”Hi, Tinker!” I merely greeted my old friend as I stepped aside and allowed her to enter my home.
“Hiya, Grazer. Good to see you're not too badly affected by the experiment you partook in for me earlier!” Arcane Tinker enquired.
“Yeah, I'm still recuperating. Speaking of which, how about a cup of tea?” I offered.
“Sounds just about right. I've been dying for a cup since the test!” she merely accepted.
“Right this way!” I pronounced as I slowly moved into the kitchen, pointing her towards the table where I had been having my tea earlier, on my way to the kitchen where I was to prepare the tea for the two of us.
“Thanks, Grazer. Seems as if it is too long since I was visiting you. You've always been such a gracious hostess when I come over!” Tinker pointed out.
“By the looks, you will enjoy the tea greatly!” I responded.
“Since it is you who said it, I'm hard pressed to agree!” she responded, with a weak smile on her lips.
“Thanks for the confidence!” I pointed out as I started to heat up a full kettle of water.
Minutes went by while the water heated up and I prepared a small salad, just like what I had enjoyed earlier. If she liked it or not, but it had done me some good, so it was following me to the table.
“Yay, tea time. Smells divine right now!” she exclaimed as I returned.
“While we're at it, how do you feel now, after the test?” I enquired quietly.
“Not too bad, but I have been better, thanks for asking!” Tinker responded.
“If it is what I think it is, you're going to love the tea, going by my own experience!” I suggested gently, serving myself a portion of the salad, as I had poured a cup of hot tea for each of us.
“By the sound of it, I think it is. It started, as we were pulling the experiment. It feels safe to assume there is a connection, until proven otherwise. We just had a short test, so it could have been the short intervals between switching, or it is something about the switches themselves? I'll just have to run more tests on this to see how and what affected us in this way!” she responded.
“Running a few tests to see where the problem is, this does sound like a good idea. Just that right now, it is the tea I'm most interested in. Have a sip? Besides, I'll have some salad too!” I pointed out, as I take the first sip of my tea.
I intermittently stab vegetables with the fork and chew, in between sipping more tea. Looking at Tinker as she sips her tea as well. Only she isn't quite as good at the salad, since she can't use magic to hold the fork.
If I had merely been hungry and thirsty, but I start to feel considerably better as I enjoy my tea and salad. I had also noticed that she was responding the same way, as she consumes her tea and salad. Maybe it wasn't all that strange.
“This tea is good. Besides, I could have some more of the salad. Might have been exactly what I needed? She suggested.
“I had the feeling you would say that. It is part of why I had offered it. Though I did enjoy the tea and salad myself. I had the feeling it was exactly what I needed earlier, so I had the impression it would do the trick. I've enjoyed this tea for years, if only I knew what went into it, as it were!” I responded.
“Now I will have to extend my tests towards proving the effects of your tea and salad. I never heard of a situation, where either tea or salad could help Unicorns or other Ponies with magic. Maybe this is the chance to prove if they have any significant effect on the matter? She pointed out.
“That certainly would be interesting. Maybe your investigation opened up a portal towards something more than merely the notion you had in mind? I doubt you had expected this line of questions in the first place!” I responded.
“We're not associating us Earth Ponies with any type of magic in terms, even less so than the Pegasi. This does indeed open up a very interesting line of enquiries. You just pointed at a blank spot in magic, from what I know. I may not have seen the Starswirl wing at the Royal library, but I pride myself to be one of the most foremost researchers in the Arcane fields!” she stated, with some of the mentioned pride momentarily gleaming in her eyes as she said it.
“To my knowledge, no Ponies associate Earth Ponies with Magic, not that the Pegasi are either. I just stumbled upon the idea after I had a cup of tea. Yet, the way Science work, I guess it would be appropriate for you to mention this in your works, I wouldn't argue against it. Me neither, but would I want to, I'm not up to the level to need to see it. On the other hoof, they may build a new wing in the library, based on your work? I teased with a small smile on my face.
“Incidents and momentary genius does count for a good portion of scientific results. I may have to consult with colleges and make some enquiries at the library, based on your suggestions. That would be a great honour, if I can in face create anything that make me worthy of it!” she merely responded.
“I would suspect as much. I'll look into the library on this matter too, and ask around to see what I can turn up. You're not merely trying out new spells to see what works, you're creating something more!” I suggested.
“Then we can see the librarian tomorrow. I like more tea first, anyway. The experiments will have to wait until tomorrow as well. Besides, I need to find someone to partake, even if you'd agree to help me out, I need several other Unicorns in order to verify the effects. You know, the scientific process. If I can prove anything with this, maybe, if not, it wouldn't count for naught!” she concluded.
“Yes, we'd see the librarians tomorrow. Till then, I'll have another cup of tea, how about you? I enquired.
“I'd go for some more tea and salad, please? She responded.
“Certainly!” I responded, just as I poured up another cup of tea for her and then one for me, before I was serving her a portion of salad, then a portion for me.
“You know, looking at you, I just realised something. I had been told all Ponies have magic. Only you never really see it with us Earth Ponies. Not until you can see us run dry, but that just can't happen. At least it doesn't happen naturally, the way it does with Unicorns like you!” she pondered.
“That is a well-known and common problem for us Unicorns. Actively practising magic is draining in a way that could feel very physical. You'd know how that feels!” I suggested.
“Physical exhaustion, that's something I can relate to. Even as an academic Pony, I have my fair share of this experience of exhaustion, alright!” she responded with a grin spreading all over her face.