//------------------------------// // A Showy Reunion; Part 1 // Story: Two Emerald Hearts // by Crystalis McCloud //------------------------------// The train car was silent aside from the slight rumble as it jostled across the tracks. Its occupants sat in various states of frustration, all of them deep in thought. Rainbow stretched out in the overhanging bag rack, hooves crossed back to rest her head. Her face was hidden at this angle, but one could practically feel the waves of anger flowing off of her. It almost seemed like she was going to burst into flames from the sheer tension she radiated. Fluttershy sat in the back of the car, staring absently out the window as the scenery rushed by. The look on her face was clearly crestfallen and despondent. Her eyes were glazed, not even saying attention to the scenery whipping by beyond the glass. Pinkie was unsurprisingly the most active, pacing up and down the center walkway. Her eyes held a similar foggy stare, as they looked unfocused at the floor just in front of each hoof. Despite her downtrotted look, her hooves clacked in an aimless little melody of steps that seemed to keep tempo with the rattling of the train. Rarity sat in one of a few booths with a table, brow furrowed in a mixture of irritation and concentration. A pencil, in the hold of her magic, scribbled away at a piece of paper. Her focus was being poured in its entirety into her work. Really, Rarity was lucky to have that much. That was one of many thoughts that filled Applejack's head as her gaze swept across each of her friends. What she wouldn't give to be back home, bucking apples at this very moment. Or hauling the plow through the fields to ready the soil. Or occupy her mind with mindless and unnecessary tweaks and repairs to one of the barns. She'd take anything at this point, because thinking about it over and over like this was only bothering her more. All of them were handling it differently, but they were all fretting over the same problem. Twilight wasn't coming back to Ponyville. She was staying in Canterlot now as a princess of Equestria. "It's not fair!" Pinkie huffed, ending her rhythmic pacing and stamping a hoof down. "Twilight should be staying in Ponyville with us. It's just not fair. I miss her already." The normally bouncy mare was practically devoid of energy compared to how she usually was. If the happiest and most lively of them was like this, then Applejack could only imagine how it was brewing beneath the surface in the rest of her friends. They had all expected big changes when Twilight became a princess, but not this. Rarity set her pencil down and cleared her throat, "We all feel the same, Pinkie, but Twilight is starting a magnificent new chapter in her life. She has to take on new responsibilities now. As her friends, we must be supportive." Despite the conviction in her tone, the look on her face was far from resolute. "That doesn't mean we have to like it either," Rainbow Dash scoffed from her perch. "Twilight's our friend. She belongs with us, in Ponyville." "Yeah," Pinkie nodded in agreement, "We're the Elements of Harmony. We should be sticking together." These were sound arguments. Ones that had already been swarming in the back of Applejack's mind like a bunch of hungry parasprites. It didn't feel right going home knowing that Golden Oaks Library wouldn't be the home of their dear friend. It felt wrong, but these were the bushels they'd bucked, and there was no undoing it. A rustling in the back of the car caught everypony's attention as Fluttershy stepped into the walkway and moved up to join them. Her voice was soft, but clear as she spoke, "I know we'll all be fine. We've always had a strong bond, ever since we were little fillies and didn't know each other. We've been through too much together for a little distance to tear us apart." Applejack noticed a faint tint of red in her eyes and suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to burst into tears. She fought back the urge though. If she started crying, then Fluttershy would start again too. Before long they'd all be a bawling mess in the car. Fluttershy was right though. They had been through way worse than miles of distance, hadn't they? Nightmare Moon; dragons; changelings; Sombra; even Discord; compared to that, what was a hundred or so miles? "Fluttershy's absolutely right," AJ finally spoke up. She put on the most assured face she could manage. "It's not like we're never gonna see her again." She was even starting to convince herself. She could feel a little bit of hope and confidence rising up and cutting through the initial gloom. "She