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tommysandwich · 7 years

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A Legacy of Laughter: A Brief History on Party Ponies

Jester magic is a strange kind of magic. To the normal pony, it behaves erratically, switching between making its wielder utterly invincible or the victim of a cruel joke. It allows the wielder to snatch any given object right from behind their back, or from their mane, or from behind a tree, or any implausible location that said wielder desires. The wielder bends and stretches in inequine manners, getting flattened from sudden impacts but not dying, healing from injuries just moments after they occur, and even showing literal metaphors to get their point across.

But, the strangest thing about the jester magic wielders is the fact that despite these otherwise horrific occurrences, they’re not all that terrifying (at least, not for long).

They’re actually hilarious.

Jester magic wielders, commonly known as “party ponies”, have the important task of cultivating and maintaining joy throughout Equestria. Many are called, but few are chosen—many ponies have been born with the magic, but very few out of millions of ponies in a single generation earn the talent to match, thus becoming a true and fully realized party pony. For most of those who don’t, the magic fizzles away; however, there are those who still wield the magic, despite having talents in areas like geology or business.

Party ponies are insane multitaskers, have a bizarre worldview, unbridled creativity, and a positive attitude that they seek to share. It doesn’t mean that they’re immune to sorrow, spite, selfishness, sickness, or slip-ups; they’re equine just like their fellow ponies. But, they recognize the importance of their talent, and have been making ponies smile for centuries.

Pre-Banishment Era

Though ponies like Chancellor Puddinghead and others have been noted to be strange, and likely many have possessed the magic for many years (the number possibly rised after Discord’s rule), the first recorded full party pony in Equestria popped up just mere decades before Nightmare Moon’s banishment…

Jamberry Harvest was born a peasant farmer in a village far from the capital. She used her unique gifts to aid in her family’s farming and entertain her fellow villagers. Such was her reputation that a young mage named Wayer Rune grew curious and visited the town to study her. He was victim to much frustration and the butt of many jokes, but he and Jamberry grew fond of each other.

Allowing her a visit to the city ended up having her pounce on the open position as court jester, blowing the Royal Sisters away and leaving Wayer flabbergasted over how he’d explain to her family that she’s staying. Nevertheless, one of the first inter-tribe marriages occurred between the jester and the mage, and the newly-minted Jamberry Rune continued to make the Royal Court laugh for years to come, with tricks and jokes and utter merriment that none had ever seen before. And she had done something considered impossible for her time; she brought together noble and peasant in shared joy.

Her life came to a sad end, however. The Minotaur War killed her brother and broke her husband’s sanity, to the point that he created a Wolf Plague, and she too was falling into madness. Fear, denial, anguish, and heartbreak made her magic falter, and once her husband was arrested and banished, she lost the will to live. All mourned the loss of this mare, and no other jester has ever lived up to her standard.

Her legacy continues through her five foals and their posterity, and the word “jamboree” was created in her honor.

Shimmersong was the Crystal Empire’s only known party pony. While Crystal Ponies are naturally happy, Shimmersong was more than willing to help things along from time to time. Being a gifted minstrel, she’d attract a crowd through her songs and made sure that everyone knew the Crystal Anthem. She was even friendly with the Crystal Princess Amore, who came to her to have her troubles soothed by lyre.

Oftentimes, she was a big help in setting up the Crystal Faire, often arranging the entire thing by herself. She annoyed the planners, but as long as the Faires were a success and Shimmersong was there to please, few ponies cared. In fact, it was disappointing the year she couldn’t set it up, simply because she fell terribly ill that day. But, most years were a good time for all—except for one little colt who couldn’t attend because of some mysterious annual illness. The one time she tried to visit and give him a personal show, it seemed to make things worse, so she backed off with a broken heart.

However, one day, that colt grew up, disposed of Princess Amore, and took over the Crystal Empire—calling himself King Sombra. Even as he enslaved the populace, Shimmersong tried to keep everypony’s spirits up, imploring them to not let their spirits be broken. She always slipped free of her shackles and attempted to find the Crystal Heart while singing to her fellow citizens. It wasn’t long before Sombra had enough, and executed her in front of all the Crystal Ponies, in order to break them once and for all.

After their disappearance, reemergence in the modern day, and the defeat of Sombra, the Crystal Ponies at last recollected their memories of the beloved minstrel, and made a plaque near the Crystal Heart to honor her.

So far, they haven’t found another Crystal Party Pony yet, but perhaps the next generation brings promise.

Recovery Era

After Nightmare Moon’s banishment, Equestria was fairly politically unstable and needed to recover from the wars, disasters, and plagues that claimed many ponies, as well as adjust to having one princess. These were stressful times, and party ponies during that time took up the task of helping heal with their own brands of merriment.

One surprising place that one of these ponies popped up was in the military of all places! A young knight named Esprit De Corps, often given nicknames like Sir Laugh-a-Lot and Sir Merriment, had been fighting off invaders who opted to conquer Equestria in its weakened state when he noticed the depressed states of his fellow knights. So, he took part in another war—the war against pessimism and despair, which his strange “jester lance” cutie mark appeared to support.

So, he fought both battles in his unconventional ways—instead of killing the enemy, he opted to embarrass them, bringing laughter among the ranks of his army. Antics like catapulting pies, unleashing cats into enemy camp, replacing swords and crossbows with toys, and other things worked remarkably, and many enemy armies backed off so that they didn’t have to deal with the crazy knight.

Back home, he balanced life as a husband and father, and that of a Royal Guard. He was at first stationed in normal places like a normal guard, but his stations grew stranger and stranger over time, to the point that he often ended up in Celestia’s mane (it’s a good thing that Celestia liked him and found him funny). Of course, the captain grew very irritated with him and often scolded him for his unprofessionalism, threatening harsh punishment.

After his wife passed away, he stayed in Celestia’s mane for a long time to grieve; he didn’t ever come out. As a matter of fact, some say he fell into a pocket dimension in there, and couldn’t find his way back. For all anypony knows, he could still be alive, and may crawl out any day now…

As a pegasus named Gallow Humor had proved, not all party ponies were defined by bright colors and cheery music. She grew up in a rather solemn village, defined by either stoicism or fear, for what reason was there to be optimistic? The country was just barely held together, and ponies were subject to gruesome monster attacks and the occasional madpony seeking to hasten the end of others’ miserable existences.

Gallow, being the adventurous sort who laughed in the face of danger, took to teaching her village about the idea of “fun scary”—getting a thrill from fake danger, creating horror stories to entertain alongside warnings, employing dark humor so casually, putting on disguises and carving pumpkins to scare away evil, and giving offerings to Nightmare Moon.

