Jetpack Harmony

The friends of Twilight Sparkle spent a pleasant day zooming around the sky on their brand new jetpacks. Some racing, some puttering along, some performing feats of aerial acrobatics, but all having a delightful time. All too soon however it became time to put up for the day. Each pony landed in their turn and chatted excitedly with the ponies standing next to them about the practical applications of the new technology, and how grateful they were to receive it before anypony else in Equestria.

Applejack stretched her tired muscles gratefully, thankful to finally be able to take the large cumbersome device off of her back. It had been a long week of training and fine tuning, but now she could finally relax. She reached her mouth down to yank at the belt release and felt the straps loosen against her shoulders and haunches. She sighed with relief with the release of the tension. It was like taking her hat off after a long day of work. She tilted her shoulders and waited for the loud thud and clatter of the jetpack hitting the deck as it had done every evening for the last six weeks.

Applejack waited in vain. There was no thud. There was no clatter. The cumbersome weight remained completely stationary. She blinked in surprise. That was odd. Maybe it was just stuck. She shook her shoulders slightly, trying to dislodge the large tube from her back. The jetpack remained in place. "Uhm. . . Twah." She called out in mild concern. "Ah think it's stuck."

Twilight landed and her own jetpack powered down, its blue rings fading away into the surrounding atmosphere. The alicorn raised an eyebrow, but didn't think much of it. "Oh, Ummm. One second, just let me. . . . Uhmm. . . Hold on. . . Just. . . Get off you accursed!" Her jetpack became enveloped in the lavender glow of her magic, but no matter how hard she yanked and tugged it wouldn't yield.

"Uhm, Twilight, if you're not too busy, uhmm, could you tell us how to remove the jetpacks please?" Fluttershy asked in her perpetually soft voice.

The princess turned sharply towards her friends with her trademarked manic, overwide smile that meant something was terribly wrong. Nopony noticed however as they began to cluster together around the quietly panicking purple pony. Each assumed that the new technology required a specific way to dismount that wasn't immediately apparent. "Yes!" Twilight called out slightly too loudly. "Just uhmm. . ." She cast about for any way to stall. The princess snatched the orange unicorn into the air. "Just give me a moment to confer with my fellow technician! Thank you!"

Twilight magically closed the curtain and whispered shouts could be faintly heard. The assembled ponies began to shoot each other concerned glances. Applejack and her mare made eye contact for a long moment and the farm pony stepped slowly towards the curtain. She reached out a hoof and just barely heard the hushed scream of, "Part of you! It's not a living thing!"

"Ahem!" The orange pony called out timidly. Both unicorns snapped their heads towards the farm pony with the expression one wears when they're caught with a hoof in the cookie jar. The rest of the ponies milled towards the arguing engineers. "Ev'rythin okay Twah?" Sunset looked to the princess for what to do next. Twilight looked at the element of truth and knew she had to tell them. She put a hoof to her chest and exhaled in the way her sister-in-law had shown her to steady herself.

"So uhmm. . . Turns out the spell we used to make the jetpack obey the user's commands actually made it semi sentient and uhmm. . ." She grinned wide with panic and embarrassment. "Ummm. . . We maybe sort of kind of made it a part of our bodies. . ." Her voice shrank to a squeak. "Sorry. . ." There was an audible silence in the hangar. In an instant the palpable silence erupted into a thunder clap of questions and accusations all clambering over each other to assault the cringing princess.

"You got a rocket stuck to my mare's back!" Rainbow shouted red faced.

"This won't fit under any of my wardrobe!" Rarity screamed, more in panic than in accusation. "I'll have to redesign my entire closet!"

"Get it off!" Pinkie screamed, dragging her jetpack across the hangar floor, sending up sparks as she did so. "I gotta itch! Get it off! GET IT OFF!"

"Twilight! I thought you knew better than this! After everything I taught you about being careful with new magics! Honestly, you should've learned this lesson all the way back in magic kindergarten!" Celestia chided in the tone of a disproving mother.

"Why didn't you come to me for help Twilight!" Starlight scolded, Her hyperventilation bag discarded. "I could've told you that the extended tactile spell would bond the object to the user!" Twilight cringed into a smaller and smaller ball, trying to present the warranted accusations with the smallest target possible. Only one pony maintained her bearing and noticed the tears welling up in the violet eyes.

Suddenly a thunder clap sounded inside the hangar and the walls reverberated with a roaring voice commanding, "BE STILL!" Everypony but Celestia crouched relaxatorily in fear at the enormous volume and authority in the shout. The former princess of the moon's eyes ceased their imperious glow and she stepped slowly towards the still crouching Twilight with a regal step. She extended a hoof to help her up. The purple princess gave a weak smile as she emerged from the shelter of her legs.

Luna turned to face the cowed crowd like a disappointed school Mistress dressing down a crowd of rowdy school children. Despite her years of acclimation to modern speech patterns the former princess of the night spoke in tones straight out of one of Whinniam Shakespeare's works. "Shame on you ponies!" She thrust a regal hoof towards the one that had hot glued a large backpack to each of their backs. "Have you forgotten the myriad of times this pony has saved all of our lives?"

"Do you not recall how this pony's quick wit and intellect helped avert disaster again and again? How dare you criticize her after one momentary setback! This is the most accomplished user of magic in Equestria! One who by her own hoof and horn stopped countless threats to our lands, raised herself to royalty!" She shone a peculiarly warm smile towards the blushing purple princess and her tone lowered to one of quiet gratitude. "And returned me to the path of righteousness."

Twilight gave a small grin and had to look away at the unexpected outpouring of appreciation when just a moment ago she was being showered with accusations and recriminations. Luna turned back to address the repentant mob. "Now, I'm sure Twilight will work diligently until this particular nuisance has been rectified. In the meantime we will all have to make due with these new appendages."

The princess stood straight and nodded. "Yes! I promise everypony, I'll get this figured out as soon as I possibly can!"

Sunset Shimmer took a step forward. "I guess I'll help in any way that I can." She shrugged. "I mean, I might miss a few classes, but who knows what I'd turn into if I went back through the portal now."

Pinkie popped up, momentarily forgetting her earlier panic. "Oh! It might be cool though! You might turn into a girl shaped robot that can turn into a fighter jet!" She boosted into the air and lifted Sunset into the air, zooming her around inside the hangar. "Sunset Shimmer! More than meets the eye!" The pink pony's antics diffused the tension enough of the tension to allow a few giggles to ripple through the room.

Starlight Glimmer couldn't suppress a chuckle but gave a determined grin. "Alright Twilight, but I'm helping you this time!"