It’s the middle of Discords reign of chaos, and everyone seems to be sad all the time. Well, someone can help with that.
It is Discord’s reign of chaos and disharmony. Everypony is living just fine, having peace and plenty of food, yet they are still sad! And, try as he might, Discord just cannot seem to figure out a way to solve this conondrum.
But, a few days ago, a man fell into the world. Exploring around this place with plenty for all, and no death except from age.
Discord has seen him traveling. He plans to make an offer.
I complete a hike up a hillside. I look over the lay of the land from where I am, seeing many cities and towns at odd angles against the horizon. I worked up quite a thirst from that hike, bit hungry as well. All I do is reach up, and I grab one of the cotton candy clouds that are everywhere. Pour all the chocolate milk into one of the glass flowers next me, then eat the cloud.
After I’m done, I sit down on the hill top. I reach to my side and pick the glass that has my chocolate milk in it. I raise it up, and drink the glass down, tasting like Pepsi. I then take the chocolate milk in my hand, and attach it to a hat I’m making out of all the strange stuff in this land.
This land is very, very strange. I don’t really care about that strangeness, all I can see are the upsides. You have clouds that you can eat that give you a full meal, including drink, for free! If you need a cup, just search for some flowers. There are trees that grow gold, mud made out of hot fudge, vines made out of licorice, broccoli that tastes like steak, and steakthat tastes like bacon!
I can hear a friendly laugh from beside me, “I can see you are obviously enjoying your stay here, I wish I could say the same for others. You like what you see?”
I look over at the voice to see a chimera smileing at me, “Food and drink is plentiful, danger seems nonexistent, broccoli tastes good, the tress grow gold! It’s a near paradise!”
I can see the chimera coil into a more comfortable position, and he smiles, “It is so wonderful to finnaly meet another who appreciates this land! You’d think with all the effort I put into this, those ponies would appreciate it more! But no, they trot around looking depressed, and curse my name! Ponies are truely the least grateful race in existence if they don’t even out on smiles when there is nothing but good now!” It shakes it’s head, “Anyway, my name is Discord, I am the unruler of this land.”
He holds out a paw, and I take it, “Pleasure to meet the thing behind all this, Discord. Call me Tim.”
He takes my hand, and shakes vigorously, “Very nice Tim. I would invite you to live in the land, but only you can decide that when everything is unruled! Where nothing is more powerful or important than individual ponies, and there is no government to tear down those low on the food chain! Where freedom is aplenty, and safety is kept by me! And I do a good job. The only way ponies die is if they deserve it because of murder and the like, or if they get old.”
I look down upon the villages, and see what he said about them not being happy is true, “Why would they not be happy? I mean, I get this land can be strange to some. But they get free food, water, and protection! People back home would’ve killed to live here! Maybe I can help change it.”
Discord smiles and nods, “Exactly what I had planned to do! You see, every time I have huge event or parties, the ponies never participate. So I’m thinking that they may be still mistaking me as a ruler, and thus want to act ‘respectful and noble’, bleh! So I’m thinking that maybe an outside could try and get them happy. Because, beleve me, it’s tearing me apart Lisa that these ponies cannot get happy in my parties!”
I nod along, “Well, I can help easily. I do hate seeing them be unappreciative of the paradise they are in, so I will try and cheer them up. I am only one man, but I have the spirit and determination to see this through! Although, as I said, I am only one man, so doing all that would be quite hard.”
Discord smiles, “Yes, so we come to the second part of my idea. I needed an outsider, and I’ve had plenty. But what I really needed was something that could appreciate the upsides of my unrule. Someone who saw the chaos here the same way I do! And, it would seem that we are spirits kindred in chaos, Tim my friend. As you’ve stated, this land may be strange, but they still get so much from it. Others would want the land gone simply because it is strange, and I believe you may meet those two later, and most simply refuse any upsides exist simply because it is strange. But you are different, because you look at the bigger picture.”
I nod back, “I always try to roll with the punches, see the bigger side and not just a small part. People may see all this strangeness as being wrong, and it messes with them. But I don’t care, whatever bothers them, never bothers me. They just see the others around them being sad, so everyone shrinks their perspective into pessimism. If I go in there and make a few happy, it will cause a chain event leading to them all gaining bigger perspective, and gaining a more optimistic tone about the situation.”
