Ocellos entered, she closed the door, leaving Raven outside. Having winked at her and said something like “a matter of national importance,” she locked herself in and there was an ominous silence. The secretary sat down in her place in the reception area and put her hooves on her head. “Have we really been discovered?!” - she lamented, frantically looking for pencils with her eyes and finding a recently acquired set, she began to carefully sharpen them, muttering simple numbers under her breath.

Ocellos sat at the Mayor’s table and looked with increasing concern at Celestia, who sat down opposite her. She, with a slight half-smile, looked at her expectantly.

You’re too worried, my little... heh... “pony,” - the Princess unexpectedly hissed in a friendly manner in a manner completely unusual for her. - T-too tense, t-shaking too much.

S-sorry? - Ocellos swallowed, stealthily wiping sweat from her forehead, once again losing her calculations. - I don't…

“You shouldn’t be afraid of me,” Celestia winked at her with a large lavender compound eye. However, he immediately began to look normal again, as well as his normal manner of speaking. - Often even the Princess has more pressing “things to do.” This is how you can be on time anywhere and everywhere.

I... - Ocellos slowly realized the significance of the revelation she had just received, stopping shaking and being afraid, and even to some extent feeling at home. - Wow.

That’s better,” Celestia smiled softly at her. - You apparently have no experience at all. I was so embarrassed by the questions about “bugs”, I was so stared at the loving couple. You need to work on self-control.

Ocellos wanted to object, but after thinking for a moment, she nodded in agreement instead and even used Mare’s gilded writing utensils to write down these practical tips. Celestia gave her several more recommendations and sets of exercises specifically for such cases.

And now it’s time for us to say goodbye, “Mayor,” the Princess finally rose to her feet. - Let's not keep your assistant waiting.

The farewell was crumpled and a little awkward. Raven, seriously worried, sharpened all the pencils and pens and moved on to the legs of the chairs. Celestia ordered a consoling thank you for the hospitality and hastily departed on a chariot carried by snow-white pegasi in the direction of Canterlot.

The Mayor and Raven watched her go and returned to the town hall. There, an indecently sized cake awaited them, deliciously inviting with glazed sides and cream tops. Taking a piece each, the fillies began to eat.

Ocellos, what were you talking about in the office? Raven was the first to break the silence.

Oh... well... you know... - the changeling hesitated for a moment, but, remembering Celestia’s advice, she immediately grinned slyly. - State secret!

“As you say,” the secretary waved her off exhaustedly. Today had not been easy for her and her nervous shock was making itself felt. - I wonder what the Mayor is doing there?

Oh, this is simply divine! - Moaning with pleasure, Miss Harshwaini basked under the hooves massaging her. Situated on a special couch, she lay on her stomach, looking at the magazine lying in front of her with half her eyes. - The best spa in Las Pegasus!

Truly a great place! - the Mayor echoed her from the next couch, rolling her eyes in bliss while the muscular pony carefully walked her hooves all over her body. - A spa worthy of royalty!

I completely agree with you! - a familiar voice came from the third couch, where a group of massage therapists were diligently working. Because of their wide backs, it was impossible to see who their client was. Only the pink-light green magical amorphous mane made its way out, revealing the identity of their neighbor.

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Twenty-second episode of the ninth season

There are only a couple of weeks left until the end of the series, which means there is nothing to lose. You can allow yourself to relax a little and experiment. To do something in Saturday stupidity that I never allowed myself to do, so now I’m not sure of anything. I can’t imagine how it all turned out and how acceptable it is. Eh, what should I do for the last two Saturdays? Any ideas? In the meantime, here are the links:

Broadcast time: from 18:30 Moscow time.

List of online broadcasts:

Brony Network
BronyTV
Spazz
OtakuAscended
BronyState

18: Axial rotation

There is nothing more deceptive than the calm and leisurely life of small towns like Appleloosa. Ponies, in pairs, decorously walking along half-empty streets, foals, quietly drawing all sorts of nonsense with a twig in the sand, a sheriff, rhythmically rocking in his chair, chewing a blade of grass - all this is just a facade of everyday life, behind which hides one simple and irrefutable fact: in Appleloose there is always something something's going on. And if it suddenly seems to you that everything is quiet and calm, this is a reason to sound the alarm.

So when screams of horror were heard from the square in front of the town hall, ponies began to rush through the streets in panic, and fillies carefully fainted right into the prudently placed embraces of their gentlemen, the Sheriff exhaled with satisfaction. Grunting, rubbing his constantly aching back, he climbed out of his chair and, with all his characteristic speed of a slowly walking pony, hurried to the square. The foals playing here and there, taught from an early age by bitter experience not to get ahead of their elders, barely restraining their curiosity rushing out, followed the middle-aged pony. So the sheriff came to the square surrounded by a retinue of children staring in all directions.

Why are we making noise? What is it this time? - in a raspy voice he asked the crowd gathered in front of the town hall.

My pie, my wonderful pie! - one of the fillies with touching pigtails emerging from under her cap was beating in hysterics, holding a baking sheet with a pile of coals in her hooves.

My watering regime! - exclaimed another pony with an uneven beard growing in tufts, peeking out from behind a massive flower pot with an exotic plant sadly drooping its withered bud.

My business meeting! - the third pony, wearing glasses that had slipped down and hung on one arm, cried bitterly, clinging with an iron grip to the unicorn in a formal suit, who sadly lowered his head.

Foals! Why doesn't anyone think about foals! - some filly with a crazy look snatched one lighter child from the crowd and began waving it like a flag.

Oh, holy Celestia, I hit you all in the forehead with a golden hoof, will someone explain to me clearly what is happening?! - The Sheriff spat out a blade of grass angrily, glaring at the crowd from under his brows.

Time stopped! - a certain stately stallion with a straw mane pointed to the town hall.

And sure enough, the hands of the huge town hall clock froze motionless at fifteen minutes to ten, although lunch time had long passed. And everything in the city went topsy-turvy. This is what happens when everyone gets used to relying on one large and convenient time indicator, visible from almost all corners of the city. It's surprising that this hasn't happened before.

And what will you do? - the Sheriff asked himself, scratching his bald patch under his hat. - We'll have to call some kind of technician or mechanic from Canterlot.

