Twilight Gets a Puppy
Season 4
By TDR
Lobster of Faith,
Part Two
[ Lionheart, capitol of Gallopagos Islands, New City]
Tourists were not unusual in Lionheart since the return of Princess Luna. By this point most of the nox-cal were used to regular ponies wandering around gawking, buying trinkets and doing touristy things.
The current group however drew a bit more attention that usual. Not because of the ponies, even the elder and the little fillies were not far from the normal, though the burning green wings of the orange pegasus were new. Nor was it the dragon with them, though that was odd. Not even the collection of Guards trying to stay hidden in the crowd following them drew much interest. What drew most of the nox-cal's attention was the orange mare in the hat with that group. Something about her set nearly every nox-cal that noticed her on edge and none of them could explain why.
Granted that ill ease was put to rest a little once they heard what she was ranting to the others about.
“Seriously ah can't leave you two alone fera minute afore yer off snogging or something.” Applejack fussed.
“Who even uses that word?” Applebloom snapped back. “And it ain't as if we ain't done more' n that.”
“Don't you take that tone with me missy!”” Applejack snapped back.
“Or what? You'll add to mai chores again? A'hm already at that point that tha only way yah ken do that is tah have me run tha whole farm by maiself.” Applebloom returned the snap back.
Sweetiebelle, Spike, and Scootaloo walked and fluttered a bit to the side of the arguing siblings.
“Aren't you gonna do something to defend your filly friend?” Sweetiebelle questioned to Spike.
“Nope. If she needs my help, she'll ask for it. Besides one does not get involved in an argument between siblings unless one wants fewer body parts attached to you than you started with.” Spike pointed out.
“I think that's just the rule for you Twilight and Rahs.” Scootaloo interjected.
“Applebloom is trained in potions, still doesn't have a cutie mark and is angry and nearly as strong as Applejack. Applejack turns into a furry engine of destruction that devours magic.” Spike offered. “ My point stands. Besides, Granny hasn't stepped in yet so clearly it's not escalated very much yet.”
“Ah ain't gitting involved jus cause she caught you an Applebloom smooching.” Granny snorted. “ Yer both fifteen and that sorta thing's almost expected. Heck ah was married by tha time ah was fifteen and had a foal on tha way afore ah turned seventeen.”
Granny Smith glared down at Spike, with a look that would have stoned a basilisk.
“Yah better not follow that example young drake. Cause ah got a few recipes fer dragon soup ah ken try, and ah know yer sister ain't gonna save yah. And yer brothers might try, but won't if they're smart.”
Spike swallowed hard trying not to meet the old mares glare.
“Yer, just mad cause yah ain't gitting any smooches of yer own!” Applebloom snapped.
“What!? Why you, that ain't it at all!” Applejack snapped back.
“Right. Now ah'm gitting involved.” Granny stated with a roll of her eyes.
[ Gallopagos islands, Isle of Tears]
Twilight sparkle looked up at the glowing portal with amazement. This was like nothing she had ever seen or scanned before.
The portal was on the third largest island of the chain that made up the Gallopagos. This island in particular held an old breezy tale about Princess Luna that when her husband or child died she came here and wept, and in her sorrow the Hooper sea was formed.
Twilight had checked on it.
Luna said she had done no such thing. Her tear ducts were not aquifers.
Twilight, Sunset and surprisingly even Sombra had looked over the portal with every scanning spell they could think of though none of them could make any sense of it.
Sombra had the least education of the three, though he was well versed in Shadow, Corruption, Crystal magic, Enchanting, and more necromancy than the other two knew, though he couldn't cast any spells from the school. Though to make some of the artifacts he had in the past, he had learned how to read various magic with more skill than even Twilight possessed and as such knew quite a bit on how necromancy functioned.
Twilight refused to admit she was 'slightly' impressed with the scanning spell he used and the detail it revealed.
Sunset could attest there was no blood magic or fire magic involved, though she did point out the gate bore some similarities to the magic of the mirror she went through to another world.
Teacup recalled meeting Starswirl once some time in the past, though Starswirl acted like a stuck up fool and Celestia had to stop Teacup from hanging him from a tree by his own entrails.
Twilight could see a pattern of sorts, but in the end it wasn't enough for her to do anything. Still She promised to see what she could put together for next year, as she was still a new god of magic after all. Teacup was happy with that.
