505 - Licorice and Frosting
“What were you thinkin’?!”
Rainbow Dash winced at Applejack’s angry shout, her ears folding back. “I was-”
“Takin’ off all on your own like that! And doin’ it so you can go pickin’ a fight with somepony you know is more ornery than a hungry manticore and twice as dangerous!”
“Look-”
“You didn’t even bring any of your gear with you!” Gesturing at the luggage that Spike was unloading from the train, Applejack continued to rant. “Did you just forget about all that fancy magic stuff we picked up back on Everglow?!”
“Oh darling, please,” interjected Rarity. “Those knickknacks you all brought back might be enchanted, but they’re hardly what I would call fancy. I mean, the stitching on those cloaks alone is just so bourgeois.”
It was a transparent attempt to defuse the situation, but all she accomplished was to make Applejack to transfer her ire to a new target. “That ain’t the point, Rarity! We got all this stuff because it protects you when you wear it, which can make the difference between life and death in a fight! That was why Spike told Rainbow to bring it when that big metal monster attacked Canterlot! And then she goes runnin’ off without takin’ any of it along!”
“I’m not sure how much they would have helped,” sighed Twilight, looking up from where she’d been examining Rainbow Dash’s wing, her expression troubled. “From what I can tell, the curse that Lex used is basically making your body forget that you regrew your wing. There’s no actual damage that I can see, but until the dark magic is removed, I don’t think you’re going to be able to fly.”
Rainbow blanched at that, but it was Fluttershy who spoke up. “But you can remove it, right Twilight?” she asked, her voice quivering as though it was her wing they were talking about.
“I’m not sure,” admitted Twilight. “This is some pretty strong magic. But the good news is that it’s nowhere near as powerful as the curse Lex used on Luna. I think that if I use my alicorn magic in conjunction with my ‘break enchantment’ spell, I might be able to do it. But if I can’t…”
“You’re saying I could be stuck like this forever?!” Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but gape in horror at the prospect.
Pinkie, by contrast, couldn’t have looked less worried. “Aw, it won’t come to that! I got to know Sonata back when she’d just become a pony, and she’s A-okay! So I bet if we ask her reeeally nicely now, she’ll convince Lex to make that awful curse go poof!” On the last word, she stood upright and gestured grandly with her forelegs, a burst of confetti and streamers exploding outward from the ends of her hooves.
The comment made Rainbow Dash bite her lip and look down, but was again saved from replying as Soft Mane snorted. “Yeah, because he’s the forgiving type,” she muttered sarcastically, before withdrawing her hand from Rainbow’s back and standing up. “Okay, I’ve healed all of those cuts and bruises you had. Other than your wing, you’re good as new.”
“I’ve gotta say, cuts and bruises are pretty good when you consider how torn up this place is,” added Spike, glancing around as he brought out the last of everyone’s bags.
It wasn’t hard to see what he was talking about. While the platform itself was intact, the train station that had been right behind it was demolished, reduced to little more than a foundation. Fragments of the building were scattered around haphazardly, as though some gargantuan creature had kicked the place over and stomped on the ruins. Adding to the effect was how there were several craters scarring the ground, as well as a large scorch mark a short distance away, marking what had to have been an epic battle.
Unable to help herself, Rainbow sat up a little straighter. “Yeah, well, what can I say? I might have gotten my wing cursed, but you should see the other guy.”
Applejack raised a brow, her expression skeptical. “You’re sayin’ this is all from you and Lex?”
Her girlfriend’s tone caused Dash’s bravado to wither. “Well, no…”
“Uh-huh,” remarked Applejack flatly, before turning to the alicorn among them. “Twilight, how about you get started on that spell while Dash here tells us exactly what happened after she took off.” She glanced back at the grounded pegasus as she continued. “And she better be honest if she knows what’s good for her.”
“Ugh, fine,” muttered Rainbow petulantly as Twilight began to gesture and chant, her horn lighting up as she fed power into her spell. As she did, Rainbow launched into what had happened after she’d exited the train, telling her friends about how she’d seen a distant light coming from just outside of Vanhoover and had homed in on it, tracking it back even after it had gone out and arriving in time to hear some pompous-looking stallion in a crown listing off all of the evil things that Lex – who had been surrounded by unconscious ponies – had been doing.