lives in Canterlot, for Celestia's sake. That's no more than a two hour train ride from Ponyville. And Dash, I reckon ya could probably fly there in an hour without even breaking a sweat." She seemed to be getting through to the others a bit too. Their drooping ears started to perk up again, and their faces started to brighten. Rainbow Dash leaped down from the bag rack and flexed her wings. The smug grin on her face was shallow, but an improvement as she boasted, "An hour? Hah! You forget who you're talking to? I'll bet I could make it there in half an hour without even making a Sonic Rainboom." "Right," Rarity agreed. "My business is sure to bring me into Canterlot from time to time. I'm sure each of us will take any opportunity we can to pay her a visit. There's no telling how often all of us will be able to see her together, but we should take every chance we get individually." All of them nodded in consensus. It was far from the ideal situation, and none of them were happy about it. Still, they wouldn't let it stop them. They'd make the best of it. Applejack turned to look out of a nearby window, watching the rolling countryside roll by. Yeah, everything would be fine. They would make it fine. ~*~*~*~*~*~ "Longest train ride of my life," Rainbow Dash yawned. With a limber stretch and a light step, she flitted out of the train car and hovered over the platform. While it was a gross exaggeration compared to how long a trip to Dodge Junction took, Applejack couldn't help but agree. Only two hours had passed, but it felt so much longer with everything weighing on their minds. Even so, it was a relief to be back home. Stepping out onto the platform, she took a deep breath and smelled the crisp, clean country air. She could almost smell one of Granny Smith's fresh pies resting on the sill all the way from here. Though there was a rather loud ruckus coming from somewhere deeper in town. She didn't get a chance to pay it any attention, as she was unceremoniously bumped from behind. The offending bumper was Rarity's unsurprisingly large suitcase, which she yanked after her. The cumbersome object offered great resistance, but passed through the tiny doorway with a loud pop. "Why the hay did ya insist on bringin' that monstrosity along? Ya'll could crush a pony flat with that!" she pointed at the behemoth. "I didn't think we'd be spending ten whole days in Canterlot, but a lady must be ready for any situation," Rarity nodded with pride. Applejack leveled a pointed look at Rarity, glancing between her and her luggage. Luggage was putting it lightly though, since that thing was more like an entire wardrobe on little wheels. "Prepared? I'd reckoned ya'll were just about ready to settle in back there and set up shop," AJ quipped. Rarity huffed indignantly, "Surely you jest. Canterlot is a wonderful place to visit, I'll admit, but I have grown out of my desire to live there. Besides, this little bit would have only lasted me about two weeks tops." Applejack rolled her eyes. Knowing Rarity, that statement could very well hold true. That mare sure did love spontaneous outfit changes. Next to step out was Fluttershy, who was looking a lot better now, and even had a calm smile on her face. Her arrival was immediately met by a tiny blur of white. The familiar form of Angel scrambled up her fetlock, wound up her torso, and tucked down through the back of her mane before popping up to stand atop her head. The happy little critter beamed from ear to ear. "Oh!" Fluttershy smiled at the greeting, "Angel, I'm glad you came. I hope you haven't been a bother." The bunny craned over into Fluttershy's view and shook his head. "Good, I'm very proud of you," she smiled, looking up at him. "But remember that if the sitter I hired says different, then you won't be getting that carrot cake I promised you." Angel riveted in place at the mention of one of his favorite treats. He suddenly turned serious and gave a sharp salute, eliciting a soft chuckle from his caretaker. No way was he going to lose a chance at one of his favorite treat. Fluttershy stepped out of the way to make room for Pinkie Pie, who gently bounced out of the car. Once off, she looked around curiously, ears perked. Even more weird was when she suddenly started sniffing along the ground like a bloodhound. Applejack watched her friend as she began darting along the entire train platform. She was baffled, but not really surprised at this point. Pinkie was one confusing mare, but spending enough time with her taught any pony to expect the unexpected from her. Still, as the scouring persisted, Applejack couldn't help but