As could be expected, Jackie and the three thugs immediately got into a brawl that took them through the entire restaurant, Jackie using his own tactics to minimize actual confrontations and damage to the restaurant itself. Each of the thugs tried to adapt to Jackie's tactics, but it quickly became plain that they were used to functioning on pure intimidation and the occasional 'hold him still while I punch' tactic, neither of which worked against one of Jackie's skills. In fact, the sum total damage of the first minute of fighting was the other customers safely fleeing the restaurant.
Jade, of course, was cheering Jackie's efforts on, and at one point tried to help by tripping one of the thugs who was coming up behind Jackie, using a broom. Uncle promptly took the broom away from her. "Leave the rough stuff to Jackie!" he insisted, before using the broom handle to jab Ratso in the gut hard enough to make him drop without even looking. He then spun the broom into an upright position without even seeming to try.
"Go Uncle," Jade commented with a grin. She then noticed the three fillies still sitting at the table. "How come you three aren't pitching in?"
"Not much I can do indoors," Scootaloo pointed out. "Not enough room to build momentum for ramming, not enough weather to manipulate." She jerked her head at Sweetie Belle. "And she's too much of a goody-four-shoes to 'misbehave' when Uncle's watching."
"Just because one of us likes to handle a meal with decorum doesn't make me a goody-four-shoes!" Sweetie countered irritably. "Two at the most."
"And my intervention'd cause too much collateral damage," Apple Bloom admitted. "Either I hop off Audrey III and the wooden floor starts sproutin, or I unleash him and break the whole buildin'."
"I'm just a mean green mother from outer space-" Audrey began to sing, only to get struck on the bulb by Uncle's two fingers. "Ow!"
"Uncle said no more songs!" Uncle insisted. Audrey grumbled petulantly.
By then, all three thugs had fled the restaurant. "Thank you for dining with us!" Jackie called out playfully before returning to the table. "Well, shall we continue our meal-" He gasped in shock. "The Talisman!" He quickly searched the table. "It was right there!"
"Sweetie Belle, can you sense it?" Uncle asked quickly.
Sweetie shook her head. "I could only sense it in the shield because the runes around the Talisman were designed to actively tap and suppress its magic. Once it was out, it went dormant. Unless something activates it, I'm just not attuned enough to Talisman magic to sense it."
"They took it!" Jackie concluded worriedly.
"Come on, we can catch 'em!" Jade called out, turning to run out of the restaurant, only to be pulled up short as Jackie grabbed her by her hood.
"Stay with Uncle!" Jackie insisted as he turned and rushed out.
Once Jackie was gone, Uncle turned to invite Jade to sit with him...only to notice three wide-eyed gazes of worry directed towards the door where Jackie went. He sighed, rubbing his head before moving to Scootaloo's side. "Move over," he instructed, clambering onto Cumulo before pulling Jade into his lap.
Four eager faces grinned up at him as he rolled his eyes. "Stay together!" he instructed as Cumulo absorbed enough moisture from the air around him to carry all six of them.
Shendu grumbled to himself after having sent out his Shadow Khan with the relic he'd produced, the Eyes of the Dragon. In addition to acting as a compass responding to the presence of the Talismans, it enhanced his link to the Shadow Khan holding it, letting him see through the shadow warrior's eyes. He was currently focused through that gaze as the warrior watched from a dark alley as Jackie pursued the Enforcers. As he quickly discovered, Jackie Chan did not possess the Talisman. The statuette did, however, respond to the next group...as did Shendu.
A chi wizard riding a kinto un? The threats arrayed against Shendu's efforts in the city were greater than he'd anticipated. Odd that the statuette indicated the little girl carried the Talisman...but the other three creatures were of much greater concern.
Though they were all very different creatures, magically Shendu recognized them all as variants of the baseline Qi Lin mystic energy, having the same basic good magic of purification and strength. But in addition to having a genuine Qi Lin with an obvious strong bond to the magical fields - strong enough to manipulate actual spells - the pegasus had command of weather magic that rivaled two of his brothers with the strength of the bond, and the last was a Gaian who already possessed a fully manifest Dryadic Familiar!
"Valmont," Shendu demanded coldly, "did your Enforcers simply forget to mention the creatures alongside Jackie Chan?"
"Creatures, Shendu?" Valmont asked curiously. "Ratso made mention of the strange plant-"
"I meant the ponies!" Shendu growled. "Why was no mention of creatures of such powerful good magic made?"
Valmont stroked his chin. "...I will inquire," he responded firmly. Something about what Shendu said niggled at his memory, but the thought was quickly discarded.
Jackie sighed to himself as he watched the car with the three Enforcers inside drive away. "Bad day..." he muttered under his breath. He started to walk away, but paused. He recognized that familiar sound he just heard. "Scootaloo," he grumbled as he turned, "what are you-BWAH!" He leapt back in shock as he patted his chest.
"Hi Jackie!" Jade said happily as Uncle waved from his seat on the cloud.
"Uncle!" Jackie complained. "I wanted you to keep them out of trouble!"
"I am!" Uncle proclaimed happily.
Jackie's eyes widened as he looked past Uncle. "Then what do you call that?" he shouted out, pointing at the large group of shadowy ninjas rapidly approaching.