Her description of the subsequent battle was more animated, describing the blow-by-blow with gusto, making sure to point out where she’d dug a trench in the ground using Lex’s ugly face. She even stood up to pantomime some of the more exciting parts, complete with the awesome one-liners she’d thrown out. Most importantly, she made sure everyone knew that she’d absolutely been winning until Lex had somehow managed to use the magical version of a sucker punch to hit her with a curse right when she’d been about to finish him off.
When she got to the part that came after that, however, Rainbow’s enthusiasm for retelling what had happened visibly waned. Her voice went from boisterous to mumbling as she reluctantly relayed how Sonata had gotten the drop on her, magically paralyzing her and then messing with her head before Lex’s deteriorating condition had pulled her away. Although the enraged Siren’s spells had worn off barely a minute after she’d left, Rainbow had decided to stay there and wait for everypony to catch up. “But not because I was scared of what Sonata might do if I followed them or anything,” she made sure to add. “I just figured it’d be a shame if I had to beat her up too.”
Her assurance prompted a few knowing chuckles and caused multiple pairs of eyes to roll. But in an unusual turn of events, Pinkie seemed to be the least amused among them. “Sonata really did all that mean stuff to you?”
“Well, can you blame her?” asked Spike, only to wither as several disapproving looks were turned in his direction. “I’m just saying! I mean, if someone showed up out of nowhere and started attacking Soft Mane, I’d go crazy too!”
The admission brought a smile to Soft Mane’s face. “Thanks Spike.” Bending down, she gave the little dragon a hug.
“Yes, well, I can certainly understand a lady unleashing her wrath on someone who would hurt her beloved,” admitted Rarity. “But what I can’t understand is why nopony tried to help you, darling! Couldn’t they see that you were in need of assistance?” She finished by pointing toward the rows of rather ugly-looking houses of short distance away (the closest of which was currently being repaired for the massive crater Rainbow’s attack had made in one wall), where several ponies had gathered, eyeing the eight figures on the station platform. Although it was hard to be certain, their expressions were far from welcoming, and several were carrying shovels or planks of wood despite having no apparent need for them.
But the discussion of the cold reception they were apparently in for was one that would need to wait. “Okay!” called Twilight at last. “Here goes!”
Not sure what to do, Rainbow Dash stood up straight and held still, while everyone else took a few steps back. But Twilight didn’t notice any of that, her face screwed up in concentration as she pointed at Rainbow Dash’s limp left wing, unleashing the magic that she’d gathered.
Normally this wouldn’t have any sort of visible effect, Twilight reminded herself as she felt her magic clash with Lex’s. But if this is like what happened with Luna…
Her suspicion was proven correct a moment later as her spell, normally invisible, took on colored aura as it surrounded Rainbow Dash’s wing. Immediately, the limb began to blacken in response, looking as though it had been dipped in ink so dark that even the daylight couldn’t make it glisten, the ebony substance clinging to every inch of Rainbow’s wing all the way up to her back. I knew it, cheered Twilight internally, her concern for her friend momentarily overshadowed by the thrill of a hypothesis being proven right. Whatever Lex is doing to augment his curses, it’s imbuing them with so much power that they actually become visible when something tries to remove them! That was distinct from how the weaker curses he’d placed on some other ponies – such as the ones Cadance had told her she’d removed, after multiple attempts, from Comfy Cozy and Produce Aisle – hadn’t ever manifested any sort of visible aura when undone. And it lent credence to a theory she’d developed about why all of their attempts to remove Luna’s curse had met with failure so far…
“Um, Twilight?” called Rainbow Dash nervously. “Is this supposed to be happening?!”
No one had to ask she meant. Even as the words left her lips, the pink aura of Twilight’s spell began to quiver, shaking as though under some sort of strain. In response, the black substance coating Rainbow’s wing began to stretch out, as though it were a rubber coating that was being tugged in an invisible grip.
