After starting the game, I resume my second playthrough to find my character being awakened to the voice of Pinkie Pie calling out, “Mormon, wake up!  I wanna get to town to see which pet Dashie’s gonna choose!”

I think Pinkie Pie already knows, as I do, which of Fluttershy's creatures the rainbow-haired pegasa's going to choose as her pet.  Still, I remember how much fun it is to watch events unfold, at least in the episodes of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, particularly the episode on which this and the previous day are based, “May the Best Pet Win.”  I know what kinds of obstacles and tests Rainbow Dash is going to put the candidates through, but I also expect the process to be as much fun to watch in the setting of this video game as it is to watch in the episode.

As my character rises from his bed and approaches his bedroom door, I call out, “I’m up, I’m up!”

Then, as my character opens his bedroom door and sees the pink angel pony in the hallway, she says, “We’ve already gotten breakfast ready, so all we have to do is eat.  Then, we can go to Ponyville and see what Dashie’s got in store for those critters that wanna be her pet.”  And, with that, she turns and heads into the kitchen, then waits for my character at the door to the front room.

My character follows the eager angel pony, who immediately opens the door, then holds it open for him.  And, based on what she said, I’m not surprised to see the other three ponies and the dinosaur around the coffee table.

What I do find interesting is that Lyra looks different somehow.  If I’m not mistaken, her horn is longer; and she’s grown in size, although she seems more ... skinny?

As my character takes a spot next to the mint-colored unicorn, I mention, “Lyra, you look different today.”

The pale-green unicorn levitates a piece of carrot from the coffee table to her mouth, but stops it before she can take a bite, at which point she says, “Thanks for noticing.  I believe I have earth pony powers now.  It must be from working out in the garden the way I have.”

I smile as I say, “Well, if you need advice on how to handle these powers, you have Pinkie Pie or Topsy Turvy to turn to for advice.  Or, you can wait until you get into town, and there’ll be other earth ponies that can help you.”

Lyra smiles back at my character and says, “Thanks for the advice.  I know I’m good at harvesting fruits.  Maybe there’s something else I can do with these new powers.  I look forward to finding out.”

At this point, Pinkie Pie, who took a position next to Lyra and has just finished eating a slice of apple, raises a front hoof and offers a suggestion that everyone there should bring their own pets along, then invites the rest of the group to vote on the motion; and, in the mean time, my character chooses a fruit, an apple, from the pile and starts eating it.

During breakfast, everyone, including me, agree to Pinkie's proposal to bring their pets with them to the tests and trials that Rainbow Dash will be putting her candidates through.  Whether it’ll be fun for them or not, I’m sure it’ll be interesting for me, at least, to watch.  And, I’m sure it’ll be fun for Pinkie Pie, Ataahua, Topsy Turvy, Lyra, and Weed Whacker to watch, as well.  Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if, as soon as the group gets into town, Lyra will want to visit Bon-bon, her earth pony friend, as soon as possible.

Once breakfast is over and cleaned up, the group head out, with their pets, through the front gate, on through the Everfree forest and into Ponyville.

I’m not surprised that, as soon as the group has entered town, Lyra turns to my character and asks if she can go find her friend, Bon-bon.

I agree to follow her to where her friend lives in town, while I leave my pet timber wolf with Pinkie Pie and the rest of the group.  And, while the group, led by Pinkie Pie, make their way to Carousel Boutique; Lyra, her pet beaver Alma, and my character head to the house where she used to live with her cream-colored earth pony friend.

On the way there, Lyra brings up the subject of taking on the label I’ve given to earth ponies that have gained a horn, or unicorns that have gained earth pony powers: terra-corn.

I agree with her that it makes a lot of sense that such a title would be appropriate for her, since she qualifies as a pony with both a unicorn’s horn and earth pony powers.

For the rest of the time, Lyra talks to her pet beaver, Alma.

And, it’s about the time that the group arrives at the house that I, at least, notice that Bon-bon is exiting the house, then turning and closing the door behind her.

The pale-green terra-corn speeds up as she approaches her earth pony friend, calling out, “Hey, Bon-bon!”

As Lyra stops about a foot away from her, the cream-colored earth pony turns to the familiar voice and calls back, “Oh, hi, Lyra!  How … are … you?”  Then, after a second or two of staring at her friend, Bon-bon says, “Lyra, you’ve grown.”

Lyra smiles back at her friend and says, “I have earth pony powers now.”

Bon-bon, evidently a little incredulous, or perhaps uncertain how to react, nods her head slowly and says, “I suppose you have.  How did this happen?”

Lyra answers, “I’m guessing it’s all the time I spent in Mormon’s vineyard, harvesting fruits from there.”

Bon-bon continues, “And, I’m guessing you’re looking for advice on how you can use your new powers, right?”

Lyra proceeds to sit down canine-style before answering, “That’s right.”

Bon-bon sighs, then says, “Well, my talent isn’t that closely connected to agriculture.  Maybe you could turn to the Apple family for advice.  They know more about that sort of thing than I do.  Or, maybe the ponies at the flower shop.  I’m sorry, but that’s the best advice I can give you right now.”

I notice that Lyra seems to droop a bit as she listens to what her earth pony friend has to say.  When the cream-colored earth mare is finished, Lyra rises to all fours again and says, “Well, thanks for the advice.  I’ll see about doing that.”  And, she slowly turns around and ambles away.

As my character turns to follow the pale-green terra-corn, I hear Bon-bon say, “I really hate disappointing Lyra.  But, if she wants to know more about growing plants, there really are better sources to turn to than me for advice.”  And, by the time the cream-colored earth mare is finished speaking, Lyra and my character are too far away to make a response that much worth it.

Once my character catches up to Lyra, I say, “Let’s just get back to the others.  Applejack’s there, and maybe she can help you.”

Lyra doesn’t say anything, just continues ambling toward Carousel Boutique.

And, on the way there, Alma’s efforts to comfort her don’t seem to make a lot of progress.

By the time the group of three make it to the boutique, they’re just in time to hear Rainbow Dash say something about Twilight not being her pet, then say, “Now, the first test is at the race track, where you’ll be tested for speed.”  Then, turning and seeing my character, she says, “Mormon, what took you so long to get here?”

I have my character stroke my terra-corn friend’s neck, and I say, “Lyra and I went to visit Bon-bon.  She was hoping her earth pony friend could give her some advice on how she could use her new earth pony powers.”

At this point, the rainbow-haired pegasa hovers up to my character and says, “Uh, Mormon, Lyra’s a unicorn, not an earth pony.”

I respond, “She just got her earth pony powers this morning.”

Now, Rainbow Dash approaches Lyra and circles around her, visually studying her from her head to her hooves.  She then returns to my character and says, “She doesn’t look all that excited about it.”

I state, “Well, you’ll remember that I said we just got back from visiting her friend Bon-bon about getting advice on how she could use her earth pony powers?  Well, as it turns out, Bon-bon didn’t have any advice, other than to ask either the Apples or the ponies at the flower shop for advice.”

While I speak, I watch Rainbow Dash rub the bottom of her chin with a front hoof.  Then, when I’m finished speaking, Rainbow Dash points to the orange earth mare with the front hoof she’d been using to rub her chin and says, “Well, Applejack’s right over there.  Lyra can go ask her.”

The orange earth pony approaches and says, “Why, Ah’d be happy to help.  What’s the problem?”

Lyra turns to the orange earth mare and, starting to smile, says, “I just got earth pony powers last night, and I’m hoping I can get advice on how to use them.”

Alright, it was sometime last night.  Sometime between when my character went to bed and the time he woke up.

At any rate, Applejack smiles back as she says, “Well, the fact of the matter is there are different kinds of earth pony powers.  Fer instance, Ah’m gifted in agriculture, raisin’ crops and farm animals, that sart of thing.  Pinkie Pie’s gift is throwin’ parties, ’n’ that requires makin’ party favors ’n’ other things from plants that grow outta the ground, or minerals that come from the ground.  Bon-bon makes candies, ’n’ they’re also made from plants ’n’ minerals from the ground.  Whether directly or indirectly, ever’ earth pony has a talent connected to the ground.  Have you found any talents that are related to agriculture, or anythin’ like that?”

Lyra’s chuckle sounds sincere to me.  After a second, she answers, “Well, thanks to Mormon, I’ve learned that I’m good at picking fruits from vines in his vineyard.”

Applejack says, “Well, that’s a good start.  If’n y’all wanna see if yer talent goes beyond that, then ya may wanna try plantin’ some seeds ’n’ see if you can make 'em sprout ’n’ grow with yer magic.  Or, y’all may wanna see if you can heal sick or injured plants with yer magic.  Or, since yer talent is music, maybe you can see if yer music can help plants grow or heal.”

Lyra waits for a second to see if Applejack has any more advice.  Then, when it’s clear she doesn’t, the pale-green terra-corn smiles at the orange earth mare and says, “Thanks for the advice, Applejack.  I’ll look into it and see if it works for me.  I just hope my cutie mark doesn’t change.”

Applejack laughs before saying, “Ah seriously doubt that’ll happen.  Ah don’t think cutie marks work like that.”

I seem to notice, at this point, Pinkie Pie looking at her own cutie mark.  So, having my character walk over to the pink angel pony, I ask, “Pinkie, is everything alright?”

Pinkie looks up at my character, at me, and says, “I was just wondering about something.  Tonight, when we have a moment, I’d like to talk about it with you.  But, for right now, let’s just follow everypony else.”

I only nod in agreement, and my character walks next to the pink angel pony, who follows the rest of her friends to what appears, to me anyway, to be a track designed for equines, surrounding a football field.

When the group arrives, the ponies, dragons, and already-adopted pets take their positions in the field surrounded by the track, while the birds, bat, insects, and tortoise hoping to be Rainbow Dash’s pet line up in front of a white line that crosses the track.