She got in trouble plenty of times. Village elders often complained about her lax attitude toward the macabre, and often tried to stop her from ‘corrupting’ the foals. Some believed her stories about vampires, inspired by an infamous bloodthirsty rogue that disguised themselves as half-bat and committed gruesome murders (some even believed she was the rogue, though it was proven later that she wasn’t). She even got kicked out of town after she ended up setting something on fire.

But, she still spread her traditions, hoping to help ponies laugh at fear instead of letting it control them. As the existence of Nightmare Night and its traditions show, she succeeded better than thought possible.

Light Mood was appointed an official event planner at Canterlot Castle, and he went above and beyond to live up to his task. A passionate and romantic stallion, he always gave a unique flair to everything he did, from dinner parties to balls to Summer Sun fairs and to even the Grand Galloping Gala. He was notable for his accent, his singing, his tricks with fire, and his way with the ladies.

Often, he’d train unicorns to create an elaborate dance number with the food that was presented at his events, and as long as Celestia was wowed, he knew he wasn’t in trouble—so long as the food wasn’t totally wasted and nopony got hurt. He has gotten in trouble for accidentally burning somepony a couple of times.

He often butted heads with the scheduler, due to Light being a bit more spontaneous for the scheduler’s liking. Light was known for getting bored a little easily and going off to entertain somepony whenever he had the chance. Even if the other nobles got irritated with him, Celestia was quick to notice that he charmed ponies enough to lighten their spirits, and so allowed it.

Since he died, the Gala hadn’t been very interesting—up until Celestia invited her faithful student Twilight Sparkle and her friends a few centuries later.

At the end of the Recovery Era, a musically-inclined unicorn named Waterworks had been born in a seaside outpost called Baltimare. What was interesting about this pony in his town was his combined party pony and nature talking abilities, and musical inclination turned just about anything into a song. Be it in the bay with fish and crustaceans, the pond with amphibians and birds, or in a house with the pets, Waterworks clearly had a gift. As long as he could makeshift a baton, he could pull it off.

The town was impressed with his composing and orchestrating skills, especially when it came to the water shows, somehow convincing various sea creatures big and small to participate. Everypony in town loved it, and some felt that they should share their wacky little conductor. While the proud and kind of neurotic Waterworks was not fond of traveling, he was roped into having his own coastal orchestra road show to other colonies on the East Coast. No matter where he went, he could create a show, and receive applause for it.

Celestia had received word of this conductor, and had Light Mood arrange a concert for Waterworks to perform at. The performance was well-received, and Celestia was impressed with how a simple town like the little Baltimare could produce such a pony. She even had Light and Water make a show at a Gala.

Baltimare is still proud of their great water conductor, and how thanks to him their town grew into the major Equestrian city that it is today.

Equestria’s Rebirth

The party ponies of the Recovery Era, as well as inventors, scientists, mages, and many others, had steadily rebuilt Equestria back to its former glory, and back to the basic tenants of harmony. While Celestia still hurt from her sister’s banishment, she went forth with Equestria’s progress. Native Equestrians spread from the Canterlot province to settle elsewhere on the continent, and seaport Manehattan experienced a population explosion from immigrants, pony or otherwise.

With this renaissance, so came more party ponies to enrich the culture in their own special way.

In years past, Hearth’s Warming was celebrated with a feast, singing carols, and raising the flag. Now those were fine traditions, but during the Recovery Era, they were often solemn, being more about keeping away Windigos than really celebrating friendship.

Well, a mare named Holly Daybreak realized that such an important holiday needed to be joyous bonding time for friends and family. Filled with boundless cheer, she set off to make an Hearth’s Warming even grander and more fun for her hometown, despite the bitter cold winter season in the eastern mountains she resided in.

She made wreaths and garlands out of local evergreen branches, and decorated the conifers around town with toys, gems, candles, and crafts she had made—with a heart-shaped gem on top to represent the Hearth’s Warming Heart. She passed around mint and chocolate candies that her sister had made, and collected bells from old harnesses to create musical instruments. And on Hearth’s Warming Day, she left crochet dolls that she made personally on her neighbors’ doorsteps, as a gift. As the years went by, she took to giving more thoughtful gifts based on who she was giving to.

At some point, she decided to spread her ideas to other places, and after she left, her neighbors picked up her slack and celebrated the holiday as they always did, giving each other gifts instead of Holly doing all the giving. Meanwhile, Holly would be passing on ideas to towns, picking up more ideas from them, and then leaving her little crochet dolls on doorsteps, spreading the idea of giving gifts to friends.

It’s been speculated that she was the inspiration for A Hearth’s Warming Tale’s Spirit of Hearth’s Warming Presents, but it’s certain that holly is used as decoration in honor of Miss Holly Daybreak.

Pony pioneers were eager to build new homes on new land, and Overall Enthusiasm was no different. Though an outcast from his town for not being a normal earth pony with a sensible talent or even sensible magic, he joined up with a wagon train and offered to play his fiddle to raise their spirits. Though they found him strange, he was a fellow outcast and was friendly to boot. Many dances were held and many songs were sung during the trip, and Ovie even took a fancy to a pretty mare named Strawberry River.

The company went on to settle in the Salt Lick Valley, named so because the basin desert was just one big salt lick with only a crescent of grassland on its east side. Even the big lake was salty! But, those crazy ponies tilled the land and made it bloom, and Ovie was there to help keep their spirits up, though he had least had to haul building material (be it lumber from the mountains or rocks from canyon rock farms). Still, he just had a contagious party pony spirit that kept his friends going.

The leader, Bridle Yearling, appointed him as a master of ceremony in the valley, and an event planner for their annual “we-entered-the-valley” holiday, which the newly-minted Salt Lick ponies called the Frontier Festival. He was always behind preparations for Celestia’s visits and was sure to show the best aspects of their home.

He did eventually marry Strawberry, and have a large family with her. His legacy lies in both the annual Frontier Festival, still celebrated by Salt Lick residents, and in his many descendants.

Tea parties were a big staple of the Griffish Isles, especially with a mare like Kettle Fun around. She was an odd sort, being both a sweet, polite, motherly figure, and yet also rather mad. If she spotted somepony who was stressed, it was suddenly teatime, and she’d pull out a tablecloth, stashed in random places for tea emergencies, and roll out an already set table. She didn’t care if they were pony or griffon—a sour face is asking for a spot of tea, and if it happened to be your birthday… well, things got a little dotty.

