Well, it took some time. But, I managed to copy the entire Book of Isaiah from a religious website and paste it into a text file. I even have it in the documents folder of the game. Now, I just need to wait for the reading in the game to deliver the copy of the book to one of my stallion friends. So, with no further delays, let's begin.

Once again as I resume the game, I hear the sound of knocking coming from my character's door; but, this time it's followed by Pinkie Pie calling out, “Mormon, I need to come in and talk to you!”

As I have my character get out of his bed and walk to and open the door, I say, “Hold on, Pinkie, I'm coming.” As my character reaches the door and reaches for the knob, I hear Pinkie Pie moan as thought she's losing her balance, then the thud sound effect. My character opens the door and shows me, through his eyes, the pink earth pony lying on her back.

Pinkie Pie rolls onto her front and rises to her hooves again, then turns to my character and enters his room. Then, as soon as he closes the door behind her, she says, “Thank you, Mormon.”

I ask, “So, is there something wrong?”

Pinkie Pie gallops to and jumps onto my character's bed, then turns to my character and answers, “No, nothing wrong.”

As the pink earth pony settles into a canine-style position on my character's bed, I have him walk to her and kneel on one knee as I ask, “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

Pinkie Pie swallows, then says, “Well, … you see, …” then looks away from my character for a few seconds. When she turns to look at him again, she blurts out, “Mormon, I think I've fallen in love with you.”

Somehow I had a sneaking suspicion that's what had happened. After all, what else would cause Pinkie Pie to say what she'd said to her friend Fluttershy the game's yesterday on that cliff at Froggy Bottom Bog? But, at the same time, now that I know for sure, I'm left with a problem: What do I do now? With my character still focused on her, I honestly say, “Well, … I'm gonna level with you right now. I have no experience with this sort of thing.”

The pink earth pony tilts her head and asks, “What do you mean?”

I answer, “I've never had a pony fall in love with me before. So, I have no idea how to react to it.”

As Pinkie Pie straightens her head again and looks down, she looks like she's about to cry. I have my character stroke her neck, but she moves a front hoof over his wrist and lowers it, trapping his hand.

I have my character pull his hand away as I say, “This is just something we'll have to take the same way as with your diabetes: one day at a time. It'll give me experience with an enamored pony, and I'll teach you more about how I prefer that you behave around me.”

The next thing I know, Pinkie Pie has her forelimbs around my character's shoulders, and she's saying, “Thank you, Mormon. Thank you so much.” Then, I watch as Pinkie Pie's head moves to the right and, save for some of her mane, disappears. My guess is she's making her hug complete.

I decide to have my character hug Pinkie Pie in return.

After a few seconds the pink earth pony and my character separate, and my character goes to the door to his bedroom and opens it, then gestures for Pinkie Pie to exit first, which she does. My character then follows behind her, closing the door once he's out of his room.

In the kitchen, I notice Berry Punch and Carrot Top at the table opposite each other. I can't help noticing the glare Berry Punch has trained on my character. I say to the two earth mares, “Good morning.”

Presently all I can see, through my character's eyes, is the face of Berry Punch, who asks, “Why are you keeping me here?” Not giving me a chance to answer, she adds, her expression morphing into one of worry, “I need to get home as soon as possible.”

It's when I have my character push the red-purple earth mare away from him that I see the ceiling above her, and I realize that she has managed to knock him onto his back. I answer, as my character sits up again, “I have a question for you first.”

Before I can ask the question, I hear Pinkie Pie's voice snarl, “Alright, pony, put 'em up!”

As my character turns to her, I can see, through his eyes, she's up on her hind legs, jumping around and throwing punches like a boxer practicing on her shadow. I have my character point to the door to the front room, and I say to her, “At ease, Pinkie.” Then, when I see her fall forward onto her front hooves, I add, “Just go to the front room. We'll join you in there in a minute or two.”

I can only guess Pinkie Pie's glaring at Berry Punch as, heading for the door, she says, “You'd better not lay another hoof on my human.”

In the best tone of warning I can put in my voice, I say, “Pinkie.”

As she manages to open the door between the kitchen and the front room and exit the kitchen, very likely still focused on Berry Punch, I begin to wonder if her crush on me, or it could be just on my character, is going to become a problem at some point.

As my character turns back to Berry Punch, I hear Carrot Top ask, “Is there something wrong with Pinkie? I've never seen her act that way before.”

I have my character turn to the orange earth pony, and I say, “It's just a matter between me and her. You don't need to worry about it.” I then focus my character's attention on Berry Punch again as I say, “Now, about my question: do you normally get drunk like you did last night?”

Now the purple earth pony turns to Carrot Top, or so I'm assuming, glares, and says, “You told him, didn't you? How could you?”

Watching Berry Punch prepare to pounce, or at least jump, I have my character grab her by her forelimbs as I say, “She only mentioned it to me because she cares about you.”

The purple earth mare turns her glare on my character, snorts a few times, and growls, “Let me go, Mormon!”

I answer, “No. Not until you calm down.”

Human and earth pony remain focused on each other, but it's the earth pony that finally backs off.

It takes at least a minute, but, after snorting one or two more times, Berry Punch relaxes, even rises again from her attack posture. As she looks down, she says, “I tried it for the first time at that tavern last night. The apple-flavored stuff at least tasted good.”

I state, having my character let the purple earth pony's front limbs go, “I knew you weren't acting right last night. You got sick. You wet and messed yourself.” After a pause, I continue, “Getting drunk is not a good habit to get into. It's not even a good habit to start drinking alcohol in the first place. Trust me, I've seen what happens to ponies that get into that.”

At this point, as Berry Punch looks up at my character again, I can see, through his eyes, sorrow in hers.

I continue, “One mare I helped here, I'm guessing, thought she'd become immune to the effects of the alcohol she'd been drinking. But, the first night she was here was, based on what she said, the most painful night she'd had. I helped her through it, and she's just fine now. And, she's promised that she'll never touch alcohol again. And, I trust her.” After another pause, I continue, “Another mare I helped binge drank on a regular basis. When I first saw her in that condition, she also got sick, and wet and messed herself. But, like you, she had friends to help her in her recovery.” Finally, I conclude with the question, “So, will you let me help you?”

The purple earth pony's expression morphs to one of not caring, if I'm interpreting it correctly, as she says, “I don't see what the big deal is. It was only one time.”

I state, “I think you need to stay here, just to be sure that it stays only one time. Just for a few days.”

I get the idea that Berry Punch either is running out of excuses, or has run out of them, as she turns to Carrot Top and complains, “Are you going to let this strange creature hold me prisoner here?”

Carrot Top answers, “If you're being held prisoner here, then so am I. I care about you, and the way I saw you last night scared me. I wasn't going to let you go back through the Everfree forest and maybe get eaten by timber wolves or something like that. I want you to get better. And, the reason I'm willing to stay here with you is to make sure you get better.”

Berry Punch whines, “But, I am better.”

A look at the edge of my character's periphery shows me that Carrot Top has a sad or worried look on her face as she says, “I wish I could believe that. I'm just scared that if you go back to Ponyville right now, I'll find you back at that tavern. You said the strong apple cider tasted good. That's how the ponies at the tavern got started on that stuff, and I've seen how it affects them. And, I don't want to see that happen to you.”

Berry Punch starts glaring again as she says, “Yeah, but I'm not them. I'm me.”

Carrot Top says, “And, I want you to stay you. I want you to stay the Berry Punch I know and love. I don't want you to become an alcoholic. So, if I stay here with you, will you stay here, just for a few days, until Mormon decides you're ready to leave?”

The look on Berry Punch's face reminds me of the look Pinkie Pie gave me two of the game's weeks ago when I referred to the Pinkie Pie I know and love. For a few seconds the purple-red earth pony is frozen with that look of surprise on her face, then the look melts into one of sad defeat as she looks down and says, “Alright. I shouldn't have gone out drinking in the first place. But, if I'm gonna face punishment, I suppose it's better I face it here than back in Ponyville.” She sniffles and rubs her nose, and I can see her lower lip trembling as she says, “I'm sorry, Carrot. I didn't mean to worry you.”

The two earth mares hug.

When they separate, Carrot Top says, “Let's go into the front room and tell Lyra, Pinkie Pie, and Weed Whacker about your decision, our decision.”

No more is said among the three as they make their way into the front room, where the pale-green unicorn, the pink earth pony, and the herbivorous dinosaur are waiting.

My character takes his position on the couch facing the door, and Pinkie Pie takes a protective position next to him.

Lyra moves over on the opposite couch as Carrot Top, then Berry Punch, jump up on the couch, and Carrot Top moves to make room for the other earth mare, her friend.

