Busily laboring away in the workshop in the back of her tidy store, Mystic Book was in a good mood. In fact, she was just short of being ecstatic, despite the workload that occupied not only every available trace of surface area on her benchtop but also a large bucket set in a corner. She needed to replace her entire stock of Class D TEIF crystals, and each crystal required precision selection, grinding, and polishing. The season had been inordinately profitable, so much so that she had sent home a letter that she never had imagined she would be writing. She could finally offer her favorite niece the apprenticeship they had both craved.
She had been filled with joy when her niece had arrived late last night. It had taken only a few sentences over breakfast before the filly was ready to pony the counter, freeing Mystic to start on her list of backlogged chores. With any luck, the windfall she had received was a harbinger of increased business. If nothing else, the patronage of the princesses themselves had brought her shop a cachet that no number of bits could buy.
“Tata!” Crystal Cache, her niece, called from out front. “Un oiseau . . . a bird . . . it has just appear et land on the counter.”
“Is it an owl?” Mystic Book called back, still focusing on the crystal she was modifying.
“C'est quoi owl?” Crystal Cache’s voice asked.
“Une chouette,” Mystic Book answered.
“Oui, cela veux dire une chouette.”
“Speak like une local,” Mystic chastised.
“It is owl,” Crystal Cache called out.
“Is she wearing a pouch on her breast?” asked Mystic.
“Oui!”
“What?” called back Mystic. “Could you repeat that?”
“Oui . . . Yes! The bird does wear pouch.”
“Place your horn on the pouch and speak ‘Ex Dimittere’.” Mystic started to arrange the crystal she was working on so that she could safely leave it in its unfinished state.
“T'es pas sérieuse? Elle a le bec bien acéré,” Crystal Cache objected.
“Which language do you speak?” Mystic chided.
“I said, its beak is sharp. So too are its claws,” Crystal Cache called.
“It will not hurt you,” Mystic Book replied. “Do as I say.” She quickly approached a safe stopping point as she wondered if her niece would be able to follow the instructions.
The call of the hurler filled the showroom.
“Yyyyyyyiiiiieeeeeeeeee!”
Yes, her niece could apparently follow instructions, Mystic mused. “Crystal! Do not scream at un customers!”
“C'est un customer?” Crystal’s voice was a higher pitch than normal.
“Yes, I will be with you in a few seconds.”
“Dépêche toi s'il te plait!”
Mystic sighed as she exited the back room. A smile claimed her muzzle when she was greeted with the sight of a familiar human. “Welcome to Enchantment Essentials. Welcome back.”
The human, Mrs. Brown, smiled in return. “Hello. I seem to have startled your help. I am so very sorry for that.”
“Non!” Mystic trotted forward to stand beside a trembling Crystal Cache. “The fault is not yours. My niece has not yet met a human such as yourself.”
“Your niece?” asked the human with a raised eyebrow.
“Oui, she has arrive just this previous night. Long has she wanted to follow me to the city, Canterlot. She will be a great help with all of the new work I have been getting,” Mystic Book said. “But that is not why you are here. How may we help you?”
“The items I bought before have made my job easier. A quicker turnaround has increased my customer base,” Mrs. Brown said. “I’m here for more supplies. I’d also like to browse your wares for more inspiration.
“I am contente to hear that you are satisfaite with my goods,” Mystic Book said.
“I am so happy that Lavender found your store,” Mrs. Brown said. “I don’t suppose you offer a catalog of your inventory?”
“Non,” Mystic shook her head. “I am afraid I have no such thing to offer.”
“Pity,” said Mrs. Brown. “I suppose owl orders would be out of the question as well.”
“Owl order?” Mystic Book asked. “The birds, they deliver merchandise like they deliver humans?”
“Yes, most of the businesses where I come from do a fair amount of their custom through owls. Of course, you’d have to learn the shrinking charm for it to be practical.”
“I am intriguée. How would I learn this spell and how does one acquire an owl?” Mystic Book perked up.
The human gave her an appraising look. “The spell isn’t that hard; I’d be happy to teach it to you. A quick trip to Diagon Alley is all it would take to get an owl or two.” She tilted her head in thought. “I can also enchant you a catalog book. Wouldn’t even be much of a chore. It’s a common commission in my line of work, and I’m willing to offer a discount since I would be benefitting from the automatically updating pamphlets it would produce.”
“Ow many bits are we talking?”
