//------------------------------// // Chapter 18 // Story: Joe // by JMDARE //------------------------------// Walking across Ponyville the feeling that he should flee back to his hut, or for the hills, began to grow in Joe. There had been the surprise kiss in the morning and then the surprise invitation in the afternoon so if the pattern continued there might be another surprise in the evening or night. The conversation with Rarity as he’d changed out of his suit and into the altered shirt and trousers and his old boots had been inconsequential and light. Joe had soon got dressed and put things back in pockets and threaded his belt through the trouser beltloops and to hold his knife scabbard. But Rarity had continued to give him speculative looks that he’d done his best to ignore so it had been good to get away from the Carousel Boutique and her obvious temptation to ask more questions. There were a few market stalls set up so Joe decided to buy a few sundries before visiting the Golden Oaks Library. As he finished his shopping and heard some familiar voices that seemed fortunate, or unfortunate, depending on if they tried to get him into more trouble. Coming around the corner of a stall he saw three small ponies arguing with another two. “Hmm!” snorted a grey Filly with a tiara. “You expected us to think he could fight a Manticore and now you tell us he knows how to fly?” “Indeed!” a Filly with a spoon decorating her rear sneered. “He doesn’t even have any wings.” “I told you,” growled Scootaloo, “his people use machines.” “A likely story,” sniffed the one with a tiara. Realising this was the infamous pair of Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had complained about, and that they were discussing him, Joe cleared his throat. “Hello girls,” he said as they turned and noticed him. For a moment Silver Spoon kept her sneer but then she realised her eye level was only as high as Joe’s knee. His height might come from the freakish way he walked about on just one pair of legs but he was towering over them. He did look strong enough to throw a Filly up a tree, even if she still doubted he’d survive against a Manticore. And something about his eyes reminded her of the gossip about humans and how bloodthirsty they must be if they ate meat. “Joe,” Apple Bloom demanded, “push up your sleeve!” “Which one?” smiled Joe. “The one over the kitten scratches or not?” “Kitten… scratches?” Diamond Tiara repeated in bafflement. “As Fluttershy pointed out, at length, the Manticore was only a cub,” nodded Joe, pushing up his left sleeve to show the scars, “and would have been even smaller when it mauled me. Which was fortunate for me.” “I, erm,” Silver Spoon said, still doubting Joe would survive against a full size Manticore but at least partway convinced about a cub. “And how would you have escaped a Manticore of any size?” sniffed Diamond Tiara. “You really are a rude little girl… filly… aren’t you?” Joe said, pushing his sleeve back down and returning her hauteur. “But to answer your question, as discourteously as you put it, I stabbed it in the face and neck with this knife, in a rather panicked manner, until it decided to stop chewing on me.” “See!” said Scootaloo. Diamond Tiara stamped her hoof, her namesake jewellery wobbling on her head and Silver Spoon looking embarrassed as she realised her friend was close to throwing a tantrum. “You’re lying!” Diamond Tiara said. “And so are these three!” “You can ask Fluttershy,” Joe calmly replied. “She saw the scars the knife had left on the Manticore and was rather upset, rather more upset than from seeing the scars it had left on me.” He glanced around and noticed some Pony passers-by had stopped passing and were showing an interest. “But myself I am going to continue to the library.” “All right Joe,” nodded Apple Bloom. “I’d advise you two,” Joe continued to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, “to be sure if someone is lying before you accuse them of that. And I’d advise you three,” he added, turning to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, “that if they think you are lying then let them. It’s not worth the time to argue with some people.” “Well!” huffed Diamond Tiara, echoed with less conviction by Silver Spoon. “Nice seeing you Joe,” Sweetie Belle said as he nodded to them and turned away. It was not far to the Golden Oaks Library, but far enough to give Joe time to regret having not gone straight there. At least he’d finished his shopping so he didn’t have to go back to the marketplace. He just hoped the public confirmation of some part of the stories it seemed the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been continuing to tell would not cause any trouble for him. Though part of him wanted to go straight back to his hut, put on his armour, and go back