A Most Unusual Charm

by Autumn Wind

Rating: everyone
Tags: Random, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Comedy, Rarity
Length: 1058

Twilight was curious to cast an unknown charm, but now, confusion is at hoof.

On a normal day, Twilight is curious to try a charm from an old scroll. What unfolds is a story of confusion. Just what did that charm do? Will Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Rarity find out?

A short story and a silly mystery; can you catch what's off? Good luck!

Published 2013-03-18 03:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-03-18 03:10:02 UTC

How Confusing!

A library stands hush-hush and taciturn. Amidst an accumulation of mislaid books, a unicorn stands at a loss, panting and lacking in vigor, magical aura slowly dimming away down to nothing. What a calamity. Luck had stood, not as an ally, but as an antagonist, bringing forth a baffling twist. “How could my posits turn out so wrong?” Twilight groans.

Rarity turns up in a rush, full of worry. Such a companion’s arrival pulls Twilight’s sight to a familiar door which had, until now, stood shut. “That was a most unusual bit of magic you cast, Twilight. It shook our town all around, my shop most particularly. Why, it had Opal in a nasty fit!”

Instantly, a crash of burst glass sounds amidst a shout. "Twilight! What in Tartarus was that?! A tornado? A storm? Normal wind couldn’t do this!" Rainbow Dash panics. “Did a burglar attack you? Just ask, and I’ll kick that pony’s flank!”

“Now, now, hold on,” Twilight comforts both companions. “It’s okay. I’m not hurt. I had an inclination for trying an unknown charm, and it didn’t pan out. I don’t think anything is wrong, though I can’t grasp what it did. Did you find anything odd on your way?”

Rarity had not, nor had Rainbow Dash. Both fashionista and stuntpony disaffirm any odd sights.

Obviously not, Twilight thinks. As always, I could not avoid facing such a conundrum.

“Thankfully,” Twilight says, “I know how to fix such a mix-up. I can undo that magic without difficulty, but I wish I could find just what it did, first.”

“Don’t you worry, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash boasts, “I’ll fly off and look for any odd sights!” and absconds, ignoring both Twilight and Rarity’ calls.

“I’ll study that charm’s scroll again until Dash is back,” Twilight sighs, boiling a pot of milk chai upon its hot stand. “Do you want a cup too?”

“Thanks but no thanks; I will go and ask around town,” Rarity nods, prior to adding, “Gossip and talk may bring us a fact or two.”

“Good thinking. Try to bring Rainbow Dash back in two hours, okay?” Twilight asks. “A quick comparison of our findings, and I’ll undo it all.”

On a farm not too far, a lasso-twirling farmfilly stands still, puzzling out just what is amiss.

“Hold on, pardon,” Rarity calls out to a mint unicorn so oddly sitting. “Lyra, is it?”

Stopping mid-song, Lyra nods. “That’s right. What’s up?”

“I am so sorry to halt your music, but I am asking around town about a particularly thorny situation. You know Twilight, our librarian, I posit?”

“I had class with Twilight in magic school, in fact,” Lyra points out.

“Ah, good. I am trying to assist Twilight with finding out any unusual products of a charm, and was hoping you could call back any odd sights as of this morning.”

“Hmm...” Lyra thinks out loud, “odd sights, is it?” As soft music twangs out from a magically strung harp, a quick shrug shuts down Rarity’s optimism. “I’m sorry, I don’t think anything particular caught my sights.”

“Ah, thank you still.” Rarity sighs.. “Do say “Hi” to Bon Bon from my part, if you may.”

“Will do. Good day to you,” Lyra says without missing a strum.

Rabbits, birds and many such animals stood as a flock around a pony.

Who was it I was bringing food to?

“Nothing this way...” Rainbow Dash thinks aloud, turning away from south of town and aiming north. A rainbow contrail forms along Dash’s flight path, tracing an obvious ray through a bright noon sky. Against all luck and caution notwithstanding, no anomalous commotions look to occur in town.

No part of town is anything but at its most standard.

“Ugh!” Rainbow Dash groans. “Why can’t I find it! I’m usually good at spotting odd stuff! What did Twilight do!”

Broad wings flap strongly as Dash scans a park from curb to curb, finding it frustratingly normal.

“Isn’t anything odd in this town!? … Anything not normally odd?”

Amidst balloons and bright ribbons, a party making pony is unusually dumbstruck in front of a colorful cannon. “What was I loading my cannon with, again?“

“Conjuration? I’m not hungry, so that’s not a possibility.” Twilight chucks a copy of “Canny Conjuration” away not noticing as a faithful draconic assistant quickly springs forth to catch it.

“A full library! I scan a full library, and not a hint! How can books fail us?” Twilight asks in frustration.

“I think you should just undo it.” Snark, from a stack of books hiding a dragon. “It’s not as if you can know it all. I think you should just stop. You know magic can do just about anything.”

Twilight sighs, at a loss. “I wish I could find it, although what you said is probably right. I’ll wait for Rarity and Rainbow Dash. If I’m lucky, that’ll bring us a tip or two.”

As if by fortuitous planning, Rainbow Dash alights by Twilight and Rarity trots in.

“I’m sorry, Darling,” Rarity says, “but nopony has any insights. Our town is as calm as usual.”

“What Rarity said,” Dash nods. “I couldn’t find anything.”

“I’ll just undo it,” Twilight sighs. “It’s too bad I couldn’t classify that charm, though.”

With a flash of Twilight’s horn, all is brought back to normal.

“It’s too bad you guys couldn’t figure it out,” Pinkie Pie says. “I bet it was something really weird if even Twilight gave up.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash agrees. “If we couldn’t find it in Ponyville, then it probably was something really, really out there.”

“Y'know, Twilight, I reckon maybe Princess Celestia or Princess Luna might remember it if they saw it,” Applejack suggests. "Might be something we couldn't see but someone who thinks on a higher level could."

“Oh! That’s a great idea! Spike, do you think you could send a copy of that scroll to the princesses? I’ll write a letter to explain what happened.”

“Sure, Twilight. Say, where did that scroll come from, anyway?”

“I think Pinkie found it earlier, when she was looking for a recipe book. Is that right, Pinkie?” Twilight questions.

“Yep!” Pinkie confirmed.

“Where did you find it, if I may inquire?" Rarity ponders.

“It was under ‘E’!” Pinkie giggles, leaving her friends quite confused.