open Strange Tales of the Equestrian Idiot RP Thread (See OOC to join!)

[Taialin 217]

@@Derplight Sperkle, @@Littlecandylulu903, @@Hypn0ticD, @@Love

 

Once Rarity finished attempting to recover her previous blunder, she blinked once. When she opened her eyes next, everything was the same, save that it seemed like somepony was . . . missing. She also saw a periwinkle pony whom she didn't know walking towards what appeared to be a shaking bush with a pink fringe.

 

What in Equestria is going . . . Oh, Celestia kill me, Fluttershy! Rarity screamed to herself. She ran towards the bush. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Of course she would react like that! She's the most sensitive of all of us! Why, why, why did I say that?

 

Rarity skidded to a stop behind the bush, ignoring the dirt that buried itself into her fetlocks and the twigs that tangled themselves into her mane. More important things were afoot than mere hygiene. Rarity saw Fluttershy curled up tight behind the bush, shaking. She also saw the periwinkle pony from before sitting on one side of her. Rarity settled herself on Fluttershy's unoccupied side, sidling up close to her.

 

"Humans sound scary to you, huh?" she heard the periwinkle pony say.

 

"Oh, I'm sure they're not that scary, darling," Rarity said in her most compassionate voice. "Those rubbish tabloids are always wrong, anyway. I'm sorry for worrying you." Rarity nuzzled her face against Fluttershy's shaking form, hoping that a little touch of the familiar would lend a modicum of comfort to her.

[RubyW32 226]

(( Finally, my turn ))

 

"I can't wait to have a Diamond Dog-shaped ruby in my house!" Said Ruby Wave to herself on her way to home. It was a busy morning looking for gems in the mountains. All she wanted to do was take a nap. "Those guys may be a little mean sometimes, but they share my love for gems, and that's what I like." 

 

She was passing near Sugar Cube Corner when she felt the smell of freshly baked cupcakes. She loved cupcakes. And even more if they were baked by Pinkie Pie. "That smells really good. Maybe I could take one before I go home."

 

She entered Sugar Cube Corner and saw a red pony on the corner near the entrance and two ponies that she knew very well. Pinkie Pie, her favourite baker and Rainbow Dash, the best young flier of Equestria. She has never spoken to RD though, but she talked to Pinkie every morning.

 

They were having a conversation. All she heard from the door, was the word "Human" from RD.

Edited May 21, 2015 by RubyW32

[Hypn0ticD 1,213]

@@Littlecandylulu903, @@Taialin, @@Love, @@Derplight Sperkle,

 

"Are they here already? I heard they looked really strange." Cadance asked, looking and sounding uncharacteristically apprehensive.

 

"Oh no, sugar cube, they ain't here just yet," Applejack responded, before Rarity added her two bits, saying that she read that the hu-manes were tall and hairless creatures that were as big as Dragons, to which she scoffed. "Those gossip rags' words ain't no count, Rarity! 'Sides, who's ever heard a' any creature being hairless? Next you'll be joining Pinkie Pie in sayin' they got five taloned claws and walk on their hind legs alla time, despite havin' no tails!" Applejack said with a laugh. "It's all hogwash if ya ask me!"

 

Applejack giggled a little more, then stopped once she realized she had more than likely frightened Cadance even more.

 

"I-I'm sure they're nice creatures, though." Rarity said. "Yeah, maybe they'll be plenty nice! Why else would they bring 'em here?"

 

It was then that Applejack realized that not only had she potentially scared the princess further, but had scared a certain yellow Pegasus as well. Looking around, she spotted a quivering bush beside Spellbind, whom she could've swore she'd seen taking her leave. The new mare seemed to have the right idea, and was speaking into the bush, and no doubt to Fluttershy. Rarity took one step further and actually gone into the bush to cheer Fluttershy up.

 

Applejack looked over to Cadance, flashed an embarrased smile, and tipped her hat. "Uh... a heh heh. Gimme a sec. Gotta help Rarity with Fluttershy!"

 

She made her way over to the bush and flashed another smile at the new mare. "Pardon me, just gotta get in here right quick."

 

"Oh, I'm sure they're not that scary, darling," She heard Rarity say, "Those rubbish tabloids are always wrong, anyway. I'm sorry for worrying you."

