7 - Second chances
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Laughter, shouting, crashing. A TV turned to all channels at once, the images blurred into an indescribable technicolor cacophony, before gently fading away like the morning mist. Warmth played across his face, while a sharp, dusty tang filled his nostrils. His leaden limbs were curled uncomfortably beneath him, and he became aware of something pointy digging into his side.
The warmth reminded him of something. Something important. For just a moment, he had an image of ageless violet eyes and an alabaster face haloed by hair like the first rays of dawn, but then that, too, melted away. He opened his eyes to see a blue sky far above, framed by sheer rock walls. In a moment, it all came crashing back to him – the fall, the run, the fight. He sat up with a gasp, tensing for pain that never came. What? he thought, flexing his muscles gingerly and looking down at himself. His jaw dropped as the sight registered. What did that thing do to me? The scrapes and strains of his ordeal had simply vanished, as if they had never even happened. The mud and grime had disappeared as well – even his boots looked like they had just come back from the cleaners. Wow, I feel great. Whatever those ponies used to knock me out must not have been a weapon. Maybe they aren't as angry as I thought they’d be. But if that's the case, where are they?
The whispering breeze gave him no answers, so he pulled his attention away from his condition and looked around. He was still on the rocky ledge from the fight; scuffs and scrapes gave mute testament to the struggle, but otherwise, it seemed undisturbed. His eyes lit on his backpack lying a short distance away, but even from where he sat, he could tell that it was missing its most important contents. Still, he rose to his feet and went over to check it more closely.
The foals and the spear were gone, but everything else was still there. It would've been nice to get my tablet and jacket back, he thought a bit sourly. Still, I suppose it could've been worse. At least it's not too cold out.
Hefting the pack to his back, he looked up at the top of the shaft; the rocks still clung to the afternoon warmth, but the shadows were climbing high up the pit wall, and the sunlight had taken on a golden hue.
He chuckled involuntarily as he gave his impromptu bed a wry glance. Great. I finally stayed in one place. Fat lot of good it did me. At least I seem to have gotten the foals returned to their folks. Well, I hope that's what happened. A sudden surge of apprehension shivered down his spine. That assumes the ponies are all on the same side, which I can't really be sure of. I should keep my guard up, just in case. He sighed. Well, I can’t do anything about it right now. I'll worry about it after I've climbed out of here.
Even during his brief pause, the shadows had crept a bit farther up the walls as afternoon gave way to evening. Definitely time to get moving, he thought, striding to the stairs once more.
Without the adrenaline of the previous climb, the spring in his step lasted about halfway up the first flight of stairs. Crap, I’m getting old. I really need to work out more, he thought, huffing as the steps continued to zigzag their way upward. These things just seem to go on forever. It’s great that I’m healed and cleaned and everything, but I guess it’s still no substitute for a real rest.
The setting sun was crowning the distant hills in a halo of fire when he reached the rim of the pit. The colors washed gently across the grand sweep of the nearly cloudless sky, a bright glow highlighting the one exception that still floated nearby. His brow furrowed as he peered intently up at the cloud city. It's further away than I would have guessed – either it's drifting away, or I've traveled further than I thought. Looks like it's deteriorated, too, he thought, frowning. It's barely half the volume I remember, and what’s left hardly looks like a city anymore. I can still see an awful lot of pegasi up there, though.
The thought had him glancing up and around nervously. Well, I don't see any fliers nearby, but I should probably make myself less conspicuous if I want to keep it that way. Shifting his focus from the sky, he quickly surveyed the surroundings, noting a small cluster of buildings nearby. Best not to try my luck there just yet, he thought. The surrounding ground was mostly rolling hills, with a mix of fields and forests. The fields are too open, but the woods should offer good cover.
Suiting deed to thought, he kicked his recalcitrant legs into motion once more, heading to the closest patch of trees. It didn't take long before the woods loomed before him, dark and foreboding in the waning light. He repressed a shudder as he seemed to cross an invisible threshold into the unknown.
The shadows enveloped him, but the thin beam of his flashlight lanced out to carve the darkness away as he advanced cautiously beneath the trees. The ground was rocky and uneven, and the sparse underbrush caught at his clothes unexpectedly as he fought his way forward. Every snag pulled away a little bit more of his already flagging energy, but he forced himself to keep going, even as his steps faltered. Just a little bit further. Just gotta find somewhere safe and I can rest.
He practically stumbled across a game trail, but even with the going a little easier, the woods provided no solid cover. His burning legs entreated him to rest. Maybe if I found a really big tree, and put my back up against the trunk, it'd be safe enough, he thought, playing his light across a gap in the trees. Wait – what's that? It looks artificial.
As he came closer, he could make out a small clearing, with a badly deteriorated wooden structure standing in its center. From his angle, he could see one wall where there should have been two, and the roof was suspiciously absent. He approached the ruin cautiously, though he couldn't imagine anyone living there. Still, the remaining walls might provide some protection. It’d be nice to get a fire going, but that would make me way too visible. I’m lucky it's warm enough to do without one.
Stepping inside the foundation, he picked up a stout piece of wood and surveyed the remains of the structure. It looked like a fire had gutted the building at some point, and now only two walls still stood. He crossed the ash-strewn stone floor, and began clearing debris from the one remaining corner. Shifting the fallen roofing caused the wall to creak alarmingly, and he eyed the wood suspiciously. Well, that's less than encouraging, but at least I don't have to worry about the roof caving in.
The corner somewhat cleaned up, he leaned gingerly against the wood, turned off his flashlight, and did his best to relax. The sounds of the forest soon resumed, a gentle murmur of crickets, birdcalls and rustling leaves that gradually quieted as the night deepened.
The trees sat far enough back from the structure to leave a small gap in the canopy, through which he peered up into the heavens. The sky wasn't black as he expected, rather the numerous stars twinkled against a velvety purple backdrop. He watched as a bright moon rose and bathed the small clearing in a silvery glow. He didn't know enough astronomy to even try to recognize any of the stellar features, but he found the similarity of its presence strangely comforting.
He eventually fell into a fitful doze, and though his rest was repeatedly punctured by the varied cries of the night forest, the hours gradually passed.
He awoke with a yelp, as his world lurched backwards amidst the creaking and crackling of tortured wood. The confused moment ended with a jolt and him flat on his back among the splintered remains of the wall, as its final, resounding thump rippled out through the startled silence of the forest.
The world spun dizzily for several seconds as he lay stunned, staring up at the sky with adrenaline chasing away his lingering drowsiness. The trees blocked his view of the horizon, but the moon had vanished, and he could perceive a gradual lightening as the first rays of dawn began to touch the sky.
A pang from his stomach reminded him just how long it had been since he last ate, as well as the sad fate of his lunch. I'd better see about finding something edible soon. This forest doesn't seem particularly hostile, but it hasn't exactly rolled out the welcome mat, either.
He picked himself up out of the splintered wall and stood carefully. The sun was still hidden, but the sky was turning into a glorious wash of gently shifting hues, broken only where the light caught a couple of small puffs of cloud floating nearby.