to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon and ask them nastily if they wanted to argue about if he could fight a Manticore. Humour came to his rescue as he remembered a story where three children told their own versions of a hero in front of that hero’s secret identity and instantly recognised him when he donned his costume. The real hero had not impressed those boys, even in costume, and Joe had to admit it was unlikely he would impress the Fillies here, even in armour. He reached the library and, bending slightly as always, opened the door and went inside to the reassuringly musty smell of books combined with all the smells of a home. “Joe,” Twilight Sparkle greeted him, “thank you for helping Spike tidy up and with his pet-sitting. I did ask him if he was sure he could handle it.” “I didn’t do much,” smiled Joe, “there was not much mess and once the pets were settled they seemed calm enough.” “And once Angel Bunny was no longer his concern?” Twilight Sparkle winked. “That probably helped more than anything I did,” commented Joe as he lowered his bag to the floor and found the book to offer it. “Finished already?” Twilight Sparkle asked as her horn glowed and the book floated from Joe’s hand. “Already?” “Never mind. You want the next one?” “Please.” Joe felt a little puzzled as Twilight Sparkle returned the Daring Do to the shelf and found the next instalment of the archaeologist Mare’s adventures. He’d avoided reading it for a few days while he was wondering about how long it would be before he wanted to visit Ponyville and the library again. Still it had taken a few hours and she perhaps assumed he had as little free time for recreational reading as someone with all her responsibilities might. It seemed to take Twilight Sparkle a little longer than normal to find the book and when she turned around she was looking nervous. “Here you are.” “Thank you,” Joe said, taking the book as it floated to him. “Joe…” “Yes?” “You know you spoke to Spike a few days ago, the day after you and he and Pinkie went to the Diamond Dogs?” “Yes” Joe repeated, getting worried and suspicious. Or suspicious and worried, he wasn’t sure. “I followed Spike, I was worried,” blushed Twilight Sparkle, “and I listened to your conversation.” “I’d say it was pretty obvious I wasn’t going to go anywhere that day, so you might not have had to listen to all of it. But then again I have been making plenty of mistakes recently so I can’t take offence that you were that concerned.” “Thanks Joe.” “You probably remember the conversation better than I do, I was very tired, so I hope I did not say anything to add to your concern.” “Hmm, sleepy but polite,” Twilight Sparkle said, giving Joe a reassuring smile. Joe nodded to this and gave a slight smile back in return. She wasn’t sure if he’d have smiled even that much if she’d mentioned him saying he thought she could fry his balls with magic, though she expected he’d claim that fear showed respect for her power and skill. Which would have been an embarrassing compliment even without having mentioned the other compliment of saying she was a fine ‘big sister’. Joe had put the book away and it looked as if he was going to pick up his bag and leave. “Do you have to leave at once?” “I suppose not,” Joe replied. None of his shopping would be harmed by remaining in the bag and he’d only read, or brood, at his hut until it was time for his evening chores and routine and exercise. “Well, erm…” he hesitated before thinking of a topic of conversation, “I’ve heard some versions but what’s your perspective on yesterday and the Crystal Empire?” “What have you heard?” asked Twilight Sparkle, looking a little puzzled Joe had already managed to gossip. “That your time was spent trying to get either your sister-in-law or your brother to take over the castle tour from Pinkie Pie.” “One way of putting it,” smiled Twilight Sparkle before she looked more sombre again, “did you hear about my mistake with greeting the wrong Pony?” “Ah,” Joe said, rubbing his beard and deciding it would not be too great an indiscretion to continue, “what I heard, and had to reassure her about, was Rainbow Dash also taking the blame.” “Rainbow? Why?” “You might have greeted the wrong Pony, which was a mistake, but she’d been compounding it by dismissing clues that was the wrong Pony as being part of a test. And she did say you might have realised sooner if you’d not been spending your time on going back and forth to check on Princess Cadance or try to get Shining Armour. Which I think you would.” “Hmm.” Joe gave Twilight Sparkle a serious look. “If you two were not such close friends I’d have not said anything…” “No, thank you. I had wondered why, even as determined as she was to get the Games for the Crystal Empire, Rainbow had taken it so hard when it had seemed like it was my fault. I’d started to apologise and take