The Potion Shop

by Ashfur

Daydream Believer

Orange hooves hit the forest floor in a panic, thundering in a rhythm as the pony tore down a side path that seemed like the same one they'd just gone down. Their purple mane whipped around in the wind, further highlighting their location. A manticore ripped through the underbrush behind them, its eyes glinting in the pale moonlight.

The pony desperately tried to flap their wings, but to no avail. The feathery appendages just couldn't get lift. The manticore got closer and closer, its sharp jaws snapping with vicious force. Finally, it was within range. I pounced, fangs ready to tear the unfortunate pony limb from limb, and-

"ENOUGH!"

The manticore suddenly froze in midair. There was no magic aura, no traps, nothing. It was as though some higher power had simply hit pause. The pony, however, was free to move. She scrambled to her hooves a few feet away from the beast, only for a familiar form to step out of the shadows.

"Scootaloo. We apologize for taking so long to reach thee, but it seems we have arrived in time nevertheless. Thy dreams seem troubled."

Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, Luna! Boy am I glad to see you." The filly galloped over to the alicorn and hugged her, which Luna of course reciprocated. "Thank you. I'm sorry I've been having so many nightmares recently."

"Tis no issue, Scootaloo." Luna draped a wing over her and guided her over to a clearing, where a campfire materialized for them to talk. "We understand how difficult it can be to struggle with something like flying. But thou art our friend, and even if thou were not, we would help thee regardless." The pair arrived and sat down on a log next to the crackling dream fire. "Besides, we can think of an orange and purple pony who causes us more problems than your Cutie Mark Crusaders ever could."

"He sounds like a real hoof full," replied Arca, floating a marshmallow into the fire.

Luna, princess of the night and dreams, let out a very non-regal, startled whinny as she became suddenly aware of the orange and purple pony in question sitting next to her. Her wings fanned out in alarm, the force sending her falling backwards onto the floor of the imaginary forest.

"Gesundheit."

"Arcane." Luna slowly sat up, glaring at the stallion. "Not that we fail to enjoy thy company, but how in the B-" she paused, recalling Scootaloo next to her. "-how in the HAY didst thou dreamwalk all the way to Ponyville's dreams?!"

"Dreamwalking potion to enter the dream realm, duh. But beyond that... uh... sorry, moon-princess-boss, not allowed to tell you. Yidhra would get annoyed if I shared secrets outside of her friend circle."

"Who?!"

"Oh, are we doing owl impressions? I thought we were helping this filly who looks surprisingly like me with flying problems."

Luna glared at Arca. "Why. Art. Thou. Here."

"You forgot to write down how many bits were in the register at the end of your shift at alchemiracles."

Luna facehoofed. "...seriously?"

"Yeah. Anyway, moving on. Little one! If your dream-self is anything like your real self, your wings seem to be underdeveloped. I can make a potion to stimulate growth, but I would need to reach your location. Hm… I know Zecora lives near ponyville, I could infiltrate her dreams to give her the recipe. But she's on vacation in her home country."

Scootaloo looked up at Arca with a mixture of curiosity and hope. "My classmate Apple Bloom can make potions. We once made a love potion that got a bit out of control, though…"

"Classmate?" Arca cocked his head to one side. "How old is she? This isn't a recipe for amateurs."

"Uh… Twelve?"

"GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME! That's the perfect age for kinda thinking you know what you're doing so you're willing to take chances, make mistakes and get messy! I'll just-"

Luna cut in, her horn shimmering with magic. "Thou art not leaving this dream until morning, Arcane, for we have fortified its structure such that not even our dreamwalking could escape it until Scootaloo wakes up. We do not trust Apple Bloom to have the expertise required to- what art thou doing?"

"Leaving. What does it look like?"

Scootaloo decided to throw her two bits in. "It, uh, looks like you are trying to walk into a tree near the still-paused manticore. How does that help you leav- hey, where did he go?"

Sure enough, Arca had chosen that moment to do a forward somersault at a slight angle into the tree, which seemed to do nothing until he followed up with a backflip, which caused him to touch the manticore. This caused him to melodramatically recoil backwards in pain, appearing to flash in and out of existence for a few seconds, and then he proceeded to fall through the floor and out of the dream.

"Scootaloo, we believe it is time for us to take our leave so we may pursue our dear friend."

"I thought you said you can't escape this dream."

Luna groaned. "...then perhaps thou can assist us in trying to replicate what we just witnessed. …once we figure out what that even WAS."

---

The next afternoon, Arcane was sitting behind the counter, reading his old journal to pass the time, when Twilight Sparkle walked in the door. She didn't look happy.

