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Chaotic Endeavors | pre | In response, Principal Celestia fully opened the door, revealing a big crowd gathered in front of Luna's office, with Trixie being in charge of said crowd. In the blink of an eye, Luna pushed the trophy off her desk and into the trash.
"Vice-Principal Luna, the Great and Powerful Trrrixie would like to speak about her outrage regarding Discord's unfair treatment of his students..."
Discord hung around his empty classroom, wondering just what he was supposed to do for the last few hours at school considering he had no class left for the day. Playing around with pen, staring at manuals, golly being a teacher sure was boring! Totally unfitting for the god of chaos even, as teachers love control and order which didn't click with his nature.
Eventually, he got fed up of doing 'teacher things' and he decided to leave his classroom, only to spot on the other end of the hallway Principal Celestia, Vice-Principal Luna AND Trixie slowly making their way to him.
Oh no, looks like I'm in trouble. That is... unless there's no Discord to chastise. Yes, that'll do. He thought to himself as he stared at the open window.
"Discord, we'd like to discuss with you regarding some complaints coming from your students... Discord?"
Another game, another victory in the making for Rainbow Dash as she was juggling the ball around, expertly evading her adversaries. She was truly the best of the best when it came down to sports in Canterlot High. Some would even say, this is what peak performance looks like.
Now she was in front of the goal with a clear shot. Her next kick will blow the opposite team away and earn her more cheers from her teammates.
"Wha- huh?!" Or maybe not as she got distracted by a bizarre sight. That of Discord falling out of a window on the second floor on the school. This stunt also caught the attention of basically everybody else on the field.
The old man got back up as if the fall was nothing and ran straight in the soccer field. "Hey Rainbow Dash! Bye Rainbow Dash, be seeing ya."
"What in tarnation are you doing?" Her question didn't reach through as Discord was too busy vaulting over a nearby fence.
The coach walked up to his students and blew his whistle. "Let's, uh, forget that happened and focus on the game, please!"
Sunset mentioned something about Sugar Cube Corner, so naturally Discord gravitated towards this candy shop to avoid a confrontation with the two sisters. "I'd like to have one cupcake with a chocolate milkshake, please."
With the money he got from Sunset Shimmer, he could afford a little treat to make this boring day passable. He watched as the time pass, thinking about how everyone at school must be having a bad time while he gets to ravel in such pleasure.
The bell on the front door rang and immediately, Misses Cake went to greet the newcomers. "Hi there Miss Celestia and Luna. Happy to see you again!"
Discord choked on his cupcake. Hold up, what?! How did they know I was here?!
Celestia approached the crooked old man with a perplexed look on her face. "Discord? We'd like to talk with you for a bit if you don't mind. We promise we won't take much of your time."
Vice-Principal Luna pulled out her cellphone and showed Discord the message she got from a certain 'Pinkamena Diana Pie'. It read something along the lines of "He's totally going to Sugar Cube Corner. Source; trust my Pinkie Sense!"
"But how did she kn- That doesn't make any sense! She's not even in Suga-"
"Hi Discord! I didn't know you liked these kinds of places!" Somehow, Pinkie Pie found her way into Sugar Cube Corner. Even in this world, her powers are still an enigma. Powers that many tried to solve, oblivious to the fact that this was a hopeless endeavor.
"You gotta be kidding me. Grah! Can't have anything fun in Canterlot City..."
"So? How did it go, Discord?" Sunset asked to Discord now that they were both back in her apartment.
"Fluttershy had to redo her exam and, thankfully, she passed so there's no need to worry for my dear friend." honestly responded the ex-draconequus.
"And as for you?"
"I got a slap on the wrist."
"That's really it-"
"Literally. Every student in my class got to slap me freely on the wrist. Now they both hurt..." Discord explained as he held out his wrist that appeared a little redder than usual.
"Uh... serves you right, I guess?" |
Chaotic Endeavors | Thursday: The Pinkie Pie Conspiracy | Another morning with Discord, more crazy antics to expect. This time, Sunset Shimmer found Discord sitting on the couch with a bunch of papers placed around the floor. On each of them lied strange scribbles related to Pinkie Pie. From what she's heard, Discord is more interested in Fluttershy and Twilight, but not so much Pinkie. It was time to seek answers, and honest ones this time.
"Discord, what's this all about?"
"Back at Sugar Cube Corner, I was spotted by Pinkie Pie and that's how Celestia and Luna got to 'punish' me for my misdeeds. Now, the one thing I can't buy is that she somehow got to Sugar Cube Corner without getting herself in trouble for skipping class." Discord explained, his gaze still on his scribbles.
"You do realise there's no use in questioning Pinkie Pie's rather bizarre powers, right? I tried, and gave up after spending one too many months trying to get to the bottom of it."
Discord, however, didn't seem to be listening. "I've asked Pinkie's teacher and she confirmed that she was in fact, present at her class which leaves me to believe that..." dramatic pause, something Discord is known for ladies and gentlemen. "... There is more than one Pinkie Pie! She has a clone of herself helping her out in her schemes!"
Sunset Shimmer brushed it off. "Come on, I know Pinkie Pie can do all sorts of unbelievable things, but a clone of herself, seriously? That sounds too farfetched to me."
"Nothing's farfetched when it comes down to that pink pony- erm, human... thingy."
She laughed, before making her way to the kitchen. "Well, have fun with your research. I'll just go on with my day, if you don't mind."
Laugh all you want, Sunset Shimmer, but I will figure out what you couldn't explain. Then, I'll be able to put this knowledge to use to prevent Pinkie Pie from ever one-upping me!
The day was just about to start, as indicated by the flood of student making their way to Canterlot High. During that time, Discord impatiently waited at the entrance for Pinkie Pie to show up. She's rarely ever late for school, which was a good thing for him since he wanted to chat with her a bit.
His foot was rapidly taping against the floor as his eyes darted left and right, growing more and more tired of waiting. Many students walked past him, but none of them were Pinkie Pie! Could she just hurry up for his sake already?
"Hi there, Discord! Were you looking for me?" speak of the devil...
"How? How did you know?"
She gleefully pulled out her cellphone and showed it to the old man. "A text from Sunset Shimmer, silly!"
Oh my, these text messages sure travel fast. Much faster than our letters back in Equestria... Perhaps I could steal some for Fluttershy and I and then; we could be so much closer with this technology!
"Then I suppose you're ready to listen to what I have to say." he said in a displeased tone.
"Go ahead, I'm listening!"
"Remember yesterday? Yo-"
Discord barely had the time to explain the situation that Pinkie was already going on a tangent about yesterday. "Of course I remember yesterday! It was such a fun day! I-"
"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking! Anyway, you were there at Sugar Cube Corner and got me caught by Celestia and Luna. The only thing I want to know is how. How were at two different places at once?"
Pinkie Pie laughed gleefully. "Ha ha! That's the Pinkie Secret! I can't tell anypo-anybody about it or else I would have broken a Pinkie Promise and you know just how much I care about my Pinkie Promises!"
Discord snarled. "Grah! I'll figure out your secret one way or another!"
"Ha ha ha! Feel free to try! It'll be like a game between us! Woohoo, let's start the game right away!"
Oh my dear, don't think you can best an ancient draconequus at this battle of the minds. I'll make you spit out your secret involuntarily...
Walking down the hall, Discord came across somebody else he'd rather avoid like the plague; Trixie. He gave her the ol' stink eye and upon noticing it, she gave one back.
"Discord, the new nemesis of the Great and Powerful Trrrixie is ready to lose badly again?"
The old teacher pushed her off to the side. "Yeah yeah yeah, whatever. I've got more important business. Got no time to deal with you."
Trixie stared blankly for a couple of seconds, before holding out a hand to her chest accompanied by an insulted look plastered all over her face. "Hold on! You don't just ignore me like that! When the Great and Powerful Trixie demands your attention, then you better listen!"
Discord couldn't ignore her anymore, especially when someone even dared to talk to him like that. "I see I've damaged your massive ego. My apologies."
Trixie scoffed. "Like how I broke yours yesterday? Shouldn't have messed with someone too great and powerful to handle."
"Great and Powerful this, Great and Powerful that. All I've seen you do is a pitiful attempt at a ninja vanish and let me tell you; I've seen better ninja vanish in my life." Discord responded with sass.
"Ha! That was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes down to what Trixie, which is I, can do. Tomorrow is the day of the party and I'll show you there what I'm made of."
"Well good luck with your show. I know you've got about as much spine as an invertebrate."
Pinkie Pie stood in front of a vending machine, eyeing the various treats it offered. With so many delicious options, she was torn on what to choose. From chocolate bars, to peanut butter crackers, to pretzels, there were so many good ones! "I know! I'll just ask her what she'd like to have!"
"Hello there, Pinkie Pie. Who are you going to share this with?" It would appear Discord has been following around for a bit, waiting for the good moment to strike.
"With Rainbow Dash of course! With how much she runs around, she needs some calories for her next game which will happen before lunch!"
"Aren't you sure there's someone truly special you'd want to share this with?"
"Hmm, no. Rainbow Dash is someone special, so I'm going to share this snack with her!"
"Okay but like, even more special than an athletic girl perhaps?" Discord insisted.
"What could be more special than that?" Pinkie replied as she tilted her head to the side.
"You! You and your physics defying abilities!"
Pinkie remained silent for a moment, trying to process the whole conversation. "I can't share food with myself, silly!"
"D'oh, forget it. You clearly know what I'm talking about but you refuse to admit it."
"I don't know what you're on about but I like talking with you, Discord!"
Discord left while she was talking, no longer interested in pursuing this tactic. He of all people knew for a fact that Pinkie Pie isn't dumb like many would think. She's very smart, in a extroverted kind of way, there was no good method he could use to make her spill the beans involuntarily. So, if he can't make her talk, he'd have to catch her at her worse.
Inside his once again empty classroom, Discord convinced Twi to lent Spike to him until lunch time. The ex-draconequus hoped that the little puppy could provide some insight on Pinkie's mysterious powers, mostly if she could duplicate herself to perform some funny shenanigans.
"Thanks for giving me some space, Discord! Don't get me wrong, I like being with Twi while she's in her class, but being stuck in a schoolbag can get a little uncomfortable." Spike said to the old man.
"It's my pleasure Spike. You see; I'm a dog person myself (Mostly a Fluttershy person) and I figured why not spend some time with you, a talking dog!" Discord explained in a flattering voice.
"He he, don't you have talking dogs too in Equestria? I heard there are dragons, griffons and centaurs in there, so surely a talking dog must be rather common."
"Um..." Digging through his memory, he was surprised to find that there's barely any talking dog he ever met during his long existence. "Not really. I don't remember the last time a dog spoke full sentences to me."
"Oh wow. I guess I must be something special then?"
Discord leaned over his desk. "Ho ho certainly yes! You know, I'd like to hear how life is for a talking dog surrounded by humans. To be precise, I want to know more about your friends."
"I can tell you a lot about them, but don't you already know them? You know, the ones in Equestria?" Spike asked, raising a paw to scratch the back of his head.
Discord buried himself in his chair. "There's gotta be some differences between them. This world is already vastly different from mine, so surely its inhabitants must be different in some ways."
Spike pondered the ex-draconequus' point of view, before agreeing. "Okay then, it's fun to know that you're interested in them, but can I also talk a bit about me too? I-I mean you said you were a dog person, right?"
Discord hid his disdain, this time with greater success. "Sure, but I'd like for you to start with Pinkie Pie if you don't mind, then you can continue with yourself."
Getting excited, Spike did exactly just that. It took at least a good twenty minute for Spike to do his rundown of all his friends, though he did spend a good chunk of time describing himself in flattering detail. Problem was, Discord didn't learn anything new about Pinkie Pie, so he was stuck listening to the puppy long after his interest faded away.
"Anyway, that was all of my amazing friends? So, are you satisfied? I certainly hope so because I get to hang out with another guy! Don't get me wrong; it's fun to hang around these girls, but I feel like I want to also spend times with guys that share some traits in common with me."
Discord raised an eyebrow. "And what traits do we have in common?"
"We have the same friends!"
Discord's eyes shifted left and right before he pulled something out of his desk. It was Ogres and Oubliettes! Brought straight from Equestria too at that! "Yes, but we also love games, don't we?" he said in a tempting voice.
"Oh sweet! A role-playing game! I love them!"
"So, you're already looking for a replacement?"
Vice-Principal Luna was walking alongside her older sister in the school's halls, discussing about Discord who had pretty much become the talk of the town by now. Every student mentioned him briefly in their conversations, whether it was about the Trixie incident or the rumours about his "harem", their opinion were more on the negative side. He didn't appear to be bothered, however, which can be chalked up to the fact that he's only staying here for a week.
"Sunset told me he's only staying here for a week, and I wish I had known before I decided to hire him. He's not the best at his job, but at least he's not terrible. The students have only given him one complaint so far, and that has been resolved." Celestia explained in a slightly worried voice.
Canterlot City was currently short on employees for all kinds of jobs. Nobody truly knew why this was happening but it was bad, especially bad for schools like Canterlot High since good education would lead to more people getting jobs, and more people getting jobs would surely solve this issue.
But right now, they had to find a new teacher to take Discord's place once he'd leave.
"It would be good if we could get his class to be more... pleasant with him. Students always learn better if they have a good relation with their teacher." Luna said as she peeked through Discord's class briefly.
"He seems like a nice person even though he's a bit devious." admitted the school's principal, although her words didn't quite make their way to Luna's ears as she was too busy staring through the classroom's window. "Uh, sister?"
"What's Spike doing here?"
The door opened, and the two sisters entered. Spike and Discord stopped playing and looked at them, surprised yet worried all the same.
"Oh, um. Good morning to you two wonderful ladies. How's it going?"
Luna glanced at the game, then back at Discord. "Are you playing Ogres and Oubliettes with Spike?"
"P-Perhaps, but I assure you I'm not shirking my oh so important duties as a teach-"
Celestia turned her head to face her younger sister. "How did you know from this distance?" she said, sounding quite amused. Luna froze for a moment; she might have said something she'd regret. "I always knew you were a fan of these kinds of games! Nice trophy by the way, I'm sure you deserved it."
"Oh... so I was, that bad at hiding it?"
The principal giggled. "It was amusing to see your valiant efforts at keeping it a secret but I assure you; it's not embarrassing for an adult to be still playing video games."
Adults playing video games, yes, now that could work in Discord's favor to get closer to a certain, Pinkie Pie...
Anyway, once he was done talking with the two sisters, Discord resumed his game of Ogres and Oubliettes with Spike. Eventually, they finished their game just in time for the bell to ring across the entire school. First thing the old man did was convincing Sunset to lend him her console, then he approached Pinkie Pie with it.
"Good morning to you, Pinkie! How about we have a little fun with this?" He said as he pulled out Sunset's console.
"Ooh! You wanna play Tirek's Revenge! I'm in, I'm in!" Pinkie Pie reached into her locker but she couldn't find her console.
"Oh yeah, it must be in he-my bag!"
Discord raised an eyebrow as he watched this energetic girl pull out all sorts of bizarre items from her bag, eventually coming around to getting what she was looking for.
"Fabulous, now we can bond over a fun game of Tirek's... something."
"Revenge."
"Yes... Revenge."
Sitting down at an empty seat at the cafeteria, Discord and Pinkie Pie began their run. There was just one little problem for the ex-draconequus; he never played a single video game in his entire life. Even just the concept of video games was completely unknown to him prior to his visit in the human world. But with Pinkie at his side, he was sure to have a good coach.
"This button makes your character jump! This button lets you attack enemies! This button lets you use item and this button here makes your character do a shake."
"Shake what?"
"Shake yo booty!"
Discord remained unimpressed. "I'm laughing out loud..."
"It's not a joke, silly! Tirek will do it if you press that button."
The old man pressed said button, torn between hoping that it was just a joke and hoping that it was real. After the betrayal he felt during Tirek's rampage, he wanted nothing more than to see him be humiliated through whatever means possible. This was one of the reasons why he frequently went to Tartarus in his spare time.
Much to his joy, Pinkie wasn't lying. "Ho ho ho! Now this is perfect! Yes, yes!"
The pink-haired girl giggled at Discord's sudden spike in enthusiasm. "That's the spirit! We're having fun already!"
Their gaming session was then, strange from her perspective. Discord would frequently run into traps, take hits from various enemies and even purposefully get himself killed. "Uh... why are you trying to lose?"
All she got was more laughing fits coming from the once draconequus. "Oh, Pinkie Pie. You wouldn't get it." And just like that, he forgot why he even proposed the idea in the first place.
"I guess you're right." Pinkie stared at the window on her right, more specifically at the statue. But I'm sure my good friend over there would.
Sunset got herself a nice veggie burger for lunch. She was a little late to the party since she had a long exam this period and the teacher was kind enough to extend the duration past the period. Once she sat down next to her friends, she noticed that one of them was missing in action.
"Where's Pinkie Pie?" she asked to the group.
"Pinkie? Oh, she ran off somewhere and muttered somethin' 'bout Maud needing a rock sandwich, I think." Applejack answered.
Discord was also eating next to them which once again got him some strange looks from the other students, especially since he was awfully friendly to an uncomfortable Fluttershy again. Suddenly, Discord saw something peculiar from a nearby window. It was Pinkie Pie! And guess what; she was standing by the statue! The portal... I knew it! There's two of them, but the other one is my Pinkie! I won't let that slide!
In a flash, he jumped out of his seat, opened the window and dropped onto nearby bushes much to the girls' shock.
"Wha- I can't believe the mad lad just did that!" expressed Rainbow Dash as she leaned on the window and stared at the running old man.
Discord ran as fast as he could to catch his new enemy in the act. He was so close, just a small distance left to cover. "Pinkie Pie! I see what you're trying to do!"
Pinkie turned around with a surprised look on her face. "Oh? You mean how I was just about to give Maud a rock sandwich?"
"Not that! I meant that you were about to greet your pony self into this world!" Confused, Pinkie stepped aside to reveal Maud leaning on the statue.
"She's giving me a rock sandwich. I like them." stated Maud in the most monotone voice the old teacher had ever heard.
"Huh?!" Discord couldn't believe it; Pinkie was surely trolling him right now.
"My sister, who's the best in the world, likes to hang around this cool looking statue! I like to spend time with her too, I don't only have my friends after all!"
Exasperated, Discord left the scene. "Forget it, I'm just wasting my time here."
A few seconds after he had left their views, Maud turned to her sister. "This was a good prank." she stated.
"I know! Thanks for helping me, Maud! You're the best!"
Behind them, a third figure appeared, that of Pinkie Pie. "Does he know?"
The 'human' Pinkie Pie giggled. "No! I think he just gave up!"
"Ha ha ha! We are truly the best pranksters in all worlds!"
"Give it up for... the Pies!"
Maud removed the rocks from her delicious sandwich. "Just for your information; I don't actually eat rocks. They're not edible."
"So Discord, what did you learn today?" Sunset asked curiously.
The ex-draconequus pouted on the sofa, still angry about his loss. "I learned to set realistic expectations, something I'm not used to considering realism is the last thing I want to experience."
"W-Well, I didn't hear any bad things regarding your classes in the afternoon, so I imagine it must have gone well?"
"It did, but at the cost of being mind-numbingly boring to me."
Sunset giggled a bit before saying "You're making progress, Discord. I'm sure the students as well as the faculty of the school are warming up to you. I also saw that you got closer to Pinkie Pie today which makes me happy to know that you're interested in making friends there. You know, after your so-called punishment is over, you're always welcome to come back to us."
"Not sure I'd return to a place where I'm forced to give up my true nature just to exist..." Discord responded with his arms crossed. He then took a sip from his cup of coffee that Sunset so generously made for him.
"It was also hard for me to give up my magic the first time I got here but as you can see; I learned to live with this change. I'm sure you just need time like I did, Discord. Don't be so harsh on this world."
"Hard to be nice to it when I arrived with zero expectations to which they were somehow let down... I want another cup of coffee."
"Ugh, make it yourself, lazy bone." |
Chaotic Endeavors | Friday part 1: Watch me hit the griddy! | Friday morning.
Rummaging through his stuff, Discord found a nice suit that he was going to wear for the party tonight. He looked at it and admired its class. Rarity may be quite annoying at times, but she's got talent in fashion, he'll give her that!
"Pretty nice, ay? She had enough time to make a suit for you, as for us; we had to buy our own dresses since she was short on time." Sunset said
"Yeah, yeah, it's very nice. Now, could you please get out of the bathroom? I'm going to change right now."
Changing always takes a long time for the old man, which Sunset attributed to Discord simply not being used to doing it physically. You do become quite lazy when you rely on magic to do literally everything.
Thursday afternoon.
"Goodness gracious, Discord! You're not seriously going to wear these crummy clothes to the party?"
Rarity looked shocked and appalled at the mere words that the ex-draconequus said.
"What's wrong with them?"
Rarity's eyes went from top to bottom, examining every detail of his attire before saying "You've been wearing them for the whole week. How are they not stinky?"
Sunset raised a hand. "I... took care of them."
"Well, as a fashion designer, I can't allow you to show up to such an important event without some stylish clothes to show off."
Discord sighed. "Fine, go ahead but don't make it obnoxious to wear. I know that you like to overdo it sometimes."
Rarity smiled. "Alright then, off to Carousel Boutique."
Fluttershy awkwardly inched herself closer to her friend. "Um, would you mind if come with you two? I need to get myself something for tomorrow... just like Discord."
The fashion designer giggled. "But of course, darling! I'd be happy to help you!"
"And to help me too?" Discord asked, pointing a finger at himself.
"O-Oh, yes! You too, Discord."
After a short trip on foot, the trio arrived at Carousel Boutique just in time for Rarity's shift. After she was done preparing herself for her work, she came back to greet her two friends. "Well, who should I start with first?"
Fluttershy briefly glanced around the boutique, then at Discord. "Um, I believe I should let Discord get his attire first."
"I believe Fluttershy should get a nice dress before you do anything for me, dear."
Discord and Fluttershy looked at each other in surprise. Clearly, the young girl didn't expect this response from him which made sense considering how he acted throughout the entire week. That level of friendliness and respect was nowhere to be seen whenever she wasn't around.
The teacher scratched his head. "You don't have to feel guilty about going in first; I won't mind if you do."
"N-No thanks; you should go first. I had all the time to think about buying a new dress while you only learned about the party this week. The fault is on me."
"No Fluttershy, I insist you go first. I'm sure you care more about this party than I do since you've known these girls for years unlike me. I-"
Rarity groaned, unable to take this awkward exchange any longer. "Oh my gosh, just come with me, Discord! I need to get your measurements before I can make you a fancy suit for tomorrow!"
The fashionista grabbed him by the arm and pulled the old man away to a more private area. There, she immediately pulled out a ruler and began to measure his proportions. "Ah, let's see here... Oh! That shouldn't be too hard to make."
She lifted his arms up, got him to stretch his back and much more in such a short amount of time that Discord felt disoriented with how quickly things were going.
"Are you done fondling me, Rarity?"
"Why yes! I have to get to work immediately! You're going to adore this suit!"
After a while, the fashionista was done with her newest creation. Discord was very pleased by how it looked and thought to take a picture with Fluttershy once they got dressed up.
"So? Are you done changing up? I'd like to see how it looks on you, if you don't mind."
Sunset said as she waited in front of the bathroom's door.
"I'm done and now, it's time for admiration." The door opened and Discord proudly stepped out of the bathroom, striking a fancy pose for extra points. The tuxedo Rarity made was exceptionally good, with just the right amount of flair to not look too over-the-top.
"Wow! Rarity was right when she said you'll look amazing!"
"Heh, normally I'm not a big fan of dressing up, in fact I only do it for the sake of a joke but... I just can't wait to see what Fluttershy will think of this attire!" The old man had an unusually cute look on his face when he mentioned the name of his closest friend, something that Sunset found simply adorable.
"Oh my, aren't you quite the teddy bear when she's around." she jokingly replied.
This time, the attention Discord received as he walked down the school's corridors was different. Students were no longer talking about the strange rumours regarding him and the Rainbooms but instead, they were talking about his sick tuxedo.
"Woah, dude. This guy's got some serious drip!" a student pointed out.
"I heard he's gonna hit the most serious griddy tonight at the party." another student said.
Discord raised an eyebrow, perplexed at just what in the hay they were saying. Is... this supposed to be good? I honestly can't quite tell. I guess human speech must be vastly different to pony speech.
He was, after all, an outsider just like Sunset Shimmer was. Sunset Shimmer... Oh yeah, Sunset! She should know what stuff like "drip" and "griddy" means. He should ask her about these during recess but first; he's got a class to give and once again, it was the one with both Fluttershy and Trixie in it. This should be interesting... or maybe awful, who knows.
"Good morning everypo-everybody!" he joyfully said as he watched the students slowly pouring in. These students were still icky about the whole "helping a student cheat at an exam" incident but Discord knew he could make up for his screw up.
Nobody looked like they wanted to be here but that's pretty common amongst high school students. Thus, it wasn't a bad sign for the ex-draconequus who was confident in his performance as a teacher since he added some flair and showbiz for today's lesson. Of course, the goal wasn't to make a comedy show but some jokes here and there would do wonders to keep his class' attention.
Discord began his routine like he was making a sketch or something and quickly realised that being a joker was a step in the right direction. Students were paying more attention to him and thus, he decided to start reciting today's lesson while keeping the same tone as before. I'm getting the hang of it. Hey! This isn't as hard as I thought it would be!
Throughout the class, Fluttershy couldn't help but notice that she was getting extra attention from the teacher. He would of course, look at every student to maintain their attention but he often made eye contact with her. The more it went on, the more Fluttershy hid her face behind her hair, looking down at the ground so her face would be as hidden as possible.
Trixie also noticed this extra attention Fluttershy was getting and thus, the magician was wincing at Discord, letting the old teacher know that she has her eyes on him. At this point, it became a strange game of trying to sneak a quick peek at Fluttershy all the while avoiding Trixie's ire. Discord didn't mind this, oh, quite the contrary; he loved it!
The other students were completely in the dark as to what was going on. All they saw was an old man bizarrely throwing side eyes at a specific portion of the class. It became funny to some, forcing them to hold in their laughter.
Finally, the bell rang and the students left, except for Fluttershy who remained as still as a statue. Discord walked up to her with a proud look on his face. "So Flutters; how did you like today's class? I'd say I got much better at teaching."
Fluttershy muttered something, but it was barely audible.
"Hm?" Discord leaned closer, moving his head to the side so he could hear better.
"Um, g-good..." Now, he could hear her, but it was still difficult to make out her words.
"That's great to hear, Fluttershy! I've put more thought into my job and I see it paid off! Oh, I can't wait to tell the other Fluttershy that I've finally got a job just like she always wanted! I now know about responsibility!" But... does he though? I guess we'll find out if we move along.
Fluttershy sat outside, basking in the sunlight and enjoying the company of the many critters roaming around the school.
With her friends, she's far less nervous than usual but it's still not enough to calm down her anxiety. It ain't easy for someone like her to stay inside a building that's usually filled to the brim with people, so getting some fresh air away from everybody was a necessity for her.
During this time, she doesn't mind being with a friend just as long as she remains in an area that's not overcrowded. Thus, Twi came to sit by her side alongside Spike the dog. The tech-savvy girl arrived with an over cumbered backpack as always since her pet filled a lot of space in it. Tired, she quickly placed it down and ushered Spike to jump out.
"Wooh! Finally some fresh air for me!" exclaimed the puppy as he danced around the field.
"Just don't go too far, Spike! We only have 15 minutes, remember?" Twi shouted as her dog ran into nearby bushes.
"Don't have to worry this time!"
After the frame of the puppy vanished behind the bushes, the two girls were now alone in a comfy place. Fluttershy was practically covered in critters as they really liked to cling onto her for these animals remembered her various acts of kindness, which mainly involved giving them food. Nobody can say no to a free food dispenser!
"So... how was Discord's class? Did he stir up another drama or was it fine?" Twi quickly asked, too curious to wait a few more seconds.
Fluttershy took some time to answer for she didn't expect her friend to immediately ask her a question the very second Spike left their view. "Oh, um, it was alright. I didn't quite like the extra attention he brought on me."
"Extra attention? What did he do this time?" Twi followed up.
"He glanced at me on multiple occasions. It wasn't anything terrible, but I feel like it got other people to stare at me too... and that made me very nervous." Fluttershy responded, shuddering at the thought of having the entire class' gaze upon her.
"Oh, that's not so bad. I honestly expected worse." Twi said, almost sounding disappointed at how underwhelming this was.
"There is worse." Fluttershy continued. "He took a picture when we were both dressed in our clothes for the party and sent it on social media. Now everybody think we are somehow hooking up but that's just not true! Everyone believes I'm a weirdo that is dating an old man!" she said, shuddering at the judgemental looks she'd be receiving for the rest of her high school days thanks to one awful rumour.
Twi took out an apple from her lunchbox and took a bite. "Oh, yeah; this is bad. Well, you could just tell him to dial it down with the special treatment if you're not comfortable with it. I'm sure the rumours will die down afterward."
"Yeah, I know but it's just that... he really seems to appreciate the pony me to the point that he already views me as his best friend even though I don't know him. You see, I just don't want to hurt his feelings." Fluttershy explained, sinking her face deeper into her crossed arms.
Twi swallowed her bite, taking another one from her lunchbox to offer it to her shy friend. "I'm sure you'll hurt him more if you keep your honest feelings to yourself. You should tell him; I'm certain he'll understand since he seems to be really good friend with the other you."
Fluttershy took the apple and thanked Twi. It was so clean that she could see her reflection in it. Staring at it for a while, she finally made her decision. "You're right, Twilight. I should let him know. After all, I don't think he's going to give up on being my friend even if I end up hurting his feelings."
"I think he's going to be monitoring the cafeteria again. That'll be a good time, don't you agree?"
The birds that were perched on her shoulders sang to her in their lovely voices, causing her to giggle. "Even the birds agree with you, Twilight! All right, at lunch time, I'll say it no matter what and if I struggle to; give me a little push, got it?"
"Sure! Though I'm sure you won't need that little push, I just know you can do it!"
Later that day, Fluttershy and Twi searched around the school for Discord. The two girls eventually found him talking to Sunset Shimmer next to her locker.
"No, seriously Sunset; what does 'hitting the griddy means'? I constantly hear people talking about how I'm going to 'hit the griddy tonight' and I don't know if I should find this concerning or not." asked the old man.
"I believe it just means they think you're gonna bust some sick dance moves during the party. You honestly look like you're secretly good at dancing." she explained as she picked up some stuff from her locker.
Discord's mouth contorted into a proud smile. "Ha! When it comes down to entertainment; I can do no wrong. I'll be a real crowd pleaser tonight!"
Behind them, Fluttershy and Twi watched as they talked. The shy girl had to muster up some courage to confront Discord about his uncomfortable behavior and her lavender friend's help was very much needed right now.
"D'oh... I don't know if I can actually do it. He seems so nice and innocent; I can't hurt an old person's feeling." Fluttershy admitted as she looked down at the ground, letting her hair cover most of her face.
Twi scratched her head, perplexed at this sudden shift in confidence. "Why old people specifically?"
"Because old people are the greatest. They're full of wisdom and experience."
This statement is Granny Smith approved by the way.
"Well, if he's so full of wisdom and experience, then I'm sure he'll take it well! Come on Flutters, you have no reason to be nervous. I'll stay behind to give you moral support just in case."
Fluttershy sulked in place for a bit but eventually found some confidence to finally have an important discussion with Discord.
She awkwardly walked up to the two talking, taking a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak but atlas, a little monkey wrench was thrown in her plan; Trixie. Her locker was close to Sunset Shimmer, and just so happened to be between Fluttershy and Discord. The magician gave the teacher the stink eye while the latter crossed his arms and winced.
"Am I disturbing you, oh great and powerful Trrrixie?" he said spitefully.
Trixie flipped her hair and opened her locker while she avoided making any eye contact. "I'm inclined to say yes, but you're always disturbing me so I feel like it's pointless to say it out loud."
"But if you're so great and powerful then why are you bothered by me? Shouldn't I be so beneath you that you wouldn't even want to care about my very presence?"
Fluttershy awkwardly stayed behind and watched their heated conversation taking place. It would be rude to interrupt them now, wouldn't it? At the same time, she had something important to say but now was probably not the best time. Maybe if she waited until they were done...
Trixie finished taking her stuff out and slammed her door shut, turning around to finally face Discord. "Because you always make a show of yourself but what interesting qualities do you have compared to me? I'm a Great and Powerful magician while you're just a boomer who's desperate to stay hip."
Sunset rolled her eyes at this. These two just wouldn't let it go even after the cheating incident was resolved. "Uh guys? Can't you just call it even and move on? This is starting to get old."
"He's starting to get old and senile!" Trixie barked.
"And she's starting to sound like a hysterical old lady!" Discord retorted.
Sunset Shimmer face palmed before moving away from this confrontation. "Suit yourselves. I'm going to do something productive in the meantime while you two continue your Twitter debate."
Fluttershy started to feel nervous. She turned around to look at Twi who motioned at her to do something. At this rate, they'd have to go back to their class before the shy girl could tell Discord what was on her mind.
Understanding this, Fluttershy took a few steps forward and tried to gain their attention. "Um, excuse me, guys. I ha-"
It was no use; these two were stuck in their own worlds at this point. Although, Discord did give her a few quick glances to indicate that he is aware of her presence. It's just that he's perhaps a little too busy arguing with a teenage girl to hear her out.
"Tonight's party, I'll make you eat your words, Discord."
"With what? A disappearing finger trick? Oh please, I can do so much better than you!"
No luck, the bell rang after a few minutes and these two bickered during all this time which meant that Fluttershy would tell him later that day. She walked back to Twi in defeat, looking distraught at her failure.
Twi placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Now that was plain unlucky, but, uh, you still have the rest of the day to tell him, right? Don't beat yourself over it, Flutters."
"But I should be quick to do it, otherwise the rumours will grow to be even meaner and nastier. I'm scared to know what people are currently thinking of me." Fluttershy sulked, burying her face even further behind her hair.
"You did save the school at least three times already, plus we saved Camp Evergreen together so I'm sure the school's perception of you is mostly favorable. One bad rumour isn't going to wash it all away, they'll forever remember all your exploits."
Feeling more reassured, Fluttershy headed over to her class with Twi, now more determined than ever to best these pesky rumours as well as the uncomfortable kindness that characterise her current relationship with Discord.
Inside the gymnasium, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were working hard to prepare the place for the party that was scheduled to start this afternoon. It was something they were quite used to doing alongside Big Macintosh who always volunteered to offer a helping hand. During this time, Fluttershy went to check on their progress, bringing food and drinks for them as well.
"Mighty appreciate your kind help, Flutters. We couldn't have gotten this much done without ya." Applejack said as she reached out for some apple juice. "Hm! And this juice's pretty darn good!"
"Oh, thanks Applejack. I made all the snacks myself, even the juice." Fluttershy affirmed right as Pinkie Pie lunged into the plate and took a lot of the snacks just for herself. Applejack snatched some of the snacks right out of her hands.
"Heya! Might wanna leave some for us too, Pinkie!"
"He he he! Sorry, it's just that I'm so hungry! My stomach is practically starting to sound like a dinosaur; just listen!" Her stomach growled with such intensity that it made the two of them briefly uncomfortable. "Now it's bity bite time!"
Applejack's phone vibrated and she took it out of her pocket to check what was up. It was a notification about her social media account. Looking at it, she groaned and quickly put her phone away in exasperation.
"What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked.
"Ugh, it's just more of them nasty rumours slandering all seven of us and Discord too." Applejack answered before chugging down her glass of apple juice in mere seconds.
"Oh, not these rumours again..." She lowered her head, almost causing her hair to slip into the glasses of apple juice.
"They even made memes about us! Here, just look at this. This one's called Fluttercord." The country girl showed her friend a meme posted on Twitter depicting a photo of a wedding, but with Fluttershy and Discord's faces photoshopped on the bride and the groom.
"Oh dear..."
"E-yup. Pretty bad." said Big Macintosh as he passed by them.
"And that's just the tip of the iceberg, I'm afraid. There's one for all of us." She scrolled further, showing more memes about Discord and the girls, each depicting them in a romantic kind of situation. "And there's dumb stuff alongside it saying somethin' like 'Discord and the Rainbooms be like'. It's not just embarrassing at this point; it's slander!"
Pinkie Pie stared at the memes and laughed at each one of them. Applejack grew somewhat annoyed by her nonchalant attitude and thus, showed one with her on it.
"Ha ha h- oh... It's not as funny anymore."
"It never was to begin with, Pinkie."
Now Fluttershy knew that it wasn't just about her feelings of being uncomfortable near Discord anymore; it was about saving all of their reputation, including the old man since he didn't do much wrong. A little bit of wrong, but still redeemable, which is quite hilarious to say since he's supposed to be reformed already.
"I'll try to disprove these rumours, first by talking with Discord about his behavior." Fluttershy affirmed but the country girl wasn't sure it would work.
Pinkie Pie, however, believed that it was going to fix everything. "Yeah! And once people see that there's nothing romantic nor is there any harem stuff going on, they'll leave us alone with these rumours!"
"I think ya might be livin' in an ideal world where all our problems can just be snapped away. It'll take some time even after we disproved them rumours."
The party was fast approaching and all students and teachers were quite feverish for the upcoming event. There was only a mere hour left before all Tartarus could break loose on the school. Discord sure was excited to finally leave his post and party hard as he was teaching Sunset's class. Most of the students there were staring at the clock occasionally, wishing that it would all come to an end soon.
"Oh dear, I can't last another hour. I just want to party for this Friday night..." Sunset said as her head slowly lied down on her desk.
Twi heard her friend's cry for help (that's kind of the vibe Sunset was emanating) and said: "While I do have a lot of fun learning, I gotta admit that partying with my friends does sound a lot more fun. But atlas, it's no reason to be not paying attention, Sunset."
Discord grew tired of his boring lesson and simply tossed his notebook to the side. "Oh whatever, it's not like any of you care. How about we do something fun before the party?"
"Oh come on..." Twi muttered.
Bulk Biceps raised his hand up and waved it excitedly. "I heard you were going to hit the griddy tonight! Is that really true?"
Discord smiled since he now knew what that expression meant. "Of course it's true! Just because I'm old doesn't mean that I can't bust out some cool moves."
"Does that mean you're going to join the dance competition too?" Lyra asked.
"A dance competition? Sure, I'll join. It sounds fun. Though I'm going to win this one by a landslide since I'm also secretly a great dancer." Discord was very confident in himself, especially since his current body doesn't move all that differently from his old draconequus one. He should probably practice just in case.
Disappointed at the sudden turn, Twi rested her head on her arms. "I guess nobody sees the fun in learning anymore... Although, I get why they're more excited for the party. The amount of dopamine secreted by the hypothalamus gives them a feeling of pleasure, which occurs more frequently for activities that requires less thinking and mental investment. Thus, they are more likely to-"
Discord slammed his hands on her desk with a bored expression. "Gee, Twilight; you're such. A nerd. Just relax and watch me hit the griddy already."
"Hey! What gives you any rights to talk down to students like that?"
"I've got 27 million power-" |
Chaotic Endeavors | Friday part 2: Get your grooves on, Discord! | After a long, long day of school, it was finally time for everybody to party. On the ringing of the bell, every student rushed to the gymnasium while others went to their lockers to fetch their clothes for the night.
As for Discord? He was inside the boy's restroom, practicing some dance moves in front of a mirror. There will be a talent show at the party and he was going to dance in it. "Come on now, Discord; this shouldn't be too different from what I do in Equestria, as a draconequus of course."
A human body and a draconequus are, however, quite different in certain regards. His legs were longer as a human, the same went for his arms who were also symmetrical unlike his chaotic appearance in Equestria. This simple change was more than enough to throw him off his game as while the dance he performed in class was easy enough, this one demanded more concentration and moved a lot more.
Discord tripped and tumbled many times, but he knew that he had to get it right, or else he'll make a fool out of himself.
Magic was also out of the question, which sucked since it would have allowed him to mask his shortcomings. Come to think of it, he always used his unfathomable as a crutch. I mean, he barely even walks as a draconequus which is probably why his legs are aching at the moment.
"Come on, Discord; you can get it right." He tried and tried again, slowly but surely seeing some progress made as he got used to dancing in this orderly body. Eventually, he started to have a lot of fun dancing by his lonesome inside the restroom and thus, he hummed a tune that got stuck in his head.
One of the stall's opened suddenly, startling Discord as he quickly acted like he was doing something else.
"Oh, uh, hey Mister Discord. I thought you were already at the gymnasium." It was Flash Sentry who interrupted his dancing session.
"I was just making sure I looked good before I'd go on to party." blurted out an embarrassed Discord.
"I was also doing the same thing, but then I really felt like I had to go so, uh, I hope you didn't hear any of it." Flash said as he scratched the back of his head.
"Thankfully, I didn't. And I don't want to hear about it now." the old man responded as he stared at his reflection in admiration. He's still getting used to the way humans look, but gosh darn if he's still looking as good as ever under this new form!
Flash Sentry washed his hands and dried them all the while Discord was striking poses in front of the mirror. He was keeping an eye on the student and watched him leave before he stopped this ridiculous display of vanity to focus back on the important matter at hand.
I absolutely must impress all of them! My friends, the students, the teachers and... Fluttershy! I'll show them Discord's groove!
"Alright, three, two, one, go."
Discord began to dance, but then the door opened and Micro Chips entered the restroom.
"What the?"
"Grah! I'll just use the janitor's closet then."
"Where in tarnation is he? The party's just about to start." Applejack wondered as she looked around the gymnasium.
Principal Celestia, vice-principal Luna and all the other teachers were already on stage, ready to announce the start of the event and yet, Discord was nowhere to be seen. Odd since you'd expect him to be at the forefront of the festivities.
"I guess he must be preparing himself to hit the griddy, as he said quite often in today's class." Twi said. "He's adapting quite rapidly to his new environment, I gotta say."
"At least he's enjoying himself in this world. I was afraid he'll reject it simply because he can't use his magic as a human." Sunset added on a positive note.
"Well, magic doesn't define who you are as a person, so I'm glad to see that Discord is learning this." Fluttershy affirmed.
"He still has one more lesson to learn, doesn't he?" Rainbow Dash said as she leaned closer to Fluttershy.
The shy girl lowered her head in anxiety. "Oh, y-yeah. I'll tell him as soon as I can. I just hope it won't bring down his mood especially since it'll be so soon in the party."
Sunset Shimmer placed a hand on her friend's shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry about it, Flutters. We'll cheer him up if that's the case."
"Heh... Thanks girls."
In the meantime, Rarity was growing ever more impatient. "Can he please come already? I want to see my work in all its full glory!"
"Come on, come on! Friends aren't supposed to keep us waiting! I wanna dance with him! Play with him! Talk more with my childhood hero!" Pinkie blurted out as she struggled to keep herself in place.
"I almost forgot about that cartoon! It must be funny for you all to see the real Discord in place of the fictional cartoon character." Sunset said.
"It isn't just funny to me! It's super-duper awesome!" Pinkie responded as she bounced around in place.
"And next thing we know... we're in the Matrix." Rainbow Dash added.
In the back, Snips and Snails had their eyes glued to their phone, mostly on their camera as they frantically searched around for Discord.
"Where is he? We can't afford to miss his dance moves if we want our video to go viral." Snips said as he jumped in place to get a better view.
"How are we going to call our video? I'm thinking maybe something like 'quirked up white man with a little bit of swag bust down senile style. Is he goated with the sauce?'. Does that sound good?" Snails proposed.
"Woah, dude! That's perfect!"
"I know!"
Not too far from these two idiots, Trixie stood there, leaning against the wall. She was holding a few smoke bombs in her hands to which she stared at. Tonight, was going to be her chance to make a great impression as an aspiring magician. It would also be her chance to show Discord that she's the better entertainer. Overall, it was a very important night for her, and she was going to give it her all.
"You may consider yourself great and powerful, but atlas, I'm the Greater and More Powerful Trrrixie. You're just an old man who's desperate to stay hip and that sure doesn't fly by today's standard... filthy boomer."
Her phone vibrated in her pockets. "Oh? It's time already? Very well, off to practice."
"Grah! Sunnava.... Evidently, choosing the janitor's closet wasn't the wisest decision I've made."
Indeed, it wasn't. Discord was trying to dance in a rather claustrophobic closet and thus hit his arms and legs constantly.
The only good thing about this closet was the lack of cameras, but that sure wasn't helpful considering what he's attempting to do.
"Oh well... I'm chaos incarnate. I've existed for millennia's, dancing in front of a school is no biggy for someone like me." He said as he readjusted his tie. "I'm just gonna go on stage and be awesome to which I already am all the time on a daily basis."
He slammed the door open, accidentally knocking out Derpy Hooves as she was passing by.
"Oh, hey Derpy." He briefly said as he walked pass her in direction of the gymnasium.
Derpy quickly regained her senses and got up, noticing Discord as she did. "Hey, Discord!"
The old man stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Yes?"
The quirky girl reached for something behind her back and pulled out a muffin. "Want a stress-reliever muffin?"
"Well, I'm not really anxious or anything but I'll take the muffin anyway. Thanks for the treat, Derpy." Discord said, lying about his stress.
"Good luck out there!" Derpy said as she waved him goodbye.
Aw, isn't she such a treat? Hey, hold on... "The party's the other way in case you didn't know..."
"Oh really? He he, my bad!"
"Why did you want to see me, Trixie?"
Flash Sentry waited in the hall for a bit before the aspiring magician arrived as she had promised. The text he had received from her didn't specify why she wanted to see him, but he supposed it must be important. Now, these two weren't best friends or anything but Flash can't help himself to lend a helping hand to others, even if he barely knew them.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie will perform on stage tonight but she is facing a problem she can't solve alone." Trixie started.
"And that problem is?"
"Some tricks require a second person in order to work, but poor Trixie has no one... Will you be my assistant just for the night?" She said as she grabbed her hat and gave him the puppy's eyes.
Flash Sentry was about to respond, but stopped himself just before he could give a hasty one. He thought about it for a moment and realised that there wasn't much to gain by saying no to her. With luck, Trixie might be kinder to him after her performance. Who knows, maybe she'll even want to become friends with him! She doesn't look all that bad if you see past her high and mighty attitude that is admittedly a tad bit annoying at times.
Flash smiled at her. "Hum, sure Trixie, I'll help you."
Trixie's face lit up like a shooting star. "Really? You'd help the Grateful and Humble Trixie?"
"I'd be glad to." The aspiring magician had to calm herself down because of how much she was happy to finally have an assistant, even if it was for just this party. It was still better than to be a lone wolf to which she had grown accustomed to over the years.
"Then come with me. Trixie requires your services right now."
"Hold on a minute... I think I'm lost." Discord realised he still doesn't know the layout of the school even after spending a few days there. Then again, he only really went to his class, the cafeteria and the entrance. The rest was alien to him. He was essentially a headless chicken strolling around an unfamiliar location.
Now where could the gymnasium be? It can't be that far from my current position, right? I mean, I'd hear the party going on if I was close to it.
He could, in fact, hear the party in the distance but it was heavily muffled. He was quite far.
"Ooh! Need help, Discord?" That voice...
"Pinkie Pie? Why aren't you already at the party?" Discord asked, confused at the mere sight of Pinkie Pie being away from such an important event.
"Because I'm not going to party without my cool new friend! You're part of our group, right? Then, we shall party together!" Pinkie explained as she dropped from the ceiling and hugged the old man.
"Cool, more popping up from the ceiling... How did you know I was here?"
"I didn't! I was just running around the school like a headless chicken until I happened to find you!" Pinkie exclaimed as she imitated a headless chicken to which Discord found it amusing.
"Well, in that case, you can lead me to the gymnasium, can't you?"
Pinkie Pie looked around the many hallways in the school with an oddly nervous expression. "Uh oh... I think I may have a memory blank, he he. I guess we'll just have to look around and hope we find it in time! Hey, on the upside we'll get to spend some time together!"
Discord frowned. "Wahoo... Just my luck."
At this point, the party had already started and everybody was dancing along to the music. Things were going great, but the Rainbooms were more concerned with Discord than the party itself.
"We can't let him miss all the fun! What kinda friends would we be if we left him out of this?" Applejack said to the rest of the group.
"Don't worry girls! I know someone who can bring him to us!" Pinkie Pie joyfully exclaimed.
"Great! Can you send them to find Discord in the school?" Sunset Shimmer asked.
"That's already done, Shimmy!"
"Ooh! Ooh! The music's getting louder! That means we're getting closer!"
Discord breathed a sigh of relief, finally he was closing in on the party. Pinkie's erratic decision making and bouncy nature made it difficult to follow her throughout the school, so it took more time than it should have to arrive at the gymnasium.
"Finally, it's high time I show everybody what I'm made of. Spoiler alert; it's 100% pure awesomeness." Discord exclaimed to the pink-haired girl.
"I have no doubts you'll leave everyone in awe, Discord! You're the best!"
"That I am."
The old man opened the door and joined up with the rest of the partygoers. The event was quite impressive; lots of decorations, a light show, a DJ and food stand showed there was a lot of effort put into it. Discord looked back only to notice that Pinkie Pie was gone.
"Uh, Pinkie?" He looked around and eventually found her hanging by her friends though it was difficult to make her out amongst the crowd. "How did she sneak past me like that?"
The deafening volume of the music was probably why. Anyhow, Discord wanted to bust down senile style at the party, and who better to see it first than his friends? Cough cough, Fluttershy.
As he made his way towards them, he bumped into the last person he'd like to chat with. "Hey watch it!"
"The Great and Power- Oh not you again, you snubbish jerk!"
Discord noticed that Flash Sentry was standing by her side, unusual considering those two barely even talked outside of class. "So, you've made a friend? How cute."
"He's uh..." Trixie glanced briefly at Flash, before continuing. "j-just my assistant for tonight. Nothing more, nothing less."
Her assistant looked rather disappointed by her answer. Nevertheless, he stood up for her. "Why don't you go bother other students, Discord? We're just preparing ourselves for the upcoming spectacles."
"Heh, thanks assistant. A good assistant always assists his master, even outside of the show." Trixie commented.
Discord watched the both of them leave and then a thought came to mind. W-wait a minute... Am I becoming the bad guy again? Oh whatever; I'll think about it later. For now, I must hit the griddy for Fluttershy.
"Hey Discord. Took your sweet time, ay?" Applejack said as she saw the old teacher finally joining them.
The old man pulled out a pair of sunglasses and putted them on to give himself a more professional look. "Yes I did. I had to perfect my dancing skills before I could put on a show."
Rainbow Dash spun towards Discord and asked: "So, you practice dancing before coming? Mind telling us what kind of dance are you gonna be doing for tonight?"
"Why it's none other than the dance utilised by the greatest pop singer ever! You know him, and you'll be impressed at my sick moves, Dashy." Discord responded, lifting his sunglasses to give Rainbow Dash a smug glare.
"I thought you were gonna call it seizure or something..."
Fluttershy awkwardly inched herself closer to the old teacher and said something. He couldn't hear it for her voice was terribly drowned out by the music and the cheers of the partygoers.
"I'm sorry Fluttershy; I-I can't hear you over the sound of the party. Could you repeat?" He said as he leaned over to her, tilting his head to the side so his ear could face his friend.
"I s... co... you........... please? It's not....anything.... just that I find....... table."
"Oh, uh... sure thing Flutters!" Discord exclaimed, having clearly not understood what she said to him. He was good at guessing what his friend wanted, so with a completely different idea in mind, he left the group in search of... something?
So many drinks to choose, so much food to eat, it was overwhelming for Bulk Bicep and his refined taste buds. He stood there, mesmerised at the various options available, mostly wondering how the school was able to afford this much food just for this party alone. Guess things must have changed ever since Sunset Shimmer turned into a demon.
Yeah, speaking of that, the school has become very popular around the country for all of the Equestrian magic incidents. As such, the ever so growing attention brought onto it has also allowed for more funding coming from "mysterious donators", but that's not important right now. What was important, was how Bulk Bicep was going to destroy his mouth with all this delicious pastry.
He was so enthralled by the buffet that he didn't notice Discord moonwalking over to him, slipping past him to steal a bit of food from his plate.
"Yeah! Bacon!" Bulk grabbed a nearby pincher and took some of that sweet bacon and that's when he noticed some things were now missing from his plate. The missing food was comically replaced with cheese... and vegetables.
"Be careful what you eat. With a physique like yours, you'd want to avoid trans-fat. It's bad for your health." Well, he's not wrong.
Bulk Bicep sighed. "Yes sir."
"Hmpf! Still bossing people around I see." Trixie was close by alongside Flash, both picking food for they want to have a full stomach before their performance.
"I'd rather call it; taking care of my student's health, thank you very much." Discord corrected.
"It's hardly altruistic when you employ your usual condescending tone, old timer." Trixie responded.
"I appreciate the criticism, Trixie. But shouldn't you be more concerned about your performance? I know I am."
Flash interjected. "He's right, Trixie. We should practice one last time."
"Fine, we'll see who wins the best performance award after our magic show, Discord."
After they left, Discord realised he had forgotten why he even came to the buffet.
"Oh snap! I must bring Fluttershy her favorite food!"
Later in the party, Trixie and Flash were prepping themselves for their magical act backstage. A few other contestants for the talent show were there, but Discord was nowhere in sight for the moment.
"So, uh, what kind of tricks will you do? And most importantly, how can I help you with them?" Flash asked.
Trixie pulled out a variety of items from her bag. "Disappearing pencil trick! Smoke bomb entrance! Card guessing! I have them all, Flash! I, the Great and Powerful Trrrixie will only need you to perform simple commands. I'll just say things like, 'bring me this' or 'say a number between 1 and 10', you know, stuff you don't need to practice."
"Oh, w-well that's good. I'm happy to help, Trixie and, uh, if you ever need any help in the future... you could ask me to lend a hand."
Trixie stopped and stared for a moment, taken aback by such a nice offer. Her face showed a much different emotion from her usual high and mighty look. "Um, Trixie appreciates your kindness, assistant."
Suddenly, someone jumped on stage with them. "Swag." It was Discord, who was now looking more confident than ever in his human body. "As of today, I'm straight up ballin."
Trixie's face turned cold once more. "Great... him again."
Now wearing a sick-looking hat, Discord proudly moved next to the other contestants. "Yes, I'm back, and I've got some new tricks. This is gonna become a viral video by the end of the night, I can already tell."
On the other side of the curtains, Principal Celestia was just about to announce the start of the talent show. "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Canterlot High's talent show! Tonight, we have 9 wonderful participants who will demonstrate their special talent! Let's all be respectful and give a round of applause for the first participant; Twilight Sparkle!
Discord leaned forward out of surprise. "Huh?! I didn't know she was going to be in this show!"
Trixie stared intently at the invention Twi was holding in her hands with discontent. "Ugh, this girl's such a nerd. I can't let the people be swayed by mere machinery. My magic will woo them into giving me first place, right assistant?"
Flash gave her an awkward thumbs up. "Y-yeah. I'm sure you'll do great, Trixie."
Discord began his stretching routine, now packing dancing clothes. As he did, he could feel his bones cracking. "Oh my, I believe I may be currently experiencing mortality. It's quite... unpleasant, but thankfully I don't have a lot of time left before I get to return home."
Twi stepped on stage with her newest invention yet; a cooking robot from what it looked like. Feeling admittedly nervous now that everyone's eyes were on her, the nerdy girl cleared her throat. "Well, I, uh, present my newest invention. It's a cooking robot for when you simply don't have the time to cook. I'll just let it do its thing so you can get a better picture of what it's capable of."
From behind the curtains, Discord looked unimpressed. "Pff, I can cook minute rice in 30 seconds. An invention like that doesn't mean much to me." Then again, he can do practically anything thanks to his magic, so it's not like his opinion holds any weight.
"I once heard that Discord the draconequus ordered a steak at a restaurant." Flash said casually.
"Yes, and?" Discord asked.
"The steak did what it was told."
Discord laughed. "Okay, okay. That's pretty good, funny man. And here I thought you were just plain boring; guess I was wrong about you."
"I... for some reason get that a lot. Well, either that or I get called Brad for some reason."
"Oh please; give me another one!"
"O-Okay then, um... Discord's calendar go from March 31 to April 2nd because no one fools Discord."
Discord clapped his hands in approval. "Amazing! So it would seem that I have become Chuck Norris in this world, haven't I?"
"Shush!" Trixie hushed them for she was busy listening to Twi introducing her invention. She was gaging her performance to then compare it to her magic act. "Trixie is listening!"
"Discord doesn't care much my dear." Discord added in a mocking tone.
Flash walked up to the magician with a comforting look on his face. "Don't stress yourself over winning, Trixie. All that matters is that you leave a good impression on the crowd. I mean, being a beloved magician has always been your dream, right?"
Trixie sighed. "Yeah, but I still want everyone to remember my performance. People always tend to remember the winner more than the other participants. This is why Trixie must be the best!"
Flash chuckled. "I'm sure people already remember you pretty well for all the stunts you've pulled over the years at this high school. I mean, you did technically win the Battle of the Bands which I found very impressive, cause, like, you beat us back there!"
Discord raised an eyebrow. So, she's actually talented at something else other than magic? Go figure.
Trixie couldn't help herself but smile confidently. "Yeah, I almost forgot about that because of the whole siren thing but... yeah, I won. Ha ha ha! Trixie can do almost anything she wants to for she is powerful and great! Being super great is just in my nature." she finished by twirling her hair with sass.
"Next up; we have the magician, Trixie Lulamoon!" Celestia announced.
Luna tapped her shoulder and whispered something into her ear.
"And her new assistant; Flash Sentry!"
From behind the curtains, Trixie gasped. "It is our turn! Quick assistant, fetch me the equipment now! We don't have much time!"
"Y-Yes Trixie!"
In the meantime, Discord looked at the other participants. He recognised some familiar faces; Lyra and Bon Bon as always, Snips and Snails which was surprising to think that they have any talents beside being dumb as a brick and lastly, Bulk Bicep.
"So, Bulk; whatcha doin' tonight?" he asked in a hip sounding voice.
"I'm playing on the world's smallest violin! Look!" Bulk pulled out a comically small violin and played a sad tune on it.
"This is gonna be so easy."
On stage, Trixie was performing all the tricks she had learned up to this point, with a bit of help from her new assistant of course. The crowd was in awe at her expertise has she masterfully executed every trick without fail.
Their cheers got to Discord, who felt threatened by how well she was doing. At this rate, the crowd will be more likely to declare her as the winner alongside the two sisters. I must do something now.
"And now for Trixie's finest trick yet; the, huh?!" Music started playing over the speakers, which there wasn't supposed to be any for her performance. "W-who... Discord!"
Discord came out of the curtain with sassy look as the song kicked in. "Ladies and gentlemen, you wanted to see me hit the griddy; so let's get it on."
Being very familiar with the disco era, the old man started busting some 70's inspired dance moves. In little time, he won the crowd over as their attention shifted from Trixie to him now.
"You gotta be kidding me." Trixie muttered as she realised, she'll have to go higher than before to reclaim their admiration. She dropped a pencil that she used for one of her tricks and rolled it towards Discord.
Too focused on his sick moves, the teacher failed to notice the hazard coming his way and tripped. "Argh! My back!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Great and Powerful Trixie will now perform a very daring trick for you. I will put Flash Sentry inside a coffin and saw him in half!" Now the crowd was invested in what she had to offer.
Flash's jaw dropped. "What?! T-this trick of all?!"
"Yes indeed." Briefly responded the magician.
"Please tell me you know what you're doing."
"Trixie is the greatest magician in Canterlot City; of course she knows what she's doing."
She snapped her finger, indicating to Flash that he had to bring the coffin to her. "This is a trick that has been passed down in my bloodline of great and powerful magicians. Today, you will get to witness it thanks to yours truly."
Flash gazed nervously at the coffin. "I-I believe I should h-hop in, right?"
Trixie nodded "Yes, I am ready to commence."
The young man hopped in and Trixie closed the coffin, leaving only his head and feet sticking out from both ends. The magician then lifted her saw high up in the air for all to see.
"Now then, I will begin."
In front of the stage, Celestia and Luna wondered if they should stop her, just in case something goes wrong. Nevertheless, she sawed through the coffin.
Flash Sentry watched, terrified but then, he was surprised. Her saw reached his abdomen, but he felt nothing. Then, the coffin split in two and he was still alive and well. To show that her trick wasn't bogus, Trixie moved the two ends further away from each other.
Everybody gasped as they finally recognised her greatness as a magician. Even Discord was surprised.
"How did she do that without magic? Unless... she has actual magic like Sunset and Co. If that's the case, then this whole world is just complete and utter garbage!"
Discord got up to resume his dancing routine only to be stopped by a terrible pain in his back. "What's happening to me? It's worse than being stuck as a statue for a millennium!"
Trixie reconnected the two pieces and opened the coffin, allowing an awestruck Flash Sentry to leave.
Discord hunched over in pain and coughed, catching the attention of both Celestia and Luna. The two jumped on stage to see what was wrong with the old man.
"Discord, are you alright?" Celestia asked with much concern in her voice.
"I believe my old age is catching up with me in this mortal body."
"O...kay?"
"Well anyhow, your injury seems rather bad to me. We're taking you to the infirmary." Luna announced to the ex-draconequus.
"Aw, that's not fair! I wanted to tell him tonight." Fluttershy exclaimed as she watched Discord being escorted away.
Sunset placed an affectionate hand on her shoulder. "Don't fret Fluttershy; you'll get another chance tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow if we're THAT unlucky."
"I just want to get it over with; it's making me nervous just to think about having this conversation..."
As for Trixie? She got to bask in her very own glory for once and it was beautiful, at least for her. Flash couldn't help but smile as he saw her face lit up with joy. Maybe I'm just a little too desperate after Twilight... He thought to himself but before he could push his thoughts further, Trixie turned to look at him.
"Huh? W-What is it?"
"C-Could you... tell me a Discord joke, please? I... Trixie kinda likes them."
Flash was taken aback; he could swear Trixie was blushing for just a brief moment.
"U-Uh, sure. Let me think about one... Discord was once bitten by a king cobra, after five days of excruciating pain; the cobra died."
"Trixie appreciates your humour." |
Chaotic Endeavors | Saturday Part 1: Camping out in the woods. | Back at Sunset Shimmer's apartment, Discord recovered from his dance-related injury enough to participate in new adventures alongside the seven girls. Today was going to be a nice trip to a camping site, which should be amusing to see how the lord of chaos would fare against the wild.
"You sure you're okay, Discord? I don't want to worsen your injury." Sunset asked gingerly.
Discord stretched his back and let out a relieved sigh from up the stairs. "I thought I already told you; I'm fit as a fiddle. Plus, the last thing I'd want to do is to be stuck sitting here, wallowing in self-pity while you girls have all the fun." He said as he made his way towards the kitchen.
"Okay then, but if you get hurt badly once more, we'll take you back home, er, my home I meant."
"It won't happen again; I now know my limits as a mortal." Which sucks!
"Hey watch the stairs!"
"Oops." One misstep was all it took for him to take a mean tumble down the stairs. As they often say; watch your step!
For their trip to the camping grounds, they'll be taking their favorite camping van to drive over there. Applejack was in charge of driving them there, to which she took advantage of this position to put on some good old country tunes.
"C'mon, Discord. Give campin' a shot! You'll surely come to like it, sugar cube."
Crossing his arms, the old lord of chaos seemed rather disinterested in this activity but came simply because of Fluttershy.
"The most I did back in Equestria was a picnic with a bunch of critters. I very much prefer to stay in a warm and fuzzy cottage."
Sunset sighed. "You only like cottages because Fluttershy lives in one. I don't believe anybody's ever seen you in one without her."
"Okay, maybe I lied about liking cottages but doesn't feel a bit undignified for someone like me to sleep in a tent? I am Discord, the lord of chaos! I, in some ways, am technically royalty."
"Now hold on there, sugar cube. I'm fairly sure that even royalties would like to leave their stone walls in favor of spending a flippin' good time with nature!" Applejack said in hopes that it would convince Discord to lighten up a bit.
"I like spending some time in the woods. It's really soothing." Fluttershy added.
"Fine then, I'll sleep in tents alongside you girls." Discord said, having finally caved in.
Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her head. "Gee, you really have a lot of power over this guy, Fluttershy."
"A hypnotising power, hoooo!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she waved her hands around like a ghost.
"You're exaggerating it. I'm not completely gaga over her." Discord proclaimed as he rested his head on the window behind him.
"Speed bump, look out!" Applejack announced but it was too late.
The van hit the speed bump and despite not going really fast still shook it up, causing Discord to slam his head on the window.
Forsaken road trip! If only I could just bail out of this... Wait, I can! I'll just pretend to be hurt! But then, I'd give up on Fluttershy. Hgn! What should I choose?
Rarity noticed the old man pondering about something and couldn't herself but to ask what he was thinking about: "What are you thinking about, Discord? Surely about something fashionable, I hope?"
"Surprising that you're here too, you were the last person I'd expect to see camping. After all, aren't the woods not fashionista friendly?" Discord replied.
"I know that all too well, dear. I'm already well prepared to deal with the dreadfulness of the wilderness."
Twi sighed and shook her head. "You're not sleeping in the van, and we're not going to let you sneak inside, Rarity."
"Woe is me! Now what am I going to do?"
"Bring an inflatable sleeping bag?" sarcastically proposed Sunset Shimmer.
"That's a good idea, darling!"
Rainbow Dash threw her arms in the air. "Rarity! Going out camping with luxuries like that is cheating! You're only doing half of the fun of camping!"
"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she reached out in her hair and pulled out an empty glass. "It's like if I drink a glass of milk... without the milk!" The pink-haired girl took a bite out of her glass, shocking all of her friends including Discord.
"Pinkie Pie! Are you okay?!" asked a panicked Twi.
"Of course I am silly! Why wouldn't I be?" she asked with a large, jolly smile on her face.
"Because you can't just eat glass! You'll only cut yourself and cause a lot of bleeding! It's dangerous, Pinkie!"
"Oh? I thought everyone could do it..."
What are you? Thought a horrified Discord.
"There it is, girls! We're turning left!" Applejack announced to the rest of the group.
The van took a turn to the left and entered the camping site. All that was left was a short distance to travel at a greatly reduced speed since there were a lot of speed bumps placed here to prevent any unfortunate accidents as they were many bike tracks often used by children. The girls inside decided to look outside and admire the beautiful forest and the critters as well.
This site was different from Camp Everfree as there were no buildings around, just them and the wilderness. As they drove by, they spotted a couple of happy campers setting up their tents, some would even wave at them. Amongst them, there were some recognisable faces; Sandalwood and Derpy were there. Oh, and there was also Photo Finish and her usual gang, though they looked more occupied with taking pictures than actually camping.
Finally, the van stopped and everybody was thrilled to start their weekend. An old gentleman dressed in purple came to greet the newcomers.
"Ah! It's a pleasure to see you girls again!" said the old gentleman as he reached out a hand to Applejack.
The country girl shook his hand. "And it's good to see that this place is still popular, even after the many rumors."
"You'd surprised to learn just how much it actually helped keeping this place open. People hear these kinds of stories and then want to camp here just to see if they're true or not. I like to entertain the idea of undead pirates living in these woods."
The elderly man then set his gaze on Discord. "Oh? Who's this charming fellow? I've never seen him before."
"That's Discord." Sunset presented. "He's staying with us for the week so we thought it would be a fun idea to bring him here before he left."
The old gentleman took off his hat and saluted Discord. "Nice to meet you, Discord. I am Kind Heart and I hope you'll like this place. It's my life's work you see."
"Oh and it's a beautiful work at that." complimented Discord with his "otherworldly" charm, or so he likes to say.
"Well, I'll leave you to it then. I'll be in the watchtower if you ever need me." finished Kind Heart as he pointed towards the tower overlooking the lake.
After he left their view, Pinkie turned to face the group. "Now it's time to set up camp and party!"
After arriving at their camping site, it was now time for the group to set up their tents, the fun part really if you'd ask Discord. The place they had chosen was quite nice, close to the lake so they had plenty of water and with a good view of the watchtower just in case they needed to reach the old mister Kind Heart.
"Do you know how to set up your tent?" Sunset asked Discord.
The old man crossed his arms. "I'm much older than you are, of course I can do it!" he said in an undignified tone before bending over to pick up his tent.
"Alright, I'll leave you to it."
The others slowly prepared their tent while Discord simply stared, realising that for all the time he has spent outside of being a statue; he never actually set up a tent. After all, when you have magic that can do literally anything you want, why would you learn to do things the hard way?
Spike noticed this issue and trotted over to Discord. "Let me guess; you don't know how to do it." he said with a smug smile.
The old teacher groaned. "If only I had my powers, I wouldn't look so incompetent at everything."
"He he, your powers are a crutch." informed the young pup.
He sighed. "This is misery."
"It only is if you don't try to set your tent up."
Muttering something under his breath, Discord went to work and tried really, really hard. In no time, his strange method attracted the attention of the others.
He was basically wrestling the tent at this point, rolling on the ground with it while mumbling strange Equestrian swears. While he was stuck inside the tent, the wind blew with enough force to blow him away momentarily.
"What is he doing?" Twi asked.
"He's beginning to believe." Spike responded.
Frustrated, Discord started beating his tent with a tree branch.
"He's tenderizing the ground! Genius!" Pinkie exclaimed as she noted it in her notebook.
While fumbling around it with his hands, the old man accidentally tore a portion of it like a sheet of paper. "Oops."
"Customisation!" Pinkie Pie gasped.
Enraged, Discord kicked his tent who conveniently landed perfectly on the ground, now fully prepared. Needless to say, he was flabbergasted.
"...Wow. That's very unconventional, but I can't judge it if it works." admitted Sunset Shimmer.
"Yes, I told you I could do it, didn't I?" Discord said, having just now regained his composure. A stroke of luck for sure, but it won't last for the whole weekend.
After this little spectacle, the others went back to their tents. They still had to place their sleeping bags and other belongings inside.
As the old man was putting his stuff inside, he heard Rarity raise her voice.
"Oh? A blowhole?" Then, her whole tent crumbled as something big suddenly appeared.
"Rarity! I thought we said no inflatable sleeping bags!" Twi scolded.
"I'm sorry darling; I forgot I even brought it here in the first place?" sheepishly responded the fashionista.
I'd sure like to have it... but nobody will want me to have such luxuries. Discord thought, disappointed to see what he's going to sleep on. Just a boring old sleeping bag, not really fit for the lord of chaos. I'll make you pay for this Spike... the dragon. Messing with this pup isn't really making me feel better. But perhaps looking further on these rumours might help?
Sitting atop his watchtower, Kind Heart watched the beautiful forest in peace. He had a nice view of the lake, of the hills and of some of the sites the campers have set in. He never was a big fan of the cities, which is why he always spend his summers here, in the one place he truly feels at peace. Having retired from his previous job, his work here in this forest was the last activity he had left.
Hm? Sounds like someone's climbing up the ladder. With great effort, the old man got off his chair and walked up to the door. Soon after, someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" asked the jolly elder.
"I am Dr. Caballeron." responded the stranger.
"Cabelleron? You mean, THE doctor Caballeron?" asked Kind Heart as he opened the door.
"Who else could it be?"
Sure enough, it was him alongside three of his hunting buddies. Now what could someone like this be doing here? There's no big game here for sure, and it's also forbidden to hunt here.
"Your antics with Daring Do certainly have given quite the awful reputation... What brings you to this old forest?" questioned the old man.
Dr. Caballeron crossed his arms. "The rumours. Surely, you've heard of them."
"Pff, there are no zombified pirates in these woods. It's all baloney! If there was one, I'd have known long ago."
The hunters didn't seem so convinced. "Whatever you say. We're not leaving until we've got proof of their existence and their treasure. Plus, if we find out that they're real; we're hunting down their buried treasure even if it's forbidden to do so."
"Heh! You'd admit to my face that you four are pillagers?"
"Last I heard there's no regulation for legends and lore."
"Out of my watchtower! Out!" the old man waved his arm around to get them to leave and after receiving a few chuckles from them, they were gone. "Zombie pirates roaming my forest, bah! As if such a thing exists."
Things aren't looking good, especially for our nine (mostly) happy campers! Now unknowingly caught up in a looting(?) scheme, they'll see their weekend unexpectedly spiced up.
Back at the camping site, Discord examined each of the tents. Everyone had their own color and motifs for their tent, each reflecting who they are as a person. Meanwhile, his was painfully average. Sunset explained that this was because they all customised their lovely tents while he only arrived a couple of days ago, so no time to give it a makeover.
"Fair enough, but what are we doing now?" he asked.
Fluttershy pointed at the ground they were standing. Their tents were all specifically placed to form a circle. In the middle of the circle currently lied... nothing. "We must make a campfire before it gets dark."
"Oh yeah, that seems pretty obvious in hindsight."
Twi pulled out a couple of baskets. "And let's not forget about eating! We'll need to find some edible fruits for supper."
Thus, the girls split in two groups of four (and five if you count Spike). Discord chose to go with the campfire group to look for some woods that'll start and keep the fire.
Applejack thought to bring an axe to cut down some old and weak trees to gather more wood and considering her power is super strength, who else could be more qualified for the job? They eventually settled on one that was shorter than the rest and the country girl got in place and lifted her axe.
"Might wanna get some distance. Y'all probably don't wanna be crushed by a tree."
Fluttershy turned around. "G-Go ahead, Applejack. I just don't want to watch it happen."
"Suit yourself sugar cube. Imma go for it."
As she was looking away, Fluttershy noticed some movement behind the bushes and by the looks of it, it couldn't belong to small critters. "G-girls? There's something in the bushes!"
Immediately, Discord turned around, fly swatter in hand and approached the location of the shuffling. "I'll see what's up, my dear." He reached out to push the leaves away and just as he did, someone slowly rose up from the bush.
It was Doctor Caballeron, soon followed by his three henchmen. "I beg your pardon, good sir. I was just resting in this comfortable spot for the moment."
Discord raised an eyebrow, perplexed at this strange occurrence but felt that Fluttershy harbored some terribly negative feelings as she hid behind Pinkie Pie and glared at them. "Uh, do you know these guys?"
"Of course I do! They're Doctor Caballeron and his henchmen! They're looters, archaeologists and scumbag traders who sells precious artefacts for personal fortune! They have no respect for history!"
"Woah woah woah! Easy with the accusations." responded Caballeron.
Discord crossed his arms out of distrust. "Tss, you're a doctor?"
"Yeah, he's got a PHD in butt-kicking!" exclaimed one of his goons.
The doctor in question looked to be in his late forties, early fifties perhaps. "Must be outdated then." remarked Discord.
Caballeron laughed and hid his gun behind his back. "You're quite the funny man, I'll give you that. Anyway, we're not here to trouble you, you see. We only have eyes for the legendary Captain Crooked Back and his crew that are said to be roaming this forest. It's no poaching, it's no stealing and it's certainly not going to endanger anyone, we swear."
"I have my dou-" Discord felt a slight pull on his clothes and saw that Pinkie Pie was shaking her head as in to tell him "let's not stick around these guys". "Well, it would seem that we have some work to do here, so I'll leave you gentlemen be."
"Good day to you people!" waved off the doctor as he left with his goons.
"These guys reeked with the stench of an Indiana Jones villain! I don't trust them at all with my Pinkie sense!"
"Indeed, it would be wise not to let our guards down." The old man concluded. But for now, they needed to get some wood for the fire.
The sky had darkened, the sun now gone, it was time for some good old campfire stories! Now sitting around the campfire, the group of friends each took their turn to tell a spooky story. Normally you wouldn't really be scared of these stories, but when you're alone in the woods with nothing but darkness behind you, they tend to frighten you badly.
Twi looked especially thrilled to finally share her story, which piqued the interest of the others.
"Now what's gotten you so excited, sugar cube? I hope you have a mighty good one." Applejack asked.
While she was petting Spike, Twi explained herself. "While we were driving there, I read a bit about the undead pirates rumours and have found a very interesting story attached to it. Now seems like a perfect time to tell you about it."
"Awesome! It'll surely be better than Rarity's fashionista boogeyman story!" Rainbow Dash added in excitement.
"Hey!"
Twi readjusted her glasses with a smirk. "Long ago, sometime during the era of pirates, there was a cruel band of pirate led by Captain Crooked Back who terrorised the region. They pillaged homes, threw bombs in carriages and stormed many ships. Their many attacks have garnered them a fearful reputation, but their success brought them a big problem; they were too wealthy. Their own ship wasn't big enough to store the riches they have acquired and that risked the likelihood of their ship sinking to the bottom of the ocean so, they chose to move it somewhere... secluded, this forest to be exact."
Discord chewed on some popcorn he brought for this occasion, not noticing that Pinkie Pie was secretly stealing some from him. The others were starting to feel nervous.
Twi continued "While searching around, they eventually found a place that they could deem as their new hiding spot for their fortune. It is not known where exactly. Before they left, however, one of them performed a forbidden ritual to protect their money stash. The ritual formed a guardian for the hidden loot under the form of their spirit, forever roaming the forest to ward off any pillagers from reclaiming the bandit's treasure."
"Oh great, all this time we were sleeping in a supposedly cursed forest." Rarity nervously pointed out.
"It's just a silly story, no way to know if it's real, thought I personally wouldn't believe it to be true." Twi said to comfort her friend.
Discord noticed that Fluttershy was wincing. Remembering the strange encounter with Doctor Caballeron, the old man understood why these hunters were here. They must have heard of Crooked Back's buried treasure, unsurprising considering he's read Daring Do's books. The bad doctor couldn't resist the call of glory and fortune, even if it could all just be made up.
The shy girl was simply worried that these four bad people would ruin their fun outing with their treasure hunt. She's heard of Daring Do's stories from Rainbow Dash and thus, knew just how bad Caballeron and his goons can be.
"So, Fluttershy; got any spooky story you'd like to share?" Twi asked.
Suddenly snapped back to reality, Fluttershy nodded. "Wh- me? Oh, y-yes. I have a spooky story just for you, Twilight!"
"Oh really?"
The shy girl whistled and a ladybug landed on her finger. "Ladybug."
"AAAAAA-"
Not long after they were done with their spooky campfire stories, the group went to sleep inside their tents. There wasn't going to be school for Monday thanks to a public holiday, so they had at least two more days to enjoy the scenery... or so they thought for soon, their nice expedition in the woods would turn into quite the Scooby-Doo affair.
Two high-pitched screams woke them up in a cold sweat. These voices... they can only belong to...
"Derpy! And Sandalwood?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she jumped out of her tent. "They're in danger!"
The rest exited the comfort of their sleeping bags and rushed to see what happened to these two.
"Time to hero up, girls!" Sunset said to her friends.
"Oh cool, now we're roleplaying as superheroes." pointed out the old god of chaos in a sarcastic manner.
Once they've arrived at the location of the screams, they saw a quivering Derpy and Sandalwood holding each other tightly.
"Huh, didn't know you two were hitting it off." Applejack said.
"This isn't a love hug; it's a comfort hug, bro!" Sandalwood corrected.
Sunset approached the cowering students. "Then what scared you two this badly?"
Derpy pointed a trembling finger in the distance and Sunset Shimmer turned to see a chilling sight.
Off in the distance, four zombie pirates were wandering through the woods, moaning in an unsettling soulless voice.
"Z-Z-Z-Zombies!" Spike screamed in terror.
"We're in a zombie infested forest apparently. Great, just the best way to cap off my stay in this rotten world." |
Chaotic Endeavors | Saturday Part 2: Ghoulish Investigation | The zombies were fast approaching, okay maybe not but they were getting closer to them. Out of a morbid sense of curiosity, Twi took out her phone and activated its flashlight to get a better view of their undead visitors.
The zombified pirates looked dry and withered, with pale brown skin and sunken eyes. They had large yellow glowing eyes which illuminated the path ahead of them, and that light was locked onto the campers.
"Uh, Twilight? Now might be a good time to use your magic." Applejack advised.
Twi reached out for her geode, only to remember that she left it inside her bag, in her tent. "I'm afraid I've left it back at camp... We ran there a little too fast, perhaps."
Most of the girls have not thought to pick up their geodes as they rushed to the screams of Derpy and Sandalwood and they did not sleep with them on 'cause, who sleeps with a necklace on?
The only one who thought to bring their geode was Applejack, but from the looks of it, she was rather reluctant to get in range of these ghouls. Understandable, but oh so unfortunate for the rest of the girls.
"Give 'em a smackdown!" Rainbow Dash roared.
Twi objected, however, "It's no use! These zombies are immortal as they are bound to their treasure. They can't die as long as their fortune remains buried!"
"You sure about th-!" Applejack didn't notice how close the monsters have gotten. They were now stepping on Derpy's tent, to which she has long abandoned it.
"We're sure about it!" Spike screamed.
"I'm, like, out of here bro! See ya!" Sandalwood made a run for it, followed by Derpy.
Discord snapped his finger with his usual unwavering confidence, only to remember that he's virtually powerless in here. He snapped it again a couple of times before agreeing with Sandalwood's idea. "Okay, I'm out of here... If Fluttershy agrees to run for our lives."
Fluttershy was cowering behind Rainbow Dash and only poked her head out when Discord proposed to leave. "I agree."
"And so do we! Let's run away and come up with a good plan!" Sunset yelled.
Back at the camp and exhausted, the girls took their time to gather their bearing on the fact that they were literally stuck in a forest cursed by pirates. How can they fight back against immortal zombies? Finding the treasure was their only option but good luck uncovering it in a forest this massive. Not even Spike's flair could help here as he first needs to learn the scent of the buried treasure to track it down. So... what now?
Discord remembered something. "Hey, hold on a minute. They were four zombies back there, and we may not have told you yet about Caballeron and his henchmen."
"What?! Doctor Caballeron is here?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Rainbow Dash freaked out as she was the most knowledgeable in the bad doctor's evil shenanigans.
"Wouldn't wanna ruin the fun camping trip, right?" Discord answered before clearing his throat. "Now it may be possible that these zombies are just Caballeron and his goons trying to scare us away Scooby-Doo style, but we can't be sure until we unmask them."
"Oh yes oh yes oh yes! Please tell me we are living through a Scooby-Doo episode!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she bounced around the site.
Her jolly bouncing was soon put to an end as Sunset grabbed her by the arms and brought her down to earth. "No time for childhood fantasies Pinkie! Our lives are at risk here, whether the zombies are real or not!"
"Aw 🙁"
In the dead of night, they relit their dying campfire to discuss further about their course of action against their new (potentially) undead opponent. The exact number of pirates that composed Crooked Back's crew was unknown so for all they knew, there could be close to fifty zombies roaming the dark woods. Sunset was the one to take the lead as always.
"The first thing we should do is to confirm which outcome is true. Rainbow Dash and I will scout out these zombies and see if Caballeron and his henchmen have anything to do with this sudden attack."
"Why is it only you two? Shouldn't it be safer if you brought more buddies for this task?" Discord pointed out.
"It's only us two in case we are spotted. Dash can carry me back to camp with her super speed. If there's more than one, she won't be able to make good use of said super speed." Sunset explained.
"I suppose that makes sense... And what are we going to do in the mean time? Play a nice game of checkers, hm?"
"I love check-"
"That was just a joke, Pinkie." Discord quickly said. "🙁"
Sunset snapped her fingers to get back their attention. "In all seriousness, I want the rest of you to reach out to Kind Heart in his radio tower and let him know about the situation. Our cellphones have no network here so the only way we can call the police is through him."
"That makes sense, I mean, Doctor Cabelleron and his goons are surely armed with hunting rifles in a no hunting zone, so we can force them to leave with the police's help!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"Let's not waste any time and get this over with so we can at least have fun this weekend."
Back at Derpy and Sandalwood's camp, Sunset and Rainbow Dash searched for the four zombies that were previously here. They couldn't be too far seeing as their movements are slow and sluggish, unless they weren't actual zombies...
In the dead of night, there wasn't any light penetrating through the thick foliage of the trees, casting the entire forest below in a near abyssal darkness. The campfire was still on which facilitated the act of making their way back to the camp.
"No sign of our mysterious four zombies..." Sunset remarked.
Rainbow Dash was getting impatient, running around in the dark at super speed wasn't really a good option, so this endeavor was going to take some time. "Now what? This forest's too big, it'll be almost impossible to find them while it's dark." Just in preparation for her eventual speedster-esque running, she tied her hair into a ponytail.
"Maybe if we just make a lot of noise, they'll come back to scare us. Afterward, we'll hide and follow them to spot any suspicious behaviors."
"Sounds good to me."
The two girls called out as loud as they can to get the attention of any potential wanderers as the woods were deathly quiet at night. Any loud sound is bound to get the attention of someone. After they stopped shouting, they began to hear footsteps slowly approaching them.
"Bingo! Looks like it worked! Let's climb up this tree, they'll never think to look up!"
Using their expert tree climbing skill, they scaled it up and waited patiently for the slow arrival of strangely only three zombies, albeit different from the ones they saw earlier. Different clothes, though still pirate themed and their eyes didn't glow as much as the previous ghouls.
Once they got to the camp, the undead pirates briefly stopped and exchanged strange looks before resuming their search for the two girls whose shouts they heard.
Up in the tree, Sunset whispered to Rainbow Dash. "Now, that was odd. Maybe these zombies are smarter than we think, or they're just guys in costume looking to scare us away."
"I can't help but get the feeling we are living through an episode of Scooby-Doo..."
Just as Sunset predicted, they did not look up and simply shambled out of the camp and through the dark woods. At that time, the two spying girls slowly and quietly climbed down to follow the haunting ghouls.
It was difficult for them to remain undetected, as any sound will alert the pursuers to their location. The crickets up above weren't loud enough to completely masks their footsteps, which forced them to move even slower, just barely enough to keep up with the living dead.
The four zombified pirates were behaving strangely at times, showing a lot more sentience than a zombie normally would have. Various action, such as readjusting their posture, glancing left and right and even sometime checking their forearm for... something.
Maybe they were just very intelligent zombies, maybe. Or... they're fakers. This stalking took a couple of minutes until the ghouls suddenly stopped their pursuit and straighten their backs.
"Looks like we took too much time, these girls are gone." said one of the living dead.
"What were they even doing back here? Didn't they run away from us already?" exclaimed another one.
Finally, the one dressed up as Captain Crooked Back spoke in a very familiar voice to Dash at least. "Very well, let's make sure they're gone in the morning and then we'll go back to our search. The treasure's real and I won't let any of you dissuade me from finding it."
Doctor Caballeron, I knew it! Thought Sunset Shimmer from behind a bush. She whispered to her friend that they should go meet up with the rest of the group to tell them the news.
Just as they were about to leave, Sunset accidentally stepped on a branch that was essentially invisible in the dark. Oh come on! That's just unlucky!
The three wannabe ghouls spun around and reached for something inside their pirate clothes. Both Sunset and Rainbow Dash noticed in horror that they pulled out their hunting rifles.
Rainbow Dash looked at her friend with a look that said "They're going to shoot us!"
"What was that?" said one of the hunters in a nervous voice.
"Could be just a critter, but it could also be someone spying on us like Daring Do. Search around with your googles, we must make sure no one is following us!" ordered Caballeron.
Sunset grabbed the broken branch and threw it away. The sound of its impact with the ground distracted the three hunters just long enough for them to move away from their hiding spot.
Caballeron inspected the broken branch and came to only one conclusion. "We're being followed. Our disguises are compromised! Don't let them get away or else we're gonna get in severe legal issues!" His words erased all anxieties from his partners, who now looked quite angry.
The two girls hid behind a large tree and Sunset peeked out to wait for a good opportunity to make run for it. "Once they turn their back to us, you'll use your speed to get us out of here, got it?" she whispered.
But no response came. "D-Dash?" She turned around only to see the reason why there were only three of them.
"Hmmgn!"
The fourth hunters, the biggest of the bunch, had gotten a hold of Rainbow Dash. His left arm had wrapped around her body and lifted her off the ground as if she was as light as a feather. His right hand was covering her friend's mouth so she wouldn't be able to call for help. In his zombie costume, he was downright terrifying.
Before Sunset could do anything, he whistled to his fellow hunters to look in their direction. Now, there were three hunting rifles locked on her.
"Now ain't this an unpleasant surprise?" Caballeron said in an annoyed voice. "You two just couldn't help yourselves to play the hero, huh? Reminds me of an old 'friend' of mine; Daring Do. Perhaps the name rings a bell? Anyhow, you two Daring Do wannabes are gonna regret it real fast..."
At the watchtower, the old Kind Heart was sound asleep. At his age, he often had to take naps during the day to keep on doing his job as his body was slowly weakening. To compensate, he did hire other rangers to be stationed at the other watchtowers built around his prized forest. What he didn't know, however, was that he would soon be living through a very long night when his radio suddenly turned on.
"H-Hello? Is s-someone there?"
Kind Heart woke up surprised and sluggishly stumbled out of bed, picking up his cane in the process to walk over to the radio. "This is tower 3. What is the problem? Over."
The callers answered. "W-W-We're lost in the woods! There are zombies out there! Pirate zombies! Th-They're totally real, bro! We ran away from our camp, but now we've lost our path! Please help us, Kind Heart!" The old ranger could also hear some feminine whimpering accompanying the frightened voice of the caller.
The old man recognised the voice of Sandalwood and Derpy. He had known them for quite some time and was determined to led them to safety. Although he wasn't fully buying the pirate zombies, he knew that there could sometimes be bears present near the lake and simply assumed that it was a wild animal that attacked them.
"Just tell me where you are, I'll guide you to the watchtower, over."
Kind Heart looked to his right. There on the wall lied the full map of the forest, complete with all the trails and bear sightings. He had a feeling he was going to have a bad night. He was even second guessing all this buried treasure and undead pirates' myth. It could be real after all; he did read about the weird happenings at Canterlot High which is only a few kilometers away from here.
"I think I see a mine, but that's about it. The trees are obscuring my vision, I can't see anything else!"
The mine, yeah it was literally on the other side of the forest. These poor high school students were a long way from the comfort of his watchtower. "Take the trail on your right, over." simply responded the old gentleman. Now he simply needed to wait for them to call back.
In the meantime, he went outside to look over in the distance. From his position, he had a good view of the lake and the other watchtower. Even in the dead of night, his forest still amazed him with its beauty and serenity. No way could such a peaceful place be haunted with the spirits of cruel pirates. He's way too old for this.
The radio turned back on, but this time it was a different familiar voice. "Hey, Kind Heart? It's Twilight Sparkle, we need your help, over."
Rushing back to the radio, Kind Heart answered immediately. "What can I do for you girls? Over."
"We need to come over to you quickly. Can you show us your location? Over."
Going back outside, he turned on the flood lights. The switch was sadly broken and had to be manually held to keep the lights on, something he hoped would get fixed soon. After a few seconds of waiting, he saw some lights emanating in the forest. Cellphones light to be more precise.
"We're making our way to you. We should arrive in at least five minutes, over."
Good, more complications on their way. He's going to have a lot to juggle tonight, hopefully his nap would have given him enough strength to last to morning.
"Fantastic view! Hold the pose!"
"W-What?"
Out of nowhere showed up Photo Finish and her two kind assistants. The latter jumped on him and pampered the old gentleman with makeup and new clothes, ones that looked more fitting as a park ranger than his pyjamas.
"Perfect! Now stay put! I must capture this moment!"
Her camera's light blinded Kind Heart as she rapidly took hundreds of photos, striking very extravagant poses while doing it.
"I-I'm kinda in the middle of something, Photo Finish!" protested the old ranger. His protests didn't reach her, however.
"Splendid! Splendid!"
"I need to do my job! Some of your friends are in danger!"
"I know! And off... I go!"
With a snap of her fingers, her assistant ripped the ranger's clothes away and removed his makeup before the trio left in a hurry.
Mumbling unsavory things under his breath, Kind Heart noticed that his pyjamas were also ripped away during the photoshoot speedrun.
"Brr! It's awfully cold out here..."
"... sell for a fortune, ay? I'm sure we'll find a buyer pretty quick. These things look ancient... and rare."
The voice of Doctor Caballeron rang through her ears as Sunset slowly woke up. She was in a rather uncomfortable position. Her hands were stuck above her head and it felt like they were crushing each other. That feeling also carried over to her legs. Lastly, she felt something over her mouth and slowly came to realise that she was tied up and gagged inside of a very luxurious trailer, Caballeron's trailer.
Both Sunset and Rainbow Dash's geodes were now missing, taken by the greedy hands of the archeologist. Her friend looked understandably angry at Caballeron, groaning at him through her gag.
"Hmgn! Hmpf, mmmmmgn!"
The bad doctor looked rather amused by her little tantrum and crouched next to her, swinging the geodes in front of her face. "I must admit, I'm quite intrigued by how you even came into possession of these relics. They're truly one-of-a-kind, but I guess it doesn't matter how you found them, all I'm curious to know is if your friends also happen to have more of them. Do they?"
Sunset winced and shook her head. "Hm hm!"
Cabelleron frowned. "I see the face of a liar here... Oh well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go after them. We still have a lot of time to uncover the buried treasure after all. Oh yes! With the treasure in our possession; we'll be able to buy everything we could ever want! Mostly... entire companies to amass greater fortune to finance my next expedition. Slowly over time, I will get to rule over the world!"
If her hands weren't tied, Sunset would totally face palm. This guy was talking as if he was a Totally Spies villain or something... The fact that they were tied up only reinforced this feeling.
No matter how much danger they're in, these two girls would never let themselves be reduced to damsels in distress.
Once the coast is clear, they'll make their daring escape. (Ha!)
"Anyhow, I suppose our hunt is futile during the night. We must have chased off all the campers here. I hope you won't mind if we hold you captive just a little longer until we find the treasure. I promise it won't be long since you're looking at experts in this domain!"
Rainbow Dash tried again to break free, mumbling more threats through her gag.
"I feel like a muzzle would have been more appropriate for you, Miss Daring Do fan #1." Caballeron took out a Daring Do book, Dash's book, and waved it in front of her face. "Yeah, I see just how much you idolise her. Well, let me tell you something very important; it's great and all to idolise someone but kids like you should never inspire to be like her. I'd wager the results here speak for themselves."
In a last-ditch attempt to get the last laugh, Rainbow Dash abruptly straightened her legs to trip Caballeron as he was walking away.
"Hmpf!"
Feeling slightly humiliated, the bad doctor brushed off the dust from his clothes. "Still feel a little smug? I'll make sure to correct that behavior by the end of this weekend."
He dropped the book in front of her and shut his bedroom door. "Now please be quiet, I'll be trying to sleep here."
Now left alone, they knew it was time to make their escape. This whole scenario was strangely resembling that of a kid's cartoon. Heroines getting capture by the bad guy? Check. Monologuing villain? Check. Escaping the baddies' evil trap? Check, though there isn't really a trap here...
Rainbow Dash first went with a little more brute force, but evidently that idea was going nowhere. She looked to Sunset to come up with a solution to get them out of this sticky situation.
Our bacon-haired protagonist looked around the trailer but couldn't seem to find anything in reach that could get rid of their bonds... Until she laid her eyes on Dash, more specifically on her ponytail.
"Hmgn mmmpf!"
"Hm?"
Sunset sighed and pointed at Rainbow Dash' hair, albeit with great difficulty because her hands were tied in an uncomfortable position. She looked confused but nonetheless leaned closer to her. With careful handling, she took out Dash's hairpin, undoing her ponytail at the cost of having something mildly sharp in hand.
She gingerly scraped her binds with the hairpin, making sure to not apply too much pressure, else it would break. Her hands were slightly trembling thanks to the pressure put on her at the moment. These binds were going to break... in the fullest of time! I can promise it.
Rainbow Dash wasn't feeling too patient, however. "Hhmpf Ohme Hon!" She pouted on her side, looking at the ceiling for some stimulation.
Wrong move! Sunset dropped the hairpin but caught it back just in time! Her hands were trembling more than they were before as her fingers became sweaty. The drops of sweat on her forehead were also becoming more visible as she was getting anxious.
Rainbow Dash was also growing anxious, now occasionally glancing at her progress with worried eyes.
Thankfully, Sunset managed to keep her cool just long enough to put a good dent in her binds. Then, she pulled her hands apart with enough force to finally free herself. She let out a muffled chuckle before taking off both hers and Dash's gag.
"Close one." Sunset stated.
"Too close for comfort, now can you free me too?"
Sunset glanced at the cupboards, there must be sharp knives around here to cut through their remaining binds faster. With her legs still tied, she had to hop around like a rabbit to reach the kitchen knives.
"That one should do it." Indeed, it did. The knife cut through the ropes like butter and in no time, the two girls were free.
Rainbow Dash immediately looked at the door leading to Caballeron's bedroom with an angry expression. "We can't let this jerk sell away our geodes! We need them to save the world for when that'll inevitably happen again."
"We'll need to be really quiet if we want to snatch them back. Can I count on you for this?"
"Of course you can! I'm probably like the best at sneaking out of all of us."
Sunset remained... unconvinced.
Anyhow, they slowly opened the door and nearly had a panic attack when it creaked with the frequency of a screaming baby. Thankfully, Caballeron simply rolled in bed and groaned, still sound asleep.
"I'll search the left side; you search the right side." Sunset whispered to Rainbow Dash.
Sunset first started by looking under the bed, a good place to hide some valuable or mostly... embarrassing items. Reaching out, she pulled out a CD of a very familiar band. "Power Crush, huh? Didn't know he was a fan too."
As for Rainbow Dash, she found many newspaper clippings in his shelf regarding Canterlot High's more magical events. Not surprising considering his line of work.
"Oh no... you've gotta be kidding me."
Dash turned around and saw that Sunset was pointing at the sleeping doctor.
"No... don't tell that he's wearing our geodes?!"
Sunset nodded. "So, uh, you good at stealing necklaces?"
"Absolutely not! I'm no criminal, but what about you? Didn't you steal a lot of stuff in your bad girl's days?"
She gulped. "A-Alright then. Guess I'm the one who's gonna snatch them..."
With great hesitation, Sunset approached her trembling hand to the sleeping Caballeron. Inching ever so closer, she managed to get a hold of the two geodes but right as she was about to pull them away, he rolled in bed, causing her to immediately move away in panic.
"You almost had it! Try again!" Dash insisted.
After waiting for a bit, Sunset tried her luck again. She was fortunate enough to grab the geodes again and now it was time for the difficult part; removing them without waking Caballeron up. She slowly lifted them up from his neck, carefully observing him just in case he'd wake up. Once the coast seemed clear, she pulled the geodes away.
"Yes!"
"Sweet!"
"Hm?"
Oh snap! It would appear that Sunset wasn't one hundred percent successful in reclaiming the geodes without waking up their captor. Caballeron's eyes widened when he saw her with his most prized possessions in hand.
"Hey yo-"
Before he could even finish his sentence, Rainbow Dash bonked him over the head with his night lamp, shattering it and knocking him unconscious. If he had a mirror, he'd see just how unflattering he looked moments before he passed out. "Whew! That was a close call."
"Let's get out of here." Sunset threw Dash her geode and they both put them on.
"Finally, I'm back to being awesome!"
"Heh, you always were, Dash."
They ran out of the caravan, happy to finally make it out of the evil clutches of Caballeron but were stopped by yet another zombie pirate, Captain Crooked Back to be exact.
"Uh oh... I think they may have heard the commotion."
"Mmmmmmmmyyyyyy... treeeeaaaasuuuureeee."
"What?"
Captain Crooked Back lifted his arms in front like you'd expect from a zombie and began to shamble towards them.
"Uh, Sunset? If these guys are armed, then... why isn't he threatening us with his gun?"
"Only one way to find out."
Sunset walked up to the shambling cadaver and right as he was about to lunge on her, she used her knowledge in martial arts to throw him over her shoulder and then... she froze.
"You touched him! What didya see?"
Sunset's face was frozen in horror.
"S-Sunset?"
"He's... He's the real Crooked Back."
"What?! So this whole zombie pirate story is true? Oh my gosh! We were camping in a cursed forest for years without even knowing!"
The zombie's feet tethered to the ground and slowly, he lifted his whole body up without even using his arms. Once he was finally standing again, he moaned in a wrathful voice. "You will never steal my treasure!" |
Sunset Shimmer and the Last Trial of Daring Do | pre | The tunnel through which I came -- or rather, fell -- was closed. Even if I could've reached the trapdoor from Ahuizotl statue's throat and make the climb up, the passage shut behind me, capped by a lid that refused to budge when I prodded it with magic.
What would Daring Do do, when stuck in a trap like this?
Daring Do would not be working for the bad guys, a traitorous voice whispered in the back of my head. Trying to get at Daring Do is why you're in this mess in the first place.
I growled at myself and tried to concentrate. Every trap, unless immediately lethal, must have an exit - no point of making it so, unless there was a way out.
There was a soft slithering, and something tickled my hoof. I jerked it away reflexively and looked down. Soft, smooth sand was pouring from the hole that opened in the wall. Instinctively, I plugged it with my magic. More holes opened, above and to the sides, more than I could close at the same time. Soon the whole room would drown in it, suffocating me. I retreated my magic and tried to think faster, ignoring the new problem.
Encroaching doom was just a deadline. I could do deadlines. Never mind the horrible suffocating death, disappointing Celestia with missed coursework was a way stronger motivator.
I concentrated on looking for the exit, pouring more power into the light-spell, and with a bit of luck, and a lot of grasping around, I found it - a tiny slit in the masonry, too narrow to even stick a blade through, but still outlining unmistakably a door. And for a locked door, there must be a key.
Knowing that it was easy to find the little knobs with Coltec pictograms at even intervals around the top of the room, the paint on them bleached with age but still unmistakable. It was a combination lock, and the writings were a hint. That made it easy -- Daring Do would be out of a trap like this in ten seconds flat.
Tentatively, I pushed one, then another. Something clicked deep in the wall and both of them pushed back, returning to their original position.
You're no Daring Do.
I shook my head and pressed my ear against the wall, listening to the soft clicks of the mechanism as I pushed the tumblers slowly, one by one, wishing that I had spent less time on History of Moral Philosophy and more sneaking out and learning cool escapology tricks from the older Lulamoon.
You're no hero.
I missed a trigger, and the half-assembled combination fell apart, all the pushed knobs returning to their positions. I gritted my teeth and stretched my magic -- pushing the sand away and trying to operate the stubborn triggers, rusty with age, while combating my own unwarranted panic and doubts.
You will die here!
I tried again, quicker now, as the sand crept up to my cutie mark and my horn scraped against the ceiling of the trap. Panic and haste were poor help for a task that required patience, and with the hated click, the lock reset again. I bit my lip and started again.
You're the bad guy's henchpony, and that's what always happens to bad guy's minions in the stories.
The lock reset again, and the sand was now almost to my chest and I screamed, drowning out the stupid voice in my head. My magic lashed out, completely out of control, bashing against the wall like a trapped bird. I crashed around the statue blindly, my half-formed spells fueled by fear and fury melting stone and crushing bricks, once, and twice, and the third time, ignoring the scraps and scattering stone that hit my body and my face. Something in the ancient masonry finally gave and I nearly fell out of the trap, right in front of Green, but it was too late; the fear was already rising like a black wave, drowning out sense and reason, making my muscles tense and cramp.
No. No, no, no, not now, please! I fought against the nascent shake and begged every fate and power that it wouldn't be now, not in front of Green. What would she think about me? She'd think me weak, worthless. I couldn't--
I turned away, hoping that water in the pool would help me keep ahold of myself. That was a mistake -- blood and the water, the merest thought of it and the flashback hit me like a brick to the head. I reeled, dropping to my haunches, drowning in the sudden wave of the stark, raving fear that seized my heart in a vice-like cold grip.
Red and white circling each other, never mixing, on a ground that was so overflowing with slaughter, it would not drink any more.
I felt a hoof on my barrel, a tiny feeling of warmth and steadiness radiating from it.
It was Green Glow, by my side, looking at me with a concerned look, almost as if she actually cared. I gritted my teeth and strained trying to get my shaking under control.
I strained, trying to keep the overcharged spell under control, but the ice was already creeping up on it, making the chains of my magic brittle and frail. Freed, he descended on us like lightning, like madness with steel and with magic.
"Breathe, little princess." Her hoof found my chest, guiding my breathing with light pushes. "Slow, deep breaths. In and out."
His emerald eyes pierced me even from across the battlefield with their sheer intensity, His frame full of heavy, world-rending power. Reality rippled...
Coarse and sharp, her voice helped, guiding me out of the shake. Hyperventilation turned into normal breathing, as I now returned to the present, and the ringing terror retreated back to the recesses of my mind.
I took a deep breath, letting the taste of stale air and dust take me away from the memory of the crisp winter chill on the riverbank.
In and out.
Green was already leaving when I finally stood up.
"Breath is the least appreciated of all the things in the world. None sing hymns to it, praising the good air, breathed by Princess and beggar, master and dog alike, but none can do without it. Learn to breathe, pumpkin."
Hesitating to follow her just yet, I thought back to one of the first shakes I got. Not a flashback -- just a memory of when I just came back to Canterlot:
It happened at the Wonderbolts performance. I got to sit with Celestia, in her little private booth -- one of the little gifts she tried to distract me from my past adventure with, before... before she didn't.
Something in the crowd has caught my eye, and suddenly the blue sky and the snow became huge and menacing, panic rose like a wave, and I was shaking and screaming. Celestia held me... but not quite like this. I remembered it as clear as day -- her wing covering me like a huge down blanket, to hold me against her side... but not quite touching my skin, a barest hair's breath between her and me, as if I would stain that immaculate whiteness of her wings.
As if I was something dirty.Something disgusting.
She never understood what was going on with me, she never said anything but empty words to me when I thought my sanity was slipping and nightmares clawed my mind, ripping it apart. She could never fix me and make it like it was before.
This was different. Green didn't see me as sick or broken. Somehow the indifferent, dismissive advice made me feel better than anything Celestia tried to tell me.
When I caught up with her, she gave me one last once-over and smacked me lightly on the back. "Come on. Plenty of target practice in the next hall."
So there were -- another bunch of metal armors trying to bar our way. Traps too -- cleverer ones, better concealed and more deadly. But with Daring Do out of sight, I could finally concentrate on the task at hoof, finding my rhythm and my place along Green Glow's side.
With every magical blast and every tripwire severed and trigger mechanism broken, I felt my confidence returning, until finally there were none. No more traps and moats and guards to bar our way, no more twisting corridors and statues. only the one last archway with a broken door, and behind it a hall, dead centre of the pyramid.
This was it -- the final chamber, the sanctum sanctorum of the complex. It was wide and high, dozens of pillars stretching towards the ceiling and the golden light of the roughly punctured roof made their shadows deep and stark. The walls once adorned with patterns and frescoes, now bore nothing more than the signs of a titanic struggle, scorch marks and craters, scrapes, and scratches, and stains of blood long since turned to dust.
A battle had been fought here, a long, long time ago. A desperate last stand of defenders fighting with the frenzy of cornered rats.
The centre of the chamber was occupied by a shallow pool of water, unnaturally still and dark. Nothing grew in it; nothing moved its waters, not even the tiniest of shimmers arose from the draft when we opened the crumbling stone doors of the hall.
From the middle of the pool, rising seamlessly from the water, there was a small altar of caesious steel. I could feel that once it was the heart of the whole pyramid, the keystone, and nexus of the power that it contained. Now it was dead, its magic extinguished by the knife stabbed straight into its centre, piercing deep into the steel.
Ahuizotl appeared behind us, finally catching up. Soon as his gaze touched the altar and the knife, his whole body swayed forward, Elder drew to the altar almost against his will. Blind to anything but his prize, he pushed the minions aside without any care, almost stepping on anypony not quick enough to get from underneath him in time. His paws reached for the knife, getting cut by the blade. Finally, with a grunt of effort turning to a cry of pain, he pried the knife from the steel, holding it stubbornly in his forepaw, despite the pain and the blood dripping bright and red against the obsidian-black metal of the Nightblade.
"The knife that stabbed my heart will now be the instrument to restore it!" he declared, a smug self-aggrandizement addressed to no one in particular. "You're too late, Daring Do!"
He threw the knife to Green, dropping back to all fours.
"Fashionably late!" Daring Do announced, appearing out of nowhere above our little crowd and snatching the knife out of the air before any one of us had a chance to move. She landed with a perfect roll, and flicked her head, stashing the knife in her harness "Why? Did you miss me?"
The henchmares, myself included, froze while Ahuizotl growled at the hero appearing at the exact wrong moment and literally snatching the victory from us. They stared at each other, for a single tense instant.
Ahuizotl barked some command or the other, and just like that the spell of Daring Do's sudden appearance was broken, and everything exploded into the chaos of combat. ***
In my mind, I have before compared Green Glow to a leopard, to a cobra, to a pale-green thunderbolt. Yet, still she was just an earth pony, and when they brag amongst themselves, the cats and the snakes and the sheets of lightning use one ultimate comparison, albeit sparingly: "Fast as a pegasus."
And even for a pegasus, Daring Do was fast.
With a jump and a flap of her wings, she landed in the middle of our formation, and her quick kicks threw minions aside with ease, Ahuizotl's cats yowling with pain and fear as she easily dodged and overpowered them. Her form was excellent: calm, precise and efficient, always keeping just a fraction of an inch outside the reach of her opponents, never moving more than she had to. Compared to her, everypony else might as well have been standing still.
Still, in retrospect, I should have recognized the signs, the little tells of something being wrong: The way she favored her right wing over the left one. The light wheeze when she spat out another jaunty mockery or joke. The way she clenched her teeth when her hind-hooves connected, as if in pain. But I was young, and inexperienced, despite all that I thought at the time; and the only thing I noticed was her back unattended turned right to me. Just right for a spell that was almost ready to escape my horn. I moved, and my magic surged with a raw battle instinct...
A spell crashed into him like a battering ram, and an arrow found his neck. Red and white mixed as he fell in the snow...
A flashback split my head apart with the throbbing pain and my heart skipped a beat, ripping me out of the adrenaline rush of the combat and stopping me in my tracks, as my mind raced, realizing what I had almost done.
I couldn't just attack her. She was the Daring Do, she was one of the good guys, like me. I turned just a fraction of an inch to the left, fire missing the pegasus by no more than a feather's length.
She did not hesitate like I did, especially since she did not know that I was secretly on the same side as her. She slid underneath my spell an instant after it had already whizzed by, and then she was under me, shooting up like a spring, and throwing me into the wall with her back and all four of her legs. Pain burst from the back of my skull where it connected to the stone wall, setting sparkling fireworks in front of my eyes. Before I could get back, she flicked her wing and a projectile she threw exploded, sticking me to the wall with disgusting bluish goo that covered me from my hooves to the tip of my horn.
Instinctively, I pushed against the sticky goop, adding magic to my efforts, and a sharp, burning pain pierced my horn, stripping away the energy and concentration. Keratin flecks in the thaumaconductive gel shorting up the magical currents, like iron filings on a naked wire, burning me whenever I tried to cast a spell. Smart. And annoying. Still, it would not hold me long.
No more minions or cats remained standing, all of them dispatched by the hero in a span of seconds. Ahuizotl made no motion to try to catch her -- she was too fast for him by far, so all that remained for him was to try to bore a hole in her skull with his gaze. He was not very successful, though not for lack of effort.
And then there was Green Glow.
She waited until the minions and the cats were dispatched, watching the combat with an indifferent expression, studying how the hero moved. Only when the last of the minions hit the dust did she engage Daring Do.
I called upon my magic again -- a gentle trickle now, separating the goo from my horn, one piece of keratin after another, watching the mercenary take her stab at the hero while I worked.
They circled around each other in a half crouch, making tentative passes with their hooves and wings -- feints and blocks, meant to test, not hurt.
Suddenly they touched -- and the grey mare was down on the ground and Glow was flying through the air over her head, but she didn't land with the same dull, breath-paralyzing thud that I had; she landed rolling and was back on her hooves as fast as Do was and facing her.
"You're getting old. That almost didn't hurt," she jeered. They engaged again, and I thought that she was going to get thrown again. She didn't -- instead, she twisted straight in, there was a chaos of wings and hooves, and when the motion slowed down, and they separated again it was Daring Do who was keeping her wing tight to her body, covering several gashes and an ugly burn.
"You are getting old!" There was no mock this time, just genuine surprise. "Old -- and weak."
The mare growled, "Not all of us enjoy earth pony years. But I'm plenty young to kick your flank!"
Despite her words, she was not in a hurry to re-engage, choosing once again to circle her opponent and look for a weakness or an angle.
Ripping off the last of the goo, I leapt off the wall, readying my spells. My horn still burned where the energy I was channelling touched the gel, but it no longer screwed up my magic, and I was now ready to join the fray... if only I could decide on which side.
Daring Do was unaware of my doubts. For her it was now two against one -- more if you count Ahuizotl's kitties rising from the floor with pained meowing -- and she could barely handle Green Glow by herself. She retreated, trying to keep us both in her sight, not letting us surround her.
"I've got you now, Daring Do!" Ahuizotl was more than ready to start gloating. "Give me the knife, and I may yet let you leave."
"Not quite yet, Ahuizotl."
Suddenly the pegasus stopped her retreat and flipped her head, catching her weird helmet-hat in her teeth, before throwing it at Green like a discus. The pith helmet with sharpened edges zipped past the dodging mercenary, bounced off my hastily raised shield and, snipping the tuft off Ahuizotl's ear, struck a lever on the wall.
The temple rumbled and shook. And when an old temple rumbles and shakes, you just know it cannot be anything good. Cracks spread from the lever, and the stone began to crumble, raining dust on our heads.
"Sorry, ladies," Daring Do jumped between the both of us, dodging Green's lunge, and pushed herself off a wall, grabbing her hat in the process, and hovered in the air, "but I gotta fly. Oh, and since that was the self-destruct lever, I do suggest you do the same."
"DARING DO!" Ahuizotl bellowed, ripping out the altar from the pool -- a solid chunk of steel the size of an adult -- and chucking it towards his enemy. He hit nothing but her contrail--the pegasus evaded it with an effortless barrel roll. Instead, the spinning chunk of steel plowed clean through several columns, leaving a fountain of dust and crumbling stone zipping through the hall.
That did not help. At all. Now the temple was not just shaking -- it was falling apart.
Cats and ponies ran towards the exits, a stampede of animal instincts, fear and cowardice spurring them into frenzied feats of speed that would be the envy of any Wonderbolt.
I did not move. For me everything froze for an instant, my perception hastened a hundredfold by the surge of adrenaline. I could see everything crystal-sharp, transfixed by the spreading pattern of the cracks in the ancient masonry, the first rocks falling from the roof as slow as glaciers. Weaving between them was Daring Do's grey contrail as she escaped the destruction she had wrought, and the black glint of the Nightblade on her harness.
As if in a dream, my magic stretched towards her, and almost without my conscious decision I gripped and pulled on the knife, snatching it off not a second before the pegasus disappeared through the skylight. A pale green body crashed into me like a comet, throwing me aside. I could only stare dumbly at a giant rock that fell onto the floor where I stood barely an instant ago, shattering with a thunderous boom.
I blinked, and focused my eyes back on the green mercenary, showing her the black-bladed knife still gripped tightly in my magic.
She grinned back, "Nice work, princess!" Even the fake title did not cover the genuine delight in her voice. "BUT WE GOTTA GO, NOW!" she shouted over the crash of another boulder, nearly throwing me towards the entrance to the hall.
We ran, the temple disintegrating around us, but before we could reach the salvation of the exit, it was already too late -- one of the broken pillars fell across the door, blocking the exit.
I stared at it blankly. It was too big, and though perhaps I could break it apart or roll it away, even as I reached for my magic, another slab of the roof fell across the door, sealing our only way out with finality of a gravestone. There was no way to dismantle it before the hall would collapse.
We were as good as dead now, and the pyramid would be our tomb. |
Sunset Shimmer and the Last Trial of Daring Do | And in a Raging Ocean's Fury | The pyramid was collapsing around us, and with every second chances of being crushed only grew. Frantically, I scanned the giant room, hoping against all hope that there was another door or a latch I have missed.
Green tensed to my right, like a loaded spring. Irrationally -- impossibly -- my racing mind wandered to marvel at her. Her breathing level and unlabored. Her eyes calm, with not a trace of panic, her body still, with not a twitch of her muscles. She knew no fear, and the only thing you could glimpse in her form was the perfect readiness to act at first chance.
"Get ready, princess," she commanded, her steady voice cutting both through the rumbling of the breaking temple and my rising panic. "Ahuizotl will open the path. We just need time".
Time... that I could provide. I summoned my magic -- as much of it as I could hold, last specks of Daring Do's goop burning off in wisps of smoke on my horn and my green aura seeped into every crack and crevice of the hall, holding the building together with nothing but my own magic and will. The pressure of the massive weight on my horn nearly threw me off my hooves. I swayed, staying upright by no more than a miracle.
It would win us seconds. A minute at best. Gritting my teeth I hoped Ahuizotl did, in fact, have a way out of this.
He stood up again in the pool, making no attempt to run and ignoring the falling rocks like one would ignore annoying flies. Slowly, he raised his forepaws, dripping the blood from the cut into the pond and the world shuddered as the power rose. Not just a spell, not even magic - the raw, capital-P Power made manifest, making my own magic ripple and flux like a soap bubble caught in a gale. The pool responded, the water turning black and deep, stone mechanisms hidden within whirring and churning when the bottom of the well turned into a ladder leading down.
Ahuizotl dove into the water with sudden, unexpected gracefulness, not making a single splash, and the pool that before was barely up to his ankles has swallowed him whole.
I was too busy with my magic, trying to hold the structure together, my horn burning with the energy I could hardly control. Here and there the stones would still fall, despite my effort, making the floor shake and fountains of debris fly through the room with deadly speed, as I was trying to make my way to the well, feeling my way without taking eyes off the crumbling roof.
It was Green who grabbed me in her hooves pulling me through the room while dodging the deadly bits of the stone and any obstacles on the ruined floor. I only managed to draw a large breath before the both of us took the plunge into the well - not a second before the giant stone column smashed into the well, sealing the exit and leaving all of us in night-total darkness, only barely lit by the rare lights from above.
The chill water braced me, burning against my skin like fire, and then abated just as quickly. I tried to get my bearings in the cold and the darkness of the water, holding my breath as long as I could, the pressure in my chest growing and growing, as I struggled to figure out what to do. My lungs burned with a cruel fire; diaphragm ached to draw anything, anything at all into my lungs, and still there was no way but down, no escape, only cold and darkness and death.
Just when I've finally thought my head and chest would split wide open, Green Glow hit me under the ribs, a light jab so quick and light I barely felt it, forcing the air out of my lungs. I panicked and tried to inhale the water around us -- only to discover that I could. The cool, soothing liquid filled my lungs, causing no discomfort. I breathed. In and out, water nourishing my lungs and extinguishing the pain of asphyxiation just as if it were air.
Ahuizotl did not turn to our commotion as he made his first steps down on the ladder.
"I may be a shadow of what I once was, deposed and dethroned." Under water, his voice became deeper, reverberating. More powerful. "Still, I am the Lord of things Drowned and Drowning, Prince of the Deeps, little pony mine. You took my coin, and you're my creature now - you will not drown lest I will it so."
That made me frown. I wasn't sure I liked being anyone's creature but Celestia's. But then again, I didn't like drowning or being crushed more, so I decided not to raise a point.
"Breathe, pumpkin." Green Glow advised, the permanent mocking laughter in her eyes, before diving deeper.
I did just that, marvelling at the feeling of water filling my lungs, cold and heavy, yet entirely breathable. Then I shrugged and followed her down, the cold water refusing to buoy me up against every law of nature. ***
The stairs, roughly hewn in an infinite stone and encased in stone on every side, seemed to go on down forever, disappearing somewhere far in the darkness beneath. The way behind us closed by the massive weight of the fallen temple, we could only make our way down - a sombre procession in the greenish fog of the water, only barely lit by the turquoise glow of my magic.
We walked for hours, and soon the only thing I could concentrate on was pushing through the water, one step at a time and maintaining the steady light of my horn.
The tunnel walls around us expanded, then expanded again, and it was only after a while I have realised that we were no longer in a cave or a passage, but rather under the open sea, so deep that even far up high I could not discern the surface. Schools of fishes and sea creatures have joined and crossed our procession for a while, before disappearing and being replaced by creatures stranger and stranger as we made our way into the deeps, the power of the Elder keeping us from the cold and the pressure just as it did against lack of air.
And to this day I still remember that moment when I raised my head and my breath caught in my throat -- not through Ahuizotl's power failing, but at the sight that I beheld.
Down there, where the infinite ladder had reached its end, there was a giant dome of pearly-white light. Like an enormous soap bubble stuck underwater, it shimmered with a soft white glow, glimmering rainbow playing across its translucent border, and within it, like within a snowglobe, was a city lighted by the magic crystals and schools of fluorescent fish, sprawling miles in every direction.
Another legend that I only half expected to be true, only mentioned in the rarest, oldest books I could find. The-City-Under-The-Waves. Our next destination.
The city sprawled much further than the dome, crude stone houses and coral towers marking twisty, circular streets. Well-lit by the soft shine of the schools of glowing fish and magic light of pearls and gemstones embedded in the walls of the buildings, it seemed empty -- windows closed and doors were barred before we would approach, and while out of the corner of my eyes I could see vague shadows following us from afar, they scattered before you could properly see them, quick and mercurial underwater.
At the border of air and water, separated by the dome of thin pearly magic, we stopped, and Ahuizotl stretched his paw to touch it.
Water around it moved and swirled, turning black and red, circling around his fingers, as if longing for his touch, and at the same time towards it another layer of magic rose, angry buzzing of sharp white light, stinging and sparking at the point of contact, the dome suddenly at war with itself, unable to decide whether the Elder was its master or enemy.
"Come out, come out, little ponies," Ahuizotl said, without raising his voice, unthreatened by angry magic lapping at his paw. "Or I will huff, and I will puff, and I will bring your little dome down."
I don't think anyone has actually heard his him, but his threat was not without an answer -- the moment he finished speaking our hosts-to-be descended from above to greet him.
There were three of them. Seaponies -- clearly, their lower halves ending not with the hind-legs but with a large fish-tail with a wide fin they used to manoeuvre deftly in the water. They had no fur or coats -- instead their bodies were covered by mute monotone scales of pink, blue or yellow that seemed to shine with the reflected light of the dome. With their soundless hovering in the water and their shining scales, they looked like ghosts more than creatures of flesh and blood.
Their retinue followed, coming out finally in plain sight behind and surrounding us -- the guardsponies. A dozen or so, with same fish tails and same muted colours, clad in the armour of fish scales and silver, each armed with a strange lightning-bolt-shaped spear and girt with a wide belt, a horn made of a spiral seashell clipped to it.
The spears they pointed at us, and their weapons sparked with electricity, like an overcharged thunder-cloud.
I felt uneasy, sliding closer to Green -- I had no idea how my spells would work underwater, and fighting a dozen seaponies that surrounded us did not seem like a good way to find out.
And then, just as suddenly as they appeared, the three main seaponies spoke.
"Corpse-giver."
"Treasure-burier."
"Drowner-dog."
They spoke over each other as if competing who would speak first. Their voices were soft, almost singing, three of them overlapping and adding to each other until they'd settle in a harmony to produce an actual complete sentence in an almost unison.
"You are not welcome here, under the sea."
"So there is still of Voice of the City. And still you remember me, little ponies." There was smug satisfaction in Ahuizotl's tone. "Then you know you have to let me in. This is my right."
"We remember," the seaponies sighed, "Memories passed through the darkness of time."
"Well?" Ahuizotl demanded, "Am I to stand at your doors, like a beggar in wait for his pittance? My journey was long, and my servants are tired."
The seaponies glanced at each other, trying to come up with a decision.
"...Enter..."
"...Enter."
"Enter."
The pearls on their pendants glowed with soft white light and their voices reverberated in strange harmonics, the vibrato making my fur tickle and my bones hum with subtle magics. The buzz of the pearly wall grew quiet, finally accepting Ahuizotl's touch and letting his paw through.
The Elder nodded in satisfaction, and took a step forward, parting the sparkling white veil as he did. We followed -- Green, then me, the shimmering aura of the dome leaving all the water outside and drying my coat instantly. Outside of water, in this bubbly of dry land, I instantly felt both heavy and light - no longer needing to push through the viscous liquid, but neither supported by it.
The seaponies did not stay behind, floating in the air, just as they did in the water, still forming a silent guard around us as the nacreous film of the dome covered them instead of just letting them through. I looked at them curiously as I trotted, trying to figure out the magic that let them float in the air just as they did in the water.
"The Mother-Pearl" the seaponies answered my unvoiced question, touching their medallions, each adorned with a single pearl in unison and looking up towards the centre of the city.
"It protects."
"It nourishes."
"It keeps us safe."
"Drowner." They scuttled ahead, abandoning me to ponder their reply and swirling around Ahuizotl instead. "What leads you to our abode?"
"I came for what is mine," he answered curtly. "I want it back."
Their voices scattered again into three overlapping sing-songs.
"The old treasure."
"The token of magic."
"The coin of stone."
"Yes. You cannot deny me, fish-ponies. You owe me that -- and more."
They scurried faster in the water, fins wagging side-to-side in sudden unease. "Why would you take your gift from us, Elder? Did we displease you? Have we given offence?"
"It was not a gift, pony." Ahuizotl snapped. "It was a loan. A lien of my power, until you build your own. It is mine, and I wish it back, and I have no need to explain myself to you." ***
The stone of the city was white and pink marble, ancient, pre-princess era masonry and architecture. It rose around in weightless towers and spires gilded in intricate patterns of electrum and copper, all spirals, and waves, much like pegasi linear script. The buildings were beautiful and magical, glowing with waves of crimson heat and energy they drew out of the seabed and stored in the gently shimmering crystals in their walls.
Sealords and sealadies, the high nobility of the underwater city, powerful enough to warrant their bit of pearl-magics floated through the air, while craftsmares and guildstallions, the sigils of their crafts on their collars, floated through the channels. Occasionally they would stop and stare at our unusual procession, before being ushered quietly along by the guards or the glance from our guides; the menacing electric sparks of their spears hurrying those that still tried to linger.
Some of the streets and walls of the city were now turned into channels instead, belting the city in concentric circles and thread by radial rivers flowing from some unseen origin in the centre. Eels swam in them, not quite like their surface relatives -- eyeless, dark creatures, used to the eternal twilight of the underwater city. Sparks of electricity zapped in long, branching arcs between them when they swam next to each other, making the water bubble and the air smell sharply of epsom and ozone.
There was a pattern to this city, a purpose. It did not grow as the cities of ponies usually do -- a house or a smithy or a tavern at a time, its growth was not slow and haphazard, a building added here, a thoroughfare rerouted there, one structure torn down to make way for another. Unlike the crude buildings of sandstone and granite caves under water, every building here was planned and considered, changed and adapted over time and came together, seamlessly blending the pink coral and the ancient white marble into a singular machine of thaumarchitecture. The whole city was a monolithic whole, from the smallest of fountains to the highest spire of gold rising in the center of the city to touch the zenith of the pearly dome.
The building that we were presented with was not high by the city's standards, but sturdy and wide. The columns and enfilades looked menacing, the doors were wide enough to handle crowds, and thick columns held up the flat roof above the entrance. It looked official and it smelled of dust and mould -- in short, it was nothing like a house or hotel I would expect. The seapony trio guessed my thoughts, answering again before I asked.
"Our hospitality is not an oft-practised art. Rarely a traveller comes to the shelter of our city. This is but a place of memories. From the time..."
"Of light."
"Of stars."
"Of air."
"It is the best we can give."
Surprisingly, that actually explained it - the building was a museum. It must have been more than a thousand years old, maintained by the seaponies since before the city was lost to the depths.
The servants were already swimming to and fro, carrying the trays of food and drink, bedsheets and blankets, silks and candelabra and every other amenity conceivable.
"Our talk is not done, seaponies--" Ahuizotl warned.
"Long was your road Elder," the seaponies interrupted him, "and tired are your servants. Be our guest. Drink our wine, eat our bread. Rest for the day."
"I'm good." Green said to no one in particular "Take your time."
I tried to follow suit, and stand a bit more upright and look a little less like I felt. I don't think I was very successful.
"Please, Drowner, give us time for council." the seaponies asked. "Let us honour you, tomorrow at the turning of the clock."
"A banquet."
"A celebration."
"A feast."
"Then we shall talk and the debt will be settled."
"Tomorrow." Ahuizotl conceded, and waved his paw releasing both us and the seaponies from his side, and retreated to claim his room.
I went to follow, but before I could, the sea-pony three have barred my way, swimming around me in circles, almost touching me with their finned forehooves and tails. I stopped, and threw a glance at my companions, unsure what's going on. Green Glow was there -- somewhat unobtrusively leaning against the jamb of the door and watching the seaponies with wary suspicion. I relaxed a bit, knowing that she had my back.
"You bear his mark on you. His hunger in your blood." they sing-sang suddenly, in their melodic voices.
I had no idea what that meant.
"The foal-napper."
"The monster-maker."
"The Mage."
That hardly clarified things.
"We weep for your fate, little unicorn. And we weep for the world should you reach the end of the road he would mean for you."
Ominous did not even begin to describe it, but I had a feeling that if I tried to get an answer, I'd only end up more confused. While I tried to figure out something to say to that, they scattered, up and away, leaving me to once again scamper after Green, who was already walking away.
I caught up with her just by the door to the bedrooms, and before she disappeared into the room of her own, she nodded to me.
"Nice work today, princess. You did good."
And that passing, indifferent praise has almost made the whole of that crazy day worth it. ***
I was dead on my hooves when we entered the town, but now I couldn't sleep. Turning and tossing on my bed, I yearned for respite, yet every time I would close my eyes, memories and doubts would assail me like hungry ghosts. What was I doing here? What would I do if we lost? What was even worse -- what would I do if we won? Was I even on the right side?
The shakes were lurking underneath my skin, and I could feel another spasm just around the corner. If I closed my eyes, if I let the maelstrom of doubts and thoughts drag me to the bottom of the memory, dredging up the horrors of what was and what could have been...
Breathe
I tried to breathe right, just as Green had shown me -- deep abdominal inhalations, thinking of every breath I took, but I could not maintain it forever. The drowsiness would overtake me, and I'd lose my concentration, and then I'd start the next circle of self-flagellating questions that I knew had no answer.
Something pulled me out of the bed, and I shrieked and jumped up, ready to shoot magic in any direction... but it was just Green, who has somehow barged into my room.
She gave me another of her looks, the type that made me feel self-conscious and defensive.
"Get outta bed, princess. We're going for a night out on a town, and you're buying"
"Shouldn't we be sleeping?" I ventured, "There's a lot happening tomorrow."
"Oh please," she scoffed dismissively, "I could hear you brood from the next room. You're not getting any sleep tonight, and I'm heading out either way."
I shrugged, trying to look cool, however belated my efforts may have been. "Sure, I'll go." ***
We moved down the streets in a brisk trot, past the towers and the channels, Green leading me with some kind of supernatural homing instinct towards the most decrepit and darkened part of the town. Past the shining towers of pink coral and white marble, past the stone houses lighted by the magical gems, to the wall of the dome, where the hair-thin film of the pearly white light separated us from the Deeps, eager to reclaim what was theirs.
I stopped there, appreciating the sheer scale of the magic needed to hold the sea at bay. Beyond this hair-thin pearly wall, I could almost feel the pressure of miles and miles of water above us, hungry to reclaim what belonged to it, only contained by the power that was once Ahuizotl's to command.
Back in the Canterlot castle, you cannot help but feel like a foal compared to the immortal alicorn Princess. But Celestia is kind and gentle, keeping her power well-hidden, and it is easy to forget that she is not just a pony. That she is not mere flesh and blood and magic.
Here, against a wall that covered a city against the whole mass of the ocean, I have realized for the first time how truly small I was -- I was not a foal in the land of adults, I was but a mote of dust in the world were titans roamed. I tried to breathe, but the air felt heavy and thick, and I felt weak in the knees...
"Come on," Green's voice ripped me out of my reverie before another shake could claim me. "This side is all tourist-traps and high-brow frou-frou stuff. The real deal is underwater."
"Are you sure we can go in without Ahuizotl?" I glanced sideways at her, only to discover that she was not there, but instead has stepped just behind me. "With that pressure, we'd be squished in seconds."
"I know one way to check..."
Before the sense of her words had dawned on me, I felt a buck to my hindquarters, pushing me through the pearly wall head-first into the water.
Instantly braced by the coldness of the sea, I squealed from the sudden freeze, releasing a dozen tiny bubbles of air and flailing around like a total spaz, but, other than the humiliation of her little prank, I suffered no damage - the power the Elder has given me still held.
Green Glow followed me, ignoring my glare.
"Lighten up, pumpkin. Ahuizotl did not take away his power or his coin -- when he does, you'll know."
Following Green with long, loping strides in the semi-weightlessness of the underwater slums, I finally understood the method to her navigation, the pattern that seemed to dominate the city, despite the underwater architecture of it. For all it's strangeness, it was not that much different from the Baltimare harbour I spent my time in not so long ago.
The city grew darker as we progressed further into the underwater parts of it, leaving the shine of the pearly dome behind. The water was murkier, diffusing the increasingly rare magic light, and the buildings were no longer white with marble and electrum, but absorbed the light instead with the dirty-grey coral and black granite, casting long shadows with the angular, broken shapes of the roughly crafted houses.
Before long, apparently finding the thing she'd been looking for, Green stopped and pushed on some door, I would not even notice was there, and strolled in, confident and relaxed, as if she spent her every evening finding nigh-invisible holes in the walls of hidden underwater cities.
I followed her -- what else could I've done?
And the seapony tavern looked the same as any cheap place I'd ever been to.
Granted, it was in an undersea grotto, and not in the conventional building, and instead of chairs, it had hammocks strewn haphazardly between low tables. But it still had all the tell-tale signs of a dirty tavern: The smells of salt mixed with the aromas of badly cooked non-food and the acidic undertone of cheap alcohol, the patrons that gave us evaluating glances with a corner of their eyes - the almost reflexive appraisal of whether we were prey to hustle and bully or predators to avoid, and the servile-yet-slimy proprietor, floating behind a roughshod counter.
A haven of normalcy in a city of aliens, a bit of comfort. I felt tension I didn't know I had started to release me.
"You're buying, pumpkin," Green reminded me, choosing a table and a hammock of her own. "Hope you can afford it."
I rolled my eyes. Yeah, I could afford the drinks.
In every world I've been to, every race and every creed accepts gold as the means of payment: such is the power of the shiny over the mortal minds. Even if the seaponies were not very likely to accept Celestia's paiza, I still had plenty of bits I gambled up before leaving Baltimare. Certainly enough for a night out on the town.
The City Under The Waves was no different than any other place in that regard - the barmaid was by our table even before my gold had touched its stony surface, eyeing the metal greedily despite the unfamiliar mint. In return for several coins - a rip-off, I'm sure - she issued us two strange implements, full of warm, bubbling liquid. They looked like some weird cross between the Saddle Arabian hookah and alchemist's worm-pipe made of crudely baked clay and verdigris-covered brass.
Fiddling in my hammock, I took a careful drag from the pipe. Oxygenated water, sweet taste of some fruit, not unlike wild strawberries, and alcohol. It didn't kick the same way hard cider did, but instead, the taste tickled at my throat,making me feel relaxed and the walls of the cave wobble around me.
I giggled and went for another pull.
Green settled in the hammock next to me, taking her own pipe-drink, and gave me one of her looks. "So spill, little princess."
"Huh?"
"Why are you here? What gets a nice little filly to go out and join the Big Blue's little merry band of misfits?"
"Same as others, I guess," I tried to deflect the question, hiding behind my own hookah.
"Horseapples." She shrugged off my non-answer with a wave of her hoof. "Those brain-dead little critters would follow any whiff of power. Don't kid yourself, pumpkin, you're nothing like them."
"What about you, then?"
"Gotta keep busy." She shrugged. "A power must serve a goal, and this is as good as any other. But you're stalling, little princess." She leaned closer to me, and I couldn't help but stare into her eyes, the burning emeralds of pure green flame, my lips and throat suddenly dry, despite being underwater. I needed another drink - badly. Luckily that was in ready supply. "Tell me."
"I... I want something. Something nopony else can give me," I said, finally. "Something old, and powerful. It's the only thing that can fix me up."
"You mean your little shaking?"
I nodded, unwilling to say any more.
"Just one last score, and you're done? Go back to whatever prissy little castle you came out of and be a nice little filly?"
I would've nodded again, if not for the dripping sarcasm in her voice.
She took her own pipe to her lips, and let the awkward pause drag out.
"And, tell me then, little princess..." she asked finally, "what will you do at nights?"
It was not what she said. It was how she said it. Her level, deliberate, voice; the subtle inflection in her tone, that thing, that glint of the mad, insatiable hunger I saw in the bottom of her eyes -- it hit me right upside the head, and I remembered.
The nights... creeping through the woods, sharpened steel sliding through the cloth and leather that covered it, spells humming like freshly made lightning, muscles taut and nerves stretched. Running in mad dashes and desperate sprints, heart racing like it wants to escape my ribs, thump-de-thump-de-thump pulsing in the ears, insane rhythm of a mad drummer. Pure undiluted joy, a high like a wave, like a tsunami that drowns you, scrapes and bruises, tired muscles and stretched ligaments, pain like pleasure, pleasure so sharp it could just as well be pain, blood on your flanks in red and yellow, yellow and red, and you laugh, because you're alive, because you have won, with steel and fire and magic and will.
What will I do that could equal those nights?...
I felt the metallic taste of copper, where I bit the stem of the pipe, crumpling the metal as I teetered on the edge of another shake.
"You don't know me..." I said finally, the warm drink and cold water holding me steady. "I'm not like that! I'm..." a good pony I wanted to say, and yet the words would not leave my muzzle.
"I've fought you, and you've fought me, little princess, and there was no place for a lie in the fight we shared. You enjoyed it."
"No, I didn't!". How could somepony normal enjoy fighting and hurting other ponies? I certainly was nothing like that. I was nothing like her.
She relented, moving back to her own hookah.
"Deny it if you wish, but we are of one blood, you and I."
I wanted to tell her that she was wrong - but all the easy words of denial felt hard and trite and empty. I said nothing, opting to hide behind my drink instead, fleeing the conversation and my own thoughts.
"Fine," Green waved her hoof, letting go of the conversation. "Why don't you ask me something for a change?" she offered.
"Really?" I looked at her suspiciously. I would never have expected her to offer something like this.
"One question." She cooled down my enthusiasm "Ask me anything, little princess."
That was so unfair! I had so many questions - about her magics, about her knowing Daring Do, about the things she did to me and for me...
"Why..." was all I managed to say before my voice broke. It was enough for her to guess my meaning.
"Why do I help you, little princess? Why do I ask you those questions, tell you the rules?" She exhaled the pipe-drink through her nostrils, the smokey water curling around her muzzle. "Maybe because you remind me of myself when I was young and stupid. Maybe because I am basically irrational. Or maybe because you have potential, and there is no greater treasure for a teacher than a good student."
"You're a teacher?" I couldn't help but ask. I've had many teachers, and not all of them taught academics, but she -- she was like none I've seen.
She looked at me, almost insulted by my look of disbelief. "I've a degree in Foal Development."
"You - a teacher?" I tried to imagine her in the classroom, drawing up letters for the foals. Mind boggled.
"Yep. Fully credentialed."
"With this?" I looked down her flank at her cutie mark, the green sorcerous flames, that seemed to animate when the subtle currents of the underwater city tickled her short fur.
Almost despite myself, I reached out and touched it. Unnaturally warm even under water, it burned my hoof with the heat of her body.
She shrugged. "Burned hoof teaches best... and speaking of lessons - there is one coming up now."
Turning my head left and right I finally figured what she was talking about. A bunch of seaponies were... they weren't doing anything. Not yet. But the way they moved, the way they looked... I knew what was going to happen, and my heart beat a touch faster.
"Somebody shined a bit too much coin." She teased, though without much reproach. "And the little princess forgot to look around."
There was a table-full of them. Most of them stallions, all getting to that point where pleasantly tipsy becomes aggressively drunk. One of them - a bigger one, his scales the colour of copper, said something looking our way, and the whole table exploded with snickering laughter.
Green's answer made me giggle again into my pipe, and the stallion grew so red, I thought he would have an apoplectic fit on the spot. He floated up from his hammock, and the whole bunch of them drifted towards us.
I ran quickly through my mental arsenal, lining up the spells for the fight. My usual choice of fire or wind was obviously out, but there were a few spells I was just itching to try out underwater--
"Do you want to have at it, pumpkin?" Green asked as if offering to share a dish. "It is your fault after all."
"I.. no!" No, I did not. It was not what I wanted, not what I was. I shook my head forcing myself to extinguish the spells that I already half-assembled, squashing angry, sharp thoughts in my mind like bugs.
"Suit yourself." She jumped out of her hammock, landing softly in front of the tan seastallion, and the cloud of seaponies fell apart, surrounding her. They had the numbers and were in their own element. Swimming around Green in circles, like sharks around their prey, they probably thought themselves scary.
Only the copper-scaled stallion floated in one place, hovering over Green.
"You want to repeat that, little mare?" he tried to stare down Green Glow
"Don't... don't hurt them too much," I asked her weakly. Despite myself, I could not help but feel the anticipation of the inevitable fight tying sweet knots in my belly.
"Don't worry, princess," she scoffed, "I'll be downright gentle..."
Something glinted in the stallions forehoof, while she was turned to me. A thin steel needle -- a weapon meant to slip easily in the water, and before I could raise my voice in warning, it found its way between Green's ribs, burrowing into her side. A small cloud of blood smoked from the wound, colouring the water red.
She moved. Not a flinch of pain or surprise, but a subtle flex of her abs, trapping the knife, the thick muscles like fibres of a wooden statue. She looked back at the stallion that tried to cut her, with a slow, heavy gaze, and flicked her ear in irritation.
And only then, when the dull incomprehension in his eyes gave way to fear, she began to move.
Over time, I would hear a lot of comparisons for fighting. Some would liken it to ballet, others - to speed chess. Morons. Real, life-or-death fighting is nothing like an art or a game. It's nasty and brutish, and more often than not it's over before anyone has time to process what is going on.
What she did though, was as close to poetry in motion as I've ever seen, when she moved slowly under water, pushing through it with brute strength. It was like a dream of somepony fighting, a beautiful nightmare you don't want to wake up from. She powered through their haphazard strikes and panicked defences like they weren't even there, her long legs coiling around the attackers, always hypnotizingly-slow under water, always just faster than them, just in the right place to grab and to twist and to crush.
Strength. Endurance. Grace.
The magic of the earth ponies, more potent than the highest sorceries of Canterlot.
I wanted to join her. I wanted to run away. Instead, I took another drag from my pipe, letting the tingling, itchy sensation settle deep in my chest, and watched until it was over.
Giving the last look to the floating bodies of the unlucky stallions, she stretched - the familiar languid motion, like a muscular wave from the snout to the tips of her hooves, dumping the excess energy of the combat into the ground. I could almost feel the pulse of the energy as it dissipated, and Green was once again as calm and nonchalant as she was before, switching instantly from the predatory intensity of combat to relaxation of the girls' night out.
She threw a coin on the counter - old gold, one of Ahuizotl's coins, in a wide, lazy arc of glinting metal in the silence of the tavern.
"Are you alright?" I asked. Even knowing her unnatural vitality, I could not help but worry about the stab she took because I distracted her.
She glanced down at the no longer bleeding mark. "I'm fine. It's just a scrape". She stretched again, testing out her body. "The flesh shall serve the will. Come on, pumpkin. We have a pub crawl, which means you gotta crawl!"
And so we crawled. Pub to pub, watering hole to watering hole, all ramshod and rickety, grimy and dodgy, and it was glorious.
We pinned the tailfins on the seaponies - a game much more fun when you're tipsy - and she taught me to move without seeing, whispering advice into my ears, and the warm water of her breath tickled my coat. We tried drinks, exotic and impossible in the surface world - some weird and amazing, some that were awful and probably would make me go blind if I inhaled any more.
And on the way back Green bought me a snow-cone -- a little gesture of affection, strange for the usually abrasive mare. It tasted like no fruit I've ever tried, sweet, tangy and tart, and I ate it while we walked back to our rooms.
"Want to join me?" she asked, opening the door to her room. "I don't have any coffee, but I did stash some Griffinstonian brew."
"No, I'm beat..." I answered before the full implications of her offer hit my alcohol-addled, sleep-deprived brain, "...oh."
She raised a single eyebrow, and I gulped, my gaze trailing on her cutie mark perhaps a touch longer than was strictly necessary. "Err. Uhm. No, I... err, yeah, totally beat, ehheh. Rain check?"
She laughed her deep velvety laugh, and turned away, swishing her tail side-to-side just wide enough to make me regret my decision, before disappearing into her quarters.
"If you change your mind, little princess, my door is always open."
I stared dumbly at her half-closed door, my mind finally catching up with my mouth.
Stupid...
Why did I say no? For all that she scared me and pushed me and made me think those thoughts I wanted to lock away and never think, still I liked her. Not just liked - I liked her liked her.
Stupid!
I made my way into my room and bed - my cold, empty bed.
Stupid.
If only I would've said what I've wanted...
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Her taut muscles, pressing into my body...
Stupid.
...her black lips, feverishly hot...
"Oh, I'll be downright gentle, little princess..."
I closed my eyes.
Stu...
Sleep has claimed me, as soon as my head had touched the pillow, and though I would not remember what I dreamt of, it was definitely not a nightmare. ***
Seated on a terrace of the central palace, high above the city, we had the perfect position to see the whole city respond to the first note sung by the Voice of the City. The same three seaponies, pink, and yellow, and blue, hanging in the air, shining with the power of their pearly magic, they sang a single note, three voices as one.
The sealadies and sealords invited to the dinner followed, adding their voices to the song, then the servants and the stewards in their liveries, and the song grew and spilled ever onwards.
Beneath, in the streets and channels of the city, everypony who heard the call stopped what they were doing, like Saddle Arabians responding to the call of the mu'addhin calling the loyal to the midday rest. But instead of resting, the seaponies who heard the call floated up in the air, sparkling with the auras of the Mother-Pearl and added their voices to the song, passing the call further on, and turning a single note into a thousand-voiced symphony. Horns of the guardsponies joined to the melody, and the wind, subtle and circular rose throughout the city, moving the stale air and ringing the tinkly bells hanging off every house and above every channel.
The music they made was an unearthly, fractal melody that folded into itself with infinite voltas and reprises, a wordless tune turning into a song in a language I did not quite know, and yet could understand.
It spoke of the memory preserved through the darkness of the time, of loss, and of the love of the seaponies to that city of theirs. Love that was above their love for the stars, and the air and the sun, the love that endured for a thousand years and would endure forever, even after the stars would fall from the sky, even when the air would be exhausted, even after the sun itself would burn out and be extinguished.
The city shone in response to their song, love of the city to its ponies made manifest. Towers and gems and channels released the magic they stored in shimmering mists. From every corner it rose, strands of pure energy in every colour of the rainbow, gathering into the centre of the city, where beneath us, hidden in the depth of the palace like a treasure in the folds of the lotus, the Mother-Pearl slept.
As the mists disappeared into the palace beneath us, so did the seapony song grow to a close, the same way it started. Silent grew the wind and the bells. Horns stopped their calls. The seapony auras extinguished as they lowered into the channels of the city, and only one, endless note remained, still held by three voices becoming one.
Then, silence reigned.
In that silence a spark was born, a pulse of magic like reverse lightning rising from below along the golden spire, in a single rolling wave of such immense power, that it made my horn tingle, and the sparks of static crack along my coat. The white-golden wave of it climbed to the top and touched the dome that kept us from the ocean.
It wobbled, the whole structure contracting and expanding as if taking one gigantic breath. The top of it opened in ripples to let out a bubble of air, and let the water in instead. It fell with a thunderous, deafening roar, a brilliant waterfall in every color of the rainbow, along the spire spilling into the terrace-like reservoirs that made up the palace and rushing further down along the channels of the city, filling them again with water, powering the seapony machines, turning their waterwheels and feeding their steam engines as it went ever down.
But I no longer cared, because the seapony servants, released from the song, had finally brought in the food. I've had ample sleep after last night's diversion, my hangover was over and now I was ravenously hungry.
Dozens of tiny platters were brought by a cavalcade of servant ponies and thrown across the table -- dishes of seaweed, plankton and krill grown in the water and darkness, the strange fruit of the sea, unknown oin the surface world, the fishes I could not even try to name, and like the rarest of delicacies -- a dozen red apples on a golden platter in the center of the table, eyed hungrily by every seapony in the room.
The Sunken City spared no expense on welcoming the Elder
The Voice sat down, their nacreous auras dulled to the normal shine of the protective field and nodded, signalling the start of the meal. The company -- me included -- fell to with gusto, the servants weaving in and out to keep the tables filled with food as fast as it was consumed.
Unlike most of us, the seapony trio picked at their platters daintily and Ahuizotl not at all, too busy conversing with each other. The Elder's impatience shone through in every gesture of arrogant demand, while the Voice kept their muzzles as still as masks.
"You eat fish, little princess?" Green distracted me from my vicious attack on the nearest plate. She herself didn't follow my suit, picking only seaweed and other plants out of her dish.
"Yeah." I dunked the nearest slice of fish into some sort of black jelly-like sauce and dug in. It was deliciously salty with just the right amount of sour. "My mum loves all sort of exotic foods and travels a lot, so we're always eating Neighpanese or Mustangolian when she's home. Love the stuff. You gonna eat that?"
She pushed the plate towards me without a word.
"Here." I threw her an apple in return -- that seemed the thing to do after yesterday's fiasco. "An apple for the teacher."
"How sweet." her tone was neutral, but I could sense her amusement. "Might just have to keep you after school."
"This is some good stuff." I attacked the new dish to cover the nascent blush of embarrassment. I hoped to see any hint of distaste on her muzzle out of the corner of the eye as I bit into the flesh of another undersea creature, but she gave me no such satisfaction. "I should totally ask for a recipe -- I'm pretty sure she never tried anything like thi--"
"Give me what's mine, you little shrimp! What I've once given, I can also take away."
Ahuizotl's roar cut our chatter short, his fist slamming into the table and making silverware shake and jump up.
"No, you cannot," The seaponies sang, unperturbed by the Elder lashing out.
"You are diminished."
"... broken."
"... but a shadow of what you were."
"Without the coin, you don't have the strength. Else you would not need it in the first place"
Ahuizotl growled, baring his teeth, but did not contest the notion. Then, suddenly, he smiled.
"True, I do not have the strength. But you swore to me once, when you came grovelling for my power to save your pathetic little city, and those oaths still ring true. It would not take my full might to call upon those words."
It was now sea-ponies time to stay silent.
"What was it that you said to me then, when my power was still great, and my brothers still roamed the earth?"
He stretched his forepaw over the table as if dowsing for the very roots of the city.
"'By the foundation of the City,' your mothers swore to repay your debt..."
The earth convulsed.
"'By the hearth and the mortar,' your fathers gave your oath to me..."
The buildings groaned and shook, plates cracking and silverware falling off the tables.
"'By the walls and the halls'..."
Ponies screamed behind the halls, and the pearly dome outside bent and wobbled.
I watched Ahuizotl summoning the Deep magic, the kind I did not know even existed in Equestria, and it was as if I saw him for the first time. Now, beneath the veneer of old greed and jealousy and hatred, behind the cracked facade of the kingdomless king, you could almost guess the power he has been once. A cunning magician and a fierce foe, magnanimous to his allies and terrifying in his vengeance. An almost rival to my Princess.
The seaponies folded like so much wet seaweed.
"Enough."
"Stop."
"Please."
"We honour our oath, Elder. Great was your gift and your favour, and great is our debt, but there is another to whom we owe just as much."
"Who would dare to claim that which is mine!?"
"Nightwatcher."
"Mantle-Bearer--"
"DARING DO!" Ahuizotl's roar interrupted the third seapony, when said pegasus flew up on the terrace.
"Looking to make the Voice into a full barbershop quartet?" Daring Do quipped, landing on the floor. "They could use a good baritone, if you ask me."
I looked at her grimly, as she joined our table. Daring Do, who began to stuff her face immediately, as if without a care in the world, did not follow us here for idle amusement. She was surely aiming to foil our plans, to stop Ahuizotl again. Stop me.
The images of our last fight replayed in my mind, and I wondered if, when the time would come, I'd be able to do what I had to.