It's Carrot Top who says, “Berry Punch and I are going to stay here for a few days to make sure Berry doesn't try drinking again.” The two earth mares exchange looks, after which the orange earth mare adds, “Berry's good with vineyards; so, Mormon, if you'd like, she'll help take care of that. I'm good with vegetables, so I'll help Weed Whacker with your vegetable garden.”

I open my mouth to offer my acceptance, but then I hear Pinkie Pie say, “You'd better not hurt my human, Berry.”

I'm not surprised at Berry Punch's reaction to Pinkie Pie's outburst, but I am surprised at Pinkie Pie's outburst. I have my character turn to her, and I say, “Now, Pinkie Pie, that's enough.”

The pink earth pony looks up at my character with a surprised look on her face as she says, “What? You're defending her after she attacked you?”

I insist, “Things are fine between me and Berry Punch. You should trust me on that.”

Pinkie Pie doesn't respond, just looks at the pile of fruit pieces on the table, jumps somewhat so that her front half is on the table, claims a piece of apple, then pushes herself back onto the couch. I can't help noticing, while she eats the piece of apple, she doesn't take her eyes off of Berry Punch.

I also can't ignore the look of discomfort on Berry Punch's face. I have my character reach out and claim a piece of peach for himself, and I say, “It'll be different, I suppose, having two agricultural ponies around the house instead of two musicians. I'm guessing you two enjoy taking care of fruits and vegetables?”

Carrot Top answers, “My special talent is raising vegetables, and Berry's is taking care of fruits, specifically berries. And, yes, we do enjoy it.”

I don't say this aloud, but it makes sense, considering Carrot Top's cutie mark is a bunch of carrots, and Berry Punch's is a strawberry and a bunch of grapes.

In fact, I'm not really given a chance to say anything.

I'm guessing Pinkie Pie's incessant staring at Berry Punch has gotten to be too much for the purple-red earth mare, as she jumps off the couch and, passing by next to my character, says, “I need to use the bathroom.”

As Berry Punch is just about below my character, I hear Pinkie Pie snarl, “You keep away from Mormon!” and suddenly my character's lap is occupied by the pink earth pony.

Instantly I have my character grab Pinkie Pie in an effort to restrain her, then focus on Berry Punch; and I say, “There's a bathroom right next to my work room, opposite a closet next to your room, just down the hall. You can use that one.” I then have my character maneuver a struggling pink earth pony under one arm and stand up and sidestep toward the kitchen door as I add, “Pinkie Pie and I need to have a talk.”

Berry Punch, ears folded backwards against her skull, backs away, then turns and runs into the hallway, looking for the bathroom I directed her to.

In the mean time, while I carry Pinkie Pie out of the room, she growls, “Lemme go, Mormon, lemme go!”

Once my character has made his way to the side of the couch farthest from the wall, then backs into the kitchen, I say, “I don't think so. Not until we're in your room.”

On the way through the hallway, Pinkie Pie grunts in anger and says, “This isn't fair. I'm the one trying to defend you, and you're sending me to my room? I'm not the one that attacked you!”

By the time Pinkie Pie is finished, the pink earth pony and the human are in her room.

I have my character close the door behind them, then put Pinkie Pie on one of the beds; then I say, “Alright. Is this normally how a mare that's enamored with a stallion acts?”

Sitting canine-style on the bed, she looks up at my character, at me, and grunts in confusion matched by the expression on her face.

I have my character kneel on one knee in front of the pink earth pony and ask, “Do mares usually try to protect the stallions they fall in love with?”

Pinkie Pie grunts, “I don't know," before adding, "This is the first time I've fallen in love.” She then looks down and says, “I just thought you'd like it if I defended you.”

I have my character reach out and stroke the pink earth pony's neck as I say, “I appreciate that you want to protect me. But, I think I'm best qualified to know when I need protecting. Don't you think?”

The pink earth pony sniffles and rubs her nose with a front limb, then looks up at my character and says, “I … I guess.”

Now I have my character open his arms to the pink earth pony as I say, “Here. Gimme a hug.”

Pinkie Pie accepts the invitation, draping a forelimb over each of my character's shoulders.

At this point, I say, “I don't want you acting out violently, especially when there's no reason to. I know you care about me, and I also care about you.”

From the shoulder where Pinkie Pie is resting her head, I hear her start sobbing, “I'm so sorry, Mormon. I hope you can forgive me.”

I answer, “If I hadn't forgiven you, I wouldn't ask you for a hug. I do still trust you.” Then, as she pushes out of the hug, I have my character let her go and, as he lets me look through his eyes into hers, I say, “Besides, it's not me who you should be asking to forgive.”

Pinkie Pie demonstrates that she understands what, or who, I'm talking about, when she sniffles, then says, “B-but, she—attacked—you.”

I respond, “But, things are squared away between her and me. Isn't that a good enough reason to forgive her?”

At this point, Pinkie Pie looks down and says, “I guess.”

Again human and earth pony hug for a few seconds. Then, when the two separate, I have my character walk to the door and open it; and I say to Pinkie Pie, “Let's get going so you can let Berry Punch know you're sorry.”

Pinkie Pie drops off the bed, landing on her hooves, and follows my character to the door, as she says, “Okay.” She goes through the door first, then waits for my character to exit her room and close the door behind him, before seeing the purple-red earth pony leaving the bathroom across from my bedroom. Seeing her, she says, “Uh, Berry Punch, if I could talk with you for a moment?”

My character turns to the two earth ponies to show me, through his eyes, Berry Punch backing away from Pinkie Pie, ears folded backwards against her skull and head lowered.

I say, “It's alright, Berry Punch. I've had a talk with Pinkie Pie, and she's not going to hurt you.”

As I finish talking, I notice Pinkie Pie lowers her head and looks away from her fellow earth mare, and her ears droop, as she says, “I'm so sorry for threatening and trying to attack you. I shouldn't have done that.” Then, looking at the purple-red earth pony, she asks, “Can you forgive me, Berry?”

The purple-red earth mare looks at Pinkie Pie, and I can only assume she sees the sincerity in her eyes as she relaxes, and she also looks down as she says, “I suppose, if you can forgive me for attacking Mormon, I can forgive you for trying to attack me. I guess I had that coming anyway." She then slowly draws circles with a front hoof on the floor as she adds, "I didn't know you had such feelings for him. But, even if you didn't, I still shouldn't have attacked him. I'm sorry about that.”

Berry Punch's statement about Pinkie Pie's feelings toward me, toward my character, causes the pink earth pony to turn to my character; and I can see, through his eyes, the surprise in hers. She turns back to Berry Punch and, after listening to the rest of what she has to say, says, “I forgive you for attacking Mormon. I really do care about him; and if he's willing to forgive you, then so should I.”

I watch, through my character's eyes, as the two earth mares hug. Then, when they separate, I say, “Well, with that cleared up, why don't we go back to the front room and have the rest of our breakfast?”

The two agree, and it's Berry Punch that opens the door between the kitchen and the front room, then leaves it open for Pinkie Pie and my character to go through.

My character, being the last to go through the door, closes it behind him. Then, afterwards, with Pinkie Pie going to the closest side of the couch and jumping onto it, she meets my character as he goes to the other side and chooses a place to sit down next to the arm.

I find out that, while Pinkie Pie and my character were talking, the breakfast was paused. Also, it seems that I'd given such bad directions to Berry Punch that she'd decided to use the bathroom just across the hallway attached to the kitchen from my room.

So, after breakfast, I show her the way to the bathroom closest to her and Carrot Top's room. Also, Pinkie Pie lets Carrot Top, Lyra and Weed Whacker know that the matter between her and Berry Punch is resolved, and she won't be trying to attack her anymore.

After that, Pinkie Pie, Lyra, Weed Whacker and my character head out back through the Everfree forest and back to Ponyville.

On our way out, I'm sure I hear Berry Punch say something about me not being such a bad human to serve her time under.

In Ponyville, noting that Sugar Cube Corner won't be open until the nurse and doctor ponies at the clinic have deemed Mrs. Cake ready to leave, we decide to head over to the home of Octavia and Vinyl to see how they're doing.

When the four arrive, it's Pinkie Pie that knocks on the door.

And, it's Octavia that answers. Seeing their guests, she steps aside and, waving a forelimb toward the evident living room, says, “Come on in.”

I allow Pinkie Pie to enter first, and my character follows.

When we're inside, the pink earth pony leads the way to the couch she chooses, while I hear Octavia say, “I'll go get Vinyl. We'll be with you shortly.”

I can't help noticing music playing in the background, evidently from some place in the house where Octavia is headed. The music momentarily gets louder, then stops, when I hear Octavia say, “Vinyl; Mormon, Pinkie Pie, Lyra, and Weed Whacker are here.”

