The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse: The Equestrian Adventure

by wingdingaling


Chapter 26: Friends Against Friends

Chapter 26

Friends Against Friends

To a tourist, or anypony else who was from out of town, Avalon was a place that was quite easy to get lost in. The crowds could grow thicker and just as quickly thin out, and one would find themselves in a completely different place. Just as disorientingly, the city would almost seem to rearrange itself street by street and building by building.
Luckily for a certain fashionista, she was in the company of a savvy, street-smart local. A street performer who knew every corner, every curb, every park, every public community gathering spot. With him by her side, the wayward mare could continue her mission.
“Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…” Nopony said, as he turned several circles around and around.
Rarity was becoming dizzy just watching the performer spin. For nearly a minute now he was turning around, trying to find a familiar landmark that would lead him to his destination.
To Nopony, every second counted. Every moment from now on was going to be spent trying to deliver his father’s birthday gift to him. But, as long as he was lost, he was wasting time. Fortunately, the performer knew a trick to find the right direction.
“Uhhhh-uhh-uhhhh…Oh boy!” Nopony swooned, as his head felt like it was spinning atop his shoulders.
Finally, he tumbled forward, his hooves stretched out straight.
“Nopony? Are you alright?” Rarity asked, as she looked over the prone performer.
The fashionista had a bit of a jump when Nopony suddenly sat up, nearly bumping her face with his own.
“Thattaway,” Nopony resolutely declared, pointing in the direction of his rear hooves.
“You--Are you sure that’s the direction to find your father?” Rarity chuckled.
“No. But, I haven’t been led wrong like this before,” the performer answered, as he tumbled to his hooves, taking Rarity’s hoof in his own in the process.
“My, oh my. A juggler. A dancer. A silk acrobat. And now a tumbler. Is there anything you don’t do?” Rarity said, as she and Nopony walked in the direction he chose.
“Uh, yeah. I tried doing cardistry once. But, that doesn’t work so good if you have just hooves. And I can’t sing either.”
“What a shame. You already have such an interesting speaking voice.”
“Well, if you really want, I can yodel something fierce.”
“I think I’ll handle the singing for the both of us,” Rarity politely declined.
“Don’t you need two mouths to do that?”
Nopony didn’t understand what was so funny when Rarity started cracking up at his answer. However, when he watched Rarity’s amused reaction to his simple statement, he was surprised to find he felt no discomfort or awkwardness at the situation. In fact, he felt just the opposite.
Upon learning that Rarity could sing, Nopony’s brain turned into a storm of ideas. He had often fancied the idea of a performing partner, but nopony would accept his offer, so much as pay attention to him when he was talking.
“Rarity,” Nopony began, a hopeful smile crossing his face. A smile that Rarity noticed was different from his usual. “I think I have an idea for a new act.”


Nearby the happy pair of ponies, Mickey was frantically searching for them.
Every second counted. The longer Mickey took, the longer Minnie was spent in the clutches of Peg-Leg Pete and The Big Bad Wolf. And Mickey was quickly getting nowhere.
It began to occur to Mickey that perhaps Nopony had hidden somewhere to escape from Pete. But, as long as he was in the open, the mouse was going to check for him in plain view.
Mickey looked around for a vantage point, and saw a small area cordoned off for a troupe of performers. The performers had all manner of props set up, including a highwire that towered over the plaza.
That would be just the ticket to get a bird’s eye view of the plaza. But, how to get up there?
Two acrobats on a trampoline gave Mickey just the idea.
With a running start, Mickey began by stepping up to the nearest counter on a booth. Then, he leapt to the back of a llama, stepped onto the llama’s head, vaulted up to the massive block of granite the llama was sculpting, and jumped to the trampoline.
The two kelpies who were performing on the trampoline had no idea what hit them, when Mickey came plummeting from nowhere like a stone thrown into a pond.
The mouse deeply indented the trampoline, then shot upward to the highwire, making the two kelpies bounce across the mat like a pair of jumping beans.