Discord nods along with my words, “I may have forgotten to mention that I am also the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. And those titles come with certain upsides, some of witch can be seen by looking around at my handiwork, or maybe it would be hoofiwork. Either way, I also gain these artifacts. The Elements of Chaos, beautiful things they are. Anger, Creativity, Deception, Power, Jealousy, and my two favorite, Laughter and Fun. Laughter does change its sides quite a lot, sometimes Chaotic, sometimes Harmonic, a great example of Italian philosophy. Fun always switches positions with Laughter, so they can never be on the same side, it was made as a balancing act. And I think Fun would be the perfect Element for you, Tim, given what I have seen and what you have said.”
He takes it out, and hands it over to me. It looks like a large church bell, but it’s designed like a jester bell. It fills up the palm of my hand, and it is near weightless, “Thank you.”
He nods, “No problem at all! Better than it sitting around gaining dust anyway. You have to actually wear it for it to work. But as you can feel now, it’s near weightless because of the power you’ve gained from it!”
I take it and attach it to my clothes, and I can feel new power course through my veins. I reach into this power, and focus deeply. Then I feel an ukulele in my hand, and I know it’s worked. I hold the ukulele, take an exaggerated bow so the bell rings, “Off I go then!”
Discord nods, “Good luck! I’ll be sitting on the sidelines eating popcorn just in case!”
I take my ukulele, ring off a few notes, and start to prance down the road.
I glide down the streets, playing random notes off the ukulele, “Livin in the sunshine, loving in the moonlight, having a wonderful time!”
My playing seems to attract the attention of a few ponies, and they look over and start to move towards me.
I’m too caught up to care about them though, “Just take it from me, I’m as free as any daughter!”
I stop in the middle of a prance, sending my bell a ringing.
I put my hand on my chin, and bow over dramatically to look a random pony in the eyes, “Hmm, no smile, no brightness on that face, obviously not listening.”
The pony stops, and stares back in my eyes, “Can I help you?”
I lean my back up from its 90 degree position, “Oh, of course he listens as soon as I start to be boring!”
The pony walks past me, “Sorry, I have more pointless meandering to do.”
I look at the pony as he walks away, and scratch my chin with my ukulele, “Hmm, that gentleman obviously won’t help. Looks like I’ll just have to find more gentlemen to help!”
I turn around on my heel, and see right behind me some ponies, “Hello there!”
I didn’t see the frying pan that they held, however.
*Claong!*
———
I wake up to find myself restrained on a chair made of spounge. I look at my taffy restarants, then up at some ponies mulling about, “Ah, gentlemen, I assume you chased off the ruffian that knocked me out and took me in for care, yes?”
The ponies all look over at me in surprise, “Don’t worry friend, we are working on fixing the mutation Discord has done to you.”
I smile and tilt my head, “Well, dear friends! It does warm my heart to see some ponies who would be helpful enough as to try and fix any mutations! Really, it warms my heart deep inside of me. But I’m afraid you got the wrong person, I am as I should be.”
The ponies all look at me in new surprise, “You aren’t mutated by the chaos?”
I bite off my taffy restraints, and enjoy the flavor, “Oh no, my friends, in fact I’d say I enjoy it!” I extend a hand to all of them, “My name is Tim, Element of Fun!”
They look at me with awe, “You are an Element bearer?!” One bows at my feet, “Forgive me for my mistake!”
I pick up the pony, and stand them back up, “Now, now, dear friends, it’s not fun to apologize or to bow! How about you all join me in spreading fun?”
They look at each other, “How can we find fun in this chaotic wasteland? When nothing we know is real, what can we have fun with?”
I pull out another ukulele from nowhere, and smile at them, “This land is a true paradise, you should appreciate it! And there is no way greater to show appreciation then to have fun!”
They look at me with sad eyes, “How?”
I strum a few chords on the ukulele, and smile up at them.
“Look all around us now! A wonderland of madness! A place of everything! Yet you still fill it with sadness!”
All of their ears perk up, and I stand from my chair, “A wonderland?”
I nod, and start play out my song.
“Look around the place! Where everypony tries their best to look down! But it time I fixed their face! Turn into a smile what was once a frown!”
I kick out the door made of gingerbread, and lead the ponies behind me through the town.