[ Gallopagos, a little later, street bazaar]
Granny stepping in had stopped the argument, though hackles were still raised between the siblings.
At least until the group came across a couple of street vendors having drawn in a rather large crowd of nox-cal. There was an odd machine puffing out smoke and some odd sort of carnival music like a calliope.
They were going to pass by and ignore the crowd until the pitch of the sales ponies reached their ears.
“Thank you, one and all, for your attendance, and we guarantee that your time here will not be spent in vain!” shouted one of the hawkers.
“In fact, we think it will prove to be the most valuable time you've ever spent!” shouted the other.
“Wait a tick.” Applejack stated, stopping dead, her attention turning towards the stage.
“Welcome, one and all, to the demonstration of a lifetime!”
“A demonstration of a better life!”
“A demonstration of a better time! And if we haven't captured your interest just yet, by the time we've finished, an unfortunate phenomenon practically guarantees that we will!”
“A phenomenon? What's that?”
“It's a circumstance perceptible by the senses, but in this case, it's the simple fact that:"
"There's ailments all around us in everything we touch and see!”
“Please tell me that ain't...” Applebloom sighed.
“A sickness that lies waiting there in every breath you breathe!”
“Disease will up and grab you as it crawls from land and sea!”
“It's amazing how infected that the natural world and all its things can be!”
“Now I understand that some of you don't think you're sick!”
“But twisted hooves and aching joints don't heal all that quick!”
“Consider just how dangerous this world is! You might...
"Slip and fall, break or sprain something here tonight”
“It is.” Granny Smith snorted.
“But luckily for you, we've got the thing you need!”
“And it's easier when all you need's the cure!”
“The Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic!”
“Is just what the doctor ordered, I'm sure!”
“Now I know our claims seem fantastical!”
“Impractical!”
“Improbable!”
“Impossible!”
“And magical!”
“This should be good.” Spike grumbled.” I'm wondering what they are shilling this time.”
“So we welcome every suffering pony to make their way up to the stage!”
“Now don't crowd!”
“And we'll prove our tonic's effectiveness before your very eyes!”
“You there! Come up here, good sir!”
“I'll wager you're tired of those crutches, my friend!”
“Try taking a sip of this!”
Applejack's eyes narrowed. As the light gray kirin stallion dropped his crutches to begin dancing around with the brothers.
“Whoa? Did they invent an O&O healing potion?” Spike questioned.
“I thought healing potions were impractical in most cases cause they healed too fast and a lot of time incorrectly?”Sweetiebelle considered.
“Usually, though they are helpful fer a number of ailments, you just really dun want tah drink one if yah got anything broken or dislocated. An in tha case of something like internal damage, potions just make things worse.” Applebloom nodded sagely. “Sunset could prolly do something like O&O a potion, but that's with blood magic and that stuff gets weird.”
“Dun matter. They're lying. All three of um.” Applejack stated. “Ah ken feel it.”
“That's why you're so lucky we've got the thing for you!”
“Just come on up, we've always got some more!”
“Of the Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic!”
“Now some of you may suffer from feelings of despair!”
You're old, you're tired, your legs won't work, there's graying in your hair!”
“Just listen and I'll tell you that you don't need to fear!”
“Your ears will work, your muscles tone, your eyes will see so clear!”
“Luckily for us, you've got the thing we need!”
“The answer to our problems in a jar!”
“The Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic!”
“Is the greatest ever miracle by far!”
“Tonic... tonic... tonic...” the crowd chanted.
Sweetiebelle tilted her head.” Is that a heart song?”
“Wouldn't put it past them, they did it afore.” Granny huffed.
“It cures the reins, the spurs, and the Clydesdale fur blight.” Flim sang.
“Hooferia and horsentery cured in just a night.” Flam sang the counter point.
“You've got swollen hooves and hindquarters or terrible bridle-bit cleft.”
“Saunter sitz and gallop plop will give your tail some heft.”
“Mane loss, hay fever, or terrible tonsillitis.”
“You heard it here, folks -- this is the only place in all of Equestria you'll find it!”
“It can make you shorter, taller, or even grow old”
“But who'd want that?”
“When with one drink”
“You can be young again“ the pair sang together.
“Well now they sold me one bottle at least.” Granny Smith frowned.
