Twilight Gets a Puppy
Season 4
By TDR
Rarity Takes Moreton Bay Bug,
Part 1
[Manehatten, the next day, while Rahs and AJ are at the Cherry festival.]
“Well I'm impressed, that was some of the best sleep I've gotten in a while.” Fireball offered.
“I know, I've slept on clouds harder than those beds.”Rainbow Dash smirked as the group trotted out of the hotel.
“Probably while on duty too.” Fireball rolled her eyes.
“No comment.” Dash stated flatly.
“Still I'm surprised Rahs gave up those tickets, I'm pretty sure he really wants to see this performance.” Twilight offered.
“Ahh well, I made him a 'proper outfit' or three for his next few dates and it seemed he couldn't go due to the promise he made with Applejack, so he passed them along to me so they would at least be used.” Rarity smiled. ”After all you do something nice for someone and you never know if they will do something nice for you.”
“So what's got you in a grump?” Rainbow Dash asked Sombra who was staying behind the others as he trudged along eyes darting around at the city.
“Hmm? I am not in a grump.” Sombra grumbled.
“Nah you are. I've seen you around the town and even back in Canterlot when I stopped in, and you're always kinda 'harrumph', but you seem super grumpy today.” Dash pestered.
“Does he have a cape with a big G on it?” Pinkie Pie asked suddenly and was ignored.
“If you must know I do not really wish to be here. This place is … unsettling with it's design.” Sombra offered.
“Really, and the idea of seeing Hinny in the Hills isn't cheering you up any?” Fireball asked.
“I am not a fan of musicals. The suspension of disbelief of a stage play ends for me when random songs break out for no reason. What sort of pony breaks into a song at the drop of a hat?” Sombra demanded.
“Oh Manhatten.....” Rarity began.
[ Dodge Junction]
The morning had started off quite well after Rahs had calmed down from the meet up. Applejack had reverted back to her normal form after burning off the magic she used to transform and the pair of them had started wandering around the festival. Though it was fairly clear she had taken some lessons from Rarity with how she occasionally brushed against him and how she moved. She drew a large number of eyes on her own, though he could feel a few stares of his own as usual.
Applejack seemed to know a number of the locals and also clearly knew her way around. The pair browsed around a few craft booths, tried some samples of food from some other booths, and tried their luck at some of the games that were set up here and there.
Rahs had managed to get a little hoof trap with his show of skill, though Applejack had managed to win him a giant pink stuffed rabbit in a horseshoe toss. The massive beast was almost as big as he was and Rahs was a little miffed the farm mare had outdone him so easily in some of the games, though he let it slide as he was enjoying himself.
They found a Abyssinian place for lunch and were waiting on the meal when they both caught a familiar scent and whirled in their seats
Wandering past them in the crowd was a very tall and obviously shady looking individual in a trench coat, a fedora, and a pair of dark shades, looking all the world like the image on the neighborhood watch signs. He seemed to move with a oddly disjointed grace and a dragon like tail whipped from under the back of his coat, one with a number of teeth marks in it.
“Is that?” Applejack questioned.
“Discord.”
Said creature paused at the sound of his name and started walking backwards through the crowd to spin around and face the pair, with a finger pressed to his lips and a loud shushing sound that went on for a few moments longer than was comfortable to any one.
“Well well, fancy meeting you two here. Are you two on a date? How lovely and me without my camera.” Discord chuckled, his voice low.
“Woof.” Rahs snapped.
“What am I doing here?” Discord gasped.”How accusatory. This is a festival why wouldn't I be here? Do you know how chaotic these events can get? For all the organization put into making sure they run smoothly these things tend to be delightful messes just barely holding a semblance of order. All it takes is the slightest little snap, and all Tartarus breaks loose. And I usually don't even have to do anything!”
A few screams drew the trio's attention back out to the road outside the shop as a number of barrels rumbled down the path slinging mustard from cracks in their side. A strange blue pegasus mare with gossamer like wings was running atop on of the barrels giggling like mad, as three stallions and a lavender earth pony mare in pigtails rushed after her.
“Case in point. I didn't have anything to do with that... directly... and that just a taste of the madness.” Discord giggled. “Oh don't give me that look, I'm not going to do anything. I'm actually here just to listen to one of my favorite bands that's performing. Pity Moosey Python retired or this group would be my second favorite band.... but don't tell them that. You two should go listen to the Song Fishies when they play... or Dazzlings or whatever they call themselves nowadays. They are quite good.”
Discord tapped his chin.
“Perhaps you'll mitigate some... hmmm, I have no idea what's going to happen, I love it! Never mind. Ahh, well. Toodles.” Discord smirked kicking away from their table and rolling backwards out into the crowd wearing a pair of sneakers with a wheels in the heels. He paused, pulled the collar of his coat up higher and crept off away from the pair following the path of the barrels following the trail of spicy mustard.
Applejack and Rahs watched him go with more than a little worry.
“Is it me or did he seem more subdued than usual.”Applejack muttered.
“Bark?” Rahs asked.
“Yeah, seems it, but who would Discord, be hiding from?” Applejack considered. “ Hate tah say it , but we should keep an eye open fer anything he does. Ah hate this date just turned into a bit of a job, but ...”