the blame and she interrupted me with her own apologies.” “To be honest I don’t think there was any blame or fault,” Joe smiled. “And if you found the real games inspector at the spa then she didn’t seem to be making much effort to inspect the games facilities. Greeting the wrong Pony is a mistake but the right Pony has almost the same obligation to alert you to the mistake or to get on with her job.” “I think she went to the spa after a wagon splattered her,” argued Twilight Sparkle, but then she suddenly giggled. “Oh, imagine it though. If the games inspector had shown up at the track while the other Pony was barging all the athletes aside and running wild. What impression would that have given after she’d not been greeted and had needed to make her own way there.” “See, things could have been worse.” Before Twilight Sparkle could decide whether to thank Joe for the reassurance, argue that they had been bad enough, or ask what else he had heard about the events of the day before the door of the Golden Oaks Library opened again. Unwilling to show the patience needed to enter one after another the Cutie Mark Crusaders almost wedged themselves together in the doorframe. Fortunately they were still fairly small Fillies so they managed to fit all three at once. “Hi Joe!” Apple Bloom greeted him. “Hello again you three.” “I understand I have you to blame for the questions from Scootaloo?” said Twilight Sparkle, changing the subject and giving Joe a look. “Guilty.” “You missed it!” Apple Bloom continued. “Missed what?” frowned Joe. “Just after you left Diamond Tiara’s father arrived,” Scootaloo continued for her friend, “and he was not pleased she was making such a scene…” “And then she wailed at him,” said Apple Bloom, taking the explanation back into her hooves, “about how you had been so rude to her.” “Ah.” “Don’t worry Joe,” Sweetie Belle said reassuringly, “the stall holder told her father that you’d been quite polite considering how rude she had been to you and how she had accused you of lying about surviving a Manticore, even after you’d shown the scars on your foreleg.” “Arm,” corrected Joe automatically before he sighed. “Which means he heard what we were saying…” Joe paused a moment and then shook his head. “But fortunately this is the town where Ponies confront full-grown Dragons and giant Timber Wolves or,” he gave a nod to Twilight Sparkle, “use their magic to soothe Ursa Minors and send them back to the Everfree to sleep. So surviving a kitten-Manticore is not impressive enough for much gossip, if any.” Joe paused again. “But how did her father react?” “He told her off for being rude,” Scootaloo said, adding, “but it did seem more he was telling her she shouldn’t tell people they were liars to their face rather than thinking we weren’t lying.” “That could actually be good news,” nodded Joe, trying to look on the bright side, “as gossip about me making stories up could be safer. If Spike hadn’t believed what he’d heard about us going into the Everfree then he’d have not suggested going to visit the Diamond Dogs…” “You went to visit the Diamond Dogs?” Apple Bloom interrupted. “Weren’t that a bit stupid?” “Yes,” admitted Joe. “Yes,” Twilight Sparkle reinforced. “Though if that is where those came from they did get some lovely gems,” commented Sweetie Belle. “What happened?” Scootaloo asked, buzzing a little into the air. “We dug up some gems and left without having to fight any Diamond Dogs,” replied Joe, “and as poor a story as that is I’d ask you to not tell it. Though if it makes me seem more the liar then…” “My sister has told people that she got gems from Spike and what a little star he is,” Sweetie Belle said. “It could still sound like I was trying to take credit where none was due.” “Ain’t you worried about being thought of as a false tale-spinner?” Apple Bloom asked. “I could tell a lot of stories, and there’d be no proof whether they were fact or fiction,” chuckled Joe. “I remember a story, that was fiction, where someone from a different world was trying to gather information while on mine and they thought a fictional character seemed far more likely to exist than some real history to have happened.” “Joe…” Scootaloo said, suddenly looking worried, “were you only telling us stories when you talked about human flying machines?” “That’s aerodynamics and aeronautics,” replied Joe, to Scootaloo’s relief, “not a story.” == The skies above Ponyville were quiet, the silence only broken by the sound of birds and wind and a few faint noises drifting up from below. Rainbow Dash took off from the cloud on which she had been resting and began another slow meandering flight. Flying helped her think and she had a fair bit to think about. She’d told Joe the truth when she said she was having less trouble enjoying the second kiss than him, but she hadn’t told him how