I then hear Vinyl exclaim something in excitement that I'm not quite sure I understand. All I know is that the white unicorn with blue hair sounds excited to get a visit from Pinkie Pie and my character, as well as Lyra and Weed Whacker.

I can't help smiling when, as the gray earth mare and the white unicorn enter the room, and my character turns to show them to me through his eyes, Vinyl Scratch says, “Pinks, Mormon, Lyra, Weed Whacker, it's great to see you again!”

My character rises to greet the unicorn, but Octavia says, “Oh, it's alright. You don't have to be so formal.”

As my character sits back down, I ask, “So, how have things been going?”

At my question, I watch Vinyl Scratch point her head downward as she says, “I heard about what my band mates did to Berry Punch yesterday. I'm sorry about that.”

I answer, “I'm not going to hold you responsible for something someone else did.”

The white unicorn looks up at my character and smiles weakly as she says, “Thanks for that.”

Now the two musician ponies take positions on the opposite couch, after which Octavia says, “We've been busy since we got back here, throwing away all the alcoholic beverages we had in the house.”

Once again I can't help smiling at the news.

Pinkie Pie asks, “So, are you getting back together with your bands?”

Vinyl answers, “After they got Berry Punch drunk? I'm not sure I'm ready to get back together with Drum Roll, Lotta Pipes, and Sweet Tones.”

Octavia says, “I've been too busy to even write a letter, much less send it to Canterlot. I suppose I should do that some time soon.”

I have my character focus on Vinyl as I say, “You know, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to invite your band mates to the readings at my house. It might help them. Just let them know my house is a no-alcohol zone.”

Vinyl looks at my character for a moment, then looks down, and her ears droop as she says, “I don't know. I got so angry at them for what they did to Berry Punch, I said some things I probably shouldn't have.”

I ask, “So, where are they?”

Vinyl answers, “They're probably at the tavern where you caught me taking a drink before.”

I ask, “Are they going to be outside?”

Vinyl answers, “Probably.” Then, after a momentary pause, she says, “I'm guessing you want to invite them to the readings at your house?”

I answer, “Well, at least one reading. Whether they decide to attend will be up to them. And, if they do decide, it'll also be up to them whether or not they want to keep attending the readings after that. But, I'm thinking it could help clear the air among you, and even if they don't accept, at least they got the opportunity. So, what do you say?”

Vinyl shrugs and says, “I guess we have nothing to lose by asking.” She then rises and slides off the couch and says, “So, shall we go?”

Pinkie Pie bounces off of her canine-style position next to my character on the couch and lands easily on her hooves, then says, “Let's meet Vinyl's friends! Let's meet Vinyl's friends!”

I can't help chuckling at the pink pony's enthusiasm as I have my character rise from his position.

Octavia doesn't bounce off like Pinkie Pie, nor does she slide off like Vinyl did. But, she does jump over the arm of the couch closest to her, landing as easily on her hooves as Pinkie Pie did, then turns to my character and says, “Very well, then. Let's go.”

The group makes its way to the door, and it's Vinyl that opens it with her magic. And, she's also the one that closes the door behind everyone once they've exited.

On the way to the tavern, Vinyl Scratch says, “I'm still nervous about this.” Looking at my character, she adds, “There's something I forgot to tell you.”

I ask, “What's that?”

The white unicorn answers, “Well, do you remember when you caught me drinking, or about to have a drink?”

The memory does come back to me, and I can't help snickering a little before I say, “Well, yeah, I do remember.”

A sigh from Vinyl silences my laughter. Then, she says, “Drum Roll, the one I spat my drink all over, is still holding it against me for doing that.” The white unicorn then sighs again and says, “I'm expecting her to refuse because of that.”

I state, “Well, like I said, once we offer the invitation, it's up to her to accept or refuse. But, who knows? She may surprise you.”

I then see and hear Vinyl swallow hard before she says, “You know, th-that scares me even m-more.”

I ask, “Do you think Drum Roll will have an ulterior motive for accepting?”

Vinyl inhales and exhales, then says, “Probably.”

After a step or two in silence, I say, “If it'll help you, I could take responsibility for scaring you into spitting on her.”

Vinyl Scratch forces a chuckle, then says, “Thanks for the offer. But, if Drum Roll thinks I'm making excuses, or somepony else is making excuses for me, she may just attack me anyway.”

Before either of us can say anymore, I hear Pinkie Pie sing, “There's the tavern! There's the tavern!”

Pinkie Pie's singing those words reminds me of the singing macaws are known for, except that they whistle at the end.

At the announcement, however, Vinyl freezes up; and she says, “Great. Did it have to be so soon?”

Pinkie Pie, either oblivious to or just ignoring the white unicorn's plight, grabs her by the closest forelimb and pulls her toward the tavern, saying, “Well, come on, silly, let's invite your friends to the reading.”

Evidently the building where I'd seen Vinyl taking a drink with other ponies a week or so ago was, in fact, what it'd appeared to be.

And, there in front, stationed around a circular table under an umbrella, are three ponies talking and drinking some kind of yellowish liquid. Whether they're becoming, or already are, intoxicated, I can't tell from my character's present position. But, they do seem to be enjoying themselves.

And, they seem to have spotted the approaching group of one human, one dragon, and four ponies.

When I approached Vinyl, who was with the group, more than a week ago, I really didn't pay attention to them, as I was more focused on Vinyl. Isn't it interesting what details one doesn't notice until one's paying attention to them?

For instance, I notice the pegasa is something of a light gray in color, with darker gray mane and tail. Her cutie mark is a bass drum with two appropriate sticks, one of them mostly hidden by the drum. Logically, that one is Drum Roll.

The earth pony in the group is a dark tan color with a white spot on her nose, and yellow mane and tail. Her cutie mark is the head of a pony, eyes closed, smiling mouth open, with a speech bubble coming out of the mouth, and a pair of connected eighth notes in the bubble. She's Sweet Tones.

Finally, there's the unicorn, the only male in the group. His coloring is chocolate brown, with a white patch on top of his snout, and lighter brown mane and tail. His cutie mark is a clarinet with an eighth note attached by a line. He's the one named Lotta Pipes.

At any rate, as Vinyl and Pinkie Pie are approaching the trio, it's clear that Vinyl isn't approaching of her own accord. In fact, she's struggling, clearly in vane, to escape the pink earth pony's grasp.

In the mean time, Pinkie Pie is encouraging Vinyl, or so she seems to think, to approach her friends and invite them to the reading at “Mormon's house.” Finally, she swings the white unicorn around and toward the table and says, “There's your friends, Vinyl. Go ahead and invite 'em.”

The white unicorn lands and slides under the table, which I'm guessing leaves her somewhat relieved that she doesn't have to look at her friends' faces, just their hooves. In her struggle to get out from under the table, she bumps her horn on the bottom of it, which, if unicorns were real, I'd imagine would be rather painful. But, Vinyl manages to shake it off; then, sitting canine-style, looks into the eyes of her friends. She seems to shrink a bit before she says, “Uh, hi, everypony.” She then forces a nervous smile as she adds, ”So, how are you?”

The white unicorn's ears fold backwards on her head as Drum Roll points at her and says, “So, you're back are ya. Have you come to take another drink so you can spit it in my face?”

Vinyl looks down at the table and says, “Uh, yeah, about that. I didn't mean to do that.”

At this point, my character has caught up to the group of ponies at the table. As I have him focus on Drum Roll, I say, “If you'll remember, I was the one that shouted at Vinyl and made her spit her drink on you. If it helps, I'm sorry for making her do that.”

Now, Pinkie Pie leans toward my character and says, “Uh, Mormon, we're supposed to be inviting them to the reading, not seeking forgiveness from them.”

I answer, “Well, if there are any trust issues between us, then clearing them up should be the first step in getting them to listen.”

In the mean time, Drum Roll's glaring at my character. When I'm finished talking to Pinkie Pie, the pegasa says, “So, you're here to take responsibility for DJ Pon3 spitting her drink on me?”

I answer, “If that's what it'll take to get you to listen to her, then yes.”

In a second the pegasa's hovering over the table, and a second later she tackles my character, knocking him to the ground.

As my character starts to sit up, I can see, through his eyes, that indeed Vinyl seems surprised.

The white unicorn rises to all fours, turns to Drum Roll, who is hovering over my character, and says, “Alright, I think you've made your point. Now, if you'll just settle down, there's something I want to talk about with you.”

Lotta Pipes asks, “Is it about what we did to 'Poor little Berry Punch?'”

As the three laugh, I see, through my character's eyes, tears in those of Pinkie Pie as she approaches him and asks, “Are you alright, Mormon?”

I answer her, “I'm fine.” I then have my character turn to Lotta Pipes, and I say, “I'll have you know she's recovering at my house right now.”

Again the group laughs for a few seconds, after which Sweet Tones asks, “And, where's that?”

