Space Ponies

by Boss_Hoss1

Chapter 5. Magic is Child's Play (or is it?)

Space Ponies

By Boss Hoss

Chapter 5. Magic is Child’s play, (or is it?)

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Ten minutes later, everypony was finished eating and clearing the table for the rest of his Cognitive Testing.

Twilight smiled as she looked over the crystals that were next on the checklist for his testing. X-rays were already scheduled for tomorrow, along with whatever sample tests could not be performed on him today.
Looking over the list a little more carefully, she flushed for a moment and decided she would definitely pass on observing semen sample collection...

Giggling, the magical mare checked the crystals condition and readiness. "This brings back memories! I still have my old crystals from when I was a little foal! I wonder if these work the same?
Pay attention now, Scott. I want you to see what should happen."

As Scott watched, fascinated, she closed her eyes and pointed her horn at the first crystal in the set, focusing on it for just a moment and letting the very tip of her horn glow with a magenta spark.
When she opened her eyes, the crystal was glowing a soothing pink, fading back to normal when she stopped sending magic to it.

The next crystal played a short tune, the MLP theme, as if played on a glass armonica.(1)
'Do they even have those here or just musical wine glasses?' Scott wondered.

The third shimmered a moment, before the image of a smiling flower appeared, floating above the crystal. It appeared as a glowing outline, like a neon sign.

Amazed, Scott gasped "So that's where Miss Cheerilee's mark was inspired from? Is this a common image?"

Nurse Redheart giggled "Quite possibly. It’s common for learning toys for all foals. That flower is also on some of these wooden blocks you were practicing with."

The cream colored mare scooped a block up in her hoof to show him. Sure enough, there was the flower repeated on two opposite faces of a wooden block.

Chuckling, Scott got a very silly grin. "Even when she isn’t there, somepony is learning something new because of her. I wonder what Miss Cheerilee will think of that?""

Twilight giggled and made a quick note "We'll probably find out when you meet her at the inevitable Pinkie party later."

Curious, Scott's ears went up "Really? I thought Pinkie Parties tended to run late."

The magical mare thought for a moment "If the party starts early enough, she will probably be there for an hour before she has to take care of paperwork.... Um, does she... appear in the, er… show a lot?"

After an uncomfortable pause, he waved a hoof vaguely "Several times so far, enough to have a following. Many wish she had been their teacher…"

Smirking shrewdly, Twilight looked at Scott with a wink. “Including yourself?”

Scott suddenly blushed sheepishly, making both mares giggle “Er, y-yes, actually…”

Patting his shoulder, Twilight smiled reassuringly “Its’ okay Scott. I’m sure she will be quite flattered.
Now pay attention to this stone when I activate it, then we’ll see if you can make any of them work.“

Nodding, he leaned in to watch intently as Twilight’s horn flashed again.
The final crystal glowed a soothing pink, with lines of light flowing up out of it like something out of the old TRON movie, weaving together in pinks, yellows and purples into the neon outline of a foal wearing a diaper. But what a foal!

Blinking in confusion, Scott looked wide eyed at the image as it silently shook a rattle in a loop animation.
“This… can’t be! This looks nothing like the Cutie Mark Crusaders! In fact, other than the hooves, tail, ears and tiny muzzle, this looks just like a human baby! Even then, the face is mostly flat like a human…”

Both mares looked at each other in surprise, then back at the stallion. Twilight finally spoke “R-really?!” Her quill scribbled furiously as she let the crystal go out. “That is quite surprising! I wonder what a genetic study of cells and hair caught in your clothing would reveal? How different are Humans and Equestrian Pones, really?”

Nurse Redheart shook her head in wonder “Oh Celestia! It is one thing to hear somepony say they were something else, but it just really hit me! This poor stallion’s never seen a baby foal! He’s as foreign as a Griffon…”
She put a hoof on his shoulder “Tell you what, sweetie. Before you leave, how about we stop by the Maternity Ward so you can see the newborns?”

Nodding, he turned his head to smile at her “Thank you, Nurse. I at least need to reassure myself they aren’t super-creepy like the “Baby Pinkie Pie” dolls they sell back on Earth.”

