January 24
When I first awoke in the morning, Peggy was still in bed with me. Instead of getting up, like I should have, I snuggled against her. Her breast made a nice soft pillow, and with my ear against her chest, I could hear her heartbeat. It was quick like a yearling’s, even though she was still asleep.
I had been worried 'cause we'd learned that humans didn't like too much close contact or mutual grooming and it was going to get awfully lonely to be a year without. Humans have a 'personal bubble' that you're not supposed to get inside without permission.
But here I was, inside that bubble. I guess when it counts, we're not so different after all.
When I woke up again, Peggy was also awake. She asked if I felt better, and I told her that I did.
She reached up and used her claw fingernail to scrape some of the crust of dried tears out of my coat, and I turned so that I could nuzzle her forehead.
Then we both went to the bathroom to pee. Peggy asked me if I had anything planned today, and I told her that I thought I would fly for a while, then take a shower and go to lunch, but if she wanted to do something together, that would be fun as well.
She told me that she could work on her math homework while I was flying, and then we could plan to do something after lunch.
So I called the airplane directors, and once I got my permission to fly, I made a low circle around the campus and then picked up some altitude.
None of the other tribes really understand the freedom of the sky. There were no roads I needed to follow, nor were there walls to keep me out. Even Trump couldn’t build one high enough. I could fly all the way to the horizon, and when I got there, I could fly even further. Unicorns liked to stay in their castles and earth ponies had their farms and houses, and we had the whole sky, so we were freer than they were.
But I wasn't going to go to the horizon today.
Off to the west, I could just see the great lake that was the source of the storm, and one day I’m going to fly all the way there. It's not all that far away.
I wasn't feeling like flying over Kalamazoo any more than I had to, so I flew north because that was the shortest distance to trees and open fields.
Once I got there, I started to do loops and dives to sweat out the last of my frustration at the angry man. When I'd worked up a bit of a lather, I just hovered and looked down at a fallow field, letting my mind become as pure and white as it was, then I rolled on my back and made a giant half-circle dive, pulling up just before I got to the ground.
I kept my forward speed as I came upon a woodlot, rolling to the side to avoid the peak of a pine tree, and then I went flat and down under the crown of a big oak. I think I shook some dead branches off it as I went by.
Then it was up and out, shooting up into the sky until I'd bled off all my momentum.
A couple of dozen climbs and dives later, I was satisfied. My wings ached and my barrel was soaked in lather. I'd worked a bit harder than I'd meant to, which I only realized on my way back to campus. I keep forgetting how much harder it is to fly on Earth, so I'll have to work to build up my endurance some.
When I'd finished my shower, I checked in on Peggy. She was still leaned over her homework, biting at her pencil and frowning.
I asked her if I was allowed to help, and she said that I could try. It didn't go very well at first; I didn't recognize all of the symbols they used for the math, but after she explained it to me and said that she was doing partial derivatives, then I understood.
So I helped her with the problems, and she got a funny look on her face and finally asked me why I knew calculus.
I told her that pegasuses had to use a lot of math to work with the weather—it isn't all instinct and practice—and since I didn't want to be a cloud-pusher all my life, I had to learn how to work the supply side of the system, which included calculating forecasts, and there was lots of math in that. That was why I was in college; you had to know this stuff or else you'd always be taking instructions from somepony else.
Then she said I was absolutely the most adorable thing ever and gave me a huge hug.
I went back to my bed and started brushing my mane, and Peggy asked if it would be okay if she did it. I told her that was all right, but only if she let me brush hers in return.
She thought that was really funny, but she finally agreed. I let her brush my mane first, and then I brushed hers. It was good bonding for both of us. Even animals know that and they're not so smart as ponies or people.
At lunch, everyone asked if we were okay, and I said I was fine, and Peggy said that she was as well. Then Peggy asked me if I'd heard anything from Mister Salvatore and I told her that I had forgotten to check but I would when I got back to the room.
