//------------------------------// // 37 The Jester, Part Two // Story: Continuity Disrupted // by Doug Graves //------------------------------// “And telekinesis, or levitation, is part of the Friendship branch. As well as teleportation magic, though that is quite difficult, and another section that is regulated closely. Teleportation - while extremely powerful and versatile - leaves a distinct trail, unique to that pony’s magical signature, so using it for more nefarious means is easily detected and tracked.” “Wow,” Doug remarks as they near Sugarcube Corner, a wry smile at Twilight Sparkle walking next to him, “It’s like you’ve realized that I twist all of these spells to the ways that they can be abused, and preempt my comments. Though ‘regulated’ is still a bit of a nebulous term.” Twilight Sparkle shrugs, “Well, a lot of these situations are covered by the classes, especially the advanced ones, at Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. After all, Princess Celestia keeps a close eye on any latent magical talent, those unicorns that are gifted in the Friendship school. It’s an honor to be invited!” “Yeah, though your brother’s Laughter sounds quite potent, too.” Doug shakes his head, “I mean, the ability to calibrate a city wide shield such that it is impermeable to specific substances? I mean, the utility of such a shield is incredible, to say nothing of the combat applications!” “That’s another thing,” Twilight Sparkle says with a frown, turning her head slightly to glare at Doug, “You go to the deadliest applications of the spells, too. And not just the mundane ‘kill one pony by choking their carotid artery with telekinesis’ that every foal is taught to be extremely careful to avoid and is punishable by a minimum of dehorning. Are you really that worried about Nightmare Moon returning, or is there something else?” Doug stops just outside Sugarcube corner, his hand inches away from the door. He stays there for several seconds before he shakes his head as he opens the door, “I would say that it’s more a human thing. We tend to be much more used to trying to abuse - or, to put it in a less poorly sounding way, maximize - every opportunity available to us. Very useful when your opponent is doing the same thing. I guess it’s a hard habit to break.” He sighs, “I try to limit it around here, but I guess I get excited too.” The two enter Sugarcube corner, looking around at the mostly empty tables. The lunch rush hasn’t started yet, only Applejack and Rainbow Dash resting their heads against one of the booths in the back. A plate of delicious looking muffins, half eaten, is between the two snoozing ponies. Pinkie Pie pronks up and down behind the counter, more than a little excited to see them, “Hiya Twilight! Oh, and Doug! How did your date go?” Doug laughs as Twilight Sparkle shakes her head, slightly taken aback by the assertion. Doug says, “It wasn’t a date, Pinkie. Just two friends hanging out. Together. Alone.” He pauses for a second, “I’ll take a glass of pear juice and your choice of sandwich.” “Okay!” Pinkie Pie says with a sly smile and wink, “I’ve got another batch of Applejack’s muffins coming up, if you’d like those as well!” Pinkie Pie says, whipping up a quick sandwich as she speaks. Doug nods as Pinkie Pie says, motioning to the stack of muffins on the counter, “Or you can take a free sample!” “Daffodils for me!” Twilight adds, reaching for the bits stashed in her saddlebags. She glances over at Doug, looking up and down his body for where he keeps his bits. The coins, of course. Not spotting any she says, “Would you like me to pay for you?” “Are you suuure it isn’t a date?” Pinkie Pie smirks as she slides over a plate of muffins, a cheese and spinach sandwich, and a daffodil sandwich. “Only if you want to,” Doug says with a smile as he takes his two plates in one hand, Twilight Sparkle’s in the other. “I just keep a tab here instead of carrying coins everywhere, since Pinkie Pie and the Cakes are pretty close. They don’t mind, and just pull it out of her paycheck. If I do need money, for something else, I just head to Rarity or Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy is a bit out of the way, but available.” “I don’t mind at all!” Twilight Sparkle says with a grin - at least the cheese on his sandwich is in slice form and not one of those towering catastrophes Pinkie Pie sometimes makes - and levitates over enough bits to include a small tip. Twilight Sparkle follows Doug to Applejack’s booth while Pinkie Pie returns a smile as she turns to the next customer, the store beginning to get a little crowded. “Gummy worms?” Doug asks as he lifts one of the cupcakes to his mouth, a sniff of the delicious baked goods. “Sour gummy worms!” He takes another bite, happily chewing. Applejack stirs looking over and chuckling. “Yeah, Ah was a little tired when Pinkie Pie was asking me about adding flour and wheat germ. Ah thought she meant sour and worms! After she asked me where the flour was, and Ah didn’t know, she was all, like, ‘best idea EVER!’ So we threw them together, and she thought it might actually turn out decent.” Her mouth involuntarily scowls, though she quickly turns it back to a smile. “Let me know what you think!” “They’re very good,” Doug says, offering one to Twilight Sparkle, which she bites into with a bit of a grimace. “Don’t like it?” “It’s quite sour,” Twilight Sparkle says, her mouth puckering up. She slides the rest of the muffin back, Doug finishing it off with a grin. “I’d like to keep my taste buds, thank you.” “Good day!” greets Rarity as she walks up to the booth, a plate of muffins levitating behind her. Her mane is tucked under a large yellow hat, the same color as the pegasus next to her. Spike has managed to finagle another ride, happily sitting on the unicorn’s back and eating a strawberry ice cream cone, matching the pegasus’ mane. “Hello!” says Fluttershy with a smile, standing next to Doug and nuzzling his side. His hand comes up to rub her mane as she takes a bite of one of the muffins. She chews, and chews, her mouth occasionally puckering before she forces it back to a neutral smile. “New recipe?” she chokes out after she swallows. “Oh, come now, it ain’t that bad,” Applejack retorts, taking