“Listen to my music, listen to my song! Accept each note and take it through! Listen and join along as you wish! And what was one my song, may belong to you!”
Some ponies on the streets stop in their tracks, and start to follow me through the streets.
“Playing strings, woodwind or brass! Join in with voice, high or low! Playing along in perfect discord! And my musics fun you will now know!”
More and more ponies follow behind me as I prance down the streets.
“Any song that you may wish! Jazz, rock, ukulele, or even hitting a fish with a stick! Everyone gets to pick and choose! The song of your fun is yours to pick!”
I arrive at the center to find the entire town behind me. I collapse backwards onto some hands made of cloth that pick me up and carry me above and around the crowd.
“Listen to my music, listen to my song! Accept each note and take it through! Listen and join along as you wish! And what was once my song, may belong to you!”
Ponies start to pull out instruments of their own. Chello, drums, violas, saxophones, and some pull out their own ukuleles. They all have hands made of ice pick them up and all of them orbit around me as we continue on.
“Look around at the chaos that we live in! The near perfect paradise! Yet sadder are most then theyve ever been! Even when left entity to their own device!”
Me and the other ukulele players all join in one verse, highs and lows playing around my voice that’s decidely in the middle.
“Join together within one piercing chorus! Have the ponies call us for an encore! Playing in discored harmony! And we’ll leave you to play some more!”
I strum the final cords of my song, and join in the final notes.
“Listen to my music, listen to my song! Accept each note and take it through! Listen and join along as you wish! And what was once my song, may belong to you!”
I smile and step back and see the ponies continue on.
“Listen to our music! Open your ears and it will run you through! Join along in our fun! What’s now our song now belongs to all of you!”
I smile and walk off, hearing the music I made cheering them up.
I walk out of my newest town. Went just as well as last time, and everypony is sure to be happy now! A few ponies have even followed me out of the town. Playing marching songs and overtures of differnt melodies and rhythms. They all follow behind me as I slide down the soap roads with some skates I made.
I drive myself to a stop with a flourish and spin, and I look up into the sky. Ah, lunchtime, perfect!
I turn around to my mobile party, “Alrighty ponies! Put the instruments down for a bit and enjoy the food and drink surrounding us!”
All of them end their songs with a final note, and set down their instruments. Most of them sit down, and a few start to pick plants in order to feed the others.
I hold out both of my arms and summon some food for myself. In one hand is some cheese, and in the other is a syringe of chocolate milk. I inject the cheese with the milk, and enjoy my treat.
I hear a Snap right next to me, and a gasp of disbelief, “Chocolate milk cheese?! How’d I never think of that!? I need to use that!”
I turn to the voice, balancing perfectly on my skates, “Hello Discord!”
He nods back, “And a fine hello to you too, Tim! I must say it is quite inspireing to see your songs at work! So many ponies have become so much happier, and they appreciate their land more and more! The beautiful discord of their instruments, the disharmony of the rhythms, the fun from their parties! Brings a tear to my claw!” He holds out his claw to show me how a tear leaks from an eye that’s grown there. He quickly wipes it with his paw, “See! Absolutely wunderbar, Tim, you inspire this old Sprirt!”
I nod and look around with a smile on my face, “So many having fun with my music, finally appreciating their land. Now I have some who follow me around, making a more complex song full of discord. It warm my heart to know that I can do this much.”
Discord nods, “Well, continue the great work, my Element! Until then, arrivederci!”
With another snap, he dissapears. I turn around to see a lot of ponies tuneing their instruments. I smile out at all of them, “Let’s continue on moving, dear friends! Whatever tune you have is the perfect tune for our song! We have more towns that need to hear our song!”
Ponies stand up, and ready their instruments, “Ready!”
I strum my ukulele a few times, “Remember my friends! Always make a rhythm and melody of your own!”
Ukulele’s sing out, trombones blare, flutes and pipes cry, bagpipes and didgeridoos thunder, drums beat, and voices raise up in their own songs.
”Listen to our song, all those outside the music! All those with ears shall open them and listen! Look upon and join in the march! Be blinded by all the instruments that glisten!”
———
About an hour later, we’re still moving and playing a song.
”Make the music that is ours into yours! Play it with us the entire day long! Grab an instrument and join the crowd! Come and join in the fun of the song!”
I skip along now that we walk upon roads of obsidian. Apparently we weren’t alone on this road, “What manner of magic is this!?”
