As I resume the game, I find my character waking up, not to pounding on his door or to the voice of one of his friends, of my friends, from the other side of it, but to the sound of somewhat screechy laughter from outside of his room, in fact from outside the house. Well, since I'm here to continue the game, I have him exit his room, then head through the house to the front door.

As my character opens the door and looks down, I happen to see, through his eyes, Pinkie Pie, under Pinkamena’s control, holding a letter in her mouth. As my character takes the letter from her, she says, “A diamond dog left it at your door. What’s it say, huh, Mormy? What’s it say, what’s it say?”

My character opens the letter, and I read, “To human:

“You are invite to special club time as special guest. You may bring friends with, but you are main guest.

“Please come soon. We look forward to you come. Instruction are on back of letter.”

As my character turns to the pink earth pony again, her head is tilted as she looks at him in return, a look of confusion and concern on her face. She asks, “‘We look forward to you come?’ What does that mean?”

I answer, “I think it means whoever dropped this letter off for me, evidently a member of a group of whoevers, is looking forward to me coming to whatever they have planned.” Then, my character turns the letter over, showing me through his eyes the map on the other side.

In the mean time, I see, through my character's eyes, Lyra and Weed Whacker approaching Pinkie Pie from behind, Lyra supporting the fruit she picked in her magic, and Weed Whacker carrying her harvest of vegetables in her arms.

While perhaps not the most detailed, or perhaps not the most professional looking, it is enough to let me know that the event is supposed to be in a cave, most likely the cave of the diamond dogs. The map is in two parts, with an arrow leading from the cave toward the top of the paper to the beginning of a maze-like pathway that covers the rest of that side of the paper. And, there’s a line following a course through those caves leading to, and ending at, a particular node.

I have my character put the letter in his inventory, during which time I hear Lyra say, “I don’t know about this. It sounds like a trap to me.”

As my character focuses on the pale-green unicorn, I state, “You may be right, Lyra. So, let’s get some breakfast, and we’ll head to Ponyville when we’re done.”

Lyra sounds relieved when she says, “Yeah, good idea.”

I then have my character follow Pinkie Pie out of the house, allowing Lyra and Weed Whacker to enter, when I hear the pink earth mare say, “You know, maybe we should head to that place on the map first. If those diamond dogs really want us to come to that ‘special club’ thing, they’re probably gonna grab Mormon and drag him away if he doesn’t come willingly. Lyra, are you sure it’s such a good idea for him to avoid the ‘special club’ thing?”

Now I hear Lyra say, “Pinkie Pie, I’m surprised at you." Somehow, it seems as though Lyra has borrowed Pinkie Pie's ability to come from nowhere. As my character focuses on the pale-green unicorn, she continues, "Yes I’m worried about Mormon’s safety. But, which is better for him, to just go willingly and get stuck in the diamond dogs’ trap, or to head to Ponyville first and know for sure if the diamond dogs are that interested in him?”

That seems to silence the pink earth pony.

At the trail between the house and the vineyard and orchard, Lyra turns around and returns to the house.

Once Pinkie Pie has jumped over the fence, her mane and tail immediately straighten out, and her mane falls to one side of her head, indicating Diane has taken over.

As she chooses a tree and kicks apples out of it, I say, “You can let Pinkamena know that I do appreciate that she cares about my safety. But, in this case, Lyra may be right. If the diamond dogs want me there so badly, maybe it’s just as well that they get the chance to prove themselves with the chance to take my freedom from me.”

Once four apples have fallen from the tree, Pinkie “Diane” Pie, in the process of gathering them, says, “That’s what worries her. She doesn’t want to see you lose your freedom, not even for a few minutes.” Reaching for the last apple to hang from her mane, she adds, “And, neither do I.”

Well, I guess it’s nice to know that Pinkie Pie is unanimous on the matter. It’s nice to know that both Pinkamena and Diane are concerned for my safety and freedom. But, since I’ve already read the letter, it could be that this day in the playthrough is all but written already. I could be like Muad’dib from the Dune series, with a script handed to me, and just having to play the role to the best of my abilities. But, I do know how this day will proceed, and I do have a plan of action, or inaction in this case, as to how I will respond. After all, the letter indicates to me that the plot of this day is my own variation of the “Know Your Mare” fan fic, in which various My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic characters, including each of the Mane Six, are put in front of an audience, and respond to various comments made by the announcer. This being my own version of that fiction, I plan on saying nothing in response to the announcer’s comments, if I end up in front of an audience of diamond dogs, which I expect will be the case.

It seems that it’s when I’m finished with this train of thought that I hear Pinkie Pie say, “Mormon, it’s time to go back inside now.” As my character focuses on the pink earth pony, I notice she’s back under the control of Pinkamena.

I say, “I’m coming, Pinkie.” And, with that, my character, who has been kneeling on one knee for the past few minutes, rises to his feet again and climbs back over the fence.

It doesn’t take long for the group of four to prepare the food, nor does it take long for them to eat it. And, after that, they leave to travel through the Everfree forest on their way to Ponyville.

As the four, lead by my character, leave the forest, my character is immediately met by a trio of diamond dogs, evidently led by Grover-Yoda.

The earth-tan diamond dog steps forward and says, “Nice to meet you, human. We want you come to special club time.”

Well, if there were any questions about who sent the letter, or any doubts about whether they want my character there or not, they’re all answered by the trio in front of my character.

I state, “Well, I appreciate that. But, I have other things I need to do. If this can wait until after I’m done for the day, I’ll get back to you then.”

Grover-Yoda grabs my character’s arm and says, “Oh, but it cannot wait. You come now.” And, he laughs evilly.

I recognize the pale-green aura that suddenly surrounds Grover-Yoda as that of Lyra’s magic, as, just as suddenly, the earth-tan diamond dog is immediately lifted into the air and tossed aside.

I then hear Lyra call out, “Mormon, run to Ponyville! I’ll hold them off!”

As my character starts to obey the pale-green unicorn, a taller, gray diamond dog jumps in his way and says, “I think not so,” then proceeds to grab him by the arm.

I then hear Pinkie Pie scream, “Do you ever think?” And, as I hear the last word, I see and hear the gray diamond dog yelp in pain, and fly off to the side, evidently propelled by the force of the pink party pony.

My character takes a few more running steps when his foot seems to get caught on something, and he falls.

Then, a voice that kind of reminds me of Scooby-doo, except with clearer speech, says, “You take ponies. You take dragon. I take human.”

I then hear Weed Whacker say, “Oh, no,” and see her make a run for Ponyville. But, to no avail, she’s apprehended by Grover-Yoda.

And, as my character stands up again, I notice two more diamond dogs, similar to the ones that’d attacked him and the rest of the rescue team just before they reached Rarity. And, by their posture, they’re not about to let my character past.