Rahs shook his head.” Woof.” He offered.
“Huh … thanks, guess it still is on until he does something.”
“That was fun, can we do it again?” Sonata asked as Aria dragged her back towards the stage.
“No. Do you want to get arrested before we can perform today?” Aria grumbled.
“Please tell me no one noticed her?” Adagio sighed looking over the sound equipment Aria had set up. The pig tailed siren glared at her sister, still annoyed that the big haired floozy insisted on checking after her setting up the sound equipment every single time. Aria had been setting up stages and doing their roadie grunt work since before the term was invented in Equestria, and the more modern stuff she had learned from some guy named Eddie before he vanished at a concert. Adagio probably couldn't even tell a boundary mic from a bass mic. It was one of the reasons she had even gotten into engineering when they had time, that and she liked fixing things, almost as much as Adagio seemed to enjoy breaking them when she was pissed, and Sonata broke them by existing.
“The whole damn place noticed her. I doubt they could place her as being the source of the problem , but any one paying attention would notice she was at all the booths where the crap started,
“I only asked them if they knew how to make a mustard roll....” Sonata giggled. “Oh they have Chimicherries.... or are they called Cherrychangas?”
“Not this again...” Aria sighed tossing her sister up onto the stage before climbing up onto it herself. “ You can baby sit for a little while now Adagio, I've got to finish setting this up.”
“Hmph.” Adagio grumbled glaring at the giggling Sonata.
The three of them had a unspoken agreement on how things worked in their shows. Adagio would get the money, somehow, to purchase what they needed, the less said about how the better.
Aria would take the money and set up the venue or secure their place on one already set up.
Sonata would go do her own thing and drum up interest in the show some how. The other two had learned not to ask after Sonata stole a police car, mounted a sports stadium speaker pole to the top and drove around town and across the beaches shouting about the show while dressed in a black suit and sunglasses.
They were only able to do smaller shows back as humans as the major players in that world had issues with the trio edging into their turf with different magic. Still the smaller shows worked out well enough to keep them empowered, if not overly so.
Now that they were back, the shows they gave were creating enough strife that their gems were practically thrumming with energy.
This was the last show before they were going to try for Canterlot. Aria hoped it would be enough.
[Manehatten]
“What the crap was that?” Sombra growled.
“Heart song.” Twilight explained as the group followed after the still giddy Rarity towards the hotel.
“That tells me nothing Sparkle.” Sombra snapped.
“A type of wild magic, one that's become a bit more common with the release of Discord according to studies. Generally a pony with a high enough level of emotion might tap into a strain of wild magic and have a song bubble up that will sweep nearly any one who hears it into the song, some how teaching everyone the words as well.“ Twilight lectured. “Several places have localized and captured the wild magic that brings it about, locking the wild magic into place to enforce songs for specific events. Which is why the Equestrian national anthem is always sung at the start of major games events even if no one knew we even had a national anthem. Another notable case is the Grand Galloping Gala's flash mob, and there are several seasonal songs that break out during at the appropriate seasons. Thankfully the wild magic surges like this tend to peter out as the magic is bled off in the song, so we avoid back to back renditions.”
“I believe I could have done without ever having experienced that.” Sombra muttered.
“Why, you have a wonderful baritone darling, perhaps I can convince you and Big Mac to team up for a little song group I'm putting together?” Rarity grinned.
“No.” Sombra grumbled.
“Oh, we'll talk later, we should be coming up on the theater for the runway show.” Rarity gestured to the large building before them. “Thank you gentle stallions ever so much for bringing my dresses along.”
“You were going to leave them behind when you knew the event was at two.” Sombra grumbled.” I am sometimes amazed you remember to put your tail on in the morning.”
Big Mac harrumphed. While Sombra was carrying a few bags, the massive trunk with the dresses had been on his back the whole time, he had no idea how he participated in the dance number with it.
“Do you think your designs will do well Rarity?” Fluttershy asked.
“Of course Darling. I spent months working on a new type of fabric for this event. It's shimmery but not showy, stretchy, but not clingy. I made all my dresses of this material. It will be fabulous.” Rarity squeed as she pranced into the event.
“I hope the girls are doing alright.” Fireball sighed as she followed.
“Why wouldn't they be?” Pinkie Pie questioned.” Applejack's there, except for today of course.”
“Yeah. And Sunset is watching them now.” Fireball shivered.
“It will be fine, Sunset isn't as bad as she's made out to be....” Twilight trailed off as she considered.
[Ponyville]
Sunset Shimmer stared at the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders stared at Sunset Shimmer.
Spike sat back looking between all of them.
Soooo.... huh...” Sunset pondered.
Soooo?” Applebloom asked curious.
“You kids wanna see a dead body!?” Sunset asked suddenly and rather loudly.
“Sunset, no.” Spike snapped.
“Sunset, yes.” Sunset responded.
“Not really” Applebloom shrugged.
“Yeah! Cool!” Scootaloo stated.
“What another one?” Sweetiebelle grumbled.
The others all looked at the unicorn filly.
“What?” Sweetiebelle asked.
“Ehh, I'm sure they're fine, Spike's there after all.” Twilight waved a wing dismissively.