The loud shout causes everyone to lose their song and their movement, and all the music stops. Even I falter on my strings. I look up to see white and blue ponies with both horns and wings on the road. I grimace for a second, before I return to my smile, “Hello there my ladies! My name is Tim!”
The two look between each other. The blue one speaks up to me, “You stink of chaos magic!”
I reach up my arm and smell myself. I shrug at them, “Haven’t had the time to stop and take a shower.”
The blue one only glares at me, “Release those ponies from your spell, beast!”
I look back at my party, “They’re not under a spell, my ladies, they just are playing along with my song!”
I look back at her to hear her next statement, “If you won’t admit to it, then we will force you too remove it.”
Her horn lights up, and a blue beam of energy flies towards me. I smirk and sink into the ground, replacing my position with a decoy stuffed animal of me. I raise out of the ground right beside her, and see the decoy get blasted back, and catch on fire. I lean onto what I can only describe as her shoulder, and smile, “Now, my dear, no need to act so rash. I’m sure this is all one big misunderstanding.”
She jumps out from beneath me, and fires a beam back at me. I fall after her sudden movement and have the beam go over me. I see her charge up again, only to be interrupted, “Sister, there is no magic from him over these ponies. Calm down.”
I nod over to the white one, “See, she has the right idea! I don’t want to have to defend myself, that wouldn’t be very fun.”
The blue pony relaxes a bit, but still looks on edge, “Then we will trust your judgment in this, sister.”
I move my legs and arms so that I spin into a standing up position, wiping off my clothes, “I’m still waiting for your name, my dears.”
The white one speaks up, “I am Celestia, and she is my sister Luna. We are the Princesses of the land.”
I lose my smile for a second, “Princesses, eh? Discord wouldn’t like that.”
Luna take notice of my words, “You have spoken to Discord?”
I shrug, “It’s because of him that I learned I’m the Element of Fun!”
Luna doesn’t lose her guard yet, “Harmony or Disharmony?”
I shake my head, “I haven’t a clue. I feel like I’m doing good.”
Celestia smiles, “Well, it’s good to know that you exist, Fun. I’m going to assume that you’re one of Harmony, because you don’t come off to me like one of Disharmony.”
I nod and smile at her, “Well, do you want to join in on the music?”
She shakes her head, “Sadly, no. We have places we have to be.”
I shrug, and smile at her, “That’s fine. Not like I can force ponies to have fun.”
She smiles as well, “It was nice meeting you, Tim.”
I nod, “Same with you, my dears.” I look back at my party, “Well, it’s time we continue along then!”
The ponies all start the song again, and the two sisters walk by us as we start on down the road, “Let the song be carried with you, Celestia! And your fun will be neverending!”
My party of happy merriment finnaly enter into a huge forest. The music behind me stops as we enter, and feel a wave of fear pass over us. I look back to the ponies, seeing them all shaking in their hooves, and offer a smile, “Oh, dear friends, there is no need to be so afraid! The forest tricks us, and we shall introduce our song to these silent woods! We do dare disturb the sound of silence!”
The ponies all look around them at the trees and animals that now surround them, before rasing their instruments again. We play a song of joy and energy to shoo away the negative energy of this forest.
”Follow along my friends! Step once, step twice, walk on through this wood! Play our music loudly and brightly! And when we reach the end the tests we have stood!
The forest screams out as us, trying to drown us in it’s darkness.
”You cannot walk through here with your clear heads! We will never allow you to walk on through! Release the light inside you, and close your eyes! Stay still, and stop your fruitless song, and our dark shall drown you!”
The darkness only gets darker around us, but we continue on playing.
”My friends, do not falter in thine stride! Dear friends who follow me, we play together stronger! Strum, pluck, blow, and continue on our song! And when we reach the end, the darkness will exist no longer!”
The light aura that surrounds us pushes back the forest’s darkness, and it cries out to us.
”Mortal fools, do you know where you are!? You have stepped into the dark Everfree! Lay down your instruments and run away! You will never get past out devilry!”
The howls of animals around us sing out their cries, but we don’t stop.
”Put your foot forward, and strum along! Don’t listen to their tricks, they are but words! Play the music that we have tonight! And sing out your voices like birds!”
Bats try to fly to us, but are warded off by the light, screaming out in anger.
