//------------------------------// // CH.3 Testing For a Match // Story: An Absol In Ponyville // by Knightwolf1875 //------------------------------// Ch. 3 Testing For a Match Spike returned with Moon Dancer as I looked around the library. “See? I told you she wasn’t an Eevee, and you didn’t believe me.” The small drake stated as I stood next to Octavia. “I thought she was taller than a pony, but not too tall at least.” I didn’t take note until then I was only ten inches taller than the grey mare. “Hmm.” Moon Dancer walked up to me and rubbed my right side. She tapped my right foreleg spur, even stood on her hind legs to look me in the face. “Odd. She does look more hound-like than the Eevees do. In fact, I’ve noticed the Eevee pack is more vulpine then canine. Twilight will be jumping for joy when she sees you. Two new species from the Everfree!” She said before backing away when I glared at her. “She can understand what you’re saying.” Octavia said as she stepped between me and the nerdy unicorn. “She saved our lives from an Alpha Timberwolf, and fully recovered this morning. Athena had better be treated like an equal. Am I understood, Moon Dancer?” The grey mare said with a glare as powerful as my own. Moon Dancer just nodded her head, clearly scared of either both of us, or just Octavia. I knew I had to be a little scary, but Octavia seemed to be more so. “I think I’ll just back off for a bit.” I thought as I took a step forward and nuzzled Moon Dancer’s cheek. “I’ll be as gentle as I can be.” Moon Dancer sighed. “At least I don’t use the big needles like Twilight.” She muttered waving for me to follow her. “Is there anything I should know before I take her to the lab?” "We believe that she is an omnivore, as she ate both fish and a salad last night. Other than that, we haven't observed anything notable." That was a blatant lie. "While we would be delighted to observe your experimentation, I'm afraid Vinyl and I have other matters to tend to." Octavia apologized before turning to the purple drake. "Could you please direct us to the books on rare herbs, Spike?" I followed the ‘Twilight clone’ to the basement as the shiny Eevee just disappeared. I guessed he had something else to do, like tell the rest of the pack I was in town. Following Moon Dancer down the stairs, I heard her muttering about trying to find something. I felt a pulse in my horn that originated from in front. Before I even knew it, I had grabbed the mare and pulled her back as the stair she stepped on broke. ”What was that?” I thought as Moon dancer shrugged me off her. The next step the mare stepped on also broke, and again, I pulled her back. I said holding Moon Dancer close. The mare was shocked by what just happened. First, she needed to find the needles, Twilight kept using the larger ones. The next thing she knew, she was pulled back from a step just as it was breaking under hoof by Athena, who seemed to be asking if she was alright. That’s if she had to guess at least. “Y-yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for the save.” I said, just happy I had kept her safe. We went the rest of the way down stairs slowly, just to be safe. I pointed to another step when I felt my horn pulse again, and we stepped over it. It was kind of funny to me that I had helped Moon Dancer out, and she got to see me in action with picking up on disasters. “Twilight said she had those stairs fixed!” Moon Dancer stated, clearly angry. “I swear that mare would forget her own head if it wasn’t attached!” She wrote a note down about the stairs and put on Twilight’s notes. “There! Now to your check up, and thank you, Athena. I’d have a broken leg or worse if you hadn’t been there.” I gently poked her shoulder. I said in as calm a voice as I could. It seemed to work as she started to calm down. “I really wish if I knew what you were saying.” The nerdy mare said, starting up a machine with a bowl and pillow. “While that’s warming up, I can get a blood sample. I hope you don’t mind needles?” She said as she held up a syringe. I muttered as I shivered. If there was one thing that hadn’t changed was that I didn’t like needles. I sat in the bowl of the machine a few minutes later. Moon Dancer had dug into my fur to find my skin, and then got the needle in for the blood sample. I didn’t even feel it, which said a lot about her skill. I looked over at her as she finished making her notes on me. “Okay. You can hop out now.” She said and I did just that. “I’m not having a repeat of Cy and his needle sneezes.” I said as I sat next to the mare and saw the writing quill she was using. I joked before she turned to me and tried to use her magic on me. “It’s like trying to pickup Abes. Maybe you have the same connection like him to Princess Luna or something.” She said adding to her notes. “You have