“Well, well,” said a quiet voice from the crowd. The ponies parted, revealing a seemingly ordinary filly in a cute dress and a brimmed hat pulled down over her eyes, which rare guests of Appleloosa love so much. Throwing off her headdress and emerging from her dress in two sittings, the earth pony was left only in a blue denim overalls with embroidery in the shape of an oil can on the side. Opening her small saddle bag, she, as if by magic, took out an impressively sized belt with all kinds of tools and fastened it on herself. The last thing to appear was a cap with a workshop sign of mechanics, which immediately found its place on the head, framed by a dark red mane. Wiping her nose, immediately leaving a dark dirty spot on her green fur, the filly stood in a pretentious stance and said: “It looks like you’re missing a drop of oil!”

After falling silent for a second, the crowd exploded with the clatter of hooves, rejoicing and honoring the unexpected savior. A dense ring of onlookers formed around her, so the Sheriff needed to use force to get to the filly.

Have a nice day, Miss... - the stallion paused, giving him the opportunity to introduce himself.

Drop, Oil Drop,” the mechanic pony didn’t take long to say, pushing an unruly curl of her mane out of her eyes. That didn't stop him from immediately returning to his place. - I’m here on vacation, passing through. Get some fresh air, take a walk, dress up...

“Vestimo,” the Sheriff nodded, thoughtfully watching as the elegant dress and hat disappeared into the crowd. - Well, Miss Oil, we are very glad that you are here. If you don't mind, follow me.

The path to the town hall did not take long. It's only a couple of steps to walk here. It's just a few steps away everywhere, that's the nature of small towns, including Appleloosa. The ponies respectfully stepped aside to make way, making the simple mechanic filly feel like a real star. She diligently kept a serious and professional expression on her face, but in her soul she rejoiced: “This is my finest hour!”

Well, that means so,” the Sheriff stopped in front of the massive doors. - The clock is in the attic of the town hall, the door there is not locked. We don’t go there ourselves, so the buffalo knows what’s going on there.

Won't you come with me? - Oily bowed her head, puzzled.

“No, I can’t, no way,” the stallion immediately pulled back with agility that was surprising to him. Having come to his senses, he became embarrassed, coughed and explained: “Well, you see, we don’t go there ourselves, because there... It’s a very flimsy staircase, yes!” With my weight, it’s simply dangerous for me there. But you, slender and weightless, beautiful young filly, are a completely different matter!

Oily felt that the matter smelled of kerosene and this time it was not even from her. But dozens of pairs of enthusiastic eyes looked at her, all the ponies here were counting on her help, and she simply could not turn around and leave now, leaving them to their fate. Not after such a magnificent appearance.

Chewed rags,” she hissed barely audibly to the Sheriff with a contemptuous grimace and, sighing heavily, entered the town hall. The door behind her closed with a creak, cutting off the path to escape.

Oily was left alone. The room greeted her with a depressing atmosphere, as if it were not a place for a general town meeting, but a crypt. Only the fallen benches and the music stand standing on a raised platform spoke of the purpose of the room. And then he was probably just nailed to the floor, that’s why he didn’t fall. The dust flying in the air, clearly visible in the sun's rays breaking through the loose boards, called for a thorough cleaning.

The filly imagined herself armed with a broom, fighting off dusty ghosts and grinned. It's not that bad here. For once, you can work calmly, without some curious pug watching from behind, unable to resist giving a couple of “helpful” tips. That itchy feeling in the back of your head when someone is looking at you drove Oily crazy. Just like now.

The mechanic pony winced. No, she definitely didn’t imagine it: someone was watching her. It was felt as clearly as the weight of her tool belt. She literally felt every screwdriver, every wrench, every oil can down to the level of oil filling and its quality. And in the same way she felt someone’s gaze on her. This feeling had already become commonplace and familiar, just like her tools, so Oily could say with confidence where she was being watched from. Glancing up imperceptibly from under the brim of her cap, she saw a figure in the shadows on the ceiling beams. However, she immediately disappeared, only the boards creaked barely audibly.

Wary, Oily slowly walked forward. The wooden steps of the stairs creaked disgustingly and protractedly under the filly’s hooves. For a moment it even seemed to her that the Sheriff’s words were not just an excuse. The observer did not lag behind, remaining in the shadows, constantly nearby, at a distance of one jump, exuding a very tangible threat. Step by step, higher and higher, closer and closer to the goal. A kind of staring game to see who will lose their nerves faster. It was the most intense climb to the top of a mechanic's life.

The end of the stairs and with it the attic were approaching. Once the filly crosses the invisible threshold, the battle will be over. Something will happen and it’s not a fact that she will like it. Something needs to be done urgently, but what? Think, head, think! Oily hurriedly went through the options, each more absurd than the other, until it was too late. Without noticing it, she was already in the attic and felt something approaching her. Unable to think of anything better, she turned sharply on the spot and barked at the observer:

The spiral recuperator is a rear valve confuser for you! - the filly's voice rumbled. The echo carried her words to the high vaulted dome ceiling, from where something was rushing down with an ever-increasing screech. Oily only had time to notice a pony-like figure with wings before she was knocked backwards and onto the floor. Groaning and moaning, the filly tried to rise, but someone crushed her with their weight. Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw were sharp fangs in a toothy mouth right in front of her nose. They were complemented by a pair of slightly glowing predator eyes with vertical pupils in the twilight. Well, the rest of the pony’s body was included.

Hello... - the pony began, but was interrupted by Oily’s heart-rending squeal, which she accompanied with a strong push with all her hooves. The ponies scattered screaming in different directions, some in horror, some in pain.

E-hey!!! - the owner of the teeth screamed offendedly, raising her legs with a flapping of her wings. - Why are you fighting?!

Why are you attacking me?! - the mechanic pony did not remain in debt. She already had her favorite oil cans in her hooves and was ready to use them. She, like no one else, knew that they could be used not only for their intended purpose, but also for self-defense. - Don't come near me, monster! Otherwise I’ll burst into tears!

