Page 710 — Nowhere to Hide
To clarify Saturday's note, I have no intention of actually disappearing without updates for a month. I just wanted to gauge general reactions for a question I haven't had to ask regarding this comic before. The actual plan is to continue providing content as usual, and find my break somewhere in the buffer.
Might as well make it official: I'll be accepting guest comics until early March. I'm a bit stricter about quality than I used to be, but I'll still take whatever I can reasonably get. Also, I'm very busy and slow to respond these days, so please be patient with me when you send things my way.
Transcript:Applejack: Ah made waves at that rodeo. Not enough fame to get a ticket past whatever committee's blockin' us, but ponies noticed me. That said, the only one who came up to me after was Ms. Jubilee. We just started chattin'. Ah couldn't help mentionin' the whole ticket problem. Turns out she's on a Gala ticket scheme of her own. If this harvest breaks national records, she gets a bunch of tickets for her whole crew. She needed skilled help, Ah'd proved myself… So if her crew makes it – which they will, thanks to me – then Ah get one too now.
Rainbow Dash: Huh. Except for the ticket part… That's basically what we were told.
Applejack: What, you didn't believe her?
Rainbow Dash: Just sayin' we're worried about this deal. You sure there aren't any risks?
Applejack: The deal was signed in triplicate and impartially witnessed.
Twilight Sparkle: So it's rock solid? You're definitely getting a ticket?
Applejack: Yep. Not the way Ah planned, but it's still happenin'.
Fluttershy: It looked anything but certain to us… We were so worried you were blackmailed or something…
Applejack: Yeah. In general, Ah wish Ah'd communicated better, but Ah didn't have time. The situation was what it was.
Twilight Sparkle: This is so strange… We're national heroes that can't get invites. But she can bring a whole group just for farming really well?
Rarity: Remember that the Thieves Guild is potentially in play against you. Thieves in general don't take well to deep farmland and deserts. <ahem>
Pinkie Pie: Hee hee hee hee hee! C'mon, Rarity! This is an opportunity for… character building! Hahahaha!