“It’s a twenty-galleon piece of work.” Mrs. Brown looked toward the ceiling as she thought. “Not an insignificant amount by any standard, but it will last your lifetime as well as that of your children. Hmmm, I have everything I need at home to make you one so there wouldn’t be any out of pocket for me.”
"Combien vaut un Galleon?" Mystic Book asked.
“Huh?” Mrs. Brown looked down at the pony.
“Ow many bits to a galleon?” Mystic clarified.
“Oh.” Mrs. Brown started searching her robe pockets for a slip of parchment. "I have that written down here, somewhere." As she looked, she added. “I would be willing to accept store credit as payment. On top of that I’d be willing to take you to the alley to get your birds. Just add the purchase price for a couple of owls to that credit and we can avoid the hassle of converting monies.”
“That sounds, how do you say, too good to be true,” Mystic Book said as she looked at the slip of parchment the human held out to her.
“It is hardly altruistic on my part,” Mrs. Brown said. “I see it as a smart investment; saving me critical time in the future. To be honest, it would almost be worth it just to give you the book free and clear. Being able to send my owl to pick up a part when I’m in the middle of a difficult project could literally save me more than the initial cost.”
Mystic Book felt Crystal Cache prodding her flank with a hoof. “Tata. Une chouette."
“It seems my niece likes the idea of getting an owl.” Mystic Book said.
“Non,” Crystal said, “je veux dire another owl has appeared. Comment font-elles cela?”
“Oui, we will accept your offer.” Mystic looked over her withers to see that another pouch-bearing owl had indeed arrived. “Crystal, please see to our new arrival.”
“You won’t regret your decision,” Mrs. Brown said as the younger unicorn placed her horn on the second owl’s pouch. “Like I said, we will both profit from this.”
Once more, the horrid sound of retching filled the shop.
“I hope you are correct,” Mystic Book said. “Owever, good business decisions always carry some risk.”
“Welcome to Enchantment Essentials,” Crystal told the human who popped out of the second pouch.
“I’ll go browse now and let you see to your other customer,” Mrs. Brown said, walking away from the counter.
“Oui, thank you.” Mystic Book waved a friendly hoof.
“It’s good to see you are standing without any problems,” said the voice of a human stallion.
Mystic Book blushed as she turned toward the newcomer. “That was not my finest hour. Je suis désolé. You should not have seen me in such a . . . What are you doing to my niece?”
The human male blinked in surprise before looking down and seeing that he had been scratching behind the younger unicorn’s ear. “Oh, sorry,” he said, snatching his hand away. “I have a dog; I’m afraid I did that purely on reflex. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Non!” Crystal cried out. “Ça faisait du bien! Don’t stop!”
“Be a good filly, Crystal.” Mystic Book said. “Do not pester the stallion.”
“Je ne suis pas une pouliche.” Crystal pouted.
A red tinge marked the human stallion’s cheeks as he spoke. “Ah . . . yes . . . well . . . The Minister has been informed that the writ of payment for the crystals we procured has never been redeemed. He sent me to make sure you receive your money for the transaction and to make sure there are no hard feelings.”
“Your diligence is apprécié,” Mystic Book said. “Owever, you need not worry, the crown has seen my money pouch filled. You owe me nothing.”
The human stallion blinked. “You got your galleons?”
“Oui, Raven Inkwell from the palace saw to it.” Mystic Book tilted her head with a small smirk. “You are accoutumer my niece, again.”
“Huh?” the human stallion looked down at his treacherous hand before snatching it away again. “Sorry! Sorry!”
“Aww!” complained Crystal. “Tu dois essayer ça, ma tante.”
“Well, um, the second reason I’m here is to purchase more muggle-stuff protection crystals. There are several projects that we need them for.”
“I am sorry. I have only prepared about fifteen Class D TEIF. Though I do have more of the other sizes.” Mystic Book watched as her niece used her muzzle to nudge the hand the human had returned to his waist.
“That’s fine,” the human stallion said. “We are looking to maintain some bigger fields of influence. What’s the largest you have available?”
“The biggest I have on hoof can cover a large house.” Mystic Book smiled. “Given some time, I can provide a product with even greater range. I would need to order the base crystal, though.”
“How big are we talking?”
“As much as I would love the profit,” Mystic said, “at a certain point it is cheaper and more efficient to use multiple crystals. Larger isn’t always better.”
“Mmmmm,” purred Crystal.
“You’re the expert,” the human stallion said. “I’ll take whatever you have on hand.”
