Recognition and Catching Up
“John?” Sybil’s voice asked through the phone. “What’s happening?” Her breathing became a little faster. “Everything is still normal, right?”
“Don’t worry,” I replied. “Aside from the broken body stuff, everything is good. I’m calling ‘cause I just got off the phone with the guy who’s got Fluttershy and Pinkie.”
“John, now is not the time for wild goose chases. He’s probably just sc—”
“I talked to Pinkie and Fluttershy, and don’t tell me it was just some imitators. This was the real deal. If anything, how concerned the guy with them sounded is proof enough that they’re genuine.”
“John...” she said, her voice shaking now, “why was he concerned?”
I took a deep breath. “Discord nearly got them, too.” I heard a withdrawal of breath on the other end of the line and quickly said, “They’re fine though.” Except for me causing Pinkie to have a breakdown. “That’s why I’m calling. How long will it take to dye the girls’ hair?”
“Um, Jane’s still working on it right now.” Sybil gave a small sigh. “I should have gone with black dye, then it’d just look like a squid exploded in here instead of, well... you get my point.”
“Good, the girls are taking it well?”
“Scootaloo seems fine so far, but Sweetie is a little nervous. Apple Bloom’s off playing Kingdom Hearts. Took her forever to figure out the controls, but I think she—”
“Sybil, focus,” I sighed. “How long until you can send pictures?”
“If you need the hair to look genuine, then we’ll need to wait until the morning.”
“Got it. Also, can you bring the girls here after you get the pictures done?”
“What?” Sybil yelled. Why is it always the ear?! “John, I can’t. Not with the police and all this stuff going on.”
“Look.” I sat up and focused my attention. “I made a promise to Fluttershy that’d I get the girls on the phone with them... it sounds like Pinkie is really shaken up by everything and the girls could probably help a lot. Just swing by around five tomorrow.”
There was a moment of silence before Sybil spoke up again. “Okay, with the dye, it should be safe, but I’m not staying long. I’m not gonna be on the nightly news.”
“Good thing all the cameras went crazy on campus then?”
“Yes I gue—” In the background, I heard a bizarre noise of something simultaneously cracking and splattering. Sybil screamed and I proceeded to drop my phone, only to instantly pick it back up.
“Oi Sybil! What is it?!”
“My dad’s going to kill me!”
I raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“John, I gotta go. I need to give my cat a bath now before he gets a brown stripe.”
“What?” Before I could get any other answers, the call ended. I stared at my phone for a few seconds before setting it on the little shelf next to my bed. Maybe it’s better I didn’t know.
I leaned back on my bed and thought over everything that had happened in the past few hours. My stomach was still in a knot over Pinkie. I... I’m sure the Crusaders will cheer her up. My thoughts then turned to all the other ponies that could be out there. Despite the day and a half sleep, my eyelids were getting heavy. Hope Applejack and Rarity are safe, I thought before drifting off into vague dreams.
~~~
“... might cause dizziness,” the doctor finished explaining as he scribbled out a perscription note. He then looked back up at me. “Do you have any other questions?”
“What about traveling?”
“You should be fine as long as you don’t do any heavy lifting or other strenuous activities.” He cast a quick glance at my cast. “No water either.”
“Got it.”
He handed me the prescription note. “We’ll keep you one more night to make sure the painkiller doesn’t have a negative interaction with your system.”
“But other than that I’m good?” I cautiously asked.
“Yes Mr. Bacanti, for the third time, you are healthy,” the doctor sighed.
“Thanks... and sorry about my dad, he’s probably gonna ask you that thirty times.”
“Why do you think we have nurses?” the doctor quipped.
~~~
Darn it, I underestimated them. “For the... you know what, I don’t even know what number I’m up to now. I’m fine!” I exclaimed to my parents. “Guh, no wonder Rachel went crazy with her cast; you drove her nuts.”
“Well, we just want to make sure,” mom said timidly. I, in turn, had a flashback to yesterday’s phone call.
“And you’ve made sure,” I bluntly replied. “The doctors said I just need to recover for a few months.” I leaned back a little in bed, but kept my eyes focused. “Anyway, when are you going to go get my stuff?”
“We thought it’d be best to get it right after we were done here,” said dad in his usual gruff tone. I was glad the tremble in his voice was gone now.
I glanced over at the clock. It read 11:37. Too early, it’s got to be around three in the morning in Australia. “Why don’t you go around five instead? You don’t want to be lugging all my stuff around all day, right? That can’t be good for the rental car.”
Dad scratched his beard. “I suppose.”
I took a deep breath. “Look, seeing me like this won’t make you feel any better. Why don’t you go grab some good food? Maybe go to that good sushi place in my honor,” I said with a faint smile. “Ooh, or go up to that Japanese market and grab some fun stuff for the car ride.” Anything to keep you away this afternoon.
“Whatever you want sweetie,” mom cooed. This is worse than when I left for school.