ask, "Just what are ya doin', Pinkie? Yer actin' like Winona when she catches a whiff of a squirrel." Pinkie beamed as she pointed out into town and happily declared, "There's a new pony in town!" She stifled a giggle. "I can't wait to see what kind of pony showed up. We all know what a new pony means." Rainbow Dash pumped a hoof in the air and gave a little cheer, "Aw yes! A Ponyville Welcome Bash is just what we need to relax." "Too bad y'all were beaten to the punch," a familiar voice called to them. -All five mares' heads spun around to see Granny Smith hobbling up the stairs to the station. She was beaming like a young filly all the while. By her side was Big Macintosh, a small hint of a smile tugging at his muzzle. "Whewee! It sure ain't no Pinkie Pie party, but that stranger sure knows how to make an impression," the old mare nodded sagely. "Too bad though, it seems like y'all might have missed it entirely. He was just finishing the last show and closing up when we passed by a few minutes ago." The mares looked curiously amongst themselves, then back to Granny. Applejack was pretty certain she knew what most of them were thinking. The last showpony to come to Ponyville had been a real real piece of work. Pinkie was of course the only one unperturbed, instead smiling gleefully and stomping her hooves. All of them were pulled out of their thoughts as Angel leapt down from Fluttershy's head. The bunny bolted for the edge of the platform and bolted straight into town. "Angel, what are you doing? Come back!" Fluttershy shouted after him. She flapped into the air and flew after him, taking a moment to look over her shoulder and wordlessly ask for her friends' help. "What in the world just got inta that there rabbit?" Applejack wondered aloud. "Thanks for coming, Granny, Big Mac, but it looks like I'll be gettin' back to the farm whenever we can catch that varmint," she added in aside to her family before tilting her stetson over on her head and giving chase. "Whatever it is, we better get after him," Rainbow Dash groaned irritably. "We all know that if he doesn't want to be caught, then there's no way Fluttershy can do it on her own." With a single hard flap, Rainbow joined in pursuit. Pinkie Pie was right behind, bouncing whimsically along. Rarity trailed at the back, only to stop beside the two Apples and flash a charming smile to her friend's elder sibling, "Oh, Maccy, would you be a dear?" Her horn flared and her enormous suitcase was deposited in front of the burly stallion. "I need my things taken back to the boutique for me. I'd be most grateful if you'd take them there for me. I wouldn't be much use lugging this all over town. Thank you so much for the help, bye." Without even waiting for an answer she followed her friends at a dignified trot. They had all been so distracted by Angel's sudden and unusual behavior, that none of them noticed the sly grins spreading on Granny and Big Mac's faces. The two shared a look as Big Mac hefted the bag onto his back with big grunt. "We set the hook, just like he asked," Macintosh groaned under the weight, starting down the road with Granny to the boutique. The old mare chuckled, "He sure didn't ask much. Still, that show is gonna knock their horseshoes off." ~*~*~*~*~*~ The mares stormed down the slightly crowded Ponyville streets. They tried to keep close pursuit of the speedy little bunny, but with the town so surprisingly lively, it was all they could do to keep the little guy in their sights. Angel had no problems ducking and weaving through the crowds with the sort of agility only a bunny had. The crowds only seemed to get denser too. It got to the point that Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity had to keep at a brisk trot for fear of crashing into somepony. Rainbow Dash flew ahead of them to track the speedy bunny while Fluttershy stayed behind with the rest. Her worry only grew as they followed him deeper and deeper into town. "I really don't get it," Fluttershy began fretting as she hovered along. "Why is Angel running around like this? Usually I can tell when he's mad about something, but this time I don't know what's wrong." "I ain't got a clue," Applejack shook her head. "Do you think he's mad at me? I was gone for ten whole days and just left him with a sitter for all that time. Maybe he feels neglected and is mad at me for that," Fluttershy continued conjuring up various reasons to explain her pet's behavior. "Nonsense. You've done absolutely nothing wrong Fluttershy. Perhaps he's not mad at all and is just being playful for attention," Rarity offered her own impression. "As much as it