Makes me sad...

That so much of my hand drawn art work is completely ignored, yet something I did on a Pony creator/ generator is faved and loved. Heck there are OC pony communities out there on dA that won't allow generator ponies, yet never go looking out for hand drawn art either. It has to be something done on a tablet and colored in Photoshop/Ink Scape/Sai or nothing.

Hypocrites, I hate them.

Itty bitty trotting Honeycrisp

I was up to about 1:00 am doing this. And now I find out there is a tenth frame that will make the animation even smoother! Grrrrr!!

Something Unexpected, A Soldier in Silver Part 4,

Destrier wanted to hit something, preferably Charger’s father Lancer. Oh, if only he could get his hooves on him…

“And you mother is okay with this?” Destrier asked, as the colt pawed the floor with his left hoof.

“Mum said that they no longer have room for me at home, sir. They gave my little sister my old room and turned her smaller room into her closet. Pastel has lots of clothes, you see. She’s a regular clothes horse.” 

Destrier was completely surprised by this. Peppermint Bon Bon hadn’t been the type to just allow her foal to be tossed out like yesterdays trash.  Not the Minty he knew. But then again she did marry Lancer and he had always been jerk. Maybe it rubbed off.

There was a flapping sound of wings from outside, and a fleeting glimpse of Princess Celestia as she passed by the windows outside his quarters. She looked decidedly unhappy. Destrier smirked a bit. Lancer and Minty were going to get a talking to by her royal Highness.

He turned his attention back to Charger. The scarlet unicorn removed his helm, letting it rest upon his desk. He gave his head a shake, but knew that until he left the Royal Guard Academy building, his mane would stay in a high crest. The building had spells upon it for that very reason. Once out of this place, Destrier was getting his mane cut, because it was bound to be way too long. He didn’t like having his mane in his face.

“Son, I’ve just retired from the unit. I’m leaving Canterlot as soon as possible. I’ve no need for a valet. He said as he removed the rest of his armor, a time consuming task shorted by the use of magic. He then retrieved his saddle bags and began to pack them. Not that he had a ton of belongings. Most of the things in the room belonged to the Academy. “I don’t even know where I’m going yet.”

“I’d like permission to accompany you where ever it is you choose to go, sir,” Charger said. “I’m not from Canterlot, and I’m sure the ponies here in town would rather I go anyway after everything that happened tonight.”

The former commander could not dispute that. Most of the merchants in Canterlot Square would be thrilled to see the colt leave town altogether.  Destrier stared at the young stallion and then heaved a sigh. He was going to regret this, wasn’t he?

“Permission granted, colt. I have a few more things to do before we leave Canterlot. I have a few goodbyes to make. I’m sure you need to get your things…”

“Thank you, sir!” Charger said happily, “I was hoping you’d say yes. I have my stuff outside the door.”

He was prepared. Of course he was. He was a former member of the Royal Guard, wasn’t he? Destrier had trained him to be ready for anything.

“Where are you from, anyway?”

“Ponyville, sir. I was thinking of going there if you said no. I still have friends there.”

"Sounds about as good a place to go as any. A small town is just what this retiree may need."

His things packed, the scarlet stallion led his new found companion out of the Academy building. There was a slight nip of fall in the air, the season having changed mere days ago. Once outside of the gates, both ponies’ manes fell, finally released from the magic that held them upright and stiff as a brush since they both joined the Guard. The helmets that the guards wore had the same spell upon them, so that when they travelled outside of the main Academy and Base, they would still look like the pony centurions they really were.

Destrier saw a glimpse of himself in the glass display of a sweet shop, his forelock had fallen over his missing right eye. He looked like someone who spent their time hanging out at street corner café’s wearing a dirty beret and reciting terrible poetry about gold fish. Charger looked almost girly. They both seriously needed a haircut and fast.  It was a good thing that the Buzzcut’s mane clipper shop was just around the corner.

Story Post: "A Soldier in Silver" Chapter 3

“No.” the Princess of all of Equestria said firmly. “You will not resign, Destrier. I won’t accept it.”

Destrier’s jaw dropped and he stared at the princess, looking like a landed fish. 

“Permission to speak freely, your Highness?” he said after several moments of awkward silence.

“Permission granted, Commander.”

“I will kill him. I promise you that. If I stay on here as a member of the Guard, I will be tempted to end his life,” Destrier began. “I can’t forgive him or forget what that filthy loathsome little son of a mule did six years ago. I can’t bear the idea of giving him anything, much less having to stand there silently and allow Greenbacks to take from the fund for the families that the Guard set up for those that died in service to Equestria.” 

He paused for a breath, noting that it now was the princess that looked surprised by his words.

“I would sully the very name of the Guard and what little honor I have left, and tear his wretched hide to pieces, as the 'tame' chimera he brought to Canterlot Square did my brothers in arms. I must insist upon you accepting my resignation, your Highness. It may be the only way to prevent me from attacking and killing Greenbacks.”

“Resignations in this matter are undignified,” Celestia said, watching the emotions play across the scarlet unicorn's face. “Retirement would be a better choice. I will allow you to retire from the Royal Guard, Commander.”