 

"She's right, Fluttershy. We didn't mean ta scare ya." Applejack added as she slipped in on the other sideo of the bush--as much as she could, anyhow, which was only about halfway down her barrel. "Now how 'bout you come out and we all head down to Sugarcube Corner then head to Twilight's castle like we originally planned? I'm sure Twi'll be more than ecstatic ta see Cadance again!"

Edited May 18, 2015 by Hypn0ticD

[AspenSwift 153]

@SwigglySwiggly

 

"Wha-huh?"  Aspen groggily looked around.  "Why was I asleep on this park bench?"  he wondered. "Let's see, he was going to see those hu-manes...in...Canterlot.  Right?  Then why..."  Aspen bolted upright.  "The train!"  he thought.  Aspen looked around for the clock, and facepalmed when he realized why nopony else was waiting around.  "Well, nice job, you walnut," Aspen mentally scolded himself.  Well, no use still pouting about it.  Grooooowwwwwllll.  He felt his belly complaining about the lack of food during the nap.  "All right, little buddy, let's get some food."  He looked around, suddenly subconscious about talking to his stomach.  "I hope nopony saw me," he thought, looking around.  The line for the train was gone, but ponies were still around talking about the "alien visitors," and generally catching up with one another.  Aspen decided that Sugarcube corner was definitely the place to eat today; maybe to catch up with some friends, and definitely to get the weeks new flavor of cupcake.  As he trotted up the front steps, he was overwhelmed with the aroma of freshly baked cupcakes.  "Oh...Oh Celestia." He thought, eyes glazed over.  Aspen stepped through the door and almost ran up to the cash register.  There was another pony in line if front of him, a purple stallion with and indigo mane. Aspen, not being a pony to be impolite, put on his best smile.  "Um, hi!  I'm Aspen!"

Edited May 18, 2015 by AspenSwift

[SwigglySwiggly 358]

@@AspenSwift,

The bell above the door chimed followed by a few hoof-steps finished by an overly friendly smile.

"This town really is the nexus of strange."

 

"Um, hi! I'm Aspen!"

Caught off guard, Swiggie didn't catch the first half of the sentence.

"You want Aspirin?, I'm sorry but I'm legally not allowed to administer drugs outside of a hospital"

[AspenSwift 153]

@SwigglySwiggly

"You want Aspirin?, I'm sorry but I'm legally not allowed to administer drugs outside of a hospital"

Aspen was taken aback.  

"Um, that's okay...I wasn't really..." Aspen decided the best bet was to ignore the previous statement from this strange pony.  

"Well, you looked new, and I, uh...anyway, my name is Aspen.  Aspen Swift."  He shifted awkwardly from side to side.  

"Anyway, I was just gonna try out the new cupcake flavor for this week."

[SwigglySwiggly 358]

@@AspenSwift, 

"Oh!, your name is Apsen, I thought somepony wanted me to give them Aspirin" Swiggie re-composed his posture, "I'm Nurse Swiggie, just call me Swiggie for now because I'm out of commission till next week."

 

Swiggie prepared his bit-bag for his future cupcake,"It's nice how quickly ponies in this town become acquainted with each other, lookie there... correct me if I'm wrong but that's the Element of Loyalty and Laughter!"

 

Swiggie stared and gestured at Rainbowdash at the opposite end of the bakery along with Pinkiepie and a certain grey and red unicorn.

Becoming hesitant for a muffin, Swiggie tapped the service bell again.

 

@@Windbreaker,@@GeneralDirection, @@RubyW32,  

"~Ding"

[EcstaticWind 572]

@@GeneralDirection, @@RubyW32, 

 

"Nope, not a clue. But I do know that other pony who just walked in. She comes in the mornings and we chat a bit if I'm here." It wasn't too surprising, Pinkie did make it a point to get to know a lot of ponies well enough. Of course there was a pony ringing the bell. "One second, Dashie."

 

@@SwigglySwiggly,

 

Pinkie turned to the pony ringing the bell. "Hiya! What can I getcha?" She asked cheerily, even if she was a tiny bit annoyed that she'd been interrupted. And her friends would be here soon, too, so she wasn't sure how much time she had.

[RubyW32 226]

@@GeneralDirection
 

Pinkie went to the red pony who was sitting on the opposite side of the room.
Ruby sat on a place near Rainbow Dash. "What were they talking about? What's a hu-mane?," she thought.
 