You continues movement forward through us?! Are you all idiots, brave, or are you all simply fools!? Light shall be eaten by shadow, that’s the way it is! You can turn and run, but continue forward and you become our tools!”
I look on with defiance, and we continue playing our music.
”This forest is nothing compared to us! It is not us who is a fool, but you! So shut up, and we will stop to listen! We won’t be told what to do!”
We continue our battle on and on, as our light blocks the darkness.
”Follosh ponies, thine don’t know the way! You call the forest a fool, I believe it is they! You cannot continue through, and you cannot stay! You can turn around, scream, and run away!”
The heavy guitar and drums of the punk forest battle with the whimsical nature of my ukulele. Their screaming is matched by my steady voice.
”My friends, we cannot falter to them! We continue forward, for I think I can see the light! Play the song, and maintain our hopes! And when we get to the end, we will show our might!”
It is true, I can see light on the path ahead.
”Your might is nothing against us! What is one man and a few fools to nature! You should rethink your decision! All you are is a boat, we are the glacier!”
All of us can see the light ahead, and the darkness fades away.
Come on friends, we are at the end! Their music is nothing to our glorious song! And they think they stand a chance! Well I can say they’re dead wrong!”
The darkness fully fades away, and one last verse comes out from the forest.
”You are either foolish, or very brave! You just played a song as you walked through hell! Such a feat deserves an equal award! So from the forest, we give you a jesters bell!”
Something comes flying out of the forest towards me, and I catch it. I look and see it’s a jesters bell, as it said. I attach it on the other side of my hat from my Element of Fun.
The music we have been playing stops, and I take a bow to the forest, “You were a worthy opponent, Everfree! I would love to play with you again some day!”
The forest sings out at me again.
”We already know that you will! We know you will bear anew our fears! As you add more and more bells you change! And we will see you again in one thousand years!”
I smile at the forest, “I don’t know what that is supposed to mean, but I feel like it’s some type of prophecy. I will be glad to play again, Everfree, whenever whatever happens to me happens.”
I smile and look at my ponies, “Come along, we have more music to spread.”
———
The jester Tim walks away, and the Everfree shudders.
”The fact is that his light shall be devoured! Such is the falliable nature of men! His light shall be corrupted by darkness! We can only hope he gets the light again!”
My prancing down the roads continues more and more, still not reaching the town. I have attached another bell, so I ring out every time I move. In the middle of my playing, I realize something. I hold the party to a stop, and look around, “Is it just me or is the amount of random changes decreasing?”
Some ponies start to think, only to come to the same conclusion, “The chaos seems to be retracting into a specific point!”
I can see what he says is true as the landscape around us all seems to flee to a centeral point, “Huh, wonder what that means?”
The pony who spoke before starts to cheer, “It means that we can go back to normal again!”
Normal? Who wants to go back to normal? Normal isn’t fun, normal isn’t music, “What about our songs?”
The pony looks around, “Well, we have all gained marks of music, so I guess we will continue to do that. You can play with us, Tim, we can make a band!”
My party of ten all make noises and nods of agreement, “Wow, thanks. I think I might take you up on that offer, if fate allows.”
The ponies all smile, “Then the Jesters are formed!”
I smile along with them, “Yes, indeed, the Jesters are formed!” I nod, and hold up my ukulele, “But we shall spread our songs until then!”
“Yeah!”
We pick up our instruments, and are about to travel onwards, but I see Celestia and Luna crest a hill in front of us. I smile at the two of them, “Hello again, Celestia, Luna, are you still sure you don’t wish to join the Jesters? We always look for more friends!”
Celestia smiles back at me, “It is nice to see you again, Tim. I’m afraid we do have to recline your offer, we still have a job to do.”
Luna jumps up, “‘Tis true! We have found the Elements, and Discord now flees with his chaos!”
Chaos is fun, chaos is music, this chaos is paradise. But will it make my fellow Jesters happy? No, I just not allow my thoughts to be corrupted. I smile at them, “Wonderful job you’ve done, then! Go ahead and defeat him, if you must.”
Celestia smiles at me motherly, “Well, since we’ve run into you, we can offer you to come with us. We would love to have you on our side when we cast Discord down. Laughter might be Harmony right now, but I cannot sense the mark of a Disharmony Element on you. I can sense an Elements magic, but it seems confused. You could very well throw the entirety of the world into Harmony by joining us against Discord, becoming a seventh Element for the first time in history!”