He decided to head back towards the village he'd emerged near, but when he looked around the clearing, he couldn't tell which trail he'd come in on. Undeterred, he peered up at the sky again, and tried to fix the position of the sun in relation to how he remembered walking on the prior evening. After a bit of mental estimation, he headed off towards his best guess of north and tried to keep his direction constant.
The forest made for much more pleasant travel during the day, and he found his spirits rising as the air warmed. The birds were now in full song, and the gentle glow of the sun through the leaves lent the woods a peaceful air. His rumbling stomach made for a discordant note, but he couldn't spot any of the handful of edible plants he knew. At least a few of the plants did look familiar, but this reassurance was undercut by the many that did not. I may not be a botanist, but I’ve spent a lot of time in the woods, and I’m pretty sure some of these would have stuck in my mind. Still, the forest seems so peaceful and normal; it’s weird to think of it as alien. The juxtaposition was unsettling, so instead he tried to focus on the practicalities of navigation, and push his unease and hunger aside.
For the most part, his progress was uneventful, though he had to switch trails a few times, when they started to wander off in the wrong direction. Eventually the underbrush parted, and he found himself staring at a road.
It didn't seem to be a major thoroughfare – just a clear strip of packed dirt running through the forest. It was still far more substantial than any of the forest trails, though; the vegetation on the edges had been purposefully cleared, and more importantly, it had seen traffic. He squatted down to eye the tracks more closely and was able to make out several hoofprints, as well as parallel ruts that spoke of wheeled traffic. Well, whoever made these must have had a destination – might as well follow them.
He turned and walked along the road, following what looked like the freshest set of prints. The going was much easier now, and he set off on a jaunty pace.
The terrain gradually grew hilly, and the path dipped and wound its way around the uneven landscape. The forest pressed in closely on all sides, the clear blue sky only occasionally able to peek through its heavy canopy.
At the bottom of one particularly steep slope, the road made a sharp right as it reached level ground. He jogged down easily and was about to follow it, when he hesitated – something seemed off. It took him a few moments to realize what was bothering him – one set of wagon tracks ignored the turn and continued straight off the edge of the road, passing right through a tattered bush.
The tracks looked fresh, as did the damage to the bush. Looking closer, a piece of purple fabric tangled in the branches caught his eye. Fishing it out, he discovered it was a hat – albeit one that was pointed and embellished with stars to the point that he half-expected to find 'Wizzard' embroidered upon it in big, important letters.
No such text turned up, of course, but as he stood there examining the errant headgear, a faint rustling caught his ear. Looking up, he realized that the noise was coming from somewhere off in the trees – in the same direction as the tracks. Intrigued, he stepped around the battered bush and followed the sound away into the forest.
Rough tread cut into the leafy loam as he descended a shallow slope into a copse of massive oaks interspersed with patches of low brush. The tracks were easy to follow here; parallel lines running between the trees, they curved only slightly as they passed over a landscape undulating with massive clumps of roots.
He raised an eyebrow as he noticed how the tracks would disappear at the crest of a rise, just to reappear at the base. Just how fast was this thing going? And the way the driver managed to avoid hitting any of the trees without hardly turning... That must've taken incredible skill.
Then, beyond one particularly sharp rise, the marks finally ended at an upturned wagon. Parts lay strewn about the frame, which had dug into the loose soil – only a single, solitary wheel was left reaching for the sky. Looking just past the wagon, he spotted the three missing wheels where they adorned a sturdy bush that thrashed vigorously while unleashing a vociferous monologue that was frequently punctuated by quacking.
He approached the spectacle cautiously, quickly noting the light blue pony who was lodged upside-down within the bush, and contributing most of the commotion. The balance of the racket was provided by a blue-spotted mallard that was improbably perched atop the pony's belly.
He stopped in his tracks as he tried to make sense of the spectacle, but about all he could make out was a light blue coat, whitish hair, and a great deal of displeasure. Fortunately, it wasn't long before the pony stopped thrashing, and simply lay there panting, allowing him to ascertain that it was she, with pale blue stripes in her hair, and a mark on her rear depicting a wand casting a field of magic blue dots. A glance at her head revealed her to be another unicorn, which might explain why the ground around the bush was churned up and blackened with scattered blue patches.
Two of her legs were tangled up in wheels, with her horn poking between the spokes of the third, and the whole thing was tied together with a length of star-embroidered purple fabric that matched the hat he'd found earlier. The bush's branches had become entwined as well, catching hold of her mane and tail in the process. The whole thing was topped off by the duck, and he couldn't even begin to imagine how it had also managed to get its head caught in one of the wheels without breaking its neck.
For a duck with its head stuck through a wheel, it seemed surprisingly content to sit on her stomach – at least until she tried to move. As soon as she shifted position, though, the mallard erupted into a fury of beating wings and frenzied quacking.
He was still trying to puzzle out the tangled, bushy mess when the light suddenly dimmed. He looked up to find that one of those small patches of cloud, just a bit bigger than a car, had drifted overhead. The breeze also carried the faint smell of ozone, but he didn't see any of that rainbow stuff, and it was far too small to generate any electrical activity. Maybe it's because of all that magic the unicorn cast? He frowned up at the inconvenient shade. I’ll worry about the weird weather here later, he thought, turning back to the more pressing issue.
The question is, what should I do now? This isn’t like with the foals, where they needed help and quite literally fell into my lap. This is a full-grown unicorn, and they are seriously dangerous.... Then again, why hasn't she helped herself? I don't know what's gone wrong here, but that situation can't possibly be intentional.... Can it? He wrung his hands absently. It's foolhardy and reckless to get involved. But it just doesn't feel right to stand by and do nothing. And this could be my chance to show that I’m trying to help. Of course, it could also be a trap. But if she really is in trouble... If something happened that I could’ve prevented, could I really live with having done nothing? A wry smile ghosted his lips as his decision crystallized. I guess if they're willing to put this much effort into a trap, they deserve to catch their quarry. Butterflies in his stomach, he cleared his throat loudly.
The blue mare looked up at the sound, and her eyes bugged out at his appearance. Her horn sprang to life with a bright pink glow, and a shower of multicolored sparks shot towards him. He flinched back, but the sparks fell short, dying as they reached the ground.
Heart pounding, he took several slow paces back, holding his arms out placatingly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said in the most soothing tones he could muster.
The mare had winced as well, and now she glared at him, ears flat as she spat out a series of short, unintelligible phrases. The words were as incomprehensible as ever, but the way her horn continued to glow and her tail flicked violently back and forth gave him some pretty strong guesses. Unfortunately, this also set off the duck again, who responded with a renewed bout of beating wings, causing the unicorn to squeal indignantly as she began to squirm herself.
He took another step back and sat down, keeping his hands open and palms up. After a few moments, the fracas subsided and the mare let the glow from her horn die away as she did her best to regard him again.
Sweat beaded his forehead, and his hands felt shaky, but he did his best to keep his voice calm and friendly. "I have no idea what you're saying, but I mean you no harm," he said, trying to put on a friendly smile. "Tu hablas espanol? Parlez-vous francais? Uhh, pivo, prosím? Ein Bier bitte? … Pizza? Vodka? Sake? Kebab?” He winced. “Ah, wait, forget that last one."