Sometimes she went a little overboard with her tea parties. She often had various steaming kettles that end up creating musical numbers through huffing, puffing, whistling, and tooting. She used her magic to make all the wares dance, and sometimes had the kettles outright shoot their tea into the teacups instead of just pouring. She has stopped criminals by shooting hot tea at them this way. There was even a time where she made a tea lake.

She’s traveled to the Equestrian mainland and had an audience with the Princess. While tea was a drink familiar to the mainland, the tea mare’s visit and Celestia’s approval made tea parties popular event in most places in Equestria, especially among mares. There were some who didn’t care for tea, and Kettle never understood them.

Since most ponies haven’t met her, they always assumed that she was always polite and motherly, and didn’t really know how truly weird she was.

As Pantomime has proved with his life, sometimes you don’t need words to communicate, or even entertain. Being a mute, little Panto had to find some other way to communicate, and rely on the art of facial expressions and body language to get his point across. His experimentation with his eternal game of charades led to some unbelievable twists and stunts that hardly anypony else could do, and he used that to enhance his visual storytelling.

He was rejected several times in theater auditions, simply because he couldn’t talk. But, he eventually got himself a part as an expressive extra, and he turned out to be the audience’s favorite. He eventually went and traveled in his own show, selling his own brand of silent comedy that no other could replicate.

For some odd reason, strange circumstances would happen when he arrived into town, as if he wasn’t allowed to end his constant comedy act. While as optimistic as any other party pony and fairly polite to others, he did exude an aura of sarcasm in response to his weirdness magnet status.

He has teamed up with other comedians, who while they didn’t have the magic, were still pretty funny in their own right. He schooled them in silent performance, though sometimes he had to remember that they weren’t capable of some of his stunts. He found it equal parts fun and frustrating to work with others, as sometimes working alone can get lonely… but at the same time, somepony always messes up!

Nevertheless, when film was invented after his passing, with no sound at that, filmmakers always had their actors study the silent party pony, so that they could tell stories without words.

Southern Equestria was a bit different from Northern and Central Equestria. Few went beyond the southern jungles and dared to see the diverse cultures that had settled into various city-states. One such city-state was the hybrid cloud-ground city Rio de Cavalo, home of feathered rascal Samba Suave.

Being an adorable, excitable child, a suave, good-looking ladies’ stallion, and some odd practitioner of mysterious magic at the same time, it was clear that whatever street he appeared on was soon its own little party. A normal day would suddenly turn into a carnival if he was fluttering by, strumming his umbrella like a guitar. He was always up for a good time, and even when getting in trouble with officials, he was fairly popular in his hometown.

Then, Samba and his out-of-city-state pal Gatillo Fácil made a friend with a member of the Equestrian navy, and Samba showed them around. Then, the curious party ponies sailed up north to see what was beyond the jungles, and were surprised at the many cities that they saw. Samba didn’t hesitate to charm the citizens, especially the ladies, and taught them some dances and the music of his hometown.

He was taken on a cross-country trip with his two buddies to see many growing towns and cities, the sights, and the ponies. He shared his musical talents and his food (which like every other party pony, stored in his ‘secret compartment’), and did his notorious flirting. But, as fun as the trip was, he soon grew homesick and was returned to Rio soon enough.

While he’s long since passed, stories of the pegasus with strange, joy-bringing magic are still told in Rio, and many have tried to imitate his tricks during their annual parade.

Gatillo Fácil (Trigger Happy) was a wanderer who covered Southern Equestria, commonly described as a vaquero who was a one-pony mariachi band. Having been kicked out of his home in Ciudad Galope for being irresponsible, he’s always been dead set on proving to his father that he can spread joy instead of misery. With the voice of an angel and a tendency to fire magic from his horn whenever he got excited, life definitely got more interesting when he rolled into town.

Gatillo made friends with fellow party pony Samba Suave in Rio de Cavalo, and they later had a shared friend in the Equestrian Navy, who took them on tour of northern Equestria. Like Samba, he shared the music, activities, and food of his region (from the “secret compartment”) with the locals, and was the ultimate big brother for any foals that he had the pleasure of meeting.

After the tour, he still wandered like usual, but, he did return to the north several times, usually going through the jungle and fighting off predators in the process (he’s a tough guy). His visits made things like piñatas and mariachi music stick to the public’s mind more. It helps that he still had the voice of an angel and was incredibly friendly—though still pretty hyperactive.

Sadly, there was one trip he made, to find a burro friend going up north to sell food and see if he’s doing alright. He went through his usual jungle pass and never came out.

Ponyacci had a rough youth. His neglectful parents were more focused on their own drunken pleasure than their son’s happiness, and he was just expected to smile and be cute for them, despite actually being miserable. On hearing that his parents would have been happier without him, he packed up and joined the circus that was in town, where the ringmaster put him under tutelage of the clowns.

He picked up tricks from not just the clowns, but the acrobats as well, and proved himself a fast learner. He received standing ovations as a teenager, and if he was amazing in youth, then the prime of his life made him incredible.

However, he still did have problems. Some clowns got jealous of him for stealing their thunder, and a couple even tried to sabotage or frame him. His attempts at romance failed, for he was either laughed off or if he did get a girlfriend, she’d cheat on him. And when original ringmaster died, his replacement was greedy and stole bits from their pay because he had low views on “circus freaks”. Some quit, but Ponyacci couldn’t, having no real home to go back to. And during all that time, he wondered why he was smiling and laughing for the crowd when he was feeling despair.

Thankfully, that nasty ringmaster had been arrested for financial fraud, and was replaced with a nicer one. His daughter Juneflower took a job as a makeup artist for the clowns, and my, how Ponyacci was smitten. While June was serious and wanted Ponyacci to romance her like a normal stallion, he honestly couldn’t hold back his silliness for long. Thankfully, June learned to lighten up and appreciate his natural silliness, and they married. They’d go on to have six foals.

Ponyacci continued a long, wonderful career of decades, continually proving himself the greatest clown in Equestria. Everywhere, he was making ponies everywhere laugh and cheer. He always had a new trick or joke, and the roar of laughter was music to his ears. He even passed on some of his knowledge to apprentices he had over the years, with the most notable and successful being Cheese Sandwich.

He wasn’t happy to retire in his old age, but, thanks to encouragement of a fan named Pinkie Pie, he’s now running a clown school, where he can still have his mark on generations to come.

Surprise was certainly a surprise in every sense of the word: she was a surprise foal, she loved to leave surprises just about anywhere, she was a surprisingly creative singer with a lovely voice, she was surprisingly smart, and she possessed the ultimate magic of surprises. With a penchant for flying upside-down, there’s no telling when she’d come and strike up a conversation.

