Former Domain

Former home of Domain of Friendship. See below for a link to the new blog!

[domainoffriendship]

Moved!

https://domain-of-friendship.tumblr.com/post/155260592054/the-grand-re-opening

Domain of Friendship has officially moved! Have a look at the new blog, and if you’d like to keep up with the story, please follow it instead of this one!

[domainoffriendship]

Moved!

https://domain-of-friendship.tumblr.com/post/155260592054/the-grand-re-opening

Domain of Friendship has officially moved! Have a look at the new blog, and if you’d like to keep up with the story, please follow it instead of this one!

[domainoffriendship]

Moved!

https://domain-of-friendship.tumblr.com/post/155260592054/the-grand-re-opening

Domain of Friendship has officially moved! Have a look at the new blog, and if you’d like to keep up with the story, please follow it instead of this one!

[domainoffriendship]

Important Announcement

I’m switching blogs!

I’d like to move the fic to a primary account to facilitate communications. I’m not taking this one down, but I won’t be posting any new chapters here. Stay tuned and I’ll make sure everyone knows where to go to continue following along!

[domainoffriendship]

Episode 2-1

Twenty days after that fateful morning...

"Howdy, Tank Buster!"

The warm afternoon sun shone down on the main pathway into the Everfree Forest.

Tank set down the heavy mallet in his hooves and wiped the sweat from his forehead as he turned toward the source of the greeting. Upon discovering it to be a certain little red-haired filly, he smiled. "Hey, Apple Bloom. Heading off to see Zecora again?"

Apple Bloom nodded, grinning. "Uh-huh! Today she's gonna teach me how to make a water-walking potion!"

Tank blinked. "Oh, wow. That sounds really cool, actually."

"Yup!" Apple Bloom hopped up and down excitedly. "I don't wanna be late though, so I'll see you later!"

"Have fun!" Tank waved after her as she galloped on down the path.

Life in Ponyville had proven itself fairly idyllic so far. Granted, it certainly hadn't been uneventful; an upstart performer, a drowsy dragon, and a rhyming zebra - just to name a few - had certainly seen to that. Still, Tank found it fairly difficult to stay worried for very long about being indefinitely stuck in Equestria; it was just too comfortable for that. Well, for the most part.

"Hey, Tank!"

The sun had just begun to skirt the horizon by the time the next interruption came along, this time in the form of a diminutive purple dragon.

Much as he had earlier, Tank lowered his mallet and glanced over his shoulder. "Oh! Hey, Spike. What's up?"

"Twilight asked me to, um..." Spike stopped mid-sentence, scratching his head. "Wait, what are you doing again?"

Lifting it briefly over his head, Tank brought the mallet down onto a wooden post perched loosely in the dirt at the edge of the path, planting it firmly in place. "Applejack recommended I ask Mayor Mare if she had any jobs I could take. You remember that ruin we told you about? The old royal palace way back in the forest, where we found the Elements of Harmony?"

Spike pouted and crossed his arms. "Yeah. I can't believe I slept through the whole thing..."

Tank chuckled. "Anyway, now that it's been rediscovered, the Mayor wants to be able to explore the place; there are tons of old books and relics and whatnot in there that could be recovered and restored." Setting the mallet down once again, he pulled another wooden post from a nearby cart and stood it up a few feet past the one he'd just pounded into place. "As I'm sure you're already aware, though, the forest is a big dark maze full of monsters. It's way too dangerous for most people to just waltz on in whenever they please, so she's hired me to line the path with fencing and these magic lamps to make things a bit safer."

Spike scratched his head. "But why have just one pony for such a big project? It'll take you forever to build fences from here all the way to the castle."

"For the same reason they need to be built in the first place," Tank explained, lifting the mallet once again to strike the new fence post solidly into the ground. "The forest is dangerous; normally, she'd have to hire both workers to do the building and guards to keep them safe, but since I already have combat experience, I don't need protecting."

"E-Even from t-t-timberwolves?!"

Spike stumbled backward, pointing a trembling claw at something a ways past Tank. Immediately dropping his mallet, Tank whirled around to find two large canine creatures marching slowly up the path toward him. Their bodies were composed entirely of rotting logs and discarded twigs and branches; in spite of this, their eyes glowed a menacing green and they bared long rows of razor-sharp fangs.

"Oh, is that what those are called?" Tank rolled his eyes. "Ugh, I hate these things. They smell bad, and they won't leave me alone."

"W-We should probably run!" Spike scrambled to his feet and began backing away slowly.

Tank waved a forehoof in Spike's direction, not taking his eyes off the timberwolves. "Chill out, dude. I got this." With that, he began trotting toward them casually. "Afternoon, gentlemen! Enjoying the warm weather?"

As though annoyed by the flippant greeting, the timberwolves immediately broke into a run, charging straight at Tank.

"Tch, rude." Tank held his ground as the timberwolves barreled toward him.

With a snarl, the first wolf took a mighty leap aimed at the spot where Tank was standing. As soon as it left the ground, however, Tank leapt forward in turn, a quick tumble landing him right underneath it.

WHAM

A well-placed kick to the belly sent the timberwolf flying apart, broken twigs and logs scattering across the path.

The second wolf, already bearing down on him, snapped its jaws shut just barely short of Tank's face as he reared up on his hind legs to avoid it. The familiar bipedal stance gave him an idea, and as he toppled forward, he threw a hoof forward in a fair approximation of a punch, connecting solidly with the wolf's mossy snout.

CRASH

The splintery remains of the timberwolf crumbled to the ground in front of him.

Tank gave an amused chuckle as he turned back around. "See? No big deal. All it takes is one good hit and they fall apart."

Spike, having finally climbed to his feet, dusted himself off and pointed a claw at one of the fallen wolves. "Uh... you do know they regenerate, right?"

Tank sighed in irritation. "Yeah, that too. At the very least, I figured out a way to slow them down a bit." With that, he hefted the largest log he could find from the remains of the second timberwolf, lifted it over his head... and with a grunt of effort, hurled it deep into the forest.

As if on cue, the remaining timberwolf debris clattered to life, tumbling end over end as it disappeared into the underbrush.