much less trouble. Or just how little the ‘little weird’ it felt was. As surprised as he seemed to have been by the first kiss she’d surprised herself almost as much with that and with how little difference his strange shape made to her enjoyment. So it was all the more annoying that her shape made such a difference to him and that left her with some decisions. Was he worth the patience and the hope that his attitude would change? She thought so and even if there was no more kissing, or anything else, she enjoyed his company and he’d been honest enough with her that she didn’t think he’d let her linger in false hope. But even if she was sure she could get him used to the idea, as different a challenge as it was from most of those she had faced, she did not enjoy waiting. Joe enjoying and reading the Daring Do books had brought back memories of her hospital stay where she’d first read those. She’d been impatient to be released from hospital and then, once she had started it, impatient to find out what happened next in the book. And she was feeling even more impatient to find out what might happen with Joe. Rainbow Dash dipped a wing and banked around into a slow descent towards Ponyville, she knew who she was going to speak to about a quicker solution. == Paper covered the table, both loose and with sketches and notes across it and the neater more organised stacks called books. The library did have books on the study of flight, whether bird or bat or insect as nature would contain on Joe’s world or Pegasus or Griffon as was added here. That there was little on Dragons was a disappointment to Joe as it had been to Spike, but for a different reason. Spike had wanted to know more about the culture of his bloodkin and Joe just wanted to know how something that big flew. It was obviously magic but was it strengthening the bones and muscles and wing membranes or was it lifting them more directly? The discussion of aerodynamics was going well though and with Twilight Sparkle to help with the mathematics and explain some of the equations, to Joe as well as to the Fillies, they were getting a good idea of how to calculate the forces to add to Joe’s memory of what proportions looked right. He’d mentioned different sorts of wing and different numbers and they seemed to be settling on a very high wing monoplane with a tail plane. Having the wing on a sturdy strut or pair of struts in a V above the fuselage kept it well clear of the ground for landing and takeoff and kept it out of the way of the view while in the air. More important it had just seemed so weird to the Ponies the idea of having two or three levels of wings for a biplane or triplane or having a tail at the front for a canard configuration, and even stranger that that was called ‘duck’. Joe had been unable to explain why it was called that and had tried to divert the conversation by talking about landing gear and how although most planes had a tricycle configuration now that for a while a lot did land tail down. This puzzled the Ponies but they agreed that if could make more sense to have two large wheels and one small tailwheel rather than three large wheels dangling down or needing to be raised. “I think a fixed tricycle configuration will be best,” Joe concluded, “though we’d probably still put a wheel or a skid under the tail. At the speed we are aiming for it shouldn’t add too much drag to have three wheels and that, and we don’t want the complexity of trying to make the gear retractable.” “Not this time at least!” said Scootaloo. “Are you going to make me regret making it clear how much larger and faster human planes can be?” “Would I?” Scootaloo asked, giving him an innocent look. “Still,” said Joe, “this does depend on where the engine… or magic device… is going to be mounted.” He pointed at a sketch. “I’d be inclined to mount it on the wing and make it a pusher propeller.” “Wouldn’t that push the nose down?” Scootaloo frowned. “Yes, but it would put the weight of the engine directly on the wing…” Joe paused and looked to Twilight Sparkle. “Though I don’t know how important that would be if the propeller is going to be driven through magic.” “It’s probably going to weigh less than you think, Joe.” Joe nodded. “And be less bulky, so we could have a nose propeller…” He pointed again at his sketch. “Which is more normal for light aircraft, but would mean the landing gear would have to be long enough to keep the prop clear of the ground.” “Ah’m not sure ah want to be looking through a propeller,” Apple Bloom commented. “What if we put it at the back?” asked Scootaloo, pointing at the sketch herself. “Then we don’t have to look through it and it won’t be pushing the nose down.” “Landing gear?” Sweetie Belle asked tentatively. “Right,” nodded Joe again, “would still need fairly long landing gear and gives the problem of how