“Granny?” Applejack demanded.
“Don't gimmi that, if it works it'll work, if it don't well. Don't take yer eyes off um.” Granny ordered.
[ Oneiroi, Wednesday morning]
“While I certainly didn't expect the date to take this sort of turn Fuzzy, I am not complaining.” Trixie smirked as the pair walked along the odd dreamscape, Trixie's cart being moved along behind them with a couple of other moon dogs pulling it for her. “Though I didn't expect to have a headache from feeding a score of puppies bits of my magic.”
“I warned you to do a no magic show.” Rahs smirked.
“Yes, yes, rub it in why don't you.” Trixie sighed.” While I do love that I can understand you easily here despite you claiming you are still barking, don't think I didn't notice when you introduced me to my personal dream warden that that bitch wasn't flirting hard with you.”
Rahs shrugged. “I get that a lot here.”
“What kind of name is Apocalypse Meow any way?”Trixie asked.
“She's fancy.” Rahs explained as if that was a reasonable response.
“Right..... so where are we going then Fuzzy. I still have a long trip a head of me and while Meow's place was a comfortable spot to sleep, I am going to be very rushed to get to my next show.” Trixie offered, then grinned.”Also you still haven't paid me.”
Rahs smirked as they walked on.”The Oneiroi is a bit odd and I have no idea how my sister would describe it so don't expect something complicated. The distance here is compressed, but not in any measurable way that I've found. Basically a ten mile distance in Equestria is like a mile or less here, though it's also sometimes more if you walk the wrong way.”
“Meaning Fuzzy?” Trixie asked.
“Meaning...” Rahs smirked reaching out to boop Trixie's nose quickly forcing her to pull her head back and blink. Though when her eyes opened after the blink she was standing on a road with her wagon on a heavily forested path with a sign nearby reading 1 mile to Hollow Shades. “...Woof.”
“That is going to take some getting used to.” Trixie grumbled.
Rahs smirked and offered a short bow before turning to walk behind the wagon to head back to the Oneiroi and then home when his tail was grabbed and he was yanked backwards in front of the cart again onto his rump.
Rahs frowned raising an eyebrow as Trixie's corona faded from his tail and the mare stepped forward staring at him.
His ears perked up as he noticed Trixie pulling a bag from under her cloak, again he didn't smell any magic being used.
“Oh no Fuzzy. Trixie was told she was going to get paid.” Trixie stated as she pulled a pale blue lipstick from the bag before applying it.
Rahs blinked his ears flattening as the blue mare tackled him back to the road.
[Gallopagos]
Applejack raised an eyebrow at the 'injured' pony that was currently selling the 'potions' and bragging about the first bit he ever made doing it.
This crap had gone on long enough. Sure the two hucksters might have convinced her that perhaps she shouldn't take away the happiness of ponies who the product worked for, Twilight had called that a placebo effect when it was brought up last night, but she didn't like the idea that her grudging agreement to that had been turned into a massive sales pitch that the Element of Honesty endorsed the tonic.
Granted it got much worse when Granny pointed out that what they were selling was just some cheap knock off cider using old apples and a ton of sugar. So it was hardly a surprise the snake oil made ponies feel good.
Currently she was in a stare down with the pair of unicorns. She had jumped up on a crate to be heard over the crowd so she could call them out.
After a bit of back an forth of arguing on what the 'tonic' was, the crowd around and between the bickering ponies following every word, Flim, or maybe it was Flam, came up with an idea and ran with it.
“Of course you can't find anything about our wondrous tonic, because it's chock full of magic, my dear earth pony.” Flam stated.
“Quite right brother, not to be tribalist, but one cannot expect a non unicorn to understand the magic poured into our miraculous creation.”
“Oh trust me ah know better than most if there's magic in something.”Applejack grinned showing rather prominent fangs. The crowd around the table she was standing on moved a little further away.“All yer doing is peddling snake oil which is gonna hurt a lotta ponies who think it's helping um.”
“ Well we can hardly take the word of one... errr earth pony mare on magic?” Flim questioned noting the fangs.
“She's right though.” Silver Shill stepped up. “It's not a tonic at all! I know, 'cause I helped make it! Honestly it's got nothing in it but old apples some kale and a lot of sugar. Watching some one point out that it would do more harm than good... well, that made me realize I was making ponies believe in a thing that just wasn't so!”
