The doors to the local haybachi shop burst open as a familiar alchemist got tossed to the roadside. Shuffling out behind him in mild embarrassment were Juniper and Nickel. Still, they were holding hooves, and appeared to be enjoying each other's company. The chef, on the other hoof, was not pleased, poking his head out the door after them.
“New rule on the list, Catalyst! No trying to juggle the knives! Only our chefs have the training to do that!”
“Okay, but-”
“OUT! Go eat some hayburger and come back some other time!”
“But I didn't get my noodles!” Arca whined. Angrily, the chef threw a bowlful of noodles at Arca, splatting on his head like a giant helmet. “Thank you!”
“Well that went about as well as I expected,” Juniper remarked. “Still,” she blushed, “I enjoyed dinner, Nickel. Sorry my boss messed everything up. I'm sure he's sorry, too. Right, Boss?” She glanced at Arca, who was standing stock still all of a sudden. He didn't even register his noodle hat slowly dripping sauce down his mane. “Uh, Boss?”
“...someone's messing with my yard.”
“What?”
“WHO'S MESSING WITH MY YARD?!” And without another word, the stallion booked it towards his shop.
“Alright, the main stage should be ready to go, Your Majesty.”
“Excellent! Thy construction efforts art admirable. We were quite surprised to find such a wide swath of open land in town so close to the market,” said Princess Luna. “Tis perfect for setting up the trade exchange… the only thing in the way is that odd building… it looks as though it was built using construction methods from my time. Still, setting up our judging platform in front of it makes for a fine backdrop… and it's not like we are-”
“WHO'S OBSTRUCTING BUSINESS?!”
Luna and the head of her building team watched a stallion storm up past them. Luna immediately recognized him, although she hadn't seen him since prior to her banishment. “No, that can't be possible…”
“Hi Moon-Princess-Boss,” Arca began as he stomped by. “Nice to see you again and I'd LOVE to show you some of my new work over the past millennia, but SOMEPONY built a stage in MY YARD in front of MY SHOP so I gotta move it!” He stomped over to the stage that had just finished construction, and pushed it from the side.
“But- but- thou should have been dead dozens of times over! How art thou still alive?!”
“Not right now, please! I've almost… GOT IT!” With one final shove and a massive surge of his magic, Arca shoved the stage hard enough to uproot its foundation and send it careening down the slight hill the shop rested atop. It barreled over his mailbox, took out a fair portion of the cobblestone path that made up market street, and finally came to rest right in front of Emerald's jewelry store, pinning the door shut.
“There! Much better! Now them, Luna. WAIT! I need to get washed up for meeting with a princess!” Arca levitated a gallon bottle of lemon-scented floor cleaner out of his shop, and doused himself in it. “Eh, good enough for short notice. Haven't had to resort to that move in a while. Plus, now I smell GREAT! Kinda soggy though. Hi, Moon-Princess-Boss Luna!” Arca trotted over and gave Luna a big hug, making her coat damp as well.
“A-arca? How?”
“Got my big project to work. Remember my little ‘rock collection’ experiments?”
Luna's eyes went wide in shock. “Thou dost not mean…? Thou hast done it?”
“Yup! I'm ageless now. Been super busy though! First trying to bring Meadowbrook back from Limbo, then you back from the moon, then Razzle out of my mane, and now I try and find new potions to make! I can't wait for the trade exchange tomorrow! You're the acting princess this time, right? Where's your judging platform?”
“Tis over yonder, Arcane,” Luna sighed, pointing at the platform that her old friend had just ruined.
“Oh. Why'd you build it all busted up and in the middle of the road?”
Luna simply chuckled, patting the still-damp stallion on the head with her wing. “We missed thee, Arca, old friend.”
“I mean, I missed you too, but that doesn't answer my question about the platform.”
patting the
heh, should have seen that coming.
9570339
Good lord. I add ONE LINE at the last minute without running it by my editor and bam! Typo.
9570345
I know that feeling. :P
Very distractible, isn't he? And living proof that procrastination eventually fixes most problems, you just have to out-live them.
My gosh. I wonder who put the stage there.
Well, I sure having Luna around with Archa won't make the town go upheaval at this point, I can only imagine what sort of tenuous sting of logic they will do their next scheme.
I, for one, LOVE the new cover art
9570394
It’s nice.