Well, there was a computer letter from him, and he said that he was going to come by in the afternoon if that was okay with me, and he'd sent the letter late last night and I hadn't checked my computer mail like a good pony would.
I sent him a computer letter back, and he replied within five minutes and said that he would come around dinnertime and that we would go out to eat together and that I could have Peggy come along if she wanted to.
Well, I was glad that he wasn't mad at me, and I told Peggy that she was invited to come along, and so she said that she'd come with me.
Then I spent the rest of the afternoon writing letters—real paper letters, not computer letters. I wrote one to Miss Chestnut, since she’d been so helpful in getting me in this program, and one to my mother, and another one to my little sister. My sister really likes poetry, too, so I wrote down a couple of Emily Dickinson's poems, as well as Longfellow's poem about the blacksmith, 'cause she used to have sex with the farrier in Hatchaway Falls. She still isn't sure if I actually know about it, and it's fun to twist her tail. I never told her about the time I saw them behind the shop and she should have known if she wanted it to stay secret that she shouldn't do it outside, even if it was behind a fence.
Mister Salvatore and Miss Cherilyn arrived around six, and we all went to Bilbo's again. He had both of us go through what had happened step-by-step while we were waiting for our pizza, and then he asked a few more questions while we were eating. He didn't seem all that upset by what had happened, just sad.
Peggy asked if they thought they'd find him, and Mister Salvatore said that they already had; the store had cameras that had looked at his car as well as cameras inside that saw the whole thing. Then she asked what they were going to do, and he said he didn't know yet, that it would depend on a lot of factors and the whole thing was really complicated. He told Peggy that she had the option to press charges if she wanted to, but that things might work out better for everyone if they just buried the incident and didn't get the courts involved at all.
She asked if they needed an answer from her now, and he said no, they didn't. Mister Salvatore told us to talk it over for the next few days, and let him know by Wednesday (hump day!) what we had decided.
When we got back to the dorm room, I was super-tired, both physically and emotionally, and went to bed a bit early. It was hot in the dorm room and my belly was full, so that had made me even sleepier.
Wow the ponies have a slow heart beat! I figured a Pegasus would have a higher heart rate then that!
... Is it crass of me to think I was deceived by the title, hoping that Silver Glow uncovered the world of video games? Oh well, this was another sweet chapter. Glad to see Silver back in spirits and sharing stuff with her family. Warms a smile, it does.
7049393
It's the capital F man, I thought it too.
Oh silly Silver, he doesn't need to build it high for you. Just "tactically reposition" SAMs or AAA. That or a no fly zone.
So who wants to go with me on a permanent vacation to Australia come November? In order to pay me back you shall work in the salt mines.
Wouldn't their heartrates be faster 'cuz they're smaller than horses?
It would be funny if they pressed charges, it caused an inter-dimensional incident, "Angry Man" got extradited to Equestria, Princess Celestia sentenced him to a choice of friendship training in Ponyville or the moon, and he said moon because he thought it was a joke, and then off he goes!
Adorable.
You know, most stories have the unicorns be the ones interested in higher mathematics, it's interesting to see one where the pegasi are too. I have to ask though, what does she mean by "calculating forecasts"? That makes it sound like Earth weather.
Missed an 'us'!
Sweet sweet pony-human cuddles, this is even better than "Watch Silver Glow play Fallout 4," which I admit I thought this would be.
7049479 It's Admiral Biscuit. Assume he's done the math.
You know, people have been making poor decisions when they find some hobbyist's drone flying around their property, how might they react to a pegasus?
7049593 assuming makes an ass out of everyone.
7049593 ASSUME NOTHING
But you could say such a thing is very likely
7049616
7049626
Well... ok
(google failed me in finding pony numbers but apparently resting horses can have even slower pulse rates when sleeping than what he gave. Plus fictional creatures. )
I'm just wondering when someone is going to make a pass at Silver.
7049662 BUT THESE ARBITRARY NUMBERS MUST BE CORRECT OR IT WILL SHATTER MY FRAGILE PERCEPTION OF REALITY
It's not a big deal if there's no math involved
but if it was listed, then perhaps...