Destrier breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Princess.”

“Where are you going to go?” she asked, concerned for her friend. “I can see that Canterlot is out of the question.”

“I don’t know.” Destrier shrugged, “Perhaps to Manehattan, though I am not sure…”

The discussion of where he should go went on for a little while; Destrier had no idea how long he and the Princess talked; all he knew was that this was quite possibly the longest conversation he had ever had with her. 

There was a knock upon the door, and then without waiting to be asked to be admitted, Charger entered the commander’s quarters. The colt looked completely lost and exposed without his armor. Destrier turned to the Princess and noticed that she had stepped out onto the Balcony overlooking the city. He and Charger were effectively alone.

“What is it, colt?” Destrier asked, more than slightly annoyed that Charger had entered his quarters without permission.

“I was wondering, sir….” Charger said, not meeting Destrier’s eye. “I was wondering if you would keep me on here as your valet or something.”

“Go home, son,” The older stallion said, not bothering to hide his irritation. “Go home with your folks.”

“That’s impossible, sir. My father…my father won’t allow me to return home. He says I disgraced the family name with my discharge from the Guard.”

Not Dead Yet!

Turns out that I caught the rootkit before it could take hold. Woohoo!

Well that's just great...

Thanks to some jerk with an unsolicited and unopened email that was supposed to be deleted but instead hung out in a folder, I have a rootkit virus on my computer.

Last time this happened I had to have a new hard drive.

Story: "A Soldier in Silver" Chapter 2

For a moment, Destrier contemplated strangling the Pegasus with one of the curtain pull cords. How he hated hearing that. “Stop Right There, Criminal Scum!” was the new catchphrase amongst the Royal Guards of all of Equestria’s races.  Students used it all the time, bellowing it to one another during training drills until Destrier had enough of it. 

“A fire spell’s a little drastic for catching a simple shoplifter, criminal scum or not, don’t you think?” growled the silver clad officer, striding over to the Pegasus and staring down at him. “Fanning the flames with your wings in order to flush him out is a bit of overcompensation, wouldn’t you say? You both are lucky no one DIED in tonight’s debacle.”

“I agree, Commander,” said Princess Celestia as she entered the room, flanked by General Fireflight, Eaglewing’s commander and another pony that Destrier hadn’t recognized. Others followed, but he wasn’t sure he recognized them either. They were out of Destrier’s limited field of vision. The three in the room bowed as was custom for the Guards when the Princess was present. It was obvious she was very angry.  “Loss of life would have made tonight’s unpleasant spectacle into a disaster of horrific proportions. It’s bad enough that several ponies have lost their livelihoods because of the foolishness these ones caused.”

Destrier stepped away from Eaglewing, now getting a better look at the newcomers. He recognized Charger’s parents; the older grey unicorn’s expression was cold while the colt’s mother looked teary eyed. The Pegasus that had to be Eaglewing’s sire looked frustrated and disappointed. He didn’t look very surprised though. Then his gaze shifted to the plump little unicorn that had entered with Celestia.

It was Greenbacks.

Destrier heard a familiar buzzing in his ears, feeling the first stirrings of rage at the sight of the little fat unicorn even as the Princess started speaking again. Charger and Eaglewing were being drummed out of the Corps. The Equestrian Royal Guards would compensate the shopkeepers, who were being represented by the majority owner-the smug little swaybacked son of a mule himself.

This was the pony that brought that rag tag circus to Canterlot, the one that convinced the skeptical Guards that the Chimera was as docile as a house cat under control of his flea-bitten trainer.

At first everything seemed fine. The circus played for three days without incident.

Then something happened, the spells used to subdue the chimera failed, right in the middle of the afternoon show. The careless trainer was horrifically slaughtered in front of the audience by the beast, the very first to die. It then attacked and maimed or outright killed several foals and their unsuspecting parents, members of a school field trip that had come to see the circus.

The Corps were sent in to control the rampaging animal, to no avail.  It decimated the 145^th. The 72^nd pegasi wing joined in the fight and the creature tore through them like so much paper.  Destrier had been young and filled with stupid bravado, he had charged the brute. It took him down too easily and tore out his left eye.  If it hadn’t been for the timely arrival of Princess Celestia, Destrier might have been killed as well. Only she could control the monster until they could euthanize it, for the chimera was too far gone to rehabilitate. In all thirty died. Fourteen of those killed by the beast were members of both the 145^th Ground Brigade and the 72^nd Air Wing.

All of it had been Greenbacks’ fault.   

Hadn’t Greenbacks pledged to compensate the families of the ponies that had been killed?  Hadn’t he pledged to have a statute made, commemorating the valiant Guard ponies that gave their lives in order to protect the citizens of Canterlot? He did. The nag reneged on each and every promise. And yet here he was, greedily awaiting compensation from the very Guards that he had been directly responsible for murdering fourteen Corps members of only five years prior. Gleefully watching as the Military careers of two promising colts was abruptly ended. Both would have dishonorable discharges on their records.

“Destrier?” Princess Celestia cut into his thoughts, her voice soothing the rage in him that was so very close to the surface. “As Charger’s commanding officer, do you agree to the terms of the settlement with the property owners in Canterlot?”