“Funny, you should mention hands.” Mrs. Brown said, coming back up to the counter.
“What?” asked the stallion, puzzled, before looking down. Once again, he snatched his hand away.
“Aww!” said Crystal.
“She is doing that on purpose.” Mystic Book said.
After the hiss from the darkness had faded, eyes had adjusted enough to the gloom to perceive that there was a face behind the glowing, golden orbs. Whatever everyone's response had been to the initial shock had been abruptly halted. An uncomfortable silence prevailed as everyone’s base instincts told them not to move or draw attention to themselves. Thus, it was a good half minute before Spike spoke. “Sheesh,” he declared, “it’s only a dragon. I was scared there for a second.” He buffed his claws on his robes confidently. “I got this.” With those words, he strode forward with purpose.
In response to his forward motion, a menacing hiss preceded the owner of the large yellow eyes as it slithered out of the shadows into full view.
“That’s not a dragon!” Spike exclaimed, backpedaling frantically. “That is not a dragon! That’s definitely not a dragon!”
“This is just great,” Ralph said. “My dying thought is going to be that I never dreamed of a situation where those words would be delivered in a panicked voice.”
“Now is not the time,” Silver Spoon squeaked.
“I don’t think there will be any time later,” Ralph retorted.
The huge snake hissed again. A voice behind Professor Babbling said, "He's just a baby dragon, after all."
The snake towered over the professor and looked down. Diamond Tiara squeaked at the sudden, unwanted attention. Silently, she chastised herself for drawing the monster closer.
A loud hiss pushed her mane into her eyes.
“Me?” Diamond Tiara said in a raspy tone. “I’m the primus.”
Slowly, the snake lowered its head, stopping a mere foot away from Professor Babbling's head. Another hiss escaped from it.
“Speak clearly?” Diamond squeaked. “I can't help that I'm a little hoarse. How can I not be scared? You’re a giant talking snake. If I survive this, I’ve found new fuel for my nightmares.”
The snake leaned back, its head raising as it did so. Yet another hiss was heard.
“I don’t think you can put me at ease,” Diamond said. “Like I said, you’re a giant talking snake.”
The snake turned its head to direct its gaze at the Gryffindors. It hissed yet again.
Diamond also looked at the Gryffindors, taking in their vertical achievement. “They do that when they’re scared. Once again, giant talking snake.”
Professor Babbling took her wand off the threat long enough to point it at herself and murmur, “Scourgify.”
The snake hissed again.
“I have no idea how they keep their balance.” Diamond said, swapping forms and standing as a human. “I think it has something to do with the way they stick their wings out. Though that might just be to make themselves look bigger.”
“Yer not helping,” Apple Bloom said from the bottom of the stack.
“Draco, stop standing in front of me. Get behind me!” Silver Spoon demanded.
“Told you,” Pansy said.
“Children, be quiet and let Miss Tiara parley.” Professor McGonagall’s wand never left the snake.
“What does parley mean?”
“Miss Aloo!”
“Right, shutting up.” Scootaloo complied.
The snake hissed again.
“You could try being smaller,” Diamond said. “A lot smaller.”
The snake hissed again.
“Couldn’t hurt asking,” Diamond said, still hiding behind Professor Babbling.
The snake hissed once more.
“It was an accident. A hole just appeared in the floor of the bathroom and we just kind of wound up here,” Diamond said. “We’re sorry to disturb you. We can be going if you like.”
The snake hissed.
“Waiting for me?” Diamond shuddered. “I’m just fur and bone. The professors are all much bigger.”
Another hiss.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that.” Diamond sighed in relief. “Why don’t you talk to Professor McGonagall instead? She’s an adult.”
“Hisssss.”
“She can’t? Then why can I?” Diamond questioned.
“Hisssss.”
“Really?” Diamond took her wand out of her wrist-mounted holster and looked at it critically. “Are you sure?”
“Hisssssssss. Hissss Hisss.”
“It is so unfair that Sweetie Belle and Hermione can’t understand you. They might have comprehended that.” Diamond pouted. “Or one of the professors, for that matter.”
In the gloom no one could see the look of nonchalance on the blue pegasus.
“Hisss.”
“Only half a year.”
“Hissss.”
“Great, more studying.” Diamond Tiara was starting to lose some of her initial fear only to have it replaced by another dread.
“Hisss.”
“How long have you been waiting?” Diamond asked.
“Hiss.”