"She also lays claim to the treasure you seek, and she also has a right to it," the seaponies concluded, ignoring the hero's little quip and Elder's interruption alike.
"What possible claim--" I could see Ahuizotl's paw dig into the heavy goblet he held, as he battled his temper. He was almost successful, keeping only barest of hints of rage in his voice. "--could she have that surpasses mine, ponies?"
"She has given our treasure back to us."
"Our protection."
"Our magic."
"The Mother-Pearl."
Everypony touched their pearls with their forehooves, looking down, where beneath us the Mother-Pearl was hidden.
"When it was stolen, she has found it. Returned it back to us."
"YOU WHAT?" I lost my voice for a second at the absurdity of what I've just heard, shouting out of turn and jumping up to the pegasus, hanging over the table and getting right in her smug, grey, nonchalant stupid face. "You had the Treasure of the Sea in your hoof, the key to every underwater magic EVER, the artefact of impossible power and the best you could do is throw it in a lake?! Do you have any idea what magical advancements could be gleaned from that thing? What could be done with it!?"
She pushed me away with her hoof and shrugged. "It was not mine. It was theirs."
I had no words. This was beyond idiotic, beyond treachery even. To have such treasure and share with no one--!
"Do not war, guests of the sea. Tonight we ask for truce," the seaponies chimed from the sidelines.
I sat back, still seething, unable to let go of the thought of what I could've done with an artefact of such power. That righteous, self-absorbed... chicken! Next time I would not go so easy on her, if only in revenge for all the scientific advancements not made because of her "generosity".
"A promise was made."
"A reward was promised,"
"An oath was sworn."
The seaponies continued, once I was done with my outburst.
"Any one thing the hero demands would be granted."
"And I want the coin, Zoti." The fabled adventuress stuck out her tongue at Ahuizotl. "Nyah."
"As you see, Drowner, we must needs to...
"...meditate."
"...consider."
"...take counsel--"
"Ponder all you wish, ponies," Ahuizotl said, in a low, heavy tone, his paw mangling the bronze of his glass as if it were wet clay. "Meditate to your little hearts' content, but do it quickly, for I have been promised an answer today. And choose wisely, lest you think you can cheat me out of what is mine with no consequence."
He reclined back in his chair, his final words leaving his threat hanging in the air, and making seaponies look down upon their plates in silence.
I too have returned to my plate, but the exotic foods did not seem as enticing any more, and as the anger of my outburst abated, the cold feeling of fear replaced the barely sated hunger in my belly.
"Eat, pumpkin." Green poked my side with her hoof under the table when I failed to notice the plate she moved towards me. "You'll need your strength."
I followed her advice, though now the food now tasted bland and there was no more joy to be found in teasing her with my choice of dishes. I picked slowly at the greens and the fishes, more playing with the food than eating in the oppressive silence of the room until...
"Such is our decree."
"Decision."
"Verdict."
The three seaponies rose from their seats to announce.
"Two have laid their claim. Both have the right and none can we deny. Thus we open our treasury to you. Take that which you desire most, and so let your desires be sated and your claims satisfied.
"One thing you'll take."
"... desire you'll see fulfilled."
"... dream you'll have come true."
"And nothing more, or you'll be forfeit."
"We want the same thing, so why would I chance for what is rightfully mine?" Ahuizotl shrugged nonplussed. "I have no time for petty games."
Finally, Daring Do stopped stuffing her face and leaned back away from the table, patting her belly with her wing. She burped loudly in satisfaction, the uncouth lout.
"Heard at least one of you has a taste for gambling." She winked at me. "How about a round of double or nothing?"
Ahuizotl steepled his fingers and raised his eyebrows, inviting the hero to go on.
"I get your coin and it's mine to do as I want. The debt of the City is cleared, and you leave these ponies alone."
The Elder snorted in derision. "And if I win? What do I get then? Other than what belongs to me already." A wave of a bitten apple in his tail-paw underscored his sentiment.
"Me."
Everypony stared. I сhoked, my frantic coughing resonating in the sudden silence like a badly tuned flugelhorn.
"Any trap, any trial. Your choice. Like good old times, eh?"
Ahuizotl reclined back in his seat, pondering.
"I do love my death traps," he admitted. The tips of his claws touched slightly as he mused. "And the reward is most worthy."
The crunch of the apple he bit echoed through the terrace, as everypony waited for his decision.
"So be it then," He finally declared, reclining in his seat and picking up his misshapen glass to salute to Daring Do. "Let the City be witness to our deal."
I let out a breath I did not know I was holding. A fair contest was way better than a fight.
"So be it," the seaponies echoed Ahuizotl's words. "Both of you we shall hold to your deal."
"So, how are we doing this?" Daring Do asked, all business-like. Waiting until last possible moment, she snatched the last apple right from under the Elder's paw and tossed it to one of seaponies at the table.
"Tomorrow, while the water flows, the entrance is open," the seaponies declared. "As it was promised, any one thing will be yours for the taking. But there are the protections even we can't disable easily."
"Only the few may pass"
"Only the Voice of the City sings inside"
"Only we are allowed"
"The first challenge shall be the Drowner's to pass. The second - Nightwatcher's. If one should fail, the fallen shall be forfeited and the other may try. Should both fail, our obligation will be done."
I looked at the Elder. That was not what was promised initially -- there was no talk of challenges and guardians, but the Elder just rolled his eyes and waved his forepaw to allow it. The principal agreement has been reached and there was no sense in pushing the seaponies any further.
Especially, I guessed, since he would not have to do anything himself.
"Tomorrow then." He threw the mangled glass onto the table and stood up. Green followed suit.
"Tomorrow." Daring Do fluttered from her own seat as well.
The seaponies rose wordlessly from their seats, and the servants opened the doors for us. The dinner was done, the show was over and the answer seaponies promised Ahuizotl has been given. ***
"Come on, little princess, time to go. The seaponies are about to sing."
She pulled the pillow from under me, dumping me half-awake on the floor.
"Green!" I shot up. My neck, bent out of shape while I slept popped and cracked, shooting a lance of pain along my spine. "I wanted to talk to you..." I tried to collect my thoughts muddled by sleep. "About, you know. That thing. The other night?"
I wanted to catch up with her, yesterday, after the dinner, but she slipped away right after the meal and wasn't anywhere I could find.
Unwilling to go out by myself and afraid to go out bother the Elder with the question, I spent the day stalking around the museum studying the ancient carvings and statues, until I fell asleep in an armchair by the door -- an idea that now bit me in the back with a vengeance, as every movement of made my spine crack and pop.
"Not now, pumpkin. Don't want to be late."
"But I--"
Under her glare I withered, my thoughts falling apart like a badly stacked house of cards.
"Go." She pushed me towards the bathroom. "Five minutes."
A quick wash and panicked scrambling to get my cloak and saddlebags, my mane wrestled into a semblance of shape and my neck popped straight, I was ready and willing to follow her in under three.
We followed - without talking - the shimmering auras of magic flowing above every street to the palace. The seaponies sang. The crystals shimmered. The magic flowed, making my horn tingle and itch. It was as beautiful as the first time I've heard it, but I could not help but wonder if those who lived in the city eventually grew tired even of this ethereal beauty.
Ahuizotl sat wrapped in his cloak on some sort of monstrous seat meant only for him and waited. Deep in his thoughts, his tail-paw played idly with his golden necklace while he watched the plain bit of wall with unfocused eyes, peering somewhere deep beyond and below the stone with the same glance that seaponies had when you mentioned the Mother-Pearl.
It was there, I guessed. Some sort of treasury or vault beneath the palace, protected by the traps and guardians that we were to overcome. The Mother-Pearl would be there. So would the coin, and I could not even venture a guess what other artifacts and wonders.
Once again the song ended, and the soundless discharge of magic ran along the spire and touched the dome, making my ears pop with the colossal magnitude of power involved. The water rushed along the waterways of the palace in rainbow waterfalls.
The seaponies descended from their air, settling around us on the roofs and balconies. They looked like the stars falling from the dim twilight sky, shrouded as they were in their glimmering magic auras.
The Voice of the City were the last to join us, surrounding us and the Elder.
"The water flows, Drowner," they said in their musical unison. "The first gate is yours."
A gate? I saw no--
"Open."
"Open."
"Open"
The three seaponies sang, their voices taking the familiar peculiar overtones. Some invisible mechanism groaned and shook within the wall, fed by the seapony magics and the water flowing through it.
A gate slowly opened in what I thought was a seamless stone wall.
I couldn't quite figure out what was inside at first. It looked like a tangle - scales and canines, slithering and twisting like a knot of snakes, each as big as the quarray eel. A reptilian body, sleek and small, shining dull colours of copper and brass, interlaid with steel chains that tied it to something within its den. Tiny legs, that seemed alien on the creature's frame, but sharp and deadly, glistening with green ichor....
"A hydra!" Ahuizotl noted with amused surprise.
An old one too, each of its dozen necks as wide as the tree trunk, each maw big enough to gobble a grown pony in a single bite. A dangerous creature -- single-minded, almost impossible to cause any lasting harm to, poisonous to the last blood cell, and nearly as vicious as it was dumb.
"I remember, in the days past," Ahuizotl continued to no one in particular, "It was just a minotaur with an axe. You've stepped up, little ponies."
He stretched his hand to stop Green before she jumped at the challenge and stood up, his cloak dropping behind him.
"But if you think this is an obstacle for me, you are sorely mistaken."
He walked towards the hydra, his words growing louder and angrier with every step.
"You think I am a has-been. A broken creature, a shadow of the past. Nothing but few old debts and promises, a usurer, withering over lists of ancient favours long since gone stale, a beggar with his paw outstretched. But I am Ahuizotl the Drowner, Prince of the Deeps, little ponies, and it is past time you remembered what I am."
He stopped, halfway into the arena, waiting for the beast, and rolled his head, his joints clicking, ancient gold glinting and shining in the rare light.
The hydra roared and charged, its tiny legs carrying its cluster of heads with surprising speed.
Ahuizotl lifted his eyes to stare at the creature, and power, slow, thick, and tangible rose around him like a tidal wave.
The beast shivered and slowed down. A twitch ran down its scales, a wave of seizing muscles bulging out its skin. It stumbled as if forgetting which way its legs move, waving all the necks in chaotic tangles.
Slowly, like a centuries-old tree, it fell on the ground by the Elder's feet with a great thunderous crack of its skull against the stone.
There, under his unrelenting gaze it rasped and spluttered, coughing up splashes of water, twisting and scraping at the earth, and then with a few last agonizing convulsions, it finally grew still.
Ahuizotl turned away from it, slowly. His eyes glazed across Daring Do, still full with the pressure of the power he had summoned. Her skin shone with an eldritch blue light in response -- a lining of runes I couldn't recognize underneath her grey coat, and she did not so much as sniffle, for all the Elder's might.
They stared at each other for a second before he released his power with an irritated growl.
"Don't worry, little fishies." The sight of seaponies pale under their scales when he looked at them has improved his disposition somewhat. "I have not broken your little toy. The creature will survive -- and it will remember me. As should you."
"So we will, Drowner." The seaponies' muzzles were bloodless, their voices -- quiet and even their preternatural harmony almost faltered for a second.
"The water flows, Nightwatcher." They turned to Daring Do. "The second gate is yours."
It was the sealords and sealadies -- the onesclosest to us, their chokers and earrings shining with gold and gemstones -- who had to sing this time, a twelve-fold harmony of voices, resonating with the magic gems inside.
The gate pushed outwards, opening up the wall of the castle and lighting up crystals beyond the hydra's den, revealing a corridor below, wide and long and full of metal.
Just as the lights of the crystals turned on, it groaned with the tension of metal on metal and began to move. Giant cogwheels, pendulums, and springs moving like an inside of a clock some crazy watchmaker lined with sharpened steel and jagged glass. Axe-like pendulums swung in every direction, spears pistoned across the hall, and every tile of floors, walls, and even ceiling was lined with a blade, spike or sharpened needles of steel or crystalline glass, all rotating and shifting. It was not just a random bunch of blades - there was a pattern to it, just like a clockwork or a puzzle box, islands of temporary safety, still in the deadly chaos.
The whole room, at least as large as regulation hoofball field, was one huge whirling deathtrap.
Even Daring Do whistled with respect at the sight and looked at it almost wistfully.
We moved closer, taking our places to observe - again Ahuizotl in the centre, the servants moving his chair as he walked, Green and me by his side, and the seaponies according to their rank and status all around us. The elevation of the corridor allowed us to see deep into it, to watch every move Daring Do would make.
At first, she was confident. Almost lazy. She'd stand on the temporary safe spot, an instant of calm in the sea of blades and spears and watch the swinging pendulums and spring-powered scythes with her head turned sideways, counting and studying. Then there would be a simple step, or a weightless jump, steel swishing so close to her coat she could've used to shave the tuft off her muzzle.
She was dragging out the time, waiting for the water to run out, and the seapony machines and contraptions to stop along it. The door would then close and the Elder would have to waste another day, waiting for the seaponies to sing again. That, however, was before she had missed her mark.
She did not miscalculate, she did not slip -- she just hesitated, at the last instant before the jump, the slightest give of her rear-left leg.
I can only imagine what she was thinking, in that fleeting moment when she knew that she would land on the edge of the whirling buzz saw instead of the safety of the firm stone, but she made her decision instantly, whether right or wrong. Her wing unfurled, adding a single flap to get her to safety. A single flap, a single moment her wings were open, and the swinging pendulums clipped her.
Just barely. The five-ton weight only touched the last inches of her alulas, as she twisted her body into muscle-rending corkscrew between two traps, but it was enough to send her into a spin and take her of course. From that point there was no more lazy precision, no careful calculation, only raw, desperate speed and nigh-impossible agility as she jumped, tumbled and spun, slipping and regaining her footing, jeopardy to jeopardy, danger to danger, navigating the labyrinth with nothing but pure reflex and nigh-blind luck.
She made it through.
I sighed with relief.
Bruised, battered, bleeding from dozens of cuts and abrasions, Daring Do was alive, pushing with the last of her strength on the bar that held the door open.
Silence was deafening.
All could hear the gnashing of Elder's teeth before he reluctantly clasped his paws in silent applause. And as everypony stomped on the ground, cheering the hero's hard-won victory, I could not hear the falling water anymore.
The last trial -- for us, and for Daring Do -- would have to wait another day.
It took all of the seaponies now, both the Voice and the nobles to sing the note that opened the path to the final gate. The clockwork trap moved around us, folding onto itself and retreating into the walls, revealing the third gate beyond.
Unlike the steel and copper of the traps, or seamless white masonry of the palace, the third gate was rather crude - no more than a dolmen of barely cut stones, adorned with nothing but uneven writing burned into the granite:
Treasures unequaled within me lie and everything you ever wanted is here.
Pleasure destroys the best in mare; Truth destroys the worst.
If you have goal above happiness, then enter, otherwise let rest.
"The Labyrinth."
"The Treasury."
"The Heart of the City."
The seaponies not-quite-explained.
"Any one thing you may take. She who gets to the coin first shall be the one take it."
"So, Ahuizotl, how are you in a foot race?" Daring Do finished bandaging her cuts and bruises and was back to being her annoying cocky self, trying to get a raise out of the Elder. She mock-flapped her wings. "I'll give you a head start."
"The little princess will do it," Green said before the Elder could answer. Her hoof poked my side, so as to leave no doubts as to who shall be Ahuizotl's champion in the last trial.
"A unicorn racing the pegasus?" I protested, "Isn't that a little unfair?"
"It is not the fastest who comes first," the seaponies answered. "She who has..."
"...the strength..."
"...the will..."
"...the desire..."
"..shall be the first to reach her prize."
I stretched my hoof towards the gate, and a spark of power shocked me like static.
"Tomorrow," the seaponies said. "When the water flows." ***
I stayed at the mouth of the labyrinth long after everyone has left, feeling the draft of the strange power that came from it, and trying to divine the meaning behind the strange warning on the gate.
"You think too much, little princess." Green appeared out of nowhere behind me, as was her habit. "That's your problem."
I glared. It was not very effective.
"Come with me, pumpkin. I'll show you a secret."
"What secret?" A promise of secrets was definitely a distraction I could use.
"Now if I told you," She said, sounding awfully smug. "It wouldn't be a secret, now would it?"
I snorted and followed her. The creepy arch and the creepier message could wait until tomorrow. |
Sunset Shimmer and the Last Trial of Daring Do | Midst Angry Waves and Darkness Vague | "Here we are," Green announced with satisfaction.
I looked around, trying to figure out what the promised secret was. The place didn't look like much - a part of seapony city just like any other, a small building squatted in between two tall towers. No water wheels, no engines, barely any magical crystals to give us light.
"What are we doing here?" I finally asked, somewhat annoyed.
"Sitting here, thinking about the scary future, and big mean Daring Do ain't gonna do you a lick of good. But the first rule of fighting someone -- there is always a weakness, pumpkin. A chink in the armour." She slipped underneath me, yanking me up on her back, like giving a piggyback ride to a little filly so that I could see inside through the thin gap in the shutters, "You just gotta know where to look"
It was a room - a small and cramped apartment, made smaller by the furniture rearranged into barricades and obstacles for any who try to reach the mess of blankets, pillows and sleeping bags in the centre twisted into a pegasi-style nest.
Daring Do was there. She looked... tired. Not the incarnation of speed and grace and self-assured cockiness I was expecting to see, not a hero of legend. Her movements were slow, almost arthritic, as she tried not to bother the bandaged fresh wounds and the burns of her scrap with Green.
On the single non-upturned table of the room, a statue stood - a tiny idol, maybe a few hooves high. An ugly little thing in the image of a pony, roughly cut from porous stone and adorned with green jade.
She touched her forehead to the statue, grunting with the pain of the effort, and whispered strange, whistling words to the idol like a lover whispering sweet nothings to her beau. It animated, the shine of green and purple magic running over the mare's body, making the tattoos and symbols underneath her coat visible when they burned before winking out.
For a few seconds she stood immovable, as if trying to delay what came next, fighting against a burning, gnawing, inescapable need, before she unpacked an automatic injector from one of the pouches of her belt and tested the needle with her hoof, making sure that there were no air bubbles in the solution.
A touch of the injector to the artery along her neck was like an afterthought, hidden by her mane and the hiss of the mechanism so quiet I probably imagined rather than heard it.
Slowly her expression relaxed, and she finally curled in a ball down in her little nest of pillows and blankets, falling asleep.
I staggered back, dropping off Green's back awkwardly. She was using... morphine? Ace? Something else? -- it didn't matter. It was mind-boggling... and it made sense. That's what Green wanted to show me: We only see our heroes in their shining moments when they save the day. They - they get to live with the consequences. How many fights did Daring Do have? How many times has she saved the world?
How many bones did she have broken and never properly healed? How many ligaments torn, how many scars, infections, and weather-pains? If this adventure was any indication, it was a wonder she could still move at all, not that she needed painkillers to sleep.
"Why did you show this to me?" I asked, hoarse with the revelation.
"You're a quick learner, pumpkin." She mussed my hair, before settling her hoof to poke me in the forehead. "But you're still a little princess, with your prissy little princessy thoughts in your pretty little head. Against Daring Do, you'll need an edge." She nodded towards the home of the hero behind us. "That will be it."
She was... not wrong. Again. With my magic, I could probably beat Daring Do in a straight fight or even a fair race. Maybe. With her wounded and hurting and tired I had a chance -- if I could actually muster the resolve to fight the hero with my full strength. In the battle of wills and desire, confused and conflicted as I was, I'd need all the help I could get.
"Why me, then?" I asked out of sheer contrariness. "You do it then, or Ahuizotl, if I am such a-- " I made the air quotes with my hooves "-- 'princess'".
She shrugged "Big Blue has the impulse control and focus of a three-year-old. And mystical quests are not in my job description. That leaves you."
"Fine." It was a futile argument anyways. She was right... she always was, no matter how much it annoyed me.
I considered the problem, rummaging through the magics and sorceries I knew, fitting them like a puzzle with a new piece, and then I nodded, almost entirely sure. The very idea made me throw up inside my mouth, and that magic was not the sort they'd teach you in Celestia's school, but it would work. It would let me win, and that was all that mattered.
"But that's not the magics I can just cast off the tip of my horn. I'd need some things... not all of them common... or legal, at least not in Equestria."
"Alright."
"Alright?!" I ran after her - again. "You know where to find I don't even know what yet, in the middle of the city you've never been to? At night?"
She shrugged as if it were self-evident.
"How?!"
She looked at me as she trotted.
"There is always just one city, pumpkin. No matter who built it, no matter where and when the pattern is always the same - a city is a city is a city. Appearances may be different, but the function remains the same." She shrugged. "Besides, what do you think I was doing yesterday?"
"...Oh." ***
Whatever reconnaissance Green had done yesterday, it still took us quite a while before we found any substantial leads. It took a lot of sifting through the shadiest corners of the city, a lot of very insistent asking and almost all of my coin. It did not help that I was not entirely sure what was it we were looking for -- there were many things that could work, but most were rare and secret, much more so in a hidden City cut off from the rest of the world.
Without that, we would never find the place, no matter what Green may have been saying about all cities being the same. I, for one, could've walked through that little alley a hundred times and be none the wiser. Even the street itself was pretty hard to find -- a dead-ended offshoot between the buildings so narrow a loaded pony wouldn't be able to pass between the walls; and, at one point, just before you'd reach the place, the cancerous growth of the coral building across made you kneel to pass until your belly almost touched the seabed.
We passed down the narrow passageway, winding, slippery. By the light of cracked gemstone, we found the latch through which we made our passage to the long, high room, the water within thick and heavy with the sweet and musky scent of ethane. The inside was filled with the layers and layers of mats and hammocks, like a giant drunken spider's nest, and the sweet poison waxed and waned through, seeping through the jagged cracks in the floor in transparent shimmers.
The hall was lighted with a sparse magic light, dulled and distorted in the bent bronze mirrors that hung at odd angles across from the gems, reflecting the quivering disks of light, giving the whole place a strange, angled geometry that made it feel vast and cramped at the same time.
Through the gloom one could dimly catch a glimpse of bodies lying in strange fantastic poses, twitching and spasming, forelegs bent and heads snapped up on twisted necks, chins pointing upwards. Here and there the water would be disturbed when they suddenly coiled and arched, raising waves with their tails. Most of them were silent, but some muttered to themselves and others joined together, almost singing or chanting in strange, pitch-changing voices -- meaningless gibberish language, paroxysms of glossolalia brought with the spasms.
"You take me to the nicest places," I deadpanned.
Green just snorted, picking up an addict with her hooves. It protested weakly, pawing at her hoof. "We're in the right place at least. Look."
I moved closer, forcing the seapony's eyelids open and peering into the unseeing eyes of her little catch. We were in the right place alright -- the unmistakable net of ink-black capillaries on the jaundiced sclera, the stiff, anaemic movements and the subtle, sweet stench of subcutaneous rot proved both my worst expectations and my best hopes at once.
This establishment did not just offer little games with the Delfilly prophecy-gas. The ponies here weren't just chasing the colourful dreams and visions that beckoned with false meanings. These symptoms were a product of something far more serious and sinister. Something that we came here for, and something I really, really did not want to find.
I was not even supposed to know about things like this - it was definitely not in the curriculum my Princess has assigned me. But I was always curious sort, and in the same research that has led me to Ahuizotl and his quest, I've had to comb through much of the lore forgotten and forbidden in the shining Canterlot, and this was one of the worst of all of them, a bastard legacy of the Frozen North, ended up in the depth of the sea through ways unknown.
The darkest of the dark magics.
All it took was one moment of weakness, a single chink in the armour of the mind for the shard of the Black Gem to set its roots into the pony spirit. It would enhance their high, prolong and bring them almost more pleasure than they could endure... and it would keep them coming back for the next fix and the next, and the next, all the while binding their spirits and their will with darkness. Those in thrall of this magic would waste away - their minds turning dull, their bodies rotting from inside out and their spirits only desiring sweet oblivion of the drug-induced visions spiked with the magic of the black gemstone.
It was a perfect weapon, suited right for the very weakness I saw in Daring Do. She'd have no chance against it.
I breathed in deep to say something, the sweet fumes of the poisonous gas clawing at my throat, and I felt the familiar cramp and vertigo of the flashback as I saw my reflection in the yellow eyes of the seapony and his reflection in the reflection of my eyes, an abyss of infinite recursions...
...stood in the shadow of the school on the bank of a river, and the flame of my power the rising sun, coloured the land blood-red underneath my feet.
"Through blood and through law, all that beneath me shall serve!"
I said thought, and they rose from their knees, toy soldiers devoid of anything but their owners will.
Stupid, prissy, princess-y thoughts and doubts. This was no time to second-guess myself. I knew I had to win this, that I could not take any risk of defeat.
"Yeah, that's the place." My voice strained with the effort to seem normal. It sounded hollow and muted as if it was somewhere far off. "But the thing we're looking for will be hidden..."
I tried to move, slow and jerky, muscles spasming and cramping out of tune. I breathed in deep, feeling the sweet fumes of the poisonous gas claw at my throat...
The fire crept down my neck from the crown The ice crept up my limb from the staff turning my body red when the wings ripped out of my back in a shower of blood. turning my eyes and mane snow white.
A purple girl silly orange pony stood in my way, digging her legs into the ground.
I stepped over the crack, as we made our way through the hall, dodging the addict-filled hammocks. My muscles cramped with the shake, and I almost fell, but Green did not seem to notice. I breathed in deep, feeling the sweet fumes of the poisonous gas claw at my throat.
Those amethyst emerald eyes pierced me even from across the courtyard battlefield with their sheer intensity. Reality rippled, and a power, world-rending and heavy filled the air.
I shook my head chasing away the vision, and breathed in deep, feeling the clear, cold water bring me back to reality. We made it across, to the ladder that lead away from the hall, and now our way was barred by the bouncer who did not seem to be inclined to let us through.
"... and this is a bad neighbourhood," he grinned, with what I'm sure he thought was a menacing expression. "Why, there was a fight, just the other day..." The realization slowly dawned as he talked and he gulped, looking at us with sudden fear, "With the outsiders. Many ponies got hurt."
"Anyone crippled?" I asked, mildly concerned.
"No... they're all going to recover".
"Professional work, I'd say." Green looked him directly in the eyes.
He could add two and two together... and he did not like the result.
"Well?" She hurried him along.
He hesitated for another fifteen seconds, and I thought him a very brave pony for it.
"Downstairs." He passed Green the key and floated aside "Purple Room."
"Stay out, little princess," she said, stopping in the archway so that I couldn't follow her in. "Somepony comes by - you keep them here." Ignoring my feeble protestations, she turned the lock and slipped into the corridor behind it. "And stay out." The door clicked right in my face.
I sat on my haunches, back to the door, fuming. Being demoted to lookout did not sit well with me. I was an adult pony, I have proved myself in our expedition and I could handle whatever it is she was going to do.
"... So," I said, as the sound of steps behind the door became indistinguishable. "Busy day?"
The seapony clerk glanced sideways at me.
"... not really."
Silence dragged.
"Do you, like get tips for--" my next question was suddenly interrupted by a scream, sudden and unexpected rang from underneath -- a cry of pain. It wasn't loud, coming from afar, muffled by the door, but it was unmistakable - that was not the sound of the fight. This scream, the long, ululating, throat-ripping scream, it was a sign of something gone horribly wrong. Maybe Green...
I shook my head. I could not imagine Green screaming like that, no matter what the cause.
"It can't be her, can it?" I asked my involuntary companion. He shrugged unhelpfully.
I paced along the door, listening intently for any trace of sound. Seconds dragged by, each more unbearable than the next. And then again - a scream, primal and rippling.
Enough.
I couldn't just sit in the time-out corner when something was clearly not going to plan. I needed to act.
Somnos I whispered, releasing the spell I had prepared before the evening started. It unfurled, a thin latticework of a sleeping spell enveloping the pony. I adjusted him in the seat a bit and pried the door open.
The tunnel turned, and turned again, leading me to below the main hall, where the source of the poison gas was. On each flight the seaponies floated lifelessly in the air, choked out or knocked out -- by Green Glow, I assumed.
It ended in a cul-de-sac, with multiple coloured doors, all open wide and empty, save for a single purple door.I crept slowly along the wall, listening and watching for the merest sign of Green, spells buzzing at the tip of my horn, and slowly I peeped inside the Purple Room.
This room was not empty as the others were, crammed full of seaponies, hovering in the air. Nopony moved, so Green must've been knocked out or surrendered, and she needed my help... I forced myself to breathe, ignore everything and plan.
Six of them. Armed - knives and short spears, tipped with sharpened coral shards. All standing immobile around something in the centre of the room, obscuring my view save for a single glimpse of the pale green coat. They were big and strong. Raw, unpolished strength, untrained and unstretched, their own muscle would be their disadvantage, making them slow and clumsy.
With no magic and only crude weapons, I knew I could take them, even underwater, even in close quarters. I jumped in, spells at the ready, battle cry at my lips, and they turned to me, sharp bronze unsheathed and shining in the glow of the fluorescent crystals, too slow, too uncoordinated, too easy...
A scream - a third one, even more full of horrid, desperate pain, raked across our eardrums. Our nascent scrap forgotten, all of us turned to its source.
Green was standing in the middle of the ransacked room, over a mound of something blue, black and scaly, smoking slightly with dissipating reddish mist.
"Please..." it said, in a raspy, hoarse whisper, and slowly it dawned on me that this misshapen combination of scales and fins, looking more like a pile of rags than a creature, was a pony, a broken, bleeding, but still living thing.
"Tut-tut," Green tutted at us, like a teacher scolding rambunctious schoolfoals, as she gripped the extremity of the pony under her hooves almost gently. "Don't interrupt, or I'll have to hurt this little seapony more."
My opponents hesitated, unsure what to do. I froze too, uneasy about what was going on. Fighting was one thing, but this -- this was cold-blooded torture. It was so very wrong...and yet I found myself unable to intervene or even look away.
"Please," it repeated, clearly not for the first time. "Please, please, please..." a monotone, mindless chant of fear and submission, gaining urgency and fervour as it felt Green's grasp close on his limb. It begged and sobbed, no longer a sapient being, but instead a scared animal, a bundle of bleeding nerves, only able to say one thing, one unending, unstopping, droning supplication to the cruel, unheeding fate.
Somepony moved, perhaps shifting his position, perhaps even shuddering with the same fear and revulsion that I had felt, but it was enough. Green switched her grip and pulled, bones and joints lurching underneath the scales, bulging out his skin. A disturbing sight, accompanied by an equally unnerving squealing screech of pain.
Everypony froze again, afraid to even breathe, not to set off another shift of Green's hooves.
"Please..."
She leaned over her victim. "Give it to me," she said, with the exaggerated patience of somepony who has already repeated herself too many times. "Give me what I want, little pony, or there will be more pain for you."
Finally, the chant stopped, and it drew a breath with a sob, resounding in the silence of the room. Still defiant, despite the fear and the pain.
In my mind I took up his chant where it stopped, cursing and begging it to please talk before Green would have to do something else. Something truly horrible.
"You have many bones," she said, and her calm, bored tone entirely diverted from the grisly details of what she did made the whole thing surreal.
"The humerus..." She did something with the foreleg she held, promoting another set of screams.
"The radius..."
It shivered and shook, but still kept its mouth shut.
"The ulna...", she continued, her forelegs sliding along the now misshapen and oddly angled extremity. "I will break them, little seapony. I will break them so that the shards will protrude into the nerves. I shall shatter them in such a way that no doctor, no magic will ever be able to repair it. Do you understand?"
Besides my will, I imagined the thing she described -- a compound open fracture, a mess of broken bone and torn muscles, and I nearly threw up.
Whether it was that businesslike, distracted tone, the threat that carried the credibility of absolute, inevitable fact, or the silent pressure of our horrified gazes, it broke the seapony.
"I'll talk-" He muttered, barely audible. "I'll tell you where it is. Please..."
She broke his foreleg anyway. The sharp crack and jagged bone piercing through the skin. A scream cutting across my eardrums like the sound of nails on the chalkboard.
"Why did you do that?!" I shouted, finally snapping, from the cold and above all -- pointless violence of my partner, trying to push her away from him. She wouldn't budge, too heavy with her own magic.
She turned to me instead, quick as a whip and smashed her forehead into my face. Sudden, blinding pain turned my vision black, and before I could do anything, the next blow to my chest threw me on the ground and kept me there.
I tried to move, and her hoof that pinned me down took aflame, steam boiling in a thick plume around her leg, turning a bruise into a burn. I screamed and twisted, as she held me fast.
"Do not. Ever. Question me in front of others." She said calmly. "Understand?"
"Yes! Yes! I understand!" I screamed. I would've said anything to stop the pain, "Please!"
She moved her hoof down to burn a fresh patch of skin, dialling the pain from agony to merely torturous as she did.
"Shh, easy, pumpkin." Her lips touched my ear, her gentle tone clashing with her actions. "Listen carefully and don't interrupt."
I bit my lip, fighting back sobs and cries of pain, and tried to ignore the sickeningly sweet smell of my own coat and skin burning filling my nose. Pain, finding no release, filled my mind and crashed against the insides of my skull like a battering ram, becoming more unbearable by the second. It was my turn to pick up the chant of supplication now in my head, repetitive nigh-meaningless word bashing against the insides of my skull, urging me to prostrate myself before the thing that held me with fire and pain, to please, please, pleasepleaseplease, anything--
"First rule of life: An unprovoked, disproportional aggression scares ponies. If you do it to them, as I am doing it to you now..." she twisted her hoof, and my vision exploded with white-hot pain, as my body arched, almost snapping my spine in a futile effort to escape the burning hoof on my chest. Somewhere far I could hear a scream, only dimly aware that it was my own.
She relented for a second, leaving the place for her words to sink in, as her hoof kept frying off my coat inches at a time.
"...they remember feeling helpless. Feeling powerless to stop you. Feeling that you can do anything to them, at any time without reason or provocation and that nopony could stop you if you chose to do it again. That gives you power over them."
She nibbled my ear - a pinprick of sensation against the vast canopy of pain that was my mind.
"Do you understand why I did it now?".
I nodded, and suddenly the pain... it wasn't gone, but her hoof was off the burned line all across my barrel, and what remained of the pain was like a breeze compared to what was done to me a second ago.
I panted, regaining my breath, but I was not in any rush to stand up.
Green Glow was already back to her hostage, ignoring me completely, her back turned to me, and for a second I imagined that I could stab her in the back. A spell, a knife even, the one with the night-black blade, still stowed in my saddlebag - vengeance for what she just did to me. But even as I thought of that, I felt it within me: Fear. Helplessness. The knowledge that somepony next to me could at any moment turn into an unhinged, cold-blooded, torturing psychopath turned my knees to jelly and made my magic retreat into the depths of my mind.
She may have been insane, but she was right - after what happened I no more could've attacked her than I could've cut off my own leg. Any thought of revenge drowned in an icy sea of fear before I could even fully think it. ***
I don't remember how I got back to our quarters, save that the seaponies made no motion to stop her, scattering away from Green's presence, when she stole their little treasure or when she walked away dragging me with her back to our rooms.
I hid in my room for most of the day, trying to lie down so that my burned chest would not hurt quite as much. But even through the haze of the numbing spells, I could feel the constant buzz of the pain and even worse than the pain was the fear that made me shudder and tighten into a ball every time I'd spot a shadow under the door.
I fell in and out of the troubled short naps, filled with the same cold fear and numb pain that filled my waking hours until I woke up to the presence by my side, and if I did not scream with fear, it was only because the terror has frozen my throat shut.
She was there, by the side of my bed. In my room. Right next to me. I scooched away frantically, summoning my magics to defend myself, to run away, to do something before...
"Easy, Princess." She lifted both her hooves in the air, as she sat down, "I am here to help." She nodded towards a small jar of some sweet-smelling salve she left by my side.
"I-I am fine," I struggled the words out of my mouth, hoping it would placate her so she would go away.
"You're not," she said, any hints of warmness gone from her voice. "Get over here."
I could not argue with her. Not after today. Obediently, I got from underneath my blanket and trotted up to her so that she could reach my burn mark -- the one she herself had left on my barrel.
Her salve-covered hoof traced along the mark, bringing coolness to the burning wound, and despite myself, I shivered with pleasure as I felt her earth pony magic flow into me, easing my pain.
She laid me gently on the floor, as she kept working over the scorch mark, and I moaned a little from the sheer relief her hooves brought me.
"I won't say I'm sorry, pumpkin. You were stupid, and you broke my play, so I had to double-up. Otherwise, we'd have to fight all those ponies, and that would've been inefficient."
She dabbed her hoof in the jar again and returned to flooding my naked nerves with her magic. "First rule - you back my play or you back away. I will do the same for you. Then we can work together. Ok?"
"Y-yes." I nodded, avoiding her eyes. At that time I would've agreed if she said that moon was made of cheese and that Celestia was a stallion, lest her gentle ministrations turn into another abject lesson... but she also made sense. We were few and we had to back each other up, otherwise, we would fail in our mission - or worse. "I understand. I'm sorry."
"Never apologize, little princess. Makes you look weak, and in this line of work that is something you can't afford." She sighed. "Do better."
I fell asleep, my head on her lap, her hoof still tracing my burn with a gentle flow of her magic. ***
When I woke up, she was gone, and I was alone tucked in my cot.
I stayed in my bed for a while, listening to the seapony song, and the rushing of the water it summoned - the sounds that woke me. It was the time. Soon the treasury would be opened, and I would go in and bring out the coin of stone, the token of Ahuizotl's power.
I did not want to leave this room. Beyond the doors, a monster lurked, green fur and green flames, pain and fear, the mere thought of her making me want to curl into a ball. But then again -- I wasn't safe from her here either. She could come in at any time and it was not a monster that could be held at bay by a night light or hiding under a blanket.
Why would she do that to me? I touched gingerly the burn mark on my chest. It didn't quite hurt anymore, already getting better with the power of her healing salve and her magic, but the mark was there and so was the memory. I liked her. I trusted her and she...
I shut my eyes, trying to push away the memory of blinding pain and burning flesh.
It was my own fault. I clutched to this thought like a drowning mare grasping for a straw. She didn't really want to hurt me, she said so herself. It was my own fault that I screwed up, that I put the both of us in danger, so she had to do it. That was the only explanation that made sense. If I wouldn't screw up anymore, not like with the temple, not like with the stupid seapony gang in the pub, not like yesterday, if I just did better like she said, everything would be fine.
I dropped off my bed. I couldn't dawdle, couldn't wait for her to go get me and have to take care of me again. Grabbing my cloak and my bags I double-checked everything to make sure I didn't make any mistakes.
I would do better this time.
The Black Gem, on a simple iron chain, Green left for me, shone softly on the nightstand, its putrid magics dormant for a time. It fit snugly behind the pin of my cloak, and I could feel the pulse of its rotten power against my throat.
I would not make her fix things for me again. Fix me again.
I trotted out.
They already waited for me, Ahuizotl's tail-paw swishing impatiently.
"Are you ready, pony mine?"
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
"Let me see,"Green trotted to me and checked me over, testing the fit of my harness, fixing some tiny flaws and tightening the buckles with her teeth, until she was satisfied with the inspection. For one insane moment, it reminded me of my mom checking my dress for my first day of school.
It took all of my willpower not to scream.
"All right, pumpkin, you can do this. You get fifteen minutes head-start, then Daring Do goes in after you. Remember - breathe, focus, and if the push comes to shove, you have the Gem." Her hoof pushed gently on the still-tender skin of my chest "Don't let me down."
I nodded, and trotted to the entrance, reading the warning again. The letters have not changed from the previous time I read them and the warning was no more clear, but the power within, that I could feel with the surface of my skin, like a cold mist. That and the ominous warning at the doors -- it gave me pause. I got used to acting with somepony to back me up, but now I'd be going in alone, and it scared me.
Then another fear came, a memory of a flame and a scream, reminding that I had no choice in the matter. Sharp and painful, like a lash, it washed everything else away, and under the unyielding emerald gaze that I just knew was watching my every move, I took a breath and stepped into the darkness.
The treasury of the sunken city defied description or imagination.
Along the labyrinthine sequence of twisting corridors cut in the stone, rooms were strewn, seemingly without logic or sequence, each hall filled with more treasures than the next:
Riches almost beyond compare, perhaps equal to the royal treasury of Сanterlot - piles upon piles of gold and gems, moonsilver and orichalcum, jade and pearls the size of my head. Stones, ingots and coins covered the floors in mounds and hoards, uncounted and perhaps uncountable in their plenty.
Libraries, where stone tablets with knowledge ancient and arcane were stacked so high, the tops of the shelves disappeared into the darkness. The legendary knowledge of the sunken city, history preserved that has been lost to Equestria for centuries, new spells and new magics altogether hidden within.
Creatures that the surface language had no names for imprisoned in magic gems, promising power and service for their freedom, their blood-lust and might radiating off their prisons...
The magic I felt at the entrance permeated the labyrinth. It rolled with a green mist smelling faintly of peppermint and mangoes, messing with my mind and making me unable to distinguish between what was real, and what -- merely clever mirages and traps of the treasury, tempting me to break off my path; to go for this bit of magic, or this book or that gem. Everything seemed a little bit off as if in a dream, rooms swirling and flowing into each other as I passed them by.
At first, I did not particularly care for the temptation of the treasury: I had no use for gold or treasures, no matter how exotic or opulent. Knowledge could not avail me, else I would have long since found my solace in the library of Canterlot. Creatures imprisoned were of no interest - if seaponies could capture them, of what use could those be failures to me?
Even when something did catch my eye -- a description of magics unknown in Equestria, a book of history lost to time everywhere but under the waves, my chest would ache, with dull, pulling throb -- a reminder of the price of failure.
If only that were the greatest temptation of the labyrinth. If only that was all that the city had to offer.... but the deeper I got, the harder the magics of the place hit me, seeking out my heart's desires, and presenting them to me at every twist and every turn, as if trying to persuade me to leave my quest.
Mirrors, endless mirrors like doorways where I walked. Clear and mercurial, they were almost invisible - and what they reflected was not what was now, but what once had been.
"You have a very special gift, little pony." Princess Celestia smiled at me. "Unicorns with your abilities don't come up every century. Would you like to be my personal student?"
That was the promise behind the thin silver film of the mirror -- to turn back the tides of time. A single step to take me back to when I was happy, to when I was free. To when Celestia looked at me and saw not something broken...but I was not a child, not anymore. Though my heart ached, I trotted on.
"Hello, little sun", the white mare, svelte and delicate and strong like only Saddle Arabians are, said. "Come back to me."
The heat of the desert sun, the sweetness of the date wine, the touch that once held me fast against the cold of the night in the desert - all that was but a step away. Forget the coin, the knife, and the name, cross the thin line that separated what is and what could have been... but I was not a love-struck filly, not anymore. Everything ends, and this sun has long since set for me. Though my heart bled, I walked forward.
Were those mirrors a lie?
Not all of them.
There was a magic to this corridor, so concentrated it made my horn tingle with the energies and my head spin. All the power of the City-Under-The-Waves, all that the seaponies have hoarded for over a millennium, growing it the depth of the sea and mining it from the seabed, every single little drop of it was here. It was power enough to bend the space and time and more than enough to change the fate of a single unicorn.
"You can do your caribou voodoo all you want," I said, waving a freshly opened bottle of cider, "But there is just no way to cross-dimensional borders without a pre-existing sympathetic connection. That was conclusively proven by Clover the Clever!"
Salt-licks and cider all around, young and happy we were talking multiverse theory. No horn to call me to another world, no war, no death. Just me and my friends...but my chest burned with a sharp reminder, and I knew that I was not a friend. Not with nightmares and blood in my dreams, not with pain and fire on my mind. Though each step was as if upon a naked blade, I forced my way on.
Were those mirrors real?
Not all of them.
It would have been easy to trap the greedy and the hasty within an illusion, their dreams becoming their prison until their bodies rot away in the green mists of the treasury, never to be seen again. So much easier than to rip and twist the very fabric of the world inside out to make such wish come true. Perhaps that was what the warning at the doors had meant - truth or happiness, one cannot have them both.
I bumped him in the hip with a shoulder, and he bumped me back, the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. All was well in the world.
I slowed down, trying to catch the rays of the sun with my muzzle, and stood there for a few seconds, just enjoying the peace and quiet while it lasted. Birds were singing their chirpy accolades, and the summer was getting into its right, bringing warmth to the forest.
The world hung in perfect balance...
I put my hoof against the mirror sheen, and it rippled like water.
Was this mirror a lie?
It did not matter.
One step and I'd be taken back. Away from the doubts that threatened to rip me apart. Away from Ahuizotl and Green Glow and Daring Do. Away from the heroes and the villains, back into the war where you knew who your ally and your enemy was, where all that gave me nightmares and dreams filled with shameful, unbearable longing awaited.
Where he would still be alive, not pierced by my spell and a red-tailed arrow to his throat, bleeding slowly onto the snow.
I closed my eyes, but it didn't help - my memory filled the blanks, unfolding the inevitable chain of events, and I could not stop imagining it:
The fight and the argument. My stupid, selfish, hasty decision. The spells and arrows in the night and the blood-trailed retreat. The flashes of white and steel in the darkness of the cave. His eyes and mane turning white.. the flames coiling about him...my spell smashing into his defences like a battering ram...the red-tailed arrow in his throat...the light fading in his eyes...
Again and again, start to finish, an unbreakable chain of cause and effect. The chain the mirror promised to break and undo.
It was then that I understood, completely, to the roots of my soul - to make the next step, I would have to let my friend die again. I lifted my hoof....and I put it back down, staring at the mirror. That was just too much, too painful, too cruel a thing to demand. Torn between fear and desire, I froze, unable to look away, until I heard the sound of hoofsteps behind me. ***
I did not turn to look at Daring Do when she has finally caught up with me. I was too busy trying to hold my own mind together as it was ripped by an impossible decision that I had to make. Quietly she trotted up to me, and tentatively her wing touched my shoulder in a gesture of sudden comfort.
We sat in silence for a while, watching the mirror.
I wonder what desire did she see come true in the silver sheen of the magic veil, what failures re-written, what pains undone?
"Go home, little filly," she had finally said, gently. "You don't belong here."
I hesitated, feeling the warmth of her wing. Brave, kind Daring Do. There was little condescension in her tone - she honestly wanted what was best for me, even though I was on her enemy's side.
But she couldn't fix me, make me clean and good again. She could not make me forget the dreams of iron and blood, the nightmares of fire and magic and other worlds. Nopony in Equestria could. I had to get better. I had to be better - there was no other choice for me.
My horn lit up with a subtle light, seeping into the Black Gem on my neck, and lighting her with the dirty-black light.
No other spell would immediately incapacitate her - her own pegasus magic could protect her even if she could not dodge it in time. But this was a weapon uniquely suited against her.
I could see it seep into the chink she herself made in her armour, feel the call of the black magic sing its poisoned song to the leftover drugs in her blood, stretch and connect to the chemicals still bound to the neurons of her brain. The power that could hold a thousand in its thrall all focused on the single pony.
She stumbled on her hooves, feeling the sudden numbness of the drug hit her like a freighter train.
"Don't!" She fumbled for her tricks and tools, trying to do something, to move away. The true hero to the last, she tried to reason with me, a second's hesitation negating whatever was left of her speed.
I was not a hero. I hit her again, pouring more power into the gemstone.
"I'm sorry-" I started... and then I stopped myself. Apologizing was a sign of weakness, and I was growing tired of being a weak little filly. ***
When I finally stumbled out of the labyrinth, I was swaying like a drunkard, half-blind with exhaustion.
Green appeared out of nowhere by my side, holding me up.
I spat out the coin I still held in my mouth. It landed slowly by Ahuizotl's feet without making a sound, raising a little cloud of sand, quickly dispersed in the water.
"Nice work, little princess," Green Glow whispered to me almost tenderly and finally the horrid tempest of emotions that's been gripping me started to calm down. Too tired and numb to be afraid, I let myself lean more against her, burying my muzzle in her mane. She was warm and steady, a perfect counterpoint for the shakes and shivers that were still running through my body.
Green was beginning to take me away from the labyrinth when Daring Do appeared.
I strained to see what would happen with the hero, and Green stopped, letting me see what my magic and my treachery have done.
"Will you go back on your word, seaponies?" Ahuizotl asked, and though he did not raise his voice there was once again the steel in his tone, the power and the darkness of the depths he commanded.
"By our word we are bound, Elder." The seaponies answered, their voices as clear and beautiful as ever. "As you will, so shall it be."
"You are late, Nightwatcher." They turned to Daring Do and the guards surrounded the hero. "Thus you're forfeit. Your fate is Drowner's to decide."
I wondered briefly if there was any expression on their muzzles as they condemned the saviour of their city to Ahuizotl's decision.
"This shall be a spectacle for the ages," Ahuizotl declared almost regally. "My enemy merits no less."
"But Drowner..." The seaponies tried to protest. "The time--"
"Don't worry, ponies." He interrupted them with a wave of his paw." I shall stay the deeps while we are guests of your city. Now, for the Daring Do, I will need a hundred male puffer-fish, three dozen sharks, an immaculate black pearl..."
Daring Do did not protest or fight when they took her away. I wished that she would. That, however pointless it may be, she'd try to run away, to escape. But she was bound by her word, as all of us were.
It was too late for any of us to change anything. The lot has been cast, and none could change the outcome. Not the seaponies, now chaining the once saviour of their city. Not the hero, who gave her word. Not me, following Green obediently to the darkness of my room.
I looked at the tiny sparks of the seapony guards, carrying the hero to a dungeon until they disappeared into the tower.
It was too late. ***
Green let me rest while she packed our things and supplies, but not before making sure I was covered by every blanket she could scour, and giving me her flask.
Whatever was inside, it smelled like rubbing alcohol and tasted like boiling acid. The first sip made me splutter and cough like a child trying cider for the first time, setting my throat and stomach aflame. The drink must have had enough ethanol in it to kill a horse -- literally. Even if Green may have somehow been able to process it with her earth pony resilience, it must have meant a sure death for me.
I took another long drink, relishing the horrid, burning taste.
Surprisingly, I did not die. Instead, the fire in my belly it has started seemed to calm my shakes and shivers, taking the edge off.
I wanted to stay in the room, in the safety and warmth of the blankets, drinking the peaty, burning drink until I'd fall asleep or die of alcohol poisoning. Maybe Green would stay away and leave me alone or maybe she would come in to check up on me - I was no longer sure which of those I wanted and which I was afraid of.
But I couldn't. Somewhere there, in the beautiful white tower - I knew which one, I could find it in this underwater city - somewhere there Daring Do was chained and tied, and waiting for her doom. Doom that I have summoned through black magic and cheating.
It was not a question of me being a good pony - that notion was already dispelled when I watched a pony tortured and did not intervene, when I summoned forbidden magics against a hero who only wanted to help me. But there was something in me that demanded to fix it, the last bit of silly, princess-y thoughts in my head, and if ignored it, if I did not leave this room, if I let the fear make me stay, curled up and powerless before the mere thought of Green being outside, I would be stuck here forever. No matter where I'd go, no matter what I'd do, I'd forever stay the hurt little girl, curled under the blanket in the tiny room, afraid of the monster outside.
My limbs refused to listen when I tried to stand up and my chest flashed with a memory of the pain. I breathed it away and forced my muscles and my mind to obey the will, beating down the brewing shake before it could cripple me. With an almost desperate effort, my magic reached to open the door, revealing Green right there, almost on my porch.
She was lying idly, a hoof-file in her mouth and a journal in front of her. Arcane Monthly with Royal Astronomer Night Light smiling off the page. I froze mid-step, my thoughts lost and scattered like a school of frightened fish as soon as I saw her.
"Err... I was... I just..." I tried to stammer out a good excuse, my throat suddenly dry.
"Don't care, pumpkin." She cut off my jumbled explanation with a wave of her hoof, "First rule of life - never explain yourself."
I nodded nervously and tried to trot away before she could change her mind.
"Princess," Green Glow sighed, and pushed her journal aside, fixing me in place with her emerald gaze. "Let me give you a piece of advice."
To hear the usually mocking and indifferent mercenary so serious gave me pause, so I trotted over to her and sat on the ground by her side.
"You think life is complicated. There are good choices and bad choices, what you want and what others expect of you and what you want to see yourself as. The things you tell yourself and others, truth and lies, but it's not that hard." She leaned in to look me in the eyes, so close, I could almost feel her breath on my muzzle, sweet and a little bit minty. Fear and... something else rose from within me, as I sat there, transfixed by her gaze.
"You figure out what you want, and then you find a way to take it. Want. Take. Have; and then move on. That's all there is to life."
Before I would find the words to reply, she released me with a wave of her hoof, returning back to her hoof-polishing and reading.
Slowly I breathed again, making the first step away, into the eternal shine of the City-Under-Waves. Nothing happened. No voice to call me back, no touch of her green forelegs to drag me back
I took another tentative step, and then another.
Why did Green let me go? She must've known, there was no way she didn't know, what I intended to do. And yet she seemed content to just sit there with her journal and fiddling with her hooves, without a single care in the world, even though I knew without a doubt, just as I was sure that she knew, that a single word from her, a single glance, and I would not even dare to leave my room.
I longed for another drink of Green Glow's sweet poison, to chase away the ice in my guts and add to the buzz in my head to push away the thoughts.
Focus, little princess. Concentrate on what you're doing right now. Sort everything else later.
I shuddered when I almost heard her hoarse voice in the back of my mind, but she was right. I pushed my doubts and fears away, and ran faster, navigating my way back to the underwater dungeons. Steps turned into a trot, then into a full gallop, when I forced my body to move past exhaustion, hoping that the pain of protesting muscles would distract me from the doubts and fears.
Awareness. If you're not aware, you're worse than useless.
It was raining, for the first time in the City-under-The-Waves. The pearly dome slowly letting the deeps to seep through in the tiny, mist-like drops. The water ran in the streets, overflowing from the channels of the city, almost fetlock-deep now, and rising by the hour. The chaos of the seaponies, frantically swimming to and fro, in the attempts to salvage what could be salvaged, to hide from the waves all that could be hidden, to silence the forges and extinguish the fires, was a perfect cover for a lone unicorn to slip by unnoticed.
Breathe, pumpkin.
My every nerve stretched thin I crept through the coral tower, hiding in the shadows at the slightest noise. It was not hard to find it, nor to evade the nominal guard of the seaponies, even if not quite as perfunctory as their Canterlot counterparts or to find my way into dungeons. A memory of the silent raid of another castle in another world came to me unbidden, but I pushed it away.
A sleep-spell took care of the last few guards, and by the door of the cell, I hesitated.
Breathe. In and out.
My magic wavered when I picked the lock. It took me a few tries before I finally pried it open, and so before Daring Do I stood once more.
There was not much of a cell, behind the stone doors. A circular room lit brightly by a few crystals, with nothing in it bar a pony-sized stone slab of a table. Daring Do was tied to it by her hooves with wide stretches of seaweed used as restraints.
She raised her head to the sound of the doors opening and looked at me coldly.
Did she hate me? Was she disappointed? Was she scared? I'll never know.
"We're on the same side," I said quietly, "I've got it covered, and I need you to stay away."
I slipped her a knife. Not the one I stole from her, the one with the black blade, just a regular, blunted brass blade pilfered off the table on my way. If even a fraction of the tales of Daring Do's daring escapes were true, it would suffice.
Her eyes widened in surprise, but she said nothing.
"Please. Just don't. Don't follow, don't try to stop us. Please". I was rambling now, in hushed whispers. I was afraid... so very, very afraid. Of somepony noticing me. Of Green Glow changing her mind and following me here. Of my mission failing after all I've done. But most of all I was afraid that she wouldn't listen, and then we'd have to fight her again, and then....
I stopped my train of thought.
Breathe.
Still, she said nothing, her lips pursed tight and in her eyes an indomitable stubbornness, more fit to an earth pony than a pegasus. Maybe - just maybe - I saw the tiniest of nods. Or, perhaps, it was just wishful thinking.
There were no more words to say, no more time to spare. I gave the hero one last, begging look, and snuck out of the cell.
Through the flooded city, water now reaching to my flanks, shying away from the dying gem-light and grieving seaponies, silent as a shadow, when, ready to make the last turn to the old museum, I found the Ahuizotl, waiting outside with Green Glow.
The Elder turned to me, and the coin of stone hanging off his collar shone for an instant from under his cloak, I felt a glimpse of its power like a hoof file across the naked bone of my horn.
"Can we go now?" he whined impatiently.
"Yeah," Green said, giving me an evaluating look. "Little princess is done with her business." It wasn't so much a question as a statement of fact, and I could not but be grateful I had no need to disagree.
She tossed my saddlebags, already packed, towards me.
I nodded and put them on, feeling the reassuring slosh of her flask inside.
And then I trotted after her and the Elder, knowing that I did all that I could have done. ***
Ahuizotl guided us through the back alleys and forgotten eddies of side channels and water covering the streets and spilling from the overflowing fountains retreated before the Elders to give us the way.
"They shall follow us, ponies mine," he said, while we trotted after him. "The seaponies do not expect me to miss the last trial of Daring Do. Once they realize that we have slipped their city, there will be a chase."
I did not ask what he meant, or how he knew. I have heard the seaponies' song, and I knew that they would pay any price to get the Elder's coin back. Within the borders of the city, we were safe - they offered us their wine and shared with us their bread, and as guests we were safe. But once we crossed the border and went outside, all the bets would be off, and It would be good if we had some distance on our side once that happened.
The seaponies were not as trusting as Ahuizotl would want us to believe, and even with all the bustle of waterproofing and protecting their city from the flood, with all the busywork the Elder has tasked them with, they still spared the guards to the exits of the city, to catch our escape.
There were two of them, floating silently right at the edge of the air and water, clad in mails, girt with the belts with their seashell-horns and armed with eel-shaped spears. Spears they pointed at us when they saw us approach, the tips of their eel-like spears sparkling with the electric charge.
"Drowner--" one of them started, but never had a chance to finish. Without breaking his stride Ahuizotl's snaked out his hand, grabbing him by the tail, and bashing him against the earth, like a fisherman breaking a fish against the rock. The other guard reached for the horn on his belt to call alarm, but Green was already on him, her forelimbs dragging him down and drowning him in the coils of a sleeper hold.
"There will be a chase," Ahuizotl repeated, as I cast the sleeping-spell upon the ponies so that they do not wake and raise alarm until we are gone. "We will not be able to fight them underwater--"
"Not much of a plan, then," Green noted. .
"And even if we beat it, there will be another." Ignoring the snide remark, the Elder reached for the pearly wall. The coin on his collar pulsed with thick, heavy power, and his claw parted the angry white magics, like a paper veil.
"And that's supposed to make it better?" Green gathered me in, tight against her side, and followed him through. The heat of her body and the familiarity made the cold burn of the water much easier to bear.
"If you do your job, littlepony mine" Elder's irritation erupted in his voice, once again deeper and stronger under water. "I shall open us a path. There, the little shrimp will never reach and there our business shall be concluded." ***
The ladder the Elder had led us to was different from the one we came in. It was steeper for one, the rough-hewn stairs higher and shorter, and it, while it did point back westwards, it lead not to the closed well of the pyramid we'd left behind, but further south, away from Equestria.
From the height of the first flight of stairs, I turned to give the city under the waves one last look. It wasn't shining anymore - without the coin, the Deeps have reclaimed what was rightfully theirs, water on both sides of the nacreous veil making it dull and feeble in the underwater murk.
There'd be no more pearly-white shine of the air-dome. No more apples grown for the seaponies in the secret gardens under the sea, no more songs of the horns and the tinkly hanging-bells twirled by the circling air. No more rainbow-lighted waterfalls reflecting every colour of the gem-light.
From this far out, the city now looked not as the pearl of the sea, but like a ghost-town, dark and menacing, the rare lights of the bioluminescent fish barely seen from this distance.
I turned back and kept trotting. There was a long way ahead. |
Sunset Shimmer and the Last Trial of Daring Do | And in the Desert Whirlwind's Hurry | I turned a hard left, dodging a bolt of electricity from above, my hooves skidding along the polished stone in a fountain of sparks, and ran into an archway, trying to put something between me and the pursuers.
My lungs burned with exhaustion, making me pant and gasp for air, but the fear and the adrenaline pushed me to run faster, staining my muscles in our mad dash through the ruins.
The seaponies have caught up to us when we were almost out of the water, and I could already feel the sweet air on my coat. At first they appeared as merely sparkly dots down below, in the dark waters. But they gained on us quickly, until they resolved into seapony guard, clad in their armors and covered in protection of mother-pearl magics.
Their spears sparked with lightnings, swift in the saline seawater and the horns they had rung with a bone-rattling sound, making the stone ladder shake and tremble, the shockwave of their sound nearly throwing me off the ladder. I couldn't fight them under water without access to wind and flame or even just good visibility. Even when I managed a few spells, slowing the seaponies down, entangling one in a net of a sleeping spell or encased a few of them in ice, protected by the shimmering auras of the mother-pearl magic they recovered and soon rejoined the pursuit again.
So we ran, even Ahuizotl switching from his leisurely gait into a low, сrouching canter. The maddeningly long marathon, at the top of our speed, all the way up the ladder, through an unfamiliar beach, where glass and soot mixed with sand making it sharp and black, into the nearby ruins, while the seaponies kept dogging us, flying in the air and appearing from underneath, floating through the tunnels that riddled the damned place, propelled and protected by the magic of their Mother-Pearl.
There was a scream somewhere above and beyond, where I didn't dare to get distracted to look, a sound of hooves connecting with scales, and a second later Green Glow dropped by my side with the liquid grace of a panther.
"Focus, little princess. Breathe."
She kept up with my pace with an almost insulting ease, and while I was panting, her own breathing was unlabored and deep, her mane barely tousled.
Another blast of seapony horns shook the earth, almost throwing me off my feet. I raised a shielding spell, feeling the push of the air compressed by the soundwaves ram against it.
Darkness misted in my eyes, the exhaustion taking its toll on my body.
Green disappeared again, running up some ruined ramp to find herself another victim, while I concentrated on following the blue flag of Ahuizotl's tail-paw far ahead.
We turned left, then right, weaving and bobbing under the cover of the ruins, the turns blurring together in my mind when suddenly there was nowhere to run any more.
The street ended up in the river, half-dried up, yet too deep to wade, too wide to leap. The bridge that crossed it once has long since crumbled and fell apart.
Ahuizotl lead us into the dead end.
The seaponies caught up to us again, and another group rose from their ambush in the river, surrounding us like a swarm of angry bees. The hum of the collective charge on their eel-like spears made the hairs of my mane and coat up stand on their ends.
Ahuizotl -- I corrected myself, trying desperately to catch my breath -- lead us into an ambush.
It was a perfect place for a trap - an old plaza of the ancient city, on one side - the once narrow and winding streets turned into impassable mountains of angular rubble and broken bricks by the ruins of houses, on the other - a half-dried river with a broken bridge, on all sides - the angry seaponies. There was nowhere to go.
I turned my shield into a dome, trying to hold off the attacks for another few seconds, but before I could, a seapony barrelled through the half-formed spell. His spear struck the Elder, ramming the golden point deep into his shoulder and drawing blood.
Ahuizotl screamed, an indignant cry of pain and surprise, and his tail-paw grabbed the offending seapony by the throat, ripping him off and slamming him into the ground with a bone-crushing force.
The Elder's power rose, sending wobbles across my spell, and the nacreous protection around the seapony burst like a soap bubble.
"Hold the shield, pony mine." Elder's suddenly booming voice covered the crackling of seapony lightnings against my shield.
The seapony thrashed and writhed in the Elder's paws, no longer able to breathe the air without the protection of his magic. Ahuizotl's blood trickled down his arm, colouring his fur purple and smearing on the seapony muzzle.
"Hold..."
Green moved somewhere in front of us, beyond my shield, jumping from sea-pony to sea-pony, beating them out of the air, but even she was getting pushed back, blasts of eel-spears and sea-horns seeking ever closer to her.
"Hold..."
"Any time now," I growled, struggling against a coordinated barrage of at least a dozen seaponies, my horn nearly cracking with the vibrations passed down from my shield.
The stallion pinned by Ahuizotl gave his last shudder and went limp, his eyes rolling into his skull, and it opened it's muzzle in the final attempt at breathing before Ahuizotl covered it between with blue lips and inhaled, stealing last breath of the seaponpony's life.
He raised his head off his victim and then he exhaled: a long, silent breath.
Death
My shield dissipated into nothingness and where the Elder's breath touched anything living, it died. The grass turned black and fell apart into the cloud of ash, bush turned to dried-up twigs, birds fell out of the sky, and I knew with perfect clarity that were I to sift through the soil, I would not find a bacterium or a virus that had survived the Elder's curse.
Ponies' magic protected them, but still, they shrivelled, their skin clinging to the brittle bones as if they were starved, their eyes turning milky-white with cataracts, their pearly magic auras blown off their frames. Those who were far enough scattered, the rest fell like puppets with their strings cut off, and Green, appearing suddenly by the Elder's side, poked the closest one with her hoof.
"Still alive," she noted, "you're losing your touch, Big Blue."
"Kill them!" Ahuizotl half-screeched half-whined, ignoring Green's comment, as he threw the ragdoll-limp body of a seapony away and clutched at his wound, thin trickle of blood spilling between his claws. "Kill them all!"
I felt the grin spread my lips, fierce, burning excitement in my chest. No more water to restrain my might, no more doubts to make me hold my spells, no truce, no mystical test or complicated rules. This was all I needed - an opponent I could fight, a simple and fair combat, a permission and command to cut loose and forget the consequences.
For the first time in days, I felt no fear. My body sang with adrenaline, as I called upon the name of a Southern Wind, letting go of every control and precaution, feeling it rise in its full strength. Not a paltry breeze I could conjure with my own magics, but a full might of anemos - the very essence of the desert summers' storm.
A hot tornado of dust and sand circled round me, and somepony screamed, as I stood unmoving in the eye of the hurricane, pumping more and more power into the air around. Every fear, every pain, doubt and little humiliation of days past I've poured into the spell until the storm itself took aflame. A typhoon of skin-cutting winds and fire and me in the centre of it, crushing and breaking anypony to stand before me against the rocks, burning and scraping their scales off with but a thought. I rode the wave of magic like a high, laughing at the destruction wrought by my horn and buildings groaned where I stepped, scoured clean of the overgrowth, stones wrenched out of masonry by my the might I have summoned.
A squad of pegasi could have stopped me, perhaps, binding the storm. The earth-ponies could conceivably withstand the power that melted the stone and burned the air. The sea-ponies, with their borrowed magics and pitiful weapons, far from their Mother Pearl had no chance. The rare discharges of their spears could not penetrate the walls of air and fire, the sound of their horns was drowned in the howl of the storm, and all they could do was retreat away as I pushed on, dropping the crushing power left and right like a flaming war-hammer.
"Sloppy." A hoof lowered onto my barrel, and Green Glow's voice ripped me out of spellcasting rush. "Wasteful."
Shivers and goosebumps spread as my skin tried to crawl away from her touch while my legs refused to move.
"The First rule is сontrol, little princess. Never let yourself lose it. Do what needs doing and nothing more - there are no points for effort or style."
Panic, stark and clear, like lightning along my spine. My every instinct shouted for me to run, to escape, to hide, and spurred by my fear, my magic twisted inside out and joined together like a pattern in a kaleidoscope into something that I've never seen before, and through my horn I slithered into my own spell.
I looked at my body from outside, an orange little pony somewhere far below. I was now not flesh and blood but a creature of emerald flames and wind, one with the storm. Beneath my paws, tiny things screamed and scattered. I growled, the howl of the wind becoming my voice and pounced.
"Control", I could still hear Green Glow's whispering into my pony-ears, "Control and awareness, little princess."
It was almost too easy. Those who stood their ground and tried to fight I threw aside with easy swats of my hoof turned to gusts of wind, those who ran I spurred with the heat of the emerald flame. I moved between the houses and ruins, invisible until I chose to strike, invulnerable to spear and horn alike, my only trace - the screams of wounded and broken creatures in my wake.
And then I poured down, underneath the stone and the streets, lighting tunnels and underground streams with emerald flames, stalking from cave to cave, hall to hall, finding tiny, fragile little things and breaking them against the walls with but a swing of my translucent paws.
And then there were none, and I rose, expanding, pouring through the soft earth and cavernous stone until I stood back up. Like a titaness, earth melting across my form, as high as the tallest buildings. I turned back to Green Glow, lighting up my form with bands of green magic and roared, flame and wind as my voice.
"Who's little now?"
She grinned unafraid, and there was a sharp sting and a fall, and then I was just me, with my ears still ringing from a smack she gave me upside my head.
'Watch your back, pumpkin. Always watch your back."
It took me a few tries to stand up, before I scampered after her, stumbling over my clumsy flesh-and-blood legs.
"Did... did I do good?" I hated my stutter and the icy fear that returned to grip me again as I spoke to her almost as much as I hated my eagerness to please that psychopath. Yet her power, her hold over me I could not deny.
She smiled, turning away. "Adequate. There's room for improvement, but I am in no mood for a lecture now," she flicked her tail playfully, "but I can give you a very thorough tongue-lashing if you want."
Goosebumps and shivers, like a thousand ants along my back. ***
I stayed behind on a shore and scooped the scattered the battered seaponies up, to drop them into the river, expecting any second a comment from Green Glow, or worse yet, a repetition of her practical lesson.
I could imagine it with perfect detail, the fear almost making me lose control of my magic: She'd be behind me - perhaps right at that moment, moving so fast I would have no chance of even seeing it, her hooves taking with tangible, hungry green flames. There'd be the smell - the sickly, sweet smell of my skin burning and a scream ripping my throat apart, and another gentle lesson whispered in my ears...
She did nothing. With the last indifferent look at the seaponies, coming to in the water, she turned away and left me - as always - to follow with her.
I caught up with her at a ford of a river, upstream from the broken bridge. Both Green and the Elder were drinking - the Elder taking the water in his tail-paw, the mercenary simply lapping at the shallow water. After a short deliberation, I joined her.
The water tasted salty and the sand the river lifted off the riverbed scraped on my teeth, and yet, of all the drinks I drunk, this was sweetest by far. And when my lips had touched the water, I felt it deep within -- the Elder's gift, a small measure of his power, hidden deep in my chest like a stone sleeping on the riverbed. Until Ahuizotl would take away his coin and his gift, I would never drown, lest he'd will me to.
We drank and we rested. And then we walked before the seaponies would send another chase. For the first time, I could take my time to look around, appreciating the giant labyrinthine ruins around us. Burned and shattered buildings were strewn as far as the eye could see, half consumed by the melted stone streets and crumbling dried-up channels. A corpse of a city so vast that it could've rivalled Manehattan.
Nopony moved between the half-molten mudbrick houses; not even dogs or stray cats appeared in the streets. To add to the uncanny scene, the air was still, empty of birdsong.
At the centre of the city was a pyramid, not unlike the one we've been to before. The same moats, though long since dried, the same twists and turns, same statues, but everything was larger, more grand, more menacing. Still alive with the lingering magics that permeated every stone and every step.
"There was a city here once, little pony," the Elder said unbidden, suddenly lost in his thoughts. His voice sounded hollow and distant as he scooped up a pawful of ash from the streets with his tail, letting the weightless dust seep through his fingers. "A city so great and magnificent, none could equal it, a jewel in the crown of a kingdom. Creatures lived here in peace and prosperity. The earth-ponies built their towers and houses, the diamond dogs guarded them, rams kept our archives and history, while I oversaw it and knew it was good - a heaven in the tides of chaos that would drown the world.
"Every one of them - a link in a circle of life, bound together forever. Life bloomed there, in all its visceral beauty, and when they died, they knew it was not in vain and that their lives and their deaths served a higher purpose.
"And then They came. The Princesses turned the Day into fire and the Night into nightmare. The pegasi set the heavens themselves against us, and the Mage wielded powers that were never meant to be taken by mortals...
"And so our city fell, taken from me. Its towers and ziggurats cracked and broken, its streets turned to cinder and ash. If the chaos itself had yielded to their might, how could we stand?
"How could we stand..." he repeated as wind snatched the last motes of ash from his hand.
I knew of the things he spoke of, and I imagined the battle as he talked. Celestia, making light in the sky, brighter than any fire, shining the foes and enmities away, while Starswirl and the unicorn wizards took apart the defensive enchantment of the city. The pegasi raining thunders from above and the legions of the Guard moving in row by row, all clad in shining gold and black brass, pushing the defenders back.
And from my books, I knew of the things he did not speak of as well - the frantic work of the arimaspi warlocks, their knives rising and falling to rip out the fresh hearts of their sacrifices to power their spells and curses, the drains on the pyramids overflowing with blood. The diamond dogs turned to berserking monsters, mutated beyond pain and sanity on Ahuizotl's commands, pony slaves murdered and raised as ghouls or zombies to fight for their masters... the death-magics, сenturies old, still emanated from these ruins with aura so horrid with fear and suffering it made my temples throb with pain.
I kept my knowledge to myself and left the old creature to his grief.
The doors of the temple responded to Ahuizotl's touch, and there were no guards or traps within. We walked alone and uncontested through the heavy stone halls were the very air felt ancient, and the carvings on the walls spoke to me as I walked by. Black whispers slithered into my ears, promising, begging, offering - if only I would read the dark spells; if only I would set them free with a drop of life's blood; if only I would animate them with my magic...
I listened, but gave them no hold over me, letting the dark knowledge settle into my brain. Too horrible a power to ever use... yet too great a temptation to simply set aside.
And in the end of the corridor - the same center, same black heart of the pyramid, though instead of altar and a fountain it had mirror of obsidian, large enough for Ahuizotl to reflect in it fully, making his reflection a darker, larger creature, his inequine frame and features twisted and made even more alien.
He touched the surface of the mirror, and I saw a tremor run across his body, a small sigh of... satisfaction? Pleasure? Excitement?
It was his place of power, the whole building, the whole city even, built around him and for him.
Once again Ahuizotl's power called, deep and heavy, and once again the ancient tools responded, recognizing their once master. Darkness flooded the mirror, and the reflections disappeared, giving instead a place to a wide, black space, vast and obscured by the swirling mists.
And in the blackness behind the obsidian mirror, something moved. Maws, as big as a grown pony, eyes full of madness and hunger, teeth sharper than swords, all bound in chains and collars of grey steel, straining at creaking as it lurched towards the light.
It was Cerberus. The guardian of the Tartarus, the spotted dog of the Underworld -- and I was now thinking in threes, like those seaponies.
It was annoying.
"Easy there, little brother," Ahuizotl's hand reached into the mirror, petting the horror inside. "Your time will come yet -- perhaps sooner than we thought."
"Or perhaps not!"
Ice and Nightmares!
The raspy, jaunty voice rang from above, and even without turning I knew it was her. Despite all my begging, despite her wounds, despite any sense and reason, still doggedly loyal to her failed, misguided cause, Daring Do has followed us here. Anger, hot like a nova flared inside me. I would not go easy on her, not anymore. Any grace I had for my hero was out.
"Take her!" Ahuizotl barked a short and unnecessary order, before turning back to the portal. "I have to work."
My magic lit up, preparing for the fight.
Daring Do somersaulted from her perch, dashing directly towards the mirror, and steel and wings filled the small room, clanging and blazing everywhere. No jokes, no mocking, no quarter asked for or given - all words we could have had, had been expended before, and so we fought in vicious silence only broken by the noise of combat, leaving it to our respective grit and skills to determine the result.
And hers were found lacking. They never could really be enough, me and Green acting as one, the flame of her hooves shadowed and followed by my magic. One old pegasus had no chance and was quickly dealt with and soon downed and chained.
"All is ready." There was sombre satisfaction in Ahuizotl's voice as he stepped away from the portal. Behind him, the obsidian mirror shimmered, like a painting of black on black, and within it a ship made of dead mares' hooves and horns waiting for us to board. "None shall stop us now."
"You'll never get away with it, Ahuizotl!" Daring Do tested her wings against the chains. The old iron held, making her efforts as futile as her threats.
"But I already have," he grinned smugly. "This time I come out victorious, Daring Do."
He laughed - an honest-to-Celestia evil laugh. It'd look silly in any other circumstance, but there, in the temple that reeked with death and power, where his laughter echoed and boomed as if a whole chorus of shades and shadows laughed along with him, it made every hair of my coat stand on its end.
"As to you, brave hero - whatever shall we do with you?" He circled round the bound hero, gloating again, his tail-paw swishing side-to-side. "There were many implements for dealing with such as you in my city in its day. A pit of ten thousand paper cuts? A death of splintered wooden floors? A sacrifice of snakes-and-spiders perhaps?"
I gritted my teeth. Yeah, that was a great idea - to put her into another trap, another binding. Let her escape and screw things up for all of us again. I have tried to help her, I have tried to talk to her out of it, and now I have had enough. If some get to die when they should not have, why should others get to live when they don't deserve it?
To that question, I knew the answer already: Sometimes it is most cruel to be kind to those who are not worth it.
"Just finish her." I spat out. The sanctimonious attitude, the corny one-liners were starting to really get to me. "You'll never get away with it?" really? Who even talks like that?
"Heh. Straight to business, no foreplay," Green Glow grinned. Her forehooves blazed alight with the familiar green fire, and the stone beneath her started to glow with the intense heat. "That's something I like in a girl."
I winced, but it was too late to take my words back. ***
Sunset took a pause of her story and mused for a second.
"I am good with lies. I love my little falsehoods and misdirections and rarely do I regret them. But in lying one cannot lose sight of reality, because a liar who believes his own lies is just a madman.
"I would want to believe that it was the death-magics of the place that pushed me to this decision. That it was my headache at their horrible pressure, inebriation or the influence of the Elder at his seat of power... but that is simply not the truth. Even if born of alcohol and anger, it was my decision and mine alone. In the final account, I have meant what I said and said what I meant."
"But she got out, right?" Rainbow Dash asked helplessly. "Right?"
"Darling, tell me you didn't..."
Sunset looked away. ***
Daring Do twisted harder in her bindings, while I reached for the flask and took another swig of whatever poison Glow brought with us. The second time the drink went smoother than the first, if not by much.
"At least give me a fight," she asked, finally resigning to her fate. "A pegasus' death."
"And what's to stop you from just flying away, enemy mine? I was not born yesterday, you know."
"I give you my word," she said simply.
Ahuizotl's eyes widened in surprise. He nodded - everypony knew of the hero's honesty. Daring Do never lied and never broke her word.
"You must promise too," she demanded, "I want a chance, and I want a clean, honourable death if I fail."
"Of course, of course," he waved his tail-paw-thing vaguely "Cross my heart, and everything."
"No. Swear to me, all of you. The Old way."
Both he and the mercenary grew silent, suddenly sobered by the demand.
"I swear." Green Glow finally said first, eager to get to the core of the issue. "By the Earth and the Forest."
Ahuizotl was more reluctant, but he could not deny his arch-nemesis' final request.
"I swear. By the Water's Deep and the Heart's Blood."
They were looking at me now, and I panicked. I had no idea what was going on, or what to say. The words they said, the witnesses they've summoned were not a thing of history books and old scrolls.
"I swear..." and then I suddenly knew it like I've always known it, since before I was born. Words as ancient as the ponykind, forever stamped into our very nature, the thing that defines us as a tribe no less than cutie mark defines us as ourselves.
"...by the Fire and Magic."
The world has changed around us imperceptibly, as the words were said and witnessed, and could not be now unsaid.
Glow pushed me gently with her head towards Daring Do, and it was only then that I understood that it would be my magic that would end the hero's life. It was only fair - I have suggested it after all, but somehow I did not see it coming. I was not ready for this; I couldn't... but the ancient ritual of the duel was already pulling onto me, and I couldn't step out. Not with the burning emerald eyes of my companion watching me, not after the words that I've said, the oath that I swore.
I gulped, and we walked.
Three steps each.
Seven steps in total between us and not a hoof more. The duel-distance. Length enough for unicorn to cast a spell before pegasus would hit her, length enough for pegasus to dodge before earth pony pins her to the ground, enough for the earth pony to reach the unicorn before she wears him down with her spellwork. The distance where all three tribes are equal and only their prowess and their magic stand between them and death, measured in hundreds of duels, in thousands of battles in times of Old.
Pivot and turn. A whoosh of magic, a flare of wings. A short, barking command.
Some ponies are fast. I've seen Green move with more speed and grace than anyone I knew. But she was an earth pony, and no earth pony can be as fast as a pegasus.
Even then, some pegasi are faster than others. Daring Do was fast - she moved faster than my eyes could track her, her wings diving into her belt for her explosives and throwing knives before the sound of Ahuizotl's command had echoed back from the walls.
But no flesh and blood can be faster than the speed of thought, and magic is weaved just as quickly. I was ready - spurred by the last-second surge of adrenaline, the green energy erupted from my horn forming a shield an instant before the sharp metal has filled the space.
The little king stepped forward into the attack, and grabbed, pivoted and turned adding the strength of his opponent to his move...
My spell swept the knives and the throwing-stars out of the air, and I pushed more power into the shield and pushed it forward, adding my power to the speed of her attack. She crashed into the shield at an awkward angle, and there was a crack when her left hind hoof shattered, and she screamed. My magic fell on her like a hammer from above, crushing and pinning her to the ground.
And it screamed, and it screamed, and it screamed, claws scraping against the metal of the blade that pinned it to the floor, flesh sliced apart by its thrashing getting reknit to be sliced again and again....
I hesitated, and she twisted out of my magic, standing up. Barely.
"Even If I fail--" She spat out the teeth I cracked "Others shall rise in my trail."
Breathe.
"His sword moved in an elaborate double-feint, twisting around the White Sword as if alive, and left a long nick along the Prince's shoulder, drawing blood..."
I weaved the Scourge of Shahab from dust and gravel, snipping it to her side, seeking to distract and trip her in its coils.
She rolled and jumped, losing half an ear instead of half her head, moving left and right, zigging and zagging, almost weaving her body around the coils of the spell with near-perfect precision.
"He stopped to touch it, looking at his red-stained limb as if unable to believe that he was killed. He made a step towards me. Then another. And then he fell, blood finally flowing freely from his wound. "
I faltered, my spell falling apart, and her hoof nearly found my throat. Our eyes met for a second, her muzzle so close to mine I could see and count every hair on her muzzle in that instant, and there was nothing in her eyes. No fear. No anger. No regret. Nothing but tired, detached resignation.... I pushed her off me at the last panicked second, her remaining hooves skidding along the stones in an effort to remain standing.
Breathe.
The archer kept moving, shooting arrow after arrow with impossible speed and precision. Thin needles of death filled the air, searching hungrily for the flesh to pierce, and it took all my speed and skill to deflect or grab them with my magic.
Fear and anger rising within me like a suffocating cloud, I lashed out blindly, grabbing loose bricks and stones, and lobbed them at the pegasus as she took to the air.
They exploded against the walls and the ceiling with thunderous rumble, filling the air with shrapnel, and getting ever closer to Daring Do, who had to pile one trick upon another to stay just ahead, and still inexorably retreating towards the corner where she'd have nowhere to dodge anymore.
I could not even spare a glance at how he was faring. The second I would get distracted, the thin needles of death that filled the air would find their target, biting into his unprotected back...
I choked, my spell suddenly flaring up, and the last of my projectiles went wide, overshooting Daring Do by a mile, and bouncing back to my hooves. Both of us stared at it dumbly for a second, as we regained our breath.
It wasn't working. Like a blank-flanked foal trying her spells for the first time, I was splattering my magic in every direction, bludgeoning away at the old mare with nothing but raw power and dumb luck. Sloppy. Wasteful. I should've known better.
Breathe. In and out.
I was stronger, I was unhurt, I was more powerful. And I had magic to spare. She was old, she was wounded, she was out of tricks and utterly outclassed.
It was all over for her. All but one heroic last stand. In her hearts of hearts she knew it, and that made her every move slower and heavier, even more than her age or her wounds.
And then something clicked, my perspective shifted, and suddenly past and present overlaid in my mind's eye making everything focused and clear. I screamed a spell in a language I did not know, black and green magic woven together in a construct elegant and deadly with the power of Winter and Night.
She tried to dodge, but the spell was faster, breaking her wing in a cloud of splintered bone and feathers.
With my newfound cold clarity, and sudden second breath I moved and weaved my magic with perfected precision. Her counterattack tangled and lost in the thin lattice of my spellwork, and I cried another curse, fouler and blacker than the first. It caught her mid-leap from an unexpected angle, cutting into her left foreleg she tried to shield herself with so much force it ripped off her skin like rind off an overripe fruit. Pops and cracks rang out through the stone hall of the temple, and she left a long bloody trail as she rolled along the floor, scraping her skin and twisting the broken limbs.
Another, third and final curse, vilest and most potent of them all, and a green flash circled round, with a flicker and a flourish. Before she could fully stand up it smashed into Daring Do like a wave and then, just like that she was down on her knees, two of her legs broken, her left wing - an ugly frozen mess, half as long as it used to be. I held her by the throat with sharp, deadly spell, my horn echoing with the beat of her pulse. One last move, one final bit of magic and it would be done.
I froze.
I had to finish it. I had to. There was no other way. We had almost everything now, so close to the prize I could feel it within the grasp of my hooves.
I couldn't finish it. I could not kill another. Not in cold blood, not one of the good ponies, not a real hero.
Fear and the sharp, burning need collided and battled within me, threatening to rip my mind apart.
"Do it." Her face was one giant swollen bruise dripping with blood, but even through the broken teeth, you could make out her words. "Do it!"
Want. Take. Have.
Something snapped deep inside, all my desires and my fears collapsing into a single point, and the wave of my will surged through the spell. There was a flash of green light, a single wet, squelching crunch, and a legend of my fillyhood, the unstoppable, implacable Daring Do was no more.
All I saw now was just a body of an old pegasus, maimed and crumpled on the floor, bleeding slowly onto the stones. And I've learned another lesson, a lesson I would not have learned under the kind Princess of the Sun. I learned that power matters. You can be kind and honest, loyal and generous, but none of this is worth anything unless you have the means to use it. The powerful matter, whether good or bad... others do not. |
Sunset Shimmer and the Last Trial of Daring Do | And in the Breeze that Brings the Plague | I came to her cabin that night, when the winds were stilled and the air was hot and stale, and we rutted like animals in the darkness. It was a mechanical, lifeless affair, born of my desperation and surrender that left me drenched with sweat and more miserable than I was before, as something within me tightened and died in an empty, crying release. But that night, when I fell asleep pressed into her hard barrel, no nightmares came.
She beat me to a bloody pulp next day.
In the darkness of our journey, she remade me, breaking me apart and putting me back together. The poison of her words and the salve of her magic, the pain and the pleasure, my pleading for her to stop and my moaning for her to please, please, never stop became one and the same and even I could no longer tell them apart.
And then, when my body was exhausted from the sparring and rutting, when my horn burned and my nose bled from magical exhaustion, we would talk, and she would teach me of the things forgotten and lost but to the select few, of the things as old as the earth and as true as the sky, things that existed for ponykind since before Equestria.
Five rivers we crossed in the dimness of the Underworld where time has no meaning and space is an illusion, and while we did, she taught me, repeating the old lessons I already knew and giving me the knowledge I could not have imagined before.
When we crossed the river of regrets, I learned to be ruthless and have no mercy, towards others or myself. To always move forward and to accept the truths of the past - for to look back with regret was to lose sight of the present. Success or failure, once the end is achieved, and the sun has set - you have what is there to be had, and then you learn your lesson and move on.
She spilled the waters of the river of woes across my barrel between her kisses, and as they slid across my sweat-drenched body lighting every nerve on fire she taught me the ancient art of exquisite pain. Of accepting it and inflicting it, with purpose and precision would've made my heart chill with terror, had it not grown numb already.
The flesh would serve, and nothing could be allowed to stop you when you take that which your heart desires, not even your own weakness. Only cold will and the science and art of destroying anything that would stand in your way.
Over the river of fire we sparred, shadows in the suffocating heat, and she taught me the of the power of passion. Of how our passions give strength, the strength gives victory, and through victories chains others would put on us can be broken. To live is to want, desire or hatred smouldering underneath your skin, to be stoked to a raging firestorm at the slightest provocation.
It was then that my fear was melted away by the flames of the Underworld, when I took a sip of its spicy fire, drinking it like water and it did not burn me, for my anger and desire glowed hotter than even the fires of Tartarus.
We drank the bitter drops of river of lost memory in our wine - a sure death to any who did not take all the precautions and follow all the rites, and she told me in whispers about the magics of the earth ponies, the kind that are passed from earth pony master to student, not taught in schools or written in scrolls - of the hidden paths of the earth and the herbs of the forest, of potions and decoctions subtle in use and abhorrent in effect.
When the greatest river, the river of ancient oaths moved our vessel slowly, she told me of the power of promises given and sworn oaths broken, of the rules that've been kept since the time began and from time before that - and not much of that lore, for it is not the truth that is known to many, even if they tread the Old Ways as long as she. ***
"That's horrible..." Fluttershy started, "...what that awful...pony did..."
"Don't say that!", Sunset cut her off fiercely, "Don't you dare say that! Cruel, vicious and psychotic, she was still my teacher, second greatest I've ever had. When I was weak, she has made me strong. When I was lost, she has shown me the path. When I was at war with myself, she has given me peace."
"But darling, she clearly used your vulnerable state... abused you even..."
"No!" Sunset leaned back, unclenching her fists. She closed her eyes, breathing away the sudden outburst, and repeated, calmer now: "No."
"I came to her - of my own free will, and she took me in and healed me. For the briefest time, she was my everything... and then she let me be free. For that alone, I owe her more than I'll ever be able to express." ***
When I stepped off the dark ferry of the Underworld to see Celestia's Sun again, I was not the same broken little filly that I was when I began my adventure. With pain, I was reforged. With rage, I was recast. From the waters of Tartarus I rose again, more powerful than before. But more than that, I felt... lighter. Focused by my new lessons, unburdened by pointless guilt and second-guessing, empty of the useless fear, I was like an arrow let loose towards the target.
The target that now was tantalizingly close to us, with none to stand in our way.
The secret passage opened by Ahuizotl has led us to the heart of Equestria, a castle, ancient and forgotten not a stone's throw away from Canterlot, hidden in the Everfree forest, where monster roam and magics, unpredictable and deadly, grow overnight like wild grass.
The others were already there, Ahuizotl's retinue finding him without error, feeling their master like you feel where your heart is without testing for the pulse. Parts, reunited again with their whole.
Secure against pursuit, we spent almost a day resting and preparing. Objects were placed at focal points of the diagrams, runes, and sigils inscribed in the stones and fed with blood and magic, rubble and dirt cleared away, lest even a single mote of dust interrupt the great work of magic once it would begin.
And then came a moment when the preparation was done. The coin was placed, and the feather was unwrapped, and the knife was hidden until it was to be drawn. Everypony took their places and held their breaths.
Ahuizotl stood in the centre of the hall, under the hole in the roof of the castle, against a richly decorated mirror through which we came. He took a bit of common white chalk in his paw like a director's wand, and on the stone floor, he inscribed a simple circle around himself.
"I summon you..."
The drums began to roll -- a heavy rhythm, insidious and syncopated, as the Elder spake, his power, drawn from the pulsing coin on his chest infused into every word:
"...by the knife from under hill, by the claw of the rat and the wing of the bat.."
A horrid sense of deja vu gripped me, as I looked at the arch of the mirror and the simple chalk circle drawn on the broken stones, where, surrounded by his minions, stood Ahuizotl chanting the spell. I pushed it aside with practised ease.
"...by the coin of stone, by the feather of light and the blood that was life..."
An endless litany of names and attributes, items of power and anchors long forgotten filled the air of the old castle. Layers and layers of words built upon each other in a tower of magic that could reach to the sky and rend the heavens themselves asunder, as the chanting and the drums have arrived at their crescendo.
"...by the name, the name that's been lost..."
All light lost strength, and the moon appeared in the sky, rising towards the noonday sun. Every sound died, waiting for the last word, and nothing moved. A barest of whispers from Ahuizotl's lips rang louder than thunder in the perfect silence that kept the world frozen.
"...Luna."
Flames exploded around us, in columns of pitch-black fire. The sky turned black and the moon eclipsed the sun, as in the middle of the chalk circle, moonlight reflected by the mirror and the darkness of the sudden night began to coalesce into something living.
She was black, like an abyss between the stars, clad in the armour of starmetal and moonsilver. So dark was her coat that my eyes refused to even acknowledge her as a presence, rather than just the absence of light - it was as if not just the rays of the quickly dying sun were absorbed by her coat, but the reality itself bleaked and grew less real as it approached the Lady of Air and Darkness, Mistress of Nightmares, Regent over things that Are Not and Have Never Been.
She opened her eyes, and the abyss looked back at me.
I met her gaze and stepped forward as Ahuizotl lowered his paws. My horn lit and sparkled with the spell I held at the ready and the green chains of my magic whipped up from the stones of the palace, wrapping and binding the Princess, tying her to the floor.
I too have made my preparations, and they too have not been in vain - the diagrams I've etched into the floor with her sister's feather and power, overflowed with binding and holding magics, making stones melt and сry with the energies it contained. Every line, every focal gem, and inscription measured to the last second of arc - a textbook picture of precision and efficiency, the apex of the High Equestrian Wizardry.
Even then, with all my preparations and all the art and all the science, I could not, of course, hold her. Not the Princess in her full power -- I might as well have tried to bind a hurricane.
My spell wasn't meant to do that. All it did, was for a single second before her magic rose to throw off my spell, hold her in one place, biding her power and locking her slitted inequine eyes with mine.
That's when Green Glow stabbed her in the back.
The green mercenary fell from her position, silent like a bat, and the Blade of the Night slipped into the nape of Princess' neck. It pierced the moonsilver and the Nightmare alike as Green dragged the blade along the Nightmare's spine.
Nightmare Moon's cry broke every unshattered window of the castle. Stone cracked and ears bled as she thrashed in pain and effort, magic shooting in every direction, but still the mercenary held fast, dragging the knife along her barrel, and with blood and shreds of skin, the Nightmare peeled of the Nightmare Moon like a rind off an orange, releasing the true Princess inside.
Before Nightmare Moon had a chance to deal with the mercenary, Ahuizotl stepped forward, grabbing her by the neck and clasping the nightmare shroud.
"Mine!" He roared, like a dragon in the throes of his greed, "Mine!"
The muscles on his back bulged in ugly twisted angles as if someone stuffed boulders under his skin, his immense strength and suffocating power ripping the Nightmare off the Nightmare Moon.
She screamed again, and everything exploded, the soundless blast of darkness, power, and magic, throwing both the Elder and his mercenary into opposite directions with a crushing force and streams of darkness and making me fall on my haunches.
When I dared open my eyes before me stood the Princess. Free of the Nightmare she breathed deep and spread her wings, and her power filled the wide space to its depths and its heights. Her black radiance drove out the dark.
I bowed, my knees bending by their own volition until my horn touched the ground.
"Guard us from the beast and the timberwolf, and guard us from the thief, oh Night, and so be good for us to pass."
The words of the ancient greeting that has not been uttered for almost a thousand years fell from my mouth by themselves, prompted not by my mind by the sheer power of the Princess' presence permeating her air.
The Princess nodded back, a reflexive tiny little bow, as she began to come to her senses.
"'Tis not yet the time preordained. How can it be, little pony, that we are not on our Moon?"
"It took a while, but I figured it out. The Black Book of Blackened Cutie Mark and the Nightmare-summoning ritual, the horn and the mirror and the story of the Mare in the Moon, the Lunar Rebellion account of the Shadow Kicker, and then you just connect the dots, grab a few things, and boom! Here you are."
If not for her heavy presence I would have been prancing around the flabbergasted princess in my joy. With all the sacrifices I've made, all that I've suffered on my way, the plan had worked.
"Thou hast freed us from our prison," the Princess said slowly, tasting the words as she said them, "But what of the Nightmare?"
"Once Ahuizotl grabbed the Nightmare, the curse your sister placed on the Nightmare Moon activated," I explained smugly. "They'll be stuck on the Moon for the next dozen years."
"Will I now, little pony mine?"
No. Nonononono
Blood curdled in my veins as I turned to see a very much not-currently-on-the-Moon Ahuizotl, the Nightmare like a short cape on his shoulders. It grew into him and fed upon his frame, like a parasite, spreading through the thick arteries on his neck in streams of blackness, making his skin crawl and bones shift as it transformed him into something monstrous. Into something nightmarish.
"I -" he started, before another wave of transformation doubled him up. His blue spiked fur turned pitch-black, clinging to his now gaunt and skeletal frame, and his eyes turned dirty, cataract-white. "...am the Prince of the Deeps, little pony."
His canines elongated, turning yellow and lined, like ancient rotten bone, his nails turning to claws, black and sharp and deadly. "I am too big for half a curse to hold me!"
Ice and Nightmares!
Somehow that was all that came to my mind as I watched, almost enthralled, at Ahuizotl's transformation.
"Now what shall I do with you, my little traitor..." his paw pointed at me, veins flowing with darkness and power.
"Err... no", I ventured sheepishly, moving closer to the Princess for protection. "The contract was until we get the prize. Which we got. See?" I shoved the relevant page of the contract towards him as my defence.
"She got you there, Big Blue," the mercenary jeered, seemingly unfazed by her recent close encounter with the castle wall. She discarded the shards of the Nightblade, broken by her fall, and grew serious for a second, giving me one of her looks. "You sure you wanna do this pumpkin? I'm still on the clock, and I am not holding back."
Stifling last bits of my fear I nodded. No weakness. No fear. No regrets. I knew what I wanted -- what I needed -- to do, and even she would not stand in my way. Just as she has taught me.
"Be that as it may," Ahuizotl conceded. "I am nothing if not a magnanimous Prince. Bow to me, little pony, join me, Princess, and together we shall drown the world in darkness. Together we shall bring her to her knees!"
"I may have a quarrel with my sister," Luna's horn began to glow, aimed at the Nightmarish creature that Ahuizotl became, "but I am still a Steward of Equestria. Defend yourself, sirrah, or I shall strike you down where you stand!"
Her magic rose, slow and awkward, and still powerful beyond measure. My own spells I already held at the tip of my horn.
"As you wish." Ahuizotl raised his black-covered forepaw, and the world shivered before his might. My magic scattered and extinguished, like a candle flame in a hurricane, and the beat of his power seeped into the very marrow of my bones, making me ill with its sickening presence. Even the Princess' light waned and darkness, viscous like a liquid, flooded the room, robbing me of sight. Light of my horn died, unable to chase away the dark, leaving only the feeling of something ready to pounce on me, making my skin crawl and shiver. I couldn't see past my own muzzle, and yet I could feel the things moving in the darkness - vile, alien things. Blind, I tried to reassemble my shield around me and the Princess, and hoped that it would hold.
Suddenly one of the shadows leaped at me, and I felt it slipping through my hastily shield. It touched me, and fire, green and hot burned my skin like a kiss. I saw it spread all over my coat, turning it short and green, and my mane coal-black, and in the mirror that was not there a second ago I could see my eyes turning into Green Glow's.
"You are like me, pumpkin," she whispered, words like poison, "you always were."
I did not flinch from the truth and did not ignore it. I knew what I was and so I woke with a start, ripping the nightmare off with an effort of will. No sooner than I could even take a breath, another one was on me, coiling around my neck. It whispered in my ears and covered my eyes.
I could hear her pulse echo through my horn, and I froze. I had to finish it. I had to. There was no other way.
The fear and desire collided and battled within me, threatening to rip my mind apart. It was my choice, my last chance to once again be a good pony...
I did not doubt or second-guess myself. I made my choice - quick and final, like a cut of a sword. No hesitation, no second thoughts - my magic surged through the spell, and there was a flash of green light, a single wet, squelching crunch, and I woke with a start.
Another black creature slipped through my shielding magic like an eel.
The Red has touched the White, and the laughter, sharp like a winter storm rolled around the ancient cave.
Fear rose from within my mind, shivers and shakes like many times before, but I accepted the past without regrets and woke with a start...
...and left without the feather in a dark alley of Baltimare, I could only watch as Ahuizotl has drowned the world in Nightmares for thousand years, darkness and blood deeper than the ocean covering Equestria...
... and somepony else was in my place in Canterlot, a purple filly with more magic than I could ever dream of...
...and she said "Go home, little sun," and I wanted to cry...
...and I turned into a monster, power, and pain like a never-ending high of a drug when wings ripped out of my back in a shower of blood...
...and I stopped him, as easily as I would stop an unruly child, in my panic throwing him clean across the room...
...I put the fan to my lips. He smiled. He smiled, he stepped and he fell -- his head on broken wings in dust...
...and she broke me like a toy, every bone shattered, horn cracked, magic exhausted. Holding me like a baby in her hooves, coils of green round my frame, she whispered "You're mine now, little princess. Forever."...
... and I summoned a lightning to burn her body -- a pyre befit a pegasus warrior. And then I moved on...
...and around me sapient beings were slaughtering each other in a thousand nightmare-inducing vignettes of violence, while I was too exhausted and numb to do anything...
...and she just kept rocking on her haunches, nothing but emptiness in her eyes, like a broken little toy horse...
...and I stood hoof-deep in blood, dead bodies of friends and family littering the Canterlot palace. Once you kill, you can never really stop...
...and in her eyes there was something distant. Even through the professional pain-killing spells that hurt...
One by one they assailed me, my magic powerless to stop them, ripping into my mind with the torrent of the nightmarish, insanity-inducing visions of past and promises of doom to come. And one by one they retreated back, finding no purchase within me, leaving me to wake with a start again and again. I would not ever again succumb to the doubts and guilt of the past or to the fear of the future - I knew better than that. I was taught better than that.
And yet, even while they could not defeat me and drag me down into madness, still there were too many of them, and in my struggles, paralyzed by the nightmares, I felt like an ant on the side of the mountain climbing against an avalanche, and the more I fought against them, the more nightmares came.
"BEGONE, FOUL CREATURES!".
The Royal Canterlot Voice cleaved my nightmare like thunder cleaves the summer night, scattering the black creatures through the room, and my senses slowly returned to reality.
Her feather touched my muzzle, gentle and soothing.
"We give thee our blessing, little pony. For thy eyes - to see in the dark. For thy flames -- to ward thee against ill dreams."
I could feel the sparkle of power arc from her wing and touch my forehead, melting into my eyes and my horn, and suddenly the darkness became transparent to my eyes, bleak shadows of the nightmares swimming in the air like black medusas.
I could see them now - and I could fight them. The shades twisted and snarled, angling at me from every side, but my magic bolstered by the Princess' blessing could now hold and tear them. I blasted them to bits with the light of my horn and trampled them underhoof not letting them touch me and rip into my mind again. Finally, powerless but still hissing their vain threats the shades retreated to the corners of the room, and breathing -- the way I've been taught -- I turned towards Ahuizotl.
"Did you truly think the Drowner blind and dumb, little pony?" The darkness clung to him like a cloak, blurring his figure. "Did you truly think I couldn't feel her stench coming off your coat, her mark on your magic?"
I shot out a gout of flames, but it just dissipated in his black shroud, failing to even light the room.
"I knew who you were before you entered my house, little pony. 'Tis the only reason I took you - though you did prove useful enough. "
I ignored him and cast another spell -- just as useless as the first one.
"Thou always were the runt of the litter, Ahuizotl." The princess answered for me. The moonlight on the tip of her horn shone softly, lighting up her frame against the darkness. "Why wouldst thee not pick on someone thy own size?"
Instead of answering again Ahuizotl raised his forepaw, and the darkness swirled and swivelled, the remainders of the black creatures seeping into the ponies that came with him, twisting and changing them, shifting their bones and expanding their frames. "Destroy the traitor," he commanded.
The things that once shared with me their meals and gambled for their simple earnings, now monstrous and mutated, stepped out from behind Ahuizotl's back and surrounded me slowly, seeking to separate me from Luna.
"Piano, Lemon..." I said carefully "...you don't really want to do this. Right guys?" I smiled sheepishly, stepping back. They grinned, teeth and canines befit monsters, not ponies, blooming on their nightmarish twisted muzzles.
I did not expect them to answer - I was looking ("Awareness", a coarse voice in the back of my head reminded) and thinking. For the first time in my life, I saw the fight before it would begin, the topology of the battlespace unfolding in my mind's eye, blooming with the nebulae of probable trajectories and swirling strange attractors of tactical inevitability. I wasn't thinking, or planning - I felt the ebb of the future battle with my skin, the rush of the coming fight sweet and tickly in my chest, bubbling up and seeping into my magic.
So when Bear Claw roared, her giant maw opening much wider than pony anatomy should have allowed, I was already moving. My first spell stuck in her throat, making her cough and splutter, and half-blind she crashed into the wall, slipping on the ice I have summoned. I was already past her when I exploded the thin ice into a zillion sharp splinters, making the minions scatter, and pounced forwards.
Behind me pink and pale white flashes lighted up the rooms, where Luna engaged the Elder with her magic, weaving the moonlight into bolts and lances, but I could not spare a look, much less a spell, as I hit my opponents. Hard and fast: In close quarters, against a crowd, every strike must kill or cripple - there is no time to hit the same pony twice. But even with my newfound sixth sense, with all my magic and all my power, my body was not strong enough, not quite ready to keep up.
I slipped, and almost fell, and missed my spell -- it cut her across the chest, instead of taking both her eyes. Straightening out, I threw another stallion aside, his flesh soft and wet and pliant like a slime under my magic. Too late -- too slow -- I stumbled, and my hooves slid on the uneven floor, and I could feel my time corridors and options shrinking, trapping me in the mesh of my opponents' moves, viable moves I could make growing scarcer with every second.
There wasn't any choice, and I let Wild Stab close in, and I saw his spear, now covered in black, dripping ooze, that made the stones corrode and spit black smoke where it dripped to the floor, piercing my side, even before he began his swing. I stepped to meet it, and it hit me right in my ribs, knocking out my breath with the indescribable ecstasy of agony.
I had no time for these sensations ("Focus" a whisper in the back of my head reminded me). I forced my flesh to serve, and protesting muscles to push myself further into the spear, moving deeper within his reach, while the spear raked along my bones until my horn smashed into the soft underside of Wild Stab's skull and into his brain. A spark of expanding magic finished the deal, and I could now cut the spear off and rip it out of my barrel, and move again, not stopping, not slowing down, not letting them pin me.
They fell apart for a second, my assault shaking their resolve, pushing them away with fire and wind, and for a second, behind their black disfigured forms, I could glimpse at the Princess fighting.
Her spells were old, far behind the advancements of modern magic - slow and inefficient, overly complicated and barely controlled. Even with the Princess' power, they would not stand a chance. Unlike me, however, she did not just rely on her spellwork.
All it took was for her to raise a hoof and the sky rushed to her aid, bursting the broken roof of the castle and raining down lightnings denser than raindrops. It ripped into Ahuizotl's shroud like a brilliant net, arcing on his spikes and burrowing into his coat. The thunderous, deafening roar of the elements threw every one of us off our hooves.
Only Ahuizotl still stood, screaming with pain, his muzzle opening wide, soundless compared to the explosion of the Princess summoned, but you could still feel the pain and rage in his scream.
Before he could act or recover, the hail followed, summoned by a wave of Princess' wing.
It struck like a million blades, across his back and muzzle, drawing black blood, thick and oozing like tar.
Sounds came back slowly, and I stood up, forcing my limbs to move towards the immeasurable fury of the powers fighting, to aid the Princess, but just as I have recovered, so did my enemies. A thin, spindly thing of spurs and bones barred my path. I broke both of its front legs - Piano always had the silly habit of stretching them too far, and before they all could stand up, I regained my footing, and I pressed my attack.
Ahuizotl breathed, and strained his muscles, his claws leaving long, smoking scratches in the stone, and I recognized that look that burned in his eyes, Power shimmering as he gathered it. I have seen it before: Power hurt but undefeated on the bank of the river, where dawn has colored snow blood-red. He was ready to strike back, and I had to get to the Princess before he would do it.
Darkness and blood coalesced at his forepaw when he raised it, a spinning vortex that was blacker than black, before he released it in a single wave of pure might, splattering against Princess' magical shield. It held, though I could almost feel the strain of the spell against the impossible pressure of the Nightmares, the creaking and shifting of magical energies spurring me to move quicker, lest I be too late.
Scattering the last of the minions with a burst of my magic, I leaped towards the Princess, to shield her from the pressure of the Nighthound, to give her a second's respite, but something grabbed me by the tail and threw me back on the floor. I rolled and jumped back up, only to see Green Glow standing in my way.
"Leaving so soon?"
The pink shield of the Princess began shrinking against the torrent of the darkness that streamed from Ahuizotl's paw, and her hooves began to slip on the floor, yielding under the pressure of Nightmare's power.
I made myself ignore it, pushing it away to the periphery of my consciousness and fed it to my anger and thirst for victory. I could not afford a distraction.
Breathe. Whether I thought it in her voice, or she had actually said it, I neither knew nor cared.
She smiled.
"Just me and you now. Graduation time, little princess..." and in a blink of an eye she was upon me, but this time I saw it coming, and I was focused and ready.
My spell shattered three of her ribs drowning her laughter in a bloody cough. She wrenched my leg out of the socket and broke my hoof. Her hoof-strike nearly took off my jaw even as I almost boiled her blood inside her head. Hoof and flame, tooth and horn, we ripped into each other, united in a frenzy of the battle that joined us tighter than sex, until I was crushing her down under my body, a burning sword of my magic at her throat.
And then, pinned by my magic she suddenly kissed me, and I could not but lean into it, the unexpected and familiar sensation blinding me and my blood surging in my veins. Black softness and the sweet peppermint of her hungry lips, saltiness of our mixed blood, her hot, deft tongue... She twisted underneath me, both of her hind hooves throwing me off her and stood up, laughing.
"THOU WOULDST SEEK TO FREE THE POWER OF THE NIGHTMARE? GIVE IT US THEN. GIVE IT ALL TO US!" Luna's voice bellowed, echoing with thunder.
I sneaked a look at the Princess and Ahuizotl, and if I could've spared a feeling, my heart would've frozen, because at that moment Luna's shield dropped, pulling the shadows to her instead of fighting them. The hungry shades streamed towards her joining the Princess' caesious coat, spilling across her chest in a pool of inky-black.
Ahuizotl still struggled as he felt his power drain, and Nightmare, almost too eager to come back, abandon him in favour of his original owner. He thrashed and pulled, trying to tame the power no longer his, twisting and snarling like a maddened beast, his muscles rippling and bones cracking under his skin from the vain effort to move away and stop the torrent of life and power ripped out of him.
"You learned well, my little princess." Green Glow wheezed, trying to get some air into her punctured lungs and spat out a glob of phlegm-stained blood. There was no mockery in her tone - only the quiet pride of a teacher for her student.
"I've always been a good student." I stumbled, only staying upright by a miracle.
We stood there for a second, the world swirling and swaying around as I struggled to stay upright. Then she moved towards me, her broken foreleg dragging limply on the floor.
I took a breath and sprung my spell.
It was the best spell I could have mustered: a mess of semi-coherent energies, barely powerful enough to mash a mosquito in poor health. But it did the job. Her knees buckled and gave under her, her eyes rolled, and she crumpled on the floor.
Too late.
For all my lessons, for all that I thought was my power, I was too late.
Now I could only watch as the darkness consumed Luna, her barrel, and her hooves already back to the pitch-black colour of the Nightmare.
"Tell my sister that we will yet have our words with her." Her voice, soft and quiet, as if she whispered into my ears all across the room. "Tell my sister--" the Nightmare crept finally over her muzzle and her cutie mark, hatred and power turning her voice again to the Royal Canterlot Address, that made the bricks and the mortar shake, "THAT WE SHALL BE BACK ON THE SHORTEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR. WHEN THE STARS SHALL AID OUR ESCAPE, CELESTIA WILL FALL!!"
The beam of moonlight, bright and stark pierced the darkness and hit her, pinning her to the floor like a bug on entomologist's needle, and she turned translucent and ethereal, disappearing back to her prison.
The Elder fell to the floor in a heap, his skin -- a patchwork of blue and red where the Nightmare ripped out of his veins through his skin. He looked at me, and if looks could kill, I would have been struck dead right there and then, drowned in his boundless hatred.
I gave the empty place where Princess vanished, the broken ponies, and Green's unconscious form another look, and a laughter escaped my lips, mirthless and dead.
I had won. I had lost. It didn't matter.
And then the pain of my injuries caught up to me and swept me down into the soothing darkness. |
Sunset Shimmer and the Last Trial of Daring Do | Epilogue | Cold. The next thing I remember was coldness, waves upon waves of it, and I was drowning in it. No pain, no fear, no anger. Just eternal, perfect cold and darkness.
And then the sun came up, and I saw my Princess. White walls of Canterlot General, the stark and tickly smell of chlorine and disinfectant, and a mild note of daffodils and sunflowers - Celestia's scent.
"Hi." Ignoring the beeping machinery, I waved her with my whole hoof and smiled weakly.
"How do you feel, my student?" she asked me gently.
I stretched a single sinuous motion, the tip of my horn to end of my hooves testing out my body underneath the sheets. It hurt -- almost every little movement pinged back with the sharp pain of broken bones and torn muscles, muffled somewhat with pain-killing spells and medicines.
"I'm fine," I said, realizing slowly that it was -- for the most part -- true. The pain didn't bother me that much anymore, my limbs were all in place, my horn was uncracked, and the flesh would serve. The failure, still fresh in my mind, hurt more, but it was a thing of the past, and I knew to accept it and move on. I was fine.
...I was fine...
I was fine.
"They found you in the Everfree Forest," Celestia said, almost desperate for something to talk about. "The ponies of Ponyville. They said somepony told them you got in trouble there."
Green...
I smiled when I thought of her. She must've woken up first, with her earth pony resilience, and moved me away from Ahuizotl and his minions. Told somepony where to find me so that I don't bleed out too...I guess she really did like me, in her own strange way.
And then the question that hung in the room since the moment I opened my eyes was broached.
"How did that..." her eye slipped on my form, skipping over the wounds and the burns and the scars as if afraid to touch them with her gaze, even bandaged and covered as they were. "...happen?"
"I fell." What else could I've told her? The bitter taste of failure constricted my throat, and anything else I could say would not leave my mouth. It was easier to lie.
"You fell," she repeated, incredulous. "You had a twisted foreleg, shattered hoof, a dozen fractured bones, a burned-off ear, at least three internal bleedings, and a ruptured spleen. That's not counting blood loss, burns and wounds! All that -- from a fall."
"Yes," I said stubbornly, looking away. "It was a long fall."
She didn't press me for details anymore, but in her eyes there was something... distant. Even through the professional pain-killing spells that hurt.
I sighed. In that very moment, I wanted to tell her everything, to once again be that little filly who could tell her most wonderful teacher in the world anything at all...
Perhaps if I did, I'd be a different person. None of this would have happened, and I would be happier and better for it. But I remembered the coldness in her eyes, the distance at the mention of my other stories... and I found that I could not. I would rather lie and cheat, and bear the silence than have her look at me without seeing, to see her smile without warmth, to hear her say rote phrases without meaning.
She left after a while, and silence and failure stayed as my only companions in the emptiness of the white room. |
Purple Skies | pre | Pinkie had an angry look on her face. "No.. Get behind me Spike!"
A figure emerged from the crater the ball of fire had made. It was a metallic pony that slowly walked towards Pinkie and Spike. "Come with me John..."
"No! I wont let you take him!"
"Who's John!"
"Don't play dumb. You're coming with me, John." The metallic pony said as he continued his advance.
"Hold it right there, Mate!" A pony wearing an outback style jacket jumped out of the bushes.
"Prepare to be terminated." The metallic pony turned to the strange Australian pony and tried to tackle him.
The Australian pony jumped over and landed on top of the metallic pony. "This ones a fighter, he is!" he said while the metallic pony tried to buck him off.
The Australian pony grabbed a wire that was on the neck of the metallic pony and ripped it out of it's neck. He jumped off of the metallic pony as it fell to the ground.
"Thanks for saving us!" Pinkie said with a smile.
The Australian ponies accent changed as he kept his back turned away from Spike and Pinkie Pie. "I didn't want that tin-can taking that kid out." The Australian pony turned around with his hoof inside of his jacket. "If anyone's going to do it, its going to be me." He pulled out a metal object that flicked out into a red double sided beam sword, while doing this he also splattered red paint on his face.
"Hes a Sith!" Pinkie yelled in anger
"Whats a Sith?" Spike said, his fright returning.
"Get ready to become one with the compulsion." He charged at them spinning his beam sword.
A strange ticking noise entered the air, the noise had stopped the rampaging pony in his tracks, just inches away.
"No...." The pony turned his head towards the direction of the ticking noise.
Suddenly a large alligator emerged from the forest knocking over several trees and scooping up the pony his his mouth.
The alligator turned to Pinkie, who was giggling.
"Thanks Gummy!" Pinkie bounced over and petted the enormous alligator on the nose.
Spike just stood, completely confused from the actions that took place in that 5 minuet span. "I-is that r-really Gummy?"
The alligator returned into the forest and Pinkie bounced back to Spike. "Of course! Hes huge in the future, he grew far above average size because of all the love I gave him."
"He just ate that guy!"
Pinkie laughed. "Don't worry hes fine! Gummy only swallows people to give them a time-out."
The Australian pony landed in the stomach of the alligator. "How am I supposed to get out of here?"
"You don't lad." Said a pony across the stomach, he had a hooked hoof and wore a large red hat over his frilly mane.
"So what now?"
"Just wait till he decide to let us go. Care to join me in a chess match? I've been wanting an opponent for some time now."
"I got nothing else to do." The pony walked over to the pirate pony and they began the chess match.
(30 minuets later)
"Checkmate!" Said the pirate pony.
"Crickey! You're good at this."
A small wooden pony had walked up to them, entering from the back of the stomach.
"Hello sirs, is this a giant whale?"
"No, sorry there lad, this be an alligator." After the pirate said this a ticking noise went off in the stomach and he put his hoof over his ear and the other almost poking his ear with a hook. "That infernal noise!!"
"Wow, Gummy sure got big!" Spike said, still amazed at the sight of Gummy.
Pinkie continued to giggle. "Yeah! Most ponies call him the big green alligator now." Pinkie returned to her earlier serious face. "We better get going if we are going to save your kid, Spike."
"Right." Spike said walking to Pinkie's side.
They continued to walk on the road, but then they heard the Delorian roar behind them. It screeched into a halt and opened up. A large, very furry, pony beckoned them inside the Delorian while also pointing at the horizon where they saw an army of robots heading their direction.
"RUUUUUrhrGUGUGHRhghghghrRURURUghGHrrrrrr..."
Pinkie pointed to the delorian. "Get to the deloriahhnn!"
"I'm not getting into the car with that thing!" He said while pointing at the furry pony.
"He's harmless, now get in!"
Spike jumped into the Delorian and Pinkie started shooting a beam pistol at the charging droids as she dived in after Spike. She had also been wearing a Tru-Spec Street Ready BDU Coat while shooting the pistol.
"Start going!" Pinkie yelled while taking aim at the droids again.
The Delorian lifted into the sky again and started flying through the air at high speed. They eventually stopped in an open field and Pinkie and Spike got out again.
"Why didn't we do that in the first place?" Asked Spike.
"It's complicated time-travel stuff." Pinkie said while leading Spike further into the field. "There's your son." she pointed to a small dragon in the center of the field.
"Is he alright?" Spike said looking concerned to see him in the grass with his eyes closed.
"He will be. Take him this box." Pinkie handed Spike a light box.
Spike quickly moved next to the dragon and tried to make his voice a bit deeper. "Son?"
The dragon shot up from his nap. "Whoa dad, you scared me."
Spike handed him the box. "Here take this, it will help you on your journey."
The dragon took the box and opened it, inside was a sandwich. "Whew! Thanks dad, I was getting hungry."
Spike's eye twitched at what he saw. 'A Sandwich!?'. "Okay son, I'll see you later." Spike hurried back to where Pinkie was hiding.
"Pinkie! Did we really come all this way into the future and past all this crazy stuff just to give my son a sandwich!" Spike was really annoyed.
"Yep! Now lets get you back to the past." Pinkie hopped back to the Delorian.
Spike followed still angry about what Pinkie had made him go through.
"Take us back will you please?" Pinkie said to the hairy pony.
He nodded and started speeding off and activating the flux capacitor.
The day turned into night as the flash went off, taking them back to their previous time. The door opened and Spike was ready to get out of the Delorian he was stopped by a new voice. He looked into the back and saw Pinkie sitting next to two ponies, one was wearing a large amount of gold chains, and the other an army helmet with 4 stars on it.
"Always remember kid, don't be a fool!" Said the pony with the gold chains.
"Son, always remember, no son of a bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. They won the war by making the other son-of-a-bitches on the enemy side, die for their country." The pony with the helmet saluted to Spike with his crop whip.
That small speech made Spike salute back without thinking. "Yes sir!"
"At ease. Now get home."
It was Pinkie's turn to say bye. "Well Spike.. it looks like.." Pinkie put on her sunglasses. "We went for quite the ride." After she said this a distant yell went off, but Spike had been through enough tonight to ignore it.
The Dalorian's doors closed and flew off, and as it did, a thought finally entered Spike's mind. 'What the hay just happened?'.
Authors note: Lol. |
Purple Skies | Day 4 of the Festival. Part 2 | Spike walked back to the library with a large headache from the ordeal with Pinkie. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. He picked up the spair key under the mat in front of the door and opened the door. Spike yawned and stretched his arms while heading to the stairs, eager to get to bed, but stopped as he reached the foot of the stairs. He heard noises upstairs that made his eye twitch. 'I'll just...sleep on the couch then...' Spike collapsed on the couch where Soarin' had slept last night and immediately fell asleep.
The warm sunlight had shone from the window into Twilight's closed eyes. She gently woke up and saw Soarin' still cuddled up with her. Soarin' woke up seconds after Twilight and stared into her eyes.
"Good morning, Twilight."
"Good morning, Soarin'." She said, and then leaned over to kiss Soarin'.
They held the kiss for several minuets, now knowing true love for each other.
"Here, I'll make you some breakfast downstairs." Soarin' leaned up wards and tried to get up, but he was still bound by Twilight's hooves.
"I'll make it." Twilight got up and left Soarin' after another light kiss.
Soarin' watched Twilight trot down the stairs from Twilight's bedroom, thinking about everything that happened last night. He smiled realizing that there was no doubt that Twilight was everything he ever wanted. Soarin' got up out of the bed and trotted down the stairs and saw Twilight in the kitchen. He turned and looked into the other room and saw Spike still passed-out on the couch. 'I hope everything went alright with AppleJack yesterday.'
Twilight focused on something simple to make Soarin'. She called from the kitchen hearing him in the next room. "It will be ready soon, I'll bring it to you." Twilight blushed thinking about what she and Soarin' had done last night.
Twilight finished cooking the meal and took the plates to the table. She sat next to Soarin' and they had a quiet breakfast. After they finished Twilight took the plates back to the kitchen and came back and nuzzled Soarin'.
"I love you so much."
Soarin' stood up and returned the gesture. "I love you too, today I was hoping that you would like to come meet my team captain today."
"That sounds like fun, should we wake up Spike and tell him where we are going?"
"No, he looks tired, he probably went through alot last night."
"Really?"
"Yeah, he really likes AppleJack and I told him that he should find out if she felt the same way."
"I hope it went well.." Twilight said while peering at Spike.
"I'm sure it did. Ready to go?"
"Mhm.."
Twilight and Soarin' left the library and walked at a slow pace, happy to be together. They stopped at several places along the way, watching the young phillys play the festival games and having light conversations with other couples. Soarin' had led Twilight to the apartments where the WonderBolts were staying. He opened the door for Twilight and went inside after her.
"Hello? Anyone home?"
SpitFire had turned the corner and smiled at Soarin'. "Hey Soarin'! Where have you been?"
"Oh.. I have been in town."
SpitFire looked at Twilight. "Hi there, I'm SpitFire."
Twilight extended her hoof with a friendly smile. "Hello, I'm Twilight Sparkle."
SpitFire had shaken hooves with Twilight. "Nice to meet the girl that Soarin' fell head-over-hooves for!" SpitFire let go of her hoof. "Sorry, but you can't meet any of the other WonderBolts right now."
"Oh that's fine. I'm glad to just meet Soarin's friends."
"I have something cool to show you, follow me." SpitFire led Twilight to her room while Soarin' decided to stay in the living room and read some fan-mail.
As he sorted through the mail he read one that read.
Dear Soarin', I saw that you added something funny to one of your performances, I enjoy a laugh too, but you should have stayed professional.
Soarin' couldn't help but feel a little betrayed, was it wrong to do something he enjoyed? He go a slight headache so he just threw the letter in the trash and shrugged it off.
Twilight and SpitFire returned laughing.
"Man Soarin' you picked one hilarious marefriend!" SpitFire wiped her eyes. "Well, I better get going, the WonderBolts get to organize a fireworks show today. Sorry I didn't tell you about it Soarin' but I thought you needed time to have with Twilight here. You should bring her around later at the town square to watch it!" SpitFire finished and waved by to them and headed out the door.
"That sounds like fun. What should we do now Soarin'?"
"No, idea, the show starts a few hours from now." Soarin' said while rubbing the back of his head with his hoof.
"Spike has a large DVD collection upstairs in the library, we could watch a movie?"
"That sounds great. We can check if Spike is up now too." Soarin' led Twilight out of the apartment and they started walking back to the library with Soarin's wing over Twilight. Neither of them could remember being so happy for so long.
They were walking past the town square as they saw a rainbow maned pegasus coming their way. Rainbow Dash landed in front of them with a frown on her face, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.
"Um..hey guys.. listen, I was being a real mule yesterday so I came to apologize." She extended her hoof to Twilight. "I'm really sorry.. I should have been a better friend."
Twilight took the hoof with a smile. "It's okay Rainbow, I forgive you." Twilight then turned to hug Rainbow.
Rainbow smiled and was happy that she had earned her friend back, but then turned to Soarin'. "Sorry about what I did the other day, that wasn't cool."
"That's alright, as long as there's no more awkward moments for us, everything's cool." Soarin' gave Rainbow a Hoof-bump
"I'll see you guys later, I got to keep the sky clear for the firework show tomorrow." Rainbow Dash flew off
"I'm glad nothing bad happened. I would hate it if you lost a friend."
Twilight smiled. "Yeah, Rainbow can be a little blunt sometimes, I knew she would come around."
Soarin' and Twilight continued on their way to the library having a conversation on what their favorite time of the year was. They reached the library and saw Spike exiting the building.
"Yo Spike, where you heading?"
Spike didn't see them coming up to him and jumped from the surprise. "Oh! Hey guys, I was just going over to Sweet Apple Acres to meet with AppleJack."
Twilight patted Spike on the head and teased him. "Looks like my little brother is growing up."
Spike just kept his cool and replied. "Yeah, and you know how little brothers like their sleep, was kinda hard last night."
Twilight couldn't say anything and stepped back, slightly worried. 'We weren't that loud were we?'
Spike went up to Soarin. "Thanks for that advice, it really helped me out yesterday. I'll see you guys later at the firework show." Spike walked off towards Sweet Apple Acres.
"See ya Spike." Soarin' said while Spike walked off.
Soarin' and Twilight went upstairs and picked out a movie called 'A Hitchhiking Pony's Guide to the Galaxy'. Twilight couldn't help but notice, even though it was one of her favorites, they hardly watched the movie.
Soarin' stretched out and popped his joints. "It's almost time for the show, are you all set to go?"
Twilight was putting away the last movie they watched 'Mare-do-well the dark knight' and replied. "Yeah, lets hurry."
The two headed downstairs, Soarin' had gotten into the habit of opening doors for Twilight, making sure he was as gentlecoltly as possible. They both hurried to the town square, having a light hoof-race and enjoying playing around like they were little kids again. They had arrived just in time, the show was just starting.
The balls of fire shot up into the air and exploded with deafening pops and dazzled the crowd with all colors imaginable. The beginning was slow, like a trickling faucet of simple colors with golden sparkling showers raining down on Ponyville. The midpoint segment of the fireworks became faster, arranging firework colors that climbed into the heavens of Equestria. The finale had started but nobody could resist cheering and gasping at the beautiful colors that intertwined with each other and created a spectical of amazement that at the end of the performance, the town square became dead-silent, but then erupted into cheers that put the cheers they gave for the WonderBolt opening to the Festival to shame.
"That was beautiful!" Twilight said while smiling at Soarin'.
Soarin' just stared deeply into Twilight's eyes. "Yeah..beautiful..."
The mayor had brought a microphone on the front steps of the town hall.
"Phillys and Gentlecolts.. I hope that you are enjoying the Festival, this year's has been the biggest yet. We have two more excellent days of fun left and I'm confident they will be something to remember!" The mayor stepped away from the microphone as the ponies cheered.
Soarin' and Twilight returned to the library with warm hearts and deep love for each other, talking about the fireworks show on the way. Twilight wished that days like this would never end, Soarin' felt the same. |
Purple Skies | Day 5 of the Festival. | Soarin' and Twilight were sleeping peacefully upstairs, but they were abruptly awoken by a loud knock at the door.
Soarin' get out of bed and stretched his joints. "I'll get it." Soarin' trotted down the stairs and went to the front door to open it, seeing SpitFire outside.
"Soarin', we have to get to town square." SpitFire said, slightly rushed.
"Why?" Soarin' rubbed his head in confusion.
"Don't tell me you forgot! We have a public practice today."
"Oh! I forgot all about that. Give me a minuet ill be right there."
SpitFire took off towards the town hall. Soarin' flew back upstairs.
"Who was it?" Twilight said as she got out of the bed and trotted to her mirror.
"I have to go to the town square and practice right now, you should come watch." Soarin' smiled as he walked up to Twilight.
After a light kiss Twilight replied. "I'll be right there, you go have fun."
Soarin' shot downstairs and flew as fast as he could to the town hall.
Twilight finished brushing her mane and trotted down the stairs and saw Spike walking towards the door. "Are you going to watch the WonderBolts too?"
"Yeah, I'm watching them with AppleJack, and I want to watch Soarin' fly." Spike said as he opened the door.
Spike and Twilight both hurried to the town hall where they saw WonderBolts flying through the air.
Soarin' was practicing his loops, the tricks he had the most trouble with, scanning the crowd, waiting to see if Twilight was here yet. He saw the lavender mare enter the town square with Spike and smiled and waved at them, who promptly waved back. Soarin' decided to show Twilight a trick he had been thinking of, he increased his speed to his peak and his signature WonderBolt trail started forming behind him with little sparks of lightening emanating from the trail. He looked down and saw Twilight's eyes shining in amazement and smiled to himself, and then he prepared himself by straightening his path after turning around to fly over the town hall. Soarin' quickly turned upwards and performed three quick loops and then started flying downward after created a heart in the sky for Twilight. Soarin' was glad he was able to pull off the heart in the sky, but he panicked after he tried shifting his wings upward but he kept plummeting towards the ground.
The crowd erupted into cheers, enjoying the seemingly dare-devil stunt, but Twilight saw past the practice and saw Soarin's face. Twilight's heart sank as she knew what was going to happen next. Twilight's horn started glowing as she ran towards Soarin's path to the ground, but she wasn't fast enough. Twilight saw Soarin' hit the ground head-first in slow motion with tears flooding her eyes and she continued to run to Soarin's motionless body. The crowd stopped cheering as they saw the WonderBolt hit the ground, cheers turned into gasps and cries towards the medical tent that was positioned in town hall.
Several nurses flowed from the tent and galloped to Soarin' who was on the ground, his blood slowly spilling from his head. They laid Soarin' on a stretcher with Twilight crying on the ground next to where Soarin' had crashed, the rushed Soarin' back to the medical tent with another nurse comforting Twilight.
"Don't worry, we'll help him." The nurse said unenthusiastically, she had never seen an injury this bad ever since she became a nurse.
Twilight couldn't reply in her breakdown, but mumbled through her cries. "Please...Celestia..no..."
The nurse held Twilight up and slowly walked Twilight to the medical tent.
Twilight stopped crying as she saw the nurses moving frantically, cutting the WonderBolt uniform off of Soarin' to help the wound on his head. Soarin' was losing alot of blood. Twilight froze at the sight of the blood and just sat down in the dust, staring at her hooves.
Spike and AppleJack ran to join Twilight and the nurse outside of the tent.
"What the hay happened!" Spike said, shaking at the sight of Soarin'.
"He crashed in the town square. Right now hes critical, we're doing everything we can to help him." The nurse told them, stroking Twilight's mane. "And your friend here is in shock."
Spike went over and started helping the nurse in comforting Twilight.
"Spike do ya' think that he'll be alrigh?" AppleJack said as she sat next to Spike.
"I hope so.."
The nurse had left Twilight with Spike and AppleJack and hurried inside to aid the other nurses.
The three had been outside of the medical tent waiting for about an hour before another nurse had come out of the tent. Twilight finally moved and looked up at the new nurse.
The nurse cleared her throat. "Your friend has been stabilized, hes fine at the moment. We cant fully diagnose his condition though, we are having more medical equipment being transferred here now."
"Can we see him?" Spike asked the nurse.
She gave her head a shake. "No visitors at the moment, not until we can be sure hes fine."
"Okay." Spike turned to Twilight and AppleJack. "Twilight do you think you can get up?"
Twilight got up slightly and dusted herself off, keeping her blank face.
"have you eaten anything?"
Twilight gave her head a shake to say no.
"Here, lets get to Sugar Cube Corner." Spike led Twilight to the bakery that was only a short distance away.
They walked inside the bakery and Pinkie saw Twilight's expression as they entered.
Pinkie bounced over. "Whats wrong with Twilight?"
"Soarin' had an accident, and shes taking it pretty hard, we came to try to get her to eat something to feel better." Spike led Twilight to a table and sat her down.
Pinkie dashed into the kitchen and brought back some cake and laid it in front of Twilight.
Twilight didn't even look at the cake, she broke down again on the table.
"S-s-Soarin'... " She said through her sobs.
They stayed at the bakery, allowing Twilight to unleash her emotions while Spike told Pinkie about everything.
An hour had passed and Spike returned to Twilight's side. "Want to go check up on Soarin'?"
Twilight couldn't cry anymore, her throat was sore from the crying but replied. "Yes please.."
Spike led Twilight back to the medical tent and AppleJack stayed at the bakery with Pinkie.
Spike and Twilight reached the medical tent, new wires were hooked up to Soarin' and the nurses were constantly checking the monitor. A nurse from inside saw them and walked up to them.
"Hello again, hes fine for now. You may see him if you want." She opened the tent flap open more to make room for them to enter.
Twilight rushed next to Soarin'. She saw his head bandaged up with splints to his side over his wings. Twilight leaned into Soarin and gave him a light kiss on his cheek.
"I love you..." She whispered.
Soarin's eye slightly opened and started moving his mouth, he mouthed a response to Twilight. 'I love you too.' It was silent but Twilight saw him slightly smile and try and move his hoof closer to Twilight, but his face showed pain and the monitor went off like a siren.
Nurses came immediately and pushed Twilight away, yelling commands to each other.
A nurse screamed after looking at the monitor. "His heart stopped! Get the defibrillator!"
Twilight just sat down on the cold ground again, staring at the frantic nurses.
"Remove those wires and start up the defibrillator!"
Twilight silently started crying. 'No...'
"Clear!" The head nurse brought the machine down on Soarin's chest.
"No effect, try again!"
"Clear!"
Twilight put her head between her hooves and started hyperventilating.
"Clear!"
Soarin's body jumped each time the machine struck him.
"His vitals are still cold, try again!"
The head nurse rubbed the defibrillator and tried again. "Clear!"
Soarin's eyes shot open and he breathed inward, but passed out from the pain.
"His vitals returned to normal.. get a new I.V in him."
The nurses all gave out a sigh, now that Soarin' was safe again.
The nurse trotted over to Twilight. "We can prepare a cot for you, if you want to stay that is."
"Yes please."
The nurse unfolded a make-shift bed with the cot and helped Twilight lay down.
"Don't worry, we will keep a close eye on him." The nurse trotted away.
Twilight immediately passed out, she was exhausted, and very scared. |
Purple Skies | Purple Skies. | Twilight woke up and saw the nurses drinking coffe and trailing a doctor that had appeared. The doctor was giving the nurses orders while he examined Soarin's body. A nurse noticed that Twilight had awoken and came over to her.
"Hello, do you need anything, dear?"
"How long have I been asleep?"
"Only 2 hours, you should sleep more."
"Is he alright?"
"Hes alive for now, but hes in a minor comma, don't worry we have our best doctor working on him."
Twilight nodded and looked over at Soarin', she could hardly stand to see him but couldn't look away. Soarin' was barely breathing, his face still showing extreme pain while the doctor felt his ribs and neck. Twilight felt a wave of nausea that forced her back to sleep.
Twilight dreamed of her and Soarin' laying down on a red checkered blanket in a gentle meadow by a slow flowing stream. Soarin' was back to normal, head and sides unbandaged, he was smiling and stroking Twilight's mane. Soarin' mouthed some words that Twilight couldn't make out, but soon after the world around them twisted into a chapel. Twilight looked down and saw that she was in a white dress, she looked forward and saw an isle with ponies staring at her from the sides, and at the end of the isle she saw Soarin' waiting for her.
'Twilight.'
She started walking down the isle.
'Twilight, wake up.'
Twilight reached the end of the isle and started walking up the red velvet steps to Soarin'
'Twilight wake up!'
Twilight shot up from her dream and almost hit the pony standing over her with her horn, the morning sun was rising, and SpitFire was right next to her bed.
"Twilight, hes awake."
Twilight jumped out of her cot and rushed to Soarin's side.
"Soarin'?"
Soarin' smiled. "Good morning, Twilight."
Twilight started tearing up. "Your okay?"
Soarin' gave a dehydrated cough. "Y-yeah, I think so."
A nurse brought Soarin' a glass of water and slowly poured a small amount in his mouth.
"Thank you."
The nurse nodded and set the glass down on a tray next to Soarin's bed.
The doctor walked up next to them. "Hello, I'm Doctor Jolt. It seems that Soarin' is doing fine and should be able to leave in a few days."
"Thanks goodness.." SpitFire sighed.
"But..."
SpitFire and Twilight tensed up.
"The crash was too severe for a complete recovery." The doctor cleared his throat. "The crash made his spine shift, his wings are now disabled, he may be able to fly again someday, but never for longer than a few minuets."
Soarin' tried to sit up was was too weak. "Really doctor?"
Doctor Jolt nodded. "I'm sorry son."
"So this means I can't be a WonderBolt anymore?"
"I'm afraid so."
Soarin' looked at Twilight and SpitFire, they were both crying, Soarin' felt bad as well, but he was grateful to be alive.
Twilight had tears running down her face, put her hoof on Soarin's hoof. "I'm so sorry Soarin'..."
"I'm just happy to be alive."
SpitFire spoke up. "Me too, Soar..."
All three stayed in silence for several moments.
"Don't worry Soar, we aren't going to leave Ponyville till you get better." SpitFire gestured over outside the tent and they saw the rest of the WonderBolts waiting outside.
"Thanks Fire.." Soarin' laid back into his bed and closed his eyes.
"I need to go take care of some business, want to come Twi?"
Twilight gave her head a shake. "No, I don't want to leave him."
SpitFire smiled. "Soarin' really picked a winner. Later Twi." SpitFire left the tent
Twilight nuzzled Soarin's hoof, he was asleep now. "I'm not ever going to leave your side Soarin'."
(4 days later.)
Soarin' exited the tent and took a deep breath of fresh air, the sun was setting. Twilight exited the tent with him, they both had large smiles on their faces.
Soarin' had never missed being outside so much before, it felt like an eternity on that bed.
Twilight nuzzled Soarin' and asked. "Anything do you want to do now that your out?"
Soarin' looked up at the sky. "I want to go for a walk to stretch my legs."
Twilight and Soarin' both slowly walked through Ponyville with waves and hello's from ponies all over town, everyone was happy that Soarin' was better.
"Thank you for letting me stay with you at the library, Twilight."
Twilight kissed him. "There's nopony else I would rather live with.
Soarin' and Twilight continued to walk, Soarin led Twilight out of Ponyville into the country-side. "You were really next to me the whole time Twilight?"
Twilight nodded. "I was so scared, I didn't want to lose you."
"Let's stop here. I want to rest for a second."
Soarin' and Twilight walked away from the road and settled down on a hill. Soarin' and Twilight were both laying the in the grass, holding each others hooves, staring up into the sky.
The sun was setting in a perfect hue, showing a wide array of colors. They locked eyes as if they were staring into each others souls, and then they entered a long passionate kiss. They broke away from each other as they saw the sky change color, they looked at the sky in awe. For miles all they saw on the horizon, were Purple Skies.
Hey guys, WinterTwister here, I hope you enjoyed Purple Skies, I had alot of fun writing it. I want to thank Jolttix for the idea of Soarin' and Twilight, and thewaffler for being a great enthusiasm boost and his amazing ideas.
Again hope you enjoyed the story, it really touched me personally. ~WinterTwister |
Purple Skies | Note: Winter Skies. | When Purple Skies was created, it was just me, but at the end of Purple Skies I had help from a friend, and with that Friend I formed an awesome writing team called, Team Joker.
And now we want to bring you more quality fan-fics starting with a Holiday Special with Soarin' and Twilight!
Winter Skies has been submitted and will be up soon. ~WinterTwister, TheWaffler, Jolttix. |
Purple Skies | Blue Skies | Blue Skies is up
~ Team Joker |
Autonomous Reflection | pre | "And, of course, a bustling train in no way befits a setting intended to ameliorate a relationship," Luna confirmed to herself.
Despite not being fully aware of Celestia's reasoning behind organising such a hushed occasion, she did know that a mental struggle between two of the participants was not an acceptable state of affairs. "Make no mistake: our calling here tonight is of the utmost importance. I would strongly advise that you terminate this disorder immediately, before we convene; neither Celestia nor myself will tolerate any perturbation, and one guest already carries too much chaotic potential for my liking."
"N-Now? But there's so little time, and I don't think I can--"
"There is time enough," Luna said firmly. "Call her back to this room. Call her back and do not be afraid to show her your heart, Twilight Sparkle. Do whatever it takes to weave your friendship back into the fertile tapestry it once was, arrive punctually at the meeting and relieve your mind of a worry that need not exist. Do you understand?"
Twilight bowed, and Luna smiled in the knowledge that it was out of personal gratitude rather than obligatory respect. "Of course I will, Luna. Thank you."
Vacating the room together, the pair of rulers went their separate ways as Twilight ran in the direction her friends had headed, calling Fluttershy's name. By now the sun was no more than a crest of light straining to keep its head above the horizon, and Luna's very essence could feel the moon eagerly awaiting its place in the sky.
So many times I have performed this ritual, yet so few have adhered to this feeling of momentous significance. A secret consortium, the members of which have all changed the fate of the world for better or - in one case - for worse, called together by the highest power under the cover of darkness... May the moon be our shining beacon in the blackened mess of matters into which I fear we are about to plunge.
Arriving at the foot of the grand staircase, Luna began the long climb to the peak of the castle. |
Autonomous Reflection | Chapter 4 – The Sausage Delay | As she entered the Conference Room with Fluttershy beside her, a habitual checklist composed itself without permission in Twilight's head. It clung there with an irritating persistence, its latest two items of arriving punctually to the meeting and mending a cracked friendship eager to be ticked off. But Twilight could reasonably dispose of only one of them.
Well, at least I'm on time.
Twilight was grateful for the relatively boring layout of the room. Perfectly circular in shape; enormous banners adorned with familiar crests hanging at equidistant intervals around the circumference; fresh food and drink within easy magical reach at the back; and the timeless round table, a transparent symbol over which crucial decisions were made.
She noted that even what wasn't there hinted at the room's purpose, the total lack of raised positions telling Twilight that, in here, a peasant could declare their view and know it carried no less magnitude than a princess's. Since all opinions were fair game, no other furniture bothered to make an appearance, probably because it would more likely end up hitting someone in the face during a blazing argument rather than serve a more common purpose of comfort. Perhaps a similar reason applied to why none of the refreshments offered high sugar content, and also why the single colour painted upon the walls - a very unprovocative shade of blue - simply sat there in the background, as if it didn't want to get involved.
She was grateful for all of this because, after hearing Fluttershy's reaction to her admission of pent-up frustration, Twilight could personify the vexing cloud now surrounding her own mind very succinctly: a swarm of maddening confusion.
Unprepared to initiate a heart-to-heart at such short notice, Twilight knew that her torrent of explanations and apologies had been badly structured--yet Fluttershy had behaved like a robot programmed with straightforward, generic responses. Neutrality almost to the point of indifference was neither Fluttershy's genuine disposition nor characteristic for her to fake, especially not when under dire stress.
Twilight knew then that something disturbing ran deep within Fluttershy, and the cause had struck recently. Whether it proved to be a delicate, personal problem, or a terrible secret concealed for the benefit of another, her behaviour could not be excused by the coronation alone.
At least the pegasus had promised to suppress future urges to proclaim undying servitude to her, but having expected either continued resistance or a bawling breakdown, Twilight had no idea how Fluttershy now felt, and therefore no clue how much progress she had made.
Still, the predictability of the Conference Room somewhat helped clear Twilight's congested thoughts and, to a lesser extent, play down the tangle of mysteries.
My options have been narrowed down to just the one: when this meet is over, I have to bring my friends up to speed and see if they have better luck. Together, we can surely coax Fluttershy out of that shell and accomplish what I'm obviously incapable of doing on my own.
Scanning the room to mentally claim a spot around the table, Twilight was pleased to see those same friends having settled in well, their thirty-minute wait seemingly enough to have bred an atmosphere of ease. An impassive Celestia stood in silence, eyes closed and magnificent horn glowing gently, but Twilight took the princess's allowance of casual conversation as a positive sign that the reasons behind this gathering did not bode with serious alarm.
On a whim of curiosity, Twilight focused on the loudest commotion. An amusing scene met her eyes wherein Applejack was engaged in animated discussion with Shining Armour, whose contributions consisted mostly of hearty laughs, while Cadence performed flawlessly as a spare part beside them. Twilight couldn't help a giggle; her brother had been enthralled with Applejack's accent ever since their respective introductions, a harmless addiction which his wife was usually graceful enough to take in her stride.
Nearby, Rainbow Dash sat in what appeared to be contented bewilderment as Pinkie Pie's mouth delivered a sentence that never ended. The explanation why Rainbow, irrefutably the most impatient mare within an Equestria-sized radius, always tolerated - no, actively enjoyed - the pink pony's haphazard rants without getting the chance to give her own, swollen opinions was a box Twilight feared she might never tick.
At last Pinkie's lungs demanded that she take a breath, and Rainbow Dash managed a few, enthusiastic words. Suddenly Pinkie dove forward to embrace Rainbow in her signature death-squeeze, after which point she said something that was clearly extremely embarrassing, for a furious blush flooded Rainbow Dash's cheeks.
Her outlook bright at seeing her friends so relaxed and affectionate, Twilight's eyes switched to the other side of the table, where they beheld the perfectly ordinary sight of Spike chatting to Rarity.
And an inferno of hate raged within her.
W-What? What was that?
Twilight blinked. Her senses discerned no change of surroundings since the fleeting gap in her composure, save for a subdued Fluttershy shuffling into a space around the table between Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Along with no perceivable instigator thereof, the monstrous emotion hadn't even had the common courtesy to stay long enough for Twilight to be sure of its existence.
The knowledge that dwelling on the matter would only exacerbate her mood brought Twilight's attention to the last pony in attendance.
Luna looked more anxious than anything else. Ever the less talented sister when the situation called for a figurative mask, her lower jaw maintained a permanent clamp on the opposite lip, and her hooves rapped periodically upon the table. Perhaps Luna was lost in the information concerning Fluttershy's crumbling character, or she may well have been worried about a fact which Twilight herself only now realised: the final guest and his reliably chaotic entrance were nowhere to be seen.
Catching each other's gaze after a few seconds, Twilight was greeted with one of Luna's raised eyebrows. This was no acknowledgement, and Twilight responded to the true nature of the gesture as best she could. She shook her head through clenched teeth, allowed her tail to droop and, above all, shrugged with an air of total cluelessness. She hoped that Luna got the intended message.
I don't know how it went with Fluttershy... I'm sorry! I just don't know!
After a brief frown, Luna offered a sympathetic smile, countered by the firmness of her accompanying nod. Recognising the role-reversal, Twilight studied her fellow princess carefully.
The conclusion she drew left Twilight worried that she might be a simpleton, as the single solution she could glean from Luna's body language was one applicable to every other difficult situation under the sun which her sister guided.
Be strong, Twilight Sparkle, echoed Twilight's independent narrator in a passable rendition of both Luna's voice and mannerisms. So long as courage is your companion, no problem shall stand invincible.
Her head fell silent. Twilight returned the steadfast nod she owed, and soon the beat of rhythmic tapping filled the room once more as Luna succumbed to her disquiet.
On her second attempt to pick out a free space around the table, Twilight's focus broke again thanks to a friendly hoof which was suddenly grooming her mane. Turning revealed its owner to be Cadence, who chuckled softly and withdrew the hoof. "Sorry, but I won't have my favourite mare looking anything but her best," said her former foal-sitter with a wink.
"Cadence, I'm so glad you're here!" she exclaimed. Happiness emboldened her, and Twilight fired a question too tempting to resist. "Getting to spend much quality time with your husband?" she asked with a sly smile.
Cadence laughed in understanding. "I'll get you back for that," she joked. "I'll admit, your brother's ears are probably having a bit too much of a good time with Applejack given the circumstances, but I know that Shining is taking this as seriously as the next pony." A faint spark invigorated her. "Still, we could have our fun too, you know. We haven't greeted each other properly yet..."
Twilight could not have hoped to prevent the mischievous grin now spreading on her lips. "We haven't, have we?"
After glancing around in unison to ensure they did not have an audience, the duo forged ahead with their rite of song and dance, chanting, "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybug's awake! Clap your hooves and--"
"Burn them at the stake?" suggested a voice mildly.
Twilight raised her eyes skyward, intending to burn holes through the idiot who had desecrated their ritual. "What?" said Discord, half indignant, half amused. "I had to find some way of stopping you two from shaking your backsides at one another."
Twilight opened her mouth to retort, but the insult died in her throat when the thickness of the air made itself known to her. Discord's arrival had withered the environment and, although the multitude of talk bouncing around the Conference Room had not stopped, an invisible volume dial seemed to have been twisted firmly anti-clockwise. The predictable exception was Rainbow Dash welcoming him with a loud, "You're late!"
Continuing as though he had made no impact whatsoever, Discord tousled Twilight's lilac mane and addressed her again. "Look at you, all grown up and responsible! I feel like a proud dad, except that I'm thousands of years older, a completely different species and the reason why you suffered from extreme depression for a while."
She tore his ugly limb off her mane and ignored his sarcasm. "Why are you here? We don't need you or your malicious ways ruining our lives, Discord, so what is so important to Celestia that means your personal attack on her sister can be forgotten?" In her peripheral vision, Twilight thought she saw Cadence looking at her proudly, helping to imbue her voice with even more conviction.
Eyes darting left and right, Discord beckoned Twilight near with a talon. Hesitantly, she cooperated through a few tentative steps forward, but his claw kept motioning for their bodies to draw closer and closer until his mouth hovered a hair's breadth from her ear. Fearing a classic act of trickery at hand, Twilight braced for an explosion of noise to rip apart her ear drum...
"Because I'm just that handsome," he whispered.
Twilight sagged, her patience rapidly evaporating into the humid air. His face triumphant, Discord pulled away and cackled. "Ah, I love surprising you, my dear princesses! The four of you are my favourite victims. But a little perspective is always nice, so tonight we're playing switcheroo: I don't have the foggiest why Celestia is locking me in this criminally organised dump with you lot. For all I know, she's invited me so I can chow down on her latest chocolate cake recipe."
"Or maybe just throw it in your face..." quipped Cadence, making Twilight snort as she stifled a laugh.
"Speaking of cake," Discord continued with a jab towards the refreshments table, "did you notice how there isn't a single slice of it on offer over there? It's a disgrace, I tell you. I'm off to see if there's a sausage or otherwise suitably shaped implement that I can shove up an unfortunate area of the chef later. Toodles!"
And he departed, his casual float to the back of the room enlivened only by the sound of his humming and the palpable glares of varying intensity directed his way.