I answer her, “On the edge of the Everfree forest, opposite from Ponyville.”

My answer seems to have ended the laughter, at least for the moment.

Lotta Pipes glares at my character and says, “So, you're one of those Everfree monsters?”

I have my character stand up again, and I answer, “I'm hoping I've proven myself not a monster, although I am aware that I'm a lot bigger than you.” I then have my character kneel on one knee as I continue, “But, I can be a monster, if that's what you want me to be. Personally, I'd prefer to be your friend.”

This statement causes the brown unicorn to burst into laughter again. After a few seconds, he says, “The Everfree monster wants to be our friend!”

I can't argue that, when he puts it that way, it does sound kind of absurd. And, I can't blame the rest of the group for laughing again.

But, then Lyra steps forward and says, “But it's true. And, Mormon is no monster. He's a human. And, as far as humans go, he's the best friend a pony could have.”

I don't doubt that, among creatures of equal size, one can easily intimidate another by glaring. But, I'll admit that even I have been intimidated by a little flying pony, though not in this playthrough of the game. But, that story's already been told.

Drum Roll flies down at the pale-green unicorn until her face is all Lyra can see. Then, she says, “You just keep out of this, sister.”

At this point, I don't doubt that I surprise the light-gray pegasa by having my character grab her under her chest and over her back between her wings, then pull her away from Lyra, who's starting to whimper. Then, as Drum Roll struggles to escape my character's grip, I say, “Now, you just calm down, or I'll put you in time out.”

In the mean time, the light-gray pegasa growls, “You just let me go right now!”

At this point, I firmly say, “Calm. Down.”

At my insistent tone, Drum Roll immediately folds her wings and relaxes.

Seeing that I have the pegasa's cooperation, I say, “Good.” Then, as I have my character set her on her hooves on the ground, I add, “Now, if you'll listen to Vinyl, she has an invitation to offer the three of you. You don't have to accept, you just have to listen.”

The pegasa twitches her wings nervously, but she inhales deeply, then exhales slowly, then says to her white unicorn friend, “Alright, DJ Pon3, what do you want to invite us to?”

Vinyl seems a little uncertain as she says, “Well,” then clears her throat, then continues, “Mormon, here, has already let you know where his home is. And, a lot of us go there to read a book with him, the Book of Mormon.” The question on the faces of her friends is as evident, it seems, to Vinyl as it is to me, otherwise she wouldn't add, “No, it's not his autobiography. It's a book of scripture that tells the story of a people from their origins in the Middle East to their final destruction in the Americas.” Then, she asks, “So, will you come with us to the reading this afternoon?”

As Drum Roll circles around the table, evidently to discuss the invitation among the three of them and how to answer, I have my character turn to my pale-green unicorn friend; and I ask, “Are you alright, Lyra?”

Lyra tries unsuccessfully to stifle a sob or two, then sniffles as she looks up at my character and says, “Yea, I guess.”

I have my character stroke the side of her neck, which seems to work in making her feel better.

In the mean time, as my character looks at Pinkie Pie, I can see evidence of some kind of conflict building up in her. I'm guessing she wanted to defend me, but my telling her that I didn't want her to act out violently is keeping her from acting on her feelings. At some point I guess I'm going to have to talk with her about her feelings, and how she can act on them without being violent.

Now, back to the trio that, besides Vinyl, makes up her band. After a few seconds in a huddle, the trio separate; and Drum Roll approaches my character and says, “Alright, here's what we've decided. Mormon, if you'll sing for us, we'll go to your house for one reading.”

Pinkie Pie approaches the light-gray pegasa and asks, “Do you Pinkie promise?”

I'm guessing Drum Roll either doesn't hear the warning coming form Vinyl Scratch or chooses to ignore it. Either way, she answers, “Sure, I'll Pinkie promise.”

Apparently satisfied with the light-gray pegasa, the pink earth pony turns to my character and asks, in a quieter voice, “So, Mormon, what do you plan on singing?”

I think about it for a moment before I answer, “Well, I chose this song for Octavia and Vinyl to help them with their own alcoholic habits. So, I figure, why not sing it to Vinyl's friends?”

The only indication I get from Pinkie Pie, the only one I need, that she understands what “this song” is is a growing smile on her face. She hugs my character and says, “Do it, Mormon. Sing that song for Vinyl's friends.”

As soon as the pink party pony lets go of my character, I have him rise and focus on the trio of musicians. Then I clear my throat and sing “Light Up the Land.”

Of course, ponies all around me, not just patrons of the tavern, join in the chorus, and it seems that some ponies even produce musical instruments and start playing them.

The entire song takes some four minutes, give or take a few seconds, and the ponies that joined in disperse after the last note ends.

Based on the looks on the faces of the trio, I'm guessing they weren't expecting me to sing at all.

Lotta Pipes stammers, “W-well, that was p-pretty good.”

I accept the compliment with a word of gratitude before asking, “So, will you come to the reading this evening?”

The three ponies stammer out staggered affirmations; and I let them know that other ponies will be heading through the Everfree forest to my house for the reading as well.

After that, Pinkie Pie makes Lotta Pipes and Sweet Tones Pinkie promise to attend. And, when she's satisfied, my group of six separate from the three musicians and head back to Octavia's and Vinyl's house.

When the group is back in their positions on the couches, Vinyl says, “Well, that went a lot better than I expected.”

Octavia says, “Agreed.”

I ask, “So, when do you plan on getting back together with your musical groups?”

The two look at each other, then back at my character, and Vinyl answers, “I guess it depends on how things go at tonight's reading.”

Octavia answers, “I honestly don't know. My group isn't normally known for singing, and I have to wonder if they're going to expect me to drink wine before or after a performance. I used to have a glass after a practice or before a performance just to relax. Now that I don't have that, well, I'm not sure I even want to go back.”

Lyra, who by now has recomposed herself, says, “Well, if you're looking to start a new band, I'd be honored to be part of it. My talent's with string instruments, and I'm always willing to learn a new melody or song.”

Octavia smiles and says, “Well, thank you, Lyra. I may just take you up on that.”

Then, Pinkie Pie leans toward my character and asks, “”Uh, shouldn't we head over to the clinic to see how Mr. and Mrs. Cake are doin'?”

I answer her, “Well, if you want.”

Then, I hear Vinyl say, “I have noticed that the Cakes don't seem to be at Sugar Cube Corner anymore. And, they haven't been to last night's reading, either. What happened to them?”

I answer, “I'm guessing Mrs. Cake is getting close to foaling. She got sick yesterday working at Sugar Cube Corner, and Mr. Cake rushed her over to the clinic. Apparently she's fine, and they're just keeping her there at least until she foals. And, I'm sure they're going to release her when they're sure she's alright. And, Mr. Cake is staying with her to make sure she's fine.”

Octavia smiles and says, “Well, that makes sense. If Mrs. Cake isn't feelin' well, then it makes sense that Mr. Cake would want to spend time with her.”

Vinyl, on the other hand, frowns and says, “The only problem with that is a lot of ponies in town depend on the Cakes for their bread. Before you came for a visit, I walked by Sugar Cube Corner; and I saw a line of ponies building in front of the front door. Just goes to show how many ponies have gotten addicted to the Cakes' bakin'.”

I don't say this aloud, but it's difficult to ignore the fact that it sounded like Vinyl was referring to the Cakes' bacon. And, I do agree with one thing. It would be a good idea to check up on the Cakes at the clinic, if for no other reason than to see how Mrs. Cake is doing.

And, on that subject, it turns out that I don't have to say anything; as Octavia rises and leaps from her position on the couch, then says to her four guests, “Well, if you need to visit the Cakes at the clinic, then we won't hold you back.” And, with that, she approaches the front door.

Taking that as the signal, Lyra, Weed Whacker, Pinkie Pie and my character rise and leave their positions on the couch, then follow Octavia to the door to be let out. Once outside, we say our farewells, then proceed to the gingerbread bakery to see what's happening there.

And, sure enough, in spite of the sign on the door reading “Closed,” there is a growing line of ponies at the front door waiting to get in.

Among the four of us, we debate whether to go visit the Cakes at the clinic first or try to dismiss the line of earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns that are waiting to get in to Sugar Cube Corner.

That is, until Pinkie Pie marches to the front of the line, clears her throat, and calls out, “Now, if I may have everypony's attention, I'd like to make an announcement!” Then, with the attention of all the ponies in the line, she continues, “I'm aware that you've come to buy bread from here; but Mrs. Cake is in the clinic right now, and Mr. Cake is with her! We don't know how long they'll be there, but I'm sure Mr. Cake will open the bakery again as soon as he and Mrs. Cake are out of the clinic!”