I inwardly shuddered a little, but kept a calm demeanor outward. “You’re here anyway, just enjoy the city a little.” I flashed them the best desperate smile I could conjure up and prayed they would go for it.
“You’re probably right,” my mom sighed. Dad still looked stern though... then again, that was normal for him.
The room grew silent as we both looked at dad. Finally, he spoke, “Whatever makes you happy John.”
“Good,” I said while thanking god that things seemed to have worked. “I’ll be fine here.” I gave dad a mischievous grin. “You, on the other hand, have probably been going through all the sicknesses you’ll catch here. Go get some fresh air.”
“Well, I do have some work to do,” dad murmured.
“Of course you do.” Yep, he’s better now. My parents started to go toward the exit.
As dad twisted the knob, mom turned her head around. “Oh, give your sister a call, she was worried about you.”
“And in other news, the apocalypse is upon us,” I replied. Though I think I’ll still give someone a call.
~~~
“Sybil, it’s John,” I said into the phone. “Did you send the pictures?”
“It’s all good on our end,” she replied. “We sent them as soon as we got up...” Her voice darkened a little. “... which was at six today. It’s like having my brother be a kid all over again.”
“Sorry. How’d the dye job go?”
“Save for royally ticking off my cat, fine.”
“Good. You’re okay to drive?” Sybil shaking like a leaf flashed through my mind.
“I’m better now... it’s a little hard to sleep though.” I noticed a tremble that I’d never heard in Sybil’s voice before. There was silence for a moment. “John, what are we gonna do? He just looked at me— looked— and made me a vegetable.”
I reclined back and sighed. I also got an odd sense of deja vu. “Sybil, I’m guessing you didn’t see how we all escaped that madness? Those kids were able to pull us out of it. Let’s just say some congratulations are in order when they get here.” I took a breath and steeled my voice. “As for Discord, he’s volatile, but random.”
There was a knock on my door. “Lunch,” came a voice from behind it.
“Shoot. Sybil, I think they’re here with my lunch and meds. From the sound of it, this stuff may make me a little loopy, so I’m gonna go now. Just come here at five and I’ll cover everything.”
“We’ll be there.” I clicked my phone off, pulled myself up on the bed a little, and got ready for lunch and painkillers.
~~~
Bzzz Bzzz. Huh? Bzzz Bzzz What is that? Bzzz Bzzz Actually, that kind of sounds like my ph— “Crap!” My eyes popped open and I flung my hands at my phone. I almost succeeded in crushing it with my cast and did succeed in causing a coughing fit as I answered it.
“He— cphl— llo?”
“Oh John,” came Jane’s voice. “Was worried something was wrong. You okay?”
“Yeah.” I paused for another fit of coughing. “Sorry,the painkillers must have made me a little sleepy. Had to lunge for my phone to answer it.”
“Just calling to tell you we’re on our way to your room.” My eyes darted over to the clock on the wall and saw it was already ten past five. Okay, so they didn’t make me just a little sleepy.
I had a brief moment of panic at what a mess everything was, but then remembered I was in a hospital not my dorm. “Well, it’s not like I’m going any...” The door knob turned. “...where.”
“John!” came three unified voices. Suddenly, I felt a dull sensation in my side, as if it were asleep. However, I was more concerned with the fact that I couldn’t breathe.
“Girls... can't breathe,” I hacked. The numb feeling in my ribs faded and I took a deep gasp of air. Yep, doctor wasn’t kidding about the hugs.
Staying alive taken care of, I shifted my attention back to the girls. Apple Bloom looked the same as always; she even had her bow back on. Sweetie and Scootaloo— at least I thought— would take a keen eye to pinpoint. Where once there had been purple and pink, there was now only brown on both their heads. Wait...
I squinted my eyes and noticed that their roots still had some of their original colors to them. Despite looking normal, the girls’ hair was a little off-putting. “Huh.”
“We didn’t hurt ya, did we?” asked Apple Bloom, bringing me back to reality.
I leaned back a little to get more comfortable. “No, it’s nothing too bad.”
“But...” Scootaloo quivered, “... your foreleg.”
“This little thing?” I raised my cast up and gave the girls a small grin. “Nothing to worry about. Now if it’d been my left arm, I might be a little more concerned.”
The girls all raised their eyebrows. “Why?” Sweetie asked.
“Oh yeah,” I playfully mused. “Can’t really be right or left handed if you don’t have hands. Hmm, guess casts are a bigger deal for you then.”
The girls went quiet and looked at the ground. I, in turn, lost my smile. I’m quite good at upsetting ponies, aren’t I?
“John,” Scootaloo spoke up, “he hurt you really bad didn’t he? Way more than just a few scrapes.” It dawned on me that both of Scootaloo’s arms had bandages on them. Her legs probably weren’t doing much better. Then I noticed the tears. “I... I tried, but he still hurt you,” she whimpered.
My neutral expression went into a full-on frown. “Scootaloo...” I noticed both Sweetie and Apple Bloom were looking forlorn as well. “All of you...” I took a deep breath. “Listen to me. Discord did bang me up, but the only reason I’m talking to you now is because of what you did back there.”