You yourself are a monster! - the unfamiliar filly sniffed at her offendedly, sitting down on the floor near the opposite wall of the attic and hugging a pillow lying nearby. “I just fell from the beam onto you out of surprise, that’s all.” I've never heard anyone swear like that. What is a rear valve horse?

You'll find out when I inject oil into you, you beast! - Oily snapped rudely, but still lowered the oil can. It didn't look like they were going to eat it right then and there. - What are you anyway?

I am not what, but who! - the stranger chuckled gloomily, turning up her nose. Looking at her more closely, in addition to her alabaster fur and bright straw mane, she stood out with impressively large leathery, bat-like wings. Her teeth no longer seemed so big; even a pair of sharp fangs were almost invisible. It’s clear who the locals are so afraid of. How long has she lived here? And what does he eat? Not locals?

But you... - Oily suddenly remembered that she had seen something similar when she was fixing something classified in the Canterlot barracks. - I've already met people like you! But where are you from here?

Oh, do you know about us? Have you seen the cave system in the mountain range west of here? - the winged pony perked up, putting her pillow aside. Her ears stood up, showing small fluffy tufts at the tips. - So I’m definitely not from there. Now, at least. Kicked out for being too...well...bright. So I took my belongings, a pillow, a blanket and settled down here in the attic. Locals came to visit me a couple of times, but for some reason they ran away screaming and screaming, but I smiled so diligently! Hssssssssssssssss It’s boring here alone, but I didn’t go outside, once I poked my head in, and they threw a pie at me! It's a bit of a shame, but it's delicious. And you don't have to hunt!

Bright, that means, yeah. Huntress! What's your name, beast? - the mechanic asked kindly, putting the oil can back.

The horse opened its mouth and emitted a series of high-frequency squeaks, interspersed with clicks and wheezing. Noticing the bewilderment on Oily’s face, she looked down in embarrassment.

But you can call me Poysey,” she admitted.

Oil Drop, almost pleasant. “Yes, your parents joked quite a bit about you,” having introduced herself, the earth pony nodded her head sympathetically. Feeling that something was missing, she began to look around for her cap.

Hold it! - Poisy picked up the headdress lying near her with her wing and handed it to her new friend. - And yet, what is a fusor horse? And I didn’t see any back valve.

Well, I got a little excited - now it’s Oily’s turn to be embarrassed. “It’s my own fault, there’s no point in secretly spying on honest ponies.”

“I was just watching, suddenly you came to fix the watch,” the winged filly bowed her head guiltily. - I didn’t even think of scaring you!

That's right, a clock! - the mechanic pony remembered, finally paying attention to the huge gear mechanism that occupied most of the attic. Massive gears are intertwined in a complex structure, emitting the tart metallic smell of iron and grease, so familiar and pleasant to the filly. - But we didn’t even notice the elephant.

It's a watch, stupid! - Posey smiled. - He’s not like that at all.

I... Arrr! I see that this is a watch, “stupid,” Oily waved her hoof at the fanged beast and began to inspect the mechanism. Despite the dust and lack of care, it was in good condition. An enthusiastic snoring was heard from behind. Apparently, this time too she cannot avoid working under scrutiny. - It remains to understand why they do not work. Everything looks intact.

You know, I’m certainly not a master at fixing things,” the filly drawled behind her, barely audibly rustling her leathery wings. - But it seems to me that this is the problem.

She pointed somewhere deep into the gears. Taking a closer look, Oily noticed a large piece of fabric wrapped around the gear and its axle. On the patch sticking out, one could see a simple floral pattern.

Perhaps this was once my blanket, until last night the insidious gear took it away from me,” Poisy reluctantly admitted, squinting displeasedly at the harmful unit. - It’s not surprising that the watch broke. He will know how to quarrel with me!

Oh yes, you’re just a thunderstorm for all mechanisms,” Oily grinned, wondering which side to start cutting from. - Since you're here, could you turn this gear back a little so I can...

No problem! - Before the mechanic had time to finish, Poisy was already pushing the indicated toothed disk with all her might, so successfully that the fabric itself began to unwind. In a matter of seconds, the gear was freed from its captivity in the blanket. Or, if you believe the winged misfortune, the blanket was rescued from the teeth of an insidious mechanism. Everything is smeared in greasy grease, but whole and unharmed.

Hooray? - Poisy clarified uncertainly, looking at Oily with a question. She was just adding lubricant to the missing elements, replenishing what the blanket had taken over. After a couple of moments, the mechanism came to life and the gears resumed their movement.

Now hurray,” the mechanic pony crossed her hooves contentedly. - All that remains is to set the time and you can submit the work.

Moving the arrows together turned out to be much easier, and taking into account a pair of wings, it was generally like a foal’s game. Judging by the cheers of the ponies in the square, their success did not go unnoticed. It was time to get out of this dust collector, which for some reason is mistaken for the town hall, they even put a clock there.

Well, be there,” Oily waved goodbye and went downstairs. With every step, a strange and contradictory feeling grew within her. With every step she wanted to go back and do something for this strange casual acquaintance. But the mechanic pony stubbornly shook her head, driving away the obsessive thoughts. The cap that Poisy had given her fell at her feet. Turning around, Oily saw in the twilight of the attic the silhouette of a filly with slightly shining yellow eyes, a slightly toothy smile and a very slightly soiled blanket at her hooves.

Arrrr! Well, what should I do with you? - The earth pony rolled her eyes, already internally regretting that she had taken on this work, that she had decided to go up to the attic, that she had not immediately rushed to her heels. - I will regret this, oh, how I will regret it. Poisy?

Yes? - The filly batted her eyelashes innocently.

If you want, we can walk around Appleloose together. I’m sure the locals will be glad to meet the one who helped fix their watch,” Oily suggested, internally praying to the alicorn sisters that she wouldn’t be showered with pies for the company. - Besides, since you still live in the attic next to the clock, I can give you a couple of lessons on how to take care of its mechanism. Considering that the city does not have its own mechanic, you will be a real salvation for them!

Is it true? - Poisy’s eyes lit up with joy more than ever. Out of excess of feelings, she began to dance on the spot, gracefully twitching her wings and amusingly accompanying herself with melodious squeaks and clicks. - Hurray-hurray-hurray!