Her ears tracked him closely as he spoke, and her tail lashed briefly, before drooping. None of the phrases elicited any special reaction, however.
She said something in reply, in what he hoped was a questioning tone. It doesn't sound quite so hostile, at least; I might actually be able to help... Assuming I can get her to let me. Still seated, he pointed at the wheels, and slowly mimed taking one off of her.
She stiffened at this, which set off yet another round of quacking, and a few drifting feathers. The mare gritted her teeth, ears flat against her head as she waited for the ill-tempered waterfowl to settle down.
When it finally subsided, he gestured again towards the wheel and cocked his head, waiting. Her response was more muted this time, and she hesitated a few long minutes before giving a sharp nod and looking away.
This is worse than that time I had to give a speech in front of the entire organization, he thought, trying to will his hands to stop trembling. He rose carefully and approached her, making sure she could see that his hands were empty, and keeping his movements as calm and deliberate as he could. His own breathing felt loud to his ears, as the forest seemed to fall silent around him, the crack of branches beneath his feet standing out starkly in the preternatural quiet. The hair on the back of his neck started to rise, as the mare flinched at his every footstep, and the tang of ozone lay heavy on the air once more.
When he was just an arms length away, her eyes flew open and her horn lit up, the sudden, bright glow painting everything a vivid pink. He froze like a deer caught in the headlights, as her eyes seemed to bore into his. His heart skipped a beat, and he took an involuntary step back. Another step back, and as he started to pivot, he saw her eyes widen, and the light from her horn winked out like a snuffed candle. He hesitated, and in the pause she said something, but so softly that he might not have caught it, even had he known the language.
The moment stretched on, and in the sudden, precarious quiet, he could clearly hear her own fast, shallow breathing. She swallowed, and then spoke again, louder, and it was then that he noticed the suspiciously watery eyes that the dim forest light had concealed.
Okay, sorry, I guess this isn't easy for either of us, he thought, taking several deep breaths to steady himself. When it finally felt like his heart wasn’t about to burst out of his chest, he tried gingerly stepping forwards once more. This time the unicorn kept her eyes open, and her magic at bay as he crossed the last few steps to reach her side. He could see her tense up as he carefully stretched his hand out to her leg, but she was able to maintain her composure.
Her coat was unexpectedly soft, and he could feel her pulse racing when his fingertips finally met her skin, but she gave no outward reaction to the contact. Shifting down, his fingers found the smooth wood of the wheel and curled around the spokes. Reaching with his other hand, he was able to lift and pivot the wheel enough to unbind her leg. From there he managed to unwind the cape and carefully lift the wheel off of her hoof and away from the branches.
She let out a sigh of relief as the wheel thudded down onto the forest floor, and he could see her leg go limp as she was able to relax it.
The second wheel was a bit more complicated, mainly because the duck went completely insane as soon as he touched "its" wheel. Feathers flew as it erupted into into a frenzy of beating wings and raucous quacking, and he had to watch his fingers as it craned its head around to snap at them. Holy crap, you'd think I was robbing its nest or something, he thought, as he shielded his face from its flailing wings as best he could, while still carefully angling the wheel so it would clear the mare’s leg.
She flinched several times, gritting her teeth but stoic against the feathered assault as he finally lifted the wheel away from her leg. A careful twist and he was able to slip it off of the duck as well, leaving the troublesome bird standing on her belly as he backed quickly away. The duck looked around confusedly for a moment before following him, quacking loudly.
He dropped the wheel atop the first with a clatter, and then immediately had to fend off the ill-tempered fowl as it lunged at him. He had to kick at it threateningly a couple of times before the persistent bird finally got the message and flew away.
With two wheels removed, he could now unwind the purple fabric, which had tangled in the bush and the one remaining wheel. I could cut it free... but no, a knife might give her the wrong impression. Instead, he took a closer look and soon realized the piece of fabric was a cape. That prompted him to look for the clasp, which he found had been twisted around to the far side of her neck.
She whinnied sharply as he reached for it, but the sound died in surprise as the clasp popped loose. Free of the entangling fabric, she gave a vigorous full-body shake, and was able to roll out of the bushes with a thump. There she pawed the final wheel off from where it had caught on her horn.
Standing up with a wince, she looked him up and down for a few moments, and he saw her eyes widen as she got her first proper look at him. He tried to imagine how he must have appeared to her. One hundred seventy five centimeters, brown hair, brown eyes, and an average build... Okay, maybe a little bit of paunch. Anyhow, I've never really stood out. It's a different story here, though, he thought, looking down at the unicorn. He towered over her – the tip of her horn reached only up to the middle of his chest, and she had to crane her head up a bit to meet his gaze. When she did, she stiffened, shifting back involuntarily as his scrutiny registered. I guess my stature would be a bit intimidating, he thought, hunkering down until he was closer to her level. At least I don't have claws or anything.
I do wear clothes, though, which seem to be a bit of a rarity. The dogs had them, but this unicorn is the first equine I’ve seen wearing any apparel. Her stuff is actually pretty well made, too; the silky fabric in the hat and cape seems much nicer than my t-shirt and jeans, though it seems a bit out of place in the forest. I didn’t see much of the dogs’ clothes, but those seemed pretty crude – not to mention filthy, he thought, sniffing at himself self-consciously. Still, there are some things that I’m not going to change to fit in.
At least he didn’t feel too dirty, thanks to that rainbow whatever-it-was thing of theirs, but he needed to shave, and his clothes had gotten a bit dusty from his walking and the travails with the house during the night. Well, not the best circumstances, and I don't know if they've dealt with humans before, but I hope I come across as more civilized than those dog things, at least. Come to think of it, that would make me first contact, wouldn't it? He winced. I sure hope not. I’m pretty sure the prime directive’s been shot to hell by now.
At any rate, she's not really in a position to object to me being dirty. Indeed, the unicorn wasn’t looking too great herself: her coat was smeared with dirt and her mane was running wild and thoroughly tangled with sticks and leaves.
Despite her condition, she seemed to be bouncing back quickly from her ordeal, relaxing by degrees as he continued to act friendly. Her eyes brightened noticeably as she saw him lean down to pick up the hat he had found earlier, and turn to offer it to her, though she held up a hoof and did not accept it immediately. Instead, she squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and then gave him a long speech and a short bow, before settling back on her haunches to look up at him expectantly
Well, I guess that's my cue, he thought, setting the hat aside. Not that this will go anywhere, but I might as well give it a shot. It never hurts to be polite.
“Hello, my name is Brian Markey,” he said, facing her squarely and giving her a shallow bow in return. “I doubt you can understand any of this, but I'm glad I was able to help. I seem to be lost, so if you can help me in return, I'd really appreciate it."
She looked at him attentively throughout the exchange, but he still couldn't spot any signs of comprehension. Still, she nodded when he finished, then smiled broadly, as if she’d accomplished some great feat.
Her good mood was infectious, and he found himself grinning as well. And why not? Granted, there were a few hairy moments, but all in all, that didn’t go so badly. What now, though?