She had wanted to be a Wonderbolt in youth, thinking that her little swift-teleport trick could impress, but it was clear as she grew that she was too erratic to the point of likely being dangerous in that setting. So, she resigned herself to her typical magician’s act and on-the-fly songs at birthday parties. And when a prank set off too early caused a disaster that badly injured several ponies, she left town in shame.

Much to even her surprise, Surprise bumped into a Mr. Quartzenmeyer, a builder from Nickerlite, which was a small mining/rock farming town with heavy emphasis on rocks. Seeing as the town was a little dull, she decided to stay and try to spice things up. While the townsfolk were hard workers, they found that they liked having a chance to wind down and have a little fun every so often. Even town leader Feldspar Granite Pie didn’t mind, and Feldspar’s wife Petra Pinkamena eagerly befriended Surprise.

Along the way, she and Quartzenmeyer caught the love bug, got hitched, and five foals were born to them. One such foal, Cloudy Quartz, would be chosen to marry Feldspar and Petra’s son, Igneous Rock. And when both Surprise and Pinkamena were widowed, they took to living on the rock farm to be with their four granddaughters from that couple. Surprise sang songs with them, while Petra would be the storyteller. Surprise was mistakenly called “Granny Pies”, but her friend didn’t mind, preferring “Nana Pinkie” anyway.

Several bright years passed, but all good things must come to an end. Not being close enough to a hospital meant that health problems caught up to both of them a little too early and they passed away in the night. Although the Pie family mourned the loss of both grandmothers, it was soon apparent that their spirit lived on in one granddaughter: little Pinkamena Diane Pie… aka Pinkie Pie.

Modern Age

The time was nearing for her sister’s return, and Celestia was already looking into possible candidates for the Elements of Harmony. She often pondered if the ponies the Elements would fall to would be older or younger, male or female, rich or poor… but, no matter who they were and where they came from, the Element wielders must embody their virtues, and strive for their best selves, even in adversity.

One Element was Laughter, which was destined to fall to a wielder of jester magic.

Thanks to the relative scarcity of party ponies (less than fifteen out of thousands or even millions of ponies alive at a time) and a need for a foil, a marriage between two party ponies has not happened until recently with Frosting Flair and Disco Ball. Frosting grew up a baker while Disco helped his parents run a bar, up until he started his own family dance club since he was no fan of alcohol. They met when she catered to the opening and have since been inseperable.

It was often said in the early years of their marriage that Equestria was doomed and that they were due for a partypocalypse any day now. Their dances were whirlwinds of excitement in a literal sense, they always had a surprise packed in their treats, and have gone overboard with fireworks more than once. Their marriage spats were always Goof-Offs (to the point where they wrote down the unspoken rules of party pony battles in a rulebook), but they were both quick to forgive and made up very easily.

Ponies feared the day they had a foal—who, ironically, ended up being a math teacher when she grew up. Said daughter, Pi Thrower, holds a great deal of patience for their shenanigans, despite a more deadpan and serious nature. She doesn’t give the same luxury to her students, however.

They still run their club in Las Pegasus to this day, hosting many big names and giving family-friendly fun to all ponies. They both abide by the belief that everyone should indulge their inner child from time to time, and in their club, there’s no shame in playing in the kids’ zone.

While this inter-party pony marriage has worked, time will tell if another marriage of its kind would come forth.

Born of a family with a flower motif, Daffidazey was marked as the quirky one out of six fillies. A bubbly little goofball, she always had the desire to see her sisters happy. Be it throwing their birthday parties, looking out for them (despite only one being younger than her), and even planning their weddings. The sisters in return planned her wedding to a travelling salespony in return, though it was a painful job to get it as wild as possible.

A staple of hers is using flower petals as confetti, and has been since she was a filly. As weddings are her favorite to plan, her occupation is that of one of Equestria’s oddest wedding planners. Her home base is in the Salt Lick Valley, but she and her family travel the land for their services (besides, her nephew Bananas takes care of party-ponyness there).

She’s also notable for being one of very, very few ponies to have ever survived giving birth to not one, but two sets of twins! The births were years apart and neither were very fun, but she wouldn’t trade her little duos for any other, and tended to spoil them (at least her husband had the sense to discipline them). They usually tried to help with the wedding planning, with mixed results.

The elder twins have since grown up and have their own occupations, but the younger are still with Mom and Dad. Being young teens, they may resent their current lifestyle just a wee bit…

Born in the metropolis of Manehattan, Cheese Sandwich was well aware of his unusual abilities from a young age. He mainly kept it private and used it only to shield his little brother Tomato from the reality of their dysfunctional family. He enjoyed spending time with the little hyper nut that worshiped him, as well as their grandparents, which mitigated the situation somewhat until they passed away. He even inherited his love and talent for the accordion from his grandpa.

Cheese was a boy who spent so much time hiding, thanks to his mother telling him horror stories about what ponies did to “freaks” like him, and bullies picking a shy, poofy-haired, four-eyed foal as one of their favorite targets. In the schoolyard, he was always referred to by nickname, never by his real name. Things got worse when Tomato started school, and seemed to make a lot of friends and get good grades—which quickly made Cheese jealous and start shutting him out. Add in his mother’s frequent guilt trips and demands to earn a respectable talent and study and not get distracted by the nonsense he likes, and this poor kid was seriously burdened to the point of bending. When Tomato accidentally caused Cheese’s accordion to get smashed, that was when Cheese snapped, and he ran away.

At first, it was just aimless wandering, not caring what happened to him. But, stumbling into Ponyville one day, he discovered a party and was surprised at how much joy was surrounding him. The presence of another pony with the exact same type of magic as him—a filly named Pinkie Pie—made it click: this was what his weird magic was for. He wanted to talk to Pinkie and learn more, but, as always, shyness got the better of him and he took off before she even noticed.

But, he wasn’t going to give up without a fight. He decided to try and find the best clown in Equestria, Ponyacci, so that a professional adult could train him, and maybe, just maybe, he could impress that filly. Once he did find Ponyacci, it took a bit of convincing (and a little lie of him being an orphan instead of a runaway) to get him to accept him as an apprentice, but, it happened, and Cheese considers Ponyacci to have been a better father than Cheese’s own father. And boy, did Cheese grow into one of the most insane and creative party ponies who ever lived.

His career was full of ups and downs. He has many fantastic parties under his belt, a practical knowledge of mechanics and engineering, and he wrote a whole lot of songs, some that poked fun at celebrities and life in general. At the same time, he was still terrible at interpersonal relationships and often struggled in conversation not about parties—nomadic lifestyles don’t lend themselves to making oneself many friends besides a rubber chicken. He feuded with his brother for years until they slowed down and talked things out so they’d rebuild; his relationship with his parents is still strained; and when meeting Pinkie again when planning a party in Ponyville, he ended up sending the wrong message and she challenged him to a Goof-Off. Luckily, they cleared up the misunderstanding and became friends. Cheese denies having romantic feelings for her, but it’s clear that the boy’s smitten.

