/pj2023/ Arid Wish


                                            >Out of the many lands in the world, the desert is among those that can never truly be accustomed to.

                                            >Even those born there have some kind of difficulty, despite any advantage they may possess.

                                            >For the poor unfortunate souls that venture from the other lands though, they are almost always heavily affected by the effects.

                                            >The dry air and ongoing heat is currently doing its best to shaken Lexicon, or better known as Lexi.

                                            >Her work as an archaeologist tends to bring her to such places, so she has come to expect it for the most part.

                                            >At the moment, she is completely alone at the campsite while the rest of her team is split between acquiring supplies from a village and gathering water at a distant oasis.

                                            >Such isolated times can be difficult, even if they are short, especially in these harsh lands.

                                            >And in an too often occurrence, ponies will go mad from one thing, or another.

                                            >Thankfully, she has her mind distracted by work – a set of ruins her team was sent out to explore.

                                            >Far too many ponies do not understand the significance of such places.

                                            >Nor would they ever suspect that a once massive fortress stood just a short distance from the camp.

                                            >The locals have many tales about this area; ranging from a sealed away spirit, to a giant sand flea of destruction.

                                            >To be on the safe side, the team brought in specialists from Canterlot to discern if any powerful magic resided here.

                                            >Needless to say, nothing turned up.

                                            >Once that was dealt with, research began in earnest.

                                            >Though the near constant heat has slowed any effort considerably.

                                            >As if a reminder, some sweat spills over Lex’s brow.

                                            >She wipes it away it with a tired sigh.

                                            >The tents do help in the battle against the weather, but not nearly enough.

                                            >A small yawn leaves her as she goes to take a sip from her canteen.

                                            >However, she finds that empty.

                                            “Ah, right… I forgot about refilling this earlier,” she mutters.

                                            >She makes the short trip across the camp to the supply tent, though it feels much farther than it appears.

                                            >More trouble arrives in the form of the awkward to use tap on the water barrel.

                                            >Exhaling a low groan, she fights with it for a time before eventually topping off her canteen.


                                            Taking a small swig of it, a satisfied smile crosses her lips, “Aah… that’s so much-”

                                            >“Good afternoon!”

                                            >She jolts on the spot, and turns around.

                                            >Standing just a short distance from her is a beige zebra mare, with a lavender mane and tail.

                                            >Her strangely opposing spirals for a cutie mark contrasts her friendly smile.

                                            >The initial surprise quickly wears off, though in its place, Lexi’s difficult social skills come into play.

                                            “Um, uh… h-hi to noon, too?”

                                            >She shakes her head with a small scrunch on her muzzle.

                                            “I-I mean, good afternoon to you, too.”

                                            >The zebra seemingly ignores Lexi’s flub as she continues to smile, “I’m Crafty Bits of the Two Marey Company.”

                                            Lexi blinks a few times with a slight shake of her head, “The what now?”

                                            >“The Two Marey Company, or TMC for short,” giggles the other mare.

                                            >An odd name to be sure, but not the strangest one that Lexi has heard of before.

                                            >“I’m here to sell you something special,” she waves a hoof, “Extraordinary even!”

                                            “Not to cut you off, but how did you even get out here?”

                                            >“Oh that’s easy, I walked.”

                                            “You walked,” deadpans Lexi.

                                            >“Yeah-huh!”

                                            >Something about this whole thing isn’t right, that much Lexi is certain of.

                                            >An obvious answer pops into mind: it’s a prank being pulled by her coworkers.

                                            >This wouldn’t be the first time that they have done such a thing.

                                            >Even with that conclusion, Lexi decides to play along for the time being, though only to discern the entire extent of the prank.

                                            “So, what are you selling?”

                                            >Crafty’s smile widens, “I’m glad you asked.”

                                            >She walks to a large wooden cart just a few steps from her, and starts messing with the back hatch.

                                            >A number of questions fire off in rapid succession in Lexi’s mind.

                                            >The most notable being: how did this all go completely unnoticed?

                                            >Perhaps her work engrossed completely.

                                            >Soon enough, Crafty finishes opening the back of the cart, “This is our latest and greatest innovation from TMC – The Dual-terrain Explorer Mark Five.”

                                            Lexi raises a brow as she looks them over, “They look an awfully lot like row boats to me.”

