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Chapter 4: The Terminator of Boasters-Part 2
Chapter 4: The Terminator of Boasters-Part 2
“You said you defeated Ursa Minor, but how did you defeat it?” Mr. Miracle asked, throwing playful glances at the surrounding ponies. His confident gaze formed a sharp contrast with Trixie’s evasive gaze.
“As I just demonstrated: I defeated it with magic.”
“Fine, show it to us again.”
“What?”
“I said, show it to us again.” Mr. Miracle lifted his chin backwards, and Apple Bloom nodded and walked onto the stage with him, lifting up a wooden board on the stage. “Ursa Minor is not here now, so let's use this board instead - use your magic to destroy it.”
Trixie half squinted her eyes, walked up, and said in a volume that only these two ponies could hear, “Don’t you afraid that I can really do it?”
“Can you? Just give it a try. I just know you’re bluffing.”
Mr. Miracle knew that Trixie couldn't do it, until she was seriously studying magic. Now she couldn't even be able to shoot a magic laser.
Sure enough, after speaking those words, Trixie became weak and could only blink her eyes, panting heavily.
Mr. Miracle took advantage of this opportunity and whispered, “Or you can stop right now. If you're willing to stop telling the lie, I'm willing to help you save the reputation, and it won't be damaged in the slightest.”
“Don't even think about it!” Trixie gritted teeth and refused. Then she took a few steps back, took a deep breath as if to boost herself, and then focused on practicing magic.
Her horn shone brightly, even more dazzling than before. She was sweating profusely and trembling all over her body, probably exerting all her strength to deliver this blow.
Mr. Miracle was a bit surprised and also had a view change towards this bragger queen - pushing limits to cover up the lie, in a sense, “remarkable”. Unfortunately, overdrawing the limit didn’t mean being able to do things she couldn’t do at all. She hadn't studied magic laser hard before, so how could she cast it now?
“Alright, alright, don't try anymore. With just a thin board, you're helpless. Can you still be considered great and powerful?”
“Shut up! Give the great Trixie a little more time, she's almost...” Her horn-light suddenly burst out, and for a moment, Mr. Miracle thought she had really done it; However, after the flash, her horn only intermittently emitted a few magical sparks, and nothing else happened.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who had been pranked in the audience, couldn't help but laugh out loud, while Twilight's expression was very complicated. She was glad she didn't show herself, otherwise she would be the one on the stage now.
Mr. Miracle shook his head and said, “Tsk tsk tsk, if you had known this before, why did you have to do it in the first place?” He then nodded at Apple Bloom, who walked forward and turned her back to the board. With sustaining force from her front hooves and a strong kick from her rear hooves, she kicked through the thin board with one hoof.
“She can easily do it, but you can't.” He was still taunting.
Trixie fell to the ground as if she had lost all her strength, not only physically exhausted, but also mentally. The audience was discussing the situation and shook their heads, ready to leave.
Trixie was almost about to cry, but only almost ; On the contrary, she turned sadness into motivation and took a gamble, saying, “This doesn't prove anything! I have defeated Ursa Minor, and I’m the greatest. I can show you again.”
Mr. Miracle raised his eyebrows and got a new understanding of her ability to withstand pressure.
She continued, “Now I'm going to find it, right now! By tonight, you'll be able to see the great Trixie return victorious with the spoils of war.”
Apple Bloom interjected, “So, do you want to ‘once again’ search for Ursa Minor, defeat it, and retrieve the spoils of war for us to see?”
“That's right! Do you have the courage to come with me?”
Trixie asked confidently, as if she was certain no pony would dare to follow. As long as there were no witnesses, she could say anything.
“Indeed, Ursa Minor has a huge volume, sharp claws, and a big mouth can swallow several ponies in one bite. Its strength is unstoppable...No pony can face such a terrifying, fierce, cruel, and merciless monster except the great and powerful Trixie.”
Her description scared the ponies even more, none of them dared to follow, except for Applejack and Rainbow Dash. They both anticipated that Trixie wouldn't dare to actually go find the bear, so they immediately raised their hooves and expressed their willingness to be witnesses.
Mr. Miracle didn’t push it too far, or rather, all of these were just parts of his plan. He took the initiative to stop Applejack and Rainbow Dash, saying it was enough with his accompany; Apple Bloom also wanted to follow, but was sternly stopped by Applejack, and she could only pout in silent protest.
Although they had just met this male pony, his behavior and words just now left a deep impression on them. In addition, they did have their own things to do, so they agreed.
Trixie had no idea what he was up to do, and it wasn't appropriate to express angry now, so she had to grit her teeth and go out with him. They walked all the way to the outskirts where there were no other ponies before she spoke again.
“Do you really want to come with me? If I get into a fight with the bear, it won't be good if I accidentally hurt you.”
“Come on, do you want to play the ‘coward game’ with me? I know your plan, so if you want to bribe me and let me go back tonight to lie for you, just forget about it.”
“Do you really want to force me to find Ursa Minor? Do you have to see me being eaten by it with your own eyes before you stop?” Trixie anxiously admitted her own lack of strength. “I don't understand, I don't even know you! Why are you biting me and not letting go? I didn't even provoke you!”
“Didn't you provoke me? Are you serious? Let me have a recall: first, tie me up with a rope, and it won't automatically release; second, prank Applejack in front of all of ponies, and her sister Apple Bloom is my good friend; third, publicly mock me for ‘not having a cutie mark’, although I'm not particularly angry about this one.”
“But, but...” Trixie looked a bit guilty, but with her temperament, it was harder for her to admit her mistake than to reach the sky. “It's all because you provoked me in the first place! If it weren't for those words you said on my first meeting -”
Mr. Miracle shook his head with a serious expression and said, “Don't you understand? All I did was to prevent another bigger disaster, whether it was for you or for Ponyville! If I were to tell you when you insist on telling this lie, it would cause those two little unicorns finding the real bear, what would you say?”
“What?!” Trixie was immediately shocked. Of course, she didn't believe it at all. “Stop messing around, even if Ursa Minor’s nest is really nearby, how could they just find it so easily?”
“They just can, I know! That's why I came with you alone, just to give you a chance. Although I know there is a truly powerful unicorn in Ponyville who can solve the problem, your reputation - if it really come, your reputation will be completely ruined.”
Trixie still looked incredulous.
Mr. Miracle stroked his forehead and sighed, “Do you believe my words? Never mind, it doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. I'll go back and tell them now - Trixie admits she's a fraud, and defeating the bear is a complete lie.”
“I didn't even admit it!”
“You think they trust me or you? Don't forget, just now in the town square, you couldn't even get off the stage.” Mr. Miracle remained steadfast.
“What do you really want me to do?”
“Accompany me, or rather, I'll accompany you. I would say that although you don't have the ability to defeat the bear, you have the ability to mislead and confuse it. When it was preparing to attack Ponyville, you led it in another direction. In this way, the ponies can know you were lying before, but your reputation can be preserved - misleading the bear is another achievement.”
Trixie was still hesitating, her lips twitching, unsure whether to accept or reject. Mr. Miracle felt that his words had all come to this point, and if Trixie was still stubborn, then she was not worth further help.
“Why are you doing these things?” Trixie asked a little scared. “Isn't it contradictory that you want me to embarrass myself in front of ponies while also trying to maintain reputation? What do you really want?”
Mr. Miracle wanted to say that he was preventing her from using the alicorn amulet to cause another disaster because her jealousy towards Twilight due to losing face.
Instead of evolving into that, it was better to give her a good lesson now and made her remember the importance of being down-to-earth in the future.
But he couldn't say that. He was already surprising enough to say that Snips and Snails would look for the bear before.
“Just to teach you a good lesson. If you want to hold a grudge, just hold a grudge against me.” He could only condense it into this sentence.
“You're such a psychologically twisted monster!” exclaimed Trixie. But in the end, she succumbed, as if her pride and self-esteem were crushed all over her body. “I…I will do it, but remember, this is not over.”
“If this can make you learn magic seriously, stop lying, and retaliate against me with a magic laser, I’m willing to accept it.” he said, moving forward and gesturing for Trixie to follow.
“What else do we need to do now?”
“To cover the lie, we need to do the whole set. We need to create traces of your struggle with the bear in forest in the wilderness, so that other ponies can believe us. Both you and I just need more scars and dust.”
……
In Ponyville, Snips, Snails, and Spike were still discussing whether Trixie is the greatest unicorn.
“Trixie accepted the challenge and went to the wilderness with that unfamiliar pony. It won't be long before they can bring back the spoils of war,” Snips argued.
“Come on. ‘Whether pudding tastes good or not is only known after eating it’; whether she can defeat the bear is only known after watching it. What if she uses some means to persuade that pony to lie?”
“Do you really think so?”
“What else? Anyway, I won't believe any of their words unless there's a real bear defeated by her come out in front of me!” said Spike with his claws wrapped around his chest.
“Even if they retrieve the spoils of war, you still don’t believe it?”
“No, I don’t. I said it's impossible unless it's in front of me.”
“You're making a fuss for no reason!” Snips continued to argue.
“You're making trouble for no reason!” Spike was not polite.
In the end, Twilight forcibly took Spike back. On the road, Spike kept complaining, wondering why Twilight refused to reveal herself.
“Spike, you've seen it too. The result of Trixie’s showing off herself is that Mr. Miracle speaks of her, and she won't be able to ague. If I were to show off magic, I'm afraid I would be treated like her.”
“Didn't you see that? Mr. Miracle took the initiative to expose Trixie, and every pony was shocked by him, thinking that he was so reasonable. If it was you who went up, then the one who show off will be you!” said Spike patiently.
Twilight immediately stepped on her hooves, and Spike flew out due to inertia. She said seriously, “I'm not studying for showing off! If I do it, what's the difference between me and Trixie?”
“Okay, okay, your goal is even more noble, okay?”
They chattered incessantly and returned to Golden Oak Library.
On the other hoof, Snips and Snails still couldn't forget what Spike had said.
“Snails, he said, ‘Whether pudding tastes good or not is only known after eating it.’ Do you think it makes sense?” Snips asked.
“I don't think so -” Snails shook his head in confusion. “- for example, if a pudding made with green peppers, chili peppers, eggplants, and so on, you can tell immediately that it doesn't taste good, so there's no need to taste it at all.”
If Mr. Miracle were here, he would be very surprised because he felt this sentence contained another philosophy - although hearing is false and seeing is believing, sometimes obviously impractical plans or obviously impossible results don’t necessarily need to be proven by practice.
But Snips wasn’t Mr. Miracle, he wasn’t even an adult, so naturally he couldn’t understand. He corrected, “That's not what he meant! He meant to see everything with our own eyes.”
“Oh, I see!” Snails had a belated expression.
“So, do you think the same as I think?” Snips rubbed his hooves excitedly.
“What? Do you mean what's for dinner?”
“No! It's us who brought the bear over and let Trixie defeat it in the middle of the town. In this way, every pony will believe it, and she will also accept us as her magic apprentice because of our contributions.”
“Magic apprentice! Cool!” Snail's eyes lit up.
As soon as they said it, the two unicorns, unaware of the coming danger, immediately came up with a plan and headed straight for Everfree Forest.
It seemed that even if Mr. Miracle knew the trajectory of the event and had the intention to change it, what he could do was actually quite limited.
Snips and Snails found a huge cave as the afternoon approached dusk, and they did avoid the various dangers in Everfree Forest. In the end, they found it - the size of the cave entrance clearly indicates that there were significant creatures living inside; On the open space extending from the cave entrance, there were several huge paw prints scattered.
They were actually not afraid at this moment, just grateful that they had found the right place. Like an old saying said, “A newborn foal isn’t afraid of tigers.” They swaggered inside, and the deeper they went, the darker it became. Within a few minutes, it became pitch black.
“I can't even see my hooves, how could we possibly find a bear?” complained Snips.
“Wait a minute.” Snails used all his strength to use magic, and his horn intermittently emitted a golden light until it stopped flashing and became stable and long-lasting.
“This’s much better.”
But as soon as the light illuminated the cave, they felt a surge of heat behind them, as if some creature was spraying.
Looking back, a huge bear was fiercely staring at them, with blue translucent fur all over its body and a faint view of the starry sky. It had a North Star symbol on its head and a bloodthirsty mouth, which was extremely terrifying.
So they both screamed and ran back to Ponyville, with the bear chasing closely behind them.
At this time, Trixie and Mr. Miracle had returned. They were covered in mud and dust all over their bodies, and Trixie's magician hat and cloak had become torn and dirty, indicating that they had experienced a great battle at first glance.
In addition, they also toppled several trees at a certain place in the forest, opened the ground, and created the illusion of giant creatures wreaking havoc there.
“I hope your plan will work,” Trixie said angrily.
“You'd better first recall what you're going to say then.” Mr. Miracle wasn't tolerating her at all, but what surprised him was that no pony came to greet them. He suddenly had a bad premonition.
They could only hear screams echoing from deep within the town. Accompanied by the sound of collapsed buildings, shattered wooden boards, and clear roars, Mr. Miracle already knew what had happened. “I told you! They still brought the bear into the town!”
“What?!” Trixie was completely shocked. Although she didn't believe as much as before, these intertwined sounds made her unable to doubt. “How could that be? How could this be possible?”
“Why are you still standing there? Let's go over quickly.”
“Wait, if that's really Ursa Minor...do we really have a chance?” Trixie asked.
“We have to! In a sense, both you and I are responsible for it,” Mr. Miracle said. His hooves were trembling and his heart was beating too. However, he knew there were some things he could and must do. So he didn't care about Trixie and rushed straight over.
Trixie swallowed a mouthful of saliva and followed up.
In the center of the town, the mad bear is attacking all the buildings it saw, and the panicked ponies were scattered and fleeing. Snips and Snails, the two culprits, were still running wildly by the name of Trixie.
“You're actually right! What should we do?” after seeing this, Trixie asked anxiously.
“I know there is a truly powerful pony in town...You go to find her, and I will mislead the bear and try my best to avoid it damaging the building.” Mr. Miracle took a deep breath and seemed to have made a big decision.
“Wait! It should be me who misled it, as you originally planned.”
“What are you thinking about? That's just a story we worked together to make up!”
“Perhaps it was a story before, but not now. I, the great and powerful Trixie, am about to prove abilities!” Trixie mustered her strength, dropped her magician hat, and rushed out before Mr. Miracle replied, running and shouting, “And I don't know who the pony you're talking about is! You go to find her!”
Mr. Miracle didn't know what to say, but he had gained a third brand new understanding of this filly. So he rushed towards Golden Oak Library at the fastest speed.
On Trixie's side, she was actually very scared, very scared, several times more scared than Mr. Miracle, but her thirst for fame and fortune overwhelmed her fear, giving her a false impression that she could definitely mislead the bear.
She ran back to her caravan, quickly put on the rigging, and then pulled the cart towards the bear, running while casting magic, the nozzles sprayed various fireworks towards it.
The bear was attracted to her and was also annoyed by the fireworks, chasing her away from the center of the town. But this wasn’t a long-term solution.
The distance between her and the bear was gradually narrowing, but fortunately, she managed to turn the danger into safety with several spiritual moves. She only hoped that the truly powerful pony could appear soon.
Just when the situation was extremely critical, a melodious music swept over - it was the sound of broken reeds in Ponyville, blown by the wind.
Then the drowsy bear rose from the ground, suspended and flew back, while from a distance, a water tower tank filled with milk could also be seen floating towards it. The bear lifted the large water tank in the air, groggily drinking while sinking into dreamland. Afterwards, it and the water tower tank flew over Ponyville at an extremely fast speed, over the wilderness, over Everfree Forest, and all the way to the cave.
Trixie was not only amazed, but also realized that she had lost all her physical strength. She dragged the caravan that had ran out of ammunition, and back to the town square, only to find that every pony was cheering for Twilight.
They threw her into the air and caught her over and over again, while other ponies farther away stomped their hooves to show respect.
The ponies noticed Trixie and walked up to question her one after another, “Didn't you say you were looking for the bear? Why is it attacking us just now?”
Mr. Miracle still wanted to help Trixie fix her lies, but he needed to consider how to make his words credible enough. Trixie saw this and knew that the cost of lying was really high. In the end, she admitted, “I'm sorry, that I said I could defeat the bear was all fabricated...I actually don't have that ability.”
Mr. Miracle paused for a moment and looked at her with some relief; However, afterwards, this sense of comfort disappeared completely.
“But the great and powerful Trixie proved that although she can’t defeat the bear directly, she can mislead the bear and keep it away from the town square, which is equally great as defeating it. Ponyville did not suffer greater losses, and you all have to thank me - Trixie, who dares to admit her mistakes and is incredibly brave.”
Spike muttered to himself, “If you hadn't come here at first, we wouldn't have had this disaster!” Then his words were blocked by Twilight.
Twilight stepped forward to help smooth things out and said, “In a sense, it's true. If she hadn't attracted all the attention of the bear, I wouldn't have been able to focus on casting magic. It's precisely because she mentioned the bear that I went to read a book specifically to find a way to deal with it.”
“Fine, maybe she really has that kind of ability.” “But her magic is terrible.” “Yes, although she proves that she is a bit brave, a bit versatile, and a bit great, it still can’t change the fact that her magic is ugly.” …
It seemed that the audience had acknowledged one side of Trixie, while denying the other side. Should she celebrate or be distressed? Trixie's face darkened as she playfully shouted, “What do you know? It's your loss that you can't enjoy my fantasy performance! If I go perform somewhere else, you'll regret it!”
After speaking, she pulled the caravan and walked out of Ponyville. After walking for a while, she pursed her lips and turned to look at Mr. Miracle, feeling a surge of anger in her heart. Wait and see, one day I will make this pony believe in my strength! She thought to herself.
The crazy night ended, and Snips and Snails were punished to clean up the mess. Twilight returned to Golden Oak Library feeling a bit tired. She had planned to write her weekly journal the next day, but suddenly felt a surge of inspiration, so she finished writing it that night.
“Dear Princess Celestia, I learned a very valuable lesson this week. 'Don't show your ability at will' doesn’t mean 'never show your ability'. When you are a friend, you should be unreserved. On the other hoof, whether it is speech, magic or other skill, there is something worth appreciating. It is important to use it correctly. Your loyal student, Twilight. ”
Chapter 20: Beset with Difficulties
Chapter 20: Beset with Difficulties
In Ponyville, the recruitment campaign for Amazing Bolts had officially begun. In order to support this event, Mayor Mare had given up the town hall as a venue. Mr. Miracle sat behind the reception table, dressed in military uniform, with his designed legion emblem and a stack of resumes on either side of the table.
The uniform and badge were both designed by him, but the lightning emblem on them easily made ponies feel like he was copying Wonderbolts, even though he tried his best to make them different.
The badge was in the shape of a shield, made of stainless steel, and features a golden edged alicorn at the center, symbolizing a combination of earth ponies, pegasuses, and unicorns, as well as two princesses; Above the pattern of the alicorn was a blue lightning bolt, which could be removed at any time.
He planned to use this as the base for the badges of all three legions, as long as the components on top were modified, which would save time and represent the concept of the three legions being one entity.
It had been a week since he failed to negotiate with Spitfire. During this period, Shining Armor and the Royal Guards have been posting promotional posters in various parts of Equestria, and had also taken time to give lectures to call on confident and capable ponies to participate in the recruitment.
Mr. Miracle had also been there a few times, and the rest of the time he was busy with issues such as venue, training methods, and organization.
There was also a small episode, which was Hearts and Hooves Day. The three young girls not only wanted to match Big Mac and Miss Cheerilee, but also wanted to find a "special pony" for Mr. Miracle.
Fortunately, he immediately saw through their 'plan' and persuaded them to correct their mistake. He felt a little guilty because he was too focused on military reform and ignored them, so he didn't realize from the beginning that they were mixing “love poison”.
In short, he had finally made it through this week. He believed that as long as he recruited the first batch of qualified ponies and trained them rigorously, he could show off their skills in the future.
Once all the residents of Equestria knew the differences of the new legion, the subsequent work would not be difficult.
But ideal was fancy, reality was tough, and he would see mixed quality applicants in the future. There were no elite ponies as he imagined, most of them just join for fun.
“Next,” he said wearily, propping up his face with one hoof. After a morning, not a single pony caught his eyes. None of the famous ponies he remembered came.
But the next one caught his eyes - it was a snow-white pegasus with extremely short mane, most notably his short wings and terrifying muscle. Just standing there, he looked like a snowy mountain, with a tiger's back and a bear's waist – no analogy.
“Wonderful, this is what we’re looking for!” exclaimed Mr. Miracle. “Please introduce yourself and explain why you want to join Amazing Bolts.”
“Uh...my name is Snowflake, and they all call me 'Bulk Biceps'!” His voice was loud and majestic, but it sounded a bit silly. “I hold multiple positions, and fitness is a hobby that costs lots of money! I heard that the welfare benefits of the legion are good, so I came.”
He never lowered his voice, his loud voice even messed up Mr. Miracle's mane. But Mr. Miracle was not troubled, on the contrary, he was very happy to have recruited such a strong pony . “Very good, there are plenty of reasons. But Amazing Bolt is not Wonderbolt, we are the army! Can you adapt to the life of the Legion?”
“Uh...sir, officer? I have confidence, sir!” Bulk Biceps lifted his hooves and exerted a little force, revealing his rock-like muscles. “I have been working out for many years since I was young. I don't think regular training can stump me.”
“Fantastic! You have been accepted.”
“Um...” Bulk Biceps didn't immediately agree, but hesitated to speak. “What are the specific benefits?”
“Including food and accommodation, monthly subsidies, two days off per week, and unified entertainment activities after one day of training. How about that?”
Bulk Biceps smiled happily and hurriedly gave over his form. Mr. Miracle stamped his application form and then gave him a legion badge. “Pack up your things and report to the training base next Monday. The base location is right behind the form, don't be late.”
“Yes, sir!” Bulk Biceps continued to clamp the form and badge with his chest muscles and walked out through the side door. The Ponies looked over, and Mr. Miracle added timely, “Did you all see that? The ponies we want is just like him!”
“Then I shouldn't be able to do it.” “Yeah, I don't have any muscle.” “Judging from that, I guess the training will be very tough, right?” ...Some ponies started to argue, and then they actually walked several more. Mr. Miracle tried to salvage the situation behind the table, but still couldn't stop the loss of applicants. He was so angry that he wanted to slap himself, why did he say that?
The next female pegasus was very familiar to him - she was gray all over, with slightly messy light-yellow mane and tail, and her eyes were vine yellow. The most prominent feature was that her two eyes move up and down, with her eyes “guarding two different sides”, looking a bit silly.
“Derby...we're recruiting elites, why do you join in the fun?” Mr. Miracle covered his face with his hoof and said helplessly.
“Hey? How do you know my name?” Derby asked in surprise. “We haven't met yet.”
“Because you are very 'special', everyone knows you...Don't you work at the post office? Why did you think of joining the legion?”
When she heard about the "post office," she scratched her head awkwardly and said, “I always make mistakes at the post office. In order to appease the sender's emotions, I always have to give them muffins.”
“Uh huh, then what?”
“Then I realized that the cost of making muffins was too high. So I was thinking, 'Maybe I should change jobs'. I heard that the Legion offers good treatment, so I wanted to join,” Derby said honestly. However, even if she was serious, her up and down eyes always made ponies couldn’t help but laugh.
“Derby, I understand your demands...but I don't think the Legion is suitable for you,” Mr. Miracle advised. “You see, we are elites and must shoulder the responsibility of defending entire Equestria! But in Winter Wrap-Up, you could even fly to the wrong direction.”
Derby felt a little disappointed after listening. Mr. Miracle really didn't want to 'gloat', but even though she was feeling down, those separated eyes were still funny. “I...I understand. I'll just...continue working at the post office,” she said, bowing her head.
“Sorry, nothing personal...alas…Next!”
Seeing Derby leave in disappointment, the other ponies looked a bit off. They couldn't figure out what the recruitment criteria for this legion were. The poster said: As long as you have the heart to defend Equestria, unwavering faith, and sufficient ability, you can sign up . But how did he judge whether they had the ability or not? Just by a look?
“Hey, are your requirements clear or not?” asked one pony. “When pony come over, you just take a glance. How can you tell the difference in abilities?”
“Are you serious?” Mr. Miracle widened his eyes and asked. “The muscles of Bulk Biceps can even exceed those of ten Derby combined. Isn't that obvious at a glance?”
“Our physiques are similar to hers, can't we join either? How many ponies can be as strong as that guy?”
“That's not what I said. I only said she's not suitable for the legion,” Mr. Miracle tried to weigh his words carefully.
“Why isn't she suitable? I think you're just discriminating against her!” “Yes, we have similar physical conditions, so he clearly discriminates against Derby!” “Although Derby does make mistakes often, can we still get away with such blatant discrimination when we go in?” ...The ponies immediately became confused and then joined forces to demand Mr. Miracle, and another group left.
Mr. Miracle slammed his head heavily on the table, feeling hopeless. This job was far more difficult than he had imagined.
In order to appease the applicants' emotions, he had to lower his standards and recruit a few ponies, but he knew it wouldn't work. Those ponies were not what he wanted at all.
His ideal army should have been consists of elites! But if he didn't hire some ponies, everyone would think he was discriminatory, took advantage of appearance, and even thought he was favoritism.
At noon, the applicants left one after another for lunch. Mr. Miracle sighed deeply and planned to fill his stomach first. Just then, an unexpected figure appeared - with a sky-blue body color, rainbow-like mane and tail, it was Rainbow Dash.
Mr. Miracle's eyes lit up and he quickly exclaimed, “Rainbow Dash! Do you want to join Amazing Bolts? Great, you can become the commander directly!”
“Uh...thank you for your trust?” Rainbow Dash was a little confused, but then snapped back to her senses. “But I'm not here to apply. Rarity said you've encountered quite a bit of troubles, so I came to take a look.”
“Oh, oh...okay.” Mr. Miracle showed visible disappointment. “There's nothing particularly attractive, and the entire recruitment process can only be described as ‘disaster’.”
“Hey, don't give up so quickly,” Rainbow Dash comforted him. “Opportunities don't always come, you have to fight for them yourself, just like me. Have you ever looked for a satisfactory pony?”
“Yes, I have, but none of them came,” Mr. Miracle said disappointedly.
“Oh, since you admire them, if they don't come, juts go find them!” Rainbow Dash flew circles in the air. “Wonderbolt is sometimes like this, and when they see potential pilots, they will invite them to join.”
“Okay, I'll give it a try.”
“Let me accompany you.”
So the two ponies walked together, ready to "promote". There were many civilian experts in and around Ponyville, and Mr. Miracle thought of them from the beginning.
The two first arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, hoping that Big Mac could join, who grew up farming and was full of strength. On Hearts and Hooves Day, Mr. Miracle witnessed his ability: he could walk like a flying bird while holding a two-story house, as if unaware. And he had a down-to-earth and hardworking personality, which was very suitable for military life.
But his answer was concise and to the point: “Nope!”
“Just think about it, Applejack is one of the heroine ponies of Equestria. Don't you want to strive for more honor for your family like her?”
But he just shook his head. “Nope!”
“I know you sometimes feel lost because Apple Bloom has always idolized Applejack, not like when she thought you were a great big brother.” Mr. Miracle was working hard to fight for it, sweating profusely. “But now you have a chance - to join Amazing Bolts...Although I actually want to recruit you into Almighty Monoliths...well, it's not important. The most important thing is that after joining the legion, you can also become a hero of Equestria.”
“Nope.” Big Mac said calmly.
“Why?”
He didn't speak, just pointed to Granny Smith snoring on the rocking chair, then to the apple trees scattered all over the mountains, and finally to the farmhouse behind him. It seemed that he had a more important career, so Mr. Miracle could only give up and hurry to the next one.
They found another stick, an earth pony with a beige body and cobalt-blue and purple-red mane. Rainbow Dash was surprised why Mr. Miracle wanted to find such an ordinary resident. But as soon as he spoke, she was shocked.
“Bon Bon, or should I call you 'Special Agent Sweetie Drops'?”
“Stop messing around, how could Bon Bon be –” Rainbow Dash thought he was joking, but seeing his and Bon Bon's expressions, her smile froze on face. “Wait, is it true?”
“You...how did you know my secret identity?” Bon Bon squinted her eyes, and her aura suddenly changed from before.
“Do you know that I can foresee the future? Is it so difficult to understand?” Mr. Miracle asked in response. “Don't worry, I'm just here to invite you to join Amazing Bolts...although considering your agent identity, you should be more suitable for Awesome Waves.”
Bon Bon didn't reply immediately, quickly looked at the left and right sides, and then pulled them closer to the room for a detailed discussion. She closed all the doors and windows, and the room immediately became dark.
“I heard that you want to form three major legions...but I probably won't join.”
“Why? I thought you would take protecting public safety very seriously!”
“Indeed, but the hidden battlefield is equally important,” explained Bon Bon. “Being in public is not the style of a secret agent, and besides, I have to avoid the bugbear. Lyra Heartstrings can't know about this.”
“Please think of my suggestion again.” Mr. Miracle tried to salvage the situation. “My proposal had always been valid. If you change your mind –”
“No, I have made up my mind,” Bon Bon shook her head firmly. “I have to drop you off. Please keep my identity confidential between you two...You know, I do know where you live .”
The last half of the sentence had a bit of a threatening meaning, in fact, she just wanted to keep her identity a secret, that's all.
Mr. Miracle and Rainbow Dash nodded, pretended to zip up their mouths, and then came out.
“Wow!” Rainbow Dash left the house, still immersed in shock. “Ponyville is really 'crouching Tiger, hidden Dragon'! Who else is hidden and not revealed?”
“She should be only one,” Mr. Miracle said. “Let’s go find the next.”
They found another male pegasus with a completely black body color and navy-blue mane, Thunderlane. He was practicing his flying skills in the outskirts.
When Mr. Miracle invited him to join Amazing Bolts, he shook his head decisively, stating that his dream was to join Wonderbolts, and he didn't even give Mr. Miracle a chance to persuade him.
They found Dr. Hooves, an earth pony that looked equally ordinary and his cutie mark was an hourglass. Mr. Miracle believed that his scientific talent could help the legion solve the problems of weapons and equipment, but Dr. Hooves stated that his focus was only on scientific research and he did not want to participate in anything else.
Sure enough, none of the residents of Ponyville that Mr. Miracle was interested in were willing to join. How about Twilight and the others? Well, their duty was the most important – motivating the Elements of Harmony, and the purpose of forming legions was to buy time for them in the first place.
He and Rainbow Dash took a train to the rock farm in Rockville, where the Pie family were living. Pinkie’s parents, consisting of Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz, welcomed them at the door. Pinkie's families and farm were simply the same color, but Pinkie was so different.
Originally, Mr. Miracle wanted them all to joined Almighty Monoliths - the entire family was extraordinary, especially skilled at throwing stones. These catapult ponies would be secret weapons on the battlefield.
But Igneous Rock just shook his head with a plain expression, while Pinkie's elder sister Limestone Pie – an earth pony with a blue-gray body and short hair with gray mane - not only refused, but also somewhat exclusive.
“Don't you think that protecting Equestria is more important than working in the rock farm?”
All the ponies of the Pie family shook their heads in unison. Limestone said irritably, "Are you saying that the rock farm is not important? Let me tell you, most of the building materials in Ponyville come from here. Without the rock farm, everyone would have to live in thatched cottages.”
“I'm not saying it's unimportant, please don't misunderstand...” Mr. Miracle tried to explain. “I'm just saying that defending Equestria is a great and sacred duty. After you join, you can see a more colorful world, experience more exciting lives, and become heroines of Equestria.”
“That's not what we want,” Limestone immediately said. “Although life in the rock farm is a bit dull, we enjoy our work and are not interested in the legion you mentioned.”
“Okay, can I talk to Maud Pie?”
“Maud is pursuing a PhD in petrology and is not here,” Limestone said. “Even if she were here, she wouldn't join the legion. She has a career she prefers.”
So Mr. Miracle and Rainbow Dash returned without any outcome. Rainbow Dash asked him why he didn't go to Cloudsdale to see, and he said that the ponies in Cloudsdale were basically the new recruits of Wonderbolts in the future.
Any powerful pegasus wouldn’t be willing to join Amazing Bolts. But for less powerful ones, such as the three bullies who once mocked Rainbow Dash, Mr. Miracle would rather not recruit them.
He had no other options left, and did he really want to settle for recruiting those ordinary ponies? How could Amazing Bolts possibly meet his expectations? How could the princesses be satisfied? If that was the case, it was better not to form it.
He didn't know whom to seek for help, and Shining Armor had a lot of things to do in Canterlot. Like him, Shining Armor was also dealing with the splitting of the Royal Guards into the honor team and the guards; Although Zecora was wise enough, she didn’t have much knowledge about military affairs; Twilight was quite knowledgeable, but mainly about magic and other printed content in books. Asking her about military issues would definitely not match her expertise.
Ask Rainbow Dash? Rainbow Dash was already right next to him, and she could tell nothing. She only knew a little about the history of Wonderbolts; Ask the princesses? They hired him because they didn't know how to reform, and he asked them the other way around? Flash Magnus was a professional match, but he hadn't appeared yet.
After much thought, he felt that he was lonely and couldn't help but sigh.
Rainbow Dash noticed and suggested, “Why don't you ask Spitfire? She's the captain of Wonderbolts and the chief instructor of the academy. She must know what to do. I'm even curious why you didn't look for her help in the first place.”
“Spitfire? Forget about it!” Mr. Miracle's face worsened. “There's a misunderstanding between us. It's impossible to ask her for help.”
“Why is it impossible? Everyone will experience misunderstandings. Just say it's open and everything will be fine,” Rainbow Dash insisted.
Mr. Miracle wanted to refuse, but at this point, Spitfire was probably the only pony that could help him.
Chapter 1: The New Visitor
Author's Note
This novel is being written by myself in Fimtale (a Chinese website), and I'm translating it into English version also by myself. If you can read in Chinese, you can read it in Fimtale. I will update English version until it's end, but the speed will be slower than Chinese version. Hope you enjoy!
Magical Mysteries & Practical Potions was the book that was mentioned in S1E25. In this episode, Spike was interrogated by Pinkie Pie and confessed that he spilled juice on this book. So I designed such a comedy plot.
Chapter 1: The New Visitor
Chapter 1 The New Visitor
The sun rose under Princess Celestia’s power, and Ponyville welcomed another beautiful day.
The Ponies in town started their daily work as usual, and made the whole town became lively. Among the many ponies shuttling through the streets, an entirely pink filly was extremely eye-catching.
Not only because of her extremely disheveled rose-red mane and equally disheveled tail, but also because of her gait and exuberance. She hummed a freshly made song while greeting all ponies, and anyone who saw her would affectionately shout, “Pinkie!”
She didn’t have a specific plan today, but she was used to letting plans proactively find her. Anyway, she knew every day will be fulfilling.
At the end of the road, a strange pony hesitantly stepped into the town. He was light-brown all over, with black mane and tail, interspersed with two inconspicuous-dark gray highlights. His eyes were black, and he looked very ordinary overall.
As soon as he stepped on, he looked around and no pony had reacted, so he breathed a relief-sigh and continued walking along the way. He deliberately kept a distance from the other ponies, with a forced and awkward smile on his face.
Although none of the ponies in Ponyville knew him, they politely nodded when they saw him.
This unfamiliar pony looked a bit uneasy, and seeing the pink filly standing across the road from afar made him even more nervous. He quickly turned around and ran away. At the moment he turned around, Pinkie Pie inexplicably noticed something and looked over, but found nothing - the new visitor quickly hid behind a wall.
He waited for a few seconds, seemingly without any ponies coming over. He took a deep breath and then peeked in, only to find she was gone.
“Hi!” A familiar, energetic, shrill voice came from behind him.
“Holy -” He jumped up in fear and fell to the ground with his hooves up. Pinkie Pie somehow had come to next him. “I shouldn't have had wishful thinking...” he muttered as he stood up again.
“Hi! My name is Pinkie Pie,” the pink pony in front of him smiled. “I haven't seen you before. Are you new here? Nice to meet you. What's your name?”
“Okay... hello. I'm also... glad to meet you.” His smile became even more awkward, indicating that he had no interest in talking and was preoccupied.
Pinkie Pie didn't reply, blinked and stood still, as if waiting for him to say next words; But he didn't, just blinked after speaking, as if waiting for Pinkie to say too.
A few seconds later, Pinkie spoke first, “Is that all?”
“Hmm~Hmph?” The unfamiliar pony tilted his head slightly, with an even more awkward expression.
Pinkie scratched her head, feeling a little confused, and then suddenly realized. “It's okay, let's do it again - Hello, my name is Pinkie Pie, what's your name?”
However, as a result, he became confused and said, “Um, you've already said that, so…”
Pinkie raised her eyebrows lightly, touched her face with hooves, and continued, “Okay, let's do it again - hello, my name is Pinkie Pie. Please tell me your name." This time, the latter half of the sentence was spoken word by word, because she was still afraid that this pony wouldn't understand her.
“Uh...” The unfamiliar pony stuttered for a while, unable to say a word, and finally had to say, “I haven't figured it out yet.”
Upon hearing this, Pinkie exclaimed in surprise, “What does ‘haven't figured it out yet’ mean? You may not have heard my question clearly.” Then she rubbed her hooves back and forth on her face, revealing the smile she had just showed a few minutes ago when she said the first “Hi”.
“Once again, may I ask what your name is? I should have said it clearly this time.”
“My name...I haven't decided yet.”
“Ah!” Pinkie jumped up in place and then forced herself to calm down. “What do you mean? Are you saying that you haven't figured out your name yet?”
The new visitor nodded.
“This is really the weirdest thing in the world! Well, it may not be the weirdest, but it might be...I have to think about all the strange things I've ever seen,” she said, counting on her hooves and unsurprisingly counting far more than four hooves.
“Perhaps it's the seventh strange thing, you're an adult pony, why haven’t you figured out your name?”
“Ah, actually I have a name, but I can't say it in pony's language. So I have to come up with alias. Can you understand?”
“Woo~~So that's it.” Pinkie's face returned to normal, but she immediately wondered, “But you do are a pony. Why can't you say your name in our language?”
“That's…complicated,” said the new visitor, looking up at the sky. The sun was slowly moving, representing the passage of time bit by bit. “I have something else to do, if you don't mind -”
“Wait!” Pinkie grabbed him. “If I don't know how to call you, how can I write a song and make friends with you? I can't call you ‘hey’, or ‘yo’, or ‘the guy’ - that's too impolite…Wait a minute, can I call you like that? Nope, probably not.”
“You can call me whatever you want, I don't mind. I really have to go now,” he said.
“What are you going to do? I can help you.” Pinkie immediately jumped in front of the new visitor and blocked his way. “After your business is done, we can think of your name together, and then I can know how to call you. Then I can write a song based on this, and after singing, finally we can be friends.”
“Here it is…” he murmured softly.
“What?”
“Nothing. If you want to make friends with me, there's no need to go through so much trouble. I'm happy to make friends with you. Even if you're willing, we can be friends now.”
Pinkie didn't reply, well, to be precise, she was too excited to respond. After trembling for a while, she suddenly became a pink ball bouncing back and forth, cheering while bouncing. The new visitor ran away decisively while she was still bouncing.
Pinkie reacted and stopped bouncing, chasing after him. “Wait!” She quickened her pace, but realized that it was unnecessary - the new visitor started running very comically, and his hooves didn't seem to belong to him, tripping up after only a few steps. She was just ahead of him in few seconds.
For Pinkie, although it was a bit hasty, making new friends always made her enjoy. The only thing she didn't understand was why this pony didn't want to chat.
“Why are you always in such a hurry? Since we are friends now, I have to help you.”
“I need to find a job quickly,” said the new visitor with a long sigh. “I've been wandering outside for several days and haven't eaten. If I hadn't been extremely hungry, I wouldn't have even entered the town.” As soon as he finished speaking, his belly let out a just right growl of hunger.
“Just that? It is all on me! But before that –” Pinkie confidently patted her chest, then opened the backpack on her back and hooked out a cupcake with her mane. “You need to eat a cake to fill your stomach first, and only when you're full can you have the energy to look for a job.”
The new visitor swallowed it as if he had never seen a cake in eight lifetimes, almost without chewing much. “Thank you, thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me!” He smiled awkwardly, but with less awkwardness and more sincerity than before.
“Making other ponies happy makes me happy.” Pinkie Pie nodded, feeling a sense of accomplishment rising within her heart. “If there's nothing else, we –”
“Wait a minute,” he interrupted immediately. “About the cupcake, do you have any else?”
……
In order to solve the hunger problem of the unfamiliar pony, Pinkie invited him to eat dinner. At first, the unfamiliar pony was still very embarrassed, but under Pinkie’s repeated requests, he compromised and then ate two servings of fried hay, three large bowls of vegetable salad, three fried bean burgers, and a glass of orange soda.
After eating and drinking enough, the new visitor’s previous urgency disappeared without a trace, and now he was happy to chat slowly with Pinkie. They talked while walking.
“Actually, finding a job in Ponyville is pretty easy,” said Pinkie confidently, with a serious expression, but no matter how serious her expression was, it would make every pony laugh.
“You just need to tell what you are good at, show it to the ponies in need, and ‘bang’ – It is done.”
“But I don't seem to be good at anything.”
Upon hearing this, Pinkie sneered incredulously, “Silly, how could you not be? Every pony has one or more things in talents, maybe you just don't realize it yet.”
“Yeah, every ‘pony’ has...” the new visitor murmured softly.
Pinkie didn't hear what he said, stood still, and pulled the hooked strand of her mane with hooves. From her messy mane, a writing board and a pencil popped out.
“It may be hard to say, but it's much easier to write. Write down what you've done before and what other ponies have praised. Let's analyze it and see what your talent is,” she said.
The new visitor hesitated and nodded, then used hooves to reach the pencil on the ground, but the pencil only rolled back and forth under and couldn't be picked up; He went to touch the writing board, but apart from leaving dust on it, he still couldn't pick it up.
Even Pinkie Pie, who usually shocked other ponies, was also shocked by him. “You never used a pencil before?”
“Uh, in my hometown...the writing are different, we, uh, use hooves dipped in ink to write,” said the new visitor with an awkward and polite smile.
“Okey-dokey-lokey.” Pinkie picked up the writing board and pencil, and stuffed back her mane. “Then let's get straight to the point. If it's difficult to determine whether you're good at ordinary things, then the cutie marks - definitely won't go wrong, just look at your –”
As she spoke, she pushed aside the tail of the new pony that had been blocking his flank, only to find that it was blank above. Is this her second or third time being shocked? No cutie mark! Adult pony! No cutie mark!
He used to cover his flank with his tail and always showed her only one side. She thought he was shy once - well, then it seemed he was indeed “shy”!
“Oh my goodness! You are full of mysteries. I know it, I will call you ‘Mr. Miracle’...No, it isn’t the time to struggle with the name. Are you the only one in your hometown without cutie mark?”
The new visitor scratched his head and hesitated for a moment before saying. “Well, in a sense, in my home, the absence of cutie marks is the norm, and only a few of us know their gifts.”
“Your hometown is truly a magical place. Perhaps in the future, I will go and see it.”
“You will be disappointed...” he murmured softly again, which she still hadn’t heard.