It’s only after Rainbow Dash says, “Alright,” that each creature takes their positions behind line, and waits there, appearing ready to pounce.

While in the animated series Rainbow Dash is shown starting the race immediately, in this game I have her making a short speech first:  “Now, I want you to remember that I’m looking for the fastest. And, I also wanna see endurance; so, you’ll each do ten laps around this track.”  Then, she says, “Now, on your marks, get set, …”

When the rainbow-haired pegasa says, “get set,” it’s clear the hopefuls are focused on winning this race.

Then, Rainbow Dash blows her whistle, and the race begins.

The tortoise seems to have not even started moving before the first to complete a lap, the bald eagle, passes him.  And, by the time the last flying creature to complete the ten laps, the bat, crosses, the tortoise sets his first foot on the line.

In the mean time, during the race, Rainbow Dash judges each contestant visually on what she considers “speedy.”  Evidently, the flying insects are falling short in that category.

When the race ends and Rainbow Dash sees the tortoise has just barely taken his first step, she says, “That’s just sad.”  She then turns to my character and asks, “Uh, Mormon, will you help me set up the obstacle course?”

I know that the azure pegasa’s obstacle course is going to be strictly for the flying hopefuls, but I still agree to help set it up.

And, Pinkie Pie also volunteers to help.

In fact, with the help of everyone there, it’s only a matter of seconds before the course is ready for the flying creatures.

As the creatures line up after the obstacle course is complete, Rainbow Dash says, “Now, everypony, the purpose of this obstacle course is to test your agility.  On your marks, get set, go.”

immediately, the flying creatures take to the air and start flying around the different obstacles, while Rainbow Dash once again visually judges them.

Of the flying creatures, the flamingo seems to have the biggest problem negotiating what could either be a propeller or perhaps a see-saw.

And, while the flying insects seem to have little or no problems with the obstacles, they grade, as near as I can tell, just above average on the rainbow-haired pegasa’s scale of agility.  It seems to me that Rainbow Dash is looking as much for style as she is for the ability to handle each obstacle.

In the mean time, the tortoise stretches as much as he can to reach the first obstacle, or perhaps the closest one; but, he only manages to stumble and roll over onto his back.

Rainbow Dash, seeing this, says, pointing to the tortoise, “You wanna know the opposite of agility, that.”

On the other hand, the hummingbird seems to have no problems making tight, speedy turns around all the obstacles, grading the highest on Rainbow Dash’s scale.  The only problem is when the azure pegasa offers the hummingbird a high five, which the little green bird accepts.  The hummingbird proves its inability to support its weight in the air with just one wing, and ends up falling to the ground.  And, in Rainbow Dash’s eyes, that means a loss of points.

While everyone else helps take down the obstacle course, Rarity retrieves her pet carrier from her boutique and puts her cat in it.  And, with Lyra’s help teleporting the two of them to and from the boutique, the process takes about as long as is does for everyone else to take down Rainbow Dash’s obstacle course.

I have to hand it to the tortoise.  In spite of all the setbacks he’s faced, he hasn’t given up on being Rainbow Dash’s pet.  And, it seems that all he’s had have been setbacks.

On the other hand, two hopeful pets, the wasp and the hummingbird, seem to have given up after failing on the obstacle course.  Or, at least the wasp seems to have failed.  The hummingbird, based on what I see, took the loss of points pretty hard.

Rainbow Dash accepts the carrier, in the mean time, from her white unicorn friend, then sets it down again and says to the remaining hopefuls, “Okay.  Which of you has the guts to try to get Opal’s favorite toy from him?”  And, she then proceeds to place the toy mouse which Spike had once used to try to set up Owlowiscious in front of the cage.  Then, he opens the door, freeing the Persian cat from his cage.

Opalescence exits the cage, then raises a paw, bares the claws on it, then swings the paw at the hopefuls, who suddenly don’t seem quite so hopeful.

That is, except for the butterfly, who flies up to the Persian cat and dazzles him with the display of colors from his wings before dragging the toy mouse away.

This earns high praise from Rainbow Dash, who says, “Now, that takes guts.”

In the mean time, the tortoise seems to have circled around the pet carrier.  Once in position, he proceeds to push it on top of Opalescence, who snaps out of his bedazzlement and jumps out of the way in time, then proceeds to take out his frustrations on the tortoise’ shell, while the tortoise defends himself by hiding inside.

Fluttershy proceeds to calm the enraged feline, while Rarity reclaims the carrier; and everyone else helps set up a stage for Rainbow Dash’s next qualifying round, style.

I have to say, for a mare with a supposedly tomboyish attitude, Rainbow Dash surprises me with her willingness to put on makeup for the flamingo, or to wear clothes that make her look like a stereotypical nerd for her picture with the owl.  And, I say as much to Pinkie Pie.

While the pink party pony giggles about it, Rainbow Dash explains, “Any pet of mine’s gotta look good, ‘cause he’s gotta make me look good.”

Evidently that kind of logic works for the azure pegasa.  And, perhaps that’s all that matters.

At any rate, after having her picture taken with some of the birds, her next picture is taken with the tortoise, who, wearing a bow, slowly smiles at her.

As admirable as the shelled reptile’s persistence is, Rainbow Dash makes it clear by her expression that she’s growing impatient with him.

After each hopeful has their picture taken with the rainbow-haired pegasa, she listens to their vocalizations, evidently testing for coolness.  And, based on her rating scale, the bald eagle scores the highest.

On the other hand, the tortoise emits a sound that reminds me of the strained groan of Philomena when she was concluding one cycle and starting another a few weeks ago.  And, the butterfly doesn’t make any sound, at least none that anyone can hear.

Next is Rainbow Dash’s test for awesomeness, which, as far as I can tell, is something of a demonstration of each hopeful’s most unique natural talent.

I must say, watching the bat hang from a tree while angling its ears to listen for sounds in different directions, at least in the animated series, is rather interesting, almost musical-looking, although I’m not sure it impresses Rainbow Dash as much.  I did my best to replicate that in this video game, and have had to settle with parts of spheres radiating from the bat’s ears as they moved.

In the mean time, a toucan trying to blow a raspberry through its beak is probably the least attractive of the displays, while the flamingo standing on one leg is nothing out of the ordinary, and just a little more impressive to Rainbow Dash than the toucan’s display.

The display Rainbow Dash likes the most, though, is the owl turning his head a full three hundred sixty degrees.

Again, the tortoise tries to impress the azure pegasa by pulling his head into his shell.  But, because he’s been doing that so frequently, it isn’t so impressive to Rainbow Dash.

The competition then moves to the school yard, where the hopefuls use the outdoor stage to demonstrate what they hope will be their most impressive and helpful skill, which Rainbow Dash labels the "radical-ness" test.

Sadly, as each of the hopefuls demonstrate their chosen skill, they prove far less than impressive to the rainbow-haired pegasa; and some of them seem to do more to irritate than impress.

The bat comes the closest by using his wings to play music on wine glasses, then shattering them with a screech.

The problem with this is it evidently registers to Rainbow Dash as a natural talent rather than a learned skill, which means a loss of points for the bat.

In an episode of Happy Days, one of the last ones, one of the main characters, Arthur Fonzerelli, jumps over a trapped shark on water skis, a move that registered to fans of the show as a desperate grasp at ratings.  In the episode, “May the Best Pet Win,” among the first of the few obstacles the tortoise has set up is a small tub with two sharks in it.  And, the tortoise doesn’t even get to his first obstacle before stumbling off his platform and landing on his back.  Perhaps it is most fortunate that the tortoise didn’t get his chance to jump the two sharks.

After the curtain closes on the obstacle course, separating the tortoise from it, Rainbow Dash approaches him, sets him up on his feet again, and says, “Listen, turtle, …”

Fluttershy, from behind the stage, sticks her head out from among the curtains and corrects, “Tortoise.”

The azure pegasa growls, “Whatever!”  She then continues, “You’ve had your fun, but I think we both know who made the cut and who didn’t.”  After a moment, she clarifies, “You didn’t.”  And, she points to the sky, where the owl, the eagle, the falcon, and the bat are flying overhead, to the cheers of the ponies on the ground.

My guess is that's her attempt to silently communicate to the tortoise the four who are still capable of being her pet.

At any rate, she then returns her attention to the tortoise as she continues, “I mean, A for effort and everything, you gave it your best shot.  Maybe I have a gold star sticker around here that you can have.  But, seriously, go home.  You’re starting to creep me out.”  And, she smiles weakly at the tortoise.

The shelled reptile seems to understand what Rainbow Dash is telling him.  He’s been rejected.  But, still, he searches the azure pegasa’s face, hoping for some way to redeem himself in her eyes.

But, Rainbow Dash turns away from him, to the final four hopefuls, and says, “So, anyway, you were all outstanding competitors.  But, there’s only one of you that can be number one.  Your final, tie-breaking contest is going to be,” then, turning away for a moment, she says, “hold for dramatic effect,” then turns back to the four and continues, “a race against me,” she then canters up to the last four hopefuls and concludes, “through Ghastly Gorge!”  And, she sings a three-note melody that's frequently used to suggest a dramatic twist.

As Rainbow Dash leads the eagle, falcon, owl, and bat to Ghastly Gorge, Fluttershy comes out from behind the stage, approaches the tortoise, and says, “I’m so sorry that you didn’t get to show Rainbow Dash how good you are with those obstacles.”

The tortoise slowly turns away from the yellow pegasa.

Fluttershy, moving as slowly as the tortoise, asks, “This really meant a lot to you, didn’t it?”

I notice a tear leak from the eye that I can see from the tortoise, and he lets out a long, slow, noisy sniffle, followed by an equally long, mournful squeak.

