If all goes well -- pause for audience laughter -- this will be the first of two chapters this month: I'm going to do my best to have the second one up before April, even if I have to post it at two minutes before midnight. It's also the shortest chapter in the story's history: just over 5100 words. However, the next chapter is likely going to be Long As @#$$.
Basically, I had originally thought that the contents of this segment and what will (hopefully) soon follow would go up as a single chapter. Then I realized that the opening scene needed more time. Shortly after that, I recognized that that to leave it all together would risk creating the longest chapter in this story's history: there seemed to be a real chance for 15k. And so I divided them up: this goes here, the next part goes there -- and I'll try to come through on that currently-absent section soon.
This chapter, and the next one, are about seeing where portions of the cast stand now. But there's one pony we really haven't checked in with for some time, and I ultimately felt it was best to allow her the entirety of the stage. We needed to spend an entire chapter with her.
Or rather, with her.
See you in a few days.