Hush hush! - Oily waved at her. - Calm down! Until the locals get used to you, try to behave... more normally. No “hssss!” and squeaks! Can you handle it?

I’ll try,” after seriously thinking for a couple of seconds, Poisy nodded uncertainly. She stared expectantly at her newfound friend.

Eh, what should I do with you? - the mechanic pony repeated, gradually getting used to the idea that this hymenopteran misunderstanding would now not leave her behind. Taking a deep breath and collecting her thoughts, she handed her hoof to her protégé. - Let's go, beast.

Thanks to Klemm and DraftHoof for their work on the text.

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Twenty-first episode of the ninth season

The end is inexorably approaching! We are all doomed! Doomed, I tell you! There is no escape! No one escapes the end, the inevitable end, the end of the series! Well, it’s okay, this one will end, a new one will begin. YES, and they promised full-length films in a hurry, so we’ll have a look. Well, while the episodes are still being released, go ahead and stream!

Broadcast time: from 18:30 Moscow time.

List of online broadcasts:

Brony Network
BronyTV
Spazz
OtakuAscended
BronyState

17: Night visit

The cool night air gently cooled the fur of Princess Luna, who sat on the balcony of her bedchamber in Canterlot Castle. The pale night luminary, under the influence of magic, slowly climbed into the sky to take its place among the stars. Crossing this off her imaginary to-do list, the alicorn sighed deeply and sadly, overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Not much time has passed since Nightmare Moon was freed from her imprisonment on the moon and was defeated by Twilight and her friends. After reconciling with her sister, Luna was glad to return to her former duties. And if earlier Celestia managed to control both celestial bodies, then only the owner of the lunar mark can stand guard over the world of dreams.

You’ve done this many times, Luna,” the alicorn admonished herself, collecting her thoughts. The sounds of the night calmed her a little: the barely audible howling of the wind, the rustling of leaves and cracking of branches, the hooting of an owl, the cries of bats and other nocturnal inhabitants. For a moment, Luna thought that someone was even watching her from the darkness. But she shook her head, driving away the obsessive thoughts and tried to concentrate again. - Take a deep breath and it’s like jumping into water...

Of course, there was no water and no jump. Instead, the princess plunged the entire space around her into a special unconscious darkness, on the other side of which lies dreams. Just before her personal bubble of darkness collapsed, Luna felt the vibrations of the air rather than hear the flapping of wings and before she knew what had happened, the spell took effect, transporting her to the world of dreams. Together with an unexpected travel companion.

It turned out to be a ruffled young eagle owl who was sitting and busily looking around, turning his head in all imaginable and inconceivable directions. And there was something to see: dream-stars shone around with an endless amount of colors, each one a gateway to someone’s dream. Seeing something that interested him, the bird of prey rose heavily into the air and flew somewhere forward before Luna, stunned by what was happening, could do anything.

But how? - she asked herself. She was struck not even by the fact that someone rode into the world of dreams as a hare, that is, an owl, but more by the speed with which this feathered impudence mastered the new place. Here even the princess herself was not immediately able to walk, let alone fly. This place was too different from the usual: fickle and unsteady, woven from scraps of dreams and nightmares, to move between which one uses not the body, but the mind. But, apparently, no one warned this owl about this.

We need to catch him urgently before he does anything bad,” Luna resolutely stomped her foot, throwing away all “why” and “how.” The safety of the subjects' dreams came first. Well, I’m a little afraid for this bird of prey. Who knows what nightmare it will take her into. Taking off from her place, the princess rushed after him.

It was not difficult to follow the eagle owl. In this world, he left a trail behind him, as if the air was crushed by his wings, like folds on a tablecloth. The path led to one of the dreams, apparently it was there that the fugitive disappeared. Diving after her, Luna found herself in the middle of an ordinary, somewhat gloomy bedroom: a chest of drawers, a bed and a floor lamp. Some unfortunate filly was trembling in horror, hiding under the blanket, while the floor... The floor swayed, as if on waves, dotted with countless numbers of swarming rats, trying to climb onto the bed and under the blanket.

An old acquaintance, found sitting on the headboard, was caught red-handed in the middle of a meal, with half a rat sticking out of his beak. Seeing Luna, without breaking eye contact, he slowly drew in the long bald rat's tail, seeming to enjoy the grimace of disgust on the princess's face. Her shock was understandable: until now it had never even occurred to her to eat something in the world of dreams. It was as wrong, as unnatural as it was for a foreign owl to be here. In addition, he began to glow somehow strangely, as if magically. Perhaps the food here had that effect on him. Finally, this feathered insolent deigned to open his beak and hoot complacently.

This was the last straw for the filly hiding under the blanket. Apparently, the rats didn’t make her very happy either, and something big and loud that got into her bed was too much. Erupting into a loud scream of horror and despair, she literally tore the room around the bed into small fragments of a dream, setting off on an endless fall into the darkness of the unknown. The moon knew too well how such nightmares end, and therefore without hesitation she pounced on the eagle owl who was distracted by the noise and, holding him tightly in her arms, pushed the two of them out of the world of dreams by force of will.

The next moment, the princess felt the cold marble floor of Canterlot Castle on her cheek. The darkness around parted, dispersed by moonlight. A large lump of feathers, extremely dissatisfied with such rude and unceremonious treatment, diligently escaped from the hooves, flapping its wings and powerful paws with razor-sharp claws. It’s a miracle that he hasn’t ruined the princess’s fur yet. Fearing for her safety, she involuntarily pushed away the raging bird.

Wow! - the owl exclaimed angrily and rushed to attack. But not the princess; he carefully avoided her, recognizing her as a serious opponent, significantly larger than him. Instead, the feathered mischief, sparkling with yellow eyes shining in the twilight, began to take out its anger and dissatisfaction on everything around: its claws tore tapestries and curtains, its strong beak broke stained glass and windows. At some point, he even managed to overturn the heavy throne, clinging to its top and working diligently with his powerful wings, which were not like an owl. All this was accompanied by dissatisfied hoots and screams.