“It seems that before finding a job, we need to help you to solve the problem of your cutie mark. As long as you get the cutie mark, you will know what you are good at, and then you can find your desired job.”
“What should I do?”
“Seek the help of the expert!” Pinkie slapped her hooves confidently and then pushed the new visitor towards the center of Ponyville. “I have a friend who is knowledgeable and must have some solution.”
The new visitor was not curious about who the expert was, in fact, he knew it directly. He just let out a long sigh and followed Pinkie’s wish, because he felt that the expert couldn't help him.
……
“Spike, I’m wondering whether I should read ‘Magical Mysteries & Practical Potions’ again. The current recipe seems a bit incorrect.”
Inside the Golden Oak Library, a female unicorn with a light-purple body, a dark-indigo mane, and pink and purple accents is reading the recipe on the shelf while mixing potions. She didn't look up and directly asked a little purple dragon.
“Uh, you said ‘Magical Mysteries & Practical Potions’...Well, I don't think you need to read it again, after all, you've already read it several times, have you?” Spike, the little purple dragon, smiled awkwardly and politely, but actually sweating profusely.
“Never mind, I'll look for it myself,” said the purple unicorn, also known as Twilight Sparkle, using magic to retrieve the book from the bookshelf. Spike tried to stop it, but it was already too late - she had found the book she wanted and then opened it, only to find that some juice had been spilled inside, and many pages had been stained.
“What happened?!” she exclaimed in surprise.
“Uh, on the day you first came to Ponyville, Pinkie held a welcome party for you, remember?” Spike forced out a smile and explained. “You know, at parties, when every pony is happy, it's easy to get carried away. I don't know which pony spilled juice on it...I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would get angry. I thought you wouldn't read it anymore.”
“About getting angry, you're right – I do get angry now!”
Just as she screamed and wanted to continue asking, the door was suddenly opened, and the sudden knocking interrupted their conversation. Twilight Sparkle turned her head and saw that it was Pinkie and an unfamiliar pony.
“Pinkie, why are you so reckless?” Twilight said as she walked towards the door, and the book splashed with juice fell to the ground. Spike let out a relief-sigh and shook his sweat, then hid the book deep in the bookshelf.
Pinkie immediately rushed in, her two hooves holding onto Twilight and shaking her back and forth. “This time the situation is different! Mr. Miracle needs your help.”
“Who’s Mr. Miracle?”
“Here, he is Mr. Miracle.” Pinkie beckoned the unfamiliar pony over and said, “Look, as an adult pony, he doesn't have the cutie mark!”
Twilight leaned in and saw that it was indeed blank, which shocked her. “Oh my goddess, I've never heard of this before,” Twilight’s face turned cheerful. “Great, there's another new research project - I mean, please don't worry.”
She suppressed the excitement of discovering the new project and coughed twice. “We can figure it out,” she said.
After speaking, she turned around and asked Spike to help her get the books, looking determined. Obviously, she didn't know how serious his problem was, or how not serious .
The unfamiliar pony actually knew why he didn’t have a cutie mark – it was not because of any strange illness or any curse, it was just because he never knew his gift - it was as simple as that.
He tried to explain to Twilight, but she was not very convinced and insisted on flipping through the books to search, so the male pony followed her wish and waited on the side.
He thought Twilight would only search for a while, but as time passed, she still remained serious, and Pinkie was also assisting in the search, which moved him deeply.
These two fillies had just met him, but they were willing to help him. So he also joined the work of reading books, but he couldn't understand pony’s written characters at all.
“Oh my goddess, as a pony, how could you not understand?” Twilight asked in surprise.
Pinkie shrugged and said, “This is the first time you've been shocked, but it's already the fourth or fifth time I've been shocked. So I called him ‘Mr. Miracle’- He's all over miracles!”
The new visitor could only awkwardly scratch his head.
A few hours later, Twilight put down the last book on the pile of books that looked like a small mountain, sighed deeply, and said, “I'm sorry, I've searched through all possible books and couldn't find any record of a situation like yours. I'm afraid I can't help you with this.”
“No need to apologize, as I said at the beginning, this is not a disease - it's just because I don't know my gift yet,” said the male pony calmly. “I have to thank you, even though you have just met me, you are still willing to lend a helping hoof.”
“But how could that be? How could a pony not know his gift when he is adult?” asked Pinkie disappointedly. “We just became friends today, but I couldn't help you at all.”
“What are you talking about? The meal you invited was a big help, and I’m very grateful to you.” The new visitor changed his previous appearance and had a real smile on face. “And you have also come up with a name for me, right? ‘Mr. Miracle’- I think it's a great name.”
“So I can officially call you ‘Mr. Miracle’? Great!” Pinkie celebrated and sprinkled a hooful of colored paper. Then Spike walked over with half closed eyes and half angry to clean up.
“It seems that the issue can only be solved by myself,” he said. But just as he mentioned the cutie mark, he had a sudden inspiration and thought of something. “Yeah, regarding the cutie mark issue, I should look for Cutie Mark Crusaders! Where can I find them?”
But Twilight’s and Pinkie’s expressions were somewhat unexpected to him.
“Cutie Mark Crusaders? Is there this organization?” Twilight asked Pinkie. “I haven't been here for too long, so I'm not quite sure. Pinkie, do you know that?”
But Pinkie just shook her head in confusion. “I know all ponies in Ponyville, but I've never heard of this ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’. Who are they?”
The unfamiliar pony, also called as Mr. Miracle, opened his mouth widely. It seemed that things are more complicated than he thought. “They are Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo...don't you know them?”
“They formed the crusaders? I haven't heard of it.” Pinkie said.
Mr. Miracle covered his face with one hoof and looked regretful. Twilight hadn’t have wings yet, which meant even if he had found the crusaders, they wouldn’t be able to help him because the organization hadn't fully matured. Even now it hadn't been established.
“It's too early, it's too early now...” he murmured softly.
“What's too early?”
“Never mind!” Mr. Miracle quickly brushed it off, then turned back to a preoccupied look and said goodbye to the two fillies before leaving. Pinkie still wanted to follow, but Twilight stopped her and suggested giving him some time.
Pinkie only hoped that his problem could be solved as soon as possible. She hated watching other ponies sad.
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Chapter 3: The Terminator of Boasters-Part 1
Chapter 3: The Terminator of Boasters-Part 1
Another day had come to an end, and Mr. Miracle had completed today's learning task. This was the fifth day since he studied under Apple Bloom, and he had become proficient in walking, brisk walking, and fast galloping. He was still learning letters and writing, but his progress was fast and he would soon be able to fully master them.
For example, he actually knew the letters, which correspond to the 26 letters one by one. The words remained the same, only the writing was different from what he knew. As long as he learned how to write the 26 letters here, he would naturally be able to learn other words and sentences.
He had never been hungry again. There were plenty of fragrant and sweet apples in the acres, but he definitely couldn’t take any further. He wouldn’t eat until he was six tenths full and had made up his mind to repay in the future.
On the other hoof, Apple Bloom also learned a lot, but Mr. Miracle doubted whether she really understood, after all, sometimes she asked some very profound questions.
“Goodbye, Apple Bloom!” After spending these few days together, perhaps influenced by Apple Bloom’s childishness, Mr. Miracle became more outgoing and talkative.
“Goodbye, Mr. Miracle!” Apple Bloom also changed, becoming a bit more...steady?
Two ponies bid farewell to each other and returned to their respective homes. Their learning location was in Sweet Apple Acres, and Applejack had never noticed any abnormalities.
After Mr. Miracle left, Apple Bloom returned to the farm for dinner. As soon as she entered, a filly with an orange body, golden mane, emerald green eyes, and a cowboy hat also walked in, carrying a basket of apples.
“Applejack! What are we going to eat today?”
Applejack put down the basket and patted Apple Bloom’s head with her hoof, saying, “Are you hungry, sugar cube? Today we're going to bake apple pie.”
“Great!”
Then Applejack was ready to start baking. As she picked up something, she complained, “I feel like several apple trees are missing fruit. I don't know if it's just my imagination.”
“Ah?” Apple Bloom couldn't believe it. Applejack really knew what fruit every fruit tree should bear! “Did you really count it?” she asked.
“How could that be? It's just a sense.” said Applejack, busy on the stove without looking back, otherwise she would have seen Apple Bloom’s awkward yet polite-fake smile.
“So that's it,” said Apple Bloom, shaking the sweat off her head. “Maybe it's your imagination. Who would steal our apples for no reason?”
“I hope so. Speaking of which, I heard from ponies outside the town that there is a so-called ‘great magician’ coming to Ponyville to perform. Would you like to come with me to watch it tomorrow?” asked Applejack.
“Magician? Who is that?”
“I haven't heard of her before, so-called ‘the great and powerful Trixie’. Isn’t it funny? Who would be so arrogant and call themselves ‘great and powerful’?”
“That's right. I bet she's not really ‘great and powerful’.”
……
The next day, it spread in Ponyville that “the great and powerful Trixie” was going to perform. The ponies were curious about who this so-called ‘great magician’ was and dared to make such wild statements.
Outside the town, Mr. Miracle had just finished his morning run and rested under a tree, and he saw from afar a filly wearing a magician's pointed hat, a purple cloak, a blue body, and a white mane. She was pulling a caravan behind, looking proud and imposing.
Mr. Miracle looked closely and knew who she was and what would happen next. So he was thinking: should he try to make a change? After thinking for a long time, he finally decided to give a friendly reminder.
When she walked past him, he said calmly without lifting head, “If you want to go to Ponyville, I suggest you just finish your performance and leave. Don't tell those old lies anymore.”
“What? Who’s speaking?” The blue pony looked left and right, and finally locked her gaze on a light-brown ordinary male pony under a nearby tree. “Did you say these words in front of ‘the great and powerful Trixie’?”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean.”
“I mean I know who you are - Trixie Lulamoon, a unicorn magician, and I also know you are about to perform magic in Ponyville,” Mr. Miracle didn't get up, still just spoke lightly, as if he were saying ordinary things.
“The residents of the town should welcome those novel tricks, but lies and boasting? I don't think they like it. I suggest you just perform, and you will receive the applause you deserve; don't say those unnecessary lies anymore, they won't benefit you in any way.”
Trixie was a little shocked. She didn't even know this pony. How did he know her background? Was he also a magician, skilled in mind-reading tricks? Very likely, this was the only way which can explain everything.
“Hahaha, how could the great and powerful Trixie lie? All the achievements I have made are real and the evidence is conclusive,” Trixie said proudly with one hoof pressed against her chest and closed her eyes. “As the greatest unicorn magician, Trixie’s magic is a powerful guarantee for the safety of all the ponies. Just like before, I used magic to defeat Ursa Major –”
“Yeah, yeah, ‘I defeated Ursa Major with magic’ - what a childish lie.” Mr. Miracle clapped his front hooves and pretended to applaud. “I know you're lying. You haven't even seen Ursa Major, and even in the words you use to lie, it actually describes Ursa Minor.”
Trixie opened her mouth wide, but quickly recovered and forced herself to remain calm, saying, “I don't know why you want to slander the great and powerful Trixie, but I won't argue with you because a powerful unicorn is broad-minded.”
“I think it's because you can't do anything to me that you don't care, right?” he challenged.
“I don't even know you, why are you slandering me like this?”
“I didn't slander you. I was just telling you the importance of being honest! Why don't you understand?” sighed Mr. Miracle. “Listen, I think the prospects of being a magician are still promising, after all, there are no ponies competing with you. Why don't you study the real magic rather than telling lies? I'm saying these words for your own good.”
“Enough! It seems the great and powerful Trixie must show you some moves today to convince you!” Trixie suddenly took off her hat, with her horn shining brightly. “Witness the extraordinary power of the most powerful unicorn in history!” she claimed.
Then the caravan behind her opened a gap and a hemp rope emerged, wriggling like a snake. “How about it? Have you been shocked?” she asked proudly.
Mr. Miracle shook his head and said, “Not much.”
As soon as the words fell, a cloud nearby was pulled over and condensed into a dark cloud, causing a thunderbolt out of thin air and burning a small grass.
“It's not that good either,” He sneered.
“Ah!” Trixie exclaimed in a strange voice, as if she were provoked. “Rude! How dare you challenged the great and powerful Trixie? Then be mentally prepared for your failure. Look at my power!”
The wriggling hemp rope tied up Mr. Miracle directly, and then the dark clouds struck a thunderbolt on his tail.
“Are you convinced now?”
“Oh~~you're really amazing - bullying me who is known to be the most useless – you’re really ‘awesome’!” Mr. Miracle didn't get angry at all, just rolled his eyes at Trixie. “Come on, you know these are just tricks. Maybe they can be called beautiful magic performances, but they are not enough to support the title of ‘the most powerful unicorn’.”
“Whatever you say.” Trixie was not listening. “The great and powerful Trixie is going to find the real audiences. Just stay here and reflect on your disrespect towards me.”
After saying that, she put on her magician hat again and pulled the caravan towards the town.
Mr. Miracle's voice sounded from behind, “I warn you one last time, don't lie! Otherwise, I will personally expose you!”
But Trixie didn't stop and soon disappeared from his sight. He was tied tightly with hemp ropes all over his body, so he had to lie on the ground and complain. He shouldn't meddle in this affair. Now, he had to wait for a pony to pass by and rescue him.
……
One hour later, in Ponyville.
Twilight and Spike were walking on the road, discussing the 25 magic spells they were practicing in the library. Immediately afterwards, two little male unicorns, one tall and one short, hurriedly ran past them. They were Apple Bloom’s classmates, Snips and Snails.
They said that “the great and powerful Trixie” had arrived at the town square, and all ponies should witness her super magic.
Twilight and Spike exchanged a glance and ran over.
On the town square, the ponies who came here crowded the road to the brim. Just in front of the town hall, Trixie’s caravan gradually unfolded, and her voice could be heard from it:
“Come and witness the magical power of the greatest Trixie!”
As soon as the words fell, dark smoke suddenly burst out, and the nearby ponies were choked and coughed. After the smoke disappeared, Trixie appeared in the center of the stage where the caravan unfolded, wearing a magician's hat and cloak.
“Witness, the great and powerful Trixie will perform the most spectacular stunts, making you open your eyes!” After speaking, countless dazzling fireworks exploded beside her, which indeed looked like something.
Many ponies in the audience remained noncommittal and discussed it. The loudest voices are from Applejack, and Rainbow Dash - a blue female pegasus with rainbow colored mane, and Rarity - a white beautiful unicorn with elegant temperament, flowing purple wavy mane and tail.
Trixie squinted her eyes and stared at these challengers, nodding irritably and saying, “Well, well, well, it seems that some ponies hold a different view. Who are so overconfident and want to challenge the greatest Trixie’s magic? Don't they know they are facing the most magical unicorn of Equestria?”
“Why do you think you're amazing?” Rainbow Dash leaned in and asked.
“Because only the greatest Trixie can defeat Ursa Major...uh, Ursa Minor with her unique skills!” She cast a slight spell, and the nozzles of her caravan once again spewed out a large amount of fireworks, creating a simple scene in the air.
There were two creatures displayed above, a giant bear and a scaled-down version of Trixie. In her explanation, Fireworks Trixie released a magical stream of light, defeating Ursa Minor and exploding into purple sparks.
So Snips and Snails, the two most loyal fans, jumped up and argued with Spike, who held a negative opinion in the audiences. Twilight kept stopping him, afraid that he might slip his tongue and puff her.
Amidst the exclamation of the ponies, Trixie set off another round of fireworks as if victorious. What did that strange pony know? Since she knew she was the greatest and most versatile unicorn, she naturally needed to display everything. Only in this way could there be these pleasant voices of praise.
“If anyone don't believe it, just come up and challenge me. Whatever you can do, the great Trixie can do even better!” she claimed.
Unable to bear it anymore, Applejack took the stage to challenge, but only to be tricked by those tricks.
Although Trixie did not replicate her skills at all, which meant she didn’t prove that she could do better, the audience was still stunned by this momentum and had no time to think.
If it were the previous Apple Bloom, she might not even come this time; But Mr. Miracle’s previous words of “seeing more of the world, seeing a different world” touched her, so she came, only to see her sister being defeated.
Immediately after Applejack, Rainbow Dash also prepared to join, but Apple Bloom felt that she probably couldn't win either - Trixie was completely playing tricks, how could these simple residents of Ponyville win the battle? Wait, the residents of Ponyville couldn’t win...but what about someone outside the town?
Apple Bloom had a sudden idea and squeezed through the crowd, heading straight to the outskirts. Although Mr. Miracle didn't know many skills, he was indeed the smartest pony she had ever seen. He must have a way to fight against that deceitful magician.
When she arrived at the outskirts, she saw Mr. Miracle slowly wriggling on the ground, bound like a cocoon, and his destination was the town.
“You are here!” Apple Bloom hurriedly ran over and used her teeth to bite through the rope to rescue him. “Mr. Miracle, you must hurry to the square. There is a deceitful magician –”
“Say no more, I know – otherwise who do you think I'm bound by?”
“You have solutions?” Apple Bloom was overjoyed for a moment, but also a little unsure. “However, she never responds directly to challengers, just using tricks to prank the challenger. My sister was tricked by her too.”
“Let's walk and talk. Come quickly.”
So Apple Bloom and Mr. Miracle ran side by side towards Ponyville. In order to increase speed, Mr. Miracle had Apple Bloom sit on his back and then ran at full speed. He ran as well as other ponies now.
“Apple Bloom, do you remember that I told you about ‘true ability’?”
“Remember. You said, ‘Don't show off your true abilities casually, because then other ponies will know you don't actually have.’ You even used your own example at that time.”
“Yes. Why didn't she respond directly to the challengers? Did she not want to? No, it was because she couldn’t,” Mr. Miracle spoke with a confident tone. “She thinks showing off would make ponies respect and fear her, but she doesn't know this also make them see her true nature of being ‘strong outside but weak inside’. As long as we target her outdated tricks, she won't have a chance.”
“Great, let’s defeat her fiercely and make her never dare to tease other ponies again!” Apple Bloom cheered.
But Mr. Miracle didn’t continue with her, instead turned the conversation around and said, “No, we won’t take the initiative to defeat her, but let her defeat herself. Only then will she truly learn something.”
“Ah? What should we do specifically?”
“You just need to follow my instructions later.”
The two ponies discussed and rushed all the way, finally arriving at the town square before Trixie left. At this moment, Applejack’s hooves were tied with hemp ropes, and Rainbow Dash was made into a mess, and Rarity’s mane was messed up. Meanwhile, Spike was still requesting Twilight’s help.
“It seems that the greatest Trixie has proven herself to be the most powerful unicorn,” Trixie proudly declared on stage. “I hope no one doubts anymore –”
“Wait a minute!” A male voice came from behind the crowd. All ponies stepped aside and turned around, only to see an ordinary pony with a light-brown body and a black-mane standing behind, with a resolute expression; Apple Bloom stood beside him with an expression of victory.
Trixie widened her eyes and saw this pony who had slandered her, which made her stomach uncomfortable. “What do you want to do? Do you want to challenge me? Ha, you don't even have a cutie mark!”
“Yeah, I really don't,” Mr. Miracle admitted confidently, then spoke loudly to the audience present, “but defeating the challenger doesn't prove that you're the greatest pony. At most, you can only prove that you're a little bit better than the pony you defeated . It's like when a pony beats me in running, it only proves that he's faster than me, but doesn't prove that he's faster than any other pony.”
“It seems so.” “That's right.” “Make sense.”...The ponies were discussing and the atmosphere of distrust towards Trixie was rapidly spreading. And this made her furious, the applause and cheers she had finally won were now in vain – all because of just a few words from him.
“So what do you say? If no pony dares to challenge me, doesn't that prove I'm better than them?” she asked in reply.
“Some may be afraid, while others may be merciful. For example, it is well known that Rainbow Dash is the fastest pegasus in Ponyville, but she definitely won't compete with a newborn pegasus, right? Pinkie won't compete with me in cooking, and Rarity won't compete with me in fashion, both for the same reason.”
“That's right.” “That's right, it makes sense.” “Does it mean that some ponies are actually powerful enough to challenge, just don't want to bully Trixie?” …
“Enough!” Trixie became even angrier and walked forward, saying word by word, “What do you want me to do to believe I am truly great and powerful?”
“Simple. Who is the greatest pony without doubt? That's right – Princess Celestia. If you can prove you're more powerful than her, then we really believe in you.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the field immediately fell silent. Did they hear it correctly? Proving that she was better than Princess Celestia?
Princess Celestia was the dean of School for Gifted Unicorns, the ruler of Equestria, the great wizard who controlled the sun, and an alicorn! Could Trixie really compare with her?
All the ponies were waiting for Trixie’s answer. However, her lips turned white and she trembled all over. It took her a while to say, “She, she...is an alicorn! I mean a unicorn...so it doesn't count.”
Although this answer was reasonable, it still greatly disappointed the audience. They knew there was a 99.9% chance that Trixie would say she couldn’t compare to Princess Celestia - no pony could compare; But the obvious retreat, fear, and timidity like Trixie’s still greatly diminished her authority.
In order to salvage her reputation, Trixie straightened her back and said, “Despite that, I have defeated Ursa Minor! May I ask which pony had done it? I have! Isn't that enough to prove my greatness and power?”
The audience began to discuss again, and Trixie’s smile had somewhat recovered, but Mr. Miracle's smile was even more intense, making her break out in a cold sweat and having an ominous premonition.
Chapter 5 Pony Prophet
Mr. Miracle was getting more and more accustomed in Ponyville.
He had mastered most of the earth pony’s skills, and had a small tent in the outskirts that could shelter him. He also had friends such as Zecora, Apple Bloom, Pinkie Pie, and so on. He only needed to find a job, and he would be considered a true resident of Ponyville.
Speaking of Zecora, their acquaintance came naturally. That day, Mr. Miracle was practicing weight-bearing in the outskirts when he saw a zebra wearing a cloak and hood walking from the direction of Everfree Forest. Any pony would retreat and flee when they saw her, except for Mr. Miracle who dared to talk; Not only dared to talk, but also took the initiative to show her around his “sweet home”.
Zecora came to the town every month with the intention of buying special herbs, but every time she just returned with nothing. Mr. Miracle told her that it was because they had never seen a zebra before and was just afraid. As long as they knew she was a good zebra, all problems would be solved.
After experiencing some twists and turns, with his and Apple Bloom's help, everypony finally eliminated their misunderstandings about Zecora, and they became good friends as a result.
However, at the same time, some ponies also began to doubt Mr. Miracle - he seemed to always make the right decisions and have known the other ponies before they knew him. The problem of Trixie was like this, the problem of an adult dragon creating smoke was like this, and the problem of Zecora was like this...This adult pony without cutie mark was full of mysteries.
When the parasprites ravaged, he was the only pony followed Pinkie in search of musical instruments. Pinkie didn't even explain why she needed them, but he just knew and was more efficient than her. In the end, they successfully resolved the crisis before the visit of Princess Celestia.
His unusual behavior could have been explained as a coincidence at first, but what about afterwards? Now his situation had become similar to that of Zecora before - whenever he appeared in town, the ponies would be nervous, and in this time, they were afraid that his arrival was due to some huge problems. However, he just wanted to talk to friends.
In the Sugarcube Corner, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Spike gathered together, secretly observing Mr. Miracle through the window. In addition to these dominant ponies and dragons, there were also Apple Bloom and Pinkie Pie, but they were forcibly pulled over.
“Why do you distrust Mr. Miracle so much?” Apple Bloom explained for her big friend in frustration. “He didn't do anything wrong, on the contrary, he has been doing the right thing all along!”
“Yeah! It's unfair to him!” Pinkie followed up.
“It's exactly why we are strange,” Applejack explained. “We know he's probably a kind and good pony, but he's always a prophet ...he must be hiding something.”
Twilight was the last pony to be convinced, after all, she had long admired science and magical principles, and never believed in anything that was unscientific such as predicting the future; However, the more Mr. Miracle performed, the more she wavered.
She now wanted to show her worry to Apple Bloom and Pinkie Pie.
“At first, I also thought it was a coincidence, after all, predicting the future is something that no magic or potion can do. But my friends presented evidence to me one by one, and I had to believe it,” she said.
Rainbow Dash continued, “When the adult dragon came to ponyville for a ‘nap’, it was he who strongly demanded we bring Fluttershy. Indeed, Fluttershy was the ultimate heroine in solving the dragon problem, but at that time, none of us knew she could. I didn't want to bring her because she was too timid - but he always encouraged Fluttershy and convinced us, as if he knew she could definitely do that.”
Twilight nodded and continued, “It's not just this one. When Ursa Minor struck, he came straight to me, and I didn't think there was anything wrong at that time. But now, thinking about it, I had never showed any magic from beginning to end that day, and I studied the habits of Ursa Minor only in that afternoon. But he knew I could definitely do it, and he didn't even look for any other ponies to solve the issue!”
Rarity also said, “The day I had a sleepover party with Applejack and Twilight was the same. While I was still determined to use magic to trim tree branches, he took the initiative to help Applejack pull the extra branches and told me the reason. Although Applejack was about to explain to me at that time, he spoke up first. When Applejack and I argued, he left directly...Either he didn't care if we would break up, or he knew in advance that we would make up as before.”
“But, but...I can also ‘predict the future’. Whenever something happens, my whole body will react. I guess he might be...just like me, is it a talent or family inheritance?” Pinkie added.
Fluttershy shook her head and said, “His condition is much more serious than that. I think he may be good at mind-reading, because the things he did are quite similar to mind-reading…”
“Uh, is there any difference?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Mind-reading is at least...more credible than predicting the future.” Fluttershy's voice grew weaker and weaker.
“It doesn't matter what he knows, what's important is that he has some mysterious ability!” Rainbow Dash shouted loudly. “The Parasprites crisis was even more outrageous. We've been with Pinkie for so long, and she didn't say she was looking for instruments to deal with the problem. We don't even know why. He just came to here not long ago, but when Pinkie said she was looking for instruments, he knew everything and even came back to explain to us!”
“Indeed, but...” Pinkie still wanted to say, but she was also a little wavering. “I think all of this can be explained.”
“Even if he has any abilities, we can’t distance ourselves from him so much. He is our friend!” Apple Bloom protested.
Applejack hugged Apple Bloom and said earnestly, “My dear sister, you're still immature. Promise me that you'll keep distance from him before we figure everything out, okay?”
“Not okay at all!” exclaimed Apple Bloom. “I'm not a child, I only know he's my big friend. He can reason, knows everything, and has taught me a lot!”
“What do you mean ‘teach a lot’? You've known him a long time ago? I thought you got to know him after seeing him expose Trixie.”
“Uh, this... um...” Apple Bloom was momentarily speechless, but then she firmly pouted and said, “That's right! We were friends before Trixie came.”
“Why didn't you tell me?” Applejack said angrily. “I told you - don't talk to unfamiliar ponies casually!”
“You also told me to help and be honest with other ponies.”
Applejack still wanted to say, but was stopped by Twilight. Twilight knew that Applejack was too concerned about her sister to be in such a hurry. In fact, everypony knew Mr. Miracle was a good pony, but before continuing to deepen their friendships, it was necessary to first clarify the mystery behind him.
Who knew if he was a subordinate of some evil organization, but just because he was a good individual didn't mean the evils behind him were also equally good. This was not a random guess. It had been proven that anything was possible in Equestria.
Pinkie also remembered the scene when she first met him and knew that he was indeed a “strange pony”, which was why she called him “Mr. Miracle”. As an earth pony, he couldn’t run, couldn’t write, couldn't recognize words, and didn't have any cutie mark as an adult...it was really strange.
Outside, Mr. Miracle looked around and saw that the ponies seemed to be hiding from him. He had a vague guess, so he sighed and walked towards the outskirts.
Perhaps he shouldn't have caused trouble in the first place, after all, even without him, other ponies could still solve all the problems, right? Perhaps he should be a bystander, quietly waiting for everything to happen, so that at least every pony would treat him as normal.
But if that was the case, what was the meaning of his existence? Did he just come here as a spectator? His original idea was similar, but after being taught by Apple Bloom, he felt he should live well and make his own marks and traces in this world.
Perhaps he could achieve a balance between doing his own thing and not making others feel he wasn’t “normal”. But now it was too late to think about this, the result had been achieved.
He walked while thinking, and unconsciously arrived at the small bridge in Town. He couldn't help but laugh at this bridge, which he had seen for the first time but had been extremely familiar with.
He didn't expect that this time it was he who came here to think about life. He stood on the top of the arch, looking down at the river and his reflection, as if seeing another distant place.
While he was lost in thought, a familiar and childish voice came through, which was Apple Bloom. Mr. Miracle turned his head and saw her running towards him panting heavily, her eyes filled with eagerness.
“You don't actually need to come, I know why they're avoiding me,” he said calmly.
“You know?” Apple Bloom paused for a moment. “So you do really foresee the future?”
Mr. Miracle shook his head and said, “This time it's not, it's just a simple inference.”
“What do you mean ‘not this time’? So, all the things you did before...were really foreseeing the future?”
Mr. Miracle let out a long sigh, was unsure of what to say. But then he realized that true friends won’t care about his identity, they only care about what his true self is - this was the lesson he learned from the Twilight in the future…or “past”?
And he believed Apple Bloom was his true friend.
“Apple Bloom, I have to tell you something - about everything, everything about me.” His expression was serious, as if he had made some kind of determination. “I just hope all of this won't scare you, after all, you're still young –”
“I'm not young anymore! I'm not a baby!” Apple Bloom protested.
“Okay, what will you think if I tell you that I don't belong here?”
“I knew it a long time ago,” Apple Bloom said with confusion. “You said from the beginning that you came from out of town.”
Mr. Miracle nodded, then shook his head and pondered for a while before continuing, “Indeed. But by ‘not belonging’, I mean not belonging to Equestria.”
“Not belonging to Equestria? Is there second pony country?”
Mr. Miracle wanted to tell her there really was one, a certain empire in the north; But this was not related to the current topic, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future - as long as Apple Bloom was willing to be friends with him after he had explained.
“To be precise, it's not pony country,” Mr. Miracle pondered carefully before finally saying those words. “I come from a kingdom established by another creature, which means I wasn't a pony before.”
Apple Bloom stood still, her chin spread open, and her brain was directly overwhelmed by this huge amount of information.
……
In the Sugarcube Corner, several ponies are still discussing whether to get straight to the point with Mr. Miracle or continue to observe in secret. Applejack felt a little guilty at this moment, felt that she neglected to care about Apple Bloom.
Her sister and he had been friends for so long, and she only realized it now. Fortunately, Mr. Miracle was a good pony. If her sister was to make friends with another bad pony...she wouldn't even dare to think about it!
“Wait, where is Apple Bloom?” Applejack turned around and didn't find her sister. She immediately searched anxiously, but couldn't find her. “Oh my goddess, she must have gone to find Mr. Miracle!”
“Perhaps it's just right, we can have a good talk with him,” Twilight said calmly. “At least we know he has a kind heart and should be willing to talk to us.”
“If he doesn't want to talk, we'll –” Rainbow Dash flew into the air and waved her hoof, but the ponies on the ground looked at her speechless, and she could only scratch her head and change her tone. “- just try to persuade him to talk to us,” she continued.
So the ponies quickly left the house and headed straight towards the outskirts, where Mr. Miracle's tent was located. Spike was instructed to stay behind, which was exactly what he wanted - there were some cane candies and cakes in the kitchen that he could secretly enjoy.
They didn't walk far before reaching the bridge in town, where they could see Apple Bloom and Mr. Miracle talking by the bridge from afar. Applejack rushed out with worry, followed closely by other ponies.
“Apple Bloom, come over quickly!” But she didn't need to say that, because as soon as she finished speaking, she walked up to Mr. Miracle and immediately pulled Apple Bloom to her side.
“Applejack, what are you doing?” Apple Bloom tried in vain to break free from her sister's powerful front hooves. “I had a great conversation with Mr. Miracle.”
“There's no need to do this, you know I'm not bad, right?” Mr. Miracle said.
“We know, but...” Applejack hesitated to speak. “The facts you've done are unbelievable. Can you predict the future or read mind? Where did you come from?”
Pinkie walked up dejectedly and said, “Although I don't want to say this...are you a pony sent by some evil organization? And because you have been loving with our town and couldn't destroy it, so you didn't do anything wrong?”
Upon hearing this, both Apple Bloom and Mr. Miracle burst into laughter.
“What are you laughing at? Am I guessing wrong? Wait –” Pinkie asked, but then she cheered, “- if I guessed wrong, it means you're not an evil sent by some evil organization!” But immediately she was lost in thought.
“Or maybe, it’s possible to deny the latter half of the sentence - do you actually still want to destroy Ponyville?”
“Okay, okay, stop messing around. There's a simple explanation for all of this,” Mr. Miracle said.
“Let me explained.” Apple Bloom finally broke free from her sister's embrace. “He doesn't belong to Equestria –”
“What?!”
“- And I came from another mysterious kingdom,” Mr. Miracle quickly took over.
“Just like Zecora, his hometown is also in a distant place,” explained Apple Bloom.
“But that still doesn't explain why you can predict the future.” Rainbow Dash interjected.
“Actually, it can explain,” continued Apple Bloom. “The ponies there can predict the future, but only for a short period. So they rarely exercise or write because they always have a premonition that they will get tired after exercise and write incorrectly. To avoid this kind of fatigue, they simply don't do it from the beginning.”
“Is that so?” Applejack raised an eyebrow suspiciously.
“Indeed,” Mr. Miracle added. “So there are very few ponies doing practical things in my homeland. They all feel that the future can’t be changed, and their own future can’t be changed either. But I’m different. I think the future can be changed, so I left home hoping to find another different land to live in.”
“Is that all?”
“That's all,” Mr. Miracle and Apple Bloom said in unison, with polite smiles on their faces.
“Okay...” Applejack temporarily believed. Although this story might sound like a fabrication, they all knew some of legends were indeed true, while others might sound fake but were actually true.
The more incredible things they are, the more trustworthy (limited in Equestria).
The ponies looked at each other in confusion, feeling a heavy stone had disappeared in hearts. At the same time, they had to apologize for suspecting Mr. Miracle. Rainbow Dash stopped flying and landed on the ground, and Applejack also took off her hat.
“Sorry, we misunderstood you.”
“It's okay, in fact, your concerns are reasonable.” Mr. Miracle smiled. “Having a friend who knows everything may sound cool, but in reality, it can be quite unsettling. Please rest assured that I only predict certain major events, not every day, not every minute, nor every second. Can this make you feel better?”
The ponies looked at each other again and then nodded.
“So, what are we going to do next?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Next? We'll have a fantastic ‘welcome party’ for Mr. Miracle!” Pinkie suddenly jumped up and pulled out a stack of party hats from somewhere. It should have been done a long time ago.
“Wait!” Mr. Miracle stopped her. “Pinkie, I appreciate your kindness. But I want to use my money to hold a party after I find a job. What do you think?”
“Okay, it's not hurried for these days anyway.” Pinkie stuffed party hats into her mane.
“Looking for a job?” said Applejack. “Why didn't you say that earlier? I think Sweet Apple Acres might need some help.”
“Really? Can I work at your place?”
“Uh, what I said doesn't count,” Applejack scratched her head. “Although it looks like I and Big Mac are in charge of Sweet Apple Acres, Granny Smith is actually in charge.”
“She will agree,” said Apple Bloom.
“And I sometimes need a temporary assistant,” Rarity added.
“You should have spoken it earlier. We thought you had own business to do outside the town,” Fluttershy said.
“I didn't say it before because I didn't think I was capable yet; but now –” he looked at Apple Bloom, then at Pinkie, and continued, “- I think I’m ready to learn.”
The ponies all burst into laughter, and then a few of them had to go back to do their own businesses. Before leaving, Apple Bloom requested to have a few more words with Mr. Miracle, and Applejack agreed.
“Do you think we can keep this story from them for a lifetime?” asked Apple Bloom.
“There's no need to hide it for a lifetime, and I don't plan on hiding it for that long,” Mr. Miracle said. “I'm saying those now just because they may find it difficult to accept; when the time is right in the future, I will reveal everything.”
“Speaking of which, you still haven't told me why you can foresee the future - it's indeed magical to come here from another world; but it's impossible for all the residents on your homeland to foresee, right?”
“This’s very complicated...maybe in the future, you will know it automatically,” Mr. Miracle said. “But I hope no matter what, we will still be good friends.”
“Of course!”
Two ponies, one big and one small, high five as a vow.
Chapter 6: Cutie Mark Crusaders
Chapter 6: Cutie Mark Crusaders
At noon, the day of Ponyville Schoolhouse was over. The little ponies walked out of the school building one after another, discussing the new knowledge they had learned today - the cutie marks.
Every pony looked very happy, except for one little pony, which was Apple Bloom. She walked side by side with Twist dejectedly, feeling down, and no matter how much Twist comforted her, it was of no help.
In front of them were two arrogant little ponies, one of which was light-magenta all over, with a wavy mane of light-purple interspersed with white stripes, and wore a small crown on her head; Another pony had a gray, pale-white mane tied in a small braid, wearing blue glasses and a pearl necklace.
They were Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, both of whom had a lot of money and were also very ostentatious - the word Mr. Miracle used to describe them before.
“Waiting for cutie mark is so~ ‘last week’. You got yours, I just got mine. We all have them already.” Tiara, wearing a crown, raised her head and paced back and forth in front of Twist and Apple Bloom, intentionally or unintentionally displaying her cutie mark.
“Oh, sorry, I mean, ‘almost’ all of us have them already.” She and Silver both laughed after finishing.
Apple Bloom pursed her lips.
Tiara continued speaking as if she were giving a speech, circling around Apple Bloom and Twist as she spoke, “Don't worry, even though you don't have any cutie mark, I will still invite you to my cute-ceañera.”
“A luxurious and enjoyable party,” Silver agreed.
Apple Bloom couldn't stand their conspicuous behavior and suddenly remembered what Mr. Miracle had taught her.
After exposing Trixie, Apple Bloom became interested in Mr. Miracle's rhetoric. Mr. Miracle naturally didn’t ask her to memorize his specific words, but instead taught her by example and subtly shared his knowledge with her through interactions.
Now was the time to verify the results.
“Yeah, yeah, your cutie mark is definitely worth celebrating, Tiara,” said Apple Bloom with half closed eyes. “But Miss Cheerilee once said the cutie mark represents unique gift and distinguishes us from other ponies, but I don't know what your mark represents.”
Tiara's cutie mark was a crown, just like the one she wore. She turned her head to look at her flank, then turned back and opened her mouth for a moment before saying.
“My cutie mark is a crown...that, of course, means I can command other ponies like a princess,” she said unsurely.
“But you're neither a princess nor commanding the other ponies. All you did was show off in front of me and Twist.” Apple Bloom paused for a moment, pretending to be thoughtful. “Perhaps you don't actually know its meaning, otherwise how could you be idle all day long?”
Twist thought for a moment and agreed, lisping and saying, “Yes. Applejack's mark is an apple, so she often interacts with apples; Rainbow Dash's mark is a bolt with rainbow, so she often practices flying skills; Pinkie's mark is party balloons, so she often holds parties.”
Apple Bloom nodded and continued, “That's right, they often showcase their gifts. But Tiara, I've never seen you showcase your gifts. What does your mark represent? And Silver, your mark is a spoon, what does it mean?”
Upon hearing this, Tiara and Silver exchanged a glance, speechless. They have never thought about this issue before, and their memories of obtaining the mark were very vague. It was believed that they discovered their gift by chance, but didn’t continue to try on it, didn’t deepen their impression, and even forgot how they discovered it at that time.
“Uh, um... that's not important! Anyway, my party is on the weekend, it's up to you whether you come or not.” Tiara finally said and quickly left with Silver.
“Anyway...no matter what, it's better than blank flanks!” Silver turned around and added, and the two little ponies walked forward. Then an adult pony appeared in front of them – light-brown in color, with black mane and tail, no cutie mark, looking very ordinary, it was Mr. Miracle.
He just happened to pass by, so he simply waited a little longer in front of the school, waiting to talk to Apple Bloom about today's studies; Then he saw and heard the words that Apple Bloom had just said. The good news is she listened to his words, but the bad news is she only listened halfway.
He cleared a path for Tiara and Silver to pass, and then walked towards Apple Bloom.
“Mr. Miracle, why are you here?” Apple Bloom was a little surprised and then introduced, “Twist, this is my big friend I told you, Mr. Miracle; Mr. Miracle, this is my good friend, Twist.”
“Hello,” Twist greeted shyly, then whispered to Apple Bloom. “I thought you were just referring to a tall pony, I didn't expect it to be an adult pony!”
“Hello, Twist. Actually, I know you.” Mr. Miracle said, blinking at her. “If you're going to Tiara's party, I suggest you make some candy canes.”
“Candy canes? Good idea!” Twist nodded and hurriedly said goodbye to Apple Bloom before running away.
“Why did you suggest she make candy canes?”
“You're overthinking it. Do you remember? I said I could only predict ‘big events’,” Mr. Miracle said calmly. “Anyway, I need to talk to you about what you said to Tiara and Silver.”
“Did you hear that? Did I say it well?” said Apple Bloom happily. “You really should have seen their faces!”
Mr. Miracle shook his head and said, “Listen, words can be weapons, but before you use them, you should think carefully.”
“But I'm just fighting back,” Apple Bloom pouted, looking a bit aggrieved. “You have no idea about how nasty they are. When they laugh at me, can't I fight back?”
Mr. Miracle continued to patiently guide, “Of course you can fight back, but there are differences between wisdom and harshness. Now it doesn’t reach that point, so I just remind you so that you won’t cross the line in the future.”
Apple Bloom remained silent for a while before nodding.
“So repeat what I said to prove you have listened.”
“‘Words can be weapons, but before you use them, you should think carefully’...I understood.”
“Good. Will you go to Tiara's party?”
Apple Bloom immediately shook her head, like a tambourine. “Absolutely not! I don't have cutie mark, they will laugh at me!” But then she glanced at Mr. Miracle's body, which was also empty, and immediately smiled happily.
“Or you go with me, then I'm not afraid of them anymore.”
But Mr. Miracle refused, saying, “I would love to go. But after all, it’s Tiara's party, and without her invitation, I can't go. This is basic etiquette.”
“Ah, boring!”
“I suggest you go, maybe you can make new friends at the party. But whether you go or not, I will respect your decision,” he said, looking up at the sun. It was getting late now. “I have to help Rarity to dye fabrics this afternoon. See you later.”
“See you later.”
Apple Bloom looked Mr. Miracle running away, feeling depressed. She didn't even know what's good to go to that party, “may make new friends” didn't sound like a sufficient reason.
She could only ask Applejack again to know what she thought.
The next day, Saturday, was the day Tiara held the party. Early in the morning, Apple Bloom discussed this with Applejack and said that she didn't want to go, afraid of being laughed at by other ponies.
And Applejack mentioned that their families were always the last in the class to gain the marks, perhaps Apple Bloom would be the same; But what Apple Bloom was thinking was that since the entire families' marks were related to Apple, she just needed to work harder in this area, and quickly get the mark, then she could go to the party.
Unfortunately, the result was not as expected, as she seemed to lack talent in selling apples. Applejack had not yet started teaching her business knowledge, Miss Cheerilee had not talked about it too, and Mr. Miracle had not mentioned it either. Finally, Applejack suggested that she go with Twist, and told her she couldn’t get a mark in just one day.