“But you still got hurt,” Sweetie whimpered as she tried and failed to fight back tears. Apple Bloom wasn’t doing much better.
Jane stepped forward. “John, maybe we could come back a different time.”
“No,” I instantly replied. “There’s a lot we need to talk about.” I inched for my phone and was about to call it when I remembered how I’d felt when Pinkie had broken down on the phone. I couldn’t do that to Doug or the other ponies. How do I calm them down? My eyes started darting around the room as if it held the answer I sought. A knot developed in my stomach as the girls looked more and more distraught. Oh god, this is just like the time with the ma—
“Girls, do you remember what I said about cutie marks?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Apple Bloom sniffled. “Humans don’t get them.” She brushed a few tears away, only for more to replace them. “Why are ya bringing that up though?”
“Because,” I explained, “humans don’t get physical marks to show that they can juggle well, do card tricks, or play an instrument. We have recognition though.”
“Recawhat?” Scootaloo asked.
“Knowing you’re good at something,” I replied. “When someone does something, people remember them for it. We even have a phrase for it, ‘leaving you mark.’ People get recognition not just because they’re good at something, but for other things as well.”
“You can get recognition for being good friends.” My eyes scanned over the girls, by now they’d stopped crying. I shifted my attention to Apple Bloom. “Or fighting when the odds are stacked against you.” Now I focussed on Sweetie Belle. “Or helping when no one else can.” Finally, my eyes fell on Scootaloo. “Or saving a life. There isn’t a symbol for any of those things, but you’ve earned those marks.”
The girls’ eyes all went wide as more tears flowed down them. They slowly walked over and gingerly gave me a hug. “R-really?” Sweetie stuttered.
“Yes,” I replied. I raised my good hand and patted their backs. “If it hadn’t been for you three, it wouldn’t have just been my life at risk, but everyone else’s as well.”
“T-thanks,” Scootaloo somehow managed to put a smile on her face.
“I should be thanking you,” I responded. “It’s not every day that three girls take out an ancient evil.”
“I was actually kinda wondering about that.” Apple Bloom, followed by her friends, backed off and scratched her head. “How come nopony ever knew that Discord had a weak spot on his belly?”
Ah, there’s that awkwardness again. Please don’t make me explain human anato—
“That was pretty easy,” Sweetie pondered. “I mean, the stories Rarity told me made it seem like...” Sweetie paused, reached up, and pulled a strand of her hair in front of her eyes. “Like...”
“You okay Sweetie?” asked Scootaloo.
Sweetie, in turn, grabbed Scootaloo and yelled, “She’s gonna kill me!” She rapidly spun to face Sybil, who, until now, had been standing near the door. She tugged on her hair and yelled, “This isn’t permanent, right?! Please tell me it’s not! Rarity will never forgive me otherwise!”
“No, no!” Sybil sputtered. “I couldn’t even get a full job done. Your hair... well, mane is still a better term and I’ve never dyed a mane before. The job will fade much faster than it usually would. I’m actually amazed it held together so well in the shower.”
“Oh thank Celestia,” Sweetie sighed in relief.
Scootaloo blew up a stray piece of hair that had fallen in front of her face while she’d been crying. “I still say we should have gone with rainbow color. That would have been awesome!”
Jane walked over and knelt down to Scootaloo’s level. “We went over this Scootaloo, rainbow hair doesn’t work as a good disguise.”
“I guess... Rainbow Dash would be able to do it though,” Scootaloo grumbled. She cast her eyes at the ground. “I hope she’s okay.”
I decided it was time. “Girls, are you feeling better now?”
“Yep!” They all said in unison.
“I mean, technically, we earned human cutie marks, right?” Sweetie asked to both me and her friends.
“I say we did!” Apple Bloom beamed.
“Cutie Mark Crusaders...” Scootaloo paused for second and clasped a hand to her chin. She suddenly raised both hands up and shouted, “Recognition Getters!”
“Yeah!” All three of them yelled.
“Girls, maybe keep it down a little?” Sybil suggested.
“Sorry,” they all replied.
“Anyway,” I said to get back on subject. “I think you deserve a reward for saving us.”
“What kind of reward?” Sweetie asked.
I picked up my phone and pulled up my call history. I then pressed the only unfamiliar number on the list. “Well, given who they are, I’m sure one of them will enjoy this.” The other one might jump out of her skin.
There was ringing on the other end of the line as I waited for the call to pick up. Hope I didn’t call too early.
“Hello?”
“Doug?” I asked.
“Yeah. Is this John?”
“Yep...” My eyes went over the Crusaders again. “The girls doing better?”
I heard a small snort on the other side of the line. “Yeah, they’re alright. Pinkie... well, that was going to happen to her anyway. She had a lot of built-up stress. It’s probably best that she let it all out when she did.” There was a slight pause. “Fluttershy and Angel are coping pretty well for the moment. How about the Crusaders? And you, for that matter.”