The unicorn grabbed a little notebook from her saddle-bag where she had a lot of information about different animals and species she has been discoverying and started writing interesting stuff about Diamond Dogs on the first blank page she found after the last species she wrote about. "Maybe a hu-mane is some sort of strange animal... It could be awesome if I get to know them and make a hu-mane shaped ruby!"  She thought. She closed the notebook and put it back in the saddle-bag. "But what if it's not an animal? What could it be? "hu-mane" sounds like nothing I've ever known..."
 
She turned her glaze to Rainbow with curiosity. "Should I say something to her? Will she get annoyed if I ask her what was she talking about with Pinkie? Could she get annoyed now that I'm staring at her? The last thing I want is to meet her in the wrong way..."

Edited May 20, 2015 by RubyW32

[GeneralDirection 1,042]

@@Windbreaker, @@RubyW32

 

(OOC: Was just looking through the previous page and noticed that we completely ignored your first post. Sorry about that!)

 

Rainbow sighed once again as Pinkie was pulled away from their conversation. She hoped that the rest of her friends would arrive soon; for when they got on their way, she would finally be able to get to the bottom of what these aliens really were.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, the pegasus noticed that the pony Pinkie identified as being a regular around the shop had moved to seat closer to her, and was now staring at her rather intently. Out of boredom, and not wanting to seem rude, Rainbow turned to the unicorn and said "Hey there, who are you?"

[RubyW32 226]

@@GeneralDirection @@Windbreaker

 

(OOC: It's okay. You don't have to worry about that )

 

"Hey there, who are you?"

 

Ruby was completely lost in her thoughts when Rainbow Dash talked to her. "Huh?... Oh! Sorry. I'm Ruby Wave," she said. She didn't really expect Rainbow to start a conversation with her. She was worried about how could SHE start the conversation without bothering her, but now that Rainbow took the first step, Ruby took the next one: "I hope I didn't bother you. I'm just curious..." She was still thinking about the possibilities of what could a "hu-mane" be. "Is it something you can it? Is it something you can wear? Is it a creature from another world that could be as big as a horse and smart as the ponies themselves and could or could not be a threat for us?..." She shooked her head when she realized what she just said and discarded the last possibility. She looked at Rainbow Dash and gave her a nervous smile. She hoped RD didn't think she was crazy for shaking her head like that.

 

"A few minutes ago, you and Pinkie were talking about something called "hu-manes" or something like that..." she tried to get more in the "hu-manes" subject. "Is that something YOU, the Element of Loyalty, can talk about with ME, a completely stranger?" she said with a smile.

Edited May 25, 2015 by RubyW32

[SwigglySwiggly 358]

@@Windbreaker, 

 

"Hiya! What can I getcha?" 

 

"I'd like a muffin please, preferably cherry or cranberry flavoured" Swiggie said, though he was composed on the surface he knew he had spoken to a particularly famous pony and was bubbling inside. 

 

"So it's nice to meet you, never thought I'd have an opportunity like this" Swiggie dug his hoof at the floor, "I really enjoyed the Hearths warming play you performed the other year" Swiggie mentioned, hoping to prolong a conversation with the Element of Laughter.

[GeneralDirection 1,042]

@@RubyW32,

 

Rainbow sat there patiently with a smile on her face, waiting for Ruby to piece together what it was that she wanted to say. "It's alright Ruby, really, you aren't bothering me at all. I'm just sitting here, hanging out, waiting for the rest of my friends to show up. Funny that you should mention the humans though; Pinkie and I were just talking about them. I'm not sure what you want to know, but I don't really know much else other than what's in the newspapers and magazines." She replied with a bit of a nervous grin.

[RubyW32 226]

@@GeneralDirection

 

"Well, I know much less than you," She said. "So the whole human thing is in the newspapers? That means I'm the last pony to know?" Ruby wondered why she didn't hear anything about this "humans" even if all the Ponyville already knew it. "Oh right. I was on the mountains..."

 

 

"I was wondering what could this humans be. Is it something alive?" Ruby asked, hoping the answer was "yes". "Because I'd really like to have one." She realized what she just said and she made a face of confusion. That really sounded like she wanted to have a human as a pet, while she just wanted a ruby with a human shape. She hoped that RD didn't notice that.

 

"Oh whatever..." She cleared her mind of the "human" thing and stared talking about something else... "So... I'm really talking to Rainbow Dash... The One and Only Rainbow Dash. I would ask you for an autograph but I don't have a pen..." There were so many thing to have in mind, she totally forgot about the pen she used to write in her notebook.