thick fur that protects you, a form of danger perception, and that just leaves your magic. Both what you cast and passive magic you give off.” Moon Dancer said looking at me as I tilted my head. “You trying to tell me it isn’t magic?” I nodded my head making her blink. “Well, I’ll just call it magic for now.” She watched as I shrugged my shoulders. “Okay, so Octavia wasn’t pulling my tail. You can understand ponies!” I said as I nod my head with a grin. “I’m going to guess that was a joke.” Moon Dancer said flatly. “Still don’t know what you said, but the tone was clear enough.” She thought for a moment as I chuckled. “I’ll set something up later at the edge of town to test your magic. It’ll be safer that way for everypony, and the lab.” I nodded my head again, knowing my Razor Wind alone could trash the lab. “Nice to see we agree on safety for everypony. Well, I’m done for now, and it’ll take the machine a little more time to print out the scans of you. Let’s go see if the girls are ready to go.” I said as I waved my paw, and followed her back up the stairs. She had me point out the rotted stairs so she could repair them with her magic. I asked after we reached the ground floor. “Think of it as payback on Twilight.” Moon Dancer said with a smirk. “I got what you said by your tone of voice. See if she learns a lesson out of it. Ah! Looks like Octavia and Vinyl are ready to go as well.” She said looking up at me. “For a four foot and nine inches tall hound, you’re not as scary as I thought.” I said hugging the nerdy mare. Octavia smiled as Moon dancer returned my hug. “I see you two got along well. There was one other thing I wanted to ask, but I’m not sure if I should bring it up with Twilight.” Octavia shifted on her hooves, really not sure if she should put it on Moon Dancer. “I would understand if you didn’t want to, but it’s related to the Poison Joke and what it did to me.” “I think I can make the time for this project.” Moon Dancer said as she tilted her head some to her left. “What is it you’d like me to do, and what did the Joke do to you?” “I was wondering if you could find a way to let me turn into a biped.” Octavia said with a blush. “I know it sounds odd, but I liked the way that form felt. Vinyl also wanted to see what it was like herself.” “We even have a few bottles of the cure.” Vinyl squeaked showing a pair of bottles. “You know, just in case you needed to see Octy in that form, and all that stuff.” I groaned face pawing. We also didn’t have any clothes for the grey mare’s biped body form. Moon Dancer rubbed her chin in thought. “I’d have to see the form, to make sure I get the right kind you want. From what I’m getting from how Athena is acting I think we should get Rarity as well.” She said looking at Octavia. "By your blush, I assume that this project should remain a private affair?" “I have no idea how right you are.” Octavia said as she glared at Vinyl. “When would be a good time for us to do this, uh, exam?” “Give me two days, and I’ll let you know if we need longer or not. I’ve got to make sure Rarity is okay with us using her shop for the exam.” Moon Dancer said. “This way we can take care of two things at once.” The grey earth mare thought for a few moments. “That sounds like a good idea, and more private as well. We can say we’re doing a test for a new spell if anypony asks. Thank you, Moon Dancer.” “Don’t thank me just yet. I have to make sure Twilight stays out of this, or we’ll have more trouble than we want.” Moon Dancer sighed. “It’s bad enough she keeps questioning my research on the Eevees.” I muttered just as I felt a pressure in my horn as I heard the library’s door open and then close. “What’s got you…” Moon Dancer was about to ask till she heard a loud gasp. “Oh.” She said as Twilight zipped over to look at me. “She’s back early.” I shoved the purple mare away from me with a growl, but she didn’t take the hint. “What is it? Where did you find it? Did one of the Eevees change again?” Twilight kept asking as I pushed her away from my face. “Why won’t somepony tell me anything?!” “Maybe because you won’t let us answer your questions?” Octavia asked as Vinyl used her magic to pull the purple mare over to Moon Dancer. “I swear to Celestia, you need to stop acting like Pinkie when it comes to science!” She kept going to give Twilight a lecture on how to properly treat others. I just sat down as Vinyl opened one of the books on herbs. I whispered as Moon Dancer sat next to Vinyl to help her, if needed. “Give Octy an hour, and she’ll feel better.” Vinyl answered in a whisper. “Twilight on the other hoof might not be feeling so good.” Moony leaned in closer to whisper. “So, how is it you understand her, Vinyl? Does it have something to do with these rare herbs?” “I plead the fifth.” Vinyl whispered with a grin on her face.