//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 - A Casual Day // Story: Portals. Portals Everywhere! // by Piece Bot //------------------------------// “Twilight. Twilight. Stop, please?” Joseph tried to get Twilight’s attention but she was too into pacing and thinking to be stopped. Watching her pace in circles made him feel a bit dizzy and he was surprised when she managed to pace a circle directly into the floor. He looked to Spike for some answers. “Spike, how do I stop her from doing this?” He asked, jabbing a thumb in Twilight’s direction. “No idea. Usually I just let her pace until she either realises she has paced a circle into the ground or she gets over whatever she’s thinking about. Considering what we just heard from Draigo, I’m going to assume the circle.” Spike said helpfully, placing an arm around Ember’s shoulders. The dragoness snuggled into his embrace more. “Well that’s certainly helpful.” Joseph said, scratching the back of his head. “Sorry I can’t be more helpful. Twilight will realise it eventually but until then, we just sit and wait.” Spike said, taking his own advice and sat down next to Ember. “Oh fine, mate.” Joseph huffed and resigned to sitting down in front of the two dragons. “How long does it usually take?” Joseph asked, his eyes following Twilight’s bobbing head. “Roughly half an hour, maybe an hour. Depends on what she’s thinking.” Spike answered. “She’s thinking that her brother is a big idiot and that he should’ve told her when he and Cadence got engaged.” Crikey said in a bored voice, thinking that this was dull. Sure, Draigo’s appearance was fantastic but he was too shocked and surprised to say anything. Crikey had shut himself off in an effort to conserve his battery power and had only just now woken up. “Twilight! Look at the circle you’ve made in the floor! It’s going to take weeks to get the floor back to its original state.” Rarity said in an angry tone. The trio looked over to find Rarity staring daggers at Twilight who pointedly ignored her and continued pacing. Having enough of the circling Twilight, Rarity levitated a needle she had been using and poked Twilight on the back. “Ah! What…? Oh.” Twilight squeaked, blushing profusely. “Sorry about that. I’ll see if there’s someway I can try and fill this hole back in.” She said, climbing up out of the circle. “Didn’t think you would ever stop.” Joseph said and watched her jump the hole so she could walk over. “How long was I pacing?” She asked worriedly. “Round about fifteen minutes or so. You were pacing long enough for Draigo to leave anyway.” Joseph shrugged and got up, jumping over the hole and heading to the door. “You want my help for anything or can I leave?” Joseph asked helpfully, turning back to the group. “You could help me with measurements. The clothes you’re wearing at the moment smell rather horrid.” Rarity said and nodded, turning her head a bit to show just how stinky his clothes were. Giving them a sniff himself, Joseph realised she was right. “Well … it has been a while since I last had other clothes. This could work well.” Joseph said as he jumped back over and then jumped into Rarity’s workshop. “Right. While we work, you could at least try and fill in the hole, darling.” Rarity suggested and walked into her workshop, closing the door magically behind her. Twilight flinched at that, thinking rightly that they were most likely still mad at her for what she did to Spike, even after the big brother reveal. When she heard the bell of the shop ring, she found both Spike and Ember leaving. “Where are you two going?” She asked. They stopped walking and Spike turned to her. “I thought I would show Ember the town. She was born only eighteen minutes ago.” Spike said with a smile, even though his eyes still showed the fury for what Twilight did to him earlier that day. Twilight flinched again and watched them both leave. “Alright, I may have deserved that one.” She sighed to herself and began thinking up of ways she could fill the circle in the middle of the Boutique. “And this is Sugarcube Corner.” Spike said, pointing at the bakery. “That sounds sweet.” Ember replied and nodded at the same time. “Do they sell sweets?” She asked, looking at him. “Of course they do! You want some?” Spike asked, stopping for a bit. “Mhm.” Ember answered with an energetic nod. Wasting no further time, Spike grabbed her claw and ran towards Sugarcube Corner. The bell dinged as he opened the door and stepped inside. “Hi Spike! Who’s this little cutie?” Pinkie said from behind the counter, walking around it to talk to them better. Ember blushed at the compliment and gripped Sike’s claw a little tighter. “This is Ember. She-” He was interrupted by Pinkie interjecting. “She was made by the big dragon that flew over the town earlier today and now you’re showing her around town.” Pinkie interrupted and smiled. “Because she’s new, I’ll just lump her party and Joseph’s party into one, making it a big party for welcoming them to Equestria! Also, a couple of cupcakes with gem sprinkles on the house.” Pinkie added, grabbing the cupcakes and placing them in the two outstretched claws. They were ordinary cupcakes with some white frosting on top with a generous sprinkling of various gems to go with it on top of the frosting. “Uh, thanks. You sure I don’t have to pay you?” Spike asked hesitantly. “I’m