Oakville. Doesn't seem like much of a place, really, way out on the edge of Equestria. But when Princess Twilight Sparkle's royal visit to the Acorn Festival goes wrong, and she and her friends disappear, it falls on Zecora to recruit some help from the town's most able citizens.
That turns out to be the local weather captain, a magician, and a couple of inventors.
Unfortunately, they happen to be named Lightning Dust, Trixie, Flim, and Flam.
Ho boy.
This takes place after my other story, Cauldron Club, but you won't have to have read that to read this one, though it might be a fun time, who knows!
Chapters (4)
Would be better without Flim and Flam, but eh. Still a good idea.
Damn it, Lightning, Learn!
Gotta say that Flim and Flam are the weakest element here, but I guess that's because I don't see them as redeemable.
Jeez, kick 'em while they're down why dontcha?
Looking forward to how all these unharmonized ponies will deal with the mane cast when they arrive. Once again, Twilight and her pals take up Celestia's flack. Lazy
Till next time!
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They are pretty shifty.
They didn't really make much of an appearance in the first chapter, but steel yourselves, for we will be seeing more of them.
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I'M A MONSTERRRR!!!
Off to an interesting start. And once again we see that the universe hates Trixie. Poor girl.
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And she didn't even do anything this time!
Well, other than try to take advantage of ponies to get out of cleaning... but still!
It's probably going to get worse before it gets better, Trix.
No
No, you do not give Pinkie that type of authority. No good can come of it.
Things can only get more complicated from here.
I saw the reactions from Trixie and Lightning Dust coming, but Lightning Dust's reaction was a little more subdued (outwardly) than I expected.
Also, Applejack, it's time to expand you palate a little.
Soon.
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So, the changelings and this 'hooded pony' are behind Twilight and her friends showing up. I feel so bad for Trixie though. She lost her home and doesn't know that she lost parts of her 'stage' as well.
I really hope this story is continued.
Go Trixie!
This is an excellent origin story an I love it.
Also, good to see that you're writing again.
Writing time and inspiration. The bane of all fanfiction authors.
We love the attention and the adoration. But putting in the time to make our audience wowed? Blegh.
Oh, and good chapter, too!
Im glad that you are still writing this.
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And lo, it is! Thank you for reading it and enjoying it so far! I'm so sorry I've been away for so long!
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Writing time broke my back and inspiration hasn't granted me permission to die yet.
Yeahbut... I would LOVE to sink more time into it! It's a billion times better than work. Work is the worst.
Thank you!
Those guys are in a lot of trouble.
This is all after the fact, but if I were in Trixie's hooves, I would have abandoned all her props and just gone with a magic light show. Would certainly been more impressive and memorable than constant failures.
Oi, and now everypony's in a bad mood. This don't look good for any future team-ups.
Never before have I wanted so much to hug Trixie and tell her that it's all going to be okay.
And Zecora... needs a major helping of humble pie. I'm rather torn between calling her out on being OOC for her vindictiveness, and complimenting you for stepping away from her usual two-dimensional portrayal and letting her show some regular personality flaws for once. Either way, she's got a few lessons to learn and things to realize. (Such as remembering that she was the one who messed up Trixie's potion in the first place...)
When did this happen? I don't remember any mention of this? And could someone PLEASE staple Data Feed's muzzle shut? Staple it, tie it up, use crazy glue, something.
As for this story, I am so glad to see something from this. Hopefully, the next chapter won't take as long.
Trixie is the dog the universe kicks while she's already down. It's a little bit interesting watching her and the FlimFlam brothers try to outcon each other, though of course she comes out on the raw end of it.
Did Flam and Flam just happen to carry some of the cider from Ponyville around with them all that way? Their machine worked with quality control until they decided to speed it up, after all. Conversely, I suppose the quality control part broke down and they didn't fix it since.
Poor Lightning Dash. She's about to have an apoplectic fit when she finds out she has to rescue Rainbow Dash shortly.
Lightning Dust is smart and just hoofs it out of there altogether to avoid blowing up at RD.
Celestia, Celestia, Celestia. If you're going to let Twilight take your place, you should have sent a letter yourself. Don't tell Luna to send a letter instead, and then forget altogether (or if she did tell Luna and Luna didn't, that's still not cool, Luna's also a Princess. Get your secretary or something to do it).
Trixie at least can gloat that her name was the first thing Twilight said at the Acorn festival
Applejack doesn't really seem to care for acorn recipes if they don't have apples in them
Given how much of a bookworm Twilight is, I'm honestly surprised she didn't ask Luna and Celestia that either. Unless this is a take-that shot at how little the show's since given out about her Princess status and all the ramifications.
Neat Trixie backstory. She needs to show off her light refraction spells some more.
Ah, I was wondering why Trixie's show was going so disastrously since it sounded like she was missing a lot of stuff and I didn't think Lightning Dust's tornado would have just thrown stuff out of whack, but it sounds like Flim and Flam just looted her show outright. Well, a good thing for her that she had pure magic to resort to at the end, even if it isn't quite as visually impressive (at least to Trixie's mind) than her Wheel of Illusion. Well, since AJ found out the Flim Flam brothers, at least Twilight and the Mayor will have an explanation for the why of it...assuming the changelings don't get the Mane 6 before that.
7244540 This is a sequel to another story, Cauldron Club. That's where some of the events come from.
Depending on where this would sit in the time line, I dare say that out of all of them, the zebra was the one I was expecting. And the inventors the last ponies I was expecting.