//------------------------------// // 99. Too Many Pinkies - Part 1 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// “Hmm…” Midnight looked at his latest project through a magnifying glass, enchanted to work like a microscope by twisting the ring on the handle, held by a drafting machine-like apparatus, having removed the protractor head. He was in his workshop, surrounded by his projects and tools, some spellbooks on a shelf, a telescope poking out a window, an alchemy worktable set away from the flammable objects, and on one wall were jars and bottles and boxes of various ingredients he’d collected here and there. In fact, there was a small cauldron boiling over a firestone, a specially-made pipe over it and protruding through the wall, for the smoke to be taken outside. The cauldron itself was currently simmering with quicksilver. The dangerous stuff however was in the loft above, the door to it locked, glamoured to appear invisible, and enchanted with a low-grade distracter spell. “This just might be among my more intriguing inventions… provided I can get it to work,” Midnight muttered as he looked at his latest experiment, another pair of goggles but for an entirely different purpose than the ones he’d invented to transform himself into a pegasus. “Hi Nighty!” “EYAUGH!” Midnight startled and turned to find himself muzzle to muzzle with a very familiar party pony, and pulled himself away, feeling awkward that they’d almost kissed. “Pinkie Pie! Where did you come from?” “Well, my dad, Igneous, and my mom Cloudy Quartz, met on a warm summer day,” Pinkie started. “Eventually wedding bells were a’ringing and then on their honeymoon, they checked into a really nice hotel and-” “NO, Pinkie, I mean where did you come from just now!” Midnight quickly said and dodging a hex at the same time, shuddering at the idea. “Oh! Well, I’m just having such a nice day today that I wanted to say hello to all my friends!” Pinkie explained brightly. “What’cha doin`?” “I’m working on a new pair of magic goggles,” Midnight sighed. “Figured I’d get some work done on it before I help my family with the barn raising today.” “Ooh! Sounds like fun, who else is gonna raise this barn?” Pinkie inquired. “Well, Applejack invited Meadow Song and Apple Fritter to help out,” Midnight explained as he levitated a tool over to pick at something on the goggles. “Once she’s done with an apple-delivery and Big Mac gets back from tea with Fluttershy, we’re gonna get started on it.” “If you don’t mind my asking, where are the rest of your guy pals?” Pinkie asked while holding something fragile, causing Midnight to flinch and quickly take it away from her. “Blueblood’s away at a business-meeting in Canterlot,” Midnight explained further with a sigh as he put the object back in its place on the shelf. “Soarin went with him to see his instructors at Canterlot University, and Thunderlane’s handling weather management." “Doesn’t sound like they’re having fun,” sulked Pinkie before she brightened up and said, “But maybe Twilight is! Bye-bye!” Silence followed. Midnight looked up and didn’t see Pinkie in his workshop. However he then noticed her walk by the window and gaped through it seeing her leave. “How’d she get out without opening the door?!” Groaning, he shook his head as he mentally reminded himself, It’s Pinkie, Midnight. Don’t question it, it’ll just drive you up the wall. Fluttershy and Big Mac cuddled in the shade of a tree, the both of them having just finished their tea. But they found themselves not wanting to part despite Big Mac knowing he and his family had a big chore ahead of them. They moaned as they looked into each other’s eyes and kissed lovingly, Big Mac whispering, “Gotta go…” “Oh I know,” Fluttershy replied understandingly. “But it’s important.” “Fluttershy!” They both looked up and saw Pinkie standing nearby and looking out of breath. “There” – *Pant* – “You are,” she panted. “Oh” – Pant – “Hi Big Mac” – Pant – “Doing” – Pant – “anything” – Pant – “fun?” “Eh…” Fluttershy stalled, not wanting Pinkie to interrupt her and her boyfriend. “Nnope,” Big Mac beat her to the punch. “Oh good,” Pinkie sighed in relief. “Fun is hard!” She then keeled over, Big Mac and Fluttershy sharing a concerned look. Fluttershy got up and