The guards, as is customary, fell asleep at their post, so Luna had to take upon herself the capture of the unfortunate pest. Chasing an eagle owl through the night corridors is a dubious pleasure, but the princess unexpectedly felt some hunting excitement, imagining how great a stuffed animal of this monster would look on her bedroom chest of drawers. However, she immediately dismissed this thought, reminding herself that she was supposed to be an example of kindness and forgiveness, so she could not afford any suicide. Well, maybe just a little.

Meanwhile, the route of pursuit and destruction led them to the wing where Celestia's chambers were located. There was no longer any time to delay. Having carefully calculated the distance to the owl, Luna forcefully threw one of the pots of lavender flowers placed everywhere. Fortunately or unfortunately, its throw was unsuccessful: it never hit the bird. The cunning beast made a pirouette at the last moment and avoided a collision with the projectile. But the eagle owl could not miss the column next to it, slamming into it with all its might at full speed. While the stunned bird slowly slid down, Luna grabbed the nearest curtain and, tearing it off the window, carefully swaddled her victim. The result was something very touching, fluffy and big-eyed.

Very pleased with herself, the princess confusedly turned her trophy in her hooves, not knowing what to do with it next. The owl began to come to his senses and twitch dissatisfiedly, trying in vain to free himself from captivity. Its beak opened, about to burst out into angry screams again.

Shhh! - Luna hissed at him, pressing her hoof to her lips. - Look, I understand that you're unhappy, but I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just worried that nothing would happen to you. I had absolutely no intention of attacking you! At least until you started destroying everything around you. If you calm down and promise not to do this again, then I will let you go, okay?

The owl became silent, as if pondering this proposal. Slyly narrowing his glowing eyes, he seemed to groan in agreement.

Eh, no, I don’t buy it,” the princess looked at him skeptically, wondering what to do next. Literally a minute later, tired of this, she decided to shift the responsibility for this onto her sister, since her bedroom was very close. Opening the door slightly, Luna pushed a pug and a swaddled eagle owl inside. - Sister?

M-r-r-r-h,” the heap of blankets muttered in response to her.

I caught an eagle owl here. He eats dreams, glows and behaves badly! - Luna lied. The bird, on the other hand, looked full of complacency and pride.

M-y-y-rgh,” something shuddered sluggishly in the depths of the bed. - Shhh... light...

Mmm-mm,” Luna drawled, painfully deciphering what she heard. - Well, that's a good idea.

Having closed the doors of the bedchamber, the princess began to instruct Owl.

Listen to me carefully, miracle in feathers,” she began, looking intently into the eyes of the victim. Calling on all her intimidation, recalling images of Nightmare Moon, she continued. - Now you will go to Ponyville to Twilight Sparkle. She will definitely figure out what kind of miracle you are. If you allow yourself to go astray and not arrive at the place this very night, I swear by the craters of the moon, after I am done with you, your feathers will be found in the most remote corners of the world for several thousand years later, I will tear you into so many small pieces!

And to confirm her words, Luna pulled out one of the owl’s feathers. He shuddered, more from surprise than from pain, and immediately somehow wilted, reducing his zeal and thirst for revenge. The princess, convinced of the effectiveness of her conviction, untied the bird from the curtain and let it go. She, having ruffled her feathers, spread her wings a couple of times, arranging her feathers as they should, turned her head from side to side, flashed her eyes menacingly, but then blinked in agreement, not so much being led by threats as doing a favor. As if to say: “Okay, I’ll fly to this Twilight Sparkle of yours, let’s see what she has.”

Having announced the corridors of the castle with a loud “Whoa!”, from which Celestia almost fell out of bed, the owl flew off in the direction of Ponyville, to a small window in the crown of the library tree, where another fateful meeting awaited him.

Thanks to Klemm "y, DraftHoof "y and Vedont "y for their work on the text.

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Twenty episode of the ninth season

The end of the season is coming soon and the series will end with it. And there will be no point in writing nonsense on Saturdays. I started all these posts as a little training to improve my skill, week after week month after month. But like a student who does not receive a dictation check to work on mistakes, I cannot do anything with all this variety of letters. I don’t know what works well, what works poorly, what should be improved, what to leave, what points to pay attention to and what, on the contrary, turned out great. Without this, there is little chance of becoming better. Just practicing typing on the keyboard is not enough. sigh This time I went a little further in my influence on the actions of the characters, let's see what they say about it. Links for you:

Broadcast time: from 18:30 Moscow time.

List of online broadcasts:

Brony Network
BronyTV
Spazz
OtakuAscended
BronyState

16: About princesses, boxes and princesses in boxes

Twilight, are you ready to go? - Applejack tilted her head slightly questioningly. The rest of the friends, gathered in the corridor of the crystal castle, stared at the purple filly with concern. - The train leaves in two hours.

Yes, everything is fine! - The alicorn nodded briefly, twitching her ears nervously. - Everything is fine.

Wow, you are doing so well! - Pinkie Pie interrupted, jumping out from behind her. - With this terribly important exam of yours on royal etiquette, I was sure that you would start to get nervous and worried again. Add to this the oppressive responsibility for the school of friendship, the responsible place hanging over you on the throne of Equestria and the subsequent responsibility for the lives and destinies of every resident of Equestria, as well as an equally enormous responsibility for the movement of the heavenly bodies! Did I mention responsibility? By the way, you are handling all this responsibly!

Hehe, thank you, Pinkie,” the princess giggled nervously, her eyelid starting to tremble a little. - You always know how to support!

Yeah, of course,” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. - Be that as it may, we also need to hurry to get our things. And if a light bag is enough for me, then some divas and their pet dragons have been packing an entire carriage since yesterday. So we'll go for now. We'll meet you right there in an hour. Try to do without twisting while we're gone.

I wouldn't have even thought of it! - the alicorn feigned indignation, smiling tightly.

“I can stay here and be with you,” Fluttershy suggested, “if you don’t mind, of course.” And my luggage will be handed over to the animals.

Look after her, sugar,” Applejack nodded to her. - We'll only be gone for an hour.

What could happen? - The pegasus smiled sweetly, waving her hoof goodbye.

We were only gone for an hour! - Applejack stomped her foot angrily. - Where is Twilight? What's happened?!

Well... I... - Fluttershy hesitated in confusion, instinctively hiding behind her mane. - I... She... just... said that she forgot something and walked away for a minute.