Still, for all his accomplishments, he’s still got a way to go. He’s got a fair amount of pride and doesn’t like allowing himself to look weak. Underneath all his goofy mischief, friendly charisma, and his occasional teasing snarks, there’s still a fair amount of seriousness and world-weariness in him, and he still keeps a lot to himself.

But most of all, he’s still very much a scared little boy in hiding.

Pinkamena Diane Pie, better known as Pinkie Pie, came out pink in a world of gray. Raised on a rock farm near Nickerlite, her family always noticed that there was something off about her. Of course, it was clear she got it from her grandmothers, who lived with them and keep the foals entertained. So long as she didn’t hurt herself and did her chores before any play, they could put up with it. She had enough of an imagination to keep her occupied in an otherwise boring setting, and she got along with her sisters, mainly Maud. She even had a notorious sweet tooth that came out when they visited town or made rock candy.

Of course, when her grandmothers died, she fell terribly depressed. All her cheer, all her imagination, and all her energy faded, and like the rest of the family, coped by carrying on with their farmwork. There was no talking, there was no smiling… there were only rocks. Boredom used to make her stir-crazy; now it just made her tired. She once got in trouble for throwing rocks; the punishment of extra work that day would change her life.

As she had finished up her extra work, a shockwave cleared the sky, frizzed her hair, and left a rainbow for her to see. For the first time in years, a tidal wave of happiness crashed on her in full force, and she brightened up within seconds, feeling a buzz stronger than before and a big smile from ear to ear. Her first instinct was to set up a party for her family so they could feel this cheer. She was nervous about them being angry, but what a relief it was to see her hard work pay off and her family’s spirits lifted.

In the weeks after, though, they got a little sick of her throwing a party every day. As much as they liked having some rest every now and again, she was overdoing it. Realizing that it was out of boredom of her isolation and that her cutie mark was already there anyway, her parents decided that maybe an apprenticeship would do her good. After a bit of searching in several towns, the Pies met the Cakes of Ponyville, and the Cakes agreed to take Pinkie in to learn the trade of the baker.

Pinkie was comfortable with the Cakes, and she really liked Ponyville. As much as she missed her family, she also made lots of new friends to throw parties for. The townsfolk thought she was weird and a little scary at first, but they grew used to her antics over the years, even embracing them sometimes. In adolescence, Pinkie’s heart always broke when somepony broke a friendship off because she was “uncool” or “annoying” or “can’t keep her mouth shut” or something like that. While she still did her thing, she always worried in the back of her mind that everyone thought of her that way. She was not trying to be annoying, she was trying to make ponies smile!

Then, one day, she met Twilight Sparkle. Her first instinct was to throw her a welcome party, which doubled as a Summer Sun party. Then, Nightmare Moon appeared, and one thing led to another, and Pinkie found herself in the middle of the Everfree Forest, standing with Twilight and four acquaintances and finding out that they embodied the Elements of Harmony. Pinkie Pie, to her excitement, was the Element of Laughter. Then they defeated Nightmare Moon, and brought back Princess Luna.

After that, life went on as normal for the girls. Pinkie drew closer to those friends, being the cheery fun that they need. She still bakes and throws parties, and now makes friends in new places—thanks to Princess Twilight’s map and various political connections. She can be obliviously insensitive and overbearing at times, but for the most part, she is loved in her community and several others.

Born of the Canterlot gentry, Party Favor always wanted to fit in, but just couldn’t for one reason or another. In a family of talented mages, his horn couldn’t even make a spark, which many took notice of. Foals didn’t let him play because why should they let a magicless colt into their unicorn games? His older brother tormented him, often with claims that he’s “helping” him with his problem. His father was ashamed and was mainly passive-aggressive in regards to Party Favor.

Even after Party Favor discovered his talent, his popularity over that was brief, and as he grew, he was the subject of snide remarks for his unsophisticated talent of balloon modeling. After being mocked at an art show, he went off on his own to try to find some place that would accept him. And just his luck, he happened to bump into Starlight Glimmer, who convinced him to give up his talent, since that was the cause of his misery, and become equal with others in her town.

Of course, he soon realized it was a nightmare with everyone screaming for help under forced smiles. Removing his cutie mark didn’t solve the problem of the horn, but saying something only got him thrown into the propaganda hut. After a time of despair, he did manage to find a light in forming genuine friendships with two mares named Sugar Belle and Night Glider.

It wasn’t until Twilight Sparkle and friends came that things looked up and the whole town was set free. He, his friends, and Starlight’s former lackey Double Diamond helped the girls get their cutie marks back in return. After that, the town took the time to heal, and Party Favor built up a reputation as the town’s local “balloon wizard”.

There still were things that popped up. The town took some time to reach out to others, being a little timid of their reputation and possibly being mocked for stupidity. Party Favor was nervous to throw a party for a business scoping out the area for a ski resort, but with a little encouragement from friends, he managed to create a balloon fun fair, which got him and the town a bit of positive attention. And then when Starlight came back to apologize for her wrongs, they forgave her.

It wouldn’t be later until his horn finally got its magic going (thanks to an accidental lightning strike), and while he had trouble controlling it at first, he got the hang of it thanks to his faithful friend Sugar Belle. It helps him whenever he needs to put something in a high place.

He still prefers to use his hooves, however.

As the second of eight foals, Bananas had been a hyperactive goofball from the day of his birth. He’s grown into a big, tough guy that could pin down a minotaur if he wanted to… but, he’s too friendly to consider wrestling anypony, though he does heavy lifting from time to time. It’s still best not to tick him off.

As the Salt Lick Valley’s current party pony, Bananas has a way of being pretty much everypony’s big brother, whether it be being a playmate for some, or having a tendency to tease some others, especially his actual younger siblings. While he usually stays in his home town of Neighton, he’ll hitch a ride on some balloons to travel elsewhere if he senses somepony needs him, playing his trumpet just to give the area background music (more than one pony has complained about that).

He has a terrible fear of trains thanks to a foalhood accident, and will avoid them whenever possible. Unfortunately, since his balloons can’t carry more than one pony, he usually has to take a train whenever going on an outing with his family. He carries out a ritual of feeding his “minions” (his pet fish), and carrying around a bunch of good luck charms. He clings to his older sister Flora as a security blanket.