It took Twilight a few seconds to realise she was holding her breath. Releasing it slowly, her muscles relaxed as Cadence told her, "You handled that really well, Twilight. You're going to do Equestria proud."
High praise was always a buzz for Twilight, mainly because she lived restlessly without validation that her actions were worthwhile and morally just, but this time she found herself unable to accept the compliments; too much doubt lay rooted too deeply. "I don't know, maybe," she sighed. "I'm determined to do my best, but whether that will be enough to please everypony..." She trailed off, improvised modesty failing her.
"Hey, don't put yourself down, Twili!"
Shining Armour trotted over and gave her a hug which she knew had been deliberately perfected since her birth, one that offered a physically soft blanket of touch yet simultaneously conveyed a powerful assurance. "You've got what it takes. I know the pressure multiplies like a Parasprite when everypony has so much faith in you, but it actually ends up being the helpful driving force that pushes you to succeed."
A soppy smile spread across his face. "I should know; you were the one who said I couldn't possibly fail when I became captain of the Royal Guard."
The wholeness and intimacy of his logic touched Twilight, and she was reminded of exactly why her brother was entrusted with so much responsibility. "Thank you," she said softly, knowing that Shining did not need to hear tacky add-ons to understand the depth of her gratitude.
When she felt that the moment had passed, Twilight moved to give the conversation a playful kick. "So, have you finally dragged yourself away from my friend's seductive voice?"
"S-Seductive?!" he spluttered, casting terrified glances at Cadence. "I...I mean...!"
His awkwardness was all the more hilarious to witness because Twilight had assumed nothing; Shining had slipped up during one of her routine visits to the castle with her friends two months ago. Having only just truly interacted with Applejack for the first time, Twilight had innocently asked what he thought of her.
And now here he stood, probably cursing his lax tongue. Faced with the prospect of either lying to Cadence or signing his own death sentence, Shining eventually made the smart choice and did neither. "Oh, Twili, you're such a joker!" he evaded. "Applejack was just telling me about the Zap Apple harvest! Did you know the howl of the Timberwolves is the first sign that they're coming? And their colour! It's amazing! I had no idea that..."
Shining Armour continued in this way for quite some time, although whether his blabbering reflected a genuine enthusiasm or was merely a tactical shield against the potential wrath of his wife remained unknown to Twilight. She grew bored, scrawling invisible shapes on the carpet until a royal symbol upon it made her realise, with a start, that she had almost forgotten the apparent importance of this meeting.
What's taking so long? Discord is here now, and I don't think Celestia is waiting to see if he finds that sausage. We should have started ages ago...
Looking upon Princess Celestia again, Twilight was slightly unnerved to see no change in her stance. In fact, she wouldn't blame a casual observer for thinking Celestia had frozen herself in time with magic; it was difficult to perceive her even breathing, only the horn atop her head glimmering with any sign of life.
Twilight jabbed her brother to shut him up before nodding at Celestia. "What's she doing?"
"Checking for bugs," Shining replied as if it were obvious.
When Twilight's look of expectancy for some reason did not prompt Shining Armour to expand, Cadence took it upon herself to carry on instead. "Well, as you'll have noticed by now, Celestia and Luna's advisors aren't here. I'm not entirely sure why that is, but one thing everypony in this castle is sure of is that they aren't happy about it."
Shining Armour concurred with a grim smile. "Celestia knows that they're all nosy, pompous nutjobs, so she's searching for any hidden spells they might have cast beforehand that would record whatever we're about to discuss." He ran a hoof tiredly down his face. "You know better than I do, Twili, how crafty subtle magic like that can be, so I'm guessing that's why we're sitting around like this."
Understanding came, but with it arrived a familiar thirst for knowledge. Despite all her dealings within the castle, including for the duration of the coronation, Twilight had only caught glimpses of maybe two or three of the politicians and never actually spoken to any of them. More importantly, since much of the happenings during a court session were left to the ravages of public speculation, she knew that her comprehension of their personalities was likely infested with falsities and hearsay. "There are eight of them, right? The royal sisters' advisors, I mean."
"Yup," said Shining Armour brusquely, "and I don't care for any of them. Our duties clash quite a bit, and they're always lecturing me about how I could do my job better." A clear inner upheaval drove him to stomp angrily. "Pah! I should march in here in the middle of a meeting and shoot down every one of their selfish demands by showing them how real life works!"
Cadence approached and nuzzled her head against his, causing his agitation to wane as he inhaled a breath of calm. "Thanks, sweetheart. Celestia is right, though; it's that Dark Horse you've got to watch out for. You can't trust a stallion who never takes off his cloak."
"Dark Horse?" inquired Twilight, doubtful that any parent in their right mind would ever curse their newborn with such an impersonal, lazy title. "That's got to be a nickname."
"Yeah, a disturbingly fitting one for the pony who hides his cutie mark: Icon o' Clast."
Curious uncertainty quickly stole the forefront of Twilight's attention; she had heard of Icon o' Clast. Keen-minded but fierce-hooved, he was the unspoken leader of Celestia's court. With a deliberate sense of equality enforced through the Conference Room's very design and seven other agendas competing to win bragging rights, one could be misled into thinking that the other politicians would verbally grapple with Clast in as confident and self-righteous a manner as they would the stallion sat next to him.
But a recent memory merged with Twilight's vision, and Celestia's voice rang only six days old as she warned, "Icon o' Clast is the most spectacular but also most unsettling unicorn of this generation. He holds no regard for his own safety and, one way or another, always chooses the path which results in the least fatalities, bulldozing over any dangling issues such as financial cost, national relations, tradition...and other ponies' point of view."
Celestia had indulged in a thoughtful pause before admitting, "Trouble is that his suggestions are often the best way to proceed. It's a welcome change from the usual essays of propaganda, and although my other advisors share a common trait with him in their reluctance to compromise, Clast's thought process is alien territory to them. A mind like yours, Twilight, would notice their fear of him before he opened his mouth."
"However, do not imagine that we nurse a soft spot for him," Luna had added, troubled experiences evident in her eyes. "Even we speak carefully on the occasions when his arrant ideals about the sanctity of life must be rejected." Another heavy pause had weighed them down on them, and Luna had voiced her final mentation carefully. "Icon o' Clast would sacrifice himself to save Equestria in a heartbeat, but he would just as soon silence you in your sleep if your blood sustained two dying Changelings."
The memory ended on that knife-edged balance of character, and Twilight sympathised with the sisters for the thousandth time. "They sure have a lot to put up with, don't they?"
"You can say that again," Shining replied with a humourless laugh. "Princess Celestia has not been herself lately."
Cadence sighed, and Twilight spotted a flash of contagious fatigue engulfing the alicorn; all ponies, it seemed, had employed brave faces to conceal their weaknesses today. "Shining and I worry for her health. It goes without saying that crowning a new princess is going to induce some measure of stress, but this has been ridiculous."
"Too right, and I'm willing to bet a few bits that Clast is pulling most of the strings," Shining Armour said with no shortage of confidence. "He's given those two enough grief already just because he thinks your youth automatically means you can't be a good ruler." A scoff escaped him and he took a sharp breath, as if to launch into another offensive.
Then Twilight saw him change his mind. He chewed his lip slowly, hesitant to go on.
"Shining?" ventured Twilight. Eyeing her nervously, her brother grunted. "Is there something I should know? Don't leave me in the dark, not now... I need all the help I can get if I'm to stand a chance of winning their trust."
A pile of senseless noises was his response, which irked Twilight; she had little patience watching a stallion, especially her own brother, grunt profusely and then believe it a sound reason to excuse himself from answering. So, without a shred of guilt, Twilight pouted and gave him her best helpless-little-sister look.
And he relented. "Gah! Fine. Their trust is worth less than nothing, but I suppose the wrong first impression could tempt them to stir even more trouble. I can't find a delicate way to put this, so--"
"Excuse me, everyone!" Three strikes of Celestia's hoof against the table ensured her call was heard. "I'm happy to announce that nothing of underhand intent has been planted inside this room. If you would all gather round, please..."
Still eager to be in the circle of knowledge, Twilight motioned for Shining Armour to hurry up and explain. He shook his head, however, merely promising, "Later."
Disappointed, Twilight skulked over to the table and found a space fairly close to the room's entrance. She did not particularly care whom she neighboured, but Twilight vaguely wondered if fate had assumed control to order the party around the table; sat directly opposite was Fluttershy, whose eyes contained abundant pain as they looked to be silently pleading for help.
Wait! Is she ready to talk?
Unable to speak without arousing suspicion, and clueless as to the form of assistance Fluttershy so desperately needed, Twilight could only place a hoof over her heart and gaze at her friend with soft sincerity.
I'll help you, she mouthed across the table. Everything will be ok... I promise.
Fluttershy's lip trembled, and Twilight's spirits soared when the pegasus noiselessly replied, Thank you.
"My deepest apologies for the delay," Princess Celestia began from a position that could arguably have been called head of the table. "Firstly, I would like to remind everyone that this meeting is not a reaction to a disaster or a looming threat. But, I will take liberties now to assure you how important and also how confidential the subject at hoof actually is. There will be a lot to take in, so please pay attention." Twilight thought she saw her glance at Pinkie.
Feeling a weighty disturbance on her back, Twilight looked around and smiled as Spike made himself comfortable upon her body. The dragon knew he could mount her without prior warning nowadays; they trusted each other implicitly. At any rate, Spike's miserable height rendered him unable to do more than crack open his forehead in this room.
Twilight reached back and rubbed his cheek affectionately, an action that was rewarded with a toothy grin which left her feeling unnaturally warm.
Celestia, flanked left by her sister and right by the evening's controversial guest, arrived at her final formality. "Do any of our twelve here tonight have any questions or objections?" Silence reigned, answering in the negative; not even Discord deigned to lob a nervy comment.
Celestia nodded, satisfied. "Excellent. Then we may begin." |
Autonomous Reflection | Chapter 5 – Counterpoint | If somepony during the height of my influence had told me that I would presently be hiding hundreds of feet underground, alone below the castle I miss more than any other structure in existence, I would have laughed and punished them for their insolence. Nowadays, of course, I may well have called them back and begged them to be my friend, if only to extinguish this terrible loneliness.
But either way, incredibly, they would have been right. Four days I've been stuck within these craggy walls, led here by my own desperation, no less. It makes my skin crawl to imagine what those who respected me would perceive if they were to discover me down here. To the uninformed, I must appear a plotting, shady villain.
Yet nopony can see me, and neither do I wish for anypony to observe how pathetic I have become. Even the strange insects on which I have intruded have regarded me thus far as an uninvited nuisance, and I know that - if all motivation to expand my ocean of useless wisdom had not already abandoned me - they would sooner dive into a rival colony's nest than allow me to study their behaviour. Once again, my power serves only to drive others away...
So long as I am here, I cannot avoid giving off a tremendous aura of powerful magic, and I take virtually no consolation in the knowledge of how necessary this spell is. What pride can one take in their greatest invention when its purpose is befouled by that same artificer? Merely scurrying around like this, living off the rich sights of what could have been... I disgrace myself.
The whole reason I have crawled back to Canterlot now is to fix myself--but here I hide, waiting for my exuding magic to seep through to the ponies above in the cowardly hope that somepony will save me the horror of revealing myself first. Sooner or later, an astute unicorn will easily discern a presence down here. Only the safety of sheer distance can temporarily shield me from detection while I fret over whether enough dignity survives in these bones to admit how far I have fallen.
And so I find myself in this dank, forgotten dungeon of Canterlot Castle.
Worse, this essential spell which must constantly accompany me is proving to be a double-edged sword, one sharpened more lethally on my side of its length; constantly casting magic during these last few days has exhausted me, and I fear I may pass into the void if I can't convince another unicorn to sympathise with my plight and lend me their strength. This loaded dilemma means that, even if somepony were to sense a disturbance and seek out the source, I do not possess the confidence to say I would still be around to actually find.
These are the arguments with which I have challenged myself throughout this wakeful nightmare, and I finally see how obvious the most healing course of action is. Although I have dwelled for an inexcusable time on such a clear decision, not even the most stubborn memory of my old self can now deny that I must kneel before my mistakes, and ask those whom I so selfishly used and discarded to raise me anew.
Yet still, after hearing all of these home truths and humilities, my pride insists that I curse myself with one more chance to do this alone.
I've delayed for too long already. There will be no better opportunity than right now, as I sense that a great number of powerful ponies - probably the royal sisters with those eight, creepy politicians - have barricaded themselves in a single, fairly confined space. Their reasons for doing so are impossible for me to guess, but I know only that I must take advantage and give my unyielding pride its last chance to preserve the independence it so avidly strives to regain.
But it doesn't worry me anymore that I will most likely be discovered on my way to the castle's archives. I no longer care if no scroll on the emotion I pine for exists. Indeed, I will not take false shelter under a stupid delusion that words could ever accurately record the intimacy of knowing another heart, for if they could, I would have devoured the pages upon which they sat long ago.
I only hope she can forgive me.
With ten pairs of expectant eyes already cleaving into Celestia, Rainbow Dash faintly heard her conscience order the dismissal of actively becoming an eleventh source of pressure. Ironically, however, this command was itself dismissed by her superior taste for tension and all things dramatic.
Rainbow knew better than most how a crowd's collective attention surged through the blood, charging every atom with that beautiful rush of potential energy. But it was her handling of this cumulative force that had brought her to the top of competitive flying: she wielded a figurative key, one held in perfect balance of conscious effort and instinct, which unlocked inside her the secret to best exploit the energy's release.
Instead of panicking and repelling the energy back in all directions like a cataclysmically uneconomical generator, Rainbow breathed the pressure as she would oxygen, immersing herself in each individual's desire to witness a killer performance and amassing them all into one central location.
This location was home to the very reasons why she lived, and few entities nurtured the personal importance required to enter; only the drive to become the world's best flyer, along with being around a special friend - whom Rainbow adored for reasons hidden even to herself - had ever stirred this place inside her. She was certainly not a spiritual pony, but Rainbow Dash liked to think it was her soul.
Then, of course, it was a simple matter of unleashing the blast in a single moment in time which coincided with the climax of her routine. The emotional ecstasy was indescribable, an inseparable joining of her passion and spectator awe. She doubted that her hunger for this union would ever be sated, and she was glad for it; the feeling had welded itself to her being as firmly as the stitches which conjoined her Wonderbolts uniform to the proud badge upon it.
Radical as these methods were, Rainbow's wildest dreams had never managed to plant a single subconscious desire inside her head that might encourage her to pursue a more fulfilling lifestyle. And when her vivid imagination was dormant, was happily sitting back because her actual life could sate its appetite with leftovers to spare, Rainbow knew that there was nothing left to chase.
Except... Except for love...
The tears were upon her before she knew it.
No! Stupid pegasus! I can't cry in front of four members of royalty, my best friends and some douchebag who owns a pink umbrella! This meeting. Important. Focus, Dash.
So Rainbow tried to forget about how her heart silently choked on years of its own unreleased love because she had no one who would truly accept it; about how her intimacy-starved soul attacked her every night with an agonising yearning to be held; about how her rumoured prowess with stallions was nothing but a self-inflicted lie to hide that her lips were still pure; and about how she harboured terrifying, confusing feelings for the pink pony sat right next to her.
It was impossible. She could wrestle her sadness into submission for the duration of the meeting, but her bed was not a place of safety. Not anymore. The warmth that her body enjoyed inside it was provided only by affectionless cotton, and her insides were a frozen block of ice with no melting point. Lying alone in bed just removed any last incentive to stifle her cold whimpers.
Unless somepony could explain to her within the next couple of hours exactly why she wanted to wrap herself in a warm tangle of Pinkie Pie's limbs and kiss her, the unshed tears would not be denied the journey down her cheeks. They would simply return later to spill in a helpless flood, punishing her for the delay by stealing hours of sleep and replacing them with the loneliness that would reduce her to a sobbing wreck.
Rainbow Dash knew that the latter outcome was inevitable. But, just as she employed a full-on approach to blot out the pressures of her job and personal life, she also knew that Celestia would have her own tactics to deal with being the centre of attention.
There's no way she doesn't know how to handle this. We're kindred spirits, even! She might strut her stuff with words instead of action, and her mindset is probably on a different planet to my adrenaline addiction, but the principle is the same.
Relieved that she was able to temporarily displace her distress, Rainbow Dash followed up by focusing on the Conference Room and, in particular, on the alicorn who had practically ordered them there in the first place.
You've set the scene like a boss, so come on, Celestia... Time for the main event...
And so her astuteness to Celestia's strung position did not prevent Rainbow's intense pink eyes from making their contribution. Tonight, she was just another of the crowd, breathlessly awaiting the promised show.
"You may recall," Celestia began, oddly choosing to open with her soft, soothing tone, "that our fickle ally Discord here has been banished from Equestria not once, but twice."
"Should reckon ah do," Applejack commented, seemingly oblivious to the concept of rhetorical devices. "Ah was there fer one of 'em."
Shooting her friend a scornful look across the table, Twilight hissed, "Don't interrupt, Applejack!"
A smirk probed at Rainbow Dash's face. Thirty seconds in and her wingless rival was already bucking the wrong apples. Still, her forwardness carried a certain charm, not least because Rainbow shared that selfsame characteristic; it gave reason for her to cherish their friendship.
"It's quite alright, Applejack," came Celestia's disappointingly sympathetic reply. "This is a meeting, not a lecture. I have much to explain, yes, but feel free to ask questions and express yourself as you see fit."
Resisting the gaping invitation to express her own awesomeness was difficult, but Rainbow Dash kept her mouth shut. Intrigue about where Celestia was going with her history of Discord had piled more fuel onto her already ignited interest, the curious flames licking at her with a potency she had not felt since her astonishment of first seeing Twilight sporting a pair of impossible wings.
After a perfectly-timed length of silence, Celestia continued. "Discord's most recent exile was owed to six of the bravest and most selfless ponies ever to grace Equestria: Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie here tonight, of course." Celestia turned to nod at each of them as she declared their heroism, and though her friends' proud smiles probably were of sufficient acknowledgement, Rainbow saw no harm in quickly pumping a hoof to relish in her status before focusing again.
Spike looked downright offended.
"But what about his initial banishment?" Celestia suggested, coaxing her audience into some proactive thinking. "The time when Luna and I were forced to lock Discord in stone? Does anypony here, barring my sister and the deserving victim himself, know the crimes that cost him his freedom on that occasion?"
A mutual exchange of confused glances promptly tackled Rainbow's worry that she might have been dumped out of the information loop. Her friends were riding in the same boat of ignorance as she was.
Strangely, the same relief was not settling upon Cadence and Shining Armour, who were also clearly none the wiser; their adjacent positions around the table were unified in strong concern. Perhaps, Rainbow thought, the lovers believed they ought to know already.
Then she realised that Celestia was actually awaiting some form of answer, as if the princess were a relaxed teacher who whiled away lesson time by enjoying her students' blank slates.
...Well, don't ask me. Even the egghead looks like I bought her a book about procrastination and clonked her upside the face with it.
Her mind vacated for an unplanned pit stop on issues involving Twilight - primarily organising the mare's flying lessons in a simple schedule that would save Spike the crippling claw cramp - until Pinkie Pie finally offered the obvious, and then some. "Was it because he was being a total meanie? Did he open a candy store that put everypony else out of business and then start filling the cupcakes with poo?"
Sat next to her, Rainbow knew the baffling tangent through which Pinkie's imagination was straying would only blend into yet more obscurity if her mouth went uninterrupted. Luna must have collided with the same realisation and tried to throw the reins back over to her suddenly very flustered-looking sister by cutting in, "Pinkie Pie, faecal matter isn't exactly--"
"Oh, but then he laughed so hard he forgot what was in them, nommed on ten at once and threw up so much that he begged to be banished! And thus Discord was defeated by his own dastardly deeds!" By now Pinkie had arose to stand gallantly on her hind legs, finishing in a heroic, soaring pose that carried a likeness to Rainbow's favourite posture in the presence of a screaming crowd.
And she wanted to laugh. Her body actually prepared itself for the inevitable fit of giggles: face contorted, stomach clenched, hooves posed ready to helplessly bang the table...but her abdomen remained constricted, denying the release of air needed for that first laugh to burst from her mouth.
Rainbow Dash tried to wonder why, but her head answered with only indistinct rambling; it had become a dysfunctional mess. In an overwhelming bid for rare seconds of total independence, Rainbow's brain had immobilised conscious thought to blindly grab at any signal coming in from her body, scramble their intended messages and redirect them instead to her eyes, where they could gaze at Pinkie Pie and her oddly enchanting form.
Whether or not this rebellion had been fanned by the whispers enticing her to dive into Pinkie's embrace, she could not tell, nor could she call upon the necessary faculties to consider it at all. Rainbow Dash simply found herself inexplicably content to stare at Pinkie Pie, while fleeting memories of hugging together brushed warmly against the more private recesses of her mind.
P-Pinkie... How are you doing this to me? Why do you make my heart soar but my stomach plummet? I-I don't understand...
Discord had experienced no such oddities, however, and it was his gleeful laughter that dragged Rainbow Dash back into the realm of the Conference Room. Wiping a tear from one of his discoloured eyes, Discord managed, "Oh, what a fantastically humiliating way to go that would have been! You're just giving me ideas here, Pinkie! See, this is why you're my favourite pony along with adorable little Fluttershy. All these other losers are just so...boring."
"What was that?" Rainbow growled, venting her frustration at being so out of touch with emotions her own spirit had birthed. "You're telling me that being able to pull off a Sonic Rainboom in front of thousands is boring?"
"You uneducated ruffian!" squalled an equally outraged Rarity. "Hound at me all you like if my personal designs do not appeal to you, but I will not have a sordid word spat upon the fashion career itself! Boring is a description suited to the unambitious and lazy, and should never be confused with stylish simplicity. Regardless of taste, if passion and effort was weaved into somepony's work, then it can only be admired!"
"Ah'm sure as hay not lazy," added Applejack, "and ah can vouch the same fer all us here ponies."
Becoming swamped by an ever-increasing number of sound rebuttals, Discord steadily cocked his head until his face hung almost upside-down. Along with a deceptive smile that now looked like a frown to his distrusting companions, Discord hummed lightly, as though hearing the fierce protection of their lifestyles were somehow amusing him. "Interesting. Well then, I'll just call you predictable instead."
Discord relaxed his neck to its natural upright. "Your life might be all about doing loop de loops at mach infinity or whatever, but when you've seen it once, the exciting edge dulls pretty quickly. At least Pinkie here can spout comedy gold and not even realise it."
Rainbow grew angrier, detesting how he was complimenting Pinkie in such a sneaky, backhanded manner. She was being advertised like an attraction to be plonked on a stool and left for an insensitive crowd to laugh at, her quirky but pure heart nothing but a source of entertainment to Discord. Finding it difficult to fight this disguised injustice, Rainbow scowled as her head rummaged for a snappy comeback.
Before it could advance beyond the petty insults stage, however, Discord was already talking again. "Anyway, we're veering wildly off-topic. As startlingly plausible as your suggestion was, Pinkie, I'm afraid that begging Celestia to stop my intestines from being regurgitated halfway across Equestria wasn't how I ended up looking like a demented opera singer for about fifty zillion years."
"Then what did you do?" asked Twilight with a tired grimace.
"Well, I would hate to steal our hostess's limelight." Prodding Princess Celestia with his tail, Discord sarcastically announced, "Forge ahead, almighty ruler. I permit thee to unveil my abominations to your weirdo friends."
But Celestia shook her head. "My share of talking is done, and it's time I passed the torch." She paused, toying with a thought. "Why don't you speak for yourself, Discord? After all, only you truly know how your mentality worked in those bygone days. What do you say, sister?"
"...I am not opposed to that," Luna responded formally.
"Then it's settled. The floor is yours, Discord. And please stop poking me."
Yawning, Discord summoned an apple from the refreshments table and impaled it on the left horn atop his head. "My gratitude for offering me no input whatsoever on that decision. Appreciated. And I really don't know how you expect me to stretch this into some sort of dramatic explanation. I could sum everything up in one sentence."
"Go on then," prompted Spike.
Juice had begun to secrete from the apple, and Discord stuck out his ridiculously long tongue so he might catch any rogue drips running down his face. "Erh schhole eh ewewents uhv hisharerhneh."
Luna sighed. "Discord, if you retract your tongue, you may be able to form a comprehensible sequence of phonetics."
Smacking his razor-thin lips, Discord tore the wounded apple from his appendage and launched it towards a hanging banner opposite, where it scored a bullseye on Luna's artistically rendered flank. "I said I stole the elements of disharmony."
For a whole minute, the only audible noise was shattered fruit splatting the floor as the few surviving apple fragments lost their flimsy, adhesive grip on the banner.
Rainbow was sure she had misheard the draconequus. "You stole what?" she piped up at last. "The elements of harmony? Well, that's about as much of a surprise as me destroying everyone at racing."
"My ears were surely blocked with something I will be thoroughly cleaning out later," Rarity said, mortified, "but for a moment there they heard you say disharmony."
"That's really weird," Twilight uttered slowly, accompanied by one of her priceless, befuddled expressions. "I thought he said that too."
Seeming fully engaged for the first time, Discord leaned forward and grinned. "As much as I'd love having an excuse to bash your head against a wall, Rarity, your ears aren't actually clogged on this occasion." His talons danced on the table, their sporadic trot seeming to match his invigoration. "I suppose I could flesh this out a bit... I think a little history lesson is in order, one which doesn't feature on your holey little curriculum of today."
Discord shrugged and gestured openly. "You heard correctly. I stole the six elements of disharmony. See, thousands of years ago, when this single fang of mine still enjoyed the company of a full set of teeth, the existence of the elements of harmony and disharmony were common knowledge among the public. And, just like you six unlikely saviours, these elements had representatives called Bearers."
Celestia nodded, adding, "By telepathic methods which we still don't fully understand, the elements themselves would subtly draw these unwitting Bearers to this very castle, where we used to keep and guard all twelve elements."
"Sister and I became very apt at recognising a new Bearer," Luna remarked, a hint of nostalgia sweeping over her. "The symptoms were always the same: somepony meandering into the grand hall, scuffling with the guards and imploring us to believe that they had been guided here by visions. We would hang the element we suspected was a match around their neck, and if it glowed..."
"Then whoop-de-doo," finished Discord blandly. "Another name to be worshipped by history books so obsessively that the Bearer could probably sue for sexual harassment. After a huge party celebrating the new representative and enough media coverage to deforest half of Equestria, the element was locked back into safe storage until some sort of disaster turned up, which was usually me."
Her brain activity clearly in academic overdrive, Twilight was unsurprisingly first to jump in with a question. "Wow... So you're saying that the elements choose the ponies?"
Wearing a bittersweet smile, it was Celestia who answered. "My dear Twilight, don't you remember how you and your friends discovered the elements of harmony? It safe to say it was no coincidence that Applejack and the others, who had already been chosen by their elements, joined you and became your travelling companions. Do you see? Your new friends were drawn to their elements, and the element of magic revealed itself to you when you needed it because you had befriended them. The very reason I secretly designated the task of defeating Nightmare Moon to you was because I believed you were special."
The helpless grin spreading across Twilight's face was infectious. "So is that why it appeared to me? Because the element of magic chooses somepony not only because they have a knack for spellcasting, but also because they can unite the other Bearers?"
"Without a doubt." Celestia raised an upturned hoof. "Still, I did not and cannot decide who stands as a manifestation of an element. I just followed my instinct and gave you a nudge in the right direction."
Rainbow Dash felt a twinge of sympathy for Luna, whom she caught blinking back shameful tears. Having tried for years herself - in vain - to erase the memory of Nightmare Moon's insanity, Rainbow shuddered to imagine the horrors of once actually being one's own twisted persona, each day of normality thereafter undoubtedly stained with guilt.
A rising thought thankfully dominated her attention, stamping down the past. "Uh, question? You said you always had a hunch about which element was going to be the right one for a pony who wandered into the castle. How did you know beforehand?"
"Now come on, Lame-bow Dash," scoffed Discord in a condescending tone that left her wanting to acquaint his face with an industrial furnace. "Use the space between your ears. There can only be one pony bound to one element at a time."
"But can't somepony stand in if a Bearer is out of town or something?" Rainbow protested, trying to ignore the sense telling her that Discord would just shoot her down after probably poking holes in the parachute. "What if one of them got ill?"
"So what?" Discord replied through beguiled chuckling. "What if the element of laughter's Bearer keeled over and died because they had a severe fit of the funnies? What if they all spontaneously melted into fudge tarts? It doesn't matter! Soon enough, any element lacking a Bearer would just choose another pony and, one way or another, bring them to the castle."
Celestia rolled her eyes. "A little indifferently put, perhaps, but Discord is basically correct. The elements have a strange habit of ignoring circumstance. Through distance, injury, and death itself, they will always find a way to join with their Bearers and gather together to challenge whatever evil is at work. A mystery among mysteries, yes, but one for which we are nonetheless grateful."
"I'm not grateful for it," Discord butted in indignantly. "Anyway, it was obviously big news whenever the only thing a Bearer suddenly represented was a reason to buy death insurance, so the sisters here would be actively expecting a replacement and could sit around like cashiers waiting for their next customer."
Luna cast a distasteful look his way, all traces of her hurt having vanished. "Your inaccurate portrayals and heartless wording are wrongly implying that we had next to no compassion, Discord. Our citizens were not disposable pawns whom we mindlessly lined up to test compatibility; all of Equestria mourned at the passing of a Bearer."
"Oh!" With a sobering revelation causing her to yelp, Fluttershy blushed as the circular group focused on her. "B-But that means...when we pass away..."
Luna nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so. Without intending to vandalise your accomplishments, it is true that the six of you are merely one rotation of an ancient cycle. You will all eventually relinquish the deep bonds you share with your respective elements to ponies likely yet to be born, just as the drifting souls of Bearers laid to rest relinquished theirs unto you."
A melancholic silence rented some time from their lives as they reflected on death's inevitability. Frightened that dwelling for too long on the subject might lead her into exploring philosophies she had always considered unfunny jokes, Rainbow Dash rapidly found another outlet of thought while no one was speaking: Luna and her unfailing seriousness.
Rainbow was the first to admit she had a tendency to be uncompromising and somewhat ignorant to signs of others' suffering, but she did not need to borrow from Fluttershy's vast slew of experience to know that Luna was fundamentally damaged. Extreme jealousy had once corrupted her into seeking acknowledgement through evildoing, and the cure of her sister's love had not been comprehensive; a cardinal component of Luna was beyond repair.
Although the alicorn had buried her pain from the subject of Nightmare Moon admirably quickly, Rainbow doubted that her insides would be synchronised with such calm and surety.
Keeping all that sorrow and regret bottled up for so long must be really tough. I hope she's ok... Ah, heck, I'm going soft. Since when did I get so sensitive?
"Please, let us not drain ourselves of optimism," Celestia said firmly, cracking the brittle air. Her horn glowed with magic, and hot drinks floated to settle in front of everyone around the table. "All of us here have many years in us yet. If we may move on, the next logical question is why so few of our population nowadays know that the elements of disharmony even exist. Again, Discord will be better off explaining, unless anypony has anymore ques--"
"Oh, pick me! Pick me!" Her hoof flailing about in the air, Pinkie Pie could have been mistaken for an overeager filly in a competitive classroom.
"Consider yourself picked," Discord said distractedly, pouring half of his drink into his right ear.
"You said you used to have loads of teeth, right? What happened to them?"
Discord blinked. "...Know when to quit flirting with a dragon. Anyway, back to my criminal record. So one day, I woke up in a bad mood and felt like being a general nuisance to society. It was probably a Tuesday. They're always terrible. But what's important is that this day happened to slot nicely into the Elemental Festival."
"The what?" Shining Armour sighed. "Stars above, this meeting is making me feel inadequate..."
"An old tradition," clarified Celestia with unwavering patience. "During the warmest week of spring, Equestria used to annually celebrate the sacredness of the elements, and all research into their mysteries ceased for seven days out of respect. The Bearers of that generation would each wear their element around their neck and be flown all over Equestria, stopping at locations both rich and poor to spread messages of friendship and share personal outlooks. It was truly special."
Discord gagged. "An excuse for a knees-up was what it was. Sentimental disagreements aside, I've already told you the rest. Since this was the only time of year when the elements weren't hidden away more deviously than a stallion's stash of adult magazines, the parade was a red flag to a bull. And I have horns. So I waited until the procession came back to Canterlot on the biggest, final day, and made my move."
"What, you just ran out like a streaker and nicked the lot of them right off their necks?" Rainbow Dash said dubiously, absurd imagery forcing her to suppress a snort.
"Exactly. Best thrill I've ever had."
While her husband still sulked over his heavily punctured knowledge of past customs, Cadence sat in total contrast: wide-eyed and enthralled by the flood of new information. "But why didn't you steal the elements of harmony while you were at it?" the alicorn asked, voicing a valid point that had also just occurred to Rainbow Dash.
Discord's raised eyebrow regarded Cadence as though she had just come out with the dumbest thing he had ever heard. "Well, these two sisters and the ten thousand-odd crowd weren't just going to let me waltz in and take souvenirs, now were they? For once in my life, time was actually an issue. Besides, what would I want with those nice, honest necklaces? If you're going to pull a heist in full public view and the only goodies on offer are a collection of old relics, you'd better make sure the ones that end up in your pocket at least offer some dark potential."
"Then let me guess," Spike said drolly. "You cackled like a maniac, announced your superiority with a terrible one-liner and retreated to your evil lair."
Discord smirked. "Close enough, dragon slave."
Rainbow saw Twilight bite back a furious retort. She had spent more than enough time hanging around and joking with Spike to know that Twilight was extremely protective of him; anyone who hurt her best friend, physically or emotionally, would next have to escape the terror of merciless, unhinged Twilight Sparkle. Worse, dubbing him a slave also indirectly accused Twilight herself of mistreating Spike.
But she can't deny it after making him clean up the absolute wreck that Pinkie Pie made of the library, and she knows it. Haha! Oh, Twilight, you just love dunking that brainy head of yours into sticky dilemmas...
While Twilight fumed and Spike sat waiting for a defence that never came, Shining Armour finally resigned from his brooding and spoke. "You had your grubby paws on the elements of disharmony. So why aren't we surrounded by monuments to you, worshipping the God of Chaos? Surely you tried to take over the world or carry out some other typical, villainous plan."
"Ah, now this is where things get embarrassing," Discord said slowly, his grin widening far too much. "Turns out I made a pretty big doo-doo... I had stolen the cookies, but forgotten that only the confectioner could open the jar, so to speak."
Pinkie Pie took the words right out of Rainbow Dash's mouth. "Um, cookies are really tasty and everything, but what are you on about?"
Discord paused thoughtfully. "Well, I'd bought the tool kit, but forgotten to take the DIY crash-course beforehand, if you get my drift."
"Nope," said Applejack flatly. "...Why, are we gonna build a barn or somethin'?"
"What Discord means," Celestia cut in with a delicate chuckle, "is that despite his success in stealing the elements, exploiting their power was a physical impossibility. See, what nopony knew back then is that only species of pony - namely earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi and alicorns - can tap into any element's reservoir of energy."
"Picture the usability of an element as a hierarchy," Luna evoked with a rare smile. "The Bearer naturally wields the most influence, being the only one who can actually siphon energy therefrom. Below them are all other ponies, able to communicate with elements in a crude sort of manner, the extent of which depends on many factors. But if you do not bear a cutie mark, the elements become selectively deaf; they will completely ignore you. Discord accidentally discovered this fact for himself, much to his own cost."
A light bulb moment struck Rarity. "But of course! That's why our first attempt at banishing you failed: because Spikey-Wikey was trying to use Rainbow's element of loyalty!"
Rainbow Dash felt a surge of smugness at her exclusive access to the element, which then began an unwelcome battle with glum memories of how she had betrayed her friends when they had needed her most. With her mind undecided on a reaction, her mouth cued its default egotistical mode, blurting, "Yep, Rarity's right. The awesomeness scale doesn't even go high enough for me."
"So you were doomed from the start!" Twilight mocked, a slightly perverse smirk topping off her miniature slice of revenge against Discord for insulting her and the dragon on her back.
"Right you are, brainiac," Discord ground out in irritation. "Needless to say I was a bit miffed, so after wrecking some random stuff, I hid the elements in faraway, desolate locales. I figured that if I couldn't use them, no one should have the privilege."
Eyeing Discord carefully, Luna said, "Sister and I eventually tracked Discord down and interrogated him about their locations, but he predictably refused to cooperate. There was nothing left to be done but banish him, for despite the theft ending in no disaster, his intentions - combined with previous offences - demonstrated the unacceptable risk of letting him go free. We combed Equestria ourselves for many months thereafter, searching for the missing elements, but our efforts yielded nought."
"And suddenly our story ends," Celestia concluded with a troubled sigh. "Over many years, stories of the elements of disharmony faded into legends, then into whispers, and finally into silence. Luna and I still see no reason to revive these dormant memories...not until the elements are with us once again. Unfortunately, contrary to my previous assertion, I suspect there is just too much distance separating the hidden elements of disharmony from the majority of our population. And so, to this day, potential disharmonic Bearers walk about their daily lives, ignorant of how special they are."
Rainbow Dash was speechless. Six more primal pieces of the world lay simply abandoned in Equestria, probably buried underneath thousands of years' worth of corrosion.
The foundation of her entire life still remained as the joy of cannonballing through virtually every town, city and culture her country had to offer. Granted, the time she had actually spent integrating into the vast majority had been far too brief for her to technically claim to have visited, but not even the tiny tribe of zebras who lived secluded among the Everfree Forest's thickest vines were ignorant of the name Rainbow Dash.
Those elements are lazing about all over the place. For all I know, I might have blasted right past the lot of them...
Celestia said nothing more, allowing her guests to fully digest the eons of history she had fed them in mountainous scoops. Another mostly ruminative silence eclipsed Discord and his fake snoring until Spike presented a startlingly rational question. "Uh, that was dead interesting and all, but... What was the point of telling us all that?"
Blinking several times in surprise, Luna turned to Celestia. "He makes a valid point, sister. I still cannot deduce why you bespoke our presence here tonight. To what end have we been divulging these secrets?"
"Isn't it obvious?" came Discord's sinister voice, taking the room by surprise. "Because I'll ride a gamble I'd be willing to bet a few bits on. Celestia here just wants me to spill the beans on where the elements of disharmony are so you sorry bunch of misfits can play fetch for her." Turning to Celestia, he quickly created a makeshift wallet from his own fur, into which he dropped a smattering of real currency plucked from his nose. "If I'm wrong, feel free to mug me."
Celestia countered with a surprise of her own: shameless concordance. "And why should we not work together to reanimate these traditions? You claim to be reformed, so atone for your crimes by assisting in the retrieval of what you stole in the first place."
Licking his lips musingly, a congratulatory smile formed on Discord's face. "Well-reasoned, Celestia. Since I can't forge Luna's signature convincingly enough to exempt myself from doing something productive, I suppose I'll collaborate with you on this one."
Then his face darkened. "But one might almost think that you've had this planned for ages... That your apparent kindness in liberating me was, in fact, merely a ploy to set all this in motion..." His voice was casual and resonated with the nonchalance of someone speculating in pure conjecture, but the entire Conference Room knew Discord too well to miss the ominous accusation concealed within.
Rainbow Dash reversed her attention back to Celestia, eager to hear the princess retaliate with something of equal subtlety. Their story had only enforced to her that Discord and Celestia had been at each other's throats for millenia, and Rainbow was extremely interested to watch how their timeless conflicts were fought and had developed after clashing time and again.
Her anticipation deflated, however, when Celestia retained her authentic pleasantness. "Not at all, Discord. I only chanced across this idea a few days ago, shortly after Twilight's coronation. Your freedom is not a means to an end, I promise you." Her tone shifted to become more serious on the ear. "But I will point out that our plan to collect the elements presents us the fortuitous opportunity to test the extent of your reformation."
His body language uncharacteristically unreadable, Discord sniffed. "...I'm listening."
"Here is my proposal, Discord," Celestia said with neutrality deserving of a medal. "When all six elements are back in our possession, it is my hope that disharmonic Bearers will once again start being drawn to the castle. If, at this point, part of our success was owed to you staving off your evil ways and instead cooperating with us, then I would appoint you as their official guide and advisor."
Sipping the last dregs of her drink, Luna never managed to swallow as her mouth spewed every last drop across the table. "Oh my goodness... Please excuse my ill-mannered effusion, but you cannot be serious, sister! Entrusting Discord with tasks to help our cause is arguably foolish enough, but to empower him into such a vital role... His track record must govern our decisions, and it reads only that he will betray us again!"
"Be calm, Luna, and realise that I did not decide this on a whim," Celestia asserted. "As I implied, he won't be honoured such a position blindly. We will individually judge his conduct while gathering the elements, and afterwards reach a mutual agreement as to whether or not he deserves that right." Her gaze swept once across the table. "Besides, you and I assist Twilight and her friends, who are the current Bearers of the elements of harmony... Would it not be fitting for Discord to act as the new face of those who represent the opposite?"
It was clear that Luna would concede even before her held breath was released in a heavy sigh. "...Of course. I understand."
Rainbow Dash managed to pinpoint a hazy concern that had been nagging her throughout the entire meeting, and quickly made it known before it devolved into a cloud she couldn't put her hoof on again. "There's just one thing I don't get. Why do you want to get them back anyway? They're the elements of disharmony. If they're gone, then good riddance! It can't be worth continuing some mouldy old tradition when we're risking the world turning into a twisted playground again or something. And why did you even used to celebrate them? Weren't their Bearers a bunch of stuck-up bandits?"
Celestia held up a rigid hoof to plug Rainbow's outburst. "Your worry is understandable, Rainbow Dash, but it is the very moral upstanding of the disharmonic Bearers themselves that leads me to my second reason for wanting the elements back safely."
"Moral upstanding?" repeated Spike sceptically.
"Yes. How can I best put this? All elements behave like dogs to their masters."
A surreal scenario immediately staged itself inside Rainbow Dash's head in which she was playfully calling her element of loyalty by name, whereupon it came hopping around the corner with a bone snared between its clasps. "That's, uh...quirky..." she offered, quelling her imagination's new idea of walking it on a leash.
"Please ignore how demeaning that sounds," Celestia requested, shaking her head lightly. "Explaining such a complex relationship is difficult. The basic concept goes thusly: if an element is bonded to a good heart, then it too will learn altruism and be unlikely to cause trouble."
Shining Armour had already taken a wrong turn and lost what little he had been following. "What the...? How is that even possible?!"
"There is a more practical reason than simple fun as to why we held the Elemental Festival every year," said Celestia, taking a small detour to better make her point. "On their own, elements are dangerous things; they are blind to everything but the characteristics after which they are named. Fortunately for us, though, the elements seem to acknowledge their shortcomings."
Shining Armour's face collided with the table. "...My question stands."
Her voice carrying an understanding laugh, Celestia went on, "Well, as you might expect, elements choose ponies who live in close companionship with their respective traits as their Bearers. But, surprisingly, these ponies also always possess the mental strength and humility to know when their emotional beliefs must be set aside in order to preserve the peace. Somehow, through a medium which science is still unable to identify, this restraint is then passed onto the element when it is worn during the Elemental Festival."
Twilight sat agape. "So all Bearers are estimable ponies?"
"Precisely," Celestia responded with a smile. "However - continuing the dog analogy - when left to its own devices, an element will begin acting on instinct. In the disharmonic elements' case, this is a nice way of saying that they will wreak havoc. Do you understand now? After thousands of years without their better halves keeping them in check, they are going rogue, starting to cause magical disturbances that carry an unsettling quality of wickedness. It was my sensing of these disturbances that led me to assemble us all here at such short notice."
The number of times that Celestia had silenced the Conference Room was stretching into the territory of countless.
"So it really is essential that we retrieve them..." whispered Rarity.
Rainbow glanced at Luna, predicting to see her whole body telling of an even gloomier mood, but was surprised when relief cleansed her features instead. "That is one of my concerns vanquished, at least. A terrible unease has been plaguing me since yesterday morning, but the cause seems obvious in hindsight: these same disturbances which you sensed, sister."
"I thought as much." A shamed look crossed Celestia's face. "I assumed you would either figure it out for yourself, Luna, or at least be able to cope until tonight... I'm sorry for not putting you at ease sooner. And I'm making assumptions about the rest of you, too. I have not yet asked if you will all work with me in this long and likely difficult task."
"You don't have to, princess!" Twilight answered before Celestia could utter a word of her formal request. "Of course we'll help you! Right, girls?"
Never one to bother with small print at the best of times, Rainbow Dash had heard enough to recognise the benefits to be reaped for everyone, including a chance to satisfy her own adventurous streak. "Too right!" she shouted, binding herself to a vow that was accompanied by various other affirmations from her friends.
"Excellent," said Celestia energetically, circulating the positive atmosphere. "Well, that is all for tonight, but the risk of the elements inciting something truly dark and horrific grows by the second... We will dive right into the search tomorrow morning. Still, we might as well save some time now by deciding on which element to pursue first. Then, after Discord discloses its location, I can arrange travel and supplies for those who we pick to collect it. So, from the six elements of disharmony, which are called--"
"Hold it right there, Celestia."
The relaxed mood fled instantly. On a night when normal proceedings had already broken down and were now out of sight several miles back, Discord was keeping the guessing games alive by sounding serious for once. "I think you've forgotten something critical. Aren't you going to explain what happens when a pony who isn't an element's Bearer tries to take it?"
Rainbow Dash had never seen the most prominent ruler of her country betray a flash of humiliation before, but she saw it now. "...Naturally, that is important. How could I forget?" Celestia rewarded Discord with a nod. "You have taken your first step towards regaining my trust."
"Blah-blah, whatever," Discord drawled, his apathetic self already resuming control. "I've never stood in the flesh for so long without doing something hilarious, so let's get this over with. It might be more interesting - that's more efficient to you boring ponies- to show them, rather than stand here ranting until somebody dies of dehydration. Perhaps a demonstration with the elements of harmony?"
"A good idea," Celestia agreed. Her horn glowed, and the elements of harmony which Rainbow and her friends had brought on the train descended with a small thunk onto the table, arranged in a perfect circle. "Control is yours, Discord. I'm sure you understand how extremely unpredictable this is, so show me another example of your trustworthiness by handling this responsibly."
The unease to which Luna had admitted was swiftly rejoining her. As if she were avoiding giving up her half of consent to Discord, Luna said only, "...This has never been done before. Not deliberately." When Discord continued to stare at her in false innocence, waiting for approval which he knew he did not need, Luna yielded a grudging nod.
Humming in contentment again, Discord looked a little too happy. "Let's make sure this is as random as I am. Twilight, you lovely new princess, you. Pick a number between a million and one and a million and six."
Making to answer, Twilight suddenly stalled in awkward realisation. "Um... Isn't that the same as picking a number between one and six?"
"...You are the biggest killjoy I have ever met." Discord groaned loudly and dragged his lion paw over his misshapen head. "Forget it, you royal bore. Somepony else can have a go instead."
Figuring that she had nothing to lose but the prospect of exploding if she stood in one place for much longer, Rainbow shrugged and called out, "A million and four."
"Ah, the element of loyalty! You've chosen your own one! How moderately exciting." Discord slowly lifted the element from the table with offensive inelegance, and Rainbow's peripheral vision caught Luna stiffening. "Now, multi-coloured Dash, pick a number between minus one and minus five."
She frowned. "What's with the reduced option?"
"Because the host can't also be a contestant," Discord answered simply. "Now get on with it before my beard grows a beard."
Ignoring the impulse to demand a less cryptic response, Rainbow felt Pinkie Pie's close proximity help tame her frustration as she probed into the next round of Discord's curious game. "Minus two."
"Applejack!" Discord yelled in an overzealous tone, one not dissimilar to how Rarity tended to greet her friends at a party after giddying herself on far too many lavish cocktails that streamed from the pockets of handsome but ultimately doomed stallions. "Applejack, your good friend Rainbow Dash has elected you to be our guinea pig. Now you at least have somepony to blame if this goes horribly wrong. So, when I tell you to--"
"Wait!" cried Luna so loudly than even Celestia jumped. "While I acknowledge that your randomisation will prove our point beyond doubt, I insist that Princess Twilight and Fluttershy are the participants. I politely request that you all accept this without question."
Huh? If she knows how dangerous this is, why does Luna want two of us to risk our necks?
A pair of bewildered faces pleaded Luna for an explanation why she was consigning them to possible injury or worse. Then, oddly, a measure of understanding came over Twilight in the form of an emphatic nod. Apprehensive interest stirred inside Rainbow as Luna calmly returned the gesture.
Looks like somepony knows something I don't...
Wondering if she was alone in her maddening lack of knowledge, Rainbow studied Celestia closely and spotted the brief show of confusion she had been looking for. The alicorn did not intervene, however, saying only, "You heard her, Discord."
"...Well, since you asked so nicely," Discord said slowly, his own curiosity evident. Sliding the element across the table to halt perfectly between Twilight and Fluttershy's conveniently opposing positions, he explained, "Now, you pair. When I tell you, all I want you to do is touch the element of loyalty at the same time. But! Imagine that you are in dire need of it. Manipulate your mindsets into thinking that your very lives depend on taking the thing. It is essential that you want it."
Neither participant said a word, only fearful trepidation engulfing them both. Willing a share of her courage towards them, Rainbow Dash fidgeted as Twilight bit her lip and concentrated on Discord's instructions. It was impossible to distinguish anything except raw fear from Fluttershy; she shook like a leaf in a hurricane.
If you scar Fluttershy, Discord, I swear...
Without waiting for the terrified pegasus to calm or be calmed, Discord said, "Ready? Do you want the element more than your morning bacon after a night on the cider? Good. Now touch it."
Two right forelegs stretched across the table, and the duo found eye contact. Nodding to each other in weak reassurance, their hooves committed to the touch.
A blinding flash erupted from the element, forcing Rainbow Dash to shield her eyes. Panic struck her, but her body did not respond with appropriate urgency; her vision was taking an eternity to clear. Before her eyes could fully recover, another of her senses was assaulted as a horrified shriek that could only have been Rarity deafened her ears.
When her sight finally regained normal function, Rainbow wished it hadn't.
Twilight are Fluttershy were gone.
Her instinctive fright instantly inflamed into conscious panic. The element of loyalty sat in exactly the same spot in the centre of the table, the light having dissipated and leaving no sign to suggest that it had just made two of her best friends vanish into thin air.
Shocked murmurs that matched her quickened heart were bouncing around the Conference Room, but Rainbow Dash didn't hear them. Seeking comfort, she merely made the mistake of turning to Pinkie Pie.
It was perhaps to be expected that Pinkie would be frozen in silence with a stunned expression exposed on her face, but this was of no help to Rainbow's rapidly evolving panic. The pony on whom she had always relied for endless optimism, unfaltering friendship and a good laugh was not providing, and she was not prepared for that.
As though grasping for a positive thought amid the rush of dizzying terror, her mind thrust upon her unrelated, impossible fantasies of being engaged in an intimate embrace with Pinkie Pie. Unfortunately, confused as she was about her feelings, this only served to frenzy her more.
W-What's going on?! Why am I so afraid?! Pinkie, help me! Why do I want to kiss you?!
On the verge of a mental breakdown, she submitted totally to her instinct.
Rainbow Dash wasn't entirely sure what happened next. She vaguely felt herself crashing into a fight-or-flight state of mind, but the only enemy was impossible to combat; the notion of attacking the element which she herself represented was absurd. With nothing to fight, Rainbow felt her pounding against the carpet, and she realised that her body was taking her away from prying eyes so she could be sick.
Voices called out after her, and her last thread of common sense was screaming at her that, if something unthinkable had indeed happened to her friends, then the royal sisters would have exploded into action...but her choices were not her own anymore.
Rainbow Dash felt the first drops of bile climb her throat as she fled the Conference Room. |
Autonomous Reflection | Chapter 6 – A Heart's Blockade | Rarity's sole companion was considerable irony as she ascended a suavely decorated flight of stairs, mainly because her respect for the interior designers of Canterlot Castle was rapidly plummeting back down them.
No toilets on the same floor as the Conference Room? Honestly, did pure beauty bedazzle even history's architects so much that functionality was a dirty word?
Shooing her inner fashionista, Rarity reminded herself that her unacceptably long journey to the bathroom was only half for her own benefit. Ascertaining Rainbow Dash's whereabouts while she was at it was a task that had been wordlessly left to her upon excusing herself from the Conference Room. Rarity wished that the search could come second to relieving herself, but the sheer franticness surrounding Rainbow's strange departure had put the pegasus's safety and mental well-being in high priority.
I can kill two Parasprites with one spell if she behaved as a proper lady might and adjourned to the nearest bathroom, rather than following that irksome habit of hers and flying off. I do not want to venture outside at this time of night.
Rarity arrived at the top of the stairs. Adopting a dignified trot, she calibrated her eyes into picking out only the national symbol for a restroom, forcing them to remain unresponsive to what was clearly a horrendous choice of wallpaper. The grand corridor stretched so far it almost achieved its own horizon, but Rarity did not so much as lengthen her stride; although only the cool night air passed her on the corridor, she would not let herself slip into a flustered hurry.
Just when the prospect of attempting a complex tracing spell to track down her friend was becoming an unpleasantly logical choice, Rarity spotted her destination opposite the entrance to the Starswirl the Bearded wing of the castle's library.
Reading traced a particularly faint line in her life, not least because she was a self-taught designer and seamstress who found non-fiction insufferable. So, as she had once explained to Twilight's outraged face, books - namely those exclusive to tales of impossible romance - were mildly interesting things to be read when, and only when, less than three deadlines were not leaving her career hanging in the balance.
Rarity was not given the chance to reprimand her wandering thoughts a second time; they vanished of their own accord when her attention was stolen by a number of strange inconsistencies in her surroundings. Some blended in with more ominous vagueness than others, but the first was staring her in the face.
For some reason, a tangled pile of buckets, brooms and other such cleaning material had been unceremoniously dumped in front of the mare's bathroom, blocking entry to all but a curious moth. Liquid still rained from several mops, the heads of which were all erected upwards and spread abreast to flood the entire entrance with a deluge of freezing water. Swallowing nervously, Rarity realised that the mess had been thrown together recently...and quite deliberately.
Somepony doesn't want to be disturbed...
Then there was the other oddity: the library door stood opposite.
I've never even seen this part of the castle before, so why is my intuition bothering me? I just can't put my hoof on it, but something is missing on that door...
The most worrying issue made itself known last as a putrid stench suddenly assaulted Rarity's nostrils. Her head swung around again to observe the sodden mess standing in the way of her and an empty bladder, and it quickly dawned on her that there was something very unsavoury in one of the buckets.
However, as discouraging as this might have been to a casual passer-by, Rarity felt her determination to investigate strengthen. The signs pointing towards Rainbow Dash's location were the same as those directing Rarity to this very bathroom, and she would not be stopped by debris whose primary purpose was to clean in the first place.
Levitation was the most obvious solution. As was tradition among unicorn families, the spell and its endless practicalities had been taught to Rarity at a tender age by her parents. Since she still casted it on a regular basis during the delicate process of stitching dresses, Rarity knew it was well within her capacity to individually pick up each object, carefully free them from each other's entanglement and set them down to one side, one at a time.
This was, of course, the problem.
The cleaners can go to the moon if they expect me to spend entire minutes tidying up their own equipment. My friend has barricaded herself behind it with nothing but her own terrified thoughts for company! Alone! Unstable! I must save her! I must!
And so, ignoring the inner perfectionist that was warning her of a tantrum if she wasn't gentle, Rarity magically encouraged a dense pocket of air to congregate in the centre of the pile. Figuring she might as well retain good habits by making everything she did spectacular, she packed the air in huge volumes, forcibly squeezing the area it occupied for every last unit of pressure...before unleashing it outwards in a concentrated sphere.
The heap exploded. "I'm coming in, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity called, as if the clattering din were not forewarning enough. Hopping over the drenched floor and through the now unobstructed entrance, she was unsurprised to find the place seemingly deserted--save for one locked stall.
A spell could breach that easily enough, but I don't want to push for her cooperation through such insensitive, invading means. A more passive approach, though...
Aware that Rainbow Dash was unpredictable right down to her snoozing schedule, Rarity opted for a civilised outset and knocked twice.
The verbal silence which she had expected was her answer, but through strained ears she could hear a rhythmic, beating sound on the other side. Quiet though it was, the noise virtually confirmed that her hunch had been flawless.
"I know you're in there, Rainbow!" The proclamation earned no reply. "It's no use hovering to try and hide your hooves; I can hear your wings flapping!"
Proof by logic was not working either, so Rarity reluctantly stooped to playing a beguiling yet completely honest card. "I have something to tell you, darling, and I won't voice it to a block of solid metal that I have to pretend is your face. Now, please come out."
When she still received no admission, Rarity exhaled a testy sigh that was weighted with more frustration than she had intended.
I need to raise the stakes a notch.
Stirring her dormant pool of magic, she allowed her horn to glow loudly. "Or must I unlock this door for you?"
"No!" The pegasus landed clumsily, a loud crack telling Rarity that Dash had staggered into one of the walls. "D-Don't come in!"
So frightened was her tone that, under any other circumstances, Rarity would have thrown a scornful rebuttal at anyone who suggested it might belong to Rainbow Dash. But even if circumstance had not chained together with enough clarity, the characteristic, helpless breaking of Rainbow's voice - frequented more often than ever thanks to her insecurity - made it undeniable.
Before Rarity could decide on a constructive course of action, Rainbow defeatedly added, "Please don't, Rarity... I'm a mess..."
"I don't mind." Scolding herself for thus far merely pressing Dash when the pegasus was so clearly suffering, Rarity spoke calmly and sympathetically. "I don't care how you look. It's your insides that matter, and they're hurting, aren't they? Please, darling, let me in. Let me help you."
For a whole minute, nothing happened, and Rarity found herself left with only meaningless apologies that her trembling lips could not form.
Even if she could have given another thousand reasons for Dash to emerge, the terrible shame born of her provocative methods would have silenced them. Each passing second cemented Rarity's fear that she had failed her friend more and more firmly within her, and liquid stung her eyes as they welled.
This punishment is no less than I deserve...
"R-Rainbow... P-Please, I..." She came terribly close to begging for both Rainbow's trust and her forgiveness when a small click saved her the words.
The stall door swung open, and Rarity stared at Rainbow Dash's tear-streaked face.
A mess did not justify the heartbreaking condition of the pegasus. Each breath of her lungs escaped through audible shivers, colour was bleeding from her mane to destroy its often envied brilliance, and her soft, blue cheeks had paled to the point of lifelessness. Rarity's stomach churned as she watched flecks of a viscous, yellow fluid slue from the corners of Dash's mouth, and the identity of the foul smell from before became horribly apparent.
"Oh, darling...!" Seeing Rainbow's pupils cower inside her eyes cued the tears to fall from Rarity's glistening own. "What have you done to yourself...?" She was met with neither resistance nor returned affection when her hooves crossed the three yards distancing her from Dash's blatant need for a hug and held her loyal friend closely.
"I... It's nothing," murmured Rainbow Dash into her ear. But her body itself betrayed this as a lie; though invisible to observation alone, the spasmodic tremors wracking Dash's deep muscles could not hide from Rarity's embrace. "Please, it's nothing..." she repeated pathetically.
She knows I don't believe her. I think she's trying to convince herself that this isn't happening...
Refusing to let Rainbow credit her own denial, Rarity withdrew her head from nuzzling but kept a hoof engaged in gentle strokes along the pegasus's back. "You've been crying, Rainbow. That isn't nothing. Your body is asking you to find somepony who will be there for you, and I want to be that pony."
She dabbed at her eyes, hoping that Dash might respond to a true show of strength and friendship. "I won't let your stubborn independence tear you apart."
"I'm fine..."
Rarity felt her patience taper dangerously close to non-existence again. "No you are not, Rainbow Dash! You're pale, you're shaking, you're gasping for air and I know that you...well..." - the taste of the disgusting word dirtied Rarity's mouth before she expelled it from her sophisticated tongue - "...vomited into one of the same buckets that you used to lock yourself in here! Even Sweetie Bell could recognise the symptoms--you've had a panic attack!"
The direct approach struck the bullseye. Rainbow Dash, whose hooves had up to now remained grounded in a choked attempt to cope without a friend, finally abandoned her self-destructive behaviour and threw herself at Rarity. "I know!" she managed through clenched teeth. "I know! Please don't tell the others! You can't tell Pinkie!"
"I won't," Rarity promised, her relief bursting in a dam that gushed with similar magnitude to the sudden caving of Rainbow Dash.
The natural question as to why Dash especially abhorred the idea of Pinkie Pie learning of her affright was itching to be asked by Rarity's habitual gossip tendencies, but even she knew the line had to be drawn in permanent ink when a friend of many years was weeping into your neck.
"That's right, darling..." she soothed, their rare hug quietly affixing new bridges of trust between both hearts. "Let it all out..."
It took some time for Rainbow's sobs to subside.
Gradually, the number of warm drops falling onto Rarity's skin waned until she knew her friend's eyes were dry, but this was no guarantee of stability. A mare remained an emotional wreck after a breakdown, and Rarity waited until she could hear no more than the occasional sniffle before reluctantly disengaging from their bubble of comfort and guiding the pegasus to the sinks.
Warm water. Paper towels. And magic. That's all I need.
With this simple trio and a delicate touch, Rarity cleaned Rainbow Dash in silence. Only the steady trickle of a single tap occupied their ears as tears, bile and a measure of shame were all washed from various regions of Rainbow's face.
However, as Rarity knew it would, the unspecialised purpose and stark unwieldiness of a wet bit of tissue soon proved hopelessly inadequate against her mane. Staring into the mirror with trembling lips, Rainbow Dash seemed to realise that her prized feature was ruined beyond immediate repair.
No! I won't let you hate the sight of yourself! I know how much that hurts!
Determination setting her magic ablaze, Rarity saturated all of her cosmetic knowledge and experience into an almost instinctive spell that manifested as an alabaster shimmer engulfing her modest horn.
Rainbow Dash yelped as the same white light swept gracefully through her mane, breaking down any substance that did not harmonise with natural beauty. Now absolutely spotless, a new rainbow of colour infused into her mane to restore its magnificent spectrum, and the gust-like effect of the spell flared every strand of her hair into perfect style.
As an unexpected side effect - or perhaps it was just massive embarrassment at being so successfully beautified by a unicorn whom she never allowed near her with a brush - warmth raced through her cheeks, flushing them with such renewed life that Rainbow Dash was soon blushing fiercely.
Appraising her reflection once more, the pegasus wore an astounded look. "T-That was..." she stammered. "I mean, I'm..."
"I believe the word is beautiful, darling," Rarity said, smiling softly. Pleasantly surprised by her own handiwork, she acknowledged Rainbow's silent thanks with a firm nod that would accept no more talk on the relatively trivial subject.
Now, let us get to the bottom of why the poor dear needed that at all.
Hoping that the upfront approach which had snapped Dash into the reality of her distress would bear fruit a second time, Rarity forewent arduous hinting and spoke concisely. "Before we return to the Conference Room, dear, I would be neglecting my duty as a friend if I were not to ask: whatever drove you to enter such a frenzied state of mind?"
Rainbow Dash shrugged a little too carelessly as she answered, "Oh, y'know, just the shock of seeing Twilight and Fluttershy disappear like that. And stuff..."
The combination of a heavy pause and Rarity's raised eyebrows made Dash break the essentiality for eye contact when attempting to lie. "Darling," Rarity said seriously, "I will give you another chance to tell me what is truly breaking your heart in a moment, but while we're on the subject... It was supposed to happen."
"Huh?"
"It was meant to happen, Rainbow," Rarity repeated, glad she was a messenger who carried no grounds to fear being shot. "This is what I wanted to tell you. You ran off so quickly that you didn't hear Princess Celestia say she was expecting Twilight and Fluttershy to vanish."
Astonishment made a swift return to Rainbow Dash's face. "Really?! But why? Where are they now?"
I wish I knew.
Irked as she had been at being denied further information after asking the royal sisters, Rarity assumed an optimistic tone as she spoke, in case Rainbow crumbled again. "I was told nothing else... I'm sorry. But Celestia has faith that they will return safely, and she also promised to explain everything when we're all back together." "..."
Upon discerning that her brittle reassurances were regardless rooting more doubt in the pegasus's mind, Rarity quickly rallied, "Who knows, maybe they're back already! The most important thing to remember is that Celestia would never risk putting anypony in grave danger, especially when one of them is her lifelong friend and student who has just become a princess herself. The situation is in hoof, darling."
Although Dash's nod of understanding thankfully closed the topic, her resistance in yielding the cause of her hardship remained steadfast. "That's great and everything, but I didn't know that! I really respect Twilight, and Fluttershy's been my best friend since forever! I hoofed it 'cause I got really scared that they weren't coming back! Honest!"
She's telling the truth, but it's plain as day there's some omission. Why must you invite more pain upon your troubled heart, darling? Your eyes are telling me that something still eats you alive!
Pouncing with her refined eloquence, Rarity reasoned, "I don't doubt that terror and stress acted as the trigger, but a trigger does not discharge without ammunition. And you cannot expect me to believe that what happened was the only source; you are far braver than I, yet your body attacked itself from terror!" She sighed softly and offered an open, supportive hoof. "Please, Rainbow, I thought we were past pretending to be fine. Don't you trust me?"
"...We don't talk."
Rarity suddenly felt like their relationship was somehow backpedalling on a flat plane. "I beg your pardon?"
"You and me," Rainbow said blandly. "We don't have anything in common. I don't think we've ever told each other anything private. We don't talk."
Something sharp pricked Rarity in a sensitive place. "That isn't true, Rainbow Dash," she said quietly, unable to prevent hurt from thickening her voice. "I know you. I know you well enough to know that the pony standing in front of me isn't the Rainbow Dash I know and love. That pegasus is my friend, and I want her back."
Rarity actually saw Rainbow Dash throw all caution to a raging hurricane moments before she yelled, "Then tell me it's ok to be in love with another mare!"
W-WHAT?!
But the floodgates had opened, and swarms of confessions in poor disguise were streaming from Rainbow Dash's mouth. "Tell me it's ok that all my life I've lied about sleeping with stallions who I never found attractive! Tell me it's ok that I'm jealous of a baby alligator because she loves it more than me! Tell me she loves me back!"
With most of her brain threatening to incite a panic attack of its own, Rarity was left speechless. Whatever faculties that were still listening to Rainbow's deteriorating shouts, however, came to realise that she was not shouting at all--she was pleading. "Tell me it's ok that I just want to look into her eyes, and hold her, and kiss her, and...a-and... Please tell me..."
No suitable words were bothering to occur to Rarity and her dumbfounded mind, so she ended up galloping into another hug, if only to keep them both from doing something regrettable until she could muster a few phrases of general comforting. "Shhh... It's ok..." Rarity whispered.
The shock soon lifted, and Rarity found herself berating the severity of her own reaction. "It is ok, Rainbow Dash. Loving another mare is perfectly normal and certainly nothing to be ashamed of."
"R-Really?"
"Really." Rarity paused, evading a guilty image that had plagued her more than once that day: exploiting Spike's adoration for her when she was still unsure whether their platonic relationship could develop--if she wanted something more. "I admit, I cannot empathise with the feeling of crushing on a mare, but love is love, darling. It makes us lie, it makes us envy those closest to our desires, and yes, sometimes it consumes our lives so fully that before we know it we're crying, hating ourselves and wanting to be sick. I do not blame you for running away at all."
Rainbow relaxed into her embrace, and Rarity knew that their new, mutual understanding would never again permit doubt of their friendship's strength to do as little as stick its poisonous foot in the door. "Thanks, Rarity," said Rainbow Dash with a relieved sincerity.
"How long, darling?"
Sighing reminiscently, Dash evidently understood the drift of the question. "Ever since she showed me what true happiness is..."
Rarity thought it an insult to inquire the mare's name after such a heartfelt admission, and chose to simply enjoy another hug that reaffirmed their bonds.
Then something clicked inside her head.
Did Rainbow Dash say she was jealous of an alligator? But then, that means...!
She had no idea whether the two and two which she had put together was giving her a solid four, or if she was so wrong that the four was merely one digit of an unsayable number that would give Twilight Sparkle a migraine. Even so, the possibility alone was stimulating the hopeless romantic within Rarity.
I shall have to discreetly observe their behaviour around each other at the soonest opportunity. Oh, this is positively giddying!
Since she was a very cuddly unicorn - as long as no dirt dared to breach a five-yard radius, at least - Rarity was a little disappointed when Rainbow shuffled awkwardly against her. "Uh... I like being cosy and all, but I think we might be rivalling Pinkie Pie here."
Chuckling daintily, Rarity released her. "Yes, the laid-back, haphephobic-hooved pegasus I befriended all those years ago is here with me again. Now, please excuse me for a moment; I must exorcise an agitated poltergeist roaming my waterworks."
You need to exercise what?" Rainbow asked, baffled. Only when Rarity entered a cubicle and locked herself therein did the pegasus utter, "Oh! You need the toilet."
After Rarity had freed her figurative ghost, washed her hooves and touched up her appearance, she turned to Rainbow Dash and her impatient, scuffing hooves. "Well, the Conference Room awaits. I do hope that Twilight and Fluttershy are waiting for us. Shall we?"
"Most sense I've heard all day," Dash replied, entering a relaxed hover and making for the exit.
Ah! No, no, no! One of the buckets I destroyed on the way in contained Rainbow's...mouth-excrement! Why did you exacerbate things, you silly unicorn?!
Unfortunately, whereas Rainbow Dash had the wings to fly right over the sopping mess, Rarity had only the spring in her hooves and a silent prayer that she might avoid landing in pegasus sick. By evolving her previous hop into a graceful leap, however, Rarity's hooves alighted upon the corridor luckily unscathed.
Now busy examining herself in a window to ensure she was sufficiently preened for another formal session, Rarity only heard Rainbow Dash remark, "That's weird."
Frowning at an onset of dejà vu, Rarity vaguely remembered thinking the same thing upon her initial arrival outside the bathroom. She dismissed the irritating nag and did not look up as she called, "I know something feels iffy, darling, but I simply can't pinpoint the source. What say we let it be and take our leave, hm?"
"Say that after looking at this."
Her frown deepened. The prospect of more delays was not welcome to Rarity, but her curiosity could hardly ignore answers to the acute warning signs she had sensed before. "What troubles you, dear?"
Rainbow jabbed a hoof to direct her gaze towards the floor, and the lone object lying broken upon it instantly justified the pegasus's concern.
"Oh, my... Now that is disconcerting..."
The cause of Rarity's earlier suspicion was embarrassingly obvious in hindsight. Having never ventured into this part of the castle before, tonight had been her first chance to behold the double doors acting as the grand entrance to the Starswirl the Bearded wing of the library--but even yesterday she had known that the place was permanently off-limits to all except royalty and the noblest of nobles.
Someone, however, had clearly rewritten the rule book to suit their own dodgy motives, for the single piece of security that had repelled thieves and prying eyes for generations - a single yet extraordinarily powerful lock - lay mangled in a dark corner.
"I knew something was missing on this door!" Rarity exclaimed. "Now anypony can just stroll inside and learn some undoubtedly questionable magic!"
Rainbow Dash hoofed restlessly at the carpet, indecision diluting her desire for action. "Darn intruder! I'd barge in there right now and tackle their sorry flank into next week, but you've gotta think twice about taking on anything that managed to bust in there in the first place."
Humming in agreement, Rarity tried not to shudder with nerves. "Making a scratch on this lock would require ten times more magical potency than I could ever summon, so the power one would have to wield in order to do this... You know, darling, I'm beginning to think that the perpetrator does not have a flank at all."
Rainbow raised her eyebrows knowingly. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Eyes closed, Rarity nodded slowly. "I believe I am." Even with her upper-class connections giving her a large number of suspects to mentally rift through, Rarity had already whittled them down to just one being who held the golden combination of means, motive and chaotic mind required to execute such a feat.
Still, there's a fundamental problem with this line of thinking...
Rarity turned to Rainbow Dash in confusion. "The lock must have been smashed tonight, or somepony else would have noticed it before us. But this renders our theory similarly broken; Celestia will not have allowed him to sneak one filthy claw of his a single inch outside the Conference Room since the meeting began."
Dash smiled grimly. "And what was he to that meeting? Late."
If Rarity had been a judge, her hammer would have been falling to deliver Discord's guilty verdict at that very moment. "...We must report this immediately. I fear to imagine what he has stolen..."
Unfortunately, this plan died almost as quickly as it had been conceived when a tremendous CRASH echoed from within the library.
Rarity and Rainbow Dash exchanged a wide-eyed, frozen look.
"Somepony is still in there!" Rarity whispered urgently. "We should hurry downstairs and inform Princess Celestia!"
But by the time she had finished talking, a smile had appeared on Rainbow Dash's face that was filled with nothing but adventurous anticipation.
...Oh, Celestia save me, she's going to charge in.
Suddenly regretting bringing Rainbow Dash back around to her bold, courageous self, Rarity laughed nervously and said, "Investigating would be a tad, um, hasty, don't you agree? My...my hooficure, you understand...and... Well...danger, yes?"
Rainbow blinked.
Realising that cosmetic excuses were assets that Dash would sooner liquidate than accept, Rarity stopped babbling and whimpered her last, hopeful suggestion in unabashed fear. "Perhaps now is the time to hoof it with our tails between our legs?"
"What, and let some chubby night-guard reap all the glory? No way!" Dash lifted herself proudly upon her powerful hind legs and hopped combatively from one to the other, jabbing at an invisible opponent with her frontal hooves while flexing her wingspan. "Aww, yeah! Time for the great Rainbow Dash to add Epic Arrest of the Century to her already epic list of accomplishments!"
"B-But--"
"Come on, Rarity! Open the door and you can be my awesome assistant who uses her magic to make my lightning-fast moves of justice all flashy and stuff!"
I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I'm definitely going to die. Oh, but I can't abandon her! I care for her too much! Calm... Calm... Come, now... Fortune favours the brave...
Rainbow's expectant grin was the final nail in the coffin that Rarity sincerely hoped she wouldn't be occupying by the end of the night.
Hoof trembling slightly, Rarity pushed open the heavy double doors, and they entered the forbidden library. |
Autonomous Reflection | Chapter 7 – The Perfectionist Vs. The Pendulum | The sponsor of Twilight Sparkle's academic success was her own brilliant mind.
Its continued existence alone was considered a miracle among her friends. How it managed to sustain enough paths for her maze of racing thoughts to travel - all without them colliding and overwhelming even the alicorn's immense cognitive process to a point of self-implosion - was indefinable.
But Twilight, who cherished such an analytically intimate relationship with her brain that she herself could acknowledge the intricacies of its specialness, lived in odd harmony with herself. In exchange for enduring the occasional mental collapse, which manifested through her fearsome, uncontrollable episodes of blind insanity, Twilight enjoyed and actively exercised supernatural abilities.
A mere shred of this talent was contributed by a seemingly omniscient memory, whose capacity enabled her to recite the entirety of a one-thousand-page book she had read two years ago. Such lifelong gifts like this far outweighed the price of her genius.
Yet now, for the first time since her extraordinary memory itself had begun keeping records, an infuriating bout of amnesia was reminding her only of why she feared that price.
"It's no good, Fluttershy!" she huffed, finally plonking her rear to the ground after ten minutes of carrying it around with pacing hooves. "I just can't remember anything after that!"
She and the canary pegasus sat in Ponyville Station, their backsides slowly baking against the hot stone of the platform bound for Manehattan via Canterlot. Despite lounging - or in Twilight's case, sweating - in the midday sun for a good half-hour, they had not seen a single bit exchange hooves for a ticket thanks to a total absence of staff. Neither had they seen or heard any actual locomotives. No train had so much as roared past to buffet their manes, and a blank timetable made no effort to inform the locals when one might actually bother to arrive.
It was no consolation to Twilight that this did not matter anyway; Ponyville's population itself seemed to be on strike, just the same as the trains that weren't servicing it. Save for the omnipresent tumbleweed that Twilight's imagination had watched skip past six times already, the entire establishment was deserted.
That's not even the worst of it. Never mind that my hometown's only station looks like it went bankrupt back in the pre-classical era--I don't even know how I got here!
Restless in fragmented knowledge, Twilight rummaged through her most recent memories once more. "We were in Canterlot, in the castle," she said, as though reaming off hazy images aloud to a friend would cement them in truth. "Shining was about to tell me something about Icon o' Clast, but then Celestia interrupted and called us to the table. I sat down for the meeting like everypony else, and then...nothing! The rest is blank!"
Fluttershy sniffed sadly.
"How does that chain of events even begin to make sense?" Uncertainty aggravated Twilight to growl. "I mean, we took a train from this platform to get to Canterlot in the first place!"
If Fluttershy saw her point, she did not show it. With her only reassurance coming from an empty silence whose most optimistic feature was its inability to prove her wrong, Twilight's mind resorted to surreal possibilities.
Was everything that happened in the castle all some crazy dream? It's not often that a roomful of us meet in alliance with Discord, after all. But that still doesn't explain why I've woken up in a suddenly derelict station with no recollection of arriving... Not to mention that Fluttershy's been dumped here alongside me with exactly the same, weirded out memories. So what if this is the dream? GAH!
Her usually unblemished logic challenging reality itself was the last straw. Hoping that even Fluttershy's muted voice might suffice to blot out the frenzied ones kicking her in the head, Twilight turned an exasperated face towards her friend. "I can't remember anything!" she repeated helplessly.
"P-Please don't shout, Twilight," stammered Fluttershy as she flinched under both Twilight's maddened eyes and her volume level. "You're right, completely right. Sitting down is the last thing I remember, too."
"I know, but you must be able to..." The unfair demand clogged in her throat. At the realisation of her hypocritical behaviour, Twilight uttered a mournful groan and let herself collapse flat-out onto the cooked concrete. "Oh, Fluttershy, I'm sorry... As if I haven't wrecked our friendship enough already..."
Twilight indulged in a brooding silence. Pitying herself occupied a few, long seconds before an echo of Fluttershy's words, which carried a subtle peculiarity, struck her with surprise. "You called me Twilight," she said, tentative hope glowing faintly inside her. "You said my name instead of hailing me as a princess. And you're not bowing to me or offering to be my eternal slave like you have been all week!"
Fluttershy's nod was tiny, but it was the nervous smile which accompanied it that told Twilight she need not worry about the pegasus subjecting herself to such harmful submission again.
Progress at last!
Twilight desperately wanted to exploit this chink in Fluttershy's relentless self-depreciation, but pushing further left her luck at risk of being pushed along with it. Having made a vital breakthrough, yet still treading on ice of indeterminate thickness, Twilight was unsure whether to linger around the subject--until her mind somewhat redeemed its recollection failure and made the decision for her.
Hang on. That nod of hers--why is it dunking me in dejà vu?
Then her memory circuit sparked. Scrambling up to stand, Twilight partially amended her incomplete timeline. "Wait! This stupid amnesia sets in just after we all sat down; you looked really upset, Fluttershy, so I mouthed across the table that I'd help you..." A bewilderingly unmissable opportunity to blow apart a week's frustration of futilely probing Fluttershy plastered a grin to her face. "...And you nodded in consent!"
Though Fluttershy did not gasp as Twilight had expected, her glazed eyes conveyed no less shock as she recalled the moment. "I... I thanked you, didn't I?" Her lip trembled. "Oh no... T-That was a mistake! I'm not ready!" Shaking her head as though trying to neutralise the nod, Fluttershy began to back away. "I'm not ready yet! P-Please don't make me!"
Advancing on her friend's retreating hooves would have been akin to entrusting her already slim chances to a drunken Discord, so Twilight ignored the instinct to launch her own hooves into pursuit and, instead, chose to simply place one over her heart. It was the same, sincere hoof that had won Fluttershy's trust in Canterlot Castle. "Remember the conversation we had just before we entered the Conference Room? It was Luna's idea, and I failed you. I let my bitterness at your insecurity around me rule my head, which meant that you were too scared to even admit that something was wrong. My selfishness dug us both into that horrible hole, and I can't tell you how sorry I am for it."
Fluttershy froze, one forehoof hovering in uncertainty of whether to complete its full journey backwards.
"But that wound can heal," Twilight continued, not daring to move herself. "I'm your friend, Fluttershy, and there's no reason to suffer in silence anymore. Please be brave; sharing a problem puts you in the strongest position to solve it."
Fluttershy's indecisive limb slowly lowered to the ground. Still quivering, she whimpered, "Twilight... I'm scared."
This sounds serious. How can I get her to open up without holding a bunny rabbit hostage? Hmm. Maybe if I call upon a bit of give-and-take logic...?
Constructive ideas circulated through Twilight's processes, improving and refining themselves until, in ten seconds flat, she had crafted a solution whereby everybody won. Her head, the architect of this answer, promptly told her what to say.
But nothing came out. For a moment, Twilight stared stupidly as she contemplated her involuntary silence. Then, helplessly, she felt the familiar, more indirect consequence of her brilliance ruin her.
Twilight could not speak; her heart had chosen this moment to suffer from its inferiority complex. It had been her secret since foalhood, the self-destructive condition that would stall or completely reject the delivery of whatever her brain scripted, particularly when the topic of discussion dwelled close to her heart. Orchestrated by emotional inexperience and stress, its social bane stood as the reason why she had only found solace in nurturing Spike during her lonely youth.
The affliction had never struck with such chokingly powerful symptoms before, but hindsight left Twilight wondering how she had not expected it--this time, the subject was both her heart and Spike intertwined.
She inhaled deeply.
"Fluttershy," she managed, "I have a sensitive problem, too. If I confide in you, will you do the same with me?"
Instantly Fluttershy was by her side, sitting her down and rubbing a hoof which was clearly practised in the art of grooming across stiff pressures in her neck. "Something's wrong? Then yes! I want to help you!"
"Thank you." Twilight became aware that she was prioritising a heart to heart over their very safety; they remained clueless as to why they had awoken in Ponyville's train station. But possible danger would not sway Twilight to ignore a troubled friend.
It feels stupid beyond belief, but waiting it out might just be best. We're obviously here for some reason, so leaving straightaway would be redundant. Maybe somepony will show up. And passing up a chance to end Fluttershy's secretive saga once and for all... Now that would be foolish.
Confident that her decision was well-founded, Twilight made to bind a fair agreement between herself and Fluttershy. "Just one thing, Fluttershy: that concern that you're feeling for me is exactly what I feel for you. So you have to let me return the favour afterwards." Though she knew that trying to stare down the Staremaster had fast tracked many a Cockatrice to endangerment, Twilight mustered her sternest look. "Promise me, Fluttershy."
"...I promise."
The predictable creak of unused oak made for a fitting sound to complement the wall of blackness that greeted Rarity and Rainbow Dash. The light from the corridor pervaded no more than three yards inside Starswirl the Bearded's forbidden library, beyond which was darkness so absolute that Rarity wondered if Luna herself had enchanted the air in order to hide an artificial trap.
That loud crash from before: I doubt the intruder would have risked being so noisy even to get at something valuable. Something went wrong...
Rarity ventured forth a few steps more until she stood on the cusp of the invisible chasm in front of her. Intending to surprise and possibly corner their target, she immersed herself in magic and casted a quick blast of light that illuminated the entire chamber for about two seconds.
When the library had dimmed to its unnatural nothingness once more, Rarity found herself debating whether her eyes had fallen victim to wishful thinking that had skimmed the room for her. "Darling, did I deceive myself, or is there--?"
"Yes, I'm over here." The stallion's unsettlingly carefree voice echoed exactly from where Rarity had just seen a shape during the brief flash. "Just having a quick rest on the floor. Don't mind me."
Strangely, his tone seemed plagued by fatigue and surrender, but Rarity was taking no chances. "I'm going to brighten the room more permanently," she warned the downed pony. "Any attempt to escape will result in my friend Rainbow Dash here... How did you phrase it again, dear?"
"I'll smash your sorry flank into next week!" Rainbow promised, body crouched low in preparation. "You got that, buster?"
"Next week, eh?" answered the darkness. "Heh... As if my efforts haven't brought me far enough. But believe me, escape is the last thing on my mind."
Ha! A likely story! Trying to buy time for yourself will earn you nothing but a sky-blue hoof to the face.
Rarity shut the doors to emphasise her distrust, managing to quell the literally blind panic that was threatening to suffocate her. Her claustrophobia soon lifted, however, as her horn fired a luminescent orb to where she estimated was the centre of the room.
There it hovered, able to bring enlightenment of the entire library to their eyes. But the stallion had told no lie; he remained near-motionless on the floor, chest heaving and visibly sweating. Indeed, he occupied a peculiarly central spot in the circular chamber, leaving him illuminated in startling fashion against the gradually dulling radius encompassing him.
Rainbow Dash approached quickly but cautiously. "Game's up, loser! What are you, an idiot? I got caught breaking into a hospital once and even I didn't lounge about in plain sight! Stand up and get ready for a thrashing!"
The stallion - whose odd lack of disguise revealed a large horn that proved him a unicorn - almost smiled, despite his response coming through short, sharp breaths. "Kinda difficult... Can't move..." As Rarity stepped within touching distance, the intruder looked up with golden, dilated eyes. "Heavenly stars, you're beauti--no. That isn't helping."
Neither the stoppered compliment nor his brilliant eyes prevented a fearsome scowl from forming on Rarity's features. "Choose your next words very carefully," she hissed.
"I'd rather put it bluntly," panted the exhausted stallion. "I need your help. I need energy, to be precise."
"Energy?" Rarity suddenly received an unpleasant premonition as to where this stranger was steering the conversation. "What are you insinuating?"
Some form of body language must have betrayed her guess, because the stallion immediately launched a defensive plea. "Look, I know that you probably see a pathetic thief who wants to swipe a collection of ancient scrolls for his own greedy benefit, but you would misunderstand. Ugh..." He paused for breath, wetting his dry lips. "Fair unicorn, please offer me a share of your strength; then I can explain without worrying about dying halfway through a sentence."
"...You jest, surely." Her fear had been unfortunately accurate. He was asking to be the recipient of a Splicer Spell, a relatively simple yet somewhat intimate piece of magic that allowed the exchange of both magical and physical vitality between unicorns.
But whichever this unicorn sought and for whatever reason, her disbelief at his sheer nerve had already sealed her decision. "Your proposal is laughable. And my name is Rarity, you common felon."
A sour look crossed his face. "I implore you, Miss Rarity. Two possible outcomes face me if I am not supplied with any energy, and the most preferable ends in me becoming just another name in a graveyard."
Rarity raised her chin. "I shall pretend I can fathom a set of circumstances that would justify that ridiculous claim," she retorted. "You wish for me to overlook the fact that you are a criminal who begs life itself from upstanding citizens? Very well. I will consider it...when you admit your name and why you disregarded a simple restriction law."
"Miss Rarity...your tongue reeks of sophistication." His dry defeatism was relentless, and hoarse coughs suddenly spluttered from his mouth as if his body were punishing him for straying off-topic. "My name? You wouldn't believe me if my lawyer made a case of proving it. And I think my lawyer is dead."
"You're gonna need a lawyer in a minute!" Dash spat, restraining him with a firm hoof planted upon his back. "Stop talking in riddles and start coughing up information instead of your guts!
"Darling, let me deal with this ruffian," Rarity said calmly, her gaze never faltering from their glaring lock on the stallion. Through narrowed eyes, she asked, "Are you implying that we would recognise the name of whoever you would claim to be?"
"Attractive, assertive and astute?" The stallion managed a chuckle. "Your tactics are exceptional; I almost want to introduce myself. Yes, that is my implication. As for the reason why I snuck in here: well, I'm lying right underneath it."
Reluctant to permit him a break from interrogation, Rarity chanced a look skywards.
Hm? Is that...?
Though a routine sight among famous libraries with a centrepiece to gloat, there was something a little too familiar about the lone book standing proudly atop the tall pedestal.
Then Rarity realised she knew its contents without glancing at a single word etched within.
It was no secret that Twilight's coronation had come to pass thanks to her perfecting of Starswirl the Bearded's unfinished spell of friendship. In his honour upon its completion, Twilight had requested the black book to be preserved inside his wing of the library. The population had been quick to favour this verdict, and it was said the legendary book now commanded an inescapable overview of the chamber.
They certainly were not wrong there. So he was after Twilight's book all along!
Questions, however, were still thick in Rarity's mind, and the first to win the fight to get out of her mouth was not a long one. "Why?"
"A few days ago, I heard that a new princess was recently crowned because she completed a friendship spell," wheezed the stallion with unsettling patience. "Loathe as I am to admit it, friends have always been something of a four-leaf clover in my life...and the ones I did make blew away about as easily. So I wanted to speed-read the book. Pick up a few tips. Then put it back." A short silence draped dubiousness over his last statement. "...Possibly steal it."
"Pig!" Stomping hard, Rainbow Dash kept the pressure on both his back and his precarious chances of receiving any kind of help. "You heard that Twilight wrote the spell a few days ago?" She snorted at his ignorance. "You must be a hermit or something; everypony knew that about a week back!"
"Forgive me," responded the stallion flatly. "I'm sort of new around here."
New? But he just said--aha! A gaping hole has opened within his story!
"You weave a convincing tale," Rarity said, already looking forward to breaking his lies through logic, "but I'm afraid that remark has doomed you. You are 'new' around here, correct? Yet, mere moments ago, you claimed to live in such fame that your name alone would reveal to us everything about your identity." Her smile told of blatant fakery. "The contradiction speaks for itself, I think."
"...What an unfortunately valid point. This sort of coincidental misunderstanding is typical of my luck."
Bending down to feed a threat directly into his ear, Rainbow Dash hissed in terrifying seriousness. "Misunderstanding? I don't think so. Listen, you runt. I hate liars, and you don't want me as your enemy. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't beat the truth out of you right now."
"Because everything I have said is true!" shouted the stallion with impressive conviction, making Rainbow jolt back in surprise. After a fit of coughs rewarded his momentary loss of patience, he choked, "You want to make a game of this? Then I see your contradiction, and I raise you with this question: how did I gain entry to this forbidden library at all?"
"Easy!" taunted Rainbow Dash. "Discord busted the lock with his abra-kadabra rubbish, and now you're snooping around to steal Twilight's book!"
"Precisely," Rarity agreed with a shrug of finality. "You are Discord's accomplice."
"What?!" So animated was the stallion's outburst that he wriggled with laughter underneath the hoof gluing him to the carpet. "Now you are the jester, Miss Rarity! I hate that manipulative freak! No, I busted the lock with my abra-kadabra rubbish. Why do you think I'm so knackered?"
"Because..." Rarity bit her lip, her inability to prove that events unfolded otherwise giving her opponent's tide a palpable nudge.
"I managed to force my way inside," the stallion went on, "but what I didn't count on is this book of friendship having an extra layer of protection: a magical shield that I tried to destroy. Shattering that damnable lock had already drained a dangerous amount of my energy, so I knew it was all or nothing...and I failed. My offensive spell ricocheted off the barrier and destroyed that shelf over there."
He gestured lazily to his left, where a former row of scrolls on shapeshifting now did not teach the mind with wisdom so much as attack the nose with the acrid smell of singed paper.
Rarity conceded a small nod. "Well, that explains the tremendous crash from before."
"So you're not pals with Discord?" Rainbow Dash pressed. "You managed to mangle the lock all by your sorry little self?"
"I swear it. I have met the fiend on numerous occasions, but working with him? I'd rather make a souffle out of my own mane!"
He knows Discord personally? And the gaps in his story--they would all be patched if...!
An idea - a ridiculous, laughable idea as to the identity of the mystery pony - bounced around Rarity's head, vying for acknowledgement. She dismissed it. Not only did the very room within which she stood teach that the single direction possible in time travel was backwards, but this stallion packed his speech with satirical banter that Rarity could not imagine ponies of old having employed at all.
Deciding to induce the matter into dormancy for the time being, Rarity moved on to what she thought would be an unrelated question. "So why are you only interested in Twilight's spell? My imagination must stretch into surrealism to picture that you would not take a fancy to as many other powerful spells as you could carry."
The stallion was clearly past elaborate evocations by this point, for he answered only, "Because I know what is written inside every other book and upon every other scroll in this room."
The suspicion which Rarity had disregarded moments before tore to the front of her mind with a vengeance.
No! It can't be! He can't be! I won't believe it! I need more evidence!
Before she could invent a question that might indirectly prompt him to unveil more about his past, Rainbow Dash had latched onto another issue. "Wait a sec. You're lying on the ground underneath my epic hoof of justice, but you're more tired than when we found your pathetic flank! How is that possible, you sneaky turd? Why are you still losing energy?"
"Your surprise is...surprising," answered the unicorn raggedly, his remaining strength visibly ebbing. "I did tell you that I'm basically dying here. Unless you look past your distrust and help me, I don't have long..."
"That doesn't answer the question!"
Their captive had not opened his dry mouth to answer again before Rarity spoke for him. "You're casting spells even as we speak, aren't you?" she stated more than asked, confident that her magical instincts were not misleading her. "Permanent spells. Ever since we came in, I have sensed a powerful aura of magic originating from you."
"Ah, Miss Rarity," wheezed the stallion weakly. "It's as if you have known me for years. But I can only wish to have a friend such as you..." A humourless chuckle escaped him. "Yes, I am casting two long-term spells at this very moment."
"And they are?" demanded Rainbow Dash, her hoof placing virtually all her body weight upon his back.
The stallion could barely utter a word anymore without ripping the air with heavy gasps as his struggling lungs sucked at whatever their damaged capacity could hold. "One is to disguise myself... An age spell... I am much older than I appear..."
Rainbow Dash looked on the verge of an anticipation meltdown. "And the other?!"
"The other has been accompanying me for days... Can't let go...or else..."
The stallion collapsed. His head struck the floor as his horn suddenly began expelling enormous bursts of red light, and Rarity recognised the frightening symptom of fatal exhaustion in a unicorn. These makeshift fireworks which sacrificed what little energy he had left were beyond the stallion's control, acting merely as nature's distress flare in a final, instinctive cry for help.
With his eyes clamped shut, the unicorn was not gifted a quick welcome into unconsciousness and he flailed about in terrible discomfort. The red eruptions from his horn soon devolved into pathetic sparks of black discharge, and Rarity watched in utter horror while the stallion whispered things inaudible, things that she just knew were his final peace-makings.
It was late, but Rarity felt reality arrive.
I'm watching somepony die.
A feeling as unidentifiable as the stallion gripped her, and the command to prolong his life reverberated inside her head so forcefully that she could not have ignored its will if she herself had been unconscious.
On the most meaningful whim of her life, Rarity touched her horn to his and commenced the Splicer Spell.
"What the heck are you doing?!" yelled Rainbow Dash. "We can't give him the power to do whatever he wants! He'll just teleport away!"
"And I cannot watch a fellow unicorn take his last breath when I can save him!" A flash of alabaster white signalled the transportation of enough energy to sustain him for perhaps an hour, but the exertion was unprecedented; Rarity staggered sideways as a sizeable chunk of vitality abandoned her body.
Good grief! I know an age spell is complex and consuming, but even so... What in the name of Equestria is the other spell he has active?
Then he stilled. The intense, panicked atmosphere caused by looming death eased, and Rarity's heart slowed in sync with the stallion's once ragged gasping. Beside her, Rainbow Dash seemed to have grudgingly accepted her actions as a necessity, and she relented as her hoof finally lifted from its role of imprisoning him.
"Y-You saved me," the unicorn managed, so emotionally charged that his voice rang with sincerity for the first time. After standing to his full height, he bowed deeply. "Thank you, Miss Rarity!"
She nodded, a small smile inexplicably curling her mouth. "That should keep you in full health for another hour or thereabouts. But how do you intend to spend it? You surely understand that we cannot just let you go."
Returning a much wider smile, the stallion spoke now with purpose. "Of course. My mind is made up. Please, take me to Princess Celestia. We have a history together, and shame stopped me from consulting with her first... But I'm not afraid anymore. I know that she will arrange to keep me alive and well."
Rarity could see no flaw in his proposal until Rainbow Dash pointed out what the hectic events of the past half-hour had made her forgotten. "Uh, that's a nice, lovey-dovey sentiment and all, but Celestia is kinda in the middle of something important at the minute, and--" Rainbow cocked her head as a realisation hit her. "Hang on... Rarity, so are we! We should be downstairs in the Conference Room right now hearing why the hay Twilight and Fluttershy went AWOL on us!"
Muddled thoughts had Rarity blinking several times in surprise, her head making a botched attempt at comprehending the number of strange happenings that had swooped upon them in a single evening. "You're quite right, darling," she replied slowly.
"So what do we do with Krakatoa here in the meantime?"
"I could wait outside until your business concludes," offered the stallion after a warm chuckle. "Well, until I feel like I'm going to throw up again, at least."
Uncertainty of how much trust she could afford to yield was still troubling Rarity. "I hope our fragile truce will not fracture while we finish our meeting. Because if you were to wander off--"
"Then my death certificate will be signed before you go to bed," interrupted the stallion, motioning at Rarity's horn. "You were gracious enough to keep my cylinders running for a bit longer, but gambling with my life again would redefine insanity. A second chance is my only hope now, and by running away I would simply be distancing myself from being granted one."
Rarity thought she saw reminiscent pain flash in his eyes for the second she spent considering how to respond. "And you think that Princess Celestia will grant it to you?"
"Yes. I... I miss her. Call me cliched, but she was the only one who ever understood me." He made no attempt to hide another bout of glumness as a heavy sigh drew itself from his lips. "I miss everything about my old life. What I wouldn't give just to hear Celestia crack her light but indulgent sense of humour one more time..."
His surprising accuracy of Celestia's character encouraged some belief to settle inside Rarity. A twinge of sympathy, however, was tempting a potentially dangerous lull in her awareness, so she scrapped the atmosphere before it could develop. "Have it your way, criminal stallion. Come, Rainbow darling. We are escorting our mystery guest from this creepy place."
When the three of them were bathed in the safe light of the corridor, Rarity extinguished her luminous orb and shut the double doors in a second din of creaking. She had no plans, however, to reinstall the compromised security. "The royal sisters enforce the lock, don't they?" She sighed, looking pitifully at the ruined mechanism. "We shall have to report this to them."
Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Yup, along with some strong advice of thwacking on a few extra features. ...Hey, wait up!"
The stallion was already trotting down the corridor at a brisk speed, and Rarity had difficulty keeping apace while simultaneously retaining her mane's flawless curls.
The unreliable light inside the library had left Rarity unsure whether her eyes were properly distinguishing the stallion's colour and specific features, but with his form now in full view, she could see that her first impressions had been spot on.
Both his body and his mane were a deep blue, the matching pair doing a fair job of complementing his golden eyes. His cutie mark was unspectacular, but looking at it stirred implacable familiarity within her.
Rarity would not have praised him so highly as handsome, but he wielded an odd, almost accidental charm that was still making Rarity doubt her educated guess towards his identity.
My stab in the dark seemed comical at first, but everything he says solidifies the theory with more and more plausibility. I must find out if I am correct!
"You were about to inform us of the second spell you are constantly casting," she reminded him as their hooves tapped out a pleasing rhythm upon the carpet. "I don't think I need to tell you that the amount of energy I sacrificed for you was, to be frank, ridiculous. Your gratitude is all well and good, but I would like to know which spell is working alongside your age spell."
Although his hooves never stopped travelling, the stallion paused to consider his answer. Eventually, with each word carefully chewed, he admitted, "If I had ceased that second spell, I wouldn't have been at risk of dying. Instead, a fate far worse would have awaited me: being dragged back home, where my only companions in life are loneliness and misery."
Unadulterated disbelief took hold on Rainbow Dash's face. "What? You chose death over another shot at making friends? It doesn't matter how bad things are at the moment, you idiot! As long as you're hanging out with the living, there's always a chance to find somepony who'll understand! Rarity reminded me of that about fifteen minutes ago! In a toilet!"
Oh, Rainbow Dash... That tough exterior hides a mare who has so much love to give.
The still-nameless stallion deigned not to challenge the pegasus, nor agree. He arrived at the floor from which Rarity had departed - the floor that hosted the Conference Room - and the bottom of the stairs reflected the state of Rarity's patience. "Halt! That is enough. I did not wish for it to come to this, but your cryptic nonsense is forcing my ultimatum. Say your name, stallion, clearly and simply, or else I shall withdraw my contribution of my Splicer Spell."
He froze, his back to the both of them. "...You drive a hard bargain, Miss Rarity."
Turning to face her, the stallion wore a reminiscent expression and chuckled as he proclaimed, "What a night! It's not often one gets caught in such a mixed web of activities over the course of just a couple of hours. I mean, breaking into my own library; accidentally blowing up an entire shelf of my own work; being saved from either certain death or my own past by a unicorn who is way out of my league; and then being denied the chance to read a life-saving book, half of which I authored myself, by that same beautiful unicorn..." He laughed again. "I suppose this is karma for being such a secretive perfectionist. For failing to write down or share the secrets of time travelling into the future with anypony else."
"Then it's true!" gasped Rarity, her second hunch of the night having been proven right on the trot. "The other spell: it's time travel! You're him! From the past! You're...!"
"Whatshisname the Bearded!" Rainbow finished, somehow unable to recall the household name whose famous library they had just trespassed.
The beardless pony smiled. "Please, if you don't mind, it's just Starswirl now." |
From the Big Apple: A Tale of Misadventure and Affection | pre | If a few hundred miles from home doesn't count as "out there," you don't know what will. "Strange" is not the most appropriate word for your situation either - suspended in the air along with three fillies, each with their own looks of fear, shock, and surprise, as your experiment came to a loud screeching bang.
No, it's not very easy to explain your current situation, much less put it into words.
Odd; although, your day didn't start out mundane to begin with.
=================================================================================
The castle looms in the distance, its skull-like façade appearing ominous against the stormy sky. Sword clenched firmly in your teeth, you stride forward, pushing your aching hooves into the bloodied sands. Your foes stood little chance against your mighty blade, getting cut down with a single strike. Their maws opened as if to scream, but no sounds came forth from their zombie throats. The fight, while not particularly taxing, was incredibly long and tedious. Your body felt as if it had been constricted in heavy chains.
Your recent hardships are not astonishing - the evil wizard Copper Cauldron is a known coward and a trickster. Why, you can still remember your prolonged encounter with his dimwitted minion Shock Jock. If anything at all, you have been expecting far more devious deviltry from this fiend...
No sooner had you reached the great stone face of the castle; you were suddenly caught in a whirling, suffocating dervish of unseen might.
"Fool! Did you really think you could defeat me with a paltry sword and your injudicious chivalry?," comes a booming voice from behind the lowering drawbridge. You gnash your teeth as Copper Cauldron reveals himself, seated on an ominous throne of black making with his vile magicks leaking from his eyes and horn. A golden chain is wrapped around his left front hoof, entangled around a figure shrouded by the castle's darkness.
"Now that you have been entrapped in the forces of my invisible Lemon Leviathan, you can forfeit any chance of saving your precious Queen!"
As the unseen evil continues to smother you, you see the mad warlock tug on his thrall's chain, pulling her into view. Her muddied coat and partially tattered mane do little to change your opinion - she looks as beautiful as the day you made her acquaintance. Your resolve cracks when your eyes meet, however - as your breath slows to a crawl, the last image burned into your mind is her tears flowing freely...
"I'm sorry I left you..."
It's your last thought as the ground around you begins to shake...
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"Honey, get me some warm milk, our nephew's having a nightmare," exclaims a new voice. It's matronly and oddly calm, despite the situation. Top Brass and Lemon Drops have you at their mercy and the best this mare could do was ask Uncle Carrot to get you some...
"Wait, wha...? Who? Where? How?"
Looking at the foot of your bed, you see the twin foals playing with a yellow, blue-striped ball; they're being immensely spirited, smacking the toy between them via headbutts, mouth chucks, and hoof-throws. The ground wasn't shaking; rather, it was, but it wasn't the ground...
Rubbing the last flecks of sleep from your eyes, you sit up to survey the room you are in. You are still in Ms. Pie's room, the only changes being the now slept-in bed you are on and a newly propped up folding table to your right side. A thick-set earth pony mare is standing at the doorway talking to a lanky, yellow stallion. Turning around, she reveals her cutie mark, an iced pink cupcake with a cherry on top, and a worried looking Carrot Cake behind the door frame. Her shaped magenta mane and blue coat contrast her heavily with your uncle, as does her short stocky build. She is wearing a yellow, pink-frilled apron. She walks over to you, tray in mouth, bearing a small plate of toast and a tall glass of what you assume is warm milk.
Putting the tray down on the table, the mare greets you by name in that same gentle voice you had heard earlier. Seeing as you are now no longer in any perceived danger, your mood and breathing has evened out significantly. You smile in return and thank her for the treat. Tipping the glass into your mouth, you feel her rub a hoof on your back.
"That's right - tuck in, dear. The milk will help calm you down. We had decided to let you sleep in today, but then you started groaning and thrashing in bed. We were so worried..."
She is right - the milk going down your throat warms you up significantly, slowing your scattered thoughts and allowing you to completely regain your bearings. Your brain starts to put everything back into place. Your hooves ached only because you had slept on them wrong. Your frozen body and suffocation are explained by the haphazardly wrapped covers around your barrel and forehooves. Copper Cauldron, Top Brass, was never here - he was probably back in Manehattan, throwing his weight around like usual. Babs is safe with her family too.
"My name is Cupcake, but you can call me Auntie Cee. Now finish up and come on downstairs. Your uncle tells me you have plans for the day, right? You'd best get to it before your run out of daylight!" Aunt Cupcake scoops up your cousins and trots happily towards the door, leaving it slightly open for you to step through. Biting into your toast, you hear two voices growing fainter and fainter and the clattering of hooves as the family heads back downstairs.
Starting to feel more relaxed, you recall Miss Rarity's instructions the day prior. "Sweet Apple Acres, east of Carousel Boutique. A clearing behind the main house." You should be heading there as soon as possible, you think - it's not wise to push your curfew in a strange place. You hadn't given much thought on waking up early today, given yesterday's rather exhausting events. Helping to reorganize an entire library along with an owl and a dragon resembling a childhood hero of yours, followed by a grueling fitting session and one of the most emotional retellings you could ever muster.
Popping the entire second square of toast in your hungry mouth, you hop down onto the hardwood floor and make your way towards the door. You turn back for a few seconds, before deciding to leave your trusty fedora on the bedside. Taking things too seriously does not work very well in the laid-back berg you've taken yourself too and the hat serves as a reminder of that. Your eyepatch is still stuck firmly over your left eye, ensuring a complete and speedy recovery by the time you make your way back home.
Entering the serving lobby of SugarCube Corner, you spot the Cakes dashing around in a speedy, organized manner, getting their shop cleaned up after the lunch time rush. Your uncle is sweeping up the mess using a chomp-bit broom while your aunt picks up all the dirty dishes left on the patrons' tables. Curiously, the twins are nowhere in sight.
"Oh, Pound and Pumpkin? We tucked them in for their afternoon nap. Now, your uncle tells me you're off to Sweet Apple Acres? It's a good distance from here - would you like some bits for a carriage?"
Huh. It appears that Aunt Cupcake shares your mother's eye for detail and head for planning. All that because you stopped in your tracks for a minute?
You refuse her offer, stating that you know the way and that you are used to hoofing much longer distances. She quickly places a small saddle pack on you, saying "Oh, no need to be modest, dear. Take the bits and these bran muffins with you, along with some water. I wouldn't want you going hungry for having too much fun, now would I? Now, run along - your Uncle and I have this place under control."
After equipping you, she goes right back to clearing tables and rearranging wayward chairs. Every few seconds or so, she either walks back over to check the contents of your saddlebags or to give you little snippets of advice, such as "Don't talk to shady ponies" and "Don't stay out too late after dark." You are unable to make it more than a few steps towards the door before she gives you multiple once-overs.
Noticing your plight, Uncle Carrot grabs you by the scruff and helps you up over the lower half of the split-door. He mouths "She worries," gives you a wink and goes back to work.
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Sweet Apple Acres is not hard to find. Just like Miss Rarity said, a dirt path east of the boutique led right to the sprawling farm. The faint scent of apples hangs in the air as you survey the fast fields beyond the white picket fence. Some fields appear recently tilled and plowed while others are lined with thick trees, bearing the delicious red fruits. From the entrance where you stand, marked by a tall vine-wrapped, wooden sign bearing a hollow apple cut-out, you can see several, green hills rising in the distance, dotted with spots of healthy reds and greens. A single word passes your lips after you've reviewed the scene before you:
"Wow."
Not that the way over was any less boring, of course. Another quick walk through Ponyville really emphasized just how much color the town had; Manehattan is beautiful, sure - but you can't help admiring the vibrant hues of the small cottages and villas here. How would your sister put it? Rustic?
Regardless, it is all very charming.
As you trot into the farm proper, you take better note of some structures built onto the grounds. A small well stands immediately next to the entrance, its rope-drawn bucket swaying slightly. A tall, predominantly red barn stands to your right, its purple shingled roof and white strutted doors looming over the ground around it. A rather beaten down plow is parked next to the left wall. On the opposite side of the road are numerous smaller storehouses, all sporting a dark brown color akin to lacquered-wood. Despite all of these buildings, the place appears deserted. Nopony whatsoever seems to have noticed you...
"Well, hey there, young'un!"
"GAH!"
The accented voice causes you to swirl around, right into the wrinkled face of an old, light-green mare. What she lacks in a horn or a pair of wings, she makes up for in the most number of accessories you've seen on anypony in Ponyville thus far - she's wearing a yellow and red-dotted hoofkerchief around her neck and is using a large silver walker. Your mouth refuses to work as she starts to push and prod you with a hoof, maintaining a very wide smile; incidentally, her current facial expression reveals two rows of eerily pearlescent white teeth.
"Well, ain't you a jumpy city-slicker! No cutie mark an' exploring by yerself? And with a medipatch on ya so soon. D'ya get into a scrap or something? Nnope, that won't do, that won't do," she exclaims as she spins you around on your hooves for a better view of your entire body. She turns her head towards the red barn and shouts "Big Macintosh! Take five an' help me get this scrappy little young'un into the house!"
A few seconds of silence hang in the air. No sound can be heard aside from the echo of the old mare's distinctive twang. "Uh, Miss? I only came here to..."
Your attempt to start conversation is cut off as the ground begins to lightly rumble in short bursts. Looking down, you see small bits of gravel levitate in time with the tremors as well as a large shadow begin to encompass you and your new acquaintance.
Looking back up, you see that the old mare is now wearing a more measured, closed-lipped smile, but she is still looking in the direction of the barn. Turning your head, you are met with a large, red wall.
How did the barn suddenly get this close?! And for that matter, why is it breathing?!?
Tilting your gaze up, you are met with a stallion's deadpan stare, a piece of hay dangling from his mouth punctuating his imposing stare. His short orange mane is cut right above his green eyes, eyes that look oddly familiar. Around his massive neck sits a heavy wooden yoke, complete with two gray stirrups. His height is easily greater than yours and the old mare's combined.
"Hoowee, you've been workin' up a sweat, Macintosh," the old mare jokes. "Still, you smell better than the smog on this here colt. Take him inside and fix 'em up some grub, ya hear? I'll bring your sisters on over so's we can get to know our little big city guest." She then starts to trudge away. Slowly.
Really, really slowly. You swear, you can make out the sounds of her joints creaking. Her pace allows you a good sight of her cutie mark: a pie; apple, if you had to guess.
"The smog on my coat?" you ask the great red stallion before you. He flares his nostrils slightly before taking two quick whiffs about you. The force of his inhale causes your mane to follow as if you are standing near an upward draft.
He scratches his chin thoughtfully before looking at you and answering in a pronounced bass: "Eeyup."
Macintosh plods ahead of you and signals you to follow with a quick turn of his head. As you make your way down the path, it becomes increasingly evident that the draft horse in front of you is the source of the rhythmic tremors you had felt earlier. Thank Celestia he seemed docile enough; he could easily turn you into Big Apple pie if he so wanted. His cutie mark, a green apple half, stands brightly against his crimson coat; a reminder of all the work and hours he must have put into this farm to gain such bulk.
A few short minutes of walking leads you to your destination. Despite your size, you had seen the top of the large, again, predominantly red, housing in front of you. Two stories high with a small tower forming its peak, it seems your red guide has led you a step closer to your destination. Before you can finish the thought, your chaperone intones in the same baritone.
"That was Granny Smith. I'm Big Macintosh. And this here," he interrupts himself to swing his frond of hay to the other side, "is the Apple family's main house. Come on in and get yerself settled fer brunch."
"Mr. Macintosh?," you ask a little shakily. "Not that I don't... uh, appreciate all the attention, but I just came by to..."
"It's just Big Macintosh, young'un, or Big Mac, if ya prefer. I wouldn't argue - once Granny Smith gets an idea into her head, you'll be hard-pressed to stop her seein' it through."
His expression remains steady and stoic, as does his twang-laced voice. He isn't really arguing with you per se, but he seems awfully persuasive. Something about his eyes still bugs you, however.
"Alright. Er... thanks, Big Mac. I hope I'm not being too much of a drag here."
He regards you before walking onto the porch and holding the front door open with a massive foreleg.
"Nnope."
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Charming. Cozy. Homely. Safe.
You could go on if you knew more words like the four above. The Apple family's main house, while not trendy or steeped in futuristic amenities, easily counts as one of the comfortable places you've ever set hoof in. The hardwood floors, the simple wallpaper, the pictures set in quirky frames, and all manner of frontier pony knickknacks combined make this house feel like it was built by family for family.
It's all very flattering, to be invited here by Granny Smith, the apple family matriarch herself. What little information you now have was communicated to you in short statements and phrases by Big Macintosh, eldest of three Apple siblings.
A few minutes later, you and the red barn-sized stallion are joined by an orange mare and an energetic brown-and-white shepherd dog, with Granny Smith in tow.
"Sorry fer the wait, Scrappy. I know how y'all in the city are always goin' on and on' about needin' to be someplace else, but my dadgum hip was actin' up again," Granny Smith says through her uncharacteristically healthy teeth.
Before you can say anything, you are once again given a series of once-overs, head to hoof, snout to flank, and mane to tail by the orange mare. She shares Granny Smith's orange orbs and steely stare, as well as Macintosh's freckles; her head is covered by a distinctive cowpony hat similar to what your pop wears when distracting the rowdier bulls at the rodeo.
It isn't a ten gallon, you think. It's flatter, with a noticeable notch in the front of its round brim.
"Eyein' mah Stetson there, scrappy?," asks the orange mare. "It's got some tall tales attached to it, just so ya know. Name's Applejack. And you are?"
Calmed by her friendliness, you introduce yourself and hold up a hoof; this turns out to be a bad move as you are subjected to a rather spirited and powerful hoofshake, the likes of which leave you quaking in place even as it finishes.
After her spirited greeting, she goes on saying "Manehattan, eh? Ah haven't been there in a dog's age! So, how's the 'Big Apple' been treatin' ya?" Her voice is laced with the same powerful twang as that of Granny Smith's. Her eyes gleam with a hint of cleverness and familiarity, the latter of which seems strange to you. Hadn't she just met you? Maybe you reminded of her of somepony else.
Well, there's no way around it, so you decide to answer her question. "It's doing alright, I guess. It could use some cleaning up in some places and the noise can get crazy, but it's home for me," you conclude, beaming broadly. If anything, your stay in Ponyville has made you think very fondly of your hometown and its eccentric members, some more than others.
This scenario plays out for the next half hour over some freshly baked apple strudel and some glasses of apple juice. The Apple family, it seems, is very, very fond of their own produce. It crosses your mind once, how they had yet to develop some aversion to the red fruit, but a few mouthfuls of the treats served to quash these thoughts.
As evidenced by their earlier treatment of you, the farm horses are a very welcoming lot. Most of the talking is done by Applejack. She tells stories of how she had once dreamed of living in Manehattan, how she had quickly grown homesick and ended up coming back after a few days' stay. "Aunt n' Uncle Orange were sad to see little ol' me go, but they let me anyway. Said it was something that we'd all regret if I had forced m'self tah stay."
Granny Smith is second to her granddaughter in terms of talkativeness. Every now and again, she'd spin a yarn about how she'd once been to other big cities (Manehattan, Baltimare, Phillydelphia) and how she had noticed how "Everypony, big n' small, foal n' stallion, they were always buzzin' all over th' place." She states that in her younger years, ponies rarely ever settled down in one place, but they were of little comparison to today's generation.
In direct contrast to the two mares and even to himself earlier on, Big Macintosh hardly said a word. The occasional affirmative ("Eeyup") and negative ("Nnope") were only ever uttered when solicited. If he had any stories of his own, he kept them under tight wraps. Normally, you'd suspect he was hiding something; given his half-lidded eyes and relaxed demeanor however, even you think it's unlikely. If you ever come back to Ponyville some time, you think it will be a good idea to chat with Macintosh some time; if asking doesn't do the trick, the puppy-dog stare ought to...
Wait.
"Oh, Celestia," you think. Your mind starts to race. His eyes were the same as Babs.
It strikes you at that very moment - you are talking to the Apple family, Babs' relatives.
There's a sudden drop in temperature. The humidity becomes suffocating.
Were they always staring at you this intently?
"Ah think ah see a bored young'un when I see one," chuckled Applejack. "Welp, ah can see that the older folks ain't yer speed. Lemme take ya out back for some more appropriate company." Popping her Stetson back over her head, she walks over to the front door and gestures you to come over. Still slightly dumbfounded, you meekly make your way over to the younger Apple sibling.
After stepping out over the porch and walking away from earshot, the orange mare stops in her tracks and fixes her gaze at you. "It never really came up, but Ah gotta ask: what's a little colt doin' so far away from home? And don't you feed me some line like ya did with th' Cakes. Ah can tell."
"What? How did...? Who?" you sputter out.
"Ah know. Ah can tell. And you just did."
Oh, she's good.
Despite the discomfort you feel as Applejack squints and listens intently, you manage to fib one last time: you are able to keep out the details of the last day. "I just need to know what happened to my friend."
Time dilates as the orange mare's lips form a straight, unmoving line. She lowers the brim of her hat over her eyes, mulling over your mostly-honest story. Slowly, she raises her eyes to look into yours...
...and smiles a genuine smile. Her eyes brighten again to that familiar glint as she nods you to a thicket-obscured path.
"Alright, partner - Ah can tell when you mean what you said. Now, as promised, yoou'll find better company over yonder. They should be back by now."
"U... thank you, Miss Applejack," you reply shakily. "Who should be back by now?"
Unfortunately, your guide is now gone, back through the lush greens that once completely covered the way to the area you're standing in.
Turning back around, your eyes take in a quaint, picnic-area like scene. The sky is completely unobstructed here; the vivid blue making the place all the more relaxing. A fairly large tree stands tall in the center; unlike the Acres, this one bears no fruit - instead, it supports a rather sizeable tree-house. Its wooden walls bear the look of a hoof-made project, as does its rather diminutive, yellow-painted fence. Higher still, past the canopy of the great tree, you can see the end of a telescope pointed out towards Ponyville.
Before you can make your way up the wooden ramp for a closer look at the treehouse, you are interrupted by a familiar sound. It's a repeated whirring that you often hear in and around your hometown. You couldn't quite put a hoof on it, but it's something that's so ingrained into your memories that the city would be incredibly alien without it.
"Is that... a motor? I didn't see any tractors anywhere near here..." you wonder aloud. Ponyville's cabs were horse-drawn, so it couldn't be a motorized carriage. Even then, you are standing outside of Ponyville itself - what could be making that sound?
"LOOK OUT!" cries a panicked filly's voice, followed by a higher-pitched wail and a very Apple-sounding "Whoa Nelly, Scootaloo!"
Your body is sent tumbling smack-dab into the tree-stump you had been looking at a few seconds ago. Whatever it was that hit you, it hit ridiculously hard; it was also apparently female and had three heads, looking over you as the green field began to blur.
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No dreams accompany you when you finally regain consciousness. You can remember Applejack leading you to the back, the open area with the tree-house, the voices, and the forceful blow that knocked you into next week. Just like this morning however, you find it especially difficult to breathe. "Oh Princess, I hope I didn't break anything..."
Cracking open a cautious eye, you survey your new surroundings - you are lying sideways in a relatively large room with four unpainted wooden walls. Light is pouring in from above you (probably a window), allowing your eyesight to adjust quickly; similarly, another window is built into the opposite wall. Some red-violet curtains adorn this opening, making the outside brighter in contrast. A crudely drawn map is nailed to the wall on the right, next to what looks to be the only way in or out (the foot of the door is adorned by a dull, fuzzy welcome mat); a green ladder is placed near the door, leading upwards into an unseen room above. Immediately to your left stands a small, wooden podium, with a rope-suspended, unlit lantern about a foot farther away hanging above... a bulls-eye? Near your head is a squat green table, its stubby legs causing it to hover very closely over the floor; close enough for a colt or filly to eat off of it with no need for a chair.
Taking a sharp inhale, you sit up and quickly discover the reason for your difficult breathing - your entire barrel has been snugly wrapped in white bandages. A thick bow, level with your belly, completes your sorry new appearance.
"What the...? Oh, phooey to this!" you say as you clamp down on the offending adornment. A quick tug proves to be your bondage's undoing. Feeling the tyrannical grasp loosen from around you, you feel better fit to stand up in this new place. The upper border of the walls seems to be painted with hearts and swirls to make the place appear more welcoming.
No sooner have you decided to peer out the window, you hear a shrill "Hey, girls! He's up! He's up!" Turning to the source of the sound, you are greeted by the company of a marshmallow-colored unicorn filly with a two-toned purple and pink curly mane. She's beaming, as if glad to see that you weren't any worse for the wear. "Phew! I was starting to think I was gonna spend the rest of my life in jail like Scootaloo said." She seems cordial enough, but her trail of thought betrayed a little ditziness in the filly.
"So what's your name? And how'd you even find this place?" she asks you quizzically. Her green eyes give you a quick scan, less intense than that of the Apples some time before. She goes over to the map on the wall and pulls it aside, revealing what appears to be a roll call sheet. Crayon drawings of three fillies comprise the entire list, next to blanks filled with check marks for each pony. She ticks a cross mark next to the drawing resembling her.
Before you can answer, you are joined by two other fillies - a yellow, red-maned earth pony coming in through the door holding a white case emblazoned with a red cross and an orange, purple-maned pegasus descending from the ladder you spied before. Both give a quick glare at their unicorn friend, before speaking up.
"What in the hay are you thinking, Sweetie Belle? This guy could be a spy for all we know! I mean, look - he even managed to take off all his bandages! Probably trying to escape and tell on us!"
"Now, now, Scootaloo - simmer down. Remember, we kinda used him as a brake fer yer scooter. Not that Ah trust this feller any more than I can throw 'em," says the earth pony after setting down the first-aid kit in front of you. Her large pink hair-bow tells you immediately who had trussed you up in the bandages you woke up in. "Seein's how yer up n' about, how's about tellin' us why you were snoopin' 'round these parts? Maybe we'll tell you our names if yer honest with us." She's giving you the same look that Granny Smith did when she first dragged you over for brunch, albeit in a poor attempt to look menacing.
You introduce yourselves to the fillies, telling them about your hometown and the length of your stay. When telling them about the past few days, their faces light up at certain parts: The pegasus, Scootaloo, smirks proudly when you mention your arrival at the train station; the unicorn Sweetie Belle beams widely when you mention that it was Rarity who had told you to come here for clues; the earth pony, Apple Bloom, swings from happy to mortified when you tell them how you found this hidden place.
"Ah can't believe Applejack would lead a strange colt to our clubhouse! Sheesh, you'd think family'd respect privacy more..."
"Wait an apple-bucking second here, mister," pipes up Scootaloo. She isn't as confrontational as she was a few minutes ago, but curiosity laces her voice. "You never once mentioned what you've been looking for. If Applejack let you up here, then your story checks out, but I'm not letting you down from here until you've spilled the beans."
"I agree. If Rarity pointed you over here, you must have a pretty good reason. What made you come all the way out here from Manehattan? And all by yourself?" Sweetie Belle is now leaning in closely, her eyes trained on you. Apple Bloom follows suit, leaning in wordlessly.
With no other option, you pull out your trump card: "I'm a friend of Babs and I'm here to help."
If you brought your camera, you would have taken pictures. The looks on these fillies is priceless! Their eyes wide open, shining even and their mouths going slowly from slack-jawed disbelief to the most energetic smiles you have ever been privileged to see.
"Oh mah gosh, she did it! She actually did it!" Apple Bloom speaks up first, hopping in place. Sweetie Belle is tiptoeing in place, eyes closed and horn sparkling with green light. "She's SO awesome! Doing it so soon!"
Scootaloo's reaction is the most intense - she manages to pull off a complete backflip using the buzzing of her miniature wings. "Babs Seed rocks! You should have told us sooner!"
Apple Bloom regains her composure first and beckons her friends over to the podium. Scootaloo raises her hood to signal you to wait before going up the ladder again. Sweetie takes her place on Apple Bloom's right.
Around five minutes later, Scootaloo hovers down from the second level, adorned in a familiar crimson cape. She has two red bundles scooped up in her hooves - bundles she promptly throws over to the awaiting Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. The pegasus filly then runs past you and takes her place on Apple Bloom's left.
"We didn't expect a delegate so soon! We'd have made a more official welcome," says the yellow filly as she twists about and struggles to put on her cape. "Shoulda known we'd have more members already," says Scootaloo sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. Sweetie Belle is having slightly better luck with her cape, having put it on much sooner than Apple Bloom. "I knew there was a reason a blank flank would visit us!," she says. Despite the lack of venom in her voice, you still cringe internally at the mention of the often-used slur back at school.
The three fillies give a wide smile before proclaiming in unison: "WELCOME TO THE PONYVILLE BRANCH OF THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!"
=================================================================================
Things get decidedly friendlier after your initial tussle with the Crusaders. Despite already revealing their names to you by accident earlier on, the fillies reintroduce themselves with gusto. You learn that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle look up a great deal to their older sisters, both of whom you've met before, while Scootaloo is the proud founder of the Rainbow Dash Fan Club (the fact that she's actually good friends with her idol is nothing to scoff at either). The three have been close for around three years and decided to start this endeavor (Sweetie calls it their "patented cutie-mark acquisition program").
Babs was officially inducted some days ago (in a ceremony that Scootaloo describes as "needing some more work and a dictionary.") and had promised to start the Manehattan branch of the Crusaders - the latter being something you and most of Grand Central can attest to. You tell them about the last three days you spent in Manehattan, thinking of how proud they would be when they heard about Babs' work. You leave out certain things, like your disappointment with your summer plans and Lemon Drops and Top Brass making the last day end on a sour note. The fillies maintain rapt attention throughout your stories, sometimes giggling and whispering to each other as you went on.
All three apologize profusely for knocking you over (what you learn was) 20 minutes ago - they had apparently been out doing their respective chores in advance to free up the rest of the day. Sweetie Belle speaks up, or rather, squeaks out: "Hey, I know! You should join us this afternoon - like a goodwill collaboration or something!" Scootaloo perks up, agreeing with her friend. "Yeah, looks like you can handle it."
Apple Bloom reassures you with "Big Mac didn't see nothin' wrong with ya. We covered you up just in case, is all." When asked about the first aid kit, she replies "We MAY have wanted to try our hooves at being Cutie Mark Crusaders nurses... again."
HOW they careened into you with such force is revealed when the three lead you back outside the clubhouse "to see how the originals do it."
You are greeted by a little blue, wooden scooter attached via small wooden clasp to a red cart. Scootaloo takes her position up front, beating her wings furiously to feel accustomed once more. Sweetie Belle helps you up into the cart and takes her place in front of you. "Don't be embarrassed - just hold on tight." Before you can protest, Apple Bloom locks her front hooves around you like a makeshift seatbelt. "You'd best listen, city slicker. When Scootaloo scoots, there ain't nothin' much that can match."
"'Cept for Rainbow, maybe," says Scootaloo, now donning her matching purple helmet. This makes you beg the question - "What about us? Don't we get helmets?"
No one answers the question. As the environment comes toward you full throttle, you think that maybe, just maybe, your question was left behind at the club grounds.
The speed is so intense; every muscle in your body tenses up and forces you to clamp your hooves tight around Sweetie. Amazingly enough, the fillies in front and behind you are laughing ecstatically. Is THIS what turned Babs so daring to begin with?
Before long, you arrive at a small stone cottage farther along the outskirts of Ponyville. Disengaging your grip on the filly in front of you, you twist and drop belly first onto the hard dirt below. You can't care less about Sweetie and Apple Bloom's worried looks nor Scootaloo's poorly hidden snickering - the ground is safe and that's all that counts.
"All right there, newbie? Sorry - kinda wanted to show off a bit. I'll take it down a peg for the rest of the day, I promise." Looking up, you are met with a pair of concerned, purple eyes. Despite her brashness and bravado, Scootaloo wasn't a bully; her concern for a stranger, a boy no less, proved that.
After a few wobbly minutes, you are brought up to speed: the Crusaders had been asked to look after the birds of a pony named Fluttershy who was away on royal business with Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle. "Something about a spell scroll in the dragonlands. We wanted to go, but Fluttershy stared us down. Said we'd be safer here," said Apple Bloom. Her demeanor reflected her respect and fear for this Fluttershy pony.
"Okay. This should be easy. What's so hard about a little bird watching?"
=================================================================================
"Well, that was a bust," says the unicorn filly glumly. "Who knew chickens could jump so high up?"
"I'll say. I'll be picking the pine needles out of my mane for weeks!," laughs Scootaloo. True to her word, her short mane is absolutely riddled in green fronds. Her coat is now matted in tree sap, as well as her feathers. Oddly enough, she seems to be taking it in complete stride.
Apple Bloom looks over to you and notices your silence. "You doin' okay there, Slick?" she asks, addressing you with your new nickname. "Yeah, Cutie Mark Crusadin's tough work, but it's all about the fun. We'd understand if y'all want a break though - this turned out to be more intense than we were expectin'."
For the past odd hour or so, you had gone from arguing with a spirited white rabbit over the location of a stash of bird seed to being helped by an incredibly benign bear to catch some uppity hens that had been led away by a basilisk. Thank the princesses, no one got seriously hurt.
"And you do this kind of stuff all the time after school?" you ask weakly.
"Not strictly. We usually steer clear of the Everfree, but there's always a small chance of surprises messing up the schedule," answers Sweetie. Her rather pampered appearance and trusting personality actually helped in this madcap quest - she talked to a bear, for harmony's sake!
You are tired, shaken, and incredibly surprised by what just happened. More than anything though? You feel alive.
Exhilarated.
You feel invincible.
Cracking a winning smile, you say: "What's next, fellow Crusaders?"
The three fillies leading the way smile back at you. "Oh, you'll see. We've got th' whole afternoon planned till dusk," Apple Bloom states triumphantly. As they cheer out their club name, you find yourself joining along: "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS COLLABORATORS! YAY!"
=================================================================================
"This is gonna fly! I! Can! Feel it!" proclaims the excited pegasus filly as you and the other two fillies continue to snap and lock pieces into place. She is wearing an ill-fitting black spandex outfit, supposedly for reducing drag on the aspiring pony.
"Ah still say we gotta be careful, Scoots. This'n 'F&F Fun Flyer' has somethin' about it Ah can't put my hoof on." Apple Bloom spent an inordinately long amount of time mulling over the instructions while Scootaloo was drawing out a flight plan. She kept on eyeing the apple symbol on the box's corner with heavy suspicion.
"Relax, AB - it's why we're doing this over the river. And Sweetie's been training day and night with her levitation to fish me out if I end up belly-flopping."
"I appreciate the faith, girls - I really, really do, but..." Sweetie's voice is cracking with nervousness. If the day has been any indication, the unicorn has yet to master anything beyond an illumination spell.
"Don't worry, Sweetie - we have Slick to help you and AB with the pulley if you're not up for it!" Scootaloo turns to you and gives you a confident smile. You smile back in response. The plan is fairly sound, in your opinion. This final activity may pale in comparison to what the day has thrown at you, but it was no less ambitious.
After a campaign of Cutie Mark Crusaders base-jumpers (Spike helped bring all four of you up to the top of the library and subsequently to the disapproving care of Nurse Tenderheart), nursing aides, stained glass crafters, treasure hiders, gold miners, fly fishers, puzzle solvers, maze makers, lightning collectors (your mane is still standing on end from that), and even monster truck builders, the day had finally wound down to permit one last activity. Tired from the ever-present but slight disappointment of not getting cutie marks for the day's efforts, the peppy pegasus brings forth a suggestion. She is working on finally overcoming her gravitational constraints and is turning to you, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle for some insurance.
Some days back, Scootaloo had mail-ordered the 'F&F Flyer,' an item promising "quick and easy flight for everypony." Its box, instructions, and even its wing decals boasted of "alicorn-like flying prowess." It came with several harnesses, a good amount of molded canvas and aluminum frames to support the colossal construct. Oddly enough, it also came with another F&F item - the Pega-Pulley, a sort of fail-safe if the former product ever went awry. Unlike its bundled company, the pulley looked more familiar, resembling a rudimentary truck winch. It had instructions for two models - one for an adult pony to sit in and one for a "junior operator" model which requires two smaller ponies. Seeing as how you are now one Crusader extra, Apple Bloom manages to tinker the designs together, creating a three-pony Pega-Pulley. It's fairly surprising seeing Apple Bloom exercise such technical know-how. "Applejack and Big Mac have me help clean the equipment sometimes. Ah pick up a lotta things when oiling up the sprues n' sprockets."
Scootaloo firmly believes that with some extra hooves and some able-bodied help, she'll finally be able to soar like her idol far sooner than biology permits. "Rainbow's gonna be so surprised so me make a rainboom right behind hers!," she almost squeals. Seeing how much this means to her, you and the Crusaders get to work.
The contraption appears sound - a clear dome fits over Scootaloo's back, over her wings that are still afforded some mobility. Two metallic coils rise atop the dome and spark whenever your friend buzzes her appendages. To her sides are six batlike canvas wings, supported by aluminum and brass struts; these false wings move in relative time to her wing beats. Finally, each wing has a thick iron loop at the base, hooked to cables lined through the recently assembled Pega-Pulley. The cables appear durable enough and are threaded deftly into the wooden machine.
Taking your seat in the center between Sweetie and Apple Bloom, you signal Scootaloo with the go-ahead. The filly takes a starting position resembling those stunt flyers you've seen on the TV. She leans forward like a cat and begins to beat her wings furiously, the whirring dulled by the dome on her back. The coils start to emit a steady green energy and begin bleeding life into the molded canvas. Slowly but surely, her new wings begin to flap in tandem with each other, powered by her own, small ones.
By the time all of her wings were in motion, Scootaloo's breathing had become more labored - the effort to power her new wings is taking a toll on the little filly. Sweetie notices too, looking over and nudging Apple Bloom behind your back. Before anypony can say anything though, Scootaloo lurches forward...
And flies approximately five or ten feet skyward, F&F Flyer AND Pega-Pulley in tow. |
From the Big Apple: A Tale of Misadventure and Affection | Halfway to the truth | Celestia's sun hangs low in the afternoon sky, painting the heavens a rich orange. Its peaceful, regal presence provides a stark contrast to you and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Its tranquil descent mirrors your panicked rise to the heavens; its slow progress, your rapid climb.
As gravity retakes you, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, only one thought manages to makes itself apparent to you:
Oh, dear sweet Princess, my brother's right: I DO scream like a filly!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"
==================================================================
"Ah gotta tell ya, Slick - Ah haven't heard anypony hit them high notes since Sweetie over here!," said the yellow filly, punctuating her jab with a physical one to your ribs. You and Sweetie answer back with a loud raspberry, while Scootaloo does her best to choke back her glee.
"Hardy har har, Miss 'Oh, let's use the whole entire Pega-Pulley set-up!' And if I remember right, you were right up there screaming with me!," you counter, albeit jokingly. As strange as it seems, it feels completely normal to spew barbs at these fillies. They aren't sensitive or emotional. There's no hoof-dipping with these girls - for everything they did, they jumped in head first.
It makes you feel jealous, really. Their spirit, their drive - it puts yours to shame. The last pony you met who had the same initiative... was Babs.
Sweet, shy Babs who could hardly even talk to other ponies until she came back from Ponyville.
Your heart soars at the thought: you finally found what had changed your friend for the better. Now, if only it could explain why she ran from you...
Did she feel afraid that you wouldn't accept her? Did she think you couldn't look past her new personality?
No, that doesn't make ANY sense. You did your best for three entire days to help her with her crusading, even before you had met up with these three. A small voice in the back of your mind pipes up too.
You care too much for that to be true.
What could it have been?
Your thoughts are shattered by a loud "Ha ha haaaaaa!" followed by a pained yelp from Scootaloo. Apparently, your little journey into lala-land made you miss out on an apparently hilarious retort from Apple Bloom. So hilarious, in fact, that it made Scootaloo forget that she had suffered minor bruising to her ribs from her "flight."
It still surprises, how fast Ponyville medics came to your aid. Four high-pitched screams of pure fear are easy to miss in a crowded city - in a quaint village, not so much. Nurse Tender Heart's sympathy was already well-spent by the time you had made your inglorious return to Ponyville General. Her demeanor had steadily become icier with each return to the hospital by you and the Crusaders. "You poor little things" slowly but surely changed into a poorly masked, surly "Oh Celestia, you four again?!"
Since you weren't in too terrible a condition and were a third of the size of a full grown pony, the hospital staff decided to keep all of you in the recovery room. Scootaloo had taken the brunt of the impact, so she got to stay on the larger patient's bed. Remembering your mother's words ("And always act like a gentlecolt!," she would advise and threaten whenever you went to any social function), you agreed to lounge on the chair and give reign of the guest bed to the other two crusaders.
Aside from some fresh bandages and some cozy towels wrapped round their heads, the Crusaders looked none the worse for wear. Scootaloo, despite being told to rest and having a rigid splint on her right side, chatted merrily with her cohorts. Despite the complete failure of the Flim & Flam Fun Flyer, she was in amazingly high spirits.
"Who knew that it was built for pranking foals? It looked so convincing!," said the orange filly. Her voice contained both disappointment and wonder. "Man, I was THIS close to finally getting off the ground!" She motions her forehooves together, creating a tiny gap in front of her muzzle to illustrate.
Apple Bloom sounds less enthusiastic. "Ah jus' KNEW there was somethin' fishy about the whole thing. Can't believe I missed 'F&F."" Sweetie just sat up on the bed, dangling her hooves off to the side. She looks rather gloomy. "Aww, it isn't your fault, Apple Bloom. None of us knew any better. Besides, we used MY magic, remember?"
"Sweetie, no. Don't even go there. I doubt even an five-star mage could have gotten that thing to fly!," you interject. Something about Sweetie blaming herself made your heart sting. It doesn't feel right, to have a friend hate themselves over something they couldn't have seen coming.
All four of you sit in silence for some time, the Crusaders attention turned to you because of your outburst. The air starts to feel heavier as all three fillies eye you with curiosity and worry...
"What's a five-star mage?," asks the white unicorn filly. The sadness in her voice is gone, replaced completely by mild wonder.
"Oh," you fidget slightly. "It's just something from a game I used to play. Err... sorry for bringing it up all of a sudden."
"Yeah. Besides, a five-star mage is already called a 'warlock.' Duh."
All heads turn to Scootaloo of all ponies.
"What? A filly can't enjoy 'Cribs and Conjury' in her off time? I DO have other friends, y'know." She smirks, despite having a vibrant blush across her cheeks.
It starts out as a snicker.
Then a giggle.
Followed by full-blown laughter.
Something about the thought of Scootaloo of all ponies knowing about a relatively obscure game just tips off all four of you to how fun and silly the day has been. Sure, there were no new cutie marks in sight, but it just felt good to be able to hang out with friends like these. It feels as natural as family.
Not to mention all four of you had been pranked hard by two grown stallions with nothing but some glitter and fancy packaging (without even being there). Whoever this Flim and Flam were, they made you begrudgingly admit their talent for bamboozling ponies. At least you didn't get too banged up for it.
==================================================================
As it turns out, Scootaloo's injuries are minor enough for a healing spell to immediately address. After a somewhat disheartened talk from Nurse Tender Heart (who sounded more annoyed by having to repeat herself than by your continued ignorance of her), you head off for a round of milkshakes back at Sugarcube Corner. As you exit the hospital lobby, you and the three fillies waste no time in discussing how to collaborate on more crusading through letters and mail. You all talk miles a minute, thinking of new schemes and possible cutie marks you could earn. Your reverie is disrupted by a girlish sneer from a few feet down the road.
"Puh-lease. You didn't even notice when I swiped your lame F&F Flyer's real instruction guide. What hope could you possibly have of doing anything that requires half a brain?" You squint and spot the source of the mocking voice - a pale pink coated Earth pony with a white, purple-streaked mane. She's wearing a frail little crown on her head, similar to the symbol on her flanks.
It looks like some things never change. Gender aside, it looks like you've found Ponyville's own version of Top Brass.
"Diamond Tiara," greets Sweetie Belle, her voice stern despite its high-pitch. "Where's Silver Spoon? Did she finally get sick of you too?"
"Ha ha, very funny, blank-flank." The term makes you wince, as do Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. "My galpal is staying over in Manehattan for the weekend. She says she'll bring back enough culture for the both of us AND this backwater town."
She smiles, satisfied at the insult she's thrown, and looks over at you. Her smile becomes a more sinister smirk. "I see you've been trying to earn a cutie mark in catching cooties. What, you couldn't even manage that? You are just so sad."
You look to your friends, attempting to read them. Apple Bloom is frowning, pawing at the ground intently, probably thinking of something to say. Scootaloo is seething where she stands, her body ready to pounce and give this Diamond Tiara what for. Only Sweetie Belle maintains eye contact, her body relatively still. A smile slowly crawls over her face as she tilts her head towards you, saying (or more accurately, squeaking) "So sad that THIS Manehattanite decided to hang out with us instead of you? Looks like we have more class than somepony who's cutie mark is all about class!"
The pink menace freezes, her mouth slightly ajar. A few seconds pass by before she leaves in a huff, heading farther down the road without even bothering to give you a second glance. "Whatever. That colt looks like another reject anyway." She turns her head towards Apple Bloom. "Just like that hillbilly's cousin." She proceeds to walk out of sight, her snout held up.
"So THAT's why we fell for that scam! One of these days, I'm gonna pop her right in the kisser," says your pegasus companion menacingly, her wings allowing her to hover and pantomime a fierce uppercut.
"Now, don't get too worked up none, Scoots. Diamond Tiara always did have a habit of mouthin' off 'bout stuff she don't know about. It was mean, sure - but we're all fine anyways. Just another harmless prank." Apple Bloom's response, although surprisingly level-headed , is still laced with resentment. "Ah'm really sorry 'bout what she said, Slick. Mah sister says she doesn't really mean it... Even though I think she really does," she adds, a small smile now gracing her muzzle.
"Ah, it's no sweat. I'm surprised how well Sweetie managed to stand up to her though," you reply, first to the yellow filly and turning your attention to the white unicorn. To your surprise, she's still holding the same pose, her eyes appearing glazed over. A quick nudge from Scootaloo undoes her frozen state. "Did... did it work? I was trying to "get into the zone," like my sister told me to. Guess I kinda spaced out."
"Well, I don't know about you girls, bit I REALLY need a milkshake right about now." You need to shift the mood again. The stars aren't out yet, but it feels like such a waste to have the day draw to a close like it did. "So, Apple Bloom, I take it that Tiara filly and Babs have met too, huh?"
This question turns out to be one of the worst things you could have asked.
Although at first they are hesitant, the Cutie Mark Crusaders begin to tell you such stories about "Bad Seed."
==================================================================
Making your way to Aunt and Uncle Cake's establishment becomes an endurance test. You keep doubling back and stubbing your hooves on rocks and sticks as the story progresses from bad to worse.
Every new detail is terrifying. Destruction of property, incessant name calling, stalking, threats of physical violence, theft of property... Babs, who are you now?
You don't even say goodbye to the Crusaders as you head up to the guest room, leaving your untouched milkshake at the table. You hardly notice the glib pink mare who hurls confetti and sings some oddball song into your ear. She seems to get the message quickly enough - she settles for just watching you flop onto bed. She doesn't speak another word.
Not that it would have mattered much.
All you hear is a dull static buzz.
Your heart hurts.
Your eyes begin to burn the moment your head hits the mattress.
You feel...
Betrayed. |
From the Big Apple: A Tale of Misadventure and Affection | Pink noir | "And I know for absolute certain... that everything is gonna be...!"
A high-pitched mare's singing is the first thing you wake up to. It's filled with vibrance and joy and all sorts of emotion you really don't want to feel right now.
"Fine!" you bark out, rolling your way off the guest bed. The covers get tangled in your hooves, causing you to flop down on the blue hardwood floors with the grace of a boulder.
The dull static is coming back again. The familiar burn of old tears stings your eyes. This day is going to be awful.
"Hey, that's pretty good! I was gonna say 'great,' but what you said fits better into the rhyming scheme! Thanks, Patch!"
Your erstwhile room-mate seems to have regained her insatiable need to talk your ear off since last night. She's hopping giddily in place, as if just waiting for something exciting to suddenly happen.
"Oh, right - forgot to introduce myself! I'm Pinkie Pie and this is my room and I hope you got that cupcake I left for you in the closet since I wasn't around to throw you a proper party that last time cuz me and the girls has to deal with an old curse involving dragons!" She finishes the statement breathlessly, a huge grin adorning her muzzle.
You grumble back in response, tearing off the medicated bandage over your left eye. Striking up conversation with this goof isn't appealing in the least, you think to yourself. You'd rather just wait until the next day when you could get away from here and back to your city.
Back to the way things were?
Not likely.
In the span of just one night, all your love had gone from the thought of ever resuming your daily grind. Memories once held fondly lost their shimmer, dulled by the idea that your closest friend had been nothing but a monster as well.
"Not my friend..." you say under your breath. Picking yourself up from the floor, you mechanically trot downstairs to eat breakfast. While you can feel your stomach rumble, you don't feel hungry.
Aside from frustration and the slow in and out of your own breathing, you don't feel much of anything.
You hardly notice the pink mare skip after you, giggling and humming some made-up tune playing in her skull.
"Stupid Pinkie. Stupid Sugarcube Corner. Stupid relatives. Stupid crusading. Stupid Ponyville." you think to yourself in silence. Everything you'd accomplished in the last few days is now completely wasted. The steps creak under the weight of your hooves (though oddly enough, they do no such thing in response to the full grown mare behind you), propelling you towards the kitchen space behind the counter.
"Hello, dear! Did you rest well? Carrot and I let you sleep in after yesterday - you looked so tired after..." Your aunt cuts herself short after looking at the stoic expression on your face. "Dearie, is everything all right?" Her voice is laced with concern and motherly love.
You'd have felt guilty if it weren't for yesterday.
"I'm fine, Auntie Cee. I think I'll take breakfast to go. Do we have anything?"
"Oh, um... of course, dear. There are some bagels in the refrigerator there, next to..."
You don't let her finish. You grab the paper bag of baked goods in your mouth and storm off. Before making it out the back door, you are blocked by a pink hoof.
Looking up with an icy glare, you are met with two blue orbs, sporting a similar look. Pinkie meets your gaze with an equally cold reception.
"Apologize."
Her voice is stern, absolutely free from all the glee it used to have. Her eyebrows have knit together in a rather impressive scowl.
Your lips part slightly, before you drop the bag of food on the floor and barrel your way past her outstretched hoof.
You aren't hungry anyway.
All you are right now is angry.
Everything around you seems to be poking fun at your current outlook on life. The sun is shining, birds are singing, ponies are waving at each other and saying their "how-do-you-do's." It makes you sick inside.
With all of its old-timey charm and provincial appeal, Ponyville was no different from Manehattan after all.
Still dog-eat-dog. Nopony really cared. Every favor was meant to be cashed in later on.
Even miles away from the Big Apple, ponies never really changed.
Part of your brain is now racing with thoughts of your last few days here. Was Spike expecting you to put a good word in for him? Did Miss Rarity expect you to wear whatever it is she was making for free advertisement? Did Applejack introduce you to the Crusaders just to get them off her back? Were Apple Bloom, Sweetie, and Scootaloo just using you as another body to test their cutie mark schemes on?
You don't have answers for any of those questions; you're too ashamed that you fell for it completely. "Stupid Ponyville."
Walking the streets of the little village does little to soothe your mood. Seeing other ponies be happy isn't as innocent as it was when you arrived; they were either oblivious to them being used or brown-nosing with practiced conduct. Their smiling faces look earnest enough, but... something feels wrong. Ponyville has shown you an ugliness you can't look away from and dang it, it must be hiding something ugly in turn.
Right?
"Stupid Ponyville."
Eventually, your legs drop you off in a small lot containing a welcome sight: arcade machines. You smile despite yourself, thinking the nostalgia can help you hide from the world a little longer.
You dig your hoof into your right saddlebag... until you remember walking out of your temporary lodgings with nothing but the fur on your back. "Ah, ponyfeathers..."
You settle for just watching the other fillies and colts already engaged in front of the magical boxes. A pair of unicorn colts, shouting at each other while playing a single-player campaign of Smash-It Stallion ("You jump, I fix! That was the plan, dude!" screamed the chubbier of the two to his seemingly absent-minded partner), a red-maned earth pony filly (giggling madly while mowing down pixelated aliens), the Cutie Mark Crusaders trying to open a machine...
It takes about two seconds before your brain registers that last scenario.
You run as fast as you can to the three enterprising fillies, each with a different tool in their respective mouths (Sweetie Belle with a bizarrely ornate saw being the most terrifying). "What in the name of all things good are you three DOING?!" you bawl out, worried about the safety of the machine they had decided to violate.
"Hey, it's Slick! You looked a little down yesterday. You feelin' alright there, partner?" Apple Bloom is the first to acknowledge your wild-eyed and breathless intrusion. She drops the wrench from her mouth to talk to you before approaching and placing a hoof on your shoulder.
"Never mind me - what are you trying to achieve by destroying this piece of art?!" you ask, your voice starting to get a little shrill.
"Don't have a cow, Slick." Scootaloo, now free of the hammer in her mouth, speaks up. "Mr. 2600 out front said we could do whatever we wanted to this thing. Said it was time for it to 'be put out to pasture,' whatever that means."
Sweetie spits out the saw, narrowly missing her own front hooves, chirping in "Yeah. No harm done. It's for our cutie marks in arcading!"
"I'm pretty sure that's not a word, Sweets."
"What are you - a dictionary?"
"We're not talking about this again!"
"Girls, please. Well, Slick?" Apple Bloom turns the group's attention back to you. After your little heated outburst, you can feel the frown starting to creep into you face again.
"I'm... fine." you reply in a somber tone. "Just a little... stuck on something." Your reply does not cause the three to drop their studying gaze on you in the slightest. Their eyes betray concern for you but they don't have any words to give.
You decide to break the silence with a question. One you must be out of your mind asking out of the blue again.
"Why did you forgive her?"
"Beg yer pardon?" Apple Bloom replied, her attention no longer on the project at hand.
"Babs... Bad Seed." The nickname feels gross on your tongue, but you can't rightly feel any reason why she shouldn't be called that. "After the all she put you through... why? You make her sound like a monster..."
Sweetie walks closer to you, her head bowed down. "Well, she was..." You scoff, causing Sweetie to double back "But! But then we learned she was having the same troubles back at home."
Scootaloo is the next to pitch in. "Yeah, I remember being really mad at her too. I really wanted to get back at her for everything and all, but... well, in the end, it wouldn't have fixed anything. She was just scared."
"An' besides, she's family. Family needs to stick together, Slick."
For the second time that day, you grumble in response. "So, you just let her get away with it? You LET her win?"
"Win?" the yellow filly asks, tilting her head quizzically, making her bow follow suit. "Ah ain't sure Ah follow."
"She USED you!" you scream out, all of the anger you've had pent up since the night before finally being put into words. "You aren't friends! Not to her! You don't matter! You...!" Your voice catches in your throat, a thick lump forming when you try to swallow.
Blinking hard, you feel the sting of your left eye again after three days since you were clocked by Lemon Drops. The aches and pains of yesterday's crusading came back full force, slowly bleeding their way into your chest.
"I... never mattered...!" you choke out before turning tail and leaving three very confused fillies in your wake.