Let me guess: she only ran away for a minute and never came back, right? - Rainbow Dash interjected.

But she said that she forgot a very important book on types of bird food,” Fluttershy backed away, making excuses.

You've been hoofed around like a foal! - The rainbow-maned pegasus covered her face with her hoof in frustration. - Be that as it may, we...

“We should split up and search the castle and the surrounding area,” Applejack suggested.

Oooh, it'll be like a game of hide and seek! - Pinkie Pie was happily bouncing on the spot. A pair of birds flew past her head, almost causing a kick crash in the air. Fortunately, everything worked out. The birds sat down on the helpfully offered hoof of the yellow pegasus and chirped vyingly.

Isolde and Isolde say that Clemens the spider saw Twilight,” Fluttershy translated.

Amazing! - Applejack chuckled contentedly, pushing her hat back. - Although all this talk with the beast still scares me a little.

Oh, don't worry, Winona can keep a secret. “Me too,” the pegasus smiled sweetly. - Let's go, Clemens lives opposite the entrance to the basement.

Basement... - Rainbow Dash said in confusion. - Oh no! Not again!

The basement rooms of the crystal castle greeted them with twilight and a mixture of smells of old books, dust, wood and something else indescribable, characteristic only of libraries. They say that experienced readers can understand just by the smell in the library how well the records are kept, how well the books are taken care of, and how long ago the librarian washed himself. This particular room smelled extremely unpleasant and disturbing.

Twilight? - Applejack called quietly.

Twa-a-a-ayla-a-it! - Pinkie Pie crooned as she crawled out in front of her. - Twi-Twi-Twi-Twi!

Pinky, I don’t think that... - the rainbow-maned pegasus reproachfully began to scold her friend when something slipped somewhere in the dusty depths of the basement. -...will this work?

There! - Applejack commanded and her friends followed her into the dusty depths. Around there were stacks of books, various shelves and boxes, heaps of junk and other “what if it comes in handy” garbage. Pinkie Pie suddenly stopped in front of one overturned box.

My sensitive kick-sense senses something very sensitively. Suspicious! - she said, pointing to the find. - Just look how my ear is twitching!

Twilight! - Rainbow Dash barked sharply next to the suspicious box. She jumped in surprise and ran away on four lavender hooves. Fortunately or unfortunately, she was not able to run far blindly. With a dull scream, the box crashed into the wall and froze. The tip of a very familiar tail remained sticking out from under the cardboard.

Twi, you’re acting like a foal,” Applejack began her educational speech reproachfully. - The train to Canterlot is leaving soon. In the end, you are not going to a coronation, but to a purely formal exam. Well, let there be no turning back, you were already heading towards this, you were preparing and everything was fine! Stop fooling around and get out!

This is ridiculous! - Applejack covered her face with her hooves.

“It’s not that funny,” Pinkie Pie corrected her. - I can smell something funny a mile away!

“There’s no time for this nonsense,” Rainbow Dash said and rushed towards the box, with the clear intention of simply taking it away. A step away from the target, she slammed into a barely noticeable magical field, causing pinkish ripples from the impact.

I said no! - the box shouted again, in addition to its words, throwing everyone around away with a magical impulse. Stacks of books fell, heaps stirred, clouds of dust rose.

“Okay, that’s it, I’ve had enough,” the rainbow-maned pegasus growled angrily, spitting and brushing off the dirt. - Now you will get it from me!

But instead of throwing herself at the box, she rushed out of the basement at full speed. The remaining fillies looked at each other in bewilderment. There was an awkward silence, even the box began to move, not understanding what was happening. As soon as Applejack opened her mouth to offer another option, Starlight and Rainbow Dash appeared in the basement with a magical flash. The unicorn held a mug of coffee and an open newspaper in front of her. There was a sullen expression on her face, reflecting both a certain degree of irritation and deep contempt for the whole situation as a whole.

-... and she is there... that is, already here. Do you see? - The pegasus finished her explanations.

Starlight slowly took a deep breath, then exhaled just as slowly through her nose. Having taken a sip from the mug, she slowly moved towards the box. Having reached the magical barrier, the unicorn lightly poked it with her hoof, accompanied by a short flash of magic on her horn and a barely noticeable transparent sphere shattered into fragments with a silent crack. The box, seemingly anticipating trouble, involuntarily shrank and trembled.

Starlight did not stand on ceremony and simply lifted the box with magic. Surprisingly, there was no one under her. Then the unicorn raised her head and saw Twilight, all her hooves resting against the walls of the box, never going to leave her stronghold of irresponsibility. Starlight had to shake the box thoroughly several times, after which the alicorn, with the grace of a goose after two servings of punch, fell out of it with a short cry. Her cardboard shelter then instantly incinerated, not leaving even a handful of ash behind.

I... - Twilight only managed to get to her feet, but her words were immediately interrupted by a sweeping slap on the face of a rolled-up newspaper. - Ay!

“You will behave well,” Starlight said quietly in a mentoring tone, reinforcing her words with another spank. - You will be a diligent princess.

Will! - Twalight shouted through the blows flying at her.

And if you don’t, then I will find you, I will come to you and I will force you to be the best,” the unicorn finished, poking the alicorn in the nose with a rolled-up newspaper.

Um, are you sure this will work? - Applejack looked at each other incredulously. - Don't you think this method is a little... extreme? This won't affect her behavior or anything?

No,” Starlight explained calmly, “this is an old, long-forgotten method of suggestion, it works flawlessly, admire it for yourself.”

Girls? - Twilight looked around in bewilderment. - What? Where I am? Why aren't we on the train? Oh my God, we're late!

With that, the alicorn and her friends disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Starlight alone in the basement.

Hmm, and no thanks, as always,” she muttered under her breath, taking another sip of coffee before she too teleported away.

