The group has gotten out of the academy building, Li'lpip reflecting on how squee worthy it was that they had been in Princess Celestia's private room. Had lain down on her bed. Hacked her own personal terminal. As well as the group puzzling over why the map she found on the terminal showed a secret passage from the academy building right to the royal treasury.
Coming to Ministry Walk, they see the remains of the ponies trapped outside when the Pink Cloud filled the city. A rather horrific mess, including one skeleton that might be Lyra. The sight making Velvet turn away. Making her afraid to go into the Ministry of Kindness. Afraid to see what became of Fluttershy, since according to Steelhooves she had been in Canterlot when the megaspells fell. But they press on, needing the supplies.
Also, it is rather awesome that the MOK hub was made out of trees.
Inside, the group meets disappointment. The Canterlot hub being less hospital then administration center. Not finding the large caches of medical supplies they were hoping for. Though Velvet does contemplate swiping a small Fluttershy figure in a display case, but can't bear to separate it from her woodland friends surrounding her.
And then, then we get this scene. Probably the most debated, discussed, and criticized scene in the entire chapter. They open a door to an auditorium filled with pink and Velvet rushes into it, getting on the stage, much to the shock and horror of the rest of the group. Before they can react and try to bring her back, she start's speaking. Li'lpip recognizing the words and the location. This was the same room where Fluttershy had made the announcement that doomed Equestria in. The room from the memory orb Velvet had been spending so much time. And she was delivering the exact same speech she had seen Fluttershy give dozens of times.
Calamity yelling for Li'lpip to pull her out, and she does wrap Velvet in magic, ready to yank her out before it was to late, but waiting. Not till she finishes the speech does she yank her clear. Velvet surviving, but needing the rest of their healing potions. Calamity and Li'lpip leaving her with Steelhooves to recover while they kept scouting.
Okay, this scene, wow. Was what Velvet did monumentally stupid? Oh hell yes. Can she be blamed for it? I really do not think so. Think about how fast she acted. Almost the instant the doors opened she rushed in. This was not something she thought about doing, this was something she just did. We had ponies expressing concerns already about how spending so much time in a single orb might not be a good idea. It seems perfectly within reason, and likely, that having spent so much time in the orb, the memory simply took over, making her act it out without her even knowing what she was doing.
As to the rest of the group. Steelhooves is Steelhooves, he simply told Li'lpip that letting Velvet stay was a bad idea, but left the decision up to the groups leader. Calamity, he spent the whole time trying to get Li'lpip to pull her out, but he trusts her as well. I'm sure if something obviously bad had happened to Velvet, she passed out, fell over, something like that, he would have raced in their and gotten her out immediately. But he saw Li'lpip's magic surrounding her, knew that his friend was ready to pull her out faster the Calamity could reach her.
As to Li'lpip... she was ready to pull her out at a moments notice. She knew it was risky, but she thought NOT letting her finish would be riskier. A healing potion can cure damage from the cloud, there is no quick fix if breaking her out of the near trance she was in damaged her mind. She hated the idea, she knew it was risky, but given everything she knew, she thought letting her finish was the safer option. It was a rock and a hard place, either way it would be a risk.
While I can see why people disagree with these conclusions, overall I do think Li'lpip did the right thing, and that Velvet wasn't fully responsible for her actions. Beyond having spent so much time in that orb, which nopony knew could result in that.
As the two explore further, Li'lpip shares another reason for letting her stay. Telling Calamity about how it was Fluttershy that caused the megaspells to be developed. That she couldn't deny Velvet this one chance to try and be Fluttershy before she finds out the truth.
They come across a rather interestingly set up office door. Birdhouses and smaller, animal sized doors set all around it. Li'lpip saying she'll take the office, while Calamity loots the rest of the area. Inside she finds a trashed meeting room. Chairs, papers, everything, all thrown about. And at the far end, one hoof held in a hole in the large window, a single skeleton. Li'lpip assuming it was Fluttershy before seeing it was a unicorn. Thinking maybe it was a nurse, or caretaker for the animals.
Exploring further, she finds a message on a chalkboard. Showing both Fluttershy's goal with giving the Zebra's megaspells, and highlighting just how badly she had misjudged things. Her entire plan.
- Communally
- Assured
- Reciprocal
- Existence
The counterpoint to MAD is impossible to miss. But same for just how, 'pony' I guess, it is. She really was taking the course she felt would preserve the most lives. Unable to even think that others wouldn't use it to do the same. Though, in those others defense. The ponies DID work to develop shields like she wanted. And had the healing spells. The offensive Megaspells were far more direct, controlled, and safer then Balefire bombs. And, despite everything else. The megaspell tech was also used to create the single greatest hope for Equestria should the worst happen. So, yes it was Naive of her to think CARE would work. But it's far far less insane then those that thought MAD was a good idea.