With Lyra and Pinkie Pie being held firm by the gray diamond dog, and Grover-Yoda holding on to Weed Whacker, and with two more diamond dogs having shown up, it’s evident to me that my character and his friends are outnumbered. I finally decide to say, “Alright, I’ll go with you to your special club time.”

The Scooby-doo diamond dog says, “Good.” Then, as the two new diamond dogs lead the way, the Scooby-doo diamond dog adds, “Now, let’s get going.”

The trek to the cave of the diamond dogs is without incident. It seems that the creatures of the Everfree forest respect, or perhaps fear, the diamond dogs as much as they respect my character.

Once inside, Grover-Yoda leads the way, followed by the two diamond guard dogs, then my character, then the Scooby-doo diamond dog, and finally the dog carrying Lyra and Pinkie Pie. Grover-Yoda leads the way through the main tunnel, then along a few side tunnels, to an enlarged node that seems to house a stage of some sort.

The two guard dogs force my character onto the stage, while Grover-Yoda and the dog carrying my two pony friends drops them onto the ground in front of the stage.

The two guard dogs take positions behind Lyra, Pinkie Pie and Weed Whacker, while other diamond dogs file into the node and take positions in front of the stage.

You know, considering there are no benches for any of the dogs to sit on, I find it surprising that they seat themselves in two groups in a really organized manner, with a path between them, at least as the game portrays them. I have to wonder, would the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic show portray the diamond dogs as so organized?

In the mean time, I have yet to see Grover-Yoda again. But, that last part doesn’t surprise me. I expect him to be the announcer for this event.

And, indeed, when the floor of the node behind my three friends is covered by the diamond dogs, I hear Grover-Yoda say, “Welcome, my friends, to a new show, which I call ‘Know Your Human.’”

And, throughout the audience, it seems that each diamond dog repeats once the words, “Know Your Human.” That is, until Grover-Yoda calls out, “Silence!”

Hearing that, it’s all I can do to keep from laughing about it.

In the mean time, Grover-Yoda then clears his throat before saying, “Human not always wear clothing.”

The audience responds by laughing, which sounds to me more polite than anything else.

In the mean time, I employ my strategy, and say nothing in response, which seems to quell further laughter. It is true that, by the time my character got to that one cave in the diamond dogs’ mine, he wasn’t wearing any clothing; but that was only because he was stripped, mostly, by whatever was in that last tunnel. Still, I see no reason to say that, or anything for that matter, to this audience.

I hear a little nervousness in Grover-Yoda’s voice as he grunts, then says, “Human, sleep with ponies.”

I’m not entirely certain what the earth-tan diamond dog was intending to imply by that, but I still see no reason to respond to it. Pinkie Pie and Lyra know as well as I do that they each have their own separate rooms, although we all sleep under the same roof. But, once again, I see no reason to say anything about it, especially since I’ve made my decision not to say anything at all until Grover-Yoda’s given his fifth statement.

In the mean time, it seems that the diamond dogs in the audience are just as confused by the earth-tan diamond dog’s statement as I am, as they don’t respond to it at all.

Again Grover-Yoda grunts, a little more nervously this time, before he says, “Human read bedtime story to pony.” And, he grunts a couple times in what sounds to me like nervous affirmation, although it could pass as hyper as well.

Now, the diamond dogs in the audience start grumbling, something about the human they’re watching not being as fun to watch as they’d hoped.

In the mean time, I still refuse to speak. I suppose it is possible to interpret the readings at my house, readings which have now been moved to Ponyville, as me reading bedtime stories to the ponies. However, Grover-Yoda seems to fail to take into consideration that I’m not the only one reading at those times. Or, he fails or refuses to inform the other diamond dogs of that fact. Still, I see no reason to say anything about it.

Now, it seems that Grover-Yoda starts to whimper before he says, “Human … not like diamond dogs?”

Again I refuse to say anything, which all but incites a riot among the diamond dogs in the audience. Having had little or no chance to really become familiar with any of the diamond dogs, I can’t really say for sure whether I like or dislike them. Considering that they are dogs, there is the possibility of me, or at least my character, making friends with at least one of them, perhaps even in this situation. But, I still follow my strategy and refuse to speak.

Finally, Grover-Yoda groans loudly and shouts out, “Human not say nothing since we bring here! He still alive in there?”

It’s at this point that I finally decide to speak. I say, “And now, you know your announcer. Thank you for your attendance. Please feel free to tip your waitress on your way out.”

At my statement, the laughter begins with Pinkie Pie and Lyra, then spreads to the diamond dogs behind them. In a matter of seconds, it seems that all the diamond dogs in the audience are laughing.

But, it seems that Grover-Yoda wanted to be the source of the laughter, as he says, “No, that suppose be my line.” Then, he rethinks what he said and corrects, “No, wait I no mean you know announcer. I mean you know human. But, he not say nothing, so we not know nothing.” Then, as the diamond dogs in the audience filter out through the various exits, the earth-tan diamond dog orders, “Wait, I no finish! Come back!” But, it’s obviously too late, as he follows his fellow diamond dogs out of the node.

With what I can only guess the diamond dogs call the theater node empty of all but one human, one herbivorous dinosaur, one earth pony, and one unicorn, the two ponies and the dinosaur join my character on the stage.

I say, under my breath, “Let’s get out of here. I think our time here is finished.”

My three friends nod in agreement, and the group of four proceed to leave the stage and head out of the cave, approximately the way they were brought in. And, it’s not until they’re out of the cave before a member of the group speaks again.

Once outside the cave, Pinkie Pie turns to my character and says, “You know, Mormon, I would’ve just agreed with everything that was said about me, and maybe adjusted some things so they suited me better.”

I answer, “Yeah, I like my strategy better. Give them as little fuel as possible, and let them fumble around for something to work with. Then, when they decide they’ve had enough, drop it all on the announcer, and let the audience have their fun.”

It’s Lyra who says, “Well, that evidently worked for you this time. But, it could just as easily have worked against you.”

I state, “You’re probably right, Lyra. In which case, I’m lucky that it didn’t work against me.” I then ask, “So, shall we head to Ponyville again, to Sugar Cube Corner?”

It’s Weed Whacker who answers, “Yeah, lets go ahead and do that. I need to put this behind me.”

I guess this experience was harder on the little herbivorous dinosaur than I thought it’d be. But, I suppose the entire group needs to put the experience behind them. Perhaps especially evident when no member of the group says anything until they’re back into Ponyville, and into the kitchen of Sugar Cube Corner.

Mr. Cake, who is in the kitchen at the time, is the first to notice the pink earth pony, the first to enter. He says, “Oh, hi, Pinkie. What happened? What took you so long to get here?”