The sight was frightening enough that Applejack took a step forward, concern written all over her face. “Dash! Are you okay?!”
“I’m alright!” nodded Rainbow, watching the spectacle with wide eyes. “In fact,” she added a second later, starting to grin. “I think I can feel my wing a little bit!”
That caused everypony to hold their breath, watching as Twilight’s magic struggled with Lex’s shadowy curse. The pink aura shook harder, its edges growing faint even as it stretched the black substance further, trying to tear it free of Rainbow’s wing. But the dark magic was resisting, struggling to snap back into place. For a moment the two forces seemed to be at an equilibrium, neither able to gain an advantage over the other.
Then…
“Look!” shouted Rarity, pointing. But she needn’t have bothered, as nopony missed the spot of blue appearing near the base of Rainbow’s wing, revealed as the black substance of Lex’s magic was slowly peeled back from it. A second later the tip of an azure feather could be seen, followed by another.
And then the dark mass was ripped away from Rainbow’s wing completely, torn into pieces as Twilight’s magic overpowered it. Reduced to tatters, the inky fragments of Lex’s malevolent magic dissolved almost immediately, collapsing into nothing before they hit the ground even as the pink aura of Twilight’s magic faded away, its power expended now that its task was complete. A half-second later both colors had vanished completely.
Each of Rainbow Dash’s wings snapped out then, a huge grin crossing the pegasus mare’s face as she gave her left one an experimental flap. “Aw yeah!” she whooped, leaping into the air with a powerful beat of her wings. Performing a quick series of aerial loops, somersaults, and dives as her friends cheered her on, Rainbow landed a moment later, striking a pose. “The Dash is back!”
Taking a moment to enjoy the group hug that followed, Rainbow gave Twilight a grateful look. “Gotta hand it to you Twilight, when it comes to magic, that King Sombra-wannabe has nothing on you!”
Rainbow’s comment earned a chorus of agreement from everyone else, causing Twilight to give an embarrassed grin at the outpouring of praise. “I’m just glad I was able to help. But more than that, I think I’ve figured out why I wasn’t able to do the same for Princess Luna!”
“Ooh, is it because his black licorice curse needs an even bigger helping of your pink frosting aura in order to overpower its eeevil flavor?” asked Pinkie.
“Somehow I doubt that’s it, sugarcube,” chuckled Applejack from where she had her side pressed against Rainbow Dash.
“Actually, Pinkie’s not far off,” admitted Twilight with a grin. “You see, normally when trying to undo someone else’s magic, it’s more about precision than about power. But I think the curse Lex put on Rainbow’s wing, and on Luna, are exceptions.”
Fluttershy tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
“Think of a spell like a book,” explained Twilight, ignoring the groans her analogy provoked. “The energy is like the paper, and the words written on each page tell you what its designed to do. The stronger the spell, the more pages it has, while having more words on each page means that it’s a more complex spell.”
“Darling, this is fascinating, but I’m not sure I see what this has to do with how you defeated that curse just now,” prodded Rarity, knowing that Twilight would likely go on at length if not made to stay on topic.
“If a spell is like a book, then trying to remove one with another spell is like hitting one book with another, which doesn’t do very much. But if you make sure to use the sturdiest part of your book, and carefully aim for the spine of the book you’re hitting, then you have a good chance of doing some real damage.” Despite it being her metaphor, Twilight couldn’t help but wince a little at the thought of book-on-book violence.
“Okay, but where does the frosting and licorice come in?” asked Pinkie, producing some pink-frosted black licorice as she waited for Twilight to get to the good part.
“I’m still not one hundred percent sure about this, but I think that Lex has found some way to put more energy into his curses in a way that’s more like adding a thicker cover than extra pages, meaning that unless a counter-spell has enough raw power, it’s not able to get through no matter how precisely it’s used. It’s like if you’re using an ordinary paperback to attack a hardback book whose cover is made out of metal a quarter-inch thick. It doesn’t matter how good your aim is, because you won’t be able to hit it hard enough to do anything. In that case, you need a minimum level of power and sufficient precision together in order to break through. Or to put it another way,” Twilight added with a giggle, “it doesn’t matter how sweet the frosting is if there isn’t enough of it to overpower the taste of the licorice.”