He nodded, not daring to speak while the shopkeeper remained in the room, knowing that it would be impossible to argue against the settlement, no matter how much he hated Greenbacks.

The group was then escorted from the room by General Fireflight to sign the necessary paperwork; with the exception of Princess Celestia. Destrier regarded her silently for a moment and then spoke.

 “As Charger’s commanding officer I am directly responsible for his actions this night.” He said, his voice quiet and controlled, “As such I am as much to blame as he is, therefore I will be resigning both my position as Commanding Officer of the 145th and as instructor at the Equestrian Royal Guard Academy, effective immediately.”

Story: "A Soldier in Silver." Chapter one

The commander of the 145^th Brigade of the Equestrian Royal Guards was exhausted. Not physically, but mentally. This night had been nothing short of a disaster, all thanks to one of his own. The scarlet unicorn sighed, looking over the city of Canterlot. The fire brigades had finally put out the flames, but not before several businesses downtown had been destroyed.

All this chaos and destruction to catch a petty thief.  It wasn’t worth it.

Destrier turned from the window to consider the ones who had wrecked such havoc. Charger was young and new to the unit. He had talent that much was evident. His father had been a guard himself; the grey stallion was only following family tradition. The pony in question kept his gaze on the floor, not daring to look at his commander.

Charger had not been alone in causing such chaos; a member of the Pegasus wing had also been involved. Destrier shifted his gaze to Eaglewing.  The white winged pony was awaiting the arrival of his own commander. When the scarlet unicorn turned to glare at him, Eaglewing winced at bit.

Destrier knew it wasn’t his rank alone. It was his appearance. He had lost his right eye in a fight with a chimera years ago. The beast had landed a hard blow to the unicorn’s face, sharp claws tearing through both his helm and the skin underneath. The empty socket had been sewn shut and it was covered by a long angry scar. There were still lighter claw scars to the left and right of the wound, but not as deep. It had also shattered his right hind leg, leaving him with a barely noticeable limp. He had nearly died and there were friends in his unit that had been killed in the struggle with the monster. He was one of the few that survived. His reward was a medal, a higher rank and a nice cushy teaching job instructing new recruits. After all, a member of the Princess’ personal guard was useless in battle if he was blind in one eye.

It was before the princess had decided that her unicorn guards had to be a uniform gray in color and her pegasi guardians had to be white. The troops were a myriad of colors at the time. The unicorn sighed; he was one of the very last of his kind.  Only the earth pony guards were colorful now.

“So…” rasped Destrier, the unicorn in silver armor finally getting his temper under control enough to speak to the duo.  “Would either of you idiots mind explaining the thought processes that warranted using a fire spell on a shoplifter? Or would either of you like to wait until the Princess arrives?”

That brought Charger’s gaze from contemplating his hooves to the furious face his commanding officer.

“The Princess...Princess Celestia?” he asked looking completely aghast. Destrier nodded, wondering if the grey unicorn was feared a long vacation to the moon for this mess.

“He was criminal scum, sir!” interjected Eaglewing. “It’s our duty to stop them!”

Busted!

This morning I posted a new piece of art on my dA. It was immediately faved and when I went to check on the people who faved it, one of them was someone that I knew was banned a month ago.

When you would thank her for the fave, she would post a stock reply about how if you went and liked/commented on her videos on Youtube, she would see to it that you would get lots of watchers and faves on your dA. She did this to a few of my pieces and like an idiot I believed her and faved, commented on her latest video.

And got nothing. Then she and another user faved my art again and I got the same stock reply from both.

I reported them.

This is against deviantArt's rules and she summarily was banned.

I did nothing this time, I just ignored her. Then I thought I should report her for ban evasion and when I got in tonight I was going to do just that. I clicked on her user name and the account had a note saying that she was permabanned.

LOL!

Notice: Story on hold

Until I get rid of this nasty cold. No fun trying to concentrate while I am sniffling and coughing.

MLP FIM, Episode 7: May The Best Pet Win

Is it just me or was that episode just meh? Not good, not bad but simply..eh whatever? The song with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy was cute, the "Flight of the Valkyries" was a nice touch, but the turtle winning was foreshadowed almost from the beginning which made it almost boring. I love how the fans are all "OMG! I totes predicted this!!!"

Really guys?

The toys predicted the outcome. Rainbow Dash toys came with a turtle now for a year or so.

The best episode of Season 2 is still "Lesson Zero."

Dear fandom...

Those were not radiation suits, those were biohazard containment suits. Applebloom had a contagious disease with no known cure and the ponies suited up to protect themselves.

Can we make him actually talk?

In last season's MLP FiM episodes"Applebuck Season" and to a lesser extent in "Winter Wrap," Big Mac actually had lines. He could say more than "Eyup" and "Nope". 

Why is it that while he's been present in most of the newer episodes, he can't seem to utter anything but, Eyup and Nope? Come on writers, stop being lazy. Give him some actual lines.

Hi there, everypony!

This is kind of a story telling blog here, about me-The paint pony of the title and my friends.

My name is Honeycrisp, and I am a waitress at the Shake and Bake Inn, Ponyville.