one of the muffins on the plate between her and Rainbow. She goes to scarf it down except that her hoof hesitates inches from her muzzle. She huffs, finally forcing the sour treat and chewing. “Shee?” she says, bits of muffin spilling from her mouth. “I will hoof it to Pinkie Pie, she is quite the salespony when she has a lot of product to unload,” Rarity says, glancing at the line of ponies, many of whom leave with at least two muffins, and not just free samples. Rainbow Dash sleepily looks over, grabbing a muffin for herself and mechanically chewing the baked tart. “Hey, wasn’t there supposed to be a party?” “Did somepony ask for a PARTY?” Pinkie Pie asks, her head jutting up from the cushions between Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle. “Hey!” Davenport yells, pointing a hoof at the grilled cheese sandwich Pinkie Pie had been working on, now getting burned on the stove. “Oops!” yells Pinkie Pie, disappearing back under the cushions and serving up the now completed sandwich. “Wait, don’t forget your muffins!” “Ah thought we did that yesterday, after Ah got that trophy for saving the town,” Applejack says, shaking her head. “And then, after Big Mac pointed out that we missed a spot-” “I think you mean you missed an orchard,” groans Rainbow Dash, stretching across the table and grabbing Doug’s sandwich out of his hands. Doug easily reaches across the table to smack Rainbow by flicking one of her ears down, though it doesn’t stop her from taking a bite. “Mine.” She points to one of the muffins, “Nopony else likes those, eat them,” getting a glare from Applejack, though the earth pony doesn’t say anything. Spike jumps onto the booth and takes one of the muffins, smiling at the taste. He glances over at the trash can by the entrance, nearly overflowing with gummy worm topped muffins, only half of which have a bite taken out. He hops back down, returning with several trays worth. “Score!” Doug says excitedly as he grabs one of the muffins Spike offers, Applejack rolling her eyes. “Spike!” Twilight Sparkle says, glaring at the dragon across from her. “You don’t know where those have been!” “Eh,” Spike says, rubbing his tummy and smiling, “Still delicious.” Twilight stares outside of Sugarcube Corner as she huffs, raising an eyebrow as she spots a blue unicorn mare dragging a wooden wagon to the town center. The rest of the mares soon follow Twilight’s gaze, watching as the unicorn mare undoes the straps one by one. She steps out of her harness, moving around to the side of the wagon where she enters through one of the doors. “You know who that is?” Doug asks, the rest of the ponies shaking their heads. Even Pinkie Pie pronks over, the line for lunch mysteriously empty, rubbing a hoof on her chin. Her eyes light up at the prospect of throwing a party for the newcomer to Ponyville. They watch her exit the wagon, dropping down a sign that reads: The Great And Powerful TRIXIE Performing for Your Entertainment At The Greatest Magic Show in Equestria! Today Only! “Well, I guess that answers that question,” Doug says as they read the sign. “And my next one. And, from the looks of it, Pinkie Pie’s as well.” “Aww,” pouts Pinkie Pie, dejected at the last line. “I thought reading was supposed to be fun!” “Reading is fun!” Twilight Sparkle automatically answers, though her eyes narrow at the top line. “I wonder what makes her the great and powerful?” Snips and Snails stop making a beeline to Sugarcube Corner, turning and standing in awe at Trixie as she continues setting up her stage. “Hey, shouldn’t they be in school?” Doug remarks, pointing at the colts. “Nah, they like to come here for lunch, get some ice cream, that sort of thing,” Pinkie Pie says. “Hey, speaking of ice cream.” Spike looks up at Pinkie Pie, rubbing his stomach. “You’ll ruin your figure and get a tummyache.” Twilight Sparkle shakes her head. “Aww, you never let me have any ice cream,” Spike pouts. Twilight Sparkle points a hoof at the doorway, “You were eating ice cream when you came in here!” Spike folds his arms in front of him, “Yeah, ‘cause I got it from Rarity!” Twilight Sparkle glares at Rarity, the unicorn offering a sheepish smile in return. Outside Sugarcube Corner the two colts run up to Trixie, wide eyed as they look at a few of the fireworks she is setting up. “Who are you?!” Snips exclaims, staring directly past the sign Trixie has set up. Trixie is only momentarily taken aback, quickly spinning around and flourishing a cape she pulled out of nowhere. “Why, I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!” She motions to the sign literally standing next to her, her annoyance only slightly showing through her cheery facade. “I will be performing later today, and TODAY ONLY!” “Wooow!” “Cool!” “Yes!” Trixie says, a nod at the two, “It is cool! Go tell your friends!” “Okay!” yells Snips, turning to scamper off. “But what will we tell them?” says Snails, a dumbfounded look on his face. Trixie stares at Snails for just a brief second, “That… the Great and Powerful Trixie will be performing later today? And she will regale everypony with stories of her feats of magic! Such as, the time she vanquished the dreaded URSA MAJOR!!” The two colts shout, “COOL!!” as they run back towards the schoolhouse. Trixie watches them with a smile before she goes back to setting up her show. Doug whispers to Applejack, “What’s an ursa major?” Applejack shrugs while Rainbow Dash says, “Giant purple bear, lives in the Everfree Forest. Extremely resistant to magic and physical force, since they can phase.” She looks around as everypony stares at her, “What? They’re a huge threat! Like, C-Level! Avoid at all costs, or attempt to distract away from habitable areas as a last resort!” “Sometimes Ah forget you have to keep an eye on those creatures approaching Ponyville,” Applejack says with a smile. “Yeah,” Doug says, his voice slightly strained, nervously glancing towards the Everfree Forest and shuddering. “So, what’s a magic show? Since, you know, you have actual magic here. Is it like a talent show, where you show off what you can do?” “Well, maybe we can all watch her!” Twilight Sparkle says as Trixie finishes setting up, a horde of youngsters trailed by adults following Snips and Snails.