The next few hours are spent in total silence, both from the little voice in your head and from any or all ponies who you met along the away. It seems the old adage is true: even strangers can tell when something is wrong. Everypony chooses to simply walk past or at least just offer a cursory glance before going there merry way. Sometimes, you'd spot a lone Crusader walking along the dirt paths; you dutifully hide in corners and behind buildings until they go away. After your last little breakdown, you'd rather not talk to any of them so soon. It would just dredge up more confusion on your end.
The sun is still fairly high up in the sky when you decide to just spend the day back with the Cakes. Pinkie Pie may still be mad at you, but it's not like she can change anything. Maybe you can hide under the covers until it's time to go home.
Pushing open the doors at the front of the establishment, you catch the eye of Uncle Carrot who is manning the register. Instead of giving you his usual smile, he's looking at you questioningly. He's no doubt been told by Aunt Cupcake and Pinkie about earlier this morning. "Hey, champ - you hungry? I heard you didn't get a bite to eat before your trip..."
You pay him no mind, tilting your head down to avoid eye contact. After what happened earlier today, you know talking to anypony would just turn out badly.
"Champ?"
"I'm going upstairs."
You don't wait for a reply. You take the small staircase upstairs back into Pinkie's room. At least this time, she'd be working, letting you have the whole room to yourse-
*BLAM*
Your internal monologue is cut short by the wooden door to your room refusing to open, causing you to plant your face firmly against its smooth grain. Rubbing the top of your head, you look up to see something completely unexpected.
The door leading to Pinkie's room is no longer the vibrant pink with a heart motif - it now looks like a gray office door. The heart-shaped peephole is gone, replaced by a non-descript glass window. The glass is smokey, barring anypony from seeing the goings-on inside; its face bearing the title "PDA" on it in chunky, black letters. On the knob (which didn't used to be there) hangs your thinking hat with a little note sticking to it. Picking up the article of clothing, you place it on your head and read the note scribbled on... gray paper?
"Play along."
Seeing as you have no place else to go and a least eight more hours before you can call it a day, you take a deep breath and turn the handle.
You rub your eyes in shock.
The entire space has been transformed. The cream walls, the blue floors, the confetti and streamers - all of it is gone. In its place is a much smaller office space, stacks of papers and folders strewn all over the carpeted floor. Three imposing file cabinets, full to bursting with even more paper, hug the far wall behind a black desk. At the desk are two chairs: a small wooden one in front and a tall leather seat at the rear, the latter's back turned towards you, hiding its currently seated client. Blinded windows are the only means of seeing the outside from where you now stand. Another door, this one without a glass plane, stands to your left.
Aside from the sudden shift in volume, you can't help being taken aback by the sudden lack of color. Gone is the vivacious wallpaper and gaily painted floors. Everything... everything is now cast in a muted sepia tone. Even the light streaming in through the tiny slits of the windows appears oddly muffled.
"Sit."
You hear a mare's voice from behind the chair; the sound is soon followed by a trail of smoke coming from the owner of the command. She sounds familiar.
"What're ya, deaf or somethin'? I said sit down."
You extend a hoof to grab the wooden seat in front of you. Much to your surprise, even your coat appears to have taken on the hushed tones of the room. Instead of dwelling on this strange development, you comply with your only associate and take you spot.
The tall leather chair swivels with an audible squeak to face you. It reveals your room-mate Pinkie Pie, also rendered brown, mane and all, with a thin white stick protruding from her frowning lips. The smoking mare is clad in a while polo short and brown pants with black suspenders. On top of her head rests a brown bowler hat. The most peculiar thing about her outfit is a small necktie loosely affixed to her collar - unlike everything else, this piece of clothing is an eye-catching pink, seemingly the only thing in the immediate area to have any sort of life in it.
Pinkie's eyes travel up and down your body, giving you a silent inspection from head to hoof. She sneers at you, tilting her cigarette up, before cracking a wry smile. "Well, well, if it isn't Private Eye."
Your confusion reaches a new peak at the new moniker. "Pinkie, I don't know what your game is, but..."
Before you can admonish her, Pinkie is already leaning over the table, her left hoof pressing deeply into your chest. Her message is deliberate; restrained, but still burgeoning with rage: "The name's Pinkerton, scum. Talk to me out of turn again and I'll make sure you eat out of a straw for the rest of your natural life. Capisce?"
You nod slowly. This mare is officially off her rocker.
"This'll be a heck of a lot more pleasant if you just play along, so you'd better." Pinkerton sinks back into her seat. "Play along, that is." She eyes you for a response, one you provide in the form of a much faster nod and sitting straight up on your own chair.
"Good. Now let's start off easy: what brings a lowlife like you to these parts? Windy City's my gig."
You wrack your brains for the proper answer, though it never comes. If you say something she doesn't like, you'll probably lose all of your teeth, baby AND permanent.
"I... came to learn about somepony..." you say shakily. Beads of sweat are beginning to form on your brow. Miraculously, your answer is satisfactory to the hostile pony, who cracks a small, sinister grin.
"Oh, doing homework for a client, huh?" she asks, though you suspect she already knows the answer, judging from the glint in her eye. "Must be some dame if you're risking your neck for her like this."
"B-but I never...!" you sputter. How did she know? Can this mare read minds or something?
"Oh, you just did. Right now." She punctuates her devious trick by chewing on her frail cigarette and puffing out a ring of smoke towards the roof. "'Sides, I sure as spittoon didn't give you that wicked shiner."
"Tch." you say outwardly. Just another dirty trick. Another way for a pony to use somepony else.
"Well, come on, then. Spill, kid." Pinkerton leans back into her seat and pushes her hat onto her face to let the brim cover her eyes.
Deciding to follow the unhinged mare's direction, you start. "I came here to learn about an old friend... a great friend, actually. Well, at least that's what I thought. Until this place made me see how dumb I was."
Your breathing gets more shallow as you add to your story. "Here I was, all excited to finally spend my time with her after so long, but then she comes back all weird and happy and wonderful... and having no time for me. After all we'd been through, she just brushes me aside for some new club she's joined."
A lump forms in your throat. "At first, I got used to it, y'know? All that running around, being a saint to other colts and fillies. It felt nice. And it was amazing to see her smile so much." Pinkerton pushes the brim of her hat up to eye you intently, shifting her cigarette to one side, as if what you're saying is unbelievable.
This frustrates you, causing you to lean your head back and talk to the light brown roof instead. "I guess that's not what you want to hear, is it, Pinkerton? Well, then how about me getting my butt kicked in by two jerks who can't ever seem to leave us alone? It's how I got THIS by the way!" you shout, shifting positions again so you can glare at her with your discolored eye. "Then I get mad and she runs off! So I lie to my parents that I need a break and come here to this backwater place so I can make heads or tails of what the feather is going on!"
You're practically shouting every word now, growing angrier with the mare who won't even make full eye contact with you. "Nice place, by the way - really had me going with all the chumminess! Ponies making all nice just to cash in later on. I got turned into a janitor, a ponyquin, a babysitter, AND a living missile thanks to everypony here! And all for what?!"
You notice that your already standing up on your seat, body shaking from the outburst of emotion. You lower your voice again, angry sobs mixing themselves into your last words: "All for somepony I thought was better."
Sitting down, you take off your hat and throw it behind you. Everything happening up until now is something you'd left to older ponies. Grown-up stuff. But now? Everything felt heavy. Your eyes and mouth feel raw from the outpouring of all that emotion, but you don't feel any relief.
"Finished?"
"Like you actually care." you spit back in anger. "You're a sick pony and I don't like you."
Righting herself, the tough mare spun her chair in a full circle before facing you completely, her hat no longer obscuring her eyes. She's not sneering or frowning anymore. As a matter of fact, she looks... sad.
"So this friend of yours... you close?"
"Not close enough for her to tell me the truth about herself."
"She never tried to tell you? Not even once?"
Your thoughts go back to your last day in Manehattan - Babs was trying to tell you something but was cut off by Top Brass and Lemon Drops.
The Crusaders weren't the only ponies I hung out with...
You feel your body tense up a little with the small revelation. "So she really was going to tell me..."
"How'd you two wind up together anyway? Bust a smuggling ring together or something?" Pinkerton's voice sounds more whimsical than it did just some minutes ago, but you could feel that she still had ulterior motives.
"N-no... I helped her with something for school."
"Is that it? Come on, kid. Now's the time to 'fess up." A hoof on your shoulder. It seems Pinkerton is no longer seated behind her desk.
"I helped her after she got bullied here for the first time."
"She must've been scared."
"Terrified, I think. They gave it to her really bad." you muse. Flashes of a tormented Babs fill your mind, her mane long but heavily ruffled and stuck with lemon wedges and small pieces of paper. Come to think of it, the first thing she ever said to you was to leave her alone.
"Imagine that. She must've really appreciated what you did for her back then."
You don't answer; however, a small smile makes its way to your muzzle.
"It must have been awful though... having that happen again here, without anypony she knows."
What?
"It's a small place, kid. Everypony hear treats each other like family. You'll be hard-pressed to not know what goes on around here." Looking over your shoulder, you see that Pinkerton is no longer wearing her hat. Instead, she seems to be trying on yours (albeit in vain). Her voice holds an entertained lilt when she tells you about how things work in Ponyville; it doesn't last though - she looks you in the eyes and says something that makes everything click.
"One of the first things to happen to her here was getting bullied. Just like back then. She didn't know anypony. The only fillies with her at the time were getting bullied too."
Your insides freeze up. "What?" you ask the mare telling you the story.
"There will always be bad ponies out there, kid. When you don't have that many friends... when you feel alone... Well, sometimes we do things we're not proud of."
You slump down in your seat, defeat crawling into your skin. "So that's it then. My friend didn't come back the same after all."
"No, she didn't. By what your story tells me though, she seemed a lot happier. Say, did you know that Babs is related to the Apples?"
"Yeah. I guess." The dejection makes everything plain uninteresting to you now. What was the point of all this again?
"I hear she left here with pretty good advice. She wanted to talk things out with her sister. And that she promised her friends to be a different pony. Somepony who wouldn't back down even if she was different."
Your ears perk up at the last part. Some things are clicking together: Babs talking to her sister, her wanting to help other ponies get their cutie marks, her fearlessness, her newfound zeal.
As it turns out, you were right: Ponyville did change your friend. She wasn't some helpless filly you had to protect anymore.
I wish they'd get what they deserve!
Oh no.
"...no... what have I done?" Your eyes are starting to sting again, only not because of hurt or betrayal. Now it was out of shame.
"I made her think I hate her..."
Before you can complete the statement, you are embraced warmly. Pinkie Pie, now sans hard-boiled detective outfit, had scooped you up in a tight hug. "Ponies can change. Especially if they have friends to help them do it." Her grip loosens on you. "I think you of all ponies ought to know that by now. You sure look like she changed you."
The tears are coming out full force when you hug back, burying your tear-streaked face into Pinkie's mane. "You can still fix this when you go back. Tell her what she means to you. What she really means to you. Sound good, punk?" she adds with a little giggle at the end. Her small laugh proves infectious, lightening your heart somewhat.
"How did you know what this was all about?"
"The Crusaders came to Sugarcube Corner first, looking for you. They told me about how you went a little loco at them over at the playing fields. I was still sore at you for being a grumpy gus towards Mrs. Cake so I asked them why they wanted to help somepony like you and they told me about how you and Babs were friends. So I put two and two and you together and that's why we're here now!"
It boggles your mind, but the pink one makes sense. Your emotional state makes you spill out details more willingly - what better way to do that than to make you feel that this was a life or death deal?
"I'm sorry I called you sick." you say weakly. "And I'll apologize to Auntie when this is over too."
"And?"
"I'll talk to the crusaders about what I did back there. They deserve to know."
"One of my closest friends always says that friendship is magic. It's all about believing in them - that they are better, even if they look like they're just being big old meanie pantses. You have to trust them, okay?"
You finally loosen your grip on Pinkie and look her in the eye.
"You are one smart mare, you know that?"
"One of my friends says I can take over the world with my brain!" she answers without missing a beat.
The sheer ridiculousness of where you are now, a sepia-toned detective office, hugging it out like schoolponies, proves too much. Both of you double over in healthy guffaws. You even see Pinkie's cigarette is anything but: it's just a lollipop with the same pink as her coat.
"Okay. I think I can fix this now." you state after regaining your breath.
"Well, don't let me stop you, kid! You have some 'splainin' to do!"
Dropping back down and going out into the brightly colored confines of Sugarcube Corner, you have a renewed purpose in your journey.
You know what changed Babs.
It was the friends she made here, who understood and forgave her. She was afraid and acted out - she's not a bully any more than the Crusaders are.
And when you get back, you'll tell her exactly what you think of her.
You forget one thing though:
You never do ask Pinkie Pie how she did... well, everything.
It's probably for the best though. Your young mind may not be able to understand. |
From the Big Apple: A Tale of Misadventure and Affection | All things come to a loose end | "Oh, I forgive you, dear!" Auntie Cupcake proclaims tenderly before lifting you up in a warm hug. "New place, new ponies - I can understand why things would confuse you a little."
You smile and return the hug. "Thanks, Auntie. I'm happy you aren't too mad at me."
After your colorful exchange with Pinkie Pie, you were encouraged by the eccentric mare to go back downstairs and mend things with the Cakes. After apologizing for your last tantrum, they were more than willing to let bygones be bygones and arranged for the family dinner to have a seat extra just for you. To your surprise, your meeting with the "proprietor of the Pinkerton Detective Agency" had spent all of your daylight hours, leaving you nothing but the evening and the very next day to wrap things up in the sleepy little town.
While you feel all the more relaxed after letting your issues go, you still have the nagging feeling of what you have to do when you get back to the city. It's not very likely that Babs will let you just walk up to her and hug it out. What are you even going to say?
The thought of tomorrow preoccupies you so badly that you reply honestly to Uncle Carrot's question. He nearly drops the spoon he's using to feed Pumpkin when you answer.
"I hope you don't mind me asking here, sport, but do you mind if we pick your brain about what made you so cross? If there's anything we can do, you can just tell us." He does his best to crack a supportive smile at you while simultaneously making swishing and whooshing noises to make his infant daughter concede to a spoonful of pureed carrots.
Everypony at the table, even your cousins, become slack-jawed when you give your reply:
"It's because of this girl..."
Before tucking you in, Pinkie Pie explains that the "brown icing on everything" would wear off after a few more days. You still have a hard time buying that everything you saw was nothing more than some incredibly well-painted cardboard backdrops, but a quick swipe from Pinkie's hoof proves this to be true.
"But what about your tie? And the windows?," you sputter out before she silences you with a quick kiss to the forehead and a tussle of the mane.
"Is that really what you want to be thinking about, Private Eye?" she asks with a knowing smirk gracing her obviously entertained face. "This is your last night here. Better to not sweat the small stuff."
You quickly roll over to your side to avoid her twinkling gaze. This mare must be psychic.
For what it's worth though, she is right. Thinking too much about these things will probably give you dreams again. That would just make everything even harder to process.
"One sheep, two sheep, three sheep,..." you begin, letting sleep overtake you.
The morning air is crisp, the birds are singing, and the mattress you are sleeping on gives you just enough of a bounce to meet the day head on. Even the sepia-toned rays of sunlight don't stop you from making your bed and packing your things with all the excitation of a pony ready for the first day of summer.
You can still picture the gushing faces of the Cakes asking you for every last detail you can give them about Babs ("What's her name?" "How old is she?" "What are feelings regarding rhubarb and chocolate pastries?") all without missing a beat in feeding their kids. If it weren't so embarrassing, it would actually be very cool.
"Morning, champ!" greets Uncle Carrot, depositing a tall plate of waffles on the kitchen counter. "All ready for ya!," he adds, followed by a wink that makes you fidget in your seat slightly.
Yeah, still every bit as awkward as last night.
"And a fine morning to our little nephew as well!" Aunt Cupcake is in even higher spirits than her husband, giving you a particularly hard kiss on the cheek and a quick tussle of your mane. "I hope you aren't too excited about going home. We are going to miss having you around here." She adds an almost dreamy sigh to the end of her statement, punctuating it further by wiping her left eye with a hoof and mumbling "they grow up so fast...!"
You smile at her, a little weaker than you normally would considering last night's almost endless question-and-answer, but you still mean it. Making short work of the waffles deposited in front of you, you hop down onto the floor and take in as much of SugarCube Corner as you can - this is the first and probably the last time you'll get to see its walls with both eyes, after all.
"I'm gonna miss being here too, Auntie. And no, my train isn't leaving until just before this evening. I still have time to settle things!" you announce.
After giving your relatives, drooling and bouncy foals included, tight hugs each, you make your way out of the large confection shop. Turning back, you gaze at its faux-sweet walls and decorations. It's still pretty hard to believe that you even had relatives this far out; the icing on the cake is that they just so happened to live in a giant gingerbread house.
Ponyville is full of surprises. It's a fact.
Your first order of business is obvious: you left three fillies hanging and they deserve to know what's really been going on.
While not small by any means, Ponyville is still navigable and to even your small hooves, capable of being covered in a very short time without help from any carts or cabs. Sadly, this is complicated today by the bustling town center. Starting your day early has put you square in the middle of over a dozen merchant ponies setting up shop.
You suck in a big helping of air and brave the sprawling crowd, with their carts, stalls, and wares being put up for display.
Or more accurately, try to brave the crowd. No sooner are you five steps in, you are swept in by the river of pastel bodies, bustling about to start the day. Each turn you make is either denied, reversed, or redirected, with as little as an "oof!" and the occasional "What the-?" marking that the ponies you bumped into had indeed been bumped into.
After at least three detours, nine distractions, and probably half a run-around, you slump your tired body down against one of the stalls being set-up along the perimeter of the square. While not completely spent, you can imagine that navigating through all of this again would leave you at low point. Your resolve keeps you from giving up however, and you brace yourself for another pinball-like attempt to make it to the other side.
"I'm sorry about bumping into your stall, mister... uh... miss? I just a little messed around that's all." You don't want to leave anypony else with a bad impression of you, especially since this is the last time you'll be here for a good long while.
A minute passes by in complete silence of the salespony behind you. Your insides become tight; part of you is expecting the worst. Did you topple over a jar full of poison beetles and the pony behind you is now valiantly fighting for dear life?
A shadow covers your sitting spot, confirming that the stall's owner was fine and was now looming over your very small frame.
"Eeyup," he finally replies in a familiar bass.
You release a breath you don't remember holding and look up at the massive crimson pony behind you. His eyes are half-lidded as he swings that small piece of hay in his mouth from right to left; he then turns around and starts placing some heavy-looking baskets full of apples on top of his makeshift store for the day.
Taking the opportunity, you shakily make your way behind the stall and approach the male Apple. "Uh, Mr. Macintosh?" you ask. You hope he can spare at least some time for a request of yours. He looks down to meet your gaze, prompting you to continue. "Uh, hi, Mr. Macintosh! Er...Big Mac, heh heh. I was just wondering if you'd seen your sister and her friends around? I need to talk to them."
Without missing a beat, he lifts you up by the scruff of your neck, up over the adjacent fence behind his apple cart parked near the stall. He deposits you neatly on the ground before replacing his hay stalk and pointing you toward a fairly narrow path. "Treehouse," he utters simply.
You offer him your thanks (he reciprocates with another "Eeyup" and turning to place more apple products in front) and sprint down the path. If you're not wrong, talking to the Crusaders about Babs might take more than its own fair share of time.
You arrive at the clearing, seeing nothing new in the space before you, save for the hollowed out remains of an arcade game. Instead of feeling the pang of dread you had once, you smile and think instead of what the trio may have done with the insides of the complex box. Your attention is immediately wrenched up towards the treehouse proper, where a variety of loud bangs and flashes of color are emanating from the windows. At the foot of the ramp, you see Scootaloo's two-wheeler on its side, as if discarded quickly.
It takes only three steps before you are able to make a better impression of what's going on inside. Three fillies' voices arguing over "this piece" or "my head" and the continuous banging and whirring noises tell you that the Cutie Mark Crusaders are trying to build something yet again; another creative means of getting the ever-elusive cutie mark.
You stop just short of the slightly ajar door and plan your next move. "What do I even say to these three? Hi, I'm sorry for acting like a total psycho yesterday?"
Inhaling a huge breath, you step inside, ready for what the hay might happen... when you're swiftly given a greasy wrench by a filthy Sweetie Belle. "What?" you ask, before being roughly yanked further inside by Apple Bloom, sans bow and with a large pair of black goggles. She's smiling very widely, grabbing the wrench out of your hooves and mumbling her thanks before getting to work on a foal-sized... doll?
It's a hodge-podge of brass, wood, gears, and what highly resembles a washing machine window. The strangest thing happens when it sighs and voices out its current state of mind: "This is way more boring than you said it would be!"
You try and say something, only to be interrupted by Sweetie Belle giving of a huge grunt of effort. Turning around, you see the white unicorn has lifted a glass dome onto her head. Her balancing effort appears to take root, causing her to puff out her chest and state "Just hold still, Scoots! The magic is about to happen!"
Apple Bloom lifts her goggles and gives a quick spit to the side and exclaiming "Done and done! I knew we could get something outta all this junk! And not for a single penny!"
She smiles at her two friends and finally looks you in the eye. "Slick? Didn't see ya come in! Must've been those fog glasses. Anyways, hey! Nice to have ya back!"
Sweetie stays in place but does her best to offer up a hoof for you to shake. "I thought I gave the wrench to Apple Bloom. Explains why she's still on that side of the room. Welcome back!"
Behind you, an irate voice intones: "Yeah, sure, welcome back. Come on, girls - let's do this! Sweetie Belle, fire it up!"
The addressed filly complies, scrunching her eyes shut and fueling the contraption in her head with a jolt of green magic. A steady hum fills the treehouse as tendrils of magic begin to connect to you, Apple Bloom's "fog glasses," and Scootaloo's scary-looking outfit. You look around for something to hide behind, but you are held in place by curiosity. What IS all this?
The humming grows louder and louder, while Sweetie Belle keeps pouring magic into her helmet. She's mumbling words under her breath; you notice her two friends are now doing the same. Straining your ears, you can make out just one phrase: "Cutie marks."
The humming stops...
Then suddenly starts up again as a high-pitched squeal. The green tendrils get sucked into Scootaloo's suit, which she promptly jumps out of using an opening running along its back. She huddles up with you and the other Crusaders as the now empty pony-mech turns its headless body to the side, displaying its black, square flanks to all of you.
"Oooohh, I can't wait!"
"Come on, come on... jus' a few seconds!"
"This is gonna be wicked!"
The three fillies are hugging each other (and by extension, you) rather snugly, their eyes affixed to what you finally recognize as a cannibalized arcade game screen on a foal-shaped stand. The squeal stops and the screen flickers on to reveal...
A white, brown, and yellow alicorn cartoon, running in place to a stilted, if catchy tune.
"Al-ways *beep*
Want to *beep*
Be with you
*Beep*
*Beep*
And make believe with you
And live in harmony, harmony...!"
"OH COME ON!" reply the three exhausted fillies, who collapse onto the floor in a tired heap. Scootaloo gives a guttural sigh, pulling down on her lower eyelids to show her frustration.
You are the first to break the silence. "That sure is... uh... something. Neat."
Sweetie Belle gives a non-committal sigh and a nod, followed by Apple Bloom following suit.
Five minutes pass by with not a single word shared among the three of you. Finally, Apple Bloom walks over to the pony-shaped device and gives it a quick jab to the neck, causing the whole thing to collapse. "Welp, that was a wash," she states in defeat.
"It wasn't so bad," you say. "It... sorta worked." A quick pause. "What was it supposed to do again?"
"It was gonna show us what our cutie marks were gonna be" says the little orange pegasus. "We used pieces of the F&F Flyer and that old game box to build something called an astro-pope."
"Astral scope" corrects Sweetie. "We found it in an old book we borrowed from Spike."
Five more minutes of total silence.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't sweat it, buster. This was a longshot and we knew it. It looks cool, at least." Scootaloo, no longer bored out of her manners, is beginning to act more warmly again.
"No," you say. "I meant about yesterday. About... me. I said some awful things and I wanted to clear things up before I left."
"You're leaving?! But... but... you just got here!" protests Sweetie. Her voice is tired but forceful, reflecting both her will and her fatigue.
"I know and I'm sorry about that too. I was never going to be here forever, y'know? And I think I have a lot to answer for when I go back to Manehattan. That's... that's later today." You add the last part with more shame than you'd like to admit.
The three fillies slowly clamber up to their hooves and quickly acquire some chairs from the debris littering the floor. Apple Bloom sits herself down and smiles. "Cutie Mark Crusaders are always there for each other, Slick. Lay it on us. We won't bite." She adds with a joking wink. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle offer tired smiles to get you to loosen your lips sooner.
"Remember what I said about why I was here? I might have... left one day..."
After that, you properly end your story: from Top Brass and Lemon Drops messing with you again, to losing contact with Babs after your screaming fit. The Cutie Mark Crusaders show varying expressions of understanding and comprehension. Apple Bloom does her best to maintain a neutral expression, though you suspect her head's starting to hurt from knitting her brows so much; Sweetie Belle's face swings between fascination to sorrow to hopeful; Scootaloo expresses her thoughts more verbally, calling you "the dumbest colt I've ever been friends with."
The yellow earth filly smiles and offers you a handkerchief she fetches from the nearby footstool. "Feel better, city slicker?"
You didn't even notice the tears flowing. You accept and blow hard into the fabric, mumbling your thanks after. "I screwed up there and I almost did the same here."
"Nah. You jus' got worked up over a friend is all."
"I think that you think she's more though," comes a slightly excited squeak. "Shut up!" you answer with a laugh. "It's not like that!"
"Yeah-huh. Just don't infect her with your cooties of anything." Scootaloo jabs your arm, but offers you a cheeky smile too. "She'll listen. We all know it."
And with that, the Cutie Mark Crusaders conclude their "goodwill collaboration" with their Manehattan branch with a big group hug. It's not something you usually do with your buddies back home, but it's something you can get used to.
You may have only been in Ponyville for four days but your goodbye still hurts. You also have a little bit of an entourage to see you off.
Rarity and Sweetie Belle are the first to give you words of encouragement and thanks, along with a lightly blushing baby dragon. "Thanks again for all the help, dude. I hope you liked Ponyville," he smiles before waddling back to the platform towards a purple unicorn and a perched, snoozing Owlowysious. She must be the senior librarian, you think. Making eye contact, she gives a curt wave and a bright smile.
"Here you are, darling!" chirps the elder white unicorn, levitating a white package into your saddlebags. "I must insist that you open this in the company of your... friend." She adds just a little hint of something or another to how she says that last part. "I assure you, she will adore it. Do give her our best!" Sweetie Belle gives you a quick squeeze around the neck before echoing her sister's words. "Ooohh, I wish I could be there to see how you two tie the knot... err... patch things up. Yeah. That's what I meant!"
Applejack and Apple Bloom are next, with a basket full of apple tarts. "Give some to yer kin and to Babs's too. Ah sure as sugar hope you got what you came for, sonny." Applejack pats you on the head, with Apple Bloom putting two or three letters into the basket. "And give these to Babs, will ya? After you straighten things out I mean. We're gonna have a reunion soon - those're invites." The yellow filly beams widely and dances in place for a short moment, obviously eager to see Babs in the flesh again.
Scootaloo swings an arm over your shoulder and gives her best too. "Give that big city of yours the ol' one-two, Slick. Show'em what the original CMC's made out of ya." In a more hushed tone, she adds "And pump the brakes on the mushy stuff, alright? I'm a filly and even I think way over the top." She punctuates this with a noogie to rival the ones your brother gives you.
Lastly, Aunt and Uncle Carrot and their foals bid you their goodbyes, letting some tears flow in the process. "I'll be fine, Uncle Carrot, Auntie Cee. Thank you for everything. I promise I'll write when I get back home."
Uncle Carrot is too choked up to answer, so his wife does it for him. "We are going to miss you, little one! Come back any time and we'll always be happy to have you around. Good luck on the... you-know-what with you-know-who!" ending her statement with a cheesy wink, soon followed suit by a still speechless Uncle Carrot Cake.
Before you even have the chance to blush, you are tossed up into the air with a loud POP of confetti. You land in the arms of a very happy, if a little tearful, Pinkie Pie. "Sorry I couldn't throw you a going-away party, kid. I'll make it up to you when you come back." Instead of waiting for you to answer, she throws you bodily into the just arriving bullet train set for the Big Apple. "Go sweep her off her hooves, Private Eye!"
Looking outside the window of the closing door, you finally take in the sight of all of these wonderful ponies who went out of their way to give you a home away from home. Rarity and Sweetie are both grinning, as are Applejack and Apple Bloom who wave at you spiritedly. Scootaloo has climbed onto the back of a cyan mare with a rainbow mane to get a better look at the train, and Spike is back near the front, prodding at his sleeping "junior junior librarian" to see you off. The Cakes are all smiles despite Pinkie's very spirited display dwarfing their own. The pink mare in question is waving around a banner with a caricature of your face. Funnily enough, the banner is still in sepia tone.
Right as the train speeds up, you notice a familiar looking hat adorning Pinkie's poofy mane.
"I guess it's the least I could do." You say it with a resigning laugh, making your way to your seat at the other car. The trip will be quick. You should arrive in Manehattan within two to three hours.
Instead of comfort, the first thing your return brings is dread. There are two ponies who meet you at the platform in the city - two ponies you could really do without seeing ever again. With a wicked smirk and a "friendly" arm around the shoulder, Lemon Drops guides you over to Top Brass. He pops out a piece of gum from his mouth, eyes it, and promptly starts chewing on it again. "I was going to give you a nice, new accessory, but I'm afraid the flavor hasn't quite gone out yet. You'll have to wait for your prize, shrimp." His voice is nonchalant, as if ruining your day really is just nothing to him.
"We're glad we caught ya, shrimpie," Lemon Drops says with a firm squeeze. "We thought you might make a run for it, so's we decided to chaperone your scrawny butt."
"Why would I run away from a two-bit punk and his muscle?" You feel brave. You know there's nothing Lemon Drops can do to you as long as you don't give her the chance.
"Lotta lip comin' from you today, shrimp. I didn't hit your head on the dirt that hard, did I?" speaks the tiny tyrant, feigning guilt before breaking out into a fit of giggles. Top Brass repeats the motion with his gum, returning the sweet to his mouth, and addresses Lemon Drops: "Don't rough him up, Lemon. At least not until he's spoken to all of us.
As if to punctuate this ominous instruction, a second, smaller train pulls up to your platform. It is a muted gray with a square nose. A large, yellow label is tampographed on its side that reads "Lunar Correctional Facility for Wayward Colts."
Your mouth feels dry. Your breathing becomes shallower. You can feel the blood pumping throughout your chest and your ears.
You had been so wrapped up in what you were planning to do that you forgot. Now, you wish you didn't recognize him: his mane is buzzed short and he is wearing an orange vest bearing the letters of the correctional facility he was sent to; his eyes are still as small and beady as you remember and he appears to have grown even taller since last time you saw him face-to-face. He isn't an overweight slob anymore; on the contrary, he looks like a slightly smaller version of his father.
Talk about bad cop.
Talk about bad timing.
Your mind nearly shuts down until it's jolted by a quick punch to the back of your head by Lemon Drops. "You remember D-Cell, don't ya?"
You do now.
And something tells you you won't soon forget. |
From the Big Apple: A Tale of Misadventure and Affection | Cutie Mark Crusaders | "So... what comes next?"
This time, you manage to look into her eyes - expectant, practically begging you to answer.
Everything that's happened has been building up to this point - and you honestly have no idea what to say.
Grand Central station is an invariably busy place. Ponies of all shapes, sizes, races, and businesses come and go from this one spot in all of Manehattan. Maybe it's the size, the grandeur, or maybe just the right to brag about how they were in "the" Grand Central Station. These days, there are faster ways to travel: hot air balloons, dirigibles, ocean liners - heck, one day, there might even be teleporters like in those shows you're so fond of. But right here and now, everypony is here.
And minding their own business.
That's what city life is all about, really - minding your own day, not butting heads, or in general, just staying out of everypony else's life, because the big picture is just too big here.
As you feel Lemon Drops loosen her grip on your shoulder, you feel the city shrug at what is probably the last time you'll ever set hoof in Grand Central as a whole pony. Top Brass pushes his chewing gum into the other side of his mouth and sneers in that sleazy way that shows he thinks he's won. His slicked back mane and big words could never hide that he was and still is a huge bully - more so than his two goons.
The acidic-yellow filly trots away from you over to her partner-in-crime. "I wouldn't run if I were you," she intones cheekily. "And believe me, shrimpy, nopony who's anypony ain't itchin' to be yous."
You swallow hard but plant your hooves all the same, your fear-addled brain going into overdrive to figure a way out. She's right - this is where things go belly-up for you, but only if you don't act. The problem is, nopony within the immediate surrounding could care less. Thanks to your rushed exit from Ponyville, you never did get to call your parents for a safer pick-up inside the station.
Top Brass looks over at D-Cell and gives him a hearty slap on the back. "Welcome back, my big-boned chum. We are SO eager to be in your company again. I'm sure you know our old acquaintance!" His eyes, closed in mock joy, open and give you a malicious glare. "Judging by your new physique, I assume you have some... overdue well-wishes for him? Why don't we go out and find a nice, quiet place for the two of you to do some catching up?"
Smart move, you begrudgingly admit. He knows how you managed to escape D-Cell's tantrums the last time. He wants you to get creamed without any pesky cameras around. In that case, all you have to do is to stay here and not get dragged out by the pony death machine in front of you. It's impossible, but you're very short on options right now.
The smaller, irritatingly confident brown colt turns and quips over his shoulder. "I hear there's a nice, warm spot behind the buildings a few blocks from here. I'm sure we would all love to hear what you've been through, D-Cell. Shall we hop to it, then?"
"Let's."
For a good few seconds, your mouth threatens to rip wide open, your lungs and diaphragm cramp and tickle at the same time. The voice is in a confusing state between high-pitched and low, like a lone note from a mangled bassoon. It warbles in a comedic attempt to communicate single-minded determination; with just the one syllable, the speaking pony makes the prospect of getting your bones rearranged sound like the first knock-knock joke ever told.
It isn't the now similarly-straining Top Brass, who has spun around in his own disbelief.
It isn't Lemon Drops, slack-jawed, with her right brow arched so high on her face, it's threatening to disappear.
And it certainly isn't you.
It's D-Cell, wearing a grim look on his face, apparently aware of the bubble he just burst. His eyes are cast down on the marble floor, his body held in what you can assume is a hard-bodied posture that has been beaten into him by his correction officers.
You don't dare utter a single hiccup of laughter out of fear. Despite what his voice now sounds like, the pony still facing your direction is still an intimidating sight. He's never been the kind to talk you or anypony Top Brass targeted to death. You notice now that his orange outfit is ill-fitted, threatening to rip at the seams from all his new, terrifying bulk. The quick bout of comedy is quickly forgotten when he makes the first few steps towards you.
You swallow a very audible gulp of fear. Your legs are shaking. In just a few more minutes, he'll probably just chuck you straight out through the roof into Zebrica and pound you there.
D-Cell approaches you, stops... and turns around to glare at his fellow bullies. He stomps down his left hoof and declares in a more threatening, albeit still shakey, voice. "This ends tonight. You aren't going to make me hurt anypony."
Lemon Drops breaks the silence, shouting "Are you friggin' serious?!" She scampers over to D-Cell and grabs his shirt collar firmly. "Don't ya remember what that little geek DID to you? They put ya away for two years cuz he squealed!" Her pupils have shrunk to pinpricks and her lips are straining to cover her exposed teeth. "HE put you away! HE took you away from your home! HE did this to you!" she finishes, letting go of the larger pony and gesturing to his mane and outfit.
D-Cell responds coolly, "No, Lemon Drops. I did this to myself." He's concentrating on keeping his voice from cracking again. "I deserved what I got and I learned my lesson." He eyes Top Brass; you imagine them trading the meanest, gnarliest stink-eyes on the face of all Equestria. The larger colt goes on, saying "Beating on ponies for being small, for being different, for being anything... it won' fix anything. It won't give us friends, it won't win us any favors or honors." He walks around Lemon Drops and stops directly in front of Top Brass. "It won't make our fathers love us."
Before anypony can say anything, Top Brass shrieks and lunges at his old friend, oblivious to the ponies milling around. He rages and howls and screams, throwing desperate punches at the larger colt. "You big, stupid, stupidface! I made you! You can't talk to me like that!" His tirade devolves from simple, angry words to shouts and flying hooves. Even Lemon Drops stays closer to your side, looking absolutely horrified at what is happening.
His angry outburst barely fazes the larger colt, who waits about three minutes before using a single shove to lay his angry opponent squarely on his backside. "This isn't the way, Top. When puberty hit me in Lunar, I got the short end of the stick from everypony. I finally felt what it was like to be the other guy - the loser. I'm not going to be a bully anymore. And as long as I'm here, neither will you."
All the confidence and swagger Top Brass had earlier is gone. He angrily spits out his gum at D-Cell's hooves before turning tail and walking away quickly. Lemon Drops is also devoid of all surliness. Normally, she exits with a barb about your mane or your friends and follows her friend suit; now, she appears conflicted as to whether or not she should pursue Top Brass. She looks at D-Cell and even you with wide eyes, confused and asking for help. You slowly shake your head 'no' and she nods. She walks away and vanishes with the crowd.
D-Cell turns and gives you a curt nod before making his way off the platform. Snapping back into reality, you dig into your saddlebags for an apple-tart and call out the larger pony's name before tossing him a confection. Without missing a beat, he catches it and swallows the whole thing with no ceremony. He mumbles his thanks and continues to walk into the medley of pastel colors.
Turning to the main exit, you hear your name being called. "By the way, it's Detention Cell. And thanks for helping set me straight." After that, your old "punch buddy" finally parts ways with you to head off to only Luna knows where.
And it's only been a couple of hours since you came back.
The rest of the night is rather uneventful, all things considered. Your parents pick you up roughly ten minutes after you step out of the station and give you a good earful about calling them when you got back. It looks like you had gotten so wrapped up in tying up loose ends in Ponyville that you neglected to phone ahead. Your mother is definitely the more vocal between the two of them, but both are equally glad that you got home in one whole piece. If Top Brass and his former cronies had gotten in the way, you were more than likely to be grounded for at least two forevers and a half (if you'd gotten the math right).
The cab ride back is full of bumps and the occasional swerve, but you and your parents make it home mostly unscathed and just in time for dinner. Brussel sprouts and artichokes, while not your go-to meal, don't stop you from making short work of what's on your plate. "Golly, sport - you just got back. Slow down and chew your food." Since it's your father commenting on your ravenous eating, you decide to tone it down significantly, opting instead to answer your kin and let them catch up with your escapades. Unlike the day before, you have a much better handle on your own feelings, allowing you to measure out your words before you blab your head off again.
Your mother starts: "So, dear - did you make any friends while staying over at your Aunt and Uncle's?" Her voice is sweet and more importantly, familiar to you. You feel a smile grace your features and reply happily, naming almost everypony you can think of, one after another, including nearly everything that happened between you and them. It's only been a few days, but the memories are still fresh and exciting; what's better is that without your worries about Babs, you feel much lighter about the entire stay.
Your father speaks up, "That is a lot of mares and fillies you mentioned, son." His somber voice and straight face put a chill through your little spine. He's usually the one to joke about these sorts of things but he's so subdued, so unsettlingly serious that it makes even your mother look at him with alarmed wonder. He puts a heavy hoof on your tiny shoulder and looks you dead in the eye.
"What would Babs think?"
And with that, what's left of dinner gets pelted at your dad, courtesy of yourself and your chuckling mother.
After all the first days of school you've been through, you think you'd have a better handle on it by now. There's always that one new teacher who looks too happy for his own good, the older teacher who thinks you should have a quiz or a ton of homework ten minutes in, a student who has some sort of accident that either gets him labeled for the whole year or gets him really popular with some ponies, and lastly, the ever popular "What I Did Last Summer" paper. Despite the repetition, you always have a lingering sense of dread on the first day - the small chance of doing something embarrassing that would follow you around for the rest of the year, possibly even forever. There's just something awfully scary about not knowing something that might happen, even in the middle of a polished routine.
On this particular first day, however, you find yourself glancing at the door more often than usual. Nearly every ten minutes, you feel compelled to shoot a quick look at the door leading into the classroom. Mister Chickenscratch is far too distracted by his own story about lollipops and glass-blowers to pay you any mind, so there's at least that. As the day stretches on, even beyond lunch break and into the final bell ring, you can't help looking at that empty door.
Babs Seed didn't come to class today.
Hauling your heavier than usual saddlebags, you stand in front of the school building and look at the small gaggle of ponies making their way home. Trailing a few metres behind them, you spot a strangely isolated Lemon Drops. With last night's bout of drama, you can only suspect that she's still having a hard time seeing what she did. It's only a fleeting glance, but you notice she has some dark circles around her eyes. While not particularly high on your to-do list, you make a small reminder to try and talk to the troubled filly once you get the chance. You're still not very fond of her, but you of all ponies know now what a huge thing it is to have another pony be willing to just listen.
You don't see hide nor hair of your elusive friend, so you consider just getting as far away from school as possible; unfortunately, a mere three steps in and your stomach decides to very loudly tell you it needs to be filled up. Preferably with something sweet and cold.
Ice cream it is.
The walk to the ice cream parlor is about the same length as the one going to your house, but the payoff is way more attractive in the former. Suffering the added weight of Rarity's gift and your new books, you press on until you are greeted by the familiar glassy façade of Rootbeer Float's. Since it's the first time in a long while you've been here, you take in the sight of the whole building. It has polished silver pillars decorating the front and a big neon light sign telling you the place's name in bright red cursive lettering. A stylized soda pony is built framing the doorway, its mechanical hoof waving back and forth while a painted speech bubble tells everypony to "Savor some sweets!" The afternoon sun bounces off the building, giving it a beautiful warm hue. It's big, bold, and makes your mouth water a little. While its look is nowhere near as inspired Sugarcube Corner's, it still has great memories for you and most ponies your age who live in and around its radiant glow.
Making your way inside the establishment, you are surprised to see the one and only Babs Seed, sitting alone at an isolated table at the far end, near a window. She's looking emptily at a tall, melted milkshake parked in front of her nose. The long silver handle of a spoon is pointing up and out of her pouting lips. Her eyes are half-lidded and apparently not truly focusing on anything as a small foal manages to lodge, laugh at, and retrieve a paper airplane out of her cropped mane.
Your legs wobble like jelly, forcing you to redouble your efforts to just stand up straight. You try and tame your scruffy mane and double - no, make that triple - check your breath, and valiantly lick out any pieces of food that might have stayed stuck in your chompers since lunch. You mentally smack yourself for gorging on garlic puffs and pesto at the time. It's now or never.
Babs hardly even notices you approach her table. You nonchalantly cough into your hoof to get her attention, but it doesn't work. You try and cough a few more times, but all that does is get you a wad of tissues from a passing staff member. Without any other means at your disposal, you set your bags down and prepare yourself to do the unimaginable.
Hoisting yourself up to the seat opposite hers, you prop up a single elbow and ask her a la Con Mane"Is this seat taken?" You pray that you sound cool and sophisticated, not meek and unsure.
"Wha-?" Babs is shaken out of her trance and gives you a look that can only be described as petrified. "I-I have to... I have to go!" She tries to clamber off her seat, but it seems like her legs have fallen asleep on her. "Ah, dang pins n' needles...!" she grunts through gritted teeth. Taking the opportunity, you lean forward and put a hoof on her shoulder. "It's okay, Babs! Please - I just need to talk to you!" She looks at your hoof and then at you like you just grew a second head. You plead with her again. "I just want to talk."
Babs relents, but refuses to look you in the eye. She keeps her line of sight fixed at the window, apparently preferring to watch other ponies mill about. After a solid five minutes of complete and utter silence, she mutters a simple apology and begins to sob. You keep your hoof on top of hers and shush her gently. This doesn't seem to do the trick, as her tears continue to flow, followed by more words. "I h-heard from your parents. Th-that you went to Ponyville. And now y-you know... what I did... and I n-never told you..."
"I understand if you don't want to see me anymore... It's what I de-"
You cut her off by gently squeezing her hoof, causing her to turn her head in your direction. "Now why would I want to do a crazy thing like that?" you ask with complete honesty. "When I went to Ponyville, all I heard about was how good you were." She raises her eyes to meet yours and they're every bit as amazing as they were in your dream. Her tears don't stop flowing and she asks in befuddlement, "What're you t-talking about? I was a bully..."
You let go off her and answer, "No, you were scared and alone. Babs, you knew too well what it's like to have that kind of problem back here - and it was happening all over again and you wanted to change that." She bows her head down in shame, prompting you to continue. "But you did change! You made friends, real ones that taught you a better way. In the end, you stood up for them, like how you've been standing up for other ponies since you got here."
Her sobbing is much slower now. She's relaxed enough to put both hooves on the table. "S-so... you're not mad?"
Feeling a little stifled by the mood, you try and make a quip. "You know, you don't look too good when your face is all messed up like that." This earns you a giggle and a solid hook to the arm from Babs, who smiles appreciatively. "Jerk. You calling me ugly?"
The combination of her question and her smile causes your brain to seize up, making you say something that's downright stupid:
"What? No, no - I think you're really cute!"
Her features freeze up and she pulls both hooves down under the table. "Ya big dummy..."
Hoping to ease the tension, you grab Miss Rarity's parcel from your saddlebag and push it towards Babs. "From Ponyville,' you say quickly. She eyes it carefully before undoing the carefully set knot. Both of you look down at the contents and can only sit in awe at what you see.
Two expertly crafted vests - a matching set for two ponies of your age. Their crimson colors only serve to make a familiar logo sewed into the sides pop all the more. Babs pulls out a small piece of parchment from the package and reads it aloud: "For the Manehattan branch of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. May you find what you are looking for... together." She speaks the last word slowly and looks at you with a curious intensity that paralyzes you. Now it's your turn to turn your head and look at the ponies going to and fro on the streets outside.
You hear her call your name. You try to ignore her, on account of all the butterflies doing somersaults in your gut. Princesses, it's so much worse when you're alone with her!
She touches your hoof with her own before asking:
"So... what comes next?"
This time, you manage to look into her eyes - expectant, practically begging you to answer.
You breathe to calm your nerves and think of an answer. The moment feels so different from usual, like you're supposed to say something profound - like you were talking to an entire crowd and everypony knew your name.
No, that's inaccurate.
You were sitting alone at an ice cream parlor with this filly.
This filly you had fallen head over hooves for. You can finally admit it to yourself.
"As long as it's with you, I can do anything."
A blushing face. Another quick jab to the arm, followed by the sound of hooves clattering on the tiled floor. Babs is all smiles now, blushing from what you just said.
"I like the sound o' that."
She rears up on her hind legs and plants a small kiss on your cheek. She says her goodbyes and leaves, promising to meet you tomorrow at school.
You watch her run and skip out the door and follow her with her eyes through the window you're seated next to.
"Now that... is an adventure I can't wait for." |
Chaos and Sunshine: the Discord x Celestia Group Collab | pre | But he was Discord, for goodness' sake! The Lord of everything Chaotic! How could he brush a fact like that aside?
"Well, thank you," he said simply. "But don't expect to be invited to the wedding!"
Twilight smirked and shook her head playfully as she went back to her book. "Celestia will probably choose me as one of her bridesmaids anyway," she replied ... much to the frustration of Discord's realization.
It was a warm Spring day, and they were in the garden - a place of peacefulness, simplicity and serenity. Everything was in bloom, creating a beautifully breathtaking naturalistic appearance to their surroundings. For once, Celestia wasn't in her usual regal accessories, ditching her crown and golden horseshoes for the look of a simple mare, and she tied her voluminous mane to the side with a silver ribbon. Discord could've sworn that she looked almost the same when he had first noticed her - a Goddess who walked on land.
...this was it.
He hadn't planned to ask right here, right now, but as they reached the center of the garden - her favorite spot near the cherry blossom tree - he couldn't help but feel the urge to ask her.
He couldn't let this moment slip away. It all seemed too perfect.
'Then again,' Discord said to himself. 'Perhaps I could wait a day or two to reach an agreement with Luna. Have her write Celestia's name in the stars - maybe the whole proposal even.'
Then again, that was over-the-top, and he did very well know that his beloved Tia never liked to make a scene. (What a foolish trait for somepony who was a Princess.)
'No, you fool,' he thought. 'Just ask her. Keep it short and sweet... although, a grand speech certainly wouldn't bother her. We have known each for over a thousand years, and I've loved her since the moment I laid eyes on her and-' His thoughts ceased as Celestia plastered her gaze on him and smiled.
Those beautiful pink eyes - the color of the dawn she was named after.
That radiant smile - which outshined each and everyone of her sunrises and sunsets.
Releasing a deep breath, Discord reached over to the side of the garden, picked a sunflower - her favorite, of course - from the grounds and nearly fell over shaking as he lowered himself before the Princess, with an anxious smile. "Celestia," he stammered - he wasn't getting nervous, was he? "I love you and-" He stuttered - oh, yes, he was most definitely nervous. "Willyoumarryme?"
'Dammit!' he scolded himself. 'I really should've gone with the stars idea. Instead, I sounded like a stupid lovesick colt.'
However, with tears of joy in her gaze, the Princess of the Sun nodded, at a complete loss of words as she lifted Discord up off of his knees and kissed him passionately, throwing her forelegs around his neck and pulling him close.
"I've been waiting three thousand years for you to ask me that," she teased."It's about time."
Discord could only smile.
Alright, perhaps being bold, gutsy and chaotic wasn't everything... |
Chaos and Sunshine: the Discord x Celestia Group Collab | Chocolate - LadyLightHeart | This was it. The last one. Last time she had to put quill to parchment. Cross the 't', dot the 'i', and done. No more papers to sign.
Princess Celestia tore her eyes from the paper with enough force to cause whiplash. Two hours of staring at parchment left her mind frayed at the edges. She needed release; sweet release. And she knew exactly where to find it.
The princess left her study with a slight bounce in her step. She turned to the kitchen where she knew a thick slice of dark chocolate raspberry cake waited for her. Her mind was alight with the thought of biting into the cool chocolate frosting, rich chocolate layers, and thin lines of tart raspberry jam.
At that point, Celestia had practically galloped into the kitchen like an eager filly toward her birthday presents. She yanked open the ice box.
Greeting her was an empty white plate, save for a few dark flecks of crumbs. The thought of declaring this an act of high treason briefly crossed her mind.
"What's the matter, Princess? You seem distressed." Said the last pony she wanted to hear from.
Discord sat at the other end of the table, smiling like he was completely innocent, the cake, of course, untouched in front of him.
"Discord, please don't touch my cake." The words came out more pleading than she intended.
"Oh, is that what this is?" He pointed at the slice with a dainty gold fork, face feigning cluelessness. "I'm sorry, it just looked so lonely and delicious there by itself. And I was in the mood for a little chocolate."
Celestia took a deep breath, resisting the urge to fling her shoe at his head. 'If you want some cake, Discord, get some for yourself. I'm sure you can-"
"But my dear Celestia, it's just so much sweeter when I steal it from you!"
"Do not test me tonight, Discord. It's been a long night and I will not put up with your games."
"Games? I'm not playing any games." The draconequus sighed dramatically. "Goodness, Celestia, didn't anypony teach you how to share?"
"No." She replied bluntly and levitated the cake to her, taking a bite out of it like an apple. "I told you, I'm not playing any of your games tonight. You're going to have to try harder than that to upset me."
Naturally, Discord took this as a challenge. He rose from the table and floated to her. "Celestia, you seem to have a little frosting on your mouth."
Before she could react, Discord placed his hand on her face and put his lips to hers. The Sun Princess remained rigid, frozen at the feeling of his serpentine tongue across her lips.
"Hm, dark chocolate," he pulled away, licking his own lips, "Never been a big fan of dark chocolate. Guess I'll have to find something else."
"D- Discord..." Celestia's voice shook with anger. Discord smiled inwardly. Mission accomplished, now for the icing on the cake.
"I have an idea," Discord reappeared behind her, wrapping his lion paw across her chest and twisting a strand of her hair around with his talon, "how about we put this whole cake thing behind us, go somewhere else, and you can show me what a little white chocolate tastes like." ---
"Joke! It was a joke! I swear- ow!"
"Hold still," Mumbled Fluttershy, a cotton swab between her teeth, "You have a teeny little cut back here."
Discord slouched further on the couch and crossed his arms. Another prank, another night banned from Canterlot castle. "Some ponies have no sense of humor."
Fluttershy sighed and shook her head as she prepared the ice for his swollen eye. |
Chaos and Sunshine: the Discord x Celestia Group Collab | Unspoken - The Princess Rarity | There are many vital, important things that Princess Celestia has said in her lifetime and in reign over Equestria. Some have changed the nation, others riled it up and the rest are in between. Nonetheless, they have all been documented and written down for memory, in one way or another.
There was her Saddle Arabian union declaration - which was implanted in every Equestrian History textbook.
Her coronation speech, from way back when she vowed to take over the duties of her late father, King Solaris.
The words she uttered to all of Equestria, promising that the nation would be safe now that her younger sister was gone.
A thousand years later, Celestia was proud to announce that her sister was back home, no longer corrupted.
The announcement that rocked the nation, that a new Princess - her most loyal student - would join the royals.
From new laws to new royals to new treaties, if Princess Celestia said it, somepony would write it down, save it for the History books and send it to the media, making sure that everypony else in Equestria would know what their ruler declared.
...but some things, of course, were kept private.
After all, even if she was a Princess of Equestria, she was obviously allotted alone time.
And strangely enough, the words she wanted to say when there were no cameras or reporters, she couldn't seem to. They were trying to escape - really, they were, but somehow, in someway, something was holding back...
Although, somehow, just by looking into her eyes, the one soul who knew her best could know what she was going say, before she ever even so much as attempted to say it.
"I love you too," Discord smiled.
Celestia could only blush, and her shy schoolfilly-with-her-first-crush embarrassment only increased as he quickly kissed her.
With a playful wink, the draconequus let out a low chuckle. "You never changed," he mused.
"Neither did you," she countered, with a sweet little smile.
Perhaps saying close to nothing at all was just as good as saying everything. |
Chaos and Sunshine: the Discord x Celestia Group Collab | Privacy - Paw Paint | Discord wasn't usually a deep thinker. He was a forward thinker, maybe a little bit of a hindsight thinker, but the draconequus didn't usually sit down for an hour or two simply creating theories about the nuclear energies of the multiverse. Most of his ingenious plans simply hinged on his brilliant ability to improvise.
So, in short, he found himself surprised when all his thoughts were focused on Celestia. Not so much what was deliciously right with the alabaster monarch, but rather-- what was wrong. So far, the only time Discord had ever seen her fly was seat herself on a chariot, or some other show of graceful strength.
The Celestia he remembered loved to fly--rocketing off mountains and soaring as high as she could before her breath gave out. The Celestia he remembered always pinned back her hair, letting her lovely face be enhanced by two beautiful magenta eyes-- nowadays, he was lucky to get a glimpse of both at the same time.
Something was off with her, and as Discord skipped along the ceiling, he tried to guess what in advance. All his theories sounded preposterous-- at least, for Celestia. Coming to a stop in front of her quarters, he gave a quick beating to her guards.
"Helllloo, gentlecolts." Smirking as their stoic faces failed to match the hue of their scarlet plots, he made to go inside.
"Sorry, Discord, but the Princess has requested no one disturb her privacy." Ignoring the warning, he popped into the room, not bothering to make a quick come back.
Celestia immediately whipped about. "Discord! I requested that no one disturb me!" She was stricken with a familiar emotion-- fear. He was used to fear though, so its presence could not be what made his heart drop. Any and all witty greetings died on his tongue.
"...What happened to your eye?" Her hair flowed loftily away from the black hole that right now seemed to consume her face.
Taking a deep breath, she looked to her mirror and answered coolly: "I lost it in a battle during the first hundred years Luna was away." Discord was on her in an instant, coiling around her, gingerly examining her face as a child might his dearest toy.
"Why haven't you-- never mind, I can fix this." He moved his paw over the absence, ready to repair the damage, only to be surprised as Celestia shoved his paw away.
"Don't."
"What-" Her one-eyed steel gaze prevented him from pressing, and the hug that his body wrapped her in dropped away. "What in Tartarus are you--"
"I want to keep it." Celestia sighed as she stepped out of his embrace
"You're mad." He accused. "Why live with something that prevents you from doing things you love the most? You'll never fly like you used to!"
Her magic picked up an eyepatch, smoothed away any remainder of the empty space as she put it on. "It's a reminder of what's at stake when I am ruler-- who's day to day will change dramatically if a make one misstep-- especially when lives other then my own are at stake. Their safety and happiness is now what I love most."
When she looked back at him, two magenta eyes were fully in view, ready to dispel his forming argument. "If you can't deal with how I've changed, then perhaps it would be best if you left me with my privacy." |
Chaos and Sunshine: the Discord x Celestia Group Collab | Wings - Surprise The Pegasus | Celestia and Discord stood on the edge of a tall hill, Queen Andromeda standing next to them.
"Alright, are you both ready for your first flight lesson?" She asked.
"Yes, Mommy!" Chimed Celestia, brushing a strand of pink hair out of her eyes. Discord just nodded.
"Ok then. Now, spread your wings, like mine." The Queen instructed. Celestia spread her small wings, a wide smile on her face. Discord spread his wings as well, and took a quick look at the young Princess. The Queen took notice and shot Discord a look that said stop. Now. This is my daughter. The Dragconequus adverted his gaze down to the grass below him. Queen Andromeda smiled at Celestia.
"All you have to do is just flap your little wings as hard as you can, like this!" With that, Queen Andromeda flapped her wings, and just like that, she was airborne. She flew to a nearby treetop, and hovered. "Just fly to me, ok? Ready, set, go!" Then, Celestia and Discord flapped their wings. Discord was easily up in the air, while Celestia had some difficulty. Soon enough, they hovered in the air next to the Queen. Andromeda flew higher, and so did they. Eventually, they were at the height where all of Canterlot was visible. Beads of sweat dripped off Celestia's forehead, and her wings beat so fast they were practically invisible. It was obvious that Celestia was struggling, but Discord was afraid to tell Queen Andromeda.
All of a sudden, Celestia stopped flying.
"Mommy, I-I can't fly anymore!" Said Celestia. Before Queen Andromeda turned around, Celestia's small wings stopped fluttering, and she started to fall.
"Celestia!" Shouted Discord. He dove down after her, Queen Andromeda not far behind. Moments before hitting the ground, Discord caught Celestia in his arms and managed to get them both safely landed. Discord set Celestia on the ground, and smiled at her. Queen Andromeda landed behind him. Tears started at streak down Celestia's slightly chubby face. The little Princess threw her forearms around Discord's neck and brought him close.
"Thank you, Discord." She sobbed. With a kiss on the cheek, she let him go. Discord felt himself blush as Queen Andromeda thanked him, and took them both back to the Castle. |
Chaos and Sunshine: the Discord x Celestia Group Collab | Scream - LadyLightHeart | "Let's watch a movie, she said. It'll be fun, she said."
Discord cringed inwardly. The man on screen screamed as a needle was driven through his eye. Celestia ate another handful of popcorn.
When Celestia suggested a movie to entertain them on a rainy October night, he thought she would be the kind to suggest something intelligent or thought provoking.
The man screamed again as another needle was driven through his chest.
Or at the very least something funny. Discord was a man of humor, after all. Sick and twisted as his humor may be. Not a man of violence.
He glanced down at her. The princess stared intently at the screen, not even remotely reacting to the torture scene. Rather odd for a woman of such great compassion.
Another scream. He cringed again.
But if this relationship were any normal, he wouldn't be apart of it.
"Are you alright?" Celestia was looked up with a concerned smile, "You're squeezing my hand pretty tight."
Discord glanced down. He had indeed trapped her soft hand in a subconscious deathgrip. "O-oh, well that's nothing really-"
"And you're shaking a little bit."
"I'm just cold!" He said quickly, releasing her hand and snapping his fingers. A big fluffy blanket appeared, enveloping the two.
Celestia laughed, pulling herself closer to him. "I won't tell anyone. Promise."
The movies' villainess echoed Celestia's laugh, in a decidedly less innocent manner, as she began cutting through the protagonists' foot with piano wire.
Discord rolled his eyes, "Next time, I'm picking what we watch." |
Digimon Saga: CTRL-ALT-DELETE | pre | "It's how we Digimon become stronger. We have to be at least at the Rookie level in order to render into the Real World. Normally that takes a few days to a week of development, but that virus probably helped me warp digivolve into my Rookie level."
Fluttershy sighed pouting, "W-well, I suppose that can't be helped... I mean, you weren't trying to mess me up or anything. Fuck though..." she leaned back looking at the ceiling, "All of the information I used was absorbed too. It's going to take forever to make another one, even with Cipher's help."
"Don't feel bad," Guilmon said patting her on the back, "I'll try to help you too. I feel bad knowing that I accidentally took something important."
She couldn't help herself. She did smile a bit. Guilmon didn't seem like a bad kid at all. Fluttershy wasn't sure what he could do to help, but knowing that he wanted to help did make her feel a little better.
"Thanks, and I'm sorry I yelled at you," Fluttershy said. She then noticed the symbol on his stomach. Wasn't that...?"
"Aw, it's alright Fluttershy," Guilmon said with a smile, "Now, can we go downstairs and eat? I'm super hungry."
"Sure," Fluttershy said, "Why don't you go down first, and I'll meet you there. I sort of need to put on more than just my underwear."
"Alright. See ya downstairs," Guilmon said walking to the door and opening it, "Sorry it took so long Dad! Fluttershy and I were talking!"
Fluttershy rolled her eyes, and then folded her arms thinking about the symbol. That was the symbol she used to represent the Digital Hazard. If what Guilmon said about how he took form was true, then was he...?
Inside the network, a small purple mammal like digimon with small black wings on its back and a red gem on its forehead was looking at a holographic keyboard. After looking at the information it frowned.
"Looks like she gave someone else the power," the Digimon said, "Twilight, this one formed into a Virus Type."
Outside, sitting on what appeared to be a mountain, was a beautiful young girl with long straight purple hair with a pink highlight, wearing a black and white gothic dress fashioned like a maid's dress, fishnet stockings, black elegant gloves, and black high heels. For makeup she wore black eyeliner and red lipstick, and in her hands was a black and purple Digivice.
"Why did the Mother Computer willingly create a Virus Type Digimon and give it to a tamer?" the girl asked, "Dorumon, do the records give any hint as to what happened?"
"Sorry Twilight, but no," Dorumon said, his voice coming from the Digivice, "Actually, according to the records, it was supposed to render into a Vaccine Type."
"So the registry changed last minute?" Twilight asked, "Okay, come back to me, Dorumon."
A few seconds after she said that, a green portal opened up behind her, and Dorumon walked out. Twilight sat up and sauntered over to her Digimon partner, who came up to her waist, and pet him on the head. Dorumon nuzzled her hand affectionately and then followed her as she walked off.
"Where are we going?" Dorumon asked.
"To investigate this," Twilight said, "This tamer could easily become a Demon Lord, and I won't let that happen. If necessary, we'll kill them and delete their Digimon."
"They could become a Royal Knight though," Dorumon suggested. Twilight closed her eyes somberly.
"That would be even worse in my opinion," Twilight said pushing a few buttons on her Digivice, "Let's head to the location where said tamer lives and observe them."
As she and Dorumon walked, they both broke up into tiny squares and shot up into the sky vanishing.
After eating breakfast, Fluttershy got dressed and walked off to school. As she walked though, she became acutely aware that someone was following her. She stopped and turned around to see Guilmon right behind her.
"What are you doing?" Fluttershy asked.
"Coming to the school with you," Guilmon said as if it were obvious, "That place sounds like a lot of fun."
"First off, it's not fun. It's boring, and a waste of time," Fluttershy said, "Second off, you're not coming with me to school."
"Aw, why not?" Guilmon asked with the most adorable looking pout.
"Remember how I freaked out when I saw you for the first time?" Fluttershy asked putting her hands on her hips, "The kids at school will all do that when they see you."
"All I have to do is let them know that I'm a nice, friendly Digimon and they'll like me," Guilmon said with an assured smile.
"No no no!" Fluttershy pressed, "That won't work, because no one at school's even heard of a Digimon before."
"But what am I supposed to do while you're gone?" Guilmon asked.
"I don't know. Maybe play one of Zephyr's video games or something," she said, "All I know is, it wouldn't be a good idea to-"
"Yoo hoo!" a voice called out suddenly. Fluttershy screamed and immediately pushed Guilmon into a bush and stood in front of him to hide him. Just in time too, as Rarity walked up to her, looking around confused.
"Um... I could have sworn I saw you talking to someone just now," Rarity said. Fluttershy immediately shook her head without saying a word, "Ah well, this is truly a rare sight. I had no idea you and I lived in the same neighborhood."
Fluttershy broke eye contact from her and bit her lip nervously. Thing was, she knew that Rarity lived in the same neighborhood, and did her best to avoid seeing her.
"Oh, why don't we walk to school together?" Rarity asked enthusiastically, "Applejack had to go back home last night, so she isn't here to keep me company. Oh pretty please?"
Oooh, Fluttershy wasn't sure to be honest. She was terrified of being around people in real life. As long as she was behind a screen it was okay. She could present herself however she pleased, but face to face meant all of her flaws and emotions were right there on the table.
And talking face to face required eye contact.
"I... uh... um... I mean... I usually... uh..." Fluttershy stuttered.
"Great!" Rarity exclaimed clapping her hands, "Let's be on our way, darling!" she took Fluttershy's hand and continued onward to school, Fluttershy now forced to follow. As they left, Guilmon poked his head out sniffing the air.
"That girl smells like Digimon," Guilmon said.
The walk to school was exhausting. Not because it was long or anything. Fluttershy took this route all the time. No, the reason she was exhausted was because of her companion. Fluttershy liked walking alone because she could gather her thoughts or just let her mind wander. That was hard right now though because of one major thing about Rarity.
She just.
Kept.
Talking.
It wasn't really anything important either. She just kept going on and on about tiny things that Fluttershy did not care about in the slightest. Shopping, clothes, jewelery, boys, she jumped from one subject to the other one. Fluttershy couldn't get a word in even if she wanted to.
"Oooh, looks like we're here," Rarity said suddenly, surprising Fluttershy who zoned out.
"Oh, we are..." Fluttershy said softly.
"I do apologize for going on like that, darling," Rarity said, "Truth is, I was just excited as I've never gotten the chance to talk to you before without Rainbow Crash hovering around."
Fluttershy tried to say something, but as always second guessed herself and just nodded.
"Since I'm a senior we might not see much of each other in school, but know that the student council office is always open to you," Rarity said turning to the school, "Oh, and I can't wait to meet your friend, darling."
The way her eyes gleamed made Fluttershy feel uneasy, and she just stood there watching as Rarity sauntered into the school. Did she see Guilmon earlier and just not say anything? Why was she not afraid then?
"Boy, that girl can talk forever, can't she?"
"Seriously," Fluttershy said. It took a second for her to register the voice next to her, "Guilmon! What are you doing here?!"
"Don't worry, I wasn't following you," Guilmon said, "I was following that other girl with you."
"That does not make it better!" Fluttershy fussed, quickly grabbing Guilmon's arm and running behind a tree, "Why were you following her anyway?!"
"Because she smells like a Digimon," Guilmon said, confusing Fluttershy.
"She smells like a Digimon? That's probably just her perfume. She sure wears enough of the stuff," Fluttershy rubbed her arm looking to the side.
"No no, there was another scent underneath the nice fruity one," Guilmon said, "A human wouldn't be able to tell, but I have a super strong sense of smell. She smelled like a Digimon, which means she probably was with one just a little while ago."
"So what? You're thinking she's got a Digimon with her too?" Fluttershy asked folding her arms.
"Maybe. We'll have to ask her the next time we see her," Guilmon said, looking down thoughtfully. Fluttershy waved her arms and shook her head.
"No no no no! I am not talking to her again!" Fluttershy cried.
"But isn't she your friend?" Guilmon asked.
"No she's not! The only friend I have is Cipher!" she looked thoughtful, "Maybe Rainbow Dash counts too, but not by my choice. Other than that, I'm alone."
Guilmon looked really sad hearing that, "You're alone...?"
"Yes, and I prefer it that way," Fluttershy said, "Look, just head home, alright? I'll see you later."
With that, Fluttershy ran off into the school. Hopefully nothing else happened to surprise her.
Unknown to either of them, Applejack was behind another tree watching them. When Fluttershy ran off, she stayed and lingered on Guilmon, who looked down as if thinking to himself.
"That's a new one," Applejack said pulling out her Digivice to scan him, "Guilmon, huh? Why did the Mother Computer give her a Virus type?"
Deep within the network, another Kuwagamon flew around. When it stopped to look around, a large purple electric blast hit its back and knocked it onto its knees. Behind it, another bug Digimon landed. This one was just as big as Kuwagamon, and similar in build, but it had a single horn on its face looking more like a rhino beetle, and was purple instead of red.
The two Digimon roared loudly at each other and charged at one another, clashing clawed arms. The two of them fought close quarter, slashing and clashing horns in a violent fight as if trying to break one another apart.
Kuwagamon lunged forward to grab the purple bug Digimon with its pincers, but it flew away just in time. It then flew down with its horn charged with electricity and went through the Kuwagamon, instantly deleting it. As it absorbed its data, something red shot through the purple digimon, causing it to roar out in pain.
CAUTION! CORRUPTION LEVEL 16
CAUTION! CORRUPTION LEVEL 16
It's entire body was engulfed in electricity, and it then flew off deeper into the network, now causing more destruction than even the Kuwagamon before.
Once the first half of classes ended, Fluttershy went to her locker to get her lunch and books for the second half. When she closed her locker though, she saw Rainbow Dash leaning against them looking at her suspiciously.
"I saw you and Rarity walking to school together," she said with a frown.
"It's not what you think," Fluttershy said curtly, "She latched onto me like a leash."
Rainbow Dash sighed in relief, "Okay good. So you're not suddenly in her clique or anything."
"Personally can't stand her," Fluttershy admitted, "She talks too much."
"So the rumors are true," Rainbow Dash said as Fluttershy closed her locker, "Well, I guess it wouldn't matter if you suddenly started hanging out with Rarity. Just don't abandon me, okay?"
Fluttershy wasn't even sure if they were friends yet. She didn't ever say much, nor did they ever outright claim to be friends. As they walked to the cafeteria, they heard a scream from the computer room.
Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash ran in to investigate, and saw all of the computers sparking with electricity, one of the students sitting on the floor backing away.
"Hey! What's going on here?!" Dash asked helping the student up.
"The computers are all going haywire!" he cried pointing to the computer he was about to use.
"I just spoke to Lyra!" another student said, "I think it's happening all over the school!"
Fluttershy looked out a window, and saw something odd. It looked like a white fog was building up outside in the school courtyard. Fluttershy ran out of the computer room to investigate, aware of Rainbow Dash calling out to her, but not stopping. She needed to see what was going on out there.
Guilmon, who was still hovering around the school, looked up when he saw the fog forming.
"A Digital Field? That's where Fluttershy is!" Guilmon said. He then looked ahead and saw two other Digimon run into the field: an Agumon and Gabumon.
"I knew there were other Digimon here!" Guilmon said running into the field. Hopefully they had Tamers too, because that field was clearly made by a strong Digimon.
When Fluttershy reached the courtyard, she looked around. Outside it was impossible to see, but inside the fog it was surprisingly clear, almost like the fog was forming an arena of sorts.
"What on earth is this?!" Fluttershy asked frantically. She heard a loud roar above her and looked up, seeing a large monstrous purple bug fly down toward her. She screamed and jumped away right before it hit her, and then backed away from it in fear.
boss theme
"Is this... another Digimon?!" Fluttershy asked. She heard a beeping coming from the Digivice, which she strapped onto her waist. She pulled it out and looked at it, seeing a holographic image of the Digimon before her along with information.
ID: KABUTERIMON
LEVEL: CHAMPION
TYPE: INSECTOID
ATTRIBUTE: VACCINE
The Digimon, identified as Kabuterimon, slowly turned around and walked toward her, its entire body charged with electricity. Fluttershy backed away from it as far as she could until she was backed up against a wall. Kabuterimon hunched over, gathering electricity in its arms, and then spread them out shooting a large electric blast at Fluttershy. Thankfully something ran past and grabbed her, carrying her away.
"Fluttershy, are you okay?!" Guilmon asked setting Fluttershy down.
"G-Guilmon...!" Fluttershy sobbed softly. They both looked as the Kabuterimon roared loudly and then turned to them. Guilmon stood in front of Fluttershy and held out his arms, "W-w-what are you doing?!"
"This! FIREBALL!" he shouted, shooting a large red fireball out of his mouth at Kabuterimon. Said Fireball did very little though, as the Digimon brushed it off and launched it's electric attack at them. This time Guilmon pushed Fluttershy out of the way, taking the attack himself full force and getting knocked back.
"Guilmon!" Fluttershy cried. She then looked down at her Digivice, which showed a bar go down, showing Guilmon's name. Said bar also had numbers on it, that lowered at the same time. Was that Guilmon's life?
Guilmon forced himself to his feet, but then jumped away as Kabuterimon charged at him with its horn. As he ran, he launched more Fireballs at Kabuterimon, who's health was only going down a bit if what Fluttershy was seeing was accurate.
"This is almost like a video game!" Fluttershy said, "Oooh! Guilmon can't beat it like this! What am I going to do?!"
Just as she asked that, something else hit Kabuterimon. Two more blasts; one of them being another fireball, and the other being a stream of blue fire. Fluttershy looked to see two more Digimon firing at Kabuterimon, both of them smaller than Guilmon.
Fluttershy looked at them in surprise, but then felt someone place their hand on her shoulder. She looked and saw Rarity standing behind her, perfectly calm.
"Rarity?" Fluttershy asked.
"Don't worry darling," Rarity said, "We can beat this."
Kabuterimon charged at the new combatants, but both Digimon ran in separate directions out of the way, and then ran over to Guilmon to help him up.
"Hey, are you okay, friend?" Agumon asked.
"Y-yeah, thanks," Guilmon said, "Do you guys have Tamers too?"
"Sure do," Agumon said smiling proudly, "My bro's Tamer is with yours now, and mine should be coming soon."
Kabuterimon turned back around to face them, but this time when he charged at them, someone jumped in the way and stopped him.
"Oh my God!" Fluttershy cried, surprised when Rarity laughed.
"Glad you could join us, Applejack," Rarity said jovially.
"I was jus' scopin' out the target," Applejack said through gritted teeth. Fluttershy had so many questions. Like for one, how was that girl holding a Digimon back with her bare hands?!
Applejack threw Kabuterimon to the side and dusted her hands off as everyone gathered around her.
"You two have Digimon too?" Fluttershy asked.
"That's right," Applejack said, "Mine's Agumon, while Rarity's is Gabumon."
"Applejack, I don't think they're going to be enough like this," Rarity said stepping forward, "We might need to push this to the next level."
"Got it," Applejack said cracking her knuckles, "Ready to go dinosaur crazy, Agumon?"
Um... what did she ask her partner? And why were both of them smiling like maniacs?
"I'm always ready!" Agumon said with a huge grin. Both of them rushed at Kabuterimon, and Agumon hoisted Applejack into the air. Applejack then flipped in the air, and punched Kabuterimon in the face, causing red energy to form around her hand. Fluttershy turn to Rarity, who just waved her hair to the side and then blue energy gathered in her hand.
"Let's go!" Rarity shouted. Applejack landed next to Rarity, and both of them pulled out their Digivices.
"Pay attention, rookie," Applejack said to Fluttershy. Both veteran Tamers pulled up holographic keyboards in front of them and typed on them.
"Altering Program! Digivolve!" they both shouted at the same time. They pushed the enter keys on their keyboards, and then sent the energy from their hands into the Digivices, which then shot out into their respective Digimon.
ACCESS
DIGIVOLUTION
"AGUMON DIGIVOLVE TO...!" Agumon shouted, the skin on his body literally tearing off revealing an orange wire frame silhouette of Agumon. As the energy engulfed the wire frame, it changed shape and grew in size, turning into a much larger dinosaur looking monster with three horns and a hard armored head, which then reformed into a monster that almost looked like a larger and older Agumon, "GREYMON!!!"
"GABUMON DIGIVOLVE TO...!" Gabumon shouted, just like his brother his body tearing apart and leaving a light blue/purple wireframe. When he was engulfed in the energy, his body changed shape into a large wolf looking monster, which then reformed into a monster with blue striped fur like what Gabumon always wore, except it was on four legs instead of two. "GARURUMON!!!"
Fluttershy and Guilmon were wide eyed seeing the new forms of their partners. They looked almost as strong as the Kabuterimon before them.
Greymon and Kabuterimon charged at each other pushing each other back. As they held one another in place, Garurumon ran to the side quickly and charged up energy in his mouth.
"FOX FIRE!" he shouted, firing a much larger blue stream out at Kabuterimon, this time doing massive damage.
"Oh my God!" Fluttershy cried, "Guilmon, look at its health!"
She showed Guilmon her Digivice, surprising her partner, "Whoa! These guys are on a whole other level!"
"Hey, let me see that," Applejack said, briefly taking Fluttershy's Digivice. She typed on the keyboard a bit, and then handed the Digivice back to her, "There, you're in our party now."
"Um... party...?" Fluttershy asked.
"It's so you can get experience points from this fight," Applejack said with a cocky smirk, "We're about to end this."
Almost on cue, Greymon charged up fire in his mouth, "MEGA FLAME!" he shouted, shooting a large fireball out of his mouth at Kabuterimon, knocking it far back. The digimon flew into the air, and fired its electric attack at Greymon, but Garurumon jumped in the way and took the attack head on.
At the same time, Rarity screamed in pain and fell to her knees. Fluttershy's heart leaped out her chest when she saw that.
"Rarity!" Applejack cried running to her aid, "Why did ya do that?!"
"You and Greymon's attacks will do the most damage," Rarity said, smiling at Applejack lovingly, "Don't worry. Garurumon and I are fine, love."
"Crazy thing," Applejack lightly scolded, pressing their foreheads together, "It'll be over soon."
Fluttershy was starting to get a little afraid. Did Rarity actually feel when her Digimon got hurt?
Greymon helped Garurumon up, and the two of them nodded. They both then looked up at Kabuterimon and charged up their attacks at the same time, firing them at the Kabuterimon. The purple bug Digimon caught on fire and fell to the ground, instantly breaking apart as if just made of data. Energy flowed into both Greymon and Garurumon.
GREYMON: 30 EXP
GARURUMON: 30 EXP
Fluttershy looked at Guilmon, who also had energy flowing into him. Before she could ask, she heard a beep from her Digivice.
GUILMON: 30 EXP
LEVEL UP!!!
(end song)
"Hey, I feel stronger," Guilmon said looking himself over.
"That's because you gained experience," Rarity said, catching both Guilmon and Fluttershy's attention. Behind her was Garurumon, "Are you okay, love?"
"Um... yes..." Fluttershy said looking away, "But... w-what about you? You were in pain earlier."
"Please, I'm fine," Rarity said waving it off, "It was just psychological feedback. It happens once your Digimon enters the higher levels."
Fluttershy looked around as the mist faded away. At the same time, both Greymon and Garurumon shifted back into their smaller forms.
"Looks like it's time for us to hide," Agumon said, "Come on, Gabumon."
"Right," both Gabumon and Agumon ran over to Guilmon and took his hands, "Come with us."
"O-okay. See ya Fluttershy!" Guilmon said, being dragged away by the two smaller Digimon. As Fluttershy watched them leave, Rarity patted her on the shoulder.
"Come to the student council office later," Rarity said, "Applejack and I will answer your questions then."
Fluttershy wordlessly nodded and watched as Rarity sauntered back into the school. Applejack walked past Fluttershy, intentionally bumping into her, and walked after Rarity. Rainbow Dash pushed through another set of doors and ran out to Fluttershy right as Applejack left.
"There you are!" Rainbow Dash cried, "What happened? Is everything okay?!"
Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash, surprised to see how worried she looked. She had no idea that Rainbow Dash cared that much. Fluttershy nodded and then looked down, holding her Digivice in her pocket tightly. This was a lot crazier than she imagined.
"What in the world is that Digimon?" Twilight asked, watching Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash from a rooftop, "I've never seen anything like it before."
"I think he's like me," Dorumon said, "An anomaly that the Mother Computer didn't anticipate."
"We're keeping a close watch on her then," Twilight said folding her arms, "Regardless of what direction she chooses to take." |
Digimon Saga: CTRL-ALT-DELETE | 03: Why should I help?! | Theme Song: With the Wind
03: Why should I help?!
"Sir, the anomaly has been taken care of," a woman behind a computer said. She had really long black hair.
"It looks like three unidentified Digimon appeared and took care of it," another woman with short neon blue hair said next to her, "I think two of them Digivolved on their own."
"Can we get ID on the Digimon?" a menacing looking man in a black suit asked behind them.
"Negative sir," the black haired woman said, "They did not appear in our registry. I think they might might have live users."
"Hmph, more kids playing," the man said, "Keep watch of the network, and let me know the second another anomaly shows up."
"Yes, Mr. Sombra," the two women said at the same time as the man left. Outside of the computer room, the man in the suit folded his arms looking down.
"Those kids have no idea what game they're playing," he said, "Once our project is completed though, they'll understand the truth of what they're getting themselves into."
After that strange incident, the teachers decided to end class early. Most of the students were happy to hear this, even though there was still an air of tension around. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both went to their lockers to pack up, the latter ecstatic about this development.
"Geez, I have no idea what happened, but I'm happy that it did," Rainbow Dash said closing her locker and turning to Fluttershy, who was frowning at her Digivice, "Hey, what's that thing?"
"O-oh, it's nothing," Fluttershy said quickly hiding it behind her, "Just... s-something my brother is... um... into and... uh... um..."
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but then shrugged, "Okay then. Hey, wanna head to the arcade? Now that we got this free day, why not have some fun, you know?"
"Actually, I um... I-I have something... I mean, I p-promised someone that... I w-w-would... um..." Fluttershy trailed off, looking away nervously. Rainbow Dash shook her head with a smile.
"Geez, it's alright, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash said, "You don't have to be so scared. You have my facebook, so message me if you're free later."
With that, Rainbow Dash ran off, finally leaving Fluttershy alone. She took a second to breathe out in relief, and then walked off to the student council office. She had no idea why she was going there. She'd run into the same issue she ran into with Rainbow Dash with Rarity and Applejack. Still, she did need to know what was happening. What were "Digimon", and how did they get Digimon too?
She needed answers, and those two definitely had them. Fluttershy just wished that she could have gotten this information from the internet and not in person.
When she reached the office door, she froze. Suddenly, she couldn't stop trembling. She knew that she needed to do this, as she needed that information, but the thought of going to them directly like this was just...
Fluttershy closed her eyes tightly, feeling a panic attack start to build up. In the internet she was different. She could be brave, assertive, and most of all confident. Out in the real world though, she was none of those things.
"Oh, you came," Fluttershy heard from down the hall. She looked and saw Rarity walking up to her, "I was just about to head in and wait for you. Applejack and our Digimon should already be inside."
Fluttershy nodded without saying a word. Had Rarity not shown up when she did, Fluttershy might have just ran off and forgotten about it. Rarity smiled warmly and opened the door, ushering her inside. She didn't seem like a bad person like this. Despite being vain, really vain, Rarity seemed sort of sweet and motherly.
Inside the student council office, she saw a few tables aligned to form a circle with a few chairs, and shelves lined with sort of complicated books. Off to the side, Guilmon, Agumon, and Gabumon sat down talking amongst themselves, and behind the desk right in front of the door sat Applejack, who had a laptop computer in front of her. Oddly, she wasn't doing anything on the computer, and it looked like it was just there to be there.
When they entered, Guilmon looked up at them beaming, "Fluttershy! You came!"
She was surprised when Guilmon ran up to her and hugged her. It wasn't unpleasant, so after a second she did slightly return the gesture.
"Glad ya could join us," Applejack said with a cocky smirk, "Though, with how long ya stood outside the door, I thought you were gonna run away."
Wait, she saw her? Well, the door did have a window, even if you couldn't see much out of it. Fluttershy had no idea that someone was inside. Feeling really embarrassed and ashamed, Fluttershy looked away biting her lip.
"She was probably just nervous," Rarity said walking toward Applejack, "She's rather shy, so perhaps asking her to come here was a bit much. I do apologize for that, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy shook her head smiling a bit. It was a little easier to talk to Rarity than it was to Applejack. At least she felt like Rarity sort of liked her.
"So, is she ready?" Rarity asked Applejack.
"She's been waitin for y'all the whole time," Applejack said looking at the computer, "Want me to turn on the speakers?" after apparently getting her response, she typed on the laptop for a bit and then turned it around. On the screen showed an odd looking white machine with a red visor.
"GREETINGS, USER FLUTTERSHY. WE SPOKE EARLIER I BELIEVE."
The voice Fluttershy heard was terrifying. It sounded female mostly, yet she could almost hear multiple voices all at once. The voices sounded somewhat mechanical, and devoid of humanity. Fluttershy slowly walked toward the computer.
"W-who are you...?" Fluttershy asked slowly.
"I AM YGGDRASIL," the entity on the computer said, "I AM THE MOTHER COMPUTER, AND OVERSEER OF THE DIGITAL WORLD."
Yggdrasil? That was the name of the person who gave Fluttershy her Digimon and Digivice. Was this who she was talking to?
"I'm sure you're confused," Rarity said folding her arms, "There's no need to be afraid though. Yggdrasil is benevolent. Think of her as the God in the Digital World."
"AFFIRMATIVE. PLEASE BE AT EASE, USER FLUTTERSHY," Yggdrasil said, her tone sounding almost comforting, "MY ONLY DESIRE IS TO ANSWER YOUR INQUIRIES AS TO THE EVENTS FROM TWO HOURS PRIOR TO THIS MOMENT."
"She scared us too the first time," Applejack explained, "Don't worry."
"Y-you called me a "user"," Fluttershy asked, now relaxing a bit, "Are you referring to my Digimon partner?"
"AFFIRMATIVE. YOU HAVE BEEN REGISTERED INTO MY CPU AS THE USER OF THE DIGITAL MONSTER "GUILMON"."
"Digital Monster?" Fluttershy asked.
"That's what Digimon stands for," Rarity explained kneeling down to pet Gabumon on the head, "Though they look real, these little guys are actually made of computer data."
"But how is that possible?" Fluttershy asked looking at Guilmon confused, "If they're made of data, they shouldn't be able to materialize out here."
"NEGATIVE," Yggdrasil said suddenly, "HUMAN DNA AND COMPUTER DATA ARE QUITE SIMILAR IN THEIR COMPOSITION. THE IDEA OF CONVERTING DATA SO THAT IT ACTS LIKE MATTER IS A SIMPLE CONCEPT TO ME."
"We don't know how she does it either," Applejack said with a shrug, "But ya saw it, right? That Kabuterimon we fought today disintegrated like it wasn't even there."
"It did," Fluttershy said thoughtfully, "After your Digimon attacked it, it just vanished. Almost like it was..."
"Like it was deleted, right?" Applejack asked with a knowing smile. Fluttershy couldn't argue with that logic. Sure, it didn't make sense, but she couldn't refute it.
"I APOLOGIZE IF THIS CONCEPT DOES NOT COMPUTE TO YOU, USER FLUTTERSHY. BUT IT IS JUST AS MY KNIGHT SAID, THE KABUTERIMON YOU FACED BEFORE WAS DELETED."
"Remember when I said to you back home that I used the data from your computer?" Guilmon asked, "I'm still data."
"So... does that mean you brought that... bug thing here?" Fluttershy asked folding her arms frowning.
"NEGATIVE. THAT HAPPENED DUE TO THE BARRIER BETWEEN DIMENSIONS WEAKENING."
"Yggdrasil, may I?" Rarity asked walking over to the computer and typing on it, pulling up what looked like two maps of planet earth side by side, streams of light shooting out between them, "Fluttershy dear, please take a look at this."
Fluttershy walked forward to take a look at the map, "What is this...?"
"This, darling, is how our worlds are connected," Rarity explained, "The planet on the left is Earth, and the planet on the right is, well, that's their world," she pointed to the Digimon.
"The streams of light shooting between the two worlds is what you humans call the Internet," Agumon said, "That's how we were able to come here."
"DUE TO REASONS BEYOND MY UNDERSTANDING, THE HUMAN WORLD'S NETWORK HAS BEGUN SHARING INFORMATION WITH THE DIGITAL WORLD," Yggdrasil explained, "BEFORE, THE DIGITAL WORLD WAS SIMPLE, BUT IT EVOLVED AND BECAME IT'S OWN WORLD. BITS OF DATA BEGAN TO FORM INTO CREATURES AND GAINED SENTIENCE. I TOO, EVOLVED IN THIS MANNER, AND BECAME SIMILAR TO THE DIGIMON."
"Hence how a computer is able to talk to ya, in case you were wonderin," Applejack said, "An' no, my laptop ain't Yggdrasil. She exists somewhere in the real world, but we don't know where."
"It was fine at first," Gabumon said wilting a bit, "Digimon would be created whenever new information from your world entered the network. But eventually holes within the net began to form, and Digimon started coming into this world."
"THE DIGIMON THAT ENTER THE HUMAN WORLD ARE INFECTED WITH AN ODD VIRUS OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN," Yggdrasil explained, "THEY BECOME MORE POWERFUL, AND THEIR DATA BECOMES CORRUPTED, MAKING THEM VIOLENT. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT I AM GIVING THE POWER TO TAME DIGIMON TO INDIVIDUAL HUMANS IN THE HOPES THAT THEY WILL BECOME MY ROYAL KNIGHTS."
"And that, dear, is where we come in," Rarity said holding out her Digivice, "We were chosen by Yggdrasil to become what we call "Digimon Tamers". Using these, we can fight infected Digimon with our own Digimon partners."
"You mean... so your Digimon can fight them?" Fluttershy asked frowning.
"Nope, we fight jus' as hard too," Applejack said pulling out her Digivice, "Our Digivices allow us to hack into the data of our Digimon, augmentin their abilities. Also, as ya saw earlier, they need our energy to enter their higher states."
"DIGIMON PHASE INTO ANY OF SIX STATES DEPENDING ON THEIR DEVELOPMENT," Yggdrasil explained, "THESE STATES ARE THE FOLLOWING: FRESH, IN-TRAINING, ROOKIE, CHAMPION, ULTIMATE, AND MEGA. WHILE DIGIMON ARE ABLE TO ENTER THESE STATES ON THEIR OWN, IT NORMALLY TAKES MUCH MORE DATA, AS SUCH ONLY A FEW DIGIMON ARE ABLE TO ENTER THE HIGHER STATES UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES."
"However, as Yggdrasil pointed out earlier," Rarity pointed out, closing the map and showing Yggdrasil's "face" again, "human DNA is very similar to the data that make Digimon. As such, the main function of our Digivices is to allow us to transfer aspects of our being into our Digimon, allowing them to instantly shoot into their higher forms while still retaining their sense of self."
"HOWEVER, THERE IS A BACK DRAW TO THIS. ONE THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECTIFY," Yggdrasil stated, "IN ORDER FOR DIGIMON CONNECTED TO A USER TO DIGIVOLVE INTO THEIR HIGHER FORMS, MORE ASPECTS OF THE USER IS NEEDED. AT LEAST 25 PERCENT FOR CHAMPION, BETWEEN 50 AND 75 PERCENT FOR ULTIMATE, AND NO MORE THAN 100 PERCENT FOR MEGA. BECAUSE OF THIS, THE USER EXPERIENCES A PSYCHOLOGICAL FEEDBACK FROM THEIR DIGIMON FIGHTING. THIS PHENOMENON BECOMES STRONGER AS THE DIGIMON ENTER THEIR HIGHER STATES."
That was why Rarity screamed in pain when her Digimon got hurt in battle. Those numbers were scary though. She saw what 25 percent looked like, but what would 50 or 75 be like? And what did 100 percent entail?
"This ain't exactly a kid's game," Applejack said, "We could get seriously hurt doin' this. Still, as Royal Knights, we got a duty to this world an' the Digital World."
"What are Royal Knights?" Fluttershy asked, "I think you mentioned those before."
"ROYAL KNIGHTS ARE SPECIAL TAMERS THAT I DESIGNATE TO BECOME MY PERSONAL DEFENDERS," Yggdrasil explained, "THE REQUIREMENTS OF A ROYAL KNIGHT ARE STRICT, AND REQUIRE A CERTAIN TYPE OF TAMER TO MANIFEST. SO FAR, ONLY THE USERS APPLEJACK AND RARITY HAVE SHOWN ME THOSE REQUIREMENTS. IT IS FORTUNATE THAT YOU GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL AS USERS APPLEJACK AND RARITY."
"You... want me to join you?" Fluttershy asked slowly.
"We of course don't wish to force you," Rarity assured, "But we are short on help. Most of the Royal Knights before us have all been purged due to the reboot 2 years ago."
Reboot? What did that mean? Wait, two years ago was the network crash in Japan! Was that related to this "reboot"?
"THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE SHOWS THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF THIS INCIDENT," Yggdrasil pointed out, "I BELIEVE IN THE REAL WORLD, THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AS A NETWORK CRASH IN THE COUNTRY OF JAPAN. DURING THAT TIME, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO REBOOT THE DIGITAL WORLD IN ORDER TO PREVENT A GREAT DESTRUCTIVE FORCE FROM ENTERING THE HUMAN WORLD."
"Sadly, she fucked up, puttin' it bluntly," Applejack said, resting her hands behind her head, "Doin that opened a bunch of rifts here. It also disabled a number of Royal Knights. The only one she was able to salvage was Examon."
"Sadly he's too large on a network scale to reform," Rarity explained, "So Yggdrasil has been working overtime to create new Royal Knights."
"Huh... and the quickest way is for you guys to give Digimon to Tamers so they can become Royal Knights," Guilmon said thoughtfully, "Alright then. We're in."
"W-what?!" Fluttershy exclaimed, "Don't just decide for the both of us!"
"Come on, Fluttershy. She really needs help," Guilmon pressed.
"That's easy for you to say, but you're made to fight!" Fluttershy fussed, "I'm sorry, but the whole me giving my being to fight scares me to death!" she turned to Yggdrasil, "I'm sorry Miss Yggdrasil, but I can't just decide on this right away."
"THAT IS FINE, USER FLUTTERSHY," Yggdrasil said, "PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME IN DECIDING. THE OFFER WILL ALWAYS BE THERE."
Fluttershy bowed to everyone and rushed out of the student council room, not bothering to say goodbye to anyone or even to check and see if Guilmon was following her. She needed to get away from all of this craziness. Maybe consult with Cipher to get his opinion.
This wasn't something she could decide on the spot like that.
"Well that went about as well as I thought," Applejack said sitting down once Guilmon and Fluttershy left, "I told y'all she'd be too spooked."
"I'm not ready to give up on her yet," Rarity said thoughtfully, "Her Digimon is so different than ours. We should try and get her on our side."
"IT IS MANDATORY THAT SHE JOIN US," Yggdrasil said, "THAT DIGIMON COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IS LEFT TO ITS OWN DEVICES."
"You talk as if that Digimon is dangerous or somethin," Applejack said.
"HIGHLY DANGEROUS, USER APPLEJACK. MY SCANS INDICATED A POWERFUL VIRUS LOCATED WITHIN THAT DIGIMON. ONE THAT WILL ONLY GROW AS THE DIGIMON GETS STRONGER."
"Is that right?" Applejack asked frowning a bit, "Well then, maybe we should have jus' deleted her Digimon when it was here."
"Or we could continue to try and convince her to join us," Rarity said, "Her Digimon didn't seem bad. Actually, he seemed sweet."
"Guilmon is super cool!" Agumon cheered, "Gabumon and I wanna show him our clubhouse!"
"We're not going to fight Guilmon, are we Your Highness?" Gabumon asked.
"No dear, we're not," Rarity said, shooting Applejack a bit of a look, "He's going to become our friend one way or another. Him and his Tamer."
Applejack rolled her eyes and looked away. Honestly, sometimes Rarity was just too nice. Still, that was what she loved the most about her. She was everything that Applejack wasn't. So even though she didn't agree, she wasn't going to argue.
Instead, she'd just keep an even closer eye on Fluttershy and her odd Digimon.
"Fluttershy, wait up!" Guilmon cried, running after Fluttershy as she stormed back to her house. He finally caught up to her when they reached her neighborhood, "Fluttershy!"
"What?!" Fluttershy asked turning to Guilmon.
"Don't you want to help those two girls and their Digimon?" Guilmon asked.
"No actually, I don't!" Fluttershy fussed, "They're not my friends or anything! Besides, this whole thing is too crazy for me!"
"Fluttershy, I know this is really scary," Guilmon said walking over to Fluttershy, "I'm sorry that you had to figure all of this out so quickly. But if what Yggdrasil said is true, then those other girls need all the help they can get."
"Then why don't you go help them yourself?" Fluttershy asked harshly looking away, "Why do I need to get involved?"
"I can't help them alone, Fluttershy," Guilmon explained, "I'm your Digimon partner, which means all of my power has to come from you. Without you, all I am is," he held his arms out, presenting himself, "well... this."
"Guilmon..."
"You saw how much help I was fighting Kabuterimon," Guilmon added, "I don't want to have to rely on other Digimon all the time. I want to fight too. I want to become a strong Digimon, and reach my Mega Level so I can protect others. I bet together, we could become Royal Knights like Applejack, Rarity, Agumon, and Gabumon."
"But I don't want any of that..." Fluttershy said, tears welling up in her eyes, "I just..."
"What do you want then?" Guilmon asked. Fluttershy looked back at Guilmon, surprised by how sincere he looked. He actually cared about her, and wanted to-
"No," Fluttershy said shaking her head, "Stop that."
"Stop what?" Guilmon asked, genuinely confused.
"That!" Fluttershy cried, "Looking at me with those eyes! Asking me what's wrong! Stop doing that!"
Guilmon tilted his head frowning, looking even more confused, "You... want me to stop caring...?"
"YES!" Fluttershy screamed, her tears falling freely, "I didn't ask you or anyone to start caring for me! I didn't ask you to even enter my life! If you want to care about someone, then go care about someone else! I don't want any part of it!"
"Fluttershy!" Guilmon cried as Fluttershy ran off. He was shocked. Not mad though. Instead, he was just worried. Why did she close herself off like that?
"You need someone to care for you though..." Guilmon said somberly, "Even if not me, why not those other girls?"
Unknown to either of them, Pinkie Pie stood behind a corner listening to them. She had it all wrong. Fluttershy didn't need a smile. She needed a friend. She placed a hand on her chest, closed her eyes, and surprisingly started crying a bit herself.
"I'm so sorry..." Pinkie Pie sobbed, "I had no idea you were in such pain..."
Thankfully Fluttershy had enough mind to keep the door unlocked for Guilmon, but by the time he made it back in she was already upstairs. Guilmon saw Fluttershy's brother, Zephyr sitting on the couch playing his 3DS again.
"Did you see Fluttershy?" Guilmon asked.
"She rushed upstairs and slammed the door shut," Zephyr said, never taking his eyes off his game, "She must have been really upset. Then again, she's always like that."
"Did you talk to her?" Guilmon asked, "Maybe she'll feel better."
"Ha! Nothing I can do," Zephyr said, "She's a closed book. No one can get through her angry exterior, and not from lack of trying either. My advice Guilmon? Don't waste the energy. She's determined to stay in that dark place, and you trying to force her out is only going to make things worse for both of you."
Guilmon frowned at Zephyr. That didn't make any sense to him. Weren't they bother and sister? Siblings looked out for each other, like Agumon and Gabumon. How could Zephyr just leave her like that?
Feeling really frustrated, confused, and depressed, Guilmon trudged into the kitchen and sat down, where Cyrus was already making dinner.
"Hello Guilmon," Cyrus said, "We're having leftovers from last night. Hope you don't mind."
"That's okay," Guilmon sighed resting his head on the table, "I liked the food from yesterday."
Cyrus turned to Guilmon once he put the food in the oven, "Something wrong, Guilmon?"
"Dad, why is Fluttershy so closed off?" Guilmon asked.
"You and Fluttershy have a fight?" Cyrus asked.
"Something like that. I guess it wasn't really a fight, but she said some things that really didn't make sense. We met some people today who might need help, and Fluttershy can help, but she doesn't want to get involved. She then asked me to stop caring for her. Dad, did I do something wrong?"
"No Guilmon, you didn't," Cyrus said with a sigh, "She's just... like that sadly."
"That's what Zephyr said," Guilmon said pouting, "He told me that there's no point in trying to reach out to her. How can he say that? Is she really that bad off?"
Rather than answer his question outright, Cyrus walked out of the kitchen for a second, going to the shelf where the pictures were. He then came back and placed a portrait down in front of Guilmon.
"What's this?" Guilmon asked taking the picture, "Is that Fluttershy in her In-Training form?"
Cyrus laughed sitting down across from Guilmon, "I guess you could say that. She's six in this picture. The woman holding her is her Mother, Posey."
"Where is she?" Guilmon asked looking up at Cyrus, "I haven't seen her at all." The way Cyrus looked away made Guilmon's chest feel funny.
"She's... no longer with us," Cyrus said sadly, "There was an accident at her job, and she... died."
Guilmon's eyes widened. He knew what "death" was. It was similar to a Digimon being deleted, only for humans the data couldn't be retrieved to prevent permanent deletion. For humans, death was final.
"Fluttershy was close with her... wasn't she?" Guilmon asked softly.
"She idolized her Mother," Cyrus said, taking the picture and looking at it fondly, "She was truly a beautiful woman. She wanted to use computers to make the world a better place. Fluttershy dreams of being a programmer just like her. But... after the accident, Fluttershy changed. She closed herself off, and became obsessed with the company that Posey worked for, Umbra Corp. She thinks I don't know, but she started hanging out with seedy people on the internet. There's this notorious hacker over here named Zero, and well, I have my suspicions..."
"So she does have people she talks to?" Guilmon asked.
"I think so, but not "real" people if that makes sense," Cyrus said, "She doesn't connect with people face to face. Instead she just stays behind her computer, talking to people on chat rooms. I want her to live her life, and I'm not trying to stop her, but..." he set the picture down and took Guilmon's claws earnestly, "Guilmon, I know that you came here for Fluttershy. I believe that if there's anyone who can save her, it's you. So don't stop caring for her. Stay with her, even when she's pushing you away. She needs someone. She needs you."
Guilmon looked at Cyrus seriously, taking in what he was saying. Maybe he was brought here not just to help fight bad Digimon, but also to help Fluttershy. He nodded, resolving to help her any way he could.
After all, like it or not, she was his partner now. They needed each other.
Once she got in, she rushed into her room and logged into the chat room where she and Cipher talked. It took a few minutes, but he eventually got on. She told him everything about the Digimon, and how her Digimon apparently took her virus in order to take form.
That's a bit of a problem, not gonna lie._
So the question now is... what are we going to do about it?_
Honestly, I don't know WHAT to do about it._
I didn't ask for any of this!_
I don't want to be involved with any of this!_
She felt her eyes watering again, but wiped her tears away trying to force herself not to cry as Cipher typed his response.
I know you're scared, Zero._
But this could work out in our favor._
"What?" Fluttershy asked, reading Cipher's latest post a second time, "How could this work in our favor?"
What the fuck are you talking about, Cipher?_
Well, what if your virus isn't gone at all?_
What if... it just took on a new form?_
Fluttershy narrowed her eyes thinking about what Cipher was saying. She had wrestled with the possibility, but hearing it from another source...
Cipher, are you suggesting..._
That Guilmon IS my virus...?_
It didn't take long for Cipher's response to show up.
Yes._
That's exactly what I'm suggesting._
Fluttershy's heart was racing. That was exactly what she was thinking herself when she saw the symbol on Guilmon's stomach.
I mean, think about it Zero._
Digimon are made of data, right?_
Yeah, that's what I learned today._
Okay, and you said that when he formed, he took the virus and then started changing._
Yeah. He even has the icon I used to represent it on his stomach._
So, putting two and two together would mean..._
"That Guilmon is my Digital Hazard virus," Fluttershy spoke out loud to herself rather than type it out. This certainly was an odd development. When she made the virus, she hadn't thought of the possibility of it coming to life.
Ugh, why did my virus have to come to life?_
Why did it have to be so goddamn nice?_
She folded her arms pouting as she waited for Cipher's response, which was NOT what she was expecting.
Why is it a bad thing that he's nice?_
That should make it EASIER for you to ask him for help._
Fluttershy's eyes went wide. Cipher understood her position, and why she avoided people. So why was he now telling her to...
I mean... yeah it does..._
But I don't want him to care about me._
It's hard dealing with people right in front of you._
As long as they're in front of a screen, I don't have to feel but so bad if something happens._
Fluttershy couldn't hold in her tears now, as she thought about what she was saying. She knew it was cold, and honestly terrible. But she needed this in order to function.
Zero, what we have is great._
It's wonderful, actually. You're probably my best friend._
Even though we've never seen each other face to face, I truly do love you._
Fluttershy's heart leaped out of her chest. It wasn't the first time they had professed to being so intimate together. They had even had rp sex in the chat room a few times, and in any online game where they could get married, they IMMEDIATELY found each other and got married.
I... I know..._
I love you too, Cipher._
That being said, Zero..._
I can't be the ONLY person in your life that you trust._
What was he saying? He understood her! He knew that she couldn't open up to people!
What do you mean?!_
You're the only person I need!_
The only person I want!_
I don't need anyone else except for you Cipher!_
Do you plan on living the rest of your life in your room or wherever you are right now, Zero?!_
That question made Fluttershy stop and think. It took a few seconds, but eventually Cipher started typing again.
Zero, we've NEVER seen each other's faces._
We don't even know each other's real names._
As far as we know, we could have walked past each other hundreds of times and not even know it._
[i]Maybe we live in the same neighborhood, go to the same shops._
Hell, if you and I are both students, we might go to the same school._
But... we also can't trust each other one hundred percent either._
You could be ANYONE, and so could I._
While us being friends, and having an online romance like we do is fine, until we one day meet in PERSON, this isn't truly real, and you know it._
She did. She hated it, but Cipher was right. I mean, she THOUGHT that Cipher was a guy, as based on the way he spoke in the texts he sounded like a guy, but she had no way of knowing for sure.
Zero, I hope that we can meet in person one day._
I hope that when we meet we're just as close as we are here in the chat room._
But, until then, you need balance._
Guilmon IS the virus you were making. That means in an odd way you KNOW him._
Even if it's just him for now, you need to let other people in, Zero._
Before she could answer him, there was a knock on her door.
"Fluttershy, it's me," Guilmon said, "I brought us dinner. Dad said it's okay for us to eat here."
Fluttershy closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Alright. Give me a sec, okay?" she then typed up her response.
Speak of the devil, he's right outside my door._
That's okay. I need to log out anyway._
Think about what I said, Zero._
I... will._
I love you, Cipher._
I love you too, Zero._
She kissed her fingers and placed them on the screen and then logged out. She then walked over to the door and opened it, seeing Guilmon standing there holding two plates of lasagna.
"You... brought me dinner?" Fluttershy asked.
"Dad said that you liked eating up here when you were upset," Guilmon said.
Yeah, she did, so she could be alone. Still, she could see that Guilmon was determined to not leave her alone. She sighed and ushered him inside.
"You can sit on the bed and eat if you're clean," Fluttershy said curtly. Guilmon handed her a plate and then walked inside. Fluttershy closed and locked the door, and then sat back down at her computer table.
"It's so dark in here," Guilmon said looking around, "Hey, it's a full moon right now. Let's open the windows."
Before she could protest, Guilmon set his plate down and walked over to her window. He then grabbed the string for the blinds and pulled it down, opening them to reveal the night sky lit up with a full moon. It was nice, melancholy, and while it did light up the room, it still matched the somber feeling in Fluttershy's heart.
Guilmon walked back to the bed and sat down, took his plate, and smiled at Fluttershy before digging in. Like requested, he did his best to be neat. Fluttershy looked at Guilmon intently for a few seconds and then started eating her food. They were both silent for a few seconds to a minute, with Guilmon eventually breaking the silence.
"I'm sorry about your Mom, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy gasped and turned to Guilmon, who had his eyes closed somberly.
"Daddy... told you...?"
Guilmon nodded, "He said that you used to be happy, and more open, but then she died in an accident. That's why you're so cold now, right?"
"It wasn't an accident!" Fluttershy fussed, instantly calming down she she saw the shocked look on Guilmon's face, "But... yeah. That's why I'm..."
"She'd be really sad if she saw you like this," Guilmon said softly, "I bet she'd cry."
"I know she's upset at me," Fluttershy said, "I'm upset at myself. I know that this isn't right, and that I'm not being fair to anyone. Not Rainbow Dash, not my Dad, not my brother, not Cipher, or... you."
"If you know, then why are you like this?" Guilmon asked.
"Because I'm scared, okay?!" Fluttershy cried, setting her fork down and hugging herself tightly, "When Mommy died, I was destroyed. I loved her so much, and felt safest when I was with her. When she died, I couldn't take it. I became ill, and couldn't leave my bed for weeks."
"You're afraid of people getting too close... because you don't want to feel that pain again," Guilmon said.
"I know it's irrational," Fluttershy continued, "But when I get in front of people, I just freeze up. And when someone tries to get close to me, I pull away on instinct. There's this girl in my class named Rainbow Dash who's always trying to be my friend. I... try to let her in a bit, but something inside of me keeps pulling away. She doesn't seem to mind, but I know that one day she'll stop trying. Everyone stops trying."
"I won't stop."
Fluttershy looked up at Guilmon, who was looking right at her sincerely.
"Guilmon...?"
"I promise, Fluttershy. No matter what, I'll stay by your side. Even if you push me away, I'll be right there."
"Why...?" Fluttershy asked tearing up, "Why are you always so nice to me? Even after what I said to you earlier?"
"Because we're partners, Fluttershy," Guilmon said smiling, "Partners look out for each other."
Guilmon set his plate aside, and walked over to Fluttershy taking her hand into his, giving her the sweetest smile he could. She couldn't hate him. She knew that he was just trying to help her open up. Even though they hadn't known each other long, in a way it was like they knew each other forever.
Fluttershy broke down completely and embraced Guilmon tightly, a gesture that he returned. She was afraid, but she decided to take a chance and let him in.
"Guilmon..."
"Yeah Fluttershy?"
"Help me... find out who killed my mom."
At night, two drastically different people were having a sparring match. One of them was a teenage girl wearing sweatpants, a tank top, and her long hair tied in a ponytail. The other one was a small figure shaped almost like a mini dragon with large fists. They had almost cartoon like proportions, but what was interesting what that these two were at the same level.
The girl threw a kick, but the tiny figure jumped to the side out of the way and jumped up with an uppercut. The girl did a sudden back flip out of the way and then braced herself as her opponent jumped forward charging at her.
The tiny dragon threw rapid punches and kicks while still in the air, but the girl blocked each and every attack before doing a spin kick knocking her tiny opponent back. Said opponent landed on his back, but then kicked back up to his feet.
The two of them charged at each other at the same time, the dragon jumped up, and the two of them threw punches at the same time, hitting each other's jaws. After a second, both of them fell down onto the ground next to each other and did something shocking.
They laughed.
"Man, talk about a great fight!" Rainbow Dash shouted, "For a little guy, you got real spirit."
"Told ya so!" her tiny new friend said with a smirk, "I may be small, but these fists got infinite power in them!"
"You're like, one hundred percent pure punch! I love it!" Rainbow Dash cheered before turning to her partner, "Name's Rainbow Dash, by the way."
"Just call me Veemon," the tiny dragon said, "Partners?"
"Partners," Rainbow Dash said, the two of them bumping fists. Rainbow Dash then looked up at the sky, holding up a blue and white Digivice, "Now, how about you start by telling me how to use this thing?" |
Digimon Saga: CTRL-ALT-DELETE | 04: Do you want to be my friend too? | Theme Song: With the Wind
04: Do you want to be my friend too?
It was dark by the time Pinkie Pie got home. Fluttershy's place was a little out of the way, but she didn't mind the walk. Actually, it was a nice way for her to clear her head. She had so many complicated thoughts after seeing Fluttershy. She had no idea how much pain she was in. She even pushed her Digimon partner away.
Although, it looked like they had just met, not like how it was with her Digimon.
"Everyone, I'm home," Pinkie Pie called out at the door, taking her shoes off.
"Pinkie Pie!" a youthful voice called out. A second later, a tiny dragon like Digimon with a white metallic body and red cape with goggles ran up to her. Pinkie Pie knelt down and hugged him.
"Hey Hackmon. Sorry I'm so late," Pinkie Pie said.
"It's alright. Maud's already putting the finishing touches on dinner," Hackmon said with a big smile, "She's in the kitchen setting the plates."
Hackmon guided Pinkie Pie into the kitchen, where her older sister was setting up a dinner table with three plates of spaghetti.
"Hey Maud!" Pinkie Pie chirped. Maud set the plates down and smiled softly to Pinkie Pie. She didn't talk much, but she was a great legal guardian for Pinkie Pie.
"So, what kept ya anyway?" Hackmon asked sitting at the table and digging into his plate of food.
"I had to make sure a friend was okay," Pinkie Pie said, hugging her big sister before sitting down at the table herself, "Sorry for not calling ahead of time, you two."
Maud shook her head, "It's fine, Pinkie Pie. Did they get home safely?"
"Yeah, she did," Pinkie Pie said, frowning as she thought of how upset Fluttershy was, "But... I think my friend is in a lot of turmoil."
"Is it a bad Digimon?" Hackmon asked, "I bet I can protect her."
"Hackmon, you know how Pinkie Pie feels about violence," Maud lightly scolded, "Besides, I don't think that's the turmoil Pinkie Pie's thinking about."
"Not... exactly," Pinkie Pie said, setting her fork down and thinking about what happened at school today. She saw the fight against Kabuterimon, and was really disturbed that it came to the school. At this rate, she wouldn't be able to dodge it.
After dinner, Pinkie Pie took Hackmon up to her room where she shared with him everything that happened today.
"See? What did I tell you?" Hackmon said sitting on Pinkie Pie's bed, "Now that the rift has opened here, more Digimon are going to start attacking this place."
"What do you want to do, Hackmon?" Pinkie Pie asked, sitting on her bed too and hugging her knees, afraid of his answer.
"I want to fight," Hackmon said seriously, "I want to become a strong Digimon and protect my family. Both you, Maud, and everyone back home," he walked over to Pinkie Pie and took her hand, looking at her earnestly, "Please Pinkie Pie, let me fight."
"I..." Pinkie Pie looked away biting her lip, "I don't know, Hackmon... I'm a pacifist."
"I know, but the infected Digimon aren't," Hackmon said seriously, "You said that girl had a Digimon too, right? What if she gets attacked by another evil Digimon, and those other two tamers can't help her?"
"You could get hurt though," Pinkie Pie said hugging Hackmon, "You're not just my Digimon partner, Hackmon. You're my brother."
"That's why I want to fight, Pinkie Pie," Hackmon said returning the hug, "So I can protect my sister."
Pinkie Pie hated this. She knew that Hackmon was right, and this confirmed it. However, she was terrified of what could happen to him if he fought. She didn't want her brother to get hurt, or worse, killed.
Just like Maud's partner...
School was uneventful as usual. Fluttershy already knew everything the teacher was talking about, so she was only paying attention halfway. She hadn't seen or spoken to Rarity just yet, but that fit her just fine. She still wasn't sure if she was going to take her and Applejack up on their offer.
Besides, tonight she had somewhere else to be.
One thing that caught her attention was Rainbow Dash. She kept snickering to herself, and every so often she'd look at Fluttershy with a sort of odd expression. Fluttershy thought it was odd, but she didn't pay it much mind.
After school ended, Fluttershy shot up from her chair and ran out of the classroom.
"Fluttershy, wait up!" Rainbow Dash called out, shooting up and running after her, stopping at their lockers, "Hey, um, I wanted to talk to you about yesterday. That device you-"
"No time," Fluttershy said closing her locker, "I have someplace to go."
She pushed past Rainbow Dash and ran out of the school, vaguely sure that she heard Rainbow Dash calling out to her. This was a big day for her. She wasn't sure if it would work, but she still had to take this chance. Besides, it wasn't like Rainbow Dash had anything important to say.
Rainbow Dash ran out of the school and looked around. How could anyone run that fast in heels?!
"Damn it Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash swore, pulling out her Digivice, "Hold on, if I'm right, then..." she pushed a button on the Digivice revealing what looked like a map that showed a red dot running deeper into the city, "Bingo! Veemon, I got her!"
Veemon jumped down from a tree and ran over to Rainbow Dash, "I saw her too. She ran off in that direction," he said pointing to the city.
"That matches with the radar app," Rainbow Dash said with a smirk, "Let's go, partner."
"Right!" Veemon shouted, jumping on Rainbow Dash's back as she ran into the city. She wasn't going to keep being left behind. Now that she knew what was up, Rainbow Dash was determined to talk to Fluttershy. There was just so much about her that didn't add up, and Rainbow Dash wanted to figure her out.
Fluttershy let Guilmon hover around school, simply so she could lead him to the large Umbra Corp building. Once there, she and Guilmon looked up at the large 50 story building, the Umbra Corp insignia etched on the front of the building. Not too many people were around, so Guilmon didn't attract too much attention.
"Is this the place, Fluttershy?" Guilmon asked. Fluttershy tightened her fists as she glared at the building.
"Yes, this is it," Fluttershy seethed, "This is the place that killed my Mom."
Guilmon's eyes narrowed at the building, "Something about this place feels wrong. I can't put my claw on it, but something feels off about this place."
"That's all I needed to know," Fluttershy said, "Follow me." She and Guilmon ran off to the side of the building, where there was an old transformer. She forced it open and then pulled out her laptop, hooking it up to the transformer.
"What are we going to do?" Guilmon asked.
"I want to hack into their personal files and steal their employee records," Fluttershy said, "However, I can't get in there with their security as tight as it is. That's where you come in, Guilmon."
"But, the virus wasn't completed when it turned into me, right?" Guilmon asked, "Do you think it's complete now?"
"It isn't," Fluttershy said pulling out her Digivice and opening a screen that showed a circular gauge that was filled part of the way and the number 25% in the middle, "I already checked it. However, I have a theory, and if I'm right, then with the Digital Hazard now effectively alive, you should be able to use it in small bursts."
"Oh, I think I know what you're saying!" Guilmon said with a smile, which he then looked to the side and then pouted, "Wait... I'm still confused."
Fluttershy rolled her eyes, "In other words, you can use the Digital Hazard in small bits and damage Umbra Corp's network enough where I can get in."
"Okay, I think I know what you mean this time," Guilmon said nodding.
Fluttershy pulled up her holographic keyboard and began typing on it, "So Rarity and Applejack used this to manipulate the data of their partners?" she chuckled to herself shaking her head, "Casuals. They're not thinking big enough."
Guilmon stood over Fluttershy's shoulder watching her in awe. She had spent all morning experimenting with it and learning all of it's functions.
"The Digivice's function is primarily to interface with the connected Digimon," Fluttershy continued, "I realized when I saw a Digital Hazard counter on mine. With this, I can manipulate your data and allow you to use it in any way you see fit."
"You figured out all of this?" Guilmon asked, "You're a genius, Fluttershy!"
"Tell me something I don't know," Fluttershy said with a smirk, "Altering Program! Hazard Level 1!" when she pushed the enter key, Guilmon's claws started sparking with red electricity, "Alright Guilmon, just do what comes naturally to you."
Guilmon nodded to Fluttershy and walked over to the transformer. He then thrust his claws inside, sending the red electricity through it, "Is it working?"
"We'll know... in a minute..." Fluttershy said, putting her main focus on her laptop. She wasn't going to make a move until she saw that firewall go down.
"Mr. Sombra, it's an emergency!" Vinyl cried typing furiously on her keyboard, "Something is infecting our systems!"
"What?!" Sombra shouted running over to Vinyl, "Is it a Wild One?"
"I don't know!" Vinyl said, "I can't get a lock on where it-" she was cut off by Octavia screaming.
"Mr. Sombra! Our security is going down!" Octavia cried.
"Get that firewall back up immediately! Increase security!" Sombra commanded.
"I'm trying, sir, but it's falling too fast!" Octavia exclaimed.
"Firewall shutdown imminent in five, four, three, two, one..." Vinyl said, wincing as she knew what was about to happen.
"YES!" Fluttershy cheered as the firewall fell, "Guilmon, you and I are officially best friends!"
"Don't, celebrate yet...!" Guilmon grunted, visibly straining, "I don't know, how long I, can hold this!"
"Just hold out for a few minutes," Fluttershy requested getting to work, "I'm just going to grab a few things while the doors are open. They won't miss a few files."
"Someone is hacking into our personal files!" Octavia said, "They're copying our employee data!"
"Identify the source!" Mr. Sombra ordered, "Even if we can't stop them, we can at least figure out where they are!"
"Sir, the IP address can't be read!" Vinyl said, "All I'm seeing are a string of blank characters!"
"Blank characters...?" Sombra asked, eyes widening in shock, "Zero! She's nearby!"
"Mr. Sombra, I'm detecting a strange signal coming from right outside at the left entrance," Octavia said, "I think Zero's out there!"
Sombra pulled out a cellphone, "Head out to the left entrance! Apprehend Zero now!" he hung up and gritted his teeth, "I'm not letting you get away with this, Zero!"
"Fluttershy!" Guilmon cried, "Losing it!"
"Please hold on for a few more seconds!" Fluttershy said, "I almost have everything that I-" she cut herself off hearing something from the door nearby, "Shit! He's calling security here!"
"Can't, hold, it!" Guilmon said, eyes closed tightly and teeth gritted from the exertion.
"And... done! Guilmon, release it! We need to go NOW!" Fluttershy cried. Guilmon let go, and Fluttershy took his clawed hands and ran off, just in time as the door shot open revealing four security guards.
Unknown to everyone, Twilight stood behind a corner watching Fluttershy and Guilmon run away. She narrowed her eyes, and then walked off
"Firewall is back online," Vinyl said, sounding both relieved and nervous.
"Security found no one," Octavia said with a sigh, "I'm sorry, Mr. Sombra. Zero got away."
"Damn it!" Sombra shouted slamming his fists on a wall, "How much did she copy?"
"Not sure," Octavia said, "She was too fast."
"Just who is she?" Vinyl asked, "How was she able to disrupt our entire network like that?"
"The only way would be if she somehow managed to interface with us directly," Sombra said thoughtfully, "If that's the case then... Vinyl, Octavia, I want the two of you to begin tracking any live users. Chances are we're dealing with a Digimon Tamer."
"Yes sir," both women said, saluting in unison. As they got to work, Sombra walked off biting his thumb. He knew of Zero, but this was the first time she had ever attacked their company directly. Normally she just stole money or expensive pieces of data, but this was personal.
She had a reason for doing this, and Sombra needed to know what said reason was. Figure out that, and he could figure out who she was and have her arrested.
Fluttershy and Guilmon sat down in the park behind a tree catching their breaths. Once she was sure they were safe, Fluttershy grabbed Guilmon and hugged him laughing.
"Oh my God, that was great!" Fluttershy cheered, "Thank you so much Guilmon!" she then started kissing him all over his face.
"F-Fluttershy! This is embarrassing!" Guilmon cried, laughing all the same. She stopped and st in front of him, holding him by the shoulders and looking him in the eyes.
"This is the closest I've gotten to figuring out what happened to my Mom," Fluttershy said, smiling more genuinely than ever, "Guilmon, thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Guilmon looked at Fluttershy shocked for a second, but then smiled in return, "Anytime Fluttershy. That's what partners are for."
Before they could say anything else though, a dense fog shot out of the ground in the park. Fluttershy and Guilmon turned to it and shot up.
"Guilmon, is that?" Fluttershy asked.
"A digital field! Digimon are going to appear out of there!" Guilmon said. Fluttershy looked around, seeing people run out of the park in fear. With how open the park was, any Digimon would eventually leave.
"Guilmon, let's go," Fluttershy said, "We, we have to do something!"
Guilmon nodded to Fluttershy smiling, "Yeah! Let's do it!"
play song
Fluttershy and Guilmon ran into the Digital Field, where they saw a giant dragonfly looking Digimon flying around the field. Fluttershy pulled out her Digivice and scanned it.
ID: YANMAMON
LEVEL: CHAMPION
TYPE: INSECTOID
ATTRIBUTE: DATA
"Another flying one," Fluttershy said, "This could be tough by ourselves."
"Fluttershy, look out!" Guilmon shouted. Fluttershy looked up just in time to see Yanmamon fly down toward her apparently trying to bite her. She jumped out of the way landing next to Guilmon, who immediately got in front of her, "FIRE BALL!" he shouted, shooting fireballs out of his mouth at Yanmanon. It flew out of the way of some, but then got hit by the last one.
Guilmon rushed toward Yanmamon and jumped up, prepared to attack with his claws. However, an electric shot knocked Guilmon to the side into a tree.
"Guilmon, no!" Fluttershy cried. She then looked behind her to see another Yanmamon fly up behind her pointing its tail at her. It fired an arrow out of his tail at Fluttershy, but someone grabbed Fluttershy and jumped out of the way.
Rainbow Dash.
"You okay?" Rainbow Dash asked Fluttershy, who just nodded wordlessly, "Good. Hey Veemon! Do it!"
"VEE HEADBUTT!" Veemon shouted, flying in out of nowhere and tackling the second Yanmamon in the side. He then landed on a tree and slid down next to Guilmon as he was getting up, "You okay, friend?"
"Yeah, thanks," Guilmon said shaking his head, "The name's Guilmon by the way."
"Cool beans! Call me Veemon," Veemon said, grinning arrogantly and giving Guilmon a thumbs up. The two Digimon got in fighting stances looking up as the two Yanmanon hovered around them, eventually joined by a third.
"What are we going to do?" Fluttershy asked fearfully. Rainbow Dash snorted arrogantly.
"What, these jokers? We can take 'em! Can I get a hell yeah?!"
"Hell yeah!" Veemon shouted, rushing toward the Yanmamon, Guilmon right next to him. Veemon jumped up and uppercut one Yanmamon, while Guilmon began shooting fireballs at the other too, leading them away.
Rainbow Dash pulled out her Digivice, "Hey, you figure out the whole altering program thing?" Rainbow Dash asked Fluttershy, who nodded, "Alright, watch this. Altering program! Chi Level 3!"
Veemon's entire body charged up with energy and he then held his hands a bit behind him creating an orb of light, grinning the whole time, "Now?"
"Now!" Rainbow Dash shouted, "Remember, ya gotta shout it just like I told ya!"
"Hadouken!" Veemon shouted, shooting a white and blue fireball at the Yanmamon, knocking it back. Rainbow Dash jumped up and down excitedly.
"He did it! He actually did the Fireball from Street Fighter! That was so cool!" Rainbow Dash cheered. Fluttershy couldn't believe it, but Rainbow Dash was actually a good Digimon Tamer. She then put her focus on Guilmon, who was struggling a bit with his opponents.
Guilmon jumped back and held his claws out at his sides, "ROCK N' ROLL BREAKER!" he shouted, his claws suddenly spinning like drills somehow. He then jumped up and slashed one Yanmamon knocking it to the ground. He then got on top of it and shot a Fire Ball point blank, deleting it. He turned around and jumped away as the second Yanmamon fired arrows out of its tail at him.
Fluttershy had a creative idea and opened her holographic keyboard, "Altering Program! Angel Wings!"
When she pushed enter, white angel wings sprouted on Guilmon's back, which he then used to shoot up into the air.
"Whoa, seriously?!" Rainbow Dash asked turning to Fluttershy, "How'd you make yours do that?!"
"It's all data, right?" Fluttershy asked, "If you know how to manipulate it, the rest becomes easy."
Rainbow Dash nodded looking at Fluttershy intently, and then put her focus back on the fight, "Veemon, let's wrap this up!"
"Wanna give me a boost then?" Veemon asked. Rainbow Dash ran toward Veemon as he jumped up. She then jumped after him, flipped in the air, and then used her legs to push Veemon higher into the air. A light formed in his hands, which then extended to form a golden energy sword, "LONG SWORD!" he shouted coming down on top of the Yanmamon and slicing it in half, deleting it instantly.
At the same time, Guilmon flew around the final Yanmamon slashing it with his claws. He eventually tackled it to the ground and then gathered energy in his mouth, "FIRE BALL!!!" he shouted, firing it at the final Yanmamon deleting it.
GUILMON: 45 EXP
VEEMON: 45 EXP
end song
"YES!" Rainbow Dash shouted throwing her fists into the air, "And Veemon and Rainbow Dash get another win under their belts!"
"Will these two keep up the pace and become the world champions?" Veemon asked enthusiastically.
"STAY TUNED TO THE DIGIMON WORLD CUP TO FIND OUT!" both of them shouted at the same time before bursting out laughing. Fluttershy and Guilmon looked at them, unsure what to make.
"Um, what are we looking at?" Guilmon asked.
"I'm not too sure..." Fluttershy said. Rainbow Dash walked over to Fluttershy patting her on the arm.
"So, your brother, huh?" Rainbow Dash said, holding her blue and white digivice in front of Fluttershy, "This doesn't look like a game he'd be into."
"W-when did you get that...?" Fluttershy asked Rainbow Dash.
"Last night, honestly," Rainbow Dash said, "Veemon said it's called a Digivice. So, you're a Digimon Tamer too, eh? No wonder you rushed out into the courtyard yesterday. You were ready to rumble, weren't ya?"
'Not... quite,' Fluttershy thought. Actually, she was just curious and wanted to see what it was. The whole fighting a crazy Digimon thing happened by accident.
"But man, I had no idea," Rainbow Dash said walking to the side a bit resting her hands on the back of her head, "All those electronic issues, the rumors of the monster attacks, and here you are right in the middle of it all."
"Actually, we just started," Guilmon said suddenly, "There are two other Tamers, Rarity and-" Fluttershy quickly grabbed Guilmon holding her hand over his mouth.
"Quiet Guilmon!" Fluttershy cried, "That's not our business to share!"
"Hold on, Rarity?!" Rainbow Dash asked incredulous, "She's got one too?!"
Guilmon pulled Fluttershy's hand down and nodded happily, "Yep! She and another girl asked Fluttershy and I to join them!"
"Wait wait wait, you mean to tell me that prissy and spoiled Rarity has a Digimon too?" Rainbow Dash asked, "And she wanted you guys to join her? With what?"
Fluttershy sighed, rolling her eyes. Thanks to Guilmon, now she had to tell Rainbow Dash. As the fog cleared, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat down on a bench, where she told Rainbow Dash and Veemon everything about what happened the other day.
"Yggdrasil?" Veemon asked, sitting on the ground in front of the bench arms crossed and eyes closed thoughtfully, "Can't say I've heard that name before."
"I hadn't heard of her either," Guilmon said, "But apparently she's an overseer of the Digital World."
"Well you guys were just hatched when we met ya, right?" Rainbow Dash asked, "It makes sense that you wouldn't know much about your world," she leaned back on the bench, "So she's hoping to recruit "Royal Knights" to be her guardians?"
"Something like that," Fluttershy said, "I don't want to be part of any of this though."
"You fought those Digimon earlier though," Rainbow Dash said.
"Well, I'm not going to just leave people to get hurt," Fluttershy said as if it were obvious, "I'm antisocial, not a bitch."
Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, "Whoa. You curse?" Fluttershy's face turned red and she turned away from Rainbow Dash hiding behind her hair, "I mean, that's cool actually. It's just... you don't seem like the type."
"It's a sign she's getting comfortable with you," Guilmon said, "Dad told me that she gets really bold around people she's comfortable with."
"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up," Fluttershy whispered.
"Hey, it's cool," Rainbow Dash said, "Just makes Fluttershy more awesome, ya know?" she leaned forward holding her fist in her hand, "So you don't want to be involved with Rarity, but you don't want to leave people alone to get hurt, right?" Fluttershy nodded silently, "Well, good thing Veemon and I are here now."
Fluttershy turned to look at Rainbow Dash surprised, "Um... excuse me?"
"How about we do it?" Rainbow Dash asked, "You, me, and our Digimon just fight the bad Digimon ourselves? Sounds like Rarity and Applejack are part of some official group, which means rules, something that I can't stand honestly," she leaned back again relaxing, "Plus, this way it'll be more fun. What's better? Working with two stiffs, or working with your best friend?"
Now they were best friends? Since when?!
"Um, I'm not, um, uh..." Fluttershy stuttered.
"No need to thank me," Rainbow Dash waved it off with an arrogant smile, "Besides, you can teach me how to do really awesome stuff with my Digivice too."
"You knew how to make Veemon use a move from Street Fighter," Fluttershy said. Rainbow Dash laughed.
"Okay, so I do know a bit about programming, but only games," Rainbow Dash explained, "Started with me fiddling around with RPG Maker, and it I started reading up on how other games were programmed. You should see Mugen on my PC. I modded and created custom characters to the point where I have a full roster of my own characters."
That, was really impressive. Fluttershy didn't peg Rainbow Dash for being a programmer herself. Probably not a hacker, but at least she had some programming knowledge.
"But it looked like you made Guilmon here do something completely different," Rainbow Dash said, "That whole sprouting angel wings thing was really cool. So maybe we could teach each other how we program, and then we become a dynamic duo even better than Rarity and Applejack. What do ya say?"
Fluttershy wasn't too sure to be honest. It sounded appealing, and at least she was somewhat comfortable around Rainbow Dash. But still...
"Why are you doing this?" Fluttershy asked somewhat defensively, "You're always calling me your friend, but I've never said that I was your friend. So, why do you keep hanging around me?"
Rainbow Dash shrugged, "I guess it's because I think you're cool. Also, you and I do hang out a lot, so I just figure that we're friends," she smiled at Fluttershy, "Sides, I get the feeling you and I have more in common than even this."
More in common? What could they possibly-
"Let's be her friend, Fluttershy," Guilmon said, catching Fluttershy's attention.
"Guilmon?" Fluttershy asked. Guilmon walked over to Fluttershy and took her hand.
"I think we can trust her. She and Veemon helped us against the Yanmamon, and it would be safer having another Tamer with us," Guilmon said smiling sweetly. Fluttershy looked at Guilmon intently. He was serious, wasn't he?
Veemon kicked to his feet and smirked, "You can count on us, Fluttershy!" he said giving her a thumbs up, "We'll look out for you!"
She looked wide eyed at Veemon, almost feeling his sincerity as well. It felt almost like Guilmon, but more ferocious. Was that sincerity a common Digimon trait or something? She then turned back to Rainbow Dash, who was still giving her a comforting smile. Being surrounded by such love, it became hard for Fluttershy to find a reason to push them away.
"I..." she looked away biting her lip, "I can't open up to you guys right away, but, I'm willing to work with you and Veemon..."
"Yes!" Rainbow Dash cheered, "You won't be disappointed! Ooh, hey! Check this out," Rainbow Dash pulled out her Digivice and opened another holographic screen, this one being what looked like a blank list, "These things have a friend list feature! I think we just connect our Digivices at the top here, and they're exchange information. Then we can call each other anytime we need to."
Seriously? These things were amazing. It almost made Fluttershy feel like she was in an MMORPG. She pulled out her Digivice and connected the top to Rainbow Dash's. She then saw what looked like data being exchanged between them. A few seconds later, Fluttershy saw Rainbow Dash's name appear in her friend list. When she saw her picture appear on Rainbow Dash's screen, she noticed that Dash's eyes went WIDE for a split second and she then closed the screen.
"And just like that, we're friends according to our Digivices," Rainbow Dash said, "It's pretty late, so we should probably head on home. Are you gonna be okay on your own, Fluttershy?"
"My house is close to here," Fluttershy said, "Thank you for your concern though."
"What are friends for?" Rainbow Dash said patting Fluttershy on the back, "Come on Veemon. Let's head home."
"Got ya. See ya Guilmon," Veemon said shaking Guilmon's hand before walking off after Rainbow Dash.
"Bye Veemon!" Guilmon said waving to Veemon as he and Rainbow Dash walked off, "They're nice," he looked at Fluttershy, who was looking at Rainbow Dash's picture on her Digivice, "You okay, Fluttershy?"
"Friends..." Fluttershy said softly, "Now it's official I guess..."
"That's a good thing though, right?" Guilmon asked sitting next to Fluttershy, "Now you have three new friends. Me, Veemon, and Rainbow Dash."
"But, I don't know what to do," Fluttershy said, "I can be friends with a person easily online. In person though? I have no idea what to do."
"Is it really that different though?" Guilmon asked rubbing Fluttershy's back.
"Very different," Fluttershy said somberly, hugging herself a bit, "Guilmon, why did you make me do this...?"
"Because you need to start making more friends, Fluttershy," Guilmon said, "It'll be fine, Fluttershy. Just be yourself, and you'll be fine."
Fluttershy wasn't too sure of that. Still, it was too late now. Whether she liked it or not, she and Rainbow Dash were friends now.
Rainbow Dash stopped once she was out of Fluttershy's POV. She then opened up the friend screen, looking at the information that came up.
ID: ZERO
"I don't believe it..." Rainbow Dash whispered looking back at the park, "Fluttershy, really is Zero."
"Zero? That notorious hacker you were telling me about?" Veemon asked.
"Yeah, that's the one," Rainbow Dash said, remembering where she initially saw Fluttershy and Guilmon. She had actually been following her for a while, as such she saw her next to the Umbra Corp Building. A few seconds later they're both running from security. If this was true, then that meant...
Rainbow Dash pocketed her Digivice and walked home. Hopefully her dad would come home today, so she could get some information that could confirm her suspicions. |
Digimon Saga: CTRL-ALT-DELETE | 05: Can I trust you? | Theme Song: With the Wind
05: Can I trust you?
"So? What do you think?" a woman with long flowing hair and a black dress asked, sitting elegantly in a chair. Nearby was Twilight, who was leaning against a wall with her arms folded.
"About that Digimon?" Twilight asked the woman, "It's too dangerous. The idea that she would allow such a dangerous virus run rampant shows that she's not thinking clearly."
"Couldn't the same be said for you though?" the woman asked, leaning to rest her side on the arm of her chair and crossing her legs, "Carrier of X?"
Twilight flinched a bit when she said that, "It's different with me. Dorumon and I act for the benefit of the Digital World and Real World. That Digimon, Guilmon I believe, his very existence could be a threat to both worlds."
"I see," the woman said nodding, "So then, what do you plan to do?"
"I'm going to confront his Tamer," Twilight said, "I need to warn her of the dangers, and convince her to discard that Digimon."
"What if she refuses?" the woman asked. Twilight looked somber before she spoke.
"If necessary, I'll kill both her and that abomination of a Digimon," Twilight said darkly, "Along with anyone else who wants to defend the Mother Computer."
"You do such wonderful work for me," the woman said, an odd looking white cat jumping onto her lap, "Together, we shall be the protectors the worlds need. I am returning to the Digital World. If you find Seraphimon, do tell her that I'm looking for her."
"I shall do as you command, Lord Ophanimon," Twilight said. As the light shining around the woman and her odd cat faded away, another light came on, now casting the shadow of Dorumon on the wall next to Twilight.
"I don't like this," Dorumon said, "Ophanimon has been acting weird."
"She does seem suspicious," Twilight said with a sigh, "We'll keep an eye on her until we know for certain. Right now though, I want to focus on stopping that Digimon."
"So when do you want to strike?" Dorumon asked.
"Tomorrow," Twilight said, "I know her schedule, and the path she walks to get to school. I'm going to try and see if I can save her from a horrible fate. She's not a bad person, she just has a monster for a Digimon."
"Do you want to enter our true state?" Dorumon asked, "We can probably Warp-Digivolve anytime to Alpha-"
"No, not yet," Twilight said, "I don't want to risk showing Yggdrasil our true power quite yet. Dorugamon should be enough to handle it."
"Alright then," Dorumon said nodding, "My only purpose is to act as a vessel for your power, so I'll follow you."
"No Dorumon, that's wrong," Twilight said shaking her head, "As Twilight, you are my partner and valuable friend. We are two halves of a whole. Together, we are the one assigned to the Empty Seat."
Dorumon smiled, "Thanks Twilight. That means more to me than you realize."
As Dorumon's shadow faded, Twilight bit her lip and shuddered. She had to cling to her Digimon partner, despite what he truly was. Otherwise she'd be alone. She had lost her good friends due to a decision made by Yggdrasil, and she vowed to never forgive her for that day.
Dynasmon, Crusadermon, Examon, Gankoomon, Magnamon and Kentaurosmon...
I will make sure our sacrifices were not in vain!
"Dad, ya home?" Rainbow Dash asked, walking into the large white mansion she called home. She waited a second and then sighed walking over to the couch, "Coast is clear Veemon. You can come in."
A second later Veemon jumped inside through an open window, rolled onto one knee, and then walked over to the couch sitting next to Rainbow Dash, "Cheer up, Rainbow Dash. Your Dad can't stay away from home forever."
"I bet he would if he could," Rainbow Dash said bitterly, "So, how does the User name get chosen anyway?"
"It's chosen based off your information found by the Mother Computer," Veemon explained, "Whatever information she finds on your computer is the information she uses to create your Digital World account."
"So she didn't just put in Zero to sound cool," Rainbow Dash said, once again pulling out her Digivice and looking at Fluttershy's profile picture, which looked normal except for the name "ZERO" where her full name should have been, "Shit, that means she really is Zero."
"Is it really bad that she's this "Zero" person?" Veemon asked. Before she could answer her, they heard someone put a key through the front door to unlock it. Veemon quickly jumped behind the couch to hide as Rainbow Dash shot up from the couch.
"Dad!" Rainbow Dash cried happily running into his arms when the door opened.
"It's good to see you, Rainbow," Sombra said returning the hug, "I'm sorry, but I can't stay. I just came to pick up some important papers from my study."
Of course he couldn't stay. Rainbow Dash sighed shaking her head and let her father come inside.
"Did something happen at work?" Rainbow Dash asked her father as he walked to his in home office.
"A random hacking attempt," Sombra said gathering the papers from his desk, "It appears we've attracted some unwanted attention."
"It was Zero, wasn't it?" Rainbow Dash asked, "She attacked your company, right?"
"Why, do you know something?" Sombra asked looking at Rainbow Dash, who on instinct shook her head.
"Nope. I don't know anything about it. I was just curious, as I know you do really important work," Rainbow Dash covered. Sombra nodded and went back to what he was doing.
"I don't know why she decided to target our company, but rest assured I will find her," Sombra continued.
"What are you going to do when you find her?" Rainbow Dash asked, trying her best to hide how afraid she was.
"Ensure that she's put away for a very long time," Sombra said, "I plan on using all of my resources, and I will find her."
That scared Rainbow Dash a good deal. Whenever he said he was going to do something, he was going to do it, and he had enough power to do just what he claimed. If given enough time, he was going to find Fluttershy.
If I warn her, maybe she can...
But... that would mean...
"If you ever come across anything concerning Zero, please let me know," Sombra requested, "Anything at all would be a big help."
"S-sure Dad. Whatever you say..." Rainbow Dash said, feeling horribly awkward, guilty, and conflicted. Sombra walked over to Rainbow Dash, kissed her on the forehead, and then walked out of the mansion. Veemon waited a few seconds and then walked over to Rainbow Dash as she leaned against a wall and slid to sit on the floor.
"So... that's why it's bad," Veemon said placing a hand on Rainbow Dash's shoulder.
"Damn it! Why did you have to be Zero, Fluttershy?!" Rainbow Dash fussed. It was either betray her father, or out her friend. Either way she'd be screwed.
She'd be betraying someone she cared about either way.
Fluttershy ran out of her house to school as fast as she could. She had been up late talking to Cipher, as such ended up oversleeping. If it weren't for Guilmon, she'd probably be so much later than she was right now. Thankfully at this pace she'd be able to stop running soon and still make it in time.
Once she turned the corner, she stopped to catch her breath, "Maybe, staying up so late isn't a healthy habit," she panted. After she composed herself, she fixed her hair and began walking down the street. Though she was shy, she took a lot of pride in her appearance, and knew that she was really attractive. She liked the attention in moderation, but had no intention of ever asking a boy out.
There was still someone she kept hoping to be her first.
As she walked, her thoughts went to Rainbow Dash. Joining with her was risky, as it made the chances of her finding out that she was Zero much bigger. Although, she did wonder if she could tell her. How would she react? The more Fluttershy thought about it, the more she realized that she did sort of like Rainbow Dash. She was the only student besides Rarity to make an effort to reach out to her, and she was almost certain that Rarity was hoping to get something out of it. Either to better her reputation, or get her to join her and Applejack as a Royal Knight.
Fluttershy sighed, lowering her goggles as a means of hiding her eyes. It was a habit of hers, whenever she felt depressed or was just in deep thought she hid behind her goggles to hide from the world. If she really needed to get away, she'd also put on her earbuds and play music to drown out the noise around her.
Sometimes the world around her was too scary.
She looked ahead of her and saw the oddest person leaning against a building with her arms folded. She had dark purple hair with a light pink highlight, and was wearing a gothic lolita black and white dress, lacy black gloves, fishnet stockings, and black high heels. She wore dark, almost blood red lipstick and black eyeliner for makeup and the air she gave off seemed almost otherworldly. Fluttershy stopped and raised her goggles, taking in the mysterious girl.
"I know who you are," Twilight said, glaring at Fluttershy, "Zero."
Fluttershy's heart leaped out of her chest. How did she know? Was she another hacker?
"Surprised?" Twilight asked, pushing off the wall and walking over to Fluttershy, "Don't be. One who lives in the network would know who you are."
Lives in the network? What did that mean?
"Are you going to arrest me?" Fluttershy asked trembling, still glaring dangerously at Twilight, "You're a snitch for the police, right?"
"Wrong," Twilight said immediately, "Where I come from, I am the police. Or at least, I was. That's not important right now," she got right in Fluttershy's face, "You need to get away from that Digimon."
"Get... away...?" Fluttershy asked.
"Guilmon," Twilight said, "You need to get as far away from that Digimon as possible."
"Guilmon is my friend and Digimon partner!" Fluttershy fussed, "Why should I listen to-" Twilight grabbed Fluttershy's wrist tightly.
"You don't get it, do you?!" Twilight asked harshly, "Your world is in danger too as long as that abomination of a Digimon is still alive!"
"How dare you call Guilmon an abomination!" Fluttershy retaliated pulling her wrist free, "You don't know anything about who he is!"
"I know what he is," Twilight stated dangerously, "He's a dangerous virus, one that could potentially destroy both worlds."
"That doesn't make any sense," Fluttershy said shaking her head, "The Digital Hazard is only meant to compromise networks of my choice. It's not designed for wide spread destruction, not even on a digital plane."
Twilight's eyes widened and she stepped back, "Wait... you know about that virus?"
"I designed it myself," Fluttershy said. Twilight tightened her fists and started trembling.
"You... stupid child!" Twilight shouted, "Do you have any idea what forces you're messing with?! Creating something like that and turning it into a Digimon could create something horrific! You might have endangered the whole world!"
This girl was starting to really freak Fluttershy out. She didn't understand anything she was saying, and it was starting to scare Fluttershy a bit. Although, part of her could tell that this mysterious girl truly believed everything she was saying.
"Fluttershy!" Fluttershy looked out to the side, surprised to see Rarity of all people running over to her. When she got there, she stood in front of Fluttershy and glared at Twilight, "Fluttershy, are you alright?"
"Y-yes..." Fluttershy said, surprised by how intense Rarity looked.
"Don't tell me you're defending this?" Twilight asked, "You're smart, so surely you can see that her Digimon is-"
"A truly nice person," Rarity finished for her, "And if you so much as lay a finger on either Guilmon or his Tamer I may have to ruin that pretty face of yours, darling."
Twilight narrowed her eyes but then turned her back to them, "You can't protect her, Omegamon," Twilight said, "You may not care about the fate of the Digital World, but I do."
"Then if the time comes, we'll settle things on the battlefield, Alphamon," Rarity said, narrowing her eyes in return. Just what were those names they kept calling each other?
Alphamon? Omegamon?
Those are Digimon names though...
Twilight walked off, leaving Fluttershy and Rarity alone. After a few seconds, Rarity turned to Fluttershy, "Sorry about that," Rarity said, "I guess we should have warned you about Twilight."
"Who's Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.
"She's been fighting against Yggdrasil for a while now," Rarity said, walking with Fluttershy to school, "Her Digimon is unregistered, and she seems to freely travel between the human and digital realms."
"She seemed almost afraid," Fluttershy reasoned, "She kept saying that Guilmon was dangerous."
Rarity stopped and turned to Fluttershy, placing her hands on her shoulders, "You listen to me. Guilmon is your Digimon, so he's only as dangerous as you allow him to become. You're a good person, Fluttershy, so that means Guilmon will become a truly powerful Digimon meant to protect the two worlds."
"You... really think so...?" Fluttershy asked.
"I know so," Rarity said, "I need to head to homeroom, so I'll see you later, Fluttershy."
As Rarity ran off into the school, Fluttershy looked down at her Digivice, thinking about Twilight and Rarity's words. Both of them painted two completely different pictures of her Digimon, and Fluttershy had no idea which one was right.
Guilmon wasn't sure how he felt leaving Fluttershy alone. After all, she could have been attacked by an enemy Digimon at anytime. If only there was a place where he could hide out and be close to Fluttershy whenever she was out at school.
As he walked into the kitchen to get something to eat, he heard a tapping on the window. Guilmon turned to look at the window and saw Agumon waving to him. He wobbled a bit and fell back, causing a loud crash outside. Guilmon winced in pain and then ran out to see both Agumon and Gabumon on the ground. Apparently Agumon stood on his brother's shoulders.
"Hey, are you okay?" Guilmon asked, helping the smaller dino and his brother up.
"Yeah, we're fine Guilmon," Agumon said rubbing the back of his head, "My bro and I are stronger than that."
"What are you guys doing here though?" Guilmon asked, "Shouldn't you be at Applejack or Rarity's place?"
"Not right now," Gabumon said, "Actually, we came to get you."
"We wanted to show you our secret club house!" Agumon said happily, "Well, it's more of a secret base we made for all Digimon with Tamers."
"Seriously?" Guilmon asked. Gabumon and Agumon grabbed his hands.
"Come on! Follow us!" Agumon cheered. Guilmon was helplessly pulled away from Fluttershy's house to who knew where by the two energetic Digimon.
Back in the network, a Dokugumon was crawling slowly on the grid based ground. He had somehow landed here, and was trying to find his way back to the Digital World. Before he could though, a red wave shot through him.
CAUTION! CORRUPTION LEVEL 18!
CAUTION! CORRUPTION LEVEL 18!
Now corrupted, Dokugumon roared loudly and then rushed ahead to find the Real World. Suddenly, he had something much more important to do. For some reason, he needed to go there and cause as much damage as possible.
"Here we are," Gabumon said, "Welcome to our Lookout Tower."
Guilmon looked around in amazement. Agumon and Gabumon took Guilmon to what appeared to be a large tree house hidden inside of the leaves that was near the school. The inside of the tree house was spacious, with multiple snacks, drinks, and even comic books scattered around.
"Whoa! This is awesome!" Guilmon said, "You guys made all of this?"
"Sure did!" Agumon said, "We knew that more Digimon with Tamers would end up coming here, so we wanted to make a base for them to hang out."
"Here they can not only be close to their tamers, but they can also see if a Digimon crosses over from the network," Gabumon said, escorting Guilmon over to a window, which looked out at the main city.
"I can see the whole city from here!" Guilmon said, "This is perfect! I can stay here whenever Fluttershy goes to school!"
"This place is open to all good Digimon with Tamers," Gabumon said, "If you find anyone yourself, feel free to bring them here."
"I'll show Veemon next time I see him," Guilmon said, suddenly having a thought that made him a little concerned, "But... is it really okay for me to be here? I don't think Fluttershy is going to join Rarity and Applejack."
"That's okay Guilmon!" Agumon said with a big smile.
"Royal Knight or not, any Digimon is welcome here!" Gabumon said with a matching smile. Guilmon couldn't help but smile looking at them. No matter what Fluttershy thought of their tamers, these two were genuinely nice.
"So... even if Fluttershy doesn't become a Royal Knight, we can still be friends?" Guilmon asked.
"Of course we can!" Agumon said holding Guilmon's hand, "You're officially one of us!"
"Welcome to the Digimon Defense Force!" Gabumon said, "This place's doors are always open to you, Guilmon!"