He enjoys dressing up as a clown, whether it be for a foal’s birthday party or for the rodeo. The birthday parties have him see smiling foals cheering him on, though sometimes he’ll forgo the greasepaint of the birthday kid has a fear of clowns—he can still entertain them as Bananas. As for the rodeo, he enjoys the big crowd and sometimes doing Western-themed humor. Though, he does sometimes hit on the cowgirls in his own goofy, jazzy way.

While he does get along with Aunt Daffidazey, Bananas does wish to meet other party ponies closer to his age. He’d feel a little less lonely with a peer that has his type of magic.

Rumors in Halterside say that Comedy Gold was born laughing. And her parents would have confirmed that rumor—she laughs at the world, and all who are at the mercy of her mischief.

She’s always screwing with ponies in one way or another, and her feisty nature makes you think twice about laughing when she doesn’t want you to. She’s scared off potential bullies, and made it clear that anyone picking on any of her three older siblings is going to have to deal with her. And when she’s in carnival mode, you better just accept the fair games heading your way.

A way to immobilize this mare is to sneak dairy products into her meal—she’s lactose intolerant and she get sick within a half hour. Nightmare Night’s her least favorite holiday, given that’s when her father died and she’s essentially banned the celebration. She’ll celebrate other holidays, but not that one. And she’s had karma bite her in the butt plenty of times when she goes too far—that’s what jester magic often does.

She’s pretty territorial and doesn’t easily play nice with other party ponies visiting Halterside. In one instance, she got hostile toward a visiting Cheese Sandwich—who was there because Goldie recently had colic and was recovering from the surgery to correct it! However, if she’s visiting other places and meets another party pony, she’s a little nicer, but no less feisty. There may be some insecurity relating to her talent hiding under her aggression, but it might be dangerous to try to find out for sure.

She’s usually helping her brother, Silver Shill, out with his business. Since opening a pizzeria with a friend, Goldie’s found a little more structure in her life with a job in entertaining others at the restaurant. She often helps the town set up local festivals, though she still enforces her ban on Nightmare Night (everyone’s too afraid to challenge her).

Nevertheless, despite her personality, she does genuinely like making things fun for everyone. As long as she controls her temper and her pride, it’s all good.

Party Pony Youth

At a tender age where they just received their marks, the Youth are just getting started in the world of jester magic. It’s important that they learn the difference between spreading joy and indulging in pleasure, as many ponies are often confused over the role of party ponies—thinking them as careless loonies off to trap innocents in the ways of drunkenness and fornication.

It’s up to the elders to teach them the true party pony way—that of bringing cheer to the citizens of Equestria, and encouraging all ages to celebrate life.

Mimic Bang is a young pegasus colt from the cloud city of Cirrcago who has an odd gift for imitating just about every sound there is. He’s typically quite mischievous, and likes to surprise ponies with his realistic noises and often those of things that don’t exist in Equestria.

Mimic often uses his talent in the foal theater, providing sound effects for shows.

From down in New Horseleans, Confetti Dance loves a good parade. Her name fits well, given her love of dancing and her ability to pop confetti from her own little magic spell. She also likes making necklaces and bracelets, and she’s a great singer, so you bet that she’ll be jazzing it up wherever she goes.

She’s a stubborn and sassy filly, often insisting that she’s right. Don’t be surprised if she gets into an argument.

As the granddaughter of Ponyacci, Sparkleworks is also currently the youngest party pony. She’s sweet and bubbly, but she might be a little thrill-seeker, wanting to throw knives and set off fireworks. She’ll also relax with a sketchpad, and often sketches out her many ideas.

Living in Mane-tua close to her grandparents, she’s also in training to be an acrobatic clown, and is often her grandfather’s assistant at his clown school.

The Future?

No one quite knows what the future holds for party ponies. There are still yet unmarked foals in many Equestrian cities and towns that show potential to be party ponies, and there are party ponies not yet born. The Crystal Empire could finally have another party pony in their ranks, another inter-party pony marriage could happen, and another town could grow thanks to the influence of one.

Who knows what the future of celebration holds? However new ideas of fun and music come to light, you can bet that the party ponies will be at the forefront, spreading it around and giving new meaning to laughter.

Only time will tell.

#party ponies #pinkie pie #cheese sandwich #party favor #ponyacci #bananas #comedy gold #jamberry rune #and many others #big essay thing

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tifonbellanariablog · 7 years

Text

One year ago before chaos was a distant wave

Positive Naögi Year 1657

Then, one day, the boy found a set of explosives meant for a colourful pattern of fireworks. One hand drifted aimlessly at the matches’ box. For one simple moment, Ishikawa thought he could – and should – give the boy’s life a light. He should give something the boy could hope for and dream about. The matches’s heads were made of pure sulphur, the boy could get hurt more than he had had judged.

Therefore, Ishikawa brought the matches’ box and one single firework mortar, telling the boy to follow him. Then he chose a place in the garden where no sulphur or gunpowder would trail along the grass, burning and destroying every single creature it passed. Ishikawa knew how mortars worked. It was dark enough. Lighting the sulphur match with a wick, summoning a fire spell, the warrior allowed the boy to glance as the mortar shot the first round of firework patches. Covering the boy’s ears with a set of comfortable earmuffs, he smiled reassuringly. The flame-like firework drew a beautiful phoenix in the sky. And the young Rüdiger smiled.

« We did not die? Why is it we did not die; I thought this was a game to see whoever died---! »

« No! I just wanted to see Your Highness smile at the fireworks---»

« Oh…»

« Isn’t it wonderful? » A five year old girl glanced at the seven year old Rüdiger Von Tifon.

« Hikari---! What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in bed with the other girls-- »

The little girl Ishikawa was speaking had one strand of hair braided with a set of fourteen colourful beads. At this, Ishikawa Hikari blushed heavily as she made an apologizing bow:

« I just wanted to see the fireworks, great-uncle! »

Ishikawa had nothing to say or do, safe for giving a comforting smile and motioning his niece to step forward. Seeing the bright night-sky around him, tears overflowed him.

« I see-----well, I have one spare set. »

One foot where he lay, Rüdiger placed a welcoming hand on the stall that surrounded the graceful and majestic spring. A thundering boom followed the bloom of a lotus flower, with spiral-like roots and sinuous, rosy and gilded petals. And the fireworks’s colourful flames reflected themselves on the spring’s waters.

« Is it an illusion? » Hikari asked with a dreamy gaze.

Rüdiger shook timidly his head, the few words he understood of the Ku-naira Speech not enough to understand what the little girl was saying. However, the musical language seemed to make his mouth open in wonder. Blushing heavily he averted the blond and neatly cut hair.

