Sunburst to the Rescue

by David Silver

23 - Fantastical Creations

Flim trotted to the left in a lively little step. "Professional repairs are costly."

"Not to mention slow," added Flam, moving in the opposite direction. "With our new--"

"--patented--"

"--guaranteed!"

"Invention," continued Flim, waving at what looked like a colander with a horn shape thrusting from it. "Anyone with a few drops of magic can effect a wondrous display."

Flam waved a hoof over the sparse crowd. "Can we get a unicorn volunteer to demonstrate?"

Twilight suddenly slid to her hooves.

Both of them flinched, but none of the other ponies were rushing to stand up. Flim waved to her. "Step forward, Princess Twilight Sparkle. If you can verify the efficacy of our amazing--"

"--fantastic--"

"--spellbinding--"

"--machine, then there won't be a shadow of a doubt." They nodded towards one another in growing agreement. The colander/helmet was held in their magic, waiting for Twilight.

Twilight did not advance, instead sweeping a hoof back to Sunburst. "A proper challenge. This unicorn is quite talented in theory, but lacks magical strength. If he can use your device, then you've impressed me."

Flim and Flam's eyes turned towards one another, surprise showing a moment before they recovered. Flam waved at Sunburst. "Then, please, step forward good stallion. We'll put this right to the test."

The other ponies in the room were sitting up. Disappointment in the lack of in-depth arcane analysis was fading away. Twilight Sparkle had issued a challenge? And they were taking it up? Perhaps something interesting would happen.

Star Catcher hopped down and offered a hoof to Sunburst, smiling brightly. "Um, thank you?" He wasn't sure what to do. Snubbing her offered hoof seemed rude, so he took it, sliding himself down with her, not really needed, support. He hurried past her as soon as he hit the ground though, trotting up towards the stage.

Star sat back in her seat, eyeing her prize - a few strands of hair. She carefully slipped them into a little plastic bag and tucked it away, giggling to herself in victory.

Flim and Flam approached Sunburst as he stepped up onto the stage. "Here you go." Flim slipped the strange helmet onto Sunburst's head, putting his horn into the sleeve that projected from it. "Now, while a unicorn could, as we had, learn to do it themselves, that requires--"

"--too much effort," continued Flam without a pause. "Not to mention time--"

"--precious time." Flim nodded. "Now, sir, you have no experience with this, we assume?"

Sunburst thought of the broken crystal heart. "I know of repair spells, but I haven't really used them, myself." He had gotten other, stronger, unicorns to do it. "So what do I do?"

A cart suddenly wheeled in from a darker part of the stage. On it balanced a fine plate, a teacup on a saucer, and an antique baby rattle. "Which of these--"

"--do you like the most?"

Sunburst looked between the three before pointing at the teacup and saucer. "I like the colors on--" He didn't get to finish. With a sudden shove of green magic, the two were knocked free of the cart and shattered on the stage, becoming countless pieces.

"Oops," they both echoed as one, smiling cheekily.

Sunburst clenched his teeth, backing up a step in surprise. "What? But--"

"--Now it's broken," agreed Flim.

"But you could fix it," noted Flam. "Just focus on the pieces and think of how lovely it was just a moment ago."

Sunburst looked out into the dimly lit crowd. There was Twilight, watching him intently. He closed his eyes and took a soft breath, trying to calm himself. If it messed up, that wasn't his fault, right? He directed a hoof at the broken bits of ceramic, imagining the pleasant colors that had attracted him to the set in the first place.

Quietly, the tray rolled away under the influence of green magic, the other two delicate items spared the wrath of the brothers.

"You're not casting a spell," noted Flim with a smile. "Just let your magic run up through the apparatus and think of what it used to be."

The image of his imperfect horn's insides flashed in his mind, all those ugly bone spurs jutting out at odd angles, cursing him to know but never join the ranks of master spellcrafters like Twilight and Starlight. He shook his head free of the image. A teacup, on a saucer. They were delicate and lovely. That was the image he focused on, willing his magic to flow.

The sleeve his horn was in warmed. The helmet buzzed in odd ways, but he couldn't see what it was doing. Twilight could, tilting her head at its many glowing lights that twinkled in and out of sight. She doubted it needed nearly as many as the brothers had festooned it with, but she pondered if some of them served some sort of purpose.

