//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: The Price of Feeling Dumb // Story: The Chaos and The Feels // by dah884 //------------------------------// Thud, thud, thud… The most painful sound to wake up to. The sound of your blood pumping roughly through one’s head. It is a sound most often ignore, unfortunately impossible for those lucky few suffering from the evil, the dreaded, the all consuming hangover. Not yet wanting to succumb to the effects of a party she couldn’t remember and the waking world in general, Twilight curled up hugging her pillow close. Her warm, squishy, pony sized pillow. Her warm, squishy, pony sized pillow that was currently groaning from its own headache. Snapping her eyes open was an action Twilight immediately regretted. The first thing she became aware of after she got the needles out of her eyes was the cold hard tile floor she and her pillow were lying on. But the second thing made her blood run cold. “Oh, don’t they make such the cute couple?” Her and her ‘pillow’ had an audience. “Your so silly, Hildy.” Twilight turned her head to her pink friend and presumably Queen of the Damned (read immortal pain in her butt). Remembering her earlier mistake slowly opened her eyes and just stared, blankly. After a few moments she found her voice, “um, Pinkie, why do you have a horn?” “Because, Hild said I could keep it. And, the wings,” she said flashing said wings. Twilight was speechless. Ranma awoke with a splitting headache and being squeezed for all he was wroth. “Great! Drugged, again,” he sighed mentally. “And, while I was out Shampoo snuck into my bed, again.” There was some talking and ‘Shampoo’ let go of her ‘pillow.’ “And here comes Akane jumping to conclusions and going to smash me with Mallet-sama, AGAIN!” As he was about to open his eyes a thought occurred, “ever time I‘m awake for what comes next she hits me.” He closed his eyes from the sliver they had opened. “Maybe if she thinks I’m still asleep, things will be different… yep, the strangling is definitely different.” He would have sighed, if not for the pressure closing off his lungs from the sweet, sweet air. His eyes snapped opened. “BAD IDEA!” It took a moment for the pain to subside, and his eyes to adjust. “How is Twilight strangling me with hooves.” More pressing matters demanded his attention. “gak cough hack hack cough hack gak?” (why are ya choking me?) “You are never leaving my sight again, do you hear me?” Twilight said. Ranma was worried she was losing it. It wasn’t the throttling of him or the weird location, no it was subtle things like, the frazzling of her hair, the twitch of her left eye, not to mention the murderous glare, and the bit spittle from her mouth as she issued her threat/warning/demand. Jusenkyo Plague: Initial Assessment; Patient: Patient 0000(possibly carrier); Ranma Soatome Curse Form: Subject’s curse form (probably disguise) as she would have you believe is that of a mare in her teens. Race: Apparent race is that of Alicorn. Fur Color: Her fur is a black with a sheen, almost ebony quality. Mane Color Two: Her mane is a dark crimson color. (Note to self look into correlation for its near blood like color) Tail Color: Her tail color matches mane. Eye Color: The most beautiful Sapphire blue eyes. Cutie Mark: Golden Apple with stem and two leave, encircled by two thorn vines. (Note find out why associates/accomplices keep laughing whenever this is brought up) Magic Aura: N/A True Form: Changeling(investigate possibility of dissection) aside: look into plague as a means for second invasion Eyes: Allegedly blue irises(instead of turquoise compounded eyes) Carapace Color: Black(unconfirmed) Wings: N/A Wing Cover Color: Crimson. (Possible correlation to mane color) Fin Color: Crimson. (See attach to Wing Cover Color) Tail Color: Crimson. (See attach to Wing Cover Color) Magic Aura: N/A Experiment One: Magical Aura in Alicorn form; “Okay, lets start with something easy,” as Twilight turns around she notices Nabiki just standing there. “Um, Why are here?” “I figured, since you were going to try and teach him magic, I might as well figure out how this thing works as well,” she said as she indicated the horn on her head with a hoof. After a moments thought, Twilight beamed, “that’s a great idea. Since you don’t know how to use magic you can be the control.” “This is going to be