Twilight facehoofed herself with a solid *clop*, her pupils shrunk to pinpoints. “Nononono! I… That… I Just… No, I don’t want to know…”

Sighing, Scott fixed her with a bleak look. “No, you don’t…”

Shaking her head, Twilight sighed “So, what do newborn ponies look like where you are from?”

Ears perking, he smiled warmly and looked up, thinking of the foals he’s helped care for back on Earth “Now that I can answer. I love helping out with the newborn foals on that one hobby farm. And there were a lot of them. Usually, they have the same size and build as that one colt here, Snails, with earth tone colors instead.”

Twilight’s quill scratched rapidly, glad for such a welcome change of subject from… *ahem*, and pleased he seemed so happy about real foals. “This is so fascinating! Eee-hee-hee!”

After a moment of writing, she waved her hoof at the crystals. “Now! -Now, while you are still smiling, hold that thought and try that first crystal!
I must tell you now it only acts when you are happy, so it will teach foals positive emotions when they use their magic. Positive emotions are key to the safe use of magic, and I really want to encourage that in an adult who’s never used magic.”

Trying really hard to maintain the “happy vibe”, Scott nodded and put his forehooves on the table, then his chin. His eyes crossed as he stared at the first crystal…

His horn felt warm, then cold as sparks flew off it for a moment before it sputtered and stopped.

Smiling encouragingly, Twilight clopped her hooves together “Come on, you can do it! Want that glow! Need that glow! That crystal is your friend. Think of a cup of hot chocolate! Think of a nice hug and nuzzle with your dam…”

The crystal started to flicker, then died. It was like trying to juggle for the first time ever. -While blindfolded.
A cobalt blue light sputtered in and out on the tip of his horn with sparks shooting out of it, along with the audible sound of an automobile electric starter motor.
The *whirr, whirr, whirr* sound was growing slower as he wore himself out.

After a half hour, he slumped in his seat. His head was pounding as he felt his eyes watering in frustration.

Ever since he saw wizards in movies as a foal…kid… um, ‘child’ and played them in D&D, he had always wanted to do magic on a scale the unicorns took for granted.
-Something that could be seen, not just felt (at best) in his limited dabblings with New Age stuff…

Now it was in his reach, and he could not quite get it.
Close, so close… Why couldn’t he do something a tiny foal was supposed to do before they could even write?
He turned his head to the side and put his hooves over it to stifle a choked sob.

Warm hooves suddenly circled his shoulders and drew him up into a hug, his tail quivered as he caught the scent of a mare and a sweet lilac perfume Twilight wore.

She seemed not to notice his reactions as she continued her reassuring hug. “Shhh… It’s all right. You’ll be just fine, Scott. If it’s not today, you will do it eventually. Canterlot was not built in a day, you know.”
A tissue floated up to wipe his eyes as she gave him her brightest adorkable smile “Come on, try one more time. I know you can do this.”

Taking the tissue in his fetlock, he nodded and looked at the crystal.
He concentrated on the delightful warm feeling burning in him at the touch of a mare and smiled.
The crystal flickered, then again, stronger. Hope rose in him as he wanted that crystal to glow and started to feel it in his mind. Finally the crystal glowed a soothing pink, steadily shining for three or four seconds.

Twilight let Scott go and clopped her hooves together. “You did it! I’m so proud of you!”
Both mares gave him a hug of approval and released the stallion after a minute. “So how do you feel?”

He smiled weakly “A little dizzy. Is magic always tiring?”

Twilight nodded and gave him an eager smile “Actually, yes. You’ll need a lot of practice to build your magical stamina once you can use it. For now, I guess that’s it as far as we’ll go on the crystal test today.”

Standing up and stretching for a moment in relief, she patted his shoulder.
“It will affect the score of course, but don’t worry! That is just a benchmark to refer to as you learn. I’ll see if I can get you some proper schooling, just as soon as tutoring can be arranged.
You don’t know how much trouble you can cause if you don’t know how to use your horn properly.”