“Heh, better. The painkillers they gave me packed a bit of a punch the first time I took them... as for the Crusaders, well...” My eyes went over the girls, who were giving me confused looks while I talked. “Perhaps they could tell you themselves. Oh! But would it be possible to put this call on speaker so that every... um... one can hear and talk?”
“Sure.” I pulled my phone away from my ear and pressed the speaker button. Doug’s voice then filled the room. “There, it’s on. I need to go get the girls, I think they were sleeping in. Angel’s here though, I’ll hand it to him for a moment.”
Sweetie eyed the phone with curiosity. “So is this a friend of yours? Is he a bear... he kinda sounds like a bear.”
“Can’t really tell you,” I replied. “We just met recently...” Over the phone, I could make out an audible thumping noise. “And one of his ‘friends’ he found sounds impatient.”
“Well, why doesn’t whoever this is say something then?” asked Scootaloo.
“Um...” I awkwardly smiled. “Problem is, the guy on the other end of the line right now isn’t exactly the best talker.”
There was a frantic stomping in the background, followed by a voice— still a bit too far away from the phone— saying, “Girls! It’s your auntie Pinkie!”
“Pinkie Pie?!” the Crusaders all screamed.
“Get some clothes on first, Pinkie!” Doug yelled in the background. “Hey! Don’t blow raspberries at me; get back here this instant!”
“Pinkie Pie!” said Apple Bloom.
Scootaloo frantically looked up at me. “She can hear us, right? That’s how this weird thing works, right?”
Sweetie rushed to my side and practically shoved her face into my phone. “Pinkie Pie! If you can hear us, please say something, okay?”
Pinkie didn’t seem be listening and was more focused on her argument with Doug. “Fine! I’ll be right back, girls! Someone’s being a meany-pants. I mean, really. It’s not like anyone can see...”
Doug cut her off, “Go on! The quicker you get dressed, the quicker you can talk.” His voice grew more solid and directed. “Sorry about that, she got a little too excited.”
“Beats seeing her sad,” I replied. “Anyway...” The Crusaders looked like they were about to explode from excitement. “Now might as well be a good time for introductions. Girls, say hi to Doug and introduce yourselves.”
“Okay,” said Apple Bloom with a giddy smile. “Howdy, I’m Apple Bloom.” She paused and looked up at me. “This doesn’t really feel right. Granny Smith always said ya look a pony in the eye and shake their hoof when you meet them.”
“It’s usually the same here,” I replied, “but this is an exception. It was the only way we could have talked with Pinkie and Fluttershy.” Hmm, well I guess we could have done Sky—
“Pinkie and Fluttershy?!” gasped Scootaloo. She looked down at my phone. “Wow, thanks for finding them mister... I’m Scootaloo by the way.”
“And I’m Sweetie Belle,” Sweetie practically sang. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
There was a pause on the other end, but before I could say more, Doug spoke up again, sounding a little less stressed than he had before. “Hi girls, I’ll have your friends here to talk in a moment, they’re just getting ready. It’s a real pleasure to meet you.” He paused again. “Angel is here, if you want to say Hi.”
Apple Bloom scratched her head. “Fluttershy’s pet bunny? Why’s he...” Her eyes then went wide. “Oh no! If Angel is here, what if Winnona is, too? What if she’s stuck somewhere and I ca—”
I reached over and awkwardly put my cast on her shoulder. “I’m sure she’s fine. She’s an Apple family dog, right?”
“Yeah...” Apple Bloom said with a bit of a softer voice.
“If we were scared, imagine how scared a bunny would be,” Sweetie postulated.
Scootaloo took the lead and focused on the phone. “Mr. Doug, can we talk to Angel? I mean, he’s probably okay if he’s with Fluttershy, but he probably misses his other friends.”
“... or siblings,” Sweetie whispered.
There was more silence on the line before Doug came back. “Well girls, Angel can’t really talk. You... can understand him sometimes with his body language, I’m guessing? Well...”
“Well, he is a bunny,” replied Scootaloo.
“Yeah, I’ve never heard of a talking bunny,” said Apple Bloom.
“What would they talk about anyway?” asked Sweetie.
“Uh, Angel seems to want the phone anyway. I guess you can at least say hello to him. The girls... your friends should be here shortly. Here’s Angel,” said Doug. Silence then filled the room.
“Um...” Scootaloo looked away from the phone and at her friends and me. “This is really weird.”
“Yeaaaah.” I raised up my good hand and scratched my head. “Same thing happened when I had to talk to him last night.” I flashed the girls a smile. “Well, at least he’s a good listener.”
That got a chuckle out of the girls. “I think he’d thump ya on the head if he was here,” said Apple Bloom.
“Yeah, he was really mad at us when we got back from the Everfree the one time,” said Sweetie.
Scootaloo rubbed a spot on her head. “Don’t remind me. My head still hurts when I think ab—”
Doug’s voice was distant once more and there was a hacking noise on the other end as well. “You okay?”