 

(OOC: Actually, It was ME who totally forgot about the pen   )

Edited May 21, 2015 by RubyW32

[GeneralDirection 1,042]

@@RubyW32

 

Dawning a confused look of her own, Rainbow tried to make some sense from the mare's ramblings. "Wait...you want one of these things? You ever thought that maybe they could be, ya know, a bit dangerous, perhaps? I think you might be better off holding up on that until we find out what they actually are like..."

 

But then Ruby seemed to have changed her mind, and started talking about something else.

 

"So... I'm really talking to Rainbow Dash... The One and Only Rainbow Dash. I would ask you for an autograph but I don't have a pen..."

 

Now here was a subject Dash could tell her everything about. "Yep, you got that right! Just as awesome as everypony says I am!" She grinned.

 

"I would ask you for an autograph but I don't have a pen..."

 

"Oh, well, I don't happen to carry pens around with me, but I'm sure Pinkie has one somewhere. You could ask her...that is...when she gets back here..."

[Derplight Sperkle 1,013]

@@Littlecandylulu903

 

Fluttershy looked up at the voice that came from behind her. It sounded like the new mare, Spellbind. 

 

"Humans sound scary to you, huh?"

 

"Yes they just sound so terrible. I don't want to see one ever," Fluttershy replied. It gave Fluttershy a little good feeling that she wasn't the only pony that was worried about these humans. 

 

@@Taialin, @@Hypn0ticD

 

"Oh, I'm sure they're not that scary, darling. Those rubbish tabloids are always wrong, anyway. I'm sorry for worrying you."

 

Fluttershy then felt the reassuring nuzzle from her dear friend Rarity. It is good to know that friends will always support me. Fluttershy's shaking stopped as she felt more reassured from Rarity's nuzzle. Then Applejack came over and asked,  "Now how 'bout you come out and we all head down to Sugarcube Corner then head to Twilight's castle like we originally planned? I'm sure Twi'll be more than ecstatic ta see Cadance again!" 

 

"Okay Applejack, let's go to Sugarcube Corner. But promise me we won't see any humans anytime soon."

[Yoshi89 5,293]

@@bronislav84,

 

Spike hummed to himself as he finished setting the table for lunch. He grabbed two bowls and set them across from either other on the tablecloth; salad for Twilight, gems for himself.

 

"Okay, Twilight!" he called from the kitchen. "Lunch is ready!"

 

He wondered to himself whether of not the rest of the group was coming at all along with who else they were bringing along. They said they were going to grab a bite at Sugarcube Corner before meeting up at the castle but Twilight couldn't come because he overheard her say she was watching her weight. He didn't mind not being with them but only if Rarity was with them, of course. He had heard that Cadence was coming to town so he could at least catch up with any news from the Crystal Kingdom.

[HigurSan 195]

@@Hypn0ticD,

 

Princess Luna

 

She awoke late in the morning, long after the time when she had passed the reigns to Celestia and gone off for her post-night nap. It was a shame, how most of the time she was asleep when her subjects were awake. But she had long passed the sorrow and rage she had felt as Nightmare Moon. She was still sad, but the pangs of jealousy no longer bothered her. More and more she could see that she could still interact with her subjects, even while they slept. She could guard them from that which lurked in the night, and they were grateful.

 

What's more, many ponies now spent their time going about at night, as she did. Where once Manehatten was a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, now it was a thriving metropolis full of nightlife and activities. She often visited there, and had a personal hotel flat given to her service in the pent-house of its most prestigious hotel. Yet she still made it a point to try and be out and about during the day, to be seen and heard by all of her subjects. It was... hard. It meant that her own sleep schedule was choppy. But she considered it to be worth it. Her presence was needed, wanted, and it would only be more so in the coming days.

 

Blast those scientists and their obsession with research. Had they never been told in foal-school that some things were better left unknown? She had learned that the hard way, and she feared that all of Equestria might soon suffer the same. Humans... they were trouble. She had known about them for a long time, and at times had known a few personally. They were decent company, at first. But the world they came from, their environment, it was like poison. Earth was nothing like Equestria. Where her home was full of life and vibrancy, magic, Earth was old, decaying, and rotted. It was like comparing a fresh apple on the vine to one picked and stomped on and left in the dirt for a week.