Standing up and giving a cat-like stretch, Scott smirked at her. “After watching the time you all told the CMC how you got your Cutie Marks, I think I can imagine. I’ll also tell you the old story of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice sometime.”

Now it was Twilight's turn to blush sheepishly again. “Ah-heh-henh, you heard that, huh… Well, I don’t know how much potential you have but I doubt it would be strong enough to grow a baby dragon through a roof, r-right?” she said with a nervous smile, pointedly not mentioning her parents.
Nodding agreement, Scott figured that turning her parents into potted plants, even for a few minutes, was still something she felt guilty about after all this time.
Not knowing if she had actually mentioned that detail to the fillies in the time the flashback segment had been showing her entrance exam, he decided never to mention it unless she brought it up. “Y-yeah, I agree.”

Politely coughing to break the awkward moment, Nurse Redheart stepped forward “All right then. Since that’s all the testing he can handle today, he’s free to go. What time would you like to resume them tomorrow? X-rays are at 10 A.M.”

Twilight hmmed and tapped her chin in thought as she pulled an abacus from her saddlebags, the beads clicking rapidly. “…Typical Pinkie party lasts until sunrise… Check. Guest of honor passes out... Oh, say 4 A.M., given his size and weight -and never having been at a Pinkie Party… Check. Get extra coffee today to finish waking him up during breakfast once I levitate him home tomorrow morning to clean up… Check.”
Finally she turned back to Nurse Redheart while her abacus went back in her bag. “We will be here precisely at 9 A.M.”

Stunned, Scott blinked owlishly at Twilight. “I know you are organized, but… That... Is surprisingly… Um, detailed.”

Both mares broke down in laughter, with Twilight squeaking out between laughs. ”Oh! O-oh, S-scott… I.. *Eee-hee-hee!* T-thought you saw Pinkie P-Parties! *giggle* All the time! *Ah-ha-haa!*”

Scuffing the floor with a hoof, he sighed “…Rarely the aftermath since the show lasts a half-hour.”

Dabbing at her eyes with a levitated tissue, she rolled back to her hooves and caught her breath. “Oh, oh my… W-well, once you’ve been to enough of her parties, the morning after is quite easy to map out. You’ll see, Scott. “

Meanwhile, Nurse Redheart also got back on her hooves. “It’s so refreshing to meet somepony not used to Pinkie Pie. Oh, did you need to borrow the crystals overnight, Twilight?”

Twilight waved a hoof confidently “No need, I have my old set back in the library, in my box of old toys from Canterlot. I’ve got him covered.”

Smiling, Nurse Redheart started for the door. “Very well, then. Follow me to the Maternity Ward, Scott.”

(1) Link added here because some pre-readers thought I meant a hand held Harmonica and not Benjamin Franklin’s Armonica…

Comments

[Darkran]

Finally she turned back to Nurse Redheart while her abacus went back in her bag. “We will be here precisely at 9 A.M.”
2 things to say
1 I FUCKING LOVE THE ABACUS
2 FIRST

oops sorry wrong list
these are the two things i want to say
1 Fuck you I'm spiderman

[Nectarine]

This story is consistent in its quality, and never fails to make me smile and laugh. 5/5, and two hooves up! Keep it up, man!

[Boss_Hoss1]

1693044
Yay! Thanks!

[Jahoosaphat]

Story desxription made me favorite it JUST so I could read it.
*Uses Ichigo's voice* UPPE-VOTE!

[Hereward]

His horn felt warm, then cold as sparks flew off it for a moment before it sputtered and stopped.

Smiling encouragingly, Twilight clopped her hooves together “Come on, you can do it! Want that glow! Need that glow! That crystal is your friend. Think of a cup of hot chocolate! Think of a nice hug and nuzzle with your dam…”

The crystal started to flicker, then died. It was like trying to juggle for the first time ever. -While blindfolded.

Why didn't I realise this sooner?
1:12-2:30

[Master king]

I loved it all so much and it was so sweet how Twilight was there for him and you know that the parties that Pinkie Pie throws are the bast and they will where you out [youtube=http://m.youtube.com/]