"Alrighty! Now that that's settled..." Tank brushed the stray splinters out of his mane and began marching his way back toward Spike. "I think you said Twilight waAAUGH"

A cloud of dust accompanied Tank's sudden disappearance as the ground beneath him gave way, his inquiry soon replaced with a fit of coughing.

Spike jogged forward, peering over the edge of the pit, at the bottom of which lay a sprawled-out Tank. "You okay?"

Tank sat up, rubbing his head. "Ow. Yeah, I'm fine."

Spike reached out, grasping Tank's hoof and hoisting him up as he climbed out. "What even was that, anyway?"

"Sinkholes. At least, that's as near as I can figure." Tank once again found himself brushing debris out of his mane. "This isn't the first one I've found, and I doubt it'll be the last. I think they were caused by that crazy storm we had a few days ago..." The thought made him shiver.

"That must have been while I was away in Canterlot." Spike scratched his head. "I think Twilight said she had an unplanned sleepover with Rarity and Applejack that night."

Tank quirked an eyebrow. "Wait, a... sleepover? How old are these girls, anyway?" After a moment's pause, he shook his head. "Eh, whatever. I guess it doesn't really matter."

Spike nodded. "Anyway, Twilight wanted to see you. Somepony sent her a strange book in the mail, and she thinks it might be a clue about your Elements! She wanted you to have a look at it with her."

Tank blinked. "Oh! Uh, sure. I just need to toss a sheet of plywood over this hole and pack up for the day. Tell her I'll be along in a bit?"

"Okay!" Spike waved goodbye as he took off back toward town.

Previous Chapter

More coming soon!

[domainoffriendship]

Short: “Machination”

His fury knew no bounds.

He traced over the steps in his aching head once again in an attempt to decipher the problem. The rift continued to pulsate before him, the energies that bled feebly from it offering him access once again to a hint of the dark powers he hadn't enjoyed in... well, he wasn't sure how long now; after the first few centuries of imprisonment, time itself tends to seem ever more like an illusion. More to the point, his captors betrayed no hint of awareness of either its existence or of the strength it had returned to him; thus, he concluded, the problem must lay elsewhere.

He peered into the rift's incomprehensible depths. Though he couldn't see the strange creatures that lurked beyond it, he could quite easily sense the otherworldly magic they radiated. Convinced though he was that these entities held the key to his liberation, studying them was proving troublesome at best; there seemed to be no pattern to the number that appeared, or to the frequency with which they did so. A great deal of trial and error combined with mountains of patience had yielded to him a spell that, in theory, should not only pull some of these creatures through the rift into Equestria, but also leave them briefly susceptible to... let's call it suggestion.

He had seized the first opportunity he'd been granted when he sensed three of the creatures lingering for an unusually long time behind the rift. Were they studying him as well? He decided it didn't matter. Rather, what did was his certainty that this had gone off without a hitch; he remembered the resistance he felt as his quarry seemed to fight against his carefully crafted spell, like a particularly feisty bass on the end of a fishing line. However, just as he'd felt them pass through the rift... the exertion finished taking its toll. He'd staggered, watching three brilliant lights in red, green, and blue erupting from the rift and flying out of sight as he finally succumbed to exhaustion.

His rage finished subsiding as the answer came to him. He'd been too hasty, too greedy; these creatures were more resilient than he'd bargained for, and impressive though it was that he'd managed this much under the circumstances, the effort of capturing three at once had proven beyond his still meager capabilities. Where the creatures had ended up, he neither knew nor cared; they were now of no use to him, and thus irrelevant.

He would prepare the spell again, of course... and this time, he would once more tap into that enduring patience. This time, he would wait for the perfect prey - a solitary target, the most radiant he could find.

This time, the spell would work. This time, he would lay claim to what should have been his all those centuries ago.

Until then... he would wait.

Intermission 1 - End

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[domainoffriendship]

Short: “Fatigue”

"On your left!"

A colorful blur shot past Waterwing and through the ring of clouds in front of her. Sweat beading on her forehead, she put on a burst of speed and banked to one side, taking her through the ring and lining her up with the next one. For a moment, it seemed as though she might actually begin closing the gap between her and her opponent, but just as she passed through the next ring...

"On your left!"

Waterwing beat her wings forward, slowing to a stop and flailing her legs in frustration as the same blur blew past her almost effortlessly.

The blur, none other than Rainbow Dash, spotted her racing partner giving up and quickly made her way over. "Hey, come on! I think you got a little closer that time!"

At this, Waterwing only scowled and wiped the sweat from her face.

Rainbow offered an apologetic grin. "Or... maybe we could take a break instead?" She pointed a hoof at something over Waterwing's shoulder. "That looks like a good spot to chill for a bit."

Waterwing's eyes darted around as she attempted to decipher what Rainbow meant; there was nothing in the direction she'd pointed aside from the same partly cloudy sky all around them. Rainbow Dash gave her a knowing smirk and flew over to a nearby cloud, landing atop it gently and taking a seat before beckoning her friend over. Waterwing gave a silent sigh as she plopped down on the cloud herself.

Rainbow smiled eagerly at Waterwing's fatigued expression. "Hey now, don't sell yourself short! I'm the best flier in Ponyville, that's all. You're actually really good for somepony who's only been flying for a few days!"

Waterwing shook her head dismissively, staring down at the cloud on which they sat. As Rainbow Dash watched, tears slowly began welling up in her eyes.

"Oh no, not again..." Rainbow quickly scanned the skies around them for something to use as a distraction. "He-hey, look over there! Doesn't that cloud look like Pinkie Pie's hair?"

Blinking the tears out of her eyes, Waterwing's gaze locked onto the cloud in question.

"And there!" Rainbow continued. "It's drifting toward that one that looks like a cupcake. I bet you she's gonna eat it!"

Waterwing quickly found herself stifling a silent giggle with her hoof, taking a moment to wipe her eyes before looking back over at Rainbow.

Rainbow took a few tentative steps closer and sat next to Waterwing, gesturing out at the skies around them. "I never get bored of hanging out up here. You can practically see all of Equestria! Look over there; you see that shape on the side of the mountain?"

Waterwing's eyes scanned the mountains in question, and she nodded as she spotted a very large structure covered in tall spires jutting out of the mountainside.

