The Missing Bard
Chapter 18: Old Armor
Every new day, every new morning, the same results. I always loved them and despised them. I loved them because I got one more day to live in Equestria with all my great friends, but I always hated it because I would wake up with the worst of hunger pains every day!
"Ugh... so... hungry..." I said to myself aloud as I heard my stomach rumble heavily. "I sure hope Twilight or Spike has some breakfast or... something prepared. I don't care if its hay pancakes again. Hey... whats that amazing smell!" I looked toward the door as I smelled a very fragrant aroma of what smelled like food. Its aroma was nearly intoxicating to me. "Oh what ever that heavenly smell is... I want some of it!" I said as I rushed toward the door.
I quickly slammed the door open with my front right hoof and I looked out into the main section of the library, trying to identify where this heavenly aroma was originating from as I constantly sniffed the air.
"Good morning Kiniro!" I heard Twilight call to me.
"Yes good morning dear!" I heard another female voice call out to me.
"Huh?" I questioned and looked toward where the voices originated from to see Twilight and Rarity sitting on the floor. "Oh Good morning Twi! Good morning Rarity!" I responded with a smile. "By chance... what is that heavenly smell?"
"Oh that's Spikey Wikey making some breakfast." Rarity answered.
"Yes. He's making some potato hash-browns, some corn bread muffins and some eggs with gravy." Twilight responded.
"Wow. That sounds..." I interrupted myself as I licked my top lip. "Amazing. Is it almost ready?" I asked.
"Almost, just waiting for Spike to call us to breakfast." Twilight answered. "In the mean time do you want to come down here? Rarity and myself have been working on something for you last night."
"Yes do come down and have a seat with us. We hope you like what we've got for you." Rarity added in.
"Alright! What did you two get for me?" I said with a light smile.
"Well that you'll just have to come down and see!" Rarity commented as Twilight signaled me to come down with her hoof, and then proceeded to stick her tongue out at me.
"Oh ok! I'm coming, I'm coming!" I answered and began to take my journey down the stairs. Slowly trotting down the stairs, making sure my injuries did not flare back up during my trip. Finally to my surprise as I hit the last step on my way down, no pain had resurfaced. "I guess its possible I am healed?" I thought to myself as I walked over to the two ponies. "Alright so what do you two have for me? " I said with a heavy smile, only to hear a high pitched noise.
"Close your eyes Kiniro! It will be just a moment." Rarity commented with a grin.
"Uh... ok?" I responded as I closed my eyes.
"Ok Twilight lift him up, I'll put it on him." Rarity instructed.
"You got it Rarity!" Twilight answered.
"Wait what?!" I shouted as I felt myself get lifted up in the air and felt something get wrapped around me and covered the top half of my torso.
"Alright open your eyes!" Twilight said with excitement.
"So what is it?" I said prematurely as I opened me eyes. "Its... its my... old vest?" I mentioned as I glanced over at Rarity. "You've kept it this long? But how did you..."
"Why of course dear. It is your's! I know you gave it to me as a gift but I think its time I gave it back to you."
"Thank you Rarity. But how did you... reshape it? You know that material is some of the toughest fabric in Midgard.
"Hmm... that would explain a lot considering I could barely tear off a sample of it months ago. But Kiniro I do have a question, was your vest resistant to magic in your world?" Rarity asked as Twilight carefully listened.
"Um... I don't think so. When I purchased it prior to the Midgard Civil War, the tailor I had bought it from mentioned that it was his special project, and that the material was so durable that it took him almost 2 years to form the vest, let alone however much more time to get the right cuts to form it. I had asked him why he chose this material, he only told me it was just a made from very tough fabric to help protect me in case I got into a melee battle with blunt objects or someone throwing punches. So it would absorb the impact, but that's about it." I explained. "Maybe the fabric from Midgard was very resilient, perhaps a little too resilient."
"That's odd." Twilight responded.
"Why do you say that?" I asked.
"Well... Rarity was explaining to me that when she tried to use her magic to alter the vest or to get a sample of the material it was very resilient against her magic." Twilight mentioned.
"Well yeah, it is very very strong..." I retorted.