"AIYAH!" Uncle shouted as he saw them. "Back to shop, quickly!"
Taking the directive, Scootaloo grabbed Jackie and pulled him onto Cumulo as they shot off down the road, the ninjas hot on their tails.
Chapter Twenty Five:
"Aiyah!"
\
Chapter Count: 1
Total Count: 20
"One More Thing!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 42
Shendu freaking out over cute little ponies.
I'm glad you're skipping the 'keep the child prodigy safe' parts. It got old quickly, watching Jade disobey Jackie only to save his behind, then get yelled at. It was clear after the first time that Jade was going to follow regardless, but apparently Jackie was too stubborn to admit it.
7364425 Shendu ain't stupid. Where there's a Cutie Mark Crusader, trouble's gonna come a calling.
Best part of the chapter, right there.
7364438
Smart demon. Recognizing the three fundamental forces of Chaos.
Another enjoyable chapter. Good work.
Looks like the CMC are now firmly in the crosshairs of Shendu, and that could produce a whole new set of problems... on both sides. Oh, and I'm loving Audrey III wanting to break out into song only to be thwarted every time.
One of these days (probably either Full Power Shendu or the Mountain Demon) Uncle is going to tell Audrey he can sing now.
Not the most happening, but glad to see the something else I thought was confirmed.
I love Audrey III.
Nice. Going out on a limb here, but I'm assuming that at one point, Sweetie, Scoots, and Bloom are going to lose their necklaces. Either temporarily or permanently
Hi oh Culumo, away!!
I feel for ya, Audrey III, but it's probably for the best. Musicals seldom translate well to a textual medium.
Yeah, every time Audrey speaks I'm hearing Tim Curry. He could be singing children's Nursery Rhymes and I'd still hear Tim curry singing.
This is just too obligatory.
7364528
you have reached god level, you can now summon cookies for practically no reason.
Guess Uncle really... swept the floor with Ratso.
Seems that Apple Bloom made the decision to keep Audrey III... rooted.
Seems Shendu is gonna have to... pony up quite abit this time around.
7364419
...is it too late to add a "bad day" counter?
7364632
I direct you to Here:
7262537
So can Audrey do Equestrian Heart Songs??? I can just see him browsing the internet while the Crusaders and Jade are at school and picking out appropriate songs for maximum effect and getting an agreement from Uncle to save them for emergencies.
I can see it now.
Valmont: *looks at ponies* What's wrong with them?
Shendu: YOU IMBECILE!!!!!!!!
7364549 I have been summoned?
7364728
Cookie, via by surprisig someone, as has gained one level.
7364617 Those puns were bad and you should feel bad for saying them......and you don't care, do you?
7364617 corner NOW
7364921 Isn't that where Jackie fights best from? He doesn't have the ability to fly the coop like Scootaloo.
7364482 And then it will turn out that Audrey can cast powerful magic through song, and Uncle was simply hindering him from using them the entire time.
7364425 Oi. I would too. Controlling the forces of nature.
Too natural.
7364978
Why would he need to cast magic with music? He's holding in AB's excess magic and lots of it. I was just referring to the fact that if he lets loose and grows to his full size, it's worth letting him do a rendition of "Mean Green Mother From Outer Space."
Hrm. I wonder, how many of you have seen the alternate ending to that movie...?
Oh hay, I even found it in color.
Where is the tree sap? There was suppose to be an earth shattering crash followed by massive amounts of tree sap on the CMC!? (I'll give a cookie to anyone who can get the reference)
7365121
Marvin the Martian.
7364874
7364921
At least at the time I only had... three more things to pun about and not a single more.
7365192 Ouch that was so bad that somehow it turned awesome...
7365192 One more thing! I wonder if there's somesing Audrey III could do about those ninjas. They're scary and seem pretty shady.
7365146
Cool got it on the first try. * hands over a plate that has an assortment of cookies on it* Take your pick of what cookie you want.
7365192 Why do I even bother at this point...
7364425 Shendu is just genre savvy. He probably has first-hand experience with what a mature, fully trained Qi Lin can do, and doesn't savor the prospect of a repeat performance.
I'm also assuming - with no evidence whatsoever - that the actual Qi Lin in-universe still looked just as cute and cuddly as your average pony. All the artwork of them as dignified and graceful beasts of great power was made afterwards by somewhat uptight magicians who felt that they should look the part. And who would deny to their dying breath that they still squee'd like little girls the first time they saw them.
I love Shendu's concern about the crusaders
7364617 those are awesome your really Sans-sational
So Jade got the talisman in her pocket?
7367389 You need to watch the show. It's a good series by itself and this fic does it justice.
7366281 can u blame him? this is the Crusaders were talking about here. all of equestria shudders when they go off on another of their crazy stunts, and thats when its only one of them alone!
7371797 Mind if I join
I'm slightly concerned that Apple Bloom's dryadic familiars take their cues from Little Shop of Horrors.
I'm sure Uncle looks at least 20% cooler on Cumulo.
7564689 Don't worry bout a thing...
7364425
Who wouldn’t, you ding-dong. They are ponies.
8217122
They're magical[i/] ponies.
7365085
I love you for finding this, can you send me the name of the movie?
9224771
"Little Shop of Horrors"