I notice, from my character's perspective, an earth stallion, something of a dirt-tan color, with gray mane and tail. From my character's present perspective, I can see he's wearing a white-and-blue collar; and I can also see his cutie mark, three bags, each with a dollar sign. Noting that it is indeed Filthy Rich I'm seeing among the ponies in the line, I'm not sure if I want to draw his attention to my character right now. Still, I notice he's the one that calls out to Pinkie Pie, “I didn't come here to be told to leave! I'm just here for one loaf of bread!”

In response, Pinkie Pie screeches, “I'm really, really sorry; but until further notice, Sugar Cube Corner is closed!”

At this point, Filthy Rich starts a chant; and the other ponies join in: “Let us in! Let us in!”

Evidently having failed to disperse the line, Pinkie Pie separates herself from it, approaches my character, and, with a worried look on her face, says, “I'm sorry. But, it looks like they're not going anywhere unless we open Sugar Cube Corner and give them what they want.”

I say, “Well, let's go over to the clinic and talk to Mr. Cake about it. If he says it's alright to open the bakery long enough to satisfy the line of customers here, then that's what we'll do.”

Lyra, already pointed in that direction, starts trotting and says, “So, let's get going.”

The rest of the group, in agreement, starts running, causing Lyra to gallop along with.

At the clinic, it's Pinkie Pie who informs the nurse pony at the front desk that she and the rest of the group are there to see how Mrs. Cake is doing.

The nurse pony leaves the front desk for a minute or two, then returns with Mr. Cake.

As soon as she sees the orange earth stallion, Pinkie Pie says, “Mr. Cake, there's a line of ponies waiting to get into Sugar Cube Corner, and they're not gonna take 'no' for an answer.”

Mr. Cake seems to take the instant sidetracking in stride as he turns to the pink earth mare and says, “Oh. Well, I'm sorry, Pinkie, but I just can't leave my wife here. I hope you understand.”

I answer, “I do understand. But, noting the insistent mob outside of Sugar Cube Corner, we were wondering if we could open the shop just long enough to give them what they want, then close down again when they're satisfied.”

Mr. Cake hums and taps his chin with a front hoof in uncertainty for a moment, then puts the hoof down again and says, “Alright, but only until the group outside Sugar Cube Corner gets what they want.” He then turns to the pink earth pony and says, “Pinkie Pie, I'm putting you in charge to make sure everything runs smoothly while Sugar Cube Corner is open, and to close it down when the customers are satisfied.”

Pinkie Pie salutes Mr. Cake like a soldier, or at least as much like one as a pony can, and says, “You can count on me, Mr. Cake.” Then, after getting a satisfied nod from the orange earth stallion, she turns and marches for the front door of the clinic.

But, before I have my character join her, as well as Lyra and Weed Whacker who are also following the pink party pony, I ask Mr. Cake, “Oh, and by the way, how is Mrs. Cake doing?”

The orange earth stallion smiles and answers, “She's doing just fine. Doctor Horse thinks she'll foal in a couple of days, so we'll have to stay here at least that long. But, I'm not sure how she'll take the news that I've just put Pinkie Pie in charge of Sugar Cube Corner for the day.”

I state, “If it helps any, I'll help her make sure things go smoothly. And, knowing Pinkie, I'm sure it won't just be us four involved for the day.”

Mr. Cake forces a nervous laugh and says, “Whatever you can do to keep Sugar Cube Corner standing while Pinkie Pie is in charge will be appreciated.” And, with that, he heads back, or so I assume, to Mrs. Cake.

While my character makes it outside, Pinkie Pie, waiting for him, asks, “So you think I should've Pinkie promised?”

I answer, “I don't know that it really matters right now. So, do you think we have enough here, or do we need more?”

Pinkie Pie hums for a moment in thought, then says, “The more we can get to help, the better. Maybe Twilight and Rarity?”

I state, “I suppose, as long as they're willing. So, shall we head to the library first?”

Pinkie Pie smiles at my character and answers, “Sounds good to me.”

Well, as it turns out, Carousel Boutique is along the pathway between the library and the clinic.

As we're approaching the boutique, it's Lyra who asks, “Considering we're going to talk to Rarity anyway, why don't we stop by Carousel Boutique and talk to her first?”

Pinkie Pie, who's leading the group, slows down and stops, then says, “You may be right, Lyra. Sure, let's do that.” And, with that, and with the other three following her, Pinkie Pie makes her way to the front door of the boutique and enters.

And, it's to my pleasant surprise, at least, that Twilight just happens to be there, evidently delivering some books to and collecting others from Rarity, at a table on the main floor, in the front room.

After the group of four salute the group of two, it's Twilight who asks, “So, what brings you here?”

Pinkie Pie asks in response, “Have you seen the line building over at Sugar Cube Corner?”

Rarity answers, “I was about to get in line over there until I saw how long it was getting. Is there something wrong with the Cakes, darling?”

I answer, “Mrs. Cake became ill yesterday.”

At my announcement, the purple and white unicorns exchange worried looks, then turn back to my character; and Rarity asks, “Well, is she alright?”

I continue, “She's fine. But, they're keeping her at the clinic until she foals. And, Mr. Cake's staying with her.”

Presently, Rarity says, “And, let me guess. The Cakes have closed down Sugar Cube Corner in the mean time.”

At this time, Pinkie Pie says, “That's right. But, the crowd of ponies is demanding their bread.”

Twilight thinks aloud, “That is a problem.”

I state, “That's the bad news. The good news is that Mr. Cake has given Pinkie Pie permission to open the bakery, given her charge over it, until the customers are satisfied.”

Again the two unicorns at the table exchange worried looks, then it's Rarity who looks at my character again and asks, “Uh, that's good news?”

An offended Pinkie Pie glares at the white unicorn and snarls, “Hey.”

I answer, “Like I said, it's only until the customers are satisfied. Besides, Weed Whacker, Lyra and I'll be helping her.”

Immediately Rarity rises and says, “Well, that will simply not be enough. I must also help.”

Twilight Sparkle also rises; and she says, smiling, “You can count on me to help out, too.”

Pinkie Pie, still offended by the implications of her unicorn friends, stomps a front hoof and says, “Now, wait a minute here.”

At this point, I have my character kneel next to Pinkie Pie; and I say, “Now, Pinkie, it's alright.” Then, when I see that I have the pink party pony's attention, I continue, “You came here to get some help, and you're getting it. Just be grateful for that.”

Pinkie Pie's glare melts into an expression of sadness as she listens to me, then says, “But, they're making it sound like I won't be able to run Sugar Cube Corner.”

I state, “Well, this is your chance to prove them wrong. Being in charge, you can delegate responsibilities. When we get to Sugar Cube Corner, you can give them the jobs you think they'll be best for, and they should respect you enough to do those jobs.”

I hear a begrudging tone in Pinkie Pie's voice as she turns to the door behind her and says, “Oh, alright.” Before leaving through that door, she turns to Twilight and Rarity and kind of growls, “Let's go.” And, with that, she leaves through the door.

As the group of six leaves the boutique, and Rarity puts a “Closed” sign on the door, it's a still-upset Pinkie Pie in the lead.

Twilight catches up to the pink earth pony and says, “I'm sorry, Pinkie. I didn't mean to suggest that you wouldn't know what you were doing.”

Pinkie Pie sighs and says, “Thanks for saying that, Twilight. I forgive you.”

The distance between the boutique and the bakery isn't very great, and nothing more is said among the group in the mean time.

At Sugar Cube Corner, the six enter the back door; after which Pinkie Pie says, “Alright. I'm not used to working this way, but it looks like we're going to have to handle things here like a restaurant.” Turning to the purple unicorn, she says, “Twilight, you'll be in charge of the cash register. That means that you'll be taking orders as well.” Turning to the white unicorn, she continues, “Rarity, I'm putting you in charge of the front door, and delivering orders to us in the back from Twilight. That means you'll be opening Sugar Cube Corner, then closing it when the customers are satisfied.” Turning to the pale-green unicorn, Pinkie Pie continues, “Lyra, you'll be in charge of gathering and mixing ingredients.” To my character, the pink earth pony says, “Mormon, I want you to sort out the orders and tell us in the kitchen what all needs to be done.” To the dinosaur, she says, “Weed Whacker, I'm putting you in charge of cleanup.” Finally, to the entire group, she concludes, “I'll be doing the baking. So, if there are no questions, let's get to work.”

As I figured, Twilight and Rarity obediently take positions in the front room.

Knowing that the main product of a bakery is bread, I have my character turn to Pinkie Pie; and I ask, “So, how many loaves of bread does the Cakes' oven handle at a time?”

Pinkie Pie smiles for a moment, then, with a serious expression on her face, scratches her chin with a front hoof. Eventually, she answers, “You know, I've never seen the Cakes put more than four loaves in the oven at a time. And, I've never put in more than that.”