Next, I see determination build in Fluttershy’s face as she says, “This isn’t over yet.  As Celestia is my witness, we’ll prove to Rainbow Dash how good a friend you can be to her, how good a pet.  Are you with me?”  And, when she asks that question, she nuzzles the tortoise under his chin.

At this little speech from the yellow pegasa, the tortoise slowly looks at her and smiles.

At this point, lowering herself to make it easier for the tortoise to mount her, Fluttershy says, “Then, climb on my back.  I’ll carry you to Ghastly Gorge, and we’ll show Rainbow Dash that you can be her pet.”

The tortoise nods slowly, then proceeds to march slowly off of the stage and onto the yellow pegasa’s back.

Once the tortoise is in position, Fluttershy turns and, seeing my character watching the two of them, approaches him and says, “Mormon, I thought you’d be with Pinkie Pie and the others.”  Then, before I can answer, she says, “Well, never mind.  I’ll lead you to Ghastly Gorge.”  And, she prances on ahead of my character.

One thing I’m not aware of; at least not until I see a wood pile come to life, rise and approach; is that Scout has decided to wait for my character.  So, a separate party of four, composed of my character, Flutteshy, Scout, and the tortoise, makes its way to the gorge where Rainbow Dash’s final test for her perfect pet will take place.

Because I modeled it that way, I’m not surprised that Ghastly Gorge is positioned as far away from the nearest tree in the Everfree Forest as it is from Ponyville, at least a mile away.  And, it starts as a crack in the ground, with a small outcropping that serves as a platform for Rainbow Dash, the eagle, the falcon, the owl, and the bat, as well as the tortoise, to start from.  I am surprised, and pleased, to see that the azure pegasa was willing to wait for four more to show up before starting her race.

When the four show up, Pinkie Pie runs up to my character and quickly explains that Rainbow Dash has already laid down the rules for the four hoping to be her pet, and was waiting for Flutteshy and my character to show up so she could lead them to the finish line.  And, she proceeds to do so.

But, first, Fluttershy lowers herself to the ground to allow the tortoise to crawl off of her back, then proceeds to follow the pink angel pony to the finish line at the end of the gorge.

And, before I allow my character to follow the two ponies and the timber wolf, I have him focus on the tortoise; and I say, pointing to one of the cliff faces, “There’s a course down the cliff face over there.  There’s only enough room for a tortoise your size to walk along it without slipping and falling.  You can follow that course to the bottom of the gorge, then follow the stream from there through the rest of it.”

The tortoise nods to my character, then proceeds toward the cliff face he pointed out.  And, he has no problem finding the path along that face.

Seeing the tortoise is on his way, I allow my character to catch up to the ponies, their pets, and my character’s timber wolf friend, then follow them to the finish line where the other ponies, save for Rainbow Dash, and their pets, are waiting.

I take it as a testament to the strength of the wind in Ghastly Gorge that it is evidently strong enough to really slow down the azure pegasa; as the group, which includes my character, is keeping ahead of her and the last four, well, actually five, hopefuls.  Fluttershy, my character, and the friends of theirs that are, other than Rainbow Dash, not waiting at the finish line, while running or galloping, are moving well ahead of the rainbow-haired pegasa.  They reach the finish line before Rainbow Dash gets to the tunnel.

And there the group waits for Rainbow Dash.

Of course, I know what’s going to happen.  The azure pegasa will get past the quarray eels before her overconfidence gets the best of her, and she runs into a cliff, causing a rock slide.  Then, she’ll get trapped by a boulder, and have to wait for the tortoise to get to her and free her.  And, it’ll be the tortoise that’ll cross the finish line with her and earn his right to be her pet.  I’ve seen it in the episode, and I’ve duplicated the event in this video game.  And, now I have the opportunity to see it all work out.

In the mean time, it takes a few minutes after my character, Fluttershy, and those with them have joined up before the first of the fliers, the falcon, crosses the finish line first.  Then, after that is the eagle, followed by the owl, and last of all the bat.

As each hopeful crosses the finish line, the enthusiastic cheers from the ponies diminish; and evident and sincere worry begins to replace those cheers when Twilight Sparkle says, “Something’s not right here.”  She then produces a pair of binoculars and starts looking through them into the gorge.

Before the yellow pegasa can ask, I have my character turn to the four candidates; and I ask, “Wasn’t at least one of you supposed to cross the finish line with Rainbow Dash?”

The four start, and the bat even screeches in shock.

The falcon slowly approaches my character and emits a couple extended vocalizations.

My character then automatically focuses on Fluttershy, who says, “The falcon said they thought she was right behind them, and wants to know if he should go back and try to find her.”

Just then, I hear Applejack say, “Great galloping galoshes, there’s been an avalanche in there!”

My character automatically turns his attention to beyond the finish line, while the five element bearers present start chattering amongst themselves, each offering their own plan for a rescue.

In the mean time, I have my character focus on the azure pegasa and her mount, which, at a typical pace for a shelled reptile, is approaching through a cloud of dust.

My only guess is that Pinkie Pie notices the same thing, as she jumps out of the group of arguing ponies and, pointing to the dust cloud, calls to her friends, “Wait, look!”

My character is still focused on the two approaching, so I can only hear Fluttershy say, “A turtle.”

I then hear the four others call out, “Tortoise!”

A second later, I hear Fluttershy respond, “Whatever.”

I hear Twilight Sparkle say, “And, he’s carrying something on his back.”

I then hear an excited Pinkie Pie call out, “It’s Rainbow Dash!  It’s her!  It’s her!”

The pink angel pony’s excitement spreads to the rest of the group, as they cheer on the tortoise and the azure pegasa riding him.

Then, as the enthusiastic cheering dies down again, I hear Fluttershy say, “Maybe we’d better go meet them halfway.”

Indeed, while the two are maybe a yard or so away from the finish line, at the rate the tortoise is moving, it could take another hour or two for them to get there.  And, since the other four have already crossed the finish line, there’s really nothing for them to lose by moving the line to their friend’s position.

Twilight moves the finish line and banner up to where Rainbow Dash and the tortoise are, just in time for the tortoise to set his foot on the line.

Instantly, the other four element bearers cheer as the shelled reptile takes further steps across the white line.

Then, as the four hopeful fliers approach the azure pegasa, Spike approaches the tortoise and congratulates him.

Then, Twilight approaches her azure friend and says, “Oh, thank goodness you’re not hurt, Rainbow.”

The rainbow-haired pegasa pats some dust off of a shoulder as she replies, “Ah, just my pride.”

Then, Rarity says, “I … certainly hope … all this dreadful dust was worth it.”  And, she sneezes.

Presently, Applejack replies, “It sure was if’n it means that Rainbow Dash gets to have her own little critter just like the rest of us from now on.”

I notice the tortoise smiles as he looks up at the azure pegasa.

Then, as the four hopeful fliers approach, Rainbow Dash dismounts the tortoise and, looking at him, says, “Uh, thanks.”  Then, patting him on the head, she adds, “What you did, … I owe you one.” And, she bumps a front hoof with the tortoise’s mirror front foot.

My character’s attention is drawn to Fluttershy as she singsongs, “Rainbow, your new pet is here waiting for you.”

And, as the other three wander off, the falcon extends his wings and flaps, flying above the group and landing on Rainbow Dash’s back.

I have to wonder, considering the azure pegasa arrived wrapped in bandages, either the tortoise was provided with a first aid kit by Fluttershy, or there was one hidden somewhere in the gorge.  Either way, it clearly came in handy.

At any rate, a clearly humbled Rainbow Dash him-haws, “Oh, right, yeah, that.”

Spike asks, “Well, what’s the matter?”

Presently, Pinkie Pie runs behind the purple dragon and, leaning on him like a prop, adds, “You got your perfect pet, right?”

Then, Fluttershy trots in next to Applejack and asks, “The best of the best is what you wanted, remember?”

I can’t help noticing the look on the falcon’s face, a look that suggests to me that he’s hoping that the azure pegasa will forget about him not having gone back to help her when she needed it.

And, looking at the falcon keeps me from hearing the rest of what the yellow pegasa has to say.

But, I still hear Applejack say, “A falcon sure looks good on ya, Rainbow.”

Then, my character's attention is attracted to the rest of the group at the finish line when Rarity takes a picture of Rainbow Dash with the falcon on her back; and the flash of light startles the tortoise, who disappears into his shell.

The azure pegasa takes a moment to calm the tortoise down and coax him back out before rising again and saying, “A falcon sure does look good on me.”

The falcon nods, perhaps as much with pride as with hope that Rainbow Dash has forgotten about his mistake in judgment.

And, his hopes seem to be confirmed when she continues, “And, he’s absolutely everything I ever wanted in a pet.”  Then, she sighs.

Fluttershy, next to her, prompts, “Yay?”

Then, all the falcon’s hopes are negated when Rainbow Dash concludes, “But, I said whoever crosses the finish line with me gets to be my pet.”

Now, Pinkie Pie comes nose-to-nose with her azure pegasa friend and agrees, “You did, you did say that!”  And, she bounces a couple times as she continues, “She did say that, that was the rule!”

Rainbow Dash continues, “And, the only one that crossed the finish line with me was the one that stopped to save me when I needed help, the tortoise!”

As the azure pegasa rears up on her hind legs to hoist her new pet into the air, the falcon flies in front of her a foot or two, then lands, then closes his eyes and plants the end of one of his wings between them and shakes his head.  Then, he takes a moment to open his eyes and fold the wing again just in time for Rainbow Dash to put the tortoise down on the ground again, reaches out a wing and shakes the tortoise’s forelimb, then walks away, evidently defeated.

I decide to have my character approach the falcon.  Then, when he’s close enough, I ask, “Are you going to be alright?”

