We open to DJ-Pon-3 talking to the Wastes. Telling them about heroes. How even the best can fall, can fail. That it is not a lack of failure that makes a hero great. No, it is how they react to that failure, how/if they pick themselves up and keep going. And that in the Stable Dweller, shes seen a pony that will never quit. However, then going on to warn the Wastes that sometimes, the horrors they deal with can just be to much, can cause a hero to snap. She reiterates that she simply does not know the details about why Arbu and Bucklyn Cross have gone dead. But cautioning the ponies of the wastes to watch out for The Stable Dweller's company. And yet, if she does come to their door, do not lock it. For either this may be the time she most needs the aid of the ponies she has done so much to help. Or she might just see it as a challenge.
And reiterating the on hard truth of the Wastes
I’ve said it a hundred times and I’ll say it again: the one great truth of the wasteland is that every pony has done something they regret.
Okay, this chapter, is the one place where. IMO, you do miss a lot if you haven't read 20.5. The situation between Li'lpip and Homage here makes far far more sense in light of their conversation in that chapter. While it doesn't leave you with no clue what's going on not having read it. It does shed a whole new light on why Homage is so quick to think the worst, why it hit's Li'lpip so hard, and why she's all to eager to apologize and swing back the other way so easily. This is almost exactly what they had talked about, this exact situation. Again, not vital to know that stuff, but does help greatly.
We come back to Li'lpip in the aftermath of her slaughter. Everypony in Arbu save the foals, the elderly pony, and a single young colt, old enough for a cutie mark but without an Arbu mark, surviving. She's numb, hollow, drained. The way most people/ponies would be after that much emotional overload. Feeling guilt and shame over what she had just done. More so for the foals having seen it. Calamity demanding the whole story from Grandpa Rattle, wanting to know just how bad it was. Mostly out of concern for Li'lpip. Needing to know just how bad his friend might be. Obviously upset at the slaughter.
We get some snippets of how the fight went, Li'lpip taking the time to make sure any pony she killed had an Arbu mark before killing them, but not sparing a single one with one. Even shooting ponies Calamity had wounded bad enough to take out of the fighting. Him and Steelhooves only attack ponies that actively attacked them. Velvet spending the whole fight in her shield, keeping the foals safe behind it. Even now keeping the barrier between her and Li'lpip.
From the elderly pony we find out there WERE no good ponies in the town, everypony that died was an active participant in murder and cannibalism. Any pony with the decency to not be had left town long ago. Many becoming the very bandits the group had exterminated when they first came by the town. Trying to strike back at the town. A thought that sends another wave of self-revulsion through Li'lpip.
Calamity goes over to Velvet, trying to find some reason for Li'lpip acting like this, concerned she might have crossed a threshold. Asking if the concussion she was still recovering from might be to blame, might excuse it. Velvet shocking everypony by defending Li'lpip, saying she doesn't need an excuse. That what she did was right.
And we get into a discussion that, actually would look all to familiar to anyone that read the comments here for the last two sections. Calamity taking the stance that while he found the thought of cannibalism distasteful, he didn't see why that was enough to kill them. Velvet arguing it was more then enough, even without adding in all the other stuff they did. Going so far in her denunciation of the ponies of Arbu that it starts to make even Li'lpip uncomfortable. The thought going over and over in her mind that the Goddess was right about her, she is Corrupted Kindness. Feeling that this was to much, that she'd fallen off the Moral Event Horizon.
Calamity turns to Steelhooves, trying to find someway to justify this. Not wanting to hate Li'lpip, wanting to be okay with what happened but unable to. Steelhooves simply taking the stance that Li'lpip is their leader, so whatever happened was her call. When Calamity flips out at that, he goes further. He agrees that Arbu was a bad place, that these ponies had to be dealt with. Not necessarily killed, but stopped. Calamity retorting that she should have come to them first. Steelhooves admitting that Li'lpip did do one thing wrong last night.