However, when she found Twist, she suddenly noticed Twist had a mark - two crossed candy canes.
“I always wanted to make delicious desserts myself, and now I realize this’s my gift,” said Twist happily. “After listening to Mr. Miracle's advice, I suddenly became very excited, as if a passion was driving me...Just as I was making candy canes, bang! The mark appeared!”
“When making candy canes? He lied again, actually he knew!” Apple Bloom pouted.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing...I'm just worried about the lack of my mark.”
“We can still go to the party together. You will come, right?” Twist asked sincerely.
“Maybe. As long as I get the cutie mark first.” Then Apple Bloom left with her head down.
Mr. Miracle was very honest about many things, even willing to tell her shocking secrets like “not belonging to Equestria”; But only when it came to “predicting the future”, he always kept silent, either pretending not to know or explaining that he was afraid of unnecessary influence.
With just one word, he gave Twist a cutie mark...Wait, could he predict her cute mark too? He knew Twist’s, so he must know hers too. Just asked and did, bang! The mark would appear, and then she could attend Tiara's party.
So she was busy looking for Mr. Miracle all morning. He didn't say what he was going to do on the weekend, but she had searched for all possible locations and there was no trace of him. However, while she was searching for the last possible location, the Carousel Boutique, she couldn't find Mr. Miracle and instead found another young little pony of the same age.
She was white all over, with curly mane and tail in shades of light purple and pink. Her eyes were green, and she was a unicorn too. As soon as Apple Bloom entered the store, she saw the unicorn complaining next to Rarity, but Rarity seemed a bit busy and didn't listen very seriously.
“Tiara's party is this afternoon, but I haven't a cutie mark yet,” said the lovely unicorn dejectedly. “I have tried weaving, sewing, modeling... but none of them worked! They will definitely laugh at me!”
“Uh, my dear sister,” Rarity stopped and looked at the gruesome pile of “scraps” on her side, carefully considering her words. “Perhaps you should try something rather than clothing...I'm sorry I can't help you, because I have a set of clothing that I urgently need to work on.”
“Can't you do it tomorrow? Please, please, please!”
Rarity looked at her sister who was holding her hooves in distress, and suddenly looked up to see Apple Bloom. She couldn't help but be overjoyed and said, “Hey, Sweetie Belle, look who’s here!”
Sweetie Belle looked up and felt the young little pony with a bow in front of her looked very familiar; Apple Bloom also thought this unicorn looked familiar.
“I remember, we are classmates!” exclaimed Apple Bloom.
“Right!” Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement.
But Rarity was a little confused and asked, “As classmates, how do you feel like you just met?”
Actually, it wasn’t the fault of these two little ponies. On the one hand, the start of the school was in mid-August, and they had just started school, so it was normal for them to be unfamiliar with each other yet; On the other hand, Sweetie Belle had been living with her parents, so Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had hardly met before.
“Did Tiara invite you to the party?” Asked Apple Bloom.
Sweetie Belle replied, “She invited all classmates, that’s why I’m worried.”
“Great - I mean, turns out I'm not alone.” said Apple Bloom, revealing her flank, which were blank like Sweetie Belle.
“Oh my goddess! You don't have a cutie mark either!”
“Since neither of us has a cutie mark...I was thinking, can we both skip the party?” suggested Apple Bloom.
“Not going? Well, sounds good.”
“Not going? How can you do that?” interrupted Rarity. “See? You don't have cutie marks, so you can go together. It's also good to meet other ponies at the party and make some friends.” She paused for a moment, then whispered to herself, “Just let me quietly complete the order.”
“What?” Sweetie Belle asked innocently.
“Nothing!” said Rarity with a polite smile. “Anyway, I strongly recommend you go together.”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged a glance, both showing a worried expression. Obviously, they were all afraid of being ridiculed at the party.
Suddenly, Apple Bloom had an inspiration and said, “Maybe we can try some things with the remaining time. What if we can get the marks before the party?”
“Yeah, great idea!”
So the two young little ponies galloped out of the Carousel Boutique with their short hooves and rushed all the way. Rarity watched as they drifted away, took a deep breath and shook her sweat, then began to work hard to make the costumes.
……
An hour later, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat down on the roadside dejectedly, and their disappointed faces were exactly the same. They tried many activities, but couldn't do them well. The more they tried, the less confident they became, and because of that, they couldn't do them totally. That was the end.
“There seems no hope, we can't get the mark today!”
“Then we’re not going to the party? But after hearing from Rarity, I want to go now.”
“Me too, but we don’t have cutie marks –”
“Wow, it seems like there are two little ponies here with dark clouds all over their heads.” Rainbow Dash suddenly appeared and said to them. “I'll clean-up for you.”
There was actually a dark cloud over their heads, and Rainbow Dash pushed it away and landed in front of them.
“What's up, little ones?”
Apple Bloom took a deep breath and said, “Tiara is having a cute-ceañera this afternoon and all ponies in the class will go because they all have marks and we also want to go but we can’t go to the party without marks and my sister said it will happen sooner or later but - we want them now!”
“Cutie marks? It isn’t any problem at all. I'll let you get them right now.”
“But…Applejack said it takes time.”
“Rarity said it’s coincidental.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and pursed, saying. “Why wait so foolishly for something you can really get right away?”
“But –” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said in unison.
“Hey, who are you listening? Applejack and Rarity? Or me, the first pony who gets the mark in the class?” Rainbow Dash said confidently.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged a glance, reigniting hope.
Then they tried various projects under Rainbow Dash's guidance: juggling, gliding, karate, kite flying, short track speed skating...but made no progress.
“We've tried this, this, and this too...” Rainbow Dash checked each one on the writing board, and almost two-thirds of the activities on it were crossed out.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watched helplessly as Tiara and Silver walked by. They had planned to avoid these two show-offs, but the long exercise had exhausted them.
“I’m doomed! I won't be able to get the mark in my lifetime!” Apple Bloom screamed.
“I’m doomed! I'll never find something I'm really good at!” Sweetie Belle followed and shouted.
“What are you good at?” Pinkie suddenly appeared in front of them from somewhere. “I think you’re good at eating cupcakes!”
“Good at eating cupcakes?” Both the little ponies and Rainbow Dash asked together.
Pinkie jumped up and repeated, “Eating cupcakes!”
“Hurray! I mean - we really appreciate your help, Rainbow Dash, you're a great coach...but, um...” Apple Bloom said as gently as possible.
But Sweetie Belle immediately said, “Now we have cakes to eat!”
Then the two little ponies bounced and followed Pinkie away. Rainbow Dash pondered suspiciously, “Is it really some gift to ‘eat’ something? I can't even imagine what kind of mark it is.” She then shook her head and left.
However, when Pinkie called them over, there was no ready-made cake, and they had to make it on the spot. The result was naturally a mess, with the entire kitchen filled with batter, flour, and beaten eggs, just like the scene when Mr. Miracle applied for a job.
“Now I know why you became friends with Mr. Miracle.” Pinkie smiled at Apple Bloom.
“That's it, Maybe I need accept my fate. I'll never be able to get my mark!”
“Is it that bad?” Sweetie Belle said slowly, looking at their outcomes. “I think our cakes are pretty good.”
She was referring to a bunch of dark, hard and mysterious food. In fact, both she and her parents are not sensitive enough to food.
Just then, Twilight walked in. Apple Bloom rushed up and explained, “Please help us for the cute-ceañera coming today and all ponies will go and we also want cutie marks but we don't know how to juggle, glide, Karate, fly kites, short track speed skating or make cupcakes and without marks we will definitely be ridiculed because they say marks can’t be made up in a day but - we want them now!”
“Um, calm down. How can I help you?”
“You can cast a spell to create our marks.” suggested Apple Bloom.
“Wait, can she do this? If I had known, I would have let Rarity do it for me.” Sweetie Belle said indifferently.
Twilight shook her head and said, “Of course not. All the ponies have to rely on themselves to discover the cutie marks.”
But she was plead by Apple Bloom and eventually agreed to give it a try. The mark that appeared would only exist for a moment and then disappeared without a trace.
“There's no hope! There's no hope!” Apple Bloom cried as she walked out of the kitchen, thinking she couldn't go to the party or else would be laughed at by other ponies. However, she saw lights and decorations outside the kitchen, with balloons, party hats, Poon fun liquor, ribbons, and cakes all available.
“How could I forget the time? How could I forget this party is being held at the Sugarcube Corner?” Apple Bloom said regretfully.
“I thought you knew! You should have asked, I can actually tell you.” Sweetie Belle said on the side.
Apple Bloom placed her two hooves on Sweetie Belle's shoulders and shook them back and forth, saying, “We have to leave immediately! We can't let them see our blank flanks!”
Sweetie Belle’s eyes were in circles and she said, “I think...this may be a bit difficult.”
Sure enough, the two little ponies were too big as targets and were stopped by Tiara before reaching the door.
“Well, well, well, look who’s here?” Tiara said in a sweet and artificial smile. “It seems you have found a companion, well, no wonder you can only make friends with the same unmarked pony.”
“Uh, um...I have a mark!” Apple Bloom insisted without blushing.
“What? When did you have it?” Sweetie Belle asked straightforwardly.
Tiara and Silver burst into laughter. “Your blank flank has already betrayed yourself, do you still want to lie?”
“Uh...this, this is...a cutie mark can be seen only by smart ponies.”
“What?” Sweetie Belle, Tiara, and Silver all asked in shock.
“I said, this is a cutie mark can be seen only by smart ponies.” said Apple Bloom confidently, recalling the fairy tale that Mr. Miracle had told before; However, she still learned only halfway as before, without carefully considering the underlying principles and meanings. “Did you see my mark? Or are you just not smart enough?”
After speaking, she blinked at Sweetie Belle and gestured for her to speak for her. Sweetie Belle was initially puzzled, but Apple Bloom's playful blinking still made her realize. So she helped by saying, “Ah...yes, that's right, this is a cutie mark only smart ponies can see...I saw - is it, um, an apple?”
“That's right, an apple! A golden apple only smart ponies can see!”
Silver exclaimed loudly, “You're lying, there's nothing at all!”
But Tiara hesitated a bit, and of course, being vain, she dared not admit she was not smart enough to see the mark. Indeed, she didn't believe in such a magical mark at all, but what if? She didn't want other ponies to think she's stupid.
“Uh, I saw...an apple. It's quite...pretty.” Tiara stuttered.
“Tiara, what are you talking about? There's clearly nothing.” Silver said incredulously.
“Enough!” Twilight's voice came from behind them. “It's one thing not to have a cutie mark, but it's another thing to lie. I believe many ponies, including myself, didn't see the mark. Aren't we all smart enough?”
“Uh, I...” Apple Bloom lowered her head and suddenly recalled Mr. Miracle's words yesterday – “Words can be weapons, but before you use them, you should think carefully.” then blushing with embarrassment.
Twilight wouldn't be strict with children, she just said gently, “Not having a mark is not a big deal. All ponies will eventually have it, sooner or later. You should try to be down-to-earth rather than satisfying yourself with lies.”
“I understood...Twilight, I'm sorry.” Apple Bloom lowered her voice.
“I also learned that I shouldn't help her lie...” Sweetie Belle followed.
“You're really bragging! You ‘blank flank’!” Silver and Tiara laughed again. Tiara's face changed so quickly that she completely forgot the way she had just admitted that the Apple Bloom had a mark.
“What's wrong without a mark?” Twilight took a step forward and asked in reverse. “Don’t be so nasty, Okay?”
“Yeah, what's wrong with blank flank?” Another voice said, coming from under the table. The ponies turned their heads and saw a little pegasus with a yellow body, flowing cherry colored mane and tail.
“Blank flank means she's not special at all!” Silver insisted.
The little pegasus climbed out of the table and said seriously, “No, this just shows they have potential. The future is infinite, they could be artists, writers, scientists, or even town mayors! Not like you, who have already been shaped.”
“Oh my goddess, what she said makes sense! I also want to say that,” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
Tiara felt a bit embarrassed and asked, “Who are you? Why do you speak up for them?”
“Because –” the pegasus revealed her flank, which were also empty.
“Oh my goddess, what Rarity said is true!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed again.
The pegasus smiled and said, “I thought I was the only one without the mark. Turns out I’m not.”
Twilight took a step forward and summarized, “I think they are very lucky to experience the surprise of finding gifts in the future.”
Applejack also arrived at the party venue at this moment and added, “And there's still a lot of time to discover, not just for an afternoon.”
The party's attention thus came to these three young little ponies. Tiara and Silver could only snort and walk to the other side in a bit madness.
“My name is Apple Bloom.”
“My name is Sweetie Belle.”
“My name is Scootaloo.” said the little pegasus.
Apple Bloom continued, “Since we are friends now and have been underestimated by Tiara and Silver...we can work together to find our cutie marks.”
“Good Idea! We can form a ‘secret society’!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed excitedly.
“Let's call it 'The Cutie Mark Three'!” suggested Scootaloo.
“Call it 'The Cutastically Fantastics'!” Sweetie Belle suggested.
“How about calling it ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’, abbreviated as 'CMC'?” Apple Bloom said.
“That's a great name!” The other two little ponies praised in unison.
Apple Bloom felt today was truly the happiest day. Despite many twists and turns, she had made two new friends and formed their secret society...and so on. Did all of this also in Mr. Miracle's expectations?
“Wait a minute, there is another pony without any cutie mark. Maybe he can join us.” Apple Bloom added.
“That's fine, let him join the 'Cute Mark Crusaders' too,” blurted out Scootaloo.
But Apple Bloom said a bit awkwardly, “Um…, just one small problem - he's adult.”
“What? Adult pony? No cutie mark?” The two little ponies asked in shock.
Apple Bloom nodded.
“This is a bit difficult to handle. After all, we are actually ‘scouts’, aren't we?” Asked Scootaloo.
“It doesn’t matter, he can become our 'honorary member'.” Sweetie Belle said. “And adults are usually very busy, just like Rarity, who may not be able to act with us often. ‘Honorary member’ may be the perfect fit for him.”
The three little ponies all agreed with the proposal and happily went to the party center to dance.
Twilight looked at their lovely figures and silently recited this week's weekly diary in her heart:
“Dear Princess Celestia, I’m very happy to report to you this week's experience - each of our ponies wants to know their gifts and uniqueness as soon as possible. Sometimes it is a long and hard journey, which may frustrate you and make you feel left out. But the most important thing is to be grounded and know you will never be alone. On this road, we will make true friends who share the same ideals with us. Your loyal student, Twilight. ”
Chapter 7: Dungeons & CMC-Part 1
Author's Note
I haven't actually played the offline DND running, but I have played Baldur's Gate 1 and 2. Therefore, the professions, attributes, magic spells, and so on that appear in this article and beyond are in the form of Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, not the current 5E rules (but in terms of AC and hit, for ease of understanding, I will change it to the larger the positive value, the better, rather than the smaller the better like Baldur's Gate 1 and 2). Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 7: Dungeons & CMC-Part 1
Chapter 7: Dungeons & CMC-Part 1
Mr. Miracle had joined CMC and became an “official” “honorary member”.
At first, he didn't really want to join because he thought they were a bit childish; But considering their future development, perhaps joining was not a bad idea.
But why was he called “official” “honorary member”? It was because besides being addressed, his treatment was exactly the same as theirs, he could attend meetings of CMC, vote, and act with them at any time. And he could be absent at will due to his status as an adult.
When he had free time, he would try various activities with them. Of course, he knew they still had a long, long way to get the cutie marks, and he was the same.
Besides that, he also had to help other ponies with their tasks. For example, when Hoity Toity came, he helped organize the fashion show for Rarity; When Pinkie showed a premonition of her “special abilities”, he underwent testing and research with Twilight, although nothing was ultimately discovered.
He would help Applejack to collect apples. Although he had to kick three or four times to collect one tree, he was down-to-earth and hardworking, still winning praise from the Apple family; He would help Rarity dye cloth. Although some similar colors couldn’t be distinguished, his attitude was very serious and he would ask questions if he didn't know; He will help Fluttershy to buy pet feed and miscellaneous things. She was not good at dealing with other ponies, so she left it to him; He would help Pinkie to hold parties, mainly doing manual labor and miscellaneous tasks, at least he wouldn't make mistakes in doing these things.
He felt his life was very fulfilling for the first time. Very tired, but fulfilling.
Finally, it was the weekend and he could take a break, but he didn't know how to relax. At this moment, Scootaloo rowed her scooter and pulled Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to the outskirts, in front of his tent.
“Mr. Miracle, today is Sunday and we have planned a whole day of 'Cutie Mark Campaign'. You have to come!” Said Apple Bloom.
“Uh...” Mr. Miracle lay in the tent, sticking out his head and looking very embarrassed. “What’s your plan?”
“We're going to Cloud City!”
“What?!” Mr. Miracle couldn't believe his ears. “Say it again, where are you going?”
“We're going to Cloud City!” said the Scootaloo.
“You should really know only pegasuses can stand on clouds, right?” Mr. Miracle raised his eyebrows and asked.
Apple Bloom nodded and said, “We know, but we will go up in a fire balloon, so we don't need to stand on clouds.” Sweetie Belle continued, “Rainbow Dash is going to compete in the Best Young Flyer Competition, and Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Pinkie are all going up to cheer for her. We also want to go.”
“And I heard Rainbow Dash is going to perform the legendary 'sonic rainboom', so it's even more important!” Scootaloo continued.
“Wait, since they have already gone to refuel Rainbow Dash, it means they have already taken the fire balloon. Is there another fire balloon?” Mr. Miracle asked.
“No,” the three shook their heads together and shouted loudly, “So we’ll make one together! ‘CMCs’ Fire Balloon Operation’, yeah!”
“We think it can be done with your help, otherwise we won't have had this plan.” Apple Bloom added.
Mr. Miracle felt a little headache and thought for a moment before saying, “I guess you don't know how to make a balloon either. So you probably need to get the instruction manual first.”
“That's right! ‘CMCs’ Fire Balloon Instruction Manual Operation’, yeah!” The three seemed to have anticipated it and shouted decisively.
“Just having an instruction manual is not enough, there need to be various materials.”
“Fine! ‘CMCs’ Fire Balloon Material Operation’, yeah!”
“We also need a map for flying to Cloud City.”
“‘CMCs’ Fire Balloon Roadmap Operation’, yeah!”
Mr. Miracle looked at the three with great interest and didn’t want to “pour cold water”, but this plan was really full of loopholes.
“I guess by the time we finally create the balloon, the Best Young Flyer Competition will have ended already.”
“Oh, why hadn’t we thought of it?” Said Sweetie Belle.
“Yeah, based on my construction experience, it takes at least a day to make a balloon.” said Apple Bloom.
“Ah? Shoot!” Said the Scootaloo with a pout.
Mr. Miracle raised his eyebrows and said, “Since you know it will take a day, you should have started yesterday.”
“Because we only discussed this plan this morning and didn't even know about the competition yesterday.” Sweetie Belle said.
Mr. Miracle covered his face with one hoof and had to remind himself that the three in front of him were still children, so that his blood pressure wouldn't rise too high.
“In the future, you have to remember this: ‘Plan earlier’. Do you understand?”
“Understood.” The three sighed disappointedly.
At this moment, the Scootaloo had a sudden inspiration and said, “Don't give up, my friends. The plan of fire balloon may not work, but we can use other methods to reach the sky.”
“What method?” The two asked.
“Slingshot!” Scootaloo gestured back and forth with her hooves and small wings. “We make a simple but sturdy slingshot, and then each pony rides a scooter with a curved upward runway in front. In this way, when we pop out like the shots, we can use the runway to soar into the sky.”
Apple Bloom couldn't help but exclaim, “Oh my goddess, sounds so exciting!”
“I don't know, it sounds a bit dangerous...” Sweetie Belle hesitated a bit, because Rarity would never agree to her doing so, even though Rarity was not currently there.
“Of course it's dangerous!” Mr. Miracle interrupted. “Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle aren’t pegasuses, they are not light enough, they will fall off halfway; and unlike fire balloon, even if they fly to Cloud City, they will fall off because they can’t stand on clouds.”
“Ah...” The three sighed disappointedly again.
Mr. Miracle couldn't bear to see them sad. After much thought, he suggested, “Calm down, today is the weekend and we should have relaxed. Let's find a new activity together that won't be tiring and we can have fun. By the way, you can also try new things.”
Upon hearing this, the three exchanged a glance and immediately turned sadness into joy.
Mr. Miracle walked ahead, gesturing for them to follow. “I think the barn in Sweet Apple Acres is a good place, with plenty of space, and as far as I know, there are many old items in the attic may be useful.”
So the four went to Sweet Apple Acres together, and as soon as they came in, they saw a strong earth pony with red skin, orange mane and a short, agile tail, working frantically. It was none other than Apple Bloom's brother, Big McIntosh. When CMC arrived, he had just finished all the work.
Apple Bloom was very confused. Even after breakfast and before she went to find her friends, Big Mac was still leisurely doing things. And he was too hardworking now, while he was usually more methodical.
“It seems that you have an activity today, which is why you finished everything beforehand.” Mr. Miracle had already guessed everything.
“Uh...yep.” Big Mac was reticent as usual.
“Can you tell us what activity it is?” Asked Apple Bloom. “Maybe we can play together.”
“Uh...nope.” Big Mac was sweating profusely, apparently thinking this activity was some kind of secret that should not be known by other ponies.
Except for Mr. Miracle, the three were completely confused. If they wanted to ask, it would be much more difficult to ask reticent Big Mac. At this moment, a green flame appeared out of nowhere, not burning anything, but instead shaping something.
In the blink of an eye, a roll of letters fell down.
Upon seeing this letter, Big Mac’s expression became even more panicked. Apple Bloom wanted to bring it over directly to take a look, but Mr. Miracle insisted on seeking the consent of Big Mac first. After all, this was a letter sent to him – they should be more polite. Apple Bloom could only sneer in frustration.
Big Mac picked it up and glanced at it, becoming unusually excited. He was about to leave, but seeing the four little ponies in front of him, especially his sister who looked pitiful, he had to agree to let them read the letter.
“Thank you, big brother!” Apple Bloom's face turned faster than flipping a book, and she went to get the letter. This piece of paper was written down and sent out by Spike. The content on it is:
“Dear Big McIntosh, our friends have collectively gone to Cloud City. Now is a rare opportunity for the ‘Guy's Night’, and because we have plenty of time, we can expand this night into a whole day! Come on, don't forget to bring dices and snacks. PS - Don't tell any other ponies, you know, this is our secret. Respected, good brother Spike. ”
“It turns out to be ‘Guy's Night’,” Apple Bloom actually had felt a bit more hopeful than now, and then explained to the friends behind her, “Big Mac and Spike often spend 'Guy’s Night' together when there is no one to disturb them. Although they think it's a secret, every pony actually knows it.”
Mr. Miracle gradually smiled and felt that CMC could fully participate in this activity. Then he turned to Big Mac and showed a polite and sincere smile; But Big Mac didn't feel much relaxed seeing this smile.
……
In the Golden Oak Library, Spike was swinging his legs to place things. The round desk in the center had already set up maps, character board models, dices, snacks, character cards, player guides, and lord guides. The book cover features a grimacing troll, with several brave ponies standing across from it, printed with the words ‘Ogres & Oubliettes’.
Just as the decoration was finished, there was a knocking sound at the door.
“Come in!” Spike shouted eagerly, then rubbed his claws and sat down in his seat.
He still had a smile on his face when he saw Big Mac, but when he saw CMC behind him, the smile disappeared and was replaced by confusion.
“What are they doing here?”
“Uh...” Big Mac began to sweat profusely again.
“Let me explain,” Mr. Miracle took a step forward and said sincerely. “We happened to come across the letter you gave to Big Mac...” he said, glancing at Big Mac before lying, “We opened it without his permission, we're sorry; but we really want to join this game.”
“Big Mac, is that so?” Spike squinted his eyes and asked. “Are you sure it wasn't you who voluntarily leaked our secret?”
“Uh...um, nope!” Big Mac said with an awkward yet polite fake smile.
“We guarantee it will be fun!” Sweetie Belle volunteered.
“Can you guarantee to play seriously?”
“We guarantee to play seriously.” CMC said together.
Spike sighed and said, “Okay, you can play with us.”
So CMC, Big Mac, and Spike sat around the table, with a small plate of snacks, sets of dice, a character card, pencils, and scratch paper in front of each pony. There weren’t that many player guides, so they can only share two.
“Before we begin, I would like to ask, how much do you know about this game?” Spike asked CMC.
The three shook their heads in confusion, while Mr. Miracle hesitated and nodded.
“Mr. Miracle, have you heard of this game before?”
“Uh, yes or no.” Mr. Miracle hesitated and said. “In fact, I used to play another game called ‘Dungeons & Dragons’, abbreviated as DND. It's probably very similar to ‘Ogres & Oubliettes’.”
“‘Dungeons & Dragons’? Strange, I've never heard of it. Anyway, since you have experiences, how about you guide Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle?”
“Sure, let me take a look at the player guide first.”
Then CMC circulated player guides to each other, and Mr. Miracle already had some experiences, which was not difficult to understand; But the three were confused and decided to play directly.
“The key in this game is to use imagination to play another character in another world,” explained Spike. “For example, in the game, I’m called Garbunkle and a level 6 mage, while Big Mac, in the game, is called Sir McBiggun and a level 5 dark paladin.”
“Cool!” Exclaimed Scootaloo.
“Can we play any role whoever we want?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Of course, we can even play male or female roles. Let's establish our own characters now and remember to carefully weave their background stories. ‘Dedication’ is the greatest fun!” Mr. Miracle guided.
So CMC began to create characters in a hurry, and Mr. Miracle not only had to create his own, but also guide them. Afterwards, everyone created their own new characters, including Big Mac - his previous high-level character was not suitable for playing with newcomers; As for Spike, with more players now, he didn't have to be both a dungeon lord and a player anymore. He can focus on telling the story as a dungeon lord, so he didn't need to rebuild his character.
Then they began to introduce themselves one by one.
Firstly, there was Spike. “As Big Mac was pretty quiet, I helped him introduce him. The character is called the Retinue Littlegun, a unicorn and a warrior, and Sir McBiggun’s loyal retinue. After surrendering of the castle, he became separated from his Sir. While adventuring on the continent, he also gathered information about Sir McBiggun. His personality is exactly the same as that of his Sir- brave, tough, upright, and brave...the only flaw is his poor eloquence.”
Big Mac had already drawn his character draft on paper and erected it as his character model. It was a red unicorn dressed in armor, with flowing golden mane, standing tall and holding a large sword at his waist, exuding great majesty.
Next was Mr. Miracle. “My character is called Miracle, with the profession of sword master and the race of earth pony. Miracle is a wandering sword master from a distant land, with high martial arts and a proud heart. Any evils who see his sword will step aside. No pony knows his story, and his past is like the wind, making it difficult for everyone to figure out. The only clear thing is he hates evil, hates all evils, and wants to use the sword in his mouth to defend peace and tranquility.”
Spike raised his eyebrows and said, “Uh, you know your character is only at level 1, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
“A level 1 sword master... ‘skilled in martial arts’? And ‘Any evils who see his sword will step aside’...is this really the strength that level 1 can have?”
Mr. Miracle coughed awkwardly twice. “Well, don't focus on these details. Some of us even dare to write about having defeated a dragon at level 1.” he said as he stood up the character draft. It was a light brown pony wearing a bamboo hat and a black cloak, holding a long sword in his mouth, looking both mysterious and powerful.
The third was Apple Bloom, who excitedly said, “It's my turn! My character is called Apple Jarry, of the earth pony race, and of the warrior profession - this is the profession that I have found most similar to 'her'. She is the second in command of 'Golden Apple Acres', with an older brother named McIntock and a younger sister named 'Apple Bloomy'. Her biggest characteristic is honesty.”
Mr. Miracle leaned over to take a look at the character model, which was actually Applejack but with red mane.
The fourth was Sweetie Belle, she said in a coquettish voice, “Look at me! My character is Sweetie Belly, a unicorn of the same race, and her profession is bard - there is no such profession as a fashion designer, so I can only choose this one. She is an elegant pony and famous throughout the kingdom, with her speech...uh, behavior...uh, how can I describe it? Anyway, she is very elegant! Oh, and her sister is Little Sweetie, just as elegant as her. Sweetie Belly also had her own clothing store, and her biggest characteristic is generosity.”
There was no need to say, her character model is Rarity, except the mane color had been changed to Sweetie Belle's.
The fifth was Scootaloo, who enthusiastically said, “Finally it's me. My character is Rainbow loo, of the pegasus race, and of the ranger profession - without a pilot profession, I can only choose this one. She is a renowned super pegasus with unparalleled speed! She has a loyal follower named Little Loo. She is about to join the 'Magicalbolts', and her biggest characteristic is loyalty.”
This was even more recognizable. Just a glance, the model looked like Rainbow Dash, and there hadn't been any significant changes.
Mr. Miracle covered his face with one hoof and said helplessly, “Uh, um...what can I say? Although you can indeed play any role, I would prefer you to play ‘your own role’ rather than –”
“But we admire them the most!” The three explained in unison. “We dream of becoming ponies like them, and now that we have this opportunity to imagine, we certainly want to do so.”
Mr. Miracle had no intention of correcting them, he just hoped they have a great time, so he said earnestly, “I know. But even if you admire them, it doesn't mean you have to be exactly like them. After all, this is just a game. If your future cutie marks are like theirs, would you be willing?”
The three pondered for a moment and said, “Well...I'm not very willing because it won't be special.”
“That's right! Playing this game is the same. Of course, I won't ask you to change it, as I don’t want to against the principle of free imagination. I just hope you can think about it seriously. If you really want to use these characters, I won't have any objections.”
What Mr. Miracle didn't say was that there was a problem in fact - it was easy to disrupt the atmosphere, especially these characters were exactly the same as three ponies actually existed. Big Mac knew how to make some changes to the character.
“Okay, we understood, let's make some changes.” The three immediately began to make the changes. “This time we need to have our own unique characteristics.”
Soon after, three newly released ponies appeared. The character of Apple Bloom had changed to Apple Tarry, with a race of earth pony (increased in physique and strength, with additional exemptions and reduced intelligence), a profession of warrior, and proficient in throwing stone ropes, long swords, and sword and shield mode. She was once an ordinary farmer until the evil Squizard invaded the entire kingdom, forcing her to pick up weapons and fight for freedom. She was quick witted, brave, and not afraid of using sweet words to deceive enemies.
The character of Sweetie Belle had become Sweetie Beck, with a race of unicorn (intelligence and wisdom bonuses, additional spell positions, reduced strength and physique, and reduced movement distance), a profession of bard, proficient in crossbows and daggers, and initial spells of Magic Missiles and Shield. She once traveled throughout the kingdom, telling epic legends of various heroes, until the invasion of Squizard forced her to become a heroine herself. She was determined to embody all the qualities of a heroine.
The character of Scootaloo had become Shadow Loo, with a race of pegasus (agility and strength bonus, can fly, reduced physique), a profession of shadow dancer, proficient in long swords and dual weapon mode. She was once a member of the "Magicalbolts", but after the evils had come, she resolutely left the team and fought against the villains.
After seeing that all the ponies were ready, Spike picked up the module he had prepared and began to narrate:
“Very good. Now please use your imagination and start this exciting adventure together.”
Chapter 8: Dungeons & CMC-Part 2
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Chapter 9: Dungeons & CMC-Part 3
Chapter 9 Dungeons & CMC-Part 3
Inside the Golden Oak Library, the ponies erupted in cheers - Scootaloo rolled a 20 in the third encounter, a great success! As a reward for this roll, Spike allowed her to customize the description of this attack. So -
Shadow Loo blew her mane and suddenly appeared from the shadows. Her large and beautiful wings were spread out, each carrying a long sword. Then she soared back and forth in the air, searching for opportunities. In that moment, she plunged straight down in the air, while her wings wrapped around herself and began to rotate. She spun her sword blade like a drill and headed straight for the strong skeleton at the head. With a loud bang, the strong skeleton immediately disintegrated.
“Awesome! I can already imagine that scene!” Exclaimed Apple Bloom.
“Yeah, really cool!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, then her eyes dimmed and she whispered, “If only Sweetie Beck could be that cool...” Everyone was immersed in this cool finishing and didn't hear her whisper.
The ponies excitedly played the role and went deep into the mine, except for Sweetie Belle, who became increasingly absent-minded. Actually, she was very invested at the beginning, but since she added the hint of 'not good at this game' in her mind, her performance had been getting worse and worse; The worse the performance, the less confident she was, and then played totally the worst. The dice also seemed to be against her, always unable to roll the desired numbers. She didn't want to play anymore.
After the fourth encounter, the Cutie Adventures finally arrived at the gap, and the awakened undead should have emerged from here. According to the miners outside, the survivor was captured near around. With the light of Littlegun’s horn, at the gradually dim end of the light, a "cage" surrounded by stones could be vaguely seen, inside which a pony was hung upside down.
“Found him! Let's go in quickly!” Apple Bloom waved her hooves and said.
“Wait, what if there's a trap?” Said Scootaloo. “That's how storybooks are written...I'm going to sneak ahead and use my trap detection skills.”
Spike made a secret roll and then bluntly told her that Shadow Loo had not found any traps.
“Let Apple Tarry and Littlegun follow the front-line. We haven’t use both bottles of healing potions, it's okay.” Mr. Miracle suggested.
So Apple Tarry and Littlegun took the lead, with Shadow Loo and Miracle guarding the flanks, and Sweetie Beck was alert behind. They maintained a pentagonal formation and walked forward, only to find that the space that had been chiseled open was very large. In addition to the stone cage, there were also two workbenches, a bed, and a pot. There were more than 10 crumpled or damaged notes scattered on the ground.
“I need to observe the surroundings to see if there are any clues.” said Scootaloo, and then rolled the dice. But this time luck didn't seem to be on her side, she rolled a 1, a big failure!
“Sis –” Scootaloo gasp deeply.
“What a pity.” said Spike. “You didn't find anything. As a punishment for a your failure, you accidentally stepped on a stone and slipped, released from stealth, and lost 2 points of health.”
“Shoot!” Said the Scootaloo as she marked her character card.
Then came a dramatic scene, where Mr. Miracle, Apple Bloom, and Big Mac all rolled single digits and failed the test. Everyone's hope was pinned on Sweetie Belle, hoping she could find some clues.
Sweetie Belle picked up the dice, silently prayed, and finally rolled a satisfying number. A long-lost smile appeared on her face.
“Based on the existing clues, Sweetie Beck speculates that this is the studio of a certain mage.” said Spike.
“Mage?” Apple Bloom said thoughtfully. “So these papers on the ground are also from that mage, right?”
“Sweetie Beck is the only spellcaster here, she may be able to understand.” Mr. Miracle suggested.
Sweetie Beck picked up a few notes to read and found that they were all very obscure and difficult to understand, not only in terms of magic terminology and theory, but also in terms of the writer's writing and wording. Based on the tone of these papers, Sweetie Beck speculated that it was written by a crazy mage who wanted to use a magical stone to summon the undead to serve him.
“If Twilight were here, she might be able to fully understand these notes.” Mr. Miracle joked, and the other ponies laughed.
“It seems this mage is the mastermind behind the undead's invasion of the mine.” said Scootaloo. “Perhaps as long as we defeat him, the problem will be solved, isn’t it?”
“Let's rescue the survivor first.” said Apple Bloom.
The Cutie Adventures broke through the stone cage and rescued the poor miner.
“This miner looks very weak, and he's unconscious. What are you planning to do?” Asked Spike.
“I think giving him a bottle of healing potion might wake him up.” Mr. Miracle said. Big Mac also agreed with him.
“But we only have two bottles in total. What if we use them for him so that we can't defeat that mage?” Said Apple Bloom anxiously.
Scootaloo said with shining eyes, “We will indeed lose a bottle of potion, but he may wake up and fight alongside us!”
“Uh, I mainly wanted to ask for some additional information from him...but you're right, it’s possible.” Mr. Miracle said.
Sweetie Belle also agreed, but she hadn't thought too much about it. She just felt this pony needed help.
The Cutie Adventures fed precious healing potion to this unconscious pony. In no time, the pony slowly woke up and saw five unfamiliar ponies around him. At first, he was a bit panicked, but after introducing each other, he let out a sigh of relief and recounted what had happened in the mine.
More than 10 days ago, this mage suddenly appeared and asked the miners not to continue digging downwards. The miners thought he was talking nonsense and didn't listen. They continued digging, but he kept demanding. It wasn't until later when he dug up a gemstone with mysterious magic that the mage revealed his true plan - it turned out that he had lived underground a long time ago to obtain this magical gemstone; But the progress of the miners was faster than he had imagined, and he was afraid that the miners would get the gems first, so he repeatedly demanded; When the miners really got it first, he wanted to use coercion and temptation again. But after discussion, the miners decided to hand over the gemstone to Lord Celestia, which caused dissatisfaction from the mage.
Finally, the rise of the undead event occurred, and the miner, who was the pony guarding the gems, became the direct target and was kidnapped. He woke up now, and the gem was nowhere to be found. It must had been stolen by the mage.
“‘You must stop him quickly, maybe he will do something bad with that gem.’” said Spike as the miner.
“So let's get started quickly!” The three were already eager.
“Don't worry,” Mr. Miracle said to the miner, and turned to his companions. “We can take a long rest. I have a premonition that this final battle will be difficult. We can restore health, and Sweetie Beck can also restore spell slots.”
The three and Big Mac thought for a moment and all agreed. Then they took turns playing the role of night watcher, doing nothing overnight. The miner also regained some health and could join the battle at the time.
Before the start, Big Mac suddenly thought of something, slapped his hooves to catch everyone's attention, and then pointed to the character card of Sweetie Belle.
As a skilled riddler, Spike became a translator. “Do you want to talk about Sweetie Belle's spells? Magic missiles? Shield magic? You want to talk about both? Oh -”
He dragged on his voice, suddenly realizing, and then told the other ponies, “What he meant was that since the last mastermind behind all of these is a mage, he will definitely use magic missiles; and shield spell not only increases defense levels, but also has the effect of immune magic missiles. You can ask Sweetie Beck to cast a shield spell for herself and actively block the mage’s magic missiles.”
“Yep.” Big Mac nodded in agreement.
“Oh~~” The three also suddenly realized and nodded happily.
“Sweetie Belle, no, 'Sweetie Beck, just do as he says!'” said Apple Bloom.
Sweetie Belle nodded excitedly, feeling that it was the moment she was showing off, but after looking at the card in the corner of her eyes, she became worried again, as if she was about to cry.
“What's wrong? Sweetie Belle?” Miracle asked with concern, not caring about whether to “roll out” or not.
“I changed the spell that I plan to prepare before taking the long rest!” She said sadly. “What I have prepared now are two magic missiles...I can't cast shield magic.”
“Ah?” The other two asked in surprise. “Why did you change?”
“Because...because my crossbow attack missed many times before, I just want to prepare one more magic missile so that…”
“Our attacks also have missed many times!”
“Sorry...” Sweetie Belle said with her head down.
Mr. Miracle noticed her mood was very low and quickly comforted her, “It's okay without shield spell. That mage's level may not be very high, and he can’t have many spell slots. At most, he can only cast magic missiles once or twice.”
“But if he cast shield spell, my magic missile will be useless.” Sweetie Belle said. “I... I'm really not good at this game!”
After speaking, she left her seat and rushed out the house. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo didn't even have a chance to speak, and they wanted to comfort her.
“What's wrong with her? It's just a game!” Said Spike in shock.
“She may not think so.” Mr. Miracle also jumped out of his seat, ready to chase after her. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo also wanted to follow, but he stopped them and said, “You stay here for now, or else I may need to find you after finding her.”
After he finished speaking, he chased after Sweetie Belle, leaving behind only concerned Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Spike, and Big Mac.
“Perhaps I should make the game simpler?” Murmured Spike. “Did she get angry with that disadvantaged dice?”
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo sighed and walked to the door, watching Mr. Miracle's figure gradually fade away.
……
Although Sweetie Belle was young and had short legs, she ran inexplicably fast. Mr. Miracle finally saw her by the small river not far from the library. She sat by the river, with her head down, looking very depressed.
Mr. Miracle walked up and whispered, “Do you mind if I sit down?”
Sweetie Belle looked up and shook her head. So Mr. Miracle sat next to her and waited for a while before asking, “What's wrong? Can you tell me?”
“I just don't want to continue playing...” Sweetie Belle whispered. “Throughout the entire game, I kept making mistakes. You definitely don't want to play with me anymore.”
“Who said that?” Mr. Miracle retorted. “You're overthinking it, has anyone ever said that?”
“No... no, but I knew it.”
“Little one, every pony has a rookie period, and at the beginning of playing, we all will make mistakes.” Mr. Miracle said patiently.
“But Apple Bloom and Scootaloo played well.” Sweetie Belle said, turning her head away, obviously a little disappointed in herself. “Their characters are so...so impressive...ah, I can't even describe them. Anyway, their characters are all very powerful, while my character is so clumsy.”
“What's wrong with this? At first, Spike didn't even know how to write 'precipice', 'threshold', or 'brink'.”
“But that still doesn’t change the fact that I played the worst.”
Mr. Miracle paused for a moment and said, “I don't think that's the only reason you came here.”
Sweetie Belle sighed and said, “You're right. I'm afraid they'll look down on me and distance themselves from me because I'm not good at playing games...maybe even worse, maybe they'll get the cutie marks first, and then I'll just keep blank flank.”
“Do you really think so?” Mr. Miracle retorted. “Do you really think they would do this?”
“Well...I don't know.”
“Did they scold you when you made a mistake in the game?”
Sweetie Belle thought for a moment and shook his head. “No.”
“Were they angry with you?”
“Also...no.”
Mr. Miracle said earnestly, “True friends won't distance themselves from you just because you can't play games. Are they your true friends?”
Sweetie Belle nodded quite confidently this time.
“If it's that Apple Bloom doesn't play well or Scootaloo doesn't play well, will you be angry? You don't, so they won't either.” Mr. Miracle said, pausing for a moment before adding, “Always think positively of your friends. Always believe that true friends always consider their friends.”
“Wow, that makes perfect sense. You know so much!”
“In fact, this wasn’t spoken by me.” Mr. Miracle carefully considered his wording. “Let me just say, I was taught by a very wise filly.”
“Who is her?”
“You'll know in the future.” Mr. Miracle stood up and asked Sweetie Belle to stand up too. “Let's go back and complete the adventure.”
“Uh...I'd rather not.” Sweetie Belle shook her head.
“Why? Didn't you already believe they wouldn't dislike you?”
“But I still play that bad. Although they won't get angry, I don't want to hold them back either.”
“How could you think that?!” Two familiar voices came before Mr. Miracle spoke, and he and Sweetie Belle turned around to see that it was Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. “Why do you think you're holding us back?”
“Why are you here?” Mr. Miracle's tone was half angry, but half appreciative.
“We’re worried about Sweetie Belle...so we came along.” the two gasped for breath.
Sweetie Belle felt a little embarrassed and whispered, “Because I've been making mistakes all along. If I succeed in persuading, I can save that 1 bit. If I succeed in bargaining, I can get an extra bottle of potion. If I hit once more, Apple Tarry could suffer less damage. If I don't change my memory spell, I can cast shield spell. If I –”
“So that's what you think!” Mr. Miracle laughed. “How can this be considered a mistake? Your only mistake may be a mistake in attribute selection, that's all. The rest of these are parts of the game, and everyone will experience them. Sometimes, I even suffer much more failures than you.”