Harmony? People cannot make unique music under Harmony. The discord of our music goes against that entirely! But my friends want it. They say this will make them happy. But I cannot fight, that’s not fun, I’m not a violent man! But it will help them won’t it? But... I cannot bring myself to attack the one who gave me the ability to create the Jesters. I’m not a betrayer, I’m not a monster who seeks out a fight. I’m a harmless musician, a Jester, I cannot do this.
I slowly shake my head at them, “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t bring myself to attack someone. I will just continue on as I am, a non violent musician. I wish I could bring myself to go, but I cannot attack something like Discord, he’s the one who granted me my gifts. I give you my blessing, and good fortune, but I cannot go.”
Luna fluffs up, and takes a deep breath, then Celestia interrupts her, “That’s fine, I understand. As long as you don’t help him, you should be fine with us. You are a musician as you say, so I won’t call on you to battle anymore.”
I smile, “Thank you, Celestia. Good luck.”
She starts to walk, and smiles as she passes me, “Good luck in your goals as well.”
I can feel a weight added onto my hat as the amount of bells comes to five. They both walk away, and I start to walk with the Jesters, “Come along, we shall bide our time until this is over.”
The others all nod, and pick up their instruments as we start to prepare to move again.
Then I hear a snap, and Discord appears right in front of me, “Oh, Tim, I need your help!”
I shake my head, “No, I’m sorry, but I cannot help with defeating the two sisters. I will just journey on.”
Discord snarls down at me, “Excuse me? Did you just say you wouldn’t help me?! After beta I’ve done, you refuse!?”
I nod, “I will not fall to violence. I am a musician, not a warrior.”
Discord growls, “If you won’t help then you don’t deserve your freedom!”
He reaches down, and hold me up by my throat, “Discord, don’t!”
He pushes magic through me, and I can see my jesters clothes turn grey, “You have done only a horrible job, Tim! You will get ponies to have fun!”
His corruption spreads throughout me, and I hit him on the side of the head with my ukulele. He drops me instantly, “I told you not to do it!”
He holds his head where I hit it, “Oh, now you’ve messed up! I think it’s time you earned a punishment!”
I two hand my ukulele, and whack him in the chest, bending him in half, “I don’t see you smileing, Discord, you’re not having fun are you!?”
My mind starts to slip into something else as Discord rights himself, “Well, I must say, that actually hurt!”
I somehow will my ukulele to have an axe head on one side, and I charge Discord again, “Where’s the fun now!?”
I chop Discord in his torso, and leave a huge cut, “What the Tartarus!? You cut me! That’s not possible!”
I kick Discord so he flops down onto the ground, and aim at his neck, “I’ve always wondered what a so claimed ‘gods’ blood would look like. It will be fun to discover!”
I’m only stopped by the voice of one of my Jesters, “Tim, stop!”
My mind is slowly returned, and Discord uses this to teleport away. I will my ukulele back to normal, and look back at the pony, “He’s managed to corrupt some of me, but not all. We must continue on with our song, it shall ward away the corruption.”
I bash my fist against a tree as I hear the voice whispering violent thoughts into my head, “Stay away from me!”
My Jesters look at me with concern as more jester bells are added on, “Tim?”
I control my breathing, and step back, “The voice is constantly whispering those violent thoughts into me! I can’t lose control.”
The other Jesters all gather me in a group hug, “The chaos is gone, Tim, you’ll be made better soon! Discord was defeated, the two sisters can help you!”
I look around me as my party of Jesters all comfort me, “Thank you, very much. I hope those sisters come soon.” I of course see those two walk out of the woods as soon as I say this, “Speak of the devils.”
Celestia walks up closer to me, “Tim, are you all right now?”
I move myself out of the hug, and shake my head at her, “The voice still is there, I fear I will fall. Celestia, Luna, please save me.”
Celestia’s smile drops, “We can only do one thing, Tim. And... I don’t want to do that to you.”
I stare directly into her eyes, “What can you do?”
She looks down, and says out, “We can use the Elements on you. It will rid you of the dark side Discord placed on you, but there are consequences. You will be trapped in stone, for how long, nopony can know.”