I answer, “We were just held up for a few minutes. The traffic between Ponyville and the Everfree forest was unexpectedly rough.”

I’m not surprised, at this point, to hear Pinkie Pie giggle at my response. When she mostly regains her composure, she adds, “Yeah, we needed to take a detour.”

The orange earth stallion seems to accept the explanation, as he says, “Well, since you’re here, I could use your help.” He then assigns each member of the group a task, which each member accepts.

For the next few hours, until closing time, my friends and my character prepare dough and batter, bake various pastries, and set them out in the displays for the customers who come in to buy them.

When the last customers leave and the Cakes close down the bakery, Mr. Cake leads the group of eight, including Mrs. Cake who's carrying the twins in their carrying saddle, out of Sugar Cube Corner and on to Town Hall.

When the group gets there, it’s evident that there is only one other present: the mayor pony.

Seeing the approaching group, Mayor Mare says, “Well, it’s so nice to see you, Mormon, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Pinkie Pie, Lyra.”

Presently, Lyra says, “Oh, and don’t forget about Weed Whacker here.”

As the herbivorous dinosaur rises on her hind legs to wave to the mayor pony, Mrs. Cake says, “And, also, you can’t forget the twins.”

Mayor Mare nods politely and says, “Oh, yes, of course.” And, she laughs, sounding somewhat nervous to me.

Then, Lyra asks, “So, shall we go inside then?”

The mayor pony answers, pushing the door open with a front hoof, “Yes, of course, go right ahead.”

Except for the infant twins, each member of the group that passes Mayor Mare thanks her.

Once inside, Lyra proceeds to light the candles in the large room with her magic, while Pinkie Pie makes an accounting of the copies of the Book of Mormon at the entrance.

Soon other ponies are entering the Town Hall, and Pinkie Pie is in just the right spot to greet each of them. And, when most of the guests have arrived, the alicorn sisters appear on the stage, surprising some of the ponies.

I hear something from Princess Celestia about that being why she prefers to ride her carriage to events outside Canterlot.

When the last of the guests arrive, Pinkie Pie closes the doors; and the ponies start to form a circle in front of the stage.

And, as usual, my character takes his place on the stage.

Since there are no newcomers at the reading, there's no need for an introduction.

I have my character turn to the zebra, and I ask, "Zecora, will you read verse one of chapter five of Jacob?" I then have my character turn to the earth mare next to her, and I say, "And Mayor, you can read verse two."

The zebra nods and smiles at my character, then looks down at her book and reads, "Behold, my brethren, do ye not remember to have read the words of the prophet Zenos, which he spake unto the house of Israel, saying:"

Mayor Mare then reads, "Hearken, O ye house of Israel, and hear the words of me, a prophet of the Lord."

Princess Luna reads, "For behold, thus saith the Lord, I will liken thee, O house of Israel, like unto a tame olive tree, which a man took and nourished in his vineyard; and it grew, and waxed old, and began to decay." She then looks up and says, "Comparing one's own people to a rotting, old tree doesn't sound very nice."

Princess Celestia reads, "And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard went forth, and he saw that his olive tree began to decay; and he said: I will prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may shoot forth young and tender branches, and it perish not." She then turns to her sister and says, "The comparison doesn't seem so bad when you take into consideration that the master of the vineyard is still taking care of the rotting, old tree."

Princess Luna doesn't respond vocally, just nods in response.

Twilight Sparkle reads, "And it came to pass that he pruned it, and digged about it, and nourished it according to his word."

Spike reads, "And it came to pass that after many days it began to put forth somewhat a little, young and tender branches; but behold, the main top thereof began to perish."

Rarity reads, "And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard saw it, and he said unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, go and pluck the branches from a wild olive tree, and bring them hither unto me; and we will pluck off those main branches which are beginning to wither away, and we will cast them into the fire that they may be burned."

Fluttershy reads, "And behold, saith the Lord of the vineyard, I take away many of these young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will; and it mattereth not that if it so be that the root of this tree will perish, I may preserve the fruit thereof unto myself; wherefore, I will take these young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will."

Rainbow Dash reads, "Take thou the branches of the wild olive tree, and graft them in, in the stead thereof; and these which I have plucked off I will cast into the fire and burn them, that they may not cumber the ground of my vineyard."

Pinkie Pie reads, "And it came to pass that the servant of the Lord of the vineyard did according to the word of the Lord of the vineyard, and grafted in the branches of the wild olive tree."

Applejack reads, "And the Lord of the vineyard caused that it should be digged about, and pruned, and nourished, saying unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, that perhaps I might preserve the roots thereof that they perish not, that I might preserve them unto myself, I have done this thing."

Granny Smith reads, "Wherefore, go thy way; watch the tree, and nourish it, according to my words."

Big MacIntosh reads, "And these will I place in the nethermost part of my vineyard, whithersoever I will, it mattereth not unto thee; and I do it that I may preserve unto myself the natural branches of the tree; and also, that I may lay up fruit thereof against the season, unto myself; for it grieveth me that I should lose this tree and the fruit thereof."

Applebloom reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard went his way, and hid the natural branches of the tame olive tree in the nethermost parts of the vineyard, some in one and some in another, according to his will and pleasure." At this point, she looks up and asks, "Ah wonder, couldn't the Lord of the vineyard have waited for the tree to produce fruits, then saved the seeds and planted them in His vineyard?"

It's Granny Smith who answers, "The Lord of the vineyard might not have known if the tree was a'gonna survive long enough to produce more fruit. At this stage of the tree's life, he did the only thing he believed he could do."

Then, Applejack says, "Besides, even if'n he did keep some of the seeds from previous harvests and planted them, there was no way of knowin' if they were a'gonna sprout and grow. Better to take fresh, young branches and plant 'em throughout his vineyard than to risk the seeds not sproutin', and Him endin' up with nothin'."

Applebloom shrugs and says, "Ah don't know. It seems to me even fresh young branches are risky." She then turns to Sweetie Belle and says, "You go ahead and read the next verse."

Sweetie Belle nods, then reads, "And it came to pass that a long time passed away, and the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Come, let us go down into the vineyard, that we may labor in the vineyard."

Rarity's mother reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard, and also the servant, went down into the vineyard to labor. And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: Behold, look here; behold the tree."

Rarity's father reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard looked and beheld the tree in the which the wild olive branches had been grafted; and it had sprung forth and begun to bear fruit. And he beheld that it was good; and the fruit thereof was like unto the natural fruit."

Wind Walker reads, "And he said unto the servant: Behold, the branches of the wild tree have taken hold of the moisture of the root thereof, that the root thereof hath brought forth much strength; and because of the much strength of the root thereof the wild branches have brought forth tame fruit. Now, if we had not grafted in these branches, the tree thereof would have perished. And now, behold, I shall lay up much fruit, which the tree thereof hath brought forth; and the fruit thereof I shall lay up against the season, unto mine own self."