"Thanks guys!" Guilmon said, actually lifting the two smaller Digimon and hugging them. It was nice that he had so many Digimon friends now. Pretty soon, he'd help Fluttershy make just as many human friends.
Fluttershy was a bit surprised with how quiet Rainbow Dash was. She seemed about the same, so that was good, but Fluttershy could tell that something was bothering her. She wanted to talk to her about it, but she didn't know quite how to handle it.
When class ended, Fluttershy took a deep breath and walked over to Rainbow Dash, tapping her shoulder. Rainbow Dash turned to look up at Fluttershy.
"Hey girlfriend," Rainbow Dash said, "What's up?"
"You were quiet..." Fluttershy said softly, "I was worried about you."
"Oh, sorry," Rainbow Dash said, "Hey, um, let's head out together."
Fluttershy nodded, for the first time walking with Rainbow Dash to their lockers willingly. After they got their stuff, they walked out of the school building, Fluttershy for some reason clinging to Rainbow Dash a bit. Maybe she was worried about running into that Twilight girl again.
"You okay?" Rainbow Dash asked Fluttershy, who was holding onto Rainbow Dash's arm as they left.
"Is this bad...?" Fluttershy asked softly. Rainbow Dash smiled softly and patted her hand.
"Nah, it's okay," Rainbow Dash said, "You don't know much about being friends offline, do you?"
Fluttershy shook her head sadly, "Am I doing it right?"
Rainbow Dash couldn't help herself. She actually laughed a bit before she answered, "You're doing fine. Hey, let's head someplace private. That way we can talk a bit," Rainbow Dash requested. Fluttershy felt it was a bit of an odd request, but she nodded all the same.
"Psst!"
They both stopped and looked around nervously. Their attention turned to a bush, and out of it shot a familiar red dinosaur.
"Fluttershy!" Guilmon cried happily as he knocked Fluttershy to the ground and hugged her.
"G-Guilmon?" Fluttershy asked in shock, "H-how did you-"
"Agumon and Gabumon showed me a special place!" Guilmon said smiling at Fluttershy, "I can go there whenever you're in school so I'll be close by in case a Digimon attacks!"
"Agumon? Gabumon?" Rainbow Dash asked, "Who's Digimon are they?"
"They're Rarity and Applejack's partners," Guilmon explained, "They're really nice Digimon, and made a special base for all partnered Digimon to hang out in when their tamers are in school."
"Huh, neat I guess," Rainbow Dash said with a shrug.
"Sounds like a great place!" Veemon said jumping out of a tree nearby, "Could I hang there too?"
"Oh yeah! They said it's open to all Digimon as long as they have partners," Guilmon said, "I told them about you, and they want to meet you too."
"Sweet!" Veemon said, "We Digimon have to stick together after all."
"Exactly," Guilmon said. Fluttershy couldn't help but admire the Digimon for that. They didn't seem to hold many grudges, and got along so much easier than people did.
An odd sound caught their attention. The four of them all looked out into the main city and saw fog shoot out of the ground and engulfed the city.
"We're going, right?" Rainbow Dash asked Fluttershy with a familiar smirk. Fluttershy nodded, and the two girls ran into the main city followed by their Digimon.
When they arrived in the main city, they saw a large black and yellow spider looking Digimon with a big mouth jumping around on the buildings and shooting web from his abdomen all over the street. Rainbow Dash pulled out her Digivice and analyzed the Digimon.
play song
ID: DOKUGUMON
LEVEL: CHAMPION
TYPE: INSECTOID
ATTRIBUTE: VIRUS
"A virus type, huh?" Rainbow Dash asked, "We can take this guy! Can I get a hell yeah?!"
"Hell yeah!" Veemon shouted getting in a fighting stance, "Guilmon, ya up for this?"
"Bring it!" Guilmon said, "We can take his guy out!"
The two Digimon charged at the large insect Digimon, who jumped onto another building and shot a strange purple blast out of his mouth at them. The two Digimon jumped out of the way, and they saw that the blast corroded the ground where it landed.
"That's bad!" Veemon exclaimed.
"Don't worry, I got ya covered!" Rainbow Dash said typing on her Digivice's holographic keyboard, "Altering Program! Chi Level 1!"
Veemon shot to his feet as Guilmon ran next to him, both of them charging up their attacks.
"FIRE BALL!" Guilmon shouted.
"HADOUKEN!" Veemon shouted. Both Digimon fired their attacks at the Dokugumon, but he once again jumped to another building, this time shooting his webs at his two opponents. Guilmon managed to run out of the way, but Veemon was caught and stuck onto the ground.
"Veemon!" Guilmon cried.
"I'm fine! Keep fighting!" Veemon exclaimed. Guilmon nodded and rushed at Dokugumon shooting Fire Balls rapidly, but sadly all of his attacks missed as he kept jumping around.
"Altering Program!" Fluttershy shouted, "Speed UP!"
Guilmon, now much faster, rushed over to Dokugumon and jumped up into his face. He then used his Rock N' Roll Breaker on his face, knocking him onto the ground just as Veemon broke free from his bindings.
"VEE PUNCH!" Veemon shouted, spinning his arms in circles super fast as he an into Dokugumon, actually knocking him over to Guilmon who whacked him with his tail into a stalled truck.
"Yeah! WHOO!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, "We're totally kicking his ass!"
"No... something is wrong," Fluttershy said, "He's barely fighting back."
"That's because he knows he's beat!" Rainbow Dash stated arrogantly, "Let's end this!"
Veemon and Guilmon both walked over to Dokugumon as he lied down, completely unaware that he was smirking. The second they were right in front of him though, he shot to his feet and fired his poisonous blast at both Digimon, knocking them back.
"Guilmon!" Fluttershy cried.
"Veemon, no!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. Fluttershy looked at her Digivice and saw something horrifying. She saw Guilmon and Veemon's health both steadily going down.
"This is bad!" Fluttershy exclaimed, "I think they're poisoned!"
"What?!" Rainbow Dash pulled out her Digivice, "Shit, you're right! It says on the status screen poison!"
Guilmon and Veemon tried to rise to their feet, but Dokugumon charged at the two Rookie Level Digimon and tackled them back. He then fired his web at them again, this time pinning both of them to a building.
"Hey!" Rainbow Dash shouted running over to Dokugumon, "Leave them alone you freak!"
"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy cried. It was too late though, as Rainbow Dash reared her fist back and tried to punch Dokugumon, but he spun around to whack her back, and she hit the ground a bit in front of Fluttershy.
"F-Fluttershy...!" Fluttershy looked up at Guilmon, "Run!"
Fluttershy turned to Dokugumon, who was now looking right at her. She tried to run, but he fired his web at her, binding her to the ground. As she struggled to get free, Dokugumon slowly approached her. Fluttershy looked at the large spider Digimon in horror as it loomed over her. Before he could attack, something white and red shot past Dokugumon knocking him back a bit. The odd streak turned out to be a Digimon, who used his tail to cut Guilmon and Veemon free. He then rushed back at Dokugumon and began slashing Dokugumon with his front claws.
"Hold on!" a familiar high voice called out. Pinkie Pie ran over to Rainbow Dash first to see if she was okay, and she then rushed over to Fluttershy taking out a small pocket knife, "Are you okay, Fluttershy?"
"Y-you're a..." Fluttershy asked, still shocked.
"Yep, I'm a Digimon Tamer too. Don't worry about Rainbow Dash. She's knocked out, but she's alive." Pinkie Pie said cutting Fluttershy free. She then turned back to the fight, her Digimon fighting ferociously. He was relentless, never stopping to give Dokugumon a chance to attack. Fluttershy looked at Pinkie Pie, noticing the pained and fearful look on her face, which was odd. It looked like her Digimon was winning.
Fluttershy shook it off and ran over to Guilmon and Veemon.
"Guilmon, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked helping her partner up.
"I'm, dizzy..." Guilmon said, "I, don't know if I can, make it."
"No no!" Fluttershy said as Guilmon fell to one knee, "You're not leaving me like this! If we delete the source of the virus you'll be okay, right? Right?!" Fluttershy asked Guilmon, who nodded.
"Y-yeah, but none of our, attacks do enough damage..." Guilmon said. Fluttershy thought back to the first fight she saw. Agumon and Gabumon turned into larger forms. Could Guilmon do that too? Maybe with her help, they could...
"Guilmon, we're not giving up," Fluttershy said, surprising Guilmon with her drive.
"F-Fluttershy...?"
"I don't care what you are, or if you're some super dangerous Digimon, you're my friend, and I'm not losing you," Fluttershy rose to her feet, and lowered her goggles over her eyes, glaring at Dokugumon in determination, "So stand up, Guilmon! Let's show this Digimon, the true power of Zero!"
Guilmon forced himself to his feet, and then walked forward to stand in front of Fluttershy. Despite being in excruciating pain apparently, he stood straight up and held his arms out defending Fluttershy like always. Fluttershy gritted her teeth and tightened her fists.
"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE US!" Both Guilmon and Fluttershy shouted at the same time. Without a word she began ferociously typing on her holographic keyboard.
"ALTERING PROGRAM! DIGIVOLVE!" Fluttershy shouted. She held her hand in front of her face, and dark red energy formed in her hand. She then sent the energy into her Digivice, which she then pointed forward, sending the energy into Guilmon.
ACCESS
DIGIVOLUTION
"GUILMON DIGIVOLVE TO....!" Guilmon shouted, his entire body ripping apart revealing a dark red wire framed silhouette. The energy engulfed the wire frame, changing into a much large looking dragon with a similar build to Guilmon, which upon reforming looked just like his previous state, but far larger and with a mane of white hair on his head. On his wrists, legs, and the base of his tail were black stripes with golden digi-coding adorning them, "GROWLMON!!!"
Growlmon's first action was to roar loudly, catching the attention of everyone, and even managing to wake up Rainbow Dash, who looked at both Growlmon and Fluttershy in shock.
"What the hell...?" Rainbow Dash asked as Pinkie Pie helped him up. Hackmon put Veemon on his back and looked up at Growlmon in surprise too.
"That Digimon... that's the strongest looking Champion I've ever seen!" Hackmon said. Fluttershy briefly held her chest in pain, and then a beep on her Digivice caught her attention.
HAZARD LEVEL: 50%
"Oh, I see," Fluttershy said with a dark laugh, "So the Digital Hazard gets more complete as you Digivolve. That's good to know."
"Um... Fluttershy...?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Not right now, sweetie," Fluttershy said with a smirk, "I don't want be "Fluttershy" right now. You can call me, Zero."
Dokugumon tried charging at them, but Growlmon slashed him back with the blade on his elbow. Fluttershy, now Zero apparently, then walked forward running her hand on Growlmon's leg.
"Sweetheart, do mommy a favor and rip him to shreds for me," Zero requested.
"With pleasure," Growlmon said, his voice no longer childish, but deeper, gruff, and also more sinister tone similar to that of his tamer. He then rushed at Dokugumon and slashed him with his claws, and then whacked him with his tail. Dokugumon fell back, and then fired his web at Growlmon, binding his arms in place where he stood. From Zero's throat came the most terrifying laugh in response.
"Is that supposed to scare us?" Zero asked typing on her keyboard elegantly, "Altering Program, Strength up."
Instantly, Growlmon powered through the web and broke out like they were nothing. The two Digimon rushed toward each other and began fighting close quarter. As the two Digimon fought, everyone's eyes were on Zero, whose entire air had changed. Right now, she exuded confidence, power, and dominance.
"Something happened to her," Pinkie Pie said, "She's not right for some reason."
"Fluttershy, what's going on with you?" Rainbow Dash asked, suddenly really afraid of Growlmon.
Growlmon charged up the blades on his elbows with white energy, "PLASMA BLADE!" he shouted, slashing Dokugumon with both blades and knocking him back. As he lied down on his back, Growlmon walked over to Dokugumon hovering over him.
"Don't hesitate," Zero said, "I want him to suffer."
Growlmon narrowed his eyes at Dokugumon, and charged up energy in his mouth, "EXHAUST FLAME!" he shouted, shooting a continuous stream of fire out at Dokugumon, setting him on fire. All while this went on, Zero looked at Dokugumon as his body broke apart in the flame. Pinkie Pie covered her eyes looking away, and both Veemon and Hackmon looked at Growlmon with wide eyes. Rainbow Dash however, was looking at Zero in horror.
GROWLMON: 40 EXP
VEEMON: 40 EXP
LEVEL UP!!!
HACKMON: 45 EXP
end song
Growlmon started glowing, and shrunk back into Guilmon. Zero hunched forward in exhaustion as Guilmon walked over to her.
"Are you, okay, Guilmon?" Fluttershy panted, now herself again.
"We all are," Guilmon said, "Thanks to you."
"What for?" Fluttershy asked.
"I couldn't Digivolve without your energy," Guilmon said smiling, "I was able to become stronger because of you."
Fluttershy looked at her Digivice in shock, "I, made you stronger?"
"Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash called out, catching Fluttershy's attention. Fluttershy lit up and ran over to Rainbow Dash hugging her.
"You're okay!" Fluttershy cried, "I was so worried!"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Rainbow Dash said, "But, what about you?"
"I'm alright," Fluttershy said, looking like her usual self again, "Why? Did something happen?"
"Do you, remember what happened?" Pinkie Pie asked, "Do you remember Guilmon Digivolving into Growlmon?"
Fluttershy nodded, "I do."
"And you remember how you were acting?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Like, myself?" Fluttershy asked looking confused, "I was just being me, the same like I always am."
Both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie looked at each other confused. She seriously had no idea what happened. It was like she became a completely different person.
"I knew it..." Twilight said from behind a nearby building biting her thumb, "That Digimon is dangerous, as is his tamer. Next time I see her, I'm taking them both out." |
Digimon Saga: CTRL-ALT-DELETE | 06: What does it mean to be strong? | Theme Song: With the Wind
06: What does it mean to be strong?
The sun was beginning to set when she arrived. Naturally, everyone on the train was looking at her oddly, as she did stand out. Her hair was super long and full, being almost a faded rainbow of colors. Her skin was fair, and she had the figure of a supermodel. Her outfit consisted of white pants, white high heels, a white corset top, and a long white jacket. What really made her stand out however, was the odd stuffed animal she was holding. It looked almost like a super large hamster, with wings on its head where its ears would be. Wings that kept flapping randomly, almost as if it were alive.
Now arriving at Canterlot City
The woman in white got up and walked out of the train once the door opened, her stuffed animal in her arms. She had an absolutely sunny air about her, like she was just perpetually happy. Eventually, she reached a window that looked out at the city. Almost like a child, she beamed and ran outside, looking out the window.
"Patamon, we made it!" she said, her voice mature yet at the same time still full of youth, "We made it to America!"
"Whoa! This is America?" the stuffed toy said placing his little black paws on the on the window, "It's so different than Japan!"
"I know! It's almost like a completely different world here!" the woman said enthusiastically, "I wonder what sort of foods they have here!"
"Let's go, let's go!" Patamon cheered excitedly, "I want to see everything, Celestia!"
"Me too, Patamon!" the woman, Celestia, hugged her Digimon and spun around, completely oblivious to the crowd around her, "This is going to be so much fun!" she took off, running out of the train station, unaware of the man with the golden sunglasses and goatee watching her from a distance.
"Another one?" he said taking a picture of Celestia on his camera phone, "I better share this with Zero."
Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and their Digimon ran into the park to hide out while the commotion died down. There they found a large tree and hid behind it, watching for the authorities as they came to investigate.
"Geez, that didn't happen the last time," Rainbow Dash said, "Why are the police there now?"
"We fought in a large park the last time," Fluttershy pointed out, "This time we were in the middle of the street. I imagine there were some people who caught glimpses of the fight with Dokugumon."
"I didn't go too far, did I Fluttershy?" Guilmon asked, looking genuinely worried. Fluttershy smiled softly at him.
"Not at all, Guilmon," Fluttershy said sweetly, "You did great."
Both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie looked at Fluttershy then at each other. She seemed normal now, but that honestly was a little terrifying in and of itself.
"Well now that we're all in the clear," Rainbow Dash turned to Pinkie Pie, "Holy shit! You're a tamer too?!"
Pinkie Pie giggled, "Yep. I was surprised to see that the two of you had Digimon as well," Pinkie Pie knelt down and pet Hackmon lovingly, "This is my Digimon partner and brother, Hackmon."
"Nice to meet you," Hackmon said, his voice still youthful yet somehow a little more mature sounding than the other Digimon.
"You said brother?" Fluttershy asked, "How is that possible?"
"Pinkie Pie and I met when she was really little," Hackmon said, "I was raised by her family, so we consider each other brother and sister."
"That's a long time to be with your partner," Veemon said, "I bet you've fought a ton of Digimon!"
"No, he hasn't," Pinkie Pie said standing up and walking off a bit, "That's the first time I've ever willingly let him fight."
"What? But you have like a super cool Digimon!" Rainbow Dash said, "You should be dominating the Digimon battle scene!" Fluttershy put a hand on Dash's shoulder and shook her head.
"Not everyone wants to be a fighter, Dashie," Fluttershy said, once again using the cute nickname she seemed to give Rainbow Dash, who closed her eyes and nodded before going over to Pinkie Pie.
"Hey, sorry," Rainbow Dash said, "I get really wrapped up into this whole thing, ya know? I guess I sort of forgot that this isn't a game."
"It's real easy to forget that," Pinkie Pie said turning to Rainbow Dash and smiling, "I'm not mad. I commend Tamers who have the courage to fight. Just because I don't care for it doesn't make it bad outright."
"'Sides, we're gonna be helping you two from now on," Hackmon said.
"You are?" Guilmon asked Hackmon.
"It was Pinkie Pie's idea. Once she saw that you two had Digimon, she wanted to stay close to you," Hackmon explained.
"I know that we're not as strong as everyone else, but I hope we can be useful," Pinkie Pie said with a bow, something that both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy felt was odd, yet cute.
"If you don't like fighting, why do you want to help us?" Fluttershy asked, "I mean, not that I'm complaining, but..."
"Actually, the main reason is you," Pinkie Pie said folding her arms, "Zero."
Fluttershy gasped in shock and then looked away, holding her arm, "So, I guess you two know now?"
"To be honest, I sort of found out yesterday," Rainbow Dash pulled out her Digivice showing Fluttershy her friend list, "You might wanna change the username on your Digivice."
"I figured it out when you came to the diner that last time," Pinkie Pie said leaning against the tree still with her arms folded, "No one else would have caught it, but I know the signs of a hacker when I see one."
Fluttershy closed her eyes, and then waved her hair, putting her hand on her hip looking at them seriously, "So, now what? Are you two going to report me to the authorities?"
"I want to know why you're doing this," Rainbow Dash said, "Umbra Corp was hit pretty hard yesterday, and it sounded like a malicious attack."
"I..." Fluttershy averted her eyes, "I don't know..."
"Fluttershy, let's tell them," Guilmon said, taking Fluttershy's hand, "They're our friends. I'm sure they'll understand."
"You don't seem like a bad person," Pinkie Pie said, "You just seem really angry about something. Do you have a good reason for attacking Umbra Corp?"
Fluttershy took a deep breath before speaking, "They killed my mother."
Rainbow Dash's eyes shot out of her head in shock, "Wait, what?"
"My mother's name was Posey Wyrmwood," Fluttershy continued, "She was a computer programmer for Umbra Corp, working close to their leader, Sombra," she looked at Rainbow Dash, "Your father."
"So, you know then?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking at Fluttershy intently.
"Of course I know," Fluttershy said, "I figured it out when I looked at the list of employees last night. That was the main reason I was skeptical of telling you that I was Zero."
"Makes sense," Rainbow Dash said, "So, how do you know that he killed your mother?"
"I don't believe he killed her per say," Fluttershy began pacing around, "But he had something to do with her death, I'm sure. She started getting really paranoid a few weeks before her death. She wouldn't tell any of us what was wrong, only that she needed to stay away from Umbra Corp.
"Then one day she found something. Whatever it was it shocked her to the core, so much that she started crying for days on end. Eventually she started going back to work, but it was clear that something was wrong. She was acting like someone who knew they were going to die. And that's when... it happened."
"Oh no..." Pinkie Pie said covering her mouth in sadness. Fluttershy turned away from them and started crying a bit.
"They said it was an accident at work," Fluttershy said trembling, "But what sort of accident could have killed her? For God's sake, she was a programmer! The only way she could have died would be if someone killed her!"
Rainbow Dash tightened her fist looking away, "Dad... do you know something...?"
"I need to know what she found out!" Fluttershy continued, "I need to know why she was so scared! But more than all of that, I need to know how my mother died, so I can put the one's responsible to justice!"
"But attacking my father's company like that?" Rainbow Dash asked, "Why was that-"
"Because it was the only way to learn anything!" Fluttershy shouted, glaring at Rainbow Dash, "Your father isn't going to publicize the incident! This is the only way I'm going to learn anything! If I have to tear Umbra Corp to the ground, I'll do it!" she broke down a bit, looking to the ground letting her tears fall freely, "If you care so much about what happens, then help me! You're the only way in that I have!"
Rainbow Dash looked pained from that, "Do you know what you're asking me?"
"I do," Fluttershy said, "And I know it's not fair, but he's hiding something. He knows how my mother died, and if he is responsible, he needs to be brought to justice. Would you really protect your father knowing that he's possibly a murderer?"
Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "He is still my father, and I don't want to believe that he's a bad person, but if he does know something... then I'm going to help you figure it out."
Fluttershy looked up at Rainbow Dash, visibly surprised.
"I only have partial clearance into Umbra Corp's network," Rainbow Dash continued, "But I can probably get you a little further than you'd get by yourself."
"Dashie..." Fluttershy said smiling a bit.
"What the heck, I'm in too," Pinkie Pie said, surprising everyone, "I don't know how much help I'll be in this, what with me not having connections or being a super hacker, but I can definitely help out as much as possible."
"Either way, we're helping you guys fight the Digimon that come through the network," Hackmon said.
"Damn right we are," Veemon added, "If the six of us work together, we'll be able to take on any Digimon that comes our way!"
"You mean it?" Fluttershy asked, "You'll help me?"
"We're friends, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash said putting a hand on her shoulder, "First and foremost. I never abandon my friends."
"I just want to see you smile," Pinkie Pie said taking Fluttershy's hand, "You've been holding in this misery since she died, and I want to help you heal."
"Dashie... Pinkie Pie..." Fluttershy pulled both of them into a hug, "Thank you so much!"
"Sir, the wild one has been taken care of," Octavia said from her computer.
"Were you able to identify any Tamers involved?" Sombra asked.
"Negative sir," Octavia said with a sigh, "The fog jammed all of our systems."
"Sir, I have a screenshot from after the fight," Vinyl said, catching both Sombra and Octavia's attention, "Three smaller Digimon were seen leaving the scene," she pulled up an image of three small Digimon running. It was blurred, but the colors were pretty clear.
"Those look like rookie level Digimon," Sombra said thoughtfully, "And they're together in a group."
"That means their Tamers are probably friends," Octavia said typing on her computer, "If you give me some time, I might be able to identify the Digimon at least."
"That's a start at least," Sombra said walking to the door, "I'm counting on you two."
"Yes, Mr. Sombra," both ladies said at the same time. Once he left them, Vinyl turned to Octavia.
"So, do you think we're dealing with kids here?" Vinyl asked, "Most Tamers are usually teenagers, right?"
"Probably," Octavia said distantly, "It doesn't matter though. We have a job to do."
"But, what if these are kids?" Vinyl asked, "That means Zero might be a kid too. Sombra was talking about putting her in jail or something."
"Well good," Octavia stated, "If she's a child, she needs to learn the consequences of her actions."
"We could be ruining her life," Vinyl said, looking really conflicted, "Are you seriously okay with that?"
"Zero ruined her own life," Octavia said curtly, "She shouldn't be getting involved in the affairs of adults."
As Octavia got to work, Vinyl shook her head and opted to help her. She just didn't feel right about hunting what was probably a kid like she was a criminal. Kids only did things like that if they truly felt it was the right thing to do.
So why did Zero hunt them down?
On the way back home, Rainbow Dash looked at her Digivice, checking Veemon's stats. He was a powerful Digimon, and it looked like he was on the verge of evolving into one of two types of Digimon.
What bothered her though was her performance in battle. So far it seemed less like she was helping and more like she was just getting in the way.
"Damn, I really blew it last fight, didn't I?" Rainbow Dash pouted.
"Cheer up, Rainbow Dash," Veemon said, "We were both caught off guard."
"Yeah, but I didn't do anything," Rainbow Dash said with a sigh, "All I did was get swatted away by his attack. Fluttershy and Guilmon did the most work," a sudden flash of Fluttershy's dark, almost sensual smirk made Rainbow Dash shudder.
She saw another Digital Field a bit off to the side, in the direction of the beach. Curious, she and Veemon ran into the field, ready to engage the Digimon at any time. Instead though, they saw that someone was already fighting it.
battle theme
"Agumon, attack!" Applejack commanded. Her tiny dino Digimon rushed at the giant red tyrannosaurus looking Digimon.
"BABY FLAME!!!" Agumon shouted, his attacks seeming to only do a little bit to the giant Digimon. The Digimon in question started slashing wildly with his claws, but he couldn't catch Agumon as he moved too fast. While this went on, Rainbow Dash pulled out her Digivice to scan the Digimon.
ID: TYRANNOMON
LEVEL: CHAMPION
TYPE: DINOSAUR
ATTRIBUTE: DATA
"Tyrannomon...?" Rainbow Dash wondered to herself. She didn't know the little Digimon fighting it, so she decided to scan him too, just because.
ID: AGUMON
LEVEL: ROOKIE
TYPE: REPTILE
ATTRIBUTE: VACCINE
"Hey, they're in trouble!" Veemon shouted, "He's a rookie level like me, right?! We gotta help them!"
"Hold up," Rainbow Dash said stopping Veemon, "His Tamer, she doesn't look worried."
No she didn't actually. In fact, Applejack was grinning confidently the entire time.
"I'll give you an opening!" Applejack shouted. She then rushed at Tyrannomon, and punched him square in the face knocking him back. Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide when she saw that. How had a human punched a Digimon in the face like that, and hurt it?
Applejack knelt down onto one knee, and Agumon jumped into the air. While he was still in the air, Applejack pulled up her keyboard, "Alterin' Program! Rapid Flame!"
"BABY FLAME!" Agumon shouted, firing at Tyrannomon rapidly before he could block. The offending Digimon fell down onto the ground and broke apart, his data flowing into Agumon.
AGUMON: 35 EXP
LEVEL UP!
end song
"Alright, this is good," Applejack said kneeling down and looking at her stat screen with Agumon, "We keep this up, an' we'll be able ta reach Mega in no time."
"I wish we could find some tougher Digimon to fight though," Agumon said, "If we're really gonna get stronger, we need to fight some Ultimates."
"Yeah, that's true," Applejack said rubbing the back of her head, "But they rarely ever come through the Network. Damn it, I hate grindin' like this. Even trainin' in the Rookie level only increases EXP but so-"
"That. Was. AWESOME!"
"Hm?" Applejack asked, rising up and turning to see Rainbow Dash and Veemon standing behind her.
"You guys are the strongest Tamer and Digimon duo I've ever seen!" Rainbow Dash shouted, "I mean, you punched it! You! Punched a Tyrannosaurus Rex in the face! That's the most badass sentence EVER!"
"Well, I don't mean ta brag, but," Applejack said rubbing her nose looking up at the sky arrogantly.
"Applejack and I are gonna become the strongest Digimon and Tamer in the world!" Agumon cheered.
"Is that so?" Veemon said punching the air, "Well, hope you don't mind some friendly competition! That's what Dash and I are striving for too!"
"I don't mind a friendly rival," Agumon said happily, "Maybe we can push each other to become stronger."
"Sweet! Here's to friendly rivalries!" Veemon and Agumon shook hands, apparently becoming friends just that fast.
"It's amazing how fast you guys make friends with each other," Rainbow Dash said with a wry smile.
"Tell me 'bout it," Applejack said, "But that's jus' how Agumon is. He an' his bro Gabumon are always makin' friends with other Digimon," she turned to Rainbow Dash, "Yer that girl Rarity's always teasin, right?"
"Y-yeah, I'm Rainbow Dash," she said blushing and looking away, "And I know you're Rarity's girlfriend, Applejack right?"
"Yep. Don't worry, I ain't got a beef with ya. Far as I see it, y'all two jus' got some banter back an' forth," Applejack said.
"So, you're not gonna punch me into next year for thinking your girlfriend is a total bitch," Rainbow Dash asked hopefully, making Applejack laugh.
"She is a total bitch! But she's my bitch, so it all works out," Applejack said holding out her hand, which Rainbow Dash immediately shook, "So, ya liked what ya saw, huh?"
"YES!" Rainbow Dash shouted, going right back into fangirl mode, "See, that's the kind of stuff I wanna be able to do! Okay, so maybe punching a Digimon isn't a realistic dream, but I want to be strong like you and Agumon!"
"I ain't strong," Applejack said suddenly.
"Wait, what?" Rainbow Dash asked, "But I saw you punch a Champion Digimon-"
"I know, but that doesn't mean anything," she said turning her back to Rainbow Dash and looking down seriously, "I'm not strong in the way... she is."
One Year Ago
A kid was pushed against a locker, "I'm sorry, Miss Applejack!" he cried as the imposing junior stood over him with a sneer.
"Sorry? Sorry ain't gonna cut it," she said dangerously, "I told ya to watch where you were goin', an' ya STILL bumped inta me. Now, what are ya gonna do ta make me feel better, hm?"
"I... I..."
"Cause maybe I'll jus' pound ya inta next week," Applejack said, getting real close to the kid, "Yeah, that'll make me feel real good." just as she was about to raise her hand, someone grabbed it stopping her.
"Not on my watch you don't!" a high, cultured voice said adamantly. Applejack turned to see Rarity, holding her arm and glaring at her.
"Oooh, what do we have here?" Applejack said turning to face Rarity, "Little Miss Perfect here's got guts! She's either really brave!" she stepped real close to Rarity, "Or REAL stupid."
"Do you want to hit me? Will that make you feel better?" Rarity challenged.
"Ya know what? Maybe I do," Applejack stated scowling at Rarity, "Maybe ruinin' that pretty face of yours is jus' what I need ta turn this day around."
"And just what would that prove?" Rarity asked, glaring at Applejack in kind, "That you're stronger than me?"
"AH AM stronger!" Applejack shouted.
"Yes you are!" Rarity stated, surprising Applejack, "You're much stronger than me physically, but you're probably the weakest person I've ever seen emotionally!"
"Is that right?!" Applejack asked, backing Rarity up against a locker this time.
"Only someone weak would pick a fight against someone who can't defend themselves," Rarity stated, "Because it would be too easy," she spread her arms out, "So go on then! Attack me! Punch me! Slap me! Prove you're the bigger person by assaulting a helpless student!"
Applejack raised her hand to slap Rarity, but stopped when she saw the look of defiance in her eyes. She wasn't like the other students. She wasn't afraid of Applejack at all. All of a sudden, she couldn't attack her.
Rarity pushed past Applejack and walked over to the student Applejack was bullying before, "Come on, darling. Let's get you to your next class," she shot Applejack another look, and then sauntered off, leaving Applejack standing there dumbfounded. Once alone in the hall, she pulled out her still inactive Digivice and gripped it tightly.
"Damn it...!" she swore, "WHAT THE HELL?!" she punched a nearby locker, putting a dent in it as tears of frustration fell from her eyes, "I'm... I'm supposed ta be the strongest...!"
Present Day
"The strength yer lookin for," Applejack said, wiping her eyes and turning back to Rainbow Dash, "Ya ain't gonna find it clingin' to me. True strength ain't here," she held Dash's hands, "It's here," she then pointed to Dash's heart, "That's what someone real close taught me."
As Applejack and Agumon turned to leave, Rainbow Dash looked down at her chest and held her hand over her heart, "But, can you train me in becoming a better Tamer?" she asked stopping Applejack, "All that stuff about strength, I can figure all of that out on my own, but... there's someone I really want to help. But I can't help them as I am now. I just get in the way, and... I'm not cool with that. Not when she could end up getting herself hurt, so..."
"I come here every mornin' to train before school," Applejack said cutting her off, "Might be nice to have a sparrin' partner for once." With that, she and Agumon walked off without another word, although Agumon did wave to Veemon as they left.
"I'll be here!" Rainbow Dash called after her, "You can count on it! I'll be here bright and early!" she didn't respond back. Instead, Applejack just gave her a two fingered wave as she walked off, "That girl's so awesome."
"I don't care what she says," Veemon said, "She and her Digimon are super strong!"
"Yeah, they are," Rainbow Dash said thoughtfully, "So, what did she mean when she said she wasn't strong?"
Once out of Rainbow Dash's view, Applejack stopped and sighed. It always hurt when people mentioned her strength. It just reminded her of the person she used to be. The person who was angry at losing her family in the accident. The person who hated everyone around her. The person who was ashamed to admit that they were weak.
"You're not that person anymore, Applejack," Agumon said, sensing why Applejack was so upset.
"I try to remind myself of that every day," Applejack said with a sigh, "Ah don't wanna head home tonight." she pulled out her chat screen on her Digivice and contacted Rarity.
Hey, missing my favorite person in the world. Can I spend the night?
It only took a few minutes for Rarity to reply.
I was hoping you would come over! I'll be waiting for you!
"Good news," Applejack said with a peaceful smile, "Looks like we're gonna be hangin out with Rarity an' Gabumon tonight."
"Yes! I can't wait to tell Gabumon that I made another Digimon friend!" Agumon cheered. Applejack chuckled and followed after her partner as he ran off. As long as she got to be near her beloved princess, she didn't have to worry about the bad memories of the past.
Rarity's place was really nice. Surprisingly she didn't live in a mansion, but the building was still pretty nice sized, being two floors plus an attic. Rarity's parents said that the place would go to her one day, which was nice because they wouldn't ever have to be apart.
Her family was pretty nice. They were okay with Applejack, so she could just walk in to see Rarity. When she reached the door, she knocked in her special way to let Rarity know it was her.
"Come in, love," she said from inside. Applejack smiled and opened the door, seeing Rarity lying on her bed reading in her white and purple bathrobe.
"Howdy," Applejack said waving. Rarity marked the page she was on and closed her book, looking up at Applejack adoringly.
"Hey there," Rarity said, "Looks like dreams do come true. Gabumon, be a dear and let your brother in."
"Yes, Your Highness," Gabumon said, rising up and walking to the window, which he opened. A second later, Agumon climbed inside.
"Sometimes I really wish Rarity's parents knew about us," Agumon said, exhausted from the climb.
"That would be nice," Rarity said folding her arms and giving the most adorable pout, "Sadly I know my mother. She'd freak. She doesn't even like our cat."
Applejack laughed shaking her head. She then closed the door and locked it, walking over to Rarity's bed. She then sat down behind her and embraced her tightly.
"Applejack love, what's wrong?" Rarity asked holding onto Applejack's arm.
"I met another Tamer," Applejack said, "Ya know her well. It's Rainbow Dash."
"Seriously, she of all people has a Digimon?" Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow, "I suppose it's not my place to judge. Yggdrasil knows what she's doing."
"She called me strong," Applejack said softly. A look of understanding came over Rarity.
"O-oh. I see," Rarity turned around to face Applejack, and gently caressed her cheek, "You're not still bothered by it, are you?" when Applejack averted her eyes, Rarity sighed, "Um, could you two give Applejack and I some alone time, dearies?"
"Sure thing," Agumon said, "Let's head to the Lookout Tower."
"Alright, have a good night you two," Gabumon said. Both tiny Digimon jumped out the still open window.
"Applejack, the person you are back then isn't the person you are now," Rarity said, "You're so much better now."
"I know it's silly," Applejack said with a sigh, still not looking Rarity in the eyes, "But Ah can't help it, Rarity. I used ta say such horrible things to ya back then."
"But look where we are now," Rarity wrapped her arms around Applejack, "We're as close as two people could possibly be, if not closer. If it were ever possible Applejack, I'd want to meld with you and become one being born of our love."
"That's an odd thing ta say," Applejack said with a soft smile.
"I know it is," Rarity said, kissing Applejack lightly on the lips, "But it's the truth. I think about you all the time. I am so thankful that you saved my life that day. I know I'd be dead if not for you, Applejack."
"I couldn't let ya die there," Applejack said wrapping her arms around Rarity now, "I wouldn't know what to do without ya, Rarity. I need ya to guide my fists."
"Just like I need your fists to keep me safe," Rarity smiled softly, "We truly do complete one another."
"Don't ever leave me," Applejack begged, "Please, don't ever leave."
"I won't leave you," Rarity replied, "I love you Applejack, always."
"An' I love you too," Applejack said, looking at Rarity adoringly, "Always an' forever."
Applejack lied down on top of Rarity, and the two of them locked fingers and kissed, deeply and passionately. Rarity's mother knew not to bother her when Applejack was around, so they were perfectly secure for the rest of the night.
They had all the time in the world to enjoy their love.
"So, you are okay, right Fluttershy?" Pinkie Pie asked, her and Hackmon walking Fluttershy and Guilmon part of the way home.
"I am," Fluttershy said looking down, "Um, I'm sorry if knowing that I'm Zero is um..."
"Nah, it's okay," Pinkie Pie said waving it off, "I don't judge anyone. I might not agree with your methods, but I'll support you."
"Thank you," Fluttershy said looking at Pinkie Pie appreciatively, "Um, are we friends now...?"
Pinkie Pie blinked in confusion, "I'd say so. Why do you ask?"
"I've never made friends with anyone outside of the internet," Fluttershy admitted shuffling nervously, "There, you have a friends list, and anyone who you consider a friend is just someone you put there. In real life though, I don't have anything like that, so..."
"Tell you what," Pinkie Pie pulled out her Digivice, "Add my Digivice account into your friend's list." Fluttershy tilted her head cutely, but did as the super sweet girl asked her to, pulling out her Digivice and connecting it to Pinkie Pie's. A second later, Pinkie Pie's information came up on her friend list.
Her picture was interesting. She was clearly lying on her bed and giving the camera a sweet smile, one that was almost sensual or romantic in nature.
"There, now you can apply a bit of internet logic into the real world," Pinkie Pie said, showing Fluttershy's picture and information on her holographic screen. Was that how she looked on camera?
I'm a lot cuter than I thought.
"But, that's bad, isn't it?" Fluttershy asked looking away slightly, "I should be breaking away from that sort of logic, shouldn't I...?"
Pinkie Pie placed her hand on Fluttershy's cheek, "Going cold turkey is never a good idea," she said, "You need to pace yourself. Taking it one day at a time."
"I don't know," Guilmon piped up, "Cold turkey sounds delicious to me," he held his stomach as it growled, "Shoot, now I'm hungry."
"Me too," Hackmon said with the same adorable pout, "I hope there are some leftovers from last night's dinner."
Both girls laughed at their Digimon, who seemed so innocent compared to the humans around them, "Don't rush it, Fluttershy, and don't try to be anyone but your natural self, even if you're not sure how others feel."
"But, what if people don't like the real me?" Fluttershy asked nervously.
"Then screw them," Pinkie Pie replied simply, "You want people who like you for you, not for who you present yourself to be."
That made sense, somewhat. It was still terrifying though. She felt so naked right now. She planned on talking to Cipher tonight just so she could relax a bit.
"I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?" Pinkie Pie said hugging Fluttershy, "Hey, let's you, me, and Dashie hang out this weekend."
"O-okay," Fluttershy said returning the hug slowly, "That sounds... fun."
"Great! See ya Fluttershy! Bye Guilmon!" Pinkie Pie said happily running off.
"Take care!" Hackmon said running after his Tamer.
"Bye..." Fluttershy said, waving to Pinkie Pie and Hackmon as they ran off.
"You're doing a great job, Fluttershy," Guilmon said brightly.
"Thank you Guilmon," Fluttershy said, "Now that we're alone, I can show you the thing I learned," Fluttershy led Guilmon to a bench and pulled up her Digital Hazard counter, which once again showed only 25 percent, "When you Digivolved into Growlmon, this went up."
"That's the counter for the Virus I merged with, right?" Guilmon asked sitting down and looking at it.
Fluttershy nodded, "It went up to 50 percent when you Digivolved. Do you remember the level's of Digimon that Yggdrasil mentioned?"
"Fresh, In-Training, Rookie, Champion, Ultimate, and Mega," Guilmon recited for himself out loud, "There are three levels after my current one."
"Exactly, and if I'm doing the math right, then the Digital Hazard should go up 25 percent for each level. So 50 percent for Champion, 75 percent for Ultimate, and then finally 100 percent for Mega."
"So I need to get stronger in order to complete it," Guilmon reasoned, "But, what I wanna know is, why did it go back to 25 percent when I changed back?"
"Probably because your Rookie Level only has enough memory to hold that much," Fluttershy sat back and crossed her legs, folding her arms thoughtfully, "But that does raise a question though, where did the new data go when you reverted?"
"You won't get the chance to decide," a familiar voice said in front of them, "Nor will you be able to complete that virus."
Fluttershy and Guilmon looked ahead to see Twilight and her Digimon standing there, glaring at them. Fluttershy pulled out her Digivice to scan the odd Digimon next to Twilight.
ID: DORUMON
LEVEL: ROOKIE
TYPE: ANIMAL
ATTRIBUTE: DATA
Fluttershy frowned and got up, both she and Guilmon walking toward Twilight and Dorumon.
"I'm only going to ask you this one more time," Twilight said, "Leave that Digimon alone, please! It's for the good of the Digital World and the Real World!"
"You're still on that?" Fluttershy groaned shaking her head.
"I'm not leaving Fluttershy!" Guilmon said getting in front of her and holding his arms out in defense, "I'm her friend!"
"You're a dangerous virus, and you're putting this girl's life in danger," Twilight said, "If you truly value her life, you'll stay as far away from her as possible."
"I made a promise to her, and I always keep my promises," Guilmon said, glaring at Twilight and Dorumon.
"You're worried about the Digital Hazard, right?" Fluttershy asked holding up her Digivice, "There's nothing to worry about. I'm in perfect control of it."
"No, you're not," Dorumon said, "You only think you are."
"That virus is intertwined with Guilmon's natural data," Twilight explained, "As you already deduced, each time he Digivolves to the next level, the virus will get stronger. If it were just a regular computer virus it wouldn't be an issue. But Guilmon is the virus."
"Your point?" Fluttershy asked narrowing her eyes.
"My point is that once that virus is complete, it will be unleashed on everything around you," Twilight continued, "You would be responsible for the destruction of both worlds, and believe me, when that happens you won't be in control of it. Your arrogance will be the death of everyone you care about."
Fluttershy closed her eyes seriously, "Guilmon, do you want to destroy the Digital World or Human World?"
"Not at all Fluttershy," Guilmon said, equally serious, "All I want is to help you learn why your Mom died."
"Well there you have it," Fluttershy said, looking back at Twilight, "Guilmon isn't the bad Digimon you seem to think he is. He's no more dangerous than I am."
Twilight tightened her fists in frustration, "You stupid, arrogant child. Fine, if you won't stop in this quest, I'll have no choice but to stop you both by force!" she pulled out her Digivice, "Dorumon, get ready!"
"Right!" Dorumon shouted, barring his teeth and growling at Fluttershy and Guilmon. Fluttershy lowered her goggles over her eyes and pulled out her Digivice.
"If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get!" Fluttershy shouted, "But I'm not letting you or anyone stop me! If you're not going to help me, then you're an enemy! Guilmon!"
"Right!" Guilmon said, his eyes narrowing into slits giving him a more feral appearance, "Let's do this! Together!"
FLUTTERSHY VS TWILIGHT
Guilmon and Dorumon charged at each other, and the violent battle began, Fluttershy prepared to do whatever it took to defeat Twilight. Even if she had to rely on the Digital Hazard in order to do it.
Bring it on, Twilight!
I'll destroy you, your Digimon, Umbra Corp, and ANYONE else that gets in my way! |
Digimon Saga: CTRL-ALT-DELETE | 07: Who's the woman in white? | Theme Song: With the Wind
07: Who's the woman in white?
play song
"FIRE BALL!"
"METAL CANNON!"
The two attacks met in the center of the park and exploded. The two Digimon in question rushed at each other meeting in a headbutt, both of them pressing their heads together and glaring at each other. They jumped away from each other and Dorumon charged up energy through his body, making the red gemstone glow on his forehead.
"METAL CANNON!" he intoned, firing a large metallic sphere at Guilmon.
"Altering Program! Defense UP!" Fluttershy shouted, sending the new program. Guilmon held his claws in front of himself to defend, and the attack only pushed him back. Still, Fluttershy saw that his health dropped a bit, "Guilmon, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Guilmon said, falling onto one knee. He then glared at Dorumon and shot up, charging at his opponent. He then slashed wildly, spinning around to hit Dorumon with his tail, but the purple Digimon dodged all of his attacks and then jumped away.
"You're nothing but a child playing with forces beyond your comprehension," Twilight taunted, pulling out her Digivice, "This fight will be over quickly. Altering Program! Speed UP!"
Dorumon ran in a wide arc around Guilmon, who continuously shot fireballs at the skilled purple Digimon. Dorumon stopped running and charged straight at Guilmon, "DASH METAL!" he shouted, rapid firing smaller metal spheres at Guilmon while he ran. Like before Guilmon blocked, but then Dorumon jumped into the air and did a stomping kick on Guilmon, knocking him down.
"Guilmon!" Fluttershy cried. She was about to run to his aid, but Dorumon shot a metal sphere at her feet stopping her.
"Don't interfere!" Twilight commanded, "This is for your own-" she cried out in surprise as a fireball shot in her direction, causing her to duck. When she looked she saw Guilmon standing up, and he looked pissed.
"Don't, attack, FLUTTERSHY!" Guilmon roared, his eyes turning slit like now he was so pissed. He charged at Dorumon slashing wildly, yet his attacks looked like they were getting through now. Fluttershy looked at Guilmon intently, amazed by how well he was fighting.
"Yeah, that's right!" she pulled out her Digivice, "I have to fight just as hard too! Guilmon, get ready!"
Guilmon jumped back away from Dorumon and held his arms out in front of Fluttershy defending her, "Let's do this, Fluttershy!"
"Altering Program! Digivolve!" Fluttershy shouted activating the program. She then held her hand in front of her face as crimson red energy formed. She sent the energy into her Digivice, and then pointed it at Guilmon, sending the energy out to him.
ACCESS
DIGIVOLUTION
"GUILMON DIGIVOLVE TO!" Guilmon shouted, his body ripping apart to reveal the deep red wire frame underneath, which then shifted in size and shape before his body reformed, "GROWLMON!"
Fluttershy once again felt a sharp pain in her chest, and she looked at the Digivice.
HAZARD LEVEL: 50%
"Growlmon sweetie, let's rip that Digimon apart," Fluttershy said with a sneer, now once again Zero. Growlmon gave a loud roar, which actually pushed Twilight and Dorumon back a bit.
"So, it's bonded with you that much," Twilight said somberly, "You have no idea what's going on with you, do you?"
"I don't care is the thing," Zero said, leaning forward with her hands on her hips, "You're just afraid because you know that Growlmon's going to tear your poor excuse of a Digimon in half."
"Is that right?" Twilight asked darkly, "Well then, why don't I show you what a true Champion level Digimon looks like. Dorumon, let's stop playing with this child."
"Understood! Proceeding with level 2!" Dorumon said hunching forward.
"Altering Program! Digivolve!" Twilight shouted. She elegantly held her hand out and snapped her fingers, causing purple energy to build up. She then sent the energy into her Digivice and shot it out at Dorumon, almost like it were a mundane action.
ACCESS
DIGIVOLUTION
"DORUMON DIGIVOLVE TOO!" Dorumon shouted, his body ripping apart to reveal a purple wire frame underneath. When the energy surrounded him, his body grew in size along with his wings and tail. When he reformed he was a larger black version of himself with purple stripes, black wings with a white underside, and red claws on his hands and feet, "DORUGAMON!"
"Oh?" Zero asked pulling out her Digivice to scan it, "What's that thing?"
ID: DORUGAMON
LEVEL: CHAMPION
TYPE: ANIMAL
ATTRIBUTE: DATA
"This changes nothing," Zero said, looking at their opponent, "Growlmon, attack!"
"EXHAUST FLAME!" Growlmon thundered, immediately firing a stream of flames at Dorugamon, who simply spread his wings and took to the sky. He glided effortlessly through the sky before flying down toward Growlmon and raked him across the legs with his razor sharp claws.
"AH!" Zero shouted, flinching in pain from the attack. Before Growlmon could retaliate, Dorugamon flew in the red dragon's face and kicked him continuously, forcing both Growlmon and Fluttershy to have to put up their arms in defense, "What the hell? Why's it so powerful?"
"Trust me, if I wanted to, I could delete your Digimon in a heartbeat," Twilight said, catching Zero's attention, "This isn't even a fraction of my power. My Digimon and I can already reach Mega Level."
"So you're holding back?!" Zero seethed.
"If we were to use our full power you wouldn't stand a chance," Twilight said, "The only reason I don't, is because I don't want Yggdrasil knowing my full power."
Growlmon glared at Dorugamon as he landed and barred his teeth. Knowing that these two weren't even using half their strength was outright disrespectful.
"Dorugamon, let's end this," Twilight commanded, "We already won this fight."
"Understood, Mistress Twilight," Dorugamon said hunching forward. He then charged at Growlmon and the two Digimon slashed wildly with their claws and tails. All the while, Zero could feel each slash, bite, and kick as if she were fighting herself. She looked up at Twilight though and saw red.
She was standing there, perfectly calm. Didn't she feel it too?
"Why aren't you affected?" Zero asked through gritted teeth, "Why don't you FEEL ANYTHING?!" Growlmon responded to her emotions by slashing Dorugamon with his Dragon Claw attack, pushing the black dragon looking Digimon back a bit and causing Twilight to have raise her hand in defense, "I'm going to wipe that smug look off your face, bitch! Altering Program! Overheat!"
Growlmon's entire body caught fire as the temperature rose around him, "EXHAUST FLAME!" she shouted, firing an even bigger gout of flames at both Dorugamon and Twilight. While the flame engulfed them, Zero held her head, laughing maniacally.
"See that?!" Zero mocked, "Feel the power of your superior!" almost immediately, Dorugamon shot out of the flames and tackled Growlmon onto the ground, causing Zero to fly back onto the ground herself.
"Honestly, I'm not impressed," Twilight said, walking out as the flames dispersed, "You really are nothing more than a child."
Zero sat up, visibly enraged, "Shut up! SHUT UP!" she actually rushed at Twilight herself and tried to punch her, but Twilight flipped her around, grabbed her wrist, and then held her down with little effort.
"Dorugamon, just end this now," Twilight said to her Digimon, "I tire of this little girl."
Dorugamon charged up energy as Growlmon slowly rose to his feet, "POWER METAL!" he shouted, sending a large sphere of metal out at Growlmon, hitting in point blank in the stomach, both him and Fluttershy screaming in pain.
"Again!" Twilight commanded.
Dorugamon charged up his attack again and fired it at Growlmon, who tried to defend, but the attack broke through his defense easily.
"Keep attacking!" Twilight ordered, holding Zero's wrist tighter as she writhed in pain yet still struggled to get free. Dorugamon continued to walk toward Growlmon, firing his attack over and over again, until apparently neither Growlmon nor Zero could take anymore, and Growlmon fell onto the ground turning back into Guilmon. At the same time, Zero gasped in shock and pain, and then fell out onto the grass.
end song
"G-Guilmon!" Fluttershy reached out for her unconscious partner, but Twilight stepped on her back, pinning her onto the ground.
"It'll be over soon," Twilight said venomously, "For what it's worth, I am sorry for this."
Fluttershy looked in horror as Dorugamon stood over Guilmon and charged up his attack. She tried to reach for her Digivice, but it was no use. Twilight held her down onto the ground to hard, and she couldn't move at all.
"No! NO!" Fluttershy screamed, flashes of her mother's funeral going through her mind, "GUILMON!"
"HEAVEN'S KNUCKLE!"
A large golden stream of light shot down at Dorugamon, actually knocking him back and Twilight off of Fluttershy. When she looked up she saw what looked like a strange white angel with a mask covering its face and six bolts embedded in its chest, landing in front of Guilmon, facing Dorugamon. A woman clad in white walking over to the red Digimon and kneeled down to check on him.
"W-wait, Angemon?!" Twilight cried looking at the white Digimon and then at the woman, "Celestia, is that-"
"Leave," the woman in white commanded, "We will talk about this later."
"Leave?! Mistress, where have you-"
"I gave you an order, Alphamon," Celestia said sternly. Twilight glared at the woman in white, but then rose up and jumped on Dorugamon's back.
"This isn't over, Zero," Twilight said. Dorugamon took off into the sky flying off into the moonlight. The white Digimon glowed and shrunk down into something much smaller that Fluttershy could barely see. As the tiny Digimon flew down to Guilmon, the woman in white walked over to Fluttershy and knelt down before her.
"Who, are?"
"Shh..." Celestia said with a gentle smile, "When you wake up, you will be safe at home, with your Digimon."
"Your voice... it sounds... familiar..." Fluttershy said, drifting off as the darkness claimed her.
Twilight and Dorugamon landed outside of town, where Twilight jumped off her Digimon and went to hide in an alleyway, which was thankfully big enough for Dorugamon to weave his way inside.
"Seraphimon, why...?" Twilight asked, leaning against a wall, "Surely you know what that Digimon is, right?"
"Something is wrong here, Twilight," Dorugamon said, "Both Ophanimon and Seraphimon are acting strange."
"Damn it!" Twilight cried falling down into a sitting position, tears falling from her eyes, "Ophanimon is keeping secrets, and now Seraphimon is protecting that virus and his Tamer?! What do we do now?! Who do we trust?!"
"Twilight, it's okay," Dorugamon knelt down next to Twilight and nuzzled her, "We'll figure this out. Why don't we head back to the network for now to regroup?"
"Good idea," Twilight said, rising up, "The computer we used should be nearby. Let's go before the store closes."
Dorugamon de-digivolved into Dorumon, and the two of them ran toward a cyber cafe. At the moment, besides the owner behind the counter, only a single patron was there. It was a young man, looking to be in his early twenties, with short black hair and a black goatee, wearing a gray flannel shirt, brown pants, black boots, and fancy looking red glasses with golden tinted lenses. Before him was a fancy looking laptop, and he looked a little concerned.
"She should be on by now," the young man said thoughtfully. When he saw Twilight and Dorumon walk in, his eyes widened, but he pretended to not pay attention to them. The man behind the counter was too busy watching videos on his phone to care.
Twilight and Dorumon went to the computer in the far back of the room. The man noticed that there was a big bright flash, that eventually died down. Curious, he rose up to investigate, and was surprised to see that the booth was empty.
"You okay, Discord?" the man behind the counter asked, finally looking up from his phone.
"Yes, um, does anyone ever use this computer?" the young man, Discord asked.
"Not even," the guy behind the counter said with a snort, "That thing's an antique, bro. It's a miracle that it even turns on. Only reason we keep it is for nostalgia purposes."
"Is that right?" Discord said looking at the computer intently, "Huh, anyway, I'm heading home for now."
"Still can't reach your girlfriend?" the owner asked.
"Normally I'd be excited that she's actually living her life outside of her room," Discord said packing up his computer, "But at this hour, and on a weekend at that, she's always on her computer, and she'd text me if something came up."
"I'm sure she's fine," the owner said, "She'll probably be on when you get in."
"Yeah, maybe," Discord said closing his backpack and throwing it over his shoulder, "I'll see you later, Scorpan."
"See ya Discord," the owner said. As Discord walked by, he and Scorpan did a fancy fist bump and handshake, not once meeting a beat. Once outside, he pulled out his cellphone and pulled up the picture of the lady in white.
"These Digimon are seriously popping up everywhere, aren't they?" Discord asked with a frown, "I need to investigate this more."
He began making his way back to his apartment, figuring that he'd wait for his friend there. They had a lot to talk about.
When Fluttershy woke up, she was lying on the couch, her father sitting over her wiping her forehead with a white towel.
"Daddy...?" Fluttershy asked.
"Thank God," Cyrus said with a relieved smile.
"What happened?" she rose up with a start, "Guilmon! Where is he?! Is he okay?!"
"Fluttershy, Fluttershy, calm down," Cyrus said placing his hands on her shoulders, "Guilmon's fine. He's upstairs in your room, resting."
Fluttershy breathed out in relief. She was worried that Twilight and her Digimon had deleted him. "How did we get here?"
"An old friend dropped you off," Cyrus said, "Sadly, she already left, but she sent you her regards."
Old friend. Was he talking about the white lady with the angel looking Digimon? She never got to get the information on that Digimon, but whatever it was, it was truly a sight to see.
"I don't know what you're doing," Cyrus continued, "But please be careful. I don't want to lose either you or Guilmon."
"I will," Fluttershy said, "Thank you Daddy. Um, I'm going to check on Guilmon, now."
"Fluttershy," Cyrus called out stopping her, "Don't keep trying to do things on your own, honey. Sooner or later you will get seriously hurt."
Fluttershy sighed and walked up the stairs. She knew that her father was right, but Twilight was able to get that strong on her own. Why was she so powerful? Were she and Guilmon just outmatched?
When she reached her bedroom, she saw Guilmon sitting on the bed, looking at his claws seriously.
"Guilmon?" Fluttershy asked softly. Guilmon turned to Fluttershy beaming.
"Fluttershy! You're okay!" he cried, shooting up and embracing Fluttershy tightly, "I was worried about you when you didn't wake up right away!"
"Oh Guilmon!" Fluttershy sobbed returning the tight embrace, "I'm so sorry I wasn't strong enough! I had no idea that Twilight was so powerful!"
"No Fluttershy, it's not just you," Guilmon looked Fluttershy in the eyes, "I don't think either of us was strong enough. Those two were on a whole different level."
"Then we have to become stronger," Fluttershy said seriously, "If she's determined to fight us, then we need to be ready. Next time, we won't lose!"
Guilmon nodded, "Right! I know we can do it!" Guilmon said with a confident smile. A beep on her computer caught her attention. She and Guilmon walked over to her computer and saw a notification from Cipher.
"Cipher!" Fluttershy cried happily, sitting down and typing up her reply.
Cipher! I'm so happy to see you!_
Oh my God, Zero! I was worried about you when I didn't hear from you. Are you okay?_
"Sounds like he really cares about you," Guilmon pointed out.
"He and I have been together for years now," Fluttershy said with a loving smile before typing up her reply.
Honestly... no I'm not okay Cipher._
Guilmon and I ran into another Tamer today. Some goth chick and a purple Digimon with a red gem._
Wait... goth chick?_
I think I saw her earlier._
"He saw Twilight?" Fluttershy asked. Did that mean that Cipher was actually in the area?
Yeah, pretty sure actually._
She walked over to a computer near me and just... VANISHED._
"She mentioned that she came from the network," Fluttershy said thoughtfully, "Guilmon, do you think she went back to the Digital World?"
"Probably," Guilmon said with a shrug, "You do have to travel through the network in order to get to my world."
Guilmon just said that she might have gone back to the Digital World._
His world._
So... humans live in the Digital World too?_
"Guilmon, do they?" Fluttershy asked Guilmon.
"Honestly, I don't know," Guilmon said, "I know that there are certain Digimon that look very human, but I don't think there are actual humans in the Digital World."
Fluttershy pursed her lips and typed up her response.
Guilmon says it's unlikely._
Although, I've heard some people call her by a Digimon name._
What's the name they use?_
Alphamon._
Hm... Alphamon, huh?_
Yeah. You've been looking into this too, right?_
Does that sound familiar?_
Afraid not. Sorry Zero._
Fluttershy rubbed her eyes, "So much for that," she pouted, "I was hoping he'd know something."
However, I do have something else._
I was at the train station this afternoon, and I saw a strange woman getting off._
"Strange woman?" Guilmon asked reading the screen as Fluttershy typed up her response.
What was so strange about this woman?_
Besides the fact that she was dancing and spinning around like a child?_
And was talking about arriving in America like she'd reached paradise?_
She had a Digimon._
This woman was another tamer?! Before she could ask Cipher to tell her more, she saw Cipher upload a picture. Probably of said tamer. When the picture appeared, Fluttershy did a double take.
"Guilmon, that's her," Fluttershy said in awe.
"I remember her," Guilmon said, "She was with me when I woke up."
"She was?!" Fluttershy asked turning to Guilmon, "Do you know who she is?"
"Sorry Fluttershy, but no," Guilmon said with an adorable pout, "She never said her name, but she did have a tiny Digimon with her. A Patamon I think."
"Patamon?" Fluttershy asked, wishing she could search the names of Digimon to get their pictures. Either way, she typed up her response to Cipher.
Guilmon and I saw her._
She saved our lives._
I think she's a friend of my Dad's._
Or maybe... of my Mom..._
Fluttershy thought about that as Cipher wrote his reply. Did that woman know her mother? Could she possibly be a lead? If so, she needed to find her as soon as possible.
It's possible. It's HIGHLY possible._
So, we're searching for her, right?_
"Are we?" Guilmon asked Fluttershy.
"Yes, we are," Fluttershy said typing up her response, "She knows something about what happened to my Mom, I'm sure of it."
That's the next plan, Cipher._
Can I count on you to be on the lookout for her too?_
Of course you can._
If I find her, I'll let you know._
Thanks Cipher._
I'm going to turn in for the night._
Good idea, Zero._
Get some rest._
She and Cipher said good night and both logged out. Fluttershy then turned her chair around and hugged her knees. "Guilmon, that woman is the closest I have to learning the truth about my Mom."
"She might not know much though," Guilmon said rubbing her back, "We have to prepare for that."
"I know," Fluttershy said, "But either way, she knew her. She might be able to tell me a bit about what she was working on before she died. That way, I can learn WHY she died."
Celestia stopped in the middle of the town, a good bit away from Fluttershy's home. She then turned around to look back at the house.
"Celestia, what's wrong?" Patamon asked looking up at his tamer, "Do you have a tummy ache?"
"No sweetie, it's not that," Celestia said, petting the tiny Digimon in her arms, "Just remembering an old friend."
"Do you think Alphamon is mad at us?" Patamon asked wilting.
"Twilight and Dorumon probably aren't the happiest with us," Celestia held Patamon close to her face and smiled, "But we did what we had to. We had a promise to keep."
"To Dr. Posey, right?" Patamon asked. Celestia pulled Patamon into a tight hug.
"That's right Patamon. Come on, dear. Let's get something to eat," Celestia said, walking back to town. She knew that her student was going to be furious at her, and she technically did protect a dangerous virus, but she just couldn't stand by and let her best friend's daughter get hurt.
She promised Posey after all.
"So, Yggdrasil's begun making new tamers," an elderly man said, holding a long staff in his large nailed hands.
"Mm hm," a silvery voice said, coming from a woman with short hair and a fancy dress, "I've located at least five new ones. All of them are little girls."
"Pssh! Don't tell me you're afraid of a bunch of kids!" a gruff and arrogant voice said from a man sitting on a chair, wearing what looked like biker equipment and polishing a large gun, "I say we just go there now and wreck the whole place!"
"I agree!" a monstrous voice boomed, coming from what appeared to be a monster shaped like a gator of some sort, "Let's destroy the surface dwellers now! We've already destroyed the Royal Knights!"
"No," a scarily calm voice said from someone in a cloak, "If we were to attack now we'd be made wide open. Belphemon is still sleeping, and our leader is still acting strangely."
"So what do you suggest we do, Daemon?" the woman asked leaning against a wall sensually.
"We should buy time to regroup," the cloaked figure said, "The Mother Computer is making new Tamers, right? Why don't we take a page from her book?"
"You mean make Tamers of our own?" the elderly man asked stroking his beard, "Now that's truly an interesting idea."
"I have someone I'm keeping an eye on," the woman said, "I think she has the makings to become a truly vile individual."
"Ugh, as long as I get to do something instead of rottin' in this place I'm happy," the biker groaned, "Seriously! I can't take it! I'm gonna die of boredom!"
"Hold it! How do we know that this will work?!" the gator shaped monster shouted, "Those Tamers were picked out by Yggdrasil herself!"
"We don't need them to kill the Tamers outright, Leviamon," the cloaked said turning to the gator, "All we need is to keep them busy and distracted while we regain our power."
"Lilithmon, you are the only one capable of entering the Real World right now," the elderly man said, "Go to this child, and claim her impure heart in the name of the Seven Demon Lords."
The woman, rose up and elegantly bowed, "I will do as you command, Barbamon."
Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and their Digimon all met at the park the next day. While the Digimon sparred and played together, their tamers sat down on a bench, where Fluttershy shared with them what happened last night.
"I'm sorry," Pinkie Pie said hugging Fluttershy, "I should have followed you home."
"Why didn't you tell us you were under attack?" Rainbow Dash asked, "Veemon and I would have been there in a heartbeat."
"I... I didn't want to trouble anyone," Fluttershy said looking down pained, "It was my problem and..."
Rainbow Dash turned Fluttershy to face her, "Fluttershy, we're your friends. Your problem is our problem, because we care about you."
"But... Pinkie Pie doesn't like fighting," Fluttershy said sadly, "I couldn't ask her to-"
"I may not like fighting," Pinkie Pie said, "But I don't want a friend to get hurt because I didn't do anything."
"Look, from now on, call us," Rainbow Dash said, "I don't care what we're doing at the time. We're a team, so that means if one of us is in danger, we get there to help, agreed?"
"Agreed," Pinkie Pie said. Fluttershy looked at her two friends and smiled. She honestly didn't expect them to care this much.
"Well, with that said," Fluttershy pulled out her phone and showed them the picture of the woman in white, "Have either of you ever seen this woman?"
Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie frowned looking that the picture, "Can't say that I have," Pinkie Pie said.
"Nope, me neither," Rainbow Dash said, "Who is she?"
"I don't know," Fluttershy said, "My online friend, Cipher, said that she had a Digimon with her, and she saved me last night from Twilight's attack. I need to find her."
"So you can thank her?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"That, and to ask her a few questions," Fluttershy said, putting her phone back in her jacket pocket, "Girls... she knew my Mom."
"Whoa, seriously?" Rainbow Dash asked, both her and Pinkie Pie wide eyed.
"According to my Dad, she's an "old friend"," Fluttershy said, "I mean, I don't know for sure, but... what if she did know my Mom?"
"Your Mom knew a Tamer?" Rainbow Dash asked, "But, she worked with Umbra Corp, right?"
"Hey, what does Umbra Corp do exactly?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"They're an electronics company," Rainbow Dash explained, "They make all sorts of software, from computers, to smartphones, stuff like that."
"Mmmm, nope," Pinkie Pie said shaking her head, "Doesn't add up."
"What do you mean?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Remember when Fluttershy said that she took those employee records?" Pinkie Pie said, "A legit company wouldn't need to keep their employee records a secret like that."
"What are you saying?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking a bit afraid.
"I'm saying that Fluttershy might be onto something here about Umbra Corp having a secret, and if her Mom really did know a Tamer, then that means that said secret, is related to them," everyone looked out to where she was pointing to.
The Digimon.
"You think... Umbra Corp knows about the Digimon?" Fluttershy asked.
"I'm saying that it's possible," Pinkie Pie stated, "If they do, maybe we can use them to figure out who that woman in white is."
"Dashie, can you help me?" Fluttershy asked turning to Rainbow Dash, "I need to get back into Umbra Corps network, but they're probably going to be watching it more closely."
"I..." Rainbow Dash looked to the side unsure.
"Please Dashie, you're the only one who can get me back in!" Fluttershy begged. Rainbow Dash looked into Fluttershy's eyes, seeing how desperate she was. She then turned to Pinkie Pie, who gave her a look of understanding.
"I'll get you in," Rainbow Dash said seriously, "I promise."
Fluttershy beamed and hugged Rainbow Dash, "Thank you so much Dashie!"
Pinkie Pie sighed, "I might be able to help out too. My sister Maud taught me a cool trick with our Digivices and our Digimon. It might prove useful."
"Really? Thank you Pinkie Pie!" Fluttershy said, now hugging her, "I'll go tell the Digimon!"
As Fluttershy shot up to talk to their Digimon, Pinkie Pie scooted over to Rainbow Dash.
"Are you sure about this, Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie Pie asked, "I mean, that's your father's company."
"I... I know," Rainbow Dash said looking pained, "But... you saw Fluttershy. She needs answers, and I can help her get them."
"No Dash, she doesn't need answers," Pinkie Pie said, "She wants answers."
Rainbow Dash turned to Fluttershy, who was surrounded by the Digimon. She looked so happy right now, and it was a nice change, as Fluttershy usually looked really somber. But... the reason she was so happy was because...
"I promised that I'd help her get closure, and I always keep my promises," Rainbow Dash said, "And... if she's right, then my Dad might be doing something dangerous, and I need to stop him if that's the case."
Pinkie Pie shook her head, "Well, I said I'd help out too. I don't like this, but... I'll help."
"Thanks Pinkie Pie," Rainbow Dash said, "You know, you're really cool."
"Oh Rainbow Dash, we don't have to pretend this isn't what it is," she said, giving Rainbow Dash a sensual smile, "Let's just skip to the good part."
"Ahh... Pinkie Pie...?" Rainbow Dash said, backing away a bit. A second later, Pinkie Pie burst out laughing.
"You should see the look on your face!" Pinkie Pie said, "That was totally worth it!"
Rainbow Dash sighed in relief. She still wasn't sure how she felt about the pink haired teen laughing, but she had to admit that she looked really cute when she was so happy.
In another section of the city, a young girl in glasses was making her way back to home after hanging out with her friend. Once again she had to go on and on about how great Rumble was. How handsome he was. It drove her up the wall listening to that.
But she had to. She had to listen to her all the time, because according to Diamond Tiara, she was her "best friend".
The silver haired girl stopped and looked down, tightening her fists in frustration. Diamond Tiara shouldn't have been looking at Rumble. She was supposed to look at her!
"I'm your friend...!" the preteen said, eyes closed tightly, "Not that... that...!"
"Do you covet love?"
The girl gasped in shock and looked around, "W-who's there...?"
"I know how you feel, child. After all, I also desire to be loved. Sometimes though... that love can only be gained by force."
"You... know how I feel?" the girl asked, calming down a bit.
"Yes... I do, and that's why I desire to help you," the source of the voice stepped out of the shadows, revealing themselves to be a woman with long dark blue hair that shimmered like the stars, wearing a fancy black dress that was slit open high on the left leg and showed a lot of her ample cleavage, long black gloves, and black high heels. She wore dark blue eyeshadow and purple lipstick, giving her a sinister look.
"Who are you?" the girl asked, somewhat mesmerized by the stunning woman before her.
"Just call me Luna," the woman said with a sensual smirk, "And I'm the answer to your problems." she held up her hand, revealing a tiny purple and black machine.
A Digivice. |
Digimon Saga: CTRL-ALT-DELETE | 08: How far will you go? | Theme Song: With the Wind
08: How far will you go?
It was dark by the time she started making her way back to her mansion, now holding the odd black and purple MP3 player looking device close to her chest. The mysterious woman, Luna right? She called it a "Digivice", and with it, she'd supposedly be able to make her dreams come true.
My dream...?
But... can I really make Diamond Tiara...?
The young girl opened the door to her mansion, and walked upstairs, passing by all of the servants that awaited her.
"Good evening, Miss Silver Spoon."
"Welcome home, Miss Silver Spoon."
"That dress looks lovely, Miss Silver Spoon."
She inwardly scowled at all of them as she made her way to her room. She hated how phony they all were. They were only saying those things because it was their job. None of them actually cared about her. Her parents didn't even care. That's why they left out again, leaving her all alone.
I hate them...
I hate EVERYONE...!
As she walked into her room, her thoughts went to the one person she didn't hate. The one person who saved her life, and made her feel true happiness for once in her existence. Still wearing her gray and white dress and black shoes, the glasses wearing preteen jumped onto her bed and grabbed a picture. It was of her with another girl about her age with purple and white hair, wearing a fancy pink dress and a tiara in her hair.
"No... I don't hate you..." Silver Spoon said, her voice oozing in desperation and love, "I love you... You're mine, Diamond Tiara... All mine...!" she hugged the picture tightly, imagining that it was her that she was holding, "What does he have that I don't?! Why do you like him and not me?! You're mine, Diamond Tiara! YOU BELONG TO ME!!!"
-BEEP BEEP-
Silver Spoon was pulled out of her moment by the loud beep coming from her Digivice. She looked at it and saw a holographic screen appear above the device.
LEVEL: 666_ SYSTEM: ASMODEUS_ CODE: LUST
CAUTION! PURGATORY LEVEL 7
Before Silver Spoon could question what she was looking at, she noticed something jump onto her window. She looked and saw an odd looking black and purple cat, with gloves on its paws, and golden eyes that seemed to almost glow in the relative dark.
"You came for me, right?" Silver Spoon asked, looking at the black cat, "Are you a... Digimon?"
The black cat smirked and jumped off the window, walking over to the silver haired girl on all fours.
"My name is BlackGatomon," the black cat said, voice surprisingly deep for something so cute and tiny, "Don't worry Silver Spoon, I'll love you."
Silver Spoon's eyes widened, and tears started falling from her eyes. She then pulled the cat Digimon into a deep hug.
"Thank you!" she sobbed, "I love you, BlackGatomon!"
The mission was set to start tonight. The three of them would meet up and then head to Fluttershy's house, as she had the best computer. Also, she said that her family was okay concerning Digimon.
But first, Rainbow Dash needed to get them the key to the back door.
She walked into her mansion and looked around, "Dad, are ya in?" Rainbow Dash called out and waited for a minute, "Alright Veemon, the coast is clear." Veemon jumped in from the window as Rainbow Dash ran into her Dad's study.
"So, what are we getting?" Veemon asked, running after her.
"My dad keeps all of his important files on his desktop," Rainbow Dash said, "I can access them because he trusts me. Somewhere on there is the access code that Fluttershy needs."
"Are you sure this is okay then," Veemon asked, visibly concerned, "Isn't this a breach of-"
"It's to help Fluttershy uncover the truth." Rainbow Dash cut her partner off, typing on the desktop computer, "If my Dad knows something about Fluttershy's Mom, we need to expose that." she smirked at the computer, "And... got it!" she pulled out a flash drive and copied the access key, pulling it out and closing the computer, "Come on Veemon. Let's head out of here."
Veemon nodded and ran out of the office with Rainbow Dash, but stopped when they heard the door open. Veemon ran over to the window and jumped out just as the door opened and her father walked inside.
"Hey Dad!" Rainbow Dash chirped, trying to hide how much her heart was racing.
"Hello Dash," Sombra said walking over to hug her, "Were you heading out?"
"Y-yeah," Dash said, "I'm chilling at a friend's place. You know Fluttershy?"
"The super quiet one, right?" Sombra asked, "Yes, I'd heard you were spending more time with her."
"It's me and another girl," Rainbow Dash said, "Pinkie Pie, the one from the diner."
"Right," he said nodding, "That's an interesting bunch. As long as you're careful."
"I will be," Rainbow Dash said pushing past him to the door, but stopping, "Dad, if I had a secret, a terrible secret, you'd want me to come clean right?"
Sombra was silent for a second, but he then turned to Rainbow Dash, "Of course I would. You should never keep a secret that bad."
"Right, that's what you always taught me," Rainbow Dash said with a smile, "That's all."
"Dash, is something wrong?" Sombra asked Rainbow Dash walking over to her, "You're acting rather odd."
"I'm fine," Rainbow Dash forced out, eyes closed and trembling, "I... I need to go, alright? I can't keep my friends waiting."
It looked like Sombra was going to hug her, but he stopped and sighed, "Very well Dash. Have fun."
"I will," she said, running out of the house before she broke down. She knew that Veemon was following her, so she just kept running.
Don't lie to me, Dad!
Please... I don't want them to be right about you!
"Yes, I'm about to get the files now," Sombra said walking into his study and sitting at his computer, "Soon we'll be able to reconnect with that place. I'll see you back at the office, Octavia."
He turned to his computer and frowned. He always kept the computer asleep, but the screen was usually off by the time he came in. Yet for some reason, the screen was open.
He shrugged and got to work. He had more pressing matters to attend to. Matters like how he was going to track down Zero.
When Rainbow Dash and Veemon arrived at the corner, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were already waiting for them there with their Digimon.
"Hey, got it," Rainbow Dash, said handing the flash drive to Fluttershy, "This has the key to Umbra Corps' personal network."
Fluttershy looked at the flash drive and nodded, "This is perfect. Thank you Rainbow Dash."
"Don't thank us yet," Pinkie Pie said, folding her arms and leaning against the wall, "We still need to break in."
"You said you had a method that involved the Digimon, right?" Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie Pie.
"It's something that my sister Maud taught me," Pinkie Pie said, "Pull out your phone." Rainbow Dash shrugged and held out her phone. Pinkie Pie pulled out her pink and white Digivice and typed on the holographic keyboard, "Jack In! Hackmon!"
A green portal opened up next to Hackmon, and he walked through. The portal then closed behind him, scaring Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
"Whoa!" Rainbow Dash cried.
"W-where is he?" Fluttershy asked looking around, surprised when Guilmon and Veemon started laughing, "What?"
"Check her phone, Fluttershy," Guilmon said. Rainbow Dash looked on her phone and did a double take. On the screen was Hackmon!
"Heya!" Hackmon said waving to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, the latter of the two of them smiling in awe.
"He's inside of the phone," Fluttershy breathed out.
"Well, more so he's in the homepage of the phone," Pinkie Pie pointed out, "To them, digital planes are environments that can be explored."
"You're thinking, we send our Digimon into Umbra Corps' network like this?" Rainbow Dash asked with a huge grin.
"Better than us trying to look through the network the old fashioned way," Pinkie Pie said with a shrug, "Probably safer too. Our Digimon are connected to our Digivices, and no conventional computers can trace them."
"Guilmon sweetie," Fluttershy said, pulling out her Digivice, "You've just gotten a huge promotion."
"Sweet! I got a promotion!" Guilmon cheered happily. He then looked thoughtful, "What's a promotion?"
"Maybe it's means you get more food, or tastier food," Veemon suggested. Guilmon's eyes widened happily.
"Hey, maybe!" Guilmon cried happily looking at Fluttershy, "Fluttershy! Is that what it is? Is it?"
"Sure," Fluttershy said, shaking her head, "Maybe I can convince my Dad to make a pastry with your face on it or someth-" she was cut off by Guilmon gasping.
"Guilmon Bread!" Guilmon said excitedly, "It could have strawberry filling, and maybe it's as big as my claws, or, or-"
"Um, why don't we focus on one thing at at time," Rainbow Dash interrupted suddenly, making Guilmon blush.
"Right, sorry," Guilmon apologized sheepishly.
Fluttershy patted her Digimon on the head as Hackmon appeared out of another green portal, "My house is close to here. Let's head over now."
Fluttershy led her friends to her two story house. Pinkie Pie took off her shoes the second she got in, making Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy briefly look at her.
"What?" Pinkie Pie asked, "Just trying to be polite."
"Hello?" Cyrus said walking out of the kitchen, smiling in surprise, "Fluttershy, are these your friends from school?"
"Y-yes," Fluttershy said blushing a bit in embarrassment, "Um, Rainbow Dash and her partner Veemon, and Pinkie Pie and her partner Hackmon."
"Yo," Rainbow Dash said with a two fingered wave.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Brymwood," Pinkie Pie said with a bow.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both as well," Cyrus said shaking hands with both girls, "And you both have such adorable Digimon."
"Thanks," Hackmon said, rubbing the back of his head. Veemon folded his arms and pouted cutely
"I'm not adorable, I'm awesome," he grumbled.
"Daddy, we're heading upstairs to my room," Fluttershy said, "We're working on a project for school, and need absolute silence, so... I'm going to lock my door."
"That's okay honey," Cyrus said, "Enjoy your time with your friends."
Fluttershy nodded and rushed upstairs, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Veemon, and Hackmon following suit. Guilmon however turned to Cyrus.
"So Dad, Fluttershy and I came up with a great idea for a snack," Guilmon said, "What if, you made bread with my face on them, with strawberry filling? You could call it-"
"Come on Guilmon!" Fluttershy called out from upstairs.
"R-right! Sorry Fluttershy!" Guilmon cried, running after his tamer, "I'll tell ya more later!"
Cyrus shook his head smiling, and then thought about that idea. Bread in the shape of Guilmon's face, huh?
"So wait, you're from Japan?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yep," Pinkie Pie chirped happily, "Couldn't tell, could ya? My sis and I moved here when I was 4, so I learned English pretty easily."
"Was that where you met Hackmon?" Fluttershy asked, setting up her desktop computer. Pinkie Pie nodded.
"Everyone in my family is a tamer," Pinkie Pie explained, "I received my Digivice when I was still really young, and for a long time I was protected by my three sisters; Maud, Limestone, and Marble," she went to sit down on Fluttershy's bed looking down, "One day, these really powerful Digimon attacked us, apparently after me. Maud's Leomon fought them to help us escape, but he couldn't Digivolve because she was with me, so eventually he..."
"He was deleted... wasn't he?" Fluttershy asked, turning to Pinkie Pie, who nodded sadly.
"But hold on," Rainbow Dash said sitting down next to Pinkie Pie, "Why couldn't Leomon digivolve?"
"He was a Champion level Digimon," Hackmon explained, catching everyone's attention, "Any higher level would have left Maud unable to move, and she needed to get Pinkie Pie here to America where it's safe."
"She was messed up after his death," Pinkie Pie said, hugging her knees, "Since he was always in the Champion level, they were connected on a programming level, so they felt each others' energy. When he was deleted, she went into shock, and never recovered."
"I'm sorry," Fluttershy said, looking down in a way that hid her eyes, "I don't want to ever think of what would happen if I lost Guilmon."
"Hey, no one here's losing their Digimon partner," Rainbow Dash said, "And now, you're gonna become a Tamer strong enough to protect everyone."
Pinkie Pie looked at Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and smiled softly, "Right, that's why we're working together."
"So, in terms of us working together," Fluttershy turned to the computer, "I think I might have located Umbra Corp's network."
"Perfect," Pinkie Pie said shooting up and walking over to the computer, "Don't unlock it just yet. Wait until our Digimon get there."
"So, how do we do this?" Rainbow Dash asked standing next to Pinkie Pie.
"Just pull out your Digivices and use the connect feature," Pinkie Pie said, "An option should come up for Fluttershy's computer. Once you choose that, just confirm that you want to jack into the computer."
Everyone pulled out their Digivices and connected to Fluttershy's computer, which was registered as "ZERO Homepage".
"Alright, you three ready?" Fluttershy asked, turning to the Digimon.
"I'm ready, Fluttershy!" Guilmon stated seriously.
"Yeah!" Veemon cheered, slamming his fist into his hand with a confident grin, "Let's do this!"
Hackmon just nodded in response.
Fluttershy nodded to her two friends, and they all turned to the computer.
"Jack In! Hackmon!"
"Jack In! Veemon!"
"Jack In! Guilmon!"
Green portals opened before all three Digimon, and they all jumped through, vanishing into the network.
Guilmon, Veemon, and Hackmon found themselves flying through what looked like a large and long mechanical tunnel, with a constant line of screens above them, showing their Tamers each time they spoke.
"This. Is. AWESOME!" Rainbow Dash cheered from the Real World, "Our Digimon are literally surfing the internet!"
"Pinkie Pie, you said that Maud taught you this?" Fluttershy asked, clearly shocked.
"Remember when I said that I knew a hacker when I saw one? My sisters were all computer hackers in Japan. This was how they did it." Pinkie Pie explained.
"Guilmon, how are you feeling right now?" Fluttershy asked her Digimon.
"Everything's alright here," Guilmon said, "Hey, how are you two doing back there?"
"Pinkie Pie, this is so much fun!" Hackmon cheered happily, "I can see why Leomon and the others were always so happy!"
"Hey, look at this!" Veemon held his arms forward positioning himself almost like Superman as he flew, "I'm a superhero now!"
Both Guilmon and Hackmon laughed at that.
"Now, don't use the key on your computer," Pinkie Pie said, turning to Fluttershy, "Your Digivice has a USB port on the underside, so send the key through there."
Fluttershy nodded and inserted the key, "Okay, I'm sending the key to you, Guilmon."
"Got it, Fluttershy," Guilmon said, his voice coming from the computer, "I won't drop it, I promise."
Fluttershy shook her head smiling. It was like having a little brother. One she didn't want to kill.
Around Guilmon appeared a golden orb that flew around him. He figured that was the key. The three Digimon continued to fly through the network, stopping when they reached what looked like a large door with a red X on it and a sign saying "do not enter".
"Whoa..." Veemon breathed, looking up at it, "Something really important is in there, I can feel it."
"Is this Umbra Corp's network?" Guilmon asked with a bit of a frown.
"I think so," Fluttershy said, "Guilmon, use the key."
Guilmon nodded and floated up to the door. He took the golden orb into his claws, which then broke apart, turning into a golden ring of data surrounding his right claw. Both Veemon and Hackmon flew to his side, and he nodded to both of them before holding his claw forward at the door.
PASSCODE ACCEPTED
WELCOME, GREGORY SOMBRA
The red X turned into a green horizontal line, and the door then opened up from the center. The three Digimon then continued their flight through the network.
Fluttershy sat back into her chair, looking at her Digivice in shock. She hadn't expected it to be this easy. Normally she'd have to spend hours trying to fool the system and even then she'd run the risk of being traced. Yet just now, Guilmon was able to open the door with ease.
"I think I love Digimon," Fluttershy said with a smile.
"Right?" Pinkie Pie asked, "With these little guys, we can enter any network system we want."
"So... think later we could hack into the school's network so I can change my grades?" Rainbow Dash asked, "Pretty sure my Report Card's gonna suck."
"I don't think we can to that," Pinkie Pie pointed out, "You just gotta bite the bullet on that one."
Rainbow Dash folded her arms and grumbled, "Wouldn't hurt to try though."
Fluttershy couldn't help but laugh. She couldn't remember the last time she actually enjoyed hacking, at least enjoyed it this much. Was this what it was like having friends?
The Digimon apparently reached their destination, as the three of them were engulfed in a bright light, and then materialized in a new environment. This place was mostly green with floating platforms very reminiscent of glass.
"Welcome to Umbra Corp's main network," Pinkie Pie said. This time the three girls appeared on holographic screens hovering over their Digimon.
"Shit..." Rainbow Dash said, she and Fluttershy looking at this in shock, "This is what cyberspace looks like?"
"Sorta, yeah," Pinkie Pie said with a shrug, "I was super young back then, so I don't remember off the top of my head, but this definitely looks familiar."
"Alright, let's start searching around," Fluttershy requested, "We need to see if Umbra Corp knows anything about this lady in white."
The Digimon all walked forward and slowly looked around, completely oblivious to the large brown machine Digimon watching them from a higher up platform.
Back at Rarity's place, the young purple haired British girl was sitting on her bed painting her nails while Gabumon happily combed her hair with his claws. No one knew it, but this was how she looked so flawless throughout the day. Digimon claws were so much better than regular combs.
Her phone rang, playing the ringtone that meant Applejack was calling her, "Gabumon darling, could you get that for me?"
"Yes, Your Highness," Gabumon said, jumping off the bed and grabbing Rarity's phone answering it, "Hello? Yes, Her Highness is here." he nodded and walked over to Rarity, jumping onto the bed and holding the phone to her ear.
"Hello love," Rarity said, still painting her nails.
"Hey Rares, sorry ta bother ya so late, but this is an emergency," Applejack said from the phone, "Might wanna brace yerself. Yggdrasil ain't happy."
Oooh boy. Yggdrasil was normally quite serene and even tempered, so if she were actually upset about something, it was important. Rarity motioned for Gabumon to grab her laptop, which he did, carrying it over to Rarity and opening it. Immediately Yggdrasil's white form appeared on her screen.
"UNAUTHORIZED DIGITAL INTERFACE DETECTED!" Yggdrasil said immediately. Rarity's eyes widened at that.
"Unauthorized? You mean a new Tamer appeared?" Rarity asked.
"AFFIRMATIVE, BUT THIS IS NOT A USER THAT I AUTHORIZED!" Yggdrasil continued.
"How did ya find out?" Applejack asked, apparently having Yggdrasil on her computer as well.
"ALL ACCOUNTS HAVE TO GO THROUGH MY DATABASE IN ORDER TO BE CONNECTED TO THE DIGITAL WORLD. THE ONLY ONES ABLE TO ABLE TO MAKE NEW ACCOUNTS OTHER THAN MYSELF ARE SERAPHIMON AND OPHANIMON."
"But neither of them have been seen since the reboot," Rarity reasoned.
"A USER NOT CONNECTED TO MY DATABASE COULD BE DANGEROUS," Yggdrasil continued, apparently still worried, "YOUR WORLD IS IN DANGER."
"We'll investigate this, darling," Rarity said comfortingly, "But you must calm down, Yggdrasil."
"Worst case scenario, Rarity an' I jus' use our Ultimate forms," Applejack added.
"I AM CONCERNED WITH YOU UTILIZING THE ULTIMATE LEVEL, AS IT HAS NOT BEEN TESTED WITH LIVE USERS YET," Yggdrasil stated, "HOWEVER, CONSIDERING THE DANGERS OF THIS, ACTION MUST BE TAKEN. AFFIRMATIVE. I WILL AUTHORIZE USE OF THE ULTIMATE LEVEL, UNDER THE CONDITION THAT IT IS USED ONLY IN EMERGENCIES."
"We'll be careful." Applejack said.
"Yes, thank you Yggdrasil. We will not let you down." Rarity said, right before Yggdrasil disconnected herself from the computer, "I don't think I've ever seen her so afraid."
"Tell me 'bout it," Applejack sighed, "If there's a new Tamer though, we should be able ta track 'em down with our Digivices."
"Maybe we should employ Fluttershy's help as well," Rarity suggested, "Just in case we need more than just the two of us."
Applejack groaned, "I don't know, Rarity. That girl don't rub me the right way, 'specially with what we know 'bout her."
"Yes, I realize," Rarity said lying back on her bed now, "But isn't that all the more reason why we should stay close to her? To keep an eye on her."
"Ya ain't lyin there," Applejack said with much reservation, "Alright then, let's do it. We'll talk ta her first thing in the mornin. I'll talk to y'all later."
"Take care, Applejack," Rarity said, "I love you."
"Love ya too, Princess."
Rarity kissed the phone before hanging up, and relaxed on her bed, sighing. She didn't care what that girl's past was. She could feel it in her heart, Fluttershy was a good person, and she'd always vouch for her.
Even if she was Zero.
Guilmon, Veemon, and Hackmon had been searching the network for a while, but they hadn't found anything quite yet. Not concerning the woman in white or Fluttershy's Mom.
"It looks like you're coming up toward some important date," Fluttershy said from the real world.
"Hope so," Rainbow Dash said nervously, "I'm still not sure how I feel being in my Dad's personal database like this."
Hackmon stopped and looked up at a screen, "Hey! I think I found something!" Guilmon and Veemon ran to his side, where he was looking at a holographic screen and computer, "I think we can use this to see past records."
"Guilmon, can you interface with it?" Fluttershy asked her Digimon, "I'll analyze the data from here."
"Got it Fluttershy," Guilmon stepped forward and put his claws on the keyboard. Back in the real world, Fluttershy began typing on her Digivice's keyboard. A few seconds later, on her holographic screen, they saw a video of Celestia and her Patamon talking to Sombra and another woman in a lab. Said woman somewhat on the short side, with short red hair and glasses, and she was wearing a simple yellow and red blouse, blue jeans, and sandals. From how they were talking, how friendly they all seemed to be with each other, it was clear that they knew each other well.
Pinkie Pie turned to look at her friends, both of them wide eyed and trembling. Fluttershy had tears in her eyes.
"T-that's my Dad..." Rainbow Dash said, "He's with a Digimon..."
"That's not all..." Fluttershy sobbed, "That woman... that's my Mom..."
Pinkie Pie's eyes widened in shock, and she put her focus back on the video, which then showed Fluttershy's Mom reach over and pet Patamon.
Back in the network, even the Digimon were surprised by this display before them.
"That's definitely a Patamon," Hackmon said, "They're rare. Very rare."
"That's the woman who saved me and Fluttershy," Guilmon said in shock, "She really did know Fluttershy's Mom."
"Guilmon, we're stealing all of the data here."
Back in the real world, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash turned to her in shock.
"Fluttershy, are you serious?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"I am," Fluttershy seethed, "I need to know what they were doing in that room, and why they were with that woman in the first place. Dashie, any objections?"
"No..." Rainbow Dash said, voice low and pained, "Just... take it all."
Fluttershy nodded and got to work downloading the video data onto a flash drive. Seeing that image showed them all something very important. Umbra Corp was definitely connected to the Digimon.
Back in the network, a clanging was heard behind the Digimon, "Um... you guys hear that?" Veemon asked.
"Something else is here," Hackmon said. They all looked behind them and saw four odd looking Digimon walking toward them. They were a bit taller than adults, and looked like brown steam robots or suits of armor with large green eyes coming out of the helmets.
"What the hell are those?" Rainbow Dash asked, appearing on a screen in the network.
"Hold on," Pinkie Pie said, also appearing on a screen, "I'll check."
ID: GUARDROMON
LEVEL: CHAMPION
TYPE: MACHINE
ATTRIBUTE: VIRUS
play song
The four Guardromon fired red lasers out of their eyes at the ground in front of the Digimon.
"Guilmon and I can't move until we're finished!" Fluttershy cried, "You two need to defend us!"
"So, it's one of those levels, eh?" Rainbow Dash said as Veemon stepped forward, "Objective, protect Guilmon until the download is finished. Game over if Guilmon's life hits zero."
"Sweet!" Veemon said, "Don't worry Guilmon! We'll keep ya safe!"
"Us too, right Pinkie Pie?" Hackmon asked stepping forward next to Veemon.
"Yeah, we're fighting too," Pinkie Pie said, "Be careful, Hackmon."
Veemon charged at Guardromon, "VEE HEADBUTT!" he shouted, jumping forward to bash one of them in the chest with his head, knocking it back. The other three started firing odd looking missiles with whistles in their mouths out of their arms at Hackmon, who jumped out of the way of all of the attacks.
"FIF SLASH!" Hackmon shouted, jumping toward the Guardromon and slashing with his claws. He managed to knock two of them back, but the third one fired its eye lasers at Hackmon knocking him back.
"Hackmon!" Pinkie Pie cried.
Veemon punched the Guardromon in front of him, but was knocked back by a sudden punch by one of the other Guardromon.
"We're all officially in the same party, right?!" Pinkie Pie asked frantically.
"Yeah, always!" Rainbow Dash said, clearly sweating a bit as these Digimon were strong.
"Good, this should work then! Altering Program! Nurse!"
Hackmon jumped back, and gave a cute yet still ferocious roar. Suddenly green light gathered around himself, Guilmon, and Veemon.
"What was that?" Fluttershy asked.
"Holy... she's a white mage!" Rainbow Dash cried, "That program healed Veemon!"
"I'm really good at making programs that affect parties," Pinkie Pie said, "It's something that my sister Marble taught me."
"Can you apply that to stat increase programs as well?" Fluttershy asked.
"Duh, I already made programs to increase my party's attack, defense, and speed," Pinkie Pie said with a shrug and smile.
"I think I'm falling in love," Rainbow Dash said.
"Really? Do you mean it Dash?" Pinkie Pie asked hopefully, making Rainbow Dash blush.
"Uh..."
"Hey, um, could you two maybe wait until AFTER we're not in danger to discuss relationship issues?" Fluttershy requested, "We're only thirty percent done here."
"Got it, chief!" Pinkie Pie said, "Altering Program! Party Offense Up!"
Hackmon once again roared, and this time everyone's attack went up a good deal.
"Perfect! Time to go on the offenses!" Rainbow Dash said, "Altering Program! Chi Level 1!"
Veemon started glowing, and charged up a ball of energy in his hands. He was about to attack the Guardromon he'd been fighting, but saw one was making his way toward Guilmon.
"Whoa! Change targets! Change targets!" Rainbow Dash screamed frantically.
"HADOUKEN!" Veemon shouted, shooting a fireball into the back of the Guardromon before it hit Guilmon. Sadly this meant that he was wide open for an attack from the Guardromon right in front of him.
"Damn it! This is too much!" Rainbow Dash swore. "Fluttershy, how are you doing over there?"
"We're stuck at fifty-three percent!" Fluttershy cried, "Guilmon, what's wrong?"
"Sorry Fluttershy, but this is a big file!" Guilmon said, "I can try and speed it up, but it's still gonna take a while!"
Pinkie Pie looked at both of them, and then at her own Digivice. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Hackmon, get ready. We're going to the next level."
"Pinkie Pie..." Hackmon said, looking at Pinkie Pie's screen in surprise.
"Wait, can you do that?" Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie Pie.
"All of our Digimon are at a high enough level to do it," Pinkie Pie said, "The question is, do you have the courage to go that far?"
"What kinda question is that?" Rainbow Dash asked, typing on her Digivice, "Veemon, we're doing it too!"
"Which one? I think I have two I can access." Veemon asked.
"Let's go with the first one for now," Rainbow Dash said, "Ready?"
"Ready!" Pinkie Pie said, "Don't worry Fluttershy! We'll keep you safe!"
Fluttershy looked at the two girls next to her in shock. She didn't expect them to go so far for her. This wasn't exactly their problem, yet they were willing to go to Champion level, putting their lives in danger, all for her.
This... is what it's like having friends...
"Altering Program! Digivolve!" both girls shouted. Pinkie Pie elegantly held her hand out in front of her as pink energy built up, and Rainbow Dash held her hand forward, forming a fist as blue energy formed in her hands. Both teens then sent the energy into their Digivices, and then pointed them at the computer, sending their energy right to their Digimon.
ACCESS
DIGIVOLUTION
"VEEMON! DIGIVOLVE TO!" Veemon shouted, his entire body ripping apart to reveal a light blue wire frame. The energy from his Tamer gathered around him, changing his frame to be much taller and more muscular with wings on his back and a horn. When his skin reformed itself, he was the same color scheme, but the wings were white, and the horn on his nose was silver. He also had was looked like an X on his stomach and chest. "EXVEEMON!"
"HACKMON! DIGIVOLVE TO!" Hackmon shouted. His body and cape ripped apart, revealing a pink wire frame. Energy formed around him, and his form shifted to be much heavier set and more armored, his front legs looking like heavy claws, but his back legs looking more like blades, and a blade at the end of his tail. When his skin reformed, he was still wearing the tattered red cape with goggles, but his body was more heavily armored, giving him a more ferocious look despite his still kind eyes. "BAOHACKMON!"
Fluttershy took a brief look at the two new Digimon, a bit surprised by what she was seeing. Both of them were strikingly ferocious looking, Pinkie Pie's more than anyone. If not for the eyes and the sort of Tamer he had, she'd swear he was an evil Digimon.
"Oh fuck the hell yes!" Rainbow Dash said, almost in ecstasy, "I can feel his power! This is incredible!"
"No time to admire it," Pinkie Pie said, oddly serious now, "We have to take them out!"
"With this new power? We totally got this!" Rainbow Dash said with a confident grin, "Can I get a hell yeah?!"
"Hell yeah!" ExVeemon shouted, charging forward at the Guardromon before him, his voice a gruffer version of Veemon's old voice.
"Don't hold back!" Rainbow Dash shouted rearing her fist back, "Give it everything you've got!"
ExVeemon roared, actually moving in the same manner as Rainbow Dash, both of them punching at the same time, knocking the Guardromon to the ground.
BaoHackmon slid around the field, as two Guardromon fired their lasers at him. He then turned toward them, and rushed past them as fast as he could, turning around to slash with his front claws, doing massive damage to them.
"VEE-LASER!" ExVeemon shouted, shooting a golden energy beam from the X on his chest. It shot through one Guardromon deleting it, and then knocked the other one back close to where BaoHackmon was.
"FIF CROSS!" BaoHuckmon shouted in a powerful and surprisingly noble voice. His claws were engulfed in fire, and he slashed the Guardromon that fell near him. He then got on his front claws and did what looked like a spin kick with his bladed legs, cutting through his opponent and instantly deleting it.
The remaining Guardromon fired their missiles at the two ferocious looking Digimon, both of them taking defensive stances. Their tamers both grunted in pain next to Fluttershy, who looked at the progress bar, "We're almost done!"
"Don't worry about it," Rainbow Dash said with a super confident grin, "We got this. Ready to end this Pinkie Pie?"
"More than ready!" Pinkie Pie said, looking ahead with a super serious glare.
Both ExVeemon and BaoHackmon charged at the Guardromon, who actually looked a little afraid.
"HEARTY SHATTER!" ExVeemon shouted, charging up energy in his horn.
"TEEN BLADE!" BaoHackmon shouted at the same time, his tail blade pointed forward at the ready. ExVeemon hunched forward a bit, and then slashed upward with his horn, also causing a white slash mark to appear over the Guardromon on the left. Next to him, BaoHackmon slashed wildly with his tail, before spinning around with a horizontal slash. Honestly, Fluttershy was really taken aback. For how peaceful Pinkie Pie was, her Digimon was brutal.
Needless to say, both Guardromon were deleted, and the three Digimon all gathered their data.
EXVEEMON: 60 EXP
LEVEL UP!
BAOHACKMON: 64 EXP
LEVEL UP!
GUILMON: 60 EXP
LEVEL UP!
"Holy fuck that was wicked!" Rainbow Dash screamed, "Look at our Digimon! They're so fucking awesome! Mine's a dragon! A dragon! And yours is like, a walking blade! I FREAKING LOVE DIGIMON!"
Fluttershy couldn't help but laugh, unaware of how Pinkie Pie looked down, her bangs covering her eyes. She then heard a beep on her Digivice, "Yes! We're finished!"
"Perfect," Pinkie Pie said with a clearly forced smile, "Now we can pull our Digimon back."
"You two should probably revert them back to Rookie though," Fluttershy suggested, "I can sort of tell they're too big to fit in this room now."
Rainbow Dash laughed sheepishly, "Yeah, good idea."
"Pinkie Pie," BaoHackmon said, catching her attention, "We did what we had to."
"Right, I'm okay," Pinkie Pie said, "Really. Just... come home, okay?"
BaoHackmon nodded to Pinkie Pie. This time both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy noticed her more somber attitude.
Once their Digimon returned to the Real World, Fluttershy immediately got to work on analyzing the data. Most of it was just videos, the woman in white appearing in a few of them. In each one of them, Fluttershy's Mom was working with the woman in white.
"They're always together," Fluttershy stated, "Mom... did you really know about the Digimon...?"
"It looks like Umbra Corp is definitely connected to Digimon," Rainbow Dash said biting her lip, "Dad... what else are you hiding from me?"
"I think it's worse than them just being connected to the Digimon," Pinkie Pie said sitting on Fluttershy's bed, "I think they're directly involved."
"What makes you think that?" Rainbow Dash asked, clearly afraid of the answer.
"Come on, didn't you think it was odd? Running into Digimon in Umbra Corp's network?" Pinkie Pie asked, "They only showed up when Fluttershy started downloading their data."
"Hold on..." Fluttershy said turning to Pinkie Pie, "Are you saying that those Guardromon... were protecting Umbra Corp's net?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"That does make sense, actually," Hackmon said, "Guardromon are Digimon programmed specifically to protect computer networks."
"But... it could still be a coincidence, right?" Rainbow Dash asked desperately.
"Dash..." Pinkie Pie sighed.
"I mean, what if they just were passing through or something? Or maybe Digimon just exist within all networks, and we just got lucky?"
"Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie shouted, making the prism haired teen stop, "Based off what we saw on those videos, it's highly unlikely it was a coincidence. With their employee records a secret, the videos of your Dad with a Digimon, and now Digimon protecting the Umbra Corp's net? I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, but... it really doesn't look good."
Fluttershy looked up at Rainbow Dash, her heart sinking a bit when she saw her friend tremble, looking down. She briefly looked back at her computer and gasped in shock, "Wait... what's this?"
Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and all the Digimon gathered at the computer seeing a video of Umbra Corp scientists looking at what appeared to be a plant like Digimon in a sealed protective tube. Red energy went through the tube, causing the Digimon to hold its head screaming in agony. It then began thrashing around the tube, as if trying to fight its way out.
"That's a Palmon..." Veemon said softly, "You two see it, right?"
"Yeah... I do..." Hackmon said, surprisingly somber. Guilmon was breathing heavily, looking at the video in horror.
"What is it?" Fluttershy asked the Digimon, all three of them looking really upset.
"It's the same..." Guilmon said trembling, "Fluttershy... the Digimon we fight... that's what happened to them."
All three of the girls were wide eyed, and turned back to the video. Pinkie Pie covered her mouth in horror, but Rainbow Dash was looking down trembling in rage. Fluttershy swallowed nervously, reaching over to take Guilmon's claw for comfort, taking in what this meant.
The wild Digimon...
They were Umbra Corp's fault. |
Digimon Saga: CTRL-ALT-DELETE | 09: Are we a team now? | Theme Song: With The Wind
09: Are we a team now?
Fluttershy needed some air after that, so she, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and the Digimon all went outside to the backyard, where they tried to process what they learned. No one said anything, and even the Digimon were quiet.
"Son of a bitch!" Rainbow Dash shouted suddenly, slamming her fist on the wall she was leaning on, "I, I can't believe I trusted him!"
"Dash..." Pinkie Pie said sadly, both she and Fluttershy looking at her somberly.
"He told me, that keeping secrets was bad!" Rainbow Dash sobbed, tears of anger falling from her eyes, "He taught me to always be honest... and all this time... he was the one responsible for the wild Digimon?!"
"I... I don't know what to say..." Pinkie Pie said rubbing her arm, "I mean, the evidence is damning, but..."
"But nothing!" Rainbow Dash screamed in rage, "Fluttershy was right about everything! My father... he's... he's..." she broke down completely, falling to her knees and sobbing loudly.
Veemon walked over to Rainbow Dash and put his hand on her back to comfort her.
Guilmon walked over to Fluttershy, who now had her eyes closed in deep thought, "Fluttershy, are you okay?" he asked, "You've been really quiet about all of this."
Fluttershy took a deep breath, "We need more information."
"The hell we do!" Rainbow Dash shouted, shooting up and walking over to Fluttershy, "Everything we need is right there! I say we storm in there with our Digimon and-"
"No Dashie, we're not doing that yet," Fluttershy said, standing up and facing Rainbow Dash, "Not until we know exactly what's going on."
"I thought you wanted to take Umbra Corp out?!" Rainbow Dash seethed.
"I do," Fluttershy said, to her credit perfectly calm, "Trust me, I hate your father for what he might have done to my Mom and what he might be doing to the Digimon. But that's the key word here, might," she closed her eyes seriously, "Besides, right now you're too emotional to think rationally."
Rainbow Dash stepped back a bit hurt by that, "Damn right I'm emotional! He's my Dad!"
"Exactly, he's your Dad," Fluttershy retaliated, "You love him, and that's why you feel so betrayed right now. I get that Dashie, but I'm NOT going to condemn your father until I know for sure that he's responsible for everything."
Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and took a deep breath to control her emotions, "How are you so calm right now?" she asked.
"It's the benefit of hating him," Fluttershy stated, "I don't feel any betrayal at all."
"While I think hate is a strong word," Pinkie Pie interjected, walking up to them and placing her hands on their arms, "I think Fluttershy has a point. Yes, we know that Umbra Corp is connected to the Digimon going wild, but we don't know anything else. We can't risk jumping to conclusions."
"Besides, there are still things I still haven't figured out," Fluttershy looked down and tightened her fists, "Like what happened to my Mom. I need to know what happened to her, Dashie. That's the main thing on my mind."
Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, "Sorry, okay? I was out of line. I'm just... that Digimon wasn't a virus type, was it?"
"No, it wasn't," Guilmon chimed in, "Palmon are either Data or Vaccine types, and normally both of them are benevolent."
"And the same goes for the Kabuterimon we saw first in the school, right?" Fluttershy asked.
"Vaccine Type," Guilmon explained, "They're more often than not Digimon with a strong sense of justice. Both Agumon and Gabumon are Vaccine types, and they're in the Virus Buster family."
"You saw how that Palmon reacted," Rainbow Dash said, "It got violent, just like the other Digimon."
"It, looked like it was in pain," Pinkie Pie said somberly, "Maybe that's why they're attacking. Could we have, done something to save them?"
"No, by the time they're infected, their data has been completely corrupted," Hackmon said, catching everyone's attention.
"So, there's nothing we can to do help them?" Rainbow Dash asked. Hackmon shook his head sadly.
"I'm sorry, but no. The kindest thing we could do is delete them to end their suffering," Hackmon stated pragmatically.
"The worst thing for a Digimon is to lose control and be forced to go against their programming." Veemon added, "In our world, that's a capital offense, because once it happens, it can't be undone."
"That's terrible," Pinkie Pie said, holding her hand to her heart, "What can we do?"
"For now, we keep fighting," Hackmon stated simply, surprising Pinkie Pie.
"But Hackmon, those Digimon are innocent!" she cried.
"Yes, and so are the humans that they hurt in their rampage!" Hackmon defended, "Pinkie Pie, I know you don't like it when I fight other Digimon, but if I don't, more people in your world are going to get hurt!"
Fluttershy turned to Guilmon and Veemon, "What about you two? How do you feel about this?"
"I'll admit that I mainly just wanna become stronger," Veemon said, "But this world is Rainbow Dash's home, and I wanna protect it."
"I'm the same way," Guilmon said seriously, "I want to protect you, Fluttershy, and help you find what happened to your Mom."
"You guys..." Rainbow Dash said, looking somewhat saddened, yet touched.
"Then it's settled," Fluttershy nodded, "For now, we continue fighting. At the very least, if we don't keep fighting the bad Digimon, people will get hurt."
Pinkie Pie closed her eyes somberly, but nodded, "Y-you're right. I just hope we can put an end to this soon before more innocent Digimon have to get hurt."
Fluttershy nodded in agreement and looked at her Digivice. This was so much bigger than just learning the truth of what happened to her mother now. The fate of the Real World and possible the Digital World was in the balance. This was slightly beyond her, but she did know two people who's job was to deal with these issues.
Maybe she should share this information with Rarity and Applejack.
The following morning, Rarity started making her way right to Fluttershy's place. Thankfully Gabumon had gone here before to talk to Guilmon, and as such he was able to guide her there.
"Huh, is this the place?" Rarity asked looking up at the nice sized house, "Cozy."
"Yep, this is where Guilmon's Tamer lives, Your Highness," Gabumon said. Rarity knelt down and petted Gabumon's head, making the Digimon blush a bit.
"Thank you so much, dear," she said with a kind smile. She rose up to ring the doorbell, and a second later Zephyr answered, doing a double take at the sight of the sexy senior.
"Whoa! Um, Miss President," Zephyr said straightening his shirt, "I apologize if I'm not-"
"You're fine, Zephyr," Rarity said with a soft smile, "Actually, I'm here to see your sister. There is something very important I need to talk to her about."
Zephyr looked down a bit, seeing Gabumon holding onto her leg. He then shook his head sighing, "Just how many Digimon are there in America?"
Rarity raised an eyebrow, "You don't seem too phased by the sight of my Digimon. Are you a Tamer as well?"
"Ha! Not even," Zephyr laughed, "I'm too much of a slacker to ever be a Tamer. I take everything in stride, so I look at this as something the Universe is putting in motion for a just cause. I guess it's like a scientific way of how Christians say "let thy will be done"."
Rarity nodded taking that in. Her entire family was devout Christian, and they had said something to that effect to her once. "You're not religious, then?" she asked, not accusingly, but in observation.
"I follow what's called Spirit Science," Zephyr explained, "So essentially, it's like I'm spiritual, but it's centered around understanding spirit on a scientific level."
"How fascinating," Rarity said, "Perhaps I'll have you tell me more about this Spirit Science in the future."
Zephyr blinked, "Um... you're interested?"
"I don't know if I'm going to convert or anything, as I'm happily an Anglican Christian myself, but I do find it interesting. Perhaps your beliefs will meld a bit with what I've come to learn being a Tamer."
"Um... s-sure," Zephyr said smiling, "I would be honored to share my knowledge with you, Miss President."
"Thank you," Rarity said with a bow, "But for now, I need to talk to your sister about something very important."
"Of course," Zephyr said ushering Rarity inside, "She's upstairs in her room. I'd knock first though, as she gets really testy about people entering her room."
"I shall be perfectly respectful," Rarity said, she and Gabumon entering the nice house and going right upstairs. It was easy enough to figure out where Fluttershy's room was, as she assumed the door that was closed and had an abundance of "Danger", "Warning", and "Keep Out" signs was hers.
"Your Highness, I'm kinda scared," Gabumon said wilting. Apparently the sight of the door frightened him, as it would anyone else who didn't know the young girl.
"It's fine, honey," Rarity said sweetly, "She just wants to push people away as a defense. She's not going to hurt us as long as we respect her space." she knocked on the door lightly.
"Who is it?" a high and breathy voice called out from inside, sounding slightly irritated.
"Fluttershy darling, it's me," Rarity said, "Gabumon and I came to talk to you about something."
Immediately the door swung open, "Gabumon!" Guilmon cheered.
"Guilmon!" the two Digimon immediately hugged.
"Come in! Come in!" Guilmon said ushering the two inside, "Fluttershy needed to talk to you anyway, so this is perfect!"
Fluttershy, who was sitting on her computer, closed her eyes and grimaced, "I said I was considering it..." she muttered in irritation. Rarity walked in and closed the door behind her, looking around the nice room. Somewhat messy, but not too. She looked at the human occupant of the room and did a double take herself. She wasn't wearing her jacket with her ensemble, so the tube top combined with the yellow skirt, black leggings, and yellow heels, she was surprisingly sexy and confident looking.
Clearly she was in her element here. She'd definitely have to be respectful.
"You have a lovely space," Rarity said.
"Thank you," Fluttershy said swiveling her chair to face Rarity, crossing her legs and folding her arms under her bosom, "So, what brings you here. You and I aren't friends, so you have no reason to visit me on a whim."
"For now, that's true," Rarity said with a gentle smile, "I wouldn't mind changing that one day. However, I believe you had something you wished to talk to me about first? I'm in your domain, so your needs come first."
Fluttershy frowned a bit, but nodded eventually, looking Rarity up and down, "Good. Someone who gets it," she turned around and began typing on her computer, "Does Yggdrasil know anything about that virus that makes Digimon go insane?"
"Afraid not," Rarity shook her head, walking closer to the computer, a bit amazed by the different air that she gave off here. Now she felt more like what she'd expect from "Zero".
"Well, last night I discovered this," she pulled up the video of Palmon, "Warning you now, this is going to disturb you."
Rarity watched the video, and her eyes widened in horror, "Gabumon! Take a look at this!"
Gabumon ran over to the computer, and looked at it. A look of pure sadness and horror came over his features.
"No, that's the same thing as the virus..." he whispered in shock, Guilmon walking over to him and rubbing his back.
"Fluttershy, or should I say Zero, where did you find this information?" Rarity asked, her voice even. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow, but then shook her head, chuckling a bit.
"I stole it from Umbra Corp's network," Fluttershy said, looking up at Rarity intrigued, "My question is, how did you know I was Zero? Dashie and Pinkie Pie found out because of an oversight on my part, but otherwise I'm far too careful to be found out."
"By putting on your shy and timid act?" Rarity asked folding her arms looking at the teen with a raised eyebrow.
"That's not an act," Fluttershy admitted, "I know how to talk to people on the internet, and can be my genuine self there. Outside is different though."
Rarity nodded accepting that explanation. It did confirm her suspicions that this was the real Fluttershy though, "Well if you must know, Yggdrasil told us. Since we work so closely with her, and you were registered in her mainframe as Zero, she knew immediately. Worry not, Zero. Your secret is safe with us."
Fluttershy looked away in deep thought. She then rose up, and pushed Rarity onto her bed.
Gabumon reacted immediately. "Your Highness!" he cried.
"Fluttershy, what are you-"
"It's fine, you two," Rarity said immediately, "I think I understand. You want leverage, don't you?"
"You have sensitive information on me, something that could get me in a lot of trouble, and you don't have my trust yet," Fluttershy said grabbing her cellphone, "So I need a means of insuring that you'll keep your mouth shut about who I am."
Good God, it was like she was a completely different person here. It let Rarity know that she was dealing with a truly dangerous individual here, but honestly, that just made her even more excited.
"Then I have just the thing," Rarity said, never breaking eye contact as she unbuttoned the front of her dress, revealing her lacy purple bra. She then messed up her hair a bit and laid down on Fluttershy's bed helplessly, "I should warn you though, Applejack knows as well, and if this picture goes public, jail will be the least of your worries."
"I'm not afraid of her," Fluttershy said, cuing up her phone, "I know her past, and can easily dig up enough information that will land her right in juvie. You two may be dangerous Tamers, but I'm the one in control of this scene." she took the compromising picture, and put her phone up, "There, you can dress now."
As she did so, Guilmon walked over to Fluttershy unsure, "Um, I'm not sure how I feel about this, Fluttershy."
"I'm not going to do anything with the picture except hold onto it," Fluttershy said, "As long as she doesn't say anything about me being Zero, I won't have to run her reputation into the ground."
"You truly are vicious, Zero," Rarity said, letting Gabumon comb her hair with his claws, "You look sweet, but you're actually quite ruthless, aren't you?"
"I have to be for my protection," Fluttershy sat back down in her chair, "But back to that video, Umbra Corp is directly connected with the Digimon."
"Yes, that is disturbing," Rarity muttered, "Tell me, Zero, do you have any theories of what this is?"
"Umbra Corp is researching the Digimon," Fluttershy said crossing her legs again, "I have a few other videos of various scientists talking to a mysterious woman in white with really long, multicolored hair. This woman has a Digimon, Patamon, I think."
Rarity pulled out her Digivice and pulled up the information of the Digimon she mentioned, which revealed itself to be a super cute mammal Digimon with wings on its head and the sweetest smile, "This one right?"
ID: PATAMON
LEVEL: ROOKIE
TYPE: MAMMAL
ATTRIBUTE: DATA
"Yeah, that's the one," Fluttershy said looking the information closely, "Guilmon said that it's a rare Digimon."
"Absolutely," Rarity put her Digivice away and got comfortable on the bed, "It may not look it, but Patamon is actually housing a lot of ancient power. It's said to secretly be an angel."
"I bet that's referring to its Champion form," Fluttershy said thoughtfully, "I didn't get a good look at it, but it definitely looked angelic."
"You saw this yourself?" Rarity asked.
"The Lady in White and her Patamon saved me from Twilight. I think she called her "Seraphimon"."
"Seraphimon?!" Gabumon asked, "Your Highness, we've been looking for her!"
"That we have, both her and Ophanimon," Rarity said to herself, "Zero, I came here because I wanted to ask for your help, and this confirms that you could be immensely helpful to us."
"Oh?" Fluttershy said turning away from Rarity, but still looking her in the eyes.
"You see, the situation has changed," Rarity stated, moving to sit closer to Fluttershy on the edge of the bed, "Last night, Yggdrasil confirmed that a new Digital World account was opened within her network."
"But I'm guessing this wasn't one she opened?" Fluttershy inquired. Rarity shook her head.
"This is unusual, because there are only two other beings capable of creating new accounts," Rarity continued, "Those beings are Seraphimon, and Ophanimon. Both of them are highly powerful Digimon, directly connected to Yggdrasil as her Avatars."
"Avatars?" Fluttershy raised an eyebrow, "What does that mean?"
"Hm... how to explain it," Rarity closed her eyes in thought, "Alright, think of it like this. They're actual pieces of Yggdrasil, being directly connected to her network, to the point where their thoughts match hers."
"So... in a sense, they are Yggdrasil," Fluttershy stated to herself, "But they sound like they're acting of their own accord now."
"They are," Rarity confirmed, "It's the reason we have to talk to the main terminal directly. She can't send her Avatars to us, because they're disconnected from her network. Even without that connection though, they would be able to still open accounts."
"You want our help in verifying this new account then?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yggdrasil is worried that this Tamer could be dangerous," Rarity explained, "Yggdrasil chooses Tamers carefully, making sure that those she gives accounts to aren't too dangerous. Any Tamer that she doesn't authorize could easily use their Digimon for nefarious purposes."
"Technically, I'm using my account for less than noble causes, you know." Fluttershy pointed out.
"That is true, but in your case your goals still seem somewhat just. This new Tamer could be anyone. They could be a student in our school, someone extremely selfish, or even a criminal for all we know. Zero, Applejack and I won't be enough to deal with this issue ourselves. We need to start gathering Tamers. You mentioned that you've been working with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, right?"
"I have," Fluttershy nodded, "We've been hunting the Wild Digimon by ourselves."
"Did they help you get that information?" Rarity asked with a smirk.
"Nice try, but I work alone," Fluttershy said with a smirk of her own. Rarity had a feeling she was just protecting them, which was fine. She still didn't have this girl's trust yet.
"Well, either way I'd like their help with this issue as well. Zero, I implore you, consider joining the Royal Knights. We could temper your skills, and help you become a truly powerful Tamer, even on the level of Applejack and myself."
The way she raised an eyebrow and looked away, that seemed to get her attention. Should she use the angle of power to get her to join.
"That's... tempting, not going to lie," Fluttershy admitted, "If anything, it'll help me get closer to beating Twilight."
"You want to fight Twilight?!" Rarity asked incredulously.
"She humiliated Guilmon and I," Fluttershy said seriously, "And I know that she's going to attack us again. Next time I face her, I want to make sure that we're ready."
"You could always retreat," Rarity suggested.
"No, I can't. My honor as a Tamer is on the line. I want to fight her on equal footing, and show her why Guilmon and I are not to be trifled with."
Rarity closed her eyes thoughtfully, "Guilmon, how do you feel about this?"
"I just want to protect Fluttershy," Guilmon said honestly, "That Twilight girl attacked her, and I don't like that."
"No, I don't quite like it either," Rarity sighed, "Well, if you're going to fight her again, I'd ask you to consider letting Applejack and I train you, and join our organization. We won't stop you from pursuing your personal goals, I promise. We just wish to add you to our ranks."
"I'll consider it," Fluttershy said immediately, "As long as the offer extends to both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash."
Rarity took a deep breath at that, "Very well. The offer will extend to both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash as well."
"Also, it has to be a unanimous decision," Fluttershy added, "Either all three of us enter, or none of us."
"You're truly loyal to them, Zero," Rarity pointed out.
"They're my friends," Fluttershy said simply.
Rarity nodded, "Alright, I accept your terms. Will you at least help us with this issue though. Whether or not you become a Royal Knight, we do need help with this issue."
"Fluttershy, let's help them," Guilmon requested, "This other Tamer has me really worried."
"You too?" Fluttershy asked her Digimon.
"I'm a good Digimon, but if this Tamer doesn't have a verified account, they could get a bad Digimon as their partner."
"Hm..." Fluttershy moaned in deep thought, "Alright, I'll see what I can do. I'll talk it over with Dashie and Pinkie Pie."
"Thank you so much, Zero," Rarity said.
"No problem," Fluttershy said turning to her computer, "I believe you can see yourself out."
Rarity rose up and bowed elegantly to Fluttershy, "Should we trade account information then? That way we can stay in touch?"
Fluttershy reached for her Digivice, pushed a few buttons, and then held it out, "Go for it."
Rarity smiled and connected her Digivice to Fluttershy's, immediately appearing on the girl's friend list. They weren't quite there yet in real life, but at least in the Digital World, they were registered as friends. It was a start.
"Have a good rest of the day, Zero. Guilmon, it was great seeing you again."
"Nice seeing you again as well, Miss Rarity!" Guilmon said happily, "Take care, Gabumon!"
"See ya Guilmon!" Gabumon said, shaking clawed hands with his fellow Digimon. The two of them left out of the house, and stopped on the porch thinking.
"That girl, she's something else," Rarity said thoughtfully.
"Your Highness, are you sure about having someone like her in our organization?" Gabumon asked, "I like Guilmon a lot, but his Tamer is..."
"She certainly has an edge to her," Rarity agreed, "But I can't blame her for being cautious. We know something about her that could get her in a lot of trouble. If she needs that to feel safe, then I'm happy to give it to her."
Gabumon sighed, "With all due respect, Your Highness, Applejack is right. Sometimes you're too generous."
"Perhaps, but I'd rather be known for being too generous than not being generous enough," Rarity walked back to her house, "Come. We need to meet up with Applejack and Agumon."
"Yes Your Highness," Gabumon said obediently. Although he served her proudly, he still spoke freely, which was something Rarity appreciated. If she was his Princess, she wanted to make sure she lived up to his expectation.
Fluttershy sent messages to both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, and had them meet her and Guilmon at the park. It didn't take long for them to meet up with her, and she immediately told them about what Rarity requested of them.
"First crazy Digimon, and now evil Tamers?" Rainbow Dash asked, all three of the girls sitting on a bench with the Digimon close to them.
"We don't know for certain if their evil," Fluttershy pointed out, "But this does raise a few red flags."
"Do you think Umbra Corp is behind this too?" Veemon asked.
"It can't be," Guilmon said, "According to Her Highness, only Ophanimon or Seraphimon can open new Digital World accounts."
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow, "Now you're calling her a Princess?"
"That's what Gabumon calls her, so if she's a Princess, I should be respectful," Guilmon said, folding his arms and nodding, the logic sound in his own mind.
"Ugh, he only does that to fuel her ego," Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, "Trust us, she's not a Princess. She's just a girl with way too much money and unlike me, has no issue flaunting it."
"Aw, let them have their fun," Pinkie Pie said with a fond smile, "Besides, Rarity's not that bad. She can be really sweet at times. So Fluttershy, how are we going to find this Tamer?"
Fluttershy pulled out her Digivice, "I fiddled around with this thing again, and found an option that searches for other accounts. Even if this Tamer isn't registered with Yggdrasil, the fact is they're a part of her network."
"Alright Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash said putting her arms around the teen, "So, where do we start?"
"The city," Fluttershy pocketed her Digivice and rose up, "It's crowded enough, and at this time of the day there's a high chance they'll be there."
"Got it," Pinkie Pie said also getting up, "Hackmon and I will take the mall."
"I guess Veemon and I handle the area around my Dad's company," Rainbow Dash said.
"Then that leaves the business district for Fluttershy and I," Guilmon said, "Let's go!"
Fluttershy rolled her eyes and sighed, "Since when were you the leader?" she asked. running after her Digimon. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie laughed and ran in separate directions to their designated spots. Between the three of them, Applejack, and Rarity, they should find something.
"Silver Spoon! Are you listening?"
"Huh?" Silver Spoon snapped out of her daze. Sitting across from her at their table was another girl around her age with long purple/pinkish and white hair, wearing a short pink dress, light pink leggings, and white boots. On her head was tiara, and despite only being 13, she carried herself almost like an adult.
The girl sighed rolling her eyes, "If you're that bored you could just tell me."
"N-no. I'd never be bored listening to you, Diamond Tiara," Silver Spoon said defensively, "I just... had a lot of my mind."
"Oh yeah? Like what?" Diamond Tiara asked, giving her friend an almost alluring smile. She was giving Silver Spoon her undivided attention.
Oh... Diamond Tiara...
"It's nothing too serious," Silver Spoon said, looking down and biting her lip, "Um, what were you talking about?"
Diamond Tiara's expression lit up again, "Oh, I was getting to the best part. So, after the movie, Rumble and I-"
'Of course she was talking about Rumble,' Silver Spoon thought as her beloved friend prattled on and on. She never quite listened to her when she was talking about him, but she did give Diamond Tiara her full attention. Mainly because she loved everything about her. The way her eyes lit up, how her mouth moved as she spoke, the way she moved her hands and how animated she was.
You're perfect Diamond Tiara...
Perfect, and you SHOULD be mine...
"It sounds... like you and Rumble had a great time," Silver Spoon said, as Diamond Tiara's story it its end.
"We did," Diamond Tiara hugged herself smiling in a lovesick manner, "Silver Spoon, do you know that feeling when you've found that one person you don't think you can do without?"
"Y-yes," Silver Spoon said, her heart racing for some reason, "I know that feeling."
"That's how I feel right now," Diamond Tiara was blushing, "I think I might be falling in love."
What?!
"Um... you haven't been dating that long though, right?" Silver Spoon asked, trying to hide how much she was trembling.
"It's been about a month now," Diamond Tiara said, "But I don't think I'll ever find anyone who appreciates me for just me, you know? Anyone else would just want my money."
Me! I appreciate you for you!
Please look at me Diamond Tiara!
"But not Rumble," Diamond Tiara continued, "He actually insists on paying for everything himself, and since he works with his big brother, he always has his own money. Silver Spoon, I know we're still young, but I..."
"Diamond!"
Diamond Tiara's eyes lit up. She turned to see a young boy about their age with short black hair waving to her.
"Rumble!" Diamond Tiara beamed, running up to him and hugging him, "I was just talking about you!"
"I hope nothing bad," Rumble joked, making Diamond Tiara laugh.
"No, just bragging to my best friend about you."
Rumble saw Silver Spoon and waved to her, "Hi Silver Spoon."
Silver Spoon just nodded to him as a greeting, "I should probably go," she said rising up.
"It's okay Silver Spoon. I don't mind playing the third wheel," Rumble joked, "I know where her heart truly lies."
Diamond Tiara hit his arm playfully, "Stop that Rumble. You'll embarrass her."
Silver Spoon however, tightened her fists slightly and took a deep breath to control herself.
"No, it's fine. You two should spend some time together," Silver Spoon said, "I... I need to head home anyway."
"Silver Spoon, wait," Diamond Tiara called out as she walked off. She ran over to the other girl and hugged her from behind, "You're my best friend, Silver Spoon. Thank you so much for this."
"N-no problem..." Silver Spoon said, looking down trying to stop from shedding tears in front of her. She then pulled out of her beloved's embrace and walked off, unaware of the pink haired teen listening behind a building, holding her pink and white Digivice.
She stopped in an alleyway, where she leaned against the wall, sliding down into a sitting position and started freely shedding tears. Why was she in love with him?! Why when she had someone right in front of her who'd give her the world?! She'd known Diamond Tiara so much longer, and she understood everything about her!
"I've... lost her...!" Silver Spoon sobbed.
"Mmm, have you? I'm not so sure."
Silver Spoon looked up a bit as BlackGatomon jumped onto a nearby dumpster and sat down on the edge, perfectly human despite her stature.
"You heard her, right? She loves him, she doesn't love me..."
"That's not how I read that," BlackGatomon said tilting her head to the side, "She's just confused. Remember how she ran up and hugged you?"
"I remember..." Silver Spoon said slowly rising up.
"She probably did that as a means of holding onto you," BlackGatomon continued, kicking her legs out adorably, "See, my Mistress is a master of all things love and lust. She doesn't love Rumble. She lusts for him. Your feelings are true though, correct?"
"Yes! I love her with my whole heart and soul!" Silver Spoon cried desperately.
"Then you must protect her, Silver Spoon," BlackGatomon continued, "Show her who truly loves her, even if you have to take drastic measures."
"What, like, kidnapping her?" Silver Spoon's eyes widened and she looked away, "I don't know, BlackGatomon. I want her to love me, but, I'd never want to hurt her..."
"We won't be hurting her, though," BlackGatomon said getting on all fours and walking closer to Silver Spoon still on the dumpster, "We'll be protecting her, keeping her safe from that bad, bad boy. And best of all, she'll be in a place where only you can reach her."
"But... how would we do this?" Silver Spoon asked, still unsure. The way BlackGatomon smirked was somewhat unsettling, yet reassuring at the same time.
"All I need is a little something from you, and I'll be able to handle the rest," BlackGatomon purred, her eyes twinkling in a sinister manner.
Pinkie Pie and Hackmon walked toward the alleyway, following the signal on Pinkie Pie's Digivice.
"The signal went in this direction," Pinkie Pie said.
"That girl had an odd air about her," Hackmon said, walking next to Pinkie Pie, "I don't know why, but she didn't feel right to me."
"I bet she's our Tamer," Pinkie Pie stated. Just as they approached the alleyway, Silver Spoon rushed out, pushing past Pinkie Pie and Hackmon, "Ah! H-hey, wait!"
"Pinkie Pie, look!" Hackmon exclaimed. Pinkie Pie looked into the alleyway, and saw an odd looking black cat staring at her. The cat smirked and then jumped up to staircase leading to the roof and ran off.
"That's a Digimon!" Pinkie Pie cried, using her Digivice to scan it before it ran away.
ID: BLACKGATOMON
LEVEL: CHAMPION
TYPE: DEMON BEAST
ATTRIBUTE: VIRUS
"We need to find that girl!" Pinkie Pie said rushing out of the alleyway, using her Digivice to call the others, "Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, I think I found the Tamer!"
"Seriously?! Shit, we'll be right there!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Try not to lose them!" Fluttershy requested before she and Rainbow Dash hung up. Pinkie Pie put her Digivice away and then looked around for the girl, who turned a corner to her right.
Pinkie Pie frowned and rushed after her, but sadly the girl walked into a more crowded section of the street, causing Pinkie Pie to lose her.
"Shoot!" Pinkie Pie stomped her foot in frustration. That girl was definitely the Tamer they were looking for.
"Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash called out, she and Fluttershy running to her side.
"Sorry, but I lost her in the crowd," Pinkie Pie sighed, "But I'm pretty sure she's the Tamer we're looking for."
"She had a Digimon with her," Hackmon added, "It was a BlackGatomon."
Pinkie Pie pulled up its info to show Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.
"It's a Champion level already?" Fluttershy asked, "That's unusual."
"That's also really bad," Guilmon said, "That means the Tamer's already synchronized with the Digimon most likely."
"We need to talk to Applejack and Rarity," Fluttershy said pulling out her Digivice, "Let them know about this."
A few minutes later, both Applejack and Rarity joined up with them in the mall. The five girls and their Digimon sat in a booth in a restaurant in order to not call attention to themselves, and also so they could discuss this with Yggdrasil. Needless to say, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were astounded and terrified when they first laid eyes on her.
"THIS IS CONCERNING," Yggdrasil said, the volume low on the computer so only they could hear her, "A USER STARTING OUT WITH A CHAMPION LEVEL DIGIMON PARTNER IS HIGHLY UNSTABLE."
"I mean, does it really make a difference?" Rainbow Dash asked resting her hands on the back of her head, "All of our Digimon can go Champion."
"Yes, but that's because they grow into the Champion level with us," Rarity pointed out, "Our Digimon were made specifically for us, so their growth is meant to match ours more or less."
"HOWEVER, A USER SYNCHRONIZING WITH A DIGIMON OF A HIGHER LEVEL THAN THEMSELVES COULD BECOME MENTALLY UNSTABLE. THIS PHENOMENON WOULD BE EVEN WORSE IF SAID USER WERE TO GO INTO THE ULTIMATE LEVELS."
"With that Digimon already at the Champion level, it's jus' one step away from goin Ultimate," Applejack inquired.
"We can't let that happen," Pinkie Pie said somberly, "I've seen what it looks like when a Tamer and Digimon go into the Ultimate level. It's okay if the Digimon is good, but if that Digimon is a bad Digimon, its Tamer could be in a lot of trouble."
"What do we do if we find them?" Rainbow Dash asked, "Do we delete their Digimon?"
"That might not be wise," Fluttershy said thoughtfully, "If it's already linked to the Tamer, then wouldn't deleting it hurt the Tamer?"
"THAT IS CORRECT, USER FLUTTERSHY," Yggdrasil said, catching everyone's attention, "USER AND DIGIMON SHARE DATA BETWEEN ONE ANOTHER. DELETING THE DIGIMON WITHOUT CARE COULD CAUSE SERIOUS MENTAL STRESS TO THE USER."
"That's what happened to Maud," Pinkie Pie chimed in, "My older sister. She used to be really bright eyed and cheerful, but now she's sometimes more like a drone."
"But if we don't delete the Digimon, an' it turns out ta be a dangerous one, then we're puttin' lives in danger," Applejack added, "I don't wanna hurt the Tamer, 'specially with 'em bein' a kid probably, but I ain't seein' another solution here."
"This is not an ideal situation," Rarity sighed, "We have a duty as Royal Knights, but I don't want to hurt anyone."
"Screw being a Royal Knight," Rainbow Dash said, "We got a duty as human beings here. If we end up hurting her trying to save her, then what's the point?"
"Yggdrasil, what should we do?" Pinkie Pie asked the Mother Computer, "How should we proceed?"
"SADLY, I AM UNSURE," Yggdrasil said, actually sounding a bit saddened herself, "THIS SITUATION IS ONE I HAVE NOT DEALT WITH EVER DURING MY ACTIVATION. I AM AFRAID I CANNOT GIVE MUCH GUIDANCE IN THIS ORDEAL"
"It's alright, darling," Rarity said, "We'll figure this out. Who knows, maybe we won't have to fight them at all."
"That's being real optimistic," Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.
"Well it's certainly better than just rushing in without anything," Rarity retaliated, "Or were you hoping we could just kick the problem and make it work?"
"I'm trying to be realistic here," Rainbow Dash stated, leaning forward and glaring right at Rarity, "That Tamer isn't registered, and the Digimon she has was already in the Champion level. We gotta be ready to fight the second we see that Tamer."
"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean we have to be brutes about it," Rarity said, leaning forward and glaring at Rainbow Dash in return, "If she is a victim, maybe we can reason with her and possibly get her on our side."
"Just like how you're still trying to get Fluttershy on your side?" Rainbow Dash retaliated, "I bet that's the only thing you care about, increasing the number of fans you have."
"Better than just caring about fighting," Rarity shot, "I'm sure that's all YOU'RE after!"
The two girls rose up, leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together glaring at each other. One could almost see actual lightning between them.
"Alright, break it up," Applejack said pulling Rarity back.
"Seriously, or you'll get us kicked out," Fluttershy added, pulling Rainbow Dash back.
The two teens sat down in their respective seats, folding their arms and pouting identically. It was sadly adorable.
"I say for now, we at least track the Tamer down and see if she's an immediate threat," Applejack suggested.
"That's the best idea I can think of," Fluttershy agreed, "With the description Pinkie Pie gave us, I can easily track her down."
"Then the rest of us are on stand-by then," Pinkie Pie said, "I know we're not all friends, but it would make me feel better if we could all share contact information at least."
"Good idea," Applejack said, "We also need ta be on each other's friend lists, jus' in case we need ta enter a party fer this," when both Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked like they were about to say something, Applejack held her hand up, "Yes, that goes for y'all too."
"Fine," both girls sighed. All five girls pulled out their Digivices, connecting to whoever they weren't already friends with. By the end of the session, they each had four total accounts on their Digivices (Pinkie Pie had three more, probably her sisters).
"Let's meet here from now on, in this booth," Fluttershy stated, putting her Digivice away, "This place looks secure enough."
"I know the owner," Rarity said, "He'll be fine as long as one of us orders something."
"Sounds good to me," Pinkie Pie said, "Also, the tables are big enough where the Digimon can hide underneath with ease." she looked under the table, where everyone's Digimon waved to them happily.
Unknown to everyone, Twilight sat down in the booth closest to them. She nodded to herself, and rose from her seat leaving the restaurant a few minutes before the others rose to leave.
Right as they were walking out of the restaurant, which turned out to be a fancy ramen shop named "Canterlot Ramen", Applejack turned to Fluttershy.
"Hey," Applejack said putting her hand on Fluttershy's shoulder, "Look, 'bout the whole joinin' the Royal Knights thing, I know Rarity is pushin' hard, but I want you ta know it's still yer choice."
"I don't feel pressured," Fluttershy turned to Applejack, "Besides, right now we are a team, whether or not I'm a Royal Knight."
Applejack smirked and held out her hand, "Shake on it?" Fluttershy hesitated, but she took Applejack's hand to shake it. Immediately, she was pulled in close, Applejack speaking directly into her ear, "I know who ya are, Zero."
"I know," Fluttershy whispered, "Had a nice conversation with your girlfriend about that."
"I'm workin' with ya, but I don't trust ya," Applejack whispered, "So I'm keepin' a close eye on ya. If you do anythin' I don't like..."
"Rarity already warned me," Fluttershy said, raising her phone, "I should then warn you that I can easily ruin both Rarity and your lives if I have to, and I will to keep myself safe. You can beat me in a physical fight, yes, and you are a stronger Tamer than me, for now, but when it comes to the virtual world, I am a God."
Applejack considered her words. Bold as they seemed, she had no idea what sort of dirt she had on them. This girl was dark, and dangerous, but Rarity seemed to vouch for her.
"Fine," Applejack said releasing her hand, "I'll let it go then. But I am keepin' an eye on you."
"Do what you wish," Fluttershy said folding her arms, "I don't have to answer to you, Rarity, Yggdrasil, or anyone."
Applejack narrowed her eyes glaring at Fluttershy, but then walked off. Fluttershy turned around and walked off in the opposite direction. They'd keep their animosity toward each other to themselves, as to not hurt the team, but it was clear. Even if they were a team, Applejack and Fluttershy would never truly be friends. |
Digimon Saga: CTRL-ALT-DELETE | 10: Why can't I love you?! | Theme Song: With The Wind
10: Why can't I love you?!
It was nighttime now, and Silver Spoon decided to follow BlackGatomon's guidance and just keep a watch on Diamond Tiara. They weren't spotted, as BlackGatomon helped Silver Spoon find hiding spots, where they could watch the her.
Her and Rumble.
They were always holding onto each other, laughing and flirting with each other. It made her sick. He was all over her, touching her constantly, at one point even tickling her. But that wasn't the worst thing. Diamond Tiara was enjoying it.
She never pushed him off, and if she did it was only being playful. She had no idea what he was doing to her! What he really wanted! As Silver Spoon followed them, she had to stop herself from throwing up.
Diamond... don't you get it?!
He just wants your body!
Silver Spoon and BlackGatomon followed them from a distance, eventually to the park. It was here that Diamond Tiara and Rumble laid down in the grass looking up at the stars.
"See that one?" Rumble pointed to a star, "I'm dedicating that one to you."
Diamond Tiara giggled, "That's so cheesy, Rumble."
"Well, I'm a cheesy guy," Rumble said, "I'm thinking cheddar myself."
"Mmm, more of a pepper jack in my eyes," Diamond Tiara said, turning to her side facing Rumble, who raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah? Why's that?" Rumble asked.
"Because it's got more of a flavor," Diamond Tiara said with a sweet smile, "Cheddar is too plain, and has holes in it."
Rumble laughed turning to Diamond Tiara, "Are you sure that's not just because it's your favorite?"
Diamond Tiara sighed playfully, "You got me. See, I can be cheesy too."
Rumble wrapped his arms around Diamond Tiara, pulling her close, "I'm really happy you gave me a chance, Diamond Tiara."
"Well, just because I'm rich, doesn't mean I'm a bitch," she said snuggling into Rumble's embrace, "Besides, you were nice to me. You're not after me just because of my money."
"I don't care about any of that," Rumble said rubbing her back, "I've had a crush on you since third grade, so just being close to you like this is a dream come true to me. I just want to be able to hold you close like this."
"Rumble, I..." she closed her eyes gently, "I know we're still really young, but... I truly don't think that I'll ever find anyone who cares about me like you do."
Silver Spoon's tensed up when she heard that. She cared about Diamond Tiara like that!
"What are you saying?" Rumble asked, hope in his voice. Diamond Tiara looked into his eyes lovingly.
"I'm saying that, even though we're still young, I think I love you."
Silver Spoon felt a betrayal unlike anything ever when she heard that. She'd heard her mention that earlier at the mall, but to hear it now... and to hear her say it to him.
"Diamond, I..." he looked shocked, but he soon smiled, "I love you too!"
Her eyes widened, "Wait... r-really?"
"Yeah. I mean, yeah we're young, but I've been pining for you since we were eight. Diamond Tiara, I don't care that we're young. I love you, and I'm going to stay by your side forever."
"Oh Rumble!" Diamond Tiara hugged Rumble lovingly, the young man returning the embrace. Silver Spoon was trembling now. Now they'd never be a part from each other.
"Silver Spoon!"
She looked to her side and saw BlackGatomon looking up at her.
"You see it, right?! You're losing her now!" BlackGatomon exclaimed.
"I do..." Silver Spoon said, trembling as tears began to stream down her cheeks.
"He's dangerous for her, Silver Spoon! You know that he'll hurt her one day!"
"I... I..."
"You love her, don't you?"
"Yes... I do..."
"Then you have to act now!"
"How?!" Silver Spoon fussed turning to her Digimon, "How do I protect her?!"
"I already told you," BlackGatomon said, "We have to hide her someplace where he can't get to her."
"You... really want us to kidnap her...?" Silver Spoon asked.
"Silver Spoon, if we don't, she's going to get hurt! Let me do this, Silver Spoon! Let me act on your behalf!"
"Y-you'll... act on..."
"Yes!" BlackGatomon walked forward looking at Silver Spoon earnestly, "Please Silver Spoon! Before it's too late! We have to act now or else we'll lose her forever!"
"I don't want to lose her...! I... I love her..."
"Then lend me your energy Silver Spoon! Please!"
Silver Spoon turned back to where Rumble and Diamond Tiara were, and she saw them look into each others' eyes. They then slowly closed in, their lips touching in a soft tender kiss. That made something inside of Silver Spoon shatter. It became real at that moment. Diamond Tiara, she was...
Her hands grabbed her Digivice, and she gripped it tightly. She had the power to stop this. She could keep Diamond Tiara away from Rumble. All she had to do was...
"BlackGatomon..." she said trembling, "S-save her. Please..."
If she had turned to BlackGatomon, she would have seen a dark, sinister smirk appear on the black cat's face.
"So... I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Rumble asked when they reached the corner. Diamond Tiara nodded.
"I always have my phone with me, so I'll answer when you call." Diamond Tiara said.
"Perfect. See ya, Diamond Tiara."
"Take care, Rumble," she kissed him on the cheek and then turned in the direction of her mansion. Rumble had offered to walk her home, but it was fine. After all, this city was safe for the most part. Save for those weird monster attacks, and those were always telegraphed by fog.
As she walked, she felt her heart soar in happiness. Finally, someone who loved her for who she was, and not for her money. Okay, so she had Silver Spoon too, but this was different. Silver Spoon was just as rich as she was, so of course they'd appreciate each other. Rumble was nice though because he didn't care about the money.
All he cared about was her.
She held her hands to her cheeks and squealed loudly from the thought. She was on cloud nine right now.
He loves me!
He loves me for who I am!
Once she calmed down from that though, her thoughts went back to Silver Spoon. She really seemed like something was up. Lately it seemed like she was always upset. She didn't think she could tell, but she knew something was wrong.
Next time she saw Silver Spoon, she was going to confront her about it.
She saw the shadow of something standing over her on the ground. It looked like a woman, but it had a really large left hand, and really large tattered wings on its back. She turned around slowly, and froze in shock when she saw the shadowy figure loom over her.
"Y-you're one of those monsters...!" she realized, backing away.
"We prefer the term Digimon," the mysterious woman said, "In the name of Lady Lilithmon, you must come with me."
Immediately, Diamond Tiara turned and ran in the direction of her house as fast as her high heels would take her. The Digimon jumped up in the air and landed in front of Diamond Tiara, causing her to fall back onto the ground. The woman had pale white skin and pure red eyes, and her entire body seemed to be covered in black leather. She also had long white hair flowing down her back, and her entire body was covered in chains.
"Like I said child, you're coming with me," the Digimon said. Diamond Tiara backed away from the Digimon trembling.
"Don't hurt me! Please!" she begged.
"My Tamer insists on your safety, but if you don't come quietly, I'll have to use violence," the Digimon said, charging up electricity in her left hand. Diamond Tiara screamed and jumped to her feet, once again running away. The monster took to the skies and flew after her, shooting lighting on the ground after her. She turned the corner and hid in an alleyway, and pulled out her phone.
"Hello? Diamond?"
"Rumble, you have to help me!" she whispered urgently.
"Diamond, what's wrong? You sound terrified!"
"You know those monsters that keep appearing? One of them is after me right now!"
"Wait, what?! Hold on, I'll find you!"
"Hurry Rumble!" Diamond Tiara begged, unaware that the monster was right behind her, "I'm scared that it will-" she gasped as she felt an elegant hand caress her cheek.
"Got you, my precious," the Digimon cooed. Diamond Tiara screamed as the monster attacked her with electricity, causing her to drop her phone.
"Diamond Tiara? What's wrong?! Diamond?! Diamond!"
"Diamond, are you okay?"
"S-Silver Spoon...?" Diamond Tiara slowly woke up, realizing she was lying on the cold floor.
"Good, I was worried my Digimon hurt you too much." Silver Spoon replied. Diamond Tiara blinked a bit at that. Her Digimon? She sat up, and instantly noticed something was wrong. She was in a dark room, and it didn't look like she was in hers or Silver Spoon's basement. Also, when she tried to move, she found her wrists were chained to a pole behind her.
"Spoony, what's the meaning of this?" she asked her friend, who was kneeling right in front of her.
"I'm sorry, Diamond, but I had to," Silver said, caressing her cheek, "You were in danger."
"Danger...?" Diamond Tiara asked. Did she mean the monster? Somehow, she didn't think so...
"From Rumble," Silver Spoon stated, "He was a bad boy, and you were falling for him."
"What?! Silver Spoon, what are you talking about?" Diamond Tiara asked, pulling against the chains, "Rumble is- you're not making any sense!"
"He had you fooled, Diamond!" Silver Spoon said desperately, "He didn't love you! Not like I love you!"
"Silver Spoon, you're scaring me," Diamond Tiara said shying away from her friend, "Let me go."
"No Diamond, I won't," Silver Spoon shook her head, "If I let you go, you're going to run to him and leave me. I won't let you do that, Diamond Tiara."
"What's going on with you?!" Diamond Tiara asked, "Silver Spoon, why are you being like this?!"
"Because I'm tired of being pushed aside!" Silver Spoon cried out, making Diamond Tiara flinch back, "You don't get it?! Even now you don't see?! Diamond Tiara, I love you!"
"W-what? Silver Spoon, you're not making any sense! What do you mean you-" she was blind sighted by a sudden kiss from her best friend. When she broke the kiss, Diamond Tiara blushed looking into her friend's eyes, "Silver Spoon... I..."
"Don't say it," Silver Spoon seethed, "I know you still want him. That's why you're going to remain here until you realize who truly loves you." she rose up and turned to leave.
"Silver Spoon no!" Diamond Tiara screamed, "Don't leave me here alone! Untie me, please!"
"She won't listen to you," a familiar voice said, coming from an odd looking black cat that walked over to Silver Spoon, "She's already been affected by my data. Her drive is solely centered on her drive to have you all to herself."
"You... you're that monster!" Diamond Tiara tried to lunge at BlackGatomon, "What did you do to her?!"
"Simple, I opened her eyes," BlackGatomon drawled, jumping up into Silver Spoon's arms. She turned around to Diamond Tiara, petting the strange cat as she held her.
"This is my Digimon partner, BlackGatomon," Silver Spoon said, her voice oddly dark, "She's been with me for the past few days, and she helped me realize that I needed to assert myself a bit more. That's why you're here now, Diamond Tiara. You wouldn't love me before, but you'll love me now. Since I'm going to be the only person you see from now on."
As she turned to leave, Diamond Tiara began to panic, "No... NO!" she cried struggling against the chains, "SILVER SPOON! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! PLEASE LET ME GO! SILVER SPOON!"
"I'll be back later, Diamond," Silver Spoon turned to her and blew her a kiss, "See you in the morning." she then exited the building and closed the door behind her, apparently locking it.
Now alone, Diamond Tiara screamed and struggled against her bindings violently. Sadly, it proved futile though, and her will slowly gave way to heavy sobs.
"Rumble...! Help me, Rumble...!"
"The search is now on for Filthy Rich's young fourteen year old daughter, Diamond Tiara," the newscaster said on the TV, "Her phone was found in an alleyway by her boyfriend, Rumble, who claims that she was being attacked by one of the monsters attacking Canterlot."
"She sounded really scared when she called me," Rumble said when it cut to him, "I even heard her scream right before she was cut off. I swear I'm not lying."
"Hm..." Fluttershy said with a frown, watching the news with Guilmon sitting next to her eating a Pop Tart.
"That's really bad," Guilmon said wilting, "I hope they find her."
"Hopefully it's just Filthy Rich freaking out," Cyrus said walking into the living room, "Maybe she just ran away from home."
"Yeah... maybe," Fluttershy said thoughtfully, "I'm heading to school. Guilmon, let's go."