sure. Don’t worry about it!” Pinkie said with a wave of her hoof and zipped behind the counter to attend to the next customer. Spike shrugged and lead Ember over to an empty table where they both ate the delectable treats. “There! All done!” Rarity said proudly as she stepped back and admired her hoofwork. Fidgeting in the get-up, Joseph was dressed in a blue and white striped jacket with matching pants as well as a white dress shirt underneath the jacket. “Is it just me, or does this sheila work fast?” Joseph asked to himself. “It’s not just you mate.” Crikey piped up, having watched the whole thing since Joseph set him down in the room. “Also, this gun has some power to it. I can feel myself get more energy than before.” He said to Joseph. “Really? That’s good to hear.” Joseph agreed and moved about a bit, testing the strain of the fabric against his body. “It fits really good. Why a suit though? I thought you were going to make me something a bit more casual.” He said, tugging at his collar a bit. “Oh I am! I just needed to take the measurements now so that I can get an assortment of clothes ready for you. The suit was first because that was at the forefront of my mind, considering what was said out there.” Rarity replied and gently took his clothes off with her magic. Once the clothes were off, he immediately put his jumpsuit back on. “Thanks anyway for this Rarity.” Joseph said, stepping off the podium and picking the gun up. “Do you suggest anywhere for me to wash myself and actually take care of these clothes?” He asked. “There’s a shower upstairs you can use but it might be a bit small for you … there’s always a stream you could find in the Everfree.” Rarity asked with a hopeful smile. “I’m not really fussed. Stream it is.” Joseph said and hit the door as he walked out. Rubbing his head, he ignored Crikey’s cackling and headed off to the edge of the Everfree to see if he could find a stream to bathe in. Hopefully somewhere that’s far from prying eyes. After having found a stream a bit into the forest, he bathed and quickly washed his clothes as well. Soon as he was done, he smelled like he had spent a few days in the forest. He supposed it was better than how he smelled before. Shrugging, he picked up the gun and figured that there was a quicker way back home than walking. “Crikey, what are the odds of us crashing into the wall again?” Joseph asked the potato as he took aim. “Very high. If you want to KILL YOURSELF!” Crikey protested. “I need the practice anyway.” Joseph shrugged and taking careful aim, fired a line of orange goo directly towards the town. Moving back into the forest, he got a running start. Leaping forward with as much momentum as he could muster, Joseph landed on the propulsion gel and continued moving his feet. This propelled him even faster and seeing a wall fast approaching, he fired the bouncy gel in front of him, making him leap higher than he’s gone before. “WHY DID I DO THIS!?” He screamed loudly as he flailed his arms, heading right for Twilight’s library. “AAAAH!” Joseph braced himself for impact as he crashed through some glass, landing on his butt and bouncing along the floor until he finally smacked into a bookcase, making the books fall down around him. “Is it five-thirty already …?” Joseph asked deliriously, moving his head in circles confusedly. “No but it’s close to that. Fifteen past five to be precise.” Twilight spoke, looking at Joseph with an amused look. “Huh?” Joseph wondered, shaking his head and standing up. “Since Rainbow keeps crashing through that window, I took the pleasure of making sure the books were all blank ones so that she doesn’t damage any of them.” Twilight said with a giggle. “I thought you were at Rarity’s.” Joseph said, getting up and trying to figure which book goes where. “I was. I had to come back here so that I could figure out how to fill in that circle in her Boutique.” Twilight responded and levitated the books in her smoke magic stuff. She placed them back in the right order and smiled at Joseph. “I’ve been meaning to ask. Why do you use smoke for magic sheila?” Joseph asked moving out of the way of the window in case an incoming Rainbow decided to grace them with her presence. “Smoke? You mean the magical field surrounding our horns?” Twilight asked as she tilted her head to the side. “Yeah, smoke. You use smoke for basically everything. Teleporting, which makes me cough, levitating and practically any other time you used your magic.” Joseph said as he gestured with his arms. “I don’t know what you’re seeing but that is Unicorn magic. I don’t know how or why you see it as smoke but that is what magic is. It’s something innate to Unicorns. If it was smoke, we would know.” Twilight tried to explain to the human but Joseph didn’t really understand it. “I don’t get it and I don’t see how you can possibly make it any easier to understand. It’s probably when I inhaled a bit of that teleportation thing you did the first time you performed it on me.” Joseph said, offering that up as the only explanation he could think of. He cringed as he heard something crash into the bookcase behind him. Turning, he found Rainbow looking dazed and confused. “This happens often?” Joseph asked, raising an eyebrow at Twilight. “Yeah, it does.” Twilight said with a soft smile as Rainbow shook herself of the confusion and smiled.