“Really? All by yourself?”
“Hissss hissss. Hissss. Hisssss.”
“That’s awful.”
“Hisssss hisss. Hisss. Hisssss.”
“You don’t say.”
“Hisss Hisss. Hissss.”
“You poor thing.”
“Hisss. Hisss hisss.”
“No! I wouldn’t make you do anything like that!”
“How is it possible to be so scared and so bored at the same time?” blurted Ralph.
“Mr. Godfrey!” said Professor McGonagall.
“Sorry professor. I’ll be quiet.”
“Hisss. Hisss.”
“No, he’s not mine, at least not yet.” Diamond shrugged. “He didn’t mean to be rude by interrupting.”
“Hisss.”
“What do you mean ‘not yet’?!”
“Mr. Godfrey!”
“Hisss.”
“Yeah,” said Diamond Tiara. “Just to be clear, there are no threats to the school or students. All ponies and humans are off the menu.”
“Hisssss.”
“No, I don’t have a problem with you eating spiders.”
“Hiss.”
“Let’s go with the same rule of hoof human use. If it can talk or beg for its life, it’s off the menu.”
“Hissss.”
“Sure, with the exception of spiders.”
“Hey!” Sweetie broke in. “Where’s Magah?”
“She showed some horse sense and ran for it,” Tracey said. The green pony was no longer glowing. Instead, the spot where she was standing was deep in shadows that somehow defied the torch light.
“Hisss.”
“Yeah,” said Diamond Tiara.
“Hiss Hisssss.”
“Mmmmm hmmm,” said Diamond Tiara.
“Miss Tiara, please ask him what kind of snake he is.” Professor Flitwick spoke up for the first time.
“Hisss?”
“He wants me to ask you what kind of snake you are,” Diamond Tiara said.
“Hissss.”
“A basilisk? Sorry, can’t say I’ve heard of your kind before.”
“Hissss.”
“A basilisk!” Professor McGonagall’s voice was tight. “How are we all not dead?”
“Relax, ma’am,” Diamond Tiara said. “He says he’s here to protect the school population. In fact, he’s really upset that the last speaker to talk to him forced him to put students at risk.”
“Hisssss.”
“I don’t know if he’ll be coming back,” Diamond admitted.
“You misunderstand, Miss Tiara,” Professor Flitwick said. “The gaze of a basilisk is supposed to be lethal.”
“Really?” Diamond asked.
“Hisss.”
“He says that your gaze is supposed to be lethal,” Diamond relayed.
“Hissss.”
“Yes, it would be rather silly if you couldn’t control that. It would make having a conversation rather difficult,” Diamond conceded.
“Woah!”
“Look out!”
“Eek!”
Diamond Tiara turned around in time to see Magah retreating with Seamus and Parvati hanging from her mouth by their tails. A pile of Gryffindors now graced the floor.
“Hissss.”
“Mmmm hmmm,” said Diamond. “Ignore them.”
“Hisss.”
“No.” Diamond shook her head. “Why, don’t we get back to your story?”
“Hisss Hissss Hisss. Hissss.”
“She’s doing it again,” said Harry.
“Magah, stop it!” commanded Sweetie Belle. “Oooof!”
“Magah, come back here with them!” added Hermione.
“Hissss.”
“Like I said, ‘ignore them’,” Diamond said. “Please continue.”
“Hisss Hissss Hissss Hisss.”
“Oh!” Diamond gasped “Oh my!”
“I just realized I have echolocation,” Abagail commented.
“Really?” said Luna. “Teach me.
“Girls, focus,” said Lavender.
“Hissss Hisss Hissss.”
“You don’t say,” Diamond prompted.
“Magah! Stop it!”
“Hisss Hisss.”
“I can see your point.” Diamond nodded.
“I can’t believe we are having a conversation with Slytherin’s monster,” Professor Babbling said.
“I can’t believe we aren’t all dead yet,” Professor McGonagall said.
“I can’t believe no one can keep their mouths shut,” Spike added.
“He’s not a monster,” Diamond objected. “He’s just misunderstood.”
“You’ve been hanging out with Fluttershy,” Scootaloo accused. “Whoops! Magah! Bad unicorn!”
“Hissss.”
“Yes, sorry,” said Diamond.
“Hissss.”
“Oh, that won’t be a problem.” Diamond waved a dismissive hoof. “I’ll just send you home until we can be sure he doesn’t come back. That way, we don’t need to test whose commands take precedence.”