                                            >“I assure you, these are not just any ordinary row boats; they easily surpass those simple wooden ones you’re familiar with.”

                                            >Leaning to one side while listens to Crafty’s sales pitch, Lexi nods along.

                                            “Oh, that’s uh, fascinating.”

                                            >“Not only are these much sturdier, but they are a must-have for any trip into the wilderness,” she pats one of them for emphasis.


                                            >It doesn’t take a genius to see that these are nothing more than simple wooden boats.

                                            >The rest of Lexi’s team must be having a real laugh right about now.

                                            >But once this is all over, she’ll lecture them on the importance of focusing on work first before going about their silly little games.

                                            >Until then, she’s going to play along a bit longer.

                                            >After all, a short break like this wouldn’t hurt.

                                            “Could you, uhm, could you show me what it can do?”

                                            >“I sure can!”

                                            >Crafty effortlessly pulls one of the boats out onto the sandy earth.

                                            >That forces an instant double take from Lexi.

                                            >There must be something more here at play, but the immediate thought is that there may be an inkling of truth to the sales pony’s words.

                                            >“Despite the common row boat being just for water usage, The Dual-terrain Explorer Mark Five is capable of so much more.”

                                            >Using literally all of the parts of the boat – the seats, the paddles, and even a set of cloth inside – she constructions it all into a familiar design.

                                            >“Once a boat, now a simple shelter against the elements!”

                                            >The inkling of truth gains further strength with just that little display.

                                            >“But wait, there’s more!”

                                            >The shelter is quickly disassembled, then rearranged into something else entirely.

                                            >“With a bit of effort, and some finagling, you now have a ready to use bed to sleep under a starry sky.”

                                            >For a moment, Lexi nearly buys into the whole thing.

                                            >Yet that is overridden by the scratch of work at the back of her mind.

                                            “Alright, alright… I think you’ve done enough.”

                                            >Crafty’s smile twitches, “No, wait! Please, let me show you the best feature of all.”

                                            Withholding a sigh, Lexi nods slowly, “Okay, fine.”

                                            >Moving along with greater speed, Crafty puts the boat completely back together in little time.

                                            >From there, she takes a seat in it, and grabs a hold of both paddles.

                                            >“Using the latest in Magitek science, The Dual-terrain Explorer Mark Five is no longer confined just to the water, and is completely capable of navigating through the sandy dunes of the desert.”

                                            >Magitek science? That’s something that Lexi never heard of before in her life.

                                            >Pushing that thought to the side, she watches on.

                                            >Despite the impossibility, Crafty starts rowing the boat through the sand with ease.

                                            >Lexi’s mouth falls agape as she stares at the zebra mare moving about the campsite like she where in a body of water.


                                            >After doing a few laps, Crafty returns to Lexi with a reignited smile.

                                            >“So then, what do you think of it?”

                                            Licking her lips, Lexi shakes her head slowly, “H-how… how is that even possible?”

                                            >“That’s a great question; it has to do with the Magitek at work here, which allows the vessel to glide along the sand because of it’s combination of chemical and magical properties.”

                                            >The simple explanation is enough to bring back Lexi’s logic and reasoning into complete control again.

                                            She deeply frowns, “Yeah, no. You can stop with the joke now, you got me.”

                                            >“Joke? What joke?” Crafty briefly looks around, then back to Lexi, “I am completely serious about this.”

                                            Rolling her eyes, Lexi’s frown deepens, “You really expect me to believe that you, some random sales zebra, would come all the way out of here in the middle of the desert, just to sell a row boat made with a science that I have never heard of before, and from a company with a silly name?”

                                            >Crafty’s muzzle scrunches, “For one: I am not a zebra, I am a earth pony just like you. For two: it’s my job to go wherever I can to sell things, because that’s how I make my living. And for three: Magitek is a legitimate science, and TMC is also a perfectly fine name.”

                                            Focusing only on the first part of the retort, Lexi gives her a once-over, “But you literally have a stripes just like a zebra does.”

                                            >Crafty looks back at her coat, “Oh these? I painted them on.”

                                            “You… painted them on?” Dully repeats Lexi.

                                            >“Yep!”

                                            “Why? What’s the purpose in that?”

                                            >“Because they’re racing stripes.”