"That's Canterlot, the capital," Rainbow explained. "It's a few hours by train, but we could totally fly there in like twenty minutes if we wanted. The ponies there are mostly stuck-up unicorns though, so I only go when I have to."

Waterwing nodded once again, her jaw stretching slowly as she let out a yawn.

Rainbow smirked. "I guess that race kinda took it out of you, didn't it? If you're tired, we can totally take a nap up here."

Waterwing blinked, the idea taking a moment to register in her head. As it did so, she briefly glanced over her shoulder in apparent confusion, scratching her head and pointing down at their cloudy perch for clarification.

"Yeah!" Rainbow stretched and let herself fall backward with a gentle poof.

After a moment of hesitation, Waterwing curled up on the cloud and gently laid her head down.

"The warm sun, the cool breeze, the soft cloud..." Rainbow casually folded her forelegs behind her head. "After this, I bet you'll never wanna nap anywhere else. What do you think?"

A quick glance was all it took to reveal that Waterwing was already asleep.

With a quiet sigh, Rainbow Dash sat up and gave Waterwing a gentle pat on the head. "I guess flying isn't the only thing wearing you out here, huh...?"

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[domainoffriendship]

I hope no one minds me using this space to talk about my feelings for a bit! (Warning, this is going to get kind of sappy.)

I recently finished watching through the entirety of Friendship is Magic for the second time, both the main cartoon and the Equestria Girls movies, and I can honestly say that I was never expecting to fall for this series as hard as I have; it’s brought me to the verge of happy tears more than once, and I don’t think I can say that about any other work of fiction I’ve ever experienced. I have to keep telling myself that there’s nothing inherently wrong with enjoying it as much as I do (though there are absolutely wrong ways to go about expressing it, as others have already demonstrated, but that’s a topic for another conversation).

What I find I’ve been struggling with, though, is just why it is that I seem to love this show so much. The characters are well-written, the setting is deep and full of lore, the showtunes are surprisingly catchy, and it’s all animated impressively well despite being done in Flash of all things... but though those are all certainly important, I think there’s one overarching element that really sealed the deal for me: the unabashed optimism.

We’ve all heard the phrase “virtue is its own reward,” and I’m sure most people just roll their eyes at it... but for a long time, I’ve believed it to be true. It’s certainly not always easy, and I’m by no means perfect, but I’ve always thought that if everyone shared that belief - that we should all do good purely for its own sake - then the world would be a much better place for everyone to live. MLP feels like a reaffirmation of that ideal - of the idea that values like charity, compassion, devotion, and integrity have the power to change the world. It’s an attitude I believe we all need to hold in our hearts, now more than ever.

That, I think, is why it inspires and resonates with me the way it does.

If you actually read this far, thanks for listening to me ramble. Oh, and if you haven’t yet, check out the song I shared above! It’s part of what got me actually watching the show in the first place; the first three or four chapters of Domain of Friendship were written while listening to it.

In any case, I have two more shorts planned before Episode 2 starts. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up with a once-a-week schedule at that point, but I’m nowhere near the end of the stories I want to tell. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!

[domainoffriendship]

Short: “Confusion”

Pinkie Pie grinned as she watched the latest batch of cupcakes through the oven window.

"Uh... shouldn't we be working on the frosting?" Tank Buster chuckled quietly at Pinkie's excitement. "I promise they're not gonna run off while you're not looking."

Pinkie giggled as she trotted back over to the counter. "Thanks again for helping out. Baking is super duper fun, but it's even more fun with a friend!"

Tank shrugged. "I wasn't expecting Applejack to give me the day off, so I didn't have any plans or anything."

Pinkie hefted a large mixing bowl out of a nearby cupboard and quirked an eyebrow at Tank. "Yeah, but I figured you'd wanna spend it with Scarlet and Waterwing."

"I mean... I did, but it didn't exactly pan out." Tank sat back for a moment, letting his gaze drift around Sugarcube Corner's kitchen. "Scarlet is testing spells with Twilight, and Miri's getting flying lessons from Rainbow Dash. Since I can't really participate in either of those, well..."

Pinkie blinked as Tank's voice trailed off. "Well okie dokie then! Let's tackle that frosting!" Without further ado, she unceremoniously dumped the contents of a small paper bag into the mixing bowl. "Here, you can read off the ingredients from the recipe there! I already got the powdered sugar."

Joining Pinkie at the counter, Tank glanced over the cookbook lying open in front of him and cleared his throat. "Right, let's see... Two tablespoons of milk."

In a flash, Pinkie filled a nearby measuring spoon with milk and splashed it into the bowl. "Okay, got it!"

"A teaspoon and a half of vanilla extract," Tank continued.

"One and a half..." Pinkie spent the next several seconds very gently pouring the vanilla into the measuring spoon before carefully dribbling it into the bowl with the rest. "Okay, next!"

"Now we need..." Tank paused, staring quizzically at the recipe. "Wait, what does this mean? It just says the next ingredient is... a cup of rainbows."

Pinkie giggled once again. "Oh, silly me! How could I forget about the rainbows for the rainbow frosting? There's a jar on the second shelf in the cabinet to your left."

Following the given instructions, Tank soon produced a jar containing a viscous syrup that shined a vibrant gradient of colors from every conceivable angle, at which he stared incredulously for several long seconds. "You can't possibly be telling me that these are literal rainbows. This is not how rainbows work."

"Of course they are!" Pinkie's tail swished happily. "Now, these are boiled down a bit, so you kinda wanna mix them with something instead of using them straight, but here!" With that, she deftly unscrewed the lid and dipped a spoon inside, which she then offered to Tank. "Try it! They're pretty spicy!"

Tank spent several more seconds staring at the rainbow-covered spoon before giving it a tentative lick. "Oh! Uh... wow, that is pretty spicy."

"Right?" Satisfied, Pinkie scooped up some of the jar's contents with a small measuring cup and dumped it in with the rest of the ingredients. "Rainbow get! Okay, now what?"

To her confusion, instead of responding, Tank doubled over in a fit of giggles.

"Hehehehee!" Pinkie giggled along for a moment, but quickly stopped. "Wait, what are we laughing at?"