Sleeping Beauty reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Come, let us go to the nethermost part of the vineyard, and behold if the natural branches of the tree have not brought forth much fruit also, that I may lay up of the fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self."

Scootaloo reads, "And it came to pass that they went forth whither the master had hid the natural branches of the tree, and he said unto the servant: Behold these; and he beheld the first that it had brought forth much fruit; and he beheld also that it was good. And he said unto the servant: Take of the fruit thereof, and lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self; for behold, said he, this long time have I nourished it, and it hath brought forth much fruit."

Twist reads, "And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: How comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree? For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of thy vineyard."

Namby Pamby reads, "And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him: Counsel me not; I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto thee, I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit."

Cheerilee reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Look hither; behold I have planted another branch of the tree also; and thou knowest that this spot of ground was poorer than the first. But, behold the tree. I have nourished it this long time, and it hath brought forth much fruit; therefore, gather it, and lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self."

Silver Spoon reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said again unto his servant: Look hither, and behold another branch also, which I have planted; behold that I have nourished it also, and it hath brought forth fruit."

Filthy Rich reads, "And he said unto the servant: Look hither and behold the last. Behold, this have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I have nourished it this long time, and only a part of the tree hath brought forth tame fruit, and the other part of the tree hath brought forth wild fruit; behold, I have nourished this tree like unto the others."

Diamond Tiara reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Pluck off the branches that have not brought forth good fruit, and cast them into the fire."

Mrs. Cake reads, "But behold, the servant said unto him: Let us prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto thee, that thou canst lay it up against the season."

Mr. Cake reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and the servant of the Lord of the vineyard did nourish all the fruit of the vineyard."

Sapphire Shores reads, "And it came to pass that a long time had passed away, and the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Come, let us go down into the vineyard, that we may labor again in the vineyard. For behold, the time draweth near, and the end soon cometh; wherefore, I must lay up fruit against the season, unto mine own self."

Octavia reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and the servant went down into the vineyard; and they came to the tree whose natural branches had been broken off, and the wild branches had been grafted in; and behold all sorts of fruit did cumber the tree."

Vinyl Scratch reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard did taste of the fruit, every sort according to its number. And the Lord of the vineyard said: Behold, this long time have we nourished this tree, and I have laid up unto myself against the season much fruit."

Sweet Tones reads, "But behold, this time it hath brought forth much fruit, and there is none of it which is good. And behold, there are all kinds of bad fruit; and it profiteth me nothing, notwithstanding all our labor; and now it grieveth me that I should lose this tree."

Drum Roll reads, "And the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: What shall we do unto the tree, that I may preserve again good fruit thereof unto mine own self?"

Lotta Pipes reads, "And the servant said unto his master: Behold, because thou didst graft in the branches of the wild olive tree they have nourished the roots, that they are alive and they have not perished; wherefore thou beholdest that they are yet good."

Stunts reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: The tree profiteth me nothing, and the roots thereof profit me nothing so long as it shall bring forth evil fruit."

Berry Ground reads, "Nevertheless, I know that the roots are good, and for mine own purpose I have preserved them; and because of their much strength they have hitherto brought forth, from the wild branches, good fruit."

Emerald Hill reads, "But behold, the wild branches have grown and have overrun the roots thereof; and because that the wild branches have overcome the roots thereof it hath brought forth much evil fruit; and because that it hath brought forth so much evil fruit thou beholdest that it beginneth to perish; and it will soon become ripened, that it may be cast into the fire, except we should do something for it to preserve it."

Hoity Toity reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Let us go down into the nethermost parts of the vineyard, and behold if the natural branches have also brought forth evil fruit."

Hoity Toity's servant reads, "And it came to pass that they went down into the nethermost parts of the vineyard. And it came to pass that they beheld that the fruit of the natural branches had become corrupt also; yea, the first and the second and also the last; and they had all become corrupt."

Cold Hands reads, "And the wild fruit of the last had overcome that part of the tree which brought forth good fruit, even that the branch had withered away and died."

Snips reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard wept, and said unto the servant: What could I have done more for my vineyard?"

At this point, I find myself surprised to hear sobbing from the eldest of the Apple family.

But, before I can address it, Snails reads, "Behold, I knew that all the fruit of the vineyard, save it were these, had become corrupted. And now these which have once brought forth good fruit have also become corrupted; and now all the trees of my vineyard are good for nothing save it be to be hewn down and cast into the fire."

Now, I hear Granny Smith call out, "No! He can't give up on his favorite tree that easily!"

Warm Heart, although alarmed by the old earth pony's outburst, still reads, "And behold this last, whose branch hath withered away, I did plant in a good spot of ground; yea, even that which was choice unto me above all other parts of the land of my vineyard."

Carrot Top reads, "And thou beheldest that I also cut down that which cumbered this spot of ground, that I might plant this tree in the stead thereof."

Berry Punch reads, "And thou beheldest that a part thereof brought forth good fruit, and a part thereof brought forth wild fruit; and because I plucked not the branches thereof and cast them into the fire, behold, they have overcome the good branch that it hath withered away."

Colgate reads, "And now, behold, notwithstanding all the care which we have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they bring forth no good fruit; and these I had hoped to preserve, to have laid up fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self. But, behold, they have become like unto the wild olive tree, and they are of no worth but to be hewn down and cast into the fire; and it grieveth me that I should lose them."

At this point, in spite of her grandmother's protesting, Applebloom says, "He chose to risk plantin' all those sprouts ever'where. Now he's wonderin' if it was worth it, it sounds like."

Bon-Bon reads, "But what could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it? Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long, and the end draweth nigh. And it grieveth me that I should hew down all the trees of my vineyard, and cast them into the fire that they should be burned. Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard?"

Lyra reads, "And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: Is it not the loftiness of thy vineyard—have not the branches thereof overcome the roots which are good? And because the branches have overcome the roots thereof, behold they grew faster than the strength of the roots, taking strength unto themselves. Behold, I say, is not this the cause that the trees of thy vineyard have become corrupted?"

Again Granny Smith calls out, "Yeah, there must be somethin' he can do to save all his trees."

Weed Whacker reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Let us go to and hew down the trees of the vineyard and cast them into the fire, that they shall not cumber the ground of my vineyard, for I have done all. What could I have done more for my vineyard?"

I read, "But, behold, the servant said unto the Lord of the vineyard: Spare it a little longer."

Zecora reads, "And the Lord said: Yea, I will spare it a little longer, for it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard."

Now Granny Smith cheers, "Yeah, that's the spirit!"