“She was enraged. She was not thinking clearly,” Steel Hooves informed Calamity bluntly. “The only thing she’s done wrong here is that she let her anger control her. Is that what you need to hear, Calamity? Then yes, I don’t approve. I would prefer she had killed these monsters with cold-blooded calculation.”
((honestly, there is way to much to accurately summarize here, I'll try to hit the highpoints.))
Li'lpip focusing on the young filly guarding the storeroom. Trying to remember if she killed her. Knowing she must have, since she wasn't among the living. Part of her hating herself for it, even knowing she had her Arbu mark. Trying to tell herself that she was a guard to the slaughter pit, she HAD to be involved and deserve it. Finally Grandpa Rattle telling her to go check the safe under his bed, that he had a journal of everypony that was killed and eaten in the town.
Okay, real quick, just to sum up the groups opinions. And, really, over all, they ALL have good points, and just show what a YMMV situation this was.
Xenith-Thinks they did nothing wrong. That anything you need to do to survive is justified.
Calamity-That while cannibalism is disgusting, it wasn't enough to justify this sort of killing.
Steehooves-Her actions were fully justified, but not losing control like that.
Velvet-They deserved everything they got and more. Li'lpip did noting at all wrong.
While Li'lpip. Well, she is all over the place. She has no idea HOW to feel about this. The closest would be Steelhooves. That they DID deserve this, but the way she did it was wrong. Which is also closest to my own view. But she is filled with doubt, self loathing, hatred. This is without a doubt her lowest moment in the entire story.
And there is undoubtedly people that would hold the same opinions as any of the group, or even others they hadn't thought of.
She heads up to the safe, even though it's above a room that's on fire, and is filled with smoke. Her mind to distracted, to broken to focus enough to even pick a lock at the moment. She lays down, trying to get her thoughts in order. Part of her saying she'd become as bad, if not worse the Redeye. Another that, no, she HAD made a mistake, but it didn't mean she was evil. Accepting that she WAS corrupted Kindness. (Which again is utter bullshit to me. From an in 'verse view at least. This is just what Li'lpip thinks, not what the story is telling us is true. And She's simply wrong. As Kkat has said, it's almost like the telepathic villain knew exactly what to say to have the biggest impact on Li'lpip's psyche.)
But, she finds her way back, finds something to hold onto. Even if she is a corrupted virtue, it doesn't mean she can't be repaired. Thinking about Silver Bell. And how despite being the embodiment of corrupted laughter. She had found her real virtue, had been healed by the love of the ponies who took her in. Li'lpip resolving that she would do the same.
Her mind at piece, more or less, she easily opens the safe and brings out the journal.
We cut to another DJ-PON-3 broadcast. First warning anypony about the dangers everywhere near the Everfree due to the monsters fleeing the fires in it. And then reading a letter from Ditzy defending Li'lpip. Saying that she's seen the Stable Dweller mad, seen her enraged. And everytime, it led her to take actions that saved the lives of innocent ponies. That she was sure whatever happened in Arbu, it likewise saved the lives of ponies.
One more reason why she is my favorite pony in this entire story.
Returning to the group we learn that Grandpa's senility during the day wasn't an act, that he really was that way, and only lucid at night. Referring to it as being "Kissed by Luna". And yes it is something real. There are partially senile people that are more lucid during either the day or night then the other.
She offers the book to Calamity, to try and help him deal with his issues about what had happened. he refuses it, saying he doesn't need it. That she did wrong last night. Then pulling her into a hug.
“Ah’ve seen yer heart, Li’lpip,” Calamity reminded me, clutching me tight. “Ah know yer a good pony. Maybe the best pony Ah’ve ever met.” I felt his tears. “An’ if that heart cries out in pain an’ rage an’ fury, then Ah’ve got t’ believe it’s fer good reason. An’ that Ah’m just too jaded t’ see it.”
Finally making piece. Knowing that while she took actions he never would. It was for good reasons. Even if he couldn't understand them. Coming closer to Steelhooves perspective. The only real wrong she did was losing control. Letting her rage drive her into a berserker fury.
