Are You Ready?

by Dirty Bit


Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Welcome Back

The mane six, along with Spike and the Shadowcolt, have all boarded a train from the Ponyville Train Station that was scheduled to head to a place called Canterlot. He figured it was a fitting name, given how he was headed towards an amazing city with a castle in it, and could only wonder if the Royal Guard there was as good as the mares claimed. It didn't matter to him now, as he was almost done with another book he brought with him. Twilight was just amazed at how dedicated Dr. Facilier was to reading books, and wondered if the two would ever want to discuss certain books over tea. The doctor slammed the book shut as he had wicked grin on his face, startling Twilight "Doctor, you look like you're ready to kill somepony..." she watched him do a double take and look over at Twilight with mock confusion.

"Why you say that? Do I look that bad?
I don't really wanna make you mad..."

Twilight shook her head "No, sorry, I shouldn't say it like that...Maybe that's how you always smile!" She said with a smile of her own. Another bullet dodged. It was good to know most of his actions considered shady to most people manage to blend in with the norm around Ponyville, moreso his new 'friends', especially Fluttershy. He could only wonder why she cared so much for him, and even turned to see her look out the window, lost in thought. He had a mind to talk to her, but then he remembered the spell he covered. The doctor wanted to bring something to life, but what?" he looked around to find no worthy candidates, making him sigh as he looked down. Twilight looked at Dr. Facilier and tilted her head 'Is he thinking about Fluttershy perhaps? The two seem almost perfect for each other...' but she wasn't aware of his dark motives at all. The doctor continued staring as he pouted over not finding any suitable test subjects, until an idea dawned right in front of him. It was there, it wasn't a mare, and it was as shady as his heart. His eyes slowly widened as he stared down, and then beamed with overzealous glee as he got up and went to cheer out loud, only to remember he was around the 6 mares and Spike, who only glared at him while the rest stared. He shifted his eyes, looking embarrassed as he thought of an excuse to be alone.

"I feel like stretchin' my legs for a while...
It's not like this trip lasts for a good long mile."

Fluttershy and Twilight looked at each other, then at the Shadowcolt, with Twilight speaking first "Do your legs need that much exercise? The train's moving pretty fast and I don't think there's much else to do here..." Pinkie then hopped up "Except sing! But the better question is what song would be best for a train trip? Oh wait, I know!" She cleared her throat "IIIIII've been working on the raaaailroad~, aaaaall the wind long daaaaaay~!" Dr. Facilier winced with each word, slowly inching away from Pinkie as she continued singing 'Confound these ponies! They drive me batty! I gotta get outta here quick!' he thought as he turned to Twilight and Fluttershy, smiling.

"While you sing your diddies and let melodies loom,
I'm gonna go find the little colt's room!"

He then quickly zipped to the nearest cart door, opening it with his unicorn magic. Twilight called out "But Docto-" the door already slammed shut, leaving everypony and Spike staring in confusion, Spike hopping up on his seat and breaking the silence "What is with that guy?" He scratched his head as Twilight responded "I don't know..." there was an awkward silence as she then added "I wonder how long it'll take for him to realize there isn't a bathroom on the train..." They continued staring, until Spike shrugged "He'll figure it out eventually..." he said as he plopped back down into his seat, next to Rarity, who was hoping Dr. Facilier wasn't messing up the suit as he went through the next cart.

When the Shadowcolt got through the door, he was lucky enough to notice the cart he was currently in was as empty as his suit's pockets. He grinned, and gave a low cackle as he shifted his eyes around to make sure nopony was watching. He then saw his shadow on the wall and narrowed his eyes with determination and dark glee, his horn beginning to glow 'Time for a little experimentation...Experimentation central!!' he thought to himself with a chuckle as he zapped the statue with a small beam. The doctor stood idly by, waiting for results. For a few minutes, nothing happened, leading him to think he had been gypped, or that he must've misread a page or two. He went to go back, until his ears perked up, hearing an eerie rumble echo in the cart. Dr. Facilier quickly turned back and darted his eyes all around the cart to see nothing shaking. He thought he was hearing things, until he caught his shadow rippling as if it were a reflection in beach water. He stared in question, wondering if he was successful, and his jaw hit the floor when he saw his shadow stretching each of its limbs and opened his mouth, acting like it woke up from a long slumber. It scratched the back of its head for a second, and then jumped in surprise to see Dr. Facilier grinning widely at it.

