Three More Things!

by Tatsurou


New Future, part 2

It was eventually Scootaloo who found her voice first. "Was...was that real?" she managed to ask.

"Yeah..." Sweetie Belle managed to say. "Somehow...we can use the magic around the book to see what's happening in the rest of the world in this...new timeline Valmont managed to create. And asking about Uncle Jackie apparently showed us everything connected to him...including Shendu, Valmont, and Viper."

"Well, at least that's two happy endings here," Scootaloo allowed.

"But what about Tohru?" Apple Bloom asked urgently. "Wouldn't he be workin' for Valmont again? And what about Sofia, Ysabelle, and Lucia?"

"And don't forget El Toro!" Sweetie Belle added as a window began to open. "And Uncle! And Jade! And Captain Black!"

"Ahem!" Scootaloo declared as she pointed to where the window was opening, three others having taken shape behind it.

The fillies turned their attention to the first window as it focused in on Japan, slowly zooming in to reveal two towering structures. The first was another of the Elder Traps Valmont had examined in Shendu's territory, this one braced above the crater of Fujiyama. The second was a massive, open, temple-like structure where Po Kong sprawled, having paused from a meal to glare down at something that irritated her...


Po Kong rubbed her forehead as Dai Gui continued his angry rant. "It's bad enough the human subjects I have are so lackluster and vanishing!" he roared angrily. "But now you and Xiao Fung have been tempting my minotaurs away from me!"

"It's a free market, Dai," Po Kong grumbled irritably. "If the wages and living conditions in your kingdom aren't enough to induce them to stay, is it any wonder they go where both are better?"

"We agreed to divide the world between us!" Dai Gui ranted angrily. "But now you're all stealing my share! I want my kingdom! I want it I want it I want it!"

"Must you throw a tantrum like a spoiled child?" the Mountain Demon groaned in frustration. "Behave with at least a modicum of the decorum befitting your station. You're making us all look bad in front of my citizens."

"Citizens!" Dai Gui snorted in disdain. "They are chattel!"

"Well with that attitude, it's no wonder your region is all but empty by now," Po Kong murmured ruefully. "How much has Valmont taken direct control of now to get any productivity out of it again?"

"Why is he the one who orders us all around?" Dai Gui demanded angrily. "He is even younger than Bai!"

"Well, most of us follow his lead because we can see he speaks sense," Po Kong countered flatly. "Those of us too blind to see that - you included - follow because even if all three of you tried to attack him in concert, he could kill you without even half trying...assuming he didn't leave you to the Monkey and the Serpent." She smirked as she saw that send a shudder through Dai Gui. "Now do you have anything important to say to me, or did you just come to rant at me because you can't take advice."

"I want what is mine!" Dai Gui insisted angrily, bringing his fists down angrily and shaking the ground.

"And you've just worn out your welcome," Po Kong growled as she saw the shake frighten some of her subjects. "Tohru! Throw him out!"

"As you command, Mistress!" Tohru declared as he stepped in, garbed in green and gold metal and cloth that looked like a cross between the robes of a high priest and full plate armor...and except for the coloration wouldn't have looked out of place on certain collectible miniatures.

"What are you-" Dai Gui began, only to fall silent as Tohru seized him by his horn and lifted him off the ground before turning northwest and hurling him all the way back to Spain.

Po Kong chuckled as she watched her brother go flying before turning back to the three familiar minotaur females who attached themselves to Tohru as he lowered his arm. "As always, you serve well. Are you sure you're satisfied with only three, though?"

Tohru chuckled nervously.


The window slowly closed, and Apple Bloom breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad he's still got them," she commented as the next window opened, this one showing El Toro having just achieved a victory in the ring as Xiao Fung watched from above. As El Toro exited the ring, several minotaur females - obviously fangirls - swarmed him for autographs and...other things. "Looks like he's got his own happy ending," Apple Bloom added with a chuckle.

"...didn't El Toro have...like a sidekick or something?" Scootaloo asked in confusion. "Little boy, followed him everywhere? Was passing out fliers?"

"Sounds familiar," Sweetie Belle allowed. "...do either of you remember his name?"

All three fillies could only shrug helplessly as the window closed. As the third window opened, all three fillies gasped as they saw Uncle happily sitting behind the desk in his shop...though instead of an antique shop, it was plainly a full fledged magic shop. The shop seemed completely peaceful and relaxing, but then the bell was heard to ring. "Door!" Uncle shouted out to the shop at large.

"Yes, Master," a voice responded immediately, a voice that made all three fillies gasp. Despite it sounding unnaturally calm, it was unmistakable...as Daolong Wong moved submissively towards the door. His face lacked the markings, and his eyes were both the same color, and he was dressed in a butler outfit, but he was still recognizable...partially because the window showed an afterimage of the Daolong Wong the fillies knew and loathed ranting and raving just above his head, as though trapped inside the mind of this gentler version that was Uncle's servant.

An ancient man - even more ancient than Uncle - was let in the door. Uncle gasped as he caught sight of him. "Chi Master Fong!" he declared in awe and joy as he got to his feet. "You honor me coming to my workshop. Wong, a chair and tea for my teacher, quickly!"

"Of course, Master," Daolong Wong responded obediently as the ancient man tried to wave off the attention and the window closed.

All three fillies' eyes were misting. Uncle had frequently talked about his teacher with regretful fondness, and they knew how much it had hurt Uncle to lose him. To see that the man was still in the world in this timeline, and had a strong relationship with Uncle still...

It took some time for the fillies to realize the last window had opened...and when they did, their eyes widened in shock.