At this point, I'm finding it interesting how a senior citizen pony such as Granny Smith can add excitement to a scripture reading. Having read the story, I know how it's going to end. I just wonder what Granny Smith is going to respond to next, and how she's going to respond.

Mayor Mare reads, "Wherefore, let us take of the branches of these which I have planted in the nethermost parts of my vineyard, and let us graft them into the tree from whence they came; and let us pluck from the tree those branches whose fruit is most bitter, and graft in the natural branches of the tree in the stead thereof."

Princess Luna reads, "And this will I do that the tree may not perish, that, perhaps, I may preserve unto myself the roots thereof for mine own purpose."

Princess Celestia reads, "And, behold, the roots of the natural branches of the tree which I planted whithersoever I would are yet alive; wherefore, that I may preserve them also for mine own purpose, I will take of the branches of this tree, and I will graft them in unto them. Yea, I will graft in unto them the branches of their mother tree, that I may preserve the roots also unto mine own self, that when they shall be sufficiently strong perhaps they may bring forth good fruit unto me, and I may yet have glory in the fruit of my vineyard."

Twilight Sparkle reads, "And it came to pass that they took from the natural tree which had become wild, and grafted in unto the natural trees, which also had become wild."

Spike reads, "And they also took of the natural trees which had become wild, and grafted into their mother tree."

Rarity reads, "And the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Pluck not the wild branches from the trees, save it be those which are most bitter; and in them ye shall graft according to that which I have said."

Fluttershy reads, "And we will nourish again the trees of the vineyard, and we will trim up the branches thereof; and we will pluck from the trees those branches which are ripened, that must perish, and cast them into the fire."

Rainbow Dash reads, "And this I do that, perhaps, the roots thereof may take strength because of their goodness; and because of the change of the branches, that the good may overcome the evil."

Pinkie Pie reads, "And because that I have preserved the natural branches and the roots thereof, and that I have grafted in the natural branches again into their mother tree, and have preserved the roots of their mother tree, that, perhaps, the trees of my vineyard may bring forth again good fruit; and that I may have joy again in the fruit of my vineyard, and, perhaps, that I may rejoice exceedingly that I have preserved the roots and the branches of the first fruit—"

Applejack reads, "Wherefore, go to, and call servants, that we may labor diligently with our might in the vineyard, that we may prepare the way, that I may bring forth again the natural fruit, which natural fruit is good and the most precious above all other fruit."

Granny Smith reads, "Wherefore, let us go to and labor with our might this last time, for behold the end draweth nigh, and this is for the last time that I shall prune my vineyard."

Big MacIntosh reads, "Graft in the branches; begin at the last that they may be first, and that the first may be last, and dig about the trees, both old and young, the first and the last; and the last and the first, that all may be nourished once again for the last time."

Applebloom reads, "Wherefore, dig about them, and prune them, and dung them once more, for the last time, for the end draweth nigh. And if it be so that these last grafts shall grow, and bring forth the natural fruit, then shall ye prepare the way for them, that they may grow."

Sweetie Belle reads, "And as they begin to grow ye shall clear away the branches which bring forth bitter fruit, according to the strength of the good and the size thereof; and ye shall not clear away the bad thereof all at once, lest the roots thereof should be too strong for the graft, and the graft thereof shall perish, and I lose the trees of my vineyard."

Rarity's mother reads, "For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard; wherefore ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the good shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus will I sweep away the bad out of my vineyard."

Rarity's father reads, "And the branches of the natural tree will I graft in again into the natural tree;"

Wind Walker reads, "And the branches of the natural tree will I graft into the natural branches of the tree; and thus will I bring them together again, that they shall bring forth the natural fruit, and they shall be one."

Sleeping Beauty reads, "And the bad shall be cast away, yea, even out of all the land of my vineyard; for behold, only this once will I prune my vineyard."

Scootaloo reads, "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other servants; and they were few."

Twist reads, "And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come."

Namby Pamby reads, "And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things."

Cheerilee reads, "And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly; and the wild branches began to be plucked off and to be cast away; and they did keep the root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength thereof."

Silver Spoon reads, "And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had been cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself that the trees had become again the natural fruit; and they became like unto one body; and the fruits were equal; and the Lord of the vineyard had preserved unto himself the natural fruit, which was most precious unto him from the beginning."

Filthy Rich reads, "And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And blessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard."

I have a sneaking suspicion that the sobbing I'm hearing from Granny Smith is due to happiness, especially when she says, "There, I knew He could do it."

Diamond Tiara reads, "For behold, for a long time will I lay up of the fruit of my vineyard unto mine own self against the season, which speedily cometh; and for the last time have I nourished my vineyard, and pruned it, and dug about it, and dunged it; wherefore I will lay up unto mine own self of the fruit, for a long time, according to that which I have spoken."

Mrs. Cake reads, "And when the time cometh that evil fruit shall again come into my vineyard, then will I cause the good and the bad to be gathered; and the good will I preserve unto myself, and the bad will I cast away into its own place. And then cometh the season and the end; and my vineyard will I cause to be burned with fire."

Mr. Cake looks up and says, "The reading of that chapter went almost twice around the circle. Now, it looks like the reading of this next chapter almost completes that circle." He then looks down and reads, "And now, behold, my brethren, as I said unto you that I would prophesy, behold, this is my prophecy—that the things which this prophet Zenos spake, concerning the house of Israel, in the which he likened them unto a tame olive tree, must surely come to pass."

Sapphire Shores reads, "And the day that he shall set his hand again the second time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his vineyard; and after that the end soon cometh."

Octavia reads, "And how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard; and how cursed are they who shall be cast out into their own place! And the world shall be burned with fire."

Vinyl Scratch reads, "And how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long; and they are a stiffnecked and a gainsaying people; but as many as will not harden their hearts shall be saved in the kingdom of God."

Sweet Tones reads, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts."

Drum Roll reads, "Yea, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; for why will ye die?"

Lotta Pipes reads, "For behold, after ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire?"

Stunts reads, "Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?"

Berry Ground reads, "Know ye not that if ye will do these things, that the power of the redemption and the resurrection, which is in Christ, will bring you to stand with shame and awful guilt before the bar of God?"

Emerald Hill reads, "And according to the power of justice, for justice cannot be denied, ye must go away into that lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever, which lake of fire and brimstone is endless torment."

Hoity Toity reads, "O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life."

Hoity Toity's servant reads, "O be wise; what can I say more?"

Cold Hands reads, "Finally, I bid you farewell, until I shall meet you before the pleasing bar of God, which bar striketh the wicked with awful dread and fear. Amen."

Snips looks up and says, "I guess that means I get to start the last chapter." He then looks down again and reads, "And now it came to pass after some years had passed away, there came a man among the people of Nephi, whose name was Sherem."