"Oh! Princess Twinkie Sprinkie! Hi!" Arca took a moment to glance over Twilight's body. "...your wings have fur on them."

"Next time tell the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders Potion Makers' that ketchup is not a substitute for crimsonleaf pulp."

"Okay, but did the potion work though?"

Author's Note:

"Noclipping. The ultimate escape, so long as you can survive those wierd endless hallways. Thankfully I have a map."

"That's not how the backrooms work."

"Says you, Yiddhy."

Comments

[Cursebringer]

Another masterpiece

[MLPMekarm]

at this point i think everything is able to crossover when arca is involved.

[Ashfur]

11301734
I love how I can essentially do anything now as long as it's Arca and it's funny.

[Iron Comet]

Arca has ability to transcend reality...and possibly make a Scootaloo fly.

[notAperson]

11301736
Your like ralts_bloodthorn, the guy who wrote First Contact, you can put any reference to anything and anyone in your story, and, somehow, it will make sense .

[Dashie04]

Obligatory.

[Herald of Opera]

11301771
Sense? What fun is there in making sense? (Remember, Arca out-Discorded Discord)

[Ashfur]

11301796
Thank you

[TheBrony]

lol!! That sounds like something he would do.

[Nova Blaze]

Oh god, he clipped out of bounds! But more curious if Scoots actually IS related to Arca or if that's just coincidence.

[theillustriousq]

11301736
For some reason I get an evil grin when I wonder what would happen if an immortal duck were to meet an evil rabbit…

[ChakatRedstripe]

No clip for the win!

[Ashfur]

11301905
Meh, it was a dream, so... dream logic lets Arca do the nonsense.

To be fair, Arca's family history is unknown, given his adoption by Meadowbrook. He also doesn't remember much before that point, so it's up to the readers to imagine his origin. Was he born and raised in Hayseed Swamp, with one of his siblings or cousins being a direct ancestor of Scoots? Was Arca an only child, and is the current last of his bloodline with no biological ties to any characters? Was he perhaps a handsome fimfic author who got sent to equestria with a bit of amnesia or perhaps hiding his true past?

It's up to you, I guess.

[GuardianofRoin]

Come on Luna, you're a gamer. You must have seen clipping-exploits before, even just watching a speed runner.

[Ashfur]

11302043
My one regret with this chapter is that Arca's little escape maneuver didn't include wavedashing. But I was afraid that would fly over some heads.

[Kirtai]

Oh god, Arca can noclip?

btw

We do not trust Apple bloom to have the expertise required to- what art thou doing?"

Bloom

"Noclipping. The ultimate escape, so long as you can survive those woerd endless hallways. Thankfully I have a map."

weird

[Ashfur]

11302109
He can noclip in dreams only. ...probably.

Also fixed

[Powerfull3000]

Finalmente termine de leer de cabo a rabo esta historia, y solo puedo decir que es sin duda una de las mejores, ya que todo rebosa de originalidad y comedia, me he reído bastante con está obra con la forma en que representa los capítulos, no son cortos, son todo lo suficientemente bueno que debe tener, la interacciones, los seguimientos de algunos capítulos, las locuras que suceden y todo en general tienen una base solida y bien estructurada sobre la cual la historia se apoya y florece de formas espectaculares.
En lo que a mi respecta (un random) está es una historia increíble y de un espectacular trabajo de la cual estoy deseoso ver su continuación, esperare tanto como se deba esperar.

I finally finished reading this story from cover to cover, and I can only say that it is without a doubt one of the best, since everything is full of originality and comedy, I have laughed a lot with this work with the way it represents the chapters, no they are short, they are all good enough that they should have, the interactions, the follow-ups of some chapters, the crazy things that happen and everything in general have a solid and well-structured base on which the story rests and flourishes in spectacular ways.
As far as I'm concerned (a random one) this is an incredible story and a spectacular job of which I'm looking forward to seeing its continuation, I'll wait as long as it should.

Translated by Google.

[Ashfur]

11302736
Gracias! Especially for the translation, my Spanish is very rusty.

[Fireeaters]

At least he didn't fly with ToD

[Fireeaters]

The real question is if he can fall from great heights by wearing moderately heavy clothes and summersaulting.

[Ashfur]

11303055
He... he has wings. He may not be too good a flyer, but Arca DOES know how to glide and stop a descent...

[Fireeaters]

11303063
Yes, but can he Memeroll?

[Asolem2]

"Okay, but did the potion work though?"

Not as intended no