It seemed to me a good idea to ask the question, just to get a good idea, based on how many ponies would most likely be asking for loaves of bread, so I would know when to come in with orders of bread.

Pinkie seems to know why I've asked, as she says, “You don't have to worry. I expect we'll get lots of orders for bread, so we're gonna get to work on those immediately.”

I don't say this aloud; but, considering it's equines working in and ordering from Sugar Cube Corner, I anticipate it'll be loaves of oat bread. What I do say is, “Alright then, ready when you are.”

Indeed, as I watch, Lyra produces oat flour, eggs, milk, water, butter, and other ingredients for oat bread, mixes them together with surprising expertise, then hands the bowl over to Pinkie Pie, along with bread pans.

The pink earth pony, in the mean time, prepares the bread and puts it in the pans, then places them in the oven.

I've had my own experience baking oat bread, and I've implemented that experience into this game. But, one thing I wonder about is, are there going to be orders for other pastries, such as cake? I suppose I'll get the answer to that question soon enough.

In the mean time, Rarity hands me a few pieces of paper with orders on them.

The first four, as expected, are orders for a loaf of bread each. The next is for a batch of cookies, then two more orders for a loaf of bread each, then an order for a chocolate cake.

I sort the eight orders based on frequency, then call out, “Alright, on order: six loaves of bread, one order of cookies, and one order for a chocolate cake!”

As soon as I mention the cake, I hear Pinkie Pie say, “Oh, shoot, I forgot!”

I have my character turn to the pink earth pony, and I ask, “Is everything alright, Pinkie?”

Pinkie Pie turns to my character and says, “Everything's fine. I just remembered who that cake is for.”

I ask, “So, is the cake ready to go?”

Pinkie Pie answers, “It should be.” Then, backing away from the oven and turning around, she says, “In fact, it should be in one of the displays right now.”

As the pink earth pony walks up to my character, I have him sidestep to the left to allow her to pass.

As she walks by, Pinkie Pie says, “This shouldn't take very long.” Then, after she enters the main room of the bakery, I hear her ask, “So, who wanted the chocolate cake?”

A male voice answers; and, I assume, Pinkie Pie retrieves the cake for him; and a ring from the cash register, as well as effects of light metal hitting light metal, tell me that the cake has been purchased.

When Pinkie Pie returns, she says, “I'm glad I remembered. I wouldn't want the Cakes to be left with too much cake.”

Isn't it interesting how baking physics in video games works differently than baking physics in reality? Evidently, when it comes to preparing food with heat, we humans, at least as gamers, are less patient in video games than we are in reality. Even I, in this game, have made the baking time in the game a fraction of what it is in reality. Of course, on the other hand, I've done so to match the number of hours it normally takes to prepare food with heat. And, the logical assumption is that other people who make games have done that for that purpose as well, matching the preparation time with the time of the game.

And, so it is. As orders come in, loaves of bread are sent out as soon as they're ready to go. And, other orders are made and sent out as they're issued and delivered, occupying the rest of the game day, but at the same time also proving equally and surprisingly enjoyable and tiring.

When the last order is completed, Rarity closes the bakery down; all join Weed Whacker in the last bit of cleanup; and the group of six head over to the clinic to report to Mr. Cake on how things went. After that, Pinkie Pie, Lyra, Weed Whacker and my character wait on the outskirts of town while Rarity goes to the boutique to pick up her copy of the Book of Mormon, and Twilight Sparkle goes to the library to pick up her copy and Spike.

And, while the group is waiting, Pinkie Pie takes the opportunity to go to the house of Vinyl and Octavia to see if the members of Vinyl's band are ready to come to the reading.

In the mean time, Rarity's parents meet up with us, Sweetie Belle in tow, talking about the vacation, and how it seemed that Sweetie Belle couldn't wait to return to Ponyville to be with her sister again.

While it seems that Rarity, when she meets up with the group again, is happy to see her little sister again, she's not so happy to see her parents.

And, Spike had evidently wondered why it had taken so long for Twilight to get back to the library.

Then, Pinkie Pie returns fuming, evidently because the members of Vinyl's band had decided not to go to this evening's reading after all. But, she at least brought Vinyl and Octavia with her.

With that much apparently done, the group proceeds out of town, that is until I hear a familiar female voice behind the group call out, “Mormon, you wait right there! My daddy wants to have a talk with you!”

My character turns around to show me that it's none other than Diamond Tiara, along with her father, Filthy Rich.

I open my mouth to say hello to the two earth ponies, but the earth stallion speaks first, saying, “Diamond Tiara's been telling me some interesting things about you.”

I answer, “And, Diamond Tiara's told me some interesting things about you.” As I have my character extend a hand to the earth stallion, I say, “So, you must be Filthy.”

The tan earth stallion glares and growls at me for a few seconds, then says, “My name is Filthy Rich! Call me Filthy Rich, or just Mr. Rich!”

I have my character withdraw his hand as I answer, “Whatever you say, Mr. Filthy.”

While I enjoy calling him that, mainly because I know it gets on his nerves, the rest of the ponies, save for Twilight apparently, clearly disagree.

While Filthy Rich continues to growl about my use of his name, Diamond Tiara says to him, “There, you see? He doesn't have any respect for any of us.”

At the same time, Pinkie Pie's saying to my character, “Mormon, this isn't the time to be making fun of his name. Just repent and call him Mr. Rich.”

I have my character lean toward the pink earth pony as I say, “You're right.” Then, I have him stand up straight again as I say, “I'm sorry, Mr. Rich. I shouldn't have made fun of you.”

It's difficult to tell whether it was my repenting or just my admitting that I made fun of him that surprises Filthy Rich more. Whatever it is, instead of growling and glaring, he just stands there with a surprised look on his face. When he does talk again, he says, “You admit you were making fun of me?”

I have my character kneel on one knee in front of the tan earth stallion as I say, “Yes, I'm willing to admit my mistake.”

Diamond Tiara, right next to him, growls, “Don't take that from him.”

Filthy Rich leans toward his daughter and responds, “Shut up, Little Richie.”

At this point, it's all I can do to keep from laughing. Evidently I'm not the only one who's called Diamond Tiara by that nick name. I can only guess, at least right now, that it's the nick name Filthy Rich gave to his daughter, although I doubt either of them would know the reference.

At any rate, Filthy Rich turns to my character again and says, “I didn't expect you to own up to just calling me by my first name, and making fun of it. But, if you're not going to pursue that offense any further, then I see no reason why I shouldn't forgive you.”

Pinkie Pie sighs with relief after I accept Filthy Rich's forgiveness with a word of gratitude, and Filthy Rich welcomes it.

Then, I ask, “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

The tan earth pony noses toward the Everfree forest as he says, “I'm guessing you're headed that way?”

I answer, “We are. My home is on the other side of the forest, and I hold regular scripture readings there. Would you like to join us?”

Filthy Rich nods and answers, “As a matter of fact, yes, I would.”

Considering that as a sufficient acceptance, I have my character head into the Everfree forest, followed by his friends, both new and old, following or keeping up with him.

As they're walking past Fluttershy's cottage, I hear Filthy Rich say, “So, I hear you've been calling my daughter by the nick name I've given her.”

Well, that confirms my suspicions. I answer, “Before her cute-seniera a half a week ago, that's right. I wasn't aware, at the time, that you'd nick named her that, too.”

Next, as the group heads into the forest proper, Filthy Rich asks, “Is it true that you said that my first name was influencing Diamond Tiara's attitude toward everything around her?”

I answer, “I had theorized something to that effect, yes.” I then have my character turn to the tan earth stallion as I ask, “Have you asked her about that?”

Filthy Rich looks up at my character again, then ahead, then shakes his head and says, “I don't think it's that, so much, as me having to leave home so often to go on business trips. I don't get to stay home that long before I have to leave again.”

I have my character look ahead along the trail as I say, “I suppose it can get difficult to find a balance between business and home.” I then ask, “How much time do you get to spend with Diamond Tiara, anyway?”

I hear Filthy Rich sigh, then say, “Not enough, I'm afraid.”

At this point, I hear Diamond Tiara growl under her breath, “Daddy!”

Again I have trouble keeping from laughing when I hear Filthy Rich say, “Well, it's true,” then Diamond Tiara say, “Well, you don't have to tell everypony about it.”

Filthy Rich answers her, “I'm not telling every pony. Your human friend asked about it, and I answered.”

Diamond Tiara groans, “Well, you didn't have to tell him. And, he's not my friend.”

Then, after a few seconds, I hear Filthy Rich ask, “Is what your human friend said true? Is my first name influencing your attitude toward everything and everypony around you?”

