Magic Paint Brushes 2: A New Canvas To Paint On

by Ugly-Duckling123

Chap 34

After the 'guests of honor' stormed off to one of the castles other rooms for bed, that's when everyone thought it was a good time to pack up the party and go to sleep too.

Soon everyone said 'Goodnight' to everyone else the lights were turned off leaving only a few dimly light candles in case someone need to get up in the night, and not to scare the younger colts and fillies.

But Jack couldn't sleep.

First he thought it was because he was on the floor instead of hanging upside down like usual, but even when he found a sturdy enough balcony and all the blood was rushing to his head to make him loose consciousness slightly, he still couldn't sleep.

Thinking he'll count sheep, he placed an illusion spell (one only he could see) on the ponies and Changelings that stayed behind, to make them seem as sheep and began counting in his head so to not wake anyone up.

'One... Two... Three... Four...'

*

'One hundred and seventy one...'

"This isn't working is it?" he asked shutting off the illusion and coming down to go outside.

"If it pleases you Jack," someone said making him turn around to see Luna positioned like she had been watching him a small smirk on her lips "You lasted longer than I thought you would."

"Yay first place for me then," Jack said quietly "Did I set a new record too?"

"Sadly no," Luna said getting up "The 'Counting Sheep To Go To Sleep' record belongs to Twilight. She holds it up to Twenty thousand nine hundred and sixty three."

"Was this when she was up at three a.m and then got all crazy because she was visited by her future self?" Jack asked thinking of when she would of been able to do it.

"Yes. Yes it was Jack," Luna said nodding "But we're not here to talk about my sisters student. We're here to talk about what's on your mind to need to count sheep in the first place."

"Does someone need a reason to count balls of fluff to make them sleepy?" Jack asked answering his own question. "Alright," he said sighing. "I was thinking about what went on in the library a few hours ago. And my mind always replaying what Sarah and Eric both said."

"Good, we're getting somewhere," Luna said pleased poofing up her bag of candy and giving him a piece as an award. "Now, what is it about what they said that's bothering you?"

"Well," Jack said now on a therapist couch hands together twiddling his thumbs "It was the way Sarah was all mad, and screaming her head off at me when she learnt I placed a Forever Frost spell on my pond, but then was calm but still mad when she said forget it."

"And what of Eric and what he said?" Luna urged him to continue giving him another piece.

"The fact that he said I don't know how Sarah felt when I was on the ice, and it seemed to of started cracking," Jack answered. "But I do know." he said his voice loosing all fun and thought, becoming serous.

"How so?" Luna's voice asked looking over to a couple of figures in the shadows who were listening in.

"Because what she possibly felt," Jack began "Thinking she might lose someone she loved to the cold icy waters of a body of water because the ice wasn't strong enough to hold them up on... Was most likely what I felt all those years ago when we lost Emma, when Sarah was about to go in and I only just managed to save her," he began.

"I felt scared for what was going on, worried that I might not get to her in time, terrified that as I was inching closer to them, the ice would collapse because of the moving weight and we might all fall in, anger at her when she didn't take the stick so I could get her first because it was wasting time arguing with her meaning the ice would break quicker, relief when I got her to safety and thought I would be able to do the same for Em but..." he stopped their with a sigh.

"That was the reason why I placed that spell on the one in Whitetail Wood," Jack said without needing to of been asked the question. "So nopony should they come across it and decide to play on it, would go through what me and Sarah went though that winter's afternoon. I may be the Student of Discord, Lulu," Jack continued unaware that he's been speaking to Sarah and Eric too the whole time. "But I do care about health and safety of others. Especially children."

"Anything else that's bothering you?" Luna asked handing over five more pieces just for that speech just now.

"The feeling that neither of my best Human friends will forgive me for this," Jack said getting up in a sitting position and hugging his knees.

"There one way to find out," Luna said using her magic to lift his chin and turn his eyes to the shadows where Sarah and Eric were coming out, both wearing sorrowful looks and avoiding his eyes.

"How... How long have you been there?" Jack asked as they came over.

"For almost all that was said," Eric said for both of them. "Look sorry I set the message that you didn't know what Sarah was feeling," he said rubbing the back of his neck.