"But that's not just it." Rarity interrupted. "I tried to actually rip a piece of using my magic, and it resisted heavily, which usually unicorn magic is very hard to resist against, I can understand not being able to rip a piece off with scissors because its extremely durable but..."
"Even I tried to damage it with my magic Kini. I tried to rip it just the same as Rarity and nothing. I even set the vest a blaze with my magic and it did nothing. It wasn't burnt and it unscratched from all that." Twilight chimed in right as Rarity trailed off.
"Wait.. what? It you used magic against it and did nothing?" I asked curiously.
"She's telling the truth dear. She gave it her all last night trying to destroy it with her magic and no matter what she did, she couldn't make a indentation in it." Rarity commented.
"That's odd... I don't remember this vest being resistant to magic, at least not in Midgard." I mentioned.
"Hmm! That gives me an idea!" Twilight quickly jumped up.
"I think I might be thinking the same thing you are Twilight." Rarity also added in.
"Kini... I need you to... oh... never mind." Twilight said shamefully.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I was going to have you test your magic to try to destroy the vest while you wore it... but you don't have a guitar anymore." Twilight explained.
"Oh... right..." I said with a sorrowful tone.
"Now now Kiniro, don't get depressed. I'm sure we can get a replacement guitar for you eventually."
"Well he does have a replacement, But well... he's not comfortable with it yet." Twilight mentioned.
"Maybe sometime soon... but... just not now." I responded.
"Ugh." Twilight grunted.
"Its ok now Kiniro, I know you're slowly warming up to the idea, when ever you are ready, we shan't push you into it." Rarity responded and glared at Twilight.
"Yes Kini... when ever you are ready for it." Twilight said begrudgingly.
"Thanks... Anyway thanks for getting my old vest back to me and now especially since it fits me as a pony now." I responded. "I may not be able to match Meadow Song in brute strength, but at least this might be able to help me take some of his hits, if the vest is still can hold up to it."
"Well aren't you going to be training with Rainbow Dash and Applejack in the future?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah that's right. What about it though?" I asked.
"Well you could have them test it for you see if it holds up to its old self." Twilight recommended.
"That might just be good idea. Maybe I could AJ give me an apple bucking kick and see how well it holds up."
"Don't you think that might be... a little too brutish or to much for you Kiniro?" Rarity asked.
"Well she is the strongest kicker I know, and what other way to test it out if it works." I responded.
"Well I don't like the idea of you going out and hurting yourself, but if you think its the best course of action, then so be it." Rarity retorted but accepted my idea.
"I'm going to have to side with Rarity on this one, but... I understand why you want to have the strongest thing thrown at you. Just don't hurt yourself." Twilight agreed.
"Well it is my old vest, I'm sure it can stand up to the abuse. Plus if it does hold up well, that means I can go against Meadow Song for sure with it." I explained.
"He does have a point Twilight. I know we both don't like it, but I'm sure Applejack and Rainbow dash would make the same point as Kiniro would. Plus we know that he will be in good hands if something does happen." Rarity comforted Twilight.
"I already said ok. Just be careful." Twilight commented.
"Hey Twilight before anything else, could you mind doing a back kick on me. I want to test it out first this way, just to make sure I'm not over my head." I seceded to their concerns.
"Uh... I really don't..." Twilight trailed off.
"Yes excellent idea! Applejack is just too strong for this kind of primarily test, Twilight would be an excellent stepping stone for this!" Rarity interrupted Twilight.
"Hey! Are you calling me weak!?" Twilight raised her voice.
"No not at all Twilight! I'm merely stating that Applejack is just extremely strong. Plus this would be great for proving your... your... that theory you use when testing things." Rarity tried to explain.
"Scientific method." I chimed in.
"Yes the scientific method Twilight." Rarity smiled with my well timed recovery.
Twilight sighed heavily. "Ok fine! But if you get hurt Kiniro, I'm not going to say you didn't deserve it. Now go get ready!" Twilight explained.
"Yes! Ok. Just a sec." I quickly responded as I positioned myself behind twilight and stood up on my hind legs to stand up right. "Ok Twi, now just aim high to hit the vest!"
"Alright... on the count of three!" Twilight stated. "Ready?"