Lacking a better idea, he once more tried to return her clothes, but she again held up a hoof, shaking her head and saying something. Puzzled, he just stood there holding her stuff and watching as she looked up and around.
Her eyes brightened when she spotted the cloud still floating nearby, and her horn lit up with a pink glow as she strode towards it. As soon as she stood beneath it, she aimed her horn straight up and unleashed a bolt of magic that turned the cloud a bright green with blue dots that reminded him of the ones on her hindquarters. This result was apparently not to her liking; her eyes narrowed when she looked up at it, and she started casting again. This time the cloud unleashed a small bolt of lightning and a thunderclap that sounded oddly like a yelp. Apparently this wasn’t what she had in mind either, as her look darkened to a frown as she charged her horn a third time.
Just before the blast of pink magic went off, though, the cloud gave a shudder and started to rain. The mare cocked her head quizzically for a moment, before giving a relieved sigh, letting her magic dissipate, and relaxing as the water ran over her. He found himself smiling crookedly. I think I can sympathize with having a rough day. Seeing him watching her, she gestured for him to join her, but he shook his head no.
The downpour lasted for only a couple of minutes before the rain tapered off and the garish cloud scudded away. The unicorn gave a quick shake, but her hair was still sodden, so he hung her hat and cape on some nearby branches instead of offering them back immediately. She nodded before turning to examine the upturned remains of her cart.
He followed along, watching as her horn glowed brightly, and magic enveloped the cart. He raised an eyebrow as she pawed the ground in agitation when the cart broke out in another rash of blue dots. Huh. I guess that wasn’t what she wanted. You'd think she'd like them, though, given that she got a tattoo or brand or whatever of them.
Another couple of magic attempts produced similar blue-speckled results. It wasn’t until the mare made a sad little noise and started pushing at the top part of the cart that Brian realized what she was trying to do. He lent a hand, bracing himself to lift while the mare continued to push, and between the two of them, they managed to get the cart upright again.
The cart body was not as damaged as he had feared; it looked like the wheels and cargo had borne the brunt of the impact. The mare spent some time looking through the pile of goods, and he followed, his curiosity piqued. He was able to make out a few twisted metal fragments, some splintered wood, and numerous shards of shattered glass and broken crockery. It appeared she'd been carrying quite a variety of items; he peered curiously at the labels, trying to figure out what they could have been.
One battered crate had an assortment of strange glassware; though the container itself was the worse for wear, its padding had served its purpose in protecting most of the contents. At least he assumed so; though some reminded him of chemistry class, and most were unbroken, he was at a loss as to what many were supposed to be used for. Why would you ever need a glass tube in the shape of a knot? Or a heart-shaped flask? Is it a liquor decanter? But then why would that be mixed in with beakers and vials?
There was also a crate holding fireworks, or at least colorful tubes that were pointed on one end and fused at the other. I’ll just assume they’re trouble and be glad none of them went off, he thought, quickly moving on.
Beside it lay one of the few unbroken bottles, which he picked up and examined curiously. It was short, round, and still over half full of a shimmering blue liquid, which reminded him of a magic potion, except those never had labels. By contrast, this one had a faded piece of paper depicting an odd blue plant bracketed by a pair of unicorns, whose horns looked like they were erupting with power. The design would have been more impressive, however, were it not for the incongruous boater hats both unicorns wore, as well as the handlebar mustache one sported. Heh. This thing reminds me of something straight out of Diablo, except for the two on the front that look like half a barbershop quartet. Curious, but I can’t say I find unknown magic unicorn potions particularly tempting. An eyebrow rose as he turned the bottle around – the back of the label appeared to be absolutely covered with fine print. Okay, technically I don’t have any reason to think this is fishy, but at home this couldn’t be more suspicious if it literally had a picture of a snake with oil pouring out of its mouth.
He set the bottle back down carefully, and looked around a bit more. A little ways away was another glass container, this one more of a jar than a bottle. It had cracked, but not shattered, and inside was a metal clip holding a lock of strange translucent blue strands that refracted the light like fiber optic cables. The effect was mesmerizing, but raised yet more questions. Despite the optical effect, the strands were short, and didn’t have the uniformity of the fiber optics he was familiar with. It didn’t seem like it would work very well to transmit light long distances – the ends actually seem to taper a bit. I’d actually say they look more… organic, than anything else. Like fur, maybe. But what kind of creature would have fur like that? Is it to capture light like a polar bear? Part of a mating display? Or maybe some sort of camouflage? He thought, glancing around nervously, as he moved on.
Odd… Really odd… This assortment of wares seems a bit too random for her to be a merchant. Her magic seems a bit dodgy, but maybe the wizard hat isn’t just for show. Gandalf did pose as a fireworks seller, after all. Come to think of it, these ponies would be about the right size for a hobbit. He snorted. Okay, so I’m probably reading way too much into a few coincidences. I think I’ll still avoid putting on any rings I come across, though, just to be on the safe side.
There were a few other interesting bits of debris, but he soon found his attention riveted on one particular sack. The rough cloth had split, letting a glorious array of golden spheres spill out onto the ground, and his mouth immediately began to water. Oranges? They certainly looked like it. His fingers twitched with the urge to simply reach out and grab one, but he stomped firmly on the impulse. I'm trying to prove my good nature, here. Petty larceny isn't going to help my cause. After a moment’s thought, he rummaged in his pouch then gestured towards one of the fruits, while offering the blue mare one of the smaller gems in return. Not exactly a fair trade, but beggars can’t be choosers. She cocked her head and regarded him for a moment, before smiling and nudging one of the oranges towards him – politely but firmly warding away his offered gem with an upturned hoof.
He practically snatched up the proffered fruit, and she smiled at the sight, as she magically grabbed her own orange, though her expression morphed into a frown when the touch of her magic caused the fruit to develop yet more blue dots, plus a set of small legs that burst into frenetic motion. She let out what could've been a whimper as the leggy citrus made a break for the undergrowth as soon as she released it.
Amusing as the scene was, he was only half-paying attention, due to the almost indecent haste with which he was peeling his own orange. Soon enough, the rest of the world faded away completely as he contemplated the tender wedges in his hand. He reverently popped one into his mouth, savoring the sweet, juicy burst of flavor. It might be the hunger talking, but this could be the best piece of fruit I’ve ever had. What is it with the flavors here? First the rainbow, and now this. Though, come to think of it, the two might go well together. Hmm... In a few short seconds, several more slices had vanished before his taste buds finally let him go enough to resume processing the rest of the world. He noticed that the blue unicorn seemed relieved to see him eating the orange with such gusto, though her expression seemed a little wistful as well. After a brief mental struggle, he offered half of his remaining orange slices to her, which she took after her own moment of consideration.
After they both demolished their morsels, the mare nosed another orange towards him, and he quickly repeated the procedure. It wasn't really very much, but it took the edge off, and he found his spirits lifting immediately.
Hunger abated, he was now able to concentrate on trying to help repair the cart. The axles had splintered where they connected to the wheels, and he had no idea what to do to fix that sort of damage, but after some charades, he caught on that she just wanted him to hold the pieces together in their proper places. When he did so, she used her magic to make the actual fix, though the results were... Inconsistent. At least I assume that turning them square wasn't intentional, and she did eventually turn them back.
