The Corn Maze [The Corn Maze] Northern's Lost Pet

[Northern Lights]

The sun was starting to set as Northern Lights approached the Corn Maze. Her saddle bags were already full of goodies and treats. She almost never left the Everfree Forest, except to go back home to Canterlot, but the festival in Fillydelphia was a family tradition when she was a little foal. Her sister informed her she was too big for that little filly stuff anymore, but Northern is nothing if not a foal at heart, and couldn't resist.

The dark blue unicorn mare's horn glows as she pulls out her fair map. "So, I wanna do the haunted house after dark, and I don't want to carry a pumpkin around, so I guess next is the maze, eh, little guy?" She tosses her shaggy, unkempt mane out of her eyes and grins as a small brown nose peeks from her bags. Her hedgehog friend, Ipsum, was happily eating some toffee, a small golden crown perched on his head.

Cap bells jingling, the pony giggles. "Oh, greedy King Ipsum, if you eat too much of those, you'll get a tummy ache!" Her costume is a court jester, with a two pointed cap and a red and black harlequin outfit, all bedecked in bells. She never had much time for spooky outfits, preferring fun and playful. And what is a court jester without a king? Ipsum wrinkles his nose at her, then peeks around.The little quilled ruler rarely got to eat candies and he was taking full advantage of every minute.

Heading to the maze entrance, she pays her entry fee and starts to wander. After a few turns, she's already well lost, the tall corn cutting off her path in front of her.

"Rats... stuck already.. any ideas, your majesty?" she asks, turning to peek at Ipsum in her bags. But all she finds are empty candy wrappers. She checks her other saddlebag, but no hedgehog. Oh no! Did he climb out to try and find more treats? Biting her lip, she looks around frantically. The little fat hedgehog would never be able to find his way out of this maze on his own.. he's certainly lost.

"Ipsum... IPSUM!" she cries, dashing off through the stalks.

[BlindJester]

Today was one of the most exciting days of the year the Nightmare Night festivals. BlindJester trotted around the festivities even though she couldn't see she enjoyed the laughter of children; the up beat music, and the wonderful smells. It brought a smile to her lips though going to outings like this is sometimes difficult for her navigate through, with foals running under and around her outstretched wings it was hard for Jessy to figure out where to go her blind gaze looking left and right as if she was going to see at any moment.

Jessy never really dressed up for these sort of events, but her friends managed to get her into a long black cloak rested around her shoulders with a pointy hat that sat upon her hair. After a few minutes Jessy's wings brush up against tall corn stalks "This must the the Corn maze! This will be a great opportunity to test my senses" she said aloud feeling her way towards the entrance of the maze. Once she found it BlindJester paid the fee and entered happily, a few feet into the maze her ears started to twitch picking up the sounds bells jingling. She shrugged if off thinking it was somewhere outside the maze until the jingling became louder and with it she heard somepony crying out "Ipsum, Ipsum!" a few seconds later Jessy found herself on the ground when a young mare bowled her over. BlindJester could feel the panic radiating off of her coat "A-are you okay?" she asked in a soft voice "Did you lose something?"

[Northern Lights]

Blushing wish embarrassment, the clumsy unicorn quickly helps the pegasus up, brushing her off with much jingling of her outfit.

"Oh gosh oh gosh I'm so sorry, are you okay?" she asks with concern, peering over the wings to make sure she hasn't bent the feathers, before giving Jessy a smile she of course can't see. It takes the other mare a few seconds longer to realise that's the case when she notices the pale eyes sort of not looking at her, but she bites back the automatic statement of , oh you're blind, instead nodding, causing her bells to tinkle melodically. Then remembering herself, she says "Y-yes.. I came in with my pet, but I got lost then he wandered off. He's a little hedgehog.. have you seen-- oh, I mean.. um..."

Her blue coat is practically purple for a moment and she squirms. "S-sorry, that was a stupid thing to say. I mean, I guess, have you heard him?"

[BlindJester]

"Oh, I'm fine! It's not everyday you meet somepony by mowing them down. Although that's been happening to me a lot lately," BlindJester said with a light chuckle, sitting back on her haunches she listened to the young mare explain what happened all the while becoming frustrated at what to say. "I'm guessing you've never met a blind pony before huh? Don't worry though I'm not easily offended so relax okay?" she smiled in Northern Light's direction as to reassure her "I'm sorry to say that I haven't heard anything since I entered the maze, well besides your bells. How about we go look for your pet hedgehog together? With your sight and my hearing I'm sure we'll find little . . . Ipsum was it?"