“Didn't I also make a big failure during reconnaissance?” Exclaimed Scootaloo with a smile.
“I have missed several attacks too.” said Apple Bloom. “It seems you are too focused on your bad luck and have overlooked that we also have equally bad times.”
“I have had a time before when I use Kai but comically failed to hit every times!” Said Mr. Miracle. “Success and failure complement each other. Without these failures, success wouldn’t appear so precious, and we would not be so excited when we achieve success. If the whole game goes smoothly and everything succeeds, would it be interesting?”
“Yeah, it's like the cutie marks!” Said Apple Bloom. “It is precisely because we haven’t yet, that we are so eager and can anticipate how happy we will be when we truly obtain the marks.”
Mr. Miracle added, “Those ponies who quickly obtain the marks may not be as happy as you will be when you obtain the marks in the future. We always have to wind our way through failure and success - and the advantage is that we always have friends to accompany us.”
“I...I see.” Sweetie Belle turned sadness into joy.
“So, would you be willing to continue the remaining adventure with us?” Asked Scootaloo excitedly. “The mine in Crazy Pony City are waiting for our help.”
“Yes, but I'm afraid I won't play well.”
“The most important thing is ‘dedication’. I didn't even know how to run in real life, but I'm still a sword master in the game.” Mr. Miracle said. “The character you play is a heroine, and she can do much better things than yourself. You used to be too conservative, now you just need to let go of your imagination, understand?”
“Yeah, you see, I even struggle to flap my wings, but Shadow Loo can spin and attack from the air!” said Scootaloo.
“I don't have the skills of my sister to throw rope, but Apple Tarry is very good at throwing sling.” said Apple Tarry. “And Big Mac, he's so quiet and reserved, but in the game he's a knight or a retinue.”
“Okay, I'll try as you said.” Sweetie Belle finally nodded in agreement. At this moment, all the ponies heard a loud noise coming from the air and turned their heads one after another.
In the distance, it seemed like the direction of Cloud City, and a dazzling rainbow halo burst out, sweeping across half of the sky. The beautiful rainbow shockwave kept spreading outwards, blowing away all the dark clouds, and finally a bright and conspicuous rainbow appeared on the horizon.
“Wow...is that the legendary 'sonic rainboom'?” Sweetie Belle said with bright eyes.
“I think I'll never forget this scene in my lifetime.” exclaimed Apple Bloom.
“That's so cool! I'm going to dye my mane into rainbow!” Exclaimed Scootaloo, but then stopped in time when she saw her friends' funny looks and scratched her head, saying, “Uh, let's forget about it.”
“How did she do it?” The three couldn't help but amaze.
Mr. Miracle looked at the gradually expanding rainbow aperture with joy and said, “A large part is her own effort, while another part - I think it's given to her by friends. No matter how difficult problems are, friends always make them much easier.”
“Hey! Have you talked enough?” Another familiar voice came, it was Spike, urging them to hurry back. “I think that rainbow means they have almost done, we need to finish the rest of the adventure quickly.”
So the ponies quickly ran back to the Golden Oak Library, finishing their final adventure. And this time, Sweetie Belle played the heroine "Sweetie Beck" from her heart.
The dark mage behind the scenes indeed cast his shield spell and used the power of that magic gem to prepare to gather all the bones together and revive them into a giant skeleton. Fortunately, Sweetie Belle, no, it was "Sweetie Beck" who came up with a idea and cast a magic missile to blow up the magic gem, which ultimately foiled the evil mage's plan.
After the defeat of the evil mage, he was caught by the Cutie Adventures and handed over to the Crazy Pony City for trial. He was then thrown into prison to reflect on his sins; The Cutie Adventure completed the task was received and praised by Lord Celestia, which is truly a great honor! The first adventure of the Cutie Adventures had come to an end, but the struggle between the beautiful Manetria and evil Squizard was far from over. What thrilling adventures awaited them in the future?
“Yeah! ‘The Cutie Adventures’ Mine Operation’ - great success!” After collecting the board game items, the three jumped up and clapped, saying. Mr. Miracle smiled wryly, also putting hoof on it.
In no time, Twilight led Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity back to the Golden Oak Library, still wanting more. As soon as they came in, they saw CMC, Spike, and Big Mac chatting together, creating a lively atmosphere.
“Why are you so happy? Is there anything excited?” Twilight asked.
The three exchanged a smile and exclaimed in unison, “This is our secret!”
Mr. Miracle looked at them with some emotion in his heart. Once upon a time, he thought that this "familiar" Ponyville wouldn’t bring him more surprises, nor would it teach him more; But he was wrong. As long as he was here, there might be new discoveries and insights at any time.
Perhaps he should learn from Twilight and jot down what he had learned. In this way, when he got older or at some other time, he could still use this diary to reminisce about these happy times.
Chapter 10: Journey to Canterlot-Part 1
Chapter 10 Journey to Canterlot-Part 1
After processing all the orders on hoof, Rarity finally had free time to write a diary.
This was a habit she had always developed, but as her business was getting better and she was becoming busier, and the frequency of writing decreased. Until now, it was more like a weekly journal than a "diary", which meant she would make up many pages once in rare free time.
“Dear diary, ” she wrote. “A lot of things have changed since Sweetie Belle entered the school. She has more and more opportunities to interact with me at home, which also reminds me of the days when sisters used to get along. But this kind of ‘sisters’ time is also very noisy sometimes. For example, Sweetie Belle always wants me to stop working instead play with her, so I can only repeat how important my work is again and again.
“For example, a few days ago, I had an order from Trottingham to handle - twenty long robes, all of which needed to be lined with golden silk. Sweetie Belle wasted a large piece of it, and I had to put in a lot of effort to hold back my anger...I know she wants to help me, but I don't think she can handle such delicate work.
“So the plan for CMC to sleepover at my house that day was forced to be cancelled. To be honest, in a sense, I could take a break. If I had to choose between work and taking care of them, I might actually choose work. Fluttershy suggested that I could take care of them on her behalf, and I thought she couldn't handle it, but in the end, they were taken care of obediently by her! It's really amazing, how did she do it?
“In short, with her sharing the pressure for me and Mr. Miracle's help, I finally completed this order. In my spare time, I talked with him about Sweetie Belle. I thought I was the most patient and best sister in the world, and he would sympathize after hearing my words. On the contrary, he told me: ‘Sisters are not only tolerant, but the most important is communication and teaching.’ At the beginning, I sniffed, and said to myself: ‘What does he know? Sweetie Belle is too noisy, and if he had been with her, he would know...’ Then I suddenly realized that maybe he was qualified to say this, because he does often talk and spend time with these three little rascals.
“He told me that blindly giving in will only deepen the rift between the two sides, because the true problem has not been solved. In his opinion, Sweetie Belle is a smart, energetic, and sensible child. Sensible? This is definitely not Sweetie Belle! But he said that compared to many children he had seen, the reason why Sweetie Belle gets into trouble is mostly because she genuinely wants to help, and even because she is good at doing most of the housework. For a child, this is already a rare trait; the only thing she needs is guidance, telling her what to touch, what not to do, praising which she does well, and admonishing which she doesn't. She needs guidance, and I just tolerate without a word. He said that not losing my temper will make her not know how to correct it.
“Okay, maybe it makes sense...When it comes to Sweetie Belle, we have to mention her other two good friends - Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. They are also restless, but strangely, Mr. Miracle always sings the opposite tune to me, thinking that they are all good children. No matter how mischievous I describe them truthfully, he only says, ‘Is that so called mischievous? You haven't seen the children in my homeland. In contrast, what they do can only be called ‘kind nature’. His ability of acceptance is so high that I can't help but wonder, are the children in his homeland really that 'scary'?
“I suspect that he has also been 'assimilated' by them to some extent. Since Applejack gave them her previous activity room, their frequency of causing troubles in town has skyrocketed, and most of the time, Mr. Miracle accompanies them to 'get crazy'! He is an adult, why is he so immature? In order to prepare for the talent show at the school, Sweetie Belle wanted to take my fabrics, so I asked Mr. Miracle to judge, but he accommodating them and voluntarily paid to buy them from me. Well, he did teach Sweetie Belle some truths afterwards...but I don't really like this way.
“In the end, their performance, um, how should I describe? As a lady, I definitely can't speak something bad of the children, but even in reality, the performance effect is ‘ indescribable’. Fortunately, they managed to win the comedy award in the end, otherwise Sweetie Belle would have caused more trouble in the second night. Mr. Miracle isn’t student of school, so he can't go on stage, but he has been rehearsing with them all along, and even dressed similarly comically on the day of the performance...Has he really been ‘ assimilated’ by them?
“The most peculiar thing is his ability to foresee the future. The name 'Mr. Miracle' is not wrong at all. A long time ago, I thought it would be wonderful to have a friend who knows everything; but when I actually met him, I started to be afraid again. No pony knows what he knows. Does he know the privacy of other ponies? Does he know the secrets deep inside every pony? Can he keep it a secret? No one dares to be angry with such pony, because no one knows if he will say something earth shattering.
“And for an ordinary pony, the future that is both mysterious and uncertain is like predetermined in his view. How can this not scare me? For example in fashion, In my view, the future trend is uncertain and vague, which is why there is the motivation to innovate and keep up with the times. But if the future trend is certain and won’t change, what’s the meaning of the fashion I am focusing on now? When I mentioned this to him, he actually said a lot of words that I couldn't understand – ‘dialectics’,' contradictions', 'spiral upward'...In the end, he only concluded that 'this is very complex' - it is indeed very complex!
“But sometimes, I can't help but ask him about the future. For example, can I find my ‘Prince Charming’? Can I become a princess? I guess I don't have the courage to know the answer, because if the answer is negative, it's almost like my future is shattered; but if, if, if, maybe, just maybe, the answer is affirmative? I often think about this question. I think my other friends also think the same way. For example, Twilight may want to know if she can become a great wizard; Rainbow Dash must want to know if she can join the Wonderbolts; Applejack must want to know if Sweet Apple Acres can grow stronger; As for Pinkie and Fluttershy...I don't quite know what their ideal future looks like, but they always have expectations, don't they?
“For this matter, he only told me: ‘Living in the present is the most important, and the answer to the future is not important because it is always determined by now.’ His words always sound reasonable, but it's hard to say whether they really make sense.
“For example, when the time I was jealous of Fluttershy ‘stealing’ my limelight, I really didn't want to be jealous of my good friend Fluttershy, after all, she had the talent to be a model, and she deserved everything. But I couldn't contain those thoughts, and even hoped that she would embarrass herself. Whenever I had such terrible thoughts, I felt ashamed of myself. Can a lady be jealous? Mr. Miracle told me, 'Everyone has jealousy, the important thing is to face and admit it, so that we can use reason to suppress it and do the right thing.' I asked him who said this, and he said it was his own idea, but the inspiration was - 'me'! It's really strange – He taught me by using truths that I had taught him in the future? Absurd!
“However, he was right about it again. Although I was jealous of Fluttershy and hoped she would make a fool of herself, when she really made a fool of herself, my mind was filled with shock and worry, and I didn't hesitate to help her smooth things out. In the end, her popularity was even more prosperous than before, and I was a little disappointed, but more proud - I did what a friend should do, and I did the right thing. That's when I realized he was right. I was indeed jealous of Fluttershy, but my feelings for her were enough to suppress this terrible jealousy and truly benefit her. I'm glad that this issue was finally resolved perfectly, and my friendship with Fluttershy is even stronger than before. I couldn't help but wonder, was this result also within his expectations?
“There are many things I can't ask, but today I can't wait to ask the most important question - because tonight is the Grand Galloping Gala! This is my first time participating in such a big event...Can I meet Princess Celestia’s nephew? Can I marry into the royal family? Can I reach the pinnacle of pony life? I really want to know the answer, even if Mr. Miracle doesn't want to say it, I still have to ask, I must! ”
At this point, Rarity couldn't help but jump in place. She and her friends had been preparing for tonight for a long time, and when she was making the dresses for them, she was tortured enough; But as long as they could achieve the goals tonight, then all the costs were worth it.
After finishing writing, she put away her diary and locked it in the locker. Turning around, she saw Sweetie Belle peeking out at her outside the door.
“Sweetie Belle, what are you looking at?” Asked Rarity with widened eyes. “Did you...see that?”
“Don't be nervous, sister,” Sweetie Belle said with a mischievous smile. “I won't tell other ponies about your jumping in place.”
Rarity blushed for a moment, then arrogantly turned her head and snorted. “Considering the Grand Galloping Gala, I won't argue with you today.” Then she took a small step out.
Actually, Sweetie Belle also wants to go to Canterlot to see something new - which pony wouldn't want to? That's the capital of Equestria, the city where Princess Celestia was living in. It was said that it was so luxurious, beautiful, and upscale.
Unfortunately, Rarity had to attend the grand event at the Royal Palace and couldn't take care of her; And she didn't have a ticket and couldn’t enter, so she could only play with friends in Ponyville. At first, she kept pestering Rarity to follow her, but surprisingly, Sweetie Belle only pestered for a few rounds before giving up.
Perhaps Mr. Miracle was right about this. Sweetie Belle was indeed more sensible than she imagined, although just might be a little bit more.
She walked out of Carousel Boutique and saw Pinkie jumping wildly on the trampoline outside.
“Pinkie, please stop jumping,” said Rarity as she walked over. “If you're sweating profusely from jumping, I won't be able to dress you in new clothes.”
Pinkie reluctantly stopped in the air and then slid to the ground. Rarity was about to ask why the other ponies hadn't arrived yet. Twilight had read everything she needed, and closed the book with magic, confidently preaching. “Let's do it.”
Upon hearing this, Spike brought an apple and placed it on the ground. “Twilight, please start to perform.”
“Apple? Do you want to make apple pie?” Pinkie blurted out, while Spike silenced her and asked her to watch carefully.
Twilight's horn burst with purple light, and a beam of light shot towards the apple on the ground. The apple suddenly swelled until it turned into a luxurious apple carriage.
“Oh my goddess! That's amazing!” Exclaimed the ponies.
“It's not over yet!” Twilight turned to Fluttershy and said. “Please ask your little friends to come out.”
“Is everything going to be okay?” Fluttershy said as she lowered her head, and four little white mice jumped out of her mane.
“Don't worry, they will be back to their original shapes by midnight,” Twilight said as she cast a spell on them, transforming the four mice into four tall horses - beautiful if their big front teeth and ears were ignored. “They can take us to Canterlot.”
At this moment, Rarity’s pet, cat Opal, jumped out of the bushes, obviously these four "horses" were still mice in her view. Fluttershy exclaimed at the sight and saw that it was about to scare away the four "rat horses", but Opal was caught in the air by a pony and could only wave her paws irritably.
The visitor was none other than Mr. Miracle, standing on his hind hooves with his front hooves gripping onto Opal. Behind him are Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.
The ponies breathed a sigh of relief. Thanked to Mr. Miracle, otherwise they would have had to walk over to Canterlot.
When Rarity saw him coming, her eyes lit up and she asked, “What brings you here?”
“You all have activities tonight, and naturally we have too.” Mr. Miracle said as he put Opal back on the ground. As soon as Opal reached the ground, she flew back into house like a bird.
“What activities?” Asked Rarity and Applejack, caring their sisters.
“We're also going to Canterlot!” A childish cheer came from behind them, and it was Sweetie Belle who rushed out of Carousel Boutique and shouted.
Then the three jumped up, clapped with Mr. Miracle, and shouted in unison, “‘CMCs’ Night Tour in Canterlot Operation’, yeah!”
“Are you going too?” Asked Rarity and Applejack in surprise.
As if he knew their concerns, Mr. Miracle explained once, “Don't worry, they'll come with me. I'll take good care of them, tighter than a rope.” After speaking, he really put yokes on himself and the three, and a tough rope stretched out from it to hang on his own yoke - This was not just a metaphor.”
“We still feel that –”
“It's okay, I've already sought the permissions of Granny Smith and Big Mac, and Scootaloo’s aunts, Holiday and Lofty, and Rarity and Sweetie Belles’ parents.” Mr. Miracle said confidently. “This can also be considered as a lesson I teach to these girls - being responsible.”
“Alright then,” Applejack took a step forward. “So what are you planning to play in Canterlot?”
“Well, I haven't figured it out yet. I'll probably go see the crown jewels, the golden apple tree, and the donut shop first.”
“Hey, these are where I plan to lead them to!” Interrupted Spike. “Did you also anticipate this?”
Mr. Miracle said calmly, “Just ignore these small details. I want to know if all these places are in the palace?”
“It's hard to say whether they're here or not. Although they're very close to the palace, the residents of Canterlot can still go to these places without the hassle of entering the palace.” Spike replied.
“Understood.” Then Mr. Miracle said to the three tied up, “After we've visited these places, if we still have time, we'll continue to take a stroll around Canterlot. But we have to come back at 11 o'clock, understand?”
The three immediately stood on their hind hooves and saluted with their right hooves, saying, “Understood!”
Rarity saw his various actions and guessed that he had probably foreseen what would happen tonight. She couldn't wait to ask the question that was related to her lifelong happiness, but she didn't dare to ask it in public.
But he spoke up voluntarily. “I know you don't like me being able to predict everything, but about tonight, the Grand Galloping Gala –”
“What?” The ponies asked together.
Rarity turned her head and saw that everyone was trying their best to hide their expected expressions. Well, she wasn’t the only one who wanted to know if her wish can come true tonight.
Mr. Miracle glanced back and forth and said, “Are you sure you want me to say it?”
“Speak up! No, still can't...” “Speak up! No...but, I still want to...” “Please say...no…” Obviously, they couldn't make up their minds at all, just like Rarity was worried about, wanting to get a definite result, but also afraid that the result might not be as expected.
“It’s okay, I'll just say a simple sentence to each pony. I won't say anything else.”
Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy looked at each other and finally nodded.
“Alright, then I'll say it.” Mr. Miracle pondered for a moment before beginning to speak one by one.
“Twilight, it's best for you to study magic that can be used for two purposes at once, or spells on telepathy.”
“Why?” Twilight immediately asked.
“Mmm!” Mr. Miracle shook his head, raised his hoof and pulled it around his mouth, as if he had zipped it up, indicating that he was only saying this to her.
Next was Rarity. “Rarity, your 'he'...may seem a bit 'unreasonable'.” he said as gently as possible.
Rarity wanted to know exactly what kind of "unreasonable" he was, but then realized: Wasn’t this telling her that she would meet her prince charming?
“Great! I mean...it's okay, after all, he's some kind of high societies in Canterlot. It's normal to be a little more dignified and serious, haha...” said Rarity, laughing in silliness.
Mr. Miracle wanted to persuade her, but he eventually stopped. Just one sentence, just one sentence, otherwise who knew if something unexpected will happen?
“Pinkie, you know there are many styles of parties, right?”
“Of course I know, why do you ask that?” Pinkie asked in confusion.
“You can think carefully about my words...” Mr. Miracle stopped and walked up to the next.
“Applejack, I just want to tell you: the tastes of the residents of Canterlot are quite different from that of Ponyville.”
Applejack was lost in thought. Didn't like apples? Was there any pony in this world who didn't like apples?
“Rainbow Dash, the purpose of your trip is to make friends, not to showcase yourself. You have to remember this.”
“Will this conflict?” Rainbow Dash asked in confusion. She wanted to make friends with Wonderbolts, wasn't showcasing herself the best way?
“Fluttershy, the animals in the Royal Palace are not like those in Ponyville, they are easily frightened.”
“Don't worry, I've always been gentle.” Fluttershy blinked her beautiful big eyes and said, but Mr. Miracle just had an expression of "you'll find out later".
Finally, he walked up to Spike. Spike looked left and then left again, only to find that there were no other ponies nearby. He pointed to himself in surprise and asked. “Do I also have a share?”
Mr. Miracle nodded and said, “Perhaps you can help fulfill their wishes.”
“What does 'fulfill their wishes' mean? They don't want my help.”
Mr. Miracle didn't reply, he just said to the ponies. “That's all I can say. You can go prepare quickly.”
So they entered Carousel Boutique with doubts, were ready to dress up well before going to Canterlot. Spike also wanted to follow, but Mr. Miracle pulled him aside.
“What's wrong?” Asked Spike.
“There are many things I can't tell them, but it's okay to tell you.” Then he said everything he knew - of course, due to time constraints, he just gave a brief summary.
Spike was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth.
“Are you saying: Princess Celestia doesn't have time to chat with Twilight because she needs to receive guests; the prince charming that Rarity wants to meet is actually that terrible pony, Prince Blueblood; the big carnival that Pinkie is looking forward to won't happen at all, because gatherings in Canterlot are very peaceful; Applejack's pastries can't be sold because those ponies want to eat high-end food; Rainbow Dash can't make friends with Wonderbolts, and the reasons are similar to Twilight; Fluttershy will scare away animals because she's too excited...” Spike counted them one by one with his claws. “Wow, the amount of information is really huge!”
“And you will also have to sit alone at the donut shop drinking hot cocoa because they have to act separately.” Mr. Miracle added.
“Ah? Well...then why don't I go and neither do you? Let's go to the library and play 'Ogres & Oubliettes' together.” said Spike gloomily. “At least a hundred times more fun than sitting and drinking drinks.”
“Now you understand why I don't want to tell them the whole story, right?”
“Understood,” Spike nodded. “So we're playing 'Ogres & Oubliettes' tonight?”
“Of course not.” Mr. Miracle shook his head decisively. “Once promised, then have to do it no matter what. Besides, the three little girls really want to go to Canterlot.”
“That's right!” Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo nodded together.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you have the opportunity to change everything!” Said Mr. Miracle, taking out six sachets. “I have written down the detailed information of each of them inside, and you need to help them 'unconsciously' according to the instructions above to achieve the most wonderful night.”
“Why didn't you tell them?”
“They are not as easily accepting of reality as you are. If I tell them directly that all their expectations will fall through, they will definitely not want to believe, or force themselves not to believe.”
“It seems that my wonderful night is about to be ruined.” sighed Spike.
“Who said that? Actually, I know you just want to spend the night with them and have fun. In a sense, helping them is also helping you; on the other hoof, the earlier they achieve their goals, the earlier they can gather together to exchange gains, and you can spend the rest of your time with them.”
Spike raised his eyebrows and thought for a moment, feeling that this was indeed the truth. He sighed and said, “It seems that nothing can escape your plan.”
“I just want to help them.” Mr. Miracle finally added. “Alright, CMC have to take action. We need to set off as soon as possible so that we can play for a while longer.”
After speaking, he temporarily untied the rope on his yoke and let Scootaloo pull the scooter with him. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat in the scooter. Due to her young age and lack of physical strength compared to Mr. Miracle, the other two had to switch shifts with her.
Spike watched as they drifted away, shrugged helplessly, and then began to wonder: how should he hide these six sachets?
Chapter 11: Journey to Canterlot-Part 2
Chapter 11: Journey to Canterlot-Part 2
In the bustling and upscale streets of Canterlot, within a three-hoof restaurant on Restaurant Row, CMC who had been running around for an hour were enjoying the dishes in front of them with gloomy expressions.
This restaurant, like other high-end restaurants, boasted luxurious and tasteful decorations. The tables were adorned with intricately carved white-silk tablecloths, and the seats were elastic and comfortable.
The tableware was clean enough to reflect the light, and the interior was filled with soothing classical music. Even the waiters were dressed in formal attire and had medium-parted manes.
But the environment didn't mean the experience was good. The food presented to them was indeed in line with the style of the restaurant - luxurious, exquisite, beautiful, and tasteful, but it completely lost what it should have as food: quantity and taste.
Even if there was only a little bit on each plate, they couldn’t eat them all because these things were bland and difficult to swallow.
“That was barely worth the effort, Mr. Miracle. I’m tired of this food.” Scootaloo stuck out her tongue and rubbed it back and forth. “I need a meal.”
“The food here isn’t the same as in Ponyville. We can only gain so much here,” Apple Bloom comforted her before Mr. Miracle could answer.
“It seems Canterlot is not as good as I imagined,” said Scootaloo, lowering her head in frustration. “Ugh! I wish we’d never been here.”
“It's not that bad…right?” said Apple Bloom. “At least the buildings are quite beautiful.”
Sweetie Belle shook her head and said, “For realsies? Because I think this place is not that much.”
This conversation gave Mr. Miracle a peculiar sense of intuition, and these three little girls inexplicably described themselves as extremely similar to the other three old friends that he was familiar with.
There was no other place to eat. The coffee in the cafeteria on the street was bitter and expensive, and snacks were impossible to eat enough. They could only go to the formal Restaurants; But the only delicious one he was familiar with hadn’t existed yet – The Tasty Treat that was going to be held by two unicorns. In the end, they had to settle for just one restaurant.
“I'll see if I can solve it,” Mr. Miracle comforted them, then stood up and said to the waiter, “Please call the manager. I have a heartless request to tell him.”
After a while, the manager walked over with a slightly uneasy expression. Obviously, he thought the customers at this table had objections to their food - in a sense, it was true, but not the way he thought.
The manager was a male unicorn with clean stubble, dressed in chef attire, and his cutie mark was a spatula. Mr. Miracle politely said, “If I'm not mistaken, your name should be Smoked Oat.”
“How do you know that? Oh, right, it is the name of this restaurant too,” said the manager with a nervous and polite smile.
“Don't be nervous, I just happen to know you didn't make this kind of bland and tasteless food before,” Mr. Miracle said. “We would like to try your signature dish from the past, is that okay?”
“Really? How did you know?”
“Uh...because, because you're called Smoked Oats?” Mr. Miracle quickly passed by and requested, “We want to eat your old dishes, please.”
“This...” The manager appeared somewhat hesitant. “I don't know...if it were to heard by Zesty Gourmand…”
Upon hearing this, Mr. Miracle turned his head and signaled to the three. They understood and immediately stared at the manager with shinning eyes and pitiful expressions.
“For the sake of the children, please!” Mr. Miracle said sincerely.
The manager swallowed a mouthful of saliva, hesitated for a moment, and finally agreed, “Okay, I'm willing to make my signature dish from before. But please don't tell anyone else, okay? I don't want to damage my reputation on this street.”
“Understood!” The four ponies all pulled their hooves around their mouths, meaning they had zipped them up. Then the manager ran back to the kitchen to get busy.
“Mr. Miracle, you're really amazing!” said Sweetie Belle. “Not only can you predict the future, but also predict the past!”
“Uh, Sweetie Belle, you can’t say ‘predict’ the past,” reminded Scootaloo. “Perhaps you should say 'know' the past?”
As they were conversing at their normal speaking volume, another table next to them erupted into a burst of annoying giggles.
Mr. Miracle looked over and noticed two "familiar looking" upper class couples - the male unicorn had a gray body, a black-split mane, tiny gentleman's glasses on the nose, and was wearing a green shirt; The female unicorn had a light-yellow body and a flowing-mane of light-purple and white, wearing earrings and a necklace. They all wore a woolen shawl over their clothes.
“The country bumpkins are just country bumpkins,” whispered the female unicorn. “No wonder they can't enjoy these high-end cuisines.”
“Forgive them. They may not even know Zesty Gourmand and not understand the meaning of the three-hoof,” said the male unicorn contemptuously.
Obviously, the voices of these two unicorns weren’t low enough, so that CMC listened word for word. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and said angrily, “Another reason to dislike Canterlot.”
“Why do they say that?” Sweetie Belle pouted.
“We need to reason with them,” Apple Bloom couldn't bear the anger and prepared to jump off her seat to argue. But Mr. Miracle stopped her and said calmly, “It's important to know debate only works for reasonable ponies, but they clearly aren’t reasonable.”
“So we just let them laugh at us casually?”
“No. We have something they don't have - such as manners,” he said, deliberately raising his voice and glancing at the two upper-class ponies.
“Give them a good look at our virtues. If somepony knows they haven't had the manners while four country bumpkins do have...well, it definitely won't ruin their reputations.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the giggles stopped and only faint moans could be heard. The three suddenly felt proud and sat upright happily, intending to show off their virtues.
But when it came to the dishes, their true selves were revealed (this signature dishes were smoked oats). Usually, no matter how much they ate, they didn't rush at all. However, this time they came here after a long journey of an hour. Just now, with those bland foods as a backdrop, the deliciousness of the delicious food had increased exponentially. They ate more and more freely.
After finishing their meals and paying the bill, the two upper-class ponies seemed to have found a vent, sarcastically mocking their unattractive eating habits.
Mr. Miracle squinted his eyes and ignored them, settling the bill on his own. When he left, he gave the manager a piece of advice - make the dishes he wanted to make.
Afterwards, they tidied up their emotions and went to the opera house, the art gallery, the library, the golden apple tree, and the cloud stadium...but most of them required appointments; The library didn’t ask tickets, but they came to Canterlot not just for reading.
The three were somewhat disappointed. They thought that big cities would be much more interesting than small towns, but the entertainment activities of these upper-class ponies could be described as “scarce”; Even worse, wherever they went, there were always one or two unicorns secretly mocking them.
Even more so, because most of the upper-class went to Grand Galloping Gala, the entire city appeared even quieter. No matter how beautiful these exquisite buildings were, they were tired of them.
“Mr. Miracle, should we go home?” said Scootaloo, lowering her head.
“Rarity keeps talking about how good Canterlot is, but I don't think so now,” Sweetie Belle agreed.
“Probably when Applejack returned to Sweet Apple Acres from Manehattan, she felt the same way,” sighed Apple Bloom.
It seemed that not only Twilight and her friends would be disappointed tonight, but also the three. Mr. Miracle felt a bit guilty, after all, it was he who suggested bringing them over to see the city, but it made everyone unhappy at all. What was that? He needed to change tonight into perfect .
So he stood still and came up with an interesting plan.
“Mr. Miracle, why did you stop?”
“I have an idea that can make tonight super fun!” Mr. Miracle laughed. “And it can also teach those upper-class a good lesson.”
Then he whispered his plan, just like the story he had told them before.
“Oh my goddess, isn't this the plot of The Million Bits Note ?” Apple Bloom remembered it best, and it was also the funniest story that Mr. Miracle had ever told. “Are you going to pretend a millionaire?”
“The Million Bits Note ? The story of the protagonist who, by chance, acquired a million bits fortune and rose to become a member of the upper-class?” asked Scootaloo with a raised eyebrow. “Are we going to play those upper-class?”
In stark contrast to the two, Sweetie Belle appeared unwilling. “I don't know, Mr. Miracle...Isn't this just deception? Our elders, including Twilight, and you, have taught us not to lie.”
“Sweetie Belle, don't be so narrow-minded.” said Scootaloo. “What else had Mr. Miracle said? ‘Specific situation...specific analysis?’ Yes, that's the sentence.”
“Don't worry, isn't the ending of the story good?” Apple Bloom also agreed with this idea. “I don't think this is as serious as 'dishonesty'...at most, it's just a small joke.”
“That's right, a small joke.” Mr. Miracle nodded. “I will be honest in the end, because only by being honest can we see the funniest expressions on those ponies. Alright, let's act quickly.”
“‘CMCs’ Million Bits Note Operation’, yeah!” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo jumped up and clapped with Mr. Miracle, but Sweetie Belle didn't seem to agree. In the end, she clapped her hooves, but as she walked towards the end, she murmured softly, “This is really different from what Mr. Miracle had taught.”
……
Just as CMC were planning to make a big move in Canterlot, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy arrived at the Canterlot Royal Palace. Each of them was dressed in a uniquely designed personalized dress, exceptionally beautiful and exquisite, showcasing their temperament without losing their essence. Spike was also wearing a black tailcoat.
As the girls were singing and laughing in the hall, Spike was still thinking about how to help Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.
Mr. Miracle did write sachets for them, to be precise, six sachets combined into a big plan:
Firstly, persuade the Princess Celestia not to be responsible for welcoming guests, but to let her nephew, Prince BlueBlood, take charge; Twilight and the Princess Celestia go to another room to chat, and Pinkie can hold a small party for them there; Because Prince Blueblood needs to welcome guests, whether or not Rarity can meet him, greet guests on the stairs with him, and chat with the upper-class; Fluttershy wants to make friends with the animals in the garden, so just let her go quietly; If Applejack wants to sell things, she has to let her sell those things that the upper-class like to eat; If Rainbow Dash wants to make friends with Wonderbolts, she has to create a space to coexist with them.
But this grand plan was too unreal , perhaps even Mr. Miracle himself realized that it was almost impossible to harvest joy in such a so-called “high society” celebration, so the plans were written in a very general way.
It seemed like as long as it was written in such a general way, Spike could do it. He could try, but if he couldn't, he still couldn't.
As soon as Twilight arrived, she saw Princess Celestia standing on the steps - the most beautiful, elegant, dignified, respected, unparalleled, and beloved alicorn princess in Equestria!
She had a tall figure, with a pale-pink body and a graceful and luxurious appearance. Her flowing and colorful mane and tail were so graceful, and her magenta eyes exuded wisdom. The extremely long horn on her head declared her prowess in magic.
Twilight rushed towards her eagerly, wanting to spend the whole night with her. But even more anxious than her was Spike, who didn't know how he unleashed that speed with such two short legs. In an instant, he approached Princess and nervously said:
“Royal Highness Princess, it's a great honor to see you again!” After saying that, Spike quickly saluted.
“I'm glad to see you too, Spike.” Princess Celestia smiled.
Spike was difficult to speak, let her not undertake welcoming guests? This was easy in saying, but how could he tell Princess Celestia perfectly? He had to say, “Royal Highness Princess, I want to tell you that Twilight has dreamed about today, and can’t wait to discuss some difficult issues with you...”
“Difficult issues?” Princess Celestia exclaimed in surprise. “Why did she never write about this to me?”
“This is because she feels...she feels that these issues are difficult to tell in letters!” said Spike as quickly as possible. “Anyway, it's quite tricky and she has to talk to you face to face. I don't think you would refuse her, would you?”
“I would be happy to communicate with my dearest student...but I still have to greet guests here. Maybe later?”
“This can't wait any longer! Welcoming guests is necessary, but solving Twilight's problem...is also very important, isn't it?” Spike was already sweating profusely, so he shouldn't have agreed to Mr. Miracle's “big plan”.
“You can let Prince Blueblood take over this job - as a member of the royal family, it's time for him to take on some royal responsibilities.”
“What you said makes sense, but –”
“No ‘but’, Royal Highness Princess!” Spike turned around and pointed to Twilight who came running quickly. “Can you see how eager and impatient she is?”
“But she looks quite happy, doesn’t she?”
“That's...that's because she's so happy to see you here, and you can help her solve the problems. Yes, that's it.”
After speaking, Twilight had already stepped up the stairs. She and Spike ran the fastest, while the subsequent guests had not yet entered the hall. “Glad to see you, Princess Celestia!”
“Twilight, Spike just said –”
“Just skip chatting! Hurry up and find a place...'Have a good talk'! Leave this to the prince and Rarity. Twilight can't wait anymore.”
“‘Can't wait?’” Twilight was a little confused, but then nodded confidently. “That's right, I can't wait any longer.”
Princess looked at the nervous Spike and then at the smiling Twilight, and sighed, saying, “Okay...so Spike, please help me notify my nephew to temporarily take over my job. Twilight, you can talk to me somewhere else.”
Upon hearing this, Twilight was so excited that she almost jumped up. “Really? Can I really talk to you alone? That's great!”
Princess at last glanced at Spike with a puzzled expression, and then walked towards another room with cheering Twilight. Spike breathed a relief-sigh as he watched them disappear behind the curtain.
“Step one, done!” He sweated and secretly glanced at Mr. Miracle's sachet. The next step was to have Prince Blueblood be responsible for welcoming guests, and then have Rarity and him communicate with the upper-class together.
Spike scanned the hall on the steps and soon saw the pony he was looking for - all white, dressed in a white black collar suit, with blonde mane and blue eyes, “looking” elegant and handsome, it was Prince Blueblood and he was planning to walk out of the hall and explore the garden.
“Found it,” Spike said, then ran to the prince with his short legs and blocked his way.
“Who are you?” asked the prince.
“Are you serious?” Spike raised his eyebrows and said, “Me, Twilight, and the princess are so familiar with each other. We have met you a few times, but you now said you don't know me?”
“Uh...maybe I know?” The prince awkwardly smiled. “What’s your name?”
“My name is Spike.”
“Oh, yes, Spike! I remember - you are the little follower of Princess Celestia’s student.” Prince Blueblood nodded. “Is there anything you need me to do?”
Upon hearing this, Spike said irritably, “Yes, indeed. Princess Celestia wants you to take over her responsibility for welcoming guests because she has some urgent matters to do.”
“What? No! I was just planning to go to the garden to admire some flowers!”
At this moment, Rarity walked into the hall through another door and immediately saw that Spike was talking to the prince. Excitedly, she ran over.
Of course, she was still struggling with whether to appear so "rushed" during the process, but all doubts disappeared in the beautiful fantasies. She slowed down in the last few steps, pretending to pass by unintentionally.
“Oh, miss, please stay.” Prince’s attention was immediately drawn to beautiful Rarity. “Hi, my name is Blueblood.”
“Hey! You were talking to me just now!” Spike said discontentedly. But his words were obviously ignored automatically by these two ponies.
“Oh, hello, my name is Rarity.” Rarity's heart was filled with spring, but she tried not to show it and did her best to showcase her temperament.
“I never expected you, such a beautiful young lady, to come to the gala tonight. I thought this year would be just as boring as before, turns out I was wrong.”
“Really? Thank you for the compliment, haha...” Rarity covered her mouth and giggled.
“Since you are such an elegant and beautiful lady, I would like to ask you to stand on that stage and welcome those guests for me.”
“Welcoming guests? Oh my goddess, this is such an honor!” Rarity immediately agreed.
“Hey, don't play tricks!” Spike interrupted in time. “Princess personally asked you to be responsible for welcoming guests! Rarity can go with you, but you have to go too.”
“Alright, alright, I go, really...” the prince muttered as he walked up the steps, while Rarity followed with shining eyes.
Spike shook his head. If it weren't for Mr. Miracle telling him that Rarity would never have liked the prince eventually, he wouldn't “match” them like this! It was just making Rarity’s wish come true. He thought.
“The second step was completed, and the next is to find Pinkie.” He put away the note and continued to take steps to the location of dance hall.
The dance hall of Royal Palace was extremely spacious, with a large group of high societies dressed in various costumes gathered here, discussing various "high-society" topics with each other - in fact, it was nothing more than weather, gossip, relatives, business, and other nutritionally meaningless words; At the forefront of the dance hall was a not very high platform, where classical bands play music seriously, but only few ponies were really listening; There were two rows of tables on both sides of hall, made of high-quality gold phoebe and covered with exquisite pink silk tablecloths. However, there were only a few glasses of panch on top, and no other snacks.
Pinkie's cheerful attire seemed so out of place, and Spike saw her sighing beside the table at a glance and quickly ran over.
“Hello, Spike,” Pinkie greeted without looking up.
“Why are you so frustrated? Didn't you say there would be a party you most wanted to attend at the gala?”
“There is a grand party on a large scale...but obviously not the kind I wanted,” Pinkie sighed deeply. “Mr. Miracle was indeed right, there are truly many types of parties.”
“I know what can cheer you up - a new party!” Spike tried to uplift her. “I know that Twilight and Princess Celestia are enjoying their time in a certain room. You can go and hold a small party for them.”
“Just two of them? I do want to...but just such few ponies…is little bit boring.”
“What if we add Wonderbolts and Rainbow Dash, as well as a few other ponies?”
“Well...that won’t be a problem!” Pinkie turned sadness into joy. “Can they really come?”
Spike nodded, and Pinkie jumped up to the ceiling with joy. However, considering the gaze of surrounding ponies, she restrained herself and then prepared to go with Spike. But he had other tasks to complete.
“Wait, won't you come with me?” asked Pinkie.
“I need to check on Applejack's situation and invite Wonderbolts. You just need to organize the party.”
“But I don't know which room to go.”
“Don't worry, you can ask the other ponies in charge of the event who should have seen them. Without further ado, I have to leave!” After speaking, Spike hurriedly left the door, leaving only Pinkie with a bewildered face.
Outside the garden, Applejack was thrilled to make her first deal - Soarin, one of the members of Wonderbolts, had just bought the only apple pie she had brought.
“It seems that Mr. Miracle has also made mistakes – there are still ponies who like apples!” Applejack muttered to herself. “What a pity that I have prepared so many snacks which aren’t made of apples.”
She referred to the few items on the cart that were too small to be appreciated, just like the "delicacies" on Restaurant Row. She replicated these foods based on her memories from Uncle Orange in Manehattan; As for the taste...she couldn't remember very clearly, so she could only try her best to make them delicious.
At this moment, Spike ran over panting heavily and saw that the things on the Applejack cart were exactly as Mr. Miracle had written, which relieved him.
“Spike, what brings you here?”
“Just to take a look, how's your business?”
“Great! I sold an apple pie just one minute after setting up the stall!” And then Applejack pointed to the things that no pony wanted to eat at first glance and could only be watched. “The only problem is, I don't know if these things will sell or not.”
“Believe in Mr. Miracle, he probably won't be wrong. You can actually try selling while walking, don't be confined to one place.”
Upon hearing this, Applejack suddenly realized. “That's right! Selling in this only one place may reach less than one tenth of potential customers. I have to push my cart to another place to take a look. Thank you for the reminder, Spike.”
“No need to thank me, by the way, do you know where Rainbow Dash is?” he asked.
“Rainbow Dash?” Applejack pondered for a moment and said, “Soarin just bought an apple pie and went to the VIP area. Rainbow Dash may also be there. But you're not a VIP and don't have any invitation, so you might not be able to enter.” After saying that, she pushed the cart away.
As soon as Spike thought about it, this was indeed a tricky problem. If he had known, he should have found Rainbow Dash first...No, first it should have been Twilight and Princess Celestia, then Prince Blueblood...Yes, he shouldn't have found Pinkie first, but Rainbow Dash first.
Never mind, it was useless to dwell on this now. He needed to quickly find Wonderbolts.
And deep in the garden, Fluttershy remembered Mr. Miracle's instructions - to approach those small animals quietly. Setting aside her previous mistake of mistaking the gardener for a meadowlark, she felt that tonight would definitely become very wonderful.
It seemed that tonight, with the efforts of Spike, things would move towards the direction that Mr. Miracle had hoped for. But could it really be as everyone wishes?
Chapter 12: Journey to Canterlot-Part 3
Chapter 12: Journey to Canterlot-Part 3
Canterlot suddenly welcomed a wealthy gentle pony.
His first appearance was at the auction house, where he bade 5000 bits for an ordinary vase (although it was eventually sold for another pony with 5100 bits), and gained great fame.
Many celebrities suddenly noticed this unfamiliar pony – light-brown all over, with a black-mane and a small mustache, wearing a pair of glasses and a black tailcoat, named Adam. He also had three young girls accompanying him, all of whom he said were family relatives.
The news quickly went viral in high society. It was said that he was a distribution tycoon who traveled around Equestria, with sharp eyes for making money. He could speak fluently to whatever questions were asked. At first, most of the ponies didn't trust him very much, but his speech was even more aristocratic than that of a noble pony, his network seemed boundless, and his knowledge was even more profound, gradually conquering them.