Despite a few setbacks, they were eventually able to reattach the wheels, though he was dubious about the blue-speckled ropes that were now keeping them attached to the axle. The unicorn didn't seem too happy either; he noticed her frequently glaring at the wheels and once even surreptitiously giving one a vindictive kick.
Job done, he retrieved her garments from the tree branch and helped load the cart. Though it was in one piece again, he had little faith in the repairs. Still, they didn't have many alternatives, and with the two of them pushing, they were eventually able to get the cart back up to the road.
The unicorn stepped into the harness and they set off, heading in the same direction he'd arbitrarily chosen earlier. Their progress was slow and laborious, with the wheels wobbling and creaking ominously at even the smallest bump. He soon found himself on edge, flinching at the slightest noise.
After only a few minutes, his nerves were frayed to a thread, and he was in the middle of debating the merits of calling a pre-emptive repair break when he realized that the latest odd thumping sound wasn't actually coming from the cart. He looked back towards the source of the hoofbeats and saw two travelers striding around the bend where the cart had originally crashed. The first was a white unicorn with a two-toned blue mane, while beside it walked a blue spotted bright green pegasus. The unexpected arrivals set his heart pounding, as his palms went clammy, but he forced himself to remain calm.
As the two of them caught up, his unicorn companion stopped the cart, and he stepped discreetly off to the side of the road. His actions did not go unnoticed, though, with the spotted pegasus turning to watch him intently, while the white unicorn moved to address the mare. He noticed that they both had heavier, more muscular builds than the unicorn mare, as well as close-cut hair, all of which reminded him of the stallion he’d seen earlier, and made him suspect that these two were male as well. They each wore saddlebags, and from this distance he could also see that, like the other adult equines he’d encountered, they had distinctive markings on their hindquarters. The unicorn’s displayed a shield emblazoned with a large magenta star and three smaller stars above it, while the pegasus sported what looked like a spyglass.
The pegasus looked tense as it gazed at him warily, though he didn’t sense outright hostility. They don't act particularly dangerous, but looks can be deceiving. I already know those unicorns are incredibly powerful, and the pegasus… He winced. I wonder if he knows I was involved with the cloud city incident? he thought, again fighting the urge to run. I don't know how they’re organized, but from what I’ve seen, the ponies, pegasi and unicorns are cooperating with each other, which could make things get ugly in a hurry. I hope the blue mare is willing to vouch for me, at least.
Said mare may or may not have been helping to establish his bona-fides, but at least the conversation seemed to be going well enough. The attention certainly didn't seem to bother her; indeed, she soon started gesturing extravagantly with her muzzle in the air in a way that he would have pegged as snooty in a human. Fortunately, whatever it was that she was saying seemed to mollify the two travelers somewhat; he saw their tension ease a bit as the conversation progressed, though the green pegasus never let up its wary surveillance of him.
Unfortunately, his reassurance didn’t last for very long. Watching the white unicorn, Brian caught brief flashes of what could have been irritation, as the blue mare responded to some of the stallion’s comments with an airy wave of the hoof. He guessed that the way the green pegasus's ears were laying down might also be a bad sign.
Nevertheless, the white unicorn smiled at the mare winningly and began a long, animated speech during which Brian noticed that at one point, he indicated himself and the pegasus with one hoof, the mare on the other, and brought the two together. Uh-oh, do they want to join us? I helped out the mare, so she has some reason to put up with me, but those two make me nervous. That thought alone would have been disquieting enough, but it felt like his heart froze when the unicorn continued on and started to gesture back towards the sky in the direction they'd come from. Crap. So they do know about what happened at the cloud city. If that’s the case, I might have to cut and run. Maybe if I can somehow make it into the forest, I can lose them in the trees, he thought, trying to gauge whether or not he'd be able to retrieve his pack from the cart. He glanced over the scene casually; the two unicorns seemed involved in their discussion, but the pegasus was still watching him closely, and when it caught Brian’s gaze, its muzzle curled into a wolfish grin, as if it was just waiting for him to try something. He smiled back halfheartedly. Shit. This just keeps getting worse and worse.
His attention was pulled back to the unicorns by a sudden exclamation, and he was completely unprepared for the change in the blue unicorn mare's demeanor. Her voice had gone up several octaves, and she had a trembling hoof pointed at the mark on the white unicorn's rump in an accusatory fashion.
Uh, okay, he thought, not quite sure what to make of the new development. The white unicorn seemed equally surprised at the situation, having taking several steps back from the mare’s sudden tirade. She didn’t let up, continuing her verbal assault as she gestured towards her cart. Something in that speech must have really hit a nerve, he thought, watching as the white unicorn backed up another pace, replying in a placating tone of voice until the blue unicorn finally paused to catch her breath.
The white unicorn's eyes were still wide from the exchange, but his glance had automatically followed her gesture, and he did an amusing double take when the appearance of the cart registered. The mare hesitated as she saw his attention shift, and her ears briefly drooped as he then walked over to the cart, where he crouched down and examined its battered undercarriage. He raised a hoof to his chin in a thoughtful looking gesture, before standing to speak as he pointed back down the road, his gesture tracing the route the wagon ruts had charted when they careened off the road.
He looked at her expectantly, and Brian noticed her indignation falter under the weight of the white unicorn’s gaze, but she quickly rallied. With a whinny, she turned her back on the wagon tracks, tossing her head dismissively as another wave of her hoof swept away the inconvenient details.
The white unicorn raised an eyebrow and then changed tactics, indicating the mark on the mare’s hindquarters, before pointing at the garishly colored pegasus and making some sort of statement. Suddenly the center of attention, the pegasus shifted his focus long enough to nod and add a few words to the conversation, before going back to unnerving Brian. The mare’s eyes widened and she pawed the ground, shifting her weight uneasily as he spoke. Encouraged, he continued on and, as he did, Brian noticed the mare replied less frequently and her attitude seemed more and more defensive, until she was avoiding looking at both of the other equines, and had started to hold her tail further forwards, obscuring her mark from view.
Finally, the white unicorn stopped with one last inquiry, but despite her chastened demeanor, the mare still shook her head no. At this, the white unicorn sighed, looking thoughtful for a few moments before his face lit up. His saddlebags glowed with magic, and out floated a small oblong object that glinted metallically. It landed in his hoof, where he held it out to the blue mare and then gestured towards the cart, beginning to talk animatedly once more as he indicated both items.
The mare cocked her head uncertainly before examining the metal object closely and following up with several statements, to which the white unicorn responded at length. After thinking a bit more, she finally sighed and nodded her head.
The white unicorn smiled triumphantly, before turning to the cart and lighting up his horn. A magenta glow reached out and enveloped the jury-rigged contraption, briefly levitating it from the ground and bathing it in incandescence. There was a loud hum, until Brian could feel a tingle as energy suffused the air, but it quickly peaked and the light died away as the cart settled back to the ground.