With that said BlindJester trotted over to Northern's side and stretched a wing over her back "Sorry I'll just need a little guidance through here if you don't mind. My name is BlindJester by the way, what's yours?"

[Northern Lights]

Northern gives a sheepish smile, then nods. "I'm Northern Lights... and it's kinda funny you say your name is that, I'm dressed as a jester today!" she notes, demonstrating her bells once more. She peers around in the dark, and nods. "That sounds like a good idea.. and I really appreciate your help! Believe me, this maze is confusing, I don't think you're gonna have any more trouble with it than I already did." She presses her shoulder to Jessy's in a supportive way, to show she's keeping track of where she is.

Peeking along the yellow stalks, she grumbles to herself, "He's not normally like this, but I think all the candy has given him a bit of a buzz.. and we never travel away from home usually." Her tail swishes as she tries to catch sight of any quivering quills.

[BlindJester]

BlindJester couldn't help but to laugh at the coincidence of bumping into somepony who is dressed as a Jester. "Well then I hope you enjoy your night in my hooves!" she boasted while keeping one ear open in hopes of hearing the pitter patter of little paws across the ground."I appreciate your company Northern! It's always a lot more fun to travel about mazes with a friend, well I mean you're not my friend but I hope you'd like to be my friend if you don't mind," she smiled at Northern Lights as she rambled on "Oh and I meant to say that Northern Lights is a very pretty name! I'm sure you must be a beautiful mare!"

When Jessy finally stopped talking nonsense she heard the young mare mumble under breath about how her pet didn't normally act this way. She sighed inwardly hoping to cheer the mare up until they found her pet "So . . . ." she began aloud "Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?"

[Northern Lights]

Northern blushes at the complement, and her tail swishes, brushing Jessy's. "Ah, no, that's my sister, she's the pretty one in the family. Though you look very nice.. well, what I can see under that cloak and hat!" She's always admired pegasi, due to her affinity with weather you either liked the weather ponies or you didn't get very far in your studies.

Cocking her ear at the question, she giggles, noting "Only if you do the same!" She takes a pause a a crossroads, as a few ponies stumble past, laughing and shouting. They don't even turn around to see the pair.

"Ah, well, I don't live near Fillydelphia. I actually spend most of my time in the wilds at the edge of Equestria, outside of Ponyville. I'm a unicorn, but I love to study weather, especially natural weather." She lowers her voice, and murmurs in Jester's ear "Don't let it get around, but actually can create it myself. It's a really unusual unicorn talent that runs in my family. My mother, sister and I all can make auroras appear in the sky, and I can cause snowfalls as well. But I wanted to know how that can even work! I mean, that stuff is usually manufactured, at least in Equestria."

She grins and gives the other mare a shoulderbump in a friendly way as the enter a winding section of the maze. "How about you? Are you a Cloudsdalian? I guess from your mark you're really a jester!"

[BlindJester]

A small squeak escaped from BlindJester as she was shoulder bumped to the side slightly losing balance for a moment, after she regained her balance Jessy then rump bumped her new friend, a wide grin on her face. "You shouldn't tell lies to the blind Northern because we can see the truth without our eyes. I know you must be a beautiful mare, I can't see you but I can tell." she said winking in the young mare's direction readjusting her wing to rest across on Northern's back.

"A unicorn who likes to study weather huh? That sounds pretty interesting actually, I hope I could one day help you with your studies." BlindJester's tail twitched with interest as the mare whispered her secret in her ear. Whispering back Jessy said "Wow that's a pretty amazing ability you have there be careful with that gift of yours"

"Oh you want to know about little ol' me?" she started, her voice back at her normal tone "Well there isn't much to say actually, I was born in Cloudsdale and raised in Fillydelphia because my parents were worried I'd walk right off a cloud due to me being blind, so they wanted me on the ground. I can still fly by the way I just usually don't use my wings all that much besides for helping me get around." she added quickly "Um now I still live here in Fillydelphia during the most of the week I work at a restaurant as a waitress, helps pay the bills, and during the weekend I do stand up comedy since as you can see I have a talent for it" just as she was about to say something else she heard the pitter patter of little paws right behind them " I think I hear your little friend Northern" Jessy said flicking her ear motioning behind them.

[Northern Lights]

Northern giggles and is nodding along to Jessy's description of herself, though the complements from the other cute mare are a little much for the gal. She thinks about how she should stay in town a little longer and catch one of these shows. After all, it's always nice to have a friend in the audience.