"I'd thought our thing was at an end...
Welcome back to life, my friend..."

The shadow jumped around in joy, and then jumped to the doctor as the two somehow shared a hug. The Shadowcolt was chuckling, as he gave off a mischievous glint in his eyes 'The Shadowman is back, baby...'

He came back to the cart where the mares and dragon reside, trotting back to his seat next to Fluttershy, who stared at him "D-Did you realize there was no bathroom on this train?" Of course he knew there wasn't, he just needed air and a place to conduct his experiment, and he could never be happier with the results. He nodded to Fluttershy in mock disappointment.

"Yeah, I guess I pushed my luck
I only have myself to buck..."

Applejack looked over at him with an arched eyebrow, suspicious to what he had said "Ya sure y'all ain't tellin' a tall tale, Sugarcube?" The doctor looked back at her, and shook his head as he rolled his eyes.

"I jus' don't know about Ponyville much.
I've only been here for a day and such..."

That time, Applejack's expression of suspicion changed as she smiled "Well, that much is true...Iffin' I didn't know any better, I'd say you were fibbin' somethin' fierce, Doc..." He kept a calm face and nodded, but on the inside, he felt threatened by Applejack. Was this mare some kind of living lie detector? He should probably use his words more carefully, but then decided to think about what he would do and say to the Princess once he sees her. The doctor's shadow could only raise a hoof over its mouth and shake a little, looking like it was stifling a giggle. Twilight was looking out the window, and turned to catch a faint glimpse of the shadow giggling, turning back to the window. She then widened her eyes in confusion as she quickly darted back to the shadow, who was mimicking Dr. Facilier's movement like always. She scratched her head as she looked confused 'Maybe I should sleep more. I HAVE been studying a bit too much lately...'.

It felt like the trip was going to end as deafening silence filled the air. Pinkie hopped up from her seat with a look of determination on her face "Okay, everypony!" Spike shot a quick glare "...And dragon!" Spike smiled "So far, this trip has been BOOORING~! We need to liven things up if we wanna get to Canterlot faster!" Rarity turned to Pinkie "What makes you think waltzing around the cart like a ruffian would move things faster, Pinkie?" Pinkie patted Rarity "Oh, ye of little faith!" She raised her forelegs in the air "Time flies when you're having too much fun! Sooooo~, let's have some fun!" Fluttershy cringed a bit "U-Umm, no thank you, Pinkie...I'd rather not get the conductor angry..." Applejack added "Yeah, and besides...Rainbow Dash here's asleep." She points a hoof to show Rainbow Dash snoozing comfortably in her seat, her head leaning against the window. Pinkie could only look as if it were some kind of mystery "Is she now?" She slowly leaned near Rainbow Dash, and after a few seconds of staring at her snoring, she took a deep breath, then shouted "DASHIE! ARE YOU STILL ASLEEP!?" This caused Dash to jump and hit her head on the ceiling, landing back in her seat on her rump as she rubbed her head, glaring at Pinkie "Not cool, Pinkie!" It's a good thing no one caught Dr. Facilier chuckling at this "Dr. Facilier?" No one except Fluttershy 'Son of a-' He stopped laughing and turned to Fluttershy, who tilted her head in curiousity at the doctor "What were you just laughing about??" knowing it was only her who was curious, he only waved a hoof.

"I jus' remembered a funny joke,
Ain't nothing that big for you to poke."