Snails reads, "And it came to pass that he began to preach among the people, and to declare unto them that there should be no Christ. And he preached many things which were flattering unto the people; and this he did that he might overthrow the doctrine of Christ."

Warm Heart reads, "And he labored diligently that he might lead away the hearts of the people, insomuch that he did lead away many hearts; and he knowing that I, Jacob, had faith in Christ who should come, he sought much opportunity that he might come unto me."

Carrot Top reads, "And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil."

Berry Punch reads, "And he had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken."

Colgate reads, "And it came to pass that he came unto me, and on this wise did he speak unto me, saying: Brother Jacob, I have sought much opportunity that I might speak unto you; for I have heard and also know that thou goest about much, preaching that which ye call the gospel, or the doctrine of Christ."

Bon-Bon reads, "And ye have led away much of this people that they pervert the right way of God, and keep not the law of Moses which is the right way; and convert the law of Moses into the worship of a being which ye say shall come many hundred years hence. And now behold, I, Sherem, declare unto you that this is blasphemy; for no man knoweth of such things; for he cannot tell of things to come. And after this manner did Sherem contend against me."

Lyra reads, "But behold, the Lord God poured in his Spirit into my soul, insomuch that I did confound him in all his words."

Weed Whacker reads, "And I said unto him: Deniest thou the Christ who shall come? And he said: If there should be a Christ, I would not deny him; but I know that there is no Christ, neither has been, nor ever will be."

I read, "And I said unto him: Believest thou the scriptures? And he said, Yea."

Zecora reads, "And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you that none of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ."

Mayor Mare reads, "And this is not all—it has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost."

Princess Luna reads, "And it came to pass that he said unto me: Show me a sign by this power of the Holy Ghost, in the which ye know so much."

Princess Celestia reads, "And I said unto him: What am I that I should tempt God to show unto thee a sign in the thing which thou knowest to be true? Yet thou wilt deny it, because thou art of the devil. Nevertheless, not my will be done; but if God shall smite thee, let that be a sign unto thee that he has power, both in heaven and in earth; and also, that Christ shall come. And thy will, O Lord, be done, and not mine."

At this point, Vinyl Scratch says, "Now, I'm confused here. In the Second Book of Nephi, in his quoting Isaiah, it included Isaiah telling Ahaz to ask for a sign; and Ahaz says he won't, because he doesn't want to tempt God. Then, Isaiah tells him he's wearing down God's patience with him.

"Here, Sherem demands a sign, and Jacob says he'd be tempting God in showing such a sign. What's the difference?"

It's Berry Punch who answers, "In the case of Isaiah and Ahaz, God wanted Ahaz to ask for a sign. There was most likely some service God could've provided for Ahaz, and all that king had to do was ask, and he would've gotten it. But, instead, he refused, saying he didn't want to tempt God, basically missing the point of the exercise.

"In Sherem's case, he demanded, without invitation, a sign, and without any specifics. And, besides, he knew what he, that is Sherem, was teaching was wrong in the first place; but he went ahead and preached it anyway. Now, he's asking for something he doesn't need, and he's going to end up regretting it. Does that answer your question?"

The white, blue-haired unicorn scratches her chin and hums for a moment, then says, "You know what, I believe it does. Thanks, Berry." She then turns to the purple unicorn and says, "You can go ahead and read the next verse, Twilight."

Twilight Sparkle nods and, smiling, reads, "And it came to pass that when I, Jacob, had spoken these words, the power of the Lord came upon him, insomuch that he fell to the earth. And it came to pass that he was nourished for the space of many days."

Spike reads, "And it came to pass that he said unto the people: Gather together on the morrow, for I shall die; wherefore, I desire to speak unto the people before I shall die."

Rarity reads, "And it came to pass that on the morrow the multitude were gathered together; and he spake plainly unto them and denied the things which he had taught them, and confessed the Christ, and the power of the Holy Ghost, and the ministering of angels."

Fluttershy reads, "And he spake plainly unto them, that he had been deceived by the power of the devil. And he spake of hell, and of eternity, and of eternal punishment."

Rainbow Dash reads, "And he said: I fear lest I have committed the unpardonable sin, for I have lied unto God; for I denied the Christ, and said that I believed the scriptures; and they truly testify of him. And because I have thus lied unto God I greatly fear lest my case shall be awful; but I confess unto God."

Pinkie Pie reads, "And it came to pass that when he had said these words he could say no more, and he gave up the ghost."

Applejack reads, "And when the multitude had witnessed that he spake these things as he was about to give up the ghost, they were astonished exceedingly; insomuch that the power of God came down upon them, and they were overcome that they fell to the earth."

Granny Smith reads, "Now, this thing was pleasing unto me, Jacob, for I had requested it of my Father who was in heaven; for he had heard my cry and answered my prayer."

Big MacIntosh reads, "And it came to pass that peace and the love of God was restored again among the people; and they searched the scriptures, and hearkened no more to the words of this wicked man."

Applebloom reads, "And it came to pass that many means were devised to reclaim and restore the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth; but it all was vain, for they delighted in wars and bloodshed, and they had an eternal hatred against us, their brethren. And they sought by the power of their arms to destroy us continually."

Sweetie Belle reads, "Wherefore, the people of Nephi did fortify against them with their arms, and with all their might, trusting in the God and rock of their salvation; wherefore, they became as yet, conquerors of their enemies."

Rarity's mother reads, "And it came to pass that I, Jacob, began to be old; and the record of this people being kept on the other plates of Nephi, wherefore, I conclude this record, declaring that I have written according to the best of my knowledge, by saying that the time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream, we being a lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers, cast out from Jerusalem, born in tribulation, in a wilderness, and hated of our brethren, which caused wars and contentions; wherefore, we did mourn out our days."

Rarity's father reads, "And I, Jacob, saw that I must soon go down to my grave; wherefore, I said unto my son Enos: Take these plates. And I told him the things which my brother Nephi had commanded me, and he promised obedience unto the commands. And I make an end of my writing upon these plates, which writing has been small; and to the reader I bid farewell, hoping that many of my brethren may read my words. Brethren, adieu."

At this point, I have my character stand up; and I say, "Now, before we leave to our own places of residence, let me just note how, at the end, Joseph Smith Junior translated Jacob's final salute into French. I wouldn't be surprised if this was perhaps an acknowledgement of respect that was trying to be conveyed by Jacob saying a final 'Goodbye.'

"At any rate, I thank you for coming to this reading this evening. Next time, we'll be reading four one-chapter books: Enos, Jarom, Omni, and the Words of Mormon. So, until then, good night."

As the ponies and dragons around the circle also start standing up, I can’t help but hear Mayor Mare say, “Hopefully I’ll get a chance to start the reading next time.”

