Mr Zoat
Dedicated ragequitter
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11th April 2013
06:36 GMT -7
Applejack regards the bracelet on the table with deep suspicion.
"Y'all're saying that there piece a' fru-fru jewellery can turn one o' them bald monkeys Twilight turned into when she went through the mirror into an earth pony?"
Sunset shakes her head. "No, of course not. Transforming someone from one species to another is a whole lot more complicated. I'm still not really sure how Starswirl's Mirror manages it. Besides, they don't really want to turn into earth ponies."
That last point gets a slight raising of her eyebrow, but she appears willing to let it go.
"So what was that about earth pony magic?"
"The three main pony tribes each have their own innate forms of magic. But what type of magic a pony has is innate; it comes from the differences in their bodies."
"Uh-huh." Applejack thinks for a moment. "So yer sayin' this little thing kin do what it takes a whole earth pony body t'do?"
"No, it can't do that either. What it can do is give someone the strength and endurance of an earth pony whose cutie mark doesn't relate to strength or endurance."
Applejack nods. "Ah kin see how that could come in useful. So where's the pegasus necklace?"
Sunset wing-shrugs. "I can make one, but without wings, you… Wouldn't really be able to fly. And it's kinda hard to do weather work from the ground."
"So, just cloud walkin'?"
"You'd be able to move faster as well, but, yeah. The unicorn version has a similar problem: without a horn, thaumokinesis-. It's hard to control. Even if I built it into a horn-shaped headdress, it's like learning to use a whole new limb."
"But ah guess everypony's got legs."
Sunset nods. "That's the idea." She raises her right forehoof to her chin, frowning thoughtfully. "Though, actually… You should still be able to intuitively use one or two spells based on your special talent, even if you can't use thaumokinesis. Whatever it was, it would be unique to you… And maybe other members of the Apple Family."
"Ah don't need no fancy magic t'be an Apple." Then she thinks for a moment, and bows her head. "But ah guess some kinda tree-doctorin' spell could come in maghty handi."
"I, um…" Sunset looks around the empty Canterlot lecture theatre, then casts a basic privacy spell. "You got my letter, right? You're on the pre-approved list-."
"Ah did."
"And?"
She shrugs awkwardly. "Jes' plain don't feel raght."
Despite the fact that Sunset has proven her ability to turn regular ponies into alicorns, take up on that opportunity hasn't been all that high. And the few ponies who came forwards were so self-absorbed that Sunset had a moment of self-reflection about pony society, but that's about it. I'm assuming that it's some sort of religious thing. Celestia, yes. Celestia having a sister, okay. Cadence, well, she came out of nowhere and Celestia says that they're related, alright. Twilight… I really don't know what Applejack thinks makes Twilight worthy while she isn't.
Or maybe she just doesn't like change.
Sunset lets out a quiet snort. "You saved the planet twice and Equestia about a dozen times. The process isn't inexplicable, and alicornism isn't handed down by some sort of higher power when you jump through enough hoops. It's just magic. Magic I understand."
"Ah don't. An' ah ain't sure I'd be all too keen on outlivin' everypony ah know."
I raise my eyebrows at that. "I'm sure Twilight will be gratified that you've learned from her example."
Applejack wince. "Now, hold on there, partner-."
"Though if it helps at all, I remember reading something that said that even if people didn't age, they still wouldn't live much past eight hundred on average due to the risks of injury and disease." I look to Sunset. "Are alicorns immune to disease?"
"Not totally; we really just have a supercharged version of earth pony resilience. Eight hundred years, huh?"
"That was for humans. Equestria is a bit less perilous. Oh, and how are you doing for ovum?"
"No sign of regeneration. I'll be dry-firing before I'm fifty, while still having a menstrual cycle because I'm not aging."
"We all got together. When we got yer letters." Applejack sighs. "Fluttershah weren't too keen on standing out. Rainbow Dash didn't want to get too big t'be in the Wonderbolts. Said she might say 'yes' eventually. Rarity said somethin' about the artist overshadowin' the art, whatever that means."
I frown. "I thought she wanted to become a princess? Blueblood got publically humiliated dodging her first attempt."
"She got over that real quick. An' Pinkie said she weren't keen on outlivin' her sisters. Ah ain't, neither."