to link fuselage with tail.” He stopped, thought, and made another quick sketch. “Though if we made it a... ah, can’t remember the term… small lower wing and large upper wing then rather than struts coming straight back we could form a pyramid.” “More drag,” Scootaloo said decisively. “But it will work, I had a picture of a biplane on my wall back home with that configuration,” mused Joe. “still inclined towards a wing-mounted pusher though as even the weight of you Fillies and the thrust of the propeller combined should be easy enough to balance. Though if you had a nose propeller and an open back like a bobsleigh then Scootaloo might be able to push for more speed.” “Cool!” Scootaloo proclaimed. “What’s a bobsleigh?” “I mentioned some human winter sports to Rainbow Dash and this is one of them. You have a long track of polished ice winding its way down a mountain and groups of humans run along pushing a sleigh to get some initial speed before they all jump into it.” Joe paused. “Actually a bobsleigh and what we might build for this fuselage look quite similar.” He made a quick sketch of the streamlined shape with the open top. “And given how fast a bobsleigh can be going by the time it reaches the end of the track, just from gravity…” “Can’t be that fast.” “Fast enough Scoots that when they go around the curves,” Joe said making the motion with his hand, “they go right up on the side of the track despite the track being broader and deeper there.” “Whoa!” Twilight Sparkle frowned slightly. She had been mildly impressed by the knowledge Joe had and that he had asked reasonably intelligent questions where he did not understand something in the books. But the more he spoke and the more he worked with the Cutie Mark Crusaders on their project the more annoyed she felt that he’d not done this weeks ago. Or not necessarily this but something that would mean he was using his brains or what he knew to a greater extent than the chores at Sweet Apple Acres demanded. Partially as a test of his understanding Twilight Sparkle snagged a book on Physics from the shelf and started to bring it across to add to those near Joe, but then the door almost slammed open. “Twi!” Rainbow Dash demanded, “You have…” She stopped as she saw her friend was not alone. “have company.” “Dash,” smiled Joe, rising to his feet, “good to see you.” Scootaloo streaked across to hug her heroine and Rainbow Dash returned that. “Hi squirt,” she said, before looking to Joe. “What are you doing here Joe?” “I brought a book back,” Joe replied, not pointing out that he’d said he was going to, “and got snagged by the Fillies. And I did bring something for you.” “You fixin’ to start givin’ Rainbow Dash presents?” asked Apple Bloom suspiciously. “You think I should?” Joe asked in reply as he rootled in his bag. “Of course,” said Scootaloo, releasing Rainbow Dash to look at Joe, “she is awesome!” “And these are the result of that,” Joe nodded, pulling out the subtly misshapen dart heads and putting them on the table. “I don’t understand,” said Sweetie Belle, peering at them. Scootaloo hopped and buzzed back across as Rainbow Dash followed more calmly and Twilight Sparkle also looked at the dart heads. “Those look a bit big to be your arrows,” Twilight Sparkle commented tentatively, she’d not seen those outside the quiver, “but I remember Rainbow asking you about throwing those and you saying they would be a bit light and flimsy for that.” “So she had these heavier ones made,” smiled Joe, “and until she dove and released them they had some wooden shafts and some fletching… fins at the rear to stabilise them… and I had an archery target.” “You said you wanted to see what would happen,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “And I did, want to see and did see,” agreed Joe, his hand describing the motions. “A beautiful streak of rainbow colours arcing down out of the sky, a perfectly timed release and pull up, and as expected my target was no more. Then when I dug along the holes these had made beyond the target I found the impact had also shattered the shafts of the darts.” “As expected?” Twilight Sparkle asked. “Joe mentioned humans have weapons that propel solid metal darts,” said Rainbow Dash, hoping she wasn’t blushing at Joe’s mild praise, “which are heavier and are propelled at supersonic speeds and would hit even harder.” “I had to reassure her with that example,” Joe added, “that it wasn’t just the math of how much harder she’d hit than my throw…” “Huh?” commented Apple Bloom. “Kinetic energy goes up as the square of the velocity,” Joe explained, “so several times faster hits several times several times as hard.” Twilight Sparkle blinked as although that was simple physics it was something else she’d not expected Joe to know, even if humans did seem inclined to throw or propel things to hurt at a distance