 

Now a group of idiots had gone and brought some of them here, into HER Equestria! It was... madness, foolish! If she'd known anything about it she would have stamped on the effort until it stopped squirming. It made her so furious. How was it that some of the smartest ponies in all of Equestria could be so stupid? All she could do now was hope for the best and try and run damage control. She had seen the humans fascination with Equestria, had seen how for many it went so wrong and rotten. It made her sick to think about it.

 

They'd bring devices as well! Artifices which would take the images of her home back to their rotten existence, and suck the life out with them! The worlds were separated for a reason, there was a point as to why that blasted magic mirror had been hidden, then broken. Yet now fate seemed determined to smash the two planes of existence together. Well she'd have none of it. The humans were already here, but they'd not be going back to their world with their recordings. Neither would they poison her beloved Equestria with their rot. She wouldn't be able to dispose of them outright... but a Royal Invitation? A tour of Canterlot... anything might happen. They could get lost... be lost, the key melted down, and forgotten forever. Ponies did not have long memories. They would forget in a generation or two.

 

All of this she pondered over while eating her favorite breakfast, a Moon Pie and a Royal Cola. Breakfast of champions indeed.

[Hypn0ticD 1,213]

@@Love, @@Derplight Sperkle, @@Littlecandylulu903, @@Taialin,

 

"Okay Applejack, let's go to Sugarcube Corner. But promise me we won't see any humans anytime soon."

 

"Ah can't promise that, sugar cube." Applejack said solemnly. "Ah know they ain't here just yet, but Ah can't really say for where or when those hu-manes'll turn up." Applejack then leaned in and gave Fluttershy a nuzzle of her own. "Ah bet when they do turn up, everypony'll know about it -- even before it's in the papers, so Ah'll tell you what. Ah'll protect 'em from you as best Ah can. You have my word."

 

She then slipped out of the bush, doing her best to pull the twigs and leaves from her fur and mane as she rose to her hooves. She waited until both Fluttershy and Rarity were out before walking back to Cadance alongside them, but not before looking over her shoulder and calling out to Spellbind. "Uhh... we're all headin' to Sugarcube Corner, so if you wanna come along, you can!"

 

With that, Applejack led the group to the bakery, looking around and listening to the passersby. "Looks like the hu-manes are on everypony's minds, Fluttershy..." Applejack mused aloud. "There's no way to avoid it, Ah'm afraid."

 

****

 

@@GeneralDirection, @@Windbreaker, @@AspenSwift,@@SwigglySwiggly,

@@RubyW32, @@Orion Caelum,

 

"Dash? Pinkie? We're here!" Applejack said as she stepped through the doors of the bakery. "An' look who we have with us?" she added slowly, opening the door to reveal Princess Cadance. "She was already headin' ta Twi's place when Fluttershy an' Ah found 'er. Ah thought you both knew she was comin'..."

Edited May 25, 2015 by Hypn0ticD

[Dust and Memories 557]

Wilhelm, guessing the main group's destination through logic (and the fact that now he was really hungry), ended up at Sugarcube Corner a few minutes after the party, even though he had set out five minutes before they left. As he remarked to himself in a low voice over a very well-made slice of red velvet and caramel cake and a cup of hot Earl Hay tea (Orange peel, one milk two sugar), if you had an alicorn with you, you were instantly allowed to go wherever, whenever you want. However, Wilhelm put the thought from the forefront of his brain almost as quickly as it had entered; it was patently ridiculous to bother wih trivial items such as the transportation speed of royalty when he had more important things to do, such as...well, at this point it seemed like the royalty weren't about to do much interesting. Perhaps Twilight Sparkle may come after her friends; then he could have some intelligent conversation about the hoomanes instead of this hysterical behavior exhibited by the rest of the town. As it was, he may as well finish off his cake and do a bit of work. With a faint, resigned sigh, he popped open one of the suitcases he was carrying with him and pulled out a thick sheaf of paper. At the top of the first page was "Harmony-Class Airship Cruiser Technical Sheet", and scribbled under it was a note in Wilhelm's hoofwriting that said rather explicitly to "finish work on the cartography synchronization systems and theoretical spell work fabrication needed already, because you've been putting it off for a while now". With a bit of rummaging, Wilhelm found a pencil and stuck it in his mouth. After a bit of thought, he flipped to a blank page nd began to write, in neat, cramped lettering which marched in orderly rows across the page.