I don’t respond aloud, but considering how the readings have been going, and how unusual it’s been to have a day that isn’t based on at least part of an episode, and how even more unusual it is to not have a day where a new character is introduced to the reading, it may not be all that likely that the mayor pony will get the opportunity she wants any time soon. And, if she does, it probably won’t be with me reading with the Ponyville group anymore.

Anyway, as groups of ponies gather together and prepare to leave to head back to their own homes, I find that Pinkie Pie approaches my character as well. And, Lyra and Weed Whacker are already with my character. But, it seems that there’s one more character, the zebra, who approaches, following Pinkie Pie.

Noticing this, I ask, “Zecora, are you planning to join us on our walk through the Everfree?”

Zecora only smiles and nods.

I have my character take a look out one of the windows, and I notice that the sun doesn’t seem to be too ready to set just yet.

Then, from behind my character, I hear Princess Celestia’s voice say, “I guess you’re planning to walk through the Everfree forest, is that right?”

My character turns a half circle to show me the daytime alicorn smiling at him. I answer, “Considering the sun doesn’t seem to be ready to set just yet, I’m thinking it shouldn’t be much of a problem getting to my house on foot.”

Then, from my character’s right, I hear Pinkie Pie say, “Or, on hoof.”

Princess Celestia chuckles, then says, “Well, if that’s what you want to do, then I’ll keep the sun in the sky until you’ve made it home.”

It’s Lyra who says, “We appreciate that, Princess.”

I have my character turn to look at the front door, to see that the ponies have lined up there, and are filing out. And, unlike a lunch line, they’re moving at a rapid pace. I then let my character turn back to the daytime alicorn, and I say, “I guess we can just head to the back of the line. The way it looks, it shouldn’t be too much longer before everyone is out the door.”

Princess Celestia nods and says, “You’re right about that. But, Hoity Toity and his servant and my sister will be teleporting out with me soon enough to return to Canterlot. And, as I said, I’ll keep the sun in the sky until you get back to your home.”

I respond, “Fair enough.” And, with that, my group of five, including Zecora, heads to the back of the line and joins the steady march to the front door.

And, in the mean time, the two alicorns and Hoity Toity and his servant disappear.

As I’ve figured, it doesn’t take more than a minute, if even that long, for the parade of ponies, dragons, and human to make it to and through the door, where the line seems to erode away as ponies head to their homes or otherwise to where they intend to go.

As my group makes it out the door, Mayor Mare is there waiting for us. As she closes the door behind Zecora, the last to leave, the mayor pony says, “I do hope I get to read first tomorrow.”

I state, “Now, that isn’t guaranteed. Who knows but there’ll be a newcomer or two to the reading? And, chances are the right to start the reading will belong to the newcomer, or one of them if there’s more than one.”

The mayor pony turns to my character and says, “Well, in that case, I shall just have to make sure that there are no newcomers to the next reading.”

At this point, I have my character kneel on one knee in front of the mayor pony; and I disapprovingly say, “Now, Mayor, you know that’s not how it works. The readings are for anyone, pony, dragon, or otherwise, that wants to join in them.”

Mayor Mare lowers her head and says, “Yeah, I know.” She then raises her head again and says, “But, it doesn’t hurt to hope I can be first next time.”

I have my character stand up again as I say, “Being the one to read the first verse in a chapter or a book isn’t intended to be any kind of a great honor, it’s just a way to get the reading started. And, most of the time, each member of the circle gets to read at least two verses, two paragraphs. These readings are intended to be a kind of celebration, not a competition or a requirement.”

The mayor pony nods and says, “Yes, I understood that from Princess Luna.” Then she asks, “So, where’ll you be headed now?”

I answer, “We’re headed back to my home.”

Mayor Mare says, “Well, in that case, I hope you enjoy your walk.”

And, with that encouragement, my group of five heads down Ponyville’s main street, on their way out of town, then to, into, and through the Everfree forest.

As it turns out, not long after the group enters the forest, Weed Whacker falls asleep on Lyra’s back.

And, it seems that Pinkie Pie has nothing to say, or at least nothing she wants to say, during the walk.

One thing about Princess Celestia, she keeps her promise. The sun stays in its place in the sky as the five travel, and only starts to go down again as they arrive at my character’s house.

To my surprise, after Zecora separates and makes her way further into the forest to her own home, and as the remaining group of four are approaching the porch, I notice Grover-Yoda there to meet the group. And, even more surprising to me is that Scout doesn’t seem to mind his presence. Does he detect some sort of friendly history between the diamond dog and my character, or perhaps some friendly intent on Grover-Yoda’s part?

As if to answer the questions I’m thinking about, as soon as the group is at the lowest step, Grover-Yoda says, somewhat slowly, “First, let me say I sorry for try to make fun of you.”

I have my character look at Scout to my character’s left.

The timber wolf is in one piece; and, while eyeing the diamond dog, he remains in his place.

As my character turns back to the diamond dog, I say, “Well, I have had worse happen to me than that. And, it gave me a chance to prove the success of my strategy for dealing with such a situation. And, might I just say that it seems my strategy really was a success.”

Grover-Yoda scratches behind an ear with a hand as he says, “Yes, I guess it was.”

Noticing how the earth-tan diamond dog hasn’t moved, I ask, “So, is there another reason why you came here?”

Grover Yoda eagerly nods, and just as eagerly says, “Yes!” He then continues, “I want copy of book I hear you read with ponies.”

Considering I guess it was this diamond dog that showed evidence of at least being able to write, it’s been my experience that the ability to read goes along with writing ability. I have my character open the door, allowing the two ponies and the diamond dog to enter, then close the door after my character has entered behind Pinkie Pie.

As Lyra proceeds to her room to drop off Weed Whacker, I have my character head to the closet to get a copy of the Book of Mormon for Grover-Yoda. In the mean time, I say, “So, I’m guessing you’ve found the stories we’ve read interesting?”

I hear Grover-Yoda answer, “Oh, yes, very much so,” and pant immediately afterward.

After my character grabs a copy of the book and turns around, I have him hand it to the earth-tan diamond dog; and I say, “So, here you are.”

Grover-Yoda accepts the book from my character, looks down at it as though it’s some kind of trophy, then looks up at my character again and says, “Oh, thank you, human.” He then puts the book in his mouth so that he can grip it securely that way, then drops to all fours and runs to the door. Once there, he opens the door, takes the step through it, then closes the door behind him. I can only assume, from then on, that he gallops back to his home in the caves.

In the mean time, Lyra comes back; and the group decides that the work load should be adjusted so that my character takes over Weed Whacker’s job of harvesting vegetables from the garden, while Pinkie Pie takes on the task of harvesting fruits from the orchard on her own. And, with the harvest planned out, each of the three heads out to each field and harvests what they believe they’ll need.

