on fleek [dLtMs0 v 5.5]

[machomuu]

61

In 100% full agreement with Twi.

 

[Twilight-kun]

62

And now for the finale of my four-part mini-story thing

Spoiler:

Starlight shivered in the cool air of the mist-shrouded forest. Looking around, she stumbled over a root as she took her eyes off the ground. The mare could swear the trees were laughing at her and she stopped before looking around uneasily.

Shapes moved between the trunks and she started moving forward again. Abruptly she was blocked by a trunk and she warily looked around for a path. Not seeing one, she peered around the trunk and fell back, biting her hoof to stifle a yelp.

A Changeling was ensnared in the trunk of a tree, bark holding it firmly in place. It wiggled and opened its eyes, one of which was an empty black hole and it started hissing.

The trees around her seemed to come alive and they too shifted, revealing trapped ponies. Some had faded coats and mismatched eyes, others had dull crystalline coats and eyes. Starlight whimpered in terror and fled in a random direction, followed by screams.

Suddenly, there was nothing below her hooves and she pitched forward with a howl.

A pair of yellow hooves wrapped around her barrel and her fall became a tumble as she and her mysterious rescuer landed on a mossy pad.

"Ugh, ouch. Lucky the trees woke up. Otherwise you'd have been a smear on the ground. Hello, welcome to the Everfree. Which seems to be aptly named given the circumstances we're in, hm?"

Starlight barely registered the disjointed voice; she was too busy retching to notice. Panting, she looked up at the pony who had rescued her and stared.

"You're..."

"Nopony important," the pegasus mare said with a friendly smile. "I'm just the treewatcher. Usually the forest traps anyone who enters without permission, such as Changelings or Sombra's crystal ponies. Looks like you got lucky, or...?"

"Uh...Rainbow Dash sent me," Starlight said, looking up at the mist-shrouded cliff and shuddering. A great sadness seemed to come over the pegasus and she looked away.

"So, this is the Everfree? I've heard...stories about it, such as no one who enters ever leaves and that...the...trees are...alive," Starlight gulped. The pegasus laughed and helped her up, gently brushing her off with her wings.

"Of course trees are alive. Any earth pony can tell you that," she said with gentle humor. Starlight nodded.

"But yes, the trees of the Everfree are...more than that. They're a defense mechanism as well as what's keeping us alive by producing air and this mist, which the other pegasi collect and turn into drinking water."

Starlight blinked. "But...what's outside, in the...plain or wasteland or whatever? I was breathing there."

The pink-maned mare looked surprised and looked at her closely. "Oh. You're actually her, aren't you. Starlight Glimmer."

Starlight's stomach clenched uncomfortably and let out a growl, making her flush. "Y-yes. I'm her."

"We're not angry at you," the mare said softly. "Come on."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and melted into the mist, Starlight following.

Starlight counted nearly five hundred steps before her guide pushed aside some branches and revealed a sprawling settlement built in, around and on the trees of the forest. The entire place was lit by warm lights and foals ran around, playing and laughing while older ponies sat around and chatted. Some saw the two ponies and waved at them.

"Fluttershy! You're back!" a pink bundle of energy seemed to warp out of thin air and grinned at the two. "Ooh, and who's this?"

"Pinkie, this is Starlight Glimmer. Dash found her outside and led her here. The trees told me about her and I managed to keep her from falling off a cliff. Well, caught her after she fell, but saved her from an intimate meeting with the ground."

"Oh, that's cool. Nice to see someone finally make it here. Most get eaten by-"

"Pinkie," Fluttershy cut her off with a gentle glare and Pinkie blinked, noting Starlight's green face.

"Oh. Right. Sorry. Well, welcome to Everville. It's not much, but we make do," Pinkie said sheepishly. "Come on. I know you need to eat. The outside world plays with your senses. Might not have seemed that long to you, but it's been quite a while since Dash died and the world went to tartarus."

"Right..." Starlight said uncomfortably. She noted quite a few gray hairs in Pinkie's mane and a quick glimpse showed that Fluttershy had some as well.

How long has it been? I thought the spell brought me back to the moment I left...with Twilight... 

Starlight stopped, causing Pinkie to look at her curiously.

"Where's Twilight? Twilight Sparkle?" Starlight asked.

"Who's Twilight?" Pinkie asked, before taking on a thoughtful expression. "Ooh, wait. I remember now! She's dead," Pinkie said cheerfully. "Well, not dead dead, but...well, why don't I show you?" She seemed rather dejected at being unable to eat.