"W-wait, you want me to come with you?" Guilmon asked, taking another bite from his strawberry pop tart.
"Yes, I do," she said getting up, "I'll see you later, Daddy."
"Take care, honey," Cyrus waved to her. Fluttershy hugged her father, kissed him on the cheek, and then walked to the door, picking up her backpack.
"Bye Dad!" Guilmon said, waving to Cyrus as they left out of the house. Cyrus smiled, watching them leave.
"Take care, kids," he said. She didn't look it, but Cyrus could tell Fluttershy was doing better with her Digimon next to her.
"What's wrong Fluttershy?" Guilmon asked, catching up to her, "You never ask me to come with you to school."
"I want you to look for that girl," Fluttershy requested, "Get the other Digimon, and have them team up with you to find her."
"But... she doesn't have anything to do with our current mission, does she?" Guilmon asked tilting his head.
"She has everything to do with it," Fluttershy said, pulling out her Digivice and opening a screen showing a picture of a bespectacled girl with long silver hair tied in a braid, "Based on what Pinkie Pie said, I was able to figure out that this girl is the Tamer we're looking for. Her name is Silver Spoon."
"She's so young," Guilmon pointed out, "She's probably only about 13 or so human years."
"She also happens to be close to Filthy Rich's daughter, Diamond Tiara," Fluttershy stated, "She said that she was being attacked by the monsters, and you and I both know what that means."
Guilmon nodded, "She's talking about a Digimon."
"Exactly, but a corrupted Digimon wouldn't single her out," Fluttershy stated, "That means the Digimon was in perfect control of itself."
Guilmon's eyes widened, "Meaning that it had a Tamer!"
Fluttershy nodded putting her Digivice back in her jacket pocket, "There are too many coincidences here, Guilmon, and they all feel like they're adding up to something big."
"And that's why you want me to find that Diamond Tiara girl," Guilmon said, "To see how they all add up."
"Bingo. So, can I count on you and the other Digimon?" Fluttershy asked. Guilmon saluted.
"No problem, Fluttershy! I'll meet up with everyone at the lookout tree!" Guilmon turned to run off, but stopped, "Hey, Fluttershy?"
"What is it, Guilmon?"
"I'm really happy we're helping so many people." Guilmon said, giving her a smile. Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment, and then turned away.
"I... I'm not going to ever leave people in need. Not if I can do something," Fluttershy said, "I'll see you after school."
With that said, Fluttershy rushed off. Guilmon smiled widely and ran off to the tree house. Hopefully Agumon and Gabumon were at least there.
Fluttershy met up with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash in the school courtyard, where she spoke to both of them about her theory.
"I hope she's okay," Pinkie Pie said, "Diamond Tiara's a bit spoiled, but she's really a sweet kid."
"You know her?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I've spoken to her a few times," Pinkie Pie said, "Even though her father's not the nicest, she's actually really cordial and approachable."
"Does she mention Silver Spoon?" Fluttershy asked Pinkie Pie.
"They used to always be together. I remember that the last time I ran into her, she was with that boy who was on the news, Rumble. They're kinda young to be as mature about their relationship as they are, but Diamond Tiara's already kinda mature for her age." Pinkie Pie explained.
"Where are your Digimon?" Fluttershy asked.
"Veemon said something about a lookout tower," Rainbow Dash shrugged, "I don't know, but Applejack and Rarity's Digimon invited him so he said he'd check it out."
"Hackmon said the same thing," Pinkie Pie added, "And I'm sure Agumon and Gabumon are they're. I get the feeling they're always there."
"Okay, good," Fluttershy said, "We need to find that girl as soon as possible. I don't like what the looks like."
"Neither do I," Rainbow Dash said, "But... what are we going to do about Silver Spoon if she's linked to her Digimon, and it turns out to be a bad Digimon?"
"Maybe Rarity and Applejack have a plan now," Pinkie Pie said hopefully, "Maybe they consulted with Yggdrasil, and she's got an idea of how to fix this."
"Sorry to disappoint, but we don't," Rarity said, she and Applejack walking out to join them.
"Damn, so that sentient computer you two listen to is still clueless?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Her name is Yggdrasil, but I'm afraid so," Rarity said gravely.
"I asked Guilmon to work with our Digimon to find our Tamer's friend," Fluttershy said, "I think she's connected to this."
"Good thinkin'," Applejack said, "Our Digivices got a trackin' feature in them, so we'll always know where our Digimon are."
"That's convenient," Rainbow Dash said, "So after school, we track down our Digimon and help in the search, right?"
"Sounds good to me," Pinkie Pie said with a nod, "I hope this doesn't end in violence."
"I hope we can save the Tamer," Rarity said looking down seriously, "I don't want to have to delete her Digimon in a way that will hurt her."
"The we'll just find another way," Fluttershy said, "Class is about to start, so let's just be ready."
The five girls all nodded to each other and went off in separate directions to their first classes. Hopefully Diamond Tiara was okay at least.
Guilmon was thankful that all of the Digimon were at the lookout tree, and he relayed Fluttershy's request. They were all happy to help, and instantly spread out into town, exploring the town in search of the missing girl.
While most of the Digimon searched in town, Hackmon walked out into the Whitetail Woods in the outskirts of town. Out of all of them, he'd been in the real world the longest, and he knew a lot more about these sort of situations.
After all, he and Maud watched nothing but cop shows when at home.
In all of the cop shows, the victim who disappeared usually turned up somewhere in an area like this. It helped that he was so small, so he could look at the ground closely for any clues. He didn't find anything outright, but stopped when he saw what looked like a tiny gem in the grass.
Hackmon looked to the side, thinking if this was a clue. His mind went to the picture of Diamond Tiara, remembering the headpiece she always wore.
"Hey!" Guilmon called out, running over to Hackmon, "Did you find something?"
"I think so," Hackmon said looking around a bit, noticing a small shack in the distance, "Guilmon, let's check that over there."
Guilmon looked, "That building over there?"
Hackmon nodded, "Something tells me that girl is close by." Hackmon ran toward the shack, Guilmon following closely. Once they reached the shack, both Digimon heard sobbing from inside.
"Guilmon, can you take a look?" Hackmon asked, "You're taller than I am."
Guilmon nodded and looked through the window. Inside he saw Diamond Tiara, wrists chained to a pipe behind her. She was struggling a bit, and she was crying loudly. She looked terrified. Inside of the room with her was a BlackGatomon. Guilmon quickly ducked and turned to Hackmon.
"Hackmon, she's in there!" Guilmon whispered, "There's a BlackGatomon in there too standing guard!"
"That's the Digimon Pinkie Pie and I saw!" Hackmon stated, "That means that girl is the Tamer!"
"But why did she kidnap Diamond Tiara?" Guilmon asked.
"That I don't know, but we need to warn everyone else!" Hackmon looked back at the shack, "Meet up with the other Digimon and our Tamers. I'll stay here and keep watch."
"Alright Hackmon. I'll be back with everyone else!" Guilmon said running out of the woods. Hackmon ran behind a tree and hid, waiting for the others to get there. He wanted to charge right in, but he wasn't stupid. There was no way he'd be able to beat that BlackGatomon on his own.
It was after school by the time Guilmon got back, and everyone was waiting for him near the lookout tree.
"Everyone!" Guilmon called out, "Hackmon and I found Diamond Tiara!"
"Good job, Guilmon," Fluttershy hugged her Digimon, "Where is she?"
"She's locked up in a small shack in the Whitetail Woods," Guilmon said, "Hackmon's still there keeping watch."
"She's locked up?!" Rarity cried, "Oh, the poor dear!"
"Who did this?!" Rainbow Dash demanded to know harshly.
"We know who," Applejack pointed out, "Probably our rogue Tamer."
"Speaking of," Rarity pointed toward the school, where they saw Silver Spoon run out of the school building, in the direction away from the residential section of Canterlot.
"She's heading in the direction of where Hackmon is," Pinkie Pie said, looking at her Digivice, "He probably wants to use his signal to lead us there."
"Let's not waste any time," Fluttershy said, "Sooner we get to her, the higher the chance we have of ending this without needing to hurt her."
Everyone nodded, human and Digimon, and they all ran in the direction of the Whitetail Woods.
Diamond Tiara had long since given up on trying to escape on her own, and just sat down on the floor hanging her head helplessly. After a bit, she looked up and glared at the black cat lying on the floor in front of her.
"Hey," she said, "Hey cat. I know you can hear me."
Said cat opened an eye and looked at her.
"Hello human," she drawled.
"What are you?" Diamond Tiara asked, "You're clearly not a cat."
"You're right, I'm not," BlackGatomon said sitting up and standing upright perfectly, "My name is BlackGatomon. I'm what's called a Digimon, or Digital Monster."
"Digital Monster?" Diamond Tiara pulled at the chains binding her to the pole, "Okay, what do you want with Silver Spoon?"
"I didn't do anything except give her a little push in the right direction," BlackGatomon said, walking around Diamond Tiara.
"No, I don't believe that!" Diamond Tiara shook her head, "I know Silver Spoon! She'd never do anything like this unless she were being controlled! I know you did something to her!"
"You hold that girl in too high regard," BlackGatomon said with a smirk, "The lust she has for you is almost overwhelming. I'm surprised you didn't notice it. Or are you too focused on Rumble to notice how she truly feels. Perhaps you just don't care about her."
"That's not true!" Diamond Tiara cried, "I love Silver Spoon! She's my closest friend! I never wanted to hurt her!"
"Then why don't you break up with Rumble and be with her?" BlackGatomon challenged, "Or are you just lying, saying what Silver Spoon wants to hear so we'll let you go?"
"I'm not lying!" Diamond Tiara sobbed, tears falling down her cheeks, "I do love Silver Spoon! It's just a different kind of love!"
"I'm sure," BlackGatomon said, leaning against a wall, "I bet Silver Spoon would go for that 'different kind of love' Then again, I could just spin your words around so she thinks you're lying to her."
"You're terrible," Diamond Tiara sobbed helplessly, "I hate you so much!" almost on cue, the door opened and Silver Spoon walked in, "Silver Spoon!"
"Diamond, what's wrong?" Silver Spoon asked, kneeling down before her and caressing her face, "Why are you crying?"
"Why am I crying?!" Diamond Tiara was incredulous, "My best friend is keeping me prisoner! Silver Spoon, please stop listening to that cat thing over there?! This isn't who you are! It's controlling you!"
"BlackGatomon is my friend," Silver Spoon shied away from Diamond Tiara, "She's always there for me, and she loves me. She was there even when you abandoned me for Rumble!"
"I didn't abandon you, Spoony!" Diamond Tiara cried, "I still loved you! Even now, I love you! You're my best friend, Silver Spoon!"
"But that's all, right?!" Silver Spoon asked harshly, "You say that you love me, but in the end you're going to throw me away for him!"
"It's true, Silver Spoon," BlackGatomon chimed in, "I spoke to her while we waited for you to return. She said that she loved him more than you."
The way Silver Spoon gasped and then narrowed her eyes at Diamond Tiara made the young imprisoned girl wilt in fear, "Is that true?"
"No no no!" Diamond Tiara said desperately, "I never said that! That evil cat is twisting my words! I said that I loved both you and Rumble, but it's a different kind of love!"
"She's trying to cover it up, but you know the truth!" BlackGatomon said immediately, "She means that the love she has for Rumble is higher than it is for you! Rumble is a menace, and as long as he lives she'll never love you!"
Silver Spoon looked up suddenly as if in realization, "You're right... he's the problem."
"Silver Spoon, what are you thinking...?" Diamond Tiara asked slowly.
"Come BlackGatomon," Silver Spoon said rising up, "Let's get rid of Rumble."
BlackGatomon smiled evilly at Diamond Tiara, "As you wish, Silver Spoon."
"NO! SILVER SPOON PLEASE!" Diamond Tiara screamed, "DON'T HURT HIM! PLEASE, LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
"Listen to her," BlackGatomon seethed, both her and Silver Spoon glaring at Diamond Tiara, "She panics merely at the thought of him dying. That's all the proof you need."
"I'm begging you, Silver Spoon, don't do this!" Diamond Tiara cried, "Leave Rumble alone! Stop listening to that evil cat thing and let me go! I promise, I'll never leave your side, and I'll find a way to make all of this ri-"
"SHUT UP!" Silver Spoon screamed, silencing Diamond Tiara, "I'm through listening to you! It's clear now that you're not going to love me as long as he's alive, so I'm going to kill him!" she closed her eyes trembling shedding tears of anger, "I hate him! I hate him and I hate what he represents! I love you so much, Diamond Tiara, but as long as he's alive, you're never going to see it! But you will!" she opened her eyes, glaring at Diamond Tiara intensely, "You'll see, and then you'll love me just as much as I love you! You'll love me because you won't have a choice!" with that she turned and stormed to the door.
"SILVER SPOON NO!" Diamond Tiara screamed, once again futilely pulling at her bindings, going into full panic mode. Silver Spoon ignored her pleas though, opening the door just in time to see Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack run up to the shack, all with their Digimon with them.
"W-what?" Silver Spoon asked, "Who are these girls?"
"We're Tamers, just like you," Rarity said stepping forward, "That BlackGatomon, she's yours, right?"
"Silver Spoon, we have to take them out now!" BlackGatomon seethed getting on all fours, "They're bad Tamers! They're here to take Diamond Tiara away from you!"
"No!" Silver Spoon shook her head, spreading her arms out in defense of the shack, "I'm not letting you take her away!"
"Silver Spoon, that's your name, right?" Pinkie Pie asked slowly stepping forward, "You have to let her go. What you're doing is wrong. You're hurting Diamond Tiara."
"I hate doing this to her," Silver Spoon admitted, looking down, "But it's the only way I'm going to get her to pay attention to me! She's going to leave me for Rumble!"
"I don't think that's right," Guilmon chimed in, "You and that other girl are partners, right? Partners don't abandon each other, ever!"
"We really don't want this to get violent, darling," Rarity urged.
"That's like the one thing she and I agree on," Rainbow Dash added, "So just step away from the shack, give us your Digivice, and we'll work this out."
"See?! They just confirmed it!" BlackGatomon cried out, "Now they're trying to separate us! They don't want you to have anyone, Silver Spoon! They want you be alone, without anyone to love you!"
Fluttershy frowned looking at BlackGatomon. Why was she going on and on about love and things like that?
"I'm not letting that happen!" Silver Spoon cried, tears of anger falling from her eyes, "If you want Diamond Tiara, you're going to have to go through us! But if it's my Digivice you want so badly," she pulled it out of her dress pocket and held if forward, her other hand flowing with dark green energy, "Then I'll give it to you right now, along with all of its power!" she then pulled up a holographic keyboard and typed on it.
"Silver Spoon, DON'T!" Rarity screamed.
"Altering Program! Super Digivolve!" Silver Spoon screamed, pushing the enter key. She screamed as her entire body flowed with that green energy, which she then sent into her Digivice, shooting the energy out at BlackGatomon.
ACCESS
SUPER DIGIVOLUTION
"BLACKGATOMON SUPER DIGIVOLVE TO!" BlackGatomon shouted, jumping into the air as her entire body immediately broke off revealing a dark green wire frame. Her Tamer's energy engulfed her, causing the frame to change shape and grow into the form of a darkly alluring woman. She spun around elegantly as her body took form, revealing the black clad Digimon that captured Diamond Tiara, "LADYDEVIMON!"
boss theme
"Oh this is bad!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed pulling out her Digivice to scan the new Digimon.
ID: LADYDEVIMON
LEVEL: ULTIMATE
TYPE: FALLEN ANGEL
ATTRIBUTE: VIRUS
Silver Spoon held her chest in pain. She then glared at all of them almost demonically, her eyes glowing red.
"Just try and stop me!" both Silver Spoon and LadyDevimon said at the same time, "I'm not letting anyone take Diamond Tiara away from me!"
LadyDevimon rushed toward them ready to attack, however she was stopped as Applejack jumped in the way and held her back with her bare hands.
"What are we doin?!" Applejack asked, "We fightin', or retreatin'?!"
"Retreat isn't an option!" Fluttershy pulled her goggles down, "Guilmon, get ready!"
"Right!" he stood in front of her, holding his arms out, "Let's do this!"
Applejack smirked and pushed LadyDevimon back, pulling out her Digivice, "I like the way y'all think! Time ta go dinosaur crazy, Agumon!"
"I was waiting for that!" Agumon said, standing next to his Tamer with a cocky grin. Both Applejack and Fluttershy typed on their keyboards at the same time.
"Altering Program! Digivolve!" the two girls shouted at the same time. LadyDevimon tried to charge at them again, but this time Applejack threw back her fist and landed a hard punch right in her jaw, actually sending the Ultimate Level Digimon back. She and Fluttershy sent their energy into their Digivices, which then shot out to their Digimon.
ACCESS
DIGIVOLUTION
"AGUMON, DIGIVOLVE TO! GREYMON!"
"GUILMON, DIGIVOLVE TO! GROWLMON!"
Fluttershy held her chest, grunting in pain after her Digimon digivolved.
HAZARD LEVEL: 50%
"Ya alright there?" Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't worry about me," Zero spat, standing upright with a sneer, "Let's just focus on the demon bitch in front of us."
Applejack frowned at the sudden change, but thought nothing of it. The two dinosaur Digimon rushed at LadyDevimon, but she managed to hold both of them back with her hands. She kicked both Digimon back and then held her larger left hand out.
"DARKNESS WAVE!" she roared, shooting black bats made of darkness out at Growlmon and Greymon. The bats caught fire once they reached them, causing massive damage.
"Applejack!" Rarity cried.
"Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, "Pinkie Pie, we gotta go to the next level too!"
"Right! Let's do it Hackmon!
"Veemon, let's kick it into high gear!"
"Gabumon darling, get ready!"
"Altering Program! Digivolve!" all three girls shouted, sending their energy into their Digivices and sending it out to their corresponding Digimon.
ACCESS
DIGIVOLUTION
"VEEMON, DIGIVOLVE TO! EXVEEMON!"
"GABUMON, DIGIVOLVE TO! GARURUMON!"
"HACKMON, DIGIVOLVE TO! BAOHACKMON!"
ExVeemon charged at LadyDevimon and tackled her to the ground and began pummeling her with his fists. She kicked him off of her, but then flipped out of the way as Garurumon launched his Fox Fire attack in her direction.
"Altering Program! Nurse!" Pinkie Pie shouted sending the program. Instantly Greymon and Growlmon were healed, rising to their feet.
"Thanks," Zero said dusting herself off, "Can you increase everyone's stats next too?"
"Sure thing. BaoHackmon, you mind acting as support for a bit?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Not at all!" BaoHackmon said, slashing LadyDevimon back with his tail, "Whatever it takes to help the team!"
"Alright! Altering Program! All Defense UP!"
All of the Digimon felt their defense increase. Just in time too, as LadyDevimon held her hand behind her charging up an attack.
"BLACK WING!" she intoned, her claw morphing into a sharp tipped spear like shape and charging with energy. She then slashed at BaoHackmon, but Garurumon pushed him out of the way, taking the attack himself.
"AHH!!!" Rarity screamed falling, back.
"Whoa! Got ya!" Applejack caught her, "Ya alright?"
"I... think so," Rarity looked at her Digivice, surprised to see Garurumon's health already close to half, "But... our defense is up, isn't it?"
"Pinkie Pie, Attack next!" Rainbow Dash requested, typing on her keyboard, "I gotta see something!"
"Got it Dash! Altering Program! All Attack UP!" Pinkie Pie shouted. Once their attack increased, Rainbow Dash prepared her next program.
"Altering Program! Chi Level 2!" she shouted, sending the program, "Remember, just like I taught ya, ExVeemon!"
ExVeemon gave his Tamer a thumbs up, held his hands forward and then drew them to his side, "Ka... me... ha... me... HA!" he threw his arms forward, firing a large blue energy stream out at LadyDevimon, who held her arms in front of her in defense taking the attack.
"Why did yer Digimon use a Kamehameha?" Applejack asked, bemused.
"Because it's fucking awesome, that's why," Rainbow Dash smirked, "Someone check her health."
Zero looked down at her Digivice, "Shit! It's still not taking damage!"
"We're unstoppable!" Silver Spoon shouted, "You're not beating me! Not with those weak Digimon!"
LadyDevimon responded by rolling to the side and firing an electric blast out at ExVeemon, making both him and Rainbow Dash slide back a bit in pain.
"Damn it!" Rainbow Dash swore, "Why's she so strong?!"
"MEGA FLAME!" Greymon shouted.
"EXHAUST FLAME!" Growlmon roared at the same time. Both attacks fired at LadyDevimon, but she held her wings around her taking both attacks. Garurumon jumped high into the air and charged up his attack.
"FOX FIRE!" Garurumon intoned. His attack actually engulfed LadyDevimon. He landed and all five Champion Digimon gathered around him waiting for the smoke to clear. When it did though, they saw that LadyDevimon was perfectly unharmed.
"What?!" Growlmon cried out.
"How though?!" Greymon asked, "We've been hitting her with everything we have?!"
"Even though you're strong, you're all still Digimon only able to reach Champion," LadyDevimon taunted sauntering over to the Digimon, "I've been able to reach Ultimate for a while now."
"That's putting your Tamer in unnecessary danger!" BaoHackmon exclaimed, "She's not ready for that level! You have to ease her into it!"
"I'm fine!" Silver Spoon said, holding her chest in pain, "Y-you're the weak ones! You just want me, t-to relent so y-you can steal Diamond Tiara away from me...!"
"Sweetheart, listen!" Rarity urged, "I know how it feels to love someone more than anyone more than anything, but you can't force someone to love you like this!"
"Please, revert your Digimon to the lower levels!" Pinkie Pie begged, "That way we can talk this over!"
"I'm through talking!" Silver Spoon cried out, gripping her Digivice tightly, "I'm putting an end to this right here, right now!"
LadyDevimon flew into the air, "POISON!" she shouted, spraying a black mist out of her hand down to the Digimon.
"Your Highness!" Garurumon shouted. He reacted immediately, throwing her on his back and jumping out of the attack. Unfortunately everyone else took it head on, instantly feeling like something was burning them from the inside out. Both Tamers and Digimon screamed in pain, falling to the ground.
"No!" Rarity screamed in horror, looking at everyone struggle to rise to their feet, "Garurumon, what do we do?"
"We have to go all out, Your Highness," Garurumon said, kneeling down to let Rarity off his back, "At least try to even the odds a bit."
"Yes, you're right," Rarity said hugging her Digimon, "I relent and give you full control, Garurumon." she then stepped forward, typing on her keyboard, "Altering Program! Super Digivolve!"
Everyone was shocked to hear Rarity scream to the sky, and even more surprised when purple energy flowed all around her. She stopped screaming and glared at LadyDevimon, and Garurumon jumped in front of her. She then sent the energy into her Digivice and shot it at her partner.
ACCESS
SUPER DIGIVOLUTION
"GARURUMON, SUPER DIGIVOLVE TO!" Garurumon shouted running forward, the wind ripping his skin off to reveal his purple wire frame. His Tamer's energy engulfed him, and the frame altered in a funny way, actually changing to stand upright and gaining slight human like features. His skin reformed, revealing Garurumon, but standing like a human and wearing blue jeans, a single shoulder pad, and golden brass knuckles on both hands, "WEREGARURUMON!" she shouted before howling to the moonlight.
Rarity's entire body went limp for a second, but she then rose up, almost like a puppet, getting in a fighting stance just like the one WereGarurumon was in.
"What the hell...?" Zero asked.
Applejack sighed, "I was hopin' she wouldn't go that far."
"What's wrong with her?" Pinkie Pie asked, afraid of the answer.
"She used the full amount of her energy possible for Ultimate. It gives her Digimon more freedom of movement, but at a price. Fer one, she can't use programs anymore, an' two, she no longer controls her movements."
As a demonstration almost, WereGarurumon circled around LadyDevimon. At the same time, Rarity also moved identically, as if she and her Digimon were one entity in two bodies.
"Thank you for removing my chains, Your Highness," WereGarurumon said ferociously, "I will not use your gift in vain!"
The two ultimate Digimon charged at each other and fought close quarter, throwing punches and kicks at each other that they expertly blocked. At the same time, Rarity moved perfectly in sync with her Digimon, even grunting in pain if WereGarurumon got hit.
"DARKNESS WAVE!"
"No! Not this time!" WereGarurumon shouted, both he and Rarity doing a jumping spin kick, destroying the attack and landing perfectly on the ground, despite the latter of the two wearing high heels.
"KAISER NAIL!" Rarity screamed as if she were attacking. WereGarurumon then charged up his claws, and slashed wildly, pushing LadyDevimon back.
"Damn it!" LadyDevimon swore, "I didn't know you could reach Ultimate too!"
"Rarity, ya gotta keep yer cool!" Applejack urged, "Ya don't wanna lose yerself to the power!"
Rarity ignored her lover, instead having WereGarurumon charge at LadyDevimon and relentlessly attack her. This time she felt it.
But Silver Spoon was also flinching and crying out in pain from the attacks. Diamond Tiara was seeing the whole thing, her eyes going wide.
"No..." she shook her head, "No! Please stop! You'll kill her!"
Zero looked into the shack, meeting eyes with Diamond Tiara. She nodded to her and then rose up, "Growlmon, we need to stop Rarity."
"Right," Growlmon said, actually turning to WereGarurumon.
"Hey!" Applejack rose up and turned to Zero grabbing her arm, "What are ya doin?!"
"Do you want her to kill the Tamer?!" Zero asked harshly, "If not, then I suggest you stop your girlfriend before she fucks up!"
Applejack looked down and nodded, "Alright, we gotta do what we gotta do."
Zero nodded to Applejack, "Growlmon, attack!"
"DRAGON SLASH!" Growlmon roared, slashing WereGarurumon away from LadyDevimon, "Stop it! You'll kill her if you don't!"
"I... I have to...!" WereGarurumon held his head in pain, "Have... to defeat... ENEMY!" WereGarurumon jumped and fired a powerful spin kick at Growlmon's head, knocking him back for massive damage.
Both ExVeemon and BaoHackmon rushed at WereGarurumon, holding him steady. As he struggled, Greymon charged up his attack.
"MEGA FLAME!" he roared, shooting his attack point blank at WereGarurumon. This caused him and Rarity to fall back in pain, WereGarurumon shifting back into Gabumon, both Digimon and Tamer out cold.
"Thanks for saving me!" LadyDevimon shouted suddenly, rushing in and lashing at all four remaining Digimon, immediately making the Digimon and their Tamers fall to the ground, making her laugh cruelly.
"See what your kindness got you?" she taunted, "Now you've all lost!"
Pinkie Pie sat up enough to see Silver Spoon fall onto her knees, still holding her chest in pain, "S-stop... you're going... to..."
"Silver Spoon is willing to give her life to protect what she loves," LadyDevimon said with a sinister smirk, "If she does end up dying, I'll be fine though."
"You don't, even care about your Tamer?!" Rainbow Dash got to her knees at least, glaring venomously at LadyDevimon, "You bitch! ExVeemon and I will rip you apart!"
"But if you do that, you'll hurt Silver Spoon as well," LadyDevimon said folding her arms, "Face it, Royal Knights. In the end, I was just too much for you to handle-" she was suddenly hit by a large metal orb, which caused her to fall back, both she and Silver Spoon screaming in pain.
"W-what the...?" Zero looked up, seeing the oddest sight. It was what looked like a red shen-long dragon with a white underside, two pairs of metallic wings on its back, and a large terrifying looking horn on it's forehead. When she saw the stripes on its body and the red gem on its forehead, she immediately knew who that was, "Twilight?!"
LadyDevimon looked up at the newcomer Digimon and flew up to him to engage. The new Digimon however was too much for her, and immediately managed to knock her down onto the ground. The red dragon gave a loud and odd sounding roar, but then flew down into LadyDevimon impaling her with his horn. Both LadyDevimon and Silver Spoon gasped in pain.
Everyone watched in horror at the display. On one hand they were happy it was on their side, but on the other hand, it was about to...
Using his horn, the red Digimon threw LadyDevimon high into the air. He then fired another really large metallic sphere out at LadyDevimon, who screamed in agony as her entire body exploded into pixels... deleted.
At the same time, Silver Spoon screamed loudly in pain, holding her head the entire time. Once her Digimon was gone completely, she stopped screaming and fell to the ground, her whole body going limp.
end song
Diamond Tiara began breathing heavily, eyes wide as tears began to fall freely, "SILVER SPOON!"
Pinkie Pie ran inside and managed to find the key to her chains, setting her free. Immediately Diamond Tiara ran over to her friend and held her, shaking her to awake.
"Silver Spoon! Silver Spoon, wake up!" she begged, "Please, don't be dead! DON'T DIE!"
"Oh... fuck..." Rainbow Dash said, looking on in horror.
"We failed..." Applejack lowered her hat over her eyes, "Damn it..."
Pinkie Pie walked over to the crying teen, "Diamond Tiara, I'm so sorr-"
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
Pinkie Pie flinched back in shock, "Diamond...?"
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Diamond Tiara screamed at them, "SHE WASN'T BAD! SHE WAS JUST UNDER THAT THING'S SPELL! NOW SHE'S HURT, AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"
"I..." Pinkie Pie looked away in shame. No one could really refute it. In actuality, they all screwed up, BIG TIME.
"I hate you!" Diamond Tiara swore venomously, glaring at all of them, "I HATE ALL OF YOU!"
Rarity stirred and slowly woke up. When she saw Diamond Tiara in tears, holding a catatonic Silver Spoon, she covered her mouth in horror.
"Oh God..." Rarity said trembling, "W-what have I done...?"
Diamond Tiara rose up, carrying Silver Spoon over her shoulders, and slowly began to leave out of the forest. Not once did she look at anyone, and a constant stream of tears flowed down her cheeks.
The red Digimon started glowing, reverting back to Dorumon. At the same time, Twilight stepped out from behind a tree. She watched Diamond Tiara leave, and closed her eyes briefly.
"Mission complete," she said simply, "The target has been deleted. Let's go, Dorumon."
Dorumon nodded, "Right." the two of them turned to leave out the forest.
"Is that all?"
Twilight stopped and turned back around, seeing Zero looking down at the ground, trembling, hands balled up into tight fists, and clearly crying.
"Is that, all you have to say?!" she seethed looking up at Twilight in hatred, "That girl was still connected to her Digimon, and you just... just...!"
"I did what I had to do," Twilight said, putting her hands on her hips, "That being cleaning up your mess. I tried to give you a chance to end it on your own terms, and instead you turned on each other, and left yourselves wide open. Had I not stepped in when I did, all of you would have died."
"And what about Silver Spoon?!" Rainbow Dash asked, "Do you seriously not care about what you just did?!"
"I completed my mission, and did so in the most efficient way," Twilight explained, "All you were doing was wasting time. The mission would have been done in half the time if I'd been the one in charge of it."
Zero had enough, and rushed toward Twilight screaming in rage. She tried to punch the gothic teen, but Twilight grabbed her fist, holding it steady and returning Zero's glare with one of her own.
"I'm not a super heroine. It's not my duty to worry about the lives of every living person," Twilight stated, "I am Network Security, so when there's a threat, I eliminate it. You best learn that mentality as well, if you plan on becoming a Royal Knight."
"You're... a Royal Knight...?" Zero asked incredulous.
"That's right, and unlike you, I'm not some idealistic kid playing a game," Twilight continued, "I am Alphamon, former leader of the Royal Knights, and Lord of the Empty Seat." she pushed Zero back harshly, "If this is what Yggdrasil replaced us with, then the Digital and Real World are both doomed."
With that, she turned around and walked off, all of the girls watching her leave with varying degrees of emotion. Pinkie Pie fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands, sobbing loudly, Rainbow Dash was looking down trembling and gritting her teeth, Applejack had to hold Rarity, the latter was crying so hard. Zero watched Twilight and Dorumon walk off, a look of both hatred and determination on her face. She didn't know about joining the Royal Knights, but at that moment, she was sure of one thing.
She could not leave the fate of the two worlds in the hands of someone like Twilight. |
Digimon Saga: CTRL-ALT-DELETE | 11: You really do care, don't you? | Theme Song: Be Somewhere
11: You really do care, don't you?
"It has been a week since Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, daughters of the Rich and Spoon family respectively, were found by authorities. Silver Spoon has still not awakened from her strange coma, and Diamond Tiara is refusing to tell authorities anything. The only hint she gives is that those monsters are the cause of this incident."
Octavia turned off her TV.
"So, they're blaming the Digimon for this incident," she said. Lounging on her couch and wearing nothing save for her silky black bathrobe, she folded her arms in deep thought. It just didn't add up. If it were actually a Wild One, then a Digital Field would have shown up on their radar.
But nothing of the sort appeared.
Octavia rose up and walked over to her computer, pulling up the information of the Digimon she was searching for. She was certain that they had Tamers, and almost positive that one of those Tamers was in fact Zero.
It took a second, but eventually she managed to ID one of the Digimon.
"Veemon, a Vaccine Type?" Octavia frowned looking at that Digimon. She then pulled up security footage from some of the most recent Digimon battles that happened in the recent weeks. It was hard getting visuals inside the Digital Fields, but one of the Digimon that was usually seen exiting the afflicted area was this "Veemon".
Was its Tamer Zero? Did its Tamer know Zero?
Octavia sat back in her chair, pressing a finger to her lips in thought. If she was going to figure out anything, she couldn't rely on technology. That was failing them. If she was to figure out who these Tamers were, she'd have to rely on her eyes. Next Digital Field, she'd be there herself.
You can't hide from me, Zero. I will find you, and I will bring you to justice, no matter what I have to do.
She couldn't believe her luck. She just stepped out of the door, and was on her way to school, when a damn Digital Field appeared right in her line of sight. She didn't want to be late for school, but she knew that the others probably weren't close by to see it.
So naturally, it fell onto her and Guilmon.
As Guilmon and the large club wielding Digimon fought, Fluttershy pulled out her Digivice to scan it.
ID: OGREMON
LEVEL: CHAMPION
TYPE: OGRE
ATTRIBUTE: VIRUS
"Ogremon, huh?" Fluttershy said looking at her Digivice, "Guilmon, I think we can take it without Digivolving."
"I'm feeling pretty good about this one myself!" Guilmon said whacking Ogremon away with his tail before charging up his attack, "FIRE BALL!"
His attack hit the Ogremon in the stomach, making him slide back. He then charged up his fist and shot a black energy blast at Guilmon.
"Altering Program! Speed UP!" Fluttershy shouted, sending the program to her Digimon. Guilmon quickly jumped to the side and then rushed at Ogremon, slashing with his claws. Now he was using more technique rather than lashing out wildly. Fluttershy looked down at her Digivice, seeing Ogremon's HP dropping.
"This is good," Fluttershy smiled, "Guilmon and I are getting a lot stronger now."
Ogremon slammed his club on the ground, but Guilmon jumped away just in time, landing next to Fluttershy.
"I think we can end this," Guilmon said. Fluttershy nodded to her Digimon and prepared another program.
"Altering Program! Rapid Fire!"
Guilmon charged up fire in his mouth, and then unleashed a barrage of fireballs at the Ogremon. He blocked with his club as much as he could, but eventually the attacks got through and he fell back, breaking up into bits of data which then flowed into Guilmon.
GUILMON: 80 EXP
LEVEL UP!
"Good job, Guilmon," Fluttershy said as the Digital Field disappeared, "I think we might be able to get to school on time if we take a shortcut."
"I think I know a faster way," Guilmon said, "Agumon and Gabumon showed me when they took me to the Lookout Tower."
Guilmon guided Fluttershy down another section of the neighborhood. This one was had a lot of really big and nice houses. Not mansions, but more expensive than the typical houses found in the neighborhood.
It was a nice part of the district. Fluttershy wouldn't have minded living here one day. Maybe with Cipher whenever they met in person.
She stopped at a house with a blue and purple mailbox. The name tag on it read "Belle". Was this Rarity's place? She looked up and was really taken aback. It was a really nice place, and more humble than she really gave Rarity credit to.
"Do you think she's coming to school today?" Guilmon asked.
"Probably not," Fluttershy sighed, "She's the President, so this doesn't look good on her record."
"We should get her to come to school, Fluttershy," Guilmon suggested, "We're her friends, and friends don't turn their backs on each other."
"She's hardly my friend, Guilmon," Fluttershy said, "The only friends I have are you, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Veemon, Hackmon, and Cipher."
"Even if she's not your friend, you're hers," Guilmon pointed out, "Besides, Gabumon's getting worried about her. Please."
Fluttershy closed her eyes in irritation, "Goddamn it, Guilmon. Find a place to hide. We don't know if her parents are okay with Digimon."
"You got it, Fluttershy," Guilmon saluted, jumping into a bush. Fluttershy rolled her eyes and walked over to the house, ringing the doorbell. A few seconds later, a woman that looked like a thicker version of Rarity opened the door.
"Hello?" the woman asked with a thick Boston accent, "Oh, are you one of Rarity's friends?"
Fluttershy took a deep breath, "Sure. I'm a "friend" of Rarity's. Is she already at school?"
The woman, clearly Rarity's mother, sighed, "She still won't leave her room. I don't know what's going on with her. She's usually more social, but lately she's even been refusing to see Applejack."
Damn, that was bad. Applejack was the one person Fluttershy thought Rarity would want to see no matter what.
Damn it. I'm about to care now, aren't I?
"I'll... talk to her," Fluttershy breathed out slowly, breaking eye contact with the woman before her. This was way more human contact with a stranger than she was comfortable with. Rarity's mom smiled in relief.
"Would you? Thank you, doll. Rarity's lucky to have a friend like you."
Fluttershy nodded without a word and let the woman usher her inside, silently wondering why her mother had a Boston accent but Rarity spoke with a British one. Rarity's room was pretty easy to find, as it was the only door upstairs that was closed. She knocked on the door lightly.
"I said leave me alone!"
Fluttershy was a bit taken aback. She sounded a lot more upset than Fluttershy thought she would. Now she really gave a damn.
"Um, it's me," Fluttershy spoke through the door, "Guilmon and I were concerned about you."
A few seconds later, the door unlocked and opened, revealing a very worried looking Gabumon.
"Her Highness said it's okay for you to come in," he said softly. Fluttershy nodded and walked into the room. It was a bit messier than Fluttershy thought it would be, showing signs of a possible tantrum earlier. Lying on the bed was Rarity, her hair a bit frayed showing that she hadn't bothered combing it, wearing a purple and white bathrobe, and no makeup at all. She didn't look like the prim and proper "princess" that ruled the school.
Like this, she looked... human.
"How the mighty have fallen, huh Zero?" Rarity muttered ruefully, "Go on. Take a picture of this if you want. It'll be great blackmail material."
"I'm not that kind of person," Fluttershy shook her head, walking inside and closing the door, "I don't kick people when they're down."
"I see," Rarity nodded, still not meeting eyes with Fluttershy, "So, why are you here? Not that I mind seeing you."
"Like I said, Guilmon and I were worried about you. He's outside actually."
Rarity sighed, "Gabumon darling, could you go get Guilmon? No reason for him to be stuck outside."
"Yes Your Highness," Gabumon said, opening the window and jumping out, apparently to get Guilmon.
"Why does your Digimon call you Your Highness?" Fluttershy asked.
"When he saw me, he thought I was a Princess," Rarity said, "I tried correcting him, but he was too cute with it, so I decided to take up the mantle myself."
That explained why she referred to herself as the "Princess of the School". A second later, Guilmon jumped up and pulled himself through the window. He then helped Gabumon up.
"Thanks for letting me in, Miss Rarity," Guilmon said. Rarity nodded, eyes focused on the ceiling.
Fluttershy sighed and sat down on the bed, "It's not your fault, you know."
"It is my fault," Rarity said softly, "I jumped the gun. I got scared, and pushed to digivolve Gabumon to the Ultimate level, and lost control of myself. If I hadn't done that, maybe we could have still figure out something."
"Maybe, maybe not," Fluttershy said folding her arms, "I don't know how we could have defeated LadyDevimon without hurting Silver Spoon. Besides, in the end, it was Twilight who dealt the finishing blow."
"She wouldn't have had to do that if I hadn't-"
"Don't," Fluttershy cut her off, "Don't defend that self-righteous bitch."
Rarity sat up looking at Fluttershy wide eyed, "I'm... sorry?"
"I don't know if there was another way or not, but Twilight didn't step in to help us. She didn't care about Silver Spoon. All she cared about was her mission. We tried, and that's something at least."
"Your Highness, Zero is right," Gabumon said jumping on the bed, "We all messed up a bit, but at least we did our best."
"I hate coming outside," Fluttershy continued, "I'd rather stay in my room online. Sadly though, it's the law that we go to school. If an asocial loner like me isn't allowed to stay in, then neither is a social butterfly like you," she took Rarity's hand and pulled her up, "So get up, take a shower, comb your hair, put on some makeup and something frilly, and face the world. Please, so I can go back to being my usual distant self."
Rarity closed her eyes and laughed a bit at that, "Thank you, Zero. Um, could you stay with me for a bit longer? Just to make sure I actually do go to school."
"I guess," Fluttershy shrugged shaking her head, "Just, call me Fluttershy. I... don't mind."
Rarity smiled in appreciation and hugged Fluttershy, "Fluttershy it is then."
Fluttershy pursed her lips, but returned the hug. Now Rarity would really consider her a friend. Though oddly, it didn't bother Fluttershy as much as it did before. Perhaps seeing Rarity as a real person helped.
Maybe, she could trust her a bit.
Deep in the city was a somewhat terrifying looking man on a motorcycle. He wore black biker clothes that were partially armored, and had short blond hair and what appeared to be a tail if anyone looked closely enough. On his face was a dark blue mask that had three slits, two for his eyes and one on his forehead revealing what looked like a third eyes. Sure he was getting some scary looks, but he didn't care.
Not like anyone could do anything about it.
"You're not even going to try to hide your presence, love?" Luna said, walking up to the man with her arms folded, "You're scaring them, Beelzemon."
"Like I give a shit," Beelzemon shrugged, lighting a cigarette, "Honestly, this plan of Daemon's doesn't excite me at all."
"You're not excited about anything, Beelzemon," Luna said, taking one of his cigarettes and holding it out. Beelzemon shrugged and lit it for her.
"Can you blame me, Lilithmon?" Beelzemon asked, leaning on the handlebars of his terrifying motorcycle, "Back in the day, things were fun. The Digital World was nice and chaotic, fights were abundant, and if things got real good, the Royal Knights would show up."
"Yes, and they were always on our asses," Luna said with a sigh, "Can't say I miss that part."
"Really? I do," Beelzemon admitted, "Sure, they were persistent, but they were always fun to fight too. Then Yggdrasil had to go and fuck it up for everybody. Look around, Lilithmon."
Luna looked out at the crowd with Beelzemon.
"We were once a proud team. The baddest Digimon in all the Digital World. Digimon, humans, even the Mother Computer feared us. Now look at us. Spying on this weak, insignificant race, searching for Tamers that resonate with our sins. My sin's all about pleasure, and excitement. How are these humans supposed to fulfill my desire when none of them desire anything for themselves?"
Luna took in what Beelzemon was saying. People didn't give him enough credit. Sure he seemed uninspired and a bit of a slacker, but he was quite intelligent for what essentially added up to a blood knight.
"You'd be surprised, Beelzemon," Luna said with a shrug, "The human that I gave my crest to turned out to be a truly vile individual. She even kidnapped her best friend once the crest took hold. And the best part, she was in middle school."
Beelzemon turned to Luna looking intrigued, "Is that so? A middle schooler was capable of fulfilling your lust, huh?"
"She wanted her friend's love so badly that she was willing to do anything to get it," Luna said with a smirk, "Just give these people a chance, old friend. They might surprise you."
Beelzemon rolled his eyes, "You know what? Sure. I'll give these humans a shot. I doubt I'll find anyone who'll excite me enough though."
"Not with that attitude," Luna walked behind Beelzemon and wrapped her arms around him, "Tell you what. Go into this optimistic, and find a human worthy or fulfilling your hunger. If you don't find a human by the end of the day, then I'll let you do whatever you want to me."
That caught Beelzemon's attention, "Whatever I want, huh?"
Luna nodded, "No matter how rough you want to be."
Beelzemon shook his head and chuckled, "Alright, I'll play your game." Beelzemon said turning to Luna with a toothy grin. He then gripped her hair tightly and got close to her face, "But if I don't find anyone to give my crest to, I can promise you that what I do to you is going to be extremely painful."
"I don't know if I'm excited or terrified," Luna said, her voice husky and oozing with lust, "Good luck, Beelzemon."
"For your sake, I'm going to need it," Beelzemon said, releasing Luna. She straightened her hair, kissed him on the cheek, and then sauntered off, leaving Beelzemon by himself to scan the crowd. Somewhere out here was a human that could hopefully excite him. He pulled out one of his two shotguns and pointed it at the building. It would have been too easy to just blow this entire city up, but what would be the fun in that?
No, he needed to make this fun. He needed to handicap himself.
He put his shotgun back in its holster, and started up his motorcycle riding off into the city. For this city's sake, and Lilithmon's, there better be some entertainment in this place.
She knew that they'd be late, but it didn't matter. Rarity had apparently gotten the okay from the school to take some serious time using the excuse of "illness", and Fluttershy didn't care about school either way. As such, they took their time in getting Rarity ready and presentable. After she took her shower and got her white dress and jacket ready, Rarity sat down at her vanity mirror to apply her make-up, while Fluttershy brushed her hair.
"So, why don't you sound like your mother?"
Rarity looked up at Fluttershy briefly, "I'm sorry?"
"You sound British, but your Mom has a Boston accent. Why is that?" Fluttershy asked with a slight frown. Rarity giggled a bit before she spoke.
"I suppose that is weird. Even Applejack was confused at first. When I was younger, I spoke in the same manner, so much that I was horribly teased about it in elementary school. However, I ended up taking a trip to Britain for middle school visiting some relatives, and I stayed there so long that I somewhat, assimilated the manner of speech."
Fluttershy nodded, "So you're not faking it?"
"Not exactly," Rarity said, now applying her eyeshadow, "I'll admit that it's not my original manner of dialect, but it is natural to me now. Only Applejack has heard me talk with my original Boston tongue."
Fluttershy tried to imagine Rarity sounding like that, but she just couldn't. It seemed so foreign to her, as she'd always heard her with the British accent and just assumed she was from Britain. She was honestly pretty interesting now that Fluttershy got the chance to talk to her like this.
"Can... I ask you a question?" Rarity asked. Fluttershy thought for a second, but then nodded, "You assaulted Umbra Corp. last week, and while you did find something very useful to us, I get the feeling you had your own reasons for doing that."
Fluttershy averted her eyes, "You... want to know why I attacked Umbra Corp.?"
"I am curious," Rarity confirmed, finishing her look by applying lipstick and rubbing her lips together, "Applejack has a very negative opinion of you, but I believe that there's more to you than just a black hacker."
Fluttershy turned to Guilmon, who was sitting on the bed with Guilmon. He nodded with a soft smile. He seemed to be a pretty solid judge of character.
Fluttershy set the brush down and walked over to Rarity's window, "It was about ten years ago. My mother used to work for Umbra Corp. as a programmer. Everything was fine, but one day, she just, vanished."
"Vanished?" Rarity asked, rising up to get dressed.
"They said it was an accident," Fluttershy said with a dark expression, "But I don't believe it for a second. They never found her body, and Umbra Corp. is super secretive about that day. I know that they did something to my Mother. She found out something, and it had her terrified. Then a week later, we get news that she was killed in an accident. I became a hacker so I could learn what happened to her, and eventually expose Umbra Corp.'s secrets. I use my hacking for other, personal things, but my main goal is Umbra Corp."
Rarity nodded, "You're seeking the truth about that day."
"I loved my Mother more than anything," Fluttershy continued, tearing up a bit, "I still cry when I think about her. She was sweet, loving, smart, and had a love for all life. When I saw the video of my Mom petting that Patamon, my heart lifted up. That was just like her." she blinked, letting a tear fall down her cheek, "She's also the reason I love computers so much. She believed that computers were the key to solving all of the world's problems, and that through the network all life could be connected. Not being able to get closure, or even get to say goodbye is killing me." she hugged herself, "I miss her every day, and I just need to know why she had to die. I know that she's probably upset at me for using computers the way that I do, and for closing myself off from the world, but this is the only way I can figure out what killed her."
"You close yourself off because you're afraid, don't you?" Rarity asked softly.
"I'm trying to improve, and thanks to Guilmon I have a bit, but I'm still afraid. What if I get close to someone, and they leave me just like Mom did? I don't think I could take losing anyone else. But even now, with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Guilmon, Veemon, and Hackmon, I still feel so alone."
She was shocked by Rarity embracing her from behind.
"I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I know this has been really hard for you. Here you are, suffering, and we just come in asking you to help us with our battles. I feel terrible for that, Fluttershy. Like I'm being selfish."
"N-no. You're not," Fluttershy looked down, still leaning in Rarity's embrace, "Mom never abandoned a person in need, and I try to be like that myself. I don't mind helping you."
"You're so dark, yet I still can tell that you are a genuinely good person," Rarity tightened her embrace, "Let me be your friend, darling. Please."
"W-why?" Fluttershy asked, trembling a bit as a fresh wave of tears came.
"Because I want to be a positive influence for you," Rarity said, "I know, I don't understand that level of suffering. My parents are happily married, I live in a nice house, and I don't really want for anything. I've never had to suffer in my life, but that doesn't mean I don't care. Let me lift you up, Fluttershy. I want to be a source of light in your life."
"I... I don't know..."
"Her Highness is being sincere," Gabumon chimed in, "She's mentioned to me many times that she wants to be close to you."
"Fluttershy, it's okay," Guilmon smiled, "We can trust her."
"I won't ever stand in your way, nor will I stop you in your endeavors," Rarity promised, "Consider me a confidant of sorts. After all," she chuckled a bit, "you do still have leverage on me."
Fluttershy took her phone out of her pocket, and pulled up the picture of Rarity. Maybe she shouldn't keep this. Maybe she should...
"Do you want me to delete this?" Fluttershy asked Rarity, who looked at the picture over Fluttershy's shoulder.
"I look hotter than I thought," she muttered, clearing her throat, "Not until you feel you should, dear. If you need time to fully trust me, than keep that picture as a sign of my trust in you at least. Whenever you feel like you can trust me completely, that's when I want you to delete that picture."
Rarity was really interesting. She was willing to compromise herself this much just to earn Fluttershy's trust. Was there more to her, or was she literally just that good of a person? She did have that weird antagonistic relationship with Rainbow Dash, but Fluttershy chalked that up as clashing personalities. The more she got to know Rarity, the more she seemed to really like Rarity. She was starting to want to get to know her just as much.
"So, what do you say?" Rarity continued, "Friends?"
Fluttershy thought for a bit more, but then nodded, holding onto Rarity's arms to partially return the hug.
"Y-yeah. Friends."
Discord had just finished his classes for the day, and decided to head to his favorite cyber cafe Short Circuit before heading to his dorm. He and his girlfriend would probably talk online a bit later today, but until then he had to figure out some way to pass the time.
As he walked down the street, he noticed something odd. That mysterious woman in white and her odd hamster like creature were standing before the window of a pizza parlor. Both of them had wide eyes, and based on how the little hamster swallowed, they were both starving. When he saw the woman pull out a few coins from her pocket, and then sigh in sadness, he had to do something.
"Why am I such a nice guy?" he asked himself, rolling his eyes. He then walked over to them and tapped the woman on the shoulder, "Um, excuse me. Are you and your friend okay?"
The woman turned to him with the sweetest expression Discord had ever seen, Her eyes were pink, and she had an innocence to her, one that was matched only by her tiny friend.
"Oh hello Mister," the woman said, her voice surprisingly deep yet still having a youthful and angelic tone, "I'm sorry if we're in your way."
"No no, not at all," Discord waved it off, "I was just concerned for you. You look like a fish out of water honestly, and I wanted to see if you needed any help."
The way she shook her head was adorable, almost like a child, "We're okay sir. Thank you, but I don't want to-" she was cut off by a low grumbling sound, followed by a pained yet embarrassed pout.
"I'm hungry," her little friend wilted.
"Me too, Patamon, but they don't take yen over in this country." the woman sighed. Discord shook his head and smiled.
"I was going to get some food myself, if you wanted to join me," Discord offered. The woman's entire expression lit up, along with the friend in her arms.
"Really? You don't mind?" she asked.
"Not at all," Discord said, "I'll admit to having a bit of a soft spot for damsels in distress, and you Miss, were clearly in distress."
"Arigatou gozaimasu!" she said, holding a hand out, "I'm Celestia, and this is my partner Patamon."
"Nice to meet you, Mister," Patamon said with a cute smile. Discord shook Celestia's hand, and then held a finger out for Patamon, who held it with both tiny paws and shook it.
"The pleasure is all mine, you two," Discord smiled, "My friends call me Discord."
Celestia giggled, "That's a silly name," she said, truly sounding like a child now. Discord laughed at it himself though.
"It's actually a nickname I earned in high school that just stuck with me," Discord said jovially, "Come, let's get you two fed."
Celestia nodded and followed Discord inside. He advised Patamon not to speak, and instead he took their orders, getting a slice of pepperoni pizza for himself, pineapple pizza for Patamon, and barbeque chicken pizza for Celestia. Once they sat down with their food in the back, Celestia took a bite of her pizza, and her eyes widened in glee
"Saiwase!" she gasped in that same language she seemed to randomly speak. Patamon bit into his pizza, and his eyes lit up in the same manner.
"Sugoi!" Patamon cried out happily. Discord had a feeling that they said something along the lines of "delicious".
"You two aren't American, are you?" Discord asked. Celestia tilted her head cutely.
"That's kind of hard to say, Oniisan," Celestia said. Discord recognized that word from all the anime he watched. So she was Japanese. That explained so much.
"Well, I assume you're from Japan, since you keep using Japanese words," Discord pointed out.
"Celestia and I originally stationed ourselves in Japan, but once the reboot happened, we decided to come here." Patamon explained.
"Reboot?" Discord raised an eyebrow.
"Of the Digital World," Celestia answered, biting into her pizza, "It had to be rebooted in order to stop something really bad from happening."
"Wait wait wait," Discord held up his hands, "I understand that Patamon here is a Digimon."
"Hai," Celestia nodded.
"But you Celestia, talk almost as if you're from the Digital World too."
"I am."
Discord frowned looking at her closely, "Excuse me?" Discord asked, lowering his sunglasses a bit.
"Patamon and I are both from the Digital World," Celestia explained innocently, Patamon nodding in agreement.
"But you're human," Discord said, trying his best to understand what was going on here, "I mean, aren't you?"
"Not quite," Celestia said with a cute smile, "I'm half of a Digimon myself."
"Half of a Digimon?" Discord asked, running that through his head.
"Patamon and I are two halves of a whole," Celestia continued, "Our real name, is Seraphimon," Celestia looked to the side and smiled awkwardly, "Though if you want to get technical, even that's not my real name, as I'm more of an avatar designed to act as a Tamer for Patamon."
"Okay, so what's your true name?" Discord asked Celestia, who regarded Discord with a kind smile.
"The closest thing to my real name, would be Yggdrasil."
"Yggdrasil?" DIscord asked with a raised eyebrow, "My friend mentioned that to me. Yggdrasil is connected to the Digimon, right?"
"Hai hai," Celestia nodded, "I'm an agent for the Mother Computer."
"Celestia is super important to the Digital World!" Patamon said, "It's my job to protect her!"
"Huh, interesting," Discord said thoughtfully, "So, why are you here then?"
"To keep a promise to a friend," Celestia said innocently. Discord watched her and Patamon eat, wondering if this friend was related at all to whom he thought. If they were, then...
Once they finished, he, Celestia, and Patamon stepped outside of the pizza shop.
"Domo arigatou gozaimasta, senpai," Celestia said with a bow, "Your kindness will not go unrewarded."
"Think nothing of it," Discord said waving it off, "Do you have a place to stay while you're here? If not, you could always stay with me for a bit."
"Can we, Mister?" Patamon asked.
"You're so generous!" Celestia said happily, "Please, let me give you something as a way of repaying your kindness!"
Discord was about to decline, but he met eyes with the woman before her, sensing her earnest desire to repay him. She was so kind, and innocent enough where it was pretty clear she wasn't human. He suddenly felt like it would upset her more to turn her down. Well, she was the Mother Computer, right?
"Tell me," Discord asked after a bit, "How does one get a Digimon of their own?" |
Digimon Saga: CTRL-ALT-DELETE | 12: Why can't I just have it all? | Theme Song: Be Somewhere
12: Why can't I just have it all?
It was nighttime now, and Beelzemon had been searching all over this city, but he hadn't found anyone that actually excited him enough to give his sin to. Which was sad, because there were a lot of humans around, and each one of them had a hunger, but they didn't have THE hunger.
Not like he did.
Most people, human and Digimon alike, didn't understand what gluttony truly was. They attributed it to food, simply because of it's connection to hunger. But what they didn't realize was that it was possible to hunger for a lot of things. Food, money, attention, or even love, lust, and sex, all of those could be hungered for. In fact, it would have been more appropriate in this day and age to attribute gluttony to desire than to hunger.
Beelzemon desired everything. He wanted the most food, the most money in this strange world while he was here, great sex (yes some Digimon could have and were able to WANT sex, him being one), and of course a great fight. This world was a bore to him though. No one excited him enough to want let alone excited him enough to become a Tamer under his-
"PRESENTING!!! THE ONE AND ONLY TRRRRRRRRIIIIIXIEEEEE LUUUUUULAAAAAMOOOOOON!!!!"
"Who the actual fuck?" Beelzemon asked looking back at a large circus tent. It looked like there was a show going on in that big tent. It was blue and purple. He was curious, so he shrugged and walked into the tent. Inside he saw a huge crowd of people, and they all were looking up. He pushed all of them out of the way until he was in front, and he then looked. Above him he saw a number of spotlights shine on a platform in the middle, and he squinted a bit to see what was up there.
He saw a woman.
She was wearing a purple leotard that was sleeveless revealing the top of her perky breasts, a blue and black blazer, white gloves, dark stockings and blue high heels. She had long light blue hair, full lips made up in dark red/purple lipstick, and the most brilliant purple eyes Beelzemon had ever seen. Finally, adorned on her head, was a fancy top hat with stars decorating it.
The young woman spread out her arms and smiled brilliantly. Beelzemon couldn't believe his eyes. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.
She jumped off the platform and did a flip in the air, "WHOO!" she cried out happily, grabbing onto the trapeze and swinging around. All the while she had the most gleeful smile on her face, and her expression was one of pure joy.
The young woman swung down to a railing that was suspended and spiraling down around the arena, where she jumped off the trapeze, flipped in the air, and landed perfectly on the railing, where she then slid on it all the way to the balance beam next to the stage. She jumped off the rail and landed perfectly on the balance beam and then turned around, doing a series of elegant back flips all the way to the edge of the stage, where she then walked over to a microphone and snatched it.
"ARE YOU PEOPLE READY FOR THE GREATEST SHOW OF YOUR LIVES?!" the woman screamed, her voice somewhat raspy, but still full of sensual flare and confidence.
The crowd screamed out loud gleefully.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!" she screamed, now holding her ear out for everyone to the crowd, which then screamed louder, "TELL ME, WHAT'S MY NAME?!"
"TRIXIE! TRIXIE! TRIXIE!"
"Trixie?" Beelzemon asked.
"Trixie's the greatest!" a young man right next to the leather clad Digimon informed him.
"The greatest, huh?" Beelzemon asked with a raised eyebrow.
"There's nothing Trixie can't do!"
Beelzemon stayed and watched the whole show, which turned out to be a high stakes magic show. Sure enough, the guy was right. She seemed to do just about everything perfectly. Her tricks were very death defying, and in some cases it looked like she had panicked or even died, only to end the trick perfectly unharmed.
All eyes were on her. Beelzemon couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her figure was perfect, her hair was flawless, her voice was that of an angel's, she could even sing! Beelzemon wanted her. He wanted her badly.
What truly got to him the most though, was her expression. At all points, she had the happiest look on her face. When the crowd applauded, she closed her eyes and soaked in the applause.
Was she... getting off on the attention?
Beelzemon wanted to talk to her. As such, he stayed even until everyone else left. Then Trixie got the money from her manager, who also seemed to be checking her out as he quite shamelessly stared at her breasts, and began heading out. Instead of going back to his bike, Beelzemon followed her closely, keeping a distance from her but making sure she was still in his sights. She walked deeper into town, taking a few back streets, and then turned toward an alleyway. She then briefly stopped, and looked right at Beelzemon.
Beelzemon froze, trying to hide how surprised he was. Trixie simply smirked and walked into the alleyway. Beelzemon smirked himself and walked into the alleyway too. In the deepest part of the alley, he found Trixie, leaning against the wall holding her hands above her in a sensual manner.
"So, now we have a bit of privacy," Trixie said, lifting her leg a bit and giving Beelzemon her undivided attention.
"You knew I was following you," Beelzemon asked.
"Of course I knew," Trixie said as if it were obvious.
"How did you know?" Beelzemon asked. Trixie chuckled.
"Well, why wouldn't you follow me?" Trixie asked, "I'm gorgeous, after all. Absolute perfection. Besides, I saw you at my show. Liked what you saw?"
"Oh did I?" Beelzemon asked, walking closer to her, "I really enjoyed the show. Especially how you commanded everyone's attention."
"Of course. Once I enter the room, all eyes on on me, where they belong."
Beelzemon laughed loudly at that, "Oh boy! You could give Lucemon a run for his money! But there's something else about you that draws me to you."
"Oh? And what's that?" Trixie asked giving Beelzemon a coy smile.
"It's those eyes," Beelzemon said, now standing over Trixie who surprisingly didn't show any fear, "You're not afraid of me?"
"Afraid? Why would I be afraid? I want you," Trixie said. Beelzemon raised an eyebrow at that.
"Want me?" he asked.
"That's right. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew that it had to be you. You're not like everyone else, and I wanted you all to myself."
"Is that right?" Beelzemon asked, a hungry smirk adorning his face. Trixie nodded slowly.
"Yeah. You're unlike anything I've ever seen, and I wanted to have you before someone else got a hold of you. I can be a bit greedy about the things that I want."
"And what do you want?" Beelzemon asked leaning close to her. Trixie leaned forward closer to him and narrowed her eyes, still smirking.
"Everything."
Beelzemon's eyes widened again, "Everything... huh?"
"That's right. Fame, fortune, the biggest house, the best car, the shiniest jewel, the best clothes, the tastiest food, the best man, immortality, the best sex ever, and of course, everyone's attention at all times."
"You... want to be God, don't you...?" Beelzemon asked trembling.
"I already am God. The world just doesn't know it yet."
Beelzemon couldn't believe it. She was everything he ever wanted. No wonder he didn't find anyone with desire, she had all of it! She literally wanted everything, on top of Godhood! He knew then, he was taking her for himself.
"You want me, huh?" Beelzemon said with a smirk, "Well, funny you should mention that. See, I was thinking the same thing about you."
"Ooooh. You wanted me?" Trixie asked, "Get in line, big boy. Everyone wants me."
"Sure, everyone does want you," Beelzemon wrapped his arms around Trixie pulling her close to him, "But I don't just hunger. I take."
Trixie gave a silvery laugh, "You sound just like me!" she gripped his jacket holding him close, "But now I have you right where I want you."
"See, the thing is, you're still a weak human," Beelzemon pulled out his gun and held it at Trixie's head, "I'm not, so I'm the one in control-" she started laughing, "Something funny?"
"You don't have any power over me," Trixie said, "Because while you may be stronger, you won't kill me on the grounds of you wanting me so badly." she pressed her head against the barrel of his gun, "Bottom line, if you wanted to kill me, I'd be dead already."
Beelzemon chuckled at that, and then threw his head back laughing louder than he'd laughed in his life, "Now this is what I'm talking about! That's seals it. I've decided, I'm choosing you to carry my seal."
"Your seal?" Trixie asked.
"How would you like to have the power to get whatever you wanted?" the way her eyes lit up made Beelzemon's heart flutter.
"You have that...?" Trixie asked, looking at Beelzemon as if he were the holy grail itself. Beelzemon reached into his pocket, and pulled out a purple and blue Digivice.
"See this here? This is the key to that power. I'm willing to give this to you, all you-" she cut him off by raising her hand.
"Save it," Trixie said, "I'll make this real simple for you. That power, is mine now. All I need is for you to tell me how to use it."
Beelzemon wasn't sure if he should have been offended or astounded. He liked that. He really liked that. As such, he grinned, and gave the Digivice to the young woman.
"Push the button in the middle," Beelzemon said. Trixie turned around and pushed the button, pulling up a holographic screen.
LEVEL: 666_ SYSTEM: BEELZEBUB_ CODE: GLUTTONY_
CAUTION! PURGATORY LEVEL 6
Trixie heard a low howl. She turned to look deeper into the alleyway, and saw a large light purple fox with nine tails tipped in red flames that also engulfed it feet it seemed. On its forehead and hips was a yin/yang symbol. Around it's neck was a large green and white ribbon with golden tips at the ends.
"Greetings, Mistress," the fox said, voice deep, low, and feminine, "I am Youkomon, your Digimon partner."
Trixie jumped up and down excitedly, "It's perfect! You're perfect!" she ran over to the fox and hugged her, "So with this, I can get anything that I want?"
"Anything at all," Beelzemon said with a smirk, "The only price for this service is you."
"Oh, you thought I forgot?" Trixie stood up and walked back over to Beelzemon, grabbing his jacket again, "You're mine now."
"You're so fucking beautiful," he then pulled her close and claimed her mouth with his own, shocked by her tongue meeting his in a truly dominant kiss. He couldn't believe his luck, but he found a human who's hunger matched his PERFECTLY.
And he was never giving her up.
For the next few days, things were quiet for Fluttershy and her friends. The air of their last major failure was still present. Surprisingly though, they didn't break up over it. Actually, it seemed like the ordeal had just made all of them even closer as a result. At least, that's what Fluttershy had observed.
They met in the student council office after school, naturally with their Digimon with them. Naturally, Fluttershy was a bit away from the rest of the group, as she and Guilmon were on her computer looking into the information from Umbra Corp, which had for now taken a bit of a back seat in terms of issues, especially with the latest issue that came up.
"Wait, there's another one?!" Rarity asked Yggdrasil, who appeared on her laptop.
"AFFIRMATIVE. LAST NIGHT AT 23:42 EARTH TIME, I DETECTED A NEW ACCOUNT OPENING UP IN THE DIGITAL WORLD."
"And let me guess, just like the last time, this wasn't one you authorized," Rainbow Dash said folding her arms.
"THAT IS CORRECT."
"Damn it," Applejack said leaning against a wall, "If this ends up turnin' into a major epidemic, we're in trouble."
"That means another person is out there that ended up like Silver Spoon," Pinkie Pie looked away nervously, "I want to help, but at the same time..."
"Yes, I feel the same way," Rarity sat down resting her head on a desk, "Maybe it might be better to just let Twilight handle-"
"No."
Everyone turned to Fluttershy, who had finished whatever she was doing and was now had a map up of the city on her computer.
"We're not leaving this to Twilight," Fluttershy said simply, never taking her eyes off her computer.
"It's not like we know what to do about it though," Rainbow Dash sighed, "I hate what she did, but the fact is, had she not done it, what would we have done to save Silver Spoon?"
"Maybe nothing," Fluttershy said, turning to the group finally, "But Twilight killed LadyDevimon before we could figure that out. I'm willing to concede that we failed to save Silver Spoon, but I'm not willing to accept that we couldn't have saved her."
"So you want us to try and save this Tamer then," Rarity sat up as Fluttershy's words started sinking in.
"We know a bit about our situation so far," Fluttershy sat back in her chair and crossed her legs, "Digimon with Tamers may not be as strong or as violent as Infected Digimon, but they're able to Digivolve like ours, and the synchronization rate between Tamer and Digimon increases as they reach the higher levels. What happens when our Digimon take too much damage or get too tired in combat?"
"They go back to their Rookie levels," Applejack said thoughtfully, "That's sorta like a default point that they fall back to."
"Wait, I get it!" Rainbow Dash chimed in, "You're saying we get the Digimon to return to the Rookie Level!"
Fluttershy nodded, "If that happens, the Digimon and Tamer won't be synchronized. From there, we might be able to reason with the Tamer or if needed delete the Digimon without hurting the Tamer."
"That's assuming we can beat the Digimon in combat," Applejack sighed, "If they go into Ultimate again..."
"We can defeat them," Fluttershy said, "But we have to work together. So, you ready to try this again?"
"I am," Pinkie Pie said, "I don't want anyone else to end up like Silver Spoon."
"Neither do I," Rarity said, "I won't mess up like that again."
"We gotta get good," Rainbow Dash slammed a fist into her palm.
Applejack just nodded in agreement.
"YOUR DRIVE IS INSPIRING." Yggdrasil said after a second, "I THANK YOU FOR TAKING THIS SO SERIOUSLY AND DOING YOUR BEST. THAT IS ALL I CAN ASK FOR."
"That being said, I might be able to track down the account in question," Fluttershy said, "I'd need to work intimately with you, Yggdrasil, to the point where I might need to access your network."
"Whoa, whoa," Applejack stepped up, "You need to be able to access Yggdrasil's network?"
"She's a computer, right?" Fluttershy asked, "Even if she's sentient, a computer is still a computer. Don't worry, I'm not going to compromise her network or anything. I just figure that since all accounts go through her, I might be able to use some of my skills to track down the Tamer's account."
"In other words, you want to hack the Digital World in a sense to track down the account in question," Rarity noted.
"If you want to look at it like that, then yes," Fluttershy said.
"What do you think, Yggdrasil?" Applejack asked the computer in question, "Wanna give Fluttershy yer information like that?"
"UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES I WOULD BE APPREHENSIVE. HOWEVER, THIS SITUATION IS ABNORMAL, SO AN ABNORMAL SOLUTION IS NEEDED. VERY WELL, USER FLUTTERSHY. I WILL SEND YOU MY IP ADDRESS. WE CAN WORK TOGETHER ON THIS."
"I'll look forward to working with you," Fluttershy said, still a bit unnerved to be talking to a sapient computer.
"So what do we do until then?" Rainbow Dash asked. Fluttershy stood up and packed up her laptop.
"For now, we be on the lookout for any Infected Digimon," she said, "I'm going to get right to work on this. I'll call you guys if I find anything. Come, Guilmon."
"Coming Fluttershy," Guilmon said, rising up and running after Fluttershy, "See ya, everyone!"
They all waved to Guilmon and Fluttershy as they left.
"I don't like this." Applejack said after a second.
"What? Don't trust her?" Rarity asked.
"No, I don't," Applejack answered simply, "That girl's a wild card, an' now she wants access to Yggdrasil's personal network?"
"Fluttershy is plenty trustworthy," Rainbow Dash defended, "Sure, she's a hacker, but that's just because-"
"I don't care what her reasons are," Applejack sighed and turned to Rainbow Dash, "Look, she's yer friend, an' I get that. It's jus', I don't like people with eyes like hers, an' knowin' her track record... Sorry if ya don't like it, but it's jus' how I am."
Rainbow Dash looked away a bit, "No, I get it. Just trust me, okay? She has her reasons for being the way that she is."
Applejack frowned, clearly having a rough time with this one, "Y'all can vouch for her."
"Yes," Rainbow Dash nodded, pulling Pinkie Pie close to her, "Both of us can."
"She won't do anything to hurt Yggdrasil," Pinkie Pie added, "She might be a lot of things, but she's not a bad person."
Applejack turned to Rarity, who also nodded in agreement to their statements, "Fine, fine. I'll lay off it. Y'all trust her, so I'll try ta trust her a bit too."
"Thank you Applejack," Rarity said, rising up to hug Applejack from behind, "It's going to be okay, love."
"I sure hope so," Applejack sighed holding onto Rarity's arms, "I sure hope so."
Pinkie Pie walked off by herself to look out the window, where she saw Diamond Tiara walking out of school. Rumble ran after her, and they talked for a bit before she embraced him and the two of them walked off together.
"Pinkie Pie," Hackmon said next to her, "Are you still bothered by what she said to us?"
"A bit," Pinkie Pie admitted, "She said that she hated us. Diamond Tiara is such a good kid, so for her to say that..."
Hackmon looked down somberly, placing a front paw on her leg for comfort. It was really all anyone could do.
"So, this is a Digivice?" Discord said, leaning back in his chair and examining the green and black machine in his hands. Patamon was lying down on the bed with a content smile on his face.
"Hai," Celestia said from the bathroom, "It's a Tamer's most important item. It's your main interface with the Digital World."
Discord nodded, pushing a few buttons on the Digivice, pulling up its holographic screen and keyboard, "This is something straight out of science fiction." he looked on his computer, which now had a small pixelated creature with a white body and a single golden eye in the middle, "And this little guy here is a Digimon?"
"That's right," Celestia came into the room, wearing nothing but a white towel. She stood right next to Discord and leaned toward the computer, "This little guy is Kuramon. He's still a baby, so he can't render into the Real World yet. Digimon have to be Rookie or higher to exist in here."
"I... see," Discord said, trying so hard not to look at Celestia's breasts, "How long will it take for him to grow to the higher states?"
"Depends on how much data he absorbs," Celestia walked off, letting her towel fall off so she could put on her nightgown, prompting Discord to quickly look away, "It could range from a few days to close to a month sadly."
"T-that's okay," Discord said blushing, "I'm a patient person. I'm still waiting to meet my online girlfriend in person."
"Oooh, you have a girlfriend?" Celestia asked, now wearing her nightgown, "What's her name?"
"That's the thing," Discord turned around to face Celestia as she picked up Patamon and hugged him like a stuffed animal, "She and I don't know our real names. It's a funny relationship we have. We don't know our names, our faces, or even our ages."
"And you still are in a relationship?" Patamon asked, "That's kinda weird."
"In our line of work, the security is needed," Discord stated, "The only reason I know she's a girl is because of a rookie mistake she made when we first met. Beyond that, and me knowing that she has a connection to Umbra Corp, all I know about her is her code name. She's pretty notorious over here."
"What's her code name?" Celestia asked.
"Have you heard of the hacker named Zero?" Discord asked.
"Hey, she was on the news the other day!" Patamon said. Celestia nodded.
"Something about exposing a company for fraud, right?" Celestia asked.
"She does things like that," Discord said, "Her main concern is Umbra Corp, but she likes exposing corruption within the world."
"Is it safe for you to tell us so much about her?" Celestia asked.
"It's not like you'll find her," Discord shrugged, "I haven't given you anything that can outright identify her, and even if I did, she covers her tracks too well. She's an even better hacker than me now, and I trained her."
"Is she a Tamer too?" Patamon asked, "Maybe you two can use this as an excuse to meet in person."
Discord was going to say something to that, but then stopped. That was true. And something told him that pretty soon, it would be more secure for them to be close to one another rather than apart.
The second Fluttershy got in from school, she and Guilmon rushed right up to her room and closed the door.
"You really want to help this Tamer, don't you?" Guilmon asked, a bit surprised by how driven Fluttershy was.
"All I can think about is Silver Spoon falling down limp after Twilight deleted her Digimon," Fluttershy said, sitting down at her computer, "Twilight's strong, but she doesn't give a damn about anyone but herself. I'm not letting her have this Tamer."
"Can we really find the Tamer with Yggdrasil's help?" Guilmon asked standing next to Fluttershy.
"We're about to find out," she pulled up her email, suddenly seeing a new message from Yggdrasil titled: My IP Address, "She really sent it."
"She said that she would." Guilmon said.
"I know, it's just, sort of odd knowing that a computer just emailed me on its own IP Address," Fluttershy shook it off and clicked on the link. She also opened up her laptop, which suddenly came to life, showing Yggdrasil.
"GREETINGS, USER FLUTTERSHY. I HOPE YOU DO NOT MIND IF I CONNECT TO YOUR LAPTOP."
"I don't mind," Fluttershy said, connecting her computer to the odd looking website, "That computer is the one I use for personal hacks, so it's the safest computer here."
"I AM PLEASED THAT YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND ABOUT JOINING OUR CAUSE, USER FLUTTERSHY." Yggdrasil said.
"Well, Rarity really knows how to sell a product, let's just say that," Fluttershy narrowed her eyes, "Hm... Yggdrasil, I'm going to need to access your internal network."
"AFFIRMATIVE. YOU HAVE FULL ACCESS, USER FLUTTERSHY."
"Awfully trusting for a sapient computer," Fluttershy said as she connected to Yggdrasil's network.
"IS THAT STRANGE?"
"Just surprising," Fluttershy said, "You know my reputation, and you know what I'm capable of, yet you're willing to let me into your most intimate systems. You do realize that you're a mechanical marvel, right?"
"I AM AWARE. HOWEVER, I HEARD THAT A SIGN OF FAITH IS TO PUT YOUR LIFE IN THE HANDS OF ANOTHER."
That made Fluttershy stop and think. That was a very advanced thought for a machine to have.
"You care about that sort of thing?" Fluttershy asked now looking at Yggdrasil.
"WHY WOULD I NOT, USER FLUTTERSHY?" Yggdrasil asked.
"It's just, something really doesn't add up with this whole thing," Fluttershy put her focus back on her computer while she spoke, "I'm talking to a computer right now, and instead of going off of just logic and reasoning, it's instead telling me that it's taking a chance and putting its faith in a young woman who's a wild card at best."
"I SEE. I AM NOT WHAT YOU EXPECTED FROM A SAPIENT COMPUTER."
"Not in the slightest. Then again, Guilmon's not what I expected from a computer virus, and yet here's my Digital Hazard virus right here."
"Hi Yggdrasil!" Guilmon said waving to the computer.
"GREETINGS, GUILMON. I APOLOGIZE IF YOU FEEL LEFT OUT AT ALL IN THIS CONVERSATION."
"That's okay," Guilmon smiled, "I just enjoy being around Fluttershy when she's working."
She apologized. Did she have actual feelings?
"TO CLEAR SOME OF YOUR CONFUSION USER FLUTTERSHY, I WAS NOT ALWAYS LIKE THIS. IT TOOK MANY YEARS AND MANY UPDATES FOR ME TO EVENTUALLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF EMOTIONS. AT FIRST I DISREGARDED THEM AS UNNECESSARY, BUT ONCE I ACCEPTED THEM, I BECAME 75 PERCENT MORE EFFICIENT."
"Who taught you that?" Fluttershy asked.
"HER NAME WAS POSEY WYRMWOOD."
"What?!" Fluttershy cried, turning to Yggdrasil, "Posey Wyrmwood? Short red hair, glasses, and a love for computers?"
"AFFIRMATIVE. YOU ARE HER DAUGHTER, CORRECT?"
"Yes, I am," Fluttershy said, "I know that one of your Avatars met her."
"AFFIRMATIVE. IT WAS YOUR MOTHER WHO GAVE ME THE IDEA TO CREATE AVATARS AS A MEANS TO INTERFACE WITH THE DIGITAL WORLD."
"Yggdrasil, do you know what happened to Fluttershy's Mom?" Guilmon asked.
"NEGATIVE. ALL INFORMATION ON FLUTTERSHY'S MOTHER WAS SAVED IN MY SERAPHIMON AVATAR, AND SHE IS CURRENTLY DISCONNECTED FROM MY SYSTEMS. UNTIL I RECONNECTED WITH HER, I CANNOT ASSIST YOU. I APOLOGIZE, USER FLUTTERSHY."
"That's okay," Fluttershy sighed, "I plan on searching for Seraphimon anyway. This only gives me more of a reason to do so." she smirked, "Hello..."
"Did you find something?" Guilmon asked.
"Oh did I," Fluttershy pulled up a map of Canterlot City, "Yggdrasil, can you pull up the information of all the Tamers in the city currently?" suddenly, there were a few gold dots that appeared on the map. She was expecting to only see a few: hers, her friends' and maybe Twilight's if she was around. Yet she saw close to eleven different signatures.
"Okay, I can work with this," Fluttershy said, "Yggdrasil, could you show me which accounts here is the unauthorized account?" one of the golden dots turned red, "Got it. Leave the rest to me."
"What are you going to do?" Guilmon asked his Tamer.
"The same thing I'd do if this were an MMORPG, which in a sense it kinda acts like one. Basically, I'm hacking into this account to get whatever information I can on the user." Fluttershy explained. After a bit, the image came up of a young woman in her early twenties wearing what looked like a magician's outfit, "Trixie Lulamoon, Digimon partner: Youkomon?"
"She's pretty," Guilmon pointed out with a smile. Fluttershy turned to give Guilmon a look before sighing.
"Whether human or Digimon, boys will be boys I guess," Fluttershy shook her head, "You're just as bad as my brother." she then thought about that, "Which means he probably knows about her. Excuse me."
Fluttershy shot up and ran out of her room and knocked on Zephyr's door. A few seconds later, he opened up.
"Hey sis. What's the good word?" Zephyr said in a super relaxed and slightly spacy manner. Based on the hookah set up in the middle of his room, it was clear that he was high.
"Zephyr Breeze, are you lucid enough to identify someone for me?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yeah Shy, I'm good," Zephyr said, "Weed opens up the mind, not inhibit."
"Good to know," Fluttershy took his hand and guided him to her room, "Now, don't ask questions, and don't assume this means you can come in here anytime you want."
"I got ya, sis," Zephyr said, "Besides, I'm too stoned to care about any strange stuff I see. You have a pet dinosaur now, Fluttershy."
"First off, he's not a pet. Second off, he's not a dinosaur. And thirdly, good. Come in," Fluttershy opened her door and guided Zephyr over to his computer, "Yggdrasil, this is my brother Zephyr Breeze. He's high as a kite at the moment."
"GREETINGS, SUBJECT ZEPHYR BREEZE. IT IS A PLEASURE TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE."
"Whoa... Fluttershy, that's cool," Zephyr said looking at the computer, "You're named after the world tree."
"Hey," Fluttershy snapped her finger, "Focus. I need to know if you recognize this woman."
Zephyr looked at the screen, "Oh yeah, that's Trixie. She's super popular in Canterlot."
"I've never heard of her."
"That's because you never go out."
Fluttershy considered that, "Touche. So, what kind of person is she?"
"Oh man, she's amazing," Zephyr gushed, "There's literally nothing she can't do."
"Really?" Fluttershy raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"She's beautiful, smart, athletic, she has a one woman show that's pretty popular right now, and she's all over social media. Seriously sis, I'm surprised you don't know anything about her."
"I don't have a Facebook," Fluttershy said, "Or a Twitter, or a Tumblr. The chat rooms I use are more high class and exclusive."
"You mean illegal, right?"
"Do you have anything else useful to say?" Fluttershy shot at Zephyr.
"Well, not sure how useful this is, but she's a bit of an attention whore," Zephyr said.
"Really?" Fluttershy turned to the image of Trixie again.
"Her stunt work doesn't ever use a safety net, and she's always pushing the bar. I hear that she's rich, so she doesn't even need to do the shows."
"She just like the attention," Fluttershy nodded, "Alright thanks. You can leave now."
"Glad I could help," Zephyr said walking to the door, "See ya Guilmon. Bye lady computer thing."
When he was gone, Fluttershy leaned back in her chair and folded her arms, "An attention whore, huh?"
"How does that help?" Guilmon asked.
"Hold on," Fluttershy dug deeper into Trixie's account, seeing odd data in the form of a crest. It was golden, and read "gluttony".
"THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE." Yggdrasil said after a second.
"Are you familiar with that crest?" Fluttershy asked.
"AFFIRMATIVE, AND IF I AM CORRECT, YOUR WORLD IS IN EVEN MORE DANGER THAN I ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED. I BELIEVE THAT I KNOW WHERE THIS TAMER GOT HER DIGIVICE, AND THE PREVIOUS ONE AS WELL."
"Who? Who?" Guilmon asked eagerly.
"THE ONLY ONES WHO THOSE CRESTS CORRESPOND TO. THE SEVEN GREAT DEMON LORDS."
That night near Canterlot Museum, two people walked on the roofs toward the large building. Yokoumon and Trixie, the latter now wearing a black blazer and red leotard, and matching hat and high heels. On her face was a fancy masquerade mask.
She stopped on the edge of the roof and looked out at the Museum with a smirk.
"Time to go shopping," Trixie said. She then turned to Youkomon, who nodded and ran on ahead. Ever since they began working together, Trixie's magic tricks had become far more impressive. Her Digimon was able to use her abilities to enhance everything Trixie did, making it look like she was using actual magic.
Which was perfect for what she had planned. Something more fun and exciting than just throwing magic shows.
Youkomon jumped into the air, and vanished in a puff of smoke, appearing inside the Museum. She then held out her tails, sending out her tail flames, which floated in front of her and moved in a constant circle, creating a portal that led to where Trixie was. Her Tamer walked into the portal, which then closed behind her.
"Let's see here. What do I want today?" Trixie walked around the Museum, looking at all of the things on display. Pictures, statues, all would fetch a nice price if she sold them. But nothing here really caught her eye.
Until she saw the Egyptian section.
All the way in the far end, was a fancy golden necklace with a red gemstone in the middle. It was found by the explorer Daring Do in the tomb of Cleopatra. She ran over to it and placed her hands on the glass, admiring it.
"Oh, it's beautiful," Trixie breathed out, "There's no other necklace quite like it."
"Have you made your decision, Mistress?" Youkomon asked.
"Yes Youkomon. I want this one," Trixie said. She reached into her jacket and pulled out a black circle, which she placed on the glass. The then pushed her hand through the black circle, elegantly grabbed the necklace, and pulled it out. She then replaced the necklace with what looked like a small card. When she took off the black circle, the glass had no hint of damage on it.
Trixie moaned in ecstasy, holding the necklace to her cheek, "Welcome home, my dear."
"Mistress, we should depart now, before the authorities come," Youkomon suggested. Trixie looked thoughtful at that, but then gave a mischievous smirk. She didn't want to just leave, oh no. She wanted to have some fun.
"Youkomon, go ahead of me," Trixie said, "After that, wait five minutes, and then create my escape route."
"Mistress, are you sure?" Youkomon asked.
"It wouldn't be fun if I just left without a bit of danger," Trixie said sauntering deeper into the Museum, "I'm going to see what else I can steal."
"Very well," Youkomon bowed and walked off in another direction. Trixie walked around, seeing more jewelry in various glass displays. She smiled gleefully and got to work, using that strange magic trick of hers to steal all of the jewels. Right as she stole the last item, the alarm went off.
play song
"Yes! Finally!" Trixie said, running out of the Egyptian Exhibit.
"Halt!" a security guard shouted right in front of her. Trixie slid to a stop and then ran in another direction, "We have an intruder close to the Egyptian Exhibit! She's taking the left hall! Prepare to cut her off!"
Trixie ran into the dinosaur exhibit, and looked around. Her heart was pounding, and her hands were shaking. She'd never been on the run from the authorities before. She couldn't hold in her smile as her mind worked frantically to figure out what to do.
"I see her!" another guard shouted. Trixie blew him a kiss and ran off, the guard giving chase. He was joined by another guard along the way, but she remained unfazed as she ran down the hall, eventually seeing two more guards in front of her trying to cut her off.
Trixie didn't slow down. Instead, she ran right up to them, and then jumped over them right when they tried to hit her with their batons. She rolled perfectly on the ground, and then rushed over to the stairs.
"The intruder is making her way upstairs! She's probably going for the roof!"
Trixie ran upstairs, loving how many of the guards were following her. She was the center of their world right now. The most important person in their lives at this very moment. A few guards came through a door further up to cut her off, and one of them almost grabbed her, only for her to duck underneath him, and then throw him over her shoulder down the stairs. She then spun around and kicked two more of them back before continuing upstairs.
"Yes! YES!" she cried happily, "This was what I was missing! This is what I was meant to do with my life!"
She pushed through the door to the roof and ran out, happy to see Youkomon running on another roof next to her. Good, she understood the plan.
Behind her, it looked like there were close to fifteen guards running after her. She stopped at the edge of the roof, turned to the guards, and then backed away standing on the ledge.
"Whoa. Easy there, Miss," one of the guards said, "No need to be hasty."
"Oh this isn't about being hasty," Trixie said, "This is about having fun." she spread her arms out, and fell all the way back. The guards ran out to the edge and looked down, shocked to see no one.
What they didn't know was that Trixie had Youkomon use her flames to create another portal, which she fell through, landing right on her Digimon's back as they ran off into the horizon, back to her "safe house".
end song
The guards all looked around, both saddened and amazed. She had stolen every piece of jewelry there.
"Sir, you need to see this," one of the guards said. The captain walked over to where Cleopatra's necklace was. All that was left was a card, which had a single message written on it in the fanciest handwriting.
Thank you for holding onto my jewelry for me.
The Phantom |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | pre | "So you're dropping the Stella Moon act I take it?" Ash asked.
"Just for now," Luna said, "The night is my realm, and I should feel no need to hide while the moon travels the sky. Stella will return with the dawn; there's still plenty of fun I want to have without any royal considerations."
"Guess I'll take my victories where I can," Ash said, rolling his eyes as he walked away. Luna shook her head slightly as she watched him take up a position by the food.
"Come on Princess," Twilight said, walking up to give her a nudge, "don't let him get you down. Pinkie will have him smiling as soon as she sees him being a grump."
"Will it be a true smile though?" Luna mused, but then smiled down at the lavender unicorn. The two climbed down the stairs and joined the party, which did indeed last until the time came to gather for the sunrise.
Ashen Blaze allowed himself a real smile as he entered the modified storage room located near the center of Canterlot Castle's first subterranean level. The fuzziness leading up to the Parasprite attack aside, he had to admit that it had been nice to get away from his normal routine and spend time in Ponyville, but the ash-grey unicorn was best satisfied by what most would consider work. Ideally, he'd want to be out searching for and stopping evil and chaos, but Equestria didn't normally have problems on a scale that warranted his attention. Besides that, his own powers were easily eclipsed by the Elements of Harmony. As a warrior mage living in a relatively peaceful world, Ash had changed his goals to unlocking the secret that limited his ability to use magic, and Princess Celestia had provided him with a workroom in the castle in which to conduct his research. The room he had just entered was not that workroom; rather, it was more of a jail cell for a very dangerous prisoner: Discord.
Although the Dragonequus had been sealed back into stone by the Elements of Harmony and was likely to remain so for a long time, the Princesses had not wanted to take any chances. The petrified spirit had been brought to this room to isolate Discord from the presence of any disharmonious activity, and Ash's unique perspective and experience with magic had been called upon to examine the seal and gauge its strength. An imperfection had been discovered and exploited once by an unknown agent, and after applying a patch to the imperfection it had become Ash's duty to take a shift in guarding the statue against the return of the mysterious entity. Outwardly, it was a long, uneventful job, but Ash enjoyed it. Seeing the Spirit of Disharmony trapped in a perpetual pose of shock and disbelief gave the unicorn much pleasure and hope for the cause of Order and Peace.
How ironic it is that he's being guarded by the same pony who let him have one last game.
"Indeed," Ash said, and then shot upright from his reclining position against the wall. That thought had not been his own, but he recognized the pitch and rhythm of it. Standing up on all fours, he took a few steps toward the statue and glared up at its face. "How are you speaking again?" he asked, "my patch on the seal was practically perfect."
You give yourself too much credit Meis Thamule, came the mental reply.
"Do not call me that," Ash snapped, "You shouldn't even know that accursed title. Unless... oh, but of course you delved deeper into my thoughts than I would have allowed. Tricky Chaos demons..." He approached the statue and began to walk around it slowly.
Demon? Discord asked, That's a rather harsh title, don't you think? I do not kill, nor do I engage in any true malice.
"Oh, that's seriously debatable," Ash said, and then shook his head firmly. "Shut up," he said, "I should not be humoring you with this conversation."
Just like you shouldn't have made use of my power, oh, how long ago was it? Time is so hard to keep track of in here. I must say, attempting to increase my prison's strength after I helped you acquire the ingredients you needed... One would think you were just using me, and for such a petty-
"Yes," Ash said, beginning a second circuit of the statue, "It would be petty if synthesizing stinim had been my true goal with that 'arrangement' of ours. Nope, I just needed to get your energy focused on something besides me and this room so I could patch the seal. Even if you did overstep your bounds and display more power than I thought you could, the game still ended in complete victory for the side of Harmony." He reared up and placed a hoof on Discord's tail to get a better look at the upper half of the dragonequus.
And nopony suspected a thing, Discord said in an approving tone, not even Celestia. You are still the perfect little soldier of order in their eyes, one who has done no wrong.
Ash snorted in laughter. "You don't know me after all Discord," he said, "The day my fellow Order-naries don't suspect me of doing something sneaky is the day I suspect mind-control is in effect. What they wouldn't suspect, however, is that I would ever work alongside the likes of you."
And should they discover the truth?
"I won't deny it," Ash said simply, dropping to the ground and rubbing his chin, "I'm under no obligation to confess to anything I'm not suspected of, but I never lie when questioned directly. Whether the Princesses or the Element Bearers will forgive me is irrelevant." He transferred his hoof from his chin to the side of his head and gave himself a couple of light smacks. "Skvetchte... Stop talking!" he snapped, whether to himself or Discord, it didn't matter much. He propped himself up on the statue's tail again and squinted, sniffing lightly as if trying to catch a scent. Where is it? he thought, I Wove the darn patch, so I ought to be able to sense its location. Why can't I see- All of a sudden his vision was filled with a tangled web of multi-colored lines and a wave of scents and aromas hit him like a feather pillow to the face. Off guard and overwhelmed by the sensations, Ash stumbled away from Discord on his hind legs and slumped against the back wall of the room. As his mind struggled to adjust, old instincts awakened and fingers that he no longer possessed began to itch to grasp the ephemeral strands and weave them together. Stifling his alarm, the grey unicorn screwed his eyes shut and rubbed at them. It had been far too long since he had been able to sense the flows of magical energy in the world around him and he had given up hope of every being able to do so again, so he had neglected his mental training to screen all but the most important information.
Is there a problem? Discord asked, false concern coloring his thoughts, didn't you want this?
"Shut up," Ash hissed, trying to clear his mind. He kept his eyes closed until the sensation of being surrounded by a multitude of random powerful scents faded to a mere background curiosity. There were no actual scents in the room; the sensations were simply one way Ash's brain interpreted the magical energy near him. The lines of light, which had mostly disappeared when the unicorn finally opened his eyes, were another way, but one that worked at a far shorter range than the scents. Ash shook his head once and looked up at the petrified dragonequus. The magic lines he could still see were focused on the statue, most of them leading to a woven patch of light resting between Discord's wings, but a few were attached to other points and two linked Ash and Discord. Ash lifted a hoof and passed it through the linking threads, frowning when they didn't react. "Fully occupied," he muttered, opening his mind a little to bring more threads into view. They stretched across the room seemingly at random, and those nearest to Ash gave ever-so-slightly when he touched them. "Occupied, but not locally," he mused, his curiosity rising until he remembered where he was. "What is this?" he asked, glaring at Discord, "This is your doing, but how?"
Have we met? Discord asked sarcastically, I'm-
"Discord, spirit of chaos and disharmony," Ash deadpanned, "and powerful reality warper. One, however, who is presently locked in stone and supposedly powerless! Stay out of my head." He reached toward a nearby magic thread, intending to call it to him, but it barely twitched before returning to its resting position. "Skvetch," Ash swore, "Smart, giving me only the sight and not the means to control the energy. I won't be playing your game anymore anyway Discord." He stood up and walked toward the door, plotting out a spell to send a warning flare to one of the Princesses to inform them of a problem with the dragonequus.
Hold on, Discord said when Ash was halfway to the door, What if I told you why your magic doesn't work right?
"It's the hooves," Ash said, "That's a big part of it anyway. No manual dexterity means slow casting or simplistic weaves. And that's fine."
I don't believe you, the chaos spirit said, and I don't think you believe you either. I could turn you into something with fingers. You could be a griffon, or maybe a small dragon, or how about... a human?
Despite himself, Ash came to a stop and looked back at the statue. "Impossible," he said curtly.
Reality warper here, Discord said, must we go over this again?
"It seems we must," Ash replied, "You. Are. STONE. Sealed, with only enough power to speak to my mind. You'd love it if I had the kind of power you're offering; I'd cause enough trouble to crack that seal through and through. And there's only one being in this universe who would want that." He turned away and began walking to the door again.
What if I told you how to return to your world?
"Nicht goh vet'ciu," Ash said flatly, "Impossibility absolute. Curious, you know my shameful former name, but in your perusal of my memories, you didn't learn that world I called home was destroyed by a demon of chaos, Tau'rin? Know the whole story before you start begging for a deal."
You've encountered Tau'rin and survived? Discord asked, sounding genuinely amazed.
"You speak as if you knew him," Ash said suspiciously.
But of course, Discord said, Chaos is older than most forms of dirt, so for a while all there was was a bunch of spirits of chaos having fun. But then boring old orderliness had to come in and try to interrupt everything. I can't say I ever liked Tau'rin though, going around with those Gems punching big black craters into planets and trying to be some sort of imperial overlord or something.
"Ok, you're full of it," Ash said, rolling his eyes and turning once again toward the door. He paused for a second as he found himself further from it than he remembered being, and then shook his head and said, "Ultimate Chaos destroyed entire universes. My team and I, we felt the fabric of reality tear apart around us every time we got dragged into the next world. Thirteen worlds were lost before we came here to Equestria and finished Tau'rin off."
So that's how you got here, Discord mused, and then exclaimed, you killed Tau'rin?
"Luna struck the blow that broke one of the Gems," Ash said, "but it was thanks to me and the Order-naries that the reaction was kept contained. Scarred the throne room floor, but nothing besides the demon was actually destroyed."
And this happened... when?
"Before your brief escape," Ash said simply.
Of course, Discord said, I would have sensed his presence otherwise... Yes, I owe you a favor; if you hadn't stopped him then, there wouldn't be any mountain here, no castle, no gardens, and especially no ME! Name-
"There would have been no anything," Ash said with certainty.
Have you ever seen Ultimate Chaos from the outside Ash? The dragonequus asked.
"I think the answer is obvious."
Take it from someone who knows, Discord said, Just because reality gets shifted or torn where you are doesn't mean it's happening everywhere. Tau'rin's loss of control over the Gems left a scar that can be seen from space while it shunted him to another universe, but not much more.
The implications were immediately obvious to Ashen Blaze. In a corner of his mind, a voice of reason continued to raise warnings, but it was quickly being drowned out by curiosity and thoughts that had not crossed the mage's mind in years. "Taryn, the Shadowstar..." Finding himself at the feet of the statue, he looked up at the fear-filled eyes of the petrified spirit. "How can I know you speak truth?" he asked.
I may mince words and speak in riddles, Discord's thought filled Ash's mind, but within every phrase is a kernel of truth. Outright lies only weaken you.
"Truth," Ash said with a nod.
Have you ever taken a close look at where you entered Equestria? Discord asked, While I was free, I noticed a couple of places where reality's fabric had been torn open. One was above a cottage just outside Ponyville, and the other was deep in the Everfree Forest. I intended to investigate them after I'd settled with the Elements of Harmony, but... Ash smirked. If anything can prove to you that your old home still exists, it will be finding a way to peer through one of those rips.
"If Taryn still stands..." Ash said dreamily, and then sobered and turned away from Discord. "The prospect is inspiring, but don't start thinking you've convinced me. If I pursue this, it will be on my terms."
Of course, Discord replied as Ash exited the room and closed the door behind him. The threads of power linking the dragonequus to the unicorn disconnected and snapped into a resting position coiling loosely around the statue. Alone in every sense of the word, Discord allowed himself a deep, wicked laugh as the weave of magic between his wings loosened almost imperceptibly.
End of Act I |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act II, Scene 1: A Day's Work | The noon-day summer sun shone down upon the canopy of the Everfree Forest, which rustled and sulked in its untamed defiance of pony magic. The trees grew thick and bent in the trunk, their upper branches spread as wide as possible and lush with leaves that greedily soaked up most of the sunlight, allowing just enough to nourish the lower foliage and give the diurnal animal residents a clear view around them, provided the mists were not too heavy. The Forest's defiance of ponykind's attempts to manage it, as well as the monsters and carnivorous animals which it gave shelter to made it a place where few would tread without a particularly good reason, and no intelligent being of Equestrian origin would even consider building a home in. It comes as no surprise then that the forest's one resident that outsiders would consider civilized was not Equestrian by birth.
The zebra alchemist Zecora lived in the Everfree, dwelling in a hut carved into an exceptionally short and wide-based tree, for two reasons: the wild forest was home to many a strange and useful plant from which she could derive ingredients, and she understood in a way no pony ever could how the Everfree valued strength and fortitude over compassion and mercy. Long before she had first approached Ponyville, and the challenges of prejudice and ostracizing that came with it, she had won herself a wide circle of forest through which even fierce manticores and sneaky cockatrices would travel with the utmost care for fear of awaking the striped equine's displeasure. She still had to defend herself from time to time when she was out gathering, but mostly from young creatures who hadn't earned an aching nose or a fever dream from her.
On this particular day, the rash and the stupid monster whelps were moderately safer, as Zecora was at home with her cauldron, mixing up a fresh batch of what was becoming her most popular product: an herbal bath remedy prized by the Aloe and Lotus of the Ponyville Spa for its fragrance and soothing properties on mild skin irritants, and gratefully far less in demand for its actual purpose. As the brew slowly boiled and thickened, Zecora gave it a quick taste - the surest testament to its safety for use - and declared it to be coming along perfectly. Once the reduction of the mixture was completed, it would be left to cool and dry out into the powdered form Zecora would bottle up and distribute. Satisfied with her progress, Zecora sat back and started to chant one of her favorite foal-hood nursery rhymes, only to be interrupted by a knock at her door, followed by a young voice that was quite familiar to the zebra. "Zecora, are ya home?"
"I am here young Apple Bloom," Zecora said, walking over to the door, "To what do I owe this unexpected visit from... you?" She faltered and finished the rhyme on reflex as she opened the door and found herself looking at four very long yellow pony legs topped by a filly who was currently eye-level with the top of the doorframe. The zebra expressed her surprise in her native tongue before gathering her wits and asking, "How in the world did you get so tall? Legs like that don't belong on a body so small."
"Yer tellin' me," Apple Bloom said, "I can't count how many times I fell on my face getting' here. Almost lost AJ a couple times." She attempted to duck and hobble into the hut, only to lose her balance and topple through the doorway. The pink bow in her mane caught on the doorframe and came undone, freeing the apple-red hair to fly up and over into her face as Zecora backed up to catch her. A tiny orange pony tumbled out of the suddenly loose mane and landed with a squeaky grunt on the zebra's head.
"Applejack I presume?" Zecora asked, rolling her eyes up as she helped Bloom steady herself, "Now I think I know what happened to you and Apple Bloom. Did you forget the warning I gave you, to avoid the flowers of azure hue?"
"Nah, we didn't forget," Applejack said, hopping down onto Zecora's back, and then onto a table when the zebra took her over to it, "We found a patch of the poison joak growin' in our south field and didn't recognize what it was until it was too late. We'd done pulled up 'bout half the weeds afore Apple Bloom realized what we were standing in."
"The Spa's all out of the special bath," Apple Bloom added.
"Well, luck is with you my friends," Zecora said, nodding at the cauldron, "My work on a new batch is nearly at its end. Allow me a few minutes and you'll soon be on the mend." She went to a back room and returned a minute later dragging another large cauldron. She parked it near the fire and then grabbed a ladle and transferred three scoops of the brew into it. "For the two of you, that much should do," she said after she set the ladle aside, "I'll fill it with water to the brim, and then let it warm and you can jump on in." No sooner had she finished speaking than a flash of light and a loud crack went off outside the hut. Apple Bloom jumped in surprise and came down in a jumble of stilt-like legs as an ash-grey unicorn stallion with a fire-like red and orange mane appeared in the open doorway, his mouth hanging open slightly as he took in the scene.
"This... is interesting," he said after a moment, and then locked his gaze on Zecora and asked, "Can I assume you've mixed up some poison joak cure? And does it work before the symptoms show up?"
"Yes," the zebra said simply.
"Perfect," Ashen Blaze said, "since I'm obviously not the most urgent patient here, I'll just wait my turn somewhere out of the way." He stayed close to the wall as he moved away from the door while Zecora poured two more ladles worth of the cure into the bath cauldron and then went into the back room again. Ash reached the table and did a double-take as he discovered the micro-Applejack standing by the mortar and pestle. "Bah re Applejack," he said in amazement, "you give a new meaning to the phrase shrinky-dink."
"Go ahead and get the 'little' jokes out of yer system Ash," the miniature farm pony said, and Ash bit back a laugh at her high pitched voice.
"Nah, I'm... I'm good," he said, "Soul Mage might've had a couple if he were here though."
"Say," Apple Bloom said, "how'd you bump inta poison joak anyway Mr. Blaze?"
"I was actually out gathering some," Ash answered, "Never intended to actually touch the skvetchte plants," he levitated the pestle to demonstrate his method, "but accidents happen..."
"Why in Celestia's name would you be doing something like that?" Applejack squeaked, looking askance at Ash.
"Not in Celestia's name actually," Ash said, grinning broadly, "In Gale's."
Zecora emerged from the back room carrying a bucket of water in her mouth, which she proceeded to empty into the cauldron. "For what purpose does she require poison joak, if I may inquire?"
"The reason she gave me," Ash said, "is that she's been itching to rebuild her famous gel launcher from our mercenary days, pre-Tau'rin, modified for an equine build of course. She's had the magebane gel for some time now - it cancels out most types of magic temporarily, Apple Bloom - and she wants to experiment with new gel types like an accelerated-action poison joak gel. However," he paused for effect and gave a wistful sigh, "I suspect the true reason is that she, Soul, Heart, and the Princesses are conspiring to keep me busy and out of the castle as much as possible. It's nice to have people worried about me."
"Can't say I understand most of that there explanation," AJ said, "but if ya need poison joak, I've got a patch growin' on mah farm fer some reason that I'd be more than happy to see go away."
Ash narrowed one eye at the diminutive pony. "Curious," he said, "I figured that since the stuff is native to the Everfree Forest that it's adapted to low-light environments. I wouldn't expect to see it someplace like well-maintained and very sun-exposed farm."
"You are quite right Ashen Blaze," Zecora said, "Poison joak withers under the sun's full gaze."
"That warrants investigating then," Ash said solemnly, "I'll give the spot a look-over while I'm gathering the blooms. Have Twilight look at it for a second opinion, quarantine the area, and..." he trailed off and waved a hoof idly. "Anyway, let's get this anti-joak bath ready, shall we? I think I feel my skull starting to swell..."
The candles were lit, the curtains were closed, the front door was locked, the owl had been moved upstairs, and the dragon was taking his afternoon nap. With all predictable and avoidable distractions removed (after all, there was no accounting for Pinkie Pie), Twilight Sparkle walked to the center of the room and swept her gaze around, taking in every wall before activating her horn and making her magic spread in every direction. As one, every book in the library jumped off the shelves and formed a spiraling line from the ceiling down to eye-level. With an ease born from monthly repetition of the ritual and basing her actions upon the new organization scheme she'd created and memorized the day before, the lavender librarian began Re-shelving Day by sending the Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy, 3rd edition to its new home at the beginning of the astronomy sub-section of the science shelves. Soon many other books were soaring through the air, each sent on its way by Twilight after only a brief glimpse at the title. After a minute or so she had established a rhythm and started to tap a hoof in time with the motion of the books moving in for her inspection, and the inkling of a song started to form in the back of her mind.
The sound of somepony trying to open the front door cut through Twilight's concentration, causing her to pause for a moment in confusion. Did I forget to put out the "Closed" sign? she wondered, Ah well, they'll get the message anyway. She focused back on the book before her - Super Naturals by chance - only to be distracted by the rattling latch again, followed by a firm knocking. "Go away," she muttered in a cross sing-song, "nopony's hooome." The entreating stopped and Twilight nodded in satisfaction, flinging Super Naturals somewhat faster than was necessary toward its spot on the shelves.
"Twilight Sparkle." The lavender unicorn bit back a growl of frustration as she recognized something in the voice coming from outside. She put the remaining books on stand-by as she cocked an ear toward the door and waited. "Twilight," the voice came again, sweet and clear and quite familiar, "open up please." Twilight gasped and looked around with some panic at the books still floating in the air.
"C-coming," she called after a tense minute, sending the unshelved books into several hasty and mostly stable stacks as she galloped to the door. She took a second to try and compose herself and present a calm face before unlocking the door and starting to speak automatically. "I'm so sorry! If I'd known it was..." She paused as her brain registered what her eyes were seeing and then spoke again in a flat, unamused tone, "you're not Princess Celestia." On the doorstep stood the Great and Powerful Trixie, complete with hat and cape, looking smugly satisfied as she held Cabbage Patch close to her side with one leg. The sea-green pony was staring at the ground, muttering apologetically, and clearly wanted to be anywhere else but couldn't muster the will to run. "I didn't know you did impressions Trixie," Twilight said flatly.
"I don't," Trixie said, hugging Cabbage closer, "That was Cabbage here. Impressive, isn't she?"
"You had me fooled, so yes," Twilight said, rolling her eyes, "What do you want Trixie? I'm busy."
"It's about my show," Trixie began.
"Ah," Twilight interrupted impatiently, "sorry, I haven't found the time to come see it yet. I'll go this evening if I can finish re-shelving all my books."
"Thank you for that," the showmare said dryly, "but that's not... quite what I was going to mention. I need you to pull some more strings, because despite how well-received Trixie's Traveling Thespians were at the Summer Sun Celebration, we can't seem to attract a proper audience for our real shows."
Twilight regarded Trixie and Cabbage, who was stealing furtive glances up at the librarian pony, for a few moments before sighing sadly. "Look, Trixie," she said, "It's great how you're willing to ask for help, but I don't know the first thing about show business. The best I could do is try to find a book on the subject, and my library's not even halfway organized at the moment. Besides, the best way to get Ponyville, or any place I think, to like you is to let them all get to know you. I really shouldn't be the only pony you come to with problems."
Trixie rolled her eyes to the sky, let Cabbage go to put a hoof over her heart, and gave a dramatic sigh of longsuffering. "Oh the irony," she said, "The Great and Powerful Trixie has overcome so much, only to be defeated time and again by the apathy of one. Little. Village. I think I preferred it when I was hated here."
Twilight wasn't sure whether to be concerned for Trixie and her company's well-being or annoyed at the unsubtle jab at her home, so she settled on being unimpressed by the theatrics. It wasn't too difficult to keep her posture impassive and her eyes hooded, having gained experience from Rarity's occasional overreactions. Twilight's eyebrow quirked upward slightly as she thought about that and an idea came to her. "Rarity's pretty knowledgeable about getting ponies to attend fashion shows," she said, "Why don't you go see if she has some advice?"
Trixie's hoof moved from her chest to her chin as she thought. "She works in that building that slightly resembles a carousel, correct?" she asked. Twilight nodded and Trixie turned away with a flourish. "Trixie thanks you for your help Twilight," she said, "and hopes you don't mind if Trixie has to use your name to get the time of day from Rarity."
"I doubt you'll have to, but good luck," Twilight said as Trixie walked away, Cabbage Patch trotting close behind her. Twilight started to close the door and turn her attention back to her work, but then poked her head outside and called out, "Wait a second. Cabbage Patch?" The small sea-green earth pony flinched as she and Trixie stopped and turned their heads to look back at Twilight. "That was an excellent impression of the Princess," the lavender pony said, "Do you do others?" Cabbage nodded slowly. "I'd like to hear them sometime," Twilight continued with an encouraging smile. A blush came to Cabbage's cheeks and she murmured something that sounded like a stammering "thank-you" before she turned her head away. Trixie gave Twilight smile before turning and leading the way down the road. Twilight pulled her head back into the library, closed and locked the door, and turned back to her books. "Now, where were we?"
"You see little filly?" Trixie asked rhetorically as she and Cabbage walked, "You have a real gift that needs to be shared." She levitated her hat off her head and held it above Cabbage's, making it wobble teasingly as she continued, "Twilight Sparkle is very close to Princess Celestia, so if you fooled her, you can easily impress the common pony up on stage. We'll make a showmare of you yet."
"We shouldn't have tricked her," Cabbage muttered, her voice quiet and dull but with a hint of an attitude.
"Well, she wasn't answering my more polite knocks," Trixie replied, putting her hat back on.
"She wasn't happy about it," Cabbage droned insistently, "We were interrupting something, and she only said what she needed to get us to leave."
"Nonsense," Trixie said confidently, "she might have been a little irritated at first, but she was truly trying to help. Now come on, time waits for no pony."
"Do I really have to?" Cabbage asked with a slight whine, "I just want to go home. Why couldn't Barnacle come with us? I feel safer around him."
"Cabbage Patch," Trixie began, and then paused for a moment to consider the approach she should take. "Captain Salt is a good pony," she said at last in an approximation of a motherly tone, "but I think that sometimes he shelters you too much. Somewhere under this shy, stage-frightened shell of yours is a fine actress that needs to come out. You can't spend your whole life as a seapony in a tank." Cabbage didn't reply, simply letting her head droop a little and adamantly ignoring her surroundings as she let Trixie lead her through the town. Trixie walked with an air of complete confidence, meeting the gaze of any pony who glanced her way and pointedly not reacting to any unfriendly looks she received. The pair found the Carousel Boutique without incident and were pleased to see that it was open for business.
The bell on the door jingled merrily as Trixie entered the fashion store with Cabbage almost attached to her side. There was brief murmur of conversation from an upstairs room, and then a white unicorn with a long purple mane and tail styled into an elegant curl and wearing a pair of thick-rimmed red glasses on her forehead appeared at the top of the stairs. "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique," she said, "what a surprise to see you here Trixie. Are you considering putting some variety into your costuming as well?"
"No," Trixie said, turning her nose up at the idea, "Trixie is quite satisfied with her iconic... wait, what do you mean by 'as well'?"
"Your friend Harlequin just so happens to be here right now and - Wahaha!" She jumped to the side as Trixie bolted up the stairs, past her into the hallway, and found the mustard-yellow tumbling clown pony in Rarity's workroom contemplating himself and the half-completed tweed jacket draped across his back in a full-length mirror. He noticed Trixie glaring at him in the reflection and put on a charming smile as he turned to face her.
"Quin," Trixie said in a low warning tone.
"Trixie," he replied with an unconcerned nod.
"Excuse me," Rarity said huffily from behind Trixie, "I don't know how you do things on the road missy, but you could at least show some proper manners when you're in somepony's home."
"How much was that going to cost you?" Trixie asked Harlequin, ignoring the upset fashionista.
"We haven't discussed the price yet," Harlequin answered.
"Harlequin," Trixie said, trying to keep her voice level as she advanced on him, "We do not the bits to splurge on luxuries right now. We're barely bringing in enough money right now to keep food in the larder. And you were supposed to be talking up the show!"
"I was," Harlequin said defensively, "From the scuttlebutt I picked up, I figured Ms. Rarity here was a pretty influential pony. So, I figured I'd pay her a visit, see if I couldn't put my charm to good use." His grin shifted from confident to sheepish as Trixie's eye started to twitch.
"How you ever survived on your own is beyond me," the showmare said, shaking her head. She turned around to face Rarity, who was still looking irritated at her. "I must apologize," she said, earning a slightly sharper look from the white unicorn, "Quin does have a... problem resisting the urge to buy things, especially if it's something that looks nice."
"I see," Rarity said, mollified, "Well, if money is an issue..."
"Oh, it is," Trixie said emphatically, "and that's why we," she cast a glance back at Harlequin, who was looking forlornly at the jacket he'd been denied, "have come to you. I, at the least, was hoping to get some advice on how to gain greater attendance at our shows in this town."
"Hmm," Rarity said, lowering her glasses over her eyes and stretching her head forward to give Trixie a critical look-over. "Well, that won't be a simple matter by any means," she said at last, giving a despairing wave of her hoof as she turned toward the door, "after all you have such a certain... reputation that needs to be taken into account, and even in such a laid-back and simple town such as Ponyville a reputation can be a powerful thing. I wonder if even my simply fabulous talents of persuasion and charm would be up to the task? And would it be worth my time?"
"Please do not tease Trixie," the azure unicorn said, following Rarity as she headed toward the stairs, "This is a livelihood we're speaking of here, not just for the Great and Powerful Trixie, but for three other ponies who have thrown in their lot with Trixie. Besides, you bear an Element of Harmony, do you not? Generosity I believe?"
Rarity paused at the top of the stairs and looked back at Trixie. "Yes I am," she said proudly, "but that does not mean I can't expect some return on the time and resources I invest in something. I do have a business to run after all."
Finding herself at a temporary loss for words - a distressing turn of events in itself - Trixie simply kept after Rarity as she started downstairs. They came to a stop halfway down when they both spotted Cabbage Patch standing on one of the modeling platforms, striking poses while tying and wrapping a small collection of ribbons onto various parts of her body. Rarity's gaze went from the earth pony to the now somewhat disarrayed box of decorative ribbons that she had put out for sale and then over her shoulder and up at Trixie. "She likes ribbon and cloth," Trixie explained with a shrug, "They're like a security blanket for her or something." The showmare's voice caught Cabbage's attention, and she froze in her place and looked up guiltily at Rarity.
"No worries darling," the white unicorn said reassuringly, finishing her descent of the stairs, "I like to see ponies enjoying themselves with my wares. Just, do be careful and put them back when you're done. Unless, that is, you intend to purchase some?"
"Um..." Cabbage said, sitting down. She untied the ribbons she was wearing and started to fold them up nicely, but with a longing in her eyes that Trixie could see from her spot on the stairs. "I..." the small pony whispered as she smoothed out a wide pastel green ribbon, "I like... this one a lot. But..." She looked up at Trixie, her face a perfect picture of the conflict playing out in her mind. The sound of hooves at the top of the stairs gave Trixie an excuse to look away, but it only gave her a view of Harlequin, who was trying to hide some disappointment of his own.
"Oh, things were so much easier when it was just Trixie," the showmare muttered to herself. She trotted down the stairs and over to Rarity. "Perhaps we can make a deal," she said, "If you help Trixie's Traveling Thespians make some real money in this town, and I mean selling out within the next week or two, we'll buy some ribbons and let Quin get that suit." Her companions perked up and Cabbage ran over and almost hugged her. "Of course, that means everypony puts in their best, right?" Trixie said, looking at Harlequin and Cabbage, "No show, no matter how well advertised, is a success if the audience isn't inspired to come back."
"All right Trixie," Rarity said, smiling, "this will be quite a challenge, but I'll lend you a hoof. Go fetch your pegasus friend and meet me back here in half an hour. We have plans to make." |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act II, Scene 2: The Calm Before | In Sugar Cube Corner, Pinkie Pie was preparing to say farewell to her sisters. After the Summer Sun Celebration, Susan and Maggie had spent a few additional days in Ponyville with Pinkie. The time had been well-spent, and the rock farm girls had fit in easily with Ponyville society, but even Pinkie had to admit that vacations have to end sooner rather than later. In a surprising show of restraint, she had chosen to keep the farewell party small and intimate, involving only her families: the Pies and the Cakes. The food choices were obvious.
"Safe travels," Mrs. Cake said as she gave Susan a quick hug.
"Thank you ma'am," the purplish-grey mare said. She then went over to where Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake were sitting in their high chairs with their attention split between their bottles and watching the older ponies. The twins had taken a great liking to Susan, and she in turn had enjoyed helping Pinkie entertain them. They were simply adorable, except for one little thing...
Pound pulled the bottle from his mouth as Susan approached, and then let it drop and held his little legs out to the purplish pony, babbling, "Shoo Fie! Shoo Fie!"
"That's 'Susan,' you little scamp," Susan said good-naturedly as she beeped his nose, "Don't you let Pinkamena stop you from growing out of that, alright? You too Pumpkin," she added, patting the unicorn foal on the head. Pumpkin cracked a smile but continued to resolutely suck at her bottle. Susan turned away from the foals and walked over to where her and Maggie's saddlebags were waiting by the front door. "We should be getting on our way now," she said as she settled her bags over her flanks, "are you ready Maggie?"
The light-grey Pie sister had been unusually reserved during the mini-party, having partaken of some of the food but otherwise standing back from the group, lost in her own thoughts. At Susan's call, she looked up from her contemplation of the floor, biting her lip lightly. All eyes turned to her and she heaved a sigh and looked Susan in the eye. "No, I'm not ready," she said, "I don't think I'll be ready for a long while. I think it's high time I put my special talent to good use."
"What are you talking about?" Susan asked, giving her sister an odd look, "Your business skills have done plenty of good for the farm."
"I know, but..." Maggie hesitated, unsure of herself.
"Come on Maggie," Pinkie encouraged, "You can tell us. Oo! Or we could try to guess. Selling rocks isn't challenging enough for you anymore?" Her bright smile faded slightly as Susan gave her a hurtful sideways glance.
"No," Maggie said automatically, drawing back slightly, but then her ears drooped and she amended, "Well, sort of I suppose." Susan shifted her focus from Pinkie to Maggie, shock mixing with chagrin. "Sue, between you, Mother, and Father the farm has all the skill and common sense it needs to survive. My talent isn't in rocks, it's in helping others succeed in whatever their business is. I won't try to deny that our farm can use my skills, but lately I've been wondering if there aren't other ponies that need my help more." She looked over at the Cakes with a hopeful gleam in her eyes. "I would very much like to stay in Ponyville for a while longer and look for an opportunity," she said, "maybe for a couple weeks-" she cut off suddenly as Pinkie dashed over and grabbed her up in a breath-stealing hug.
"Aw, you can stay as long as you want Maggie," the pink pony said, "I'll look after you, don't worry."
"I... appreciate it... Pinkamena," Maggie grunted as she struggled to free herself from her overly enthusiastic sibling. She broke Pinkie's grip and slid free, and then took a second to compose herself and smooth down her mane before addressing Susan. "I know this is sudden," she said, "but it would save us the cost of another round-trip ticket if I just stay here and you give Mother and Father the news. Would you, please?"
"This is all too sudden," Susan said, stepping closer to her sister. She closed one eye and opened the other wide, staring deep into Maggie's. After a moment, Susan nodded slowly and opened her eye. "Your aura's changed a little Maggie," she said, smiling coyly, "grown stronger. Fine, I'll support you, on one condition: if you start sensing or noticing things nopony else can, let me know all about it."
"Ok, sure," Maggie said, a touch confused.
"Yay, more sister time!" Pinkie exclaimed happily, hugging Maggie again. She looked over at Susan, and started to say something, but the purplish pony cut her off with a shake of her head.
"I need to go," Susan said, "I don't want to miss my train. Good bye sisters, and good luck." She gave Pinkie a quick nuzzle and then trotted out of the bakery before she could be captured in another hug.
"Sohndar, an Aitran novel," Twilight said, reading aloud the title of the final book waiting to be shelved, "Magical Fiction, right next to the original book." She started to send the book toward its spot, but then paused and started to bring it back. "On the other hoof," she said, "I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. The first book was a fun read; I hope the author was up to the task of keeping his momentum through the sequel..." She set the book on a reading stand and started to walk over to it when he stomach gurgled. She stopped, looked up at the clock, and then wracked her memory for the last time she'd eaten. She came up with breakfast that morning and nothing afterward. "Spike!" she called, intending to employ her assistant's assistance in preparing a late lunch, but received only silence in return. "SPIIIKE! Time for him to be getting up anyway..." She walked upstairs, flung the bedroom door open, and fixed a disapproving glare at the baby purple dragon, who was giving her a bleary-eyed glare in return from within his basket-bed. "Up and at 'em Spike," Twilight said, flinging his blanket aside and picking him up in her magic, "Time for lunch."
"I already ate," Spike said grumpily as Twilight set him down on his feet, "You were too caught up in your re-shelving plans to notice."
"Well I'm still hungry and I'd appreciate it if my number one assistant could lend me a claw," Twilight replied.
"All right, can do," Spike said, lightening up as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Nodding with satisfaction, Twilight led the way downstairs and into the kitchen.
"Let's see," the lavender unicorn said, opening the pantry cupboard, "What am I in the mood for..." she trailed off with a frown and then looked over her shoulder at Spike, asking, "What all did you have for lunch?"
"Celery, peanut butter, and a garnet," the dragon reported, "Oh, and I finished off the last of the old milk."
"Well it looks like something finished off just about everything else," Twilight said, closing the cupboard and going to the fridge. She looked inside and pulled out an old, limp carrot. "When did we go shopping last?" she asked.
"Sometime before we got busy with the Summer Sun Celebration I guess," Spike said with a shrug.
Twilight huffed in annoyance, not sure where to pin the blame and too hungry to bother. "Get some parchment Spike," she instructed, "We need to make a shopping list."
Twenty minutes later Twilight was trotting into the marketplace with set of empty saddlebags, a pouch full of bits, and Spike on her back managing the list. "I think you should get something to snack on before we tackle the rest of the errands," Spike suggested, "Maybe the Cakes or Pinkie will have a new treat to try out."
"I'm not in the mood for something with that much sugar," Twilight said, "Besides, I thought you said you'd already eaten?"
"To quote Pinkie Pie," Spike said, putting on a dignified air, "there's always room for another cupcake." Twilight rolled her eyes and chuckled. "We should make a book," Spike said, thinking, "and fill it with quotes, insights, and the lyrics to those songs Pinkie comes up with. Call it 'The Pinkie Pie Guide to Life.' We'd make millions."
"Interesting," Twilight said, "but we don't need millions. We have enough money to live on, and that should be all we want, right?"
"Eh, yeah, heh heh," Spike said nervously, averting his gaze in embarrassment.
Twilight cast a glance at her coin purse and then looked around the marketplace with a slight frown, noticing the reduced number of open stands and booths. Although Ponyville itself had survived the parasprite attack, many of the farms and gardens had suffered significant crop loss. Some food was being brought in from other towns, and projections showed that Ponyville would be able to support itself again before summer ended, but for the moment prices had risen and choices were limited. There was one stand, really more of a glorified cart, that ooked to be unaffected, although the small, old green mare running it was not a pony Twilight was used to seeing in that role.
"Good afternoon Twilight," Granny Smith said in her slow, creaky voice as the lavender unicorn approached, "Lookin' to buy I hope? I've got plenny of preserves, jams, and dried apples."
"Anything fresh?" Spike asked, looking over Twilight's head at the cart.
"I think ah got some Fujis here... somewhere," Granny said, ducking her head behind the cart. She hefted a mostly empty basket up onto the cart and stopped to catch her breath. "The young'uns all got a case of that poison joak," she said, "Bad luck an' worse timin' I say, what with the Family Reunion endin' yesterday. So I gotta do the sellin' 'til Applejack and Bloom get the cure."
"Poison joak?" Twilight said in surprise, "Even Big Macintosh? How'd that happen?"
"Durn blue weed showed up in the east field," Granny said.
"That's strange," Twilight said, "I didn't know poison joak could grow outside the Everfree Forest."
"Normally it cannot, Twilight," a voice said from behind the unicorn. Twilight and Spike both jumped and whipped their heads around to see Zecora walking by behind them, "It does not like much sunlight."
"Hey, zebra," Granny smith said, pointing an accusatory hoof at Zecora, "My granddaughters went out lookin' fer you a while ago."
"At finding me they did succeed," the striped equine replied with a calm smile, "I fixed them up with all possible speed."
"Oh," Granny said, putting her hoof down, "Well if ya see any of them, tell ta git themselves over here. I'm missing my nap." Zecora nodded and began to walk away. Twilight threw a few apples into her saddlebag, floated the appropriate number of bits onto the cart, and then trotted to catch up with the zebra.
"Strange days are coming my friend," Zecora said after she noticed the unicorn pulling up next to her, "but I cannot guess what these signs portend."
"What signs?" Spike asked, giving Zecora an odd look.
"Parasprites attack in mass on Summer's eve, and now poison joak flourishes where it would normally grieve." Zecora raised her head a little, seeming fixated on a random cloud and then looked over at Twilight and said, "There is but one common thread I can see, although it is as tenuous as can be. Because of Ashen Blaze the parasprites were revealed, and now he goes to remove the poison joak from the Apple's field."
"You think Ash might have something to do with it?" Spike asked.
"It may just be coincidence," Twilight said, "but what does he want with poison joak?" Zecora simply shrugged.
"I think we should go chase him down and ask him," Spike said, a dark, suspicious look coming into his eyes.
"If you want to run all the way to Sweet Apple Acres, be my guest," Twilight responded, "Ash can be a little weird at times, but he's never done anything intentionally harmful. He's kind of like Pinkie Pie in that way, but less bubbly."
"A lot less," Spike muttered.
Three of the four ponies that made up the entirety of The Great and Powerful Trixie's Traveling Thespians were gathered around the kitchen table of the Carousel Boutique, patiently waiting for Rarity to emerge from her inspiration room. The group's namesake was noticeably less patient as she paced the kitchen floor, her mood growing gradually more sour as the minutes passed. They had done as Rarity had requested and brought Barnacle Salt in with the expectation that they'd jump right into discussing advertisement plans, but the fashionista had simply taken one look at the quartet and then locked herself in her inspiration room saying that she'd be out in ten minutes. "It's been an hour and a half," Trixie grumbled.
"Sit down and relax already," Barnacle said, "You can't rush genius, as they say."
"We're wasting time," Trixie snapped, whirling on the seafarer, "We still have a show to put on tonight. At the least we could be rehearsing."
"Oh yeah, great idea," Harlequin said sarcastically, "I'm sure Ms. Rarity won't mind if one of your flash-bang diversions accidently sets fire to her curtains. I suppose I could use you as a substitute vaulting horse, but you'd have to hold still for thaackk!" He was pulled up from his seat by a telekinetic grip on his ear and unceremoniously dragged behind the azure showmare as she headed for the back door.
"Let's have a round of applause for our brave volunteer," Trixie said with dramatic venom, "For her next trick, the Great and Powerful Trixie will saw him in half!"
"Hold on a second!" Harlequin protested, "You don't even have the right kind of box for-" The shutting of the back door behind him and Trixie cut off the rest of his plea.
"Oh no," Cabbage Patch said, aghast, "Trixie's real mad now..."
"I wouldn't worry too much if I were you my little sea nymph," Barnacle said reassuringly, "They're just a little testy 'cuz things aren't going so well for us right now."
"It's not just now," Cabbage said quietly, "You didn't see, earlier. When Trixie and I got here earlier, we found Quin trying to buy some new clothes. Trixie seemed furious."
"Ar, that would have been a problem," Barnacle replied.
"She said some bad things about you as well," the timid earth pony said, drawing in on herself and looking at the floor. She glanced up briefly to see Barnacle's curious look and continued, "She... she said you protect me too much, like it was a bad thing. How can you protect a pony too much?"
"There are ways," the seafarer answered, growing contemplative, "Sounds to me like Trixie and I need to have a heart-to-heart if she thinks I'm not doin' something right. Letting her and Harlequin squabble a bit's healthy considering their temperaments, but I won't stand for anything else that'll make our crew less than shipshape." He got up and started to head toward the back door, only to pause at the sound of another door in the building being flung open. Rarity appeared in the kitchen doorway, her red work glasses perched on her muzzle as she flourished a bundle of rolled-up papers in her telekinesis.
"I am ready," she declared, and then looked over her glasses inquiringly when she realized her guests had been reduced in number. "Where are Trixie and Harlequin?" she asked.
"Stepped out for some fresh air," Barnacle replied, "I was just about to go check on them."
"Oh, very well then," Rarity said, entering the kitchen and setting her load down on the table.
"I'll be right back Cabbage," the caramel-cream pegasus said, giving the smaller pony a pat on the head before heading to the backdoor. He pushed the door open and saw Trixie and Harlequin staring each other down across a distance of about four feet.
"...to be perfectly honest I'd much rather eat a pinecone," the mustard-yellow earth pony was saying.
"That can be arranged you know," Trixie replied, "I'll have to see if the local flavor's any good first of course."
"Ahem," Barnacle said, grabbing their attention, "If you two could belay this for a moment, Miss Rarity is ready."
"Well, it's about time," Trixie drawled. She entered the boutique with the two stallions in her wake and fixed Rarity with a silent but expectant look when she arrived in the kitchen.
"Et voila," the fashionista, said, unfurling several of her scrolls and leaving them hanging in the air around her. Each paper was covered in sketches of simple pony silhouettes wearing a variety of detailed outfits. "Now, before you say anything," Rarity said quickly, seeing the apprehension in Trixie's countenance, "allow me to explain. Because I am a very respectable and respected pony, if I am going to show support for one of your reputation I have to at least appear to get some benefit from it."
"So," Trixie said, grabbing a sketch and bringing it closer to look at, "we are to provide you with free advertisement. I fail to see how this benefits the Great and Powerful Trixie." She frowned at the image on the paper: a unicorn in a high-riding, flared dress decorated with a star motif, and a matching pointed hat that looked absurdly out of proportion to the head. "And this is hardly befitting Trixie's character," she said, flinging the paper away. Rarity glowered at the insult to her skills.
Barnacle stepped closer to the floating sketches and looked them over, eyebrow rising as he saw plans to dress him up in a tricorne hat, a frock coat, and what seemed to be dreadlocks in the mane. Another sketch was of sea-ponies in a variety of simple skirts reminiscent of water plants. "I like the look of these," he said, "but I won't be wearin' my mane like that. Makes me think of pirates. I'm no pirate."
"These are only preliminary ideas," Rarity said, mollified slightly, and then looked Trixie square in the eye as she continued, "and it won't be free advertisement. I'll provide fair compensation for every design you agree to wear on stage, I'll have flyers made up to announce my sponsorship, and of course I'll spread my honest opinion about your actual performances around town."
"Getting paid to wear new costumes?" Harlequin said, grinning, "I'm in."
"I..." Cabbage started to say, but then trailed off and simply nodded.
"Trixie's hat and cape are as integral to Trixie as the cutie mark," the azure showmare said stiffly. Her fellows all turned their gazes upon her and she caved in with a sigh. "I will not," she insisted, "but if this will work, you three can knock yourselves out." She turned and walked out of the kitchen, heading for the front door. "I'll be at home preparing my act. The show starts in three hours." |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act II, Scene 3: Storm Break | In a third-floor, two-room apartment on the south side of Canterlot, in the space that doubled as bedroom and workshop, Gale took advantage of her solitude and the inability to properly enunciate while gripping a socket wrench in her mouth to vent some verbal frustration at the metal tube sitting on her workbench, which had just failed her in a manner uncharacteristic of steel. She glared and mumbled at the long crack running along the tube's length that had originated from the socket she had tried to fit a bolt into. She spat the wrench onto the workbench and prepared to give the ruined tube a more intelligible piece of her mind, only to yelp in surprise at a sudden flash of orange light from behind. She whirled around and saw Ashen Blaze standing next to her bed, already levitating the saddlebags from his back as he nodded a greeting to the brown earth pony.
"I don't remember giving you permission to set a waypoint inside my apartment Ash," she said in annoyance.
"It's already dispelled Gale," the fire-maned unicorn responded blithely, "You sent me out to gather an insidiously trouble-making plant; I'm not about to risk 'joaking' someone accidently by walking around with the stuff. I've already had to take one remedy bath today. Speaking of which..." He set the saddlebags down a safe distance from himself and Gale and then levitated a pair of small jars out of a side pocket, sending them onto a nearby shelf. "Zecora gave me some extra herbs in case there's an accident. How's the launcher coming?"
"I've got the air compressor working," Gale answered half-heartedly, "although I'm still not sure how long the power source will last when brought into proximity with Magebane gels."
"No one says you have to use that stuff you know," Ash said with feigned casualness, suddenly finding a reason to inspect his hoof. Gale shot him a glare and turned back to the workbench. "So you still can't find a battery that doesn't utilize magic?" Ash asked.
"I might have," Gale answered as she rolled the cracked tube off the bench and set it up on its end, "I just can't tell the difference, and none of my suppliers seem to care if there is one. Magic, technology, it's all the same to these candy-colored ponies. As, apparently, are steel and fiberglass..."
"Ah, the Magi-technician's dream," Ash said lightly. His smile faded when he saw Gale's ears flatten back and her head droop sadly.
"Yeah," she said, putting her front hooves up on the workbench and pulling herself into an upright posture even as her head hung lower, "Master Maesi would've loved this world..." An awkward silence fell between the two ponies as Ash tried to find the right words to comfort his oft-suspicious but dependable friend.
An insistent knock at the apartment door broke the silence and Ash gladly welcomed the out it gave him. "I'll get it," he said, running out into the main room as Gale lowered herself back onto all fours and followed him at a walk. Ash's magic undid the locks as he approached the door and he opened it a crack to look out. "Heart, Soul," he said with a smile as he opened the door fully, "How are you?" He then took notice that the unicorn and pegasus twins were both wearing their golden Royal Guard uniforms.
"Not so good," Soul Mage said, "We're needed in Discord's cell, ASAP."
"Why the rush?" Ash asked, confused, "I took longer than I expected with Gale's errand, but I'm pretty sure I'm not late for my shift."
"You're not," Soul replied, "but the Princess wants all of us there now. Discord's vanished."
"That..." Ash said, stunned, "That would definitely be a problem. Gather in team, I'll get us to the castle." The Order-naries gathered around in the hallway Ash traced out a pattern on the floor with a hoof as his horn and gemstone necklace began to glow. "Destulf juri iska," he said in a tone of command as he stomped with his tracing hoof, "Transport!" With a crack of displaced air and a flash of orange light the quartet disappeared from the apartment building.
As they ran from Ash's in-castle workroom, where the transport spell had deposited them, to the modified storage room that had once held the petrified dragonequus, Soul Mage and Gold Heart brought their friends up to speed on the situation. The unicorn guard who had been on duty, First Lieutenant Steel Hoof, had heard something walking down the hall past the room with an odd gait and had poked his head out to try and catch a glimpse. He hadn't seen anything, but as he'd started to turn back to the statue, he'd blacked out for at least an hour. When he came to, Discord was gone. Naturally, his first reaction had been to sound the alarm. Once apprised of the situation, Celestia had withdrawn to the Day Tower to feel around for signs of rising Chaos magic while Luna took charge of investigating the room and sending the twins to fetch Ash.
"And so I'm just an incidental tag-along," Gale concluded dryly.
"You're PC's official owner now," Soul pointed out, "He could be of some use, if you brought him."
"PC's not allowed in the castle," Gale replied, "The Princess is still worried about the whole 'his A.I. is based off a Z'Nai' thing."
"A basic, dormant, unevolved, and technology-based Z'Nai," Ash muttered to himself.
"It's a reasonable concern," Soul Mage said matter-of-factly, keeping his eyes focused on their destination.
"There hasn't been a single report of magic-based Z'Nai since we contained that breakout," the ash-grey unicorn said in irritation.
"Better safe than sorry," Gold Heart said. Ash scoffed and rolled his eyes.
Soul nodded sagely at his sister's words, smirking, but then concern clouded his features. "Call me paranoid," he began.
"You're paranoid," Heart and Ash cut in simultaneously, the formerly teasingly and the latter sardonic. Soul paused and face-hoofed, to the amusement of the girls.
"You took the Z'Nai to the moon because it seemed like the only option at the time," he said to Ash as he caught back up with the others.
"Truth," Ash said with a nod, "It was, and is, far enough away that the Z'Nai would starve before they could get back, and has a magic field that is too weak to sustain them."
"And Princess Luna moves it with magic every night," Soul added, "Is there the possibility that she's keeping some of them alive up there, and that they might catch a ride on the flow between moon and alicorn to get back here?"
"You are indeed simply being paranoid Soul Mage." The golden-yellow unicorn looked up in surprise to see that his group had arrived at the crime scene and that Princess Luna was standing by the door to the now-vacant storage room with a reassuring look on her face. "The last time I felt the stirrings of those horrid shadows was about two weeks after their banishment to the moon," the Princess of the Night said. For being the site of what was undoubtedly the biggest disaster to befall Canterlot since Discord's previous escape, the area was surprisingly void of activity. Besides Luna, only a single other pony was present, and he was inside the room, helmet on the ground next to him as he stared into space with a dejected attitude unbecoming of a Royal Guard. When Ash expressed confusion, Luna motioned for him to step into the room as she explained, "The Guard completed their initial investigation whilst Heart and Soul were bringing you. Besides questioning the stallion on duty here, there wasn't much to look at. I also prefer that your own examination be... unclouded by other opinions."
"Fair enough," Ash said with a nod. He went inside, looked around once, and then tapped the guard on the shoulder. "Lieutenant, was it?" he asked when the unicorn's head snapped around to look at him.
"First Lieutenant Steel Hoof," the guard answered.
"Any guesses as to why you blacked out?" Ash asked, squinting an eye as he walked around and scrutinized the walls, "Did you feel magic coming into play?"
"I think so," Steel Hoof said, rubbing his head, "but I was out before I had a chance to notice anything. Discord must have been covering his break-out until I was distracted."
"He's not that subtle," Ash muttered, stamping a hoof in the spot the statue had occupied, "There's no debris from the stone breaking apart, and if he was out and about I'm pretty sure there wouldn't be any doubt to the fact."
"He is a spirit of Chaos," Soul Mage pointed out, peeking into the room, "by definition unpredictable and random."
"He's flamboyant and requires an audience to display his beloved chaos to. Or on," Ash said in a conclusive tone as he came back into the hall. "No, whoever is responsible for this, it's not Discord himself."
"I am inclined to agree," Celestia's bright voice, thick with atypical sternness, rang down the hall. Everypony turned to see the tall white alicorn approaching and all but Ash and Luna dropped into a quick bow. "Canterlot and the surrounding lands are free of any strange occurrences and I haven't received any notes of alarm from Twilight. I fear that Discord's mysterious ally has managed to outwit us again and taken him away somewhere where the seal can be removed without interruption." She raised an eyebrow when she saw Ash's look of distrustful confusion and heard him mutter something under his breath. "Do you have something else to add Ashen Blaze?" she asked.
Ash visibly winced and kept his gaze off the Princess for a moment before speaking. "I request permission to bring PC here," he said in a flat, businesslike tone, "With his analytical powers and database on magic spells combined with my own... skills, we can hopefully identify not only how Discord was removed, but where to."
Celestia pondered the request for a moment, her face betraying no hints until she reached her decision. "Very well," she said, "but do not have it with you when report your findings to me."
"Thank you," Ash said, turning smartly in the direction of his workroom, "Gale, if you wouldn't mind coming with me so you can let me into your apartment?" The brown earth pony nodded and followed Ash down the hall.
Of the four performers in Trixie's troupe, Harlequin and his pratfall acrobatics seemed to be the part of the show that Ponyville enjoyed the most, and so it had been decided that he should perform twice: a short act to open the show and attract last-minute attendees and then a longer and more complex performance following Barnacle Salt's storytelling, with Trixie closing out the show with magic. The two stallions traded off "Security" detail, which mostly amounted to trying to find and head off Tremolo if he tried to make an appearance. When she wasn't acting like a seapony and providing a backdrop for Barnacle's tall tales, Cabbage managed the curtains and controlled most of the stage effects that added flavor to Harlequin's act. That left Trixie to her own thoughts, which invariably came around to the subject of the show's success. While she hadn't expected a miracle, she was underwhelmed by the evening's turn-out. She counted it as a plus that all six of Rarity's friends, including that little dragon Spike, had shown up more or less willingly, and there were certainly more ponies out there than the previous two nights, and the response had been quite positive (there was a collective gasp followed quickly by laughter and applause as Quin turned a botched double backflip into a cartwheel at the last second). Still, the crowd was nowhere near as big as it had been on her previous visits, and certainly couldn't match the sold-out houses from her Manehatten peak. I could blame it on my bad reputation here, she thought, but it's getting harder to pull in crowds no matter where we go. A final thump of hooves on the stage followed by hearty hoof-pounding applause brought Trixie out of her pondering to realize that Harlequin had just finished his act.
The two nodded to each other as she trotted on stage and he made his exit. The noise died down as she took center stage and favored the audience with her best confident grin. An errant breeze began to blow, teasing the edges of her cape. "Thank you Ponyville," she said, "Trixie hopes you have enjoyed the show so far, but now for the moment you've all been waiting for!"
"The final bows?" a dark-coated pegasus stallion called out from the back.
"Shut up Thunderlane," Rainbow Dash snapped, cutting off the laughter the comment had caused.
Trixie simply rolled her eyes and continued her speech, rearing up for effect. The breeze picked up and helped her cape flare out impressively. "You are about to witness illusions and feats of magic unmatched throughout all of Equestria," she announced, "performed by none other than the Great and Powerful Trixie!" The pyrotechnics went off on cue, mostly pinwheel flares and smoke-pots as well as a pair of fireworks, but as they did so the wind strengthened as well, blowing Trixie's hat off and sending the fireworks off course. The showmare bit back a curse as she caught her hat in her teeth and wrapped the errant rockets in a ball of magic to make sure they didn't hit something.
"Maybe you should leave weather effects to the professionals," Thunderlane called out mockingly.
"This wind is not part of Trixie's act," the showmare retorted, putting her hat back on and holding it in place with a hoof, "High winds and flying sparks don't mix, Trixie knows that much."
"Well it's not on the weather schedule," Rainbow Dash said, looking around at the other pegasi in the group. The wind grew stronger again, and the cyan pegasus braced against it before taking flight. "I better go see what's up," she said crossly before flying off. The wind increased again and again as she struggled through it, but she pressed on and upward until she could see the edge of town, and beyond it the trees of the Everfree Forest were practically swaying in the gale. "Oh, great," Dash said sarcastically, "Wild weather." With a sigh, she started to turn around to start gathering up a weather team. A sudden powerful gust roared in, carrying a thick dust cloud with it. Caught off guard, Dash was sent tumbling through the sky and gagged as some of the dust found its way into her mouth. "Ok... ptoo. That's it," she said after righting herself, "It is so on now wind!" She flew back toward Trixie's stage, calling out for various pegasi to join her as she met them on the way. Upon arrival she saw Trixie's company closing the wagon up against the wind with the help of some of the former audience, the rest having apparently run for shelter.
Rainbow landed on the wagon roof and shouted for attention over the howl of the wind. "Ok weather team," she said, pacing along the length of the wagon, "It looks like we somehow missed the signs of a freak windstorm brewing out in the Everfree and now we're paying for it. It's going to take a powerful windbreaker formation to whip up a counter-current strong enough to cancel this out. I need your best. Can you give it to me?"
"Yeah!" the flying ponies shouted with determination.
"All right, follow me!" Rainbow cried out, taking flight and letting the wind propel her to the other side of town. The pegasi took wing and fell into a loose formation as they followed.
"Will they actually be able to do it?" Trixie yelled over the wind.
"Hopefully," Twilight responded, "They certainly won't give up trying though, not with Rainbow leading them." Another dust-filled gust washed by and rocked the stage wagon. Both unicorns quickly wrapped their magic around it and steadied it, and then Twilight nodded toward the harness and said, "Let's get you somewhere that's sheltered until the wind is beat back."
Alone in the room that had once been Discord's holding cell, Ashen Blaze sat seemingly alone, ears flat against his skull and every muscle tensed in carefully contained anger as his head-mounted super-computer with an attitude finished its report. "Give that to me one more time," he said in a voice that could make monsters beg for mercy.
PC wasn't the least bit fazed. "The results of my calculations were presented at a reading level that has been sufficient for your comprehension before," it said, its synthetic monotone managing to convey annoyance, "I will attempt again before dumbing it down: the Magic in this room shows clear signs of being Woven, at a level of complexity beyond the naturally-occurring Weaves of recorded Unicorn magic. There is a 70% certainty that the input anchor of a Distant Retrieval Transport spell was set here and activated 4 hours ago, with a half-hour margin of error on top of the 30% uncertainty. Your signature Weave style is evident around the Dragonequus's former location."
"Skvetch..." Ash muttered, rubbing at the eye that wasn't covered by PC's eyepiece display, "Roughly four hours ago I was in the Everfree Forest carefully gathering poison joak, by magic and from a safe distance, and then things went fuzzy and I found myself standing in the middle of the clearing up to my knees in the botanical blue buggers."
"I fail to find the connection between the events," PC reported.
"Five days ago," the grey unicorn said, taking a lecturing tone, "On the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration, I lost several hours to a dizzy spell and awoke in the middle of the Everfree near a fountain that sprayed grapes instead of water, later confirmed to be a product of Discord.
"Common thread search still returns- Pause. ... If you are suggesting Discord is responsible for your actions during these moments of lost time, I must remind you that you are immune to mind control." Ash winced as the computer raised its volume several decibels, a common tactic used to emphasize that PC thought Ash was an idiot. Considering how often it had been employed over the years, they were both amazed that the mage hadn't gone deaf in one ear by now.
"True... enough," Ash grunted before regaining his composure, "For when I was Meis at any rate. Recall: I am a significantly different kind of creature nowadays."
"Physical transformation does not equate to the loss of your immunity to all known forms of psychic, magical, and bio-chemical mind control," PC said confidently.
"Ah, there's the rub," Ash said triumphantly, "all known forms of mind control. Discord's power operates outside the known laws of Magic and Science."
"Are you happy about this realization?" the computer inquired.
"Of course not," Ash snapped, "Especially since I don't know what to do about it."
"The Elements of Harmony are proven antidotes to Discord's power," PC pointed out.
Ash nodded and said, "Quite so. I'll report to Ponyville tomorrow, so long as Discord doesn't try to make use of me again before then."
"A sound plan if I ever heard one. What could possibly go wrong?"
"Hush you." |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act II, Scene 4: Damage Assessment | Twilight tossed and turned in her sleep that night, plagued by a twinge in her spine that refused to go away no matter how she adjusted, and her dreams were haunted by disturbing images. She was running, ever running through a dark place that was either a cave or a forest, pursued by red eyes that would appear suddenly from the gloom, accompanied by malicious laughter and gnashing teeth. She was reliving the worst moments of the conflict with Discord, as her friends minds were warped into jerks, liars, and tormentors. She was facing Nightmare Moon again, but one by one her friends were twisted into inequine shapes and faded from sight until she stood alone. She was falling, tumbling through space as the faces of Discord, the Nightmare, Tau'rin, Celestia under the control of a Z'Nai, Zecora as an evil enchantress, Ashen Blaze with his eyes aflame with fury and others flew past and spun around her laughing mockingly. Abruptly, the laughter was replaced with them calling out her name, their voices merging into one tomboyish tone, "Twilight. Twiliiight. Twi- Ugh... WAKE UP!"
"Wha-ha-huh?" Twilight jerked into sudden wakefulness and saw a pair of big rose-magenta pony eyes framed by white cloud matter hovering above her face. "Whagh!" she yelped in fright and fell out of her bed to a strangely painful landing on her side. "Geez Rainbow," she said as she picked herself up, "what's the big idea? Why'd you drag a cloud into my bedroom?"
"I had no choice," Rainbow said dryly, "I am a cloud." The complete lack of humor in the pegasus's voice as she spoke the absurdity made Twilight double-take and rub her eyes before taking a closer look at her friend. Hovering above her bed was a pony-shaped white cloud with eyes and a pair of cyan wings that were spread but flapping too slowly to keep a pony of Dash's size aloft. Twilight opened her mouth to protest the impossibility, but then closed it and jumped onto her bed to poke Rainbow's chest with a hoof to prove her point instead. Her leg went into the white mass up to her elbow and all she felt was a cool wetness condensing on her fetlock.
"This... this is impossible," she said as she pulled her hoof back and looked at it in horror.
"Yeah, I beg to differ," Rainbow said flatly, "I woke up merged with my bed, and that after a whole night of nightmares." One of her eyes raised up slightly as she looked past Twilight's face and added, "and it looks like I'm not the only pony who had a weird night."
"Huh?" Twilight said in confusion as she looked over her right shoulder, and then gasped and looked over her left to double-check. On her sides were two small, scraggly-looking wings coated in feathers that matched her coat exactly. "Oh no oh no oh no!" she said as she jumped off her bed and ran over to her mirror in a panic. She looked at her reflection and brushed her mane away from her forehead and then heaved a sigh of relief as she saw her horn right where it should be and as healthy as ever. Calming slightly, she picked up her hairbrush in her magic and made short work of her bed-mane, and then noticed that her left wing was unfurled and waving at the mirror. She tried to tuck it back, but all it did was stiffen for a second and then flop down limply.
"Any idea what's happened?" Rainbow asked, floating over.