Up high, a diamond dog wowed the spectators below with her incredible display of balance and technique. It all came to a disastrous end when Mickey grabbed the wire, his inertia and momentum shaking it as he pulled himself up.
The diamond dog heaved and wobbled, until she finally fell with a loud, “AAAHH-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOY!!!”
The canine performer landed on the trampoline below, making the two kelpies bounce into one another and land on top of the dog.
“Must be a universally canine shout,” Mickey thought, before he set to scoping out the crowd.
The mouse searched the crowd for any familiar faces. He saw llamas, camels, zebras, griffins, cervequins, and hundreds upon hundreds of ponies. But, he didn’t see the ponies he was looking for.
A tumbling mass of black and white caught Mickey’s eye. There, in the crowd below, he finally found Nopony. As luck would have it, Rarity was with him as well.
From his high vantage, Mickey saw Nopony jumping and tumbling and juggling as Rarity happily watched on. One look, and the mouse knew precisely what was going on. Nopony was showing off to impress Rarity. Just the same as Mickey himself had done for Minnie on countless occasions. Feeling terrible for needing to interrupt the two, but knowing he had no other choice, Mickey threw his mantle over one of the nearby support cables and ziplined to the ground below.
Down on the ground, Nopony took off his hat and caught his flying juggling balls on the brim of it. From there, he motioned with his hoof, mimicking the illusion of magically moving the balls as they rolled around his hat.
“--And as I’m ‘mixing the magic potion,’ you can do that thing where creatures sing really high and really fast,” Nopony said.
“Coloratura,” Rarity defined for Nopony.
“Right. And that’s right before the big buildup--” Nopony said, as he started juggling, and gradually added more balls.
“--Ascendo.”
“Gesundheit. Then, there’s the big crash right before the best part--” Nopony continued.
“--Crescendo.”
“Sorry. We can stop if you need a tissue,” the performer offered.
“I’m fine. Do please continue,” Rarity requested.
Rarity was starting to find herself more and more enthralled by this stallion. When she first met him, she knew that he was the type she wanted to know better. An altruistic artist who would in turn inspire herself. And what a job he had done inspiring her.
As Nopony rattled off his ideas for the collaborative performance, Rarity felt her mind brimming new ideas for costumes and scenery. Perhaps even a new line of clothing based on dramatic costumes. More and more she could picture spending more time with Nopony. In fact, somepony such as him would be good company on a magical quest.
Before Rarity could speak, a familiar squeaky voice called out.
“Hey! Wait up!”
“What was that? Sounds like a dog chewed a squeak toy,” Nopony said.
Between her friend finding her and Nopony’s remark, Rarity had to smile. She turned in the direction she heard Mickey’s voice, and found that he was already screeching to a halt before her.
“Good gosh, I’m glad I found you guys!” Mickey said.
“And I’m happy to see you’re unharmed as well. But, where is Twilight?” Rarity said.
“She went off somewhere. Ya still got that jewel?” Mickey said.
“Sure. Right here,” Nopony said, presenting the jewel from his pocket.
“Nopony, ya gotta give me that jewel,” Mickey said.
The mouse tried grabbing for Nopony, only for the performer to nimbly weave around Mickey’s hand.
“Sorry, but I need this for my dad,” Nopony answered. He dodged another grab by Mickey.
“I need it for my girlfriend!” Mickey said
Mickey tried grabbing the jewel again, only for it to be tossed to Nopony’s other hoof.
“Then get her another one,” Nopony answered.
“Ya don’t understand! She’s in trouble! I need that to save her!”
Mickey grabbed over and over at the jewel, only to miss every time that Nopony tossed it.
“Well, I need to save my dad! And I won’t let you take it!” Nopony said.
Mickey grabbed Nopony’s hoof as the jewel was tossed into the air, preventing the performer from catching it.