A new voice then came through the phone. It was definitely young, but sounded very strained, like its owner had a sore throat or something. “Hhh...hhhhhhag? Hhhag?”
“Bloody son of a....” Doug stammered. “You can talk? You can talk?!”
“Hag?” came the new voice.
“Who’s that?” asked Sweetie.
Before I or the girls could raise more questions, Fluttershy’s voice entered the call. “Oh, is everything okay out here? W-was that Sweetie Belle I just heard?”
“Fluttershy!” All the girls yelled.
I really hope everyone else in the hospital turned deaf just for today, I thought.
“Oh my god,” said Sybil.
Jane looked over at me and her eye twitched a little. “John... this just got really weird... I mean, if that was really Pinkie earlier, and now...” She ran a hand through her hair. “Oh Jesus.”
The screaming and confusion hadn’t apparently gotten to Doug as he was more focused on whatever conversation he was having on the other end of the line. “Fluttershy, listen to this!”
“I’m baaaaack!” Pinkie yelled before devolving into giggles.
“Oh, um... what am I listening to?” Fluttershy curiously asked.
“Hag!” said the strange voice.
Everyone else on the other end of the line gasped.
“Doug?” I asked, hoping to sort out some of this confusion. “What’s going on? Who’s there and why does he sound like he’s coughing up a furball?”
Finally, Doug seemed to zone back in on the conversation. “John? Sorry, mate. Are you hearing this? That’s Angel, and he’s trying to talk!”
“What?!” Everyone on our side screamed.
“Awww,” Fluttershy cooed. “He just wanted to say hello to his friends! I’m sooo proud of you! Oh, um... are you still there, girls? I thought I heard Sweetie Belle...”
“Yep!” Sweetie chirped. “I’m here and so are the rest of the Crusaders!”
“Yeah!” yelled Apple Bloom and Scootaloo with huge smiles on their faces.
“Oh hi girls!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “I’m so happy to hear your voices. Are you all doing okay? None of you are hurt or... or scared, are you?”
“Nope,” they all replied.
“I mean, we were really scared at first...” said Apple Bloom.
“And even more scared when Discord showed up,” continued Sweetie.
“But we’re okay now and really happy you and Pinkie are safe too,” Scootaloo finished.
“Isn’t this exciting?” Pinkie practically screamed. “We were all feeling sooo sad and lonely and we had no idea what happened, but then out of nowhere Doug comes along and promises to take care of us and get us back home! And then we somehow found you girls and we’re all totally safe and happy, and Angel’s suddenly talking, and... and it’s like a big party!” Pinkie then exploded into a fit of giggles, snorts, and what could only be described as jubilation in noise form. I thought I heard a few sniffles mixed in with the otherwise joyful sounds.
“Heh, same old Pinkie Pie,” Scootaloo commented.
“Always wanting to throw a party,” Apple Bloom mused.
“This definitely ranks as one of the stranger ones though,” said Sweetie.
“Oh!” Scootaloo said with a grin. “Have you guys tried this thing called French Toast? It’s really good, but I don’t think anypony ever made it.”
“Yeah...” Sweetie tapped her chin. “I mean, there’s white toast, wheat toast...” She blushed a little. “Burnt toast...”
“Hmmm... I don’t know,” Pinkie admitted. “Have you made that for us?” she asked to someone on the other line.
“No, just regular toast,” Doug replied. “I’ve never tried to make French toast.”
“Ya really should... I mean, John probably is the best at making it, but I’d be fine if anypony made it,” said Apple Bloom. She smacked her lips a little. “... especially if ya added apples.”
“It’s really not that hard,” I responded. Feeling the positive mood in the room, I decided to risk a question. “Pinkie, are you feeling any better?”
“Uh huh!” she happily replied, though not with as much enthusiasm as when she she’d been talking about a party. “Don’t feel bad about the other day! Pinkie’s just going to hang in there until the girls arrive, then we’ll all find the rest of our friends together!”
“That’s great. I’m still very sorry about what I said though.” Confidence restored, I decided to continue the questions. “And how are you doing Fluttershy?”
“Who, me? Oh, um... I’m doing good, I think,” Fluttershy murmured.
“Hag!” Angel chimed in.
“Yes. Angel’s doing good, too,” Fluttershy continued.
“That’s great,” I replied, glad that both ponies on the other side of Pacific were in better spirits. My eyes then went over to the Crusaders. “Well, this is your your reward. Talk as long as you like.”
“Yay!” all three of them yelled.
Sweetie looked down at her hand and flexed it before turning her attention back to the phone. “So were you freaked out by hands?”
“Or compotters?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Or those weird scribbles everywhere?” asked Scootaloo.
Pinkie chuckled. “Those are all great, aren’t they? It’s sooo easy to hold a Coke using hands, and the computer is what Doug used to find you three and Princess Celestia! Oh, and those scribbles are human words. I can totally read them now, even without squinting!” Pinkie produced more giggles.