[EcstaticWind 572]

@@SwigglySwiggly,

 

"One cherry muffin comin' up!" Pinkie said, picking out a nice-looking cherry one and setting it on a plate on the counter. She beamed widely when the pony said she was good in the Hearth's Warming Eve play. "Awww...Thanks. I tried to put on a good performance. Lots of ponies say it's a remarkable opportunity to meet me, but really, I always used to meet ponies before Twilight moved here. Do you live here in Ponyville?"

 

@@Hypn0ticD, 

 

Sadly her conversation would be brought to an end by the arrival of Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy, who seemed to have brought Princess Cadance with them. "Hiya, girls! And Princess Cadance! Be with ya in a sec!"

 

She turned to her current customer. "Sorry about this, but I gotta go with my friends. Something big's happening and we were meeting up at Twilight's castle to discuss it. Tell ya what, swing by again sometime and we can have a longer chat. I love talking to ponies." She beamed.

[SwigglySwiggly 358]

@@Windbreaker,

 

Swiggie levitated the plate off the counter, "Hahaha well I actu-", cut off by a rather loud pony. Turning around Swiggie caught his plate before it hit the floor, quickly bowing down without hesitation. Looking up he also spotted more elements of harmony and royalty.

 

"Ponyville really is the nexus of strange"

[Littlecandylulu903 415]

@@Hypn0ticD,

 

Spellbind smiled at the offer, and being the wallflower that she was, took up on it. "Be right there," she called, stopping playing with a leaf on the bush and running up to join them.

 

When they reached the bakery, "Okay, who wants something?" asked Spellbind. She didn't like it when other ponies, especially strangers, paid for her.

[RubyW32 226]

@@GeneralDirection @@Taialin @@Love @@Hypn0ticD @@SwigglySwiggly @@Orion Caelum

@@Derplight Sperkle @@Littlecandylulu903 @@AspenSwift

 

"Oh, well, I don't happen to carry pens around with me, but I'm sure Pinkie has one somewhere. You could ask her...that is...when she gets back here..."

 

"Yeah, sure!" said Ruby with enthusiasm. In that moment, she remembered her pen in her saddle-bag. She was about to grab if from the saddle-bag, but her actions were interrupted by the voice of a very known farm pony. 

 

"Dash? Pinkie? We're here!" Eeyup, that was Applejack. She looked at the entrance, and noticed that the Element of Honesty wasn't alone. AJ was being followed by Fluttershy, Rarity, a periwinkle unicorn, and...

 

"Princess Cadence!?" She shouted. After doing such a thing, she blushed with a face of repentance. She looked at Rainbow nervously. "I... I mean... look! your friends are here! huh... how nice!"

Edited May 25, 2015 by RubyW32

[Taialin 217]

@@Hypn0ticD, @@Derplight Sperkle, @@Littlecandylulu903, @@Love

 

"Okay, Applejack, let's go to Sugarcube Corner. but promise me we won't see any human anytime soon," Fluttershy said.

 

"Ah can't promise that, sugar cube. Ah know they ain't here just yet, but Ah can't really say for where or when those hu-manes'll turn up," Applejack replied.

 

A tiny flash of a frown crossed Rarity's face for a split second, but she hid it quickly with a smile and nod. Curse you and your unimpeachable honesty, Rarity thought to herself. Fluttershy could really use something of a little white lie at the moment, if only to put her worries to rest.

 

Shaking off the thoughts, Rarity got out of the bush and brushed off—as best she could—the dirt that clung to her coat and twigs that tangled in her mane. A longer shower and twice the usual strokes with my hairbrush tonight, Rarity thought to herself. Fluttershy's more at-ease demeanor was worth the blow to her coiffure, however. Rarity stayed close to Fluttershy while they all walked to Sugarcube Corner.

 

"Looks like the hu-manes are on everypony's minds, Fluttershy . . . There's no way around it, Ah'm afraid," Applejack commented while observing the ponies around her and the conversations they were having.

 

Another frown, another twitch, another smile to hide it. Fluttershy could really use a little less of that, you know! But then again . . . Applejack is right. We will all run into them eventually. And we do know next to nothing about them . . .

 

"But we will face them together," Rarity said confidently, a fierce smile on her face. Half was confidence that she felt, but the other half was more for Fluttershy's sake.

 

((Rarity is at Sugarcube Corner with the others; I just don't have anything of consequence to comment on yet.))