Hirawa Tsukihime, a nine-year-old girl that was as a sister to Ishikawa Hikari, grinned. The tattered and yet perfumed beige tunic fluttered in the autumnal wind. Her face was easily readable. Giggling, she hopped towards the spring, the acrobatic and graceful feet as fast as a swan’s.

« So…That’s where you were hiding. You know the ol’Kato Ryuketsu’s going to give ya a dressing down! »

« Ka’nael and Ch’yui are already in bed? »

Tsukihime shook her head.

« No…the old Court Jester thought it was better wait for ya. »

« For once, I agree with you, Tsukihime. We should be in bed. » Rüdiger said, the little boyish voice contrasting with the deep solemnity and seriousness of his expression.

Tsukihime and Hikari looked at each other. Ishikawa could understand them: the boy seemed and spoke in the Schangrunnmarck Speech fluently, making his sentences almost unpredictable. Adding that to his experience of having lost both parents this pain created a deep abyss between him and the girls. This made the old warrior sigh in disappointment.

After making sure the girls reached the castle’s dormitories, Ishikawa thought Rüdiger would have been finished with “conversing with the girls”, but apparently he was more interested in hearing the Court Jester’s ‘midnight lessons’, a series of legends and rhymed verses Kato Ryuketsu knew by heart.

No plants were seen adorning the marble-white columns, and instead of nymphs, there were skeletons in haut-relief. The dormitory was crowded, with a few oil lamps flickering within crystalline and colourful balloon-shaped bulbs. Perched on top of a golden-painted statue sculptured like a falcon, the jester dressed in warm, flame and varied patterns entertained his audience – this time, the youngest castle female servants. Leberecht had had been an eccentric man, but the image of a golden tiger painted on the high ceiling in a black lake with white lotus flowers seemed inspired in the southern Onisamatzeka art.

Standing firm with the sabre and the short sword, Ishikawa felt his chin drop. A gentle, rhyming voice echoed throughout the dormitories. Many words were too complex in their original language, so he simply translated them. Sometimes the stories were twisted and were added a few points the jester felt they needed to have. Yet, other stories had the same enchantment that Ishikawa found in his own childhood. Nevertheless, they kept weaving their magic around the naïve girls’ minds. The man’s voice was eloquent. Sometimes he imitated a female voice to give realism to the stories. This man was completely different from the Duke Leberecht’s murderous jester. Leberecht Von Tifon’s intimidating, cold eyes, the arrogant voice…While one inspired hatred on the white masses to murder, enslave and torture every single native Shunamari inhabitant.

Ishikawa Ikkirou recalled trying to assassinate the man responsible for the mass incineration, that blond hair falling on the silvery armour, the calm which he glanced at a desperate warrior…

« I never thought of killing a fellow Human---! But you are the exception, the sole exception! »

Kato Ryuketsu’s voice made him return to the present.

To those who want to find Lady Sun,

If one hears the soft metallic bell a’ringing,

Then hope comes knocking,

You’re not alone

Anymore…

The jester had sung that song to the servant maidens in that night.

Erasing that painful memory from both his soul and mind, Ishikawa felt wide-eyed. He thought a man like that would have been demanding and temperamental with children. Of course, Ryuketsu often performed outside the castle, he could have had learnt a few skills from the Cold Continent’s travelling clowns.

« Why hello, Duke Rudolf…Or is it Rupert? » A few girls in the dormitory stifled their laughter.

Ishikawa have had been reluctant in leaving Rüdiger next to Kato Ryuketsu’s inviting and baggy-sleeved arm. One eyebrow raised, he allowed the young Duke to run to his favourite entertainer.

« Your Highness… I hope you can learn on your grandfather and your father’s mistakes. Compassion for another’s suffering, feeling the love another’s can give…That is what defines a true nobleman. »

Ryuketsu merely rang a bell with one of his feet, making an annoying and clear sound. He grinned a charming smile towards the warrior clad in sombre, dark clothes.

« Yes, how… » In that small, melodramatic pause, Ryuketsu’s silken and purple-gloved hand pinched Ichikawa’s robe’s hem. This while standing with one foot raised and the bell ringing as he hopped around. « How educational of you, Ishikawa. But our lovely maidens do need to go to sleep and I need to figure a way how to make another set of mortar fireworks for the next week! »

Ishikawa fought the urge to make a witty retort. He tightened the handle of his long sword once again. This was not the man or the place to be truly honest. He needed to play to the jester’s massive vanity.

« Another set? What do you mean, Kato? »

« Ishikawa. Ishikawa, Ishikawa, my dear Ishikawa! I haven’t spent the entire winter overseeing the mining process in the dangerous volcanic mountains to make some... » The jester breathed deeply, one of his boots drumming on the wooden floor. « I have not spent the entire spring to entertain a few children with a masterpiece of alchemy! My fireworks are meant to be exposed as a work of art… You and a few other men can provide me the nasty and poisonous elements, but I am afraid I’ll need the other ingredients pronto. »

« I was about to say there’s a special bug out there in the cliffs’ base that leaves a lovely pinkish pigmentation when crushed. Let’s see, you used three of those, so… I think twelve bags of rice in weight of the stuff will do the trick. »

The warrior trembled in rage. Ishikawa nearly unsheathed his sword, the few remnants of patience wearing thin. That jester was asking a Dragon-blood man to do a low peasant’s work, not by himself, but with the few descendants of his brother!

« Twelve bags?! And you want those done before the holy day of “Sonntag”? Some of these girls are of the Kreuzenüberbringer religion, Kato. They do observe---»

Hirawa Tsukihime offered:

« I could pick the ingredients with a few boys, Kato-han. I am the girl---»

Hikari’s arm raised high above the crowd of little girls:

« I’ll do it. I will pick those bugs. »

No…! Ishikawa’s chin trembled in indignation. That dust, moth-eaten dark lavender kimono was colourful enough to fit a little girl. Nevertheless, Ishikawa Ikkirou felt the few golden coins he received from His Highness slipped through his tunic as easily when some distant relatives wanted some gift sent for a funeral. She wore the lavender tunic without any beautiful and red knot around her waist. No ornamented purplish hairpin trapped Hikari’s hair. His stomach turned cold at the thought of his niece wearing the ceremonial white kimono made for the dead. A wooden comb that had passed from his sister and from same sister to his daughter, and to that daughter, the hair comb had passed to Hikari. He observed this and it made him swallow all of the past regrets. Hikari merely wanted to help him, her old great-uncle. But picking the bugs in the middle of spring…

The young future Duke hopped from a makeshift bed, both eyes wide-awake, the hands curled into fists.