“Wait...” Apple Bloom swirled what Pinkie had said around her head and then her eyes turned to pinpricks along with the other Crusaders’.
“Princess Celestia?!” They and my friends yelled. I was beginning to think my ears would be busted by the end of this call.
“Yeah! She’s in some place called At-lan-ta,” Pinkie said, carefully pronouncing the unfamiliar name. “She was found by a dragon!”
“What?” the Crusaders yelled again.
“I didn’t know ya had dragons here,” said Apple Bloom.
My face blanched a little. “We don’t.”
“Pinkie! Give me that,” Doug very audibly grabbed the phone and his voice became much louder. “Sorry girls. The princess was found by a friend of mine. His name is DragonLS.”
“Ack!” Sweetie complained. “He’s doing that thing Princess Luna did on Nightmare Night!”
Doug sighed loudly. “Here Fluttershy, you hold the phone.” There was some more shuffling and Doug’s voice went back to normal levels. “Got it? Okay, good. Anyway, the princess is safe for the moment, girls.”
“Oh, well that’s a relief. I’m sure she’ll be able to fix this real easily,” Apple Bloom sighed in relief. She happily crossed her arms in contentment.
“Yeah,” said Scootaloo. “I mean, aside from Rainbow Dash, she’s gotta be the only pony who could fix this.”
“Actually,” Doug spoke up, “I was just talking to Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Angel about something yesterday.”
“About what?” asked Sweetie.
Curious, the girls group together and advanced closer to my phone to listen to Doug. “Well, maybe you three can help me out here. We happen to know that the princess lost all of her magic when she came here.”
All the girls gasped at this.
“She... she doesn’t have her magic?” Sweetie quivered.
“Oh no,” Apple Bloom moaned. Scootaloo said nothing and just dejectedly kicked the air.
“But don’t worry,” Doug interrupted. “We think we know a way to help get it back.” He paused for a moment. “Sweetie, you used some kind of magic, didn’t you? Scootaloo, too.”
Sweetie’s face scrunched up a little. “I mean... maybe. I’ve never been able to really do magic before... but John said it helped.”
“It was awesome!” Scootaloo screamed, clenching her fists in excitement. “It’s probably what Rainbow Dash feels like all the time!” She stopped, unclenched her fists, looked at her back, and grew a little crestfallen. “But now they’re gone again.”
“Well, let me tell you something else first, then I want to see if you three come to the same conclusion I did,” Doug said. “Princess Celestia is alone with my friend and has no magic, right?”
“She is?” Sweetie frowned. “That’s awful. If I’d been here without Apple Bloom or Scootaloo...” She shivered as the scenario played out in her head.
“Doug, you’re still going on this theory?” I asked.
Doug ignored me and continued, “And you three are together with John, and you somehow managed a bit of magic, right?”
“Well, Sweetie and Scootaloo did,” Apple Bloom replied. “I just kinda kicked that bully.”
“Pinkie and Fluttershy are here with Angel and me. Fluttershy is able to communicate with animals, but not quite as well as usual. Pinkie can feel her Pinkie sense... barely. She can also do, uh, the things Pinkie does, but not as often as usual. You still with me?”
“Well Fluttershy’s always been good with animals,” said Scootaloo. “And Pinkie is just Pinkie... maybe they’re just not used to stuff here.”
“Oh!” Sweetie flailed her hands like she was in class. “Maybe being a hum-ane is harder if you have a cutie mark!”
“Then that would mean we’re actually better off here than anypony else,” Apple Bloom said with a grin. “Not that I don’t want ma cutie mark or anything.”
“That has to be it!” Pinkie yelled in the background. “Oh, wait. That’s not what Doug told us. Sorry!”
“No, it’s not. Though it’s a really good guess,” said Doug.
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow and looked back and forth between her friends. “So were we right or not?”
“Well, you could be right, but it’s not what I had in mind. Let’s list what we know and I’ll give you another guess,” Doug said. “You three have each other, and some magic. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Angel have each other, and some magic... or at least abilities that we humans don’t possess. Princess Celestia is all alone, and has no magic at all. Do you see a pattern there?”
“Oh!” Apple Bloom’s eyes lit up. “So we just need to get Celestia a special somepony.”
“What?!” the rest of us in the room yelled.
“Um, Apple Bloom, I think the princess might just need some friends,” Sweetie suggested.
Apple Bloom reddened a little. “Oh yeah... right.”
“Correct!” Doug announced. “What Sweetie Belle said. We could be wrong, but I think anyone from Equestria might have their talents boosted when they’re with their friends. It might explain why the princess has no magic, but both of our groups of Equestrians can manage a small amount. Imagine what might happen once you all get together.”
“Maybe enough to set things right.” I’d meant for it to be a thought but I’d said it aloud.
“We could go home?” Scootaloo hopefully asked.
Sweetie eyes teared up a little.“I could see my sister?”
Apple Bloom got a little misty eyed as well. “Mine too?”