I shake my head. "Pinkie's sisters are about her age. Statistically, she's likely to outlive at least one of them anyway, not counting all of her clones. Of course, the obvious solution is to use the spell on her sisters as well."
"'bawt-." Applejack's eyes widen, then she gulps. "'bawt a hundred alicorn Pinkie Pies?"
Ah…
She… Does sort of have a point, there.
The door to the auditorium opens, and Tempest… Stands there, looking around imperiously. I find myself checking her restored horn. Initially, Sunset and I both thought that it would be simpler to just make her an alicorn, but Celestia had concerns about Equestria having an Alicorn of War. Instead, we recovered her horn point from the cave near her home village and -after getting a lot of scans of other ponies' horns- performed a gradual restoration. She's actually a great patient: after getting her heart's desire, she wasn't going to do something stupid like rushing her recovery.
The guards are torn between enjoying the relative holiday and dreading what she'll be able to do to them once she's fully fit and returns to duty.
Tempest's eyes rest on Applejack. "Why is she here?"
Sunset smiles at her. "We needed a volunteer to demonstrate what an unmarked earth pony athlete could do."
I nod. "And we'll be-."
There's a burst of teal light as Starlight Glimmer teleports into the designated alcove, and a gust of air as Lightning Dust swoops in over her superior. Tempest raises her head to give the pegasus pony an unimpressed look, which Dust is too busy looking at the new toys to notice. Tempest gives her mane a small toss, then walks down the central aisle to take a seat near the front.
With her away from the door, the rest of the audience begin filtering in. Guard officers, teachers and researchers from the School, and-
BOOM!
-members of the American security services who have just about kept their cool while surrounded by cute colourful ponies.
Yes, I did see that. Yes, I am going to put a picture on the staff notice board.
A flash of purple light as Twilight appears, Spike on her back.
"Phew! Not late."
Spike rolls his eyes. "Twilight, you set five different alarm clocks."
I trot off the stage, passing Starlight as she heads up to be the 'unathletic, non-earth pony' for the demonstration. I'm on safety duty just in case something goes wrong during the strength trials, but that shouldn't be necessary.
Sunset comes to the front of the stage.
"Thank you for coming, everyone. Please take your seats, and I'll begin the demonstration."
06:36 GMT -7
Applejack regards the bracelet on the table with deep suspicion.
"Y'all're saying that there piece a' fru-fru jewellery can turn one o' them bald monkeys Twilight turned into when she went through the mirror into an earth pony?"
Sunset shakes her head. "No, of course not. Transforming someone from one species to another is a whole lot more complicated. I'm still not really sure how Starswirl's Mirror manages it. Besides, they don't really want to turn into earth ponies."
That last point gets a slight raising of her eyebrow, but she appears willing to let it go.
"So what was that about earth pony magic?"
"The three main pony tribes each have their own innate forms of magic. But what type of magic a pony has is innate; it comes from the differences in their bodies."
"Uh-huh." Applejack thinks for a moment. "So yer sayin' this little thing kin do what it takes a whole earth pony body t'do?"
"No, it can't do that either. What it can do is give someone the strength and endurance of an earth pony whose cutie mark doesn't relate to strength or endurance."
Applejack nods. "Ah kin see how that could come in useful. So where's the pegasus necklace?"
Sunset wing-shrugs. "I can make one, but without wings, you… Wouldn't really be able to fly. And it's kinda hard to do weather work from the ground."
"So, just cloud walkin'?"
"You'd be able to move faster as well, but, yeah. The unicorn version has a similar problem: without a horn, thaumokinesis-. It's hard to control. Even if I built it into a horn-shaped headdress, it's like learning to use a whole new limb."
"But ah guess everypony's got legs."
Sunset nods. "That's the idea." She raises her right forehoof to her chin, frowning thoughtfully. "Though, actually… You should still be able to intuitively use one or two spells based on your special talent, even if you can't use thaumokinesis. Whatever it was, it would be unique to you… And maybe other members of the Apple Family."
"Ah don't need no fancy magic t'be an Apple." Then she thinks for a moment, and bows her head. "But ah guess some kinda tree-doctorin' spell could come in maghty handi."
"I, um…" Sunset looks around the empty Canterlot lecture theatre, then casts a basic privacy spell. "You got my letter, right? You're on the pre-approved list-."
"Ah did."
"And?"