The falcon turns and looks up at my character, then slowly nods his head, then turns away from him again.

I state, “I’m sure someday someone, perhaps a pony, will adopt you.”

At this statement, the falcon turns to my character again and smiles sadly at him, evidently hoping he’ll adopt him.

Seeing, through my character’s eyes, the look in those of the predatory bird, I say, “I already have a timber wolf as a pet, and I’m not sure I’m ready to adopt another one.  And everyone that lives with me, pony or dinosaur, also has a pet.”  Then, as the falcon looks down sadly, I add, “But, that doesn’t mean someone else wouldn’t want to have you as a pet.  Just be patient and have faith.”

I must admit, I’m surprised when the bird, after smiling up at my character, flies toward him only to stop and hover maybe an inch or so from him.  Supporting his weight in the air with his wings, he then proceeds to nuzzle my character for a second or two before flying off again.  I can only guess that means he’s accepted my advice.

In the mean time, Rainbow Dash is dictating a letter to Princess Celestia, which Spike is writing for her.  The basics are the contrast of her opinion of the perfect pet before her competition, and her opinion afterwards.  From what I’ve seen of the series, at least the first five seasons, my guess is that Rainbow Dash will have her pet tortoise for years to come.  I don’t know if she ever had a pet before this, there’s no information on that.  But, she has one now.  And, she’ll form a bond with him so that she’ll have difficulty letting go when it’s time for him to hibernate for the winter.  But, she’ll get him back.

In the mean time, she has a new friend, and a pet to join her a game week later for the regularly-planned play date.  Not to mention, watching him snatch away Opalescence’s favorite toy is certainly fun to watch.  Rainbow Dash’s new pet may not be the fastest creature on the planet; but he clearly knows his strengths, and is not afraid to make use of them.

By the end of the letter, Rainbow Dash even has a name for her new pet, Tank.

Then, Fluttershy approaches her and says, “But, Rainbow Dash, you didn’t want a pet that couldn’t fly because it would keep you grounded and hold you back, remember?”

This question from the yellow pegasa causes the blue one to look worriedly at her new friend, and earns a frown back from the tortoise.  But, that doesn’t last long; as, after a thought-filled grunt, Rainbow Dash turns to my character and asks, “Humans used machines to fly, didn’t they?”

I answer, “That’s right.”  I’m not sure if, in the cannon of the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic series, humans even exist anymore in Equestria, or in anyplace around there.  But, in the cannon of this video game, where humans still remain, I have provided records of humans flying in machines, as well as blueprints of the machines themselves.  I ask, “Is there something you want or need help with?”

The rainbow-haired pegasa answers, “I could use your help with something.  Do you think you could maybe make a machine that could help Tank fly?”

I ask, “Do you mean like a machine that Tank could enter, and use controllers to fly?”

Rainbow Dash looks at her new pet and smiles.

On the other hand, Tank frowns and sticks his tongue out.  My guess is he either gets, or is worried that he could get, motion sickness.  Either way, the thought of riding in, or driving, a flying machine clearly doesn’t appeal to him.

Rainbow Dash sighs, then turns back to my character and says, “Maybe something more on the order of an attachment, like something I could put on his back that could help him fly.”

Now, it’s my turn to grunt in thought for maybe a second.  When I speak up again, I say, “I’ve heard of a type of hat, a beanie, that’s known to have a propeller attached to it.  I’ve never heard of it actually helping humans to fly; it’s more likely that it helps the one wearing it to keep cool in warmer temperatures, or it's just for decoration.  But, if the hat part were made of a harder substance, with straps that would hold it in place on Tank’s back, and the propeller were strong enough and had enough torque, then it could hopefully support Tank’s weight and get him off the ground.  Then, if the propeller could spin at different speeds, Tank could gain or lose altitude as he wants and needs.”

Presently, Rainbow Dash leaps into the air and, flapping her wings to support her weight in the air, screams, “Yes!”  And, I find I can’t help laughing a little as she sings, and I do mean sings, “I got a new pet, and he’s gonna fly!  I got a new pet, and he’s gonna fly!”  And, all while doing a dance in the air.  After another round or two, the azure pegasa lands next to her new pet, then looks up at my character and says, “Let’s go to your house so we can make that machine.”

Again I can’t help but laugh at Rainbow Dash’s enthusiasm.  Then, I say, “Alright, let’s get going.  But, you realize that it’ll require some planning.”  It’s about this time that I notice that Rainbow Dash has already started her march back toward Ponyville, carrying Tank on her back.  So, I have my character catch up to her while I say, “I need to take some measurements to make sure the device will fit on Tank’s back.  And, I’ll need to do testing to make sure that it works comfortably for Tank.”

The azure pegasa grunts thoughtfully as she says, “It sounds like I’m gonna have to spend that time with you.  Do you think you can have the machine ready by the next play date?”

I answer, “I can hope for that.  But, I have duties that take me away from my house.  Pinkie Pie’s not the only one that works at Sugar Cube Corner, for instance.”

Rainbow Dash says, “Yeah, I know.  I’ve seen you around Ponyville, making deliveries to different places there.  I wonder, do you like working at Sugar Cube Corner?”

I smile and answer, “It has it’s bright sides.”

Then, Rainbow Dash suggests, “Well, maybe, when you’re not occupied with your duties at Sugar Cube Corner, you can be working on the flying machine for Tank.”

After a second or two of thinking about it, I reply, “You know, that might just work.  Sure, let’s do that.”

The blue pegasa adds, “And, until the next play date, I guess that means I’ll be living with you then?”

I answer, “Or, at least until the machine is completed.  But, at any rate, I am coming up with some ideas on how the machine will work.”

At this point, Rainbow Dash squeals, “Oh, I can’t wait.”  And, she gallops on ahead.

After that, Fluttershy approaches my character and asks, “Uh, Mormon, do you really think you could make a machine that could help a tortoise fly?”

My character focuses on the yellow pegasa, and I answer, “Humans have made flying machines before.  And, we still have machines that help us move faster from one place to another than we normally could.  The idea behind machines like that could help me in making a device that could help Tank fly.”

Worriedly, Fluttershy says, “Oh, I hope he won’t get hurt.”

I respond, “If Tank really wants to fly, then he’s likely willing to take that risk.  But, I imagine that him running into things will be part of his lessons in flying.”

At this statement, Fluttershy squeaks in fear, then sighs, then says, “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.  And, he is a good learner.  I just hope Rainbow Dash and her new pet aren’t going to be too much of a problem for you.”

I grunt in thoughtful agreement before saying, “Well, as long as they behave themselves, I’m sure they won’t be.”

At this point, Fluttershy whimpers a little, making me wonder if she’s worried about her fellow pegasa’s behavior.

As the yellow pegasa falls behind, I’m suddenly made aware of Pinkie Pie’s presence, as she says, “So, let’s see.  We’ve got me, you, Lyra, Ataahua, Weed Whacker, and Topsy Turvy.  And, now Dashie and her new pet, Tank.  Things are gonna be a lot more active with her around.”

I reply, “I suppose you’re right.  Do you think she’ll be willing to harvest fruits or vegetables?  Maybe grains?”

Presently, Diane uses her wings to lift Pinkie into the air and keep her to her present side of my character.

And, while thus supported, Pinkie taps her chin with a front hoof and hums thoughtfully.  Then, she drops the hoof again and says, “You know, all I’ve seen her do, aside from napping, is kicking clouds out of existence.  I don’t know if she’d want to harvest fruits, vegetables, or grains."  Then, with a shrug, she concludes, "Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn’t.”

I continue, “It’s her option.  But, she could be helpful … around … the … house.”  I trail off because I notice Pinkie’s tail twitching.

At first, the pink angel pony asks, “Mormon, what’s wrong?”  Then, she looks behind her and sees her tail twitching.  She then turns to my character again, to me, emits a grunt of foreboding, and asks, “Do you think Tank could be in trouble?”

I answer, “It’s possible.  Let’s go.”

And, my character runs on ahead, while Pinkie Pie flies close behind him.

And, sure enough, by the time the two get to Rainbow Dash, it’s clear that Tank, her pet tortoise, is losing the battle to stay on her back.  Fortunately, my character is there just in time to catch the tortoise as he finally slips and falls off.

As my character positions Tank on Rainbow Dash’s back again, between her wings, I can’t help noticing, from the top of my character’s perspective, that the azure pegasa was evidently watching her new pet, and had been unable to keep him from falling.  She sighs, then says, “Thanks, Mormon.  I’m glad you were there to catch Tank.”

I reply, “I’m glad I could help.  I saw Pinkie’s tail start twitching, and I figured something or someone was going to fall.  Then, Pinkie suggested it might by Tank, and I figured it’d be a good idea to come and make sure.  I’m glad I did.”

Rainbow Dash smiles and says, “So am I.  And, so is Tank.”

At this point, I see the tortoise’s head peer from in front of his shell, then slowly smile.  And, I can’t help noticing that he isn’t focused on my character.  So, I have my character turn to where Tank’s attention is focused, and I see Pinkie Pie hovering next to my character.

The pink angel pony smiles back and says, “Well, Mormon was the first to notice my tail twitching.”  And, she giggles.

Rainbow Dash laughs as well, then says, “Well, the important thing is that Tank is safe.  So, shall we head to your house then, Mormon?”

I answer, “Sure.”

There are other and further conversations, but I stop paying attention to them and just continue to watch as the group returns to the outskirts of Ponyville.  There, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Rarity and their pets head into the village; Applejack and Winona head to Sweet Apple Acres; and the rest of the group heads into the Everfree forest.  But, before the group heads into the forest proper, Fluttershy, along with Angel, turns and heads back to her cottage.