“We think so!” Pinkie chimed in. “I don’t really understand it all, but it would be great if Doug’s right!”
“Even if he’s wrong, at least we’ll be together,” Fluttershy chimed in.
“Hag.” Angel agreed.
All three of the girls’ expressions softened. “It’s just great to know other ponies are okay too,” said Apple Bloom.
“Hey, maybe just talking like this will help,” Sweetie suggested.
“Yeah, we just need to keep talking!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
“Uh, I...” Doug stammered. “I don’t think that... you know what? I have no objections. Talk away.”
“So what’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen?” Scootaloo asked.
“I bet it was those vaedyo games,” suggested Apple Bloom. “You girls shoulda tried it, it was really fun.”
“Or maybe those magic card key things,” said Sweetie.
“I didn’t see it, but can you believe that a spider actually bit me?” Fluttershy asked quietly. “I didn’t even do anything to it, I don’t know why it did that.”
“You wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve seen on the internet,” Pinkie said. “What? Don’t look at me like that, Captain! I got on the computer while you were sleeping. It’s not like you could tell me not to.”
I instantly saw where this conversation was going and moved to avoid it. “Um, anyway Doug, did you get the pictures my friends sent?” My eyes went over to the girls’ hair. “Guess it must have been a little shocking seeing them as brunettes.”
Doug seemed to be dealing with Pinkie, whispering, “I’m going to have another talk with you later, Pinkie.” He then returned back to his normal voice. “Uh, yeah we got the pictures. These ones should do fine, I just need to talk to a friend of mine to be certain, then we can get you some passports made up. If all goes well, you’ll have them in a few days.”
“Okay... I’ll send my mailing address once we’re done here,” I replied. I then looked over at the girls. “Anything else you want to say?”
“Well...” Scootaloo kicked her legs around. “I can’t really think of anything.”
“Me neither,” said Sweetie. “I didn’t think we’d be talking to them so soon, but... well...” Her eyes went to the ground.
“Sweetie.” I gave her a reassuring smile. “If you want to ask, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“No,” Sweetie said in a very soft voice. “It’s fine.”
“Well if you’re not gonna say it then I will,” Apple Bloom said with a determined yet melancholic tone. “Pinkie, Fluttershy... if...if ya find our sisters, please tell us, okay?” A few tears escaped her eyes at the request.
“Awww, of course we’ll tell you!” Pinkie replied, sounding much less hyper than her usual self. “Now chin up, girls! You’re coming to visit your Aunties Pinkie and Fluttershy soon. Together with Doug, John, and Angel, we’ll find them no matter what!”
“Thank you,” Sweetie sniffled, brushing away some tears of her own.
“Yeah Pinkie, that’s pretty awesome of you,” said Scootaloo with her normal excited voice. She wasn’t that good at hiding the few specs of water in her eyes though.
Apple Bloom managed a smile.“Maybe... maybe we’ll throw you a party when we get there.”
Pinkie responded with more excited sounds. I could have sworn I heard a few firecrackers going off and possibly a victorious trumpet.
“Sounds good to me,” said Doug. “I guess I should let you go for now. It should be about dinner time for you now, right? I don’t want to hang up until everyone’s happy to, though.’
I looked over the girls. While they still had a few tears on their faces, they also had smiles as well. “I think this definitely helped out. Sounds the same on your end too... Fluttershy’s been a little quiet though. She alright?”
“Oh, I’m here. It’s just nice listening to you all talk,” Fluttershy said.
“Okay, well girls, I think it’s time to hang up for now.” We’ve probably scared half the hospital by now. “Doug, it’s okay if they ever want to call again, right?”
“Yeah, mate. That’s fine. It won’t be too long, and they’ll be able to talk face to face. Don’t worry about call costs, either. I can cover those for you.”
“Actually... there’s also Skype too,” I suggested. Glad I remembered that.
“A what?” asked Apple Bloom.
“It’s like a phone, but you can also see people on it,” I explained.
“Whoa!” said all the Crusaders with wide eyes.
“Can you show us now?” asked Sweetie.
“Maybe some other time,” I replied. “For now, why don’t you say your goodbyes?”
“Okay,” said Scootaloo. “It was really great talking with you, Pinkie and Fluttershy. Thanks for helping them Mr. Doug.”
“Yeah, super thanks,” said Apple Bloom.
“Super mega thanks,” said Sweetie. She then got odd looks from her friends. “What?”
“It just sounds a little repata... repeata... silly to say super and mega next to each other,” explained Apple Bloom.
“Hey!” Sweetie yelled back.
“Okay, okay. I think I got the point,” Doug intervened. “We’re going to count to three, then everyone’s going to say ‘bye,’ all right?”
“Sure,” said all the Crusaders. I got the feeling simultaneous goodbyes would be a piece of cake for them.
“Okay then. One... two... three! Bye!” Doug yelled.
“Bye!” Pinkie and Fluttershy said.
“Hag!” Angel yelled.
“Bye!” said the girls at the same time.