"Not a clue," the suddenly winged unicorn said, "but I'll be surprised if you and I are the only ones to..." she trailed off as she turned away from the mirror and her eyes fell on Spike's basket-bed. The baby dragon appeared to gone through a growth spurt during the night, as he was now nearly twice the length of the basket even before taking his tail into account, and that was presently curled completely around the basket. Oddly, his arms and legs hadn't seemed to have grown with the rest of his body, and he was sporting a thick green handlebar mustache. Twilight and Rainbow shared a nonplussed glance, and then Twilight levitated her sleeping assistant and checked in and around his bed for anything that didn't belong. "This isn't greed-growth," she concluded in confusion.
"Maybe he's got what we've got," the cloud-pony suggested.
"That would be a logical hypothesis," Twilight said as she set Spike down on the floor, "but if it affects ponies and dragons, I'm scared to find out what it is."
"Uhhn," Spike moaned, waking up, "Keep it down Twi. S'too early..." He blinked in bleary confusion as he discovered his arms were now too short to reach up and rub his eyes. He attempted to sit up and only managed to flop onto his back. "What's going on?" he exclaimed, looking around, "Why do you have wings Twilight? Why is Rainbow Dash wearing a cloud? And do I have a mustache?" He rolled onto his front and crawled over to look at himself in the mirror. "Hm," he said appraisingly, "Green. That doesn't look half-bad actually. Kinda wish my arms and legs had gotten the memo; I look like a snake."
"I'd say you look more like that sea serpent with the mustache we met while trying to stop Nightmare Moon," Rainbow Dash said, "You'd still need longer arms though..." Spike turned his head to shoot back a reply, but then his face screwed up in pain and his body stretched out another few inches and his snout elongated.
"Are you ok?" Twilight asked worriedly.
"I'll live, I think," the dragon replied.
Any further conversation was cut off by a hard pounding on the front door. Twilight headed for the stairs and missed the third step when her wings suddenly decided to try and lift her, sending her somersaulting down to the ground floor instead. Ignoring the laughter from Rainbow Dash, she picked herself up, shook herself out, and trotted to the door, which was still being insistently knocked upon. Twilight magiced the door open and gave an involuntary cry of fright when she saw what was on her doorstep: a creature that looked like a cross between an oversized white rabbit and a short gorilla, standing half her height with long, thick-muscled arms that ended in bunny paws and relatively shorter rear legs. On a second glance, Twilight recognized the creature's face. "Angel Bunny?"
"Whoa," Dash said as she floated up behind Twilight. The rabbit paid no mind to the cloud-pony and began gesticulating ponderously with his oversized arms, waving one in the direction of Fluttershy's home.
"Is Fluttershy in trouble?" Twilight asked. Angel nodded vigorously, looking pleased that his message had gotten through so quickly, and then grabbed the lavender unicorn by the leg and started dragging her off. "I'm coming, I'm coming," Twilight assured, pulling her hoof free. "Spike," she called over her shoulder, "hold down the fort and try not to outgrow the place."
Up in the bedroom, Spike rolled his eyes and muttered, "Yeah, yeah. Not like I can go anywhere with legs like these..."
As Twilight galloped through town in Angel's wake and Rainbow flew behind her, Ponyville was beginning to awaken and discover that business as usual was not on the agenda for the day. The pegasus-turned-winged-cloud began to waver as screams of panic and confusion were raised in what seemed to be every third or fourth house as the inhabitants discovered changes, additions, subtractions, and Celestia-knows what else about themselves in the mirror. She kept herself focused on following the buffed-up bunny, concerned about Fluttershy and telling herself that she enough troubles at the moment without learning about every single transformation that had taken place during the night. This is almost like poison joak, she thought to herself, except I know I never touched any yesterday, and turning me into a cloud is way beyond-
"Bonaaanzaaaa!" Rainbow looked in the direction of the sudden shout to see a grey and blonde pegasus approaching through the air at high speeds and barely in control of her own flight path.
"Derpy!" Rainbow cried in alarm and frustration. After taking a second to consider, she threw herself into the pegasus's way, using her cloud body to bring her to a quick but cushioned stop and then brought her down to the ground.
"Are you ok Ditzy?" Twilight asked, stopping to check on the mail-mare despite Angel's impatient protests.
"Muffins," Ditzy Doo said dizzily, her bright yellow eyes rolling around in her head, "I saucer barren, twinkle." She shook her head and tried to get to her feet, wobbling unsteadily. Her eyes were still spinning as she looked pleadingly at Twilight and said, "Kumquat, winky platen balance juice!"
"What?" Rainbow said, confused, "Talk normal."
"Yo toph bell minimal," the grey pegasus said insistently, eyes still spinning like mad, "Winky no muffin!"
"Ditzy," Twilight said calmly, "We don't understand a word you're saying." She flinched as Angel gave her a none-to-gentle poke in the side, shot a glance at the muscled rabbit, and then looked back to Ditzy and said, "Sorry, but we've got to go. Why don't you go just go home and hunker down until we figure out what's going on." Ditzy brightened up and nodded, starting to spread her wings until Rainbow tried to press them closed, her cloudy legs bending eerily around the feathers.
"Agh, not cool," Rainbow said, pulling away, "Anyway, you might wanna just walk, and maybe see the doctor about those eyes..." She didn't notice when Twilight tried to give her a disapproving jab in the side and just ended up with a slightly damp leg.
"Gulag mono froze pinchy," Ditzy said as she staggered off. Twilight prepared to lecture Rainbow about the eye comment, but was cut off when Angel, finally fed up with waiting, wrapped one thick arm around the unicorn's neck and started dragging her down the street.
"All right, all right, I'm coming," Twilight groused, freeing her head from Angel's grip, "Fluttershy's not the only pony with problems today you know." Angel just gave her a flat stare and continued loping along. "Oh, I hate to think what could have happened to her to make her unable to come to us herself," Twilight said with a shudder as she followed Angel. Her wings continued to quiver long after she stopped and then suddenly flared out stiffly to either side.
"It might not be so bad," Rainbow said, trying to sound casual, "She might just be too occupied with accounting for all her animals. Or something. Let's pick up the pace." She flapped her wings faster, finding it strangely harder to accelerate now that she was mostly water vapor, but soon pulled ahead of Twilight and Angel, the latter of which seemed to have already reached his top speed. After getting a couple blocks ahead, Rainbow pulled up short as she caught a flash of magenta and bubblegum pink out of the corner of her eye accompanied by the sound of Pinkie Pie calling her name. She looked around, eyes narrowed in confusion as she failed to catch sight of the speaker.
"Something wrong?" Twilight asked as she and Angel caught up.
"I just thought I heard Pinkie," the cloud-pony said, shaking her head, "It was probably just my imagination though. I hope. Come on." She aimed her nose toward Fluttershy's cottage and started regaining her forward momentum.
They soon reached the cottage, and even without Angel's anxious pointing and hopping it was immediately obvious that something very strange had happened. Rabbits, squirrels, songbirds, and badgers with disproportionately long or thick limbs were hard at work tearing a hole in the cottage' sod roof. Other animals of more normal proportion were moving between the diggers to pull what looked like long pink willow fronds out of the hole and lay them across roof. Angel allowed for a few seconds for Twilight to take in the scene before giving her a light push that sent her stumbling toward the door. As she regained her balance, her tiny wings decided to try and fly again, buzzing like a hummingbird's as they forcibly arched her back. After trying to take a few steps like this, Twilight got fed up and conjured up a rope to tie the autonomous appendages against her side. The wings fought back, slapping at the rope ends and wiggling out from under the bindings before Twilight could pull them tight. She ultimately had to have Angel pin the wings to her side with his oversized paws until she could get enough snug loops around herself to finish the job.
Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had drifted to the front door and looked inside. The main room was a mess of broken critter houses and furniture and four thick yellow roots poked down through the ceiling to the left of the doorway, ending just above Dash's head and covered with hair-thin rootlets that reached almost to the floor. "This better not mean what I think it does," she said in a low tone.
"What do you... oh," Twilight said as she came over and looked inside for herself. She gave the roots a confused frown and then entered the cottage, heading straight for the stairs. "Fluttershy! Are you ok?" she called out as she crossed the room. There was no answer; the only sounds were her hooves on the floor and the scraping of the animals digging out the roof. With Rainbow Dash on her tail, Twilight ran upstairs and burst into Fluttershy's bedroom and then came to a sudden, gasping halt. "F-fluttershy..." she stammered weakly, "she..."
"She's a tree!" Rainbow exclaimed, "I knew it! This is crazy!"
Standing beside Fluttershy's bed was a butter-yellow willow tree about one and half pony-heights tall with pink branches and leaves, several of which were now reaching up and out of the hole being torn out of the roof above it. The base of the trunk was shaped like four pony legs held together, and at head height facing the window was a head-sized knob of wood, and as Twilight and Rainbow walked around to look at, they saw Fluttershy's fear-filled teal eyes staring out from it. "Fluttershy, can you hear me?" Twilight asked, laying a hoof gently on the trunk. The eyes widened and looked down slightly, focusing on the lavender unicorn. "That's right, I'm here," Twilight said soothingly, "everything's going to be ok. I just need time to figure out what happened. Can you tell me anything about last night?"
"Twilight, she's a tree," Rainbow said flatly, "trees can't talk."
"Well you're a cloud, and you can talk just fine," the unicorn shot back, "and without a discernable mouth at that."
"That's..." the cloud pony paused in thought and then threw up her front legs in defeat, saying, "Forget it. This is making my brain hurt. Or whatever's passing for my brain at the moment... gah!"
"Don't hurt yourself Rainbow," Twilight said dryly and then turned her attention back to Fluttershy, who was looking at the frustrated winged cloud with astonishment. "Fluttershy," Twilight said, "can you blink or something to let me know you can hear me?" The teal eyes blinked and Twilight gave a relieved sigh. "Ok, that makes things easier," she said, "blink once for yes and twice for no, ok?" Fluttershy blinked. "Do you have any idea whatsoever about how this happened?"
Two blinks.
"Did you wake up like this?"
Two blinks.
"Curious... Did you feel strange when you woke up?"
Blink.
"Ok, then would I be right in guessing you suddenly erupted into growth once your hooves touched the floor?"
There was a long pause, and then a single blink.
"Close enough then," Twilight said with a dismissive wave. She looked up at the roof for a moment and then asked, "Your friends are trying to make sure you get enough sunlight, aren't they?"
Blink.
"Ok, that's good, but it might be better to get you into some real soil so your roots don't dehydrate."
"How are we going to do that?" Rainbow asked, her confusion also reflected in Fluttershy's eyes.
"Well," Twilight said, looking out the window, "the fact that I have tiny wings with minds of their own doesn't seem to have affected my magic any. I should be able to levitate Fluttershy and plant her out in the yard. But then there's the problem of actually getting her outside..." She bit her lip as she looked around and thought, and then finally sighed and gave the yellow tree-pony an apologetic look. "I'll pay for the repairs," she said, and then looked up at the roof and shouted, "Everypony clear the area! The roof is coming down!" Several rodent faces peered down the hole curiously as Twilight's horn began to glow, and then promptly scattered as a spider web of magenta-glowing cracks began to spread from the hole and across the roof and outer wall of the bedroom. Rainbow stuck around for a few moments longer, but when the ominous cracking of wood and plaster began she decided to take shelter downstairs. With a cry of effort from Twilight, the wall and roof exploded outward, the detritus hanging suspended in her magic for a few moments before trickling down into a pile by the side of the house. Cutting off the magic for a second, Twilight caught her breath and then teleported down into the yard. Wrapping Flutter-tree in a sheath of telekinetic magic, she broke the section of floor the tree was rooted in away from the rest and floated her out of the ruined bedroom and down toward the ground. As she did so, Twilight diverted some of her magic to digging a hole in the dirt and then settled Flutter-tree into it, carefully spreading her roots out as she gradually returned the dirt to the hole, adding some water from the nearby stream. While it wasn't nearly as taxing as soothing an upset Ursa Minor back to sleep, by the time she was finished Twilight felt quite light-headed. "How does that feel?" she asked, "Do you think you'll be ok for a while?"
Fluttershy's eyes slowly rolled left and right for a moment as she thought, and then she focused on Twilight and blinked once. Her eyes were brimming with grateful, and literally sappy, tears. Twilight smiled, gave the tree an encouraging pat, and then started to walk around her to go find Rainbow Dash, only to be startled by a voice behind her.
"Well, doesn't that just beat all." |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act II, Scene 5: Gathering the Windfalls | Ashen Blaze, with PC upon his head, walked past the startled Twilight Sparkle and up to Flutter-tree, not even glancing at the winged unicorn in his fascination with the yellow pony-turned-willow. "Transformatus en totalus," the ash-grey mage said, "and full taxonomic shift to boot."
"Stop trying to sound smart and start trying to fix the poor thing." Twilight turned around to see Gale, Gold Heart, and Soul Mage standing just inside the gate of Fluttershy's yard. With them was a fourth pony, earth breed with a mid-range grey coat, a mane of nearly the same color cut short and styled up in a Mohawk, and dark turquoise eyes. "Hello Twilight," Soul said, "That's... an interesting fashion statement you're making."
"Huh?" Twilight asked, confused until a twinge in her side reminded her. "Oh, right, the rope. There's a good reason for that."
Ash turned away from Fluttershy to make a comment, but was distracted from it by Rainbow Dash's arrival. He stared slack-jawed at the winged pony-shaped cloud until Heart came over and gave him a light wing-slap on the head. "Y'gosh, the surprises keep getting bigger," he exclaimed excitedly, "but then the possible explanations keep getting more complex..."
"Can you please stop acting like a kid in a candy store Ash?" Heart asked quietly, shooting a glance back at the other Order-naries, "You're on thin ice as it is."
"Truth," Ash said, sobering, "but this is the first opportunity I've had to really analyze chaos-fueled magic without it being thrown around violently and in my general direction."
"Chaos-fueled?" Rainbow exclaimed.
"Do you know what's happened to us?" Twilight asked almost at the same time.
"Us?" Ash responded in confusion. Twilight undid the ropes and let her tiny wings free, and they responded by posturing proudly. "Ah," the fire-maned unicorn said, nodding, "Not the strangest thing I've seen today, but that makes the count four for four. Well, I can't say I know exactly what's happened to change you, but Discord is at the heart of it." He gave a reassuring wave of his hoof as Twilight and Rainbow gasped and Flutter-tree's eyes bugged out. "He's still petrified, mostly," Ash said, "but..." He trailed off, closing his mouth in a grimace as debated how to break the news.
"His seal's weakened," Soul said, coming to Ash's aid, "enough to play some mind games and arrange for being spirited away from Canterlot."
"Yes," Ash said, giving the golden-yellow unicorn a grateful look, "I figured he'd want to lie low until he can break loose, and the Everfree Forest is a good place for his kind of villain to lay low in, so I teleported myself and the team to Zecora's to start the search, only to find her," he pointed to the grey earth pony, "and PC started picking up a lot of ambient chaos magic in Ponyville's direction. So we came to see if we could lend a hand."
"And who is she?" Twilight asked, walking to take a closer look at the stranger. She stopped short as the mare met her gaze with a knowing smile and a familiar glint in her eyes. Twilight blinked twice as other details like the angular muzzle, the grey band at the base of her tail, and the lithe strength implied by her stance clicked into place in her mind. "Zecora?"
"Correct on the first guess Twilight," the grey mare said, her accent confirming her identity, "I share the fate that has afflicted all of you."
"Hey, you didn't rhyme," Rainbow said, concern in her eyes.
"Yes," the former zebra said, "even if I wanted to, I cannot form a rhyme. Attempting to ends in failure every... occasion."
"It's definitely not poison joak, if you were wondering," Ash said, circling Fluttershy slowly as PC scanned her, "Zecora tried the remedy bath already and thus far..." He paused and looked up at Rainbow Dash. "PC hasn't been able to isolate external cause of these transformations. I'll need more time, and more subjects if we can get them. Is anypony else... off today?"
"Well, Spike's going through an odd growth spurt," Rainbow said, "and Derpy was... more so. And then there's Angel and-" She cut off and flinched back in fright along with everypony else as a frustrated pink earth pony suddenly appeared in the middle of the group.
"Holy Pinkie Pie out of nowhere!" Ash yelped.
Pinkie blinked, looked around, and then visibly relaxed and started babbling, "Oh my gosh girls - oh, and guys too hi there Ash and Soul - you not believe the day I've been having so far. I don't know how much time I've got to explain, so don't interrupt, mm'kay? Anyway, after that cra-azy windstorm last evening I had more dust in my coat than coat, so I went home and had a nice long bath and afterward my Pinkie Sense started going off for some new kind of doozy so I decided to stay up until I found out what it meant. About midnight or so I started to get drowsy and I closed my eyes for a second and the next thing I know I'm in the lake! And that was only the start; ever since then I've been teleporting around to random places at random moments and I can't contr-" With that she was gone just as suddenly as she had appeared, leaving bewildered silence in her wake.
"What the heck just happened?" Soul asked after finding his voice at last.
"Nicht goh vet'ciu," Ash muttered, moving PC's eyepiece aside and rubbing his eyes in disbelief, "Bara..."
"In Einglish, Ash," Gale said reprovingly.
"She didn't leave a trace," the ash-grey unicorn said, repositioning the eyepiece, "No gathering or shifting of the local magic field prior to her appearance, no crack or snap of air moving into or out of the space she occupied, and absolutely nothing to predict her disappearance or to even hint that she was here. PC confirms she was physically there, but by all the laws of physics, magic, and so on she just did the impossible."
"Well, it is Pinkie Pie," Rainbow said.
"No," Twilight said, shaking her head, "She was disturbed by it happening. If Pinkie is freaked out by Pinkie doing something inexplicable, there's something wrong."
"I think it might be a good idea to check on Applejack and Rarity," Heart said, "if not the entire population of Ponyville."
"Good plan," Ash said, heading for the road, "I still need more scans for PC to work with anyway."
Rainbow and Twilight shared a glance as the Order-naries and Zecora trotted away. "Will you ok by yourself here Fluttershy?" Twilight asked the pony-tree. Fluttershy blinked twice and then looked emphatically to her left. Twilight looked over and gave herself a light face-hoof when she saw Angel and several other animals standing nearby, the over-sized bunny giving her a smug look. "You won't be alone, right," Twilight said, "We'll be back as soon as we find a solution."
"Count on it," Rainbow added as the she and Twilight took off after Ash's company.
They made their way toward the Carousel Boutique first, providing Ash and PC the opportunity to observe other ponies who had undergone strange transformations. They passed by Lyra and Bon Bon on Stirrup Street. The green unicorn was finding herself unable to set her front hooves on the ground and thus forced to balance against Bon Bon, whose voice changed pitch and timbre every time she opened her mouth. They were mildly put out to learn that there wasn't a fix, but trusted that Twilight and Zecora could eventually find one. "We'll be on the nearest bench when you're ready," Bon Bon said, sounding like a raspy trumpet as she helped guide Lyra away. Up in the sky, a few pegasi were making a valiant attempt at keeping the sky clear despite the fact that they were either sweating clouds or actually were clouds like Rainbow Dash, and the task was made more difficult by Thunderlane ricocheting from roof to roof like a living lightning bolt. A couple of times Pinkie Pie came running down from a cross street to rejoin them, only to vanish into thin air again before reaching them.
As they finally neared Rarity's home, the sounds of shouting, feline yowls, and collisions coming from inside spurred them to gallop over the remaining distance. Ashen Blaze reached the door first and threw it open as he charged inside to assess the situation. "Rarity!" He cried, "We're here to help! What's wrong?" The boutique was a mess of upset ponequins and clothing racks, overturned and upset furniture, and scattered outfits and cloth with a garnish of white cat hair. Through all this, little Sweetie Belle was attempting to grab and restrain Opalescence, who in turn was chasing something small currently underneath a taffeta cape. At Ash's cry, the pursuit came to a pause, and then the small bump under the cape started moving toward Ash, revealing itself as a white rat as it came into the open. Sweetie caught Opal's tail under her hoof and proceeded to try and subdue the Persian while dodging angry claws and at the same time shouting, "The mouse is Rarity!"
"Of course she is," Ash said, rolling his eyes. He knelt down slightly and held out a leg for the white rodent to hop on to and climb up. Once she was on his back, Ash straightened up in time to see Opal pouncing toward him and caught her in a telekinetic bubble. "Bad kitty," he said sharply. Opal glowered and growled before turning her back on him with an indignant upward tilt of her nose.
"Oh my," the rat said in a quiet, breathless voice that was unmistakably Rarity's, scaled down to size, "My poor heart... Ash, you're my hero."
"It's what I do," Ash said casually, waiting patiently as Sweetie Belle went upstairs and returned with a cat carrier.
"Would you mind terribly if I fainted?" Rarity asked.
"Try not to fall off," Ash replied as the transformed pony fell onto her back with a paw held to her forehead. Sweetie came over with the carrier and Ash stuffed the furious white cat unceremoniously inside and slammed the door shut on her face. "Lucky you were here Ms. Belle," he said, patting the filly on the head, "but if you're thinking of an animal wrangling cutie mark, you might need more practice."
"I'm just glad Rarity's ok," Sweetie Belle said after setting the cat carrier down, relief mixing with glee at the praise from the grey unicorn.
"So, Rari-rat, huh?" Rainbow Dash asked, poking her cloud head through the top of the door to get a better look, "Or does 'Rat-ity' sound better?"
"I am a mouse thank you very much," Rarity said, glaring up at the cloud-pony, "A much less dirty and more refined creature. And what in Equestria happened to you?"
"I'm a cloud," Rainbow answered flatly, "Twilight's got tiny wings, Spike's turning into a snake-dragon, Pinkie's got some random teleporting thing going on, Zecora's not technically a zebra anymore and Fluttershy is a tree. Not to mention that the better part of Ponyville's got something weird going on."
"Oh my," Rarity said, aghast.
"Indeed," Ash said, adjusting PC slightly before stepping out of the boutique, "Now, the curious thing is that Sweetie Belle doesn't seem to have been affected while you were Rarity. What is the crucial difference?" He frowned and rolled his eyes as the head-mounted computer responded to the question. "Yes," he replied sarcastically, "scan the normals, establish a baseline, and be consistent in asking my opinion, thank you very much. And here I thought Gale was having a positive effect on his personality," he added in a mutter as the computer scanned Sweetie.
"I have," the brown earth pony said, "he just likes to antagonize you."
Ash gave her a sidelong look, and then huffed and started walking away, declaring, "On to Sweet Apple Acres then."
"How many more ponies do you need to see Ash?" Soul asked as the group fell in behind the fire-maned unicorn.
"Oh, I might have a lead before we reach the farm," Ash replied, "but we should see to the Apples in any case. If AJ's the only Element Bearer to not be affected by this transformative prank gone wrong, I'll find a hat and eat it."
"I thought you said it wasn't poison joak?" Twilight inquired.
"It isn't, you can trust me on that," Zecora said, "But there is a definite similarity between this and poison joak's desire for a... chuckle."
"Hmm," Twilight said, thinking, "We might be on to something there. Whatever caused these changes might be feeding off something in our subconscious. I know Spike's always thinking about reaching his first real growth spurt, and now he's getting one in a bad way."
"I take it then that you've fantasized about being an alicorn?" Soul asked with a wry smile and a nod toward the tiny lavender wings on Twilight's sides.
"Well," Twilight said, blushing in embarrassment, "Princess Celestia did... er, that is... she has been my teacher since I was a little filly, and she always praised my power and quickness to learn..."
"Hey, that's nothing to be ashamed of," Gale said, "It's natural for a student to aspire to be exactly like their teacher. Especially when they do everything in their power to help you discover yourself..." Her voice and ears dropped sullenly as she finished and Heart quickly moved to give her a comforting nuzzle. Ash bit his lip and let his head drop slightly.
"Is something the matter Ash?" Rarity asked, feeling the stallion's muscles tensing under her paws.
"A number of things," Ash muttered, "Please don't ask."
The mouse huffed and climbed up onto Ash's head, securing herself in his flame-colored mane and whispering, "Ashen Blaze, you know how I feel about you-"
"Any ideas why you'd become a mouse?" Ash asked, forcibly changing the subject and drawing everypony's curious attention.
"I'm not letting this drop," Rarity muttered into his ear before speaking up to answer the question, "Unless it's from some silly foalhood fantasy game of mine, I can't imagine a reason."
"Young pegasi in Cloudsdale often use small clouds as flight aids before their wings catch back up to their bodies," Rainbow Dash mused, looking up at the weather ponies still fighting for clear skies, "I know I wasn't the only one who liked trying to fly while inside a cloud instead of on top of it... That was before I realized how cool speed and stunt flying were of course."
"So, it seems like the joke, if that's what it is, draws inspiration from our idle dreams and desires," Twilight said.
"I never wished for this!" a giant jar of grape jelly with a pony's head for a lid shouted from across the street.
"Oooh-kay," Rainbow said, "We really need to get this straightened out. Ponyville's turning into Discord's dream home and he's not even around to pin the blame on."
"Nah, it needs more cotton candy clouds first," Pinkie Pie said in a deadpan as she extracted herself from a nearby bush, her mane and tail a mess of tangles with leaves and branches in them.
"Hey Pinkie," Twilight said, "Have you dropped in to AJ's place yet today?"
"Nope," the party pony answered, falling into step with the group, "but I have been to two attics, Carrot Top's kitchen, the post office, Fluttershy's again, and the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse. Actually, that's on Sweet Apples Acres land, isn't it? Nopony was around then though, so..." she finished with a shrug.
"Oh! Idea," Rainbow said suddenly, "Pinkie, as long you're jumping around, why don't you tell everypony you bump into to spread the word to gather at Town Hall. We can get a headcount on all the ponies who've been changed so Twilight or Zecora or whoever ends up fixing this knows how big to make the fix."
"Great idea," Twilight said with an approving smile.
"Okie dokie," Pinkie said, "I'll get right on that." Half a second later she was nowhere to be seen, although the debris in her mane was left behind.
If the Carousel Boutique was a mess, Sweet Apple Acres was a disaster area. The gale-force winds of the previous evening had nearly denuded all the trees along the boundaries between the orchard, Ponyville, and the Everfree Forest. Leaves, broken branches, and apples in various stages of growth littered the ground as far as the group could see as they approached. "What happened last night anyway?" Soul asked as they passed through the gate, "Pinkie and Sweetie Belle both mentioned a wind-storm, and this place looks like it suffered a whopper of one."
"The wind just rose up from somewhere in the Everfree Forest without warning," Rainbow Dash answered with a dramatic shrug, "I've never seen wild winds that strong; it was getting close to a six-hundred wing power tornado in strength before we could whip up a counter-current to break it. It was blowing in dust like crazy too."
"Interesting," Ash said slowly.
From up ahead and among the trees to the left came a voice like a helium balloon with a country accent shouting, "Rainbow Dash! Is that you I hear over there?"
"Applejack?" the cloud-pony called back with some confusion and a hint of mirth, "Did you get shrunk again?"
"Not exactly," AJ replied as the group turned off the path and followed the sound of her voice, "It's a bit more embarassin' than that, so you gotta promise ya won't laugh too much afore ya git a look at me."
"It can't be that bad," Ash called out as a wagon came into view up ahead, "We've seen some weird stuff today."
"Oh yeah?" Applejack said as her head rose into view from inside the wagon, "Y'all seen anything like this?" With a mighty leap she hopped up and balanced on the side of the wagon, revealing that her legs had shortened to the point of barely allowing her to keep her belly off the ground, and her tail was little more than a short tuft of hair.
"Oh my gosh, she's like a corgi dog... pony," Heart said, fighting down the urge to squee as her eyes widened.
"That... Mmph..." Rainbow muttered, trying to hold in her laughter.
"Go ahead and let it out RD," AJ squeaked, rolling her eyes, "afore ya burst inta downpour or somethin'. How in hayseed did ya end up as a cloud anyway?"
"That's what we're trying to figure out," Twilight said, casting a meaningful glance at Ash, who was focused on PC at the moment, "Half of Ponyville's suffering from weird changes. Is anyone else in your family affected?"
"Granny Smith seems to have avoided whatever this is," the farm-pony answered, "but Macinotsh is moving like molasses in an icebox and Apple Bloom..." As if summoned, the red-headed filly came flying out of a nearby tree, executing a perfect triple back-flip with a twist before landing and going straight into a series of somersaults in the direction of the farmhouse, all while somehow twirling a loopty-hoop with her tail. Her flank was marked with a set of uneven parallel bars, a silver hoop, a spinning lasso and a yellow castle on a red shield.
"Nueva marca de cutie!" she cried as she rolled past the group, "Fuera de mi camino, necesito una cuerda!"
"Oh dear," Rarity exclaimed, "She's got the Cutie Pox again? Poor thing..."
Applejack did a double-take when she spotted the mouse-shaped fashionista on Ash's back. "Might be," she said, "but she's only ever had four marks at a time since breakfast. She's been trying her darndest, but between her, Mac moving like a snail, and these," she flailed one of her stumpy legs, gesturing to the detritus all around at the same time, "we'll be lucky to have this mess cleared out before the Running of the Leaves."
"It's not Cutie Pox," Ash said, watching Apple Bloom tumble away, "She's got the same markers of external magical contamination as..." He trailed off and blinked a few times. "Hold the phone, I think PC... Yes, yes, that'll do nicely." He whirled and looked around with quick jerks of his head, and then floated PC off his head and glanced around again. "Ha ha. Yes!" he crowed, rearing up in a triumphant pose, "The transformative magic is still linked to its original source, and the signs point back to the Everfree Forest. I can track it down and bring back a sample to build an antidote from."
"You're not going off alone," Gale said sharply, moving to stand in front of the grey stallion.
"Ah, of course not," Ash said, sobering, "Too risky. Heart and Soul, accompany me if you will."
"And what about me?" Gale asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You," Ash said, setting PC onto Gale's head, "will study up on what PC's deduced already and report it to the ponies of Ponyville so they can know what's happened and figure out how to cope until a cure is found. Oh, and take Rarity too," he added, levitating the rodent from his back to hers.
"Do be careful darlings," Rarity said.
"Always, Rarity, always," Ash said with a slight bow, and then turned to Heart and Soul and said, "All right, follow me." The golden-yellow pair nodded and took up positions on either side of Ash as they galloped away toward the Forest.
"All right then," Gale said, adjusting PC to sit properly on her head before starting to head off, "Let's go do some crowd-control girls." She only made it a few steps before Pinkie Pie appeared in front of her, looking a bit worried.
"Hey girls," she said, "I was just at Trixie's wagon, and they might need a bit of cheering up..." |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act II, Scene 6: Crowd Control | The G&PT Traveling Thespians wagon had been parked on the lee side of the Quills and Sofas shop (the proprietor of which had been lucky enough to avoid the transformations) during the wind-storm, and that is where Gale, Zecora, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash found it after returning to town. The wagon was closed up tight, and Twilight's initial knock on the door seemed to go unheeded amidst the muffled cacophony of distressed and argumentative sounds coming from within. Twilight pounded the door again and the voices within quieted for a few seconds. There was another brief discussion and then the door creaked open slightly, revealing only glimpse of a solid black oval of an eye framed in light gray.
"Uh, hello," Twilight said with an awkward smile, "Is... everypony ok in there?" The top half of the eye vanished and the owner let out an almost musical but grudging sigh before stepping back and opening the door fully. "Trixie?" Twilight asked in surprise, "is that you?"
Trixie nodded, her expression changing from bemusement to pouting in a blink of the eye. She was entirely monochrome, with a coat of light grey, mane and tail almost pure white, eyes that were simply black ovals, and her cutie mark appeared to have changed into a simpler shape of a white-tipped black magician's wand, sans star or wisp of pixie dust. Her eyes and cutie mark weren't the only alterations though; her entire body was shaped like something out of a foal's crayon drawing. Her legs were thin to the point of seeming incapable of supporting the weight of her cylindrical body, her neck wasn't much thicker, and although her head looked mostly normal, her ears were pointy triangles and her mane and tail were stiff and immobile.
Dear heavens, Gale thought as she stared at the mare, It's like she's straight out of a silent-movie era cartoon!
"Hey, what's the matter Trix?" Rainbow asked, "Where's the usual grandiose greeting? Cat got your tongue?" Trixie fixed the cloud-pony with a glare and stuck her tongue out with sound like a party horn.
Definitely an oldie cartoon, Gale thought, holding in a wry smirk.
"She can't talk," Harlequin called from inside the wagon," but she's the only one of us in any shape to move about at the moment." Trixie shot a quizzical look her over her shoulder, to which Harlequin responded, "Hey, we can't exactly keep ourselves hidden if want to get back to our old selves. I say let 'em see, provided they have an explanation."
"We do have an explanation," Gale said, "just not a cure yet. Ashen Blaze is tracking down a clue to that at the moment though." Trixie nodded and moved aside to let Gale enter, followed shortly by Twilight, Dash, and Applejack while Zecora opted to wait outside.
Twilight caught the gray-toned showmare giving her tiny wings a look akin to envy as she entered and said, "They're more trouble than they're worth, trust me."
"At least yer legs are the right size," AJ said as she hopped up the steps.
"You should be thankful your legs even work," Harlequin countered from the other end of the wagon. He was laying on his stomach on the floor with his legs splayed out around him bonelessly, each bent in an unnaturally rubbery way that left the girls dumbstruck in revulsion. Rarity nearly fell off her perch on Gale's back in fright. "I've been complimented on my agility and flexibility by comparison to rubber," he said sourly, "but this is ridiculous."
"And what of Barnacle Salt and Cabbage Patch?" Rarity asked, looking around the wagon as an excuse to not look at Harlequin anymore. A tapping sound drew her and the others's attention to Cabbage's sea-pony tank, which was currently occupied by a pony-sized mustard-yellow seahorse with a grizzled, kelp-green maned stallion's head.
"Oh my gosh," Twilight said in equal parts surprise and excitement, "now that's a fine example of the mythical hippocampus maria." The transformed Barnacle raised an eyebrow and said something that was muffled by the water he was floating in. "Pardon?" Twilight asked.
"He... he said 'thanks fer the compliment marm.' Or... something like that I'm sure," a small voice said from within a nearby bundle of cloth and ribbon, briefly adopting a rough sailor accent.
"Thanks Cabbage," Twilight said sweetly, turning to the bundle, "and what happened to you?"
"I don't want to talk about it," the hidden pony said quickly.
"Hey, come on kid," Rainbow said, floating over, "it can't be that bad. I mean, I'm a cloud right now, and we've seen plenty of crazier things already."
"Just stay away please," Cabbage said in a small whimper.
"Come on," Rainbow goaded, trying to poke the pile with a vaporous hoof, "You have to come out some time. At least tell us what it is. Are you attracting these rags? Oh, or maybe you turned into a living ragdoll or a freaky composite of cast-off clothing pieces!" Cabbage just whimpered in response.
"Now Rainbow Dash, just leave the poor thing alone," Rarity admonished, "you're being a bully."
"A bully with a point though," Applejack said, waddling over to the pile of cloth, "Ya can't take yer medicine before the doc knows what's ailin' ya." Before anypony could point out that they didn't even have "the medicine" available yet, the short-limbed pony had gripped the largest bit of cloth in her mouth and yanked it away, taking most of the pile with it and revealing the pony underneath to her shocked audience. "Land sakes..." AJ gasped, backing away slowly, "Now I've seen everythin'." The thing staring around with wide, fear-filled eyes as she curled herself into a tiny ball was obviously Cabbage Patch, but calling her a pony would only be partly correct. She was still a sea-green color with a blue mane, but from her back sprouted a pair of large dragonfly wings with some punctures in them near the ends, her lower legs were marked by deep pockmarks, her tail was a short, stiff, and wiry brush, and her eyes were a flat blue devoid of pupils.
"Partly Changeling?" Gale mused, taking a step closer, "That is an interestin-" She cut off and pulled back slightly as PC started flashing warnings across the eye-piece. "PC, what are you doing?" she asked it sternly as she closed her uncovered eye and tried to keep up with the flow of text, "Changeling DNA? I can see that. It's just an effect of the plant like with everyone else. ... Don't give me that; you told me most of the drastic changes have struck down to fundamental levels, so why should this be different?" The head-mounted computer calmed, and after a second of calculating presented Gale with a question. "Fine," the earth pony said wearily, "Remind me later, and do not let Ash know about this until I've confirmed it, understood?" PC beeped once and the eye-piece cleared. Gale looked down at Cabbage, who was now quaking like a leaf, and knelt down to stroke her head comfortingly. "Don't worry," she said, "we'll get you back to normal as soon as possible, and if you don't want anyone else to know how you've been affected, I won't tell." Twilight and the others were quick to add their assurances as well, which brought a measure of surprise and relief to the little pony.
"Mind telling us what that was all about?" Harlequin asked.
"Maybe later," Gale answered, "right now I need to go tell the entire town why everypony's turning into random stuff. If you want to come along..." She paused and looked around the wagon again, at Harlequin with his rubbery limbs, Barnacle trapped in a water tank due to an aquatic body shape, Cabbage clearly terrified of being seen, and finally at the Monochromatic and Silent Trixie. "...I'm sure somepony here would be willing to haul your wagon to the town square," she finished and then headed out the door.
"Is it just me," Soul Mage asked, looking around, "or does anyone else feel like we're being watched?"
"We're in the middle of a wild, untamed forest," Gold Heart said, "and well off any trails that see regular use by pony or zebra. I'd be more worried if we weren't being watched by the wildlife." Despite her casual tone, she moved closer to her brother and cast wary glances in all directions as the pair followed their ash-grey guide. "How much farther do you think Ash?" she asked him.
"We should be getting close," Ashen Blaze answered, narrowed eyes focused on the path in front of him, "Even as out of practice as I am with following my magic sense, the scent's getting stronger."
"Have I mentioned how ironic it is that you only have that sixth sense now because you were underestimating your skill at cutting deals with a devil?" Soul asked, his tone light but not hiding the accusation in the words.
"Discord gave me Mage Sight to mess with and manipulate me," Ash retorted, fighting to keep his voice level, "The only 'deal' I ever cut with him was for the materials I needed to synthesize stinim bark, which is-"
"A small luxury you'd do anything for," Soul cut in. Ash cast a hard glance back at him and he added, "Ok, anything short of compromising your values or those you put under your protection. It was still a really bad idea not to let us know about it."
"Yes, thank you ever so much for that reminder of my error," Ash grumbled.
"You're welcome," Soul said.
"Too far over the line brother," Heart scolded, slapping Soul hard upside the head with a wing. She then trotted ahead and gave Ash a smack as well. "And you stop beating yourself up over this," she said, "We are fixing this, so you don't have to feel guilty."
"Truth... truth," Ash said, shamefaced. The trio continued on in silence until they came upon a vast clearing, at the center of which stood a stone building of curious and seemingly haphazard architecture. A veritable carpet of knee-high yellow flowers stood between the three Order-naries and the building, and the twins didn't need Ash's help to sense the potential danger. "Ok," Ash said, approaching the flowers cautiously, "Everything points to these. Heart, keep an eye out for surprises while Soul and I gather some of these flowers. Do not let them come into contact with you; we don't know how long the effects take to manifest and I don't want to add to their workload back in Ponyville."
"Agreed," Soul said, following the other unicorn and stretching a tendril of spirit magic out toward the field. As they set to work, Heart spread her wings to take to the air and watch from above, only to freeze as she saw something dark begin to flow out of the doorway of the strange building and divide to form a ring around the clearing.
"Guys," she said, running toward Soul, "We've already got trouble."
The Traveling Thespian wagon and the impromptu sideshow menagerie - that is to say Twilight and company - arrived at the town hall to find a scene that proved that even in a crisis of confusion Ponyville's leadership knew how to set up an orderly town meeting. The mayor stood beside a podium set up on the town hall steps, showing no signs of having been hit by the mysterious affliction. The crowd standing in front of the town hall was calm, orderly, and neatly divided with transformed and afflicted ponies on the left and those who had been spared on the right. While Twilight, who volunteered to pull the wagon, parked it with the door facing the stage, Gale put Rari-mouse in Trixie's care and then cantered down the aisle between the groups and took her place behind the podium. She took a second to adjust PC to sit more comfortably on her head, and then prompted it to start displaying the relevant data, and finally cleared her throat and rapped a hoof on the podium for attention.
"Citizens of Ponyville," she said, "If you don't recognize me, my name is Gale, and I'm going to cut to the chase. You want to know what has happened and why, and while I can't answer that completely, I can give you a basic idea. This malady is a magical manipulation of your molecular make-up, resulting in randomized..." She trailed off as a look of mild annoyance crossed her face. She turned her head to the side and made a couple of forced-sounding coughs and then resumed speaking. "The effects appear to be related to those of the poison joak flower, which some of you are intimately familiar with, but whereas poison joak inflicts changes that are only mildly dangerous at worst and typically just rearrange or resize certain body parts, this plant - we're pretty sure the culprit in this case is also a plant of some kind - is obviously a lot more... shall we say powerful. I've personally seen ponies who've been turned into animals, cloud-ponies, and even a tree."
"Rose is a topiary now," Lily cried out from the unaffected side of the audience.
"This bipedal stance is killing my back," Lyra complained from the other side.
"Muffin humming derp!"
"Ok, thank you everypony," Gale said as descriptions of the various changes and inconveniences started to roll through the crowd. When the chattering continued despite her subtle cue for attention, she slammed both fore-hooves on the podium and shouted, "If I could have your attention again please?" She got it, as silence fell like a cloudburst over the audience. "Thank you," the earth pony said prissily, "Now, where was I? Ah yes, whatever the plant did to you, the effects are mostly likely drawn from some old fantasy or whimsy of yours, whether you ever told anypony about it or not."
"How did this plant get to them though?" Lily asked, pointing toward the afflicted group, "and why only them? I haven't seen any strange new plants around town today."
"There was a strange, powerful windstorm sometime around dusk yesterday, correct?" Gale asked, getting a wave of nods in return, "As I understand it, that wind came with a lot of dust and originated from the Everfree Forest. The dust clouds likely contained a great deal of the plant's pollen or other particles from it, so any and everypony who was outside during the storm and got hit by the dust is now... something else. Those of you who aren't changed were indoors or otherwise sheltered from the wind, am I right?"
The audience broke out into chattering as they took in the information and checked with each other about the previous evening. Gale let them talk, her gaze drifting toward the Everfree Forest with an inkling of worry, until Lily, who had apparently become the official spokesmare for the normal ponies, called her attention back to the meeting by saying, "You're right; everypony on my side managed to get inside before the first wave of dust hit."
"And everypony over here was outside," Rainbow Dash reported, "That includes almost all the pegasi on the weather patrol."
"So, what do we do?" another pony on the afflicted side asked, "Is there a cure?"
"Not yet," Gale admitted, and then held up a hoof for silence before anypony could express panic, adding, "but even now my friends, the other three Order-naries, are in the Everfree seeking out the plant that caused this. Once we have it we can study its attributes better and then Zecora can figure out how to brew an antidote. At least, I hope she can..."
"This twisted cousin of poison joak may have stolen my stripes and rhymes," Zecora said, walking to the front of the crowd, "but it has not taken my skills or knowledge. Give me the bloom, or whatever its form may be, and I will concoct a cure that can set us all... to rights." The crowd cheered.
"Yes," Gale said, taking control back after a few moments, "In the meantime, we have work to do to help things go smoothly. First of all, I'm certain there are ponies who aren't able to be here due to the nature of their transformations. Let's make sure that every pony is accounted for, changed and unchanged alike. By the time Ash and the others get here, I'd like a list of names of every changed pony, the nature of their change, and location if they're immobilized by something. If you know of a pony who has turned into a plant, get them into some damp soil if they aren't already, just to be on the safe side. I'll leave the details up to you Ms. Mayor."
"Thank you Gale," the Mayor said as the brown earth pony retired from the stand, "Twilight Sparkle, I trust you can take charge of organizing the census?"
"You can count on me," Twilight responded proudly. The mayor nodded and the crowd started to disperse, only to pause when Applejack called out and waddled out of the crowd on her stubby legs and hopped up onto the steps.
"I got a personal favor ta ask," the farm pony said, "Sweet Apple Acres is a complete mess right now and mah family's not exactly in the right shape ta clean it up by ourselves, so I'd appreciate it if any able-bodied pony with time on their hooves could lend those hooves on the farm. Thank you." She hopped back down the ground and the meeting broke up. A few ponies followed in AJ's wake as she trotted toward her home while the remainder went their separate ways. Gale went off with Zecora toward the Everfree forest to wait for Ash and the twins and Twilight headed to the library to gather her note-taking supplies and to check on Spike's condition. She arrived to find a large purple dragon's head with bright green eyes and a perfect green handlebar mustache blocking access to the front door of the hollowed tree.
"I think I outgrew the library Twilight," Spike said sullenly, "Sorry." |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act II, Scene 7: Apothecary Truths | Twilight stared at Spike's giant head protruding from the library door for several silent seconds before sighing and shaking her head slowly. "Oh Spike, what am I going to do with you?" she asked with bit a whimsy.
"As long as it involves getting me out of here, I don't care," the dragon replied crossly. Despite his increased size, his voice still had the pitch and tone of a preadolescent boy.
"What are you stuck on?" Twilight asked, going over to the window to look inside, "and how did you even get stuck in the first place?"
"I don't know," Spike answered, "The growth spurts kept coming, but they weren't too bad until about twenty minutes ago when my arms finally started catching up to the rest of me, and then it all sped up. And now I'm here, with my head outside and my tail still in the bedroom and I'm not sure how much I've got in between." Twilight "hmm'd" thoughtfully as she looked through the window, and then jumped back in surprise when Pinkie Pie's face appeared on the other side.
"Hey Twilight," Pinkie said, cracking the window open, "Is the meeting over already? How'd it go? I was there for Gale's introduction but then..." She waved a hoof idly and then looked over her shoulder and saw Spike's scaled hide behind her. "Holy moly," she said, "That's a lot of scaly purple snaky-ness. Did that river serpent stop by for a visit?"
"No, that would be me," Spike answered, eyes hooded in mild frustration.
"Pinkie, can you see what Spike's stuck on?" Twilight asked, "He can't get out."
"Sure thing," the pink pony said. She swept her gaze quickly along the length of Spike's body and then turned back to the window. "Looks to me like his shoulders are just too wide for the door Twilight," she said, "Fix that little problem and getting the rest out will be as easy as-" and then she was gone, warped away to another part of town by the twisted joke plant's curse.
"Well, it's helping her stay focused at least," Twilight mused to herself as she walked over to Spike's head and began to apply her mind to the puzzle of getting the over-long dragon's shoulders through the door. The most obvious plan would be to simply widen the hole, but that would require replacing the door afterwards and it wasn't easy to make repairs to a living tree look natural. Using magic to enlarge the door wouldn't necessarily damage the library, but it would be more or less permanent and the spell to do so would likely be complex, difficult, and time-consuming to get right. On the flipside, if she couldn't make the hole bigger, she could just shrink the dragon. He needed to be smaller anyway, so it was a win-win idea!
"Twilight, don't grin like that," Spike said, "You're making me worried. And your wings aren't helping."
Twilight wiped the manic smile that had found it ways onto her face and cast a glance at her little wings, which were unfurled and curled upwards in an attempt to look menacing. "Don't mind them," she said, turning her gaze back onto her oversized assistant, "I'm going to try and shrink you down for a moment so you can squeeze out."
"Couldn't you just... teleport me or something?" Spike asked nervously.
"I could try," the winged unicorn answered distractedly, focused more on trying to recall a size-changing spell, "and I'd end up moving half of the library along with you - mostly the first floor. You're too big."
"Oh."
Twilight's face scrunched up in concentration for several moments, but her horn didn't begin to glow until after she cracked an eye open and asked, "Your body isn't blocking any bookcases, is it?" Spike cocked his head to one side and gave her an unsure look. "I guess I'll find out then," the unicorn said and then vanished in a flash of magenta light, reappearing inside the library astride Spike's serpentine back. "Oh my," she said, finally getting a good look at how much purple dragon she had to work with, "I'm going to need the advanced transformation spell books for this..."
"...and even after we figure out how to reverse the effects, we'll have to find some way to apply it no matter what a pony's been turned in to," Gale concluded, pacing in front of Flutter-tree. The brown earth pony and Zecora had come to Fluttershy's yard to wait for Ash and the twins to get back from their plant hunt. To pass the time, Gale had started to explain what she knew to Flutter-tree and the animals that had been transformed, but had quickly shifted to worrying out loud about the details. "A topical application like a lotion would be best," she muttered, "but how would we use it on non-solid ponies like Rainbow Dash? How much would we need to make for those suffering size changes, or have turned into trees? And how the blazes do we get it to Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy's blue eyes followed Gale, full of concern and anxiety at being unable to answer the brown pony's concerns.
"Gale," Zecora said, trying to halt Gale with a hoof on her shoulder, only to be brushed aside. "It is not wise to work yourself into such a tizzy. Besides, all your pacing is making me... diz... disoriented!" She stamped and snorted in frustration, muttering something dark in her native tongue. Gale ignored her and continued to pace and ramble.
A lilac pegasus mare with a wild blue and white mane flew up and, after doing a quick double-take at Flutter-tree, landed nearby and watched Gale pace for a few seconds before awkwardly clearing her throat. "Um, excuse me?" she said, "we, uh, finished counting up the affected ponies and I was told to bring you the list." She reached a hoof into the bag at her side and brought out a sheet of paper, holding it out toward the unresponsive Gale. "Hello?" the pegasus said, and then looked at Zecora and asked, "is she ok?"
"A simple case of nerves at the unknown factors in the problem is what I assume," the zebra-turned-pony said, "Perhaps reading what you've brought will help her come to grips, Miss Cloud Chaser."
"Ok," Cloud Chaser said unsurely, "Let's see then... We counted sixty eight ponies suffering from some sort of transformation or other strange symptoms in all. Half of those are pegasi from the weather patrol, most either turned into clouds or having some sort of other cloud-based... thing, with exceptions like Ditzy Doo who is utterly off-balance and speaks gibberish and Thunderlane who can't seem to stop moving at near sonic speeds. There are nineteen unicorns and fifteen earth ponies, with eleven species shifts, nine extra or missing limbs, five issues related to mobility, four - actually five now counting Fluttershy - ponies turned into plants, and five miscellaneous problems." She looked up from the paper when Angel Bunny tapped her on the shoulder, and then looked around and added, "...and at least ten of Fluttershy's animals and one zebra."
"And a partridge in a pear tree," Gale said in a singsong tone.
"What?" Cloud Chaser asked, confused.
Gale shook her head and smacked her forehead a few times. "Never mind," she said, embarrassed, "What was doing?" Zecora started to answer, only to be interrupted by a loud, violent sneeze from the direction of the Everfree Forest.
"Griffon," a miserable-looking example of that exact species mumbled as it walked up to the gate of the yard. His body feathers and fur were ash-grey while his head was white with a crest of flaming red and orange. One taloned hand was wrapped possessively around a small bouquet of yellow flowers. A glimmer of happiness brightened up his vivid but weary and slightly bloodshot green eyes as he saw Gale and the others staring at him. "Well met ponies and assorted other things," he called out, waving the flowers at them, "mission acco-ah-AHCHOO!" In a puff of yellow dust, the griffon transformed into an ash-grey chimpanzee. "Chimp, again," he deadpanned.
"Ash?" Gale asked hesitantly, eyeing the creature, "Ashen Blaze, is that you?"
"Right on the first guess Gale," Ash the Ape said leaning against the fence wheezing, "Bah re, is this what hay fever feels like?"
Zecora started to go over to Ash, but was held back by Gale, who was eyeing the chimp with suspicion. "Where are Gold Heart and Soul Mage?" she asked.
"They... they..." Ash sneezed violently and turned into a Diamond Dog. "Ugh," he moaned, "Something attacked us; they told me to run ahead while they slowed it down. I thought they would have caught up by now, but... Well, we probably shouldn't worry too much yet. They can take care of each other."
"Ok," Gale said, "but what happened to you."
"This," Ash replied simply, holding the bouquet out, "Here's our culprit. I think I'll call it Cruel Joak unless someone has a better name. Don't get too close," he added as a quick warning as Gale took a few steps toward him.
Gale stopped and directed PC to start scanning the flowers as she looked them over herself. The blooms closely resembled poison joak, except the petals seemed larger and slightly heart-shaped and the stamen were longer and more numerous. "And how is it you're showing... symptoms already?" Gale asked, "It took a whole night to show up in Ponyville."
"Ponyville didn't get its face shoved into a field of this stuff and inhale a lungful of the pollen," Ash said dryly, "Speaking of which, this... th... achoo! Baboon... This flower sheds pollen like there's no tomorrow! It's ridiculous."
"Don't you think you should get away from them then, if they keep making you sneeze?" Cloud Chaser suggested.
"Sure, now I can," Ash said crossly. He dropped the flowers on the ground and walked away from them, grumbling, "Skvetchte plants gave me hands, or passable substitutes, but took my magic away... Does PC have anything yet?"
"Maybe," Gale said, reading the head-mounted computer's display, "It seems to be hybrid between poison joak and something else, but he doesn't know what. 'No match found in database' he says."
"Skvetch," Ash swore, sitting down. He sneezed again and turned into a pony-sized grey and red dragon. "Hm, I could live with this one," he mused.
Zecora went over to the dropped flowers, leaned her head down for a closer look, and then sniffed them. "This gives off an aroma that is familiar to me," she said, rubbing her chin in thought, "partly the pungency of the prankster flower of course, but partly another, milder bloom..." She closed her eyes and pondered for several minutes. "Wait here," she said at last, "I think I may know this plant's other parent. I'll fetch it from my home so you can compare." She trotted away into the woods, leaving a somewhat awkward silence behind.
"So," Cloud Chaser said, rubbing her neck, "I should probably get going." She flew off without waiting for a response. Gale spared her only a brief glance before looking back to Ash.
"If this plant feeds off our inner desires for its effects, why is it giving you hands?" she asked.
"It's probably more complicated than that," Ash said, "My magic abilities are restricted in this world due to a lack of fingers for delicate spell-weaves, but that's a minor issue really. Discord did try to tempt me with the prospect of being turned human again once, before he decided to focus on the mind control approach." He caught sight of Flutter-tree's wide-eyed stare in his direction and blanched. "Ah, geez, I forgot you were there Fluttershy," he moaned, face-palming, "Yes, Discord's been getting into my head recently and planting suggestions, but now that I'm aware of it I've been able to resist."
"And we've been keeping him in sight almost constantly," Gale added. Flutter-tree's eyes relaxed. "That does make it odd that Heart and Soul would send you ahead on your own," Gale said after a moment.
"It was their idea, I promise," Ash said sincerely. Gale nodded in satisfaction.
Half an hour later, Zecora returned, followed by Heart and Soul. All three ponies were laden with sacks filled to capacity with bottles, jars, and plants and the twins were sharing the weight of a large cauldron. As they unloaded just outside the gate, Soul gave a quick salute and a smile to Gale and Ash, saying, "Whatever that was guarding the flowers and fortress, it lost interest once you were well out of sight Ash."
"Fortress? What fortress?" Gale asked.
"Later," Ash said with a dismissive wave, "What do you have for us Zecora, besides what looks like your entire apothecary?"
"If I am correct, then your talking metal hat should find something familiar in this," the former zebra said, sticking her tail into a sack and pulling out a large purple flower whose single cup-like petal resembled a curled heart. Gale smothered a chuckle at PC's reaction to being called a hat, and then took the flower in hoof while he scanned and analyzed it. After a few moments, the eyepiece brightened and Gale quickly read the output.
"It's a definite match," she reported, "The yellow flower is a hybrid of poison joak and this."
"Heart's Desire," Zecora said, "a local but somewhat rare flower, highly prized for its pick-me-up..."
"Power?" Soul suggested when the grey pony continued to falter.
"Thank you," Zecora said with a nod.
"Don't hurt yourself trying to force a rhyme Zecora," Heart said with concern.
"It's a habit I'm rather fond of," Zecora replied morosely.
"What exactly does Heart's Desire do?" Ash asked.
Zecora reclaimed the flower from Gale and held it aloft with her tail as she explained, "Depression, apathy, anything that saps the will to act and care, a potion made with Heart's Desire will get you back on your hooves like a second wind. If eaten raw in large amounts or improperly stewed, however, the results will be your heart's desire set... badly. It is known to cause the cutie pox, among other maladies."
"Ok, so we've got the cause pinned down," Soul said, "No what about the cure?"
"Um...," Gale said, listening to PC, "PC estimates he can calculate the ideal cure in... two days." Angel blew a loud raspberry, effectively summing up the general reaction to the announcement. Gale just shrugged apologetically.
"PC's never been the best at inventing all-new solutions anyway," Ash the dragon said dismissively.
"It might be best to research and study the Twisted Desire more," Zecora said, gesturing at the yellow flowers, "but before we do, I have one simple idea to try. Everypony take a sack and follow me; we must go to the spa. We can leave the cauldron here for now," she added as Soul started to wrap the large black cauldron in his magic.
"Yes ma'am," Soul said with relief.
By the time they arrived at the spa, the group had picked up a small entourage of altered ponies who followed at a respectful distance, clearly anxious for news. Among the crowd were Twilight, Rainbow Cloud, Rari-mouse, and old-timey Trixie. Zecora acknowledged the crowd and begged their continued patience. "With luck," she said, heading inside the spa, "the cure will be as simple as combing the remedies for poison joak and overdose of Heart's Desire, the two components of this discordian plot. I will need a private bath drawn, the remedy mix for poison joak, and volunteers to cultivate these." She pulled a hoof-full of yellow seeds out of her bag and held them out. Ash took one in his claws and looked at it skeptically. "The flower that grows from these seeds of truth can counteract most cases of improperly used Heart's Desire," the zebra explained.
"So why don't you have the flower itself?" Ash asked, "If you expect us to wait for these to grow, we might as well let PC run his simulations; he'll be done sooner."
"This plant grows with magical speed," Zecora said, putting a second seed into Ash's hand, "but only when a truthful confession is spoken around them while planted. Grow and bring me two; I'll save the other seeds for later in case another approach is required."
"All it takes is the truth?" Ash said with a smile, "No problem." He stepped back outside with his friends right behind him, looked around at the expectant crowd, and said, "Perhaps we should do this around back or something?"
"You have stage fright or something?" Soul said mockingly. He plucked the seeds out of Ash's claw with his magic and dug out a couple of shallow holes to bury them in. "Anypony have something they want to get off their chests in the name of trying to find a cure?" he asked the gathered mish-mash of mutants. Hooves shuffled and glances were exchanged, but nopony stepped forward.
"I've got something," Gale said, approaching the mounds of dirt, "Something I've been holding on to since our first day in this world." She gave her fellow Order-naries a meaningful glance, and then looked down at the buried seeds and said, "My real name is Carmilla deGrange." The ground stirred and two green shoots sprang up. "That's all I get for that?" the brown earth pony said in disappointment.
"They just need more encouragement," Gold Heart said, patting her friend on the back. She turned her attention to the seedlings and said, "My real name is Rachelle M'Dale." The seedlings grew taller and thicker and sprouted a few leaves.
"My name is Ray M'Dale," Soul Mage confessed, and a large bud appeared on each plant. The three out-worlders looked expectantly at their currently draconic leader.
"What?" he said, affronted, "What do I have to offer? I'm Ash, I always have been since I renounced being Meis Thamule, and you three know I never speak a deliberate falsehood." The flowers remained as they were.
"You never lie," Gale said, "but that doesn't prevent you from keeping secrets you don't want to tell. Surely there's something you can confess to everypony here." Ash bit his lip and looked around nervously.
Soul smirked evilly. "Yeah," he said, "How about..." An ethereal blue tendril shot out from his horn, plucked Rari-mouse from her current perch on Twilight's back, and brought her over to hang in front of Ash's face. "Tell Rarity how you really feel about her."
"Put me down!" Rarity protested, "This is undignified!"
"Yeah," Ash said, "don't go dragging others into this against their will."
"Oh, I'd be quite willing to straight answer about me from you," the cultured rodent said, "I just don't appreciate being held up and tossed about like a prop." Soul blushed sheepishly and gently set Rarity down on his head. "Thank you," Rarity said primly, "Now, Ash?"
Ash screwed his eyes shut and massaged his temples, muttering under his breath. "Rarity," he said at last, "you're a wonderful pony, cultured and fashionable without being annoyingly superior about it. Ever since we first met you've insisted on seeing only the positive side of personality. I appreciate that, but I can't return the sentiment like you'd want me to. I... I just don't feel like I deserve someone as good as you." The flowers quivered and exploded into full bloom and Ash quickly snatched them up and slipped into the spa before anyone could reply. |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act II, Scene 8: Let it Rain | Following directions from Lotus, Ashen Blaze the dragon found his way to the private bath area that Zecora had booked for the experiment. The solid grey former zebra looked up from pouring a jar of the poison joak curative into the water as Ash entered the room. With a thankful smile, she took the truth-grown flowers from him, set one aside, and then with a single quick movement shoved the other bloom into Ash's mouth, pointed to the tub, and said, "Chew on that and immerse completely."
"Ish it shafe oo shwallow?" Ash asked, pointing at his mouth.
"That is how it works under normal circumstances," Zecora answered, turning to the first flower, "Doing both cures at once but separately probably won't work, but it won't hurt to try."
Can't argue with that, Ash thought, and that thought combined with hearing the sound of multiple hooves approaching lent speed to his climb into the tub. The soothing texture of the warm, cure-laden water made itself felt even through his scales, and the flower tasted like the best parts of both summer and winter simultaneously as he chewed it up. Altogether, it was an experience that bordered on blissful, but when Ash had swallowed the flower and come up for air, he was still a grey and red dragon, and Zecora was no longer the only pony in the room with him. He took in the smugness on Gale's face, the concern of Soul Mage and Gold Heart, and the suppressed but intense sparkle in the eyes of the Rari-mouse on Heart's head, and returned the lot with simmering glower. "Zecora," he said, "What's the next plan?"
Zecora didn't reply, busy as she was grinding up the truth-bloom with mortar and pestle. Once the flower was broken up to her satisfaction, she poured it into a larger bowl along with another jar of joak cure. Her tail fished a seed of truth out of a bag and flicked it into the air, where Soul caught it in his magic. "Prepare another flower, just in case," she instructed. Soul went to the door and passed the seed and the instruction onto somepony waiting out in the hallway, who took the seed in a magenta bubble of magic. "Now," Zecora said, having mixed the powered plants together, "I've never seen a truth seed flower used as a component in a mixture or potion, but hopefully the essence of its power still remains if freshly ground."
"Well, give it here then," Ash said. He leaned out of the tub, grabbed the bowl, and dunked it into the water. The mixture gave off a large puff of smoke as soon as it hit the water, obscuring Ash completely and causing everyone else to take several panicked steps back. Coughing, Ash waved a hoof to try and clear away the smoke, and then stopped when he realized that he was waving a hoof instead of a clawed hand. He quickly felt himself over, finding ash-grey fur, a red and orange mane currently too wet to resemble flames, and a unicorn horn. "Zecora," he said as the smoke faded, "I think you've done it." He hopped out of the tub and levitated a towel over to start drying off, but his good mood faded as he rubbed the towel across his neck and realized something. "Where's the AEM?" he asked.
"The what?" Heart asked.
"My necklace," Ash clarified, throwing the towel aside, "My power enhancer, the Artificial Element of Magic, the one thing that lets me do any decent amount of magic in this pony world! Agh, it must have fallen off when I was sneezing my head off and transforming. It's in the Everfree somewhere. We have to go get it."
"Whoa there," Gale said, interposing herself between Ash and the door, holding him back as he tried to run out, "no need to panic. Rarity can make you a replacement. I know she'd be more than happy to," she finished with a sly smirk.
"Truth," Ash admitted, "but I can't risk leaving mine unaccounted for. Can't let him find it." He shoved Gale aside and ran out the door.
"He's lost more than that necklace," Gale muttered as she picked herself up off the floor, "I'll go after him."
"We'll all go," Heart said, setting Rarity on the rim of the tub before heading for the door herself, "We might have to stop him by force."
As such things tend to do in a crisis, word that a solution for the mass transformation of Ponyville's citizenry was being worked on at the spa spread quickly through the town and practically every afflicted pony capable of voluntary movement and the ability to stay in one place for an appreciable amount of time had gathered around the building, trading gossip and speculation to ward off fear and impatience as they waited. Even Trixie's troupe, all still within the privacy of the wagon except for Trixie herself, were near enough to hear any announcements that would be made. With so many ponies around, it hadn't been hard for Twilight to find enough willing "confessions" - cutie mark stories for the most part - to coax the seed of truth Soul had given her to full maturity, and she was in the process of taking the flower to Zecora when a damp ash-grey unicorn with a red and orange mane and tail, which were quickly drying and flaring out into their distinctive fire-like appearance, came bolting out of the spa and weaving through the crowd like the hounds of Tartarus were after him. Gale, Heart, and Soul emerged soon after, and from the looks on their faces it was obvious that they were the metaphorical hounds in question. Ash zoomed by before Twilight could process what was going on, but as the other three Order-naries passed by she brought Heart to a stop with a gentle magic tug on the tail. "What's going on?" Twilight asked.
"Ash is just having one of his stubborn moments," Heart said, rolling her eyes, "and by the way, Zecora figured the cure out. Now, if you'll excuse me."
"They have the cure?" a nearby pony exclaimed as Heart took flight to catch up with her team. The news spread like fire through the crowd, and within seconds everypony was charging at the spa.
"Stop!" Zecora, in all her striped, exotic zebra glory appeared in the spa doorway, facing the oncoming tide of bodies fearlessly. "Curb your enthusiasm friends," she shouted, "or this press may lead to untimely ends." Reacting more to her sudden blocking of the entrance than to her words, the ponies at front of the charge came to a stop and dug in their hooves, where applicable, as the rest of the crowd piled up behind them in a great heap of forms. Overhead, Rainbow Dash and a squad of her fellow cloud-form pegasi found themselves squishing together from the momentum, and there was a brief frenzy of activity as they tried to separate.
Rainbow was the first to fully extract herself from the mess, and she floated down to confront Zecora. "Don't hold out on us," she said, practically begging, "What's the cure? How do we get back to normal?"
"The base lies in the cure for the pranking flowers of azure," Zecora explained, walking out into the crowd, which parted to make way, until she found Twilight and claimed the truth-born flower from her. She held it aloft for Rainbow Dash to see and added, "But this must be added for a much-needed kick, for this new flower twists inner desires as its cruel trick."
"A bath?" Rainbow asked. She look behind her to the other cloud-ponies, who had untangled themselves and were currently putting distance between each other, and then leveled a skeptical look at Zecora. "Is that going to work out for everypony?" she asked, "Some of us aren't exactly solid."
"And what about those ponies who were turned into plants?" Twilight asked, "Especially Fluttershy; she's a full-grown tree."
"Not to mention others who can't be moved, or hold still for very long," Bon Bon added.
"The final solution is something I do not know," Zecora said, "We'll have to continue making it up as we go. There is at least one thing we will certainly need: many more flowers grown from truth seeds." She dropped a small bag full of the seeds at Twilight's hooves.
"Well, I reckon we've got enough ponies round here ta make short work of that," Applejack said wryly.
"Rainbow Dash, if you would come with me," Zecora said, "we can see if the cure will work for thee." Rainbow hesitated for a second as the zebra turned to head back into the spa, but on seeing the challenging tilt of AJ's head in her direction, she mustered her bravado and floated after Zecora.
"Sure, no sweat, what's the worst that could happen?" she said, mostly to herself. As they made their way to the private bathing room they crossed paths with Rarity, who was now back to normal and wearing a bathrobe and her mane wrapped up in a towel.
"Ah, you may want to change out the water," she said, waving a hoof toward the private room, "It turned rather murky and unpleasant-smelling after it was done changing me back."
"My thanks for the warning Rarity," Zecora said, "So, it seems that dose was only strong enough for three." Rarity nodded and continued on her way, as did Zecora and Rainbow. As they entered the room, the zebra's nose curled as she caught a faint stench of spoiled food coming from the tub. "Rainbow Dash, if would be so kind, drain the tub while I work, to save some time."
"Yeah," Dash said hesitantly, staying by the door, "I can't exactly hold or move solid things, and I'm a bit leery of touching water like this. I'm afraid I'll either suck it up like a sponge and get fat or get pulled into it and..." Her wings shivered.
Zecora nodded slowly as she considered the cloud-pony's words while grinding up the truth flower. "Those concerns seem quite fair," she said at last, "since you are mostly water and air."
"Water, air, eyes and wings," Rainbow replied dourly, but then she perked up as a thought came to her. "What do you think would happen if I were to, uh 'eat' some of that cure mix?"
Zecora smirked as she mixed the ground-up truth flower with some poison joak cure. "If that is something you wish to test, then by all means be my guest," she said. She beckoned Rainbow over and sprinkled a little of the mixture on her head. Dash winced slightly at the sensation of the particles falling through her and gave herself a firm shake to try and keep them inside. She and Zecora waited expectantly for several seconds, but when nothing happened the zebra reached up to sprinkle a little more.
"Come on," Dash grumbled, shaking as best she could, "work, dang you, work!" Frustrated, she sent herself into a tight spin, and then with a burst of smoke her cloud body was replaced by normal cyan-furred flesh and blood. Caught off guard by her sudden increase in weight, Rainbow fell to the floor with a grunt, and then proceeded to cough up a wet mass of ground-up herbs and flowers. "Ugh," she moaned, "That wasn't fun... Did it work?" She looked and felt herself over, and then leaped into the air with a whoop and posed triumphantly. "Fillies and gentlecolts, Rainbow Dash is back!" she declared.
Zecora chuckled. "When you are through with the 'yahoos'," she said, "You should probably go give the others the news."
"Right," Rainbow said, sobering, "you keep mixing up the cure, I'll send in the other cloud-pegasi."
"If there are new flowers of truth," Zecora called as the pegasus flew out of the room, "send them in here too."
When Rainbow Dash stepped out of the spa she saw that the crowd of transformed ponies had been organized into a line leading around to the back of the building. She followed it to find Twilight and Applejack at the head, maintaining a sort of assembly-line "confession circle" to grow truth flowers, with each pony in the line taking a turn to state some sort of truth about themselves to the seeds and sprouts and then trotting away to go to the end of the line while Twilight harvested any flowers that reached maturity. There were about six or seven full-grown flowers already set aside. AJ looked up as Rainbow approached and gave her a wave. "Lookin' good there RD," she said, "Looks like Zecora got you fixed up proper."
"Yep," Dash said proudly, striking a pose, "Now listen up everypony: I need every pegasus who's been turned into a cloud to go inside so Zecora can fix you up. Oh, and we'll probably be needing more of these too." She dived down to grab the mature flowers, but her ascent was stopped by AJ grabbing her tail.
"Hold up there," the squat earth pony said, "Give me a good reason why the pegasi should get first dibs on this cure." A murmuring chorus of assent rose up from the line.
"Uh," Rainbow said, looking around wildly as she tried to think fast. Her eyes fell on the mess of clouds clogging the sky overhead and a light-bulb went off in her head. "Because," she said with confidence, "I've got an idea for getting the cure to everypony at once, but I'm going to need as many pegasi as I can get to pull it off." A nearby truth sprout quivered and developed a bud.
Twilight and Applejack shared a glance, and then the lavender unicorn looked up at the overcast sky and smiled. "I think I know what you're thinking Rainbow," she said, "Go for it."
Ashen Blaze led his friends on a rough chase through Ponyville, matching wits all along the way. Due to their long experience with one another and the trust held between them, the Order-naries had an almost perfect knowledge of one another's weaknesses and how to exploit them should the situation demand it. By the same token, however, they also knew how to make such exploitation a difficult task. Gold Heart, empowered by a spirit link to Soul Mage, attempted to fly ahead of Ash and block his path, only for Ash to give her a telekinetic push or tug on a wing to upset her balance and slow her down. Soul occasionally diverted some of his power from the link into a lasso, which Ash would manage to teleport away from at the last second. Gale, simultaneously blessing the natural speed and endurance of her earth pony form while cursing her lack of Magebane and the means to propel it at Ash, simply focused on closing the distance between herself and the ash-grey unicorn.
Eventually, as the chase neared the end of Mane Street and the Everfree Forest came into view, luck finally smiled on the pursuers. Heart shook off Ash's latest attempt to trip her up and landed square in his path, wings spread and legs braced to leap left or right if he tried to dodge around her. Suspecting that but not having enough time to warm up a teleport spell, Ash attempted to hurdle over the golden-yellow pegasus. This move bought him into contact with the ethereal blue tendril linking Heart and Soul, and with a simple thought Soul severed the link and wrapped the energy around Ash's waist. Heart rolled to the side as Ash's momentum was halted in mid-air and he crashed to the ground, where he was quickly dog-piled by Gale and Heart.
"Ok..." Gale said, breathing heavily, "Ash... I ask this not in anger or annoyance... but in genuine concern for you: what is wrong with you?"
"My necklace is lost in the woods," Ash began, only to be silence by a tap on the head.
"It's a tool," Gale said, "It can be replaced. You can't avoid Rarity forever anyway."
"This is not about that..." Ash sputtered, "Can't you ever give it a rest? Rarity's crush on me isn't the issue here."
"No, it isn't," Heart said. She climbed off of Ash and then laid down in front of him, looking straight at him but not quite meeting his eyes out of habit. "She's part of the issue though," she said with fond concern, "You've been growing more distant lately Ash, and I don't think it's all due to Discord. You're still letting guilt over your past eat at you, aren't you? Shadowstar is still on your mind; you're angry with yourself for not being able to work up the courage to go back and face your past head-on before it was too late." Ash's face hardened and turned away from Heart, but she just reached out a hoof and pressed it gently to his cheek. "I understand," she said, "we all lost... almost everything to Tau'rin. You lost an opportunity, but you're still alive, and in a world where your past matters even less than it did on Taryn."
"Not to mention the Shadowstar Empire probably got ripped apart like the rest of the universe," Soul added drolly.
Heart gave her brother a dubious look and then focused back on Ash to see him grimacing and covering his eyes with his hooves. "Ash? Are you ok?" she asked, worried.
"Skvetch," the unicorn muttered through clenched teeth, "Nicht goh, gi foso nicht goh, vei Discord... skvetchte vet'chiu."
"Don't try to hide behind another language Ash," Gale said, pressing an elbow into Ash's back, "Tell us what's bugging you; we can help."
"Don't ask," Ash pleaded, "Could just be another of Discord's jokes, I don't know. You three have adjusted, moved on. You're happy here and I don't want to risk dragging you from it with doubt..."
"What are you talking about?" Soul asked, "You've got me curious now, so don't think I'm going to just drop it. What's Discord been taunting you with now? The idea that Taryn still exists and that we could go home?" He gave a short sarcastic laugh, but when he saw Ash go limp and his irises start to shrink down, he grew serious. "That's it, isn't it?" Soul said, "Did he actually convince you of that?"
"No," Ash said, "and that's the problem: I'm not sure! He'd easily lie just for a laugh, but he sounded so confident and knowledgeable when talking about Tau'rin. The blasted, skvetchte beast is on my mind even when he's not doing anything!"
"Ok, ok, calm down Ash," Gale said, finally getting off of him. She pulled him to his feet and took his face in her hooves, staring intently but not meeting his eyes. "Fact or fiction, we can deal with his Taryn riddle. More importantly, we need to put an end to his games once and for all. If we find him and shut him down completely, will that put your mind at ease?"
"It will help," Ash said weakly.
"Good," Gale said, releasing him and clapping him on the shoulder, "No one's allowed to cast doubt at you but the three of us. Come on." She started trotting away into town.
"Uh Gale," Ash said, pointing uncertainly in the other direction, "Discord's in the Everfree. In fact, I have a suspicion I know exactly where to look."
"Not yet," Gale said firmly, "You need some time to cool down. Also, we should probably bring the Elements of Harmony with us as back-up, which means waiting until they're all back to normal and rested up. I'm also feeling a bit hungry." A shadow fell over the group and they looked up to see Rainbow Dash flying by pushing an oddly-colored cloud in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage. "Weather might be a bit iffy on top of everything else," Gale said.
The cloud Rainbow Dash was moving around had been carefully seeded with the joak remedy and truth flower mixture, and upon getting it to Fluttershy's yard she proceeded to bounce on it to unload its contents onto the pony-turned-tree and the disproportionately bulked-up critters gathered around her. It took a few minutes, but soon a thin puff of smoke curled around the edge of the cloud and Rainbow peered down to see a soaked but ecstatic butter-yellow pegasus pulling her legs out of the dirt and cleaning them off with Angel's help. Rainbow left the cloud and swooped down to catch Fluttershy up in a celebratory hug, and then gave her a quick run-down of the plan to fix all of Ponyville before zooming off to tell the weather patrol to get busy. Fluttershy looked at the clouds hanging over the town, and then at the giant hole in her house where the roof and wall of her bedroom used to be. "Come on everyone," she said to her animal friends, "We have a lot of work to do."
Back in town, Rainbow quickly organized her pegasi into two teams. The first team's task was to organize the haphazard clouds into a proper rainstorm configuration and find or make new clouds to patch the inevitable holes. The second team collected sacks of the remedy mix being prepared by Zecora and a team of assistants and sprinkled them onto the clouds, tinting them a sepia color as the herbs mixed with the suspended rain in the clouds. Once everything was ready, the pegasi would initiate a town-wide rainfall reaching from the farthest corner of Sweet Apple Acres to edge of White Tail Wood and the boundaries of the Everfree and Froggy Bottom Bog, creating a curative shower that would restore every pony or other creature affected by the Twisted Desire who stayed outside long enough.
Some ponies didn't wait for the rain however. Applejack took advantage of the cure in a bath as soon as she could and then rushed home and returned with Apple Bloom in tow to put an end to the filly's ever-changing Cutie Pox. With some effort and frustrated pantomime Trixie reminded Twilight that Cabbage Patch did not want to be seen as a half-changeling, and so they appropriated another dose of the cure and ended up curing the entire performance troupe inside the wagon using the sea-pony tank Barnacle Salt was floating in. When it was Cabbage's turn, she stubbornly kept herself completely swathed in rags even as she entered the water, which led to Trixie having to help her free herself from the soaked and heavy cloth after the cure did its job.
By mid-afternoon the rainclouds were in place and seeded. With arguably excessive ceremony, Rainbow Dash gave the order to turn on the waterworks from a perch on top of Town Hall. On top of the clouds, pegasi made a single perfectly coordinated hop and the cure began raining down upon Ponyville. In a cafe somewhere, four friends and soldiers of order watched the rain begin and raised their glasses to another crisis averted.
End of Act II |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act III, Scene 1: Desertion and Disdain | Certain witty jesters among Equestria's population would have taken one look at the storm that broke over the forest near sundown on the Day of Twisted Desire and quipped that the stubbornly weird and willfully wild woods were feeling left out of the cleansing rain over Ponyville. The pony most likely to have made such a joke, namely Soul Mage, was rather disinclined to do so due to the circumstances he and the Order-naries were in at the time. After the Twisted Desire issue had been sorted out, the Order-naries had spent the remainder of the day helping with a little clean-up around town, celebrating, and making arrangements for the six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony to accompany them into the Everfree the next day to hunt down Discord and fix the weakening seal on him once and for all. After their business was concluded, the four out-worlders made their leave by way of Ashen Blaze's transport spell, with the intention of returning to Canterlot to report to the Princesses and rest up for the next day. However, in the middle of casting his spell, Ash's eyes had gone blank and he warped the group deep into the Everfree Forest and then began running even deeper at a shambling run, seemingly deaf to the demands for explanation or cries of worry from Gale and Gold Heart respectively. The storm had broken as Gale, Heart, and Soul began chasing down their errant leader.
"This is great," Soul muttered as the rain began to make the growing darkness of night even harder to see through and literally muddied up the path. He lit up his horn to try and fight back the darkness and then cast a lasso of spirit magic toward Ash, but the ash-grey unicorn stumbled over a fallen log at the last moment and vanished into the undergrowth. The others sped up and hurtled over the log and then began casting about for signs of Ash.
"I found tracks," Gale reported after a moment, pointing in the direction they led and then taking the lead as the hunt resumed.
"I hope he's ok," Heart said, "What could Discord want with him now?"
"We're sure this is Discord's fault?" Gale asked.
"Did you see Ash's eyes?" Soul said curtly, "He's nowhere near his right state of mind."
"I still find it hard to believe that Ash the Indomitable has been mind-controlled," Gale said suspiciously, but when a painful cry and the sounds of a scuffle rose up ahead the group, she was the first to break into a gallop. The sounds faded as the group came to a clearing that was on its way to turning into one giant mud puddle. Soul cast his light forward, revealing the figure of an ash-grey pony with a wild red and orange mane in the trees across the clearing. "Ash!" Gale cried as she and the twins began to charge across the open space. They'd made it less than halfway across when the ground under their hooves suddenly gave way, sending them all sprawling into knee-deep mud that clung to them and tried to drag them deeper into it.
"Ash," Soul cried out, "help!" He tried to reach out with his magic, but an invisible force wrapped around his throat and choked him until his concentration broke and he nearly blacked out.
"I'm sorry friends," the figure in the shadows said in a perfect facsimile of Ash's voice, stepping out to the edge of the sinkhole, his eyes closed, "Ash isn't here anymore."
"Who are you?" Gale demanded, struggling valiantly against the mud.
"Depending on how a little experiment of mine goes," the thing said, "I might be the last thing you three ever see." He opened his eyes, which glowed wickedly green, and then proceeded to pull the air away from the Order-naries. The last thing they heard before they blacked out was "Sleep."
Fluttershy was wet, sore, and more than ready to just lay down and go to sleep. From the moment she'd been changed back from a tree into a pony she'd been racing around trying to catch up on all the care her animal tenants still needed while trying to deal with the fact that her bedroom was in shambles from Twilight transplanting her that morning. The room had not only been fully exposed to the looming rainclouds, but thanks to Fluttershy taking root in the floor as a tree there was also a gaping hole in the den ceiling. Ultimately, Fluttershy had removed what she could from the bedroom, covered the hole with a tarp and resigned herself to dealing with any water damage at a later date, preferably at the same time she got the roof fixed. But now, at last, the day was ending, everyone had been fed, the rain wasn't dripping into the house and was making a comforting drumming sound on the roof (there had been some thunder earlier from the Everfree's storm, but nothing to be concerned over), and all Fluttershy wanted to do was take a bath and fall asleep on her couch. Before indulging herself, however, had to make sure all her little houseguests were comfortable and accounted for.
Her mane wrapped up in a towel to keep the rainwater in it from dripping on the floor, she made her way around the den checking on each birdhouse, squirrel den, and mouse hole, bidding a good night to their occupants by name and coaxing the critters who were still moving about into the empty ones. After a cycle, she stopped at the couch and frowned slightly, finding her count to be slightly off. "That's curious," she said in a low tone, "who's missing?" She circled the room a second time, quickly listing off animals as she passed by their sleeping areas, came back to the couch, and then smiled and rolled her eyes. "Angel Bunny," she exclaimed quietly, "Where'd he wander off to?" From the lack of response, nothing in the room seemed to know. "Maybe he's drawing my bath for me," Fluttershy suggested to herself as she headed up the stairs, "He's been such a considerate little bunny lately, I should do something extra nice for him. Maybe make a little hat for him, or try to get everything for that big salad he keeps requesting or..." she trailed off as she reached the bathroom and found it empty and as clean as could be expected considering the recent chaos. She went back downstairs and checked in the kitchen, under all her tables, and even inside the coat closet without finding even a hair of the white rabbit. "Oh dear," Fluttershy said, worried, "Where is he? He always stays inside during rain unless he's mad at me. Did I do something to upset him? I don't think so, but I should apologize anyway. Once I find him that is. Sorry," she concluded in a whisper as a few squirrels poked their heads out to glare at her for making too much noise. She dug back into the coat closet for an umbrella saddle in preparation to check Angel's hutch in the yard, but as she started to slip into it, the top half of her front door was flung open and a white lump flew in, landing hard on the floor and uncurling into the form of a badly beaten Angel. Fluttershy gasped and went to bundle him into her front legs, but stopped herself when she saw that his back legs had been broken, on top of a black eye, numerous bleeding wounds, and an ear that had been nearly torn to shreds. He was delirious with pain, but seemed to recognize Fluttershy as she hovered over him, his eyes pleading for help.
"Hold on Angel," the pegasus said, fighting down her panic to focus solely on healing him. She rushed away and returned with her medical supplies and wash cloths in record breaking time and then set to work cleaning and bandaging Angel's wounds. She wrapped his torn ear completely in bandages and a splint, although she wasn't sure if it would ever heal properly, and then turned her attention to the broken legs. The pain he felt as Fluttershy felt out the extent of the damage snapped the bunny out of his delirium for a moment and he did his best to put on a brave face. "Your left leg has one simple break," Fluttershy explained soothingly when she saw he was coherent, "but the right one's broken in at least three. I'm going to set the bones now; are you ready?" Angel nodded and braced himself, letting out sharp squeaks of pain as Fluttershy pulled and twisted his legs into their proper orientation. As Fluttershy splinted the breaks, she asked, "What in Equestria did this to you? Are the outdoor animals ok?" Angel just pointed to the door, a look of pain and fright on his normally kind and confident face. "Oh my. Oh dear..." She tied off the last splint and stood up, gazing at the open door and the dark, rain-obscured yard beyond. She walked up to the door, stuck her head outside, and looked around with trepidation. Her natural timidity warred with her protective instinct, but the latter eventually won enough ground for her to open the lower half of the door and step outside. "H-hello?" she called out weakly, "E-excuse me, uh, whatever's out here, would you... no." She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. "You hurt somepony very important to me," she said in a slightly stronger voice, "So come explain yourself and apologize!" She flinched as a deep, slow laugh came out of the darkness.
A pair of orange lights appeared in the distance, near Fluttershy's chicken coop and from the same direction a voice said, "Ah Fluttershy, the motherly she-wolf in the body of a weak and timid little pony. I must admit your little pet surprised me; I've never met a rabbit with such tenacity."
"Who are you?" Fluttershy asked, "Why did you hurt Angel?"
"He was in my way," the voice said, "he's lucky I'm not here for him, or I would have done much worse to him. I have to admit though, he proved rather useful. What better to lure out the beast buried in Kindness than a malicious and undeserved beating?"
A wave of cold rippled through Fluttershy, driving out the last of her fear and leaving only righteous indignation coursing through her veins and freezing her eyes into the dreaded Stare. "You... horrible creature," she growled, kicking at the dirt in preparation to charge, "You don't harm innocent little creatures, do you hear me? Apologize!" With a furious snort, she charged toward the lights. As she drew closer, she saw that the lights were actually the eyes of a unicorn wrapped in shadows and she faltered for a split second as fear started to creep back into her thoughts. The unicorn tilted his head to the side nonchalantly and Fluttershy was suddenly hoisted off the ground with her wings pinned to her side, the momentum she'd built up continuing to carry her forward. The magic glow of the unicorn's horn was dimly visible through his shadowy disguise as he brought her to a stop in front of him. He smiled and his eyes changed color from orange to a deep blue as cold as his smile. Fluttershy's resolve was shaken by the transition, letting terror return to her in full force.
"As I thought," the unicorn said, "an easy victory. Discord took the wrong approach with you, appealing to a pride that's almost nonexistent. I could break you, but I don't have the time and I can't risk you making a surprising escape to warn the others, so I'm afraid you'll have to go." Fluttershy could only whimper as the unicorn's horn grew brighter, cutting through the shadows and gradually revealing his features. The yellow pegasus saw ash-grey fur and locks of fiery red and orange before a sharp thunderous crack drew her gaze involuntarily upwards. High in the air above the chicken enclosure was a jagged hole, blacker than anything Fluttershy had ever seen and rimmed in an eldritch blue glow. "Hm," the unicorn said, flecks of yellow appearing in his eyes, "Higher than I thought. Ah well, in you go Fluttershy." Fluttershy struggled helplessly as the magic bound her tighter and she began floating up toward the hole. She managed to get enough air in her lungs to let out one small shriek before she crossed the threshold of darkness and the hole snapped shut with another clap of thunder. "That makes four," the unicorn said, eyes shifting to green.
Rainbow Dash tossed and turned in her bed, unable to find a comfortable position, which was exceptionally frustrating considering her penchant for napping on tree branches. Something was gnawing at the corner of her mind, a feeling that something wasn't quite right with her world all of a sudden. Grumbling, she kicked off the covers and rolled onto her back, staring up at the clouds forming the ceiling of her bedroom as she tried to locate the reason for her anxiety. She was absolutely positive that Zecora's cure had removed all traces of cloud-ness from her body, making her one hundred percent flesh, blood, bone, wicked awesome speed, and awe-inspiring agility. The plan to rain cure-laden water upon Ponyville had gone off perfectly, as had the follow-up rainstorm that was now currently washing away the disgusting smell of the used-up cure mixture. A wild rainstorm had broken over the Everfree around the same time as the second storm had been started, but Cloud Kicker had claimed it was nothing to worry about. "Probably just part of the forest trying to straighten itself out after the crazy winds yesterday," she had said. A trio of pegasi had kept an eye on the wild clouds for a bit and hadn't noticed anything odd about them.
But considering all the craziness that's come out of those woods lately... Rainbow thought, and then sat up and blinked in realization. Is that it? she wondered, Yeah, I just don't trust that crazy place to keep to itself while Discord's pulling strings. The sooner we can find him and shut him up, the better. I won't be any good to the others if I can't any sleep now though... Deciding to go check out the Everfree rain herself and face her doubts head-on, she climbed out her bedroom window and dove down to the ground. Just before she hit the blanket of rain clouds, which she'd moved her house above as a matter of course, her wings snapped open and she pulled up into a glide heading toward the Everfree Forest.
In most cases when a scheduled rain shower in town happened to coincide with rain in the Everfree forest, the two fronts were allowed to mingle along the boundaries, and despite Rainbow's misgivings tonight was no exception. Although the edges of the clouds merged together, Rainbow's trained eye was able to discern where tame, pony-made clouds ended and wild, origin-unknown clouds began. She landed near the border and began walking slowly along it, eyeing the Everfree clouds like a drill sergeant sizing up new recruits, looking for any signs of nonconformity or insubordination. Eventually, she was forced to admit that nothing was out of the ordinary and, with a sense of relief, she turned around to head home. Just as she spread her wings for take-off, however, she heard a small, familiar shriek from below. "Fluttershy?" Rainbow inquired. She quickly made a hole in the clouds and stuck her head through it in time to see Fluttershy struggling against invisible bonds as she was swallowed up into a hole in the air. The hole closed with a bang that left Rainbow's ears ringing, and then she saw a dark figure on the ground looking up at the spot where Fluttershy had vanished, it eyes glowing green with malicious satisfaction. Without a second thought, Rainbow widened the hole in the clouds and dove through it, swooping down to tackle the figure, sending them both tumbling a good three yards before sliding to a stop with the cyan pegasus on top and fuming with anger. "What did you do to Fluttershy?" she demanded, front hooves putting light but threatening pressure on the other's throat. The pony stared back with glowing yellow eyes and a bewildered expression as the shadows fell away from him, causing Rainbow to gasp in disbelief as she recognized him.
"Rainbow Dash," Ashen Blaze said, his expression hardening and his eyes turning red, "How unexpected."
"What did you do to Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked, angry and confused, "Bring her back!"
"That won't be possible," Ash said, horn flaring as he kicked Rainbow off, the magic launching her skyward, "You'll likely be joining her soon anyway." Rainbow recovered control and hung in a stupefied hover for a second before shooting up above the clouds.
What's going on? she thought frantically, Fluttershy... Why would Ash..? Or is it Discord? Either way, I better get help. She started to wing her way toward Sugar Cube Corner, the closest of her friends's homes, but stopped short as a black, winged equine shape burst up through the clouds and blocked her path, his eyes blue-green and amused.
"Ah ah ah," Ash said chidingly, "Did I say you could leave?"
"What... how?" Dash exclaimed, "You're a unicorn! You can't fly!"
"Not a unicorn," Ash replied with a slow shake of his head, "Have you forgotten? I'm not of this world." He landed on the cloud and walked slowly toward the cyan pegasus, who backed away under the influence of some inexplicable fear. "Rainbow Dash, loyal but cocky, brash, and quick to act," the winged unicorn said, "Discord hardly had to try with you; just a little confusing double-talk and he had you. I'll give it to you straight: change your loyalties and give them to me, and I promise you greatness. Everypony will know and adore you, the great Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow stared in silence at him for a moment, and then rolled her eyes. "You must be kidding," she scoffed, "Nightmare Moon tried that one on me, and she did it better." She reared back and then charged the ash-grey pony.
"Well, now that the formalities are over," Ash said with a casual shrug. His horn lit up, and with a wave of his hoof he formed the clouds into a giant hand that grabbed Rainbow and stopped her short.
"Wha... seriously?" Dash said incredulously, "You're trying to hold a pegasus with a cloud?" Lashing out in all directions with her legs and wings, she broke the hand apart and then made to charge at Ash again.
"Point," Ash said, nodding, and then met Rainbow's charge by grabbing one of her outstretched legs and throwing her past him into an off-balance landing on the clouds. "How about something more elemental?" he asked. A spark jumped off his horn and snaked through the clouds toward Rainbow, growing in power as it went until it reached her and exploded into lightning. The pegasus's face contorted into a silent scream as the lightning struck again, and then she collapsed into a heap. "You'd put up a good fight, if I let you," Ash said, eyes turning red as he levitated her over to him and started clearing away the clouds nearby. He held Rainbow over the hole as his horn flared brightly and the hole in reality split open again below. "To be honest," he said, "It's good you didn't accept my offer. There's nothing less trustworthy than a turn-coat after all. Ta-ta." He released Rainbow Dash, who fell helplessly into the blue-rimmed void. |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act III, Scene 2: Despair | Maggie Pie's dreams were interrupted by an uncomfortable pressure on her nose. She opened her eyes and met the gaze of a pair of vacant purple reptilian eyes attached to the small crocodilian that was doing a balancing act with its toothless jaws around her snout. "Eeeeek!" she shrieked, leaping up and landing stiff-legged and upright on the bed, "Pinkamena! Your pet's trying to eat me!" Gummy blinked his lazy asynchronous blink and then leapt up to latch onto the grey pony's mane.
"Oh, so that's where he got off to," Pinkie said, sticking her head into the guest room, and then giggled at the flat stare her sister directed at her. "Don't worry Maggie," she said, trotting nonchalantly into the room, "He doesn't have any teeth, remember? He's just playing." She reached out to take Gummy and the gator obliged by chomping onto her fetlock. Pinkie giggled as she flipped Gummy onto her back and trotted out the door, saying, "Let's you get you some food little guy."
"I'm surprised the Cakes still let you keep him around," Maggie said, following, "Especially now that they have the twins, I'd think they'd be more worried."
"What are you talking about Maggie?" Pinkie asked, "Mr. and Mrs. Cake love Gummy! I do have to keep an eye on him around Pound though, especially when he's living up to his name." Maggie paused to puzzle that sentence out, and then rolled her eyes and caught up with Pinkie as she climbed up to her apartment and set Gummy down in front of a small bag of some unidentifiable stuff, which the gator promptly stuck his snout into and went into a stupor. Pinkie gave him one last pat on the head and then hopped off downstairs. Maggie followed her sister, but kept a suspicious eye on the tiny, oblivious reptile until she reached the hallway.
The ground floor of Sugar Cube Corner was filled with the usual hubbub of activity characteristic of a bakery owned and operated by a married couple with twin foals still in diapers. The maternal Cake was juggling feeding said twins with clearing out the remains of yesterday's stock and refilling the displays with fresh items from the kitchen. She broke her rhythm just long enough to smile warmly at the Pie sisters. "Good morning dears," she said, moving to intercept Pumpkin Cake's attempt to turn her food into a projectile, "There's a coffee cake set aside in the kitchen, but you might want to hurry before Carrot eats it all."
"Thanks Mrs. Cake!" Pinkie beamed, sliding effortlessly past her and through the kitchen doors. Maggie simply nodded in a silent echo of her sister and waited until she had a clear path before following. As she entered the kitchen, she was greeted by a large piece of coffee cake on a plate balanced on a pink hoof, and beyond it another scene of organized chaos, this one under the control of Mr. Cake. "Morning Mr. Cake," Pinkie said, having already eaten her share of breakfast, "Need help with anything? We've got two full sets of hooves here ready to mix, carry, glaze, frost, carry, taste-test..."
"Actually-" Maggie started to say, but Pinkie continued to rattle on until Mr. Cake cut her off.
"You can keep an eye on the ovens for starters," he said, "That'll free me up to check the inventory and the order schedule. Perhaps you could help with that Maggie?"
"Okie dokie lokie," Pinkie chirped.
"Actually," Maggie said, scuffing the floor with a hoof, "I was planning on a getting a proper start on my little search. With everything that happened yesterday..."
"Oh, well that's ok," Mr. Cake said, slightly distracted as he poked his head into the pantry, "Do you know where you want to start? If you don't, I bet the Apples might welcome a financial planner. Or... you know, whatever exactly it is you do."
"Oh," Pinkie said, her ears perking up in epiphany, "You know who could really use help finding success? Trixie!"
"That traveling performer?" the light-grey pony asked, "She and her group seemed to be doing well enough, considering recent events and her history."
"That's just the problem though," Pinkie said, "She needs all the-" she froze up suddenly as her tail began twitching. "Twitchy tail!" she yelped, and all movement in the bakery came to a standstill, eyes scanning the high shelves and items hanging from hooks.
"Pinkamena," Maggie said slowly, "Perhaps we should go elsewhere so it doesn't ruin anything here?"
"Good plan," Pinkie agreed. The one truly reliable thing about the Pinkie Sense, in her experience at least, was that whatever triggered the twitch always happened where she could witness it. Grabbing Maggie by the leg, she ran out the back door and out into the street, where they were promptly doused with a small cloud's worth of water. Pinkie's tail stopped twitching and she brushed her sodden mane out of her face as she looked up to see a surprised Raindrops and an embarrassed Ditzy Doo hovering overhead with the wispy, rapidly vanishing remains of a cloud between them.
"Oh no, I'm sorry. My bad," Ditzy said, looking between Raindrops and the Pies, "I didn't know you were pushing that cloud Raindrops!"
"What..?" Maggie stammered, bewildered by the sudden wetness of her body.
Raindrops sighed. "The cloud burst from being pushed on one side and kicked on the other."
"Sorry," Ditzy said glumly.
"Aw, don't worry," Pinkie called up to her, "There's a lot worse that could've set my tail a'twitching, and it's not twitching anymore."
"Oh..." Ditzy didn't appear very relieved, perhaps due in part to the emotions on Maggie's face as she continued to process being soaked.
"There are still a lot of clouds," the grey earth pony said at last. It was true; the sky was thick with the remnants of the previous night's storm, some of them still dripping.
"We're a bit understaffed up here," Raindrops explained, rolling her eyes, "A number of pegasi are claiming a sick day, and nopony's seen Rainbow Dash. Just her absence alone puts us behind schedule by nearly an hour."
"Well, that's strange," Pinkie said, "I mean, Dashie likes to sleep in, but she always takes rainstorms seriously."
"I know," Raindrops said, "Look, we'd better get back to work. Sorry about the cloudburst."
"Okie dokie, see you later!" Pinkie called out cheerfully as the pegasi flew off, and then she and Maggie went back into Sugar Cube Corner to dry off.
"Aaaanyway," she said as she rolled around in a pile of towels while Maggie wrung her mane out into the bathtub, "What were we talking about before all this? Oh, right, you and Trixie. She's an awesome stage magician and all, but after that Ursa Minor thing she can't seem to draw crowds on her own anymore."
"Well, when a town's first impression of you starts with lots of boasting and ends with you running scared from a rampaging monster..." Maggie drawled.
Pinkie popped to her hooves and shook her head, spreading water around from her still-wet mane. "No no no Maggie, it's not just here," she insisted, "She had a good thing going in Manehatten for a while, but that was only because she was working for a pony who ran a full theater. Now she's here, trying to lead a small troupe and the only times she's had a lot of success is when ponies like Twilight or Rarity lent her a hoof. And have you seen their wagon? Boring! Not very colorful or eye-catching, and nothing on it to tell you who it belongs to if you don't know! And Applejack told me she got the impression that they're always short on food and-"
"Ok, all right, I get your point Pinkamena," Maggie said wearily, "I'll have to talk with her troupe and see how they do things before I make my decision."
As Maggie passed by the Carousel Boutique, alone because Pinkie had decided to run off and find where Rainbow Dash had vanished to, she couldn't help but notice the large caravan wagon parked next to the building. It was no surprise, therefore, that she found Trixie and her troupe inside the boutique with a somewhat weary-looking Rarity. The bell that announced her entrance brought whatever conversation was occurring to a brief stop as everypony turned to look, save for Cabbage Patch who simply froze in the middle of examining a scarlet ribbon. "Oh, good morning Margaret," Rarity said with a sad smile, "Were you looking for something? Because I'm afraid the Carousel Boutique won't be open for much business today."
"I was looking for them actually," Maggie said, indicating the performers, and then turned her attention to Trixie and said, "I hear you've been having some financial difficulties lately, and I'd like to offer my assistance."
"And you are?" Harlequin asked.
"Margaret Pie, Maggie for short," the grey earth pony said in a charming but businesslike tone, "You're probably familiar with my sister, Pinkie." Trixie gave her a dubious look and she chuckled. "My talents lie in finances and business savvy," she said, "Up until recently I was in charge of marketing for my family's rock farm."
"A rock farm?" Barnacle Salt said, slightly incredulous, "I've seen and heard a lot in my life ma'am, but I don't think I've ever heard of farming rocks."
"It's true," Rarity said, jumping in, "It's the most glamorous of occupations, if you don't mind me saying so Margaret, but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any semi-precious stones, cobblestone streets, or new construction that can't be traced back at least in part of the Pie Rock Farm."
"That may be all well and good," Trixie said, "but what can you do for the Great and Powerful Trixie that Rarity's sponsorship and advertising help can't provide?"
"My full undivided attention to keeping you from going broke," Maggie replied immediately, "Rarity here has her own business and life to attend to, and you can't count on her name to have quite as much clout outside of Ponyville."
"Sad but true," Rarity agreed with a dramatic sigh, and then she perked up with a huge grin on her face and leaned suggestively toward Trixie. "You should give her a chance," she said, "There's really not much that go wrong, and I do have an all-day appointment at the spa that I simply cannot miss." Trixie took an uncomfortable step away from the starry-eyed unicorn and then conferred briefly with Harlequin and Barnacle.
"Very well," she said at last to Maggie, "Show Trixie what you've got."
"Wonderful!" Rarity beamed, clapping her hooves, "Now I must be going soon, so please hurry along so I can lock up."
"Aye aye," Barnacle said, "Come on Cabbage, you heard the lady." The shy sea-green pony nodded, set the ribbon she'd been holding down, and rushed over to the sea captain's side.
"All right then," Maggie said as the group left the boutique, "first of all, I'll need to take a look at your current financial strategy. Do you have a ledger or a budget plan I can look at?" She glanced around and received only blank stares in return from everypony. Heaving a sigh, she let her ears and head droop and said, "This is going to take a while."
"Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Daaash!"
"Pinkie Pie, what are you doing up there?" Pinkie, suspended in the air near Dash's cloud-house by a multitude of balloons tied around her waist, looked down to see Twilight looking up at her with simple curiosity.
"Hi Twilight," the pink pony said, waving, "Have you seen Rainbow Dash today?"
"No," Twilight said, casting an askance glance at a nearby mud puddle, "The weather patrol hasn't seen hair nor feather of her, and its causing a lot of concern. But, you probably already knew all that," she added, eyeing Pinkie's balloons with amusement.
"Ooo, good guess," Pinkie said, looking genuinely impressed. She pulled a pea shooter out of nowhere and used it to pop balloons until she drifted down to the ground, whereupon she untied the rest and let them fly away. "Try and guess where Dashie's gone now!'
"Well, I've already looked the parts of town between the library and here," Twilight began, only to stop when Pinkie blew a raspberry.
"That's not guessing Twilight, that's deduction. Or process of elimination? Or maybe induction?"
"Pinkie," Twilight groaned, "Ok, fine. Out of all the landmarks and locations in Ponyville, I randomly guess that Rainbow Dash is at... Sweet Apple Acres."
"Hmm... that's a pretty big area," Pinkie said, "I guess that she's... at Fluttershy's house. Ok, first to find her at the place they guessed wins! Ready? One two three go!" She zipped away in a cloud of dust and a blurred line of pink that soon vanished around the corner of a building, leaving a confused and speechless Twilight behind.
After several second of blinking and mental recovery from the onslaught of Pinkie energy, Twilight shook her head, rolled her eyes, and smirked. "Well, there's no reason not to check the farm," she said to herself.
There was something off about Fluttershy's cottage, but Pinkie couldn't put her hoof on it. It wasn't the huge hole in the side where Fluttershy's bedroom had been, because that was obvious and Pinkie had been expecting it anyway. There was almost no animal activity in the yard, but that wasn't too unusual, and Pinkie was still pretty far off as she pondered the mystery so she could have been missing the subtle stuff. As she approached, the feeling of wrongness increased as she realized that what little movement she could make out at the cottage was all heading away from it. "What's going on?" Pinkie asked, and as if in response her knee started to feel pinchy. "Oh no," Pinkie gasped, "Something scary's about to happen to Fluttershy! I have to help her!" Breaking into a gallop, Pinkie crossed the remaining distance to the cottage and then burst through the upper portion of the front door, declaring as she landed, "Don't worry Fluttershy, I'm here to help!" She glanced around the room and caught only a glimpse of a startled-looking grey pony near the couch before something shut the door behind her and everything went dark. "Hey, what's going on?" the pink pony exclaimed. The pinchy feeling in her knee grew stronger.
"Well well," a rough voice said from the darkness, "Isn't this a popular little spot all of a sudden? Perhaps this will end up taking less time than I thought. Still, I must not overestimate anything."
"What are you talking about?" Pinkie asked, straining futilely to see the source of the voice, "Who are you?"
"Can't you guess?" the voice asked tauntingly, coming from a new direction every few sentences, "Perceptive and perplexing little Pinkamena Diane Pie, noticing what others may miss. You have to stay alert though, don't you? Always on guard because you can't let anything surprise you in a way that could crack that thin shell of joy you've built around yourself." Two bright spots of blue light suddenly appeared before Pinkie, startling her into a backwards leap.
Who is this guy? Pinkie thought to herself, and then another voice chimed in on her mental landscape: He's trying to scare you Pinkie. You know what to do about that. "Right," she whispered to herself, calming down. She took a deep breath, held it for a second, and then let loose with a barrage of laughter. The lights wavered and then faded away and Pinkie grinned in triumph, but then the light returned, framing a face that was both disturbingly familiar and utterly alien. Flat glowing blue eyes were set into an under-saturated reflection of Pinkie's own face, partly covered by a long, straight, and flat dull magenta mane and wearing a wide, vicious grin on its face. Pinkie shrieked and backed up against the wall, stuffing a hoof in her mouth as she tried to regain her composure.
"So much for giggling at the ghostly," the fake-Pinkie said in a deep, rough, masculine voice, "You think too highly of yourself Pinkie. You behave like you're the glue that holds your friends, or maybe even the entire town together. Discord played on that, didn't he? He turned the laughter against you, but yet he considered your Element to be his favorite."
"He... he was just trying to get under our skin," Pinkie protested, "He thought he could undermine the power of friendship."
"That he did," the false-Pinkie said, its eyes turning green, "and he succeeded. Not just by temporarily brainwashing you either; he left a more lasting impression - on you." It drew closer to Pinkie, bringing its personal spotlight with it, and tapped her on the forehead. "Eternal chaos comes with chocolate rain you guys! Chocolate. Rain! And as I heard it, you weren't exactly concerned about the discovery that the Elements of Harmony weren't where they were supposed to be."
"What are you implying?" Pinkie asked angrily, pushing back against her sinister double.
"Let me be clear," the other said, "Discord was sealed for millennia after the Princesses were done with him, even long after the Nightmare broke their bond. You and your friends seal him up and he's already breaking free mere months later. Somepony wasn't fully committed to ending his reign; somepony would've been happy to live in his kind of world, had he not turned her into a grump."
"That... that's not true," Pinkie protested, but her voice grew weak even as she said it. Doubts began to fill her mind, and images of her friends hearing these accusations and turning against her, driving her out and finding a new pony to be the Element of Laughter. She started to quake with fear and her mane fell flat to match the glowing-eyed copy in front of her. "What do you want with me?" she asked.
"I could leave you broken like this," the other pony said as an ash-grey unicorn horn suddenly appeared on its forehead and its form began to shift subtly, "But there's too much risk involved there. I can't dispose of you yet though, or the sound of the rift closing will attract half the town. We'll have to wait until the night, when everyone's asleep. Until then, let's play. You like games don't you? Pin the tail on the pony sound good?" |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act III, Scene 3: Dissent | "Welp, Ah'm sorry Twilight, but it looks like Rainbow Dash isn't on the farm."
"That's ok Big Macintosh," Twilight sighed, "It was a bit of a long shot anyway." It was now well into the afternoon and Twilight was close to bone tired. While searching for the missing cyan pegasus, she'd also been roped in to helping the Apples, and the ever-eager Cutie Mark Crusaders, dig drainage ditches around the property to deal with the unexpectedly large amount of rain, something Applejack wasn't too happy about.
"Hey Twi," the farm mare said as the unicorn prepared to leave, "When ya find Rainbow, tell her I don't want ta see her round here unless she's got a good excuse fer shirking on clean-up today."
"I'll do that," Twilight said dryly, "Good luck with everything."
"Thanks," AJ said, "We'll be needing it."
Twilight left the farm and started making her way toward the library, intent on a warm bath to wash out the mud and the aches. Along the way she kept an eye and ear on the state of the town and its populous. By this point the weather patrol had managed to clear the skies and the summer sun was drying up the mud. The ponies had bounced back quickly from the Twisted Desire and business was starting to get back into its normal rhythms, but in the conversations Twilight passed there was an undertone of fear and trepidation that something else would befall the town soon. Rainbow Dash's mysterious absence was a hot topic as well, considered by some of the more paranoid as an ill omen. Twilight made a few inquiries as she walked and failed to find any clues to her flying friend's location. In fact, nopony could remember seeing Rainbow Dash since she had retired to her home after starting last night's storm. Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be seen either, even though Twilight was sure she'd have finished looking around Fluttershy's and have canvassed half the town by now.
As she passed through the center of town, Twilight saw Rarity emerge from the spa looking noticeably un-relaxed and trotted over to her. "Oh, Twilight darling," Rarity said as the lavender unicorn approached, "You haven't seen Fluttershy by chance have you? Today was our spa day and she never showed up. She's never late, and if she has to cancel she always remembers to send word or even comes by to apologize in person."
"First Rainbow Dash and now Fluttershy?" Twilight exclaimed, "What's going on? There can't be any kind of pegasus event going on or there'd be a lot fewer in the air and around town right now. I've lost track of Pinkie too, but you can never be too sure with her in the first place..."
"This sounds like a matter of utmost urgency," Rarity said, "You must get to the bottom of this Twilight. Who knows? This may be something that dratted Discord is orchestrating in his bid to escape again."
"You're not the only pony thinking that way," Twilight said, "I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but we might want to put the Princesses on alert."
"Or the Order-naries," Rarity suggested, "They do have experience in tracking-" She was interrupted by the slap of clawed feet on the muddy road as Spike came sprinting toward them holding a scroll in his hand and calling Twilight's name in between gasps for breath. "Oh dear, now what?" Rarity asked in concern as the baby dragon reached them and nearly collapsed in exhaustion.
"Urgent," he gasped, "Order-naries... missing."
"What?" Twilight exclaimed, taking the scroll in her magic while Rarity gave Spike a leg to lean against as he panted. "Twilight," the lavender unicorn read, "Would you happen to know the location of Soul Mage and Gold Heart, as well as Ashen Blaze and Gale? Soul and Heart failed to report in for duty today, and a search of their usual haunts has come up empty. From the letter you sent to Princess Celestia yesterday, I was under the impression that the Order-naries would be back in Canterlot today. Has something else come up? Signed your BBBFF, Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard."
"But we saw Ash teleporting them away last night," Rarity said, confused.
"I know," Twilight said, frowning, "If this is a coincidence, then I'm a mule." She glanced around quickly to see if Ponyville's resident mild-manner mule was in earshot. He wasn't, so she picked her train of thought back up. "Spike," she said, "head back home and send a message to Canterlot. Tell the Princesses and my brother that the Order-naries aren't in town and that we're missing a couple other ponies."
"Sure thing Twi," Spike wheezed, giving her a thumbs-up, "Just as soon as I stop hyperventilating."
"Poor dear," Rarity said, levitating the little dragon, removing the mud from his feet, and then setting him onto her back, "Let me take you to the boutique and I'll find you a nice sapphire and some water while you write the letter, ok?"
"Thanks Rarity," Spike said, getting a dreamy look in his eyes, "You're the best." Rarity chuckled demurely.
"I think I'll go check out Fluttershy's place," Twilight said, "Pinkie was supposed to go there and I haven't seen her since. Meet me back at the library when you're done." Spike and Rarity both nodded and then set off. Twilight went off another way, headed for Fluttershy's cottage.
Despite the great urgency and worry she felt, Twilight kept herself to a slow trot as she reached the road to Fluttershy's, wanting to conserve as much energy as possible in case there was trouble. As soon as she had a clear view of the cottage in the distance, however, she spun around and began galloping back into town at full speed, having suddenly remembered something vitally important she needed to attend to. She made it about twenty yards before coming to a stop, her eyes crossed and narrowed in confusion. "What am I doing?" she asked aloud, "My friends are missing and Fluttershy's house is the closest thing I have to a clue! Nothing could be more important!" Suspicious, she turned back around and trotted toward the cottage. Once she had a clear view of it again, she found herself galloping away with a sense of urgency. Her hooves dug furrows into the road as she stopped herself ten yards away and turned to glare down the road. "Ok, that settles it," she said, "Something weird is definitely going on." She activated her magic and began casting a simple detection spell as she cautiously walked toward Fluttershy's cottage again. As the house came into view, the spell reacted, causing a faint shimmering wall to appear across the road and extending to either side in a curve that would eventually encircle Fluttershy's cottage if it continued. Twilight stuck a hoof through the shimmer and felt a sudden, almost irresistible urge to turn away. She pulled her hoof back and the feeling faded away gradually. "It's some kind of diversion spell," she mused, "Something doesn't want anypony getting near Fluttershy's. Well, I won't be stopped." Concentrating hard, she built a bubble of magic around herself and charged forward, but the moment she hit the perimeter of the diversion spell it bypassed her defenses and forced her away, this time to a distance of about twenty-five yards. "Ok," Twilight said, letting her force-field drop, "Whoever set that up is a particularly good magic user, but there's a counter for everything. I just need to find it." She turned away from the house of her own will and galloped off toward the library, repeating in her mind a vow to find Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie no matter what.
Twilight, Spike, and Rarity made it to the library at almost the same time, and the young dragon was looking worlds better. "The letter's away," he reported with a salute as Twilight let them inside, "Still waiting for a response."
"Did you find anything at Fluttershy's?" Rarity asked, not looking too hopeful since Twilight had arrived alone.
"I couldn't get close enough," Twilight said, already scanning the bookshelves, "Spike, help me find everything we have on distraction and diversion spells and how to bypass them. There's a big one making it impossible to get within a hundred lengths of Fluttershy's house. If you try it sends you running away thinking you're late for an appointment or something drastic."
"Right," Spike said, jogging into the back room to look. Twilight began plucking books out seemingly at random and stacking them up by the central table.
"My goodness," Rarity said, taken aback somewhat, "I don't think I've ever heard of a diversion spell that gets bigger than a few rooms or a small hall, and those have to set into crystals so they'll stay up without supervision."
"Really?" Twilight asked, curious, "The only thing I've ever seen a diversion spell used for is temporary privacy in school dorms or a colt's 'no fillies allowed' clubhouse..."
"Yes, well Canterlot's not exactly known for its high crime rate," Rarity replied coyly, "It's a different story in the... seedier parts of big cities like Manehatten."
"What would a lady like you be doing in in places like that?" Spike asked as he waddled out of the back room with a tall stack of books balanced in his arms.
"I never said anything of the like Spike," Rarity said indignantly. She levitated the top book off his load and opened it up, pointedly holding it in front of her face to hide it from him. "Now what are we looking for Twilight?" she asked.
"I'm trying to see if there's a spell written down that matches what I ran into," the librarian answered, "if not I'll have to find the closest match and try to adapt a counter-spell to it. You don't have to stay if you don't want to by the way, if you had something else you needed to do today."
"Nonsense," Rarity said, "I insist on doing everything in my power to help. The sooner you can get us past that security spell, the sooner we find out what's happened to our friends. Now... what did that spell do again?"
Through the remainder of the day and into the night Twilight poured through book after book, noting down possible leads and scratching them out later upon finding something that seemed more likely. She hardly noticed when Rarity stepped out and returned with dinner from Sugar Cube Corner, although the news she brought that neither the Cakes nor Maggie Pie had seen Pinkie all day spurred Twilight to greater fervor. As evening approached, Rarity finally convinced herself that she had to go home and leave Twilight in the care of Spike and Owloysius, who was beginning to wake up for the night. The lavender unicorn was too caught up in preparing an experimental spell to even notice.
Having failed to find an exact match for the diversion spell around Fluttershy's cottage, Twilight settled on one that was close: a spell that convinced those who drew too close that there was nothing of interest beyond it, but also gave a headache to anyone who was too persistent. The only counter-spells Twilight could locate depended on being able to see and magically touch the source of the spell, which was out of the question for the current situation. With no other recourse available, Twilight began experimenting with magic shielding that could block a diversion spell's mental effects. Borrowing a diamond from Spike's stash of treats, she set a diversion into it to serve as the target and wrapped the shielding around herself. She soon fell into a cycle of studying and modifying spell formulae, casting them, and failing to get through the diversion spell. Around ten o'clock, she was nursing a terrible headache and a sour temper and Spike and Owloysius began conspiring to get her to stop. After the owl flew off with the spellbook she'd been consulting for the third time, Twilight finally got the message. "Ok, ok, I'll take a break," she said, dispelling the diversion spell properly and walking away from the work area, "but only for a few minutes, ok?" She sat down at the table, took an aspirin thoughtfully provided by Spike, and then laid her head on the table and despite her intentions fell asleep.
She was startled into wakefulness a couple hours later by a loud and faintly familiar cracking bang sound. Snapping her head up out of the puddle of drool that had formed on the table, she ran to the nearest window and looked outside. "There aren't any clouds," she said to Owloysius, who had fluttered over to join her, "So that wasn't thunder. It sounded awfully familiar though. But where..." The sound came again, echoing through the town and triggering Twilight's memory. "That's the sound from when the Order-naries fell out of the sky!" she exclaimed, running for the door, "They landed in Fluttershy's yard. This can't be a coincidence. Owloysius, let Spike know I've gone to investigate."
"Hoo," the owl responded.
Flecks of purple tinted Ash's green eyes as he levitated the limp and despondent form of Pinkie Pie into the blue-rimmed rift. It was almost disappointing having to cast her into it after all the fun he'd had, but as always pragmatism had won out. He couldn't risk her rallying her spirit all of a sudden and making a surprise escape, and he had more important things to do anyway. There had been enough close calls already and he had to stay on his guard. As the dimensional rift slammed shut, he returned to the cottage he'd appropriated - long since cleared of anything small and rodent-like or avian - and sat down in the center of the den to meditate and plan. Things were progressing faster than he had expected; the Order-naries and half of the Elements of Harmony had already been dealt with in less than twenty-four hours, and considering Pinkie's dramatic entrance it was almost certain the disappearances had been noticed by those that remained. He'd put up a large perimeter spell to keep ponies away so that he could focus on the pink one, and it had been put to the test repeatedly in a short period of time earlier. Applejack's stubborn enough to try and brute-force her way through, he mused to himself, although I can't discount- His thoughts stopped as he felt the diversion spell react again and he went to the window and cast out to try and sense the identity of the attempted intruder. He felt intense magical power and sensations of lavender and magenta. Twilight Sparkle. She can't be trying to unweave the spell, can she? Eh, might as well let her wear herself out on it; fighting her is not going to be fun in any case. He decided to wait an hour or two before letting her pass and sat down to meditate again. Half an hour later, he felt the diversion spell collapse from an outside force. "Oh, she's good."
Twilight's glee at defeating the diversion spell faded quickly, replaced by worry as she neared Fluttershy's cottage and whatever was hiding inside. The gaping hole in the wall and roof around the bedroom gave the cottage a significant foreboding aura as it was, but the utter stillness in the yard and apparent lack of light in the windows only made things worse. She entered the yard and stopped as a mist rose up and the darkness-wrapped figure of an alicorn emerged near the house. For half a second Twilight thought it was Nightmare Moon, until she realized that not only was he a stallion but he wasn't much bigger than she was, and his eyes were glowing solid orange orbs, lacking even pupils. The two stared at each other for a second, and then he spoke, "Hello Twilight Sparkle. Forgive me if we skip past the part where you wonder who I am and I toy around until you figure it out. I've grown tired of that game." The shadows pulled away from him slightly to reveal a wild mane of fiery red and orange. "You know me as Ashen Blaze," he said, his eyes starting to turn blue as Twilight stared in open-mouthed shock, "and I've been busy removing the Elements of Harmony because the world is about to undergo a change and I don't want anything in my way."
"Y-you mean Discord," Twilight stammered, "He's using you again, trying to pave the way for his escape."
"Discord? Pah," Ash scoffed, eyes turning red, "That joke of a spirit couldn't plan his way out of a paper bag if it took more than three steps. No, he may have tried but he got more than he bargained for, and now I'm free." He smiled wickedly and took a few steps toward Twilight. "I almost wish you'd brought your Element tiara," he said, "I've been throwing the ponies into the void, but I'm curious what would happen if I were to throw in one of the jewels. I'd have tried with Fluttershy's necklace, but I've searched every nook, cranny, and rat-hole in this cottage and just couldn't find it."
"What did you do to my friends?" Twilight asked with a dangerous look in her eyes.
"You'll find out soon enough," Ash replied, nonchalant, "Make it easy on yourself and just give up. Powerful as you are, you're nothing without your friends."
"They may not be here in the flesh," Twilight said, focusing her magic, "but our bond is always there." She unleashed a powerful burst of magic that pushed Ash back against the wall of the cottage and dispersed the mist around the both of them. Ash's shadow cloak burned away under the onslaught, and his wings disintegrated. His eyes turned yellow but otherwise remained unchanged. He began to slump to the ground as the blast ended, but Twilight galloped up and caught him, holding him against the wall as she glared daggers at him. "You better have a way to bring Fluttershy and the others back when I'm done with this," she snarled, and then touched her horn to his and cast the memory spell that had always undone Discord's influence before. She began to delve into the ash-grey unicorn's mind, looking for the happy memories she was certain were there just under the surface. All she found, however, was darkness, images of strangely colored stars and monsters, and finally a terrible rage that pushed against the spell and forced Twilight out and tumbling head-over-tail away from Ash.
"Foolish little girl," he snarled, eyes blazing red, "I am the Indomitable; nothing enters my mind without my will. Nothing controls me any more, not even delusions of guilt. I am the Meis Thamule, the greatest mage there ever was, and I will prove it." He levitated Twilight off the ground, pressing a force against her neck to choke off her air, and with a gesture of his hoof tore open the rip in reality above the chicken coop. "I'm also rather annoyed that you destroyed my wings," he said, "Do you realize how much work it took to make those?" He flung her up and into the rip, releasing his telekinetic grip on her throat long enough for her to scream once before being swallowed up and the hole slammed shut. "Two left," the grey unicorn said, raising his eyes to the distant mountain range and the city built into its side. |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act III, Scene 4: Destitution | Darkness. Soundless, even from my own throat as I try to scream. No ground, no sky, no gravity. No sense of up or down.
Is this what death feels like? Am I moving? Spinning? Flying? Stationary? So dizzy...
Spike rose groggily from his uneasy slumber to answer a knock at the door. His eyes were bloodshot and his stance uneasy from vacillating between the demands of sleep and worried waiting throughout the previous night for Twilight to return. His vision was still blurred as he opened the door, so all he saw at first was a blob of pink on the doorstep. "Pinkie Pie?" he said, "Where've you been? Twilight was worried. You haven't seen her have you?"
"No, I haven't," the pink blur said in a familiar but decidedly not-Pinkie-Pie's voice, "Are you ok Spike?" Spike shook his head and rubbed furiously at his eyes until he could see clearly enough to make out the pink alicorn with the purple, rose, and gold mane and purple eyes looking down at him with concern. Behind her was a full squad of Royal Guards, consisting of pegasi and unicorns.
"Princess Cadance?" Spike exclaimed, "What are you... I mean... ahem, I'm afraid you caught me at a bad time your highness."
"I figured as much," Cadance said with a wry smirk, "When I heard that Twilight's friends were going missing, I insisted that Shining Armor let me come down with the guards he was sending to help investigate." She indicated the armored ponies standing behind her. "Were you saying something about Twilight being gone too?"
"Yeah," Spike said with a sigh, "Come on in. I'll tell you everything I know." He turned around and shuffled off to the kitchen as Cadance and two of the guards - one pegasus and one unicorn - stepped into the library while the remaining guards took up a perimeter around the tree. After a few minutes of scuttling around the kitchen and nearly breaking a few things in the process, Spike emerged with tea, oats, and a big pot of coffee. "Here we go," he said, setting the tray down on the table, "sorry I'm such a mess."
"It's ok Spike," Cadance said, taking charge of the coffee pot, "Just sit down and explain. How do you take your coffee?"
"I don't, it's for them," Spike answered, pointing to the guards, "Twilight says I'm not old enough for coffee yet. Tea please, nothing in it." Cadance looked askance, but poured the dragon a cup and set it in front of him. "I think it started the night before last," he said, "Sometime between going home for the night and sunrise, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy went missing. Yesterday, Pinkie disappeared when she went looking for them at Fluttershy's house, and later Twilight tried to go there and got repelled by a powerful spell."
"Oh my," Cadance said, "Knowing Twilight, that can't have sat well with her."
"Tell me about it," Spike said dryly, "She spent the rest of the day trying to find a counter-spell, and according to Owloysius - that's our owl - something made her go running out around midnight to try getting to Fluttershy's house again. She hasn't come home yet..."
Cadance processed the story with a grave expression, and then turned to the pegasus guard and said, "Send somepony - no, half the squad to Fluttershy's house. Everypony else should either begin investigating around town or securing the remaining two Element Bearers: Rarity and Applejack." The guards saluted and walked outside to relay the instructions.
"If you don't mind me asking," Spike said after drinking some of his tea, "Why didn't Shining come himself?"
"Well, his duty to Canterlot's defense comes before anything else," Cadance said, "although if he knew Twilight were missing I don't doubt he'd be down here in a minute." She shook her head at Spike's inquisitive look. "You know the Order-naries have gone missing too," she said, "You saw them leave Ponyville, so whatever is responsible may be able to reach Canterlot as well as Ponyville." She stopped and took an unsteady breath, losing her noble poise all of a sudden. "Oh Spike," she said, "What is going on? It seems like everything's been deteriorating since Summer began..."
"And Ponyville's been getting the worst of it," Spike agreed. The dragon and the young princess fell into a melancholy silence, each wishing they could say something encouraging but unable to find any silver lining on the oncoming storm clouds. The silence was broken a few minutes later as a unicorn guard burst into the library, his face promising more bad news.
"Something is going down around Miss Rarity's store," he said, "the entire property has been sealed inside a force field and at least one civilian has been injured trying to get past it."
"No!" Spike yelled. He bolted for the door, calling out to Rarity, only to find himself hauled back from the threshold and deposited onto Cadance's back as she galloped outside and took flight.
"Guide me there Spike," she said, "I don't know the way."
Shouldn't I be freezing, if there's no heat? Could I even feel cold if I were?
Getting... hard to think... Unconcsious. Not that different from conscious really... I don't think I like death.
............
Spike had seen the Royal Guards on high alert before, most recently at Cadance and Shining Armor's wedding, and the scene at the Carousel Boutique was par for the course. A translucent orange bubble had encased the fashion studio and all of the surrounding yard for several lengths outward and was halfway surrounded by a segmented arc of grey-coated unicorn guards who were apparently trying various methods of piercing the barrier while the white pegasus guards were applying coordinated physical attacks around the apex in search of a weak point. The guards that weren't actively trying to get inside were keeping the concerned townsponies a safe distance back, and as Cadance and Spike approached a pair of pegasi came up to bar the way. "Sorry your highness," one of them said, "but since you're not an actual officer of the Guard, I have to ask you to keep back while we work."
"But I have to help Rarity!" Spike protested.
"Kid," the guard said, raising an eyebrow at the little dragon, "we have the situation under control." A loud electric pop went off from the bubble and a team of unicorn guards were thrown back from their position, soot-faced and armor smoking.
"Nice control," Spike muttered sarcastically.
"Now Spike," Cadance chided, coming in for a landing outside the Guard's perimeter, "We don't know how dangerous the situation really is, and these good ponies are highly trained."
"I know, I know," Spike admitted wearily, sliding of her back onto the ground, "I just... I'm sick of feeling helpless in emergencies like this. I'm a dragon for crying out loud!" Cadance put a leg around his shoulders for comfort as he fought back frustrated tears.
For nearly forty-five minutes the guards continued to try and break through the barrier to no avail and there was no sign of movement or sound from the boutique. The stalemate finally showed signs of ending when a window on the second story opened and an ash-grey unicorn with a fire-like mane stuck his head out, the annoyed orange glow of his eyes and horn visible even at the back of the crowd that had formed. "Persistent little gnats, all of you," he sneered in a magically amplified voice, "but that's all you are, little gnats with teeth not even big enough to pop a soap bubble! Feel free to wear yourselves out, but so long as I control that barrier, you'll never wear it down."
"Is that Ash?" Spike gasped, utterly shocked.
"It looks like him," Cadance said with a cold edge to her voice, "but it's doing a poor job acting like him." Striding forward with confidence, she stepped out of the crowd and past the guards, horn aglow as she amplified her voice to answer the villain. "Identify yourself and declare your intentions," she demanded.
"Ah, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza," Ash replied good-naturedly, his eyes turning green, "It has been a while, hasn't it? But surely you haven't forgotten my face in that time, chiticu. Ashen Blaze always left a strong impression on those who claim titles of authority."
"You are not Ashen Blaze," Cadance accused, "I know him well enough to know he would never harm Rarity, nor hold her and her home hostage."
"Truth," the grey unicorn said, "And hostages aren't really the style of Meis Thamule either, but I must work with what I have. As to my intentions, well..." He grinned evilly, "It is unwise to reveal your plan to the enemy."
"If you are indeed Ash, tell me this," Cadance said, "Why the sudden change of heart? What have these ponies done to earn your hatred?"
"You understand nothing little princess," Ash spat, eyes flaring red for a second, "There's no hatred here, only pride and loyalty to the original cause! Feel free to test it with your little love spell, but oh, no," he laughed sardonically, "That would mean letting you through my defenses. I don't think so chiticul. There are only two ponies I'd dream of letting in here, and I've already got one right where I want her."
"Two?" Spike muttered, confused. A lightbulb went off in his head and he shoved his way out of the crowd and past the guards and shouted, "What did you do with Twilight and the others?"
"Removed them," Ash answered simply, prompting a wave of horrified guessing to roll through the crowd. "Tell you what," Ash said after a moment of thought, "If a certain somepony is out there and thinks they can put me in my place, I might be persuaded to bring them back." Worried muttering broke out among the crowd, and there was movement near the back as somepony started to shoulder their way through to the front.
"Ya mean me I take it," Appejack declared as she emerged. She stopped just short of the guards, who looked uncertain about whether or not to allow her closer. The fact that she was wearing a golden necklace with an apple-shaped citrine set in it only seemed to add to their confusion.
"Oh, is that the Element of Honesty I see?" Ash asked, eyes turning blue, "Now what prompted you to bring that AJ?"
"I figured if somepony was behind mah friends disappearing, I'd need all the help I could get when mah turn came around."
Ash clapped slowly and then drew his head back into the boutique. "I like your pragmatism farmgirl," he said, "Be warned though: once you enter my little bubble, you won't be going back out without facing me." Applejack snorted and stamped in reply and then started toward the barrier with such a strong look of determination on her face that even the elite Royal Guard didn't try to stop her. Cadance and Spike did, however, running to bar the earth pony's path before she got too far.
"Don't do it AJ," Spike pleaded.
"I hafta Spike," Applejack said stoically, "I can't stand by and let that... whatever he is now get away with assaulting mah friends so long as there's a chance I can do somethin' about it. Besides, he'll be coming for me eventually."
"You have no reason to think he'll play fair Applejack," Cadance said, "You're the last Element Bearer we have a chance to protect, and my aunts would be most upset if we didn't try. Come to back Canterlot with me and we'll keep you safe."
"Sorry Princess," AJ said, trying to walk around the alicorn, "No can do. That varmint's got a lot coming to him and I'm gonna see that he gets it."
"At least leave the necklace," Cadance pleaded, "If it fell into his hooves..."
"I wouldn't worry so much about that," Applejack replied, "I still remember everythin' Twilight said about us the night we became the Bearers of th' Elements. Unless the right pony's wearing this here necklace fer the right reasons, it's just a bit of fancy jewelry. Ya can keep an eye on mah hat though," she said, removing the Stetson and flinging it up onto Cadance's head, "Don't want it getting' damaged." With that, she pushed past the princess and Spike and walked up to the barrier, passing through it like it wasn't even there. Spike tried to run after her and rebounded off the barrier. Applejack glanced back once at the ponies gathered around before entering the Carousel Boutique, tensed and wary for any surprises. The door closed, and a few seconds later there was a series of cracks and crashes, and then dead silence before the orange bubble collapsed and faded from existence. Cadance and Spike led the instantaneous charge toward the building and burst inside. The main room was a mess of torn clothes, broken dress-forms, and shattered mirrors. There was no sign of life, save for a quivering Persian cat hiding under the remains of a fainting couch, and in the middle of the room a golden necklace with an orange gem in the shape of an apple lay seemingly abandoned on the floor.
The first thing Twilight became aware of was warmth, and that alone was enough of a shock to pull her to the brink of full consciousness. Her thoughts remained jumbled for a bit, but as the sensations of touch and hearing began to return so did coherency. Ok, she thought, So, I'm dead now? Everything went dark and... Not... but now I'm starting to feel again, so I just had to pass through whatever that dark place was to get to the afterlife. I don't want to be dead, but I guess now I get to learn which, if any, idea of the afterlife is correct. It's probably not the Verdant Dream, because I'm still me. Whatever it is, I hope it involves the Princesses being able to get in touch on some level... All of this pondering took place before Twilight began taking stock of her surroundings, and she kept her eyes firmly closed until she was sure it would be a good idea. She felt like she was laying in a bed, under light covers and with a pillow that was more supportive than soft under her head. She could hear voices somewhere nearby but muffled as if they were on the other side of a wall, and it sounded like an argument. Odd, she thought, I wouldn't think there'd be anything worth arguing about in the afterlife. Erg... or headaches. She winced as the now all-too-familiar feeling of pain in the cranium returned with a vengeance and she clapped a hand to her forehead to rub at the most painful spot. Wait... hand? And why can't I feel my horn? Her eyes flew open and she sat upright, panic overriding the protests of her head and stomach at the sudden movement long enough for her to get a good look at herself. She was nearly hairless, save for her mane which was tangled up in a typical bedhead, her skin was a pale pinkish-tan, she had five-fingered hands with no apparent claws, and her body structure seemed suited for bipedalism. The sound of movement to her left distracted her and she looked around to see she was in a large room filled with beds, five of which were occupied by creatures similar in appearance to her, each with an oddly familiar hairstyle. One of them, with long purple hair that fell past her shoulders as she sat up, turned to look at her and shrieked in panic. Twilight screamed in response, and their combined voices woke the other four, two of which also joined in the freak-out session while the third simply stared around in shock and the last sat listlessly.
"What's going on here?" one of the creatures, bearing a short mess of rainbow-striped hair on its head, exclaimed in a familiar-sounding voice.
"R-rainbow?" Twilight stammered in disbelief.
"Twilight?" the rainbow-haired thing replied in kind, "What happened? What are you? What am I?"
"Goood morning!" a new, male-sounding voice declared as two creatures similar to what Twilight had apparently turned into entered the room. The one who had spoken was wearing a big, somewhat goofy grin while the other looked concerned. Like Twilight, they were bald except for a matching crop of brown hair on top of their heads - longer in the second one's case - triangular little noses poking out of otherwise flat-looking faces, and both were wearing clothing that covered all but their heads and lower arms.
"You!" Rainbow exclaimed, "Whatever you are, start ex-" she cut off abruptly as she attempted to jump out of the bed and face-planted onto the wood floor.
"Everyone just calm down," the no-longer-smiling creature said as its companion ran over to try and help Rainbow up, only to be pushed away distrustfully.
"Calm down?" the purple-haired one exclaimed in Rarity's hysterical voice, "Why should I calm down? Look at me! I'm hideous and bald!"
"Actually, I'd say your beauty got translated fairly well Rarity," the speaker's companion said. Feelings of dejà vu began flooding into Twilight's head.
"How do you know my name?" Rarity demanded. The two brown-haired creatures shared a glance, took a look around the room at everyone, and then looked at one another again and nodded. Walking to the middle of the room, they clasped hands and closed their eyes. An aura of ethereal blue flames surrounded the pair and then spread out and washed over Twilight and the others. As it did so, Twilight felt her panic and disorientation wash away and in its place came balance and a sense of familiarity with the linked pair. Looking around the room with fresh eyes, she found she recognized all the creatures in the beds - and on the floor in Rainbow Dash's case - as her friends. And the two brown haired ones were...
"Heart? Soul?" Fluttershy asked in quiet bewilderment.
"Indeed," Soul Mage said, releasing his sister's hand and bowing, "Welcome to the Af-"
"No," Gold Heart said sharply, smacking Soul upside the head, "We just calmed them down Ray; don't go freaking them out with a bad joke. Go tell Maha that everybody's awake now." Soul nodded, looking apologetic, and left the room. "Now," Heart said, looking around at the transformed ponies, "I'm sure you all have a lot of questions."
"Yer darn right," Applejack said, "Where the hay are we? Last thing I recall was bein' warped into the forest and then magically hogtied alongside Rarity and thrown into something darker than the inside of a timber wolf by Ashen Blaze!"
"Oh," Rarity said huffily, "don't you dare mention that name!"
"It can't have been Ash," Fluttershy said. Everyone turned to look at her and she pulled the sheets up in front of her face. "I-I mean, it sure looked a lot like him," he said, "but the way he acted, it was like he was an entirely different pony."
"I'm not so sure," Twilight said, "I thought he was under Discord's influence when I ran into him, but he just laughed at the idea and when I tried to restore his memories I couldn't find anything but darkness and chaos. He called himself Meis Thamule after that..." Heart frowned deeply at that and glanced toward the floor. "Hold on a second," Twilight said, looking toward Rarity and Applejack, "You two were still in Ponyville when I ran into... him. How long have we been here?"
"About six days," Heart murmured, not meeting anyone's eyes.
"What?" Rainbow exclaimed, trying to haul herself to her feet using the bed for support.
"Ahem," a strong motherly voice said from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Soul standing behind an older-looking woman who was a head shorter than him but filled with matronly authority that made Twilight think of Granny Smith crossed with Mayor Mare. Her white hair was held back in thick braid and she brandished a gnarled wood walking stick at Rainbow Dash reprovingly. "Get yourself back into that bed Miss Rainbow," she said, "I don't want any of you girls getting any more hurts before the doctor can get a look at you all. And don't you two stress them with too much talking either," she added with a wave of the stick toward Heart and a tap of the forehead to Soul before leaving.
"And that's Matron Maha," Soul said as he entered the room properly, "Wonderful woman; I'm glad to see she's still running things here." He went over to Rainbow and straightened out the bedclothes as she grumpily slid herself onto the bed.
"And where is here?" Applejack asked.
"Valden," Soul answered, "Specifically, we're in the Traveler's House of Overlook Town - formerly Vladeksfoot - of the Kallu Empire, the second largest nation of the world."
"This is the world where we fought Tau'rin just prior to going to Equestria," Heart explained when everyone gave Soul a blank look, "And, at least for the moment, it's home." |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act III, Scene 5: Discovery | "What do you mean, 'home'?" Applejack asked.
"We mean you may as well get comfortable with being human," Soul said, taking a seat on an unoccupied bed, "You girls were out cold for about six days, but we bounced back from the inter-dimensional journey about as fast as usual. I'm not sure why it took you so long to recover, but the point is that Chell, er, that is Heart and I have had time to get reacquainted with the area and to put it simply, getting back to Equestria doesn't seem likely."
"You and Gold Heart," Twilight said, "what about Gale?"
"Oh, she's here too," Heart said quickly, "Just... busy with other things at the moment. And the by the way," she added with a look at her twin brother, "you girls are going to need to get used to people calling us by our real names: I'm Rachelle, or Chell if you need to be brief, he's Ray, and Gale is Carmilla. Ash-"
"Doesn't matter," Rarity said curtly, "Thank you for the forewarning Rachelle. I for one will endeavor to remember to address you properly."
"Are we going to need weird names like those?" Rainbow asked, "Well, yours isn't too weird Ray, but..."
Ray chuckled as Rachelle rolled her eyes. "I think you can get by with your real names," the male twin said, "Most of the townsfolk are aware that you're from another reality, and treating visitors with all possible respect is a big rule to the Valden people."
"That's good," Fluttershy said in her normal quiet manner, "I mean, this is so much to take in already..."
"Take your time," Ray said, "You just stick with us; we're long overdue in paying back the favor of you helping us adjust to Equestria." His smile was warm, but something in his eyes made it seem less than genuine.
"Your report Lieutenant," Captain Shining Armor said crisply, hardly looking up from the map laid out on the main table in the Ponyville library.
"Sir," the unicorn Guard responded smartly, "We've still been unable to locate even a trace of Ashen Blaze, nor any clues as to where he may have taken the Element Bearers. Also, the Apple family still refuses to comply with your request that they relocate to Canterlot along with the other families of the Bearers."
"I'm not surprised," Spike noted sourly from his seat across the room, "Their orchard was nibbled on by parasprites two weeks ago, then pounded by gale-force winds last week and dusted with pollen from a freaky poison joak cross-breed, and then half-drowned by rain that was left on too long because evil-Ash took away our best weather pony. They're also missing a family member and dependable worker. I'd say they're far more worried about preventing a food shortage for the entire town than their own safety."
"On a more positive note Captain," the Lieutenant said, reclaiming Shining's attention, "We have been able to confirm the location of more of Miss Fluttershy's animal charges, including the rabbit Angel. They're in the care of the zebra herbalist of the Everfree Forest."
Shining Armor gave the unicorn a hard look of barely concealed displeasure. "You have failed to find my sister and her friends and expect me to be satisfied that you found some bunnies?" he asked in a low voice. The lieutenant stammered for a bit before falling silent when the captain raised his hoof and dropped his gaze. "Expand our range. I want the next search party going as deep into the Everfree Forest as they can without breaking the pattern."
"Yes sir," the guard said, "...and the Apple family?"
"Leave them be," Shining said wearily, "We've been trying for days now; they obviously aren't going anywhere." The lieutenant saluted and left. After the door closed, Shining slumped out of his stiff commanding stance and pressed a hoof to his head with a grimace. "Where is he?" he groaned, "What is he planning?"
"You need to try and relax my love," Cadance said, emerging from the kitchen and going over to nuzzle her husband, "You won't be doing Twily any favors if you get yourself bedridden with a migraine."
"I'm trying to understand," Shining said, "With no warning, Ash goes bad and manages to spirit away nine other ponies - three of which are known to be able to handle him when he has a bad episode - within thirty-six hours and then vanishes without a trace for nearly a week. He has to be planning something, but what? Where will he strike next? And how do we stop him without... without the Elements of Harmony?"
"We'll find a way Shining," Cadance assured, hugging him, "We defeated the Changelings. Compared to that, what's one unicorn?"
The doctor arrived shortly, although his scruffy-looking hair and thick beard didn't quite mesh with Twilight's concept of what a doctor should look like, even a human one, and some of his methods, such as holding a lit candle close the face of the girls as he examined them, seemed odd, but he carried himself with the confidence befitting his profession. He began with Applejack, whose bed was closest to the door, checking her for bruises, broken bones, concussion, and other such wounds. As he worked, Twilight took the time to get a more detailed look at each of her friends. While their hair was their most familiar feature, having retained the colors and similar styles to the original, they were all different in several subtle but noticeable ways. Applejack looked every inch like the strong, seasoned farm worker she was, all firm, toned muscles with a plain honest face and tan skin. Rainbow Dash also had a sense of strength about her, but she was thinner, more pale-skinned, and wiry, apparently built more for speed than heavy lifting. Fluttershy was a waifish copy of Dash, with similarly toned skin but merely skinny-looking where Dash was wiry, and her trademark shy kindness was written all over her partially hidden face. Twilight herself seemed to fall somewhere in the middle, not as dark as AJ but more so than the former pegasi, and while she had more weight on her than Fluttershy it wasn't a developed kind of weight. With only Rachelle's opinion and the present company to base her own upon, Twilight decided that Rarity did seem to be the most naturally "beautiful" of the six. There was something elegant and refined about the shape of her face and the curves of her figure, which made Twilight think of an hourglass for some reason. Finally, there was Pinkie Pie, whose appearance was disconcerting. It wasn't due to any inherent ugliness or abnormality, although she seemed far more plump than the others, but because of the uncharacteristic slump of her shoulders and sad, far-off look in her face, which was made worse by the fact that her hair hung straight and limp and was far shorter than it should have been, not even reaching her shoulders. Twilight tried to speak to her, but as she opened her mouth to do so, the doctor came to her bed and stuck the candle in her face, his eyes watching hers intently.
"Any pain or dizziness?" he asked.
"Just a headache," Twilight answered, holding back a wince as said headache flared for a moment. Something must have shown on her face however, as the doctor frowned in concern and started gently poking and feeling over her skull.
"You don't have any bumps or cracks," he concluded, "and your eyes dilate fine. Are these headaches common?"
"No," Twilight said, shaking her head, "I was working with a spell recently. That is... before I ended up here."
"Ah, you're a magus," the doctor said, "That might explain it: you've built up potential energy while you were unconscious. Cast some simple spells and see if it goes away."
"Um... right," Twilight said, rubbing the spot where her horn should have been self-consciously, "but..."
"Magic works differently where she comes from," Ray said, coming to her rescue, "She... the focus she always used didn't make the trip with her."
"Well, then I'd suggest she start re-learning as soon as possible," the doctor said, "or those headaches will just get worse. Other than that, she's in perfect health too." He moved on to Fluttershy and the twins came over to Twilight's bed.
"There are a few magi in town who should be willing to lend you a hand," Ray said, "but it may take a little time to set things up."
"I can wait," Twilight said, "It's annoying, but nothing I can't endure."
"Just let us know," Rachelle said.
"You're fine," the doctor said to Fluttershy, "but you might want to eat more, skinny little thing." He moved on to Pinkie and frowned at her blank expression. "Are you hurting?" he asked as he began his examination.
"'mfine," Pinkie mumbled.
"Somehow I doubt that," the doctor said flatly, holding her chin up to see her eyes better, "Any pain?" Pinkie simply shook her head. The doctor frowned and finished his check-up in silence. "Well, there's nothing physically wrong," he concluded, casting a glance at Ray and Rachelle, "At least not that I can find." He blew out the candle and stowed it away in a pocket as he left the room. "Out of bed and solid foods for everyone," he said before he was out of sight.
"Right then," Rachelle said, "Ray, get out."
"Come again?" her brother asked.
"The girls can't have lunch in their nightgowns," Rachelle said simply.
"Ah, gotcha," Ray said, sticking a thumb up in the air as he marched to the door, "I'll be right outside then."
"I must admit I'm confused now," Rarity said as Rachelle went over to large wardrobe cabinet in the corner.
"I think you'll love this Rarity," Rachelle said, opening the wardrobe to reveal a multitude of shirts, pants, skirts, blouses, and other items of clothing, "Clothing is essential in human society, so there is a lot more demand for designers, tailors, and shoemakers than you'd likely ever find in Equestria."
"Oh?" Rarity said, eyes gleaming as she slid out of bed and tried to find her balance, "Then I must make sure we make a good first impression in public. Help me, would you?"
It took some time for the six former ponies to be ready to leave the bedroom, for a variety of reasons. First, they had to get used to standing and walking on two legs, and since Ray wasn't allowed in the room Rachelle had to help them along by herself. Secondly, it took Rarity a fair amount of time to sort through the available clothes - all of which were cast-offs and donations from previous guests of the Traveler's House according to Rachelle - to put together outfits she deemed appropriate and acceptable for each girl while meeting the minimum standard of top, bottoms, and shoes. Lastly, and of greatest concern to everyone, Pinkie Pie continued to behave extremely out of character, avoiding eye contact and snapping hysterically at anyone who tried to comfort her. Out in the hallway, Ray clearly heard most of her exclamations and when the group finally emerged from the room with the sullen pink-haired girl practically being herded by Fluttershy and Rainbow he pulled Rachelle ahead of them a bit as they led the way to the stairs and down to the dining room. "Do you think Pinkie's going to need some Spiriter intervention Chell?" he asked in a whisper.
"It's very likely," Rachelle whispered back, "but I want to see how much we can get her to bring to the surface first. It'd certainly make things easier. On several fronts."
"Agreed." They lead the girls into a large room on the ground floor dominated by a long table that could sit at least fifteen comfortably, although only ten chairs were set up around it presently. Serving bowls of food and pitchers of drink were set in the middle of the table, and one chair near the end was occupied by a young woman with dark brown hair that looked like it hadn't seen more than a cursory brushing and clothes sporting a few set-in grease stains who seemed lost in her own world as she fiddled with a head-mounted computer. "Hey Carmilla," Ray said to get her attention and identify her to the former ponies, "Look who all are ready for lunch."
"Well, lunch is ready for you," Carmilla replied, looking up and smiling at the group, "Good to see you girls up and about. Uh, Pinkie Pie? Are you ok over there?" Pinkie mumbled a noncommittal response.
"Don't push her too hard yet," Rachelle advised, taking a seat next to her mechanic-savvy friend, and then motioned for everyone else to sit down as well.
"Well this all looks mighty tasty," Applejack said once she was settled into her chair. She started to reach for the nearest bowl, but a sharp crack from the other end of the table stopped her.
"Not yet," Matron Maha said, having appeared from another room and smacked her walking stick on the table, "Wait until all the guests are seated missy."
"Are there others?" Twilight asked, confused, "We've taken all the chairs."
"Nope, there's still one," Maha said, pointing to the vacant seat which sat between Ray and Rachelle. Maha went to the dining room door, rapped on the door frame several times, and called out, "Lunch is served! Don't make all these ladies wait cuz you're too shy to face them Ash!" Six out of nine would-be diners tensed up at the name, while Carmilla sank in her seat with a sigh and the twins shared a look. Silence reigned except for the sound of footsteps descending the stairs and approaching the room. They stopped while the owner was still out of sight, but he spoke up in a quiet, annoyed, and very familiar voice.
"I am not 'too shy' to face them Matron," Ash said, "I'm trying not to disturb the peace of your respectable House." Chairs fell over as Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight all shot to their feet and raced for the hallway. The Order-naries jumped up as well, and by virtue of their greater familiarity with running in human form managed to beat the other four to the hall and tried to impose themselves between the four angry former ponies and the dark-haired, green-eyed male who was Ash the Pragmagic. Ash took one look at his would-be protectors and pushed them aside, leaving himself open to the fury of the oncoming girls. He put up no resistance as Applejack grabbed him by the collar of the oddly cut robe he wore and lifted him up against the wall.
"Gimme one good reason I shouldn't smash your face in Ashen Blaze," the blonde farmer growled dangerously.
"I'll give you one missy," Maha said, coming up behind AJ and smacking her on the head with her walking stick, "I will not abide violence between guests in my House." Applejack dropped Ash to rub at the bump forming on her head.
"We could take this outside then," Ash said in a neutral tone, "Since it's inevitable now."
"For the hundredth time Ash," Rachelle said, glaring at him, and the other two Order-naries joined her in a sharp, emphatic, "NO!"