“Hissss.”
“No, he’s not going to find you there. It’s in a different dimension.” Diamond said. “You’ll be fine. Just ask for Fluttershy.”
“Magah! Really! That’s enough!”
Applejack gave a frustrated huff. An idle mind was Grogar's playground, and the tedious chores now gave her too much time to think. Eons of evolution had made ponies natural worriers; those who were not generally fell victim to some foreseeable misfortune. Applejack was from a long line of survivors, and consequently, she had a lot to worry about.
Her contact with the human world had been a mixed blessing. On the positive side, many of her former worries had been successfully resolved. Apple Bloom had insisted on paying off the massive loan the Apples had taken to recover from the last parasprite infestation, keeping the family farm out of the hands of the bankers. The tide had turned in the losing battle to save for Granny's hip replacement when Andi Tonks had taken up the case pro bono. The human witch had vanished the arthritic joint before giving the elderly mare a horrible-tasting potion to grow a new one. The prospect of having no descendants to carry on the family line had been diminished by Applejack's unexpected marriage.
New worries had replaced the old faster than a Sonic Rainboom, and they all focused on her new stallion, her husband. Who would have thought that she would end up in a herd with Zecora? Who would have thought that they would have landed a thestral? Who would have thought that they would be in the crosshairs of an entire race of ponies?
Everything had been going too well to be true. Of course, as soon as she had thought that, they had received news that their stallion was in the hospital. They had almost lost their stallion before finishing their honeymoon. A talk with Twilight was in order, despite there being no way that she could have known that her machine would have caused so much damage. Luckily, the danger had passed before Applejack had been made aware of it.
Now, if only she didn’t need to worry about the mare who was apparently stalking him. Even with Zecora being on site to watch over him, it wasn’t a pleasant situation.
Grumbling to herself, Applejack tossed a bag of feed onto one of the storage shelves. Winter should have been a time to relax; however, the foals had a greenhouse that needed tending. With the children off at school, the work fell to her. On the bright side, herbs that would normally not be available until spring were now growing nicely inside the building. Zecora would have the ingredients she needed for the potion that the human ministry was breathing down the zebra’s neck to produce.
“Groooowwwwwllll!” came the complaint from behind the farmpony.
‘Quiet, Albert.” Applejack scolded. “Ah’ve already given y'all yer food. Yer not getting any more right now.”
“Growl!”
“An’ quit yer pouting. Ah ain’t falling fer it.” It felt sort of wrong to deny a hungry individual seconds, but Sandy had warned that over feeding would result in an unwanted growth spurt. Albert was enough of a hoofful as it was.
Applejack was in the process of picking up a watering can when a burst of flames warmed the greenhouse, announcing Philomena's arrival. The panicked look on the bird was a bad omen and, when Philomena started urgently squawking and pointing with both wings, Applejack concluded that it was time to put her worries on the backburner.
“Calm down; calm down. Is somepony hurt?” Applejack gave the bird her undivided attention. “Is somepony in danger?”
Not being able to talk, Philomena stuck out a leg, displaying the scroll attached to it.
“It’s only been a couple days.” Applejack reached for the scroll with trepidation. “They couldn’t have gotten into that much trouble.”
Philomena’s look clearly said, “You can’t possibly believe that.”
Applejack sighed and retrieved the scroll. She spat it onto a table to read. Looking back at the bird, she said. “A pet fer Diamond Tiara? Why didn’t ya’ll take it directly to Filthy Rich?”
Philomena let out a small chirp.
“Ah wish Fluttershy were here,” Applejack grumbled. “Well, whatever it is, it can’t be scarier than Fluffy.”
Philomena chirped again.
“Did y'all just say ‘you wish’?” Applejack directed a worried look at the bird.
Philomena nodded.
Applejack sighed.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were having a worrisome day. After coming home and learning about their daughters' friend, they had asked Eva to use the floo to contact the Ministry. After experiencing typical bureaucracy and being passed around for a good hour, they were put in contact with someone who could help. The wizard had given them a funny look before committing to talking to the centaur herd immediately.
It had been another two hours before he had gotten back to them. The news was not at all what they were expecting, though. The centaurs did not want the little filly back. They had said something about her being divested of destiny and thus a threat of some kind. Their wizard contact had then shrugged and informed the Thomas adults that they were now the proud guardians of a centaur filly. Before they could recover from the shock of the declaration, he had retreated back through the floo, leaving the family with their new guest.