Trapped?! They dare to say such to us!? Show them our fun, Tim!
No, I won’t fall. I turn around to the Jesters, and kneel down in front of them, “I... I have to do this guys. I couldn’t live in good conscience if I knew I harmed someone, especially you.” I look down, “Even if it means being sealed away from the world within stone.”
My fellow Jesters all take me into a embrace, “Don’t worry, Tim. We will carry on the song. The Jesters will share our music, share your song.”
I take all of them into an embrace, “Go on, make the first and best band in Equestrian history. Live your life, live happily, and always remember me.”
They all squeeze harder, “We will make sure you aren’t forgotten, Tim, dear friend. Our party of ten will always have ten in spirit, if not in body.”
I nod, and finish the embrace, looking all of them in the eyes, “Good on you, dear friends, always carry this music.”
Celestia steps forward from behind me, “Are you ready, Tim?”
I stand up, and walk away from my Jesters, my dear friends. I nod to Celestia, “I shall only leave when I can trust my own mind.”
Celestia looks down at the floor, and I can see her tear up a bit, “I know that we’ve barely even met, but you are a friend, Tim. It pains me to do this, but you ask me to do this, so I will... as a friend.”
I take one last look at my Jesters, before falling back onto a chair I create. I look up to her, and give her a smile, “Go ahead, I am ready.”
Celestia looks back to Luna, who has stayed quiet the entire time, “Sister, it’s time.”
They move together, and I speak up, “One last thing, Princess Celestia!”
She looks back at me, “What?”
I smile at her, “You will see me again, dear friends, that’s a Jester’s vow right there.”
Celestia and Luna start to float with the power of the Elements, “I hope that you aren’t lieing.”
They float up slowly, and I summon my ukulele into my hand. I see the Elements connect, and start their spell. And so, I start my last verse, for now.
“Goodbye, dear friends, it’s time to go now. I am sealed away now knowing it is the right thing to do. I will always be with you in spirit, if not body. But I believe that it is now time to bid all my dear friends, adieu.”
I smile and open my eyes to face the blast that hits me. I can feel myself seal away in stone, and don’t lose my smile even as I turn to stone.
The voice is gone, I can feel that. This is what has to be done.
I’ve done the right thing.
———
I open my eyes to find myself floating in a dark void. So this is what being encased in stone is like. I imagaine my magic, and find myself able to paint the void like it is one big canvas.
It reminds me of the Bob Ross show I used to watch, the Joy of Painting.
”Hello, I’m Bob Ross, and I’d like to welcome you to...”
I spin around in the void, to find a hologram type apperation playing a Bob Ross episode.
With some more magic and imagination, I manage to also make a canvas just like his, and a bunch of painting supplies.
I pick them up, and look at the hologram type thing.
I smile, “I think I might pick up painting.”
—(50 years later)—
Well that’s seasons one through five down, I think I might be good at this now!
Ah, there’s that sensation, feeling like it’s comeing from outside.
I decide to follow it outside, see what happens.
I appear in the middle of a town, and I have my ukulele in hand. It seems no-one can see me, but the magic pushes me to play a few notes.
I start to play, and a sound of multiple instruments surrounds the town. The populace all start to sing and dance, like a corridinated dance number.
It seems like I can cause musical numbers to happen. What if I were to follow that magic and it didn’t lead me to a town?
I’m going to master skills, and I will help ponies. If I’m going to be stuck, then I will help.
Music magic, artistry, or just somepony who needs to talk. I will help.
I imagine canvases up in the void, and a paintbrush on the end of my ukulele. I swish it out to flick off the bristles, and look up to the paintings. I look at all of them, “Let’s go.”
I start some high powered rock music in the background, and run at a canvas. With a single flick, and multiple tricks I’ve learend, I paint the entire thing with one stroke. I spin around to stroke another, and use the momentum of the spin to throw the brush at another, painting both.
I roll over and grab the brush before it falls, and use my roll to swish another painting. And with that, I flick out the brush again, and look back at the masterpieces I’ve made in the last three seconds.
I smile as I look at my works, and will all of them to appear all over Equestria, signed as being painted by the ‘Jester’.
And as I breathe in, I smell some new magic in the air. It has the same flavor as a musical appearance, but is stronger and more vibrent.
