//------------------------------// // Madame Alias' Fantastic Pandemonium of Wonders (Jimmy Jack): Enough Is Too Much // Story: Awkward Conversations And Other Stories // by No one is home //------------------------------// Dead Lift the Strongest Pony in Equestria had just walked out of his own show. Just up and walked out. There didn’t seem much point. Ponies weren’t paying for shows anymore. They were paying for tent space. Under Madame Butterfly their show had been the Wonder of Fillydelphia. If any adult pony chose to buy the schnapps and had a fun night, they had tents for that, and pods, and if push came to shove, a hive of very willing changelings. She had kept Iam in check. Kept him on his leash. As the massive pale horse looked around at the barely contained orgy the midway had become, he heaved a massive sigh. Things had been good in Filly. Butterfly kept it classy. It had been a good life. Everypony knew there were going to be problems when Butterfly went public, but they had been living in the city so long without any problems… nopony thought it would end like it did. The fire at the factory had been arson, there was no doubt. Butterfly had died a hero, sacrificing herself to evacuate the employees, pony and changeling. That’s what made it such a buck to the face when the city council had blamed them for the blaze. That was when Alias stepped in. He proposed that they continue as a traveling circus. They could brew enough of the schnapps between stops to keep the love harvest enough to avoid starvation for the changelings, and there was enough bits to keep the pony performers taken care of. Dead Lift shook his massive head, he should have seen this coming. There had been more than one time when Alias' mania would spiral out of control, and they had to leave town in a hurry. Then all at once, he’d calmed down. He’d proposed they would go to Canterlot. They would bring the secret of Franklin’s love juice to the new Princess as a peace offering. It would be even better than Fillydelphia. Looking at the debauchery that surrounded him, he wondered what Noone’s endgame really was… or if he even had one. Was this always the plan? There were too many pieces fitting together. Ba’al, Franklin, the fire in Filly, he couldn’t help but see the connections. It was exactly his style. -=-=-=-=- “Diane,” the little changeling was surprised at her adopted mother’s arrival, “You’re in big trouble missy!” “Mom,” the little changeling queen scuttled in place, “We have to get out of here! We have to find my friends…” “Oh, they’re in trouble, too!” the green mare assured, “Now you come with me!” “Back off Whatserface!” Dead Lift approached with an aggressive stance, “Is this what we’ve come down to? Bullying little fillies?” “She said you were gonna be a problem,” the green mare scowled. “That’s not who you think it is,” Dead Lift warned. “Y-you’re not with the Nopony?” Diane asked in confusion. “We’ll deal with you, traitor!” In a flash of green flames, Surprise was gone, replaced by a badly scarred changeling mare, “You should have kept your head down. Alias likes you. Things would have gone better after…” “There IS no after!” Diane shouted angrily, “Whatever he told you was a lie! This. Is. What. He. Wanted! He just built this whole thing so he could watch it burn!” “Bah, you’re a stupid little bug, just like she said!” Whatserface flew off into the night to continue to do her mistress’ bidding. “I meant it when I said I was your uncle’s friend.” Dead Lift turned to the filly, “My name, my human name is Jimmy Jack. I’m not the only one here who knew Ki. We have to get to the freak show.” “You’re Jimmy Jack?” Diane’s confusion was only momentary. “Alright, I trust you. Do you know who he is? Do you know what he is?” “He calls himself Iam Noone,” the stallion admitted. “I know that can’t be his real name. Every name he gives is a deflection.” “He is the Nopony.” Diane bowed her head gravely. “He doesn’t have a name because Charlie never gave him one. He is madness unleashed.” The loudspeakers suddenly came to life and the lilting voice of Madame Alias coyly taunted the little changeling, “Cupcake, dear, your friends are waiting for you in the hall of mirrors. Or maybe it was the fun house… I can’t remember.” “Jimmy!” a massive three headed filly stampeded into the conversation. “Something’s wrong!” “Pony’s barely even seem to realize we’re there at all, when they aren’t trying to get weird,” the yellow head interjected. “What’s going on? Are they infected? I thought we were all clean?” “Alias and her cronies have played us all for fools, girls.” Dead Lift addressed the trio who were were all one pony. “Gather the others. The pony that got killed… he was one of us. It was Ki. These aren’t accidents. I’d bet at this point Butterfly too. Alias has been planning this for a long time.” “Not madame Butterfly?!?!” Louise’ voice echoed with shock, “She saved her life!” “Just gather the family, us, the Calypso’s, Frank if he’s on our side. No changelings and NOT Ba’al!” The stallion barked, sending the filly (fillies?) on their way. “He’s going to bring it all down, not just this, the whole changeling/pony peace. He’s going to break it.” Diane stamped her hoof in frustration. “I’ve seen him do it before! He pushes. He’s a pusher. He doesn’t care what happens as long as it’s fun for him!” “We’re not going to let that happen.” Jimmy Jack made a promise he hoped he could keep. “Listen, I don’t know you, and you don’t know me, but you’ve stood up to him.” “The last time I had Charlie. This time...I don’t know.” A sob escaped from the little changeling. “Listen to me,” Dead Lift spoke carefully, “This is what he told me. I have you, and you’ve got me, and I know a thing or two about getting out of these kinds of places.”