//------------------------------// // No Plan Ever Survives // Story: My Little Teelo // by Ardwolf //------------------------------// The next morning Teagan and Fluttershy had breakfast and Teagan spent the morning helping her care for her animals, learning any number of really astounding facts about animal behavior and motivations in the process. It helps when your teacher can actually talk to the animals… Just after lunch Sweetie Belle showed up and said that Rarity would like to see her. “Does that mean my clothes are done?” Teagan asked with a hopeful look. She’d switched to a fresh towel but it just wasn’t the same as a real dress. For one thing she had to watch her sun exposure, lest she burn her shoulders. It seemed to be early spring here instead of winter, but red-heads had to be ultra-vigilant about the sun even so. “Well, kinda. She needs to make sure they fit, so you’re gonna spend hours with her.” Sweetie Belle said, rolling her eyes. “Trust me, right now I’d spend days with her if it meant I could wear real clothes again.” Teagan said fervently. “How come you’re so dead set on wearing clothes, anyway?” Sweetie Belle asked as they were on their way to Rarity’s shop. “I mean I like hats and all but dresses just get tangled up in your legs. You can’t run and you can’t play. And if you want to go swimming you gotta take off your clothes anyway.” “Well, most of my playing days are behind me, Sweetie Belle.” Teagan said. “I’m almost full grown and adults play different games. Besides, when we want to do something outdoors we don’t wear dresses. We wear pants or shorts. And there are special clothes for swimming in.” “What’s pants and shorts?” The filly asked, perplexed. “And why in the world would you need clothes to swim in? Aren’t wet clothes uncomfortable?” “Well, Rarity made some for me so I can show you most of them.” Teagan said. “Basically pants are tubes of cloth that cover your legs. Shorts leave most of the leg bare. And swimsuits leave your arms and legs bare. Some leave your middle bare too.” “Then what’s the point? Just to have something bright to attract the colts’ attention?” She asked. “Seems kinda silly if you ask me.” Teagan laughed helplessly, stopping and bending over, putting her hands on her knees. “Did I say something funny?” The filly asked. “Oh my God! Sorry, Sweetie Belle I’m not laughing at you, but that was hysterical! And the funniest part is I don’t think I can explain why. It’s a human thing.” “Well, human or pony, still seems like wet clothes would be really uncomfortable.” Sweetie Belle said, somewhat nettled at Teagan’s reaction. “You get used to it. It really isn’t that bad, they make swimsuits out of material that dries pretty fast.” “Still sounds like an awful lot of trouble.” Sweetie Belle said. “It’s a human thing. It’s hard to explain to a pony, Sweetie Belle. Hey, I saw you at my party last night, thank you for coming.” “You’re welcome.” The filly brightened. “It was a really swell party! Pinkie Pie outdid herself. Even Princess Luna was there! You must be a really important pony—um, human?” The filly stopped, confused. “Person, Sweetie Belle. Humans and Equestrian ponies are both people.” Teagan said. “I guess pretty much anything that can hold a conversation is a person.” Sweetie Belle considered this. “What about parrots? They can talk, but they really don’t have a lot to say.” “Well—” Teelo hesitated, remembering that cows were technically people here. “The parrots I’m familiar with aren’t really people; they’re just mimicking sounds they hear. They don’t know what the sounds mean.” “Oh. Well, I guess it’s the same here.” The filly admitted. They had reached Rarity’s shop, much to Teagan’s relief. The constant comments the ponies made about clothes being silly were starting to weigh on Teagan’s mind. She just didn’t have a good answer for the ponies; even though she was bone-deep certain clothes weren’t silly. The philosophical discussions were troubling too. For all she knew parrots were people in this crazy place. Fluttershy had told her deer weren’t, and she trusted her, but if cows were people why weren’t deer? “Darling, welcome! I’m just finishing up your dress. Your practical clothes are already done. Won’t be a tick!” Rarity was humming and chipper, this was a side of the unicorn Teagan hadn’t seen yet. She felt her mouth fall open as a dozen objects floated around a beautiful dress hanging on a dress stand. Teagan blinked. Where had Rarity gotten a human shaped dress stand? She forgot her question as the objects began a rapid organized assault on her dress, the hem tucking itself up neatly and the threaded needle rapidly making tiny stitches even as a second wave was moving in behind the rapidly moving needle. A wide lace ruffle pressed