The white unicorn walked over and crouched to inspect his handiwork, before looking back up with a grin after just a few moments. Apparently satisfied, he said a few words to the unicorn mare, before waiting expectantly. Looking like she'd just bitten into a lemon, she grudgingly held out her hoof, to which the white unicorn floated the item over, producing a small band from his saddlebags and attaching it like a bracelet around her outstretched foreleg. He then nodded to his pegasus companion, and the two resumed their journey.
Brian let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as they finally left, wanting to slump into a puddle on the ground as the tension drained out of him.
The blue unicorn still stood stiffly on the road, watching as the two stallions departed, her tail flicking jerkily back and forth. She doesn’t seem all that happy, though, considering they just fixed her cart and gave her something. Must be something bad, like a bill, or some sort of device to ensure that she pays for the repairs. At least they didn’t join us, though.
Soon the pair was out of sight, and with a harrumph and a flick of her head, she turned away from the road. He walked back up to join her; she flicked an ear towards his approach, but otherwise ignored him to paw at the bangle. Despite her efforts, it didn’t budge from its spot on her leg. Her horn lit up and the bracelet glowed pink, but her efforts resulted only in adorning it with yet more blue dots. The unicorn mare glared daggers at the stubborn accessory for a few moments, before planting the hoof on the ground and pointedly looking elsewhere.
When she turned to him, she had a confident smile on her muzzle, but her ears were still flat with displeasure. Three guesses why, and two don’t count, he thought, crouching down and reaching out his hand to indicate the bracelet. After a moment’s hesitation, she held it out to him, but as his hand was just about to touch it, there was a bright flash and a small retort, and he fell back with a yelp.
His finger itched, and pins and needles crawled up his arm as he frantically looked it over for damage. Okay, that was dumb. Should’ve seen it coming, he thought, heart pounding as he flexed the limb gingerly. Fortunately, his fingers all responded normally, and after a few, nervous seconds, the sensations began to ebb. At least everything seems intact. A small sound made him look up to see the mare staring at him, eyes wide in concern. She made as if to move to him, but hesitated, holding the leg with the bracelet carefully to the side. He waved her off; the bracelet’s reaction had startled him, but he wasn’t sure what she could do to help, and his arm already seemed to have returned to normal – the only remaining damage that inflicted to his rear end and pride. Rising to his feet, he moved over to take a look at the cart instead, curious as to what all that magic had accomplished.
Up close, he saw that the ropes had vanished, replaced with what looked like fused wood. He stood up and stepped back, impressed. Well, at least he seems to have kept his end of the bargain, whatever it was, he thought, turning back to the mare. She was already settling into the harness, and soon the wagon creaked into motion as he trailed alongside. The brakes on the cart were still pretty bad, but they managed to keep much better control of the cart now that its wheels were solidly attached.
With kilometers of road ahead and little else to do, they soon started chipping away at the language barrier. He’d noticed it a bit earlier, but though some of their sounds were horse-like, when speaking, they used a very similar vocal range to humans. After a little prompting, the mare seemed quite happy to speak, and now that he could finally focus on just listening to the words, he found that their language flowed quite rhythmically. It also sounded like the mare used a lot of intonation, though, which had him a bit worried. I really hope it’s not a tonal language. I couldn’t even begin to get a handle on Mandarin the one time I visited China. At least she hasn't made any unpronounceable sounds yet.
After a bit of listening, he spoke for a bit as well, and then they started trying to teach each other words. Initially, they reiterated the names from their initial introduction, and he gathered that the word she’d been using for him was something that sounded vaguely like 'yahoo' to him. Sharing their actual, proper names was a little bit trickier.
“Brrrrrian?”
“Ah, close. Brian.”
“Brrian.”
“Yeah... you’re getting better,” Crap, why does she have to have such a complicated name? “Zgramf… something something turksey,” he said, mumbling the middle bits.
“Shummti shummti?” she parroted, cocking her head curiously, as she pointed to herself. “Trrk’sii.”
“Ehmm,” he stalled. Uh, no. How do I ask her to repeat that middle bit again?
She didn’t give him the time. “Shuumti shuumti Trrk’sii,” she said triumphantly, before pointing to him. “Ya’huu Brrrian.”
… Drat. This is going to be a long day.
Eventually, she took pity on him – having him just use the last ‘Trrk’sii’ bit, and even tolerating his further mangling it into 'Trixie' which he found easier to remember. He did enjoy seeing her perk up whenever he managed to get through her full name, though, so he made an effort to use it where he could.
After names, they began to work on simple, common nouns, like 'tree,' 'road,' 'water,' and 'sun'. Next came a handful of everyday verbs, such as 'walk' and 'talk'. The unicorn proved to be a quick study, and seemed to have little difficulty in keeping pace with his small collection of words. Her pronunciation was also surprisingly good, aside from a tendency to trill her Rs, which made it challenging for her to say “Brian” correctly. He’d stopped trying to correct her, though, considering how tolerant she was of his own linguistic butchery.
Trying to actually assemble these bits of basic vocabulary into more structured expressions proved to be a trickier task; they had barely started when his stomach began to remind him of its presence. Looking up, he saw that the sun was high overhead, only leaving small pools of shade to cling to the roots of the trees. The blue mare glanced up at the sky as well, and soon pulled off beneath a large, spreading oak at the side of the road. She then rummaged into one of the bags, coming out with some dried puckish objects, and handing him two. Nibbling on one, he discovered that they were oatcakes; bland, but filling. Feeling rather more content, he went over to the cart and pulled out his pack. The mare looked over curiously, as he looked through his remaining possessions, looking especially puzzled as he handled his phone. Well, I suppose she’s probably never seen anything like this, he thought, smiling as he switched the device on. I’ll give her a little show.
He was inexplicably drawn to the dulcet tones of the King, and as the melancholy mood of “Heartbreak Hotel” echoed out into the forest, he found his own spirits lifting. Trixie seemed to enjoy the music as well, and small smile crept across her muzzle as her ears perked up in interest.
Encouraged, he played a second, more upbeat song, getting a similarly enthusiastic response, before shutting the device off, ignoring her look of disappointment. I'd love to sit here and play music all day, but I don't want to burn through the entire battery in one go, he thought. There's no telling when, or if, I'll be able to recharge. Instead, he put the phone away and gestured meaningfully at the cart. She nodded, and soon they were back on the road and trading words, as the kilometers gradually melted away in the afternoon sunlight.
The light was at a much lower angle when Trixie finally seemed satisfied with their progress. Their continued language studies had been fruitful, but his brain seemed to have exhausted its language acquisition capacity a few hours earlier; now it felt like it was buzzing with so many words that they were slipping out the cracks, and he’d been happy to plod along in relative silence for a while. Still, the forest scenery wasn’t all that exciting, and he was more than ready when she called a halt and they pulled off into a small clearing at the side of the road.
When her magic again proved better suited to branch decoration than fuel collection he headed out to get some firewood. It was still light out, so he didn’t have much trouble finding appropriate deadwood. When he got back, he saw she had gotten out several more oranges, what looked like a loaf of bread, and a couple of large pieces of fabric.