gave Pinkie a once-over. “Big Mac, would you mind carrying Pinkie?” “Nnope,” Big Mac said with a helpful smile and easily plucked up the pink pony onto his back. “Where to?” “Just onto the couch I have in my Butterfly Grove,” Fluttershy said with a grateful smile. After gently plopping the pooped Pinkie onto the couch, Big Mac started making his way home. He wanted to go over a plan with Midnight and Applejack on raising the new barn. But speak of the devil, there was his sister walking in his direction. “Howdy big brother, ya seen Pinkie Pie anywhere?” “Eeyup,” Big Mac pointed down the path he’d just come. “Thanks, Ah jus’ wanna invite th’ girl to our barn-raisin’,” Applejack explained. “She’s been goin’ left n’ right wantin’ t’ do fun stuff with everypony!” “Ah noticed,” Big Mac said with a smirk as he passed her by. “See ya at the farm.” And when Big Mac arrived at the farm, he noticed his brother leaving. “Hey Mac, just gonna have a quick word with Twilight. I want her advice on a project I’m doing.” “Ya didn’t forget `bout another project, didja?” Big Mac asked with a raised brow. “Raising the barn, I know!” Midnight assured him with a chuckle. “Look, I’ll just go find Twilight in town and once I get what I need from her, I’ll teleport back, okay?” “Eeyup,” Big Mac said with an approving nod. “See ya soon.” It took Midnight a few minutes, but he soon found Twilight by her favorite restaurant, along with Spike, and they were apparently busy. “Hey Twilight, can I have a word?” “Oh hey Midnight,” Twilight said, greeting him as he approached and gave a hoof/fist-bump to Spike. “I’m just trying out a new spell, turning this apple into an orange.” “Uh… an apple into an orange?” Midnight didn’t get it, partly as he couldn't fathom the purpose of such a spell and because the very idea sounded ridiculous. “Exactly! Now I’ll gladly be with you but first I wanna try and get this down,” Twilight promised before she furrowed her brows as her horn began to glow. “One… two…!” Then Pinkie jumped out of nowhere! …Onto Twilight, throwing her aim off, Pinkie hopping away while the spell went haywire! *Ribbit* Midnight looked to a nearby pond and was disturbed to see an orange with frog-legs sitting on a lily pad before it hopped into the water. *WHOOSH* “Pinkie!” Midnight watched as Pinkie skidded in the dirt, building up a mound of soil from her velocity, and for some reason she had a stopwatch with her. He, along with Twilight and Spike approached the pink pony, Twilight demanding, “What in the wide-wide world of Equestria are you doing now?” “Timing myself back and forth between the swimming hole and Sweet Apple Acres,” Pinkie panted as she bounced about. “I’m trying to cut down my time so Rainbow Dash dives off the swing, I can get to Sweet Apple Acres to help with the barn-raising, and then be back in time to see Rainbow Dash hit the water after doing a double flip!” She looked at her stopwatch, “If I can cut my time by twenty minutes, I’m good.” “Oh Pinkie,” Twilight giggled while Midnight shook his head with good-natures sympathy, “I’m afraid no matter how hard you try…” “The only way you’ll pull off something like that,” Midnight agreed, “is if there’re two of you!” Pinkie’s head oddly rotated in a clock-ticking rhythm, and, disturbingly, even making the sound of which, before her head straightened and her blue pupils vibrated alongside a ringing akin to that of an alarm clock. “…That’s it, you guys!” She got up in their personal spaces as she excitably said, “The Legend of the Mirror Pool!” “Legend of the who-what now?” Twilight called after the bouncing-away Pinkie. She then noticed Midnight shudder. “What’s wrong?” “All of a sudden I feel like I just… I dunno, like left a bunch of children unattended in a candy store,” Midnight said. “Well I’m familiar with a lot of legends but I’ve never heard of any-” Twilight tried to say. “Does this mean practice is over?” Spike interrupted. “Of course not! Back to work,” Twilight said with a perky attitude, Spike’s attitude sinking. “Ugh, speaking of ‘back to work’, I should be getting back to the farm,” Midnight noted. “Y’know what, Twi, I’ll talk to you later. T-T-F-N.” *FLASH* Spike and Twilight looked at each other, Spike asking, “What’s ‘T-T-F-N’?” Twilight shrugged.