This had led to a family dinner that required special accommodations for their new charge. To compensate for her inability to sit in a chair, Mr. Thomas had dragged the family room’s coffee table over for her to stand on, allowing her to reach her plate on the dining table.
The frustration of dealing with bureaucracy and the worry of unexpected parenthood had been offset by the joy exuded by the girls. After school, the three children had spent the afternoon playing together and getting to know each other better.
“Well,” said Grandpa Thomas to the centaur filly. “it looks like you’ll be staying here for the foreseeable future.”
“Okay.” Licenta said, unable to hide her smile.
“You don’t want to go back to your family?” Mrs. Thomas asked as she started spooning out the meal.
“I will miss my mother,” Licenta said.
“What about your friends?” Granny Thomas asked.
“No one wants to be friends with a dead filly; it would be a waste of time and cause undue heartache,” Licenta said, obviously parroting something she had been told.
“Nonsense,” said Mrs. Thomas. “Everyone needs friends.”
“Yes,” Licenta said with a voice that could only be described as bitter.
“Now you have some,” Mr. Thomas said, gesturing toward his daughters.
“Yes,” Licenta said the same word, only this time it contained something that lifted the spirits of all present. Pandora’s box was opened a second time, and its last occupant was released to suffuse the little girl. A new sensation filled her being, and she practically glowed.
“We’ll set you up in Dean’s room,” Mrs. Thomas said, “after we’re done eating.”
“What is this?” Licenta asked, staring down at the table.
“It’s tuna casserole,” Granny Thomas said. “Eat as much as you like.”
“Thank you,” Licenta said reaching for her meal.
“Use your fork, dear.” Granny Thomas said.
“What’s a fork?”
In response, Granny Thomas brandished her own utensil before demonstrating how to use it properly.
“Oww!” Licenta said after poking herself.
“You’ll get used to it,” Rosie said helpfully, before starting on her own plate. “Tuna casserole is kinda icky, but you need to finish if you want any pudding.”
“What’s pudding?” Licenta asked, making a second attempt. “This is good!” she proclaimed.
“We are happy you like it,” Mr. Thomas said with a smile. He had opened his heart to his stepson, giving the boy his last name. He would do the same for this child.
Though an offensive was being deployed, the tide of battle had yet to turn.
Fate had received a right cross to the nose.
Chaos had gained two new powerful allies.
The eternal conflict continued.
This was hilarious, heartwarming, and adorable. Good job!
Oho! It seems that Diamond is a parseltongue.
A fun as always, and I agree with Philomena.
A random thought I recently had. While pony Teleportation is probably miles safer then Wizards Apparition, Teleportation is all ponies have. The wizards also have portkeys and the floo, which not only can be in a fixed location, can also be used by those without magic. I'm sure once Twilight realizes that she's going to be working out how to implement them in Equestria.
Rather unfortunate that DT was simply conversing with the basilisk, instead of translating what it had to say. The basilisk''s side of the conversation could have been enlightening. Or maybe amusing.
10623605
My guess is that she got the ability from that wand of hers.
To quote another story's Pinkie Pie; "I can't believe it's not butter."
First Diamond Tiara talked to a snake monster, now Applejack talked to a plant? Seems new language is easily learned in Equestria.
Ah, French mares get all the stallions.
"A Huge Snake, obviously."
10623646
It's an old comedy bit. Bob Newhart built his career on jokes that were a telephone conversation of which you only heard his side.
Waiting for Mayor Mare to ban all pets for the human world. Now how will Filthy Rich and Spoiled Milk react to Diamond's new pet that is a question
That was a bit more than a right cross. Keep up the fun and let the story run.
10623650 Applejack might not actually talking to Albert but rather he is making noises and she know what he wants. Sort of like our pets without actually speaking they have ways of letting us know what they want
I wonder why the centaurs are being dickheads
Also, what's a "head-from-head"? (If the forced french classes in canadian jr high has helped at all)
Starting to wonder if Tracy also goes by her nickname of Wallflower Blush...
10623723
"Head to head", it's an expression that refers to a private, one-on-one talk. In this case, I believe that it refers to DT and the Basilisk. (Which, BTW, Souns like a 70s action-comedy TV show that I would totally watch.)
Diamond Tiara: Demonstrating that Slytherin ambition doesn't mean you have to sacrifice morality for success.
Though if she'd been a colt, they likely would have named him Ruthless Rich.