"Do you think it'll work?" whispered Star, standing right beside Twilight close enough for their pelts to touch. "Looks like it's doing something."

"Something, alright..."

Sunburst frowned at the collection, but that broke as they began to jitter and shake. They glowed with his magic and he smiled hopefully. Would it work? Was his magic enough to do... whatever the two ponies had set in motion? He imagined the saucer more strongly. What was the purpose of the teacup without the dish it sat on?

The remnants began to lift from the ground, swirling around one another with flashes of light. His horn was growing all the warmer, almost painfully so, but he focused on the tea set as it began to come together bit by bit, glued together with the utmost of care and not a mark left behind with each piece.

"Behold!" cried out Flim. "If he can do this with only having seen it a moment, imagine what trained collectors and keepers of precious artifacts could accomplish?"

Sunburst snorted softly at that. As if he didn't qualify as a trained collector. He sat on his haunches, shaping the air with his forehooves as the saucer came together, tinking as it landed, ready to be used.

He let out an explosive gust of air. "Enough..."

Flam tilted his head in confusion. "Enough? You haven't finished putting the cup together."

Sunburst reached up, carefully removing the helmet. "It's a wonderful invention, really, but it's getting uncomfortably hot..."

Flim snatched the helmet away from Sunburst's hooves and almost dropped it in surprise. Thankfully, Flam caught it before it hit the ground and set it aside carefully. "Just a few minor glitches to work through," he assured with a bright smile. "Thank you for helping us demonstrate."

Twilight approached at a spirited trot. "I must confess, I am surprised, and impressed." She nodded towards the helmet. "If you can get rid of that defect, you may have a real treasure on your hooves."

She had said the secret word. Ears went up across the room at the mention of treasure. Some were checking their brochures as if her words may have been a clue to the scavenger hunt.

Flim looked surprised at Twilight, Flam echoing the expression in mirror. "You are?" they both asked.

She nodded softly. "Being able to restore damaged artifacts and keepsakes?" She gestured to Sunburst. "Usable by any unicorn? I can support the idea, but only if they don't injure the user during the process. Work on that, and bring it by."

Both of their faces lit up into smiles. "We'd be honored," assured Flim.

"Flattered," added Flam.

"We're on the case," they echoed, the helmet lifting in their combined effort. They scurried off in a hurry.

Sunburst nudged a few broken bits of ceramic on the stage. "A pity they never fixed the teacup. It really was a nice one."

Twilight snorted with a half-smile. With a glowing horn, she restored the cup as if it wasn't a big deal, setting it on the already repaired saucer. "There we are. I'm not sure we'll ever hear from them again, but..."

An enthusiastic clip-clop drew their attentions to Star Catcher, watching them intently. The other ponies were scattering, the demonstration clearly over, but not Star. She was gazing at the two most popular ponies left in the room with a big smile. "You don't have any other panels scheduled for today, so--"

"--How do you know that?" asked Twilight with a raised brow.

"Oh, do you?" She tilted her head at Twilight. "Which one?"

Sunburst hopped down from the stage, rubbing at his horn lightly. "Well, there's the escape room at midnight."

"Ooo!" Star bounced in place. "Who are you going with? That's a team activity."

Twilight coughed into a hoof. "We only reserved it for the two of us, and that's hours away."

Star bobbed her head. "If the room is yours, they won't complain so long as it's up to six ponies." She pointed at herself. "I'm good at puzzles, promise. Please let me help!" Even as Twilight and Sunburst looked unsure, she leaned in with a little smile. "Besides, you're going for the big treasure, aren't you?"

Both of them looked towards her. Sunburst perked his ears. "Do you know something about it?"

"I may know where one of them happens to be." She smiled grandly, her eyes half-lidded. "I can show it to you after we win the escape room pin. It'll be nice and dark so nopony else will see us going to it." She dipped her head. "And if we both end up winning, I'll gladly cede it to the more popular ponies." She pointed at the two of them. "That's you two."

Twilight put a hoof behind her head. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt too much..."

Sunburst nodded softly. "No cheating, though. We want to work through the puzzles the fair way."