Even such the capital like Canterlot couldn't catch his eye. He claimed to have been to many places, but in his opinion, cities such as Canterlot, Manehattan, and Las Pegasus were just "second tier cities"; When asked what constitutes the “first tier cities”, he immediately mentioned super cities that no pony had ever heard.
In his narration, the prosperity of these super cities was both real and unreal, exaggerated and realistic, imaginative and tightly fitting, and the listeners were all intoxicated.
Some upper-class directly hosted a dinner party for him, so that he could continue to share the secrets that could bring in millions of incomes. So inside the Canterlot Hotel, he stood on the stage talking confidently, while the upper-class below lost their dignity and listened attentively like elementary school students.
“Perhaps these things may sound novel, but believe me, there's nothing new about them. If you could travel around the world like me, your view would be as broad as mine. I have no intention of being rude – I’m always willing to show courtesy to any pony - but these repeated old things will only waste my time and yours,” said the mysterious wealthy pony named Adam calmly.
He had a noble temperament in every move and gesture, with a noble accent that convinced ponies even more.
“May I ask why you came to Canterlot? If your coming isn’t for Grand Galloping Gala, what is it for?” a pony raised his hooves and asked.
“Grand Galloping Gala? Please forgive my impulse to laugh,” Adam said astonishingly, but still remained expressionless, ignoring the shocked eyes of the audience, as if his words were ordinary. “If it hadn't reached the level of 'New Year's Carnival', 'Benelux Carnival', or 'Parade of Saints', it would have been difficult to call it ‘grand’- but can I blame Canterlot for that? I'm afraid not. I can only blame me for seeing too much and you for seeing too little. The reason why I'm willing to spend time here instead of dealing with my huge business, is just because of a one million bits deal.”
“How much?” “One...one million?” “One million? One million bits? Is it really one million?” ...The audience immediately discussed, some suspecting that he was bragging, while others were deeply shocked.
Adam ignored the audience and only said to himself, “Of course, one million is just a small amount, isn't it? I believe many gentle ponies sitting here don't care about this amount of money. But unfortunately, I’m in vacation. The task of guiding these young girls was entrusted to me, and I had to come.”
He was referring to the three accompanying little ponies, all wearing sunglasses and expressionless like him. “It doesn't matter whether it's a loss or a gain, what's important is exercise, though the first business was only one million - it really can't be considered an 'achievement' in my family.”
“Is it really...one million, Mr. Adam?” The audience boldly asked.
“Oh, dear sir. I wouldn't lie for just one million.” Adam held his head high. His words full of sarcasm, but his tone and accent were still more noble and gentlemanly than a noble pony. “I can be frank with you all: this order is about Ponyville. My distant aunt's nephew's grandson's thirteenth uncle is responsible for distributing Ponyville - most of the food and raw materials for all the celebrations in Canterlot come from there. That's why after three years of organizing the event, the debt has reached one million, and he didn't have time to come. So I came here, bringing the three future successors to familiarize myself with the business.”
He said, taking out a contract and a note. Although contracts were not commonly used, everyone had seen and heard of them; Only that note was really fresh - a small cotton paper with high-end ink printed on it with the floral characters "Canterlot" and "Horsefeller Family", with a large "1, 000, 000" in the middle.
“May I ask Mr. Adam what note is?”
“It seemed that in Equestria no one has yet been exposed to this advanced trading method.” Adam did not hide his knowledge and arrogance.
“The ‘note’ is a voucher issued by the payer to the payee, which can be used to claim payment based on a specified date. It is usually suitable for transactions with huge amounts. For example, in this business, if we have to collect the money in every celebration, it is too inefficient; so we use the note, collect it once every three years. Sometimes, we will do the opposite, collect three years' payment in advance, and then deliver goods in installments and batches,” he said while gesturing on the note.
“I see!” The ponies nodded and said in unison.
“So, are you going back after collecting the payment?” Asked an upper-class.
Adam looked angry when he heard this. “When it comes to 'collecting payments', it makes me mad! Pony who is in charge is going to participate in Grand Galloping Gala tonight, so he doesn't have time to talk to me in detail, then I have to wait until tomorrow.
“He said that as compensation, he will cover the shipping costs and vehicles for the money, but I am still unhappy - it's not about money, it's about time! I also have to negotiate the vanilla contract with Yakyakistan, the mineral business with Dragon Domain, the gold with Griffonstone, the crude oil with Saddle Arabia, and the ocean development with Hippogriff Kingdom...In this way, I have to postpone my future work.”
“May I ask about the pony is in charge...what is his name? We may know him.”
“His name is Fancy Pants, and he always has a female companion named Fleur de Lis.”
“Oh my goddess, it turns out to be Fancy Pants. We all know him! He is one of the most prestigious upper-class in Canterlot.”
“Oh, please forgive me for being blunt...but it seems that the celebrities of Canterlot are just so so - can Fancy Pants be considered the most prestigious celebrities?” Adam still said expressionlessly. “The so-called 'prestigious' should at least be at the level of a ‘princess’, right?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room was shocked, and everyone's chin fell in shock, speechless. But Adam just stretched his hooves, yawned, and said, “After talking so much, my mouth is dry. I really wish I could end this business quickly and go to another city.”
He spoke careless, but the audience listened careful. The ponies had presented were all fascinated by this “one million bits business” - mainly the note.
The contract had clearly stated that one million bits can be withdrawn with the note, whether it was him or other; Of course, this didn't mean they want to steal it, after all, there was only one note, and if it was stolen, no one dared to actually use it to withdraw money - they were thinking about whether they could buy this note at a lower price.
The current situation was that Adam was in a hurry to close the business, and time was the most precious to him. It seemed that the saved time could make him earn more “one million”. So what reason was there for him not to sell this note for 800, 000 or 700, 000 bits and quickly went back to handle other business?
More than one upper-class came up with this idea. When Adam stepped down from the stage, the other ponies swarmed around him, either flanking, patting the horse, or expressing their feelings directly, causing Adam great distressed.
Finally, he loudly stopped all the ponies, saying that he was a little tired and wanted to be alone for a while. If they had any business to consult, they could ask the three young attendants.
Then he introduced these three girls to the celebrities:
The first one was Apple Scarlett Horsefeller, a family that was said to have close relationships with the Apple family spread throughout Equestria, focusing on crop and land businesses.
The second one was Diamond Bellerillard Horsefeller, a family that was said to have close ties with Diamond Dogs and Saddle Arabia, specializing in jewelry, minerals, clothing, and other businesses.
The third was Marilyn Monloo Horsefeller, a family that was said to focus on the gambling and competition industries and had established branches in Las Pegasus and Grand Western City.
Although these three girls were still young, they had the same taste as Adam when it came to business. They were not shy at all and could answer questions from many ponies fluently. At the banquet, many ponies blushed and turned red in their ears for the opportunity to speak with them.
One pony was talking when another came over to mock and demolish the platform; Halfway through the conversation, several ponies suddenly crowded over to compare prices, shouting loudly for a gross profit of one or two bits; Even worse, there were a few who gathered together to raise money and vowed to take the note.
That night, these upper-class were full of ugliness, and the three did not hide their contempt and disdain; The more contemptuous they were, the more these ponies believe in their strong family background, otherwise how could they have such confidence?
In short, after a fierce struggle for discourse power, many ponies finally set their goals: firstly, the note; and secondly, the business that these three girls were responsible for. In order to achieve the goals, the ponies launched various “attacks” on the three, including flattery, bribery, praise, and banter...They gradually couldn't hold on and finally let go, revealing their true feelings.
Originally, their thoughts were the same as Mr. Adam's. They thought that the one million business was wasting time and suggested selling the note for 800, 000 bits and going home quickly; But Mr. Adam refused due to etiquette.
Upon hearing this, the upper-class lit up their eyes - as long as they spent 800, 000 bits to buy the note, they could get one million bits from Fancy Pants and make a net profit of 200, 000 bits. But 800, 000 was also an astronomical amount, and these ponies couldn’t afford it.
So they formed two groups, intending to raise money to buy the note, and then exchange them and share them according to their investment ratio.
Not all ponies had the ability to make up their minds, so they came up with other business ideas. According to Apple Scarlett, the Apple family planned to enter Canterlot, although they couldn’t directly plant here, they could open a food market and build a food factory. Think about how many ponies in Canterlot, this factory could definitely make a lot of money.
The Apple family had always valued quality, and proving their ability and qualifications to start a factory was not an easy task; However, Apple Scarlett hinted that as long as she was satisfied, she could "lower the standards" and secure the management rights for the other party.
According to Diamond Bellerillard, it had recently discovered not only oil mines, but also a large gemstone mine in Saddle Arabia waiting to be developed. The owner of the mine happened to be a member of her family, but unfortunately stopped work due to lack of money just before digging out the mine.
As long as there was a pony willing to sponsor the mining site to continue construction, there would definitely be a considerable dividend when the gemstones were produced.
The shares sold by the mine were limited, and Diamond Bellerillard held a portion of them herself. However, she wanted to use this money to invest in other industries, so she implied that as long as she was satisfied, she was willing to sell her shares at a lower price.
According to Marilyn Monloo, her family planned to open a separate gambling industry in Canterlot, and the ponies racing project at Cloud Stadium was also part of it; But in the views of the family, Canterlot was just a small town, and members of the family were unwilling to come in person, so they planned to sell the agency rights.
Gambling was a lucrative business, and just drawing profits was enough to ensure a comfortable life. Therefore, the agency rights were not easily obtained. However, Marilyn Monloo hinted that as long as she was satisfied, she was willing to give some kind words and raise the priority to secure the bid.
The ponies also learned from those "advanced experiences", writing notes and contracts to each other. The money they held first formed a river, and then crisscrossed into a big net. The wealth of each pony was a node in it, and one pull could affect the whole body.
Some ponies compromised with other ponies just for the sake of "priority bargaining", some ponies were willing to spend a lot of money now for "future interests", and some ponies were even willing to go bankrupt for the note.
Watching these ponies lose control even more, the three who had been originally thought to be fun now swallowed a mouthful of saliva. This “little joke” may had gone too far.
As the night deepened, the gala continued, and so did the “carnival” here. In the end, Adam agreed to sell the note worth one million at a price of 690, 000 due to the request. The winning group cheered and immediately stated that they would be responsible for all expenses related to Adam's stay at the hotel.
Ignoring the noise in the hotel lobby, tired Adam and worried three went upstairs and stayed in the most luxurious room. However, no matter how luxurious the room was, no matter how exquisite the furnishings were, no matter how delicious the snacks were, they couldn't be happy.
They were already wearing jewelry, ornaments, and necklaces given by those celebrities, and their backpacks were filled with gems, bits, contracts, and vouchers pre-paid by them.
The room was already filled with valuable collectibles such as clothing, various gemstones, statues, porcelain, paintings, and more, all sent by the upper-class.
Adam and the girls took off their disguises, and it was Mr. Miracle, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. Only Mr. Miracle had a smile on his face, while the remaining three looked at everything in front of them with concern.
“Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, I think we have to admit - it's all too much!” said Apple Bloom.
“Yeah, they're crazy!” said Scootaloo in a slightly flustered tone. “Without any evidence, they paid all for just a piece of paper!”
“I told you!” Sweetie Belle said. “We should stop immediately, preferably return to Ponyville tonight?”
“Return? Why do we have to return?” Mr. Miracle seemed still excited and took out the worthless “note”, saying, “The payment they promised hasn't been collected yet. Can you imagine? As long as we complete this deal, we will be millionaires.”
“‘Completed?’” The three were startled and lost their composure.
Apple Bloom blurted out, “This should have been just a small joke! But the current situation is really frightening. We should give up immediately and leave now!”
“Yes, let's go. I never want to come back to Canterlot again,” agreed Scootaloo.
“And Mr. Miracle, you can't continue to do it - This paper is fake. As long as they find Fancy Pants, everything will be exposed!” Sweetie Belle warned.
But Mr. Miracle couldn't listen at all and refused to let go of the upcoming golden and silver mountains. He mysteriously smiled and said, “Don't worry, I have a plan. Tomorrow I will lie and claim that my note was stolen, and they will definitely mobilize the whole city to help me find it; take advantage of this chaotic moment and we will run away with the money.”
“But then it will be fraud!”
“What does it matter? Anyway, we don't like these upper-class. Have you forgotten how they mocked us?” Mr. Miracle seemed to have been mesmerized by this sudden huge sum of money, no longer the wise and calm he used to be.
“But what if they have doubts and decide not to buy the note?”
“Not to buy? Then another group would definitely be willing to ‘seize the opportunity’ and take over.” Mr. Miracle took a deep breath and paced back and forth in the room, seemingly brainstorming the next steps.
In short, his goal was to take away all the wealth that was “given for free” by the upper class. He even started persuading the three to implement the plan together.
“Think about it, with this huge sum of money, what can you do?” Mr. Miracle's voice calmed down, but beneath the calm, there were words that bewitched the soul.
“Apple Bloom, if you can renovate Sweet Apple Acres and even buy all the business of Filthy Rich, Tiara will no longer be able to mock you. Your reputation in the Apple family will be unparalleled, and you will become the heroine to Applejack, Big Mac, and Granny Smith!
“Scootaloo, with this money, not only can you watch the performances of Wonderbolts every day, but you can even buy the entire team through sponsorship! Think about it, the entire team only performs for you, and you will be their only VIP from now on! I know you admire Rainbow Dash, if you have this kind of relationship with Wonderbolts, what would her attitude be towards you?
“Sweetie Belle, with these treasures, you can not only help your sister achieve her dreams, but also help her open other stores throughout Equestria. Think about it, when you do these things, how will Rarity thank you? You can also have your own fashion store, and even celebrities like Hoity Toity, Photo Finish, Sapphire Shores, all will become your friends.”
Upon hearing this, the three were momentarily moved. Indeed, these were what they, or rather the ponies they admire, dreamed of. But it was precisely because of the ponies they admired that they woke up from a dream, realizing that not only those upper-class, but even Mr. Miracle in front of them had fallen into madness of being rich.
They exchanged a glance, their eyes becoming decisive and resolute.
“No!” They shouted loudly, with tight-closing eyes.
“What?”
“We said ‘no’! This is all going too far, we have to stop now.”
“Don't you understand? The money...” Mr. Miracle tried to fight for it.
Apple Bloom took a step forward and said, “Although Applejack hopes to renovate Sweet Apple Acres, if we use this dirty money to achieve our goal, we would rather go bankrupt!”
Scootaloo took a step forward and said, “With these dirty money, not only will Rainbow Dash be disappointed with me, but even Wonderbolts won’t accept such rude requirements.”
Sweetie Belle took a step forward and said, “Things that are not obtained through one's own efforts are all fake and meaningless. Rarity will only feel sad and upset
Then the three shouted loudly together, “Mr. Miracle, you must wake up now! This is not you! We want the former proud members of CMC back!"
Their cries, though childish, were deafening, causing Mr. Miracle to finally begin to reflect on everything he had done and learned. He once dreamed of coming to Equestria and living a simple and happy life. But now, did he still want to live with his previous mentality and appearance?
No.
“You're right…what have I done!” Mr. Miracle gasped heavily. Then he suddenly punched himself with his hoof, with tremendous force.
“What are you doing?!” The three quickly ran forward.
“It's okay, I deserve it.” Mr. Miracle's face immediately showed a bruise, which felt very painful to the touch, but the pain was just right, which made him remember everything well. “Let's leave now, we'll leave all these things here and not take any with us.”
“Awesome!”
So the four ponies quickly put all the gold and silver jewelry, vouchers, and bits they had obtained into the middle of the room, and piled them together with the clothes, gems, and other collectibles that had been sent. Before leaving, they double checked their pack and mane to ensure that nothing was left on them.
Until late at night, as the upper-class gradually dispersed, CMC emerged from the room and quietly sneaked to the hotel entrance. Seeing the empty streets devoid of any ponies, they took the route and ran all the way to the train station.
They ran and laughed on the road, never so happy before, as if they had lost their heavy burden. Mr. Miracle was the most so. Usually, “losing” always makes one sad, sorrowful, and regretful, but this “losing” made him so relaxed and relieved; He usually taught the three, but this time it were they who taught him.
When they got on the train, it felt like they were from another world. Although the journey to Canterlot didn’t develop as expected, the outcome was always good.
On the other hoof, Grand Galloping Gala had finally come to an end. Had Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy fulfilled their wishes? Are the efforts of Spike and Mr. Miracle effective?
It could only be said that it was effective at first, but in the end, it seemed that Mr. Miracle still couldn't change the outcome, and they didn't achieve their wishes.
At first, Twilight had a great chat with Princess Celestia, but soon they realized it was a “irrelevant answer” - the princess had been worried about Twilight's problems, her face couldn't help but be serious, and her tone was different from usual, which actually led Twilight to think that the princess was not satisfied with her and became more nervous.
When she was nervous, the princess thought she had more problems and spoke more urgently; The princess became more urgent, and Twilight became more nervous...This kind of repetitive dialogue was torture for both sides, and only in the end did they realize it was all a misunderstanding. But when the truth was discovered, the celebration had been almost over.
At first, Rarity thought it was a great honor to talk to those celebrities, let alone Prince Blueblood who was by her side; However, the performance of the prince could be described as extremely rude, with his speech appearing short-sighted, aloof, and arrogant.
He also unconsciously belittled Ponyvilld in some conversations, which made it unbearable for Rarity. She also couldn't bear the neglect of those upper-class towards her.
They basically only talked to the prince, and no matter how polite she was, she only talked briefly for a few words. After finally welcoming, the prince did not show any expected demeanor or etiquette, which completely angered her.
At first, Pinkie was happy, until Spike said he couldn't invite Wonderbolts, and Rainbow Dash also preferred to stay with the team; Rarity and the prince traveled together but didn’t come; Fluttershy was outside interacting with animals and didn't come; Applejack was busy selling snacks, but she didn't come. The only remaining Twilight was focused on "explaining" and "pleading" with Princess Celestia at that time, and had no interest in attending the party.
In the end, it turned into a party for Pinkie only, oh yes, and Spike, but that's all.
The sales path of Applejack was also at a loss. Indeed, many high-end ponies were willing to eat her bland and tasteless "food", but none were willing to pay - there was a buffet restaurant inside the celebration, and everything was free - who would buy her food?
By the time she finally baked a luxurious cake, the ponies were basically full. The only good news was no waste, she and her friends ate it eventually.
Rainbow Dash really wanted to attract Wonderbolts’ attentions, and she tried to follow Mr. Miracle's instructions, but it didn't work. The team had their own network in Canterlot, and she couldn't intervene no matter what.
In the end, she took a desperate gamble and deliberately showed off her skills to attract attention, but it was still useless. After the gala ended, she realized that she had been indulging in pleasing them all night, but had neglected to enjoy the gala itself - she hadn’t even eaten anything.
Fluttershy thought she could spend a wonderful night with those small animals, but found that most of them were silent and reserved. Even if Fluttershy didn't scare them, they were just doing their own thing on the trees and grass, without any intention of talking to Fluttershy.
She also wanted to initiate some topics, but those topics that were effective for ordinary animals were completely opposite to these - perhaps these animals were also infected by Canterlot culture. She awkwardly spent two hours on the grass.
They, Spike, and Princess Celestia finally went to the donut shop together and had a simple supper. But it was this last little bit of time that became the finishing touch of the whole night.
They found that only being with friends could truly bring happiness. Upon careful consideration, the Princess Celestia found that although the conversation with Twilight was quite torturous, it was somewhat comical and peculiar. At least it wasn't dull and boring, and she genuinely laughed.
Twilight silently recited in her heart, “Tonight I learned an important lesson - sometimes things don't go as expected and it can be frustrating, but such opportunities always exist. What's important is that we still have friends who can face these sudden changes together and try our best to develop them in a positive direction; what friends do together is not important, but 'friends together' itself is important. ”
……
The next day, the fanatical upper-class rushed into the Canterlot Hotel, thinking of their dreams of being rich while pushing each other. However, when they pushed open the room, they found that there was nothing inside except for the property they gave over last night, which indicated that everything from last night was not a dream.
The good news was all the properties they sent were there, and those four 'scammers' didn’t take a bit; The bad news was that before they left, they wrote a letter to them, detailing how someone had done something absurd, such as spending all their money just for a piece of paper, turning nasty for the benefits, and even causing marital discord over how to spend the huge amount of money afterwards...In the end, they didn't forget to express their ridicule directly.
The upper-class felt ashamed and immediately agreed that no one should mention this again, treating it as if it didn't exist at all.
Chapter 13: The Lucid Dream
Chapter 13: The Lucid Dream
The Grand Galloping Gala was just a small part of autumn. After Running of The Leaves, the deep autumn of Ponyville officially arrived.
The leaves turned yellow, the autumn wind was bleak, and the weather gradually cooled down, followed by Nightmare Night. Although there were some minor incidents that evening, except for Fluttershy, all the residents in town had a great time, including the "sudden guest" – Princess Luna.
Twilight and Mr. Miracle were the first two ponies who expressed no fear and tried to help her integrate. She knew Twilight, even if she hadn't seen her before, she had heard from her sister Princess Celestia; But Mr. Miracle? she had never heard of this pony that looked completely ordinary except without cutie mark.
This pony demonstrated extraordinary wisdom and ultimately, together with Twilight, lifted everyone's prejudice against her. Now, after a thousand years, she had once again become a princess respected by ponies.
By the way, Mr. Miracle and the three of CMC dressed completely different from the others - more terrifying and eerie, earning more candies than other children; Spike was even more frightened and kept hiccuping repeatedly.
Apple Bloom painted wounds and scars on her body, and added three twisted red tentacles on her back, each with a triangular "bone" at the tip (made of cardboard, of course).
Scootaloo also had the same paint on her body, and then added a huge orange yellow cyst on her back, which looked like it could explode at any moment (inside was actually orange juice).
Sweetie Belle was equally terrifying, with a thick red tail attached to the mane and a "bone" barb at the end (also made of cardboard).
And Mr. Miracle added two forelimbs to his shoulders, just like a mantis, with two large sickles at the ends, still made of paper. These dress-up plans were certainly come up with by him, so ponies had never seen them before.
According to him, these inspirations came from a horror game, and he joked, “Fortunately, there was no pony dressed up as ‘Isaac’ tonight.”
Who was Isaac? Mr. Miracle only explained that Isaac was a very skilled engineer; As for the rest, the three had better not to know.
After the joyful Nightmare Night, Princess Luna finally began to fulfill her "royal duties". Now that the ponies all know and like her, she didn't have to be afraid of entering other ponies' dreams and scaring them.
Her duty was to patrol dreams, just as the name, it was to observe the dreams of the ponies. When she saw a pony suffering from nightmares, she would enter and help him/her untie the knot in his/her heart. This was a very meaningful job, but also easy to get tired. However, she felt fulfilled.
The sun set and the moon rose, and Princess Luna began a new round of patrolling in her room. Under the magic of the moon, she entered a wonderful space where she could not distinguish direction, time, and location. Countless ponies' dreams turned into crystal balls, floating and rising around her.
It seemed that the vast majority of the ponies had good dreams tonight: Twilight dreamed that Princess Celestia gave her an A+, and her parents, brother, and best friends were all congratulating her on the side;
Rarity dreamed that her fashion stores had opened all over Equestria, and she was always on the cover of fashion magazines. Hoity Toity, Photo Finish, Sapphire Shores and she were chatting and laughing happily, and even travel writer Trenderhoof was at her hooves;
Pinkie dreamed...It was hard to describe, or perhaps no pony could describe that scene. Luna felt that a sealed-old draconequus might have a common topic with her...Anyway, she seemed very happy, that was enough.
Applejack dreamed of an unprecedentedly prosperous Sweet Apple Acres, where apple juices, zap apple sauces, normal apples, and other apple products became designated foods and drinks for Grand Galloping Gala. Princess Celestia cut the ribbon for the construction of the barn in person...Applejack's parents were also present at the scene.
Rainbow Dash dreamed that she joined Wonderbolts, and not only that, she could also break through her limits and use the “Triple Sonic Rainboom”. Regardless of whether it could be achieved in reality or not, at least in her dream, it was cool - at least 20% cooler!
Fluttershy dreamed of being surrounded by a group of cute newborn little dragons, looking excited and thrilled. However, because she had not yet witnessed the process of dragon hatching with her own eyes, the scene was somewhat unrealistic.
The dreams of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were relatively vague, representing that they slept very deeply. But the overall content was about acquiring cutie marks that were unknown, and being praised by elders when growing up.
Only the dream of one pony caught her attention, and it was difficult to determine its nature because the dream owner was extremely conscious in the dream, just like being awake; On the other hoof, he might not even realize that was a dream. What interested her the most was the identity of the dream owner, who was one of the first ponies to not be afraid of her, Mr. Miracle.
If it had been a good dream, she wouldn't have casually gone in to watch in detail; But this time it was different. She saw something special in his dream...or rather, the dream was filled with special things. The more she looked at it, the more frightened she became. Her eyes widened, and her chin almost trembled.
Because he in the dream was not a pony.
……
In an apartment with a style and layout that was completely different from Equestria, a young "person" with black hair was sleeping on the table, perhaps thirsty, slowly opening his eyes drowsily. He saw his laptop, desk, photos, pen holder...as well as the poster of My little Pony animated series on the wall.
He took a deep breath, looked around, and saw that the layout of the room was the same as he remembered. He couldn't help but smile bitterly and say, “So it's really a dream...” But then his nose twitched and he took another deep breath, staring blankly at the poster on the wall.
“Is this dream too real?”
He was indeed Mr. Miracle, perhaps one should say 'once was'? He looked very depressed, lost, confused, and sad...Many negative emotions were mixed in his mind at this moment. He stood up and took a sip of water, glanced at the clock on the wall, and it showed to 3:30 in the morning.
“What day is it today? I might have to go to work tomorrow...” He muttered to himself as he picked up his phone next to the computer and opened it. The wallpaper was all ponies, with “Saturday” clearly written on it.
“Awesome!” His negative emotions temporarily subsided. “Should I watch it again tomorrow, or EQG? It's also good to watch Rainbow Rocks again...How many times has I watched? Twelve times maybe.”
The young man paced back and forth in the room, pouncing on the bed to rest - there were no pony dolls on the bed. He was unexpectedly awake, completely without any drowsiness.
“My brain, you're really awesome! I’ll watch it now!” He suddenly got up, opened his computer, and skillfully navigated into familiar websites, seasons, and first episode. A book slowly opened on the screen, and soothing music came through. This was the tenth time he had officially heard this melody.
“Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land…”
“Ah - where the dream begins!” he said satisfactorily.
He made wonderful comments on the content on the screen while watching, as if he were immersed in it.
What he didn't know was that outside the window behind him, on the abnormally large moon, there was a 'visitor from another world' who looked at everything with shock on her face.
The young man was completely unaware of the unusually fast progress of the video - although he had memorized all the episodes, was it a complete replica like a video? And perfectly restored all the content of an episode's duration? This still didn't work, so each episode just played the content he remembered quickly.
“Princess Luna, your performance is too weak!”
“Discord, you old bastard!”
“I'm thinking, what will happen if Lord Tirek is going to absorb the magic of the cutie pox…”
“The royal guards are useless as always, and they still have to rely on Twilight and her friends.”
“Perhaps they should recruit Flim and Flam? These two unscrupulous merchants really have something.”
“The ice-arrow sport in Equestria Games is really powerful, why don't they use it to fight the villains?”
“Great and powerful Trixie! You have a new scar on your face.”
“Princess Celestia lost to Queen Chrysalis…well, what can I say?”
“Shining Armor, are you awake?”
“Star Swirl the Bearded, you old bastard!”
“Is there any bank or economic system in Equestria?”
……
Comments like these were endless, and the one on the moon could hardly understand them. She only knew that everything that had happened so far was replayed on that brick called the “computer”.
When Nightmare Night was replayed, she was surprised to find that there was no Mr. Miracle inside; Not only that, but he was not present in everything that the “computer” played.
Suddenly, the shadow of a unicorn head appeared on the moon, and a tall, deep purple-black unicorn with wings on her back, blue and purple mane, and a tail flowing like a ribbon appeared from it. It was Princess Luna.
Unlike the monkey-shaped creature with two legs and a flat nose, Princess Luna knew clearly that this was his dream. But she also wondered at this moment, was this guy really Mr. Miracle? After all, Mr. Miracle was a pony, and this one...was like the "person" mentioned by her sister.
It wasn't until he said, “Ah, I want to have a cutie mark, I also want to know my life goals,” that she finally confirmed that this was Mr. Miracle indeed. But why did he look like this? Why did “computer” play everything that was about to happen, was happening, or hadn't happened yet?
This guy was full of mysteries, the only solution was to ask.
She flew straight down from the sky and crossed the wall - she was the master of dreams and could naturally change the scenes in them. She stood behind the young man, while he was staring intently at the screen, unaware of the situation behind him.
“Will Discord be free?” asked Princess Luna calmly.
This sentence really scared the young man. He immediately jumped up from his seat, touched the ceiling, and then looked up to see Princess Luna. At that moment, he seemed to understand something and pinched his thigh hard, but there was no pain at all.
“I knew it! I should have pinched it from the beginning!” he muttered to himself, then jumped down from the ceiling. Now his negative emotions naturally disappeared - replaced by tension and fear.
“Wait, are you speaking English or Chinese?” he continued with a sudden question.
“What are ‘English’ and ‘Chinese’?” Princess Luna asked in confusion.
“I understood, you should be speaking English, after all, I have been communicating with you all in English since I was in Ponyville...And this is a dream, where we communicate directly through consciousness, so it doesn't matter what language we use, because in dreams, communication doesn't require language as a 'carrier'...It's just our brains creating a 'speaking' context to rationalize this process and facilitate understanding...” he continued to mutter to himself.
“Well, um...aside from the parts I don't understand, you're right.” Princess Luna nodded. “But you still haven't explained what 'English' and 'Chinese' are.”
“These are the language I use, and I also have some basic knowledge of Spanish...In short, the language used by the ponies is English, but you may call it 'Pony Language' or 'Common Language'.”
“I think I have too many questions to ask you,” said Princess Luna, looking at the stranger in a somewhat flustered manner.
The young man, Mr. Miracle, let out a long sigh and sat down, saying, “I knew my secret would eventually be revealed, but I didn't expect it to be so soon, and in my dream.”
“So…Who are you?”
“Me? I...if you want, you can still consider me as 'Mr. Miracle',” he said, suddenly realizing that it was his dream. So the scene suddenly changed, the entire building twisted, deformed, and discolored, until it turned into the outskirts of Ponyville, and he transformed back into the familiar Mr. Miracle. “This’s much better.”
“It seems that you didn't originally belong to Equestria.”
“Indeed,” Mr. Miracle was quite candid. “I'm not even a pony, but I really enjoy being a pony - aside from the torment of the initial adaptation stage.”
“I know there is a mirror in Canterlot that opens every thirty 'moons' and leads to another world, but I have never been inside...Did you come from there?”
“Um...yes or no. Anyway, you can think so for now.”
“This is troublesome. As far as I know, there is a parallel world outside the magic mirror...If you come to Equestria, you may break that balance –”
“Relax,” Mr. Miracle appeared very calm. “In fact, I may know more about that mirror than you do - no offense! But as far as I know, many shuttles have no consequences, basically just go whenever you want.”
“Have you used it to shuttle through many times?”
“No, I don’t mean that.” Mr. Miracle raised his front hoof, trying to calm her down. “I have only traveled once, so now I am sleeping and dreaming in Ponyville, and you’re talking to me in my dreams, that's all.”
It seemed that this issue was far more complex than imagined, so Princess Luna had to change the topic.
“What's going on in that 'computer'? Why are all our things inside?”
At this moment, he wanted to lie to her; But if he had learned anything from watching My Little Pony more than ten times, it must be honesty.
Always be honest with friends and around you, even if honesty doesn’t necessarily mean the best outcome, it will definitely not be the worst. The potentially cruel truth spoken now is far more valuable than fabricating even more cruel lies in the future.
“I will tell you everything in detail, but next, please listen carefully and don't rush to ask questions. Wait until I finish speaking, okay?”
Princess Luna nodded hesitantly.
So he tried his best to explain everything in a way that the pony could understand - almost everything, some small things didn't need to be explained. In short, everything that happened Equestria was recorded in a storybook, which was played in the form of "animation" - similar to drama.
He and his kind refer to the plot of this storybook as My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic .
That's also why he wasn't afraid to see Princess Luna on Nightmare Night. He knew she had completely changed; Similarly, all of his previous “foreseeing the future” actions were also attributed to this “animation”.
“So, our world is all fake? Just a plot from a storybook?”
“It depends on how you recognize it,” Mr. Miracle said frankly - he did indeed think the world was true, not just to appease Princess Luna. “For you and me, Equestria is real, you are real, I’m real, you are real in my dreams, I’m real in my dreams...It is real that I’m sleeping in Ponyville, and it is real that I’m joining CMC - everything is real.
“To some extent, the life I used to lead was unreal - aimless, just living by without purpose, living in exhaustion and pressure...Do you know the story of 'Chuang Tuz Dreaming of Butterflies'? I think my situation is similar - I don't know if I was a human, then dreaming I became a pony; or if I was originally a pony, dreaming I became a human, then dreaming I became a pony, and then dreaming I became the way I am now.”
Princess Luna didn't know how to answer the call at all, there was too much information.
“Nothing to say? Well, I'm afraid these are 'too much' for you.” He paced back and forth, pondering a more convenient narrative. Finally, he said, “You can understand it this way: In fact, all the stories of Equestria have already happened and been recorded in a book. I’m looking back at this storybook as later generations, and in fact, they have all passed. And I am sleeping in Ponyville now because I have come before the storybook is written. So, can you understand?”
Princess Luna nodded slowly, then then shook her head.
Mr. Miracle raised his hooves helplessly and covered his face. “Anyway, you don't need to worry about the reality of Equestria, because I'm sleeping in Ponyville right now and you're still in my dream, so all of this is happening, of course it's real.”
“Only this can I understand, but the previous? No way!”
“Speaking of which, I thought you would only enter the nightmares.”
“Usually, but your dream is just too...'special'.”
“I see…so, do you have any more questions to ask?”
Princess Luna really wanted to say there were a million questions, but time was limited. All she needed to know was that Mr. Miracle was a good pony that had helped her and other ponies, and that was enough.
However, regarding predicting the future...perhaps she should ask those “villains” questions.
“Is it true that Discord is about to be free?”
“It's true. But don't worry, Twilight and her friends will defeat him; and later Discord will also change...but he’s still uncontrolled.”
“Is it true that Tirek is about to leave Tartarus?”
“It's true. But don't worry, Twilight and her friends will solve it. After that he will escape second time, but Twilight and her friends can still solve it.”
“Is it true that King Sombra will come back?”
“It's true. But don't worry, Twilight and her friends will solve it. Later on, he had some scenes, but in the end, he wasn't a match for Twilight.”
“Is it true that Queen Chrysalis will invade on the day of the wedding of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor?”
“It's true. But don't worry, Twilight and her friends will solve it.”
“Is it true that there is a pony called Starlight Glimmer that plans to eliminate all ponies’ cutie marks?”
“It's true. But don't worry, Twilight and her friends will solve it. Even if Starlight Glimmer intends to change the past and destroy the world, Twilight can persuade her to give up.”
A moment of awkward silence, Princess Luna didn't know what to say - was there any crisis that wasn't resolved by Twilight and her friends? She thought about it and asked.
“Oh, there is still one. It's the second official invasion of Queen Chrysalis, which will be resolved by Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Discord, and Thorax together.”
“Is there any crisis that my sister and I have resolved?”
“Let me think - nope. At least there were no major events but minor events. For example, when the vines of Everfree Forest invaded Ponyville, you and Princess Celestia cut the vines, buying time for Twilight to solve the problem; and another time when the vines of Everfree Forest invaded, you, Princess Celestia, and Star Swirl cut the vines together, buying time for Twilight.”
“Can Star Swirl come back in the future?”
“That's right. But the main credit for his return is still Twilight.”
Princess Luna was completely speechless. Was her sister's student that impressive? It didn't seem unbelievable that he said Twilight will become a princess in the future.
Then she asked many more questions, and the result was that even the young six of Friendship School in the future had solved a crisis, but she, and her sister, and many royal guards had achieved nothing.
Regarding the incident where Princess Celestia lost to Queen Chrysalis in a solo battle at the imperial wedding, he laughed as he spoke, and the corners of his mouth never came down.
“What are you laughing at.”
“I remembered something happy.”
Princess Luna rolled her eyes, it seemed that after a thousand years, these "antiques" should indeed keep up with the times. She needed to think carefully about how to upgrade the defense system.
At that moment, she realized that the pony in front of her was the best choice for a royal advisor.
“I have countless questions to ask, would you be willing to come to Canterlot and serve as a royal advisor?”
“Wow, I'm so flattered!” Mr. Miracle smiled, but he looked at his empty flank and politely declined, “But now I'm a member of CMC, and I still have to work hard to make my mark.”
“Okay, but if a disaster really happens, can my sister and I ask for your opinion?”
“Always willing, but it's best to ask me before the disaster. Otherwise, after the disaster breaks out, usually you and Princess Celestia are the first to lose combat effectiveness; and it's also difficult to say, because of the chaos calendar of Equestria, sometimes I can't determine what the time of the disasters are.”
“Is the calendar chaotic?”
“Such as Sunset Shimmer and the magic mirror that only opens every thirty ‘moons’...Well, you probably don't know Sunset Shimmer. Maybe I can explain it to you when it is happening.”
Princess Luna sighed, speechless.
“Are the royal guards really that...'weak'?”
“Really. Can you believe they can't even catch a thief? After Twilight become a princess, her crown will be stolen and the royal guards of the entire castle don’t even notice.”
Princess Luna sighed again, speechless. She looked at the moon in the sky, realizing that it was getting late, so she bid farewell to this truly miraculous pony.
She still had a million questions, but she could ask him in the future.
“Also, please remember to keep this secret. I will tell them myself when the time is right.”
Princess Luna nodded in agreement, then turned around and left.
Mr. Miracle waved his hooves behind her to say goodbye, and finally reminded her, “You should pay attention to Tantabus, it feeds on your guilt. I hope you understand that you have done enough and there is no need to feel so guilty.”
Upon hearing this, Princess Luna was taken aback in the air, then continued flapping her wings and soaring towards the sky.
This peculiar night came to an end.
Chapter 14: A New Year
Autumn had passed and winter had arrived, and Ponyville had ushered resting and recuperating.
Unlike the bleak scenery presented in winter, the ponies would spend the busiest three months: the end of a year of production, almost all of which were used to enjoy life, including snowball fights, skiing, making snow pony, family dinners...Festivals were also full of joy, and Hearth’s Warming was the most prominent and important festival during this period.
On Hearth’s Warming, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Spike, and some ponies were invited to Canterlot to reenact the founding history of Equestria, which was also part of Canterlot Parade.
Mr. Miracle and the three girls also followed along, even though they had a bad impression of those upper-class, it didn’t affect their expectations for the festival and activities. They enjoyed the performance and had dinner with each other, and the year was coming to an end.
In another month or two, Winter Wrap-Up was coming. This was the exclusive festival of Ponyville, because they would send away winter by themselves, instead of using magic or waiting for natural changes like other places.
Twilight had been eagerly anticipating this unique festival for a long time. This was her first time participating in such an event and she was determined to devote herself wholeheartedly. However, at the beginning, she wasn’t confident in her role.
Fortunately, she remembered that she wasn’t the only one who came to Ponyville - Mr. Miracle was too. When she found him, he was pasting something in his cozy suburban barracks (which he had been expanding and renovating whenever he had free time).
There were two long-red papers vertically pasted on both sides of the entrance, the red paper pasted above the door was much shorter, and the red paper pasted in the center of the door was angular.
All the edges of them were embroidered with golden silk thread, but the content was written by unknown texts.
Twilight stepped forward, curious about these texts. “Mr. Miracle, what are you doing?” she asked.
“This is the custom of Spring Festival in my homeland. Although I’m not sure if it can correspond to the calendar of Ponyville, the theme of these two festivals were similar - sending off winter and welcoming spring, tidying up emotions, and starting a new year's work.” Mr. Miracle paused for a moment, seeming to hesitate whether to tell Twilight everything.
“What are these red papers?”
“How can I explain?” Mr. Miracle touched his chin with one hoof and paced back and forth thinking for a long time. “This is called 'Spring Couplet', consisting of three parts: the upper, the lower, and the horizontal. Both couplets and horizontal inscriptions should be read from the right side because in ancient times, writing was done from right to left and from top to bottom. The one in the middle of the door is ‘Fu’, representing the arrival of happiness.”
“That's really interesting. What do you write in this set of 'Spring Couplets'?”
“This is our language, which is difficult to translate into 'pony’s language'. It is mainly composed of auspicious poems, expressing our beautiful wishes. The couplets should be neatly matched - whether they are similar or opposite, but not absolutely. Matching is a major literary requirement.”
“Spike, have you seen it? These characters have a peculiar form and look very powerful.” Twilight burst out of scholarly thought again, scrutinizing these characters back and forth.
Spike leaned in and couldn't understand at all.
Twilight smiled at him and continued to ask Mr. Miracle, “Is your homeland like Ponyville where ponies send away winter by themselves?”
“That's not the case. It's like Everfree Forest, where the sun and moon alternate, plants grow, and seasons change...everything happens naturally. Very few lands can be as prosperous as Equestria. In the past, productivity wasn’t high enough, and winters were usually tough, so when winter passed, my ancestors would celebrate for having endured another winter, summoning the courage to continue living. Therefore, this festival is very important to us; of course, life quality has improved now, so joy and happiness are the biggest themes of this festival.”
“This is truly a meaningful festival. So, what will you all do on this festival?”
“Many. The most important thing is to have dinner with relatives on the eve...no matter how far away we are, we will come to reunite...” Mr. Miracle's voice gradually lowered until he remained silent, and a faint sadness began to appear on his face.
“Oh...I think you must be missing your home, right?”
“Of course.” Mr. Miracle sniffled and eased his emotions. “Anyone who wanders outside will miss home, won't they?”
To be honest, only in Ponyville could he be truly happy; But overall, he kept caring his parents. For a long time, he had been avoiding this topic, but when he had to think about it, that sadness followed him like a shadow.
“That's true, but my parents and brother are both in Canterlot. I can write to and visit them anytime, so I won't be upset,” Twilight said, suddenly having an idea and proposing, “Maybe I can accompany you to back your home? Anyway, Ponyville don't need me much.”
“What?” Mr. Miracle was a little shocked, but considering that she knew very little about his situation, which was normal, he explained, “I’m grateful that you’re willing to do it for me; but my hometown is far, far...far away.”
“Can't even the train get there?”
“Even the train can’t pass get there.”
“Well... I'm sorry,” Twilight didn't know how to comfort him, so she changed the topic and said, “Do you want to participate in Winter Wrap-Up? We can find a suitable task together.”
“Sure.” Mr. Miracle wiped away the barely visible tears and responded decisively. “First of all, I want to advise you be patient. You will eventually find your place.”
“It seems that you have already foreseen it,” Twilight sighed and said. “But what can I do? No team needs my help...I don't know anything.”