“Hmm…” Pondering that for a second, Pinkie whipped out a can of frosting and quickly shoved the end of her cream-covered licorice stick into it, covering it in a huge dollop of icing before biting down on it and chewing thoughtfully. “It works!” she pronounced a moment later, using the remaining licorice to scoop more sugary goodness out of the can.
“So the reason you couldn’t remove Princess Luna’s curse is because Lex put more power into it than you or Cadance could match?” asked Fluttershy, looking intimidated by how strong that meant Lex was. “Does that mean…” Glancing back at where the Vanhoover ponies were still watching them, she lowered her voice nervously. “Does that mean the Crystal Heart won’t be able to remove it either?”
Twilight’s hesitation made her answer clear before the words passed her lips. “I don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to study the Crystal Heart very much. But if Cadance is right that its power depends on how many of the crystal ponies are there to pour their love and light into it, then she’s definitely going to need as many of them as possible in order for it to have any chance of working.”
“Or we go with Plan B,” offered Rainbow, still hyped from being able to fly again, “and now that we’re all here we go after Lex together and make him fix Luna!”
Applejack gave Rainbow an incredulous look, but Twilight jumped in before another argument could break out. “Actually, I think there’s a way we can get Lex to remove Luna’s curse without trying to force him.”
“By doing what?” huffed Soft Mane, crossing her arms under her chest. “I don’t know if you were paying attention to Rainbow’s story while you were casting your spell, Twilight, but I really don’t think Lex is going to be in the mood to do us any favors.”
“As a matter of fact, I was paying attention,” replied Twilight, unable to help but smirk. “And that’s why I feel confident that this is going to work. Lex might not be the nicest pony around, but if we ask him to free Luna from her curse then I’m willing to bet that he won’t be able to turn us down…”
She pointed at Soft Mane then, her grin taking on a smug cast as she revealed her plan. “…if you use your magic to heal his injuries first.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.15 seconds
Total duration
747 users online
665,056 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Or you know. You could tell him that she renounced her plan to become a goddess, which was the reason he had to curse her.
I think Twilight is being a little naive. From Lex's point of view healing him would just be undoing something that was their fault to begin with, since it was Dash's attack that put him near death. At best it might put them back on neutral ground, but I doubt he'll be willing to grant them any favors.
Not to mention this only works until one of his followers with healing magic gets a chance to recharge. If the doctors can stabilize him through mundane means until then, the offer is worthless.
Edit: And there's the 3rd thing wrong with this plan. Unless I'm misunderstanding, Twilight is essentially advocating holding Lex's life hostage unless he agrees to their demands. Our Princess of 'Friendship' ladies and gentlemen...
Congratulations on the basics of being a good guest. If you damage your host, you should probably fix that. I fail to comprehend how Lex will owe any of them “one”
Pinkie has invented the Sherbert Dip? She just needs to add Orange flavour to have it on her party Hosting Powers?
As for Heal On Demand? Pinkie might be the only reason that Lex getting angry at them doesnt lead to Sonata, seeing Dash still moving, going Sashimi on them. Only because Lex realises just how utterly incompetant fools they are and incapable of coherent interaction on his part?
10384180 The reason Lex went ahead and cursed Luna was because Severance pushed the issue, but he's always maintained that he was justified in doing so, both for her part in what he sees as Equestria's mismanagement and her continued aggression after he tried to tell them that Severance's attempt on her life wasn't at his behest (to the point of ignoring his offer to use the resurrection spell that the Night Mare had given him on Silhouette). So it's unlikely that being told that Luna had abandoned all pretensions of godhood would result in him lifting her curse now.
10384469 Oh, I suspect that Pinkie has invented quite a few desserts, though whether she recorded them or simply ate them and moved on to the next thing is anypony's guess.