7049750 I think the Admiral is the only person that I read that deserves that treatment. If for no other reason than I would use him as a source for facts. Say what you will about his taste in confections, he does good research.
7049595 Somebody started selling anti-drone shells for 12 gage to the hobbyist market last winter. Sort of a combination of birdshot with wadded wire netting, supposed to open up like a web to tangle a quadcopter's blades, doesn't sound like.it would be particularly effective against closed rotor devices. Might as well just buy standard trapshot, really.
Wonder what Equestrian trespass law works like. Heck, I don't think we've every seen canon depiction of a court of law other than Twilight's Princess arbitration hearing in that swap meet episode. Better than even chance that the princesses end up as despotic versions of the justice of the peace model because Harmony and Pony, despite the whole Hoofields and McCoy's generational clan war in the sticks demonstrating than ponies can get almost as combative and irrational as pink primate bipeds.
Came to see silver discover the fallout video game series.
Instead got cuddles and facts about our hearts.
Slowly realised author meant emotional fallout.
10/10 would be tricked shame on me again.
7049546
I assume as she mentions about wanting to work in the supply end of weather patrol that it's about working out what clouds each team is going to need in the future and making sure the right number are produced and 'shipped' to the right places when they need them.
7049312 Italy was Catholic. Hitler was as Catholic as Nietzche
Yes yes snuggles
Excellent
This satisfies me
7049662 And humans too can get slower then what he gave. Most people with training can get to 40/50 bpm while sleeping.
As for the ponies' "data", I am sure he got is reason for choosing these numbers. Maybe it was already discussed in one of the behind the scene for Celestia Sleeps In or Onto the Pony Planet.
7049919 deep divers can get even slower than that... But let's not talk about people who don't like to breathe. I mean I like water more than the average guy, but those people like it more than air.
7049595 Out in the country? shotgun if they're low enough/drunk enough, depending on the person. If not a shotgun it would probably be closer to 'come down here and have a beer with us!'
Then again, there's the jackasses who shoot at the goodyear blimp with rifles. I remember seeing something in a newspaper about that as a kid, the bullet came back down and killed someone at the nearby amusement park.
Point of order: mammalian heart rates are actually a function of body size, which is why horses and elephants have such slow heart rates. Assuming Silver is a cute little Labrador-sized pony, her heart rate is probably as fast or faster than a human's.
Exercise the aggravation away. It definitely works. I know I've needed to take out frustration on a punching bag once or twice.
And I can definitely see how industrial meteorology would require some advanced math.
As for what to do with the blowhard... I could see them taking either option. On the one hand, it probably would be best to move on. On the other, it could send a strong message that hurling abuse at the extradimensional horse people will not be tolerated. I'll have to wait and see what they choose.
Also, apparently I was in the vast minority when I saw the chapter title. Really, guys? Littlepip is that ingrained into your consciousnesses?
7048561
Im glad you found the first video interesting. To me, it is a good introduction into how ridiculous the media just up and tries to rewrite reality to suit their narrative.
Your latest video I am not sure what you are trying to illustrate. To me, its just another democrat comedian in a long line of them, under marching orders to ridicule the only real threat to Hillary.
7049985
It appears, from interneting a bit more, that mature horses, ponies, and miniature horses all have nearly the same heart rate.
7049312 Why do you assume only the fanatics are opposed to same-sex marriage?
7050073
Well, it's probably more a general rule. For example, this handy graph tells me that tigers and giraffes heart rates are about the same as a human's, despite much larger body size.
i.stack.imgur.com/uLUcI.jpg
Edit: Yes, apparently a mouse's heart beats more than ten times per second.
7049385
I suppose it could really be whatever you want it to be. As 7050098 points out, as a general rule, the bigger the mammal, the slower the heart rate.
IRL equines all have about the same heart rate, regardless of size, but I'd bet that's because ponies were bred from big horses fairly recently.
7049393
7049408
She has tried to play Mario Kart.
