Uncle started with the three pendants, paying careful attention to them. They weren't very pretty to look at, an odd mix of white, orange, and brown jade, linked together in a regular pattern with gold thread in a small, perfect sphere. It didn't shimmer the way jade or gold jewelry normally did, or draw attention. In fact, the more Uncle stared at it, the more he found himself losing interest. It just seemed too ordinary to be of any significance...except for the fact that just touching one of them sent willies so strong through his body he nearly shook himself off the chair before he was adjusted to it. It was definitely good magic, and potent...but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out to what purpose. And the book seemed far more interesting. Maybe he could just look at the book and investigate the pendants later-

He froze, realizing that he was not the entire source of that line of thought. The closer he got to the pendants, the less he wanted to investigate them, and the more ordinary they became...except when he scanned them for magic. "But what is the point of enchanting something to be ordinary?" he mused aloud.

As he stared, Sweetie Belle clambered up his leg and into his lap to stare at the pendant as well. She started to reach towards it. "Careful, Sweetie Belle," Uncle chided. "It might be dangerous."

"What?" Jackie asked, startled. "Dangerous?"

Giggling, Sweetie grabbed the pendant and slipped it around her neck.

Jackie stared at Sweetie for a time, then smiled. "Aww, how cute. She's playing dress up."

Uncle blinked. "Jackie...Uncle just said pendant might be dangerous...and now Sweetie is cute for playing dress up with it?"

"Wha?" Jackie demanded, confused. "But how could a pendant be dangerous?"

"It has powerful magic!" Uncle insisted.

Jackie rolled his eyes. "Uncle, you don't seriously believe in that old myth, do you?"

Staring at Jackie in consternation, Uncle did the only thing he could think of to prove his point. Lifting Sweetie Belle up, he thrust her towards Jackie and proclaimed, "Qi-lin!"

Sweetie Belle squeaked happily and waved with one hoof.

"Aww...so cute!" Jackie murmured affectionately, patting Sweetie on the head. "What's your point?"

Uncle opened his mouth to deliver a blistering remonstrance...only to pause, an idea beginning to form. He turned Sweetie Belle around to stare at the pendant, and found his eyes trying to slip off of it, and her. "Aiyah!" he proclaimed happily. "Pendants are magically ordinary!"

Jackie blinked in confusion. "Umm...Uncle? Isn't that...contradicting yourself?" He clutched his head as two fingers struck his temple. "Ow!"

"Listen to Uncle!" Uncle snapped. "Pendants are enchanted to be ordinary. When ponies wear them, no one notice anything odd about them!" He frowned as he looked over the two pendants. "But power of pendants will have limits. Take great deal of power just to make tiny candy-colored ponies seem ordinary in San Fransisco. If ponies do anything out of the ordinary, might draw attention and pierce veil of magic. One more thing, anyone who can sense magic of pendants might notice ponies for what they are."

"That's...oddly convenient," Jackie mused. "You need a way to keep people from noticing them, and I just happen to have it with me?"

"Pfeh!" Uncle countered. "Nothing convenient about it! Sage who lose ponies sent note with names to me. Obviously, send pendants and book too, through you since could not reach me." He lifted up the book. "Now, time for research! Go put pendants on Apple Bloom and Scootaloo."

Sighing and nodding, Jackie scooped up the two pendants. He hoped Uncle would make time to analyze the artifacts he'd actually brought for research, but he knew better than to try and demand it. After all, the fillies were likely to be more time sensitive than Jackie's artifacts, what with how energetic they were in the kitchen were a sign of how active they were going to be before long. Finding a way for Uncle - or Jackie, possibly - to take them outside would be very useful.

He eventually found the two fillies on the second floor. Scootaloo was climbing the walls - literally - while Apple Bloom was tending Uncle's tea garden on the windowsill, gently tapping the dirt down around the tiny bushes and cooing to them. "Apple Bloom," Jackie called gently. "I have something for you."

The filly turned, her large red-orange eyes shining as her red bow - larger than her whole head - bounced from her movement. She took one look at the pendant and immediately raced forward, eager to let him put it on her.

Jackie smiled as he slipped the pendant around her neck, his smile widening as she nuzzled him happily. He then turned to the other filly. "Scootaloo!" he called out. "I have one for you, too!"

"Bee!" Scootaloo called out, sticking her tongue out to express her distaste at the idea of ornamentation. She then promptly raced off along the wall, her tiny wings buzzing. As she reached the edge of the wall, she leapt into the air, her wings keeping her aloft.

Jackie stared for a time, having a difficult time wrapping his head around how such tiny wings could generate so much lift. He quickly snapped out of it. "Scootaloo! Come back!" Pendant in his outstretched hand, he pursued her as fast as he could, just barely keeping up as he leapt around obstacles that Scootaloo simply buzzed over, struggling to catch her.

Eventually, he was able to catch her at a corner, leaping into the air with intent of tackling her to the ground...only to find himself clinging around her as she continued to fly. "WUAGH!" he screamed out, ducking his head repeatedly to avoid the beams Scootaloo flew towards in an attempt to knock him off. "Scootaloo!" he cried out as he struggled to get the pendant around her neck, pulling his hand back several times as she tried to bite him. "You have...to wear this...to go...outside!" he managed to gasp out between dodging.

Scootaloo's eyes widened, and she squeaked happily, dropping out of the air.

"WAAAAHG!" Jackie screamed out as he landed back first on the hard wooden floors. He then stared as Scootaloo yanked the pendant out of his hand and stuck it around her neck before racing off towards the front door. "...ugh..." he groaned.

"Jackie!" Uncle called from the first floor. "What is all that racket? They are ponies, not elephants!"

Jackie brought one hand up to his face. "Bad day..." he groaned, somehow feeling like he'd be saying that a great deal in the near - or not so near - future.