Chapter 2: Jazz on Mah Mind
After reading some of the books about Jazz, she got some idea about what Jazz is all about. And being the Element of Laughter helps in this, as she knows that it is all about having fun and expressing oneself. But the problem is....where on Equestria will she find some of her instruments? The weird curvy thingie called the saxophone, the weird flute-like thing called the clarinet, and she can't really use an electric guitar or a turntable as it will give the whole thing a very different feel. But what she has for the moment is apparently adequate enough to play a form of jazz.
"Okie Dokie Lokie! Now to see if I can do some jazz!!!!!!!" She takes a deep breath and with the power invested in her by the Elements of Harmony, she plays all of her instruments at the same time. What she gets instead is a really, really,REALLY messy cacophony of pain for all her neighbors and especially the Cakes.
"CELESTIA DARN IT PINKIE! CAN'T YOU PLAY THOSE THINGS SOMEWHERE ELSE DURING THE NIGHT?!?! WE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!!!!!!!" All her neighbors shouted at once.
"Sorry everypony....." Pinkie blushed with embarrassment as she replied, her voice fading with a slight tint of shame. Not only did she failed, but she got what she deserved for playing her instruments during the night.
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"Say what know? She's playin' Fancy?" Applejack's response is typical once she misheard Twilight's words that Pinkie is now very much immersed in Jazz. The market today is busy as usual, but for a friend Applejack could always make some time for some talk. Besides, she is definitely interested in this new venture of Pinkie, as she can get a tad bit obsessive about it.
"Not Fancy, Jazz. she caused quite a ruckus last night with her blazing instruments. All I can say is that she's needs a whole lot of work with her Jazz." Twilight laughs as she checks out some of the apples for sale today.
"Oh Jazz. Why have ah heard that name before? It's at the tip of mah tongue...."Applejack rubs her hoof on her chin, deep in thought. And then as if on cue, the blazing cacophony of instruments strikes. Everypony's attention is now on Pinkie Pie marching into town with her whole set of instruments. Twilight could see that Pinkie is trying her best to make some semblance of Jazz with her instruments, but still like she told Applejack, Pinkie's got a long way to go. Applejack could only give a sigh, but then something snaps in her.
"Wait a minute. That sounds like what ah heard from time to time whenever Granny says that she needs to 'relive her youth'! Hey Big Mac, don't you agree that Pinkie's song right now sounds like a really bad version of that style of song that Granny likes to play from time to time?" Applejack looks over her shoulder towards Big Macintosh who was hauling some of the apples to the store.
"Eeyup." A simple, crisp answer slips from Big Macintosh's lips.
"Really? Oh wait....now that I think about it, Jazz is played around the time when Granny Smith was our age." Twilight smiled when she realized the connection.
"Well, maybe mah Granny could do something about that whole blasted consarn from Pinkie." Applejack might as well help Pinkie, or they will sooner or later crack under the sound of agony that Pinkie is subjecting them to.
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-Two days later-
"Really?" Pinkie replies solemnly when Applejack told her that she could help her improve her Jazz.
"Yeah, Granny might know somethin' about that music of yours." Applejack found Pinkie at her room, with a dark, brooding aura around her and seeing that Pinkie is in what Rainbow Dash called "Loony moment". The townsfolk are honestly angry with Pinkie to the extent that Pinkie's morale is on the deep end. Applejack looks at her friend to see the telltale signs of "Loony moment".Straight hair? Check. Dark, faded colors? Check. Crazy, evil loony eye stare? Thankfully, it is not there. As far as Applejack could see, Pinkie's expression is just that of a sad pony rather than a crazed one that Applejack and the others saw during Pinkie's last birthday. Luckily for the cowpony, she could see that Pinkie's hair is puffing up and her colors are returning as Applejack offered her friend some help.
"Can I meet Granny Smith now?" Pinkie asked. Her smile is coming back, Applejack could even see it. Her happiness is always infectious to everypony around her.
"Sure, she'll be happy to meet ya." Applejack gave the pink pony a smile.
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The loud snoring is all that Pinkie and Applejack need to find out where Granny Smith is in Sweet Apple Acres. Well, Granny is quite old and making breakfast for all three of her grandchildren even before the sun was up sure takes a lot out from an old mare like her. Not to mention that her grandchildren are very voracious eaters, thus forcing her to cook even more to sate their hunger. Soon enough, both of the earth ponies are now face to face with the old mare, sleeping on her rocking chair.
"You know Applejack, now that I see her sleeping like this, I felt kinda bad to wake her up....." PInkie sounds a little unsure.
"Relax, Ah know her sleep schedule like how Ah know day and night. In 3......2......1....." The countdown is down to the mark and Granny Smith opened her eyes, only to be greeted by her granddaughter and a fuzzy pink thing.