fun,” Hild said. Before Twilight could question why she was here as well, Pinkie popped in. “Here Hildy, I brought the popcorn.” “Popcorn?” Twilight and Nabiki asked. “Well, duh, you can’t have fireworks without popcorn,” proclaimed Pinkie Any comment the two had was interrupted when Kasumi hugged Pinkie and sat down next to her. “Thank you for inviting me.” “No Probblamo, shows are more fun with friends,” Pinkie failed to notice the blush her comment produced. Deciding it best for her sanity that she didn’t pursue this further, Twilight stated, “Can we please get back to the test… er, lesson.” “By all means don’t stop on our account,” Hild said with an unsettling smile. “Right… let’s start with something easy,” Twilight went on. “First we’ll test your current potential.” She then pulled out an ornate box with three coat of arms. The first and most prominent was that of The Royal Pony Sisters, Luna’s crescent moon superimposed on Celestia’s sun. The second was a white star burst with two light blue stars swirling around it. The third a salamander wrapped around a shard of volcanic glass. Inside were about twenty crystals in silk lining. The crystals glowed in an ethereal light-blue hew. Pinkie noticed one of the smaller insignia and excitedly called, “oh my, those are Mudpie originals!” “You know the craft-pony?” Twilight asked. “All I could find was some land and titles currently held by his family.” “Well of coarse silly, she’s one of history’s greatest gem smith and enchanters. She’s practically a family legend.” “What do you mean by family legend?” Twilight asked. “She’s my great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great-aunt on my mother’s father’s side.” Pinkie answered. “Your family really likes rocks?” Was all Twilight could get out in her stunned surprise. Turning somewhat mechanically toward the two awaiting students. “Lets get started.” She levitated two of the crystals over to them. The crystals’ light dimming. “Just try to focus energy into these and they should give a reading of your current levels.” She stated before mumbling, “and let me analyze just what type of magic you have.” She eyed the alicorn. After several minutes of concentration Nabiki’s crystal shown like a light bulb. Twilight inspected the results. “Slightly above average, good consistency, nice potential. Interesting, your magical aura doesn’t match your eyes. That only happens in a tenth of the population. I wonder if it has to do with how you came here.” She noted as observed slight blue aura of Nabiki’s horn. They both turned to Ranma who had been going at it with an intense look on his face. His eyes a glaring at the rock as it taunted by staying unlit. “Ah, Ranma?” Nabiki began in a worried tone. “What do you want? I’m kinda busy,” Ranma snapped as he tried to push more Ki into the stone. “Are you focusing Ki into that stone?” Nabiki asked as she began to step back to where their audience was. Twilight hesitated a moment before follow her. “Yeah, so?” “You’re suppose to be channeling magic not Ki. I don’t know if these stones are capable of detecting Ki, or for that matter handling it.” Nabiki and Twilight both looked on in horror as there was a loud crackling sound from the crystal. Ranma blinked just as a cracked ran down the stone’s surface. There was a blast of colors and sounds as Ki was let loose from the artifact, through the castle wall, and carried on for about half a mile. Nearby ponies almost panicked at the explosion until they realized where it originated from. “What a wonderful display,” commented Hild with a smirk. “It was quite, um, beautiful,” added Kasumi, trying to suppress her glee. Pinkie had no such qualms, “do it, again. Do it, again.” “Um, Twilight,” Spike waved a claw in front of her face. “A fly just flew in your mouth. Twilight? Twilight, Twilight…” Conclusion: Inconclusive; While the crystal has trace amounts of the magical imprints of Earth pony, Unicorn, and Pegasus Magic, the fragments were too faint to properly distinguish from background magical radiation. (Note: investigate this strange energy source subject referred to as Ki) “This test just raises more questions,” Twilight sighed in defeat. Side Note: While repairs are being made gather information on this supposed relationship to Princess Luna. Side Note 2: See if Zecora has anything for migraines(and buy in bulk).