                                            “Racing stripes.”

                                            >“Uh-huh. They make things go faster, you know? That in turn, makes me go faster, and is a part of why I am so good at my job.”

                                            >Any doubt about the sales pony’s sanity goes right out with window with that statement.

                                            >Shaking her head once more, Lexi goes to lecture her, when the ground beneath the pair starts to violently shake.

                                            Lexi grabs a hold of the boat for dear life as she cries out, “An earthquake, out here?!”

                                            >Crafty whimpers in response as she hunkers down in the tiny boat.

                                            >All the shaking comes to an abrupt end just as soon as it began.


                                            >Before either mare can figure out what happened, a bright flash of light momentarily blinds them.

                                            >A deep boom of laughter fills the air, “Bwahahaha! At long last, I am finally free!”

                                            >The pair’s vision clears up, and they see a large, floating green stallion, dressed in a set of very elaborate clothing.

                                            >He crosses his forelegs with a large grin while looking down at them “I heartily thank you two for freeing me from my thousand year old prison. You have no idea how awful sand is; it’s so coarse and rough, and it gets everywhere.”

                                            “Y-you, you’re-”

                                            >“A genie!” Cuts in Crafty.

                                            >“Indeed I am. Allow me to introduce myself: I am the green jinn of the Saddle Arabian jungle.”

                                            >Those specialists clearly did not do a good enough job if they somehow missed this guy.

                                            >That can be dealt with later, for now, Lexi focuses back to the floating giant.

                                            “Jungle?” she shakes her head, “Wait, wait, wait, how did we even free you? It’s not like we rubbed a lamp or something like that.”

                                            >He waves one of his hooves back and forth, “Oh contraire, me amarey.”

                                            >A ghostly image appears next to him, filled with a lush landscape of flora and fauna, “A long, long time ago, this whole area was a vibrant jungle, and there was a long, winding river in this very spot.”

                                            >Another image follows the first, with a group of robed ponies circled around the jinn, “When the old hags sealed me away, they made it so I could be not released unless a pair of pure mares – one with an odd spirit, and the other of a sharp mind – were to interact with one another with a row boat involved.”

                                            “That’s…” Lexi shakes her head again, “...an awfully specific way to free a jinn.”

                                            >He shrugs as the image fades away, “Well, it certainly worked, did it not?”

                                            “I mean, I guess-”

                                            >“Do we each get three wishes, or is it three wishes in total?” Cuts in Crafty once more.

                                            “...rude,” Lexi scrunches.

                                            >The jinn replies with a curt, “Neither.”

                                            >“Aww…”

                                            “What, why not? Isn’t that how it usually goes?”

                                            >Shaking his head slowly from side to side, the jinn examines one of his hooves with interest, “Because doesn’t it sound so much more exciting when the main character gets THREE wishes to do with what they will?”

                                            >Considering there is no official recorded interactions with a jinn (aside from foal stories), there is no way to argue with him.


                                            “Okay, so how many do we actually get?”

                                            >“Normally, it would be just one, but since you both freed me from that sandy prison, I’ll be granting you one each.”

                                            >Regardless of it being a single wish, the possibilities are still endless.

                                            >“Can we wish for more wishes?” Inquires Crafty.

                                            >The jinn gives her a hard glare, “NO.”

                                            >That puts one of the ideas out of Lexi’s mind.

                                            >Crafty briefly frowns, then sticks her tongue out as she rubs her chin.

                                            >Minutes pass while the pair of mares debate, and during then, the jinn anxiously shifts in place.

                                            >“As much as I enjoy the company of two lovely mares, I would very much like to get out there and explore the world, so if you could just make your wishes, that would be wonderful.”

                                            “I want to be sure of what I am wishing for,” asserts Lexi.

                                            >“Me too,” adds in Crafty.

                                            >“How about a suggestion then, like… bringing ruin unto your enemies? Surely you both have those?”

                                            >The mare pair share a brief look of unease as a wistful expression crosses the jinn’s face, “Make a wish, then doom them all in one go. That would be hilarious.”

                                            >He lightly chuckles, “It would be just like the old days when ponies would wish for the utter annihilation of one another. Ah yes… things were so wonderful then.”