On the flight to drop off the foals at the nearby Friendship City we learn that Grandpa Rattle was a Steel Ranger scribe in his youth. Quitting after an incident with his daughter. And that the stick he was brandishing as a shotgun, HAD started as a shotgun. Though he couldn't reverse the spell.
As they approach the city, the ponies manning it's wall start shooting at the group, causing Calamity to reverse course and get out of range quick. Steelhooves telling them about what DJ-PON-3 had been saying, making Li'lpip long to rush back and explain herself. But part of her knowing that it would be worthless. That Homage needed to know the truth, but not from her. That she knew Homage would have to doubt anything Li'lpip said right now. And also, not wanting to risk taking any longer then she already had dealing with The Goddess.
They make their way on hoof back to the city. Most of the group staying out of sight while Velvet leads the survivors of Arbu to the gate to the city. Taking the comatose Elder with her. While the rest wait, we get a hint as to why Steelhooves felt so strongly about cannibalism. It reminded him to much of the fate that befalls far far to many ghouls. Degenerating into mindless monsters that feed on ponies. He moves over to Li'lpip. Setting her mind at ease about one fear. The young filly he had been sure he had killed without meaning to, was in fact killed by Steelhooves. He had killed her to protect the merchant she had sent to see he basement from her. Saying the fact that she sent a civilian into a place he could be so easily cornered, while still leaving a guard alive was all the proof he needed she was not thinking clearly.
And then thanking her. For failing, for having at least one massive fuck up. Saying that it makes him feel better about himself. Knowing that she wasn't perfect. Okay, that bit lays on the Li'lpip praising a little to thick, even for me. Though I understand where Steelhooves was coming from. It still feels a tad excessive.
Cut to DJ, telling the truth about what happened in Arbu and Bucklyn Cross. Letting the wastes know the Stable Dweller hadn't fallen like she feared. That she was still the hero of the wastes. Having talked to the merchant that had been in Arbu at the time. Noting that he had never fully trusted the statements of the surviving Steel Rangers, and yes he made that clear when he presented it.
The group heads off towards Canterlot. Li'lpip looking down at her Pipbuck and just now realizing that they were supposed to remove anything touching their coat or risk having it fused to them. Debating whether to do that with the tool. Admitting, rightfully so, that she'd be only a fraction as useful in a fight without the benefits of the device. And, yeah I saw what was coming soon as the story made sure to mention it.
Steelhooves interrupts her thoughts, telling her to get him onto the roof, quick. Looking out the window she sees a flock of bloodwings attacking two unarmed figures on the ground, kicking in her SATS to start going to work while getting the walking armory into position to do the same.
Cut to DJ-PON-3. Yeah the last few times we got any action, it cuts away without actually showing much, that is kind of disappointing.
It opens with DJ offering a very sincere apology to the Stable Dweller for having doubted her. Something, that again, makes more sense and carries far more weight if you had read 20.5. Before bringing Grandpa Rattle on the show to tell the wastes the full story about Arbu. including the list he kept of every pony that was murdered in that town.
Thoughts- Damn, so much in this one and, well it's all YMMV. Anyone that read the comments for the last few parts can clearly see just how real every stance the group had was. This is the point where Li'lpip picks herself up from her darkest pit. She'd fallen further then she ever had before, and yet she starts trying to climb back up. And this isn't something that is just forgotten about. This is a major turning point for her. Something that stays with her forever.
And Homage's reaction? Again the ones I've seen a bit confused about the extremes, are also ones that didn't read 20.5. It really does explain everything about why Homage and Li'lpip reacted the way they did.
After this point, we move closer to the much built up vist to Canterlot.
The whole Arbu story was just masterful. And as I've said many times, the single biggest YMMV piece in the story. But because it was SUPPOSED to be. Kkat intended for people's opinions to be so varied and conflicting. Just like the party's were.
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