itself against the hem of the dress and a second threaded needle began making equally tiny stitches. Both the hemming and the ruffle took under a minute to complete. Teagan was stunned. She’d known Rarity was famous for her dresses but she’d never actually thought about the process of making clothing before. Somehow Rarity had the ability to keep a dozen complex activities in her mind all at once, and execute them all with incredible precision. It was like giving an industrial robot the ability to levitate objects. Lost in admiration she watched as Rarity returned her tools and other bits to their proper places. It was like watching the scene from Cinderella, everything floated back smartly and without fuss, settling into place as though it had never moved. Within five minutes the shop was neat and tidy, and Rarity turned to her with a smile. “Now, darling, are you ready to try on your clothes? Teelo? Are you all right?” The unicorn added in concern, noting the glazed look in Teagan’s eyes and her slack jaw. “That—that was the most amazing thing I have ever seen! The way you just—and the—not to mention all the—wow. Rarity, you are the absolute best of the best!” “Why, thank you, Teelo. I am quite skilled, but there are ponies in Canterlot that are far better than I shall ever be.” Rarity said humbly. “I can’t believe that.” Teagan said, still agog. “Oh, Rarity, the dress is beautiful. But you didn’t have to make a dress, too! I’d have been happy with just the practical stuff.” Teagan walked around the dress, marveling. It was a simple yet elegant frock, with lace trimmed hem and short sleeves, also with lace trim. It was green, and matched her eyes. Teagan instantly fell in love with it. “Do you like it, darling?” Rarity asked anxiously. “Oh yes. Rarity, I love it!” Teagan hugged Rarity and beamed at her. The unicorn nearly preened, looking pleased and proud at the same time. “You’ll be meeting Princess Celestia in front of all her court, you know.” Rarity said, raising her head. “As such I felt you could not do less than put your best foot forward. Nor could I, as an artiste, do anything less than absolute perfection on your behalf. Simple, yet elegant. It will show off your true grace and flow around you as you move. I really have outdone myself.” “Yes, you have.” Teagan agreed fervently. “But first things first.” Rarity said, turning businesslike. “As beautiful as the dress is, and as important as it will be for court, circumstances dictate we concentrate on practical matters. Here are the clothes you’ll be wearing on our mission.” Rarity went on at length about the undergarments, the shorts, the pants, the shirts, and the jacket. She pointed out where she’d had difficulties, and gloated over technical details that went over Teagan’s head completely. Teagan just smiled and nodded. “I managed to create some sandals for you.” Rarity said, lifting them for her inspection. “Of course they aren’t magical like your slippers, but I tried to make them as durable as possible, keeping in mind we’re probably going to have to run away from enemies on occasion.” “I tried watching how you walk but I only had a brief opportunity to observe you bare-hooved—I mean bare footed, so I may not have gotten the support correct. That might prove a problem over the long term. I know badly fitted shoes can cause a pony pain, I imagine it’s even worse for humans since you only have two feet to bear your entire weight. Frankly I don’t see how you can do that yet be so graceful, but we’ll deal with that problem when we come to it.” “That’s it, darling. You have five pairs of undergarments, three each of the lower garments, three of the upper garments and one jacket. What do you think?” Teagan’s mouth was open. “You did all that in what, 12 hours?” Teagan asked, astounded. Rarity considered. “About that, yes. We are rather rushed for time or I’d have made you another dress as well.” “I think you are simply the most astounding pony I have ever met, Rarity!” Teagan declared earnestly. “It would have taken humans days to create all this! You’re absolutely amazing.” Rarity blinked. “But darling, aside from the unique challenges due to your species, this was a very straight forward assignment. While I appreciate your praise it really isn’t deserved. I’m particularly disappointed I wasn’t able to spend more time on your undergarments, but the needs of Equestria outweigh even those of artistic merit, as much as it pains me to admit it.” “You do this all the time?” Teagan asked, flabbergasted. “Why yes, darling. It’s how I make my living.” Rarity said kindly. “Then you’re even more astounding than I thought.” Teagan said, looking her straight in the eye. “Oh, tosh. Now let’s get on with the fitting, shall we? I’m sure you’re eager to be out