"Spicy rainbows!" Tank threw his forehooves in the air. "Every time I think a magical land of talking ponies can't possibly get any sillier, it manages to throw me a curveball. This place is an absolute delight!" After a deep breath and a few more giggles, he managed to calm his laughter. "Anyway... that was the last ingredient. Now it just needs to be beaten with a whisk."

"Okie doke!" Pinkie grinned at her baking companion. "You wanna give it a try? There's one on the counter behind you."

Tank blinked, glancing over his shoulder at the implement in question. "Oh, uh, sure. Just one quick thing first..." At this, he held up his forehooves and gave Pinkie a sheepish grin. "Any chance you could... remind me how to grasp objects with these again?"

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[ask-ember-quill]

Another commission for @hangarninetysix for @domain-of-friendship, Episode 1-10! The domain crew is having their first experience with hayburgers! It’s… a mixed bag of emotions.

Interested in a commission?

[domainoffriendship]

Short: “Diplomacy”

Scarlet Starbeam's eyes glazed over as she stared at the book propped open before her; she was hardly accustomed to spending such long stretches of time reading, and the unfamiliar script of these pony books wasn't helping matters much. Granted, she did find herself thankful she could even read it in the first place... but after having spent the better part of the day cooped up in the library, this wasn't much consolation.

After a moment's stretch, she glanced at the clock to find that several hours had gone by without her noticing. "Whew... Twilight, might we have a rest soon? This is proving far more tiring than I anticipated..."

"Sure! Spike should be almost finished making dinner anyway." With a flourish, Twilight Sparkle snatched up a nearby bookmark and laid it in the book she'd been reading as she closed it. "Actually... now that we have a moment, there's something I wanted to ask you about."

Scarlet blinked. "Oh? What might that be?"

"Well..." An eager grin slowly spread across Twilight's face as she spun around to face Scarlet. "I was hoping you could tell me a few things about humans! I'd love to hear anything and everything you know. No detail is irrelevant!"

After a moment's pause, Scarlet giggled softly. "Well, I doubt I could do the whole of human history and culture justice off the top of my head..." She paused a moment more to gather her thoughts. "...but perhaps I could offer serviceable answers if you had any particular questions in mind."

Twilight's gaze trailed along the ceiling as she pondered what to ask about first, her mind drifting from science to architecture, government to trade, art to music... when an earlier conversation suddenly resurfaced in her memory. "Oh, I remember now! There was something I wanted to ask first."

Scarlet nodded. "By all means."

Twilight cleared her throat. "Okay, so... the other day, I remember Tank Buster saying something about needing to 'get used to' being a herbivore. What did he mean by that, exactly?"

"Humans are omnivores," Scarlet explained. "Our diet consists of a balance of plant and meat products. The idea of subsisting exclusively on fruits and vegetables - also including hay, it would seem - is a rather... uncomfortably foreign one."

"You, um... you eat meat, huh?" Twilight rubbed her neck and glanced away briefly. "Uh... so where does your meat come from, then?"

Scarlet rested her chin on her hoof. "Well, fishing must certainly be the most predominant segment of the industry, but farming of poultry and cattle is also fairly widespread..."

Twilight's heart tripped on a beat. "Wait. Cattle? Does... does that mean you eat cows?"

"Why, of course!" Scarlet offered a pleasant smile. "I was always fond of a good rib eye steak myself."

"I, that's..." Twilight raised a hoof to her forehead. "Oh dear..."

Scarlet quirked an eyebrow. "Er, Twilight? Are you feeling alright? You suddenly look rather unwell..."

"I... think I need to go lie down." Twilight stood up slowly. "Um... thanks for offering me some insight into what humans are like, Scarlet. I'll think of... something else to ask about later." With that, she made for the stairs to the upper floor.

"Dinner's ready!"

Emerging from the kitchen carrying two large plates piled high with spaghetti, Spike watched as Twilight disappeared up the steps toward the bedroom and gave Scarlet a quizzical look.

Scarlet stared blankly after Twilight for a few seconds before finally meeting Spike's gaze. "Was it something I said...?"

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[ask-ember-quill]

A commission for @hangarninetysix‘s fic @domain-of-friendship, Episode 1-1!

Interested in a commission?

[domainoffriendship]

Figured I should probably toss out a quick update!

It’s been... quite a week for obvious reasons, and I’m afraid I won’t have anything ready to post for it. Give me some time and I’m sure I’ll be updating again by next week. The first episode is over; I’m working on some short scenes to come between it and the second one, so stay tuned!

[ask-ember-quill]

A scene from @hangarninetysix‘s MLP fanfiction, @domain-of-friendship!

[domainoffriendship]

Trade: The Quill and the Cat

((My half of a trade with @ask-ember-quill!))

*knock knock*

The sound Cordial Quill had been waiting for all morning finally came.

"Coming, dear!" The feather quill held aloft by her magic just moments ago fell gently to her desk as her attention turned to the front door. Climbing gingerly out of her chair, Cordial couldn't wait to reach it; instead, she grasped the handle with that same magic and eagerly pulled it open.

"Hi, Grandma!"

On her doorstep stood a familiar pink pony - her granddaughter, Ember Quill.

"Come in, come in!" Cordial adjusted her glasses, smiling as Ember trotted up to give her a hug. "Always such a treat to see you, dear. How are classes going?"

"Better than I expected, honestly." Ember fiddled briefly with her bangs as she spoke. "I usually try to avoid taking classes in the spring semester, but it was the only way to avoid graduating half a year late. I'm so glad to have some time off work, too..."

Cordial nodded. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I put on some tea?"

*******

"So..." Cordial Quill paused for a sip of her tea, smiling pleasantly across the table as Ember Quill took a hefty bite out of a shortbread cookie. "I don't remember hearing that you're seeing anypony right now..."

Ember Quill rolled her eyes as she finished chewing. "Grandma, if I was dating somepony, I promise you'd have heard about it by now."

"Oh, is that so?" Though Cordial's expression hadn't actually changed, something about her smile felt... different. "Good, good..."

Ember quirked an eyebrow. "Wait, that's... huh?"

Cordial leaned forward in her seat. "Why, dear Ember, I do believe I have a lovely surprise for you!"

Ember glanced over her shoulder nervously as though looking for an escape route. "Uhh... I'm not sure I like where this is going."