Thanks Klemm "u

15: Title

Is the Great and Powerful Trixie really that big and powerful? Has this question been on her mind for some time? Time after time, she involuntarily returned to him, watching from behind the scenes as her audience dispersed. Sitting in her trailer, sluggishly chewing a half-eaten sandwich with chamomile from yesterday, already a little stale, the unicorn sadly looked at her simple belongings. To an outside pony, these ordinary objects might seem truly magical, but who but a master illusionist would know that this is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

Trixie remembered the first time this thought came to her. The sight of empty rows in the hall distracted her from the performance, which is why the whole trick with a bouquet from a hat went down the drain. And although the audience perceived this as part of the performance, a kind of playful trick of a real magician, the unicorn more than once reproached herself for that very time. This and many other failed incidents disturbed her at night, preventing her from sleeping normally, forcing her to rehearse them even in her sleep, reliving that shame again and again. In a way, it even benefited her.

Trixie, without appetite, swallowed the last piece of the sandwich, which almost hit her throat. Having washed it down with a couple of sips of water, she slowly stomped to her hammock and collapsed heavily into it. The trailer responded with a dissatisfied creaking sound, glass smoky spheres rattled in its box, and somewhere in the depths one of the bouquets-magic wands worked. But the unicorn didn’t care at all.

She mentally transported herself to her childhood, to the time when she and her father traveled around the cities with his show. Every day was like a holiday, each of his performances attracted crowds of spectators and received a storm of applause. Trixie delightedly caught every word from the stage and followed every movement. It has been a miracle for her since childhood. The way her father would make audiences stand in awe with just a simple device or simple sleight of foot. The tricks themselves were striking in their elegance and sophistication. It’s not surprising that the young unicorn very soon tried on her first illusionist’s cloak.

Lying with her eyelids closed, Trixie smiled sadly. That raincoat with hand-sewn crooked stars, all patched and patched, lay somewhere in the depths of the trailer. By the way, her mobile home is not far from the old faded rag it turned into over time. Creaky, unreliable, uncomfortable and extremely annoying, it had been her refuge for what seemed like her entire life. Just as creaky and unreliable.

Today again no one came to her performance. Again in the hall there were only her faithful and only friend Starlight, Pinkie Pie, who, it seemed, did not miss a single event at all, and Maud and her boyfriend, who came along with a pink misunderstanding. Trixie played her show like clockwork, as usual flawlessly and flawlessly. Of course, the audience was delighted and the unicorn was sincerely grateful to everyone who came, even this boring stick lover. And yet, a wave of despair covered her headlong again.

It was like a swamp, like a viscous quagmire, slowly and surely pulling the crib to the bottom. And even knowing how to swim, using all her strength to the last, Trixie only managed to stay afloat, slightly sticking her nose above the stinking muddy slurry. But her strength was running out. With each stroke she weakened, each performance brought less and less return, each time the smile on her face became more and more false. Until this grimace froze on her completely, becoming almost a death mask hiding her tear-stained, rumpled face.

And yet, is the Great and Powerful Trixie so great and powerful? No, not at all. She is just as weak and alone in the face of the misfortunes of fate as other ponies. She's just very good at pretending and lying. To others, to yourself, even to the universe itself. The more and louder you shout about your own power, the greater it seems. But the fact of the matter is that it seems that all this is just an illusion, nothing more than self-hypnosis. Optical illusion, smoke and mirrors. Break one and...

Hey, blue mope, stop smearing your snot on the hammock and get your rump over here! - a sharp, rude voice unceremoniously invaded Trixie’s half-asleep filled with self-pity. The unicorn sluggishly opened one tear-stained eye and immediately closed it, cursing dirtyly. Life on the road teaches not only good things, including vocabulary. Fortunately, the guest outside did not hear her. Maybe.

I heard everything! - a refutation was immediately heard. - She’s like that herself! If you don't come out immediately, I'll force you!

Ha, let him try. Trixie doesn't care what happens to her anymore. It certainly couldn't get any worse. Even death will only bring deliverance from this torment that is called life.

“Well, you asked for it,” the uninvited guest said threateningly, and the unicorn was momentarily blinded by a bright flash. The next second, the hammock disappeared from under her, and the cozy and familiar smell of a trailer with smoke was instantly replaced by other aromas. Unexpectedly, Trixie showed up at a cafe table nearby. Opposite her sat a rather smiling Starlight, who had arrived at the wrong time and suffered an acute attack of the blues. On the table between them stood a hefty ice cream cake with the image of a certain well-known illusionist.

OtakuAscended
BronyState

And here is the text. It was written a little differently than the others, but I'm sure no one will notice the difference =P

14: Under the starry blanket

The warm August breeze gently swayed the tree branches. The green foliage was dotted with sparkles of yellow here and there, hinting at the imminent arrival of autumn. The puddles left after a recent thunderstorm surrounded themselves with a halo of late-flowering pollen. Nature seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the last breath of summer before dressing up in the golden garb of autumn.

Starlight Glimmer stood at the window of her office and looked at the idyll spread out before her. There was a thoughtful half-smile on her face, and a mug of something fragrant hovered in front of her. The breeze slightly ruffled the filly's slightly tousled mane, not even thinking about encroaching on the huge stacks of papers on the table. The protection spell against flying and falling documents and scrolls worked properly.

From the outside, the unicorn would have looked content and peaceful, if not for one “but”: the size of the bags under her eyes could only rival the size of the stack of papers that she had to sort through. And this is on the eve of the start of the new academic year, when the school is filled with students who have arrived to settle in in advance. And Starlight was obliged to make sure that everything would go without a hitch, and not like the last time, when an international scandal almost happened with the risk of escalating into a declaration of war with five friendly races at once.

The filly's eye twitched when there was a knock on the door. Before she had time to answer anything, the visitor had already opened the door, creating a draft. The wind rushed into the room with furious force, sweeping the spell from stacks of papers and throwing them into the air, juggling them like a crazed illusionist who had too much fortified cider after a Saturday night show in Appaloosa. Several carefully sorted and sorted piles turned into a chaotic ocean of several shades of white, spreading across the office floor like a cellulose veil.

Um... Oh? - Gallus squeezed out, finally appearing from behind the door. - Sorry, I couldn’t even imagine that this would happen.