so that sort of physics would be more important to them. Though what Rainbow had said did raise another question. She looked at Joe. “Why do humans have weapons that propel solid metal darts that hard?” “Ah.” “Because they have armoured vehicles that are tough enough to need that to pierce their armour,” Rainbow Dash answered for him. “Which apparently I wouldn’t have done, as good a job as I did on his target.” “You might manage,” said Joe, caution being subsumed by a need to reassure, “you could have been flying faster and holding one heavier dart rather than two light ones… and you could aim for their topside, which is generally lighter armoured than their sides or front or rear. Hit an engine vent and you might cripple it enough to catch fire and have to be abandoned.” “Thanks Joe,” Rainbow Dash grinned, “and I won’t ask you for all the reasons why it might not be that simple.” “Eerm.” “So, what are these called?” Twilight Sparkle asked. “You must have a better name than just armoured vehicle.” “Actually… no.” “No?” Twilight Sparkle repeated in bafflement. “The general term for them all, the various sorts with their different roles is that, or even just ‘armour’ or ‘armoured’. One language is fond of compound words and the latter was how the one meaning armoured-wagon was shortened. Or they all get called by the cover-name we, my country invented the first successful ones, gave the earliest examples. They were large, they were metal, and the crates were about the right size so we pretended we were shipping water tanks. And calling them Tanks stuck.” “Tanks?” Apple Bloom said. “Like Rainbow Dash’s Turtle?” “Tortoise,” corrected Joe, “and he’s more like a helicopter, which can be the deadly enemy of Tanks as they pop up from…” He paused and trailed off. “From behind cover… and I’ve been trying to be careful with what I say.” Joe looked at the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “So I have probably said too much and definitely said too much about such things in front of Fillies.” “We didn’t mind,” Sweetie Belle reassured him. “I’m not that interested but you’ve been helping us with this so seems fair to let you talk about something else for a while.” “I want to see Joe’s target and how awesome Rainbow Dash has been,” added Scootaloo. “Ah don’t think Joe was worried about if we were bored Sweetie Belle,” Apple Bloom said, looking at him before looking at her fellow Crusader. “Ah think he was concerned it was not a suitable subject for our ears. Talking about weapons and killing and vehicles for suchlike.” “I’m sorry Joe,” nodded Twilight Sparkle, “I know why you feel you need to be careful, so I should have quizzed you in private.” “And you know why I’d have had to be careful in private as well,” Joe replied. “So,” said Rainbow Dash as Twilight Sparkle nodded to Joe’s statement, “why are you squirts here anyway, other than apparently to embarrass Joe? More of the questions about human flying machines?” “Covered a lot of paper,” Joe agreed, “and getting towards them knowing as much as I do about this.” “You’ve taught them all you know about human flight already?” squinted Rainbow Dash. “As much as I know that is relevant to trying to build a Microlight,” Joe corrected. “What if we don’t want to build a Microlight?” asked Apple Bloom. “Then you don’t have to,” Joe smiled, “though with all the work we’ve done we may as well try to make a few models.” “Not what ah meant,” said Apple Bloom, “ah mean what if we want to make something that ain’t simple.” “Then there is an awful lot I am even more vague on,” Joe admitted, “so be very difficult.” “Can we talk Twi?” asked Rainbow Dash quietly as the Cutie Mark Crusaders assured Joe they were not scared of hard work. “Privately I mean.” “Okay,” Twilight Sparkle replied, “we can go downstairs…” She raised her voice. “Will you be fine looking after these three and the library Joe? Spike should be back soon.” “Sure, I should be fine.” Barely had Joe given that reassurance than his attention was demanded again and he had to turn back to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Rainbow Dash bit her lower lip as she saw this, he was good with Fillies as well as, apparently, with animals but did Joe regard that as being the same skill? There was some common ground in needing patience and kindness but inside him did Joe regard this as childsitting or petsitting? Twilight Sparkle noticed the strange look on her friend’s face but didn’t say anything as she led the way downstairs. “Looking pensive Joe,” commented Apple Bloom as he glanced towards where the Mares had gone. “As I have said,” Joe replied, taking an excuse, “I do keep wondering if I am saying too much.” “Well, you’re not stopping talking about this now,” said Scootaloo. “I suppose not,” Joe shrugged. “So, probably a pusher propeller mounted on the wing…”