"I met the sweetest young mare while I was at the market the other day," Cordial explained. "I happened to mention I had a granddaughter about her age who would be in town soon, and she was delighted to hear all about you! She said she can't wait to meet you."

"Grandma, you didn't..." Ember brought her hoof to her temple as though struck by a sudden headache. "Don't you remember what happened the last time you tried to set me up on a blind date? That ink stain refused to wash out of my fur! I had to wait for it to finish shedding. Everypony kept asking embarassing questions..."

"Oh come now, dear," Cordial insisted before taking another sip of tea. "What excitement is there in life without taking a few risks?"

Ember sighed. "Excitement that makes me want to hide in my room for a week is excitement I can do without."

Cordial's pleasant smile finally faded. "Oh, very well... I hope the poor thing doesn't wait out there for too long, then."

"Huh?" Ember blinked. "Wait, you don't mean..."

Cordial adjusted her glasses. "You remember Sugarcube Corner, the sweets shop? I told her you'd meet her there this afternoon so you two could bond over a nice cherry phosphate."

"Oh, geez..." Ember emitted a frustrated groan as she glanced at the clock. "That means she's probably there now. Well, I guess at the very least I can show up, even if it's just to explain..."

"Ember, dear..." Cordial watched as Ember climbed out of her seat. "If you're going to go meet her anyway, why not at least give her a chance? She might just be that special somepony you've been waiting for."

Ember hesitated. She doubted this, certainly; her grandmother's track record of finding decent dates for her was far from stellar. Still, she found herself letting the idea dance in her head for a moment.

"I... guess I'll think about it," Ember finally admitted; Cordial's tone had left her feeling a little guilty, although she couldn't quite put her hoof on why. "Thanks for the tea, Grandma. I'll see you later."

Cordial waved her farewell as the front door opened with the blue glow of Ember's magic, then closed gently behind her.

*******

Ember Quill soon found herself mulling over the previous conversation as she trotted her way over to the sweets shop.

Her grandma always meant well, and she knew that... but she wished that didn't have to involve being quite so meddlesome all the time. It wasn't even that she wasn't interested, either; she just wanted to be consulted beforehand instead of getting abruptly shoved into awkward situations like this. Was that really so much to ask? Granted, she supposed it probably wouldn't hurt anything to give this random pony an honest chance, but -

"Oh my goodness, THERE you are! I was really, really hoping you'd show up!"

It was only at this interruption that Ember realized she'd arrived, but what demanded her attention rather more readily was the strange pony standing in front of her. Noticeably shorter than Ember, she was gray all over, with black-and-white mane and tail both neatly braided. This wasn't what made her seem odd, of course; the bell collar and cat-ear headband managed that all by themselves.

"My name's Paw Pad, nya~" The strange pony beamed, her tail swishing happily back and forth. "You must be Ember Quill, right?"

Still taken aback by her date's rather unconventional appearance, it took Ember several seconds to form a coherent response. "Uh... yes?"

Paw Pad blinked. "Are you not sure?"

"Uh..." Ember shook her head in an attempt to get her stalling brain to re-engage. "No... I mean, yes! Yeah, that's me." She punctuated this with as pleasant a smile as she could manage under the circumstances.

"Oh, good! It's so nice to meet you, nya~" As Paw Pad hopped forward, Ember expected her to reach up for a hug... but instead, she veered to one side at the last second, brushing against Ember as she went and emitting a bizarrely accurate purring sound along the way.

“...”

Paw Pad seemed to misinterpret Ember's complete lack of reaction for something other than the discomfort and confusion it really was and marched up the front steps of the sweets shop. "Okay! Let's get something to eat. I can smell something tasty baking, and it's making me sooo hungry..."

Ember took a deep breath and let it out slowly. At the very least, it was fairly unlikely that this would be any worse than the ink incident, right? That thought in mind, she followed Paw Pad into the shop.

*******

The two ponies soon found themselves on opposite sides of a small table. In front of each sat a tall, gently fizzing cherry phosphate, but Paw Pad had also procured a rather large pastry... and a small bowl.

Ember Quill quirked an eyebrow. "So what's the bowl for?"

Paw Pad grinned knowingly. "It's for my drink! What else?"

"Your... drink?" Ember pointed her hoof at the beverage in question. "But... it's already in a glass."

"I know..." Paw Pad's smile faded. "They never ask me if I want it in a bowl instead. It's so weird."

"But why would you..." Ember began, but soon realized she was about to get her answer either way.

Paw Pad slowly poured as much of her drink into the bowl as would fit, then set the glass back down... and began lapping the drink out of the bowl with her tongue. Ember Quill cringed as she watched, glancing nervously out the nearby window to make sure no one else could see.

"Mmm!" Paw Pad spent a moment licking excess drips of the drink from her lips. "So good, nya~"

"So, um, Paw Pad..." Ember racked her brain for whatever conversation topic she could think of that might lessen the aura of awkwardness surrounding them. "What do you do, exactly?"

Paw Pad tilted her head for a moment, then smiled. "I'm a kitty! I do kitty things. I play with yarn, I chase birds, I take naps..."

Ember closed her eyes briefly and let out a quiet sigh before continuing. "No, no. I mean, what do you do for a living? Do you have a job? Are you a student?"

Paw Pad blinked. "You silly! Kitties don't need jobs." With that, she lifted her pastry and took a bite, making happy noises as she chewed.

Ember opened her mouth to inquire further, but thought better of it before any words came out; she genuinely couldn't tell whether Paw Pad was simply being evasive or somehow actually believed that roleplaying as a cat was her special talent, and it was looking increasingly likely that she would never know for certain.

*******

As the two ponies descended the front steps of the sweets shop once again, Paw Pad paused to lick at a spot on her foreleg for several seconds before smiling back up at Ember. "So what do you want to do now?"

Ember hesitated, breaking eye contact just long enough to gather her thoughts. "Listen, Paw Pad..."

Paw Pad tilted her head. "Nya~?"

"...Right, um." Ember scratched her head for a moment. "I had a... nice time today, but I kind of need to get going. I'm only in town for a couple of days so I can visit family while I'm off work, see, so..."

"Oh, of course!" Paw Pad's tail swished back and forth. "I had fun too! Maybe I'll see you around sometime? You know where to find me!"