"Is it time for me to cook for you three again?" Granny sounds dazed, but soon gained enough of her senses to notice that there is a guest in the house.
"Hello Granny Smith." Pinkie was certain to control her enthusiasm around the old mare, as she remembers that older ponies are more sensitive to sudden loud noises. Her Nana Pie taught her that, bless her soul.
"Hello Pinkie, What can Ah do for ya? Want some of them special apples for yer cakes?" Granny asked Pinkie.
"Thanks, but I am here today because I heard from Applejack that you are into Jazz?" Granny Smith's eyes brighten up with the sound of that word.
"Do Ah?!?! Well, Ah guess Ah know enough to turn you inside out! Now, whatcha listen to? Ah personally like those music by the Duke Trottingham, he's sure got that swing in his tune! Of course there is that clean, crisp sound of that pony Evans Birdy with his piano! And then..." As the old pony springs to verbal action, Applejack was taken aback by that enthusiasm. She never seen her Granny talked like that before, as she always remembers her kind and sweet demeanor. But nonetheless, she is happy to see her granny like this.
"Ur......I do not know much about what you are talking about Granny, but the only pony I have listened to so far is Penny Goodpony." Pinkie was also taken aback by this. Since when did Granny became Twilight?
"Penny Goodpony...... Oh how ah remember those days, that pony sure knows how to make some nice party tunes. Remember how everypony will blast one of his tunes...."Granny Smith is now deep in the nostalgia route, but she snaps back to reality knowing that she is straying away.
"So Granny Smith, do you know how to do some jazz?" Pinkie asked the green mare.
"Do ah? Jackie, get me mah harmonica." As Applejack went to retrieve her grandmother's harmonica, Pinkie was a little surprised by Granny's Smith choice of instrument. Isn't Jazz played with those large brass instruments and stuff? Does the old mare even know what she is doing?
"Granny, are you sure you know what you are doing?" Pinkie asked the old mare. But before she gets an answer from the old mare, she heard some hoofprints.
"Here ya go, Granny. Let'er rip." Applejack returns, with an old nickel harmonica in her mouth. She passes the harmonica over to her grandmother, and winks at her grandmother. Pinkie was confused over the exchange, and wonders what is in stall for her.
As the old mare takes a breath, she could feel the tune that she wants to play. It is an old tune about the good o' South, the tough times of the land and the harvests, and how there was a time where everything is much simpler for everypony. She closes her eyes, and then blows into her harmonica. Her thoughts came out flawlessly on the harmonica, telling her life's story for the world to hear.
Immediately, Pinkie's jaw dropped. Applejack looks at Pinkie and smiles, using her hoof to close Pinkie's jaw back again. Applejack have gotten used to Granny Smith's virtuosity with her harmonica, but most ponies could not comprehend her skill with the harmonica as they expected her to be that old grandmother who was too old for anything.
Pinkie on the other hand, suffers from having her mind blown up badly. How? What? When? Who? Which? She was utterly speechless. How did Granny Smith get that tune down so good with only an old harmonica, while she failed with so many instruments? As old Granny Smith went on, Pinkie could only give the old mare a whole level of respect. And then it was then that Pinkie realized that the old mare is now, for wanting of better words, 'stylin'. Pinkie's mind exploded for the second time that day.
Once Granny Smith stops playing her tune,she opened her eyes and realized that Pinkie is now on her haunches, and her expression so blank that it is blanker than Applebloom's flank without a cutie mark. Granny Smith looks at Applejack, but all the orange pony could giver her grandmother is a shrug and a smile.
"Oh.......my......Celestia." Pinkie finally mustered the words from her mouth. Utter amazement is the tone of the day from Pinkie's words.
"Yer darn tootin' right you said Her name. Ah told ya that ah know enough to turn you inside out."
"But...how Granny Smith? How did you...."Pinkie could only try to figure out the next word that is coming out from her mouth. Granny Smith gave her a wink.
"Jazz is as Jazz does, just funny that way. That and it's a language of the heart." Granny's cryptic message only serves to make the pink pony stood there in silence.
"Granny, can you teach me Jazz?" Pinkie finally asked the old mare. Granny Smith gave Pinkie a heartly laugh and pats Pinkie on the shoulder.
"Ah have to tell ya, Ah am a hard taskmaster. Yer sure?" She looked at Pinkie's cerulean blue eyes with her own orange ones. Her kind voice sounds caring and yet stern at the same time.
"I am sure of it."
"Alrighty then! See ya in the morning! Wait....before that....you wanna have some apple pie?" Granny Smith then beckons Applejack to go to the kitchen to give their guest a slice of their famous apple pie.
Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye, I will get the gist of Jazz !, Pinkie solemnly swears in her heart.