10623605
Parselmouth. Parseltongue is the language.
10623605
I'm guessing the magic of Slytherin's wand had something to do with it
Good job! This potentially neuters the book 2 threat.
Called it!
10595555
I'm not following this one... who are the "allies"?
10623869
My mistake.
10624035
No worries. It's a very common one, even among authors who should be checking these things more rigorously than random commenters... that's why I try to make people aware of it.
And in the sequel, somehow Spike reform a Dementor
Booooo.
Forty points from Slytherin. If you're going to throw your teachers under the basilisk-shaped bus, at least be subtle about it.
Harry's presence in the Chamber does raise an important point: He should be able to follow the conversation just as easily as Diamond. Heck, I can't recall specifically, but the fact that no one else can may have taught him that not all wizards can talk to snakes. Wasn't he set to discover that during the duel with Malfoy?
In any case, destiny continues to knot itself into a cat's cradle as the two worlds keep commingling. Looking forward to more.
10624071
Remember that Harry lost the part of Voldemort's soul embedded in his head, which is often speculated to be the source of his ability to speak parseltongue.
10623605
if shes the primus can she create the matrix of leadership? lol
I imagine those two allies are the Basilisk and the little centaur.
I wonder if the Discord rings would work on a Basilisk or Dragon from the wizarding world.
Well, both packs will have to come to terms with their different cultures. On the other hand, I'm surprised, how is it that they have this conflict now? I mean, they faced a werewolf as a united team, how come they are arguing about who protects whom now and not before then?
10624041
I run into something similar whenever I see an author use decimate instead of devistate... People use the two interchangeably when they are not equal.
To decimate something is to destroy one out of every ten... for example to decimate a city is to destroy one out of every ten buildings... I think it was a fear tactic of the ancient Romans
To devastate something usually implies much more destruction.
It's usually not a big thing but it breaks me out of the story when I hear decimate used incorrectly
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Unfortunately, "destroy a large but indefinite number of" has been a valid alternative meaning since the 1660s according to Etymonline and, while Merriam-Webster confusingly claims that the Roman meaning is the one first seen in 1660 without further details (maybe it first entered English in 1660?), Wiktionary attests "To devastate: to reduce or destroy significantly but not completely." going back to 1856.
As much as I sympathize (and will readily argue similar things like "tetralogy" vs. "pentalogy" where both are centuries old, but the correct one is centuries older than the incorrect one), I think that ship has sailed.
10624114 If she is, does that mean Diamond could light our darkest hour?
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You'll often see it in movies or TV, but it's sometimes funny to fill in the blanks. Because the one-sided conversation has to have a lot of extra information added to make clear what's happening, the two-sided conversation would contain duplicate information.
"This is the commissioner."
...
"Mr. Mayor? What's the reason for the call?"
...
"A bomb in Times Square? We'll mobilize the bomb squad."
would be
"This is the commissioner."
"This is the mayor."
"Mr. Mayor? What's the reason for the call?"
"We have a report of a bomb threat in Times Square."
"A bomb in Times Square? We'll mobilize the bomb squad."
I love it. this is a amazing chapter and now DT has a small pet to love and care for.
just don't tell Twilight.
a couple of things here.
1: in regards to Mystic if you MUST use her French speech can you please at least include at the end of a chapter what she was saying? I would genuinely love to know what she was saying.
2: in book one Dumbles lost ownership/the right to wield The Elder Wand. Now obviously it now should belong to Rarity by right of conquest. Can we expect this to come up eventually? or for Rarity to get her hands/hooves on it?
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Not exactly... the phrase refers to a one on one confrontation, not a conversation.
i kinda pity Fate here...Discord is a Cheating cheater who cheats.
Why can't Harry understand the Basilisk?
Chaos and Fate trading blows, while Harmony has to fix the resulting mess :p
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That's not how I've seen it used. Dictionary.com has: a private conversation or interview, usually between two people.
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And I've never seen it used your way before...
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Possibly the Voldy's fragment already been chased away by his mother's empowered spirit back in book#1.
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Google Translate works fine for me.
Here's some reference material:
https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/933212/unofficial-hazy-days-and-magical-ways-character-listing-chapter-9
https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/933213/unofficial-hazy-days-and-magical-ways-thread-tracker-chapter-9
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It's a magic ability that he gained from that soul fragment of Tom's, so Harry should still have the ability to understand snakes so I don't see why he wasn't able to.