As a matter of fact, Ember hadn't any idea how she might go about finding Paw Pad again, if for whatever reason she meant to do so, but she saw no reason to bring this up. "Right, of course! I'll see you later then."

At this, Paw Pad took a step forward, her face suddenly inches from Ember's. As she leaned forward, Ember's heart skipped a beat; was she seriously going for a - ?

lick

Apparently satisfied, Paw Pad spun around, trotted over to a nearby flower shop, curled up beneath the windowsill, and promptly fell asleep.

“...”

Ember Quill settled for breathing a sigh of relief and turning back toward Cordial Quill's house. Her grandma needed to know that when Ember said she liked cats, this really wasn’t what she meant!

[domainoffriendship]

Episode 1-11

Waterwing gave a silent gasp, covering her mouth with her forehooves as she quickly glanced toward her companions. To her dismay, however, their reactions were no more confident than hers.

A bead of sweat rolled down Tank's neck as he slowly climbed out of his seat. "Uh... could you guys give us a minute? I think we need to go check something. Like, right now."

"We will likely not be gone long." Scarlet put her foreleg over a hesitant Waterwing to urge her along.

"Wait." Twilight hopped down from her chair. "We'll come with you."

The three exchanged brief glances.

Tank scratched his head. "Uh... if you want, sure."

At this, the rest of the ponies rose from their seats as well, and the party made for the library door.

*******

A light breeze rolled over the hills just a little ways outside of town. It was here that Scarlet stopped, prompting the rest of the party to come to a halt behind her.

Scarlet turned to her comrades. "This was it, correct?"

After a moment of hesitation, Waterwing nodded slowly.

Applejack's gaze swept across the plain. The lush grasses swayed in the wind as a small flock of birds fluttered by overhead. "Sure looks like an ordinary field to me..."

Tank sighed. "Yup, that's pretty much exactly what I was afraid of."

"Well, we won't know for sure unless we take a closer look, right?" Twilight stepped to the fore of the party and turned back toward the others. "Come on, everypony; maybe there's a clue around here somewhere."

With that, the nine of them marched out onto the field to begin their investigation. Those with wings took to the air, scanning the horizon from the mountains in the north to the Everfree Forest a ways south; the rest found themselves scouring the brush for whatever they might find. No idle chatter passed between them as they went; the apprehension in the air dampened any desire for it.

A few minutes turned into many more, soon surpassing an hour... and eventually saw all nine ponies retreating to the base of a now all-too-familiar hill. Though they stood in a loose circle to facilitate conversation, no one seemed eager to share their findings... and as Twilight finally broke the silence, it quickly became obvious why.

"So... what did everypony find?"

At this, heads turned away and gazes fell to avoid eye contact.

"Uh, well, we found..." Rainbow Dash glanced over her shoulder hesitantly before finishing her sentence with a sigh. "...absolutely nothing."

"I... I'm sorry, everypony," Fluttershy added, her voice once again barely above a whisper.

"We must have turned over every blade of grass in this entire field," Rarity declared. "Were there anything here to find, I'm certain we would have uncovered it by now."

"Like this rock?" Pinkie grinned as she held up a small rock. "It's got a hoof mark on it. I think it might be a clue!"

"Oh, uh..." Tank winced slightly. "I... think that's the rock I kicked before 'cause I was irritated. I doubt it's gonna help us any."

"Oh..." Visibly deflated, Pinkie tossed the rock aside and watched it roll away.

Tank sat back on his haunches, glaring at the grass as though he presumed it responsible. "I don't get it. No portal, no landing pad... no tire tracks, for however much sense that would even make... and no traces of magic, either. Unless that would have faded by now."

Scarlet shook her head. "The amount of magic required to transport three people between worlds would be enormous. I highly doubt it would dissipate in a matter of hours, and had we been here longer than that, someone surely would have noticed us."

"So... if there even are any clues, we have no way of knowing where to look for them." Tank stared over his shoulder for a moment as though expecting to notice something that the nine of them hadn't in a thorough search of the area. Eventually, he heaved a frustrated sigh. "Which means... we're stranded."

sniff

A quiet thud came as Waterwing fell prone in the grass, the soft sound of her voiceless sobbing coming from behind her forelegs, in which her face was now buried. Tank stared at his own forehooves for a moment as though in disbelief of their very existence before letting them fall uselessly into his lap. Scarlet turned her gaze skyward, squinting in the afternoon sunlight as she watched a cloud slowly drift by.

Twilight found herself at a loss for words. What are you supposed to say to a bunch of ponies you just met, who turn out to be aliens from another world, and also just discovered that they have no way to return home? As she turned to her companions, it seemed clear they had little to offer either; Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck, Rarity bit her lip, Pinkie Pie grinned and wagged her poofy tail...

"..."

Twilight's brain had only barely finished registering this as strange before Pinkie began happily hopping up and down. "YAAY! Now we have enough time for a party!"

"Pinkie!" Twilight hissed. "What are you doing?"

Pinkie ceased her bouncing and gave Twilight an indignant look. "What do you mean, 'what am I doing'? I'm gonna throw a party for three ponies who just found out they can't go home! I'm not just gonna stand here and watch them being sad."

"I don't think now is really a good time for - "

Twilight's protest was quickly cut off by a soft giggle from Scarlet. "Actually... that sounds delightful, Pinkie."

"I think a morale boost would do us wonders right now, yeah." Tank gently ran his hoof through Waterwing's mane, mollifying her enough to coax her into lifting her head and glancing in his direction. "Although we should probably look into finding a place to stay sooner rather than later..."

"Well shucks, no need to fret about that." Applejack tipped her hat. "I'm sure we can arrange something, right? I bet Sweet Apple Acres has room for a sturdy earth pony who won't mind helping out with a few chores." She punctuated this sentence by giving Tank a knowing smirk.

Tank blinked, blushing lightly. "Oh! That... works out just fine for me. Thanks, Applejack."

"Yeah! And I bet I know somepony who'd totally be up for an awesome sleepover!" Rainbow Dash gave the still-recovering Waterwing a gentle nudge and lowered her voice somewhat. "What do you say? I do still kinda owe you."

Waterwing sat up, wiped a final tear from her cheek, and promptly wrapped Rainbow in a grateful hug.