Conversations continue among the remaining ponies until the group arrives at my character’s house.  And, once there, my character opens the front gate to allow the ponies, those that choose to enter that way, to make their way inside.

And, once all the ponies and their pets are on the front lawn, it’s Ataahua who turns to the azure pegasa and says, “Now, Rainbow Dash, each of us has something to do while we’re living here, specifically related to gathering food.  Topsy Turvy and I harvest oats from Mormon’s grain field, Pinkie Pie and Mormon harvest fruit from his orchard, Lyra harvests berries from his vineyard, and Weed Whacker harvests vegetables from his vegetable garden.”  She then tilts her head and asks, “Would you like to help Lyra, or Weed Whacker?”

At this question from the gray pegasa, Rainbow Dash turns to my character and, also tilting her head, grunts in curiosity and confusion.

I reply, “I’m guessing Derpy is suggesting that either Lyra or Weed Whacker could use help since there are two ponies that work in the grain field, and a human and a pony that harvest fruits in the orchard.”

After hearing my explanation, Rainbow Dash grunts in understanding.  She then turns back to her fellow pegasa and answers, “I just came here so Mormon and I could build a machine to help Tank fly.  I don’t plan on staying here after that.”

At this point, Pinkie Pie comes between the two pegasae and, focusing on the rainbow-haired one, says, “Aw, you don’t need to worry about that right now.”  Then, looking toward the front door, she continues, “Here, come with me.  There are still a few rooms that are empty.  You can stay in one of them for the week until Tank has his flying thingy.”  And, she starts bouncing toward the house.

As Rainbow Dash follows Pinkie Pie to the house, a distraught Ataahua turns and walks toward my character.  When she’s about a foot away from my character, she turns back toward the two element bearers and watches them enter the house, then turns back to my character and asks, “Do you think I should’ve told Rainbow Dash about harvesting food?”

I have my character kneel on one knee and start stroking the gray pegasa on the side of her neck, and I say, “It was a good idea to invite her.  Just so long as she understands that it was an invitation, and not a work order.”

Ataahua looks down and sighs, then looks up at my character again and asks, “Do you think that’s how it sounded to her?”

I answer, “It’s a possibility.  You may want to talk to her about it to be sure.”

I think I see Ataahua start to smile as she says, “Yeah, I’ll go ahead and do that,” then gallop toward the house.

In the mean time, Lyra and Weed Whacker approach my character; and Lyra asks, “Do you think Rainbow Dash’d be willing to help either of us?”

I answer, “It’s possible.  But, let’s leave it up to her if she chooses to help, and who.”

Lyra simply nods and starts trotting toward the house.

On the other hand, Weed Whacker lingers behind just long enough to say, “If Rainbow Dash chooses to help me, I just want you to know that I’d rather do all the harvesting.  I’m not sure I can trust a hoofed creature to dig up vegetables without doing a lot of damage.  She can carry them back to the house.”  Then, not waiting for a response, she turns and runs to the house, following Lyra and Topsy Turvy inside.

I allow my character to follow the herbivorous dinosaur into the house, then diverge his course to the nearest hallway, looking for Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.  And, as my character enters and walks down the hallway, I can hear the voice of the pink angel pony coming from the end of the hallway.  In fact, I think it’s coming from the room that Rarity had occupied when she stayed here for one night.  And, as my character approaches the room and opens the door, I hear Pinkie Pie say as much to her rainbow-haired friend.

The attention of the two mares is drawn to my character as he enters, and Rainbow Dash says, “Hi, Mormon.  Pinkie was just telling me about how Rarity used this room when she stayed.  Is it true she kept Vinyl and Octavia up all night bawling?”

I answer, “Well, until they moved into the kitchen to try to get some sleep.  At least, that’s what I got when I woke up the morning after the fashion show, and Vinyl told me about it at the table.”

The azure pegasa chuckles for a second before saying, “Well, I won’t be keepin’ everypony, anypony, awake bawlin’.  So, when do we get started on that flying thing for Tank?”

I answer, “Well, I have my work room that we could use.  I’ll need to take some measurements and make some plans.  I have a few ideas that I think could help us.  But first, we’re gonna need to get ready for the reading tonight.  Do you think you could help with the harvesting?”

At first Rainbow Dash grimaces, then rubs the back of her neck with a front hoof as she says, “Yeah, I don’t know about that.  I don’t wanna get my wings all scratched up harvesting in your vineyard, and I’m not sure I could do anything to help Weed Whacker.”

I have my character kneel on one knee in front of the azure pegasa, and I say, “Well, your help anywhere would be appreciated.  Weed Whacker said that if you want to help her, you could carry the vegetables she picks.  And, I’m sure I could provide a covering for you so your wings don’t get scratched up should you choose to help Lyra in the vineyard.”

At this point, Rainbow Dash chuckles nervously a couple times before putting the front hoof down under her, then looking up at my character eagerly and asking, “So, do you think I could help you and Pinkie Pie in the orchard?”

At this point, Pinkie Pie, who was on the bed, hops off near my character and says, “Yeah, I don’t know.  I buck the apple trees, and Mormon chooses another tree to pick fruit from.  Unless you wanna choose a fruit tree that Mormon doesn’t choose to harvest from.”

I state, “Well, if you’d like to try picking fruit from trees the way a human does, the way I do, then you’re welcome to it.”

The rainbow-haired pegasa focuses on my character and asks, “One thing, when can we get to making the flying machine for Tank?”

I have my character look at Pinkie Pie, then back at Rainbow Dash; and I say, “Well, generally after the reading, this group gathers together with the princesses, who teleport us to Canterlot so Topsy Turvy can take care of her father, Discord; and, during that time, I give my report to Princess Celestia.  Then, when we come back from that, we usually harvest, prepare, and eat dinner; then go to bed.”

I note some sadness in Rainbow Dash’s grunt of understanding.  Then, after looking down for a moment, she looks up again and asks, “After dinner, do you think we could get to work on Tank’s flying machine?”

I pause in thought for a second before answering, “Well, I suppose I could start by taking Tank’s measurements, then making some initial plans.  I actually have an idea for taking advantage of Tank’s natural walking movements in helping him fly.  But, we can talk about that later.  Right now, we need to get ready for the reading.”

At this point, Rainbow Dash sighs again before saying, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”  She then perks up again and asks, “Say, could I leave Tank in here while we’re harvesting?”

Maybe a second after the azure pegasa asks, I’m aware of something of a groaning sound coming from the tortoise.  When my character automatically focuses on him, I can only tell that he’s not happy as he slowly shakes his head.

For a moment, when she sees the look on her new pet’s face, Rainbow Dash seems to mirror his expression before smiling and saying, “So, you wanna come with me, is that right?”

Now, the tortoise smiles again and slowly nods.

At this response, Rainbow Dash sighs before saying, “Well, if I’m gonna have you on my back, then I won’t be able to fly and help Mormon harvest fruit.”  She then turns to my character and asks, “Mormon, do you have any advice for me?”

I take a moment to look at the tortoise again, then back at Rainbow Dash, then say, “Well, Scout, my pet timber wolf, is usually on the front porch, not far from the doorway, on the side of how it opens.  I suppose Tank could stay with him until we’re done harvesting.”

Rainbow Dash nods and says, “Sounds good to me.  Let’s do that.”

As I have my character rise to his feet again, I can’t help noticing the tortoise slowly shaking his head at me and frowning.  I say, “It’ll be alright.  Rainbow Dash’ll be back when she’s harvested the fruits she wants.”  It doesn’t seem to satisfy Tank, but the group goes ahead with the plan anyway.

At the front door, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and my character are joined by Weed Whacker, Lyra, Ataahua and Topsy Turvy.  Then, outside, as I remove Tank and set him near Scout, ordering my timber wolf friend to take care of the tortoise, I then allow my character to follow my half-dozen friends past the end of the side of the house, where Weed Whacker turns and heads into the vegetable garden.

Then, at the end of the pathway intersecting with the dirt trail to the pond, Lyra, Ataahua and Topsy Turvy turn and head to the vineyard and the grain field; while the rest of the group turns and heads to the orchard.

The ponies and the human each have their own ways of getting past the fence.  Pinkie Pie bounces, Rainbow Dash flies, and my character climbs.  Then, Diane takes over Pinkie Pie, then chooses an apple tree to buck apples from; my character chooses the peach tree; and Rainbow Dash chooses the pear tree, where she proceeds to hover around and pick fruits as she sees my character do.  And, the way she moves into and away from the tree kind of reminds me of how I’ve seen bees or hummingbirds fly toward and away from flowers.

When each has harvested a little more than half a dozen fruits, Pinkie Pie, once again under control of Pinkamena, along with Rainbow Dash and my character, exit the orchard the way they entered, then proceed back to the house.

I’m not at all surprised to see the other three ponies and the dinosaur there waiting for me.  And, with the group united, Lyra opens the door, allowing everyone to enter.

I have my character go in and empty his harvest onto the coffee table before going out again to get Tank.  And, I’m once again not surprised to find Rainbow Dash out there with him.  My character gathers up the tortoise and puts him on Rainbow Dash’s back, after which the human, the pegasa, and the tortoise go back inside the house.

Rainbow Dash then follows my character into the kitchen where, seeing how occupied it is in there, she decides to back out and wait at the opened end of the coffee table.

After allowing the azure pegasa to do that, I have my character take his position and assist with the cleaning and preparing of the snacks for the reading, a process that takes just a few minutes, especially when I remember the fruits my character left on the coffee table.  Then, when all the fruits are cleaned and prepared for the reading, my character enters the front room just in time to meet Rainbow Dash there.

The azure pegasa says, “I just remembered I need to get my Book of Mormon from my home.  It shouldn’t take long.”

I agree to let her go, and take care of Tank while she’s gone, which she promises won’t take more than a few seconds.