Truthfully the 2nd book had a part that bugged me. Tom riddle told the basilisk not to listen to harrys orders but harry was the living heir... technically....due to having voldermorts soul fragment while Tom riddle was at most a soul fragment close to having a new body but ginny hadn't died yet. The snake should have prioritized the living heirs orders over a ghosts/wraiths . Harry should've been able to have the basilisk ignore toms orders.
I liked Randy's dialogue through this especially his musing he'd never imagined that the final words he'd hear would be "It's not a dragon" said in panic.
I can't help but feel Mystic is getting taken advantage of given the likely bit/galleon exchange rate there. On other hand it seems like she'll be getting plenty of future business from Harry's world. It seems her niece has found something she really likes in human visitors too.
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Cultural thing think of a species who know every major event in their lives from the moment someone's born. "This person will become chief of the tribe, that one will be a great warrior an this one . . . will die horribly as a child." Now take that child and suddenly not only do they not die but you can no longer see anything of what will happen to them. What's more you think its something that could spread as it happened due to contact with another species who you also can't see anything for. It's closest to their being a human who any contact with will cause you to become deaf, blind and mute. It'd be terrifying.
Nice to know how everyone didn't die. Most excellent!
- merciless aunt work the niece with few sleep hours -
This calls for exile
Also, I do not speak English, and took a bit of time to think what "pony the counter" might mean... I had to think back to the Smurfs to do the proper substitution pony -> man
Mystic... girl, come here a sec... if you want to teach someone a language... you DO NOT mix words. That's probably the worst thing you can do ever. Capiche?
English: arrived
French: arrivée
choose one. It is already complicated to read without having to correct words in both languages.
ok, now I suspect you're doing it on purpose. Are you trying to emulate a french accent?
Shouldn't that excuse be quite demeaning for a pony, considering they also have non-sapient dogs, and pet them?
aaaaand ponies are definitively too trusting. Wonder what would their society be without changeling practically shielding them from common threats.
You never played Dark Souls, my boy. I assure you anyone seeing the Gaping Dragon in person would scream those exact words.
I see Diamond Tiara doesn't mind stand next to someone who dirtied her pants.
Oh wait, was that a joke about snob people and stinks under their noses?
You should watch Pirates of Caribbean.
...
What year is it again?
Is it a reference to the ff where Luna shrank the basilisk?
"ten points from Slitherin to have offered professors as meals to a basilisk"
Lost track of the colors of the ponies. Who is him/her? not Hermione or Sweetie, so?
poor spiders...
Also, does it mean owls and dogs are IN the menu? That could prove to be very bad both for Hogwarts and Ponyville.
And besides, beg for their life IN WHAT LANGUAGE? Can the Basilisk distinguish human language from others? That SHOULD have been clarified in the rules.
Uuuuuuhh~
This is from the wiki, and also I remembered something like this. And Myrtle was muggle-born, so...
Hey, now that I think about it, where's Myrtle in all of this?
I can hear the pouting from the ~30ish past reviewers arguing about this point.
Basilisk: "Excuse me, Mayor Mare, could you please tell me where can I find the mare called Futtershy?"
MM: *pisses itself while stuck upside down*
Also, we now need a nickname for the Basilisk. Basil? Lisky? Basky? Liquid?
And by a certain 5-stallions herd.
Also, Big Mac? No? Seriously? is he gonna coming out from a vanishing closet?
...
Woah, that would be one scene I'd like to see.
Ya know, if there's one thing I like about this story is consistency with the original source.
They know the crusaders, especially Applejack, and yet, they always seem to forget every time what they know.
Just like they keep forgetting their lessons in the show.
Typical shove-all-the-troubles-on-the-muggle-family ministry-approved behavior, I wouldn't be surprised if there was an actual law about that.
Also, who's Sandy??
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The wiki also says "the story goes..." and "According to legend...". In the Harry Potter books the only one who could give a first person account of anything about Salazar Slytherin would be the Basilisk, and it doesn't talk much about it's past to Harry as it tries to kill him. The only one with whom it's spoken with extensively is Tom Riddle and he's a notoriously bad source of information about his heritage. cough cough pureblood cough cough
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Harry is listening in on the conversation but is smart enough not to draw attention to himself.
I thought it was the fragment of Voldemort's soul that made him a Parselmouth but it seems he still is.
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It was possible. Though J.K. Rowling once mentioned that Harry lost Parseltongue ability after Voldy's fragment left his body.