Game controllers aren't very hoof friendly.
7049421
I'm down with Australia.
7049479
7049593
Depends. IRL ponies have the same heart rate as IRL horses. There is no show canon that specifies that I am aware of.
7049538
That's something I'd like to see in a fic. The equine justice system is exile to the moon, being turned into a statue, or being tossed in tartarus.
7049542
7049546
My headcanon is that pegasi invented modern mathematics, but nowdays it's the unicorns that do most of the cutting-edge math. That having been said, a lot of the pegasi are really good at it, since they need it for weather work.
That could have been worded better. I meant that they needed to predict what kind of clouds they'd need for the amount and types of precipitation they wanted in their sector. They'd also have to factor in leftovers from neighboring sectors and so on.
7049564
Oops; correction made. Thanks!
7049580
7049595
Well of course it depends on the person, but you'd really wind up with the same kinds of reactions. Altitude will make a major difference, as well.
7050073 I would have thought it had something to do with how much the heart needs to work against gravity; I guess it's just pumping harder, but not necessarily faster.
It's this kind of attention to detail and willingness to closely examine the large and sometimes awkward differences in culture (and even biology) that make me really want to see you write a Ponified HiE story.
7049735
She hasn't even been on Earth for a month yet. Give it time.
7049750
I just used the actual numbers for actual equines. No math involved.
Now if you wanted to know how much she weighs, that has some math involved.
7050305
I suppose some people would get all Make Your Backyard Great Again no matter what was flying around. Can't help but feel a touch nervous during a lot of her longer morning flight scenes, especially when she's buzzing trees and such. Perhaps Nor'Easterners are a less easily riled bunch than my hometown.
On a totally unrelated note, I was doing some wiring this morning at our local uni's equestrian center and couldn't help thinking about this story. Had Silver Glow attended a school with an animal sciences program it might have caused some serious culture shock... Although I'm told the "living mascot" mustang here takes about 200k a year to upkeep, so maybe it would have some perks!
7050578 I thought as much. I'm not worried about it, but thanks anyway for answering
7049812
My first thought is that you shouldn't go inside somepony's house uninvited; otherwise there are no restrictions. Landing on roofs is okay.
7049823
Sooner or later, Silver's going to find a gamer.
7049894
7049256 In Equestria, the arrows turn the clouds into spiky ice weapons of mass destruction...
7049812
Property law seems pretty loose in Equestria, but even here notions of ownership and trespass vary hugely between cultures. It's important to remember that Equestria as depicted is an absolute, though benevolent, diarchy (triarchy??) which means that there are probably extensive commons and royal holdings which would make trespass murky overall. If you're working common land lent to you by the crown and another citizen crosses it did they trespass against you or against the crown? Could they trespass at all if it's a commons? Silver Glow may be functioning under the assumption that whatever isn't built on and being worked belongs to the state and is thus free for her to enjoy. Even given the Hoofields/McCoys episode's ideas of ownership, what caused the resolution? You could see the end as Twilight and Fluttershy stepping in on behalf of the crown to stop two families from destroying the commons. It's fine that they use it so long as they aren't actively devaluing it, which they certainly were in that case. We in the US have a very unique (and obsessive) take on personal property which makes sense since our country was basically born out of a land rights dispute.
7049937
Silver Glow seems pretty a-ok with the beer part of college, so let's hope for that option. :x
7050664 I was just re-watching A Friend Indeed. Pinkie was all over Cranky's house. But trespass includes more than just domiciles, at least in places with fee simple real estate. Things get weird when medieval-style fractional rights and commons rights get involved.
IIRC your tax season stories tall about cloud architecture and tax obligations. Airspace has to be significantly regulated in a polity where clouds are both a construction material and resource stock for weather regulation. What happens when there's a shortage and weather requirements demand the clouds tied up in marginal housing stock, or somebody's cloud shed? Do pegasI have eminent domain?
7050722
After Rainbow Dash expropriated her tree, Applejack extracted just compensation with a swift buck to the trunk.