Starlight followed her numbly and they arrived at what Starlight thought was the center of the settlement. A large tree with a glowing crack on it dominated the center of a wide plaza.

"We're not allowed in, but she asked that you be brought before her in case you ever came by," Pinkie said. Before Starlight could ask about it, she was pushed into a pure white space.

Looking back behind her, she couldn't see an opening. Swallowing nervously, she stepped forward.

"Starlight," a voice said warmly. "It's so nice to see you again."

The familiar voice of Twilight came from every direction and Starlight blinked.

"What?"

"Yeah, it's a little weird, but...well, the double Rainboom not only gave me my Cutie Mark, the second one forced me into a state of pure energy from the waves released by Dash. Funny how things work, isn't it?"

"Uh..." Starlight rubbed her face. "I'm...just...so confused. None of this makes sense!"

"Believe me, it's worse from my perspective. Now then, if you like, I can send you back wherever you'd like. Maybe you can try stopping Dash from performing the Rainboom. Maybe you can do another plot to make Equestria equal. Whatever you want."

"What?" Starlight asked. "But...everything I did...I've seen what happened when I tried to stop you from getting your marks. This isn't what I wanted!" She collapsed onto her haunches. "I just...just wanted to show...a friend that I wasn't worthless."

"Sunburst."

Starlight nodded. "I...was jealous of him. Of what he accomplished after getting his mark. I made mistakes. Went too far. Couldn't even follow my own rules..." she sighed. Starlight got to her hooves and took a breath.

"Send me back...back to the day Sunburst got his Cutie Mark, please. I want to do this right."

The white void gave way to a pile of books and Starlight threw up her hooves to protect herself when they abruptly stopped. She watched as they swirled around her friend and a familiar mark appeared on his flank.

Starlight stepped forward with a smile as Sunburst admired it. "Congratulations, Sunburst!" she said with a smile. "It's perfect!"

He looked at her in surprise, then at her blank flank. "But...what about you?" he asked. "You don't have your mark."

"That doesn't mean we can't be friends," Starlight replied. "Besides, that just means I have to work harder than you." She grinned at him and Sunburst stuck out his tongue.

"I'll be glad to help you," he offered. Starlight smiled.

"I'd like that."

-

With a crack, Twilight fell from the ceiling and bounced off the Cutie Map. Getting to her hooves, she looked around. Everything seemed to be in order and the map showed nothing wrong with Equestria. The Anchor let out a relieved sigh and sat on her throne.

"Never again. If anything ever offers me the chance to ascend to a higher plane of existence within a Loop, I'm going to tell them to shove it up their nose and take a hike."

She smiled and looked at a stack of messages bearing a familiar cutie mark.

Taking one in her magic, she opened it and started reading.

Dear Princess Twilight, I've found some cheap land and have started up a small town where ponies can come to explore possible career paths and earn their marks... 

The other two parts are in the TCTI thread

 

[Pokestick good times.]

63

Thank me later.

Spoiler:

 

[Twilight-kun]

64

We're not perverts, we just admire a nice set of legs

I need to shave mine again

 

[killer-curry]

well shaving legs.... well well well

65

Not my interest :p

Anyways someone rest the sync again when I out for camping event.....

 

[machomuu]

66

Thank me later.

Spoiler:

/me thanks Poki later

10/10, would Sync again.

 

[Netto Azure]

67

 

[Akiba]

68.

10/10, would Sync again.

not 11/10? not impressed tho.

 

[Pokestick good times.]

69 ehehe

*bubble noises*

 

[machomuu]

70

There are no traps in DLTMS0.

We all know what we're getting into.

 

[Pokestick good times.]

71

There are no traps in DLTMS0.

We all know what we're getting into.

Boys?

 

[machomuu]

72

Exactly.

Unless they're not.

After all, the canon doesn't really agree with that idea.

 

[Xherdan]

73.

Hello there.

 

[machomuu]

74

In this episode of A&M, machomuu wastes an hour making his AOTY list and then wastes another hour posting charged stuff to controversial subject matter.

Hilarity ensues.

 

[donavannj]

75. I should sit down and compile a list for AOTY.

 

[machomuu]

76

Spoiler:

Oh, Steam. Never change.

 

[Twilight-kun]

77

Well, at least they're honest

 

[Pendraflare]

78

This anime talk is not exactly relevant to me.

 

[killer-curry]

79

same with me

By the way anyone loves to eat sushi they are good but too expensive

 

[Twilight-kun]

80

Delete your double post and don't use Quick Reply