"And I'm sorry I got mad at you Jack," Sarah said rubbing her arm "I should of remembered what you must of felt that day, I remembered what I did, but I didn't and have never thought of what you must of felt. I'm sorry," she said hugging her cousin.

"So... I'm forgiven for not mentioning about the Forever Frost spell?" Jack asked as they pulled away.

"Yes," they both said smiling.

"Oh good..." Jack said smiling "Now I can possibly get to sleep."

"I'm not so sure Jack," Celestisa's voice said getting everyone to look towards her as she came over to Luna to raise the sun. "I mean you can, but I doubt you'll get much rest."

"Meh... I'll go to sleep when we get home," Jack said shrugging unwrapping a lolly and started sucking on it.

"That's a thought," Sarah said making everyone look to her confused. "What of Suzy, Jack?"

"Huh?" he asked cocking his head confused as he looked over to the Changeling that was sleeping next to him when he was on the ground.

"Will your pencil work for more than one of you," Sarah began "And if so... Um... What will she look like when she's in our world, cause of the no magic thing? That is if you want her to come with us."

"Of course I want her to come with us," Jack said not sure how to answer the other questions. "I Just hadn't thought about it before..."

"Yeah you need to be super duper sure on stuff like this before you make big decisions like this," Discord now added zapping up with bed hair in a pink robe and a cup of tea in is paw and talon. "But that puny brush take the both of you two here and back doesn't Sarah?" he asked pointing the arrow to her.

"Well yeah, but isn't that cause the both of us found it together?" Sarah asked.

"Possibly, but unlikely," Discord said zapping up a large photo album and flicking though it. "Cause you two kids weren't the first ones to find it were you?"

"How'd you know about that?" Eric asked surprised.

"Being turned to stone, doesn't mean you don't get to learn what goes on around you," Discord said not looking up from the book still flicking though it "Plus a little Jackdaw told me at some point of your current visit."

This getting the two to look to Jack who was now back upside down still sucking on his lolly thinking.

"Ah here it is," Discord said turning the book to the lovers "This it the let's say 'family tree' of that little paint brush you have there."

Eric and Sarah looked to it and saw right at the bottom were the two of them with March 2014 - Present in between them both names with a shield and the crest of six gems next to them.

Above that was Eric's grandfather Samuel P. Foster the years going from 1914 - 2014. Above that was someone call Violet Gold and next to her a man called Eugene Fitzherbert, going from 1872 - 1914.

And it just kept going like that. Sometimes it was only one person, sometimes it was two, others three. All in all eventually leading back to Leonardo da Vinci.

"Ok so that the brush," Sarah said surprised so many people have had this brush before the two of them. "But what of Jack's pencil?"

Suddenly without warning the books pages flipped themselves at top speed coming to a stop on what could only be the pencil's 'family tree' Jack Jones right at the bottom a drawing of an apple with a D, and a newly it looked drawing of the same shield as Sarah and Eric both have, and a big black C, next to the name.

Above him was Sarah and his grandmother Brenda Jones, next to her but off the branch was their grandfather, Peter the years going from 1932 - 2010.

Same as the brush's the number of people changed with each branch going back up the tree, until it too came to Leonardo da Vinci.

"Some good news then cuz," Sarah said looking over to Jack who turned to see what was going on "these things apparently don't have a counter on them, so you'll get to use it with Suzy tagging along.

"Good," Jack said not as hyped up as everyone thought he would be by this news.

"You're happy with that right?" Eric asked cautious, remembering Jack's temper and mood swings from school.

"Course I am," Jack said still not coming down. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You're not sure you want this do you?" Sarah asked knowing that look and voice Jack was giving off.

"It goes to what you said Sarah," Jack said turning to Suzy again "What will she look like? I mean I obviously wont care... But what will everyone else think when suddenly there's a Changeling, or to them a pony with holes in it's hooves a horn, fangs and bug wings, appears out of nowhere?"

While the others went on about this Celestia raised the sun and after a bit everyone began to wake up meaning the conversation needed to be moved into the library, this time being joined by the six.

"I think Jack," Celestia said after a standstill came to be, after everyone heard the problem and there was a five minute arguing section. "The best way to find out the answer, is to see what happens."

"Ok," Jack said nodding.