"Yes!" I responded.
"One" Rarity commented.
"Two." I chimed in.
"Three!" Twilight shouted. She quickly lifted her hind legs off the ground putting her entire weight on her forelegs and a sudden jolt kicked with both of her back legs. Her back hooves aiming high made contact on the vest knocking me down from how I was standing and I fell flat on my behind only to hear a loud thud.
"Ow. Heh.. heh..." I mentioned as I sat on my behind on the floor.
"By Celestia... Are you ok?" Twilight quickly responded.
"Yeah... I'm ok. Didn't feel a thing!" I retorted, only to have Twilight give me a dirty stare. "Ok mostly nothing, I didn't feel anything on my torso, but I felt me falling on my behind." As I explained myself Twilight's stare disappeared and changed into a small smile as she closed her eyes.
"That's good Kini. Looks like it stood up to me... but do you think it will stand up to Applejack?" Twilight retorted.
"I sure hope so, I didn't feel a thing with you, well except falling flat on my behind." I responded. "Hey Rarity thing we can get one made for my behind as well?" I chuckled lightly, only to hear Rarity giggle lightly.
"As amusing as the idea would be, I don't believe so Kiniro." Rarity chuckled lightly before getting back to her normal tone. "The only reason you have the vest is only because we had your original vest and Twilight used her transmutation spell that reshape objects, but mind you its very resilient, so she was able to resize it."
"I see... that's a shame we don't have any other material to make other things, but I doubt if we did we'd be able to manufacture anything else with it considering how tough the material is." I responded.
"Well... we do have something else... but I don't think it will work." Twilight added.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Your old arrow quiver. But its not enough material to make anything." Twilight responded.
"Nah don't bother with that thing, you're right, its not enough for anything. If anything Rarity, you still keep it, maybe you can find something else useful from it's material. I don't have any more uses for it considering I don't have my guitar that shoots arrows, plus... I don't think anyone here in Equestria makes arrows." I explained.
"Oh thank you Kiniro, but it is your's but if you wish me to keep it to study I sure I'll be able to find something similar to it here in Equestria to make you more protective clothing in the future." Rarity shared.
"Anyway thank you both again for getting my vest resized for me as a pony. I'm sure thing will be better now if I have to fight Meadow Song, plus it is nice to have some of my old duds back." I smiled.
"It was nothing at all Kiniro. You must thank Twilight for this though, it was her magic that was able to do it." Rarity seceded to Twilight.
"Thanks Rarity, but it was your findings that made it all possible!" Twilight complimented.
"But it was..." Rarity stated but was interrupted.
"I know I was through both of your efforts that I have it again. Thank you." I smiled. "Hopefully it just doesn't come to me actually having to fight Meadow So..." I was interrupted.
"BREAKFAST IS READY! COME AND GET IT! Spike yelled out from the kitchen.
"Oh finally! Food!" I shouted.
"Ah good, breakfast is ready. Care to stay with us Rarity?" Twilight asked.
"Oh I'm not so sure I do have some things I have to take care of back at the Boutique, plus Sweetie Belle is supposed to be coming back home from having sleep over with Applebloom and Scootaloo at Applejack's." Rarity explained.
"Oh come now Rarity. I know Spike made an extra special breakfast because he knew you'd be here!" Twilight commented.
"Well... I guess a few minutes of breakfast wouldn't hurt." Rarity agreed.
"That's the spirit Rarity! Now lets go get some food! I'm starving!" I mentioned. "Food here I come!" I shouted as I rushed into the kitchen, ready to get some food in my belly. I was glad I'd be finally be getting some food to get rid of my morning hunger pains, especially after doing a few tests on my vest. I thought breakfast would never be ready!
Food aside, I was extremely happy that I got back some piece of my past back, even if it wasn't my guitar, but its something I carried with me for almost just as long. Granted it was a garment which happened to be the vest, and served me less than my guitar did, it didn't matter I had something from my past again. I felt it covering me in its embrace, just made me feel safe and almost made me feel as if my past was finally welcoming me instead of hurting me. But one thing puzzled me now that I did have my vest back. Why was my vest now magically resistant, and would it help me now that it was.
End of Chapter 18.