of that towel and into proper clothing. “Can’t argue there.” Teagan said, breaking into a smile. “But—can we try the dress first? Please?” Rarity laughed. “Of course! Off with you now! We must hurry, so much to do!” Teagan found the undergarments were pretty much like wearing a bikini. Given the speed with which Rarity had had to create them, Teagan admitted the ties were a good idea, they gave her a custom fit without having to create garments with exact dimensions. Taking off her bunny slippers Teagan tried on the sandals. Surprisingly, they fit. Teagan was somewhat surprised they used buckles like normal sandals, but perhaps she shouldn’t have been—ponies were used to creating harnesses with buckles, which could be manipulated by mouth, given practice. The sandals weren’t uncomfortable, but Teagan didn’t know if that would work if she had to wear them for days on end. The soles were rubber, the straps some odd material. Of course it wasn’t leather but Teagan didn’t recognize the deep green material. It was flexible like leather, but clearly synthetic. She hadn’t realized the ponies were that technologically advanced. Teagan found the dress fell to her knees, and it fit perfectly. Rarity was simply beside herself with professional pride as she watched Teagan stroll back and forth, turning in a swirl of skirts. The unicorn was nearly swooning in pleasure at her handiwork. The ivory-colored shirts fell to her hips and she discovered both the shorts and pants were lined with silk, making them ultra-comfortable. The ribbon lacing took some getting used to. The lacing ran up the front where a zipper would normally be found. Decency wasn’t an issue as the there was an inner flap that sat under the lacing, but it still produced a garment that looked exotic and a bit more risqué than Teagan would have been comfortable with in the human world. Here she could cut herself just a bit of slack. Pretty soon she was used to the look and paid it no mind. Rarity insisted she try on every single garment so the fitting took several hours. Teagan could see the logic, each garment was handcrafted. Handcrafted meant that just because one garment fitted well that didn’t mean its duplicate would also. But Rarity was indeed a master of her craft. Everything fit, and frankly Teagan couldn’t find a single flaw anywhere, not that she’d have had the heart to tell Rarity if she had. Her shorts fell to mid-thigh so they were modest enough. Since it was warm Teagan opted to wear a pair of them back to Fluttershy’s. But her first stop was Twilight’s library, carrying her clothing in a pair of large bags. They had oversized handles, mean to accommodate pony snouts but they worked with human hands just as well. When she entered the library the first person she met was Spike, who whistled appreciatively when he saw her outfit. “Man, Rarity never ceases to amaze.” He said as Teagan pirouetted in front of him, pleased beyond belief to be wearing an outfit designed to be seen by others. “She’s amazing, Spike. She created so many clothes for me in less than a day! Everything I need for both the mission and for court.” “Yeah, Rarity’s pretty special all right.” Spike said dreamily. “You really like her, don’t you?” “What’s not to like?” He asked. Teagan laughed. “Wow, don’t you look nice!” Twilight commented, coming down the stairs. “Great outfit!” “These are my mission clothes.” Teagan explained. “Rarity made sure they were extra tough because we don’t know where we’re going to end up. I think she did an unbelievably good job in next to no time. Is it true she does this kind of thing all the time?” “Yep. Rarity may look like a fashion plate but she’s one of the hardest working ponies I know.” “Who’s the laziest?” Teagan asked, teasing. “Rainbow Dash.” Twilight and Spike both said instantly, then looked at each other and laughed. “One of you owes the other a coke.” Teagan giggled. “Huh?” Twilight asked. “It’s a human game. When two people say the same thing at the same time, whichever one of them says ‘You owe me a coke’ first wins a coke.” “What’s a coke?” Spike asked curiously. “It’s a kind of drink, very sugary and it has caffeine like tea so it gives you a pick-me-up.” Teagan explained. “Sounds really good.” Twilight said, twitching an ear. “Spike, I thought we got rid of the flies?” “We did.” He replied. “One must have gotten in. I felt it touch my ear just now.” Twilight said. Her flank twitched suddenly. “There it is again!” “There’s nothing there, Twilight.” Teagan said. She’d been staring straight at the unicorn and hadn’t seen a fly land on her. “Huh, that’s weird. Anyway, what did you need, Teelo?” “Oh! You said I could borrow one of Spike’s backpacks for the mission. I wanted to pack the clothes I’m taking so I’ll be