Starlight's eye twitched once more. The world seemed about to split into pieces around her, self-incinerating and simultaneously apologizing in several languages at once. Fortunately, this did not happen. The unicorn took a deep, drawn-out breath, then exhaled. Placing the mug on the now empty table, she pulled out a drawer and took out a blanket blanket embroidered with pastel-colored stars. Throwing it over herself, right over her head, like a cloak, she sat down directly on the floor, leaning her elbows on the table and floated her mug back. After taking a long sip, Starlight finally looked up at the griffin. Looking at him intently, as if wondering what to do with him now, she briefly nodded to the place next to him, inviting him to join.

What brought you to me in... - the filly paused, swallowing the lump in her throat, - at such and such a time? You're on vacation.

“I... I wanted to talk to you,” the griffin hesitated, shifted from foot to foot in confusion, but nevertheless decided and came over, sitting down next to him. - I... something is bothering me.

Starlight took another sip and turned to Gallus, making it clear that she was listening to him carefully. The effect was slightly blurred by the fact that the blanket was still on her and therefore, when she turned around, only part of her muzzle was sticking out.

Um, okay,” the griffin looked in confusion at the school’s deputy director and part-time social teacher, who was looking attentively at him from the depths of a blanket embroidered with stars. Still, the ponies never ceased to amaze him. - OK. Here’s the thing... I kind of don’t want to go back to school a little, just a little.

Why? - Starlight asked, snorting aside the edge of the blanket that was getting in the way.

You see, I don’t have many friends at home,” Gallus tucked his tail in confusion and began fiddling with his tassel. - It’s not customary for griffins to make friends, so I spent most of the summer alone. The rest of the students and I corresponded occasionally, but basically nothing else happened. But for the rest, so much happened. They have fun and enjoy life. Unlike the way I live my life in vain, day after day one similar to the other, boring and dull like the bare rocks of Griffinstone. And now I don't want to go back to school. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to be back with friends and interesting activities, there's always something interesting going on here. But in the end we will still have to part! I will have to return to my homeland, to bare rocks and unfriendly griffins. I will become just like them: gray, dull, joyless and rude. And I... I'm afraid of this, I don't want such a future! I just can’t get rid of these thoughts.

Starlight nodded understandingly and without saying a word, flew another blanket-plaid. Having covered Gallus with it, to which he muttered a confused “thank you,” she teleported a cup of fresh hot cocoa from somewhere and handed it to her guest. Looking into her half-empty mug, she gulped down what was there and it disappeared in a magical flash, and in its place a new one, already full, appeared. Raising the mug slightly, as if making a toast, forcing Gallus to drink, the unicorn took a sip and closed her eyes blissfully. The griffin, still immersed in his sad thoughts, took a sip without thinking. Hot, sweet cocoa burned his throat for a moment, but the pain was immediately followed by some relaxation and his body was filled with warmth as if from the inside, while a soft, tender blanket warmed him from the outside, like an embrace.

You can never predict what awaits you in the future,” Starlight said quietly, looking somewhere into the space in front of her. - One moment you are happy with your best friends, and the next you are separated forever. You try to change this, and now it seems that you are happy in your own village, but suddenly someone comes again and destroys everything that you are used to, takes away everything that you loved. And no matter how much you want to give up everything that was, no matter how scary it is to move forward into the unknown, remember...

Starlight took another sip and fell silent. The griffin also sat quietly, waiting for the continuation, but the unicorn continued to look lost into nowhere. So Gallus could not resist and asked again:

Remember what?

A? What am I talking about? - the filly came to her senses, shuddering. - Oh, well, yes. Remember that everything will be fine in the end and everything will work out. Sooner or later, one way or another.

You weren't talking about me just now, right? - Gallus clarified, squinting suspiciously.

No,” Starlight sighed after a moment. Turning to the griffin, she looked at him with completely different eyes, not as a deputy director, but as someone who fully understands and shares his fear, a look full of sympathy and empathy. - You know, running away from my past and future, I made a lot of mistakes. I did the unthinkable and who knows how it would have turned out if I hadn’t been shown the right path.

You're talking about Director Twilight, right? - Gallus guessed. - I heard this story from Rainbow Dash.

It was Twilight who finally taught me that it was okay to be afraid. That there is no need to hold on to what happened in the past. That everyone can become better,” Starlight secretly blinked away a tear and smiled. - Twilight generally likes to explain.

“This cannot be taken away from her,” the griffin chuckled, smiling back.

“You are a good griffin, Gallus,” the unicorn nodded to him. - And this doesn’t mean that you have to be the same as your Grandfather Graff...

“He’s not my grandfather, he’s not even my relative,” Gallus corrected her, but she waved him off.

Who cares? There are wonderful griffins like the postman Gabby or even Gilda,” the filly frowned, trying to remember at least one more. Pinkie Pie said something about a griffin baking sweets. But Pinky talks too much and not all her words make any sense. Starlight shook her head. - Whatever one may say, your reluctance to return to school is completely illogical. Instead of spending more time with everyone, enjoying each other's company, you suggest breaking up right now and depriving yourself of all this. Understand that your future belongs only to you. You don't have to become a grumpy old plucked griffin like this “not your grandfather.” Your friends simply won't let you. You know, I bet even if you try, you won't succeed!

Do you think so? - Gallus cleared his throat, ruffled the feathers on his head, covered one eye with his wing and declaimed in Graff’s grumpy, creaky voice: “You will all find out from me here where the yaks spend the winter!”

The blanket on his shoulders added to the comedy of this scene. Starlight couldn't help but laugh.

Is very similar!

Ocellos gave me a couple of lessons,” Gallus admitted, smiling. Sighing, he clarified in a serious tone: “So you’re telling me I shouldn’t be afraid of either returning to school after the summer holidays or what awaits me in the future?” That I'm not doomed to become... like this.

Only if you want to. Yes, kind of like that,” Starlight nodded, finishing her second mug of cocoa. Rising to her feet, she glanced around the floor. - Whatever is done, everything is for the better. For example, we have a mess here, right?

What's for the better? - The griffin tilted his head to the side in bewilderment.

And then,” Starlight grinned, “now you will help me deal with all these papers.”

Yes, now I believe Rainbow Dash’s stories,” Gallus grinned, starting to pick up the papers. - There is no doubt about your treacherous past.

Thanks to Klemm and DraftHoof for their work on the text. Sometimes it seems that they are the only ones reading. So if it weren’t for this couple, nothing would be written here.

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