He swiftly laid the fire, and then paused, frowning as he tried to think of anything he had that could be used to light it. Trixie appeared to notice his hesitation, and waved him back with a smile as her horn started to glow. He quickly complied, and she seemed inordinately pleased when her spell set the pile ablaze on the second try, though he studiously avoided paying any notice to the little spherical puffs of blue smoke that it occasionally produced.
The loaf did turn out to be bread, and, as the sun set, they resumed their halting conversation while eating bread and more oranges by the fire; it was a bit surreal, to say the least. If I'd ever told myself that I'd someday be eating oranges at a campfire while trying to make conversation with a bright blue unicorn that makes polka-dots, well... he chuckled, I don't know if I would have even believed myself with a story like that. I just hope it's headed for the right sort of ending. Pity I have no clue which direction to try to aim for, and almost as little of an idea in how to change course.
His melancholy turn of thought was interrupted when the unicorn's ears suddenly perked up, and she glanced over to his stuff. He followed her gaze to his backpack. Heh, maybe she wants another song?
He fished out the phone, and almost dropped it in shock as the words '4 new text messages' registered.
Hey honey, how's voiding gong? What did you want to do for dinner? See you soon!
OMG, sorry, gilding dong
GLIDING GOING
Stupid autocorrect
Trixie looked at Brian like he was crazy as he suddenly burst out laughing, partly from the message, but mostly in release, as a sense of profound relief washed over him. I’m not alone! They’re still out there, and we’re still connected somehow! I just need to reply! He leapt into action, but his enthusiasm caught up short as he examined the phone more closely.
No signal. Damn. Of course, it couldn’t be that easy. Hmm. Looking over the texts again, he frowned as he saw they had come less than a minute earlier.
Okay, so I must’ve somehow had coverage just moments ago, but now it’s gone. That doesn’t make sense – we've been stopped at this particular spot for at least an hour. How could we have gained or lost coverage? Was it from something temporary? Plus, those texts seemed old; like she sent them when I was still flying – so why am I getting them just now? I think the system can hold onto them for a little while, but I've been here for over a day. I’d have figured they would have timed out, or she would have followed them up with something else by now.
What the hell is going on here? I really want to find out what's going on back in Geneva, but it's impossible without a connection. His hands shook, and he looked down in surprise as he realized just how tightly he was gripping the phone. Okay, deep breaths, he thought, forcing himself to relax. I'll just have to keep checking back until the signal comes back. Pity there's no sort of notification for that.
At any rate, no more music. I'm going to have to conserve the battery until I can find some way to recharge it, he thought, switching it to maximum power saving mode and watching the display dim as it changed to grayscale. Only about two thirds left, but hopefully it’s not exaggerating too much when it says it’ll last for a week.
He composed a brief message describing his situation, and asking for information and assistance. He made sure to save a copy, and then tried to send it, in the hopes that the signal indicator was being unduly pessimistic. Sadly, that was not the case, causing Brian to spend the next ten minutes watching the phone like a hawk for any sign of a connection, before finally putting it down in frustration. Damn. I’ll just have to check back occasionally, and wait for another message to come through. Hopefully the connection will last a little longer next time.
He looked up to see Trixie regarding him, bemused. He gave her a crooked smile and a shrug, at a loss to explain his actions. She snorted, and looked back over to the fire. He noticed it had died down a bit and was in the middle of tossing on more branches, when he broke into a massive yawn. The blue unicorn was soon echoing him, and though she looked at him a bit sheepishly, he could see her ears drooping, and he realized just how tired he was as well.
I guess that's probably enough excitement for one day, he thought, taking a couple of springy boughs and arranging the fabric atop them into a makeshift bedroll. The unicorn made a similar arrangement, and in short order they were both settled in. He was starting to become a bit fragrant, dustier than ever, and his stubble was only going to get worse. Right now, though, none of that mattered.
After all the crap I’ve been through, it’s nice to finally be making some headway. Finding someone I can actually interact with – right now that’s something I wouldn’t trade for the fanciest hotel room in the world. He closed his eyes and his lips curled into a smile as the day’s tension left his body. His breathing slowed to a gentle rhythm, as once more the sounds of the night moved in, and sleep crept forth on silent feet to steal thought away.
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FUCK YES. I need this. I just finished writing a paper in APA format for the first time, at a minimum of 1200-1600 words. Now that's not a problem. That's easy. The problem is that I needed to have fifteen fucking sources. 15. FUCKING. SOURCES. And, like an idiot, I did this paper all in one night. I am a masochist. Thank you, Caliaponia, for shedding some joyous light upon my day.
Tracking bracelet to follow Brian? Also, Shining armor and the other stallion do a bad job at being nondescript and acting in plainclothes. Their builds and mane-cuts should easily give them away. That and having a SHIELD on your flank. Otherwise an interesting chapter. You also do a very good job of describing a situation without any real dialogue.
Nice to see it alive.
I think that Brian will be okay now he is in the presence of the Great and Powerful Trixie
The trick will, of course, persuade her that he isn't a 'dangerous monster' that she has 'tamed' and is therefore rightfully part of her show! 
He's lucky Trixie doesn't have any luggage with hundreds of little legs he has to deal with too
Friendly contact at last! Now, I wonder what Shining Armor, Trixie and Spyglass discussed so animatedly and for so long, and why Spyglass had such a predatory interest in Brian. A glory hound looking for ways to bolster his career?
It's really nice to see that Trixie has got a friend, I just hope that she sees him as I look at the situation. Someone who has never heard of her, completely unbiased and that she can be heself with.
5134637
Whoops. Sorry about that - all fixed now.
I guess that's what edits can do, sometimes. Thanks for mentioning it.
Based on my knowledge of the Flim Flam brothers, I'd be more willing to try the actual snake oil.
5134134
Glad it came in at an opportune time for you.
5134132
5134148
Slow, but not dead.
5134513
True. He probably has enough concerns without having to worry about being eaten by an animate chest.
5134757
Probably a wise choice
5134147
A good guess, though I can neither confirm nor deny. I'm glad you enjoyed the descriptions, though. I agree that the royal guard aren't really in their element, here.
5134397
5134732
I hope you enjoy seeing the two interact
5134721
Interesting speculation! I did plot out the gist of the conversation, and some of it may come to light later. It's interesting to see how you and other readers think it went.
Kinda wanting to read how Trixie ended up wreaking.
I'm wondering how Trixie ended up with her magic being so unreliable? Maybe Poison Joke? Also, do I guess correctly that the pegasus is an OC? I can't remember any character having such a cutie mark. I think that Spyglass has either tried to provoke Brian in a more subtle way or was merely intimidating him - especially because of Cloudsdale. Though I'm not sure if that was in the mission description. Makes me wonder if he was the pegasus on the cloud as well. And if they are still spying on Brian this way.
Overall, it is interesting that the princesses decided to let Brian roam free. It seems that the knowledge they gained clued them in that Brian isn't the evil mastermind they assumed in the first place. Instead, they keep him in a semi-controlled environment, to gather more data in a less hostile environment and to gauge his intentions.
Hooray! Not only is this awakened from its coma, but now it has Trixie in it too!
Nice long chapter, here's to hoping another follows soon! I'm always delighted when this story updates.