What was the old one again?
9570375
*Camera zooms in on The Duck*
"Quack."
DUNDUNDUNNNNNN
9570404
Two nondescript green potions on a shelf
9570405
When Emerald sees that Arca is friend of Princess Luna...
"Do you hear somepony crying?" asks Celestia of her guard in Canterlot.
9570494
"First was the longest, loudest stream of profanity I've ever heard, and now this."
New rules of life
No one puts things on arcas yard
(This was already a rule after Arca crushed emerald’s house with the crashed train but nobody told the princesses)
Oh God, when the fireworks begin it will be Luna that Emerald will go to for her case against Arca. Celestia might have had a sense if humor. Luna will strip Emerald naked and force her to dance in her bones!
9570494
Who?
This chapter was comedy gold.
9570645
Funny, I consider this to be one of my worse chapters.
...does this mean I should write more trash?
9570690
twash is fuwny
I feel like Acra was inspired by Dr. Bright. Is this correct?
Princess Boss #2
9570690
I mean, it was a little hard to follow, but the jokes were funny.
Waiting to see Emerald's reaction. Slightly surprised someone in Rainbow Falls didn't warn the construction ponies about building the stage where they did
9570732
Slightly. Sorta. Kinda?
Every one of my characters is, at the core of their being, a facet of my personality. Sorta like breaking off a part of a crystal to grow a new one. Arca was built around my desire to learn new things and my hard-to-contain hyperactivity. For reference, Juniper is based on my more cautious and analytical side, while Emerald was grown from all the times I wanted to get mad at someone.
The story itself was inspired by my brain asking one night, "Hey, what if someone like Doc Brown from back to the future worked retail?" It grew from there. The popular lists of things Arca may not do are the only direct inspiration from Dr. Bright.
9570812
That is certainly what I thought was the case. I feel that the way you create characters is the best way of doing it. To leave a bit of ones self in their work is truly what makes it art. Amazing work on these stories, I have enjoyed them since I first laid eyes on them.
9570843
Thank you! That's a great compliment. To be honest, though, I just put a part of me in my characters to make them easier to write for.
So are Juniper and Nick dating now?
I feel like (cuz Luna and "Nickel" already know each other) "Nickel", Luna, and Arca could cause some awesome mayhem..
And so the stage has been set, and just as quick relocated, for the great showdown between Emerald and her underwhelming evidence against Arca.
media3.giphy.com/media/ygqMjv2x8KSxW/giphy.gif
9571688
YES. Seconded. This must happen!
9570690
I don't think you've had a bad chapter yet so...I guess?
9570982
Your trash is highly enjoyable.
Love the new cover art certainly does the story more justice than the original
Aww man I was just really getting into this story when I realized that I am currently caught up. Can't wait for the next chapter. Hope to see more of Nick and Juniper in the furture.
9570345
9570339
Hah! Not my fault this time!
9571774
I got the popcorn all set & the soda. all that's left is to get the nacho truck here without arca seeing it. (sets up a folding chair)
9574171
"DID SOMEPONY SAY NACHOS?!"
Crud, he heard us! Quick, hide the cheese!
9574171
9574210
*Just walked into the scene, arms full of cheesy goodness*
"Uh-oh."
*Mad scramble follows, only to trip over The Duck.*
Que dramatic music.
9574438
"Dramatic" chase music he says
9574444
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
9574484
9574444
this is more fun then a barrel of monkeys. Unless arcs gets a hold of it.
9576009
Please don't give him any ideas....
Oh, hey Arca. Please don't pay any attention to- NO, put the barrel down! And let those monkeys go!
9576083
Oh snap!!! Run!!! Run as far and fast as you can!!!
9577404
*Starts running, only for everyone their hair to explosively grow without stop.*
"Oh, floof!"
*Gets consumed by a tidal wave of hair.*
9577468
(is now a giant brown fluffy ball of fur) how dose this even effect me??? I'm a diamond dog for crying out loud!!!
9577490
Arca.
'Nuff said.
9577515
............. very true then.........
9571128
Is someone going to answer this?
9582936
Most people need more than one date, but i'd say ot's possible. Juniper doesn't know Nick is human yet because it never came up. I intended to leave it up to the imagination for the time being.
I'm surprised you didn't add eye burn and dunking his head in a very conveniently placed fountain.