In the mean time, my character sets the TV table; Lyra, Ataahua, and Topsy Turvy place the snack tray on the lawn; and Pinkie Pie bounces over to the front gate to welcome guests.

I can only guess it must’ve taken Rainbow Dash longer than expected to find her book, as she returns a minute after she left.  And, when she gets back, she acts like she was gone for a week.  She spends another minute nuzzling Tank before allowing my character to put him on her back.  Then, she heads out, joining her friends in the circle around the snack tray.

I take a moment, while everyone in the circle is producing their books and opening them to the page of the chapter all will be reading, to have a look ahead; and I notice something interesting.  I have my character look up at the others in the circle, and I say, "Now, we're down to the last two chapters in the Book of Mosiah, and we're once again in the situation where the first of the two chapters is not quite enough so that everyone can each read two verses; but the next chapter has more than twice the verses."

There seem to be three or four ponies around the circle that repeat in exclamation the words, "Twice the verses!"

Then, before I can ask the question, Pinkie Pie, who was either the first or the last to repeat those three words, rises to all fours and says, "Well, I say we read both chapters.  Then, tomorrow we'll start the Book of Alma."

And, voices around the circle all seem to agree with the pink angel pony.

So, I have my character focus on the white alicorn; and I ask, "Princess Celestia, will you read the first verse of chapter twenty-eight?"

The daytime princess smiles and nods, then looks down into her book and reads, "Now it came to pass that after the sons of Mosiah had done all these things, they took a small number with them and returned to their father, the king, and desired of him that he would grant unto them that they might, with these whom they had selected, go up to the land of Nephi that they might preach the things which they had heard, and that they might impart the word of God to their brethren, the Lamanites—"

Rainbow Dash then reads, "That perhaps they might bring them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and convince them of the iniquity of their fathers; and that perhaps they might cure them of their hatred towards the Nephites, that they might also be brought to rejoice in the Lord their God, that they might become friendly to one another, and that there should be no more contentions in all the land which the Lord their God had given them."  She then looks up and asks, "Do you think they were going to share the magic of friendship with the Lamanites?"

I answer, "Indeed, as it's recorded, they were hoping to make friends with the Lamanites, to 'cure their hatred,' as it was put.  Now, it may be of interest for you to know that the Maori have a word for friend, 'hoa,' and a term for enemy, 'hoa riri,' which literally means 'anger friend.'  Now, by this kind of Maori logic, the best way to get rid of an enemy is to get rid of the anger.  That way, without the anger, all that's left is a friend."

Pinkie Pie then turns to her azure pegasa friend and says, "And, there's also this."  She then looks down into her book again and reads, "Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble."

At this point, Weed Whacker rises and says, "Alma would know about that more than anyone else.  After all, he repented almost until he died."

I add, "There's more to it than that.  But, we'll read about it when we get into the Book of Alma."  I then have my character turn to the purple unicorn, and I ask, "Twilight, will you read verse four?"

Twilight Sparkle smiles and nods, then looks down and reads, "And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them, for they were the very vilest of sinners.  And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever."

Spike reads, "And it came to pass that they did plead with their father many days that they might go up to the land of Nephi."

Rarity reads, "And king Mosiah went and inquired of the Lord if he should let his sons go up among the Lamanites to preach the word."

Applejack reads, "And the Lord said unto Mosiah: Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites."

Fluttershy reads, "And it came to pass that Mosiah granted that they might go and do according to their request."

Lyra reads, "And they took their journey into the wilderness to go up to preach the word among the Lamanites; and I shall give an account of their proceedings hereafter."

Ataahua reads, "Now king Mosiah had no one to confer the kingdom upon, for there was not any of his sons who would accept of the kingdom."

At this point, I have my character look up; and I say, "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if not wanting to be king was one of the motivations for Mosiah's sons wanting to serve a mission among the Lamanites."  I then have my character look into his book again, and I read, "Therefore he took the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, and also the plates of Nephi, and all the things which he had kept and preserved according to the commandments of God, after having translated and caused to be written the records which were on the plates of gold which had been found by the people of Limhi, which were delivered to him by the hand of Limhi;"

Topsy Turvy reads, "And this he did because of the great anxiety of his people; for they were desirous beyond measure to know concerning those people who had been destroyed."

Weed Whacker reads, "And now he translated them by the means of those two stones which were fastened into the two rims of a bow."

Princess Luna reads, "Now these things were prepared from the beginning, and were handed down from generation to generation, for the purpose of interpreting languages;"

Princess Celestia reads, "And they have been kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he should discover to every creature who should possess the land the iniquities and abominations of his people;"

Rainbow Dash reads, "And whosoever has these things is called seer, after the manner of old times."

Pinkie Pie reads, "Now after Mosiah had finished translating these records, behold, it gave an account of the people who were destroyed, from the time that they were destroyed back to the building of the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people and they were scattered abroad upon the face of all the earth, yea, and even from that time back until the creation of Adam."

As Pinkie Pie grunts in interest, Twilight Sparkle reads, "Now this account did cause the people of Mosiah to mourn exceedingly, yea, they were filled with sorrow; nevertheless it gave them much knowledge, in the which they did rejoice."

Spike reads, "And this account shall be written hereafter; for behold, it is expedient that all people should know the things which are written in this account."

At this point, I state, "Indeed, this record is abbreviated, and comprises the second last book in the Book of Mormon, the Book of Ether."

Rarity reads, "And now, as I said unto you, that after king Mosiah had done these things, he took the plates of brass, and all the things which he had kept, and conferred them upon Alma, who was the son of Alma; yea, all the records, and also the interpreters, and conferred them upon him, and commanded him that he should keep and preserve them, and also keep a record of the people, handing them down from one generation to another, even as they had been handed down from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem."

Applejack looks up and says, "Ah guess that means Ah start chapter twenty-nine," then looks down again and reads, "Now when Mosiah had done this he sent out throughout all the land, among all the people, desiring to know their will concerning who should be their king."  She then looks up and says, "Now, somethin' 'bout this don't sound right to me."

Fluttershy reads, "And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: We are desirous that Aaron thy son should be our king and our ruler."  She then looks up and, tilting her head, asks, "Aren't they forgetting something?"

Lyra reads, "Now Aaron had gone up to the land of Nephi, therefore the king could not confer the kingdom upon him; neither would Aaron take upon him the kingdom; neither were any of the sons of Mosiah willing to take upon them the kingdom."  She then turns to my character and says, "You suggested that one of the reasons why Mosiah's four sons wanted to serve a mission among the Lamanites was so they wouldn't have to be king."

Before I can answer, Ataahua reads, "Therefore king Mosiah sent again among the people; yea, even a written word sent he among the people.  And these were the words that were written, saying:"

I read, "Behold, O ye my people, or my brethren, for I esteem you as such, I desire that ye should consider the cause which ye are called to consider—for ye are desirous to have a king."  I then have my character look up, and I say, "I'm thinking that not wanting to be king over the Nephites was such a strong motivation because they remembered what they'd been like before their conversion; and they didn't want to take the chance of having the same thing happen to them that happened to King Noah.  As we've already read, 'they were the very vilest of sinners.'  It took them so much to repent from that, not to mention that Noah was such a good example of an evil king, it very likely made the position very forbidding to them.  It isn't recorded in the Book of Mormon; but it's possible that, before he became king, Noah was actually a really good man.  But, then, when he got into a position of authority, well, it's generally human nature that being placed in such a position of authority leads a human to do things that aren't good to the people he or she rules over, or even him- or herself.  It happened to Noah, and it could've happened to Ammon, Aaron, Omner, or Himni."

Topsy Turvy sees my character turning to her, and she goes ahead and reads, "Now I declare unto you that he to whom the kingdom doth rightly belong has declined, and will not take upon him the kingdom."

Weed Whacker reads, "And now if there should be another appointed in his stead, behold I fear there would rise contentions among you.  And who knoweth but what my son, to whom the kingdom doth belong, should turn to be angry and draw away a part of this people after him, which would cause wars and contentions among you, which would be the cause of shedding much blood and perverting the way of the Lord, yea, and destroy the souls of many people."

Princess Luna reads, "Now I say unto you let us be wise and consider these things, for we have no right to destroy my son, neither should we have any right to destroy another if he should be appointed in his stead."

Princess Celestia reads, "And if my son should turn again to his pride and vain things he would recall the things which he had said, and claim his right to the kingdom, which would cause him and also this people to commit much sin."

Rainbow Dash reads, "And now let us be wise and look forward to these things, and do that which will make for the peace of this people."  She then looks up and asks, "Uh, 'look forward to these things?'"

I take a moment to think about it before I answer, "I'm guessing what King Mosiah meant by 'look forward,' in this case, is 'beware,' or 'watch out for.'  I'm guessing, while Joseph Smith Jr. was translating the Book of Mormon, looking forward to something carried more of a negative connotation than it does nowadays.  Or, maybe it did in King Mosiah's day."

Pinkie Pie reads, "Therefore I will be your king the remainder of my days; nevertheless, let us appoint judges, to judge this people according to our law; and we will newly arrange the affairs of this people, for we will appoint wise men to be judges, that will judge this people according to the commandments of God."

Twilight Sparkle reads, "Now it is better that a man should be judged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just."

Spike reads, "Therefore, if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, who would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments, yea, if ye could have men for your kings who would do even as my father Benjamin did for this people—I say unto you, if this could always be the case then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you."

Rarity reads, "And even I myself have labored with all the power and faculties which I have possessed, to teach you the commandments of God, and to establish peace throughout the land, that there should be no wars nor contentions, no stealing, nor plundering, nor murdering, nor any manner of iniquity;"

Applejack reads, "And whosoever has committed iniquity, him have I punished according to the crime which he has committed, according to the law which has been given to us by our fathers."