Diamond Tiara insists, “Mormon is not my human friend. He's not even a friend. And, well, as for your name, …”

It's clear that the little pink earth filly doesn't want to say anything to acknowledge my theory, and refuses to speak even when her father prods her about it. I'm beginning to think that I'm right about what I said about her. Maybe having a father with a name like Filthy is at least part of the source of her social problems after all.

But, it's no longer than an hour before the group arrives at my character's house.

Diamond Tiara, Filthy Rich, Octavia and Vinyl wait outside, and the rest of the group go inside.

I have my character proceed to get another copy of the Book of Mormon for Filthy Rich. Then, my character turns to Pinkie Pie when it's evident that she's trying to get his attention; and I can see, through his eyes, that Pinkie Pie is starting to turn pale, and she's not acting right.

At least having a good idea of what's happening, I say, “Uh-oh,” then have my character put his copy of the book into his inventory, then follow Pinkie Pie through the kitchen and into the bathroom across from my bedroom.

Once inside, as my character closes the door behind him, Pinkie Pie stumbles to the toilet and opens the lid, then points her head inside. In that position, she says, “I had … to sample some of the cookie dough.”

I have my character produce the insulin kit from his inventory, then produce a needle from the kit, as I say, “It may be a good idea to hand control over to Diane while I do this.”

Just then, Pinkie Pie waves a front hoof toward my character as she says, “Just um—“ then I hear a belch and a splattering sound. At least she could keep it down this long. When she pulls her face out of the toilet, she seems to be wearing white clown makeup, and looks anything but happy. She pulls the lever, then drops to the floor again; then, in a moment, her mane and tail straighten, and her mane falls to one side of her head and neck.

At this point, Diane turns to my character and says, “I'm ready.”

With that as confirmation, I have my character pull the protective seal off of the needle, then choose a spot just above her visible cutie mark, then I have him stick the needle into her. I must say, Diane's self control is really impressive. She doesn't even try to kick me while I inject the insulin from the needle into her hip, then pull the needle back out again.

I then put the protective seal on the needle again before throwing it in the nearest garbage container. When I turn to see Pinkie Pie again, her mane and tail are back to being curly, indicating that Pinkamena is back in control.

Her smile seems somewhat forced as she says, “Thank you, Mormon.”

I answer, “I'm glad I could help.” Then, I ask, “So, how was the cookie dough?”

Pinkie Pie forces a laugh as she says, “It was really sweet. It tasted better when I was eating it than when I was throwing it back up again.”

I can see, through my character's eyes, color returning to the pink earth pony's face; so, I ask her, “So, do you think you can go outside now and greet guests?”

Pinkie Pie smiles and says, “I am feeling better.” Then, she tries to take a step toward my character, but stumbles and falls on the leg where I'd given her the injection. In pain she yelps, “Ow! Ow-ow-ow!” Then, she looks up at my character; and I can see, through his eyes, her eyes are starting to tear up as she whimpers, “Maybe not.”

I have my character proceed to help her up as I say, “You may want to try exercising that leg for a while. It should make it feel better.”

As my character lets her go and she stabilizes on her hooves, she asks, “Do you think so?”

I answer, ”I've had pains in my legs before. And, it's been my experience that walking on them for a while does make them feel better.”

Pinkie Pie looks behind her at her leg as she says, “Alright, I'll try.” Then, she flexes the leg a few times, then puts it down and lifts the other leg, applying the weight of her hind quarters on the injected leg, then sort of marches her hind quarters in place. After maybe a minute she stops, then turns to me and says, “You know, I think you're right. It does feel better now.”

I ask, “So, are you ready to greet guests then?”

Pinkie Pie smiles even more, now, and says, “You know, I think I am!”

I have my character open the door for the pink earth pony, then move out of the way so she can exit and head into the kitchen ahead of him. I notice she has a slight limp in the leg where I injected her, but she doesn't seem to let it bother her. I have my character close the bathroom door as soon as the pink earth pony is far enough ahead, then follow her into the kitchen, through the front room, and outside to see that at least forty creatures, including the princesses, are in the front yard. I can only guess the number of creatures following my character home had been more than I'd thought.

Then I realize I hadn't given Filthy Rich his copy of the Book of Mormon yet; and I have my character go back inside and check the coffee table, then the couches, before I remember I had my character put the new copy in his inventory. After that, I have my character go outside and produce the copy of the book from his inventory and hand it to Filthy Rich.

When the circle has been formed around the snack tray, which I can only assume was prepared by Carrot Top and Berry Punch, I say, “This evening, we'll be starting with chapter ten of the Second Book of Nephi. Do I have a volunteer to offer a brief review for Filthy Rich's benefit?”

As an answer to my question, Emerald Hill rises and briefly describes the events that took place in the First Book of Nephi, then what had been in the readings on up to the end of chapter nine of the Second Book.

When my pegasus friend is finished, something occurs to me; and I say, "That reminds me. I seem to remember someone asked me for a copy of the Book of Isaiah?"

That's when Berry Ground, my earth pony friend, rises and says, "That was me."

I have my character stand up and produce the book from his inventory, then walk over to the earth stallion and hand it to him, as I say, "Well, here it is. I hope you enjoy reading it."

Berry Ground accepts the document, then says, "Thank you. I hope I enjoy reading it, too."

After that, I have my character return to his position between Weed Whacker and Mayor Mare, then turn to Filthy Rich; and I ask, “Mr. Rich, will you please start with verse one?”

Filthy Rich smiles and nods, then looks down into his copy and reads, “And now I, Jacob, speak unto you again, my beloved brethren, concerning this righteous branch of which I have spoken.”

After that, Diamond Tiara looks up at him and says, “I'll read next, Daddy,” then looks down into her own book and reads, “For behold, the promises which we have obtained are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer.”

Next, Silver Spoon reads, “Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ—for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name—should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God.”

Cheerilee reads, “For should the mighty miracles be wrought among other nations they would repent, and know that he be their God.”

Namby Pamby reads, “But because of priestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be crucified.” Looking up at my character, the little colt innocently asks, “What's a priestcraft?”

I answer, “From what I understand based on what I've read, and what we'll read later in the Book of Mormon, priestcraft is the idea that servants of God, or at least priests, should be popular, and be supported by the people and not have to do their own work. It's not the kind of attitude that God would want us to have. God wants us to do our own work, so we earn our own rewards, and not seek to be popular in the eyes of others. That was a good question, by the way.”

As Namby Pamby seems satisfied by my answer, Twist reads, “Wherefore, because of their iniquities, destructions, famines, pestilences, and bloodshed shall come upon them; and they who shall not be destroyed shall be scattered among all nations.”

Scootaloo reads, “But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance.”

Sweetie Belle reads, “And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance.”

Applebloom reads, “Yea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers unto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers; wherefore, the promises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles, for he hath spoken it, and who can dispute?”

Applejack reads, “But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land.”

Big MacIntosh reads, “And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.”

Granny Smith reads, “And I will fortify this land against all other nations.”

Hoity Toity reads, “And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God.”

Hoity Toity's servant reads, “For he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words.”

Rarity's father reads, “Wherefore, for this cause, that my covenants may be fulfilled which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations.”

Rarity's mother reads, “Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; for they are they who are the whore of all the earth; for they who are not for me are against me, saith our God.”

Rarity reads, “For I will fulfil my promises which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh—“

Spike reads, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God: I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be blessed and numbered among the house of Israel.”

Twilight Sparkle reads, “Wherefore, I will consecrate this land unto thy seed, and them who shall be numbered among thy seed, forever, for the land of their inheritance; for it is a choice land, saith God unto me, above all other lands, wherefore I will have all men that dwell thereon that they shall worship me, saith God.”

Fluttershy reads, “And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea.”

Rainbow Dash reads, “But great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there must needs be more than this, and they are inhabited also by our brethren.”

Pinkie Pie reads, “For behold, the Lord God has led away from time to time from the house of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And now behold, the Lord remembereth all them who have been broken off, wherefore he remembereth us also.”

Bon-Bon reads, “Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.”

Lyra reads, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.”

Weed Whacker reads, “Wherefore, may God raise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen.”

At this point, I say, “Well, since we've come to the end of this chapter and several of us haven't gotten a chance to read yet, I say we move on to chapter eleven.”

This time, before others in the circle can voice agreement or disagreement, Princess Celestia turns to my character and says, “Go ahead, Mormon.”

So, with the evident support of at least one of the princesses, I nod, then read, “And now, Jacob spake many more things to my people at that time; nevertheless only these things have I caused to be written, for the things which I have written sufficeth me.”

Mayor Mare reads, “And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.”

Zecora reads, “And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words.”

Princess Celestia reads, “Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.”

Princess Luna reads, “And also my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.”

Vinyl Scratch reads, “And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that save Christ should come all men must perish.”