Once the three are back on the front porch with their harvest, Lyra uses her magic to open the front door and allow the group to enter. Then, once in the kitchen, the group goes to the sink; and my character places the fruits and vegetables inside.

And, wouldn’t you know it, that’s when Weed Whacker comes out of Lyra’s bedroom, through the hall, and into the kitchen. Seeing the two ponies and the human at the sink, she asks, “So, when are we gonna harvest food for dinner?”

As my character focuses on her, I answer, “We’ve already one that.”

Surprised, the herbivorous dinosaur says, “What? And without me?” Then, she goes from surprised to worried as she says, “Oh, I hope the vegetables are alright.”

I answer, “The vegetables are fine. I harvested them myself, and I left the harvesting of fruit from the orchard to Pinkie Pie.”

Now, Weed Whacker growls for a few seconds before she says, “You know the vegetables are my department, right?”

I answer, “You were asleep at the time. And, besides, the vegetable garden was mine long before you became part of the team.”

Weed Whacker grunts indignantly. Then, after a few seconds, she groans, then says, “Well, can I at least clean the fruits and veggies?”

I have my character kneel on one knee and open his arms to the herbivorous dinosaur as I say, “Sure. Come on over, and I’ll help you into the sink.”

Weed Whacker responds by running and jumping over Pinkie Pie into my character’s arms.

Automatically, my character rises and places the herbivorous dinosaur in the sink, where she immediately goes to work turning on the tap, then washing the fruits and vegetables under the water, after which she hands them to my character so he can hand them to Pinkie Pie or Lyra, who dry them off, preparing the vegetables to be eaten. And, since only enough have been harvested for two ponies, one dinosaur and one human, it’s not long before all the fruits and vegetables are ready to eat.

Normally, Pinkie Pie has been more than eager to start up a conversation. But, this time, it seems that, even when Lyra, Weed Whacker or I try to include her in our conversation, she’s unwilling to contribute. She just eats with the rest of the group around the kitchen table, then leaves and goes to her room.

While the pink party pony’s behavior is unusual, it seems that most of the group chooses not to worry about it. Lyra and Weed Whacker head for Lyra’s bedroom, and my character heads to his.

As my character grabs the parchment and pencil, I hear a knock at his door. And, when he puts the writing equipment down and walks over to the door and opens it, Pinkie Pie is waiting for him on the other side.

The pink earth pony asks, “Mormon, may I come in?”

I have my character step to one side and gesture for her to proceed as I say, “Sure, come on in.”

Pinkie Pie nods, then enters and trots over to my character’s bed, then jumps on top of it. She turns around and settles down into a sphinx-style sitting position, then asks, “Mormon, do you plan on ending the readings in Ponyville?”

I’m surprised by the question. I have my character close the door to his room, after which I answer, “No, I don’t. Why do you ask?”

Pinkie Pie places her head between her front hooves as she says, “Just a feeling.”

I have my character walk over to her and start stroking her mane, and I say, “I do plan on leaving the readings there in the control of the Ponyvillians, though, and soon.”

The pink earth pony looks up at my character, at me, and starts tearing up as she asks, “Why? Don’t you like reading with them? Don’t you like reading with me and my friends?”

I answer, “I do. But, I also wonder if my presence is holding them back from deeper conversation on the topics brought up in the Book of Mormon. Over the past two or so weeks, at least before today, I’ve noticed that I’ve been the major contributor to discussions on Book of Mormon topics, and I’m thinking it may be time for me to step aside, and allow the ponies of Ponyville to take over the readings.”

Whimpering, Pinkie Pie asks, “But, what if they’re not ready?”

I ask in response, “Well, what if they are?" And, I continue, "I won’t know for sure if I don’t leave the readings up to them. And, besides, I’m thinking there’s going to come a time when I won’t be able to come to the readings in Ponyville. It seems to me best to find out now if the residents of Ponyville are ready to handle the readings on their own, which I believe they are.”

Now, Pinkie Pie just whimpers, “Y-yeah, … w-well, …”

I continue, “I’ll have one more reading with them tomorrow evening. And, after that, well, I’m thinking we’re gonna have to help Applejack with a project she’ll be working on, which’ll take us more than a mile away from Ponyville.” Seeing Pinkie Pie still whimpering, I have my character hold his arms out to her, and I say, “Come here.”

Pinkie Pie rises to a canine-style sitting position, then, after hesitating for a second, rises to a standing position on her hind legs and collapses onto my character.

At this point, I have my character pick her up under her hind legs, then sit on his bed; and I add, “I do still plan to have readings at my house, on the front lawn. They just won’t include all of Ponyville. But, all these living here are automatically included in the group.”

Pinkie Pie giggles a bit before sniffling and asking, “W-will it include m-my five f-friends?”

I answer, “If you mean Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack, then sure, as long as they wanna come.”

Pinkie Pie asks, “And, what about the Princesses?”

I answer, “Sure, and Spike, and maybe a random traveler that wants to read with us. But, no more than that.”

Pinkie Pie sighs, then says, “Alright, then. I just wanted to know how big your group was gonna be. If it’s just gonna be you, those that live with you, my friends, and the Princesses, then I can live with that. I’m gonna miss reading with all of my friends in Ponyville, but, if you think they’re ready to continue the readings on their own, then I think so too.” After that, she nuzzles my character, then pushes away from him and concludes, “Thanks, Mormon, I’m ready to go back to my room now.”

I reply, “Good. I have a letter to write to the princesses, then I’ll go to bed.” And, in the mean time, my character lets go of the pink earth pony, then heads to the door and opens it, letting Pinkie Pie go on to her room.

Seeing that I seem to have time to get to that letter, I have my character grab the writing equipment and sit down on the bed, then start writing while I come up with the content of the letter. Since the only real events were the “special club” thing in a stage node of the diamond dogs’ caves and the subsequent work at Sugar Cube Corner, that’s all I have my character write about. And, after that, my character takes the letter to Weed Whacker in Lyra’s room. Then, after the herbivorous dinosaur bites down on it and sends it to the Princesses, my character returns to his room and prepares for and goes to bed.

Working at Sugar Cube Corner took more of the day than the second trip to the diamond dogs’ caves did. But, still my time was occupied in the game, and it felt like it was worth it. I look forward to the game’s tomorrow. So, with that in mind, I save and close the game for now.

Author's Notes:

The next chapter will be based on the episode, "Green Isn't Your Color," in which Mormon shows trust in Pinkie Pie that she will help her friends, in the best way possible, to keep their promises. This and more in Chapter 22, The Defender of Promises.

The reading in that chapter will be the books of Enos, Jarom, Omni, and the Words of Mormon.