Fluttershy reads, "Now I say unto you, that because all men are not just it is not expedient that ye should have a king or kings to rule over you."

Lyra reads, "For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction!"

Ataahua reads, "Yea, remember king Noah, his wickedness and his abominations, and also the wickedness and abominations of his people.  Behold what great destruction did come upon them; and also because of their iniquities they were brought into bondage."

I read, "And were it not for the interposition of their all-wise Creator, and this because of their sincere repentance, they must unavoidably remain in bondage until now."

Topsy Turvy reads, "But behold, he did deliver them because they did humble themselves before him; and because they cried mightily unto him he did deliver them out of bondage; and thus doth the Lord work with his power in all cases among the children of men, extending the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him."

Weed Whacker reads, "And behold, now I say unto you, ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood."

Princess Luna reads, "For behold, he has his friends in iniquity, and he keepeth his guards about him; and he teareth up the laws of those who have reigned in righteousness before him; and he trampleth under his feet the commandments of God;"

Princess Celestia reads, "And he enacteth laws, and sendeth them forth among his people, yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws he causeth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can he will destroy them; and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness."  She then looks up and says, "This is why, a thousand years ago, my sister and I chose the title of princess instead of queen.  We may not be human, but we are still fallible."

Princess Luna continues, "We battled a king of another land, which disappeared a thousand years ago.  And, he wasn't all that different from King Noah, mentioned here in this Book of Mormon.  And, seeing what he put his little ponies through, we didn't want the same thing to happen to our little ponies.  We didn't want to become like that evil king.  So, we chose to be princesses instead."

Rainbow Dash reads, "And now behold I say unto you, it is not expedient that such abominations should come upon you."

Pinkie Pie reads, "Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord."

Twilight Sparkle reads, "Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people."

Spike reads, "And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land."

Rarity reads, "And now if ye have judges, and they do not judge you according to the law which has been given, ye can cause that they may be judged of a higher judge."

Applejack reads, "If your higher judges do not judge righteous judgments, ye shall cause that a small number of your lower judges should be gathered together, and they shall judge your higher judges, according to the voice of the people."

At this point, I speak up and say, "I find the system that King Mosiah is proposing rather interesting.  If a lesser judge isn't making fair judgments, then that judge has to answer to a higher judge.  And, if a higher judge isn't making fair judgments, then that judge has to answer to a group of lower judges.  It seems to me that King Mosiah is proposing a system of checks and balances for the proposed judges of his people."

Fluttershy reads, "And I command you to do these things in the fear of the Lord; and I command you to do these things, and that ye have no king; that if these people commit sins and iniquities they shall be answered upon their own heads."

Lyra reads, "For behold I say unto you, the sins of many people have been caused by the iniquities of their kings; therefore their iniquities are answered upon the heads of their kings."

Ataahua reads, "And now I desire that this inequality should be no more in this land, especially among this my people; but I desire that this land be a land of liberty, and every man may enjoy his rights and privileges alike, so long as the Lord sees fit that we may live and inherit the land, yea, even as long as any of our posterity remains upon the face of the land."

I read, "And many more things did king Mosiah write unto them, unfolding unto them all the trials and troubles of a righteous king, yea, all the travails of soul for their people, and also all the murmurings of the people to their king; and he explained it all unto them."

Topsy Turvy reads, "And he told them that these things ought not to be; but that the burden should come upon all the people, that every man might bear his part."

Weed Whacker reads, "And he also unfolded unto them all the disadvantages they labored under, by having an unrighteous king to rule over them;"

Princess Luna reads, "Yea, all his iniquities and abominations, and all the wars, and contentions, and bloodshed, and the stealing, and the plundering, and the committing of whoredoms, and all manner of iniquities which cannot be enumerated—telling them that these things ought not to be, that they were expressly repugnant to the commandments of God."

Princess Celestia reads, "And now it came to pass, after king Mosiah had sent these things forth among the people they were convinced of the truth of his words."

Rainbow Dash reads, "Therefore they relinquished their desires for a king, and became exceedingly anxious that every man should have an equal chance throughout all the land; yea, and every man expressed a willingness to answer for his own sins."

Once again, I decide to speak up and say, "Now, if I might take a moment, I find this really interesting.  The Nephites started out with a line of kings, and turned to a government of judges that they'd elect.  The Israelites in the old testament started out with judges, and turned to kings to rule over them.  Quite an interesting contrast."

Pinkie Pie reads, "Therefore, it came to pass that they assembled themselves together in bodies throughout the land, to cast in their voices concerning who should be their judges, to judge them according to the law which had been given them; and they were exceedingly rejoiced because of the liberty which had been granted unto them."

Twilight Sparkle reads, "And they did wax strong in love towards Mosiah; yea, they did esteem him more than any other man; for they did not look upon him as a tyrant who was seeking for gain, yea, for that lucre which doth corrupt the soul; for he had not exacted riches of them, neither had he delighted in the shedding of blood; but he had established peace in the land, and he had granted unto his people that they should be delivered from all manner of bondage; therefore they did esteem him, yea, exceedingly, beyond measure."

Spike reads, "And it came to pass that they did appoint judges to rule over them, or to judge them according to the law; and this they did throughout all the land."

Rarity reads, "And it came to pass that Alma was appointed to be the first chief judge, he being also the high priest, his father having conferred the office upon him, and having given him the charge concerning all the affairs of the church."

Applejack reads, "And now it came to pass that Alma did walk in the ways of the Lord, and he did keep his commandments, and he did judge righteous judgments; and there was continual peace through the land."

Fluttershy reads, "And thus commenced the reign of the judges throughout all the land of Zarahemla, among all the people who were called the Nephites; and Alma was the first and chief judge."

Lyra reads, "And now it came to pass that his father died, being eighty and two years old, having lived to fulfil the commandments of God."

Ataahua reads, "And it came to pass that Mosiah died also, in the thirty and third year of his reign, being sixty and three years old; making in the whole, five hundred and nine years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem."

I read, "And thus ended the reign of the kings over the people of Nephi; and thus ended the days of Alma, who was the founder of their church."  I then have my character stand up, and I say, "And, thus ends the record in the Book of Mosiah, as well as the reading for this evening.  Again, I thank you for your attendance and participation; and, those of you returning to your homes, I hope you have a safe trip."

As the group separates into two, Rainbow Dash, instead of joining the other element bearers on their trip through the Everfree forest, joins Pinkie Pie, Topsy Turvy, Lyra, and Weed Whacker on the front porch of my character’s house.

On her way there, Fluttershy approaches her fellow pegasa and asks, “Uh, Rainbow Dash, why are you staying with Mormon?”

The azure pegasa turns to the yellow one and answers, “Mormon’s gonna help me make a flying machine for Tank, remember?  And, I’m gonna stay with him until it’s complete.”

Hearing this, Fluttershy jumps in front of her fellow pegasa and says, “Uh, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.  Tortoises aren’t designed to fly.”

Rainbow Dash stops before she can run into the yellow pegasa and listens to what she has to say.  Then, she pats her on the shoulder with a front hoof and says, “It’s alright, Fluttershy.  Mormon has some ideas for what he can put into the machine to help Tank fly.  I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Fluttershy looks down and sighs, then looks back up at Rainbow Dash and says, “Well, if you say so.  I just hope it won’t be too much of a problem.”  And, she ambles around her fellow pegasa and joins the other element bearers at the front gate.

Then, something seems to dawn on Pinkie Pie, who leaps from her position on the front porch and gallops toward the front gate.  She then opens it and bids farewell to her friends as they leave. Then, when her friends have disappeared into the Everfree, she turns and gallops back to the front porch.

The sister alicorns, who remain on the front lawn, turn to the group on the porch; and Princess Celestia asks, “So, how many want to join Mormon and Topsy Turvy while Topsy Turvy takes care of Discord?”

I’m really not at all surprised when Rainbow Dash, as brief as her stay is likely to be, is among the volunteers to join the human and the pink earth mare at Canterlot Castle.

An excited Pinkie Pie wraps her forelimbs around the azure pegasa and shouts, “Oh, I’m so happy you’ll be coming with us, Rainbow Dash!”

Smiling, the azure pegasa replies, “Well, if I’m gonna stay with you and Mormon and everypony else that lives with him, then why shouldn’t I join in the other activities as well?”

I can hear the smile in Princess Celestia’s voice as she says, “Well, everypony whoever’s coming with, come and join me and my sister on the lawn; and we’ll teleport you to Canterlot Castle.”

Obediently, the group gathers around the two princess alicorns, who then close their eyes and bow their heads; and their horns start to glow and sparkle.

In the next frame, the group are on the lawn of Canterlot Castle, in front of Discord’s statue.

At this point, while Princess Luna goes to get Grounds Keeper, Princess Celestia canters toward the entrance to the hedge maze as she looks at my character and asks, “Mormon, will you come with me and give me your report?”

I answer, “Yes, ma’am,” and my character proceeds to follow the daytime alicorn into the hedge maze.

While my character is walking toward the hedge maze, I hear Rainbow Dash ask, “So, is that normal for Mormon and Princess Celestia?”

I then hear Ataahua answer, “It’s been that way since Topsy Turvy and I moved in with him. Princess Celestia has always led Mormon into the labyrinth to get his report.  And, when they’re done, they always come back.”

I hear Pinkie Pie add, “I hear Princess Celestia writes the report down after that.”

I don’t hear anymore from the group, as, once my character enters the maze, the hedges either absorb or reflect their voices, making it impossible to hear what they say.

At the first turn in the maze where she usually asks for my report, Princess Celestia stops and turns to my character and asks, “So, have you learned anything new about unicorns?  Anything new about Lyra?”