I decide to follow it, and find myself in a room. This room has a grey furred earth pony in it, with a moustach and some slicked over hair. I look around, and find art supplies everywhere. This pony seems like an artist.
I see him suffer on the painting he is working on, and he makes a mistake. He gets so mad that he smashes the painting canvas into pieces, “Damn it! I’m never going to succeed!”
I decide to show myself to him, “Hello there, my name is Tim. Would you possibly want some help?”
He glares over at me, “What do you think you can teach me that others cannot?”
I smile calmly at him, “Because I am the only one who knows how to paint my way. What might your name be?”
He loses his glare, “Adolf Hoofler. What can I do?”
I smile, “Good, you’re eager. First thing is to get a canvas and paint over it with white paint.”
He follows my instructions, and I set up a canvas of my own. When he has painted his, he looks over to me, “And?”
I smile, and draw my brush across the canvas, “You paint. Feel deep inside of yourself, and picture your deepest feelings, your greatest respect.” I look back at him, “But remember, only paint what you want. The reason to paint isn’t to have a job, but to have fun. The whole idea of art is ruined if the artist isn’t having fun.”
He nods, and starts to paint on his as well, “I might not be the best painter, but it’s what I want to do.”
I smile and continue my own art, “It doesn’t matter if you’re good at it, as long as you’re having fun. That’s the lesson to take from my role models. Mister Rodgers, Bob Ross, Tiny Tim, hell even Gordon Ramsey. If you don’t find something fun, the thing will become worse. The best work of art, the best song, the best food, the best person is one who had fun doing what they love. You only failed because you didn’t paint from the heart, you painted from the brain. And, heh, brains are for the scientists and lawyers, we artists of differnt types are the ones who have the harder job of connecting to the heart.”
He smiles, and continues, “To be frank, I’ve never had anyone encourage me like you. My parents didn’t like it, my friends didn’t say anything, and the collage of Muneigh just told me I would be better off as a structural engineer. They didn’t believe in me, none of them. But, maybe it is true that I should listen to myself now, and understand my own heart.”
I nod and smile at him, “That’s the most important part, understanding yourself. Musicians, Arists, Writers, Movie Makers, Devolper Studios, all need that important understanding.”
Adolf stops for a second, “And have you figured yourself out?”
I stop as well, and think, “I’ve come closer to who I am, but I’m not there yet. There is so much inside me I don’t know, and I still try to figure it out. I will only be released when that happens, I can only trust myself to exist when I can control myself.”
Adolf looks up at me as he continues, “Released? You make it sound like you’re trapped. Wait... Tim? As in, the Jester Tim?”
I nod, and continue on my own, “Yes, that would be me.”
Adolf looks at me again, before smileing, “The stories made you out to be a wild party animal who never sat still except for when he slept. But here you are, calmly painting, talking, and teaching lessons all calm like. Are the stories wrong?”
I shake my head, “They were perfectly true, I was a wild party animal. I’ve had a while to sit down and think about myself. As I said, I’ve come closer to discovering myself. And truely looking into yourself requires one to stop moving so fast, and to calm down. I can interact with the outside, but I cannot be released fully until I am at peace with myself.”
Adolf puts a finishing touch on his painting, “I wish you luck in your journey.”
I finish mine, and look over at him, “What did you paint?”
He flips the canvas around to show me his painting, “My heart.”
I see it is a nearly photolike painting, so realistic in its design. It shows me skipping down a path in some bright woods, playing the ukulele, and smileing as ponies follow behind and with me. Trotting along with me is Adolf himself, and my Jesters, all wearing cloths just like mine. I tear up for a second, “It’s beautiful.”
Adolf smiles, and looks at mine. I look to see what I’ve been painting all this time. I see a picture of me poseing in between all my friends. The Jesters, Celestia and Luna, Adolf, all of them like we are posing for a picture. Tears threaten to fall out of me.
Adolf pats me on the shoulder, “Tim... we can make that happen. Somehow, we can make that happen.”
I nod, “I think I might return now.”
Hoofler holds up a hoof, “Wait. Why dont we paint some more together? As friends.”
I nod, “Yeah, okay. I can return later. Let’s paint, dear friend.”
—(???)—
Those follish Elements thought they could be rid of me that easily? Nothing but the Jester could beat me, they need to learn that. But I need some cannon fodder, a prodigy of sorts.