As for what'll happen if and when Pinkie and Sonata end up in the same room together...well, notwithstanding Pinkie's discomfort with what Sonata did to Rainbow, I suspect it will involve a lot of squealing and jumping.
10384409 You're not wrong, but Twilight is optimistic that good actions engender good feelings, which will engender good feelings in turn. There's also the fact that Twilight doesn't view things in the same collectivist way that Lex does, in terms of the dynamics of her group. Rainbow Dash owes Lex an apology, to be sure, but Soft Mane doesn't, so if she heals him then Twilight is hoping that Lex will feel indebted to her if she asks him to make things right with Luna.
Me thinks that they're relying too much on Lex's goodwill that's apparently inherent to many Equestrians(not all as evidenced by Blueblood and the elites of Las Pegasus). After what Rainbow Dash did?
The plan hinges on Soft Mane, someone who's not Lex's biggest fan to say the least, agreeing to heal Lex in the first place. Plus, I doubt Sonata will let Rainbow Dash, let alone any of her friends get even a foot near Lex.
However, Sonata might be willing to let them through if the situation is dire enough though she'll most likely insist on at least Rainbow to stay outside for good reason. And by 'insist' I mean demand with a threat of picking up where she left off if Rainbow or her friends do anything funny and not the Pinkie kind of funny.
Still, the biggest gripe I have is with Twilight's apparent decision to go straight to where Lex is instead of staying to talk with the ponies who actually saw what happened. Something tells me that this will be something akin to an episode where Twilight and her friends exacerbate a situation before they figure out an actual solution to said problem. The issue is whether or not it will be too late to fix the 'problem'
10384367 Twilight is hoping that kind acts will beget kind acts. She likewise doesn't seem to be treating things as "Lex's group vs. my group" in terms of she and her friends being collectively responsible for what Rainbow Dash did. In other words, if Soft Mane steps up to heal him now, then that's between Lex and Soft Mane, having nothing to do with Rainbow. Of course, that has nothing to do with Luna either, but Twilight seems to be betting that Soft Mane can help out with that (presumably by asking).
Of course, Twilight doesn't know that Lex has followers who have healing magic of their own. They're both unable to use it at the moment, however, so her idea is more time-sensitive than she realizes...
She's not doing that. Twilight is certainly hoping that an act of kindness from Soft Mane will provoke Lex to do the same, but she's not suggesting that it be presented as any sort of quid pro quo. No demands are being suggested.
10384599 Twilight's plan is entirely based around hope and the presumption of goodwill, which isn't too surprising; she is the Princess of Friendship after all. Invoking reciprocal altruism is her modus operandi quite a lot of the time, with only the particular applications of how to get through to someone being what she needs to figure out. In this case, she's hoping that by stepping past acrimony and toward a place of kindness, she can resolve some of the ill-will that's been generated, and not just by Lex; I suspect that Twilight sees it as a benefit that Soft Mane would need to let go of some of her anger for this plan to work.
Of course, there's no guarantee that Soft Mane will want to do something nice for somepony who has consistently invoked the prejudice that she's lived with all of her life. Reciprocal cruelty is a thing, the same way reciprocal altruism is. Similarly, I doubt that Sonata is in a mood to let anyone who associates with Rainbow Dash anywhere near Lex, just like you said. Plus, Twilight noted earlier that the map didn't call Spike and Soft Mane there with them...
As for not talking with the ponies of Vanhoover first, well, let's see what happens between her announcing her plan and actually executing it.
There is also the option that Lex will refuse that they use healing magic on HIM altogether.
10384895 Very true, though that might be a problem if he's still unconscious when they make the offer (i.e. letting Sonata decide on his behalf).
10385042
So the elements just became the American healthcare system?
... does that make Lex Universal health care?
10385115 Well, he has been directing the doctors he brought to Vanhoover to treat patients for free.
I had to stop reading to comment. Thank you.
10385627 Rarity being Rarity is always a delight.
A gift for a gift
May it heal a broken rift?
Or will this just cause anger
And provide some fresh danger?
10386436 I suspect we'll find out soon!