ready.” “Great! Spike, would you mind bringing her one of your old ones?” “No problem!” He trotted toward the stairs. “Ouch!” Twilight used her tail to swat herself on the back. “Darn fly! It bit me! Did you see where it went, Teelo? I’m going to make sure it goes outside this time!” “No, Twilight. My eyes are pretty good. I don’t see anything flying around.” Teagan tried to hide her grin at the fierce look on Twilight’s face. Twilight suddenly spun around in place, like a dog chasing its tail, her horn glowing. “Got you! Ugh!” She rose into mid-air before stopping her spell and dropping to the floor. The whites of her eyes were showing and her head was lowered, horn level with the ground. “What the hay! That wasn’t a fly!” “What’s the matter?” Teagan asked urgently. “Just now, I nabbed the fly that’s tormenting me. But it wasn’t a fly—it was huge, bigger than I am. That’s why it lifted me in the air.” “But there’s nothing here.” Teagan protested, looking around frantically. Just then Spike returned, carrying a knapsack. “Spike, be careful! Something’s here and it’s invisible!” Twilight said in an urgent voice. Spike’s eyes widened. “Use your breath at the middle of the room!” She commanded. “Teagan, duck!” Teagan crouched, suddenly tense. Cute little three-foot-high Spike suddenly let loose with a twenty-foot long plume of red fire, which licked over their heads. The flame touched something briefly, before there was a pop! noise. The flame moved on, suddenly unimpeded and then died. “Wow!” She said, staring at Spike. “How did you do that?” “Dragons can breathe fire.” He said briefly, looking around with a worried expression. “Twilight, what was that?” “A tulpa.” She spat, eyes narrowing, but straightening up. “It’s gone, Spike. Your flame disrupted it.” “What’s a tulpa?” Teagan asked, staring around nervously. “It’s a thought made real.” Twilight said angrily. “It’s a spell. It takes enormous energy to form one so they aren’t used very often. I’ve only read about them, I’ve never actually encountered one before. They’re usually used for spying.” “So who would want to spy on you? And then make sure you know it was here? That makes no sense.” Teagan froze as she realized what she’d just said. They stared at each other with growing horror. “Discord.” Twilight spat. “I am so angry right now I could kick him through a wall.” “Twilight, tell me something.” Teagan requested, color draining slowly from her face. Twilight noticed and turned her attention to the girl. “Would an evil Discord do something like this? He was tormenting you, pretending to be a fly. It started off like a joke and he started getting worse and worse. You said he bit you the last time…” Twilight looked worried. “He might.” Twilight admitted. “Spike, send a letter to Princess Celestia.” “On it!” Spike leaped to a desk and grabbed the quill, dipping it in the inkwell already open and poised over the waiting parchment. “Dear Princess Celestia, I have just had an encounter with what I believe was a tulpa, probably created by Discord. The actions of this tulpa, coupled with what Teelo has related of her abduction lead me to suspect Discord may have become evil in addition to his normal chaotic personality. I also suggest that you bring us to Canterlot immediately. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle. Send it, Spike!” Spike rolled the parchment, tossed it and blew fire at it. As before, it vanished in a puff of green fire. Teagan and Twilight spent a tense couple of minutes staring at each other when Spike did his cat imitation and spat forth fire that coalesced into a parchment. “My dearest Twilight Sparkle, I understand and agree with your assessment of the situation. I have dispatched four chariots to bring you to Canterlot immediately. Please tell Teelo and the rest of your friends to be ready to leave within the hour.” “Spike! Run to Fluttershy’s! Tell her we’ve been summoned. Have her find Rainbow Dash and then have Rainbow Dash tell Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack. Get back here as soon as you can.” “I’m coming with you?” He asked excitedly. “Yes. We’ll need you on the mission to keep in touch with Princess Celestia. Go!” “Yes, ma’am!” He saluted and ran out the door. “Teelo, transfer the clothes you need into the knapsack. Oh, and you’ll probably want to take your dress too, to meet Princess Celestia. If I know Rarity she made you one, right?” Teagan nodded. “What are you going to do?” She asked the unicorn. “Scour my books for any last minute information I can find.” She said grimly. “I didn’t research anything about evil spirits. Looks like I should have.” The unicorn turned to her books, scanning the shelves. Teagan grabbed the knapsack and started thinking about which clothes she was going to take.