With his hand outstretched, Mickey was ready to take the green jewel for himself. Suddenly, his arm was pulled by a string of pearls that wrapped around his wrist, leaving Nopony to catch the jewel on top of his head.
“Mickey, stop this! You’re behaving like a thug!” Rarity said, as she tried to pull the mouse away from Nopony.
“Whatever it takes to save Minnie!” Mickey said, as he threw his mantle over the pearls around his wrist.
After the mantle passed, Rarity saw her pearls had come undone from the mouse, leaving him free to accost Nopony again.
Mickey grabbed for the green jewel several times.
Each attempt was thwarted by Nopony shifting his head, making the jewel roll away from the mouse.
Mickey’s hands shot out and grasped at air each time.
With one full body motion, Nopony sent the jewel rolling over his entire body, over, under, side-to-side.
Mickey expedited the retrieval of the jewel by swinging his mantle over Nopony, then running off.
The performer found himself unharmed, but made a shocking discovery. What was once a green jewel rolling around his body was now simply one of his juggling balls.
“I’ve been robbed!” Nopony said.
As it was before with Pete, Rarity swung her pearls like an elegant lasso, with the technique of a ballroom dancer.
Mickey fell over forward as the pearls cinched around his ankles. The mouse grabbed his mantle to swing.
Rarity snapped her pearls, making another loop rise up and tangle Mickey’s mantle.
Nopony took the opportunity to dash forward and claim his jewel.
When the performer was upon him, Mickey rolled away from his grasp. When he safely retained the jewel, Mickey rolled into Nopony, tangling up himself and the performer.
There was nothing but a jumble of clattering pearls, until Nopony was tangled up beyond mobility. Standing atop him, Mickey victoriously held the jewel.
“You two got nothin’ on me! I been usin’ this magic since before you were born!” the mouse gloated.
Nearly a century hadn’t helped Mickey’s common sense, though.
With a strong pull, Rarity yanked her string of pearls, unraveling Nopony like a spool of thread, and sending Mickey spinning in the air.
Both landed with solid thuds. Rarity rushed over to tend to her friends.
“Are you alright?” Rarity asked, as she helped up Nopony, and dusted him off.
“Yeah. Thanks for askin’!” Mickey grumbled. He clenched both his palms, and was startled by the discovery: the jewel was gone.
Mickey gasped.
Nopony gasped.
“My jewel!!” they both shouted in unison.
All three, Mickey, Rarity and Nopony wrestled over one another, then set to finding the missing bauble.
Rarity set to work looking for the jewel. Knowing her magic would be useless to help her find it, she knew she would have to look sharply for any sign of the green prize.
Taking one end of her pearl necklace, Rarity cast it like a fishing line, probing into every nook and cranny nearby.
With a pull, she reeled in her opaline line and examined her catch: a gold bangle, a turquoise necklace, a diamond brooch, black onyx earrings and...somepony’s wig?
“You’ll be so kind as to get your own!” said a rather portly harpy, as she collected everything Rarity had on her string of pearls.
Nopony frantically searched through the nearby booths. Currently, he was rummaging through a potter’s various ceramics.
The performer heaved and tossed various bowls, pots, urns and figurines into the air, checking each one to see if his jewel had fallen inside.
The unicorn running the booth scrambled to protect his wares from damage. Using his magic, the potter caught his flying wares. However, whenever he placed one safely, two more flew into the air.
Finally, the performer went on his way when everything was searched.
Mickey frantically searched through a crowd, crawling along and getting his way under every hoof, foot, paw or claw that came his way.
Every creature in the mouse’s path practically overturned beneath him, until he caught sight of a glimmer of green.
With a lunge, the mouse was upon the sparkling green, only to find it was a toe ring worn by a sphinx. The lady wearing the jewel was plenty upset at the mouse who had leapt below the hem of her skirt. But, her rage was nothing compared to her hulking, muscular husband.