I shrug and answer, “The only thing new about Lyra is that she’s gained earth pony powers.  She’s physically grown, and she’s taking an interest in what those powers are going to mean to her.”

I think I see Princess Celestia’s smile grow as she says, “Well, that’s really good news.  I had hoped that living with you would bring about some kind of positive change in her.  I suppose that means she’s a terra-corn now.”

I nod and say, “Based on the label I suggested for ponies with both earth pony powers and a horn, yes, that’d be right.  And, since Lyra has started studying her earth pony abilities, it’s given me a chance to learn how earth ponies’ abilities are connected to the earth.”

I watch as the daytime princess settles into a canine-style position before asking, “And, how is that?”

I answer, “From what I’ve heard Applejack say about it, Pinkie’s talent for throwing parties is connected to the earth by how she uses things that originate from the soil, such as the ingredients for her pastries, or the elements that compose her party favors.  In a similar manner, Bon-bon’s talent for making candy stems from ingredients that start out living in the soil.  Applejack is more closely, more directly, connected to the ground; as her talent is in agriculture.  And, based on the criterion of the indirect, I’d imagine that Octavia’s talent for music is connected to her cello, which is composed of at least one tree that started life in the soil, and metal, which comes directly out of the ground.”

Princess Celestia rises to all fours again and says, “An explanation that is both reasonable and really very interesting.  Thank you for sharing that with me.  Tell me, have you learned anything else about earth ponies or unicorns?”

I answer, “I’m pretty sure I’ve covered all I’ve learned about those subjects so far.”

The white alicorn nods, then says, “I noticed that Rainbow Dash is living with you now.  And she has a tortoise with her.”

Considering Princess Celestia no doubt already has the rainbow-haired pegasa's report, my guess is she wants my report on the subject.  For that reason I explain, “The tortoise is her new pet.  You see, today, Rainbow Dash held a competition to see which of the possible pets would be best for her.  And, in the end, while she’d picked out four flying creatures as her candidates, the tortoise ended up meeting her final criterion for being her pet.  Only the tortoise had stopped to help her out when she’d gotten caught in a rock slide, then carried her to the finish line.”

Again the daytime princess nods, then says, “I received her report earlier, and she told me about how her criteria for the perfect pet for her had changed.  Thank you for providing the information on how she came to that conclusion.”  She then tilts her head and asks, “So, why is she living with you?”

I answer, “She doesn’t want her new pet to keep her grounded, so she’s going to be living with me until we’ve made a machine that’ll allow her new pet to fly with her.”

Princess Celestia straightens her head again and concludes, “So, instead of being grounded by her pet, she’s going to make her pet tortoise fly.”

I respond, “That’s what she told me, yes.”

I think I see a look of concern develop on the daytime alicorn’s face before she says, “Tortoises weren’t designed for flight.  I hope Rainbow Dash’s new pet will be able to fly without getting motion sick.”

I state, “You know, Fluttershy had a similar concern, and I can understand why.  I don’t know if this is going to help with that or not, but I plan on designing the flying mechanism so that the tortoise’s natural walking movements will help him fly.”

Princess Celestia’s face tightens, so that she almost looks angry to me, as she says, “Like, providing strings to attach to the tortoise’s feet, then setting up the strings so they attach to a system of wheels and levers that spin a propeller and at least allow the tortoise to rise, hover, and descend?”

If this were a conversation with a real creature glaring at me, I’d be nervous right now.  But, since I know I’m only talking to a video game character, I’m relaxed as I answer, “That is what I’m thinking about.”

Again Princess Celestia smiles as she says, “Well, if anypony can get it to work, anyone, then I’m sure you can.”

I smile as I say, “I appreciate your vote of confidence.”

Then, the white princess asks, “So, is there anything else you want to add to your report?”

I answer, “None that I can think of.  I think everything has been pretty much covered.”

After hearing my answer, the daytime alicorn canters past my character and says, “Well, in that case, let’s go back to the others.”

My character waits for the daytime princess to pass in front of him before following her out of the hedge maze.  And, by the time we get to the rest of the group, once again Topsy Turvy is halfway through cleaning the Discord statue, and almost that far through her song.

The group waits for the pink earth mare to finish cleaning the statue and sing, after which Grounds Keeper takes the cleaning equipment back to the castle.

Then, after the spiral-eyed earth mare once again wishes for her father to not be a statue for too long, the five ponies, one dinosaur, and one human gather around the two alicorns, who close their eyes and bow their heads; and the horns of the two alicorns start to glow and sparkle.

One frame later, the group is back on the front lawn of my character’s house.  And, as soon as my character and those living with him are gathered on the front porch, the two alicorns close their eyes and bow their heads once again; and their horns start to glow and sparkle a second or two before they disappear.

Presently, Rainbow Dash turns to my character and asks, “So, can we get to work on Tank’s flying machine now?”

My character focuses on her, and I answer, “Let’s have dinner first.  Then, after that, you, Tank, and I can meet in my work room; and we’ll get to work on that machine.  We can at least get the measurements figured out.”

Rainbow Dash scoffs and rolls her eyes before she says, “Measurements?  What do you need measurements for?”

I answer, “To make sure the machine will fit Tank.  Plus, there’s going to be all sorts of machinery inside the device that’s going to help Tank fly.”

Rainbow Dash sighs, then says, “Yeah, whatever.  Let’s have dinner, then I’ll help you take Tank’s measurements.”

Before I can agree, the other ponies and Weed Whacker leave the front porch and head out to their fields to start harvesting.

Seeing this activity, again Rainbow Dash focuses on my character, then asks, “Uh, Mormon, why is everypony heading out to the fields again?  Don’t you already have the food harvested?”

I answer, “I like my food as fresh as possible, and evidently so does everyone else that lives here.”

Now, the azure pegasa grunts with interest, then says, “I hadn’t really thought about it that way.  In Cloudsdale and Ponyville, I'd get all my food at the market.  Sometimes I’d take naps in the apple trees in Applejack’s orchards, but that’s just because I like the way they smell.”

I state, “Well, around here, we harvest food for each meal so we’re guaranteed to have the freshest ingredients.”

At this point, Rainbow Dash circles around my character down the stairs, and onto the lawn. There, she looks at each of the fields (Is it, or is it not, surprising that she seems to be able to see so well in such a low level of light?) and hums with interest.  Then, she turns back to my character again and says, “You know, maybe I can help out.  So, where do I start?”

I answer, “You can decide where you want to help out.”

Now, the rainbow-haired pegasa smiles as she says, “Thanks.”  Then, she heads toward the vineyard, evidently to help Lyra with harvesting.

With that decided, my character proceeds to the orchard, where Pinkie Pie, controlled by Diane, is evidently in the process of finding a tree to buck apples out of.

My character climbs over the fence, then proceeds to the peach tree, where he starts picking a few fruits from it.

In the mean time, it’s clear that Pinkie “Diane” Pie has made her choice; as I hear a thud, some rustling, and a few more, lighter thuds.

After my character has picked some eight or nine peaches, I turn to find that Pinkamena has once again taken over control of Pinkie Pie and proceeded to hang the fallen apples in her mane.  Then, seeing that my character is ready to return to the house, she excitedly calls out, “So, let’s go,” then hops over the fence and bounces back to the house.

My character follows closely behind her, scaling the fence, and on back to the house.  And, by the time the human and the angel pony are there, all except Lyra and Rainbow Dash are there as well.  And, all my character has to do is turn to look in the direction of the vineyard to show me that those two are on their way.

Seeing the group ready to go back inside, my character proceeds to the door and opens it for the ponies and the dinosaur, then holds it open for them to enter ahead of him.

In the mean time, Pinkie Pie heads the group to the kitchen door, then opens it for them and holds it open.

My character follows Weed Whacker, the last of the group to enter, and closes the door behind him; then follows her into the kitchen, where Pinkie Pie follows him in, closing the door behind her.

From there, Rainbow Dash takes charge of placing the prepared food items on a platter she pulls out.

Once dinner is ready, including muffins prepared by Pinkie Pie, Ataahua, and Topsy Turvy, with fruits donated by my character and Lyra; Rainbow Dash helps carry the platter into the front room, where human, dinosaur, and ponies gather around.

I invite Pinkie Pie to pray over the food, which she does; and everyone eats.

Then, when all are satisfied, they join forces in the cleanup, after which Rainbow Dash reminds me about the need to start work on the flying machine for Tank.

Either Pinkie Pie hasn’t informed Rainbow Dash of where my work room is, or the azure pegasa is being courteous and allowing my character to lead her and Tank there.  Either way, my character leads the way into his work room, where he clears off a table.  And, based on the sound, I’m guessing that Rainbow Dash has taken the initiative and closed the door to the work room.  She’s there with her tortoise just as my character has cleared off a table, so we can get right to work.

My character produces a measuring tape, a pen, and a rectangle while Rainbow Dash puts Tank on the cleared-off surface; then my character proceeds to take measurements of the tortoise’s shell, from front to back, from right to left, across the top, then from underneath, writing down the measurements as they're taken.  He even wraps the tape around Tank’s shell, above his head and tail, to get a measurement of circumference.  Then, after my character writes down that information, Rainbow Dash and I agree that enough has been done for the night; and the three proceed to their separate rooms.

As my character proceeds to go to bed, I can’t help thinking of how this temporary addition to the group is going to influence things.  In the first game, when my character brought Rainbow Dash home to take care of her and defend her from Pinkie Pie, she broke down the door to try to get in contact with her.  And, there are other differences: there are other ponies to help her figure things out, help her acclimate.  And, who knows how long it’ll take for Tank’s flying machine to be ready for him?  I find myself looking forward to finding out.

So, seeing that my character is asleep, I save and close the game until the next time I can play. Next Chapter: Chapter 9: Of Loyalty and Humility Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 16 Minutes