Octavia reads, “For if there be no Christ there be no God; and if there be no God we are not, for there could have been no creation. But there is a God, and he is Christ, and he cometh in the fulness of his own time.”

Carrot Top reads, “And now I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men. Now these are the words, and ye may liken them unto you and unto all men.”

This time, before I have a chance to say anything, Princess Luna turns to Berry Punch and says, “You may go ahead and start reading chapter twelve.”

Before the purple-red mare can begin reading, though, I say, “First, though, I'd just like to mention that this next chapter is the first of thirteen straight where Nephi quotes chapters from the Book of Isaiah. They can be difficult to understand, so anyone with questions please feel free to ask.” After that, I have my character turn to the purple-red earth pony; and I say, “You can go ahead and start reading chapter twelve, Berry Punch.”

She nods, then looks down into her book and reads, “The word that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:”

Next, Colgate reads, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.”

Warm Heart reads, “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

Snails reads, “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks—nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

Snips reads, “O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord; yea, come, for ye have all gone astray, every one to his wicked ways.”

Cold Hands reads, “Therefore, O Lord, thou hast forsaken thy people, the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and hearken unto soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.”

Berry Ground reads, “Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots.”

Stunts reads, “Their land is also full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.”

Emerald Hill reads, “And the mean man boweth not down, and the great man humbleth himself not, therefore, forgive him not.”

Filthy Rich reads, “O ye wicked ones, enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for the fear of the Lord and the glory of his majesty shall smite thee.”

Diamond Tiara reads, “And it shall come to pass that the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.”

Silver Spoon reads, “For the day of the Lord of Hosts soon cometh upon all nations, yea, upon every one; yea, upon the proud and lofty, and upon every one who is lifted up, and he shall be brought low.”

Cheerilee reads, “Yea, and the day of the Lord shall come upon all the cedars of Lebanon, for they are high and lifted up; and upon all the oaks of Bashan;”

Namby Pamby reads, “And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills, and upon all the nations which are lifted up, and upon every people;”

Twist reads, “And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall;”

Scootaloo reads, “And upon all the ships of the sea, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.”

Sweetie Belle reads, “And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.”

Applebloom reads, “And the idols he shall utterly abolish.”

Applejack reads, “And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for the fear of the Lord shall come upon them and the glory of his majesty shall smite them, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.”

Big MacIntosh reads, “In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which he hath made for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;”

Granny Smith reads, “To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for the fear of the Lord shall come upon them and the majesty of his glory shall smite them, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.”

Hoity Toity reads, “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?”

At this point, I have my character stand up; and I say, “Now that everyone's had a chance to read at least one verse, I have a question for you. Would you like to continue until everyone's read at least two verses, or should we end the reading for tonight and continue tomorrow where we left off?”

Every creature in the circle seems to have an answer to my question, although, based on all talking at once and in the same tone, I'm finding it impossible to tell specifically who is of what opinion. Even so, if I go by smiling faces around the circle, well, at least the vast majority of them are happy with their decision.

Ultimately, though, it's Princess Celestia who has the final say on the matter. She rises and stretches her wings as she says, “The next two chapters aren't very long. In fact, chapter fourteen is only six verses. That and the number of verses in chapter thirteen should be enough so that everypony has at least two verses to have read, with a few having read three. Thus, I propose we go ahead and read those two chapters, and then call it a night.”

Somehow, I'm not surprised to hear a loud shout of “Yay!” from the supporters. But, I can't help chuckle to myself when I hear, “All opposed, say neigh!” But, the silence that follows makes my laughter pretty obvious.

I say I'm sorry for having laughed, after which I add, “But, anyway, since everyone's decided in favor of reading two more chapters, let's go ahead and do that.” I then have my character sit down again as I say to Hoity Toity's servant, “Will you go ahead with verse one of chapter thirteen?”

Hoity Toity's servant nods, then looks down into his book and reads, “For behold, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem, and from Judah, the stay and the staff, the whole staff of bread, and the whole stay of water—”

Rarity's father reads, “The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient;”

Rarity's mother reads, “The captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counselor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.”

Rarity reads, “And I will give children unto them to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.”

Spike reads, “And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor; the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honorable.”

Twilight Sparkle reads, “When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, and shall say: Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let not this ruin come under thy hand—”

Fluttershy reads, “In that day shall he swear, saying: I will not be a healer; for in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; make me not a ruler of the people.”

Rainbow Dash reads, “For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen, because their tongues and their doings have been against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.”

Pinkie Pie reads, “The show of their countenance doth witness against them, and doth declare their sin to be even as Sodom, and they cannot hide it. Wo unto their souls, for they have rewarded evil unto themselves!”

Bon-Bon reads, “Say unto the righteous that it is well with them; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”

Lyra reads, “Wo unto the wicked, for they shall perish; for the reward of their hands shall be upon them!”

Weed Whacker reads, “And my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they who lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths.”

I read, “The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.”

Mayor Mare reads, “The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people and the princes thereof; for ye have eaten up the vineyard and the spoil of the poor in your houses.”

Zecora reads, “What mean ye? Ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor, saith the Lord God of Hosts.”

Princess Celestia reads, “Moreover, the Lord saith: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet—”

Princess Luna reads, “Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.”

Vinyl Scratch reads, “In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments, and cauls, and round tires like the moon;”

Octavia reads, “The chains and the bracelets, and the mufflers;”

Carrot Top reads, “The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings;”

Berry Punch reads, “The rings, and nose jewels;”

Colgate reads, “The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping-pins;”

Warm Heart reads, “The glasses, and the fine linen, and hoods, and the veils.”

Snails reads, “And it shall come to pass, instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth; burning instead of beauty.”

Snips reads, “Thy men shall fall by the sword and thy mighty in the war.”

Cold Hands reads, “And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate, and shall sit upon the ground.”

Berry Ground reads, “And in that day, seven women shall take hold of one man, saying: We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach.”

Stunts reads, “In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the earth excellent and comely to them that are escaped of Israel.”

Emerald Hill reads, “And it shall come to pass, they that are left in Zion and remain in Jerusalem shall be called holy, every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem—”

Filthy Rich reads, “When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning.”

Diamond Tiara reads, “And the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory of Zion shall be a defence.”

And, last of all, Silver Spoon reads, “And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain.”

At this point, I stand up and say, “And, that ends the reading for tonight. It's been a pleasure reading these chapters with you. Tomorrow we begin with chapter fifteen of the Second Book of Nephi. But, in the mean time, I hereby dismiss you. Please have a safe journey home.”

With my announcement, the ponies and dragons rise and stretch; and those not staying or teleporting away proceed to the gate to exit.

Pinkie Pie goes to the gate to offer each of the guests a cheerful goodbye, while Carrot Top heads to the vegetable garden, Lyra heads to the orchard, and Berry Punch heads to the vineyard.

When all the guests are dismissed, the ponies that went to gather food for dinner join Pinkie Pie, Weed Whacker, and my character inside the house, where the meal is prepared and eaten; and afterward, ponies, dinosaur, and human go to their rooms.

In my letter to the princesses, I make note of the problems Octavia and Vinyl seem to be having getting back into life in Ponyville: Vinyl getting back together with her band, and Octavia probably needing to organize a new band. I also write about the situation at Sugar Cube Corner, where my character, Pinkie Pie, Lyra, Weed Whacker, Rarity and Twilight had to open the bakery and serve until the line of customers outside was satisfied.

I also write about my first meeting with Diamond Tiara's father, Filthy Rich, and how I could've treated the situation better.

After concluding and signing the letter, I roll it up and deliver it to Weed Whacker for her to send it off. Then, I have my character return to his room and to go bed.

So, with that eventful day in the game behind me, I have to wonder what's going to be in store for Sugar Cube Corner in the future. Chances are Pinkie Pie and I are going to have to open the bakery again in order to satisfy another line of customers, and probably another the next day, until the Cakes are back from the clinic, very likely with two new foals to take care of.

And then, there are Vinyl Scratch and Octavia. Their future is evidently not clear-cut. And, tomorrow is going to be another day based on an episode; and, from what I understand, that episode is gonna take the element bearers, as well as my character, Weed Whacker, and Lyra, out of Ponyville. And, that means the group won't be able to open Sugar Cube Corner for any customers that come. But, that's a story for the game's tomorrow.

At this point, I save and end the game until then.

Author's Notes:

The next chapter will be based on the episode, "Sonic Rainboom," where the rest of the element bearers go to Cloudsdale to support Rainbow Dash in the Best Young Fliers' competition. And, it's guaranteed that Mormon will have some sort of roll in influencing the situation. Just a few of the things to look forward to in Chapter 16: The Icarus Effect.

The reading at the end of that chapter will be the Second Book of Nephi, chapters 15 through 18.