Some of the nox-cal in the crowd recognized Shill and started muttering among themselves , and very quickly a large number of angry glares and threatening gestures were being directed towards the brothers.
“Might wanna start with some refunds.” Granny called out.
“Hmm. Plan 'B' brother?” Flam asked.
“No can do Flam, we are all out of Yaks at the moment.” Flim protested.
“Ah well plan 'M' then.” Flam nodded.
“Right you are.” Flim stated pulling a tightly sealed box from under his hat and opening it.
There was a sudden audible snap as every nox-cal in the crowd froze in place, their eyes locked on what Flim had pulled out of the box. It was a fair sized ball like object that was reddish on one side fading into yellow then a bit of green. Every nox-cal in the crowd from the winged thestrils to the horned kirin and the massive nocturne locked eyes on it, some were drooling.
“A mango?” Sweetiebelle questioned. “Big Sis Luna says those are illegal to have on Gallopagos.”
“Yes, well. Have fun with that.” Flim stated throwing the mango at Applejack.
Every nox-cal eye in the crowd followed the arc of the mango as it went straight at Applejack.
“Eenope!” Applebloom shouted bouncing up onto the table with her sister, then leaping off to grab the mango out of the air before flinging it back at the stage as she crashed to the ground atop of Spike.
The dragon really didn't mind.
The nox-cal's eyes followed the fruit back though the air.
Flam had been gathering the case of bits and managed to look up just as the mango hit him, sticking onto his horn and soaking his face in mango juice.
There was a brief moment in time as the scent wafted out over the crowd and every nox-cal seemed to vibrate in place, before the thestrils let out a ear piercing scream and the crowd rushed the stage and at Flam in particular.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” Flam screamed out, taking off like a shot with a horde of nox-cal on his hooves and Flim right behind trying not to get trampled.
The Apples and the Crusaders stood in the now empty bazaar lot blinking and looking around as Silver Shill rubbed the back of his head flipping a bit to Applejack.
“Thank you, Applejack. I got this through dishonest means. That was a mistake I won't be making again! I'd like you to have it, as a reminder of how you helped me finally see the truth.” Shill offered.
“Errr....” Applejack responded.
“Oh, don't worry. I'll track down the pony I sold that worthless tonic to and give him another bit to replace this one! Honest.” Shill replied before trotting off.
“ Well.... okay then.” Applejack shrugged not noting the coin taking on a rainbow shine briefly, though she did notice an odd scent of magic in the air briefly.
“Well that was a thing that happened.” Spike huffed.
“And that's why mangos are not allowed on Gallopagos.” Sweetiebelle stated.
[ Breezie Gate]
The trio of Sunset, Twilight, and Sombra, were discussing options with Teacup when the breezie god shot straight up in the air staring west towards the main island.
“What is it?” Sunset asked.
Teacup frowned and floated back down to head level with the ponies after a moment of looking around.
“Dunno. I felt something, but it only lasted a moment. Been happening occasionally over the last year, I've not figured it out yet and it's pissing me off. Might have something to do with one of my portfolios.” Teacup shrugged. “Don't worry about it, thanks for the help with this.”
“I'll keep looking into it Teacup, maybe by next year I'll have some sort of answer and be better prepared to study it.” Twilight offered. ”I really need to stop taking on all these projects though.”
[ Ponyville, Wednesday]
“Well that should be the last of them.” Celestia sighed as the portal began to close. “Another year over with only a hundred and eighty seven left to go.”
“Does this get any less stressful?” Luna huffed.
“No, and to be honest I've only seen Teacup cut loose once, and that was just after the collapse of the portals. I have no desire to see what sort of abilities Teacup might have now if pissed off. So we keep helping the breezies.”
“Noted.” Luna nodded before her attention turned to the feeling of a portal opening. Looking in the direction of the magic she spotted Rahs as he stepped out from an alleyway and headed towards the library.
“Ahh, Rahs has returned.” Luna nodded.
“Well that's good.... what is all over his face?” Celestia asked looking back at the moon dog once Luna pointed him out.
Covering Rahs' face, lips, neck, and ears was a series of light blue lipstick kiss marks.
A 'LOT' of kiss marks.
“It seems Trixie has gone up in the points again.” Luna smiled.