“Oddest phone conversation ever,” Sybil joked.
“Amen,” said Jane.
“Heh, see ya’ll around,” I said. “Stay safe. We’ll keep in touch.”
Then the call ended. I took a breath and fell back on my bed. “Well, was that a good enough gift for you?” I asked the girls.
“Totally,” Scootaloo said with a smile.
“Yep,” said Apple Bloom.
Sweetie grinned at me like it was Christmas. “Uh-huh.”
I shifted around to get a little more comfortable. “Good. Now on to other business. My eyes moved over to Sybil. “Sybil, I know it’s a lot to ask, but I need someone to drive them to my house tomorrow. Knowing my parents, we’ll probably stop halfway and rest for the night.”
“It’s safer than keeping them here,” Sybil replied. She looked over at the girls. “Please just try not to destroy my car.”
“We promise,” they said in unison.
“Where are we going anyway?” asked Sweetie.
“My home,” I explained.
Apple Bloom corked her neck at my reply. “I thought that big school was also your home.”
“In a sense,” I replied. “College is just a place where students live and stay most of the year, but we also go home to see our parents on holidays and breaks.”
“That sounds confusing,” said Scootaloo.
Memories of dealing with the airport when I was coming back for Thanksgiving flashed in my mind. “It sometimes is. Anyway, that’s where we’re going.” I looked over at Jane and Sybil. “Actually, if you can, go to my room and grab some of my dvds.” I flashed the girls a devious grin. “You might as well learn about a certain man called Miyazaki.”
“John, you insane man,” Sybil chuckled. “Oh well, some entertainment couldn’t hurt. Hmm, maybe I’ll introduce them to a certain dark knight.”
Sweetie smiled up at Sybil. “Ooh, I love stories about knights.”
Sybil chuckled a little in response. “This one’s a little different.”
“I’m just glad you agreed.” I sharpened my attention on Sybil. “Seriously, thank you.” I then focussed on Jane. “Jane, you should probably go back to your parents. I’m already asking Sybil enough as it is. Besides, too many of us together could draw attention. I’ll stay in touch though.”
Jane looked down and shifted her feet around a bit. “Okay, guess my parents would be a little curious.”
“How do you think mine will feel?” Sybil joked.
“Anyway...” My gaze drifted back to the Crusaders. “That’s the plan. Once Doug has everything arranged, we’ll be off to see Pinkie and Fluttershy. Who knows, maybe we’ll find somepony else before then.”
The Crusaders all brightened up at this.
Scootaloo happily clenched her fists in excitement. “That’d be sweet!”
Apple Bloom enthusiastically fist-pumped. “Yeah, why, I bet we’ll find everypony in no time.”
“Hey,” Sweetie said with a slightly devious smile, “maybe we’d get more ‘recognition’ finding other ponies. You know what that means?”
“Oh crap,” I, Sybil, and Jane all groaned.
“Cutie Mark Crusaders Pony Finders! Yay!”
“Girls, geez,” I sighed. “You’re gonna draw...” My whole body went stiff and my eyes practically popped out of my head. Mom and dad were at the door carrying a few grocery bags.
“Are we interrupting anything?” asked mom.
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... WHY DIES SCOOTALOO LOOK LIKE LIONO?
I must admit, I saw this while listening to the debates and I literally sqee'd. I love yours, Slorg's, and Draequine's stories and I love even more to see your Ponyfall entries. The others are coming along as well, but I really look forward to your entry best! Keep it up, when you can that is, don't force yourself if your too busy. Don't need that.
Mom and Dad.
Oh. Crap.
Deny everything!!!
And then the parents come in to spoil everything.
YAY~! New chapter! And parents, ho-shit! Can't wait to see what John comes up with in the next chapter!
Holy hell
500
Thanks Everyone
I was actually under the impression that his parents were on the other line the whole time, as I don't recall him ever hanging up on them.
And then it truly hit the fan.
I can hear John saying: "Uuum...Hi mom. hi dad, may I introduce you to the nieces of Jane? They came to see me when they heard what happened to me."
Wonderful chapter as always. Keep it up.
Bronydragon
Yay the girls get to watch Ghibli films! Wonder if they'd enjoy Ponyo. The Japanese version with English subs of course. Glad Apple Bloom liked Kingdom Hearts, wonder what she thought of the story and gameplay. And as for Pinkie... oh god she found internet porn.
Kingdom Hearts! Yay!
Pinkie. Is a streaker
Mom. Dad. Why do you always come in at the most annoying of time?
Hehe...finding other ponies before leaving to the outback. Who knows indeed.
...You foreshadower, you. Keep up the good work
.
How come no one has said anything about Twilight yet?
Apple bloom, you have chosen wisly, Kingdom hearts is flippn awesome!
I know Angel is trying his best to speak, but whenever I see him saying "Hag!", I feel as though it's an insult.
2530513 well it is Angel were talking about...
What does the bunny say? "Hag!"
1523457 It is the way of the parent. Awkward moments are a must.