Mr. Miracle smiled and said, “You're just not used to their way. Maybe you should follow your own pace.”
“My own pace” Twilight fell into contemplation. “Are you saying using magic?”
“Of course not! Magic is not your only specialty.”
“Then I need to think carefully.”
So the two of them, including Spike, went back to Ponyville together and worked hard to find what they could do for the town.
The first stop was the bird's nest workstation, where Rarity was responsible for weaving comfortable and warm nests for the returning birds. As the most skilled tailor in Ponyville, she wasn’t ambiguous when making bird nests. In the words of Mr. Miracle, it was "high-end and elegant, low-key and luxurious with connotation" - exactly matching.
“Thank you for this compliment. Would you like to give it a try?” asked Rarity.
“Me? Mr. Miracle, have you done it before?” Twilight turned to Mr. Miracle, obviously wanting some guidance.
“No. As I said, the birds in my homeland go back to the north and make their own nests.”
“Well...okay, I'll have a try myself. Rarity, what should I do?”
“You just need some hay, branches, and ribbons…Oh, um, what you made, Twilight...I think that's okay too - oh, my goodness…”
Under the euphemistic words of Rarity, Twilight made up a bird's nest - of course, compared to what Rarity made up, it was the "difference between clouds and mud".
Spike, who had always been straightforward, bluntly said, “That bird's nest looks hopeless!”
Mr. Miracle smiled and said, “Believe it or not, the bird's nest in our area is like this.”
“No need to comfort me…”
“This is true! Well, of course not all birds are like this. Some species of birds are born architects...Well, we’d better switch to another activity.” So the three continued to shift their focus and left Rarity to make up Twilight’s work. Mr. Miracle advised Rarity not to dwell on that nest before leaving, but she didn't listen and focused solely on "fixing" it.
Next, they arrived at the lake, where a pink figure was leisurely skating on the surface of the lake. As she walked, scratches appeared one by one on the ice surface.
“Hello!” Pinkie greeted.
She explained that this was cutting the ice surface with ice skates, so that the ice would break along the scratch. Obviously, this job was not easy because Ponyville had more than one lake.
“Do you want to help?” asked Pinkie.
“Of course!” Twilight readily agreed, without considering whether she could skate or not.
“Uh...I don't know how to skate,” Mr. Miracle blurted out, having a clear understanding of himself. “After all, when I first came to Ponyville, I was still learning to walk.”
“Oh, don't worry, it's very easy,” Pinkie said confidently. “I believe you must also be geniuses.”
However, it turned out they weren’t, skating was difficult for them, very difficult, and their attempt ended after the collision. So Pinkie introduced them to help Fluttershy.
When they arrived at the destination, they saw Fluttershy waking up animals one by one.
Her voice and movements were as gentle as possible to avoid startling them. The cost of doing so was incredibly slow efficiency, and she worried about not being able to wake up all the animals in a timely manner.
“Let's help you!” suggested Twilight.
“That's really great,” Fluttershy said, giving the bell to Twilight.
“Let's get started, just pick that cave.” Twilight picked up the bell and was about to enter the nearest cave.
Mr. Miracle immediately reminded, “I suggest you switch to another cave.”
“Because the small animals inside might scare me? Come on, they're all cute, how could that be –” she said as she crawled into the cave, then suddenly shouted, “Ah! Snakes!”
Mr. Miracle shook his head and said to Spike, “Prepare the tomato sauces, we need to thoroughly remove the odor for her.”
“Removing the odor? But she hasn't –”
Then Twilight was startled several groups of animals, including bats and bees, before finally being knocked out by skunks.
“Now I understand.” Spike covered his mouth and chuckled.
During the cleaning process, Spike was still persuading Twilight to use magic, but she insisted on being native . Mr. Miracle also agreed. After cleaning up the odor, the three arrived at the vast wilderness.
Applejack was leading a large number of earth ponies to clear snow and sow seeds.
“We can only start watering and sowing when all the snow is cleared,” explained Applejack.
“That looks like there's still a lot of snow,” Twilight said.
Mr. Miracle seemed to have something to say, but in the end, he stopped and chose to follow Applejack's instructions. But she didn't seem very willing to accept their “help”.
Twilight strongly demanded an opportunity and started pushing the snow shovel. Her strength was clearly insufficient, and the snowplow remained motionless. Before she used magic, Mr. Miracle helped her push from behind, but the speed was still much slower than the other ponies. Finally, Applejack gently asked them to go somewhere else to see if there were any more suitable jobs.
“Alas, the ponies were all wholeheartedly devoted to the festival, while I can't do anything...” Twilight sighed as she walked.
“You can do a lot of things, just except making bird nests, skating, waking up animals, and clear the snow.” Spike tried to comfort her, but his words were obviously not.
“If I say 'I can’t do anything either', will you feel better?” Mr. Miracle said. Then he looked up at the front and changed his mind, "Actually, I don't need to comfort you anymore.”
“What?” Twilight asked.
“See for yourself,” Mr. Miracle pointed ahead. On the town square, Applejack and Fluttershy were debating whether to melt the snow or not, making Rainbow Dash confused.
Immediately after, Mayor Mare came out to point out the various mistakes accumulated so far - spring would be late again like before, and the ponies began to blame each other.
“Did she just say 'late'?” Twilight couldn't believe it.
“Yes, so it's time for you to play at your own pace ,” Mr. Miracle said, blinking at her.
Twilight quickly ran over and asked Spike to bring her writing board. She announced to the ponies, "I know everyone wants spring to come in time, but arguing won't solve problems. You just need a little 'organization' - leave this to me, please.”
Thus, a new round of Winter Wrap-Up began, but before officially starting work, Twilight felt it necessary to seek some advices from Mr. Miracle. He had long shown extraordinary intelligence and wit, perhaps he had a way to make the whole process faster.
Mr. Miracle began to explain the original driving force behind natural changes – the heat. If the snow melted into water, then the fields wouldn’t need clearing the snow or watering; If the small animals were awakened by the heat, there was no need to actively wake them up...
According to Twilight's original plan, all tasks were isolated from each other, and completed one by one. It would indeed be very organized, but also be discount in efficiency; If they focused on the changes caused by the heat, then they only need to slightly adjust the order of work to achieve “twice the result with half the effort”.
First, clear some of the clouds to gradually warm up the ground, while starting to cut through the ice surface; After the small animals wake up, continue to clear the clouds and accelerate the heating rate while clearing the ice cones and snow in dangerous areas.
The snow in other areas will naturally melt; In the weaving of bird nests, reduce the number of processes and enhance practicality; No need to wait for all the snow to melt before plowing and sowing. It's best to turn the deep soil to the surface. Fluffy snow also helps with insulation...
In this way, Ponyville successfully sent away winter and welcomed spring without being late for the first time.
……
While anxiously sending off winter and welcoming spring in Ponyville, Princess Luna in Canterlot Royal Palace also had her job. In the new year, she aimed to upgrade the entire defense system of Equestria.
She didn't want to repeat the mistakes she saw on the 'computer' in the future, and she must prove the strength of herself, her sister, and all the royal guards.
She made a long list like Twilight, with everything she thought needed to be changed - armors, weapons, trainings, formations, reaction systems, and so on. Before, she didn't think there was anything wrong with royal guards, but after Mr. Miracle reminded her, she now felt that royal guards with empty hooves not using weapons was stupid.
Not only that, but hearing that the future guards will be trained by Flash Magnus also made her feel the guards need reform. It was not about Flash Magnus himself, after all, he was one of the ancient heroes; The key was that his tactics, philosophy, and training methods were all from ancient times.
If she let him train later, wouldn't it mean their current level was far inferior to ancient times?
For this reason, she specially invited Shining Armor, the captain of royal guards, to discuss reforms.
“I have always felt that royal guards’ military equipment is lax, and we should reform it as soon as possible and intensify training!” Princess Celestia wasn’t there, so it was Princess Luna who summoned Shining Armor in the main hall.
“Er, Royal Highness Princess...Is this Princess Celestia’s command?”
“No, but it doesn't mean it's not important. We will face many crises in the future, and we need to be prepared now.”
“Alright then, I'll go and give them orders now,” said Shining Armor, wanting to leave. Princess Luna immediately called out to him.
“Wait, I haven’t said how to change it, why did you just leave?” Princess Luna was a little confused.
Shining Armor showed an awkward yet polite smile and said, “Well, usually Princess Celestia just needed to tell us what to do, and the specific method would be studied by us - professional royal guards.”
Upon hearing the word “professional”, Princess Luna immediately burst into laughter. If in the past, she wouldn't have been so impolite, but since hearing about the "great achievements" of royal guards, she couldn’t longer face these armored ponies.
"Your Highness Princess, why are you laughing?"
“I remembered happy things." Princess Luna tried to suppress her laughter and it took her a while to regain her dignified appearance. “Well, I'm a princess, right? My sister also asked me to rule Equestria with her, didn't she?”
"Yes, that's true."
“Then you should listen to my opinion,” said Princess Luna, expanding her list and startling him. “First is the weapons. As far as I know, the guards have spears, but I have never seen them use.”
“That's true.”
“As far as I know, during the period of pegasuses’ past, the pegasuses had a weapon called the 'lance'.”
“That's true.”
“As far as I know, Prince Hisan used some kind of chariot, which was carved on the mural.”
“That's true.”
“As far as I know, there is an ice-arrow competition at Equestria Games, and those ice-arrows can freeze any object in an instant, but we have never used them as weapons.”
“That's true.”
Princess Luna spread her hooves and asked, “See?”
“Your Highness, see what?”
“Weapons! There are so many kinds of weapons, but the guards have never used any one of them.”
Shining Armor suddenly realized, and then said awkwardly, "These weapons...are a bit 'violent'? Princess Celestia is afraid of the negative impact.”
“What negative impact? I don’t ask you always equip them, just take them out when the crisis come. At least we need some training, right?”
“Yes, yes, you’re right.”
Princess Luna looked down and said, "Royal guards are composed of earth ponies, pegasuses, and unicorns, right?”
“Right.”
“But why do you all rush up in a swarm when practice? Even though pegasuses can attack from the air, and unicorns can use magic.”
“Uh...” Shining Armor was sweating profusely. For a long time, guards have been trained in this way, and when he was a guard, the previous captain also taught him the same way. He had never thought about the issue of leveraging their advantages .
Princess Luna shook her head and continued, "There are always only visible sentries, not hidden ones, right?”
"Your Highness, what are 'secret sentries'?"
“What can be seen by other ponies is called 'visible sentries'; what can’t be seen and hide in the dark is called 'secret sentries'.”
“I don't understand. Isn't guarding meant to deter intruders? If you can't see them, how can you be deterred?”
Princess Luna covered her face with hoof and explained helplessly, “Guardians do have this function, which is why they need to be paired with visible and secret sentries. The main task of sentinels is to detect intruders, and if they observe in the dark, intruders can easily relax their vigilance.”
“Understood.” Shining Armor finally thought that Princess Luna was serious, and quickly used magic to fetch a pen and paper to start recording.
Princess Luna had a speechless expression on her face. It seemed that the reform was indeed urgent.
Chapter 15: The Rise of Discord-Part 1
Chapter 15: The Rise of Discord-Part 1
In sculpture garden in Canterlot, Princess Luna was pacing back and forth in front of a special statue.
This statue had a body resembling a snake, a head resembling a pony, antlers on the right and sheep horns on the left, two long sharp teeth at the mouth, eyes one big and one small, as well as a snake's letter, goat's beard, and thick white eyebrows; The right upper limb was a lion's paw, the left was an eagle's claw, the right leg was a lizard's leg, and the left was a goat's hoof.
It carried bat’s and pegasus’s wings on its back, and its whole body was full of disharmony and chaos.
Since the arrival of spring, she had been patrolling in front of this statue every day and had also deployed many guards nearby. Although she knew that there was a 99% chance that these guards would still be useless, she still had to send them.
The royal guards had no idea what it meant - guarding a statue? That was ridiculous.
Princess Celestia arrived late and flew from the Royal Palace, landing in front of the statue with a somewhat dissatisfied expression. As soon as she landed, the royal guards immediately bowed to her.
“My dear sister, this is the third time you've called me over this week,” said Princess Celestia, half angry and half puzzled. “Why do you suddenly start worrying that Discord will lift the seal?”
“Because Mr. Miracle...because of intuition!” explained Princess Luna eagerly. “I have a feeling that his freedom is getting closer and closer,” she said, placing her hooves on Princess Celestia and shaking her back and forth.
“It doesn’t make sense at all,” Princess Celestia rolled her eyes helplessly. “Today was supposed to be the opening day of Ponyville Schoolhouse, but you cancelled the activity without authorization. It was me who help you explain to them.”
“I know it was a little inappropriate...but I have a good reason! Discord is about to escape, and we must be 200% vigilant!”
“But you don’t have any evidence.”
“You have to believe me! It is true!” Princess Luna looked a little listless. Indeed, she had to patrol ponies’ dreams at night and be responsible for both reforming and this affair, so her dark circles were obvious.
“I suggest you to calm down and take a rest. Maybe it’s just your unnecessary fantasies. Listen, you really need to relax.”
“I know I need it, but I can't rest until the problem is solved.”
“Sister, even if he really breaks through the seal, we still have the Elements of Harmony and can turn him back at any time,” Princess Celestia tried to appease her. “I locked them myself, only my magic can open the lock, there's nothing to worry about.”
“Really, sister? Really?” Princess Luna put on a completely unconvincing look. “He is the chaotic spirit, and can do anything at once, I don't believe your magic can stop him.”
“You don’t believe?” Princess Celestia was a little annoyed. “If you don't believe, you shouldn't have called me here! You know as the ruler of Equestria, I have a lot of things to do, but you keep wasting my time! Every time you call me over, and I have to delay a bunch of affairs and carefully adjust my schedule - why don't you consider my feelings?”
“'Not considering your feelings?' How can you say that?!” Princess Luna was also angry. “I have been strategizing for defense system of Canterlot, patrolling dreams at night, and worrying about the freedom of Discord and other crises...Why can't you, like me, focus on these truly important things ? Would you rather waste your time with those fancy ponies than join me in defending Equestria?”
“Of course I am willing to defend Equestria, otherwise what do you think I have been doing all along?! But 'truly important things'? Is that your reason?” said Princess Celestia with a frown. “Guarding the statue and worrying about what would never happen - is this 'truly important things'?”
“Of course! Look at the royal guards, they have been completely powerless for a long time –” she said, turning to the guards beside her and apologizing, “I'm sorry, gentlecolts, but what I'm saying is true - the royal guards have been powerless for a long time, and it's my recent efforts that have made them look like some real guards. I have been preparing for future crises, but you have never expressed gratitude!”
“Gratitude? You turned guards defending ponies into 'violent thugs' with weapons!” Princess Celestia was quite dissatisfied with those armed guards. “Equestria is quiet and peaceful enough and don’t need these terrible weapons at all. Do you know how much panic the guards patrolling with weapons caused? It was me who helped you deal with these troubles, and you never expressed gratitude!”
“The guards should have weapons at the first place, do you really think it’s 'glorious' for them to fight against invaders with empty hooves?”
“There are no invaders at all!”
Two princesses were arguing in front of the guards, and the guards completely didn’t know what to do. They could only maintain their military posture, stand with weapons, and sweat profusely. Looking the princesses arguing fiercely, they completely ignored the cracks appearing on the statue behind them.
“Come straight to the point, sister, what exactly do you want?”
“I just don't want Discord to escape! Why don't you trust me?”
“He never escaped in the first place, and it was you who kept fantasizing.”
“Why do you always behave like this? You didn't want to listen to me a thousand years ago, and now you're still stubborn!” said Princess Luna, her voice trembling as she spoke passionately. “Just admit it: you don't even want me to come back. You just want me to stay on the moon forever!”
“How dare you?!” Princess Celestia suddenly turned her head and was about to continue speaking. Just then she saw the statue that existed before now had disappeared. “You –”
“Just say it – say the word! Why did you stop?”
Princess Celestia trembled with her lips and raised her hoof, pointing towards the disappearing statue. The guards turned around in shock. Princess Luna followed and turned her head, and her face becoming extremely pale.
“I told you!”
“This may just be a coincidence.”
“You just don't want to trust me at all!”
“Can we put this aside for now?” Princess Celestia was still in shock, then turned to the guards and said, “How couldn’t you even notice this?”
The guards were ashamed and lowered their heads, afraid to speak. In fact, they were too focused on listening to the arguing about the two princesses, so they didn't notice the disappearance of Discord - but this reason obviously couldn’t be said aloud.
“I had also told you this: these guards are powerless.”
“When this issue is done, Shining Armor needs to explain it to me properly,” Princess Celestia said to the other ponies in a rare tone.
“So what’s your plan?” Luna asked.
“We definitely can't solve it - our connection with the Elements of Harmony was cut off a long time ago. Now we can only call Twilight.”
“No surprise at all…” Princess Luna murmured softly.
“What?”
“Nothing. If you want to write a letter, you'll have to call for an extra pony.”
……
In Ponyville, the residents hadn’t yet realized that a crisis was coming.
In Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was busy in the farmland, while Mr. Miracle was discussing the rules of Ogres & Oubliettes with Big Mac.
“In theory, if I stack the flame resistance to 100%, I won't be harmed by flames, right?”
“Yep,” Big Mac replied.
“It is also known that resistance can be stacked to over 100% through compliant methods, right?”
“Yep.”
“So if I stack the flame resistance to 150%, I should restore my health by reversing the damage caused by the flame.”
“Nope!” Big Mac shook his head abruptly.
“Why don't you agree? This is a simple mathematical problem that can be solved by formula.”
But Big Mac suddenly lost interest in continuing the discussion and pointed in surprise behind Mr. Miracle. As soon as Mr. Miracle turned around, he saw Rainbow Dash chasing several cotton-candy clouds - no, it should be said that it was the clouds that were chasing her.
The corn field in the acres also experienced something, with harvested and confiscated corn turning into popcorn, flooding a large area.
The chocolate rainstorm wreaked havoc in the garden, the apple trees were bent by the suddenly bigger apple, and the animals became strange. Twilight and the others arrived quickly, but they knew nothing about the current situation (Pinkie was happy to see it happen), except Mr. Miracle. He was well aware of it.
Twilight came up with a quick idea and asked Rainbow Dash to gather the clouds together. Then, Applejack used a condom to pull them to the ground. Finally, Fluttershy encouraged the animals to come and ate the clouds.
“As long as we work together, there is no difficulty that can’t be overcome,” Twilight announced. But Spike's face didn't look well. “Every time I say that, you have this expression -”
Then Spike spewed out a large ball of fire - it was a letter from Princess Celestia.
Twilight used magic to pick it up and looked at it, instantly losing her composure. “Girls, we must depart immediately. Princess Celestia urgently summoned us over!”
They turned their heads and left, but just then, Spike spewed out another flame, which was another letter. Twilight looked at it and saw it was Princess Luna's supplementary explanation: PS - please also call Mr. Miracle .
“Oh, they should have had finished writing at once…” Spike covered his stomach, feeling a little overwhelmed.
So the six and Mr. Miracle hurriedly rushed to Canterlot together. The journey was long, and they had intended to take the train, but for some unknown reason, the track was blocked and they had to walk there.
Then Mr. Miracle suffered from his poor endurance. He hadn’t been a pony for long, and although he had run Cantelot with CMC before, the intensity and speed at that time were not comparable to this time. He was almost panting as he ran behind.
"The two princesses should really send a carriage to pick us up...Anyway, the royal guards have no other job to do." Mr. Miracle could not help but complain.
“If you're too tired, I can carry you,” Rainbow Dash suggested.
“Thanks, but no.” The only reason Mr. Miracle refused was due to his self-esteem. He couldn’t imagine that scene: an adult male pony was being carried by a pegasus...It was too embarrassing to do that just because he was tired.
They kept running into the royal palace, and some of the upper-class looked a bit familiar with the ordinary pony who fell behind. Canterlot was currently quiet and peaceful, it seemed that the chaos hadn’t yet spread here.
Entering the palace, Twilight rose her voice, "Your Royal Highness, here we are!"
“Thank you all for coming here,” said Princess Celestia with a serious expression. “Please follow me.”
“Wait, whoosh...” Mr. Miracle stood by the door, propping his hoof against the wall and panting incessantly with his head down. “Wait for me…to take a moment…to take a breath…just few seconds…whoosh…”
Princess Celestia raised her eyebrows and looked over, only to see a light-brown black mane colt with “ordinary” all over his body. She turned her head to her sister and noticed that Princess Luna's eyes lit up when she saw him, as if he was some pony as important as Twilight.
“Next time, Your Highness, please send a carriage to pick us up, whoosh…” He said as breathing heavily.
“I have never seen an earth pony with such...poor physical strength,” said Princess Celestia gently.
Upon seeing this, Princess Luna walked over and gave him a glass of water. Mr. Miracle drank it all in one gulp, which only slightly comforted him. Princess Celestia thought for a moment and cast a spell on him, instantly sweeping away his fatigue.
Then Twilight and her companions, along with Mr. Miracle, followed the two princesses to the tower chamber where the Elements of Harmony was locked. On both sides of the long corridor were colorful murals depicting various historical events of Equestria.
Princess Celestia began to explain the instigator of this chaotic crisis – all about Discord. After the joint creation of a country three kinds of ponies, Discord arrived and began to rule over the territory.
Under his rule, the country was filled with chaos and disharmony, and ponies could only live a miserable life all day long, but was powerless to resist. The most powerful magic of this chaotic spirit was to achieve anything by snapping a finger, and few magic could surpass it.
It was two princesses who discovered the Elements of Harmony - the most powerful magic, and with their help defeated Discord, sealing it into statues. For a long time, the seal hadn’t been loosened, but the loss of connection between the two princesses and the Elements of Harmony was probably the fundamental reason for this crisis.
“And the direct reason is - my sister doesn't want to believe me at all,” murmured Princess Luna to herself.
“Perhaps that was still an unnecessary fantasy, just happened to bump into him and lift the seal,” Princess Celestia retorted, unwilling to be outdone. “Coincidences can’t prove you were right from beginning.”
“That's better than doing nothing anyway!”
“I’m doing nothing? You -”
“Okay, okay, let's focus on the main task first, okay?” Mr. Miracle interrupted. “Discord is the strongest villain, and only by uniting as one can we possibly defeat him.”
Princess Celesitia nodded, calmed down, and said, “The Elements of Harmony were inside. Now I want you to use them again, and you must prevent Discord before Equestria falls completely into chaos.”
“But...why us?” Twilight was a little worried, more lacking confidence. “You are the princess, and we are just –”
“With the help of the friendship magic, the six of you have defeated...well, some powerful opponents .” Princess Celestia glanced at Princess Luna, who only showed a mischievous look. “Our connection with the Elements of Harmony has been severed, only you can unleash their full power. Only you can defeat Discord.”
“We...understood!” Twilight's eyes became firm. “We won’t let you down.”
“No surprise,” Princess Luna sighed softly. She didn't have any objections to Twilight; on the contrary, she was grateful for Twilight's using the Elements of Harmony to make her abandon darkness and return to the light.
She just didn't want to be some kind of princess like her sister, which couldn’t handle any crisis in the future.
So Princess Celestia poked the horn into the door lock and opened it. After the magic flash, an exceptionally exquisite small box inlaid with gems appeared in the secret room. Rarity's eyes lit up.
“Don't worry, I have confidence in you all. I believe you can –” Princess Celestia confidently opened the box, only to find it empty inside. The whole audience was shocked at this moment - except for Princess Luna and Mr. Miracle who had expected it earlier.
Princess Celestia widened her eyes and dropped the box, her face full of disbelief. The whole room fell silent. Only Pinkie remained optimistic and said, "Okay, I'm going to the chocolate puddle outside and drinking it all day.”
“I cast a powerful spell on this box, only I can open it, that doesn't make sense!” Princess Celestia paced back and forth nervously, feeling so flustered in front of Twilight for the first time.
It seemed that Discord was indeed significant. If they couldn’t stop him, the consequences would be much more serious than imagined.
“Really? Sister, really?” Princess Luna rolled her eyes helplessly. “Is it difficult for a chaotic spirit to teleport the contents of a box without opening it?”
“This...may make sense.”
Just then, a burst of annoying laughter came from all directions. “Make sense? Oh, what fun is there in making sense?”
“Discord, show yourself!”
“Hahaha, my dear two princesses, you're still as boring as before.” Suddenly, a moving draconequus appeared in the mural, with a similar image to the statue, but more cartoonish. “Why are you always so boring? No wonder ponies dislike you.”
“No one can offend the princesses!” Rainbow Dash interrupted and immediately rushed towards the mural. Of course, she was only hitting the wall, causing a mess.
“I'm sure you're Rainbow Dash, representing loyalty.” Discord stood in the mural, scanning all the ponies on the field. “Beautiful Rarity represents generosity, Applejack represents honesty, Fluttershy represents kindness, and Pinkie Pie represents my favorite element - laughter; while you, Twilight, represent the strongest element, magic.”
But as he spoke, his expression became strange. “Strange, I remember there were only six elements. Why is there an extra pony?” He naturally referred to Mr. Miracle.
“Stop talking nonsense, Discord! Where did you hide the elements?” Princess Celestia scolded sternly.
“You're quite boring, you know?” Discord rolled his eyes and said slowly, “Okay, I'll tell you, but only in my words –
“To retrieve your missing Elements
Just make sense of this change of events
Twist and turns are my master plan
Then find the Elements back where you began. ”
After finishing speaking, Discord portrait stood still as if he had already left.
Applejack asked, “What does 'Twist and turns are my master plan' mean?”
“Twist and turns, twist and turns...” Twilight paced back and forth, pondering. “Aha! I bet the Elements of Harmony must be in the palace labyrinth!”
Princess Celestia nodded and said, "Good luck, my little ponies. The fate of Equestria is-”
“Wait!” the speaker was Princess Luna. “Before departure, you should hear Mr. Miracle's opinion first.”
Except for Princess Celestia, the ponies exchanged a glance and were deeply convinced. “Right, right. How can we forget this?”
“May I ask -” Princess Celestia was confused.
“I think I should introduce myself first,” Mr. Miracle walked up and saluted. "Your Royal Highness, I’m Mr. Miracle from Ponyville...Princess Luna asked me to come because she believes I can give some valuable advices."
“Not just valuable! He can predict the future!” Pinkie blurted out.
“What?!” Princess Celestia widened her eyes, looking at Mr. Miracle and then at Princess Luna. “Really?” She looked incredulous.
"It's true, Princess Celestia," Twilight explained. “Just like Pinkie's premonition, Mr. Miracle can also predict certain events. He comes from a distant country, and it is said that the residents there all have such abilities.”
“I...I've never heard of it before...” Princess Celestia still widened her eyes and paused for a while before saying, “It seems that even I, can't know the whole world...maybe I should visit there in the future.”
“Sister, can we focus on our main tasks?” Princess Luna reminded.
“Oh, oh right! Um...please.”
“This puzzle looks like a poem, and what does poetry often do to rhyme?” Mr. Miracle didn't say it directly, but was accustomed to guiding other ponies to think along.
“Poetry, rhyme...should be about rearranging sentence order and using uncommon expressions...” Twilight pondered.
“That's right. So this poem is the same - the sentence order has been reversed. Pay attention to the last sentence.”
“What I understood is that after twists and turns, we can find the Elements of Harmony, and then back to the start - the place where we fight against Discord,” said Twilight.
“‘Then find the Elements back where you began’...Do you mean the correct order should be 'back where you began, then find the Elements'?” said Princess Celestia.
Mr. Miracle nodded and added, "Although this villain looks careless, the riddles are not nonsense. The second sentence 'Just make sense of this change of events' is the key to solving the puzzle; the third sentence 'Twist and turns are my master plan' is both misleading and implies a convoluted logic of thinking, which means we should also pay attention to ‘twists and turns’ of words when solving puzzles.”
“So that's it!” Rainbow Dash waved her hooves. “Let's hurry back to the start and find the elements!”
“The start, the start…our start began from The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide !” Twilight blurted out.
“But we can't go yet,” Mr. Miracle said.
“Why?”
“Because that villain likes to play without following the rules,” Mr. Miracle explained. “The reason why he set the puzzle is because he wanted to play with you all according to his ideas, otherwise he could have hidden the Elements of Harmony in his stomach. Think about it, what would he do if we solved the puzzle from the beginning and caused his carefully designed and prepared ‘game’ to go down the drain?”
“I guess he'll probably be more furious than normally furious,” said Pinkie.
“Indeed. So he will design another puzzle until we are really misled by him and play the 'game'. No matter how many puzzles we solve, as long as the progress is not as interesting as he thinks, he won’t stop - and I don't have confidence in fighting him for a long time.”
“Isn't this just cheating?” said Applejack. “It’s unfair.”
“It is unfair, because his name is 'Discord', representing chaos and disorder. As long as it's funny, he will do anything,” said Princess Luna.
“It seems that we have only one choice, which is to play with him; and we can’t let him know that we have solved the puzzle, otherwise he will transfer the place where the Elements of Harmony are,” Twilight concluded.
“And that's where I can't change it,” Mr. Miracle sighed deeply. “As long as you play with him, you will definitely be influenced by him. No matter how many times I remind you, it will be of no help. Even if I participate in the game, I will be tempted by him. After being influenced, it will be difficult for your friendship to ignite the Elements of Harmony again.”
“What?! How is it possible?”
“The magic of chaos is so domineering, it's impossible to refuse,” Mr. Miracle lowered his head.
“That’s why only the strongest Elements of Harmony can defeat him,” said Princess Celestia.
“We really have no way out,” sighed Rarity. “If we don't play, he will do everything in his power to force us to play; if we do play, we will be enchanted by his magic and unable to activate the Elements of Harmony.”
“But we have to go, this is our duty,” Twilight's expression was unusually resolute. “Anyway, as I said before - 'As long as we work together, there is no difficulty that can’t be overcome.' I believe in our friendship.”
The other ponies exchanged a glance and became resolute. “We do also believe!”
“So I have one final and only reminder for you: never give up on your friends,” Mr. Miracle said. “Just as you believe in yourself, believe in them; just as you believe in them, believe in yourself.”
Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy all nodded together, ready to depart.
And Mr. Miracle, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna had to buy time for Twilight. Before they defeat Discord, the three of them must gather residents to fight back against the current chaotic phenomenon and rescue the tormented ponies.
“I hope things go smoothly as expected.” Mr. Miracle said.
Chapter 16: The Rise of Discord-Part 2
Chapter 16: The Rise of Discord-Part 2
This was probably the pinnacle of Mr. Miracle's pony life - he was sitting on Princess Celestia’s back, traveling with the two princesses to the most severely affected Ponyville.
Because he was afraid of heights, he had to hug the neck of Princess Celestia. He knew it was somewhat inappropriate, but falling down was even more inappropriate.
“Ahem, um...” With some time left before reaching the destination, Princess Celestia began to converse with Mr. Miracle. “Is your ability really the kind of 'predicting the future' that I imagine?”
“There are some slight differences. I just foresee a possible future, but that doesn't mean everything will definitely happen. The future can be changed, although the result may not change too much.”
“Are you saying that as long as you have anticipated the result, even if we change the process, the result may still remain unchanged?”
“You can say that.”
“Well, I want to know about Discord...um, never mind –”
"It doesn't matter, I can tell you, Your Royal Highness: Discord will eventually be defeated by Twilight,” Mr. Miracle said. “If that's what you are asking.”
Upon hearing this, Princess Celestia finally revealed a long-lost smile.
“How did you meet my sister?” she asked.
“Nightmare Night,” before Mr. Miracle answered, Princess Luna answered hastily. “When I was misunderstood by the residents, it was he and Twilight who helped me regain the trust of those ponies. Didn't Twilight tell you?”
“She didn't write in so much detail in the letter,” said Princess Celestia. “Luna, you should have told me more about that night...instead of casually skipping it.”
“What can I do? You are the ruler of Equestria, and I don't want to –”
“You are also the ruler and my sister,” interrupted Princess Celestia. “I just want to...go back to the old days when we sisters were close.”
However, Princess Luna didn’t appreciate it and said unhappily, “If you think so, it means you misunderstood the past. Have you never thought about why I became the Nightmare Moon?”
Princess Celestia remained silent, but her slightly furrowed brow already indicated her thoughts.
“Ah, it seems that you thought it was entirely my fault back then.” Princess Luna's face was getting worse.
“No, it's not like that. If I could have stopped you earlier…”
“Do you think this is the key?” Princess Luna immediately interrupted. “Do you only feel responsible in the end?”
The two princesses didn't speak again, but their faces were very bad. Mr. Miracle might have a rough idea of their conflict - he always knew, but now wasn’t the time for him to interrupt.
There is an old saying: “it's difficult for a clear judge to judge family problems”, and it is true.
“Alright, we've arrived.” With his words, the two princesses landed on the ground and looked at Ponyville in front of them...Without the tallest building in the town center, the town hall, it would be difficult to determine that this was Ponyville: the ground turned into curved chess squares, and was covered in pink soap; all the houses turned into playing cards, even a sneeze can blow them down; the sky was either a cloud of marshmallows raining chocolate or popcorn flying around.
The ponies were frantically escaping from all the crazy things.
“It seems we have a lot of things to do,” said Princess Celestia wearily.
……
On the other side, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy had arrived at the entrance of the labyrinth. They know what Discord would do to them - nothing more than forcibly separating and then seducing and defeating them one by one, but what they hate the most was that even if they knew it clearly, they must keep playing.
A lightning strike struck, and the initiator of all chaos appeared, Discord, with a snake like body, a pony like head, deer antlers on the right, sheep horns on the left, a long sharp tooth on the mouth, eyes one big and one small, as well as snake's letter, goat's beard, and thick white eyebrows; The right upper limb was a lion's paw, the left was an eagle's claw, the right lower limb was a lizard's leg, and the left was a goat's hoof.
He carried bat’s and pegasus’s wings on its back, and his whole body was full of disharmony and chaos.
“You have indeed come, hahahaha...” he let out a disgusted laugh and winked at the six ponies in front of him, but they looked much angrier than he had imagined. “Strange, I thought your expressions would be even funnier than now.”
“Discord, we're here. Just show your magic, let’s not waste any time.” Twilight said sternly.
“Are you sure you don't want to take a look at this labyrinth first?”
“No, hurry up!” said Rarity irritably. “Don't waste our time.”
“Okay, it is you all that ask for this,” he said and snapped his fingers. Twilight’s and Rarity’s horns disappeared, so did Fluttershy’s and Rainbow Dash’s wings. “I removed them just in case of cheating. I will return them to you when you finish.”
He flashed back and forth among the ponies, hoping to see their surprised expressions, but none. The six ponies rolled their eyes in unison and then stared at him with angry.
“Strange, these aren’t the reactions I wanted.”
“Then I can only say that your plan probably went wrong,” Rainbow Dash said. “So how do you want to play?”
“The first rule: no flying or magic; the second rule: all the ponies must play, otherwise I win. That’s all, good luck to you, let's see if you can find the elements.”
He jumped into the air and disappeared without a trace, leaving only a wild laughter that gradually drifted away.
“That big villain!” Even Fluttershy, who had always had a good temper, became angry at this moment.
“I guess from now on, we'll have to act separately,” said Applejack. “We must remember what Mr. Miracle said and always believe in our friends and ourselves. We will definitely pass the test.”
“That's right, girls. As long as we work together, there is no difficulty that can’t be overcome!” said Twilight. “Let's go!”
When they stepped into the labyrinth, stone walls immediately rose up, forcibly separating them. Fortunately, they were mentally prepared and not too surprised.
“We need to quickly gather at the center and then go get the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight said.
“See you all at the center!” The ponies responded in unison.
Then they proceeded along their own path. Applejack didn't take a few steps when a pile of apples led her to the open space ahead. She guessed there was a fraud ahead, but on the one hoof, she couldn't let Discord detect that they already knew the truth. On the other hoof, she also wanted to personally meet this guy, so she mustered up all her energy and followed along.
There were many apple trees planted in the open space ahead, surrounded by a small pond in the middle. As soon as she arrived at the water pool, the apples fell one after another, gradually converging into three strange faces that made unpleasant sounds.
“What are you?” Applejack took a step back and asked cautiously.
“We are the guardians of the truth,” said the three strange faces of the apple heap one after another. “No matter what question you ask, we will tell you the answer.” Their voices were hoarse and strange, but they seemed to contain magic. No matter how much Applejack resisted, their voices filled her ears without omission.
Her rationality told her that this was clearly Discord’s magic; But a sudden impulse arose in her heart, making her eager to know what would happen in the future. Just like she wanted to ask Mr. Miracle, now she wanted to know the result of this mission. Her rationality immediately battled fiercely with this discordant idea.
“No... this is all a chaotic mess...” she tried to drive away those voices, but to no avail. “I...no, but...I want to know...Oh, I shouldn't have asked!” she struggled, sinking deeper and deeper.
“The answer is in the water, take a look, take a look!” With the voices of the three apple monster faces, a situation that Applejack least wanted to see emerged in the water pool - they were going their separate ways in search of the Elements of Harmony.
“No...these are all illusions! They're not real!” She covered her ears and shouted loudly, but she looked increasingly helpless. “Is our friendship really about to end?”
“Tsk tsk tsk, look, you are seeking the truth from us, but the truth will only bring sadness.” The apple monsters’ faces kept talking around Applejack, and the magic sound kept firing like a barrage. “The cruel truth makes you heartbroken. Why not try telling a little lie? Lies forge beauty!”
“Could it be...no, no, no!” Applejack shook her head abruptly before her eyes rolled in circles. “My friends like me precisely because they like my honesty. My honesty is a part of our friendship, and the truth may bring temporary pain, but it will always be the glue.”
“What?!” Discord, flying in the sky and controlling all of these, was a bit surprised. “What's going on? She should have been immediately bewitched by me.”
“Discord, come out!” Applejack angrily shouted around. The apple monster faces still wanted to gather around and continue talking, but before they could speak, they were crushed by few hooves.
“It seems like I can only do it this way.” Discord flashed behind her, forcefully infusing negative emotions with magic before she could react. “I hope the next one won't be so stubborn.” He disappeared after finishing this.
Applejack's eyes began to spin and her whole body gradually turned gray. The labyrinth wall beside suddenly opened, and Twilight walked in and was overjoyed to see Applejack.
“Applejack! I'm so glad you're here –” She walked over and realized something was wrong. “Oh no! It was him who did it, wasn't it? He bewitched you…”
“Who? I wasn't bewitched! I didn't see any creatures!” Applejack widened her eyes and said, looking around. “What I said is true, I will never lie 'now'.”
“Yeah, our Applejack won't lie...” Twilight looked in her eyes and said sadly. Immediately she shook her head and muttered to herself, "Don't give up, as long as we find the Elements of Harmony, she can transform back. I just hope that the other girls haven't been harmed yet - Applejack, let's go!”
On Pinkie's side, she bounced and hummed along the way until she walked into an empty space decorated with densely packed balloons. She was usually very happy when encountering such a scene; But she had already known in advance that this was Discord’s mess, so her face turned serious instead.
She cautiously advanced, but inexplicably tripped and fell all over the mud. In an instant, all the balloons appeared with smiling faces and surrounded her, with malicious laughter swirling around her. “Hmph, this is not funny at all!” she frowned.
Discord suddenly appeared and put on an exaggerated expression, saying, "What's wrong, Pinkie Pie? Haven't you always liked to laugh?”
“Now it's different – all because of you...” Pinkie still frowned. “Now you're intentionally making fun of me.”
“Oh, what's the difference?” Discord melted his face into numerous balloons, and then they all turned into sinister smiles and spoke up together. “Anyway, your friends are also laughing at you.” His annoying voice came from all directions, although Pinkie knew that his words were all twisted and heretical, the magic inside was always difficult to resist.
“No, you're wrong!” Pinkie shook her head with her eyes closed. “They laugh with me because we spend happy time together. They like me, just as I like them.”
“Really? Hahaha...” Countless balloons began to circle around her, and evil laughter was incessant. The memories of her inner self and her friends began to emerge, but another sudden voice began to distort the laughter in the beautiful memories.
“Stop laughing! Stop it!”
But the more she spoke, the happier Discord was, and the balloons began to turn into the faces of five other ponies, all mocking her. “Poor Pinkie, I thought these smiles would make you happy!”
“Their laughter does make me happy,” Pinkie suddenly jumped up and kicked a balloon. “Because I know they are happy with me, just like I am with them. Discord, don't waste your time! Unless you give over three tons of marshmallows, or else I will smash you!”
“What?!” When Discord was shocked, Pinkie had broken several balloons. “Why is she so stubborn too?”
“Show yourself quickly, or my requirement will be five tons of marshmallows!”
“As you wish.” As soon as the words fell, a large lump of marshmallows fell from the sky, hitting Pinkie on the ground and unable to move. Usually, the weight of marshmallows should be very low, but this large lump of marshmallows was as heavy as iron blocks.
Pinkie struggled hard and had a flash of inspiration. She began to eat wildly along the marshmallows, trying to find a way out. Discord didn’t plan to wait for her, then flashed beside her, forcefully infused negative emotions with magic.
Pinkie's body gradually turned gray, and Discord disappeared immediately. At this moment, Twilight and Applejack arrived late. Twilight looked at Pinkie with her eyes circling, unable to believe what she saw. “No...no! I'm late again.”
“Very good, you're not laughing at me!” Pinkie said harshly. “I just like to see your sad face. I'm leaving.”
“No...no...this isn't you!” Twilight put her hooves on her, trying to wake her up. “That Pinkie I know represents laughter, always optimistic and never hopeless. Please, wake up quickly –”
“Really? I think you only like the old 'clown' Pinkie!” Pinkie pushed away Twilight and said arrogantly. “So you can continue to laugh at me, right? Don't even think about it! From now on, no one can laugh at me!”
Watching Pinkie's departing figure, Twilight's eyes moistened, but she immediately wiped them dry and said with a strong spirit, "It's okay, I still have a chance...we still have a chance. As long as we find the Elements of Harmony, you will all turn back, everything will turn back.”
“I don't think so,” Applejack continued to “perform steadily”.
“It seems that you also feel like we do have a chance, even though you are a liar now.” Twilight shook her head, picked herself up, and pushed Applejack forward.
Rarity seemed a bit quiet on this side, running along and constantly complaining. “I really hope this all ends soon, and then I have to make an appointment for a full body maintenance...” Then, at the end of the road, she saw an exposed crystal resembling her cutie mark.
Just the exposed part emitted a radiance far beyond all the gems she had ever seen, instantly attracting her full attention. Immediately, Discord’s ugly face appeared on the surface of the crystal.
“Today is your lucky day, Rarity,” he said. “The only thing that can rival my handsome face - you have found it. Look at this unparalleled radiance, do you like it?”
The crystal instantly burst out with even more intense white light, and in an instant, Rarity saw millions of starlight. Countless facets reflected exquisite colors, and just a glance, it seemed as if infinite fashion ideas were flooding into her mind.
“I really, really, really like it...no, no!” She stopped before her eyes completely turned around. “No! This is clearly your plot! I can’t...I must…meet them!” She tried to step out of her way, trying to stay away from the temptation; But that annoying voice kept echoing in her mind, reminding her how rare this treasure was.