She also finds, under the skeleton of the unicorn, the final Ministry Mare Statuette. Fluttershy. She brings it out, not even considering keeping it, wanting to give it to Velvet. But the instant she brings it closer she feels something much more powerful then when she had claimed any of the other figurines. She had completed the set, and somehow, they wanted to be together. The Mane 6 deserved to be united. And though she still would like to give it to Velvet, she can't break them apart again.
The statuettes wanted to be together. The Ministry Mares needed to be together. They were meant to be. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack. They were stronger when they were together, better. Separating them had been the worst thing anypony could have done to them. I knew that; and now that I had brought them together, I knew I couldn’t separate them again.
And we've heard and seen over and over, that the single biggest flaw in the Ministries was that they separated the Mane 6. Each had her own issues, her own problems, and their ability to lean on each other, to support each other was lessened. As great and amazing as each of them was. It was being together, united, that made them far stronger. Both as a group, and as individuals.
Calamity's looting had paid off, finding Fluttershy's personal supplies. Li'lpip reflecting it was almost like the yellow mare had left them a gift. The group sort the supplies, and we get a rather amusing bit where Calamity describes Fluttershy's office. Set up like a doctor's office more then the center of power for one of the most powerful organizations in Equestria. Complete with a eye chart for squirrels. With nuts replacing the letters.
A quick bit where an offhoof remark has Velvet shocked the Calamity would still consider eating meat after Arbu. Even Li'lpip having lost her ability to do so. Though she does think that she will miss bacon. Velvet and Calamity bickering a bit over it.
They head to the MAS building, getting ambushed by an alicorn partway. Calamity shoots it before it can do anything, but that draws others, and fighting ensues. Calamity and Steelhooves making a good stand through massive firepower, but being overwhelmed. One of the alicorns using the blood of another to create a giant sword. (Ickily cool at first, major hint of things to come as later. gotta love how well Chekhov's Guns and foreshadowing is worked in, often seamlessly enough you don't notice it at the time.)
While the rest fall back to the MAS building, Steelhooves stays fighting the alicorns, eventually getting shocked to (another) death while standing in a reflecting pool. Li'lpip rushing to save him. using her TK to fly over the Cloud laced water looking for him, only to hit a broadcaster, her magic failing and landing her in the pool. In a last desperate attempt to survive, she grabs all the water she can in the pool, and everything in it, and sends it hurling up, taking the broadcaster with it. As the pain subsides she locates Steelhooves body in the mass of skeletons, coins, and water and pulls it out.
She tries to walk back to the others, her right foreleg collapsing in agony as she puts weight on it. Barely making it back with Calamity's help, holding the broadcaster filled water between them and the alicorns, just making it to the building before blacking out.... again.
The Butterfly Orb
Li'lpip is inside a small furry body, racing through the MOK building. The panic and sounds hinting that this might be the day Equestria ended. And it's confirmed as he bursts into the meeting room she had just been in, seeing Fluttershy smashing everything she could get her hooves on, ending with throwing a terminal through the window, which begins to slowly knit back together. Screaming in rage at what those she gave her greatest gift to had done with it. What she'd done to Equestria. We find out that Li'lpip is in the body of Angel, who tries to comfort her.
Rarity bursts into the office, telling Fluttershy they had to hurry, that Stable 1 was going to be sealed up soon. Fluttershy telling her to go, to leave her, she doesn't deserve to survive. Rarity countering that she above all deserved it. Their argument was stopped as the Pink Cloud megaspell went off, the city filling quickly. Rarity lunges for the window, getting her hoof in the remaining hole just before it reached them. Letting out a small groan of pain, saying this was necromantic in nature.
She yells at Flutterhsy to forget Stable 1, but that she would save her, teleporting her out of the room. Angle rushes over, kicking Rarity till she tells him she sent her to Zecora's hut. Or at least that general region. Saying she would send Angel as well, but had to leave a message first. She talks as if speaking to Twilight, telling her not to bother searching for them, and letting her know about the Black Book, that it might have spells that could counter the Cloud. She pulls out a memory orb, Li'lpip seeing that the "message" would be Angel's memory. The memory cutting out as she starts the spell to copy it to the orb.
Thoughts- Present-Not much beyond what I said. Biggest talking point was Velvet in the auditorium which I covered. I liked the alicorn fight, and the blood sword was awesome, an a very very disturbing and icky way. And, well I saw what the burning forehoof meant right away.
Past-one of the other not quite HUGE orbs. Though this one does seem bigger and more fitting of being counted so important then the Apple one. It shows exactly how Fluttershy took the news, and gives us the final fate of Rarity. As sad as seeing any pony die is, sacrificing herself to save a friend, really not many better ways I could think of Rarity going out. And also this gives us several hints and foreshadowing of later events.
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