Nopony was searching by a poet’s corner when he heard two solid smacks. In an instant, Mickey came flying in and landed on a pile of manuscripts, sending the papers flying through the air, to the horror of the zebra tending to them.
There it came. Another gleam of green, brighter than before. A short jog away, there laid the jewel like a verdant sun, set atop a harpy’s hat as she walked about.
Both Mickey and Nopony shot to their feet to start running toward it.
Mickey swung his mantle over Nopony, and kept running.
Nopony had been turned around a complete about-face, and bumped heads with Rarity.
“Rarity!?” Nopony said, not sure what had happened. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Mickey running, closer to the jewel now than he was before. “That sneaky rat!!”
The performer ran off to catch up to the mouse.
“Ohhh! Where’s Twilight when you need her!?” Rarity said to herself, before running after the others. If anypony could settle things between those two, it would have been Twilight.
The harpy casually went about her business, examining the wares and arts that were on display. Unaware was she of the battle that was going on to retrieve what had landed in her hat.
Mickey was nearly upon the harpy when he heard something thump.
A juggling ball had bounced between his legs, toward a booth, then back to hit him squarely between the eyes, knocking him down.
Nopony leapt over Mickey to catch his juggling ball and keep running.
Mickey quickly rolled over. In the same motion, he tossed his mantle over the flying ball before Nopony could catch it in his teeth.
The juggling ball changed into an anvil, which Nopony crashed face first into. Both fell to the ground with a loud clang, as Mickey continued to run.
Nopony wasn’t to be defeated. He placed his hooves on the anvil, ready to put other jugglers to shame. Sure, he was no bodybuilder, but any juggler worth their salt wouldn’t be stopped from tossing something beyond their skill level.
“Nopony! Stop!” Rarity shouted.
With a mighty spin, Nopony threw the anvil toward Mickey.
“Huh? What’d you say?” the performer asked.
Wasting no time, Rarity threw her string of pearls at the falling anvil.
As he ran, Mickey became aware of a shadow over himself. Looking up, the mouse screamed at the sight of the two-ton ballast dropping upon him.
Rarity’s pearls wrapped around the base of the anvil and pulled it just behind Mickey as it fell.
Mickey was spared the impact, but the ground behind him cracked and bulged upward, launching the mouse backwards.
Nopony slid beneath Mickey as he flew backwards, and continued racing to his jewel.
Mickey quickly shifted his mantle into a drag chute, which oriented his fall so that he landed on his feet.
Before he could run, Rarity caught Mickey with her pearls and yanked the mouse beside herself.
“Mickey! What has gotten into you!?” Rarity scolded her friend.
Mickey wished he could explain to Rarity the circumstances that forced him against his friends. Why he was trying to get that jewel, and how crucial it was to saving Minnie from Pete. But, how could he possibly tell his friend that he was working with his oldest and most hated enemy?
With only brief hesitation, Mickey swung his mantle over Rarity.
After the mantle passed, Mickey was free of Rarity’s pearls, and the fashionista was wearing her necklace like it was a bit, bridle and reins. That was humiliating enough, but the cherry on top was that her pearls were hitched around the leg of a nearby booth.
Mickey ran off, leaving Rarity behind to recover the green jewel.
“RRRRRGH!!” Rarity growled, as she snapped her pearls.
When the wave in the line reached the booth, the entire booth jumped, allowing her to release herself from her restraint. Another snap, and the pearls were draped back around her neck. Now free, Rarity ran after the others.
The mouse took a route less crowded by pedestrians by running across the tops of booths. Now, even with Nopony ahead of him, he was already close to overtaking the performer.
Nopony saw Mickey in the corner of his eye. Thinking quickly, he took off his hat and threw it at the harpy ahead of him.
The harpy had no idea that her own ornately decorated hat was suddenly knocked off her head, and replaced with a black pork pie.
It was a complication for Mickey. The hat with the jewel in it landed nowhere near the path he was taking. But, it was no obstacle.