The pure beauty of the crystal lingered before her eyes, and even with her eyes closed, she could see that radiance again. “Shoot! I can't just give in like this...but it's really beautiful...no, no matter how beautiful it is, it's fake! But, but...I want...no, no, my friends need me more…”
Discord watched from the side, ecstatic, but soon felt annoyed - because Rarity paced back and forth in front of the crystal for dozens of rounds, still neither being bewitched nor as stubborn as the previous two.
She blinked uncontrollably and watched for a few more rounds, still engaged in a "fierce" ideological struggle. Discord couldn't help but yawn, and drew a watch on his paw, looked at the time on it, and realized he had to hold on tightly, so he flashed behind her and forcefully pushed her over.
Finally, Rarity shouted "mine" while chiseling the rocks with her hooves. Discord helplessly shook his head, although Rarity was not stubborn, the actual situation was even more boring. “What's wrong with these ponies? Why is everything different from my plan?”
“As the chaotic spirit, perhaps I shouldn't have any plan. I wouldn't have acted like this if I followed my inspirations at first,” he muttered to himself, and then disappeared.
Twilight arrived late again with her friends. When she saw that Rarity was gray all over and throwing a big stone at her, she closed her eyes disappointedly and sat down on the ground dejectedly. “I can't believe I'm late again.”
“This diamond belongs to me, no one can take it away! I will take it home now.” Rarity burst out with unprecedented strength and carried the large stone she thought was a diamond, but was actually worthless, onto her back.
“Oh, what should I do...Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash must have also been bewitched...What can I do?” Twilight covered her face with her hooves and tears welled up in her eyes. But deep down, a voice appeared, belonged who had never said these things - it was her consciousness reminding herself.
Don't be defeated by him. He seduces all your friends but not you, just to make you feel helpless like you are now. Because he fears the magic of friendship, he wants to see you suffer. Don't let him succeed, you will definitely be able to do it.
“That's right, I can definitely do it!” Twilight immediately got up, wiped away her tears, and said, “I must do it. When I find the Elements of Harmony, they will all come back.” She walked up to help Rarity, but was repelled by her with ponytail and five whips.
“What are you doing, Rarity?”
“I know what you're up to - you want to steal my diamond! Don't even think about it!” Rarity lay on the "diamond", as fierce as a beast guarding her territory. “What I found is mine!”
Then Rarity struggled forward with the big stone on her back, while Twilight followed behind, hoping that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash would not be deceived as imagined.
Looking on the positive side, although her companions were all bewitched, at least they were willing to continue walking with her.
Fluttershy, who had always been timid, was trying to squeeze out courage for her friends, just like how she faced the dragon back then. She stood alone without the support of her friends, and maintaining her courage was much more difficult than she had imagined.
So when she saw the familiar butterflies flew by, she was as happy as finding a confidant and chased after directly. These butterflies were obviously not normal, but Discord ghosts - just look at their faces to know.
“Oh, poor Fluttershy. It seems like you've been abandoned by your so-called ‘friends’.”
“It's not like that...they must be looking for me, just like I'm looking for them,” Fluttershy's timid expression continued to show a hint of anger. “And all of this is your fault. If it weren't for you forcibly separating us.”
“How could you say that? I was just reminding you kindly.” The three butterflies began to circle around her, like a verbal attack around Applejack. “Do you know what they say about you? They say you're weak and useless, and I really feel pity of you. You must be very angry, right?”
“They never said I was weak and useless,” Fluttershy furrowed even tighter. “When I was timid, they always encouraged me and made me successful - not like you, deliberately belittling me just to sow chaos between us.”
“I'm not belittling you. For a long time, they've been using your cowardice as an excuse. Doesn't that make you angry?”
“They have never lost faith and patience in me. Being timid is my weakness, and they hope I can overcome it and become better. Friends are just like that...” Fluttershy took a deep breath and raised her voice for a moment, saying, "Discord, don't waste your time. If you think I will submit to you, you are completely wrong!”
Discord couldn't help but revert back to his original form, looking hysterical. “Why did you have to be brave today? You’re hopeless!” He flashed behind Fluttershy, who wanted to fly away, but was still forcefully infused with negative emotions.
“It really drives me crazy! This is not part of my plan at all!” Discord was furious, and shouted a few words loudly and felt that Twilight was about to arrive, so he had to leave. He guessed that there must be a problem in some part, but which part was it exactly?
A labyrinth wall suddenly collapsed, and Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity walked out.
“Fluttershy, it's so good to see you - no! You've also been...” Twilight knew it was too late when she saw Fluttershy's round eyes and all gray body color. “Now we need to quickly find Rainbow Dash. If she also...no, we must leave quickly.”
“Haha, save it!” Fluttershy suddenly became sarcastic. “Do you know the difference between you and earth pony? Without your horn, you're even weaker than them now.”
Upon hearing this, Applejack and Pinkie furrowed their brows in displeasure.
“Oh~~It hurt your two fragile hearts, didn't it?” Fluttershy said in a sweet and cloying voice. “Then you should eat more stones and not cry like little babies!”
“Oh my goddess, Fluttershy is actually the worst after being bewitched!” Twilight exclaimed in surprise, then shook her head. “No, now is not the time to focus on this. I must quickly find Rainbow Dash.”
“Who can help me?” Rarity was covered in dust and dirt, struggling to carry the big stone on her back. None of other friends responded to her, only Twilight rolled her eyes and went over to help.
“Thank you, Twilight.”
“You're welcome, because we're all friends –”
“But don't have any idea about my diamond,” Rarity interrupted immediately. “I know where you live. Did I make it clear?”
Twilight nodded and swallowed a mouthful of saliva. She really hoped all of this would end soon.
On Rainbow Dash's side, losing wings made her a bit uncomfortable, but the task was urgent. She must quickly find the Elements of Harmony and defeat Discord with her friends to solve the chaos crisis. There was still a 'Cola outbreak' in Cloud City.
At the end of the road, she saw Discord basking in the sun, even though the sky was now shrouded in dark clouds and there was hardly any sunlight.
“Come on, let's fight! Duel like a pony!” Rainbow Dash immediately jumped up, stood up with her hind hooves, and kept punching. “Come on, do it! I dare you!”
“I had no intention of fighting...I was just here to deliver a message.”
“Do you think I'll trust you? Watch this!” Rainbow Dash immediately flew up and kicked him, but he dodged after a flash, leaving her kicked empty.
“Listen, this affair is very important - hey, can you stop for a moment?!” Discord wanted to finish speaking, but Rainbow Dash kept attacking, and he could only keep flashing to avoid.
“No! dodge this!” Rainbow Dash flew up again, with Discord’s uninteresting expression on his face. He snapped his finger and she was sitting in mid-air.
“You're even more boring than I imagined.”
“And you're even more coward than I imagined,” Rainbow Dash retorted, unwilling to be outdone.
“Believe it or not, Cloud City is experiencing an unprecedented crisis of chaos while you are helping your so-called ‘friends’ search for the elements.”
“I already knew - it was all done by you!”
“It's not important, what's important is how you choose?” said Discord in a voice full of magic. “Help your friends, and Cloud City will be destroyed; help Cloud City, perhaps there is hope yet. I suggest you don't waste any time in this labyrinth, do what really matters.”
“What I know the truly important thing is to defeat you!” Rainbow Dash remained unwavering. “As long as we bit your tail, everything will return to its original state.”
Discord’s face was becoming dark. His plan never went wrong, except for the vine seeds he sprinkled long before, and he hadn't stolen the magic of the Tree of Harmony. What was going on today?
He had to forcefully infuse negative emotions and then return the wings to her. Although their performance was not as "exciting" as he had imagined, it was okay, as long as Rainbow Dash flew away, his plan could still be implemented as usual.
On Twilight's side, she still held the last glimmer of hope. “As long as we find Rainbow Dash...she never disappoints us.”
“Look, she flew away! She abandoned us,” exclaimed Applejack.
Twilight looked up and indeed saw Rainbow Dash flying away with rainbow luster. “No, that's not true! Even she...why did you tell the truth this time?”
She seemed to have lost all her strength and collapsed on the ground, without the motivation to continue moving forward.
What should she do? Her friends had always been her strong supports, but now she was forced to fight alone...How could she possibly do it? Without the supports of her friends, she was just an ordinary and helpless unicorn.
Chapter 17: The Rise of Discord-Part 3
Chapter 17: The Rise of Discord-Part 3
The labyrinth was flattened in an instant, leaving only a large pit and the five ponies on the field. Discord appeared in front of them, with victorious laughter and crazy expressions, as if mocking their failure, especially Twilight's.
“Well, well, well, there's a pony breaking the 'no fly' rule.” Discord snapped his fingers randomly, and the ponies’ wings and horns returned. “The game is over, you couldn't find the elements - I won, the storm of chaos is coming!”
Twilight was a bit dazed. Did they fail? But then she remembered what Mr. Miracle had said and knew that the game wasn’t over yet, it was not the time to give up.
“No, we didn't lose!” Twilight shouted loudly. “It's you who broke the rules, not us. We're not done yet.”
“Oh? Should I explain to you again that the one who flew away is Rainbow Dash?”
“If it weren't for your mischief, could she regain her wings? You know it!”
“Okay, okay, even that, you haven't been able to find the elements either. You've failed to solve the puzzle.” Discord conjured a sofa and sit there started eating wrapping paper rather than popcorn inside.
“We haven't failed, we know where the Element of Harmony are.”
“You know? Hahaha...” Discord almost burst into tears. “Then you can just go find them. I won't waste my time here - I need to have some fun,” he snapped his fingers and disappeared.
Immediately, chocolate rain began to fall in the sky, and looking into the distance, entire Canterlot was also about to face a crisis of chaos.
Twilight looked at her friends who were arguing with each other, sighed deeply, and felt helpless and tired. But as soon as she thought of Princess Celestia’s entrustment and Mr. Miracle's final reminder, she knew she couldn’t give up. The whole Equestria relied on them and the Elements of Harmony.
“Girls, we need to go back to Ponyville and find the elements.”
But they were all busy arguing, and none of them were listening. Fluttershy kept pretending to laugh and angered Pinkie. The angrier Pinkie got, the happier she became; However, Applejack's incessant running of trains gave Rarity a sense of crisis, and she kicked her in order to monopolize the diamond.
“Stop, everyone stops!” Twilight felt like she was going crazy too. “Before one of us says words of regret.”
“Tsk tsk tsk, poor Twilight, are you mad?” Fluttershy flew over with a mischievous smile on her face. “Is it because you feel useless because you couldn't defeat Discord? It's okay, anyway, when you have no horns in the labyrinth, you’re already useless, hahaha!”
“What are you laughing at! Don't laugh at me!” Pinkie interrupted sternly, jumping over and looking at Fluttershy. “Whoever dares to laugh again, I will smash her!”
“Oh? Ha-Ha!”
“I told you not to laugh!”
“Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!” Fluttershy finished speaking and flew into the air before Pinkie's hooves hit her. “How can you smash me? After all, you can't fly – Ha-Ha-Ha!”
“Don't laugh, I said don't laugh -”
Pinkie was jumping on the ground, while Fluttershy was hovering over her head, deliberately pretending to laugh. Twilight looked to the other side and saw that Applejack was forced back by Rarity's hooves, looking panicked but still full of lies.
“I guess Princess Celestia will need it, you have to offer it...I was sent by her, give me the diamond.”
“Don't even think about it! If you want to touch 'Tom', ask my hooves first!” Rarity kicked her one hit after another, and her fists lightning fast.
In a fit of anger, Twilight cast a spell on all her companions, and in an instant, they all floated up and settled in the air. “It is much better...Listen to me, no matter what negative emotions you have now, the elements are the most important. We need to hurry back to Ponyville, understand?”
She paused for a moment to ensure that her friends had calmed down before releasing the magic. They didn't continue arguing, but their eyes still looked hostile towards each other. When Fluttershy passed by Twilight, she even gave her a tail slap.
“Okay, okay, for the sake of this magic, I'll come with you,” Fluttershy said without looking back.
“If you're willing to help me carry the diamond, I'll come with you. But don't even think about stealing it!” Rarity pushed "Tom" and followed Fluttershy.
“I'm really fed up with it. As long as you don't come looking for me, it's not a problem to do anything,” Pinkie frowned and said.
“I can go, but first you have to say to the flower of my cousin's friend, the son of my seventh aunt!” Applejack continued to perform steadily.
Twilight let out a long sigh and walked ahead, unsure if she could hold on all of this until the end of the matter.
……
In Ponyville, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia looked at the chaotic scene in front of them and sighed, just like long before. Differently, this time they didn't have the Elements of Harmony, everything relied on Twilight.
“I guess Discord is coming soon, we don't have much time left,” Mr. Miracle suggested.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna each released a magic laser, and wherever the two beams hit, things instantly returned to their original state; But these two new-changed things seem “abnormal” in the chaos.
“It's not difficult to restore the curse, but it will probably cost much more time to restore entire Ponyville,” said Princess Celestia.
“No matter what, we have to do it.” Princess Luna didn't want to give up and fired two more lasers. But compared to the entire chaos, this was really a drop in the bucket.
Mr. Miracle looked at the rainbow upside down in the distance and had an inspiration.
“Your Royal Highness, can you make prisms?”
“Prisms? Oh - I understand!” Princess Celestia cast a spell on a floating building, and the shattered glass of the window floated before her eyes. She further cast another spell, and these glasses melted into two huge transparent crystals.
Then Princess Celestia released a restoration spell on one of the prisms, scattering the light into a large area. With a slight change in direction, the restoration light curtain scanned the entire area like an eraser, restoring everything in front of her to its original state.
“Clever!” said Princess Luna joyfully, and she followed suit.
The restoration magic of the two princesses quickly swept through the streets and alleys, turning the chess table back into flat land, the cotton-candy rain cloud back into white clouds, the card house back into residential buildings, and the long-legged animals back to normal...
Seeing this situation, the previously tormented ponies approached the streets one after another, paying high respect to the two princesses.
“Oh my goddess, they are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!” “We're saved!” “There's nothing to be afraid of anymore.” ...The ponies then burst into enthusiastic cheers.
Princess Luna looked at the cheering crowd in front of her and sighed, “Being admired by the ponies must be very good, right?”
“It's really good...but there's never been a time like this.”
“Because the scale and extent of this time are far greater than before?”
Princess Celestia shook her head and said, “No...it's because this time, we're doing this together .” After speaking, she turned to Princess Luna with a smile.
Princess Luna was taken aback and blinked, not knowing what to say. Perhaps her sister couldn’t fully understand her, but neither could she.
“I'm sorry,” Princess Celestia pondered for a long time before finally saying these words.
“It's okay, at least you know now that royal guards need reform –”
“Not only for this, but also for the past,” said Princess Celestia seriously. “I’m sorry, sister.”
Princess Luna suddenly felt a slight choking in her throat, a faint sour sensation spreading from her throat to her nasal cavity, and then tears moistened her eyes. “I also want to say sorry, sister.”
Both princesses saw each other's tears and smiled at each other.
“Well, I'm not used to these emotional moments...” Princess Luna smiled. “Speaking of the guards, do you still think weapons are a bad idea now?”
“It seems that I have to admit those weapons do have a purpose for their existence,” said Princess Celestia helplessly.
The repair process was long, but not very tense. They just chat while repairing. Ironically, it was this crisis that created the opportunity for sisters to coexist, and Princess Celestia could confide in her sister this time.
After a long time, they repaired an entire street that ran across Ponyville. Just a few more times, it would be as beautiful, leisurely, and full of laughter as before.
But at this moment, a burst of disharmonious laughter came from all directions, and the sound was like thunder. “Dear two little princesses, do you have to be so disappointing?”
“Discord!” The two princesses gritted their teeth.
Immediately after, the figure of Discord, full of contradictions and chaos, appeared in front of them, and the ponies around them were scared and hid back inside.
“Why don't you understand the concept of 'vitality'? It's me who turned the boring Ponyville into an amusement park, but you always want these boring ponies to return to their previous boring lives.”
“Discord! You have no chance to sing!” Before the two princesses answered, Twilight's voice came from the entrance of Ponyville. “Once we obtain the Elements of Harmony, your chaotic rule will come to a complete end!”
“Is that so? Then I'll wait for your ‘good news’.” Discord put on a pair of sunglasses on his head. “But I have to remind you that there are six Elements of Harmony, and you only have five now - I doubt if you have enough magic to defeat me.”
“Twilight, go get the elements quickly. We'll hold him back here,” Princess Celestia shouted decisively. Then, Twilight and her companions headed straight to Golden Oak Library, but Discord didn’t want to stop them.
“My little princesses, you should understand: without the Elements of Harmony, you are not my match.” Discord looked indifferent, as if the alicorn princesses were no different from ordinary ponies in his eyes. “With just a snap of my fingers, everything will return to what I hoped for - full of 'fun'. The time it takes for you to restore something is enough for me to spread chaos for several kilometers.”
Upon hearing this, the two princesses furrowed their brows. He was right, the chaotic magic was so unreasonable, without the elements, they couldn’t stop him at all. But that didn't mean they would surrender or give in. Some things must be done even if they are destined to fail.
“Sister, do you remember what you said?” Princess Celestia smiled and asked.
“Remember - 'No matter what, we have to do it,'" said Princess Luna firmly. “Let's go, sister.”
“Oh, so touched...I ‘almost’ shed tears.” Discord wiped his eye bags with the lion's palm, but there were no tears on them. “Almost .”
“Wait!” As the battle was about to begin, a voice came from behind, which was none other than Mr. Miracle, who had been overlooked since the beginning. “Even if we don't have such powerful magic like you, it doesn't mean we can't play with you.”
“Hmm? Who are you?” Discord took off his sunglasses and looked over. It was just an ordinary colt, with black mane, light-brown body color, and no cutie mark on the flank. “Oh, I remember. You were also in Canterlot with those little girls. How do you want to defeat me with your weak hooves?”
Upon hearing the familiar voice, the three CMC poked their heads out from the buildings on both sides of the street.
Mr. Miracle ignored the gaze of other ponies and walked leisurely forward. “My only reliance is my mind and mouth - if that's what you're asking.”
Princess Celestia showed a worried expression, ready to step forward and protect him at any time; But Princess Luna comforted her with her eyes, making her calm for a moment - she believed in Mr. Miracle.
“Really? How are you planning to defeat me? I can zip up your mouth right now, but –”
“But you wouldn't do it because it's too 'boring', right?” Mr. Miracle smiled mysteriously. “I think you should know that even if you have the magic to achieve your thoughts, it doesn't mean everything can go as you wish. What you want is 'fun', but most of the time, simply and roughly changing reality doesn't always bring fun .”
“What do you want to say?” he raised his eyebrows in confusion and asked suspiciously.
“I want to play games with you. The rule is that I say one thing: if you can't do it, I win; if you can do it, I lose. I promise it will be fun, isn't that what you want?”
“Oh, I don't think so –”
“Don't worry, the rules are in your favor - if you win, I will immediately retreat and shut up completely. You can cause chaos at will; if you lose, just play the next round with me until you win. My only request is that during the games, don't torture those ponies.”
“So you were trying to buy time...Is Twilight really worth this big bet?” Discord holding down his chin, spinning like a windmill, as if he was thinking fiercely. “Okay, I'll play. I want to see what the chaotic magic can’t do.”
“Okay, then for the first round: Mr. Discord, please create a shield and a spear –”
“What's the difficulty? Just snap my fingers –”
“Please hear me out,” Mr. Miracle said calmly. “I want a shield that is the hardest, even the sharpest spear can’t pierce it; and a spear that is the sharpest, even the hardest shield can’t resist it. How about that, can you do it?”
Discord was about to say that there was no problem at all, but then he couldn't snap his fingers. The power of achieving one's wishes was indeed infinite, but the prerequisite for unleashing it was “imaginable”.
The conditions for shields and spears were mutually exclusive, and no one could imagine their nature - if he created the hardest shield, then the spear couldn’t be the sharpest; If he created the sharpest spear, then the shield couldn’t be the hardest.
“Fine, next round,” said Discord. “But no more this kind of contradiction, otherwise the game will end immediately.”
“No problem, Mr. Discorded. I guarantee every round will be different.” Mr. Miracle still had a confident look on his face. “In the second round, Mr. Discord, I would like to ask you to catch up with a turtle one kilometer away –”
“What's the difficulty? I can get in front of it at once.”
“Please listen to me. You need to chase it at a specific speed.”
“That’s not fair. If you want me to chase at a slower speed than it, I will never be able to catch up. Unless I take a shortcut.”
“No, no, no, I want you to chase after it with faster speed. Every time the turtle walks a distance, you only need to spend one tenth of the time to reach its position. How about it, is it simple?”
Discord smirked, and snapped his fingers to conjure a turtle. It was easy for him and the turtle both to move forward at two specific speeds. His speed would be ten times that of the turtle, how could he not do it?
But he just couldn't continue - there were still traps in this question. No matter how slow the turtle walked, he had to spend one tenth of the time reaching its position before and then continuing to chase, but the turtle's progress was continuous, not his.
This meant that when he finished the 1000 meter interval between them, the turtle would still keep moving forward during this period, eventually leading him by 100 meters; When he finished the next 100 meters, the turtle would still be 10 meters ahead; When he finished the next 10 meters, the turtle still led by 1 meter...
He could always spend one tenth of the time reaching the turtle's previous position and continue chasing with the remaining nine tenths of the time; But for the next nine tenths of the time, he always had to allocate another portion to continue stepping on the position before the turtle...
Following this rule, he couldn't catch up with the turtle no matter what, because the distance was infinitely divisible. Even though it might seem like they have already made contact, it still couldn’t be considered “pursued”.
The key to this question was as mentioned before: turtle’s movement and spending of time were continuous, but not for Discord’s. Even if his speed was ten times that of a turtle, his movement and time meant that he would never catch up with the turtle.
“You’re a bit clever. I can't do this, so you win this round. But the next round - it's the same, you can't come up with a similar question.”
“No problem, Mr. Discorded. In the third round, please conjure my cutie mark - I mean, the real cutie mark.
“I can't, next round!” Discord’s expression became increasingly ugly. He didn't expect this ordinary pony in front of him to have so many whimsical ideas. This was also the first time he had been helpless in front of other creatures in this “strange way”.
The two princesses looked and listened in surprise, wondering if they could do those things, but the answer was no. But as the game progressed, they became increasingly worried, afraid that after Mr. Miracle's questions all were asked, Twilight might be still not prepared.
……
Inside the Golden Oak Library, Twilight and her friends had a fierce struggle to obtain The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide . Upon opening it, they found that all six elements were actually inside. Twilight’s whole body was dirty, her mane was disheveled, and face was covered in sweat and dust, but as long as she retrieved the Elements of Harmony, it was all been worth it.
“Necklace, necklace, necklace, necklace, crown! Let's go!” Twilight used magic to put the Elements of Harmony on her friends, ready to face Discord.
Spike reminded on the side, “Twilight, did you miss someone?”
Twilight turned around and realized they still lacked Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, Rainbow Dash is not here...but we must defeat Discord now. Who knows how long Princess Celestia and the companions can hold on? Spike, you can put on her necklace.”
“Who?! Me? No, no!” Spike retreated repeatedly. “You know this won't work.”
Twilight looked at Spike, then at the four gray friends, and let out a long sigh. “I...I don't know what to do...Although my friends are all here, I know they have left me...” She sat on the ground, burying her head in her hooves, tears streaming down her face. “Without their friendship, I couldn't have succeeded.”
As her tears flowed, her whole body began to turn gray. Spike looked at everything in surprise, anxious but unsure of what to do. At that moment, he remembered the sachet that Mr. Miracle had given him a long time ago, with the note: If Twilight loses confidence, do as I say above .
He hurriedly ran upstairs, took out the sachet that had already been stained with some dust, and opened it to see six sheets of paper inside. What shocked him was that each piece of paper corresponded to one pony - Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, with detailed stories and lessons learned from them. Did Mr. Miracle also anticipate this?
He ran downstairs with these papers and showed them one by one (actually forcibly taking pictures of their faces). At first, they all swept over listlessly, but then they began to take it seriously, as if an impulse deep inside forced them to do so.
“Generosity not only means being generous and selfless in everything, but also means that when jealousy comes, generosity will make you do the right thing, ” Rarity read it out loud, and memories flooded in.
“The one who always smile when you're laughing doesn't necessarily mean a true friend; a true friend will be by your side when you're sad and make you laugh from the bottom of your heart with her, ” Pinkie said.
“The truth may not always be beautiful, but even the worst truth is ten thousand times better than the best illusion. Only sincerity can forge friendship, ” said Applejack.
“Sometimes we may lack courage and strength, but as long as we have friends by our side, everything becomes simple. Friendship makes us better, ” said Fluttershy.
Their gray gradually faded away, and their eyes became clearer, and Spike cheered as he watched.
“Oh my goddess, it's like a long dream...Oh, who moved this ugly big stone? It seems to be me...I don't think we should talk about it again in the future,” said Rarity with a disdainful glance at the stone.
“I'm afraid the lies I told today are even more than the total back then,” sighed Applejack.
“I'm so glad I woke up...I'm sorry for everything I've done for me!” Fluttershy said awkwardly.
“I didn't laugh all morning! That's so unreasonable! But looking at the positive side, it's quite funny that my whole body turned gray – just like my sisters!” Pinkie laughed.
They looked at Twilight, who was still in sadness, and walked forward one after another, feeling both heartbroken and sorry. They put their hooves on her shoulders, and she suddenly turned around to see her familiar friend, familiar face, familiar voice –
“You’re all back!” Twilight hugged them, her gray color finally fading away and returning to her original state. “I'm glad to have you friends again.”
“Hey, don't forget me!” Spike also hugged them.
“I guess these papers were written by Mr. Miracle. The paper to me is exactly what he said at the beginning – ‘Never give up on your friends. Just as you believe in yourself, believe in them; just as you believe in them, believe in yourself. ’”
“What should we do next?” Asked Applejack.
“We need to retrieve Rainbow Dash and bring her back!” Twilight said firmly. “Only with us six, our friendship is complete, and the elements can exert their greatest power.”
So they quickly set off through the back door, but searching for Rainbow Dash throughout Ponyville was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Twilight suddenly remembered the time when Pinkie and Rainbow Dash played pranks together, no matter how she flew, Pinkie could accurately find her.
“Pinkie, we need you to find Rainbow Dash.”
“Let me try...” She licked her lips, not knowing which nerve had moved, but the strand of inverted mane on her head actually moved. “It seems to be this way! Follow me.”
Five ponies followed the instructions of Pinkie’s mane and twisted around, finally discovering Rainbow Dash lying on a cloud in the outskirts. As expected, she also turned gray.
Fortunately, the fire balloon was nearby. “It’s not a joke to catch her,” Twilight said.
Then they engaged in a tense and exciting chase, and Fluttershy unleashed unparalleled pulling force, finally catching up with and locked Rainbow Dash by Applejack.
Rainbow Dash struggled extremely fiercely, so they couldn’t show Mr. Miracle's paper to her, but Twilight could use magic to make her recall everything.
When Twilight's horn touched her, she couldn't help but recite, “Sometimes loyalty to friends means sacrifice, but the past, present, and future sacrifices for friends are always worthy. ” Her gray faded away, and her momentum returned.
“Disgusted Discord, how dare he sow such discord between us!” she said angrily. “I’ll let him get real trouble and feel sorry for this!”
“Let's go back quickly, I'm afraid Princess Celestia and the others won't be able to buy too much time.”
……
On Mr. Miracle's side, although he maintained an inscrutable smile, he was actually sweating profusely. Even if he was very knowledgeable, there couldn’t be endless "paradoxical questions" that could trap Discord for a lifetime.
His questions have almost all been asked, so now he could only take a gamble.
“Round 33, Mr. Discord. I want you to take on the full force of the six Elements of Harmony,” he said, hoping that Twilight and the others would successfully regain their true nature, rather than just coming in gray forms.
“This doesn't - wait, did I hear it wrong?” Discord’s expression, which was already bored, suddenly shone brightly and then became sinister and cunning. “‘Take the full strike of the Elements of Harmony? No problem! Just watch it.”
He made a target on his stomach as he spoke, and then a bottle of sunscreen began to be applied, as if the radiance of the Elements of Harmony was just "sunbathing" for him.
“Discord, you will pay the price for your complacency!” Twilight and her five companions were just arriving at the scene, as if heroines had appeared.
Mr. Miracle breathed a relief-sigh upon seeing this; Princess Celestia said, "I'm so glad they can overcome the trouble of being bewitched. I was still thinking that if they were in trouble, I would return the weekly journal she wrote before to them.”
“Fortunately, she doesn't need them. Otherwise, Spike would have a stomachache,” Princess Luna joked.
“Alright, girls, let's get started – Friendship Is Magic!” With her solemn declaration, they all rose into the air, and each necklace burst into pure magic flashes, gathering energy at the center of Twilight's crown.
At this moment, Discord realized something was wrong - the colors of the six ponies were all normal, and so did the colors of the necklaces. Only then did he realize that he had miscalculated.
Before the powerful magic beam of the Elements of Harmony touched him, he looked over and saw the relieved look in Mr. Miracle's eyes. He half narrowed his eyes and said, “Just wait and see, we're not finished yet…”
Before he could finish speaking, he transformed back into a stone statue, his expression fixed on a comical face that was half angry and half shocked.
The powerful magic of the Elements of Harmony not only defeated Discord, but also dispelled all of his chaotic magic, restoring Ponyville, Canterlot, and Cloud City to the original state.
The two princesses hugged excitedly, and the surrounding ponies erupted into enthusiastic cheers once again. Princess Celestia took advantage of the situation and announced, “We are delighted to have defeated Discord. It is the brave actions and sincere friendship of these six ponies that have completely dispelled the crisis of chaos. They will be the eternal heroines of Equestria!” The ponies responded with overwhelming cheers.
“Of course, we will not forget a special pony. He used his wisdom and words that most ordinary ponies can’t do.” Princess Celestia looked gratefully at Mr. Miracle, who just smiled faintly and nodded in response.
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle also came to the streets, vigorously promoting the fact that Mr. Miracle was the honorary member of CMC. He accomplished such a feat, and they felt honor too.
Amidst the joyous ponies, the two princesses nodded at them and whispered to each other.
“The next issue is reforming the guards, right?” Princess Luna whispered.
“Indeed, Shining Armor need to explain why he and his guards were useless in this crisis,” said Princess Celestia seriously.
Chapter 18: Princess’s Three Visits
Chapter 18: Princess’s Three Visits
After the rise of Discord, the reform of the Royal Guards became a top priority. Before that, it was necessary for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to listen to Shining Armor and reflect on whether they had done their best during the period of Discord’s destruction.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sat on thrones on the steps, while Shining Armor stood alone at the foot of the steps, with helmets resting on his hooves. There were two rows of guards at the back of the main hall, standing guard while constantly glancing towards Shining Armor.
“From the beginning, I said that Discord was about to escape,” said Princess Luna solemnly. “That's why I sent extra guards to the sculpture garden, and I also made some reforms; but it turned out that the changes were not enough, so royal guards must undergo a complete transformation.”
“Your Royal Highness, I don't think it's their fault.” Shining Armor, this white pony with a blue mane was sweating like rain. “Not being able to respond to the crisis in a timely manner is my dereliction duty. If you want to punish someone, please just punish me.”
“Punish? I guess you're overthinking,” Princess Celestia smiled. “No one will be punished. I called you here just to discuss reform affairs. As my sister said, the guards must undergo drastic reforms in order to better cope with future crises.”
“I...got it,” Shining Armor’s expression softened.
“So I want to know, what are your training contents now?” asked Princess Celestia. “Before ago, I never asked about these things because I thought you could do them well; but now, I think I have to meddle it.”
“The training contents include three major aspects: etiquette, loyalty, and physical fitness. Among them, etiquette is the most time-consuming part, and we have to rehearse for all holiday celebrations to ensure the best results.”
“Uh...did you miss something?” Princess Luna raised her eyebrows and asked.
“Miss something? I'm pretty sure not. The training contents of the royal guards are these three major aspects, and the specific training subjects belong to the upper three.”
“You have practiced physical fitness, but what about the specific combat?” asked Princess Celestia. “For example, formations, tactics, commands, martial arts...at least a long time ago, Flash Magnus and his team would have practiced these.”
“Uh...” Shining Armor scratched his head. “We will use simpler tactics and formations so that we don't have to spend too much time rehearsing etiquette.”
“Simpler tactics and formations?!” exclaimed the two princesses in unison. “Is it to take the essence and eliminate the dross, or is it simply to simplify?”
“In fact, we are picking simple tactics from the legacy, and we don't have the opportunity to argue in details which ones are practical and which ones are not, because there are no combat targets.”
“So...are you just compressing combat training to free up time for rehearsing etiquette content? How simple are your tactics?” asked Princess Celestia.
“If the enemies are strong, we will charge collectively; if they are evenly matched, we will charge in batches; if they are weaker, we will encircle both wings...Well, that's it. I think it's completely sufficient,” Shining Armor said honestly.
The two princesses exchanged a glance, speechless. Their furrowed brows already indicated concern.
“What is the joint operation of pegasuses and earth ponies like?”
“It’s of course charge together.”
“What is the joint operation of pegasuses and unicorns like?”
“It’s of course charge together.”
“What is the joint operation of unicorns and earth ponies like?”
“It’s of course charge together.”
“I guess the joint operation of three kinds of ponies is the same - charging together, right?” said Princess Luna half sarcastically.
“That's right, our joint operations are all certainly about charging together , that's why we call them ‘joint operations’.”
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna looked at each other again, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes. Princess Luna covered her face with her hooves and said, “So, after charging, how do you attack?”
“Usually, we use bodies to knock down the opponents, or use our hooves to smash or kick.”
“Are unicorns and pegasuses like this too?”
“Of course. As guards, no matter what kind of ponies we are, we’re all equal.”
Princess Celestia couldn't help but cover her face with her hoof. “Shining armor, equality is not like that.”
“It seems that the reform can’t rely solely on you, Shining Armor. We need to hire another expert,” said Princess Luna. She looked at his expression and saw that he was hesitant to speak. “Are you unwilling?”
“I would certainly welcome the real expert, but...I'm afraid we might invite some pony without real skills,” Shining Armor said sincerely.
In a sense, this is indeed the case. Equestria lived a peaceful life for a long, long time, and 99.9% of the ponies knew nothing about combat, such as Shining Armor, which was already “quite good”.
After listening, Princess Celestia comforted him proactively and said, “You don't need to worry about this. We will definitely consult with real expert. As for now...I think you can discuss the wedding date with Princess Cadance.”
But Shining Armor completely misunderstood the meaning and exclaimed in shock, “You...you want to fire me?”
“Fire you? No! Just to give you a good rest,” Princess Celestia shook her head helplessly. “Don't overthink it, you'll have to cooperate with the full implementation of the reform plan once it's out.”
Shining Armor finally calmed down a little and then left.
After he left, Princess Luna said to Princess Celestia, "I guess the expert you mentioned is Mr. Miracle.”
Princess Celestia nodded and said, "When faced with Discord, he showed enough astonishing calmness and wisdom. I think he must have some good ideas for the reform.”
“Then let's go quickly,” Princess Luna yawned and was about to get up. But Princess Celestia held her down and said, "Just let me go. You've been working hard lately, and you should have a good rest.”
“But –”
“No but. I already believe in you; and now, please believe in me,” said Princess Celestia gently.
“Fine.” The Princess Luna had to agree and went back to her room to sleep. Princess Celestia watched her enter the house and flew out of the Royal Palace, heading straight for Ponyville. She flew while imagining the scene ahead, thinking about how they would have a conversation.
It wasn't until she saw a thatched tent on the outskirts of the town that she realized her idea was wrong from the beginning. She never imagined that such a wise pony would live in the outskirts.
This thatched tent had only one layer, made of hay, thatch, and sturdy canvas. It was simple, but not rudimentary, rather had a warm feeling.
She stood in front of the door and saw strange words pasted on both sides, above, and in the center. Even as a knowledgeable alicorn, she didn't know what kind of words they were. Mr. Miracle must be some kind of wise hermit.
She hesitated for a moment and slowly knocked on the door, but there was no response inside. She knocked second time, but still no response. She had to politely call out loud, but in the end, there was still silence.
“Not at home?” She wanted to knock again, but Pinkie bounced past from behind. “Good morning, Princess Celestia!” Pinkie smiled and squinted her eyes, still jumping forward, but then she suddenly opened her eyes and jumped back directly. “Your Royal Highness! Why are you here?”
Princess Celestia turned around and said awkwardly, “Hmm...Hi, I want to meet Mr. Miracle. But it seems he's not at home...Speaking of which, is this really his home?”
“It is his home, it was just a small shabby tent at the beginning,” Pinkie said while dancing and gesturing wildly. “Later, it was CMC and us who helped intermittently that it became what it is now. In the future, he will expend it.”
“Do you know where he went?”
“Of course I know!” Pinkie blurted out. “He is trying some new activities with Cutie Mark Crusaders to find his gifts and obtain the cutie mark. He may have to try all day, so you should come back tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? This...” Princess Celestia was a bit embarrassed - she didn't expect this situation. If she returned just like this, she might disappoint her sister, after all, it was she who said “please believe me”; But if she continued to wait here, it would waste her time. She still had a lot of affairs to deal with.
“I'll wait a little longer. If he really doesn't come back today, I'll find him the next day,” said Princess Celestia.
“If you have some urgent affairs to find him, I can take you there,” suggested Pinkie. “My Pinkie Sense is supper effective!”
“Well, thank you, but I don't want to bother his happy time.”
“Okay, it's all up to you, boss!” Pinkie made a small joke and continued bouncing away with a smile. Princess Celestia watched her leave and paced back and forth at the entrance of this small house. Occasionally, passing ponies greeted her, and she could only keep smiling, which made her face stiff.
After waiting for two hours, Mr. Miracle had no any intention of returning, so she had to go back to Canterlot. At night, Princess Luna was not disappointed when she heard of this, but only comforted her sister slightly.
Of course, Princess Luna could go directly to his dream to find Mr. Miracle at night, but this would delay her duty of patrolling the ponies’ dreams. On the other hoof, she felt that this should be done by her sister.
The next day, Princess Celestia went to Ponyville early in the morning again. She knocked on the door, but when it opened, she found that there was no Mr. Miracle, but a female zebra with pointed mane and several gold collars around her neck.
“Sorry, I thought Mr. Miracle was at home...May I ask who you are?”
“Your Highness Princess Celestia, I’m a zebra from afar, living under Everfree Forest near the star, and my name is Zecora.” Zecora carried out her speech characteristics and must rhyme whatever she said.
“So you are Zecora, it's my pleasure to meet you!” smiled Princess Celestia. “Twilight mentioned about you in the letter, and I heard that you are a master of potions.”
“I dare not live up to reputation, all I gain is hesitation. I just make some ordinary potion, and I’m honor to draw your attention.”
“Uh...you do have a unique way of speaking,” said Princess Celestia awkwardly. “Excuse me, may I ask where Mr. Miracle go? I have something important to discuss with him. By the way, why are you in his room?”
“He was about to give me some herbs, but today he has an urgent work. With his permission I come to take here, and seeing you much pleasure. He won’t be back until finish Rarity’s order, maybe you can come visit later.”
“Urgent work? Oh my…I'm going to return without outcome again,” sighed Princess Celestia, but she didn't immediately turn around and leave, instead asked Zecora.
“Although you live in Everfree Forest, you should also know how much trouble Discord had caused. I just hope that some wise pony can give us some advices to make the Royal Guards play a greater role. Twilight said you are very wise, maybe you can help us?”
After hearing this, Zecora smiled and said, “Marching and fighting are not my taste, and either my expertise doesn’t suit. Your Highness, don't be discouraged, perhaps you can meet him in another visit.
“You’re right, I'll leave a letter for him,” said Princess Celestia, using magic to manipulate a pen and paper to write a note. The font on it was graceful and the written test flowed smoothly, revealing a unique temperament between the lines.
Dear Mr. Miracle: This letter is written by a decision maker who yearns for methods to a wise gentlecolt, and more importantly, by a friend who yearns for advice to another friend.
As you can see, the Royal Guards have significant institutional loopholes, both in training and in actual combat. I hope the guards can protect entire Equestria, but it has been proven that without reform, it is impossible.
Your performance in the rise of Discord has proven your wisdom and insight, and you are unique among many ponies. I truly admire your courage and knowledge, and sincerely seek your advice.
Therefore, my two visits have unfortunately been unsuccessful. I sincerely hope that you can give me some advice and guidance, and I will be happy to accept your ideas and teaching. Your sincere, Celestia.
Princess Celestia subsequently signed her name, omitting the word “princess” to indicate her sincerity. Perhaps the previous two empty visits were some kinds of “tests” or “tasks”, to see if she was humble enough.
She wanted to prove her attitude with practice. Afterwards, she bid farewell to Zecora and returned to Canterlot to continue handling official business.
On the third day, she spent the morning dealing with official business and then headed straight to Ponyville. Now even Princess Luna was moved by her and wanted to come along.
Luna was glad that her sister agreed with her, and it was also time for another "sisters’ action".
Arriving at the familiar thatched cottage, Princess Celestia was about to knock on the door when she heard several sounds coming from inside.
“You are now facing nine bandit ponies, none of whom look easy to deal with. They must know the whereabouts of 'the Great Mage's Staff', but obviously they won't tell you unless they’re defeated. What are you planning to do?” said Spike.
“Miracle, what should we do?” A young girl’s voice came out, and the two princesses speculated that she was Apple Bloom.
“Apple Tarry, you are now the leader of the team. Think about what I have been teaching you all along,” Mr. Miracle said calmly. “You just need to apply them.”
After a moment of silence, Apple Bloom said, “Shadow Loo, I would like you to fly into the air and use your bow to attack. This way, you have an aerial advantage and are more likely to hit. If you choose to sneak, there are nine ponies here, and they can probably discover you.”
“Understood!” The other girl said decisively, inferring from her voice that she was Scootaloo.
“Sweetie Beck, your spells had been used up. I suggest you don't take the risk of attacking, but play the banjo. We will need your inspirational buff.”
“Understood!” said a young girl in a childish voice. That must be Sweetie Belle.
“Littlegun, there are nine opponents in front of you, and I want you to attract the vast majority to create a suitable long-range output environment for us. Once you are seriously injured, be sure to drink the potion at any time.”
“Yep.” This energetic voice definitely belonged to Big Mac.
“Miracle, I would like to ask you to activate the ‘Kai’ and attack them from the right side. As long as you can knock down the archers, we have a great chance of winning.”
“No problem!” said Mr. Miracle.
Then there seemed to be the sound of rolling dices, and the shouting inside kept coming and going, as if engaging in a very intense activity.
“Sister, it seems like they are conducting some kind of strategic simulation.”
“It sounds true...He indeed some kind of wise pony!”
The two princesses quietly pressed their ears against the door, attentively listening to the movements inside. It seemed that the situation was very intense, and the tactics used were also impressive to the princesses - pegasus attacked from the air, earth pony resisted pressure in front, unicorn supported from the side, and there was also soldier attacked from the back side. This tactic was really unbelievable when it came from a little girl’s mouth.
Then there were a few strange noises, both excited and scared.
“I heard something about the 'great success' at 20? What is this?” asked Princess Luna.
Princess Celestia shook her head and said, “I don’t know either. Could this be a term used in their game?”