Rainbow Dash nearly toppled backward in surprise. "Hey, hey! What did I say about sap?"

After enjoying an amused giggle, Twilight turned to Scarlet. "There's a spare bedroll in the library you can borrow for a while. There's gotta be a way to send you home somewhere, and with your help, I just know we'll find it."

Scarlet smiled softly and nodded. "I cannot thank you enough, Twilight."

"Actually, we can go one better." Tank took a step forward. "I mean, if we're going to be stuck here indeterminately anyway..." He shrugged. "...then we might as well help you with those Elements in the meantime, right?"

Twilight beamed. "I can't wait to see what your Elements are. This is so exciting! We should... oh!"

Waterwing tilted her head.

"I just remembered something." Twilight glanced between the three companions. "Would you be willing to tell us your real names? Since I'm guessing the ones you gave us before were made up."

Scarlet gave a short bow. "I am Scarlet Lombardia. Pleased to meet you."

Tank offered a brief salute. "My name's Alexander Abrams." He then turned to Waterwing as she smiled and waved. "And this is Mirielle Marcus!"

Their introduction was met with six blank stares.

Rarity smiled awkwardly. "Those are, erm..."

"...mighty fine names, sure," Applejack offered, "but I think they might stand out a bit too much."

Twilight nodded. "It would probably be best to keep your story - and, um, those names - just between us. We don't know how other ponies might react."

Rarity brushed a stray hair back into place. "The ponies of Ponyville are good at heart, but they're... a bit dense, perhaps, and very prone to gossip. We wouldn't want anypony getting the wrong idea, you see."

Tank sighed. "I guess that's understandable, if kinda disappointing. I was hoping we could..."

Pinkie Pie tilted her head. "Could... what?"

Tank's stomach gave a loud growl in protest of its emptiness. "I... just remembered food is a thing that exists."

Scarlet smirked. "Perhaps we should return to the library for now? I suppose we ought to give those hayburgers an honest try this time."

Waterwing nodded, licking her lips for emphasis.

Tank shrugged. "I guess. Man, being a herbivore is gonna take some getting used to."

Twilight quirked an eyebrow. "Um... as opposed to what?"

Tank blinked. "Uh... I'll explain later."

"Okay, everypony!" Pinkie declared. "Meet me at Sugarcube Corner in two hours!" Without further ado, she sped off back toward town, a hot pink blur against the lush green landscape. The rest of the assembled ponies soon followed behind, albeit at a much more leisurely pace.

"There are all kinds of magical transportation options we could try," Twilight explained. "Gateways, teleportation, warp portals..."

"I'm guessing one of those is what the Princess used to bring us back to town?" Tank mused.

Twilight nodded. "Precisely! Now, I've never heard of any of them being used to travel between worlds before, but it seems like the most logical starting place. I'll have to see if Princess Celestia would be willing to send me a few extra books from my room back in Canterlot..."

"Um... Waterwing?"

At the sound of her voice, Waterwing landed gently beside Fluttershy.

"Do... you like animals?"

With a cheery grin, Waterwing nodded.

Fluttershy smiled softly. "Oh, thank goodness! I, um... take care of all kinds of animals back at my cottage. I can't promise they'll be anything like the ones from your world, but, um... if you wanted to come see them sometime..."

At this, Waterwing took to the air once again, flying in happy circles over Fluttershy's head for a moment before returning to her side on the ground.

Rarity gently placed a hoof over Scarlet's shoulder. "Do try to make yourselves comfortable while you're here, darling. I'm sure Twilight will have you on your way home before you know it."

Scarlet giggled softly. "With all this hospitality, it almost seems a greater concern that we might be hesitant to leave." Her smile soon faded. "Though I do lament our inability to contact our loved ones; doubtless they would worry far less if they at least knew we were alive and unhurt."

"That'll just make your reunion all the sweeter," Applejack suggested.

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash agreed, rolling over lazily in the air above them. "I mean, since we don't usually have supervillains to fight off, Ponyville can get kind of boring sometimes... but it's totally a cool place to stay. It'll be loads of super awesome fun, I promise!"

Scarlet's smile returned. "I look forward to it."

Episode 1 - End

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[domainoffriendship]

Episode 1-10

"Oh, it's such a relief getting that new assignment from Princess Celestia..." Twilight Sparkle beamed up at the great tree before them that was the Golden Oak Library, illuminated by the midday sun.

Applejack quirked an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

Twilight's smile faded a little. "The reason she sent me to Ponyville in the first place was to encourage me to make friends. Now that I have, I was worried she might send me back to Canterlot alone. I didn't want to just up and leave you behind like that."

Pinkie Pie grinned, her tail swishing happily. "Aww, you do care about us!"

Twilight's smile returned. "Of course I do, Pinkie. It just took me a trip through the Everfree Forest to realize it."

"Don't forget the harrowing encounter with a supervillain," Tank Buster added.

Scarlet Starbeam smiled. "No bond quite compares to that forged in the heat of battle, does it?"

The nine ponies filed into the library to find a long table already set up, surrounded by nine chairs and laden with several paper bags and cups.

Rainbow Dash sniffed at the air eagerly. "Oh man, did the Princess order us hayburgers?"

"Oh!" Twilight blinked, as though not sure how to react. "I don't think I've had one before; there weren't any restaurants in Canterlot that served them."

"Hayburgers...?" Scarlet echoed, glancing nervously at Tank and Waterwing to find similar looks of apprehension on their faces.

"You ain't tried them either? C'mon, you're in for a treat!" Applejack beckoned them over to the table, where Rarity and Pinkie Pie had already begun distributing drinks and sandwiches about.

As everyone else began to tuck into their burgers, Tank gave his a careful nudge. Sure enough, under the bun he found ketchup, pickles, lettuce, a tomato slice... and a hearty sprinkling of hay.

"Welp," Tank muttered. "That... sure is exactly what it says on the tin."

"This... may be a problem." Scarlet glanced from one companion to the other. "Waterwing, what do you...?"

Waterwing paused, her hayburger held carefully in her hooves. Several bites were already missing from it; a smear of ketchup on her cheek betrayed where they'd gone. Scarlet and Tank stared at her incredulously, but she merely shrugged in response and hungrily tore off another bite.