irritates me at times, my sweet Opal will sometimes claw up cuts of fabric to get me to play with her." "It was amazing! Did you see how ferocious the manticore looked? I swear I felt it's breath on my face." "Oh the tightrope was incredible too." "But the grand finale was absolutely mane-raising." "I wish I could watch it again. Too bad it'll be taken down soon." The conversations all around got their attention as they kept following the path Angel and Rainbow Dash had gone down. Everypony seemed very excited and impressed. "Sounds like everypony in town's gotten to see that there show Granny told us about," AJ noted. "That's totally not fair," Pinkie whined, bouncing along. "This pony's done something super nifty-galifty and he's closing it before we can even see it." A familiar fluttering and swish of air greeted their ears, turning their heads up. Rainbow Dash flew down to a low hover in front of them. "You guys won't believe where that bratty bunny bounced off to," she smirked with a roll of her eyes. It only took a few minutes for them to reach the spot. They came into the main plaza of Ponyville, just in front of the town hall. What greeted them was the sight of a tall tent, easily fourty feet high, that took up over half of the open area. It dominated the small scale of the buildings around it, and looked like it could hold a quarter of the ponies in town underneath it. The fabric of the tent itself was a bit... ratty. There were patches of frayed cloth all over, and a rather crude banner with the words 'Three Ring's Marvelous Circus' hung over the tied-off entrance. The colors, an alteration of crimson and gold vertical stripes, had obviously seen better days. It still had some luster, but much of the once vibrant hue hac faded with what looked like years of age "This is what everypony is so impressed by?" Rainbow looked it over, unimpressed, "This place looks like it's about ready to fall apart." "Sure does," Pinkie agreed with a smile, "but somepony said there was a manticore in there!" "Whoah, really?" Rainbow gaped in disbelief. "Appearances can be deceiving. What you see on the surface isn't a guarantee of what lies within. Ponies are the same," Rarity said. She noticed the strange looks her friends were giving her and cleared her throat "Ahem! I was just reading that." She pointed to a small stand-up sign near the tent that had those exact words scrawled on it. "Oh," the others nodded in unison. Suddenly, Angel leaped out from behind the sign, grinning cheekily at his pursuers and tapping his foot as though losing patience. The group charged after him, expecting him bolt off again, but they stopped short when instead he leaped atop a lumpy brown mound next to the entryway. He then proceeded to stomp furiously on the mound, causing it to shift and growl at the assault. Fluttershy zipped over in an instant and scooped up the rogue rabbit. "What's gotten into you, Angel? You're being a very bad bunny," she scolded. She squeaked in surprise as the mound Angel had been stomping on stirred and groaned more violently. "Give me a break. Show's over. Can't you see I'm trying to take a nap?" the heap grumbled groggily, turning over to reveal an older earth pony stallion swaddled in a dark brown cloak. His mane was a disheveled mess of faded green, with signs of graying at the tips. His fur was a pine brown as light and lustrous as his cloak, but both were spotted with bits of dirt and dust that only accented the lines of age under his eyes. Perhaps the only parts of him that didn't look old were his eyes themselves. They were an almost luminous green that sparked irritably as he looked over the mares that he believed had so rudely woken him up. Those eyes glanced over each of them before he let out a haughty puff from his nostrils. "You girls got some nerve waking a guy up like that." he complained. "Oh we're terribly sorry," Fluttershy apologized. "My bunny got away from me, and he's the one who woke you. We didn't mean to disturb your rest." The old pony cast a hard glare at Fluttershy, making her back up abruptly. Sweeping over them again he shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Right, whatever. Still, if you've come to see the show again, them I'm sorry to disappoint you. I've already made it clear. Only one showing per pony, and I know we already performed for everypony in town." "I think you need to get your eyes adjusted along with your attitude, you grumpy old jerk," Rainbow snorted. "I beg your pardon, Skittles?" he snapped back. The hotheaded pegasus opened her mouth for another comeback, but was pulled abruptly to the ground by