Ah, of all the ponies to befriend, it's the arrogant one that few of the other ponies like.
Elvis is nice, not something I normally see in HiE. Though to be honest, if I were in Brian's place I would've played an old British sea shanty, as they are a good mental escape for me.
After all, how is it not relaxing to imagine a drunk sailor getting flogged in front of the entire crew?
5134132 It never really died, it's been consistent in its slowness.
5135206
She probably got some of the poison joke potion all over her, when she crashed with her wagon.
n-no there is no next button no no No NOOOO!! (i am loving this story )
5135206 Yeah, that's a very definite sign of poison joke. Magic acting amusingly and frustratingly like an overly-literal interpretation of one's cutie mark? POISON JOKE.
Ohhh that's so going to burn when the "meek and humble" Trixie finds out the only known place for a cure for Poison Joke is... Ponyville.
I just had thought: With Trixie's magic currently so unreliable she might have been given the hoofband to prevent casting spells. It would at least allow for a reason why Trixie had to go with it - and why she still wants to get rid of it.
Hey: you just broke a thousand likes!
I laughed longer and harder than I probably should have when I realized that our protagonist's next encounter was with a Trixie in the midst of Wheel Duck problems.
Ooooo, and now Shining Armor plus guardspony OC, should be fun.
Did Trixie just get a magical "I've been arrested" bracelet? (For some reason the picture that won't leave my head is of a tire boot, which is kind of a hilarious mental image when applied to a pony.)
5136215
Her magical abilities don't seem to be any different before and after the bracelet. Still frequently unreliable, with an unwilling fondness of blue dots.
5134855
is too keen to share it...
Yeah, I'm sure it's quite amusing, though for some reason, I doubt
5135206
Some very good speculation! They haven't really fleshed out the royal guard corps, so it's not much of a spoiler to say that yes, this is Shining Armor along with a royal guard I came up with. As to his past and future roles, well, those may indeed come in to play. Those pegasi sure do like their clouds, don't they? They should be careful when unicorns are slinging magic around, though.
I don't remember if you've mentioned before that the ponies speak the same language as the Houyhnhnms from Gulliver's Travels, but either way, it's a brilliant move!
5137085 At least it wasn't "gelding".
The best way to determine the nature of something being observed is to prevent it from realizing it's being observed.
So Brian goes flying with the pegusi, and traveling the roads with the unicorn. Does he need to take a sea voyage to meet an earth pony?
5135206 Oh, it's fairly obvious what happened. Trixie bought a "magic enhancing" potion from Flim and Flam. They made it from poison joke extract.
5137677 The reaction would still be the same
Man, we need more pony words here! It's important!
I also want to see if anything happens in his dream and what the important ponies are thinking or even how trixie feels. I think we will get a reiteration of the whole encounter since there was so much detail in the gestures and stuff.
Oh hai Gulliver
5135374
Glad you like the developments
5135378
Sadly 'nice long chapter' and 'update soon' tend to be at odds, but I'll do what I can.
5135406
I'm not really an Elvis listener myself, but after the last chapter, it could hardly be anything else...
5136274
Huzzah!
5136316
Glad to hear Wheel Duck's tireless efforts are recognized!
5137646
5138522
You can thank Kwakerjak for that particular bit of genius
5137802
Very true! Somepony echoes a very similar point in a prior chapter.
5138315
I say! How dare you besmirch our fine product, made with genuine rare zebra spices, in such a manner? Why, when used in accordance to our clearly laid out directions*, it can increase your magical ability tenfold!**
5138159
I don't know about an ocean voyage, but I can think of a certain earth pony river trip that would fit right in with the rest of his travels so far...
Hey man great up date, and nice nod to Gulliver's Travels .
5134132
Awwww, he mad a new pal!
5139128
Yup, but given how Discorded this trip has been so far, he would be trying for old rope, and get Twain instead.
Pinkie behaving perfectly normally, especially at CERN. Everyone looked at Floyd, including Floyd. Do I have antlers or something?
Flim and Flams extract of Poison Joke? As someones else has said before, if they ever put their minds to legitimate products instead of the thrill of trying to get one over the gullible, theyd make far more income and far less incarceration. But thats as likely as them sprouting wings and flying.
Trixies new bracelet I suspect is just a standard remand unit, given its availability and assistance rejection, making me wonder how they actually use it to track. Meanwhile. Poor Rainbow Dash got polka dotted again. At least Brian doesnt have to worry about bumping into Gilda in such a way as to accidentally her with the rest of the Joke. Fur and feathers would really fly? Or given what Joke does, turn her into a land shark.
Brian, a man called Brian. He has arms, and legs, and head and teeth.. Brian.
What is it with accountants. Its like Goodby Mr Wilberforce or something?
Pity he dont have his tablet. A quick recording of a dictionary of their words in the microphone, using string slicing coupled with a music app, and he could type in words in english and have them spoken, like the speaking clock in local, and then the tablet can have a go at matching incoming sound to samples for speech recognition if the normal function cant handle such a different voice. Then again, use the old speech synthesis from 20 years ago. Tamodachi Live is decent, but the research wasnt continued to improve the quality.
Its ALive, Alive I Tell you.
How exactly did the girls lose track of him when they were all together in that cave? Something isnt quite matching up here...
Though Trixie utilizing magic being the cause for his connection? That is interesting.
5140718 Yeah. I thought they'd caught him? I'm glad they didn't, but it's still confusing to me
5140824
Curiouser and curiouser.
5140718
5140824
Honestly, this is more than likely a last second plan made by Celestia just to be absolutely sure he's not dangerous. Remember last chapter, when they were discussing quantum mechanics? Celestia seemed quite taken by the idea of someone being themselves when they aren't observed, and immediately after that she "went to the bathroom." All of this is just them using a principle of quantum mechanics to make sure he's not a danger. In other words, they did catch him and are currently watching him, but letting him be himself to make sure no further misunderstandings end up occurring.
On that note, while everyone has mentioned Shining Armor by this point, I think there's another pony who was missed:
Hm, I wonder if Rainbow didn't accidentally fall asleep on the job.
5141698
With Rainbow Dash's propensity for overreaction and occasional lack of thinking I would think that somepony else would be more suited for the task. Maybe a member of the guard? Since most like to say Shining Armor was present it would make sense one of his guards might be nearby.
One last thought: Think they found his basket of supplies in those caves? The medical items alone would be interesting to see them look at.
5141810
Yeah, they found it. There was a part near the start of the chapter where he mentions how they took a few things, so they definitely knew about it.
5141838
I only ask because outside of his flight suit and tablet, other items were not mentioned as openly.
I still hope they did...such items are not worth those dogs time. And Steve is presently too busy looking at a reflection of himself.
Trixie was a bit surprising traveling companion, but at the same time not that hard to imagine him stumbling upon.
Wonderful chapter, let's see if they make any language progress later
5141698
Not Rainbow. Note the coat colors on the pegasus, 'Spyglass' with Shining Armor? My bet is he was using the cloud as an observation blind when Trixie tried to get a shower out of it. "Care to explain why your coat is not regulation color soldier?"