They listened for two hours, listening to the ponies playing the role of adventures that went deep into the forest, defeated the bandit gang, brought them to justice, and finally successfully obtained the “the Great Mage’s staff” and gave it to “Lord Celestia”, thus receiving another commendation.
“'Lord Celestia'...poof...” Princess Luna covered her mouth with her hoof, trying not to laugh, tears welling up in her eyes. “It seems that their game is still based on Equestria.”
“Just laugh, maybe there will be a ‘Sir Luna’ in the future.”
During their eavesdropping period, many ponies passed by behind them. They wanted to say hello, but seeing the two princesses so focused, they didn't dare to disturb them.
They just looked at them with strange eyes and left.
The adventure inside seemed to have come to an end, and everyone was collecting things while reviewing what just happened. At this moment, Twilight hurriedly ran behind the two princesses, and Princess Celestia immediately turned her head and called out to her. “Twilight? What a coincidence!”
“Princess? Princess?! Princess Celestia!” Twilight's expression was very strange, looking a bit neurotic. “Why are you here?”
“I'm here to find Mr. Miracle. Do you also want to find him?” asked Princess Celestia.
“Yes, um...no. I have something else to do!” Twilight suddenly put on a strange expression and ran away in a flash. “Please forgive me for being so hurried~~” Her farewell gradually faded away.
“She looks strange today, what happened?” asked the Princess Luna.
“I don't know, I hope she's okay.” Princess Celestia frowned.
Perhaps upon hearing the commotion outside, the door of the thatched cottage suddenly opened, and CMC, Spike, Big Mac, and Mr. Miracle beside the door were shocked that the two princesses were standing outside the door.
“Oh my goddess, your Royal Highnesses! How long have you two been standing outside?!” Mr. Miracle apologized quickly. “We were playing games too enthusiastically, I'm sorry we didn't notice.”
“There's no need to apologize, really.” Princess Celestia smiled. “After all, we didn't knock on the door either.”
Mr. Miracle welcomed the two princesses in and they had a friendly exchange. The class at Ponyville Schoolhouse ended early today, so they came with lunch to play Ogres & Oubliettes with Mr. Miracle, Spike, and Big Mac.
Although “Guy's Night” was a well-known secret that should be kept confidential, since there are two highly respected princesses, there was no problem on being honest with them.
The two princesses showed strong interests in this novel game, so Spike and Mr. Miracle briefly introduced the gameplay, mechanism, and central idea.
“By the way, Spike,” Princess Celestia suddenly asked. “I just saw Twilight leave with a strange expression on her face. What happened?”
“Did you see her?” Spike's eyes suddenly became wandering. “Well...she's...she's going to have a picnic with her friends, yes, a picnic.”
“Alright then,” Princess Celestia half believed and half doubted, but in the end, she still didn't doubt his existence. “Mr. Miracle, have you read the letter I left yesterday?”
“Did you come yesterday?” Mr. Miracle appeared extremely shocked. “I have no idea at all!”
“Actually, I came the day before yesterday too, but you weren't at home both times,” Princess Celestia added.
Mr. Miracle quickly searched the table and found that the letter written by Princess Celestia had been turned over as a calculation paper. “I'm really sorry, I didn't see it...should I read it now?”
“No, it's better not.” Princess Celestia stopped. “It would be a bit awkward to read that letter in front of me. I think it's better to tell you in person.”
Mr. Miracle knew that something was extraordinary. So he asked the three girls, Spike, and Big Mac to go home early and said they would play again next time.
Although the three were a bit unhappy, they could understand – no kidding, he had to discuss with the two princesses, who wouldn't understand?
Spike's short legs destined him to be the last one to leave. As he walked up to the door, Mr. Miracle whispered to him, “Tell Twilight - 'The weekly journal is not urgent, Princess Celestia doesn't have to receive a weekly journal every week. The most important thing is sincerity.'”
Spike was a little surprised, after all, he had never mentioned Twilight's situation today; But soon he felt relieved, after all, he was speaking with Mr. Miracle, whom could foresee the future. It was not surprising at all.
Then, Mr. Miracle, Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia began to discuss the reform of the Royal Guards. Mr. Miracle listened to their general background and current situation, pondered for a moment, and then began to share his own insights.
With his speech, the two princesses gradually became attracted to the grand vision - if the reform could go smoothly as expected, then no matter what crisis they encountered, Equestria would have enough power to delay time, so that Twilight and the others could comfortably use the Elements of Harmony.
He pointed out that the most important defense force of Equestria was the elements, because it was the most powerful magic.
Therefore, as long as Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy fought side by side and could stimulate the elements, there would be no unbeatable villain.
Thus, the main responsibility of the guards was to delay the time, evacuated the public, and dealt with other issues that might hinder them.
Professionalization of the military didn’t mean abandoning etiquette. On the contrary, specialized division was aimed at better performing different tasks.
He suggested that the current teams responsible for various festivals be drawn out to form an honor team, dedicated to rehearsing various ceremonies; And the other guard team would be reorganized separately.
He envisioned the formation of three corps responsible for combat - a ground corps dedicated to land combat, a sky corps dedicated to air combat, and an amphibious corps dedicated to various complex terrain operations.
The name of the legions hadn’t been decided yet. The initial idea was that each legion will be composed of earth ponies, pegasuses, and unicorns, forming a joint combat unit with different focuses.
For example, the main force of the ground legion was earth ponies, with pegasuses and unicorns as strategic support; The main force of the sky legion consisted of pegasuses, earth ponies, and unicorns as logistical and follow-up support; The amphibious legion had no clear distinction between primary and secondary, and could flexibly decide based on the situation.
The subdivision of the legions was not the end, but the beginning, because this subdivision must be accompanied by an upgrade of the command system.
He had initially designed various command structures and systems, and the specific choice still needed to be proven through practice.
……
Mr. Miracle's knowledge far exceeded the imagination of the two princesses. They did live for a long time, but their profound knowledge mainly focused on magic. Now hearing these military-knowledge, they were enlightened, intoxicated, and even involuntarily applauded.
“What you said is really great!” Princess Celestia clapped her hooves and exclaimed sincerely. “If you are willing, we would like to invite you to serve as a royal advisor.”
“Oh, I'm so flattered!” Mr. Miracle smiled. But then he looked at his flank and politely declined, “Please forgive my rudeness...I’m still an honorary member of CMC, and I have to work hard to find talents and obtain my cutie mark.”
“Well, that's a pity,” sighed the Princess Luna. “But our proposals always work. If you change your mind in the future, you are always welcomed to come to Canterlot.”
“No problem. But don't worry, although I won't serve as a royal advisor, if you have any questions, feel free to come over anytime, and I will definitely speak up.”
“I don't think it's 'anytime,'" joked Princess Celestia. “After all, you were not at home the first two times.”
“So you will help us achieve the reform of the guards this time, right?” Princess Luna asked eagerly.
“Of course. After all, I proposed this plan. I will have a good talk with Shining Armor...Um, how about this weekend?”
“Great! Twilight's birthday is also at that time. You can come over together then.”
Just as they were chatting vigorously, there was suddenly a commotion outside the door. Princess Celestia pushed open the door and saw Big Mac holding a toy donkey, running away with red hearts in his eyes. Behind him was a group of equally passionate ponies.
“What's going on?” Princess Celestia and Princess Luna immediately flew out. Mr. Miracle covered his eyes and didn't see the toy donkey. He shook his head only after they had all left, indicating that Twilight ultimately didn't listen to his advice.
Or perhaps it was Spike who didn't tell her in time?
Chapter 19: A.A.A.
Before Mr. Miracle set off for Canterlot to embark on reforms, many things happened in Ponyville. It included Sisterhooves Social, Rainbow Dash selecting pet, Apple Bloom’ cutie pox, and Mare Do Well.
Rarity and Sweetie Belle had always had problems getting along. As Mr. Miracle had always said, Sweetie Belle was quite clever compared with most children. She could do housework, was willing to help, and did them quickly and well.
The only thing she needed was guidance what to touch and what not to touch. But Rarity was always patient, rather than teaching her, which led to her doing wrong and causing sisters to be eccentric. Fortunately, they finally found the main point of getting along with sisters.
Rainbow Dash selecting pet was also a big deal, after all, there was no pony would choose a pet in such a big battle like her. They suggested that Mr. Miracle also adapt a pet, but he only said, “Taking care of pets represents a much greater responsibility than playing with them. We may have a desire to be responsible, but we may not have the ability.”
Pinkie asked who said this sentence, and he just smiled mysteriously and said, “It's you.” Startled, she couldn't stop thinking about when she had said those words.
Later on, Apple Bloom got the cutie pox and resorted to cheating in order to quickly obtain the cutie mark. Mr. Miracle was well aware of this, but he did not expose it. Instead, he performed a play with Zecora to teach valuable lessons to the three - sometimes they might want to take shortcuts to achieve ideals, but dishonesty never worked.
Mare Do Well was a grand play performed by Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, and Fluttershy, with the aim of teaching Rainbow Dash a lesson. But Mr. Miracle wanted to go further and took this opportunity to suggest the establishment of "Do Well Week" to encourage every pony to become the " Mare Do Well" and generously help others.
Finally, it was the day when Mr. Miracle went to Canterlot. The three came to see him off, as it meant they wouldn't be able to see him for a while. Rarity went to Canterlot to purchase fabrics before, and heard that she was doing well there.
Twilight had already written to her in advance, asking her to help him. They could meet again at the Castle Dance Hall when Twilight's birthday was on Sunday. Regarding the birthday celebration in Canterlot, they planned to surprise Rarity later.
Thus, Mr. Miracle boarded the train alone for the first time and headed to the capital of Equestria. This was not just a solo journey, but also a meaningful job: he truly contributed his strengths to Equestria and felt closer to integrating here.
As soon as he got off the train, he saw Rarity standing at the station dressed in luxurious attire, with gold and silver jewelry, and several equally luxurious ponies behind her. He had to admit that Rarity dressed exotic was very beautiful, so beautiful that even his once non pony was momentarily stunned.
“Let me introduce Mr. Miracle to you,” said Rarity with a smile. “He is one of my good friends...Although he dresses like this, actually knows a lot about fashion.” She always glanced at the eyes of those high-end ponies when introducing, afraid of causing misunderstandings.
“Miss Rarity, is this pony really your friend?” said a high-end pony in an accent of Canterlot. “Why do I think...his attire is a bit 'crude'.”
It was even a compliment to say “crude”, because he was not wearing any clothes at all, fur and mane were the only decorations. He didn't even have a cutie mark. With the mockery of this pony, other upper-class also laughed along. Rarity could only awkwardly laugh along and then cast a comforting glance at Mr. Miracle.
However, Mr. Miracle didn't care about their opinions at all, because he had already seen through their true faces with CMC. “Rarity, let's go see Princess Celestia quickly. I think the sooner we start the reform of the guards, the better,” he said calmly.
When he said “Princess Celestia”, all the upper-class’s faces froze and their laughter abruptly stopped. Mr. Miracle walked past them without hesitation, carrying a backpack. Finally, he said, “I hope you all still remember ‘Adam and the note'.” Hearing this, they couldn't laugh anymore.
“Who is Adam? And what is the note?” asked Rarity curiously
“Well, you need to ask them,” Mr. Miracle smiled. Upon hearing the name 'Adam', all the ponies dared not say a single disrespectful word and could only watch him and Rarity enter the Royal Palace of Canterlot together.
Shining Armor had been waiting for him for a long time. He thought the wise expert mentioned by the two princesses was an old pony, or at least a middle-aged pony who had read many books.
He never expected it to be a younger pony than him, looking so ordinary and without cutie mark.
However, he dispelled Shining Armor’s doubt with just a few words. Mr. Miracle first got his name right before Shining Armor introduced himself, and then asked many questions about life (even involving Princess Cadance), as if they were long lost friends - but Shining Armor had just met him.
Then Rarity took the initiative to introduce his great achievements, including exposing Trixie's scam, dispelling the public's fear of Princess Luna, guessing riddles correctly in chaotic crises, and using words to stall Discord. This was only his main credit, as for other small things, they were countless.
In addition, he also dropped a heavy bomb. “Shining Armor, I also know you play 'Ogres & Oubliettes', if I remember correctly...your character is a paladin?” he said calmly in Shining Armor's shocked expression. “My friends and I also play, and my character is a sword master. Maybe we can play together in the future.”
Now that Shining Armor had completely dispelled any concerns, and was quite impressed by him.
Shining Armor led him to the room prepared for him in the palace, just downstairs from the rare room. It was equally spacious and decorated, with a large and soft bed that was extremely comfortable.
He needed to rush to work on the reform plan here in order to present it to the entire guards and the princesses as soon as possible; However, Rarity was a bit of "putting the cart before the horse" - she had to participate in various activities to maintain the opportunities she had finally obtained.
When she left, Mr. Miracle continued to give advice, “No matter how high your status is in Canterlot, it's all fake. No matter where you are, you shouldn't forget that it's your hometown and friends who made you be the one. Be proud of them.”
“I guess this is another sentence that our pony 'Future' would say.”
“No, that's what you said,” Mr. Miracle said bluntly. “I just hope you can remember your essence and original intention. I hope you don't sink too deep into the ‘mud’.”
Rarity smiled, obviously not too reassured. “Don't worry, I will...Besides, being with the upper-class - how can it be called the 'mud'?” She said and left, while Mr. Miracle just sighed and then went back to the room to continue his plan.
In his vision, the military force of Equestria would consist of three main legions, while the royal guards would be divided into two parts: the honor team and the guards. The honor team would specialize in rehearsing ceremonial ceremonies, while the guards would specialize in training combat skills.
The three main legions were Almighty Monoliths, Amazing Bolts, and Awesome Waves, all composed of a mix of earth ponies, pegasuses, and unicorns, collectively known as A A.A.
The reason for mixing instead of forming independent land, sea, and air forces was because the combat intensity of Equestria was not high, and the size of the army didn’t need to be too large. Only elite soldiers were needed to guard the kingdom.
The advantage of mixed formation was that each legion had complete and independent combat capabilities. According to his estimation, the number of soldiers in each legion didn’t need to be too many, 100-200 was enough, and they will all be the elites among the elites.
Almighty Monoliths would be the most important and powerful legion of Equestria, with earth ponies as the main force on the ground, pegasuses and unicorns as strategic and tactical support. There were three types of ponies, and multiple types of troops. The specific military equipment still needed to be studied, but Mr. Miracle envisioned that this legion would have the most weapons, fortifications, and other various equipment, thus possessing unparalleled frontal combat capabilities.
Amazing Bolts would be the widest combat range and fastest response army in Equestria, with pegasuses as the main force in the air, earth ponies as the main force on the ground, and unicorns mixed as tactical support. The organizational structure was relatively simple compared to Almighty Monoliths, and the core concept was to use pegasuses' wings, trains, and other transportation vehicles to quickly reach the battlefield and engage in combat, highlighting a "fast" approach. Therefore, the heavy weapons, fortifications, and equipment of this legion would be reduced to ensure sufficient speed; In order to compensate for the weakness in military equipment, the individual quality of this legion must be high enough.
Awesome Waves would be the legion with the most diverse range of combat missions and the most complex tactics in Equestria, focusing on coordinated operations between teams and small corps, rather than emphasizing decisive battles like the first two legions.
Small units that were suitable for various complex tactics, but their frontal combat capabilities were relatively weak. Therefore, the ponies of this legion might not be able to fight better than Amazing Bolts, but they must be smart enough to adapt to changing situations.
However, based on the current situation, it was not realistic to form three legions at once. The existing number of the Royal Guards was not enough, and they needed to allocate a portion for specialized honor team and a portion for specialized guards, leaving very little for the rest.
So he planned to reorganize and build a legion first, train it into the expected elite with enough time, and then assemble the remaining military forces based on its experience.
So which one should be formed first? This question didn't need to be considered at all, of course it was Amazing Bolts. Although it required the highest individual quality, there was no need to start from scratch, because members just needed to be selected from Wonderbolts.
As for the performance, it only required an independent performance team, just like the difference between the guards and the honor team. The Wonderbolt Academy could also be directly reorganized into Amazing Bolt Academy - everything was ready-made, why not start from here?
He shared his thoughts with two princesses and received their support. He thought everything would come naturally, but he was splashed with cold water by the captain of Wonderbolts.
The captain was Spitfire. She was a handsome pegasus with a shiny-golden body and a mane that flowed like flames. She had many fans and was well-known throughout Equestria. Today she happened to be in Canterlot, and Mr. Miracle met her through Shining Armor’s introduction.
Spitfire and her teammates had just completed a difficult stunt rehearsal when they came to rest on the sidelines and saw Mr. Miracle. She had many friends in Canterlot, and some well-informed sources had told her that there was a mysterious pony that was working on military reform.
“I think you must be Mr. Miracle,” she said.
“That's right, Ms. Spitfire. I've also heard a lot about you.” Mr. Miracle said politely.
“The guards had always been led by Shining Armor, and I thought this reform was also led by him,” Spitfire took a sip of water. “I didn't expect the two princesses to hire another one. I heard about your behavior when Discord came, it was really amazing.”
“You flatter me.” Mr. Miracle smiled and continued to get down to business. “We plan to form three major legions as the standing army of Equestria. However, it is not realistic to form them all at once. Considering the current conditions of Wonderbolts, I think we may be able to form the first legion on this basis. This way –”
“I don't think it's possible,” Spitfire immediately shook her head. “Although Wonderbolt was initially an independent flying demonstration team from the E.U.P. After a long period of development, we are no longer purely an army.”
“I don't understand...isn't what I'm saying good?”
“Perhaps it's a good in your place, but...” Spitfire paused for a moment, as if weighing her words. “The captain had been entrusted to me, and my only wish is to manage it well. As for the reorganization, I'm sorry...I can’t let this legendary team with a long history disappear during my tenure.”
“Disappearing? No, I think you're overthinking,” explained Shining Armor. “The performance team can still exist, but it seems more like it has split into two parts: a professional military force and a professional performance group.”
“It's like the difference between the honor team and the guards - we're about to reorganize the Royal Guards like this,” Mr. Miracle explained.
“Honor team? What do you mean?” Spitfire raised an eyebrow, her face clearly looking a bit off.
But Mr. Miracle didn't notice because he was too immersed in his grand plan and lost original perception. “The honor team is specifically responsible for rehearsing the ceremony of the festival celebration, and the guards are specifically responsible for the security work of the royal palace.
“Each team specializes in one field, so there is no need to be distracted. I think Wonderbolts can also do the same, with one part forming the Amazing Bolts, specializing in defending entire Equestria, and the other part specializing in performing stunts. The performance team can focus on their performance, without having to force you to do both in crisis.”
Spitfire shook her head more firmly and refused with a gloomy expression, “I'm sorry, I don't think Wonderbolts will reorganize according to your wishes.”
“I really don't understand why you refuse. Would you rather do those difficult stunt performances than become the defense force for Equestria?”
“No, we just don't want to be forced to choose between these two,” said Spitfire seriously. “We are originally the defense force of Equestria, and performance is our second life. It seems that you think our performance is just some kind of 'honor team' - flashy but not practical...Sorry, I have to leave now.”
“Military reform is also the two princesses' idea, don't you even care about this?” Mr. Miracle still wanted to make a final effort to persuade her. But Spitfire had already made up her mind and said without looking back, “We respect the princesses, but administratively, Wonderbolt isn’t under the jurisdiction of the Royal Guards. If you can persuade the cabinet to agree to the reform, we naturally have nothing to say...Before that, my answer is only 'no'.”
After saying that, she suddenly took off, stirred up a strong wind, and disappeared in a blink. Her emotions should be quite serious, otherwise she wouldn't have flown so fast.
“I really don't know why she refused,” Mr. Miracle was also a little angry. “Does she really think that performance is more important than protecting the public? She is ‘putting the cart before the horse’!” He was so angry that he even threw writing board to the ground.
Shining Armor smacked his lips and didn't know what to say. After waiting for a while, he asked, “What should we do? She doesn't agree. It seems like Amazing Bolts can't be formed anymore.”
“No, we can still do it without her,” Mr. Miracle calmed down slightly. “We'll first find a training ground, and then recruit the first batch of team members...Although it may be difficult, as long as we have the support of the princesses, there won’t be many problems.”
Sometimes, when someone is in a critical period of career, the one can easily lose judgment.
This was the first time Mr. Miracle had taken on such a significant responsibility. The entire military reform of Equestria was on his feet, so he was determined to succeed, no matter what difficulties he encountered.
At such times, vulnerabilities could be misunderstood as difficulties and ignored; Advice could be misunderstood as slander and subsequently rejected.
On Sunday, Twilight and the others suddenly came to the Royal Palace to hold her birthday party, and Rarity was startled. They held a party at the castle ballroom, while Rarity was exhausted running between two groups of ponies, finally realizing the truth that Mr. Miracle had told her before.
She not only remembered this sentence, but also independently learned this lesson. Now she knew why Mr. Miracle said it was “the future her”. Now that she had finished her business, she planned to return to Ponyville. Before leaving, she went to Mr. Miracle's room to see his situation.
After all, on Twilight's birthday, he locked himself in his room and kept thinking about the legion, so he didn't come to the party.
After a brief knock on the door, it opened a crack, revealing half of Mr. Miracle’s haggard face, with deep eye bags and bloodshot eyeballs, and a slight photophobia.
“Oh my goddess! Darling, you look terrible!” exclaimed Rarity.
“It's just a necessary cost. If the military reform is not successful, it will be much worse in the future,” he said with a yawn. “Sorry to show you this,” he opened the door and invited her in.
As soon as Rarity entered, she saw a mess on the ground. Drafts and pencils were scattered randomly on the ground, half of the blanket on the bed was on top and half on the ground, the blackboard on the wall was extremely messy, with broken pens scattered in various places, and the plates he had eaten were not washed and piled up in the corner.
Rarity swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said, “This...is not like you.”
“I know, I know, it's messy, right? I just have more important things to do,” he walked over and casually cleared out an area for Rarity to sit. After she sat down, he was about to prepare a drink, but he rummaged around the table and couldn't find a teapot or teacup, either tea-leaves.
Seeing this, Rarity quickly stopped him and said, “It's okay not to drink tea. I just came to take a look, and I didn't expect...it's like this. What's bothering you? Maybe I can help.”
“Every time I think of it, I get angry!” Mr. Miracle kicked his hooves and immediately forced himself to calm down. “I don't know why Spitfire refused my proposal. I didn't let her do anything that doesn't work at all. However, in her eyes, performance is actually more important than guarding Equestria.”
Then he told the whole thing in detail, thinking that Rarity would agree and sympathize with him; Unexpectedly, Rarity advised him to put himself in others’ shoes. In her opinion, Spitfire did have her reason.
Seeing Mr. Miracle's incomprehensible expression, Rarity smiled and said, “Now you know what I thought when I told you about Sweetie Belle and you advised me, right?”
“That's different. I know Sweetie Belle, and I'm telling the truth.”
“But what I'm saying is also the truth. Although I'm not as familiar as Rainbow Dash with Spitfire, I know her to some extent,” explained Rarity patiently. In her eyes, Wonderbolts had always had the responsibility of both performance and defense.
When a crisis came, they were never absent and arrived at the scene almost immediately. Spitfire had never thought that the safety of other ponies was not important.
“Even so, you know the fact that every time Wonderbolts attack, it is ineffective, always losing quickly, or having no effective means of attack. My proposal is to change this situation, but she arrogantly thinks it's not necessary.”
“Perhaps there is arrogance, but from your description, it may be more of anger.”
“I didn't even say anything about her, why is she angry? Is it reasonable for her to be angry?”
“Of course. Wonderbolt is a legendary team with a long history. There were many famous came from it. Who doesn't know about Wonderbolts when it comes to Equestria? The team has been passed down to this day. It is not only an ordinary performance team, but also a cultural symbol, representing a spirit. All members of Wonderbolts sincerely regard it as their own ownership, and do their best to fight for its honor. This team is their collective, their home, and even their spiritual land. The members are like brothers and sisters, and their feelings are deep.”
Mr. Miracle remained silent after hearing this, and upon calming down, he realized that it was indeed the case.
“Although I know your intention was not to deny all of this, your proposal sounds like a 'split'. As the captain of Wonderbolts, it is her duty to keep the team great. You said you want to reorganize or even change its name, and the members will either become military ponies or just perform without doing anything else. To some extent, it is equivalent to making the team 'cease to exist'. So she refused you.”
“I...I didn't expect that.”
“If it were you before, you probably would have known long ago. I guess it's these things that keep you a little...out of tune?” Rarity's words had always been carefully considered, and because of this, she was very good at soothing the emotions of other ponies; But when it was her turn, she found it difficult to calm herself down.
Mr. Miracle had always known how to confide in others, but when it was his turn, he was just like Rarity. Perhaps this was the meaning of “the spectators see the chess game better than the players”.
“What should I do then?” Mr. Miracle asked. “Military reform is necessary, and to enhance combat effectiveness, it is necessary to divide professions. Do we have to accommodate them and let them continue the tradition of 'unprofessional'? But this goes against the original intention of military reform.”
“I can't give you any more advice in this regard, after all, I know nothing about these things,” said Rarity frankly. “Maybe you can ask Twilight or Rainbow Dash...Rain Dash may need to be excluded. If she finds out you want to reorganize Wonderbolts, she may have prejudice against you...Anyway, I believe you can always come up with a solution. Well, it's getting late, I should go back now.”
“Thank you, Rarity,” Mr. Miracle quickly said. Rarity turned around and smiled slightly, then left.
After Rarity left, he sat in the room and thought for a long time. She was right, Wonderbolts had extremely important significance for every member. His previous statement not only failed to realize this, but also showed disrespect - even compared them to the "honor team". Spitfire was already quite restrained without scolding him on the spot.
It seemed that he must give up the idea of restructuring, which meant building an elite army from scratch. The biggest problem was technical: although he was knowledgeable, he clearly knew nothing about the flying knowledge of pegasus. He couldn’t select future members.
Is the plan going to be stillborn before it even starts?
Chapter 21: Amazing Bolts
Chapter 21: Amazing Bolts
Within Wonderbolt Academy, members of Wonderbolts were rehearsing for the upcoming performance. The academy was located on an exceptionally dangerous hill, surrounded by steep slopes and extremely flat tops, surrounded by layers of white clouds, with a rainbow waterfall flowing out from the holes in the cliff below.
“Soarin, keep up! Fleetfoot, pay attention to formation!” Spitfire hovered in the air, holding a horn and shouting to the members. Above the runway, several pegasuses form a formation and perform high difficulty stunts.
They were wearing blue and gold Wonderbolt uniforms, and although their mane colors were different, they were generally typical "team" mane-styles.
After completing a series of actions, they landed together on the runway, standing tall and full of energy.
“Well done, guys!” Spitfire praised generously. “If it gets a little better on the day of the performance, we will definitely shock everyone!” After listening, the members each smiled and then went to the edge of the runway to drink water and rest.
Spitfire also descended and shouted into the air, “When else do you want to see? Come down.” The members followed her voice and looked up, only to see a purple fire balloon tearing open the clouds and slowly descending.
Obviously, this fire balloon had been hiding behind the clouds all along, observing the entire training ground through the gaps of the clouds.
Inside the fire balloon was Mr. Miracle and his briefcase, with Rainbow Dash holding a rope on her back and connecting it all the way to the balloon. “Had you already noticed us?” he asked.
“Of course, a qualified pegasus always observes all directions and listens attentively,” explained Spitfire. “Besides, I'm the captain. Tell me, what do you want?” Her tone was slightly impolite, obviously remembering what Mr. Miracle had said.
Rainbow Dash rarely got to see her idol up close, so she was a bit hesitant. Mr. Miracle remained calm and never forgot the purpose of this trip. He calmly climbed down from the balloon and stood beside the runway on the ground, saying, “I came here mainly to ask for your help.”
“Help? Or restructuring?” Spitfire raised her eyebrows, feeling a bit displeased, but looked around and said, “If you want to talk, then go inside. They don't need to listen to this.”
Mr. Miracle was taken aback. He thought she would speak up in public to make all members resist him; But she didn't do it, even though she disliked his proposal.
“No, I think they all need to know about this,” Mr. Miracle said sincerely. “Before requesting your help, I have to apologize for my previous words and actions.”
Now it was Spitfire's turn to be stunned, she didn't know what his plan were.
Mr. Miracle ignored the gaze of other members and slowly said, “I think everyone knows that the two princesses entrusted me with military reform, striving to form an armed force capable of dealing with various crises.”
“Indeed, I have heard of it.” “Some of ponies in Canterlot are spreading the news about it.” “But aren't we the armed forces? We always set out in every crisis!” ...The members were discussing it, and when they were almost done, Mr. Miracle raised his hoof to ask them to stop so that he could continue speaking.
“It's difficult to form a legion from scratch, and I have to ensure its elite level. The Royal Guards didn't meet my expectations, so I thought of Wonderbolts - the most elite flying team in all of Equestria. Just with a little reform, Wonderbolts will definitely become the strongest armed force.”
“It seems like a good thing.” “Sounds good.” “Why didn't Spitfire tell us?” The members started discussing again, but before Mr. Miracle could ask them to stop, Spitfire waved her hoof to help him stop first.
“Reform means professionalization, which means that the new legion will no longer have performances or stunts, all for military service; and the performance team can be independent and dedicated to performing, no longer involved in the responsibility of defending Equestria.”
This sentence was like a bombshell, shocking the members and leaving them speechless. Mr. Miracle seemed as if he hadn't seen their faces and continued, “As a result, Ms. Spitfire refused this proposal. At first, I didn't understand why, but later, after being reminded by Rarity, I realized how inappropriate my measure was - it was like tearing apart entire Wonderbolts.
“In the past, I thought stunts were just stunts, and performances were just performances, but I overlooked the connotation represented by this legendary team with the long history - when the members proudly soar in the sky, you are not only the pride of the pegasuses, but also the cultural symbol and spiritual totem of entire Equestria. When the ponies see you performing various stunts in the sky, they will spontaneously express their sincere pride and happiness.
“I'm sorry I didn't realize this earlier, otherwise I wouldn't have said such offensive words. I understand Spitfire's decision to continue the tradition and existence of Wonderbolts, so I want to apologize for my words and actions - I'm sorry, Ms. Spitfire.” After speaking, Mr. Miracle really lowered his head with an extremely sincere attitude.
Spitfire had always been tough in her actions, and most of the ponies she encountered were similar. She had never seen such a scene before, and she didn't know what to say at the moment.
In other words, she was “yielding to soft approach but rejecting force”. With this attitude, she had to awkwardly nod and accept the apology. On the other side, Rainbow Dash opened her mouth and eyes wide, completely unaware of Mr. Miracle's reform plan, which was to completely reorganize Wonderbolts.
She didn't know now whether his failed reform was good or bad.
“However, military reform must be carried out, and new troops must also be formed –”
“Hey, you've already apologized, why are you still insisting?” Spitfire interrupted helplessly. “Although I have accepted your apology, my answer is still 'no'.”
“Don't worry, I won't bring up restructuring again,” Mr. Miracle said quickly before other members of the team were about to “attack” him. “I will start forming the legion from scratch.”
The members breathed relief-sighs, and so did Spitfire. She said with a sense of relief, “I'm glad we've reached a consensus on this.”
“Then I need your help.”
“As long as there is no reorganization, I can help anything,” Spitfire agreed decisively.
“I made many mistakes and encountered great difficulties in the process of forming the new legion, which made me realize that without the help of professional ponies, theory alone is not enough,” Mr. Miracle said as he pulled out a stack of documents from his briefcase. “So I would like to ask you and entire Wonderbolts to help form 'Amazing Bolts'.”
“This is not easy,” Spitfire smiled and took the document with her wings, quickly browsing through one or two pages and nodding. “But Wonderbolts will be never afraid of troubles. We’ll take it.”
“I never thought that one day I would be able to be an instructor,” said the female pegasus, who had a bright white mane and tail, and was all light blue in color. “Is the training location in Ponyville?”
“Right, it's between Ponyville and Cloudsdale, on the northern outskirts of Ponyville,” said Mr. Miracle. “Well, in case you ask, Big Mac refused to join the legion...but you still have a chance to see him.”
Upon hearing this, Fleetfoot was a bit surprised and asked, “Who is Big Mac?”
“Uh, never mind,” Mr. Miracle replied awkwardly. It seemed that she hadn't experienced “the crush on Big Mac” yet, but it was probably coming soon.
“Very good, I can taste the delicious apple pie of the Apple family again,” said Soarin, the male pegasus with a light-blue body and deep indigo mane. “Since the last time I tasted Applejack's apple pie at Grand Galloping Gala, I have never forgotten it.”
“The top priority is to find talented members. We don't want to ruin the reputation of Wonderbolts,” said Blaze, the female pegasus, who was also full of shiny gold and had a fiery mane. She looked a bit like Spitfire, but her mane color was darker, making everyone wonder if they were related.
Several members including Misty Fly and Surprise followed suit.
“Alright, guys, Mr. Miracle's plan is here. Let's study it carefully and then we'll show off our skills!” Spitfire announced. “Can we do it well?”
“Yes, we can.”
“Speak louder, I can't hear you!”
“Yes, we can !!!”
Mr. Miracle looked gratefully at the team in front of him, feeling a lot of emotions in his heart.
Sometimes walking too fast can easily overlook many details, so it is necessary to take a step back at the appropriate time, stop and think carefully.
In the following days, Wonderbolts promoted the news of the new legion throughout entire Equestria, attracting the attention of many ponies through the show tour.
When a large number of fans with star-eyes rushed over to inquire about joining Wonderbolts, members of Wonderbolts such as Spitfire suggested that they could try the equal level team, Amazing Bolts.
Although they had never heard of this legion before, as soon as they heard that the instructors were all members of Wonderbolts, interested individuals crowded the recruitment offices in various places.
Resume after resume was sent like snowflakes to Mr. Miracle's office in the town hall, and the poster was Derby. When she left, Mr. Miracle stopped her and said, “Derby, I'm sorry for rejecting you so quickly...If you still want to join, you can participate in the selection.”
Derby was surprised. “Really?” she turned back and asked incredulously.
Mr. Miracle nodded. Derby then took out a muffin from her bag and smiled, saying, “Nice! I'll treat you to muffin.” Upon hearing this, Mr. Miracle couldn't help but laugh.
Wonderbolts not only helpd with publicity, but also had professional insights in selecting members and conducting assessments. No matter which pegasus, as long as they had a rough look, then they knew whether their foundation was good or not.
Sometimes, when Mr. Miracle thought some pegasus was not tough enough, they could see through the appearance to perceive the essence, including wing shape, body shape, and muscle mass.
In terms of selection, the series of testing projects they designed were also quite scientific. With just one process, all the data was clear. Based on these data, Mr. Miracle easily selected suitable ponies, and at that moment, he truly felt amazed that Amazing Bolts could be formed.
Unexpectedly, Derby’s data was surprisingly good. Her only weakness was her poor eyesight, and she suffered some minor injuries during the test, but she managed to go through. It seemed that she had made up her mind to reduce the expenses of muffins, which was why she had such a great determination.
Some unexpected ponies also arrived – Marble Pie, who was Pinkie's sister. This usually shy filly had a bluish gray body color and a deep bluish gray mane. In the strength test, she rode on top of the crowd and threw a huge rock hundreds of meters away, shocking the chins of all the ponies.
After a series of selections, the first batch of legion members were determined, including:
Pegasus Group - Thunderlane, Derby, Cloud Chaser, Cloud Kicker, Silverspeed, Star Hunter.
Earth Pony Group - Bulk Biceps (assigned to Earth Pony Group because he struggled to fly but had great strength), Marble Pie, and Candy Mane.
Unicorn Group - Minuette, Neon Lights.
They would receive rigorous training at the legion base on the outskirts of Ponyville, including projects designed specifically for Pegasus by Wonderbolts and a series of courses designed by Mr. Miracle.
The training he originally designed was not only difficult but also burdensome. After careful consideration, he didn't want to bring too many negative memories to these ponies. Indeed, training was never easy, but that didn't mean they couldn't do their best to make it easier to accept.
So he designed and rewrote many team games, hoping that in these fiercely competitive games, they could not only exercise their physical fitness but also learn teamwork. In addition to these games, they also had to learn how to use those new weapons.
Even Wonderbolts had a limited understanding of these weapons. For example, the lance, which was used by the ancient pegasuses, had reappeared. Mr. Miracle designed various types of lances, including those for earth ponies or pegasusses.
The majority of the type of earth pony was made of metal, heavy and solid. With the speed of earth ponies running, it was definitely lethal for the villains; The type of pegasus was hollow wooden light lance, designed to break at the appropriate time to reduce the reactive force transmitted to the user.
After all, pegasuses’ speed sprinting was almost close to sound, and if they still used solid lance, it was easy to get injured; There was also a “torpedo type” like overweight solid lance, which was not suitable for direct hard impact.
Instead, it was hung on the pegasus’ belly. When they accelerated to the limit, they dived down from the sky, predicted to release the hook, and the overweight lance will continue to fly with inertia, hitting the opponent directly at unparalleled speed and weight.
Each of the members had their own unique suit. Earth ponies were with heavy defense and metal armor covering their entire bodies;
Pegasuses, on the other hand, prioritized mobility and therefore used titanium alloy. Their armor thickness was not as thick as that of earth ponies, but under the belly was equipped with a dedicated grappling hook that could carry tactical weapons, including flash bombs, pepper bombs, flame bombs, tear gas bombs, and more;
Unicorns, on the other hand, were primarily lightweight because their duty was to provide support and keep up with the pace of teammates at all times. Finding their position and facilitating their movement was of utmost importance. They had a yoke on their armor and could pull a weapon cart to replenish ammunition for them at any time.
The combat style of Amazing Bolts was very different from that of Wonderbolts. It emphasizes quickly reaching the battlefield, ending the battle quickly, or helping other legions suppress firepower. Therefore, coordinated attack was the most important issue, and it was necessary to create a lightning-like rapid offensive.
Pegasuses attacked from the air, while earth ponies attacked from the ground, a dual strategy.
Mr. Miracle hoped to have more time to train them, but he couldn’t miss any opportunity to practice.
……
Soon it was Spike's birthday at Ponyville. In Canterlot, he had never received a gift from a pony other than Twilight; In Ponyville, his close friends gave him unique gifts - Rainbow Dash gave dumbbells, Applejack gave blankets, Rarity gave a kiss, and Twilight, as always, gave him a book.
However, when he learned that he could ask for gifts under the pretext of his birthday, his greedy nature as a dragon was stimulated. The more things he hoards, the greedier he became, the larger his body became, and the more irrational he became.
When Mr. Miracle and the members of the legion, who were busy at the training base, learned of the situation that Spike had already turned into a towering dragon and was wreaking havoc in the town, they immediately rushed to Ponyville and saw a purple giant dragon several floors high.
He roared while continuing to pack things. The residents in town were scared and scattered around, with constant alarms ringing in their ears.
Wonderbolts were the first to respond, but they didn’t have Amazing Bolts’ weapons. All they did was shave Spike’s head. Of course, except for Twilight and the others, as well as Mr. Miracle, no one knew that this wild haired dragon was Spike.
“Just follow the plan, guys!” Mr. Miracle blew his whistle, and the fully armed team immediately launched an attack. He continued to shout at Wonderbolts, “Leave him to us, you evacuate the residents first!”
Several members of Wonderbolts nodded and immediately rushed to evacuate the crowd. And the pegasus group of Amazing Bolts was already in place, with Minuette and Neon Lights using magic to equip them with light lance.
The pegasuses immediately took off, accelerated suddenly, and formed two rows in a batch charging formation. When approaching Spike, they quickly dodged to the side.
Several lances pierced one by one at an unparalleled speed and shattered as expected to dissipate the enormous recoil. Each lance strike would cause a loud noise and shatter a scale. Spike roared loudly in pain and walked towards the distant mountain edge.
The earth pony group didn’t follow suit to charge with their lances, as with the height of Spike, they could only stab his heels. They changed their tactics and ran over, suddenly throwing out several sturdy ropes with heavy objects tied to the ends, so that they would spontaneously entangle themselves with inertia.
Bulk Biceps, Marble Pie, and Candy Mane quickly wrapped nine ropes around Spike's right foot, and then they pulled hard in the opposite direction together, making Spike unable to move a single step and almost falling.
They continued to struggle with Spike, and the pegasus group immediately returned to the ground to replace their equipment. Two unicorns, pulling weapon carts, had been waiting for a long time. Part of the pegasuses were suspended in the air, and unicorns hung overweight lances on them; while other pegasuses still hung breakable light lances.
Being equipped, they immediately took off and the light lances team launched a sprint following the previous attack. As soon as Spike felt pain, the earth pony group suddenly exerted force and finally pulled him down.
In the midst of smoke, the overweight lances group ascended to the sky at a slower speed, which was still too heavy, so it needed the help of gravity to accelerate.
When they reach a sufficient height, the overweight lances team dived downwards and climbed in a straight line under the action of gravity until they released the hook at the appropriate time, suddenly pulling up. The uncontrolled overweight lances hit downwards like huge nails.
This powerful attack left the nearby Wonderbolts dumbfounded. It seemed that Amazing Bolt was indeed, as Mr. Miracle said, a complete legion.
As long as they repeated the operations, Spike would definitely have no chance, but Mr. Miracle’s goal was only to delay him and buy time for Rarity to arrive at the scene.
When she heard that the terrifying greedy giant beast was Spike, she was so shocked that she couldn't close her mouth, and fear overflowed in her words; But when she learned that it was all caused by greed, and that only she could awaken his true nature, her expression gradually became resolute, determined to take any risks for her friend, without considering that if the awakening failed, the crazy Spike might harm her.
She disregarded the fact that her newly made cloak was torn apart in order to rush to the scene as soon as possible. She approached Spike under controlled by the earth pony group, and took out the heart-shaped ruby he had given to her.
“It was given to me by a little dragon friend...Do you remember?” She didn't have the fear but only concerns for her friend. “He is the most caring, kind, and generous dragon in the world, not the greedy monster who only knows how to rob now.”
Spike’s struggle slowed down, and his eyes widened as if this ruby had stirred up some memories. Rarity seized the opportunity and continued, “Wake up, don't be defeated by your greed! I have also been troubled by negative emotions before, but I overcame jealousy with reason, and you can definitely overcome it with reason too.”
Spike shook his head abruptly and instantly transformed back. All the ponies were surprised to find out that he was Spike.
Mr. Miracle and Pinkie's focus was a bit strange: what was the specific process behind such a rapid change?
The crisis was resolved, and Twilight, Rarity, and friends gathered around Spike to comfort him. He received another kiss and remained emotionally stable; And the first team of Amazing Bolts won their first battle with excellent performance, which was cheered and praised by all the ponies.
Wonderbolts had to admit that the combat power of this legion far exceeded imagination.
“My friends, enjoy the cheers, this is what you deserve,” Mr. Miracle patted the shoulders of Thunderlane, Marble Pie, and Minuette and said. “I will tell the two princesses this good news, and you deserve their commendation. However, there are also many things that can be improved in this battle, and I will study and research them again when I go back.”
The members of the three groups nodded, their victorious smiles lingering. They had a completely new understanding of the concept of "legion" for the first time.
Amazing Bolts, this name was indeed chosen correctly.