At BlindJester's exclaimation, the dark-pelted unicorn turns her head, peering into the dusky stalks, which were growing darker by the minute. Narrowing her eyes, she sees a pair of mice peeking back up for a moment, before running off. She's about to groan in annoyance before catching the sight of a tiny gold crown lying among the plants. She scoops down to pick it up. "It looks like you're right, can you hear him any better? I can't see him in all this thick corn, and I don't think he's coming to his name right now. Oh!"

Pausing, the mare gives Jessy an artful look and whispers "Do you have any candy wrappers or bits of paper? I bet if he thinks we're eating candy he'll come out. We just need to rustle them."

[BlindJester]

BlindJester gave a mischievous wink to Northern, she bent her head down allowing her pointy hat to fall off showing that her hat was full of candy. Picking up two pieces of candy setting one in front of her new friend and tossing the other one into the air in hopes to catch it with her open mouth. Much to Jessy's disappointment the piece of candy struck her right between the eyes, she reared up onto her hind legs in surprise "Eep it's raining! Hide the candy!" she yelped as she fell onto her back rather dramatically.

"Sorry about that Northern I rather scared myself with my own candy! I hope I didn't scare you little friend away." Jessy said rather embarrassed, she was so used to acting like a goof-ball that she forgets to be serious most of the time. With a hoof pointed towards her hat full of candy Jessy whispered "Go ahead and take what pieces of candy you need to lure him out"

[Northern Lights]

Covering her snout, the mare giggles as she leans down, trying to help the pegasus up off her back.

"Oh, it's okay.. really.. I'm sure he'll show up soon. He's not easily scared off, and when he does he rolls into a ball, being a hedgehog.." she notes, tidying the witch robes with a couple of brushes of her hooves. She lifts up the hat and shakes it, saying in a rather loud voice. "Oh, gosh, we have soooo much candy. I really wish Ipsum was around to share it with but I guess we have to eat it all outselves." If the gods were just, she'd automatically win an award for terribly bad acting.

[BlindJester]

"That's some pretty impressive acting skills you got there." BlindJester chuckled sarcastically as she listened to Northern Lights try and lure out her little hedgehog friend. Trotting over to Northern's side Jessy picked up another piece of candy and crackled the wrapper in her teeth to help the temporary actress with her act. "Don't worry Northern if Ipsum won't come I'll help you than I will! Yum, Yum" even though Jessy was slightly better it still seemed as if it was a school play for foals.

"Is it working?" Jessy asked around the piece of candy in her maw.

[Northern Lights]

Flicking her tail, the unicorn peers around, seeing a couple of foals stairing at them, before rolling their eyes and going another way.

"I don't know," she mutters, but as she does so, Jessy can feel a small wet nose poking her on the hock. Ipsum places his paws on the pegasus' leg, sitting up and trying to reach the candy, which is quite unlikely given he's a fraction of her height.

[BlindJester]

A shiver went up Jessy's spine as she felt the little wet nose press against her. "I guess that answered my question" she giggled slightly "Seems our terrible acting has worked" pointing her muzzle towards the little begging hedgehog and dropping the piece of candy that she had near him "There is more where that comes from if you get back to where you're supposed to be little mister. You made your mum worry quite a lot about you." she said in a stern voice. Jessy then turned her attention back to Northern a wide grin on her face.

[Northern Lights]

With a plethora of little squeaks and grunts, the wayward hedgie finishes his treat, burping rather loudly. Northern gives him a sharp look as he clamber back into her saddlebag, peeking out like nothing at all has happened.

"You're going to be in SO much trouble when we get home.. and you're going to have such a tummy ache!" She smiles at Jessy and says "Thank you ever so much! How can I repay you? I'd give you candies, but someone ate them all..."

[BlindJester]

Jessy thought about it for a moment wondering what could be given in exchange for finding a new friend and having a fun mini adventure in a corn maze. Putting a hoof up to her chin tapping it deep in thought until a idea came to her! The pegasus pony's milky eyes lit up at her thought "You can repay me by keeping in touch with me and coming to see me at my shows or at the restaurant that I work at, okay? I'd be excited to see more of you and Ipsum here."

With that Jessy picked up her candy filled hat and skillfully set the hat back atop of her head scooting close to Northern and placing one of her wings across the unicorn's back "Now how about we get out of here!" she cheered