As Nopony collected his hat by somersaulting over the surprised harpy’s head, Mickey threw his own hat, which knocked away the harpy’s hat from the performer.
Nopony vaulted over a table that the harpy’s hat slid under, and crouched low to receive it.
The hat stopped midway under the table, forcing Nopony to roll under and retrieve his jewel.
Mickey rolled beneath and used his hat to pull the harpy’s hat toward himself.
The sudden impact of a juggling ball stung the mouse’s hand, making him retract it.
Nopony’s ball bounced back to his hoof, before he threw another one.
Mickey rolled backwards to dodge the bouncing ball, simultaneously throwing his mantle toward the jewel.
Nopony intercepted the mantle with a bouncing ball, and rolled toward his prize, catching his thrown juggling balls at the same time.
Both mouse and performer reached for the jewel, only for it to be stolen from them by a string of pearls.
“Stop this! Both of you!” Rarity shouted.
Mickey and Nopony both burst from under the table, reaching for the jewel.
“Gimme that!” Mickey shouted, as he reached for his mantle.
Another snap of her pearls, and Rarity whipped Mickey’s hand.
“Not until you explain yourself! Why have you turned on us so suddenly?” Rarity demanded.
Now, Mickey was forced to explain the truth. Not wanting to admit to betraying his loyalties, but caring too much for Minnie, he brought to light his intentions.
“It’s like I told ya: I’m doin’ it to save my girlfriend,” Mickey said, slowly circling around Rarity.
“But, why this jewel specifically? Why steal from your own friends?” Rarity demanded, circling Mickey.
Mickey’s gut wrenched at the thought of explaining he was working with Pete. After everything the heavy had done to her, she would never forgive him for that.
“I wish I could tell ya! I wish there was a different way, but I need that jewel now!” Mickey said.
“I need it more! My whole world can be fixed by that jewel!” Nopony said, circling after Mickey.
“Minnie is my whole world! An’ I’d do anything to save her! The same as you’d do for a girl you loved!” Mickey snapped.
The mouse had had enough of the delay.
Mickey swung his mantle.
Nopony threw a juggling ball.
Rarity snapped her pearls.
The mouse’s mantle overtook the others’ attacks, creating a horrible chaos in the process.
The string on Rarity’s necklace came undone, scattering her pearls across the ground.
All three slipped and fell.
Try as Nopony did to land on his hooves, the performer was caught in an infinite loop of tumbling. He was forced to helplessly watch as Mickey crawled toward the green jewel.
Rarity knew that while Mickey was her friend, him collecting the jewel could only lead to trouble. Remembering the games of her foalhood, Rarity shot one pearl across the ground as if she were shooting a marble.
The green jewel was knocked beyond the grasp of Mickey, straight into Nopony’s waiting teeth.
The performer quickly scrambled away from the mess of pearls, and nimbly climbed his way to the top of a booth. After, he jumped and climbed to a nearby rooftop, disappearing from sight.
“Darn it all!!” Mickey shouted, before following after.
“Mickey! Wait!” Rarity said.
The fashionista was powerless to stop the mouse, as Mickey climbed his way up after the performer and disappeared.
Rarity was left alone now. Angrily getting to her hooves, she collected the loose piece of string from the ground and violently tossed the gossamer thread to the pearls.
The string looped its way through all of the loose pearls, before closing itself around Rarity’s neck.
She was without friends. She was without a clue what to do next or where to go. Things seemed to be going downhill fast for her.
“Hiya, Rarity.”
Rarity jumped at the greeting. Looking in its direction, she saw Nopony standing next to herself.
“You--How--” Rarity panted.
“I doubled back while your squeaky friend ran forward,” Nopony explained.
“Of course. Yes,” Rarity said. “Come along. We should get that jewel to your father, before anything else happens.”
“Yeah. Who knows who else wants this thing,” Nopony agreed.
The two ponies hurried to their destination, ready to fulfill the dream of a nopony. However, they were unaware that the worst of their troubles was yet to come.