She shrugs awkwardly. "Jes' plain don't feel raght."
Despite the fact that Sunset has proven her ability to turn regular ponies into alicorns, take up on that opportunity hasn't been all that high. And the few ponies who came forwards were so self-absorbed that Sunset had a moment of self-reflection about pony society, but that's about it. I'm assuming that it's some sort of religious thing. Celestia, yes. Celestia having a sister, okay. Cadence, well, she came out of nowhere and Celestia says that they're related, alright. Twilight… I really don't know what Applejack thinks makes Twilight worthy while she isn't.
Or maybe she just doesn't like change.
Sunset lets out a quiet snort. "You saved the planet twice and Equestia about a dozen times. The process isn't inexplicable, and alicornism isn't handed down by some sort of higher power when you jump through enough hoops. It's just magic. Magic I understand."
"Ah don't. An' ah ain't sure I'd be all too keen on outlivin' everypony ah know."
I raise my eyebrows at that. "I'm sure Twilight will be gratified that you've learned from her example."
Applejack wince. "Now, hold on there, partner-."
"Though if it helps at all, I remember reading something that said that even if people didn't age, they still wouldn't live much past eight hundred on average due to the risks of injury and disease." I look to Sunset. "Are alicorns immune to disease?"
"Not totally; we really just have a supercharged version of earth pony resilience. Eight hundred years, huh?"
"That was for humans. Equestria is a bit less perilous. Oh, and how are you doing for ovum?"
"No sign of regeneration. I'll be dry-firing before I'm fifty, while still having a menstrual cycle because I'm not aging."
"We all got together. When we got yer letters." Applejack sighs. "Fluttershah weren't too keen on standing out. Rainbow Dash didn't want to get too big t'be in the Wonderbolts. Said she might say 'yes' eventually. Rarity said somethin' about the artist overshadowin' the art, whatever that means."
I frown. "I thought she wanted to become a princess? Blueblood got publically humiliated dodging her first attempt."
"She got over that real quick. An' Pinkie said she weren't keen on outlivin' her sisters. Ah ain't, neither."
I shake my head. "Pinkie's sisters are about her age. Statistically, she's likely to outlive at least one of them anyway, not counting all of her clones. Of course, the obvious solution is to use the spell on her sisters as well."
"'bawt-." Applejack's eyes widen, then she gulps. "'bawt a hundred alicorn Pinkie Pies?"
Ah…
She… Does sort of have a point, there.
The door to the auditorium opens, and Tempest… Stands there, looking around imperiously. I find myself checking her restored horn. Initially, Sunset and I both thought that it would be simpler to just make her an alicorn, but Celestia had concerns about Equestria having an Alicorn of War. Instead, we recovered her horn point from the cave near her home village and -after getting a lot of scans of other ponies' horns- performed a gradual restoration. She's actually a great patient: after getting her heart's desire, she wasn't going to do something stupid like rushing her recovery.
The guards are torn between enjoying the relative holiday and dreading what she'll be able to do to them once she's fully fit and returns to duty.
Tempest's eyes rest on Applejack. "Why is she here?"
Sunset smiles at her. "We needed a volunteer to demonstrate what an unmarked earth pony athlete could do."
I nod. "And we'll be-."
There's a burst of teal light as Starlight Glimmer teleports into the designated alcove, and a gust of air as Lightning Dust swoops in over her superior. Tempest raises her head to give the pegasus pony an unimpressed look, which Dust is too busy looking at the new toys to notice. Tempest gives her mane a small toss, then walks down the central aisle to take a seat near the front.
With her away from the door, the rest of the audience begin filtering in. Guard officers, teachers and researchers from the School, and-
BOOM!
-members of the American security services who have just about kept their cool while surrounded by cute colourful ponies.
Yes, I did see that. Yes, I am going to put a picture on the staff notice board.
A flash of purple light as Twilight appears, Spike on her back.
"Phew! Not late."
Spike rolls his eyes. "Twilight, you set five different alarm clocks."
I trot off the stage, passing Starlight as she heads up to be the 'unathletic, non-earth pony' for the demonstration. I'm on safety duty just in case something goes wrong during the strength trials, but that shouldn't be necessary.
Sunset comes to the front of the stage.
"Thank you for coming, everyone. Please take your seats, and I'll begin the demonstration."
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