her tail with a soft blue glow of magic. Rarity stepped forward, horn alight, and shook her head disapprovingly. "Rainbow please, there's no need to be so rude," she chided with a dignified air. "No reason my plot, he was scaring Fluttershy glaring at her like that," Rainbow pointed an accusing hoof at him. "I'm not just gonna let him treat her like that. I don't care if he doesn't like being woken up." The stallion rolled his eyes and grunted, "Mares." Rainbow's temper flared, and she stepped forward with a hoof raised menacingly. "You asking for a hoof sandwich you- mrphrmp?!" she garbled past her own hoof, which Applejack had promptly stuffed into her open mouth. "We're sorry there, old timer," Applejack tipped her hat humbly. "We've had a rough couple of days, so some of us are a bit on edge." Rarity, with all the grace her friends came to expect from her, calmly explained, "I think what Rainbow Dash was trying to say before, is that none of us have had the pleasure of seeing your show." This got the old stallion's attention. As he shifted under his cloak and slowly lifted himself up off of his haunches, he cast a far more scrutinizing eye over them this time. "Now that you mention it, you're right." He nodded sagely, and threw a more particular glance at Rainbow, who was still trying to yank her hoof out of her mouth. He smirked, "I think I would remember a mare with a mouth on her like that one. The pink one too. No peeking!" He barked that last part out loudly, freezing Pinkie in her tracks mid-snoop. She had been slowly scooting sideways and was just about to touch the curtained entryway when he shouted. "Ooo, you're good, mister," Pinkie said, backing away slowly. "Course I am. Been doing this for ages. I've caught more fillies and colts trying to do what you tried than I can remember," he swelled with pride. A bright grin spread across his face and with a flourish he swung the cloak off of his back. With a surprisingly limber spin, the old pony brought the cloak around behind him and as it vanished from sight, he somehow produced a bright red cape in its place and tied it around his neck. Pinkie clapped her hooves excitedly at the little display, and the rest looked intrigued. "Anyway, on to business," he declared in a strange shift of formality. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Three Rings, and welcome to my Magnificent Circus!" Finally free of her own 'hoof sandwich', Rainbow was quick to try to rebound. "I think you mean 'Marvelous'. Are you getting so senile that you don't remember the name of your own circus?" she heckled, recalling what they had read on the banner. At this point, there was no use trying to rein Dash in. Her friends just shook there heads, ready to let this take its course. The smirk on Three Ring's face only got wider. "Are you so sure about that, young lady?" he tapped his chin, grinning mockingly. "I'm sure it says 'Magnificent'." Rainbow jabbed a hoof up to point at the banner overhead, triumphantly pointing to the words, "Hah! Just look, it says 'Three Rings'... Magnificent... Circus'." Her gusto quickly deflated as her own words rang false, the banner showing that Three Rings had been right all along. Confusion only deepened. Even the other mares could swear that it had said 'Marvelous' just moments ago. Had it changed? Or did they all somehow read the same incorrect word? "You were saying?" Three Rings asked, ever so smug. "Yo- How did you..." Rainbow grew more flustered. "The word..." Three Rings burst into a fit of laughter, much to their surprise. The older stallion's mirth was apparent as he flicked a tear from the corner of his eye. "This is a sign of good fortune for me," he wheezed between chortles. "Dunno why all you all got so confused by a simple banner, but this sort of confusion has always meant good things. If you all are this confounded and befuddled before the show even starts, that means our performers are really gonna knock your socks off." While Rainbow Dash contemplated knocking the stallion's block off for laughing at her, Three Rings made a showy turn to the entryway with a fluttering of his cape. An excited air surged all about him as he pulled the curtains aside to reveal a small seating area with only about eight folding chairs set out inside a half-circle railing. The seating space was barely lit by the sunlight from the outside, and beyond the railing was nothing but darkness. The inner depths of the tent were hidden, just making the prospect of the show to come that more interesting. Applejack took a step forward. This whole thing seemed weird. Something was off, but she couldn't