                                            >They both remain silently uneasy, to which he raises a brow, “I take it that you modern ponies don’t do that kind of stuff anymore, do you?”

                                            >Both mares very slowly nod, with each having their own variation of worry upon their face.

                                            >“It figures that would be the case,” he titters.

                                            >Heeding some newly born caution, Lexi takes more time to consider her wish.

                                            >It isn’t much longer until Crafty utters a sharp gasp, “I know exactly what I want!”

                                            >“Most excellent,” says the jinn as he rubs his hooves together, “So what will it be? A harem of handsome stallions? Perhaps a mountain of wealth? Or maybe even the power of an alicorn?”

                                            >She shakes her head with a small scrunch, “Nah, none of that.”

                                            >Standing tall, the strange mare puffs out her chest, “I wish for an infinite supply of doughnuts, right here, right now.”

                                            “Wait, are you sure that’s such a good-”

                                            >Lexi is cut off by the jinn wickedly exclaiming, “Aaand she’s gone overboard!”


                                            >A loud click reverberates throughout the air, then suddenly, doughnuts begin raining from the sky.

                                            >Crafty giddily prances in place with a squee of delight.

                                            “You could have wished for LITERALLY anything, but you chose that?”

                                            >“Because it’s what I’ve always dreamed of since I was a little filly, duh.”

                                            >She quickly digs into the tasty treats falling about, “Besides, there is nothing wrong with infinite food.”

                                            >As Lexi looks around, dread rapidly fills her face.

                                            >In some tales, a jinn a tricky creature to deal with, especially with how they take the wording of a wish.

                                            >Right now, it’s clear that Crafty poorly phrased hers; not only are there doughnuts falling from the sky, but they are also appearing out of nowhere, too.

                                            >As far as the eye can see – from the horizon, to the tents and the cart filled with row boats – the doughnuts are accumulating everywhere.

                                            >At this rate, it won’t be long before the whole world is buried in them.

                                            >She turns to look back to Crafty, but no longer sees her.

                                            >Where the odd sales pony once was, is now nothing more than a growing hill of doughnuts.

                                            >The only other thing left that is completely unaffected by the unfolding chaos is Lexi and the jinn; still floating in the air, laughing to himself.

                                            >There is little time to think, let alone, act properly.

                                            In a panic, Lexi screams out the first thing that comes to mind, “I wish this day to have never had happened!”

                                            >The jinn grumbles, “Party pooper…”

                                            >Like before, a loud click goes off.

                                            >Unlike then, everything completely turns blank in both sound and sight.

                                            >Gradually, things start coming back into being again.

                                            >First and foremost, Lexi awakens in a cot – the cot in her tent to be precise.

                                            Drenched completely in sweat, panic forces her up and looking about, “Wha- who- where?!”

                                            >Yet the more she looks, the less she finds.

                                            >With it, a much needed calm starts breathing into her.

                                            >This is further aided by checking herself over.

                                            >Her cutie mark is still the very same old ivy bookshelf, and although her coat is sweaty, it is still the same shade of teal.


                                            She runs her hooves through her peach colored mane with a small sigh of relief, “Everything is… right where it should be.”

                                            >Getting out of bed, she pokes her head outside of her tent.

                                            >A familiar sight awaits her – the sun has already crested a distance above the desert horizon; the same desert her team has been working in.

                                            >But there are no signs of the jinn or Crafty.

                                            >Instead, some of her team is busy with some duties in and around the camp, while everything else appears completely normal.

                                            “Was it really all a dream?”

                                            >Despite her work, as well as her desire to learn more, there are always things beyond her understanding.

                                            >In this case, it seems that it was all just a vivid dream.

                                            >Breathing out a hushed sigh with a shake of her head, she retreats back into her tent.

                                            >While getting ready for the day ahead, she looks to her journal for some guidance.

                                            >Oddly, the previous day is completely blank.

                                            >That in turn, sends a shiver up her spine.

                                            >A light commotion is heard coming from outside of her tent.

                                            >Curiosity compels her to investigate, though upon doing so, she freezes as a cold, harsh sweat washes over her.

                                            >“Good afternoon. I’m Crafty Bits of the Two Marey Company, or TMC for short.”

                                            >Lexi’s eyes shrink to that of pinpricks.

                                            >The last thing she remembers is the world going dark as she faints.