"Hey, so I've been curious about something for a while now." Twilight took a sip of her drink before continuing. "I've never seen cutie marks quite like yours before. Would you tell us how you got them?"

Scarlet blinked, staring blankly at Twilight. "Er... 'cutie marks...'?"

"Why, of course, dear!" Rarity leaned forward eagerly. "Cutie marks as unusual as yours must have the most fascinating stories behind them. Go on, I insist~"

Scarlet spent a few seconds sweating nervously before lowering her voice to a barely audible whisper. "I have no idea what that means..."

Tank scratched his head, whispering back as quietly as he could manage. "Uh... I think they're talking about these weird tattoo things," he suggested, glancing from the shooting star mark on Scarlet's flank to the heart-shaped one sported by Waterwing.

"But we know nothing whatsoever about them," Scarlet protested.

"Nope, we sure don't!" Tank gave her a sarcastic grin. "Looks like we get to improvise and hope for the best."

Rainbow Dash quirked an eyebrow. "Uh, what are you guys whispering about?"

"Ah, nothing relevant!" Scarlet gave Rainbow a pleasant smile. "Tank here was just about to begin the exciting tale of his, er... cutie mark!"

Tank bristled, shooting a dirty look at Scarlet. "What? Why, you - "

Twilight blinked. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, uh... no, everything's fine!" Tank waved his forehooves in dismissal. "Right, so uh... cutie mark story! That's... certainly a thing... that I can definitely tell you." He glanced down at his own shield mark as though hoping it might yield some means of escaping the conversation. "Let's see... I, uh, got into a fight! A really nasty one, with, uh... an angry stencil set?"

A quiet breeze blowing in through a nearby window was the only sound to be heard in the library as six very confused ponies stared at Tank.

"WAAAHAHAHA!"

Pinkie Pie gave a great guffaw and toppled out of her chair.

Tank rolled his eyes. "I'm getting the sneaking suspicion that wasn't the right answer..."

Applejack scratched her head. "Uh... if I didn't know better, I'd say it sounds like you don't even know what a cutie mark is."

"Er... well, you see, what I believe he meant to say was - " Scarlet began, before she suddenly felt a hoof on her shoulder and stopped.

Waterwing shook her head gently, lowering her hoof just far enough to place it over Scarlet's heart.

Scarlet stared down at it for a moment, taking a deep breath. Finally, she looked back up at her companion. "...Very well. I suppose we owe them at least that much."

Waterwing lowered her hoof, smiling as she nodded in agreement.

"Truth be told, Applejack," Scarlet began, "you guessed correctly - none of us know what these strange marks on our bodies mean."

"But... how can that be?" Fluttershy glanced worriedly from pony to pony, not sure what to think. "Everypony knows what cutie marks are..."

"I'll give you a hint then," Tank offered. "If everyone in the world knows what cutie marks are, what do you figure that means about us?"

The gears in Twilight's mind snapped into place with an almost audible 'click.'

"Wait... that explains everything." Twilight glanced between each of the three companions in turn. "The way you hesitated before introducing yourselves, and the strange gaps in your knowledge... not to mention your speech patterns and your spells are totally unfamiliar. I've never seen anything like it before..." She took a moment to sort all this out in her head. "Are... you three from another world?"

Pfff! Rainbow Dash spat out her drink.

Tank smirked. "Wow, you figured that out way faster than I expected."

"Another world?" Applejack echoed, a skeptical eyebrow quirked. "So what, are you saying you're supposed to be some kind of aliens or something?"

"In a technical sense, I suppose," Scarlet explained. "Our recent memories seem to have been muddled, so we can offer little in terms of context..."

Tank shrugged. "All we know is that we were in the middle of a job back home, enjoying our upright posture and our opposable thumbs, when bam - suddenly we're a bunch of candy-colored equines with inexplicable butt tattoos in the middle of a field with no idea how we got there or where all our stuff went."

Pinkie Pie scratched her head. "Opposa... what?"

Scarlet giggled. "Opposable thumbs, Pinkie. Our true form is that of the human, a bipedal primate. You would likely find our appearance very bizarre were we not transfigured so."

Rarity blinked. "This is rather a lot to take in..."

"I'm sure the whole thing sounds completely bananas," Tank admitted. "I honestly can't tell if you even believe us."

"Of course we do." Twilight smiled, her tail swishing happily.

"Yeah!" Rainbow agreed. "...Wait, we do?"

Twilight straightened up a bit in her seat. "You three are connected to the Elements of Harmony, just like the rest of us... not to mention you risked your lives to help us defeat Nightmare Moon. If that doesn't make you worthy of our trust, then I don't know what would. I hope we get to be really good friends! I would love to learn more about you and your world..." At this, her eyes lit up. "Oh, and I almost forgot - we also have the task of discovering just what your Elements are! I hope you're as excited as I am. This is unprecedented! We have so much research to do!"

Scarlet bit her lip. "Er. Yes, well... you see..."

Twilight's excited grin faltered. "Huh?"

Tank heaved a noisy sigh. "Twilight... I'm really sorry about this, but we can't stay here. We have friends and loved ones waiting for us in our world. We have lives to get back to; we can't just drop everything and stick around to help you, even with an assignment this important."

Pinkie Pie's eyes began to water. "Wait, you're leaving already? But you just got here! I didn't even get to throw you your party yet...!"

Scarlet winced. "It breaks my heart to say it, Pinkie... but yes, we really must be on our way. I promise we will not soon forget our time here... or any of you, for that matter."

Twilight looked crestfallen. "Well... it'll be a lot harder identifying your Elements without your help... but it would be pretty selfish of me to ask you to stay just for that, wouldn't it?"

"Oh, but you could come visit sometime, couldn't you?" Rarity suggested. "We would all be ever so pleased to see you again."

"Rarity, we have no idea how we even got here in the first place," Tank explained. "I highly doubt we could promise to come visit."

"Um... wait..."

This time, Fluttershy's small voice drew the attention of every pony in the room. "Um, well... it's just..." She spent a moment fidgeting in her seat, as though unsure if she should continue. "If you don't know how you came to Equestria... then how do you know how to leave?"

Dead silence overtook the library for the next several seconds, during which Tank could almost feel the color draining from his face.

"Oh, void."

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