Fluttershy responded "Oh, okay..." She looked down, but then looked back up with light in her eyes as she grinned "I can't wait for you to meet Princess Celestia! Oh, I'm sure if everypony in Ponyville likes you, then maybe the Princess will as well!" Dr. Facilier chuckled in agreement, plotting some witty lines to use on her once they arrived. But then, Pinkie hopped next to the doctor, smiling "Hey! Dr. Fa-silly-a! Why don't you use your shadow and have some fun?" He looked at her with wide eyes, stunned to realize she even knew about this. Twilight turned to Pinkie "Pinkie, what are you talking about? Are you talking about shadow puppetry? Because those are best performed in the dark, or at slumber parties! Or both..." Pinkie shook her head "Nonono, I mean his SHADOW! It can do awesome shapes of its own!" Rarity could only look exasparated at Pinkie's current spiel "Pinkie, why do you wish to press this issue further? You sound as if the shadow is alive!" Pinkie then yelled 'Duh~!!" Rarity groaned at her response "What even gave you that thought?" Pinkie then grinned "I read the last few paragraphs of this chapter!" Rarity couldn't say another word, and Dr. Facilier, along with everypony else in the room was stunned at Pinkie's words, though Twilight could only hide some thoughts from her friends about the statement involving seeing the shadow move by itself, and Rainbow Dash broke the short period of awkward silence as she shook her head at Pinkie "Pinkie Pie...You are SO random..." She went to go back to bed, but then an announcement was heard as the train conductor entered the room "We'll be boarding Canterlot station shortly! Get ready, everypony!" Spike and Rainbow Dash groaned in unison, Rainbow not getting to nap again, and Spike being treated like he was invisible.

The train finally stopped at the station, letting off a thick blanket of steam as the wheels grinded to a halt. The group then got up and out of the train as they made their way through Canterlot, Dr. Facilier looking around to see all sorts of ponies with their noses in the air, dressed in high-class clothing. Some of them turned to see them, and sneered and grimaced at the sight of the doctor, not even acknowledging the suit Rarity made for him. This only served to annoy him as he passed along, but then felt a nudge at his side to see Fluttershy look at her with pleading eyes "I-I hope they aren't making you mad at all, Dr. Facilier..." Before he could answer, a couple of ponies stopped in front of the group. One of them was a colt wearing a black tophat and monocle, his cutie mark being a bag full of bits, while the other was a mare wearing a fancy long-brimmed hat, her cutie mark being a boquet of flowers of different kinds. They both shared posh, condescending looks as they graced the doctor with their debunking "I say, what is a zebra like you doing in Canterlot, and with that hat no less!" The stallion said, with the mare following "I hope you don't muck up the streets with your filth...I heard zebras are very filthy ponies!" Twilight sighed at the two and turned to the group "Just ignore them, we gotta go." They began walking, heeding Twilight's words. However, Dr. Facilier had other plans. When they were a good distance enough, he looked back at the two looking at him with winces and sneers, and glared back, only to remember his friend. He looked down to his shady partner with a smile and nodded his head over to the ignorant couple behind him. The shadow gave a crooked smile and a silent salute as he swooped over to them on the ground the moment both staring parties turned away from each other. While they were walking, the shadow was lucky enough for the couple to be near a wall as it projected itself along said wall at a larger scale, extending a long foreleg in front of the colt's shadow. As if by some cosmic force, the colt himself tripped along with his shadow, falling facefirst on the ground and breaking his monocle. When the mare noticed and looked down at her husband, the shadow then extended a hoof to the shadow of the mare, taking off her hat, and revealing a puffed white mane while she wasn't looking. Taking a lucky guess, he pulled on the mare's mane, only to have it come off easily. It was nothing more than a wig, hiding the hideous visage on top of the mare's head as small hairs could be seen. This caused the mare to look up and gasp, crying in shame as those around her began to laugh and insult the couple. With the mission accomplished, the shadow swooped right back to its master, who could only watch the scene unfold with a pleased grin, giving his shadow a brohoof, to which it returned with a crooked smile. He knew anything that could be made fun of or could destroy someone's dignity was nothing more than a delicacy for rich folk, pony or otherwise. It wasn't long until the mane six and Spike caught on to the scene as well, Fluttershy being worried "Oh my...those poor ponies..." Spike shrugged his shoulders "Karma's wierd that way." Dr. Facilier turned to Spike with a smile.

"I hear ya, Spike, those ponies don't know,
That the powers that be wouldn't let this go."

Spike looked away from the doctor as he faced the castle "I didn't ask for your opinion..." he muttered, Twilight looking up at Spike and sighing at his childish hate for the doctor. She should remember to give him a good talking to later "C'mon, girls, we knew this would happen. Now let's hurry to the castle. We don't wanna keep Celestia waiting!" It wasn't long before they reached the castle gates and waited for them to open.

End of Chapter 9