put her hoof on it. At the same time, there wasn't any feeling of danger. This confusing feeling was making her more and more curious. She wanted to see this show, and it seems she wasn't alone in that desire. The rest of the girls joined her and walked in. Even Rainbow relented and followed suit, but not before pointing a hoof at her eyes and then at Three Rings in a clear 'I'm watching you' motion. The stallion's only response was a deep bow and a smile of benign innocence. Once they were all seated, however, he called in after them, "If you all would take a seat and wait just a moment, I will get our performers ready as quickly as possible." Once they were seated, they heard a soft swish of fabric on fabric. The curtain closed behind them, cutting off the sunlight and leaving them in almost complete darkness. Curiosity only grew greater, as they all wondered silently to themselves what they would soon witness. Meanwhile, outside of the tent, Three Rings grinned quite proudly as he whispered under his breath, "Hook, line, and sinker." The rapid pattering of a little foot reached his ears, and he looked down to see Angel thumping his foot on the ground. The little bunny looked up at him expectantly and held up a little paw. Ah yes, that was right. "I haven't forgotten our little deal," he nodded. A deal was a deal, and he produced the promised bounty, a large slice of carrot cake, resting tantalizingly on an ivory plate. He could swear that the bunny's eyes got as big as the plate in his hoof, and chuckled as the critter nabbed the plate and bolted like the wind. "Everything is going according to plan," Three Rings smiled. Sure, but why does this plan of yours have to be so convoluted? Did we really have to put this big act together and have all these little hooks to get them here, Jade?" "Oh come on, Emerl, you know you're having fun too," the faux carny shot right back. He kept his voice low as he headed around the outside of the tent. "We're an illusionist for crying out loud! Even if our passion isn't in the performing arts, it's in our very nature to do things with lots of flair." A sigh came in answer as Emerl relented, Alright, you've got me there. Even I've been dramatic just for the fun of it. Plus, it is good practice on large-scale illusions. Of course he couldn't deny it. Who knew Emerl better than him? "Atta' boy," he cheered in a hushed tone, "and besides, the girls have been having a fun time with this too." Yeah, this has been fun. "Hey, do you want to take over for this next part? You should be able to handle it. You already know the routine," Three Rings said, stopping outside of a smaller tent annexed from the large one. Besides, I know you don't want me to be doing all the work to impress her. There was a long pause before the response, I'll do it. Eyes fluttering closed, deep inside a mental plane, a subtle shift occurred and for just a moment Three Rings' body flickered and leaked wisps of green magic. Darn it, the spell wavered, Jade grunted, now back in the spectator position. We really need to work on switching control while casting. "I'm not exactly in a rush to do that again," Emerl now replied with the voice they'd created for Three Rings. "Remember, I only let you have some time in control because I agreed to this crazy plan of yours." He stepped forward and threw open the entryway of the tent. He quickly ran through every detail of the show in his head. Deny it all you want, soulmate, but I can tell you're starting to warm up to me. Just let me concentrate, Emerl ordered. Yes, Your Majesty! Jade cheerily declared. Looking around the small space, Emerl/Three Rings saw his other partners laying in the corner, adorably draped over each other as they snoozed and snored. It was tempting to just let them sleep, but they were an important part of the show. So with a shake he roused them from their dreams and smiled broadly with his disguised face, "They're finally here. Are you girls ready for the last show?" Ears perked and with a crash and a tumble, three little fillies pushed themselves upright and untangled themselves from each other. Standing in a row and saluting in unison. "You betcha, Mister Eme- Hehe, I mean, Three Rings!" Sweetie Bell piped cheerfully. "They won't know what hit'em," Scootaloo smirked, eyes twinkling with excitement. Apple Bloom giggled profusely, "Ah can't wait tah see the look on mah sister's face. It's gonna be priceless!" Their enthusiasm brought a smile to the illusion-clad stallion's face as he gestured with a flourish towards the dark opening that connected the two tents. "Then let the show begin, girls!"