"I promise." She put a hoof over her heart. "Besides, I haven't done the escape room myself, but I have heard there's a pin in there, but I bet you two figured that out way before now, as if I have a chance against two amazing ponies like yourselves." She took a step away, pivoting towards the door. "As you said, it's hours away. Want to do something while we wait?"

Sunburst pointed off into the convention hall. "Actually, there was a thing I wanted to get to, and since this event is over, perhaps you could come with?"

Twilight started for the door, one ear turned to Sunburst. "What panel is that?"

"Not a panel." He trotted alongside Twilight gesturing with a toss of his head. "There's a gaming room and they're playing out of print roleplaying games?"

Twilight gasped dramatically. "Ogres and Oubliettes, purple box edition?!"

"They have one sitting there," reported Sunburst with a growing grin. "You don't get to play with the original, of course, but there are copies."

The two giggled with shared geek-joy as Star Catcher rushed to catch up. "Oh, that sounds fun."

Sunburst blinked, remembering they had a third wheel. "You play O&O?"

"All the time," she laughed out. "I'm sure I'm not as good as you two, but I'd love to give it a try if you don't mind too terribly?"

Twilight rolled a hoof as she walked. "I'm a little rusty myself. I'll follow Sunburst's lead." She glanced at Star pointedly. "He'll be a little overwhelmed holding one newbie's hoof. Let's not overtax him."

"You're absolutely right," yielded Star Catcher, backing away a few steps. "I'll catch up with you both at the escape room. Have fun!" She cantered off without a single word of objection, leaving them to delightful near-solitude, if one ignored all the other ponies milling about towards various convention events.

Sunburst leaned in close to Twilight as they continued their hike. "You know how to play O&O just fine, don't you?"

"I learned from the purple box first. I'm more familiar with it than the current revision." Twilight smirked a little. "Forgive me, for I have been naughty."

"Forgiven." He bumped against her and the two broke into an eager trot towards the gaming room.

Author's Note:

Yay, roleplaying! Let's play!

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Comments

[Crystal Treasure]

Okay, I have to admit: Flim and Flam weren't that bad, this time. Star Catcher, on the other hoof... Yeah, a little creepy.

patended

patented

[Emtu]

You just had to invite Flim and Flam into your story, didn't you? Well, they brought along a bunch of typos.

"--patended--"

"--gaurenteed!"

patented, guaranteed

"Anyone with a few drops of magic can effect a wondrous display."

affect

Flim waves to her.

waved

Flame waved at Sunburst.

Flam

you may have a real treasure on your hand.

hands (or more appropriately, hooves)

[David Silver]

9193038
You were caught in my cunning trap. effect was used as a verb there, not a noun. Affect would not work in that sentence.

[Daremo]

gaurenteed - guaranteed
Flim waves - Flim waved
Flame waved - Flam waved
sliding down himself - sliding himself down
her prize few strands - her prized few strands -or- her prize - a few strands
the dim crowd - the dimly lit crowd

[Daremo]

9193038

"Anyone with a few drops of magic can effect a wondrous display."

affect

I think 'effect' is used properly here. In this context it has a defintion of "to bring about".

[Booster Spice]

Star Catcher is acting like a real teapot. I think Ill call her Star Cosy.

[Emtu]

9193089
9193101
It still doesn't look right to me in that context, but whatever.

[Daremo]

Star sat back in her seat, eyeing her prize - few strands of hair.

Hmmm... who have we seen collecting hairs from ponies before? Perhaps this is only a red herring, or more of a green hair-ing.

Also: few strands of hair - a few strands of hair

[FanOfMostEverything]

Star sat back in her seat, eyeing her prize - a few strands of hair. She carefully slipped them into a little plastic bag and tucked it away, giggling to herself in victory.

Hmm. Sympathetic magic link? Changeling clone spell? Creepy stalker shrine? I'm not sure which possibility is the creepiest.

In any case, the brothers may actually have a genuinely useful product, if they ever bother to invest in a better cooling system. "May" and "if" being the operative words. For now, there are characters to generate!

Also, that helmet may generate typos as a side effect:

I'm a little rusty myself. I'll follow Sunburt's lead.

Sunburst's.

[howard035]

Very interesting, to see how the Princess of Friendship deflects an unwanted friendship.