« Hikari…Be careful, all right? »

« I can do it, Your Highness. I will do it! Why is it that you cannot believe me? »

Ryuketsu chuckled. The jester made a swishing gesture, hiding both his baggy trousers and the long tunic with the cape.

« Oh, he believes you, dear. It is just that it has been a few decades since we have seen a woman backmouthing the Shunamari Lord. »

Ishikawa Riko, a mid-ranking warrior of thirty years and Ikkirou’s eldest daughter clenched her teeth. Averting Riko Ishikawa’s eyes, the face puckering, the little nobleman lowered both hands, as though he wanted to hide them. Rüdiger Von Tifon bit his lips, shuddering. With his pleading eyes, he approached her.

« Be careful…»

Hikari embraced a surprised and yet flushed Rüdiger Von Tifon. Nonetheless he accepted the hug, tugging the little girl’s tunic.

Tsukihime smiled widely while waving in a friendly manner towards the empty bed. Ka’nael and Ch’yui were twins, but they were a girl and a boy respectively. They were slender for twelve year olds, and the black raven and wavy hair that crowned Ch’yui barely reached Ka’nael’s ears, with his complex shaved bun and the small bread that hang to the length of his shoulders. Most people would not notice since both enjoyed to play with a rubber ball. Ch’yui had her small breasts bonded with long pieces of cloth around her cotton tunic. On his right ear’s lobe, Ka’nael had a scar shaped like a cross. His ears felt deformed and bony to the touch, as though someone had stretched them. Other than that, his face was the same as his sister, with long tanned, gold-copper cheekbones. Apparently and according to many people who worked in the castle, Kato had rescued the twins from a Kreuzenüberbringer monastery when they were only six years. Ishikawa Ikkirou had inquired to the man himself, but Ryuketsu only said in an unusually dark voice: “They wanted to tear the twins apart”. Ch’yui had been crying Their eyes were always cheerful. Ishikawa always felt their good-spirits would lead his great-niece into a more peaceful and generous life. Ikkirou found surprising they always called Ryuketsu by “uncle” in the Northern Aosbeltzi speech, and not by “Herr Court Jester” or the family name followed by the Ku-naira suffix. Perhaps they referred to Kato Ryuketsu as an elderly uncle.

« Can we sleep, Tsukihime? » Ka’nael said in his boyish voice, a yawn coming out of his mouth.

« I always feel excited after hearing one of Kato-han’s stories! »

« Hey Kato: I’ll be accompanying my cousin! » Riko said with a bright shine in her eyes, the dark tunic with a leathered armour protected with a chainmail coat glistening in the moonlight.

Ishikawa Ikkirou felt a soft tug of swelling pride. Riko was a good-hearted woman. No matter how much people in their native ancestor’s hometown ill mouthed her, Riko had had defeated a few Merlonograd soldiers and officers during the early tensions with the Baron.

No sooner Riko and her father were beginning to walk towards the other side of the castle, an eerie and mocking voice echoed within their mind:

« Ah you little spoilsport… Hikari-chan would make a fine meal for the fishes! They say the waves in the spring are rather unpredictable! »

A terrifying and menacing cackle made the old man turn towards the female dormitories.

Riko turned rather suddenly, the inwards of her father quickly were prod by the subtle magic she possessed.

« You heard that, Father? »

Ishikawa nodded, pushing the small wrinkles around his eyes. He felt older than the reflection of a middle-aged man, standing a few feet from him in the mirrored, elegant corridors, often lit by black-wooden chandeliers.

« Yes…And it’s not the first time that---man tortures me with this spell. I always found unnerving how you are able to do that. »

Riko eyed him curiously, a few bright onyx coloured strands waving away from the neatly combed bun.

« Father-How many times must I tell you? It is a perfectly normal telepathic spell. All but empty threats…That’s all that sorcerer has to offer! And whom are we fooling? We do descend from magical beings. »

« That same magic…It does not come from Gods or from prayers, Riko. It’s—It’s dangerous to meddle with it. I merely tap into it when I it is strictly necessary. » His voice came in a glacial, toneless phrase.

There, the arrow had struck its target and the old father could nothing but to stand idly. Ishikawa’s jaw tightened. The hand curled around the eldest daughter’s shoulder in a protective, emotional manner.

Riko sighed. She could have sliced the air with a knife, such an awful silence that torn them. Her father had been affected by seeing the Duchess’s corpse, no matter how many times he denied it. He was shaking visibly. A few tears dropped out of the old man’s eyes. Leaning against his daughter’s shoulders, he cried.

« I don’t want to lose you…» The very same sentence both father and daughter had seen written in the young Duke’s eyes was now glimmering in Ishikawa Ikkirou’s. A distant, helpless glance Riko knew any man would have if they were denied of their feelings for so long.

« Father…if you really wish for our Duke to be a good and kind ruler, never apply the same discipline I have seen you apply to other soldiers. A truly generous ruler does not equal some cold-hearted general. They are true opposites. »

« Like Yin and Yang… » Ishikawa muttered, more to the recesses of his mind than to the daughter. The daughter he had had given full freedom to choose her own path. Riko was a woman of her own decisions, and only the late Duke Percival could have persuaded her to avoid Ryuketsu’s tantrums.

Wiping with the left hand the tears from his face, he shrugged.

« What do I have to say against that? The troops would be a tad suspicious, and Rüdiger does need the nerve to push the doubts aside from those heads. I used to be the Duke’s ears, before the All-Cheerful Ticklish Laughter invited himself into His Highness’s foyer. »

« The Duke Leberecht was no saint either, father. I remember the tales you told me about him. Let us face it, father. Your astounding aging is the direct cause of something beyond the natural course of mortal Humans. Do you look like a man in his late seventies? »

He dropped the grip on the strong, athletic shoulder, those brownish eyes jerking towards her. Ishikawa had no answer to that. He had never had a mind for birthdays since he felt he would not age a few decades ago. In the very least, the pointed superior tip in both ears felt odd to him.

In the first years, he had been astonished. He was convinced that some demon had placed a curse on him. Heavens knew how Ishikawa wished he could be like his brother, Kotaro. Ishikawa Kotaro never minded to use his dragon blood to sustain his magic. Honour, honour and that cowardly fear was that drove Ishikawa Ikkirou. He could be a coward but Ishikawa was a coward with a reasonable head: fighting against an experienced sorcerer as the likes of Kato would do him no good.

Once he said goodnight to his eldest daughter, Ishikawa clenched both hands on the kimono, as though he intended to rip it apart.

« Oh…Oh Hikari, oh Riko--! »

#fire-sorcerers #one shot sequel #Ishikawa Ikkirou #Ryuketsu #originalwritings #literature

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