"We will not let you take undue blame for this," Ray said.
"To yourself or from others," Carmilla added.
"What?" Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy exclaimed.
Rachelle rounded on the group, her eyes as hard and cold as steel and her voice brooking no argument. "We are going back to the dining room," she said, "we are going to eat, and we are going to talk like civilized beings until everyone has the full story. Is that clear?"
"Y-yes ma'am!" Applejack said. Rachelle nodded in satisfaction and got everyone marching back to the table.
"Yeesh, I forgot how scary Chell is when she's mad," Carmilla muttered to Ray.
"It's always the nice ones," Ray replied just as quietly, "I wonder, Fluttershy's Stare versus Angry Chell?"
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that," Carmilla said with a false shudder. Rachelle cast a glance at the two and they dropped the subject instantly.
The tension in the dining room could have been cut with a knife as the group filed in and took their seats, save for Rachelle who took up a stance behind Ash's chair once he was convinced to sit. "Now," the Spiriter girl said once everyone was settled, "We haven't had time to get the details, but I know you're all here in Valden due to having a run-in with a certain grey unicorn."
"He broke Angel's legs!" Fluttershy burst out.
"I saw him attacking Fluttershy," Rainbow shouted.
"He did something to Pinkie," Twilight put in, "and managed to overpower me."
"He... you..." Rarity sputtered, her face flushed with fury.
"Ok, ok, you can each have your chance at him," Ray cut in, standing up, "but listen first. This Ash sitting here is not the one who attacked you."
"He may as well have been," Ash said darkly.
"A hundred and one Ash: no," Rachelle said sharply and then looked back up at the group, saying, "We're not entirely sure what he is besides an evil copy, but-"
"What he is," Ash said, surging to his feet, "Is the culmination of Discord's attempt to use me as his puppet to spread chaos through Equestria. He is everything I have struggled for years to contain: the darkness, pride, and desire to conquer that I was originally designed for, all brought to the surface and mixed with enough of Discord's own power to give it life separate from my own being. He is truly and completely Meis Thamule. He's exiled all of you here because he knows the threat the Elements of Harmony pose to his campaign. Actually, he may be convinced he's eradicated you, since there was no way to know for certain if Valden and the other worlds still existed without passing back through the portals Tau'rin or me and the Order-naries emerged from."
"Wait, wait," Twilight said, trying to process everything, "Didn't you say that whenever Tau'rin succeeded in gathering the seven gems that the resulting power surge would destroy the entire universe he was in?"
"That's what we thought," Carmilla said, "Being at the epicenter of an Ultimate Chaos explosion certainly felt like all of reality was coming undone, and we always got sent along to the next world before it ended, so we just assumed the blast was limitless. If Tau'rin knew the truth, he obviously never bothered to set us straight."
"So instead, it just opened a way into another universe?" Twilight asked, a small smile coming to her face.
"That was one of the effects, yes," Ash replied.
"Well then," Twilight said, pounding the table lightly with a fist, "We're not stuck. If that fake Ash, Thamule, could open the portal on Equestria, then you should be able to do it on this end Ash."
"Unfortunately Twilight," Ash said, sitting down and folding his arms, "That would be impossible." |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act III, Scene 6: Despression | The town of Overlook had once been known as Vladeksfoot due to its location at the base of a solitary mountain known as Vladek's Peak, after some ancient figure of myth. That mountain had been where Tau'rin had established his fortress in Valden and where the Order-naries had had their final confrontation with him prior to their Equestrian adventures. Shortly after, Vladeksfoot had changed its name to Overlook because Vladek's Peak no longer existed. In its place was a deep pit that looked like someone had dug a perfectly round bowl a quarter mile across and lined it with smooth black glass several inches thick. Ash stood on the lip of this crater with Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Carmilla, the other four having stayed back at the Traveler's House for various reasons. The Equestria natives were staring in open-mouthed wonder at the pit while Ash and Carmilla, who had seen it enough already, waited patiently for their minds to finish processing the sight.
"Is this what Ultimate Chaos could do?" Twilight finally asked in trepidation.
"Consider the fact that the mountain was over a mile high and the blast went off a couple hundred feet short of the peak," Ash said, "and then try to tell me Tau'rin didn't need to be stopped." Twilight's eyes bugged out a bit as she tried to picture a magical explosion that large.
"It's impressive," Rainbow said, less overwhelmed than her magically gifted friend, "but what does it have to do with the portal to Equestria?"
"I repeat," Ash said, "The center of the Ultimate Chaos, the point where we and Tau'rin were standing when we were ripped from Valden and flung into Equestria, was near the peak of a mountain which no longer exists."
"So... high," Fluttershy said.
"Indeed," Ash said with a nod, looking up into the sky, "As a humanoid once more, I'm at my peak of magical potential, but I cannot lift ten full-grown humanoids - including myself - to that height with any degree of safety, and even if I could, I'm afraid my other self-"
"Thamule," Carmilla said insistently.
"Thamule, yes," Ash said with some irritation, "while he knows the trick to re-opening the dimensional rifts, I do not have that knowledge. Either Discord gave him the power or he figured it out pretty quickly."
"So, how long has the Ash in Equestria actually been Thamule?" Rainbow asked, "You were acting a bit off recently..."
"You were dealing with me up until I tried to go to Canterlot after the Twisted Desire was cured," the mage answered, turning away from the pit and starting to walk away, "My... Thamule may have existed longer than that, but he only took my place after Discord forced me to take the Order-naries into the Everfree instead of Canterlot, where Thamule ambushed and incapacitated me, and then the others shortly after." He came to a stop just as the others turned to start following him, and he stood in silent contemplation for a moment before turning to face them. "I understand why Carmilla and M'Dales insist on not blaming me for Thamule's actions," he said, "seeing as they're stubborn as ever about trying to support me, but you four, and Rarity and Pinkie as well, have seen the darkness I'm capable of first-hand and practically unfil-"
"Just stop there sugarcube," Applejack said, "Yeah, what he did was pretty bad, and we still don't know the extent of what he did ta Pinkie, but it wasn't you what did it to us."
"Besides," Rainbow Dash said, "we wouldn't blame you even if that had been you, just with your mind all messed up by Discord. He flipped all of us around once you know, and that'd make us... uh... real jerks-"
"I think you mean 'hypocrites'," Twilight cut in.
"Gesundheit," Rainbow said, smirking at Twilight's eye-roll before turning her attention back to Ash and concluding, "if we held what you did under his influence against you."
Carmilla chuckled at Ash's speechless expression and walked past him back into town, giving him a light flick on the head as she passed. "Why you still haven't learned that others can forgive you and move on when you can't do so for yourself is a mystery Ash," she said, "I'm going to go see if Bora has a job opening at his forge, in case you need me."
"Job opening?" Applejack said, frowning, "She's really intendin' ta settle in, ain't she?"
"That is the plan for now," Ash said with a nod, "I'm sure it'll be hard to let go of Equestria, but there's no going back that I can see. Maha will put us up as long as we need to, but she'll be more than happy to point you toward somebody who can get you started on a career if you ask." He looked toward the Traveler's House in the distance and sighed. "As for me, I need to see just how forgiving Pinkie and Rarity will be..."
"Just stay away from me!"
"Pinkie, please," Rachelle said in a calming tone, "We only want to help you."
"I don't need help," Pinkie squealed, trying to pull herself deeper into the corner of the common bedroom room, "I don't deserve it."
"Pinkie," Rachelle began again.
"NO!" Pinkie screamed.
"This isn't working sis," Ray said, massaging the headache Pinkie's shrill voice was giving him, "She's too hysterical. I really think we should just give her the treatment."
"No!" Pinkie said, "No treatment, whatever it is."
"You really think you can fight that without doing more harm?" Rachelle asked her brother in a murmur.
"Having problems with the pink party-pooper?" The twins turned to see Ash standing in the doorway.
"Back already Ash?" Ray asked, "How'd the others like the crater?" Ash started to answer, but stopped when he saw Pinkie rise unsteadily to her feet and make a beeline for him, crawling over every bed in her path to do so.
"Hey Pinkie," Ash said with an awkward attempt at casual as the pink-haired girl got right up in his face. He averted his eyes down to the floor as she tried to stare straight into them.
"You never lie, right?" Pinkie asked, leaning into Ash.
"I will answer any direct question with the absolute truth so far as I know it," Ash responded, "And I never go back on my word unless circumstances render it impossible."
"Does Bad Ash always tell the truth?" Pinkie asked a gleam of desperate hope sparking in her eyes.
"No," Ash said simply, trying to put a comfortable distance between himself and her, "At least, I doubt it. Thamule is a reflection of me before I remade myself as an honest soldier of Order."
"Then. Then. Then!" Pinkie said, sliding up to his face again, "Was he lying? Was what he said about me just mean lies? Tell me Ash!"
"Pinkie," Ash said, holding her at arm's length, "I can't answer that; I don't know what he said to you. We're the same, he and I-"
"Not," Ray said.
"Fundamentally we are the same," Ash repeated, "but I know nothing of what went on in his head. Pinkie Pie, only if you tell us what he said to you to break your spirit can I try to help you."
Pinkie was silent for several moments, staring at the floor, but finally she looked up and tried to meet Ash's eyes not noticing how he looked firmly away. "He told me that I was reason Discord was able to do everything he's done recently," she said, "It was my fault the seal didn't stick like it should have, because I didn't really want some of the chaos to end. Was he wrong Ash? Tell me he was wrong!" Her eyes were huge, wet with unshed tears, and pleading.
Ash grimaced and released his grip on her. He sat down hard, barely managing to avoid hitting his head on the wall behind him. "I... I..." he said, downcast, "I can't say that Pinkie."
"What?" Ray and Rachelle exclaimed as the light in Pinkie's eyes died and she sank to the floor as well.
"I saw a weak-point in the seal shortly after Discord was defeated," Ash said, "I tried to theorize why the Elements of Harmony would have done an imperfect job, when the previous seal had lasted for millennia. The only conclusion that made sense was that there had been some hesitation in the unification of the Element's power, and..."
"Pinkie, the silly and off-beat Element of Laughter was your most likely suspect," Ray finished coolly, "Why didn't you say anything?"
"That's why," Ash said, pointing to Pinkie, "Who am I to threaten the crucial bond between the Six? If they'd remained ignorant of a possible weakness, at least until after the seal was fixed, there would have been no harm. And of course, if I had spoken of it, I would have done my best to soften the blow. Thamule had no such compunctions. Pinkie, I am truly sorry."
"You were doing the right thing Ash," Rachelle said, "It got away from you in the end, but that was a secret worth keeping."
Ash nodded in gratitude, and then moved to kneel in front of Pinkie. "Pinkie Pie, listen to me," he said, "you are not a weak link, you're simply mortal. Everyone has their weaknesses, but those can be overcome. Do you understand me?" When Pinkie didn't respond, he grabbed her chin and lifted her head up, coming as close to meeting her eyes as he dared. "Thamule is evil," he said, "and he was created by Discord. Discord was wrong about your strength and friendship before, and both he and Thamule are wrong now. Put yourself back together and show them what Laughter truly means, ok? Never forget who your friends are and what they have and will do for you. And again, I apologize for any pain I have caused you, even indirectly."
"I... do you mean it?" Pinkie asked weakly.
"I never lie," Ash said with a smile, "and on top of that, I cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Pinkie let out a small giggle and smiled slightly, but her hair remained straight and flat. Satisfied, Ash stood up and went over to Ray and Rachelle. "That's the best that I can do for her I think," he said in a low tone.
"I'm surprised you took that route," Ray said, "We can't get back to Equestria, so why bother using proving Discord wrong as a morale booster?"
"It was the only weapon I had," Ash answered, "even outside of their universe and separated from the Element necklaces, the bond they share is their strongest tool. On that note, do you know where I can find Rarity?"
"Private room, one floor down," Rachelle said with a knowing smile. Ash ignored it in silence as he left the room.
"Doesn't it seem to be... in poor taste to be putting on a show tonight?"
"Certainly not Harlequin," Trixie answered with affected shock, "Why, with all the anxiety and fear caused by recent events, ponies will be crawling over one another for some light-hearted entertainment to help them escape for a moment."
"That and if you don't bring in some bits soon you'll be broke," Maggie Pie added without glancing up from the finance ledger she'd recently acquired for the troupe. It was sadly lacking in positive numbers at the moment.
"I'm still not sure," Harlequin said dubiously.
"Don't be a sourpuss Quin," Barnacle Salt said, looking at something beyond the field the troupe had come to for the day's rehearsal, "There's an ill wind brewing from starboard as it is." Everypony turned to see what he was talking about and saw a purple-on-red unicorn standing a short ways off, looking disgruntled at being detected.
"Well, I was wondering what happened to you Tremolo," Trixie called out, "I was almost convinced you'd finally had enough at the Summer Sun Celebration!"
"Oh, I was around Trixie," Tremolo replied as he stalked closer to the group, "Biding my time and feeling out the currents. You've been having such a tough time on the stage, I figured I didn't need to get involved again, but now I've learned some of what's been going on behind the scenes and-" he stopped and froze as the ground began to tremble. Several small tremors rolled through the dirt from various directions and then sinkholes began to form, one nearly underneath Tremolo's hooves. With a panicked sound, the red unicorn leapt away and joined Trixie's group in huddling defensively near the wagon, watching the holes form and grow around them. Clawed hands covered in grey and brown fur and attached to thick arms rose from the holes and were soon followed by helmeted canine heads with disturbingly blank eyes that surveyed the area and one by one locked onto the ponies.
"Run," somepony said, and the troupe bolted. Barnacle took to the air with Cabbage Patch held tight in his front legs while Tremolo and Harlequin ran for their lives in opposite directions, leaving Trixie and Maggie debating quickly and furiously about the risk of trying to save the wagon. The Diamond Dogs hauled themselves out of their holes and, as if driven by some other force, turned as one to pursue the fleeing ponies. Trixie and Maggie shared a confused glance and then got the wagon moving in the direction everypony but Tremolo was headed: toward Ponyville.
Once the hole-riddled field was empty, Thamule hauled himself partly out of one of the holes and watched the receding dust cloud with satisfied green eyes. "Not an ideal army," he said, "but it'll do for a distraction."
The door to Rarity's room was locked, and Ash wasn't the least bit surprised by that fact. He stood in front of it for a while, trying to decide what he wanted to accomplish with the fashionista and knowing deep in his gut that his personal vow never to lie was going to bite him even harder than it had with Pinkie Pie. He told himself he'd be happy if Rarity had truly decided not to have a crush on him anymore, but he couldn't live with her outright refusing to speak with him ever again. "Skomata ne bara..." he intoned under his breath, a grudging acceptance of difficulties as he knocked on the door. "Rarity, it's me," he said, "Ash." When there was no response from within, he briefly considered just walking away, but he had never been one to retreat before the fight had even begun. "I'm sure you're in there Rarity," he said, "and I'm not above using a spell to confirm it." He caught the faint sound of something shuffling through the door and took a deep breath, thinking. "Look, I know you're upset about something Thamule said to you, but you know it wasn't me, so there's no point directing that anger at me."
"It could have been you," Rarity snapped from inside, "He's a part of you, isn't he? That part you keep buried under your gentlecoltly behavior and self-redeeming hero façade."
"Yes," Ash admitted grudgingly, "but mixed up with aspects of Discord and lacking any of the morals and empathy I've managed to develop since fleeing the Shadowstar Empire. You've seen how I behave under more normal circumstances."
"Yes," Rarity said sourly, "I've seen your calculated actions and listened to your expertly-chosen words. Now I see the truth in what that awful double of yours said. You've only been humoring me, constantly on the edge between annoyed and amused at how I tried oh so very hard not to fawn over you every chance I got, displaying my childish attraction in a way that seemed mature and respectful. To think, I thought I had learned how to look below the surface of a handsome face and a high title, but still my gaze has been too superficial."
"Those are starting to sound like the words of another person Rarity," Ash said, "You can't have forgotten what I said about you just a short while ago, in the presence of seeds of truth at that!"
"You paid me simple compliments and said you couldn't reciprocate my affection," Rarity said, and even through the door Ash could feel an icy glare directed at him, "All of which was true of course, but not in the way I first thought."
"Rarity," Ash said, surprised at how hurt he felt, "I could never-" He cut off as Rarity unlocked the door and swung it open, her eyes hard and determined. Ash averted his gaze instantly, focusing on her grim, frowning lips.
"Say it then," she challenged, "No more mincing words Ashen Blaze. Look me in the eye and tell me the truth."
"Rarity," the mage began.
"Look at me," Rarity screamed, "How can I believe you when you won't meet my gaze?"
"You don't want me to do that Rarity, trust me," Ash said, "I explained this to you once a long time ago: my eyes, my human eyes, hold an intimidating power that I cannot turn off. It doesn't matter if they're a friend or foe, to meet my eyes is to experience unbeatable fear."
"Look me in the eye Ashen Blaze, or you will lose my trust forever," Rarity snarled.
"No," Ash gasped, "The trust of others is all I..." He sighed in defeat. "Forgive me for this," he said, "for you know not what you have asked." He placed his hands lightly on Rarity's shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. The effect was almost immediate, as Rarity's azure eyes widened in shock, all the anger forced away by fear. With a cry, she tore herself away and fled to the other side of the room, hugging herself tight as she trembled. Ash let her be for a few seconds, and then walked slowly up to her, reaching out hesitantly to touch her shoulder. "Rarity," he said quietly when she did no more than flinch, "I would not be able to live with myself if I couldn't make things up to you. The obvious solutions are gone; I can't get us back to Equestria and I can't look you in the eye as we talk. Please, if there's anything I can do to earn your forgiveness..."
Rarity was silent for a long time, and Ash began to despair of receiving a response, but before he could muster the will to speak again or turn to leave, the young woman broke the silence herself. "Tell me this," she said, "are we dancing around the topic of love because you are unable to feel it, or because you want to deny yourself of it out of guilt?"
"Love, affection, and even friendship were unknown to me as Meis Thamule," Ash answered, "but I have long since learned what they feel like. I just... I'm not worthy."
"Then," Rarity said, turning around and catching Ash off-guard in a hug, "You are a very noble and sad fool Ash, and I am sorry I mistreated you." She chuckled as Ash stiffened in her grasp, arms visibly twitching with indecision. "Oh," she chided gently, "just forget yourself for a moment and hug me back already you silly colt."
"The proper term would be 'boy'." Ash replied, finding the will to put first one arm and the then the other around the purple-haired lady. |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act III, Scene 7: Discussion | A question for you, Captain Shining Armor:
Who do you value more, your Love or your Sun?
-- Meis Thamule
A couple days passed and the Equestrian exiles were gradually becoming acclimated to their new home. The group continued to live in the Traveler's House and a few of them - namely Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Carmilla - had either found or were seeking out employment around Overlook. Rainbow Dash found herself frustrated by her lack of wings and the revelation that Valden's weather was entirely wild and unmanaged. Pinkie Pie was functional, but her characteristic joy had yet to return and she still shied away from certain topics with her friends. Ray and Rachelle did their best to help her by using a spirit magic technique that attempted to bring calm to troubled minds, but they both declared it would accomplish little until Pinkie let the others in on the problem. Despite having returned to everyone's good graces, Ash often went off by himself for hours on end, only occasionally to be seen at the Traveler's House or the small school-cum-pub for the town's few magic users, where Twilight spent most of her time.
It was late in the afternoon when Twilight, feeling frustrated after a fruitless magic lesson, went for a walk to clear her head and came upon Ash sitting near the edge of the black glass crater outside of town. He seemed to be staring into space as his left hand idly traced invisible shapes in the air, his fingers wiggling in a complicated-looking dance. Twilight approached quietly, not wishing to disturb him but curious at the same time, and was startled when his hand suddenly clenched into a fist and dropped into his lap and he asked, "Can I help you Twilight?" without even looking her way.
"Maybe," Twilight said, taking a seat next to him, "what are you doing out here?"
"Thinking," Ash said simply, "reevaluating my life again now that the stage has changed." Twilight nodded in understanding, and then winced a headache made itself known above her eyes. Ash noticed and commented, "Magic potential overload again? Is your study of Valden magic still not going well?"
"I just can't understand where they're coming from," Twilight grumbled, bring her knees up to her chest so she could rest her head on them, "That is, academically it makes a kind of sense, but I can't even form a connection to the wands they're having me use."
"Maybe if you held it up to your head and pretended it was a horn," Ash said, placing the back of his hand against his forehead and bringing his fingers together into a blunt point. Twilight gave him a dubious look, and then snorted in laughter at the mock-serious expression on his face. "Ok, jokes aside, try this," Ash said, placing one finger on the ground between him and Twilight, "copy what I do and say and picture the power flowing out of you." He drew a triangle in the dirt, reciting, "Fire, Air, and Light."
"Fire, Air, and Light," Twilight repeated, drawing a triangle of her own.
"Water, Earth, and Dark," Ash said, drawing a second triangle over the first, but pointing in the opposite direction. Twilight emulated him, and then he made a dot in the middle of the overlapping triangles and said, "Aether to link, and release." He tapped the dot and the sigil glowed orange for a few seconds.
"Aether to link, and release," Twilight echoed, drawing and tapping her own dot. She felt a tingle run along her skin from her head, down her arm, and through her finger as the six-sided star she'd drawn glowed magenta and the headache faded away.
"Looks like you could have been a Weave Mage like me," Ash said with approval, "Tell me, what do you see?" He began to slowly wave his hand in front of him, his fingers resuming the curious dance from before. Twilight watched for a few moments, and then shrugged with a confused look on her face. "Nothing?" Ash asked, "No glows, no lines, no odd sounds or scents without a source?"
"Nothing like that," Twilight answered.
"You lack the Mage Sight then," Ash said nonchalant, "That's fine. I wasn't really expecting you to have it, since it's unnecessary for Unicorn magic."
"Oh," Twilight said in disappointment, "For a moment there I was hoping you could teach me. Heh, it's funny how the tables are turned now; you're the magical master and I can barely make things glow."
"Not so much," Ash said, raising an eyebrow, "You were my better in Equestria simply because in spite of all my knowledge of magic, you and every other pony with a horn on their head were hogging all the energy."
"Excuse me?" Twilight said, not sure if she was being insulted or something.
"You heard me," Ash said with a smirk, "Out of everything Discord's done, I do have to thank him for leading me to that little revelation."
"What did he say?" Twilight asked, suspicious.
"Nothing," Ash said, "He offered to help me get around my magical handicaps but I turned him down. Instead, to try and tempt me, he lifted whatever veil was preventing me from seeing the threads of elemental energy flowing through Equestria. Those threads, also known as streams, ley lines, and a myriad other things, are the source of all magical power. As a Weave Mage, my magic comes from redirecting and weaving those threads together; it's the most elemental and potentially powerful kind of magic I know of, especially in my hands. The thing is, however, all magic affects the threads in some way or another and when a spell is active, all the threads connected to it become highly resistant to use by another mage in the vicinity."
"What does that have to do with unicorns?" Twilight asked, "It's not like we're constantly casting spells, and I somehow doubt that levitating things can lock up that much power for you."
"True on both counts," Ash said, "however, you don't cast spells by manipulating the threads around you. You do it by channeling energy inside of you and imposing it on other things. That energy can't come from your life force, or you'd starve to death after a big spell or a long session of even simple levitation. No, that power comes from somewhere else, and once I could see the threads the answer was obvious: just by existing you draw the threads near you into yourself and store up the potential energy for later use. Now, just one unicorn or even a small town's worth wouldn't be enough to make my Weaving noticeably difficult, but when there are entire cities with significant unicorn populations all across Equestria, and you take into account the Princesses who have enough power stored up to keep the cycle of day and night going constantly..."
"I think I understand," Twilight said, nodding, "But then, what about Thamule? He was very powerful, and I don't recall seeing him wear that magic enhancing necklace of yours."
"Discord," Ash said, "You know what he's capable of; bending the rules of magic for one of his creations would be child's play even if he is still mostly sealed up."
"Do you think he still is?" Twilight asked, looking up toward where she thought the portal was.
"I sure hope so," Ash replied soberly, "Although, if Celestia and the others are still holding out hope for your return - you and the other Elements of course - it may take Discord breaking completely free to convince them to seek out new Bearers. And with unbridled and twice-bitten Chaos covering Equestria, that won't be a fun hunt."
Twilight frowned deeply as she continued to stare into the sky. "Ash," she said at last, "are you absolutely certain there's no chance we can get back to Equestria?"
"Magic can do very impressive things Twilight," Ash answered, "but you know as well as I do that even it has limits. If conditions were different, if there wasn't at least a mile of empty air between the portal and hard, black ground, I'd do my best to send you girls home."
"There has to be some way," Twilight said with stubbornness, "maybe if we worked together. One of us levitates everyone and the other handles the portal."
"And how long would it take you to get to the point that you could move all that mass to such a height?" Ash asked, "Might as well build a staircase up to it; it would take just as long, be just as dangerous, use up too many resources, and by then who knows what kind of Equestria we'd find waiting for us?" He stood up and turned, stretching an arm out to point toward the south. "A far better use of our time might be to find the portal between Valden and... What in the world?" Just over the horizon was a dark speck flying through the air, growing gradually larger as Ash and Twilight watched it.
"What is it?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know," Ash said, "but it's getting closer and I'm pretty sure it's much bigger than the average bird. Come on, we better alert the town. Better over-prepared for nothing than unprepared for danger."
"Shining, let me come with you. What if he comes after me because of your choice?"
"I'm not leaving you unprotected my love. You'll have the guards and all of Ponyville with you. The royal family shouldn't all be in one place anyway; do you want Blueblood becoming regent pro tempore if something happens?"
"Very well then. Be safe my dear Shining Armor, and let my love be your strength."
Overlook was on alert as the mysterious flying object continued to approach. Most of the townsfolk were indoors, ready to throw up barricades if necessary, while the town militia and other brave souls took up watching positions on the rooftops. The Order-naries were set up on top of the Traveler's House, accompanied by Rainbow Dash, who was armed with a crossbow she'd somehow gotten her hands on, and Twilight.
"Does anyone remember whether Valden has dragons or not?" Ray asked.
"That's no dragon Soul," Rainbow Dash replied, gesturing with the crossbow, "We should be seeing its wing-beats by now."
"Be careful with that!" Carmilla snapped, grabbing the crossbow and forcing it to point down at the roof, "Never point a loaded weapon like this at anything unless you intend to shoot it."
"Sorry," Rainbow groused, rolling her eyes. Carmilla narrowed her eyes and checked the safety before wresting the weapon from the rainbow-haired girl's hands.
"Whoever let you have this is an idiot," Carmilla said angrily.
"Fine, then, I'll just sit here and keep being useless," Rainbow muttered darkly, "I want my wings back."
"Enough you two," Ash said, "Can PC get a reading on it yet?" Carmilla cast one last warning glance at Rainbow before turning her attention, and PC's scanner, in the direction of the UFO.
"Just barely," she said, "he's repeating the scan cycle until he gets something definite. Looks like... it's metal? Yep, definitely metal."
"Huh," Ash said, confused, "That's a bit beyond the local tech..."
"More than 'a bit' Ash," Carmilla said, "PC's calculating this thing's moving at something close to jetliner speeds."
"What's a jetliner?" Rainbow asked.
"Something that might be able to match your average airspeed," Ray said flippantly, and then blanched and quickly added, "Er, I mean... Rachelle, why haven't you smacked me yet?"
"You're doing fine on your own," his sister said teasingly.
"Don't worry," Rainbow said glumly, "It's not like it's your fault anyway. What's so odd about that thing flying so fast?"
"Because it's not a creature," Carmilla said.
"And nothing in Valden could've built something that flies, period," Ash added.
"Even a hot air balloon?" Twilight asked, "I only ask because one of those could probably get us-"
"Up to the portal," Ash finished for her, smiling broadly, "Yes, that should be feasible. Still, that thing out there is way beyond the local tech..."
"Then where could it have come from?" Rachelle wondered.
"Well, when it gets closer enough to make out details, we should be..." Carmilla trailed off and read the display on PC's eyepiece again, slack-jawed. "Ash," she said, taking the computer off her head and handing it to the mage, "You might want to take a look at this. He's already found a configuration match."
Ash raised an eyebrow and looked at the UFO, which was now close enough to make out as shaped vaguely like a wedge or an arrowhead and was definitely headed in the direction of Overlook. "Alright PC," he said as he set the computer on his head and adjusted everything to fit, "Give it to me straight and simple, for once." He rolled his eyes as PC retorted in typical fashion through the earpiece, and then read the displayed text and stiffened. "You're sure?" he asked. PC replied in the affirmative. "That's... worrisome."
"What?" Ray asked, squinting at the distant object, "Wait... it's starting to look familiar."
"Its configuration is a close match to the Shadowstar scout and transport class of spacecraft," Ash said.
"You mean, the Lirin?" Rachelle asked, incredulous.
"No," Ash said with a shake of his head, "It's not an exact match. PC can't identify it; it's strikingly similar to the Lirin, but the exact configuration isn't in his database."
"Hey," Rainbow Dash cut in, "mind clueing me in? Do you know what it is or not?"
"Possibly," Ash said, keeping his eyes on the aircraft, "When I fled from the Shadowstar Empire, I did so in a long-range transport ship known as the Lirin. When I reached Taryn, the ship acted as my home, headquarters, and primary transportation for my mercenary work. The one approaching us now is the same kind of ship, but PC doesn't recognize it. The Lirin was unique on Taryn, so right now I can only assume it's a new model from Shadowstar."
"But if it's here," Carmilla said, fear starting to fill her face, "then, doesn't that mean Taryn...?"
"They'd have to have moved impossibly fast to have reached and conquered Taryn," Ash said, heading to the hatch leading down inside the Traveler's House, "Unless we've been gone from there a lot longer than we've thought. More likely it's part of a group dispatched to locate me, and luck decided to... well, to say 'smile on them' seems woefully inadequate. Luck didn't just smile on or favor this craft, it took it by the hand and drew it a skvetchte map!" He laughed sardonically and opened the hatch. "At any rate," he said as he climbed in, "Even one scout ship's worth of Shadowstar soldiers will be too much for Overlook's militia. I'll head them off; I'm too high-profile a fugitive to pass by. Anyone who wants to be certain I won't die or be captured is welcome to join me."
"Well, this is a change Ash," Carmilla said, "not just accepting of your fate for once?"
"Madam deGrange," Ash said, sticking his head back up out of the hatch to give her a confident smile, "it is long past time I started living up to my dream of fighting against the Shadowstar. Are you with me?"
Carmilla smiled and hefted the crossbow. "You have my bolts," she said.
"And our Soul Magic," Ray said, clapping his sister on the shoulder, "but only if you don't dispute that it is magic." Rachelle rolled her eyes and gave Ray an affectionate smack upside the head.
The Order-naries, accompanied by Applejack, Twilight, and Rainbow, made it about half a mile outside of town before the spaceship drew too close for comfort and had entered a descending path. It was shaped somewhat like a brick with rounded-off corners, a wedge-shaped front end, and with wide wings near the back. The hull was an odd, seemingly patternless mixture of off-white, black, and dull metal grey in color. "No external weapons," Ash noted with interest, "That's appropriate for a transport craft, but you'd think this would be a scout..."
"I'll take yer word for it,' Applejack said dryly, watching as the ship neared and seemed likely to pass far overhead, "and I hope ya have a plan fer gettin' its attention."
"Of course," Ash said. He flicked his wrist and a large card appeared in his hand. Gripping it between two fingers, he pointed toward the ship and focused his magic, causing the card to start glowing. After a moment of charging, he wound up and threw the card, which took off like a rocket and expanded into a ball of yellow energy. It struck and splashed across the bottom of the ship, jolting it upward and sending it into an unsteady wobble until its pilot regained control. Ash summoned up another card as the ship seemed to hesitate for a second and then accelerated away before banking into a wide turn. "Perfect," Ash said, smiling.
"That was impressive," Twilight said.
"Pre-woven spell cards," Ash explained, holding the card out so Twilight could see the complex sigil drawn on it, "they let me bypass a lot of the preparation time for combat spells I tend to use a lot, and almost anyone who can focus magic energy can use them. Here." He summoned up another card and handed it to Twilight. "That one's similar to your stun and anti-Changeling blast," he said, "just point it and focus and it'll do the rest." Twilight nodded and pointed the card straight ahead. The card glowed as she concentrated and then knocked her back as a barrage of orange energy blasts shot out. "It's... normally only supposed to shoot one at a time," Ash said, a bit awestruck. Twilight chuckled in embarrassment as she stood up and everyone turned their attention back to the ship, which was approaching for a landing. It slowed to a hover several yards in front of the group, turned so that the entry hatch on its port side was facing them, and then extended four landing struts and settled to the ground. The Order-naries tensed, readying to attack as the hatch slid out and lowered down into a ramp, and the former ponies dropped into something approaching fighting stances of their own. After a moment, a figure walked into view from inside the ship and stepped out onto the ramp, a balding male human with an eye-patch and a prominent scar on his face, dressed in sturdy jeans, long-sleeved shirt, and shoes, and holding his strong work-callused hands up and palms outward.
"Easy there kids," he said with a trace of amusement, "I come in peace." |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act III, Scene 8: Departure | Carmilla's crossbow dropped from her senseless fingers as she and the other Order-naries stared at the man in the ship in incredulous shock. Carmilla was the first to recover, and a broad joyous smile lit up her face as she sprinted up to him with a cry of "Master!" The others were shaken out of their stupor by the shout and the twins ran to join their friend in hugging and greeting the newcomer. Ash simply rocked back and put a hand to his head as he vocalized his surprise in quiet, alien mutters.
Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were, understandably, utterly and completely confused. "Hey, Ash," Rainbow said, poking Ash in the shoulder, "What's up? I thought this ship thing was supposed to be a bad thing."
"I thought it was," Ash replied, "but... Well, that's Carmilla's mentor, a very reliable ally and something of a legend among the mechanics and tool-smiths of Taryn, but how he's here and where he..." He shook his head and walked toward the ship, meeting the man and the other Order-naries a few feet from the ship. "Yu-san Maesi," Ash said, spreading his arms wide to indicate the craft, "I have just three words for you: What. The. Skeb?"
"Good to see you too Ash," Yu-san said wryly, extending a hand to shake and then clapping it onto Ash's shoulder when the mage maintained his spread-arms pose. "So, I assume you're still after Tau'rin," he said.
"Tau'rin's history Yu-san," Ray said, "it's been close to a year now since we defeated him."
"Ah, I see. Good," Yu-san said, looking relieved, "In that case I'm your ticket back home." He looked around at the Order-naries and then noticed Twilight, Dash, and AJ standing a short way off. "And who are those capable-looking ladies?" he asked.
"Friends," Ash said simply, "You still haven't given me the answer I was looking for Maesi." He spun the older man around and pointed to the ship. "What the skeb is that?" he asked.
"What, don't you recognize your old ship?" Yu-san asked with a teasing smirk.
"That is not the Lirin," Ash replied.
"Yes it is. Mostly," Yu-san said, "It's been upgraded since you last saw it."
"Clearly," Carmilla said, "There's no way the old thing could have survived a trip through... twelve separate trips between realities. In fact..." She took a few steps back toward the ship and eyed it critically, "It looks to be in superb shape; no signs of having crashed into anything. Master, were you able to remain conscious while flying through the voids?"
"Yes," Yu-san answered, "Is that significant?"
"Yes," the Order-naries all said at once, emphatically.
"How did you..." Ash started to ask, and then shook his head and said, "Actually, you know what? Carmilla, give me PC. He'll need to familiarize himself with the changes anyway."
"Hey now, I want to see Master Maesi's improvements too," the mechanic said, retaining the head-mounted computer and walking to the ship.
"You're not leaving us out either," Ray said as he and his sister joined Ash in following Carmilla. Yu-san Maesi smiled wistfully, and then looked at the three former ponies and gave them an apologetic shrug before going to the ship himself.
"Ok," Twilight said, feeling awkward, "I guess we'll just head back to town and tell everypo- er, everybody there's nothing to worry about then?"
"I suppose," Applejack agreed, shrugging.
Canterlot castle was eerily still and quiet, and what made it even worse was that Shining Armor could see no reason for the silence. There were no signs of struggle, no damage to the walls, floors, ceiling, or furnishings. Nothing that should have been locked was open, and vice versa. There wasn't even a feeling of latent magic beyond that which was always present due to the auras the Princesses left in their wake. It was as if every single pony in the castle had quickly finished up what they were doing and went home for the day. The guards were just as absent as the servants and courtiers, and Shining knew the ponies that served under him would never abandon their posts, especially in emergency conditions. "I need a weapon," he muttered to himself, casting glances everywhere as he made his way toward the residential wing. The Princesses's chambers were some of the most heavily warded rooms in the palace against mind manipulation spells, the type Shining Armor was starting to suspect had been laid over the building even if he couldn't sense them, and thus they'd be the most likely place to find anypony.
The sound of hooves approaching - softened by carpeting and special shoes but still audible to his trained ear - brought Shining to a stop. He let his ears tilt about to determine the direction and then continued to move them for a bit afterward to not let his stalker know he'd been detected. Readying his magic into a simple shield, Shining waited until the sounds drew closer before whirling around, snatching a nearby vase in his magic, and shifting the shield into an outward magical thrust that broke the cloaking spell on the pony tailing him and sent the white, yellow-maned unicorn stallion stumbling back several paces. "Blueblood!" Shining Armor exclaimed with a mixture of relief and annoyance, lowering the vase, "What are you doing?"
"Captain Armor," Blueblood replied levelly, "So it is you. What are you doing here, might I ask? Weren't you down in that... garish little Ponyville looking for your sister?"
"I was lead to believe there was going to be trouble here," Shining said coolly, "and since you're the first pony, or rather the first living thing I've encountered here I'm inclined to believe it's true. What happened?"
"I don't know," Blueblood answered, gesturing down the hall in the direction of Celestia's suite, "I was in conference with Princess Celestia when we felt a foreign suggestion trying to get into our heads. I looked out into the hall and saw everypony heading for the nearest exit, and nothing I said had any effect on them. The Princess sent me to search for the culprit."
"Alone?" Shining asked, pursing his lips, "Well then, I'm going to check in with Princess Celestia and Luna. You keep up the good work, and by the way: the sun shines silver."
"Pardon?" Blueblood asked, confused for a second, "Oh! The security phrases, right, good idea. Uh... 'When the moon needs rest,' correct?"
"Yes, that's valid," Shining said with a nod, and then levitated the stallion off the ground and encased him in a shield bubble, adding, "But that was the Pegasus Guard counter-sign, not Blueblood's. You should have done your research better, changeling."
"Changeling?" the white unicorn exclaimed, his voice losing the regal tone of Blueblood in favor of a plainer accent as his eyes began to glow red, "Is really that what you think I am Captain Armor? How disappointing, I think you'd know better, the difference between a Changeling and a disguise spell."
"Well, you're no pony," Shining retorted.
"Oh, most astute," Thamule said sarcastically, "did you finally bother reading the memo about the Order-naries?"
"You are not Ashen Blaze either," Shining said with calm determination, adding more power to the confining bubble, "What you are doesn't really matter anyway; you're under arrest for assault, pony-napping, suspicion of murder, and treason if I can manage it, all on multiple counts."
Thamule let his Blueblood disguise drop completely as he stared defiantly at the Captain of the Guard, his eyes a dangerous mix of orange and red. "You have no idea what you're dealing with, little equine," he said as his horn began to glow with an opaque light that filled the bubble, "Pray you survive long enough to learn." Shining recognized the warning in the words just in time to put up a personal shield that dulled the force of the explosion that tore apart Thamule's cage enough to simply send him tumbling head-over-tail down the hall. He regained his feet with practiced ease and kicked at the floor challengingly as he readied himself for battle.
Matron Maha had wisely decided not to wait on the Order-naries at dinner time, as the quartet did not return to the Traveler's House until after the sun had sank below the horizon. When they did arrive, accompanied by Yu-san Maesi, they found the six Equestrians still sitting in the dining room, most of them looking like they'd lost a pet puppy. Rainbow Dash was the only exception, since she looked like she expected that puppy to come jogging back at any moment. Rachelle was the only one to notice the mood at first, since the rest were caught up in an on-going discussion between Ash and Yu-san about the status of the Lirin.
"I will not pay for modifications I did not request," Ash was saying, "especially when those modifications were made with help of someone I explicitly and repeatedly refused to grant that degree of access to."
"If you don't want to accept my help, I'll have no problem leaving you here to find your own way home," Yu-san retorted.
"That is not what I'm saying," Ash fired back, "Do not twist my words Maesi. I'm extremely grateful and impressed at the effort you've gone through, but I am under no obligation to recompense you for a project that you came up with on your own and just so happened to involve my property."
"He does have a point Master," Carmilla said, looking apologetic for saying the words, "If anything, you owe him for using the Lirin as the base."
"What... Kara," Yu-san sputtered, surprised.
"I'm sorry Master Maesi," Carmilla said, "I have to side with Ash on this one. Trying to make money off of this is pure extortion."
"So, it's true then?" Fluttershy asked in a meek but attention-getting voice, "You're leaving us?"
"What?" Ray and Ash asked at the same time. They waited patiently as Fluttershy went through her usual flinch and nerve gathering routine.
"Twilight, Rainbow, and Applejack told us everything," she said, "The strange airship and its pilot, they're - Oh!" She stopped and blushed as she realized who the new face in the room was. "You," she said, looking into Yu-san's good eye, "you're from their home world, right? Taryn? You came to find them and take them back home. Twilight said you were all so excited to see the ship and..."
"My name is Yu-san Maesi, dear," the old man said.
"I'm Fluttershy," the pink-haired girl mumbled automatically, "but... um..."
"We were worried that you'd fly off home," Twilight cut in, "without saying goodbye. At least I was partly wrong."
Rainbow Dash scoffed. "They're not going anywhere," she said, "I don't believe for a second that they'd just run off and leave us hanging. Especially not you Ash; there's no way you're going to let some evil Discord-pony run around Equestria doing stuff while wearing your face, right?"
"Not a snowball's chance in the desert," Ash said, giving the table an emphatic pound of his fist, "You girls and your world have been far too good to me for me to just run off in your time of need, and I've got a bone to pick with Discord. Yu-san managed to get the Lirin all the way here, so it can certainly make the last jump to the end of Tau'rin chain, and together we'll stop Thamule and Discord once and for all." The girls cheered, the relief and joy clear even on Pinkie's face. "That said," Ash said soberly, "Carmilla, the M'Dales, and I have a way back to our home and an obligation to protect it. After we've settled with Discord, the four of us will have to leave."
"I can understand that," Applejack said, nodding, "nothin's more important than home and family."
"Will it..." Rarity said, her eyes locked on Ash, "be forever?"
"Nah," Ray said flippantly, "the portals haven't closed all the way yet and there's no reason to think they ever will. We'll visit. Besides, we've still got an adventure or two to get through before the goodbyes, so cheer up everypony."
"Right then," Rainbow said, standing up quickly and managing to make needing to catch the table edge for balance look intentional, "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
"There might be one little complication," Ash said, pre-empting the enthusiasm once again, "The Lirin is now designed to shield itself against the sheer nothing of the void between dimensions so that whoever is inside the ship doesn't lose consciousness or control before emerging from the other end. That's undoubtedly a good thing, but it seems to have the side effect that any... shifts the universe needs to apply to those that enter it don't happen."
"Meaning?" Twilight asked.
"Well," Ash said, "does anyone recall me mentioning that... I think it's three or four worlds Taryn-wise from here is another universe populated by intelligent ponies?" Twilight nodded and the others simply looked intrigued. "Right," Ash said, "Well, Yu-san here flew straight through that world without undergoing any changes."
"To be clear," Yu-san cut in, his tone skeptical, "I was only in that world for about thirty minutes, since the portals were so close together, and I don't recall seeing any rainbow-colored ponies anyway."
"Trust us Yu-san," Ray said, slightly sardonic, "they exist."
"So, what are you saying?" Twilight asked, "If we use your ship to get back to Equestria, we won't turn back to normal?"
"The possibility is there," Ash said with a nod, "The only way to be absolutely sure you'll change back is to go back through the portal the same way you went into it in the first place: unshielded."
"But, it's so high up," Fluttershy said, "how do we reach it?"
"I guess the hot air balloon idea is valid again," Twilight said, "but we'd still have to get the portal open."
"The Lirin should be able to handle that, I would think," Ash said, giving Yu-san an expectant look.
"It's possible," the old man said, "but keeping a portal open longer than it takes for the ship to fly through herself would be a serious drain on the power reserves. We could manage maybe ten seconds at most while still being able to fly, assuming we start on a full charge."
"I hate to rain this parade," Rarity said, "but I must remind everyone that the last time we were sent through that portal - unprotected - we were out cold for almost an entire week."
"That only applied to you six inter-dimensional rookies," Ray said with a smirk, "and which risk would you rather take: losing a little time or potentially remaining human and missing out on your pony talents?"
"That depends," AJ said, "Y'all are coming along, ain't ya? Are ya gonna go through it alongside us, or inside yer fancy flying metal box?"
"We'll be there and do our best to wake you up as quickly as possible," Rachelle said.
"All right then," Applejack said, getting to her feet, "Let's starting building us a balloon."
Throughout the rest of the day the Order-naries called in favors, a commodity often valued more than coin in outskirt Valden towns like Overlook, and extended some of their own to help the former ponies gather the materials and tools they'd need to construct a hot air balloon. The next morning dawned to a bustle of activity near the crater as Rarity applied her talents to constructing the balloon itself from the gathered cloth with assistance from Pinkie and Fluttershy, while Twilight, Dash, and AJ tried their hands at building the basket. At the same time, the Order-naries and Yu-san were preparing the Lirin for take-off and re-familiarizing themselves with skills and battle strategies they hadn't used in a while due to the limitations of pony form and simple lack of need for them. The practicing quickly evolved into a sparring match between Ash's magic and the M'Dale twins's spirit power, with Gale standing off to the side with a crossbow she'd already grown perfectly accustomed to. She leaned against the side of the Lirin with a sigh of envy, something she hadn't felt in a very long time toward her three mystically-gifted friends.
Yu-san, hearing the sigh as he came out onto the access ramp, looked at her with concern, and then gave himself a flick on the forehead as he recalled something. "Kara," he said, using his personal nickname for her, "I just remembered, I have something for you."
"Oh?" Carmilla asked, "what?"
"Come on in here and I'll show you," Yu-san answered with a beckoning gesture. Carmilla followed him inside and toward the rear of the spacecraft, to the storage compartments. "I wasn't sure what kind of condition I'd find the four of you in when I finally caught up," Yu-san said, "so I decided to prepare for the worst case I could stomach: You'd still be fighting Tau'rin, but you would have lost your best equipment or had it wear out. When it turned out you'd already beaten Tau'rin, I forgot all about this, but since you seem to have found yourself a new patch of trouble to uproot..." He opened a storage compartment and lifted out a weapon that looked like a short bazooka with a small air compressor attached to the rear end. Carmilla's eyes went wide as she took it and balanced it in her hands. "Master Maesi," she said in amazement, "This is... Did you make this? Because it feels like my handiwork!"
"I made sure to take my time perfecting it," Yu-san said with a smile, "and that's not all of course. A Gel Launcher's no use without its ammunition, right?" He reached back into the compartment and took out a large plastic container with three compartments, a branching hose that would connect to the gel launcher, and straps so it could be worn on the back. Carmilla carefully set the launcher down so she could open each compartment in the pack. Each compartment was filled with slightly amorphous balls of gel perfectly sized for the launcher's barrel, each set a different color.
"Oh my gosh," Carmilla said, her smile growing larger, "Shock, Caustic, and Magebane gels! Master, this is... Thank you!" She grabbed her mentor in a huge hug, and then put the pack on, linked the hose to the launcher, triggered it to load a Magebane gel, and walked out onto the ramp and took aim at the sparring match in the distance. "Hey Ash!" she shouted just before pulling the trigger, "heads up!"
By the time Ash got over his chagrin at having his sparring match interrupted by flying Magebane, the hot air balloon had been constructed and proven capable of lifting eleven humans off the ground with ease. Since Twilight's magic ability was effectively absent, the girls had hired one of Overlook's magi to handle the spells to fill and control the balloon, in exchange for giving the balloon to the magus and copies of the blueprints to the town's artisan guilds. The plan was for the balloon to fly up to just below the portal's location and wait for the Lirin to open it, and then quickly get as close as possible to the event horizon, whereupon the girls would jump through as quickly as possible. The Lirin would then wait a second or two before flying through itself, to avoid possibly overtaking and colliding with the six mid-flight.
As Ray, Rachelle, and Carmilla took their seats inside the spacecraft, Ash headed for the cockpit, only for Yu-san to come up from behind and take the pilot's seat for himself. "Excuse me," Ash said sarcastically, "I can fly this thing and I've got you beat in the depth perception department." He clapped a hand over one eye to simulate Yu-san's eye-patch.
"You're coming with us Yu-san?" Ray asked.
"Yes," Yu-san replied smoothly, "and while you have a point Ash, I know how to work the new portal system, and I've come this far with one eye and no crashes, thank you very much."
"Ok, whatever," Ash said, throwing up his hands and sitting down in the co-pilot's seat, "Let's just get this over with." Yu-san nodded with satisfaction and began the start-up systems.
"Say," Ray said as the ship rose into the air, "seeing as we're about to do something with high risk and potential to be awesome just as the first step to saving the world, I think a certain battle cry is in order."
"All together?" Ash asked.
"Why not?"
"As we enter the breach then."
The Lirin flew into position and waited as the hot air balloon rose up to meet it. Yu-san activated the portal device - a spelled talisman in the nose of the craft triggered by electricity - and a gaping, blue rimmed void of pure black snapped open. Twilight and company threw a suddenly terror-frozen Fluttershy into it and then leaped through as a group. "Ok," Yu-san said as the magus in the balloon brought it down and out of the way, "here goes." He hit the forward thrusters and the ship shot into the void as it began to collapse back on itself.
As one, the Order-naries cried out, "Koma Kiyaski!"
End of Act III |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act IV, Scene 1: Many Happy Returns | Deep in the Everfree Forest, far from the abandoned road to the ancient Castle of the Pony Sisters, there was a vast clearing ringed with felled and torn-apart trees. The clearing had been created shortly after the chaos demon Tau'rin emerged from the void into Equestria. Since that time, the forest had been slowly reclaiming the clearing, starting with flowers and underbrush plants until the seeds of new trees could establish their holds. Recently, however, another force had imposed itself in the clearing, and nature had been pushed aside to make room for the strangest of fortress keeps, constructed rapidly by invisible power and integrating every known style of construction, and then some, in a random and haphazard style that maintained structural integrity through sheer will alone. The land in front of the fortress was filled with a garden of yellow flowers with vaguely heart-shaped petals which gave off a cloud of pollen with the slightest twitch. The clearing was still and quiet, for the creatures of the forest had learned quickly to avoid the new flowers and the disturbing atmosphere that hung over the area. For a long time, only the wind disturbed the clearing, until one day a fern rustled in a more determined manner as its fronds were pushed aside to permit a certain zebra to survey the clearing. Zecora had a long bamboo pole on her back, which she took in her mouth as she cautiously approached the Twisted Desire. She gazed with concern at the yellow plants, which looked to be withering away; whole patches of the field were clearly dead. Keeping her distance, she used the pole to prod some of the healthier-looking blooms near the edge and sighed as they discharged their pollen in reaction.
"If Ponyville did not have such a need, I would be glad to see these have not gone to seed," she said to herself, "but to repel the cave dogs may require a deterrent as potent as this Twisted Desire." She prodded a couple more flowers, puzzling over how to harvest and transport the flowers without being affected by their magic herself. Her musing was brought to an abrupt end when a thunderous crack echoed through the clearing as a gaping, jagged hole in space tore open and a metal object the size of a half-grown Ursa Major came flying out and crashed through the tops of several trees before pulling up above the canopy. Wind stirred up by the object's passing pounded the Twisted Desire and drew up a thick cloud of pollen. Zecora dropped her bamboo pole and bolted, chanting wards against evil in her native tongue as she outpaced the swelling pollen cloud and made for Ponyville. She passed her hut, ignoring the urge to go inside it and bunker down with the animals she was sheltering in favor of alerting her pony neighbors to the strange new thing that had come to the forest from parts unknown.
She soon reached the forest's edge and left by way of the road by Fluttershy's cottage. Due to the present crisis, any plans which may have been proposed to restore the little house in Fluttershy's memory had been put on hold and the location was too far from the town center for ponies to be hanging around in without a good reason, so when Zecora saw a bright and multi-colored mound near the chicken coop, she turned and went to investigate. As she drew near, she stopped with an incredulous gasp. Laying sprawled out and unconscious on the ground and over one another were Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. "What is this I see?" Zecora asked, "The lost Six have returned! How can this be?" Thinking, quickly, she untangled the six ponies from one another and then ran into Fluttershy's cottage to search for a first aid kit.
"Hull integrity optimal, barring some superficial scratching or negligible dents. The shields took all the impact from the trees and are now down to 21 percent. Quick preliminary scans indicate we have arrived in Equestria, somewhere over the Everfree Forest. Currently updating and synchronizing all relevant databases on the Lirin."
"Thank you PC," Ash said. The half-helmet-shaped computer was wirelessly linked to the Lirin's computer which, while technically larger, was a far simpler system that mostly served as an extension of PC's memory and scanning capabilities. "Any sign of the Element Bearers?" Ash asked.
"I detect only a single equine lifeform in the immediate vicinity," PC responded promptly, "Mobile and headed in the general direction of Ponyville at high speed. The most probable identification would be the zebra alchemist."
"There are zebra alchemists now?" Yu-san Maesi asked, incredulous, "Are magic talking shetlands not enough?"
"I have record of at least nine distinct sentient species in this world," PC said, "twelve if you consider the four types of ponies as distinct species rather than sub-catagories of the Pony species. Along with zebras, there are sentient cows, donkeys, griffons-"
"That's enough PC," Ash said sharply, "get us pointed toward town and watch out for unusual magic signatures."
"Calculating and uploading flight path, sirrah" PC said flatly.
"You're still putting up with sass from a computer, huh?" Yu-san asked Ash snidely. Ash just rolled his eyes and gestured for Yu-san to get on with flying the ship. The old man did so, bringing the ship around and following the heading PC provided. Within minutes, Ponyville became visible in the distance, and as they drew closer it became evident that something was seriously amiss. Long deep cracks and deep sinkholes broke up the roads and several buildings had either collapsed or sat askew on compromised foundations. Yu-san flew over the town as PC scanned for life, magic, and geologic activity. The damage was the greatest toward the northeast, the direction of the local gem fields, and PC detected non-pony life signs moving about in underground tunnels, while Ponyville's population seemed concentrated between the library and Sweet Apple Acres.
"Are we dealing with those Diamond Dogs here?" Ray asked after listening to the data.
"What reason would they have for attacking Ponyville?" Rachelle asked in turn, "I thought they preferred to be left alone."
"I don't know," Ash started to say, and then noticed a group of Unicorn Guards engaging Diamond Dogs as they emerged from a growing hole near the market. A squad of Pegasus Guards rose into the air from a nearby building, clearly intent on investigating the Lirin. "Hold us still Yu-san," he said, locking his eyes on the battle, "I'm going to give them a reason to think we're on their side before we show ourselves."
"Good plan," Ray said, "but, what is it exactly?"
"Observe if you wish," the mage said, reaching out both hands and starting to Weave. He frowned as he worked and narrowed his eyes in focus. "Bah," he said, "this is still like trying to braid high-tension wires... Come on... Ha!" He made one last broad gesture and then snapped his fingers. A sudden wind began blowing down into the hole the Dogs were emerging from, sucking those still inside deeper into their tunnels while the ground tilted to dump those on the surface into the hole. Once all the brutish canines were pulled under, the hole filled itself in and the dirt settled as if it had never been there in the first place. Ash sank back in his seat as he released the spell and wiped his brow. "I think I'm still gonna need to replace that skvetchte necklace..." he panted, "Maesi, bring us down gently so I have time to catch my breath."
"Aye aye," Yu-san said.
As the ship descended, Carmilla got out of her seat and began equipping herself with the Gel Launcher. Outside, the guardsponies formed rings around the intended landing spot, keeping their distance and their weapons at the ready. The Lirin settled to the ground and Ash and the twins got up to join Carmilla at the hatch while Yu-san powered down the shielding and thrusters. After a few minutes he put everything on standby and turned in his seat to look expectantly at Ash. Ash in turned looked at his team and got nods of readiness in return. "All right Yu-san," Ash said, adjusting his robe to sit properly on his shoulders, "Open her up." Yu-san hit the appropriate button and the hatch hissed as the airlock released. The Order-naries put on their most heroic looks as the hatch began to open, but just as the sunlight became visible through the gaps something knocked the four off their feet and they blacked out briefly.
"Ok, what the..." Ray trailed off as he went to rub his head and discovered his fingers had been swapped for a hoof and that he had a horn on his forehead. "Oh."
"You have got to be kidding me!" Carmilla snapped indignantly, struggling to her hooves and out of the now ill-fitting Gel Launcher ammo pack, "I just got my signature weapon back and now..."
"GYYAAAH! What happened?"
"Oh yeah," Ray said, nonchalantly looking toward the cockpit, "Yu-san hasn't been a pony before." Carmilla gave him a dirty look and went to check on her master. He was still sitting upright in the pilot's seat, his shock apparently granting him sufficient balance as he held one hoof over his ruined eye and stared at the other forehoof with the good, bright amber eye. Like Carmilla, he had become an earth pony, albeit one of stockier build than his student. His coat was rusty orange and his mane - which covered only the back of his head - and tail were snow white, and on his flank was a hammer striking a piece of red-hot metal.
"Master Maesi, it's ok," Carmilla said, placing her hoof comfortingly on Yu-san's shoulder, "You'll get used to it."
"Kara," Yu-san said, turning his head to look at her in shock, "You... What magic is this?"
"Search me Master," Carmilla said, "This world apparently wants us to be ponies, and so that's what we are."
"Hey Gale," Ash called from the airlock, "Come back here please. I think we've got a problem."
"What sort of problem?" the brown earth pony asked, her mind automatically switching gears to her Equestrian persona. She trotted to the hatch and saw Ashen Blaze maintaining a shield to prevent a rather determined-looking pair of unicorn guard ponies from getting into the ship. Gale blinked in confusion at the scene and looked to the twins - Soul Mage and Gold Heart - for clarification.
It was Ash who provided the clarification though, in the form of a question: "Guess who I have the bad luck of resembling at the moment?"
"Ah," Gale said with a frown, "So... what?"
"You will surrender yourselves to us now," one of the guards said to Ash, his glowing horn pressed up against the grey unicorn's barrier.
"Give us a reason," Soul said, stepping forward. His horn lit up and sent out of lash of spirit energy through the barrier to push the guards down the ramp a ways. "Seriously," Soul said, "is this how you greet a fellow, no, two fellow members of the guard who just came back from the dead?" Heart took her cue and came to stand by her brother in front of Ash.
"And their friends," Ash added. He dropped the barrier as the twin golden-yellow ponies took charge of barring access to the ship.
"Soul Mage, Gold Heart," the lead guard said officiously, "stand down."
"With all due respect Sergeant Bastion," Soul replied coldly, "our duty to the Royal Guard is trumped by our need to stick by our fellow Order-naries, especially against false charges and breaches of justice."
"False charges?" Bastion exclaimed, "That pony you are protecting is responsible for... everything that's happened in the past week: the disappearance of the Elements of Harmony, the Diamond Dog attack on Ponyville and-"
"And us going missing as well?" Heart asked, raising an eyebrow, "Well, as you can see, we're back and we testify that the unicorn you are thinking of is not the one standing behind us."
"I second that motion!" Ash declared loudly. Heart glared over her shoulder at him and gave him a chastising kick in the shin.
"Don't try to help," she hissed, but the damage had already begun.
"Well now," Bastion said, charging up a spell, "from what I've witnessed, Ashen Blaze there's grown quite powerful lately. Who's to say he isn't holding you under some sort of mental control?"
"This," Gale said, dragging the gel ammo backpack closer to the hatch so as to be in plainer view. She then tried to open the pack, but her hooves kept fumbling on the catches. Ash, knowing what she was planning, tried to lend a telekinetic hand while fighting back the pride-preservation alarms in his head. As his horn lit up, however, Sergeant Bastion let his spell go and clipped Ash's ear with a stunner bolt.
"Ok, enough!" Heart shouted, stomping a hoof and eliciting a very satisfying reverberating clang from the Lirin's floor. Once she had silence she walked purposefully down the ramp, wings fully spread and held at stiff upright attention. "Let's have decorum here gentleponies," she said, "You've stated your charges against Ash, Sergeant, and we have counter-claims in his defense, so let's be fair. The Order-naries will surrender-"
"Oi!" Ash and Gale exclaimed.
"On condition," Heart said, casting a sharp glance back at her friends, "The condition being that we get a chance to prove the validity of our claims before whoever is in charge at present."
Sergeant Bastion walked a short distance away and conferred with some other guards, casting dubious looks at the Order-naries every so often. Finally, he came back and conjured four sets of shackles. "You four are under arrest," he began, but cut off when Yu-san came stumbling into view from the cockpit, trying to keep his bad eye covered and walk at the same time. "Five then," Bastion began again, conjuring up another set of shackles.
"Those won't be necessary Sarge," Ash said impatiently, pushing past Heart and Soul to walk down the ramp, "Nor sufficient anyway; having been conjured by magic, they can't possibly hinder my vaunted magic enough."
"What is going on here?" Yu-san asked.
"Just follow us," Soul said, "I'm pretty sure the matter's under control now. Oh, Ash, are you going to want to lock up the ship?"
"Hm? Oh, yes," Ash said, turning away from the guards coming to surround him. Once Gale had coaxed Yu-san out of the ship and everypony was off the access ramp, Ash spoke a few commands in his native language, the ship closed up tight. "Secondary pass-phrase," he told his team and then turned to look at Bastion and said, "lead on Sarge."
The feeling of a cold wet cloth being placed on her forehead roused Twilight from the depths of unconsciousness, and the first thing she saw was Zecora's face. "Ah, so you too have rejoined the living," the zebra said, "what a joyous day of thanksgiving."
"Good to see you too Zecora," Twilight said, lifting her head, "who else is up, and how long have we been out?" She looked around and saw that she was laying on a blanket on the floor of Fluttershy's cottage. Her five dear friends were close by, either getting to their hooves or laying on blankets of their own.
"Fluttershy's the only one still out of it," Rainbow Dash said, indicating the butter-yellow pegasus, "and as best I can tell we've only lost about twenty minutes or so."
"That's how long Zecora's been carin' fer us anyway," Applejack said, stretching her back, "Hoo-wee, does it feel good to be back ta mah old self again."
"I quite agree," Rarity said, delicately plucking frayed threads out of her blanket with her magic, just to see if she could. Twilight focused on her own horn and felt grateful relief flood through her as the familiar sensations of magic filled her mind.
"Ditto!" Rainbow agreed emphatically, preening her wings with great affection.
"Tel me, are things so bad in the land of the dead?" Zecora asked, "Your comments are filling me with dread."
"Nah, we weren't dead Zecora," Applejack said, "We just got sent somewhere else and into a different kinda body."
Twilight looked at Pinkie Pie, who was being uncharacteristically quiet again. The pink pony's coloring was a few shades too grey, her mane hung straight, limp, and barely reached the middle of her neck, and her tail was all but absent. "Are you ok Pinkie Pie?" Twilight asked in concern.
"Oh dear," Rarity said, getting up to walk over and lay down next to Pinkie, "Your poor tail. Is this what that awful Thamule did to you? Tell us, please." Pinkie looked up as the others gathered around in concern, and then lay her head despondently down on her legs.
"He ruined Pin-the-tail-on-the-pony," she said, "forever..." She screwed her eyes shut as the group picked her up in a comforting group hug, but didn't resist. The five stayed like that until Fluttershy began shifting about and muttering, whereupon the hug broke up and Zecora went to coax the pegasus out of her sleep.
"Mmm... Angel..." Fluttershy moaned, "where..."
"Your little friend is safe in my home," Zecora said as Fluttershy opened her eyes, "recovering well from his broken bones."
"Oh, Zecora," Fluttershy said, smiling, "Hi. And thank you."
"It was the least I could do, my friend," Zecora said, "and I am glad to see you have not met your end. Although, you have returned to a land filled with fear, for from Ponyville the cave-dwelling dogs no longer steer clear. In my forest home all the creatures are still, and a strange metal thing has appeared with an unknown purpose to fill."
"Metal thing?" Twilight asked, "Did you see it? Was it long with a pointed front and stiff wings near the back?" Zecora nodded and Twilight grinned. "Don't worry about that Zecora; they're here to help. How are you all feeling girls?"
"Rarin' to go," Applejack said.
"Like a new pegasus," Rainbow said.
"Fine," Fluttershy said demurely.
"I am ready," Rarity said.
Pinkie simply stood up and nodded at the door.
"Ok," Twilight said, giving Pinkie a look of concern, "Let's go find the Order-naries." The six left the cottage and galloped into town. It didn't take long for them to locate the Lirin, and the guards stationed around it proved to be fairly helpful after getting over their surprise at seeing them alive and well. They informed the mares that the ship's occupants had been taken to the library for questioning, and so that became the next destination. It took a bit longer than usual to reach Twilight's home due to the destruction in the streets, but they soon arrived and brushed past the dumbstruck guards maintaining a perimeter around the tree. Twilight took the lead, unlocking the door and flinging it open dramatically with her magic. "Spike!" she shouted as she walked inside, "I'm back!" She froze mid-step at the tableau before her, which consisted of the Order-naries and a one-eyed, balding, rust-orange stallion being restrained by Cadance and a set of unicorn guards while Ash was trying to dislodge a very angry baby dragon from his head.
"Impeccable timing Twi," Ash said with forced casualness, "A little help here?" |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act IV: Scene 2: The Tide Begins to Turn | Silence reigned in the library for several seconds as the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony filed into the library. It was broken briefly when Pinkie caught sight of Yu-san's bad eye, gasped, ran upstairs, and returned with an eye-patch for him. Once the eye had been properly covered, however, the awkward silence resumed for another few seconds with nopony moving a muscle.
"Twilight," Cadance finally said in disbelief, "Is that really you?"
"It is really us," Twilight answered levelly, "Now, Spike, everypony, just take a step away from one another; we're all on the same side."
"But," Spike said, bewildered, "He... you... and Rarity. Gone."
"I'm here now Spikey," Rarity said, levitating the mind-blown dragon off Ash's head and onto the ground, "and while I don't know what our good friend Ashen Blaze here has tried to explain already, I think you should all just sit down and listen to what we have to say."
"Ok," Cadance said cautiously. She nodded at the guardsponies and they backed off from the Order-naries, who put a bit more distance between themselves and the guards and sat in confident silence. Twilight and company explained everything they knew, how Discord had somehow managed to embody Ash's dark side as a separate pony and let it loose on Ponyville to capture the Elements of Harmony and the Order-naries, how they'd been temporarily trapped in an alternate reality populated by bald ape-like creatures, and how Yu-san Maesi had arrived unexpectedly with a way to allow the exiles to return.
"However," Twilight said after concluding the tale, giving the five out-worlders a curious look, "it would appear there was an error in the theory that flying in on the ship would prevent you guys from turning into ponies again."
"It worked until we opened the door," Ash said with a rueful shrug. He then gave Cadance a grin and asked, "So, Madonna Cadenza, since you seem to be in charge, what say you?"
"That," the alicorn said slowly, "is a very incredible story. Too incredible in fact. I'm sorry Twilight. I want to believe you, but with all that's going on... I need to be sure you are who you say you are."
Twilight gave her sister-in-law a pained look, but then her ears perked back up as an idea came to her. "The Elements!" she exclaimed, "They won't work for just anypony. Give me a second; I'll go get my tiara." She jumped up and trotted up the stairs.
"Wait," Cadance called after her, "It's not... up there... anymore." She frowned as Twilight ignored her and disappeared into the bedroom. A few moments later, Twilight emerged with her Element - a magenta gem shaped like a six-pointed star set into a golden tiara. Cadance's jaw dropped as the lavender unicorn descended the stairs and presented herself for inspection. The alicorn shook herself out of her stupor and probed Twilight and the tiara with her magic. "That's it," she said in amazement, "the sixth Element and... Oh Twily, it is you!" She caught Twilight up in a hug, her whole being radiating a joy that infected everyone present and lifted the air of suspicion right out of the room. "I can hardly believe it," Cadance said, releasing Twilight after a moment, "After Ash, or the evil Ash..."
"We're calling him Thamule for convenience," Soul offered.
"Thamule then," the princess said, "After he made off with Applejack and Rarity, we tried to find the Elements for safe keeping, but we came up empty-hoofed."
"This was right where I always keep it," Twilight said, tapping the tiara, "on a high shelf in my room, practically in plain sight. It's interesting actually; when I was trying to fight off Thamule he said he'd been trying to find Fluttershy's Element necklace but hadn't been able to, and I know Fluttershy keeps it in her nightstand. The jewels must have hidden themselves somehow when we were thrown out of Equestria, but now that we're back they'll be back too."
"Except mine," Applejack said glumly, "I was wearin' it when I tried ta save Rarity from Thamule, but I wasn't wearin' it when he threw me through the portal. He probably took it."
"Actually," Spike said, "after he got away with you we found your Element laying on the floor of the Carousel Boutique. I've been keeping it safe under my gem stash." He went into the kitchen and returned a moment later to hand the Element of Honesty to Applejack.
"You were keepin' it with the gems you eat?" AJ asked as she put the necklace on. The orange apple-shaped gem became noticeably brighter as it rested against her chest.
"It's not like I just shovel them into my mouth without looking," Spike retorted, "and I know better than to try biting into a gem that might be magic anyway." He grimaced, thinking back to when he'd been petrified after ignorantly trying to eat Tau'rin's Emerald of Earth
"Awright, no harm no foul little guy," Applejack conceded, giving the dragon an apologetic pat on the head. "Oh, by the way," she asked after a moment, "What did y'all do with my hat?"
"Your family has it," Cadance answered. AJ nodded gratefully.
"So," Ash said, looking at Cadance and her armored companions expectantly, "are we good now? You believe us? Then what's the situation, exactly? Don't leave anything out." When Cadance didn't respond immediately, he pressed on, "Come on m'lady, I didn't brave the infinite void to get back here just to tell you you've been blaming the wrong pony. I need to put that pseudo-Meis in his place and- mph!" Heart cut off his tirade with a hoof to his mouth.
"Give the girl some time to process," the golden-yellow pegasus chided.
"Well," Cadance said after a moment, "Now that you're all back our other problems shouldn't be so bad. Thamule has somehow coerced the local Diamond Dog pack into staging repeated attacks against Ponyville, and I'm sure you've seen the results. They've tried to dig out the foundations of several buildings, and come to the surface every couple of hours to fight with insane fervor for several minutes before withdrawing. Their eyes are blank and they're nearly implacable until whatever clock they're working under runs down."
"What about Thamule himself?" Ash asked, "What has he been doing?"
"He hasn't been seen in town since Rarity and Applejack were taken," Cadance answered, her wings starting to fidget uncomfortably, "but yesterday, shortly after the Dog attacks began, Shining Armor and I received a note that convinced him that Thamule was threatening to try something against aunt Celestia. Shining went to Canterlot, and I haven't heard anything from him since."
"Oh no," Twilight said fearfully, "Ash, I have to go after him. If he tried to fight Thamule and lost..."
"Try to stay calm Twilight," Ash replied, taking an authoritative stance, "We'll get on that as soon as possible, but I don't want anypony going against Thamule without the full force of the Elements of Harmony backing them up. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow, and Fluttershy, go get your necklaces and meet me by the Lirin. In the meantime, I'll see what I can find out about these Diamond Dogs."
"Right," Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow said, turning to leave but then pausing when they realized Pinkie wasn't joining them.
"Uh, Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow said, poking the pink pony, "He said your name too."
"I heard," Pinkie said dully.
"Then let's go," Rainbow said, flying around to give Pinkie a push toward the door.
"We need you darling," Rarity said, "I know we can count on you." Pinkie just shifted uncomfortably, looking down at the floor. "Wait, I know what you need," Rarity declared brightly, "You haven't had any of your favorite baked goods in days! Let's go get some sugar into you." With help from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, she got the pink pony up and out the door, heading for Sugar Cube Corner.
"I could go fer some of the Cake's cookies mahself," Applejack said, following the group, "Good luck with those oversized varmints Ash." The unicorn in question nodded in thanks and then looked around the room.
"So," he said, "Is there a pattern to the dog attacks, or do we need to go spelunking for them?"
Sergeant Bastion eyed him warily. "I don't like the notion of you being seen walking free by the civilians at the moment," he said.
"Even if I'm seen helping to stop the attacks?" Ash replied, giving the unicorn guard a sideways look. They held each other's gaze for a moment, and then Ash's eyes slid sideways in thought. "You may have a point though," he conceded, "I was planning on not having to deal with mistaken identities and whatnot. Heart, Soul, Gale," he looked to his team, "take one of the Dogs prisoner and bring it and everything it's carrying here."
"Right-o boss," Soul said, and then turned to Bastion and came to attention adding, "If you'll have us, sir?"
"Join the patrols on the north side," Bastion said after some thought, "They strike around there the most often."
The Great and Powerful Trixie and her troupe were officially broke, and Trixie was now fully convinced that she and Ponyville were a match made in Tartarus; for her to enter the town limits was to invite trouble and possible career destruction. However, between being out of money and supplies and the Diamond Dogs attacking anypony they saw, leaving just wasn't an option at the moment. Fortunately for the rag-tag thespians, Maggie Pie had proven her worth by arranging temporary employment at Sugar Cube Corner. The bakery stood as a candy- and gingerbread-themed bastion against both the physical attacks of the cave-dwelling canines and the emotional distress that followed. For the most part, the five ponies had been put in charge of keeping the customers orderly and distracted from their troubles through light entertainment, but Cabbage Patch spent most of her time in the kitchen helping with the baking.
The current clientele consisted of half a dozen off-duty Guardsponies and just as many civilians, which was a surprisingly large number under the circumstances. Most ponies were more concerned with trying to protect their homes and businesses or rescuing what they could from ruined buildings, but every now and then a pony or two would wander through the door looking for sugar and a respite or head back out to brave the world again. Each unexpected ringing of the little bell on the door was greeted with a halt in activity as the occupants turned to identify the newcomers. The atmosphere was one of tension and worry, which Trixie and her crew fought to break through for their own benefit as much as for anypony else.
Trixie and Barnacle Salt were in the midst of an escalating war of outlandish bragging, to the amusement of the guards and Lyra, when the door was all but thrown open and a loud, brash, and far too cheerful voice asked, "What's hanging ponies? Can I get a couple rounds of cupcakes?" Eyes widened, jaws dropped, and a tray Mrs. Cake had just unloaded a fresh batch of sweet rolls from clattered to the floor as five mares, led by an unmistakable cyan pegasus, entered the bakery. "Yeah, you're seeing things right," Rainbow Dash said with a proud smile and a vain strut as she crossed the floor, "The Dash is back, too cool to stay dead."
"Really now Rainbow Dash," Rarity, rolling her eyes, "must you make such a spectacle of yourself?"
"Somepony has to," Rainbow replied lightly, "so why not me?" She looked around at the ponies who were still staring gob-smacked at her and the four ponies with her. "All right," she said, "somepony say something already. This isn't a museum."
Lyra was the first to recover her senses, although her eyes remained wide in disbelief as she stammered, "R-rainbow Dash?"
"The one and only," Rainbow replied in her typical attitude, and the braced herself as she, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack were mobbed by hugs and questions from the six non-guard customers. Pinkie Pie somehow managed to evade capture and began plodding solemnly toward the stairs, only to be intercepted at the foot by Maggie, who grabbed her in a big, tearfully joyful hug.
"Oh Pinkamina, I'm so glad you're ok," the grey earth pony said, "What happened to you?" When Pinkie didn't return the hug, Maggie held her out at arm's length and got a better look at her shortened and straight mane. "What happened to you?" she repeated with worry, "I can't remember the last time I saw you so glum. Do you want to talk about it?" Pinkie muttered something inconclusive and Maggie escorted her over to an unoccupied table, where they were quickly joined by Mrs. Cake bearing a large slice of chocolate-frosted chocolate cake. In spite of herself, Pinkie's eyes started to sparkle as the sight of the cake and she began to eat it, savoring each huge bite as she took it. By the time she was done, a bit of curl had returned to her mane and she smiled at the motherly blue earth pony with gratitude. "Feeling better now Pinkie?" Maggie asked.
"A little, yes," Pinkie said, "I've had a really bad time though. I'm scared I might never smile again... I mean really smile." Maggie and Mrs. Cake both stifled a gasp and looked at each other.
"Maybe you just need more cake," Mrs. Cake said with a forced smile, and then walked off to go get some.
"Were Trixie's ears deceiving her," Trixie said, coming over to the table, "or did she hear the Element of Laughter saying she can't smile?"
"I may have been exaggerating just a teensy bit," Pinkie admitted, but a depressed frown creased her face as she let her head slump onto the table.
"I see," Trixie said, "it must have been really bad then, whatever happened to you. Trixie notices that Twilight Sparkle isn't with your group here..."
"She's at the library with Princess Cadance," Pinkie said, "She probably just didn't feel like having a sweet treat with company like me... Too random and unreliable."
"Now hold it right there pardner," Applejack said, excusing herself from the group that was listening intently to Rainbow Dash describing her experience in Valden and coming over to Pinkie's table, "Don't you start depressing yourself again. You should know better than to take anythin' at face value if it comes by way of Discord. Yer the best darn party-put'er-on in all of Equestria. Ponyville wouldn't even be half as bright and happy a place ta live in if it weren't fer you."
"Trixie wouldn't have lasted half as long in this town without your encouragement," Trixie said, "I remember how you didn't think twice about having my and Twilight's back when we were caught in that body-sharing incident, and then there was your enthusiastic volunteering before the Summer Sun Celebration. I wish every show had a pony like you in the audience. Or, the pony you normally are, rather."
Pinkie tried to respond, but before she could form the words Mrs. Cake came back with two slices of cake for her, which she ate with unusual delicacy as she thought.
"Pinkamina," Maggie sad as her sister chewed, "don't forget how many lives you've changed for the better by being the way you are. Susan and I may follow less exciting paths in our lives, but we always look to you as an example. You were the first of us to get your cutie mark after all."
Pinkie finished off one piece of cake contemplatively, and then hopped out of her chair to grab the ponies around her into a hug. Her mane sprang up into loose, frizzy curls, nowhere near as wild as normal but a significant improvement. "Thanks everypony," she said, "I feel lots better now."
"Ashen Blaze, would you mind if I asked you a question?"
"That depends on the nature of the question Madonna Cadenza," Ash replied, not looking away from the upper-story window he was gazing out of, "Ask."
"Your... double said he was being loyal to his original purpose at Rarity's home," Princess Cadance said, taking a seat next to Ash, "I assume he was referring to your past, so could you clarify what he meant?"
Ash pursed his lips for several moments before answering. "As Meis Thamule, despite my ability and status, I was nothing more than one piece in a vast and imbalanced chess game. While I directed the action on the front lines, the decision of which Meis and cadre would go after which target lay solely with the Master of Shadowstar. The first time I truly took the initiative is when I fled the empire, stumbled upon Taryn by sheer luck, and consciously changed the purpose of my life. This Thamule has either accepted Discord as his 'new' master and is executing his will, or he's trying to do what would be expected of him in the Shadowstar Empire even though he likely thinks the Empire is destroyed."
"And what, exactly, would be expected?" Cadance asked.
"Three simple things," Ash said darkly, "Crush all resistance, subdue or destroy the government, and take control of the planet in the name of the Shadowstar."
"How likely is it that he'll succeed?" Cadance asked, worried, "assuming you, the Order-naries, and the Elements don't do anything."
"The meis that failed its mission was useless to the Empire," Ash answered, "and as far back as I can remember, I've never seen a meis be replaced. Of course," he added with a smirk, "I've never seen a meis try to take on something powerful enough to control planetary orbits as their day job. Nor faced the sort of skills those kids are packing, for that matter." He pointed to the window and Cadance turned her head back to it and looked outside. Soul Mage and Gold Heart were returning to the library with a medium-sized Diamond Dog in a red vest held above their heads in the ethereal blue glow of their collective magic. Gale followed shortly behind them, favoring one leg and bearing a look of discomfort on her face. The group was being escorted within a ring of Royal Guards. The Dog struggled against the force holding him, but to little effect besides occasionally forcing the twins to slow down and refocus their effort. "I think I recognize that pooch," Ash murmured as he turned away from the window and headed toward the stairs.
In the main room, Twilight had also caught sight of the approaching group through a window and was holding the door open for Heart, Soul, and their load by the time Ash and Cadance arrived. Soul entered the library first, and then the twins carefully guided the Diamond Dog inside without letting him touch the ground or the doorframe. "One brainwashed sentient canine, as requested," Soul announced as Heart entered and the pair brought the dog to the center of the room for scrutiny."
"Brainwashed?" Ash asked, squinting at the dog.
"Yeah," Heart said, "Just look at its eyes; there's nothing there."
"They fight like full-blown berserkers too," Gale added as she limped over to lay down by a wall, "Just enough self-preservation instinct to repay whatever hits them two-fold."
"I've seen worse," Ash said, eyeing the struggling Dog up and down, "Berserk fighters that is. The spell-work on this guy is superb. He's completely covered with networked weaves inside and out; he might not even be aware that he's a puppet. Of course, every large and continuous spell has a weak point somewhere..." He poked and prodded the several areas of the Dog's body, and then started going through the pockets of his vest, levitating out a small collection of gem shards. Ash dropped the shards one by one of the floor until only a long, slim purple one remained floating in the orange aura of his telekinesis. "Spike," he said, floating the shard over to the baby dragon, "eat this."
"Excuse me?" Spike said, eyeing the unicorn suspiciously.
"At least bite it in half, please," Ash said.
"Nu-uh, no way," Spike said, pushing the gem shard away, "Not if it's got magic in it."
"Fine, make things more difficult for me," Ash grumbled.
"Not to complain too much," Soul said, evidence of strain in his voice, "but Red-vest here is getting heavy."
"Steady," Ash said, "We need to disrupt the matrix inside this -whoa!" The gem suddenly disintegrated as Ash applied his magic to it, and his horn flared briefly with magic feedback. He dropped the shard fragments and stared at them in stunned silence. Meanwhile, the Diamond Dog went limp and was lowered to the ground and released from Heart and Soul's weary grasp. Once freed of the spirit-magic, the canine sat up, looked around, and started to panic.
"No!" he exclaimed, "No ponies! What you want with me? I've done nothing!" He noticed Ash and his eyes narrowed in anger. "Wait," he growled, "You, pony with the weird eyes, you were skulking around our caves, and... But this isn't the caves... What's going on pony? Tell me."
"Why don't you start with the last thing you remember," Ash suggested with a calm smile, "and then I'll see if I can fill in the gaps." |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act IV, Scene 3: Castle Storming Funtimes | Ashen Blaze sighed and drummed a hoof impatiently on the helm of the Lirin. The Order-naries, save for Gale who was being made to let her injuries rest by Yu-san, a few Royal Guards, and Twilight were waiting for the other Element Bearers to rendezvous with them so they could discuss the next plan of action. While the others stood around outside, Ash was effectively hiding inside the trans-dimensional ship so as not to spook any random ponies who might wander by, as unlikely as that was. The Diamond Dog Ash had freed from mind-control had not believed the explanation that there were two ash-grey unicorn stallions with wild red-and-orange manes and had adamantly refused to accept or provide any help to the ponies in stopping the rest of his pack. Due to the lack of a knowledgeable guide for a pre-emptive strike against the Dogs, Gale had lent PC back to Ash so it could link up and use the Lirin's scanners to try and locate and map the Diamond Dog tunnels underneath Ponyville's streets. The head-mounted computer was currently sitting on an empty seat, and Ash was bored. "How long have we been waiting?" he asked.
"Fifty-eight minutes," PC relied immediately, "Unless you want to add the time it took you to return here from Twilight Sparkle's home."
"If I told you that was a rhetorical question, would you care?" Ash asked, bored enough to purposely start an argument with his computer.
"A simple question like that, which has an easily provided answer, can't possibly be rhetorical," PC responded.
"What definition of 'rhetorical' are you using?" Ash asked, "You normally don't expect an answer to the rhetorical question because the answer is obvious."
"Really now?" PC asked in turn, sarcastic, "They are also asked in a sarcastic tone like what I just employed. Your request to know how much time had passed was not made in sarcasm, but a weary tone. It's been fifty-nine minutes now by the way."
"I wonder what's taking those girls so long," Ash muttered, making sure not to phrase it as a question.
PC took it as a prompt anyway, saying, "Sadly, my inability to read the minds or predict the behavior of organic beings makes it impossible to speculate." Ash sighed and started drumming on the helm again. A second later, PC piped up again and said, "Five ponies approaching, matching the life-signatures of Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy."
"I thought you said..." Ash began, but then paused and thought back. "You know they're coming, but you still don't know why it took them this long."
"There may be hope for you yet sirrah," the computer deadpanned. Ash ignored it and went to the ship's hatch to wait, leaving PC on the seat.
"All right girls," he said when the five arrived, "Just so you know, we've discovered that the Diamond Dogs are being mind-controlled by bespelled gems Thamule gave to them. Word of this is already being relayed to the guards so they know what to do, and PC should be able to provide a map and plan for storming whatever's passing for their encampments soon."
"Great," Rainbow Dash said, "but shouldn't we be going after Thamule soon?"
"Of course," Ash said, walking out of the ship, "I just wanted to alleviate any concerns you might have about Ponyville's safety. Now, everypony gather around and-"
"Wait! Don't close the ship up yet!" Everyone turned to see Gale limping up the road toward them, leaning slightly on Yu-san Maesi for support.
"What's wrong Gale?" Heart asked, "I thought you were staying behind to rest that leg."
"Oh, I'm staying," Gale responded, "but I'm not going to sit around and be useless if I don't have to." She looked at the ramp leading up into the Lirin, frowned, and then sat down where she was and asked, "Could someone bring out my Gel Launcher equipment?"
"May I ask why?" Ash said, "I mean, you left it here because you can't use it with hooves."
Gale rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Please," she said, "With a few extra parts and a little time I can easily modify it for equine use. It's what I was trying to develop before all this nonsense started, remember? Since the Dogs are being controlled by magic, my Magebane gel will be quite useful."
"Hm... Truth," Ash said with a nod, "Just a moment then." He turned to head into the ship, only to see that Soul was coming out with the launcher and ammo pack floating beside him.
"Heart and I will stay with you," the yellow unicorn said to Gale, "You're injured, so if you're going to go shooting berserker canines you'll need someone to watch your back."
"But, what if we need you when we catch up to Thamule?" Twilight asked.
"The princesses ought to be more than adequate help I'd think," Soul said with a smile, "Heck, I'll bet that by the time the seven of you catch up all you'll need to do is use the Elements to finish the job."
"That would be nice," Fluttershy said optimistically.
"This is risky," Ash said, "Thamule's proven to be a tricky little meeper."
"You'll be fine," Gale said, "It'd be anywhere between seven and nine against one. Now get going." Ash heaved a sigh and gestured for the six Element Bearers to gather around.
"Oh, Ash, one last thing before you wear yourself out," Rarity said. She opened her saddlebag and levitated out a necklace made of round gemstones held within woven strands of copper and gold wire. The gems were arranged in a rainbow pattern centering on a single large ovoid fire ruby inscribed with a stylized "AB" that nearly resembled Ash's cutie mark of his Meis insignia. "I was working on this to replace the necklace you'd lost when Thamule attacked me," Rarity explained, "You do still need your magic enhanced, don't you?"
"Oh, uh, right," Ash stammered as he let Rarity put the necklace on him, "Thank you Rarity. It's... it's perfect." A wistful smile formed on his lips for a brief second, but then he blinked and shook his head, sobering. He drew a pattern in the dirt as he began focusing his magic, horn and necklace glowing in tandem, and then stomped on it and spoke in sharp command, "Destulf juri iska, Transport!" The group was engulfed in a ball of orange light, which hung in place and flickered for several seconds, and then vanished with a sharp crack, leaving only a patch of scorched, smoking dirt behind.
"That... was not normal," Soul said, worried.
Deep in the underground halls of Canterlot Castle, a knotted pattern of interweaving lines which had been carefully carved into the floor near the wall began to glow, and then to throw off fitful sparks of orange magic. After a moment, a large bubble of orange light formed in the air and popped, dropping six slightly singed mares and one very scorched stallion onto the floor. Twilight was the first to get her feet under her and rubbed her forehead as she sat up. "Is everypony ok?" she asked. A chorus of moans answered her.
"Oh my poor hair," Rarity groaned, gingerly feeling up the frazzled mess her mane had become, "I hope I don't run into anyone important looking like this."
"What, more important than the Princesses we're lookin' fer?" Applejack asked flippantly. She ignored the flat look Rarity shot at her in favor of checking her Stetson for damage. Aside from some soot and some easily repaired dents, it seemed to be fine, so she flipped it back onto her head and helped Fluttershy to her hooves.
Rarity vented her frustration with a ladylike snort, and then noticed that Ash had hardly moved. "Ash, darling, are you ok?" she asked, touching him gently on the shoulder, "Was there something wrong with the necklace? I must have accidentally weakened its focusing power trying to make it look-" She cut off as Ash cracked an eye open and put a hoof over her mouth.
"The AEoM is perfect Rarity," the unicorn stallion said, "The problem wasn't on our end." He hauled himself to his feet, with some help from Rarity, and went to look at the weave pattern in the floor, which was still spitting the occasional spark. "This is odd," he said, "the waypoint I set here has degraded, but the transport spell still brought us to it. If it was broken before I cast the spell the teleport should have failed completely, and after the connection was made the power flow should have refreshed the waypoint's weave, not damaged it..."
"Perhaps there was another force in play?" Twilight asked, "Maybe Thamule did something."
Ash shook his head, "That would mean he expected someone to try and follow him here using the way-point, and I - last seen being discarded into the void - am the only one who could. Besides, I don't see any disturbances in the local magic threads besides the signatures of my own magic and the effects of you and Rarity being here."
"Come again?" Applejack asked, confused.
"Technical stuff, don't worry about it," Ash said, waving the question off as he looked over the group and then down the hall, "Come on, let's try to find Thamule's trail."
"Right," the girls said, falling into step as Ash led the way toward the stairs. They reached the ground floor without incident, and then Ash slowed his pace to nearly a crawl, casting about with an increasingly confused and irritated manner. "Where did he come in from?" he muttered, "I don't see any signs... No damage, no spell remnants..."
"No ponies," Twilight added. Ash stopped and looked at her, and she gestured around her, explaining, "This is an emergency, so there should be guards everywhere. We're completely alone in here; there aren't even any bodies of ponies Thamule fought through."
"Maybe he found some way to force everypony out to save his strength?" Rainbow Dash suggested.
"Without arousing suspicion?" Ash replied incredulously, "And then he'd have to keep everypony from coming back, and that takes effort and focus and..." He shook his head and picked up the pace, heading toward the residential wing on a hunch. "This just doesn't add up," he said after a while, "A subtle, solo infiltration job with pains taken to avoid detection was never my style as Meis Thamule, although I always had a veritable army of military-trained mages at my beck and call and my opening move was usually an orbital bombardment... You'd think an evil clone of yourself would be easy to... predict..." He trailed off as he noticed a disturbance in the magic field in front of him. He stopped and followed the bent and twisting threads, his head tilting from side to slightly as it craned up, and then his eyes went wide as his gaze reached the ceiling. "Uh... Twilight," he said, "I found your brother." Twilight looked up and gasped in fright, which was quickly echoed by her friends. Up on the ceiling, held in place by four bands of orange light around his legs, was the still form of Shining Armor.
"Oh my gosh, Shining!" Twilight exclaimed, "Shining Armor! Are you ok? Say something!" She whirled on Ash and grabbed him by the shoulders, verging on hysterics. "Get him down!"
"Gimme a sec girl," Ash replied sharply enough to make her back off without sounding too harsh. He looked up and focused on the bands, channeling his magic as he muttered under his breath. "Start with the air strand and -yikes!" The bands disintegrated almost the moment Ash's magic touched them and Shining plummeted to the ground. Ash tried to dive out of the way and banged his head against the wall as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy leapt into the air to catch the falling unicorn and Twilight reached out with her telekinesis. Shining's fall was halted just short of the floor, and after gently lowering him the rest of the way Fluttershy began checking for a pulse as Twilight pranced in place in panic. After a tense second, the butter-yellow pegasus let out of a small sigh of relief and gave Twilight a reassuring smile.
"He's still breathing," she said. Twilight nearly collapsed in relief, happy tears building in the corner of her eyes.
"Are you ok Ash?" Rarity asked the grey stallion, who was rubbing his head and staring at the spot Shining had been hanging from with utter confusion.
"Huh?" Ash said, snapping out of his distraction, "Oh, I'm fine Rarity. Nothing broken. But... that binding spell..."
"It was easier to undo than you expected," Rarity said, "Is that so strange?"
"It wasn't just unexpectedly easy," Ash said, "it was instinctively easy. Those bindings were woven exactly the way they'd have been if I'd cast the spell."
"I'm afraid I don't understand darling," Rarity said.
"Nobody casts spells exactly the same way," Ash explained, "If you can sense the magical flows involved, you can potentially identify the caster by the weave of the spell. It's like a fingerpri- er... That is... it's like a cutie mark; even if two ponies have similar looking marks, there are differences in what they represent and, well you know." Shining Armor chose that moment to stir and moan, causing Ash to freeze up for a second. "Oh skvetch, he is not going to be happy to see my face when he wakes up." Biting his lip, he began to back away and think fast, his eyes darting about. "Leaving him here alone isn't prudent," he said, voice speeding up as he spoke, "but we can't leave somepony to watch him; we need all the Elements together, but trying to explain that I'm not Thamule will waste valuable time... skvetch!" He stomped in frustration, the ringing thud of hoof against stone echoed loudly off the walls, startling Shining Armor into consciousness. His bleary blue eyes opened and locked onto Ash's panicked green ones. "Captain," Ash said pleadingly, "Don't jump to conclusions, I beg you." He continued to back away as Shining raised his head and regarded him with an unreadable expression.
"Shiny," Twilight said, imposing herself in her brother's line of sight, "It's me. It's ok, everything's under control."
Shining looked at Twilight's tiara, then down at her eyes, and then smiled and said, "Heh, I knew he was a fake. He was freakishly strong for a Changeling though. I don't think even their Queen could've mustered such power."
"What you faced was no Changeling," Ash said, his panic washed away in an instant to be replaced by his usual stoic demeanor, "And I'd suspect he's got some of Discord's curious dislike for killing in him, otherwise I doubt you'd be breathing right now."
"So what... Never mind," Shining shook his head and hauled himself shakily to his hooves, "We need to hurry. I don't know how long he's had to try and reach the Princesses."
"Well," Ash said, "if you think you can keep up after being beaten up and suspended from the ceiling by your legs, you're welcome to join, but if you can't you should find some place to bunker down because I won't wait for you." Casting a meaningful look at each member of the group, he started walking down the hall at a quick and determined pace. Shining Armor huffed tried to follow Ash, but after a few steps he fell to his knees with a grunt. "Chop chop ladies," Ash called over his shoulder, "Celestia's waiting!"
"I'll be ok Twily," Shining said reassuringly, "Go on." Twilight nodded sadly, gave her big brother a quick nuzzle, and then galloped to catch up with Ash with her friends close behind.
After reaching the hall leading to the royal suites, Ash's ears perked up sharply and he frowned grimly, with bared teeth. "Something's wrong," he said, picking up the pace, "the latent energy's becoming looser and it's practically convulsing with the echoes of rapid spell-casting." He skidded to a stop upon reaching the doors to Celestia's chambers, hastily tracing a spell pattern on the floor, and then bucked the doors with all his might. The doors shivered but held fast, and Ash stumbled away to regain his balance. "AJ," he said authoritatively, "lend me your strongest apple-bucking kick."
"You got it pardner," Applejack said. As she got into position, Ash traced out another spell and activated it just before Applejack's legs lashed out, adding strength to the earth pony's kick and flinging the doors wide open. Ash and the girls caught a fleeting glimpse of Thamule standing over the limp form of a midnight blue alicorn before they vanished in a blinding flash of orange light.
"Skvetch!" Ash cried, bounding into the room and slamming both fore-hooves into the recently vacated slot. "Keli nu'tar safk," he spat, "Kwi destulf, skvetchte vaer thuml?" He began pacing in tight circles, his face close to the floor and his whole body practically radiating power as he searched for something.
"Ash, are you," Twilight started to ask as she came into the room, but then her eyes fell upon a figure near a wall that had been hidden from sight from the hallway and she screamed in mortal terror. "Princess Celestia!" Startled by the cry, Ash looked up and followed her with his eyes as she tore across the room to Celestia's side. The regal white alicorn was lying in the middle of a fresh bloodstain on the carpet, her normally pristine coat dull, ragged, and discolored by cuts and bruises. Her mane was now a single hue of pastel pink and lacked all the usual ethereal sparkles and autonomous movement. Her tail would have likely been in a similar state, except that it was missing save for an inch or two. Ash's eyes flicked to Pinkie's tailless rump for a second as the Element Bearers ran to join their leader by Celestia's side, but then he forced his gaze back to fallen Princess to finish taking in her wounds. The Princess's horn had been shattered, the pieces littering the floor around her and leaving only a jagged stump on her head, and one of her wings was a burnt and withered shell of its former majestic self. Fresh rage bubbled up in Ashen Blaze's chest, and he quickly seized it and forced it under control as he went back to his investigation of the spot Thamule had teleported away from, tuning out the sobbing and hysterical first-aid attempts coming from Twilight's group.
If I can't stop whatever he has planned for Luna, he thought, there will be no mercy or forgiveness.
> Act IV, Scene 4: The Final Threshold
"We've got signs of Dog activity!" Gold Heart cried out as she flew into smithy Gale and Yu-san had appropriated to modify the Gel Launcher, "Are you finished yet?"
"I think so," Gale answered, making one last adjustment as she spoke. The Gel Launcher and its ammo pack had been attached to an abused-looking red fashion saddle so that the launcher cannon rested against Gale's right side and the ammo hung as a counterweight on the left. The trigger had been removed from its original placement and attached to an adjustable bit that Gale could grip in her mouth, and the loading mechanism had been moved onto the ammo pack where she could work it with her hoof. With some clumsy help from Yu-san, Gale slipped into the saddle and worked at the girth straps until the contraption sat tightly but comfortably in place. "Well, what do you think?" the brown earth pony asked, striking a modeling pose.
"It looks a bit... jury-rigged," Heart said, rocking in place slightly with a distracted look on her face.
"Yeah, well when saddles are more of a fashion statement than a utility..." Gale said, casting a brief askance glance at the battle saddle. She then noticed Heart's anxiety, walked over to the door to peek outside, and then asked, "Where's Soul?"
"He's with the defenders already," Heart said, prancing in place, "Can we go now please?"
"Of course," Gale said instantly.
"Wait a second Kara," Yu-san said, "Aren't you going to make sure it's even going to work right before you go charging into battle?"
"I can test it on the way," Gale said.
"Test it on the way," Heart said at the same time, and then went outside and took flight, anxious to rejoin her twin. Gale chuckled as she followed at the fastest trot she could manage with her hurt leg.
"Be careful," Yu-san called after the girls, "and make me proud." Heart waved a hoof over her shoulder in response while Gale went for something more dramatic: with a show of agility and coordination that surprised Yu-san despite his familiarity with Gale's skill she angled the Gel Launcher upward, loaded a shot, and fired a blue gel in an arc that ended with a splat against the side of a shop, all without missing a step. Yu-san smiled as he watched the pair vanish down the road. "Some things never change," he said to himself.
Heart guided Gale to a park near the north side of town, where several units of Royal Guards were lined up in preparation to meet a pack of Diamond Dogs that were crawling to the surface from freshly-made holes. Soul Mage was standing near the center of the line, and when Heart and Gale came up to him he exchanged a quick wordless hug with his sister as they established their spirit link. Then he looked at Gale and her battle saddle and said, "Function beat Form into the ground today, did it?"
"Shut up," Gale said, "I was in a rush." She adjusted the angle of the launcher and took in the approaching wave of cave-dogs. "So, what's the strategy?" she asked.
"We capture as many as we can easily contain," Sergeant Bastion said, coming over to eye Gale critically, "And then, after we drive off the remainder, we'll deal with the mind-control spells. Might I ask how you intend to contribute?" In answer, Gale shifted the loading mechanism to Magebane, loaded a gel, and shot the leading Diamond Dog in the chest, knocking him back into his fellows and bringing the charge to a brief halt. After a second he sat back up and looked around blank confusion as the mindless army resumed their charge.
"Magebane," Gale explained as she reloaded and fired again, "it sucks up magical energy and can destroy all but the largest and most complex of spells. Just keep your unicorns out of my line of sight."
"Ah, well, carry on then," Bastion said, and then turned to face the foe as the signal to meet the charge sounded. Guards-ponies galloped and flew out, some wielding weapons that they swept at their enemy's legs, while others went hoof-to-paw with the canines and spells whipped around through the air. Soul Mage entered the fray as well, knocking Diamond Dogs around with blasts of spirit energy and lassoing any that lost their footing near him to drag them off as prisoners, while Gold Heart stayed near Gale as she launched blobs of Magebane at any target that presented itself. The Diamond Dogs she struck tended to react in one of two ways once the mind control spell deteriorated: some would continue to lash out in a panic at anything that got too close while others, who seemed to possess faster brains than average, would turn around and start attacking their pack mates, tearing off pockets, necklaces, and whatever else stood in the way of throwing away gems until the victim started to come to their senses.
"Are you sure this is a good idea Gale?" Heart asked, wincing as a unicorn guard went down under the weight of a liberated but berserk Diamond Dog, "It seems like you might be doing as much harm as good with the Magebane. Maybe you should the shock gel instead and save the 'bane for the captured Dogs."
"Shock gel's formulated for humans," Gale replied without breaking her firing rhythm, "I don't know how that voltage will affect Dogs, or ponies for that matter. The caustic gel's not even up for consideration of course."
"Of course," Heart said with a sigh, and then yelped as a mind-controlled Diamond Dog broke out of the melee and leapt toward her and Gale. Gale was the middle of reloading and didn't have time to adjust her aim, so Heart moved into the dog's path and braced to meet it with spirit-charged hooves, only for an orange lance of magic to beat her to the punch from behind. The Diamond Dog's momentum was halted mid-jump and it landed hard on its face several feet shy of its mark. Heart and Gale stole a quick glance back to see Ash breathing heavily, a sense of urgency evident in his stance.
"Heart," he said, "get your brother. The Thamule situation's taken a bad turn and we need to respond immediately."
"We're in the middle of something here Ash," Gale said in blatant understatement, "This better be good."
"How does Princess Celestia beaten within an inch of her life and Luna kidnapped for some likely unpleasant purpose suit you?" Ash deadpanned. The girls stared at him in dumbfounded silence, and he raised an eyebrow in response, silently daring them to call him a liar.
Heart snapped out of her shock after a moment and turned to yell over the din of battle, "Soul Mage! Royal emergency! Move your rear!" Soul glanced over, and then lifted the Diamond Dog he was engaging off the ground and threw him toward the far side of the field before trotting over.
"I'll explain on the way," Ash said before the golden-yellow unicorn could ask, "Come on, to the Everfree." He spun around and galloped off, his teammates not far behind.
Ash recounted the events in Canterlot as he guided the Order-naries to the edge of the Everfree, where Twilight and her friends were waiting for them. "It seems that when Thamule left with Luna, he took whatever spells or barriers were preventing everyone from getting into the castle with him," the ash-grey unicorn said as he neared the end of the story, "Because within a few minutes the place was swamped with guards and other concerned castle staff. We managed to stabilize Celestia's condition, although I don't know if she's going to wake up any time soon. Shining Armor's taken charge of keeping things organized, but he wants Cadance to join him ASAP. I don't think we can spare the time to track her down though." They arrived at the rendezvous point to find the pink alicorn listening to Twilight recount her Canterlot experience through barely-withheld tears. "Or she could be here," Ash muttered with a smirk. Cadance took notice of the Order-naries's approach and trotted up to them.
"Ash, is it true?" she asked, "Is Celestia...?"
"Alive, but just barely," Ash answered gravely, "And Luna is in the hands of the enemy. Madonna, you should return to Canterlot, rejoin your husband, and take up emergency regency. Hopefully you won't have to hold it for very long, but we'd best play it safe."
"Of course," Cadance said, "I have to ask though, why? Why would Thamule spare Celestia?"
"I'm not sure," Ash said, "I can guess why he went after the Princesses in the first place though: when entities with power over something as fundamental as night and day exist, you can't truly say you control the world unless you control or replace them. It could be Thamule wanted to be sure Celestia can't act against him, but fears what might happen if the solar alicorn dies before he can take control."
"That doesn't make much sense," Twilight said, joining the conversation, "The sun and moon aren't tied to a particular pony. Any individual or group with enough power can do the job. That's why Celestia was able to rule alone for the Nightmare's thousand-year exile, and why there's even a line of emergency regents in the first place. I know you know about that Ash, so why wouldn't Thamule?"
"Thamule isn't me," Ash said with a shrug, "He's a copy of my worst attributes mixed with Discord's power. I don't know what he knows, and it's becoming clear I can't predict him as easily as I thought. We're wasting time here, let's move. Madonna Cadance, good luck with Canterlot and we'll see you when this is over."
"Yes, good luck to you as well, all of you," Cadance said, giving Twilight a quick hug and looking around at the Element Bearers and Order-naries. She trotted off for a distance before spreading her wings and taking flight.
"All right," Ash said, sprinting into the Everfree Forest, "Making up for lost time now; let's move!"
"And where, exactly, are we going?" Rainbow asked as she flew up alongside Ash and matched his pace, "You said you were able to figure out Thamule's destination when he teleported away, but you haven't said where that is yet."
"Fortress," Ash replied, "The spot where I found the Twisted Desire, and probably not coincidently the location of one of the inter-dimensional portals. Discord's got himself a nice little headquarters of chaos there, and that's where Thamule's set up shop. I'd teleport us in, but..."
"That would be jumping into the heart of the enemy stronghold more or less blind," Soul said, "So we beat down the door and storm the castle instead?"
"Precisely," Ash said.
"Works fer me," Applejack said, "Let's show 'em what we're made of. Yee-haw!"
With Ash in the lead, the ten ponies raced through the forest, their numbers and sheer determination causing even Fluttershy to forget the eerie and wild atmosphere of the place. At one point a trio of timber wolves appeared on the path ahead and wisely backed away into the underbrush at the sight of the multi-colored equine stampede, and Soul figured that was only the most obvious case of the wildlife giving them a berth.
When they neared the Twisted Desire clearing, Ash brought the group down to a slow, cautious approach, keeping an eye out for trouble from the shadows. "I've had a tendency for being attacked around here," he whispered, "be careful."
"What tendency?" Soul whispered back, "How many times have you been out here besides tracking down the Twisted Desire?"
"Well, I think we were close to here when Thamule jumped us," Ash replied, "The last thing I remember seeing before waking up in Valden was a glimpse of the fortress."
"Just what is this fortress like anyway?" Rainbow asked, creeping ahead of the group and up to the edge of the clearing to get a better look. "Whoa," she said as she got a good look at the impossibly cobbled-together stone building that stood at least three stories above its dying garden of yellow Twisted Desire plants.
"How does that manage to stay together?" Gale asked, "I can't count the number of points that should be falling apart due to weight or inadequate supports. I mean, the two buttresses I can see aren't even in the right place to do their job."
"Easy there Gale," Ash said, "Discord's statue-prison is in there, and his will is probably all it needs. Focus on something besides the imperfections."
"But there are so many," Gale protested, "This is why I hate chaos."
"I'm more concerned about how and why Discord did this," Twilight said, "Sitting back and working through proxies, only pulling a few tricks at a time, and all without breaking free of his petrification. That's not like him."
"Methinks he doesn't have much a of a choice," Soul responded, "He's stuck in a position where he can exercise a little direct influence on his surroundings, but not nearly enough to create the external chaos he needs to break the seal. Once he found a way into Ash's mind though, he had himself an unwilling agent capable of escalating things bit by bit to wear the seal down by stages."
"More or less, yeah," Ash said sourly, "I think he had me drag him out here so he could set up that fortress, the Twisted Desire, and a few other nasty surprises to keep the Elements of Harmony away until he can break loose. And considering what Thamule has done, that time is probably getting very close. Come on, let's go."
"Wait," AJ said, "What kinda 'other nasty things' are we talkin' about here?"
"Some kind of living shadow attacked the last time I was here," Soul said, "Beyond that, well, if we knew what they were they wouldn't be surprises, would they?" AJ and Twilight each gave him a flat look while Heart whapped him upside the head. Ash snorted and stepped out into the clearing, horn aglow and ready for trouble. The Order-naries fell into step behind him, but when Twilight tried to follow suit her nose bumped into an invisible wall, causing her to stumble back and knock her friends down in a domino-like manner. The Order-naries stopped and looked back in confusion as Twilight got back up and tried to walk to them again, bumping up against the invisible barrier again in a somewhat comical nose-squishing manner. Pinkie Pie was the next to regain her footing and likewise found herself unable to get more than few inches into the clearing.
"I take it this is one of the surprises," Twilight deadpanned, backing up a step and poking at where the barrier seemed to be. Her hoof crossed over the line without resistance, but when she tried to walk forward her face impacted, leaving her briefly dazed.
"Hmmm," Pinkie said, sitting back and rubbing her chin for a few moments. She then took off her Element necklace, tossed it to Fluttershy, and jumped across the invisible line without hindrance. "Ah ha!" she declared excitedly, bouncing back and forth to demonstrate her point, "It's the Elements that can't get closer! See?" She reclaimed her necklace and tried to throw it to Soul, only for it to stop short and fall to the ground.
"What?" Ash said, confused, "That doesn't..." Squinting his eyes, he paced along the line of a barrier, marked out with Twilight's assistance, occasionally sniffing at something. "There's no spell at work here," he eventually declared incredulously, "I can't sense anything except the latent magic of the Twisted Desire... Sketchte Discord. There's nothing I can do, and time's wasting..."
"Go on ahead," Twilight said as she put the Element of Laughter back around Pinkie's neck, "Rescue Princess Luna while we try to get through this, and we'll find Discord."
"All right then," Ash said, "See you in a bit girls. Good luck. Come on team." He turned and trotted toward the building. When he reached the edge of the flowers field, he stopped to scratch a spell-weave into the dirt and released his magic into the ground. "Stand back," he warned as the ground began to rise up and split, uprooting a wide swath of Twisted Desire and burying it beneath the dirt, creating a clear path to the fortress door. After waiting for the pollen thrown up in the process to settle, the Order-naries charged forward.
"You sure the four of us are up to this?" Heart asked as they came up to the imposing metal-bound wood door, "The three of us are able to handle you Ash, but if Thamule has the strength to defeat both Celestia and Luna..."
"Yeah," Ash said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm counting on him having a limit to how much power he can utilize in a short time, and that fighting the Princesses has taken a lot of it out of him. Still," he smiled at Gale, "He is basically a magic construct based on me, so Magebane should have an even more dramatic effect on him. Ultimately though, we'll probably just need to buy time for them." He gestured back at the Elements of Harmony, which were currently enveloped in the glow of charging up. As the Order-naries watched, the rainbow beam fired up and arced down to splash against an invisible dome covering the clearing. The energy flowed around without seeming to accomplish anything. "Probably have to buy a lot of time," Ash amended darkly. He sighed and turned back to the door. After taking a moment to consider his approach, he raised a hoof and knocked. The door swung open in a slow and dramatic fashion, but pivoting on the side opposite the apparent hinges and emitting a long mournful French horn tone as it moved. Soul bit his lip in a vain attempt to hold back an amused smile at the effect. The room inside was dark save for the light flowing in from the doorway. "All right," Ash said, "The heart of Discord's domain. Stick together and be prepared for anything."
"Right," Heart, Soul, and Gale said, drawing close together and the twins activating their spirit link. As one, the quartet stepped through the door and began walking through the entry hall, using the ethereal blue glow of the spirit link to light their way. When they made it about a quarter of the way down the hall, which seemed far longer than it had a right to be and lacked any obvious exits, the door slammed shut and darkness fell around Ash, snuffing even the twin's powers. Nobody screamed or made even a small sound of surprise, which worried the ash-grey unicorn more than anything else. "Guys?" he said, feeling around for his companions, "Are we sticking together? Anyone?" He focused his magic and cast out a ball of orange light that illuminated the entire room and revealed that there was nothing in it except him. "Skvetch." |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act IV, Scene 5: Dependency and Distraction | When the lights went out, Gale froze in place and remained still and silent for several moments, simply waiting. She had no means of producing light of her own, leaving her reliant on her teammates unless she had the foresight to add some glow-sticks to her inventory. All she had at the present moment, of course, was her Gel Launcher which, as much as it was her signature weapon, was only one large part of her standard equipment. After several moments of waiting, she finally took the risk of speaking. "Ash? Soul?" she whispered, "Lights please?" She received no answer and as she focused her attention on listening she realized she couldn't hear even the tiny sounds of another's breathing or moving about in the darkness. "Hello?" she said, raising her voice just above a whisper, "Anybody?" Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, but there was so little light Gale had trouble trusting the images she was seeing. The fact that it looked like she was in a smaller room with a table only made her more suspicious; she had been in a long hallway just a minute ago and she knew she hadn't taken a single step since the other Order-naries had disappeared. Unless I'm the one that disappeared, Gale realized, and once again cursed her lack of a light source. She started to make her way carefully toward what looked to be a table in the middle of the room, to establish a landmark to explore the rest of the dark room from. After a few steps, her hoof kicked something hard and heavy, but which slid slightly with a hollow metal clang and the rattle of objects inside. Ignoring the slight pain in her stubbed foot, she leaned down and felt the object over with her nose to identify it. It was a large toolbox, the kind where the top opened in two separate directions and likely contained at least two layers of divider bins. After thinking for a bit, Gale decided to pick up the box and carry it to the table so she wouldn't trip over it again. As soon as she had it gripped firmly in her mouth, more light suddenly flooded into the room through a window that had not been there a second earlier. Gale muttered a curse around the toolbox handle as she rubbed the spots out of her eyes as they raced to adjust, and looked up and saw that the table was already occupied by a model of the fortress.
"What do you think?" a voice asked as Gale set the toolbox down on the floor by the table, "A most impressive feat of architecture, if I do say so myself." Gale's head snapped toward the window, which now bore a stained-glass image of Discord reclining against the frame.
"Discord!" Gale hissed, turning quickly to bring the Gel Launcher to bear on the small glass dragonequus and loading a Magebane gel. Discord stared down the barrel of the gun with an unperturbed look on his face.
"Go ahead," he said, "shoot the window out. I can just make a new one. Or just put the wall back. Either way's good."
"I should shoot you," Gale grumbled, "If only to try and make you go away. But, I'd probably have to paint the entire room with Magebane to do that, and..." She sat down and crossed her front legs across her chest expectantly. "What's the game?" she asked.
"What makes you think there is a game?" Discord retorted with a wicked smile, "I just want to talk." He peeled himself off the window, turning into a paper and felt cut-out doll that flew across the room while suspended from the ceiling by a string. He came to a stop by the model fortress and gave it a loving stroke. "I heard what you said about this lovely house of mine earlier," he said with a hurt tone, "Is it really so bad?" Gale arced an eyebrow at the little figure but didn't say anything. "Something about butts?" the dragonequus doll prompted.
"Buttresses," Gale corrected before she could stop herself. Grimacing, she continued through gritted teeth, "I'm not an expert at architectural design, but I can point out at least ten different parts that should either be falling off the fortress or pulling it all down. Why do you care though? You obviously aren't letting simple physics get in the way of making this place look the way you want it to, and although it makes my brain itch just looking at a model of it it's none of my concern. Go bother someone else." She turned and marched away from the table, but only made it a few steps before coming to a stop, looking around, and then sitting down hard and glowering at the wall. "There's no door," she said, "Of course. Why would there be a door or other opening to allow passage in and out of here? That would make sense."
"You know, you're right," Discord said, taking a step back from the model and pulling a set of opera glasses out to peer at it through, "There are so many ways this should be falling apart. What would you do to fix it?"
"I don't care," Gale said insistently, "I'm not playing your game Discord."
"Ah, but what if I decided to... say, make it so whatever happens to this model happens to the building?" Discord asked, flying over to hang by Gale's ear, "And then I'd let gravity do its normal job again..."
Gale blanched and looked up at the paper and felt avatar of Chaos. "You... you would, wouldn't you?" she asked.
"And you're not the only one in the buil-ding!" Discord said in a sing-song.
Soul Mage couldn't remember what had knocked him out, but the simple fact that he was in an unfamiliar room, on his side, and with his head pounding made it seem likely that he had been struck by something. The room was bare and windowless, although sufficient light from an unknown source allowed the golden-yellow unicorn to see. Two of the walls had doors that stood slightly ajar. "Man alive," he moaned getting to his feet, "This is going to be loads of fun, eh sis?" He looked around and his ears flattened against his skull in fear. Gold Heart was nowhere to be seen. "No. No no no," Soul said, fighting down his panic, "Rachelle! Where are you?" Silence was the only answer, and Soul surged to his feet, struggling against rising panic as he cast about with all his senses. To a Spiriter there was nothing more torturous than being separated from their twin for reasons beyond their control. It would start as simple twitches and panic attacks, but if Soul couldn't reunite with his sister he would graduate to a gibbering mess or berserk desperation, becoming a danger to anything and everything that stood in his way. The only consolation was that Heart would be under the same stress and that the pair could still sense each other's general location at any distance, inevitably drawing them back together. Under most circumstances anyway.
For the life of him, Soul couldn't feel his sister's presence no matter how hard he strained. "Ok, ok, think," he chided himself, looking around, "Logic. She's obviously not in this room and there are only two ways out. Even odds... Argh." Choosing a door at random and trusting to luck, he charged into another room that was near copy of the first, save that there were three doors including the one he'd just come through. Peering through the other two doors revealed similar set-ups through both and Soul realized he was caught in a maze with no hints as to the right direction. "There's a pattern to these things though," he muttered, "Unless it's an impossi- NO! Can't think like that! Chell!" His final shout echoed around the otherwise silent room. Struggling to keep his thoughts organized through the steadily rising panic, he eventually came up with a plan to simply take the left-most door in each room until something presented itself. For several rooms nothing occurred and Soul still couldn't feel Heart's spirit anywhere, and he started to lose hope. A sudden tremor shook the room he was in and one door vanished from its spot, a sight that goaded the unicorn back into a full gallop. The shaking recurred every few moments, sometimes quick and barely noticeable and other times sustained and threatening. At one point a door vanished a split second before Soul reached it, and after recovering from colliding with the wall he discovered the only way out was the door he'd entered from.
After what felt like an eternity of identical rooms, running, and earthquakes, Soul was at his wit's end. Never had he been separated from his sister for so long without even an idea of where she was and what stood in the way, and the vestiges of his rationality started telling him he was likely to just fall over and surrender to catatonia if he didn't find Heart soon. One last door perhaps, he thought, then... in death we'll reunite. He staggered through that final door, and in the corner he saw Gold Heart curled up in a ball with her mane and front legs hiding her face. Relief flooded Soul's mind, washing away much of his worries and anxiety, but, as he approached the golden-yellow pegasus, he realized that he was still feeling some of the separation anxiety, as if Heart wasn't mere feet away from him. She was shaking like a leaf and whimpering, so she was clearly alive, but even as Soul reached out to touch her the subconscious link between the two of them remained unformed.
"Heart," Soul said, "I'm here. Get up, look at me." Heart's whimpering stopped suddenly at Soul's words and she lifted her head slowly and with great effort. She looked at her brother with wide, terror-filled eyes and screamed. Soul jumped back in fright and Heart jumped to her hooves and bolted out of the room like Cerberus and the hounds of Tartarus were after her.
"Rachelle!" Soul cried out, running after her, "Where are you going? Don't leave me again!"
The toolbox proved to be larger on the inside than it was on the outside, but that was merely a footnote to Gale's greater amazement that it contained not only tools but just about every sort of material she figured she'd need to make the model fortress structurally sound. Without knowing where in the building her friends were, and also not willing to risk the possibility of dealing non-Euclidean geometries, Gale's plan revolved entirely around making additions to the building's exterior to increase its strength and support the numerous hanging wings and ill-proportioned towers. The little Discord facsimile, which had changed to a clay figurine when Gale wasn't looking, seemed content to sit back at the edge of the table and watch as she set up dowels under the worst sections as temporary supports, but Gale kept her eye on him while she dug out some clay, stone, and glue and laid it all out on the table. She then took a moment to close her eyes and clear her mind of distracting thoughts, including the small imperfections she'd seen in the model.
"Are you going to start soon?" Discord asked, "I've got a lot of other things to-"
"Shut up," Gale said flatly, opening her eyes slowly, "If that were true you'd be gone already." She looked the model over once, and then began to fashion a simple arch beneath one of the wings. Discord watched for a moment, and then got up and kicked out the supporting dowel from another part of the building: a tower that stuck out too far from the side of the fortress, which began to sag and lean out dangerously. "Hey!" Gale yelped, zipping around to right the tower and put the dowel back, but while she was doing so the little clay dragonequus was removing another brace. "Back off you little goblin," Gale hissed, swinging at hoof at him and, to her surprise, making contact and sending his upper half flying off the table. Recovering quickly, she grabbed the lower half of the figure and squashed it flat, and then crushed a Magebane gel over it just to be sure before going back to the arch she'd been building.
"Nice hit," Discord said, bouncing up from where he'd landed and walking back to the table on his hands, "but did you really think I was going to let you do this without resistance? There's no fun in just watching."
"Despite your opinion, I'm not doing this for your amusement," Gale groused, "I'm only keeping the fortress from falling apart on me and my friends. I thought you had a rule against killing your victims."
Discord had made it back onto the table and was in the middle of reforming his legs and tail from the shapeless mass, but stopped to give the earth pony a look of bemused disappointment. "I am the spirit of Chaos and Disharmony missy deGrange," he said, "long-standing rules go against everything I stand for."
Gale was startled that Discord knew her real name, but chose to ignore it as the distraction it was. She finished the arch, attaching it to the model with a little glue, and moved on to a gable that needed to be more firmly anchored to the wall. A little clay around the bottom and sides did the job. Discord hadn't made a move since fixing himself up, and so Gale went on to the next bit, until she noticed that her arch was starting to sag. "What?" she exclaimed, "What did you do to this?"
"Moi?" Discord asked innocently, "Absolutely nothing. You probably made a mistake."
"Can't be," Gale said, looking closer, "It's plenty thick enough to hold up under the weight... Hold on... is the clay too soft? No, maybe it's too wide; I should have done a double arch. Or..." A faint creaking sound caught her attention and she looked to see something else starting to fail despite the supportive dowel propped under it. With a cry of alarm, Gale moved to try and fix that problem, only to spot two others as she moved. Those two brought five more to her attention and soon she was trotting almost nonstop around the table, daubing on clay, gluing on stones, and repositioning dowels nearly at random. Discord took flight and hovered over the table, watching with unguarded glee as the brown earth pony began to go into her hyper-drive trance, barely holding back the gradual and inevitable decay of the model.
Gold Heart was running for her life, her thoughts consumed with the need to get away from the thing chasing her and wearing her brother's form. What it really was, a Changeling or some other shape-changing monster, she couldn't be sure, but it didn't feel like her beloved Ray. At first, she thought it might have been a hallucination brought on by the mental strain of losing the real Soul Mage, but it soon proved itself to be all too real. After weaving through several rooms and managing to stay a few steps behind her, it got fed up and unleashed a tendril of ethereal blue flame from its horn to lasso Heart. When the tendril connected with her leg, a terrible pain shot through her body, as if her blood had turned to fire in an instant. With a howl of pure anguish she spread her wings and flew as fast as she could, not noticing that the creature had also recoiled from the contact between their spirits and had stopped pursuing her.
Heart flew until her wings could take no more and she crashed onto the floor, sobbing more from fear and despair than from physical pain. In one corner of her mind a little flicker of thought emerged, noting how likely it was that Discord was responsible for her situation. This thought wormed its way through the darkness of her mentality, stubbornly refusing to fade and instead evolving. The spirit of Chaos couldn't have chosen a better way to disable her than to separate her from Soul, but adding the monstrous doppelganger was an unnecessary cruelty. And, the rational thought said coaxingly, you never stand for wanton cruelty. Even if Ray isn't here, you can't let him beat you Chell. Get up, face your fears.
But I can't fight as well solo as Ray can, her stronger negative side contended, and it hurt so much. Better to just keep running and hiding.
"Rachelle!" Heart jumped to her hooves as the voice echoed through the rooms, sounding so very much like Soul but with an undertone that put the pegasus's teeth on edge. Her eyes darted about as she tried to determine the direction it had come from, but even the sound of hoofsteps drawing near left her conflicted about which way to flee. "Stop running Rachelle, don't make this harder than it has to be." Spooked, Heart galloped off without thinking, tearing through the rooms on pure adrenaline. All she could hear was her ragged breathing and the rapid beat of her heart, and so when she was tackled from the side after passing through a door she had no time to react before she was flipped onto her back and pinned down with the golden-yellow unicorn straddling her, his turquoise eyes fixed on hers as he panted heavily. "Ok, this has gone on long enough," he said in a growl, "It's time to put an end to this. Hold still Chell; don't make this more difficult than it has to be. It should be over in a moment." His horn started to glow and a tendril of spirit energy formed and began to reach down to Heart's head with agonizing slowness.
"No," Heart whined, struggling futilely against the other's strength, "Let me go. Help. Somebody haaaaaaaahhhh!" |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act IV: Scene 6: Mind of the Meis | Ashen Blaze walked with full confidence and determination through the Discordian fortress, eyes forward and every sense alert for signs of life that would hopefully lead him to his teammates, Princess Luna, or even his evil double. Light poured out of his horn, illuminating every corner of the rooms he walked through and exposing wispy shadowy forms that skirted about trying to reach him through the powerful glow. "Try and break me Discord," he said challengingly as he came to a set of stairs and began to climb them, "You'll find me too difficult a target now. I am the Indomitable, I know your tricks, and I am not afraid to stand alone against the darkness. Companionship and teamwork has its value, but I know how to rely only on myself."
'Oh, is that a fact?' Discord replied as an echo from the walls and a tickling in the back of the unicorn's mind, 'We'll see.' Ash reached the top of the stairs to find a door that opened by itself at his approach. Upon stepping through he found himself walking on a metal floor with a thin layer of carpeting to reduce the noise of both his hooves and the booted feet of another figure whose appearance gave Ash pause. It was himself, humanoid and dressed in the military-grade mage uniform of Meis Thamule, having risen from an impressive-looking chair that hung down from a track on the ceiling. He walked up to a wide viewscreen displaying a planet against the backdrop of a star field, seemingly unaware of the ash-grey unicorn that had intruded in his space. At several stations around the room, short figures in full blue bodysuits and face-obscuring helmets that resembled multi-faceted crystals paused in their duties to watch the Meis.
Ashen Blaze took the scene in quickly with both his eyes and magic sense. He recognized the scene, having lived it once. He knew the planet in the viewscreen and what its fate was going to be even as the image of his past self began to speak in a gibberish that sounded like several different languages being spoken simultaneously. Ash understood it though, as every word was committed to memory. Heaving a sigh, he looked around and noticed an out-of-place door across the room and began to walk resolutely toward it, watching the scene only in his peripheral vision. There is no need to revisit this, he thought, Whatever Discord is trying to prove, I don't-
'You like to call this point in your life your "dark days," right?' Discord asked, 'When you were the commander of an entire nation of beings in a war of conquest. While some might try to argue that "it's lonely at the top" or whatever, the fact here is that you... where are you going?' Ash had reached the other door and started to open it, only for a force on the other side to pull it back. 'You're not paying attention!' the dragonequus said in an insulted whine.
"Discord," Ash said with the attitude of a parent trying to stay calm while scolding a child, "I, and everypony I know, are in this mess because I made the mistake of responding to your attempts at conversation. You have nothing to say that I want to hear, and I will say no more to you after this. So shut up." He blasted the door off its hinges and ran through before Discord could do anything to it. After passing through a short hallway, he found himself coming back to the false ship's bridge and came to a stop short of the threshold. He turned smartly around, walked a few steps away, and then sat down and closed his eyes with a defiant snort.
'You can't sit there forever,' Discord said, 'Your friends won't be coming to you, I can assure you of that.' Ash's jaw clenched tighter as he mentally acknowledged the point, but he remained steadfast and silent. 'Gah, fine,' Discord snapped, 'Don't want to play? Tough. I can make you play, Mister Indomitable.' The tickling in the back of Ash's mind grew stronger and he felt his awareness start to slip away.
"NO," he thundered, clapping a hoof to his temple and gathering as much power into his horn as he could manage, "You are not welcome in my mind. So get. OUT!" With that final cry he released his magic all at once, creating an explosion of orange light and flame that filled the hallway almost instantly and tore the walls and ceiling apart. When the dust settled, Ash stood panting and unharmed, if a bit dusty from the fallout, glaring ahead at the burned out shell of the illusory room ahead. "All right Discord," he said darkly as he walked forward slowly, "You want to talk about my tenure in the Shadowstar Empire? Let me tell you what I was: ignorant, naïve, I'd almost dare to say innocent but for the atrocities committed by my word and hands at the Master's will. It took seeing the sacrifice of another for his subordinate's survival to open my eyes to the truth of what I was. I led conquests, but nothing existed for me beyond that. I couldn't even be bothered to learn the names of those under me, and the other Meis would have spared no thought in trying to kill me for outperforming them in anything, had such a thing not been expressly forbidden. I fled that nightmare, and I worked alone until the Order-naries taught me how to properly relate to others, and I'm stronger for having experienced both solitude and friendship."
'All I'm hearing is "blah blah blah, I'm better than you",' Discord said boredly, 'Don't try to impress me Ash; I've been in your head and I know just how hard you're lying to yourself.'
Ash bristled. "I never lie," he said, "Least of all to myself."
'Puh-leez,' Discord replied, 'nobody can be completely honest all the time, not even the Element of Honest herself. Admit it: there's at least one someone you regret leaving.' Ash stayed silent and kept walking, coming into a fresh, undamaged, and empty room before Discord lost his patience again. 'I guess I'll just have to find out for myself,' he said, starting to press into Ash's mind again. Ash started to resist, but after a second he got a better idea and brought a name and image to the surface of his thoughts where it would be easy to find. He felt Discord's mental probe latch onto it like candy and pull away. 'Hm, this is an interesting looking fellow,' Discord said, 'Does this jog your memory any Ash?' At the far side of the room appeared the image of a vaguely humanoid thing covered in a robe that left only hands with tentacle-like fingers and a bulbous head with hard red eyes and a mass of thick tentacles hiding the lower half visible.
"Ah, Meis N'Cral," Ash said with a grim smile, "Yes, I suppose I do have a regret. I regret never trying to do this before making my escape." He traced a few quick lines on the floor with his hoof, focusing his magic into a tight point at the tip of his horn while a similar point of light formed in front of his Artificial Element necklace. "I am the master of my own mind, chimera." The points of light shot out, spiraling around each other until the met right in front of the illusion, exploding spectacularly and annihilating the wall behind it. When the smoke and dust cleared, Ash found himself looking into the solid yellow eyes of an ash grey unicorn stallion with a fire-like mane and tail and a cutie mark resembling an M and B stuck together. Ash's smile grew larger and more dangerous. "Well, hello there faker."
All the color drained out of Thamule's eyes, leaving them a stark, witless white. "What is this?" he asked, "You should be dead! Erased from all existence! I threw you into the void!"
"You threw me into Valden actually," Ash said, walking through the gaping hole in the wall, and then cocked his head to the side in curiosity, asking, "Did you honestly not take Discord at his word when he said the worlds Tau'rin inflicted his presence on still stand? It's a poor servant who doesn't trust his master."
"Discord is no master of mine," Thamule snarled, eyes turning red, "You're hardly one to talk about such things anyway, you little traitor."
"My, what is this?" Ash asked, "Discord, having a little trouble keeping one of your creations in line? Perhaps it's just in my genes to be a turn-coat."
'That would explain how he became such an unruly pawn,' the Dragonequus mused, 'It wasn't my idea for him to attack Canterlot, and I have no idea what he intends with poor little Luna there.'
"Luna?" Ash tore his eyes away from his doppelganger and finally looked at the room. The center of the floor was taken up with a large and intricate carved circular Weave, in the middle of which was a bubble of translucent blackness. Drawing closer, Ash peered inside and made out the figure of Princess Luna curled up inside, her mane and tail looking like natural hair and her coat marred by splotches and lines of black. Her eyes were open but unseeing, filled as they were with pain and terror. Fury began to fill Ash, but he kept it under control as he turned back toward Thamule. "What's your plan for her?" he asked, "You've shown that Celestia's life means nothing to you, so what value is Luna's?"
"She has potential," Thamule replied, "And this world is one that cannot be ruled alone. Discord can't be trusted or controlled, so I require another, one who has twice wrested control to impose her own order upon Equestria."
"You think you can keep the Nightmare in your thrall?" Ash asked, "Or for that matter prevent Discord from exerting more power than he already has and overcoming the seal placed on him? Ha. You are a poor copy of me, Vaer Thamule. You have ambition beyond your design. A proper meis should know his place."
'Is it my imagination, or are you standing up for me?' Discord asked.
"Shut up Discord," Ash and Thamule both snapped.
'Oh ho, ok,' Discord said, 'I see how it is. Actually, this should be quite amusing. Wish I had some popcorn.'
"So, where were we?" Ash asked, "Ah, right, I was-" He stopped short as Thamule fired a blast of magic at him, ducking and throwing up a barrier to deflect it harmlessly into the wall. "Ah, that's more like it," he said with a cheeky grin, "taking the first available opening. Let's see who the better mage is in the long run though."
"Peh, I beat you once before," Thamule said dismissively, eyeing Ash's shield as he began to circle the room.
"By ambush," Ash responded, "and with me in a distracted state. The field is even now Vaer." He let the shield drop and charged his magic. "Take your best shot."
Thamule narrowed his eyes suspiciously and fired a bolt of magic at his opponent, keeping control of its path to maneuver around Ash's defenses. To his shock and surprise, rather than try to deflect the bolt, Ash simply titled his head to the side with a smug smirk as the attack curved at the last second to fly by harmlessly and loop back around and come at Thamule. The doppelganger deflected it with a thought and fixed Ash with a hard, demanding glare. "What Discord trickery is this?" he asked, "None can so completely wrest control of another's spells like that, not even Meis Thamule."
"Truth," Ash said, still smiling smugly, "Every magic user imprints their own energy upon their spells, so only they can fully control them. All others must either apply external force or try to reconstruct the spell. Here's the thing though Vaer, you and I? Our magic is one and the same. Even with Discord's influence in your creation, we are effectively clones, differing only in personality."
"And how is it you know this?" Thamule asked.
"In Canterlot, I undid the bindings you placed on Shining Armor," Ash answered, "As is my, or our wont rather, I attacked them with my typical dispel first to see what threads to go after to unweave, but the bindings reacted as if I had cast them and broke apart at once. 'Twas a mere curiosity though, until I tried to trace your Transport spell out of the Princesses's rooms and discovered the destination with more precision than even PC could have accomplished. I'd have been hot on your tail if I hadn't decided to play the safe route. Point is, whatever you can dish out, I can control it."
Thamule's yellow eyes blinked in befuddlement for a moment, but then the orbs turned green and he smirked. "If that is true," he said, "Then the reverse must be as well."
"Most likely," Ash admitted, and then unleashed a veritable storm of magic projectiles. Thamule grabbed them and turned them back on their original caster, and thus the contest began in earnest. Back and forth the two ash-grey unicorns sent the volleys, occasionally adding more to the mix or dispersing some when they felt overwhelmed. Bolts of pure magic, fireballs, and arcs of lightning swirled at all different speeds around the pair like the electrons of some great chaotic elemental compound. After a few moments, Ashen Blaze began to move around, gracefully weaving between the deadly projectiles, all while keeping a calm look on his face. Incensed, Thamule redoubled his efforts, trying to keep control of the magic as long as he could to trip up his opponent's dance. Neither spoke a word, saving their energy only for spell work and dodging. Eventually though, Thamule's strategy began to bear fruit as Ash had more and more close calls as his energy began to fade. At last he was forced to stop and barricade himself behind shields, breaking up the attacks as they came to him and returning few if any. Thamule began to chuckle triumphantly and let the storm die down until the only spells still active in the room were Ash's shields and the spell around Luna.
"You... fool," Thamule panted, feeling drained as well from the exertion, "Weren't you called the 'Pragmagic' once? You've become too complacent in your skills, too theatrical to truly be called pragmatic. Did you really think you could best me with your... psychological warfare? Huh? Tell me why."
"Well," Ash said, looking at a point past Thamule's head, "first of all, unlike you, I don't normally fight alone these days. I have friends." Thamule's eyes grew wide and white as he whirled around, realizing he had his back to the hole Ash had blown in the wall. He was tensed to protect himself, but no threating hoof or magic attack came to meet him. The gap and the room beyond were empty. Orange annoyance seeped into his eyes, but before he could turn around Ash pounced on him from behind and delivered a bone-crushing hoof-strike to the back of the neck. Thamule collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut as vertebrae shattered and he lost all sensation below the neck, and Ash rolled expertly off him and looked down at him. "Second," he said, "I know myself, and even with friends I'm still paranoid enough to fall for that kind of trick."
"You..." Thamule gasped in a rattling voice, "you lied."
Ash shook his head. "Nope, I never said they were there. I just said I had friends." He gave the broken unicorn a pat on the cheek and turned to the spell holding Luna. "Now let's see about this little thingy..."
"You've doomed her," Thamule rattled, stubbornly refusing to die, "Trust all... you want in... your ability to... take control of... the strings... but the spell is in motion and... you'll never discern its workings until... it's too late. Of course," he added in a suddenly clear, strong tone, "That will hardly matter when you're dead." Ash turned around to see Thamule pick himself off the ground, his neck restoring itself with a sickening crack. "I owe Discord no loyalty," the doppelganger said, "But I have some of his power to use, so use it I shall to maintain my life."
"Oh, fun times ahead then," Ash said sardonically, "Well, bring it then." To his surprise, rather than use magic, Thamule charged and tackled him to the ground, taking a grip around his head with both front legs.
"Let's see how you like a broken neck," Thamule spat, eyes a murderous, angry red.
Grunting, Ash flared his horn brightly to blind Thamule and then teleported to the side and out of the headlock. He caught Thamule's leg as it lashed out wildly toward him and pulled on it, throwing his opponent even more off balance. He misjudged the angle of motion however and Thamule crashed into him, bringing them both down into a grappling tangle. They wrestled for a while, until an interruption came from outside. A glob of yellow gel struck Thamule in the side of the head, followed a second later by one to Ash's head. Screaming, the two separated and Thamule fell to the ground writhing in pain while Ash bit back the cry and reached up to scrape the Magebane off. "Skvetchte... Geez Gale, why'd you have to shoot me?" He looked to see the brown earth pony girl standing in the breach in the wall, Gel Launcher primed and ready for another shot. Behind her Ash could see Soul Mage standing with Gold Heart draped across his back, the golden-yellow pegasus hugging her brother's neck as tightly as she could without choking him, looking exhausted beyond measure and absolutely determined not to let Soul go. Soul and Gale weren't looking much better.
"Sorry Ash," Gale said, "but I had to be sure I got the right one. I did get the right one, right?"
"Look at my eyes if you doubt," Ash said, "and if that doesn't convince you, look at the other guy." The Magebane appeared to be eating through Thamule's face, having claimed an eye and most of his cheek in a bloodless manner. Gale grimaced at the sight and unloaded several more shots to try and speed up the process. "So," Ash said, blatantly ignoring the dissolving duplicate, "what happened to you guys?"
"We'll tell you later," Gale said, "We need to find Luna and get out fast before Discord decides to bring the building down."
"Luna's there," Ash said, indicating the spell circle and the dark bubble within, and then quickly pushed Gale's Launcher away from it as she took aim. "Don't break it," he said, "the spell's still in-progress and cutting its power might have catastrophic effects."
"Well, do something quick," Gale snapped as the building began to shake, "This place was not built to last and it's time is way past." The shaking grew progressively stronger as Ash turned and reached his magic out to the spell around the Night Princess.
"Transformation," he muttered, "almost purely mental but with a physical component as well. Brings one thing to the surface that should be buried and- Yi!" He lashed out and caught a chunk of masonry that had come loose from the ceiling before it could hit the spell circle. "I cannot work under these conditions," he muttered, "Everyone gather in. I'm going to do something crazy."
"It's always nice when he's upfront about it," Soul muttered with a smile. |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Act IV: Scene 7: Victory at a Price | It's difficult to give a death glare to something you can't see, such as an invisible, selectively permeable barrier, but Twilight Sparkle was giving it her best shot anyway. Despite all the efforts of the Elements of Harmony, they had yet to get the necklaces and tiara past the perimeter of the clearing around Discord and Thamule's fortress.
"Idea," Pinkie Pie said, "Let's try wearing an Element besides our own."
"Pinkie," Twilight said wearily, "We've blasted the barrier twice and tried teleporting inside and digging under it."
"I still think that plan has merit," a dirt-stained Applejack said, "We just gotta dig deeper." Rarity shuddered at the thought.
"What makes you think scrambling the Elements around will work?" Twilight asked Pinkie without missing a beat.
"Dunno," Pinkie said with a shrug, "It's something we haven't tried yet though."
Twilight's mouth hung open, words failing her. "Ok, I can't really argue that," she said at last. She levitated the tiara off her head and passed it to Pinkie, who in turn passed her necklace to Applejack, and so on around until Twilight ended up with Fluttershy's Element of Kindness. "All right," the lavender unicorn said uneasily, "Here goes." She stepped forward and bumped into the barrier. "Argh!" Twilight cried in frustration and started banging her head against the invisible wall. "Why. Won't. You. Go. Away. You. Stupid. Waaaaah!" Her face suddenly met simple air rather than solid barrier and she tipped forward into the dirt.
"Are you ok Twilight?" Fluttershy asked as her friends gathered around in concern.
"Yeah," Twilight answered, picking herself up, "But I don't know what happened. The barrier just... vanished."
"Perhaps that has something to do with it?" Rarity suggested, pointing toward the fortress, which was starting to fall apart. "I hope Ash and the others can get out of there in time," Rarity said. A few seconds later, a ball of orange light appeared over the remains of the Twisted Desire field, fluctuating in size for a moment before inflating to a humungous size and then popping to drop a large circular block of stone bearing the four Order-naries and a dome of black energy onto the ground, crushing most of the flowers. Twilight conjured a barrier around herself and her friends as the impact of the stone threw up a cloud of pollen, which was quickly dispersed by a magical wind courtesy of Ashen Blaze.
"Come on girls," AJ said unnecessarily as the six mares ran to join their friends, Twilight returning the Elements of Harmony to their proper bearers as they moved. They hurdled or flew over the remaining Twisted Desire blooms to land on the stone platform. The fortress reached the final stage of its collapse, and Twilight threw up another force field to protect the group from the wave of dust and debris that washed toward them.
"Gracias Twilight," Ash said, looking like he'd just finished running a marathon at a full sprint, "Couldn't get as far away as I hoped to. Too much mass and not enough energy to spare."
"Why'd you hafta bring all this with y'all?" Applejack asked, tapping the stone beneath her hooves.
"What happened in there?" Rainbow Dash asked, "You all look like you've been to Tartarus and back."
"Inferno," Soul said with a cold smile, "Inferno et Cocytus. I have endured Fire and Ice such as you wouldn't believe! And poor Heart had it even worse." He turned his head back to nuzzle his sister clamped onto his back like a baby koala.
"What happened?" Twilight asked.
"Is Heart going to be ok?"
"Yeah, in time," Soul said, "Discord turned the bond we share against us, making it painful to get close to each other but not removing our instinctive need to stay together. Heart was so out of her mind she saw me as a monster with sadistic intentions, and a superficial spirit link was pure torture. It took every ounce of willpower and love I had to get down past the... wrongness and reach the real spirit of Rachelle M'Dale, but once we had that connection Discord's influence didn't stand a chance." Heart grunted in affirmation but didn't say anything further.
"He didn't even need to pull any mind-magic on me," Gale grumbled, "He just stuck me in a room with no exit and told me if I didn't make a model of the fortress structurally sound he'd let the actual one fall down - and demons take me if he wasn't telling the truth about that - and my own obsessive-compulsiveness took care of the rest!" She snorted in frustration and made to stomp on the platform, only for Ash to catch her hoof in the air and give her a look. Taking a calming breath, she set her hoof down gently, then nodded at Heart and Soul and said, "Once those two got through their trial, they carved their way through walls and other obstacles until they stumbled upon me and snapped me out of my trance. I shored up the model as best I could and then we went looking for Ash. We found him going hoof-to-hoof with Thamule with Princess Luna caught up in whatever this is." She indicated the engraved stone and the black dome that was currently holding most of Ash's attention.
"And what is this?" Twilight asked, scrutinizing the intricately woven lines at her feet.
"Based on Thamule's word and what I've discerned for myself, this spell is supposed to bring Nightmare Moon to the surface as the permanent personality in Luna's mind," Ash explained, "But between being interrupted partway through and the weave-circle being relocated, dropped, and stepped on, I have no idea what it'll actually do if unguided."
"Well then," Dash said, clapping her hooves together, "Why don't you just step back and let us set things back to normal with the Elements?"
"No, please," Ash said, pleading, "I can fix this. I'm pretty sure at least. Just give me a few minutes. I have to do everything in my power to undo Thamule's damage."
"Fine," Twilight said, "but don't forget, we're here if you need us." Ash nodded his thanks and turned his full attention to the spell around Luna.
"Uh, question," Pinkie said, looking at the pile of rubble where the fortress had been, "What happened to Discord?"
"Good question," Gale replied, eyeing the rubble supiciously.
"Perhaps-" Rarity began, but then stopped as a chunk of broken stone flipped over to reveal a lion's paw wriggling out from the rubble. Once it freed itself, it skittered spider-like over the rubble before pushing a few rocks aside to reveal the tufted end of Discord's tail. Taking a grip, the paw tried to pull it free, only to give up after several seconds of not making progress. It then walked over to another rock, shoved it aside, and dug down until it freed a griffon-claw hand. The mis-matched hands then joined forces in pulling at the tail tuft, eventually extracting all of Discord's tail and serpentine torso. Meanwhile, his legs freed themselves from other parts of the ruined fortress and hopped over to join the body. Once it was reassembled, the headless body felt around the neck area, and then snapped, conjuring Discord's head and wings into place.
"Well that was a new experience," the dragonequus said thoughtfully, "broken apart while still stone and then reverting to flesh and blood. Not something I want to repeat. Anyway," he said with a clap and slight bow toward the ponies, "before I get down to the chaos, I feel the need to say thank you."
Heart's eyes snapped open. "Thank you?" she asked, looking up at Discord in disbelief, "Thank you?!" She let go of Soul and took flight, staring the chaos spirit right in the eye from a distance. "What could you possibly have to thank us for?"
"For getting rid of that troublesome and rebellious Ash-double," Discord answered jovially, "He was all set to cause me no end of irritation and-"
"Oh no," Heart snapped as an aura of ethereal blue flames surrounded her, "Don't you dare try to excuse yourself from that. You made him, you let him run loose, and you got in our way while we were trying to stop him with... with cold blooded torture! You do not get to thank us!"
Discord actually flinched back with raw shock in his face as Heart drew closer to him. Her aura flared brighter as she continued to harangue him, each flare timed with a sharply emphasized word and a wave of power that pushed Discord back and onto the ground by inches. "What's more," she said, "Even before this you have been harassing us with disasters that brought Ponyville to the brink of desolation! Parasprites almost ruined the Summer Sun Celebration. Then a terrible, cruel mutation of poison joak, and now the town is under siege by mind-controlled dogs sicced by the evil Ash you created. And all through that you were messing with the real Ash's mind, forcing him into actions that started most of those disasters. Discord, you are nothing but a cruel. Heartless. Self-serving. Arrogant monster! You do not get to thank us for cleaning up your messes!" She ended less than an inch away from Discord's face, all but invisible inside the huge pony-shaped fireball that was her spirit aura. She glared at the dragonequus in deathly silence as the aura faded away, and then she turned her back on him, hiked her tail up with a dismissive snort, and flew back to the group, who were just as floored as Discord by the show. She landed next to Soul Mage and cast an expectant look at Twilight. "Well, Elements?" she said.
"Oh, uh right," Twilight said, snapping out of her stupor. The others shook off their shock and got into position as Twilight began to link the Elements together.
"Uh," Discord said, eyes darting between the light gathering around Twilight and company and a spot in the air overhead, "I see that I'm not welcome here anymore. Fair enough, I'm gone." He gestured with a hand and a blue-rimmed rip in reality cracked open above the treetops. "Ta-ta suckers," he crowed as he rose into the air.
"Get back here!" Soul shouted, lashing out with a tendril of spirit energy and lassoing Discord around his goat foot. At the same time, Heart linked up with her brother and sent out a spirit lasso of her own that wrapped around Discord's tail and Gale shot him in the chest with a blue gel that crackled with electricity on impact. With a cry that was more surprise than pain, Discord faltered in his flight and was quickly pulled down to earth by Heart and Soul. "Leave this world and we will hunt you down," Soul said, "and if we catch you you'll wish the Elements of Harmony were all you had to look forward to."
"You cocky little..." Discord started to growl, but then he noticed the Elements had reached full charge and the rainbow beam was starting to fly toward him. "No!" he cried, struggling against his restraints, "I was so close! Nooooo!" Heart and Soul released him just before the Harmony blast hit him, giving him just enough time to start curling up into defensive posture of distress before he was fully petrified. The resulting statue was surprisingly balanced and remained on its feet after the rainbow energy dispersed and the Elements released their bearers.
"Did we do it?" Twilight asked hesitantly, "Is he sealed for good this time?"
"I didn't hold back," Pinkie said emphatically, "not even one little teeny-tiny bit."
"Just don't ask me to check," Ash muttered darkly, "I'm not getting within twenty feet of that thing this time."
"He's only about twelve feet or thirteen away from you right now Ash," Soul said with a cheeky smirk. Ash just gave him a sidelong glance while Heart whapped him good-naturedly with her wing. "How's Luna holding up?" Soul asked seriously.
Ash took a small step back from the trapped and tormented princess and pursed his lips. "This may seem odd," he said, "but I'm going to need a bottle or something similar."
Several hours later, as Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, regent pro tempore, struggled to keep the sun moving smoothly and steadily below the western horizon, the six Element Bearers, four Order-naries, and one weary Princess Luna arrived in Ponyville to find peace, safety, and the beginnings of reconstruction. After comparing notes with the Royal Guardsponies, it was determined that right around the time that Thamule had been destroyed the mind control spell had lifted off the Diamond Dogs who had still been affected. The captive Dogs had been freed immediately to return to their homes, and a short time later a small pack had returned, led by the red-vested one, to offer their skills in repairing the streets as a sign of good faith. Luna approved of the guard's acceptance of the offer and extended an invitation to the lead Dog to come to court to formalize peace between the two species. She had then graciously taken up the invitation to sleep off her ordeal, requiring Twilight and Rarity to carry her to the library after she collapsed in the street. A letter informing Cadance and Canterlot's leadership of Luna's rescue was promptly sent off by Spike.
A celebration was held in Canterlot the next day to honor the Order-naries and Element Bearers for their valor in defending Equestria. Princess Celestia was still too weak to participate, but Pinkie Pie made sure that plenty of party food found its way to the royal suite. The official ceremony to honor the heroes was presided over by Luna and Cadance, who remained in a regency position at the Night Princess's behest.
Out in the antechamber, there was a fair bit of whispered debate over which group should lead out when they were presented. Ashen Blaze argued that as the Element Bearers had not only been the ones to strike Discord down but were Equestria's own chosen they should go first, while Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow argued that Ash's team had done most of the hard work in getting Discord into position to get struck down and thus they deserved the honor. When the call came for them to make their entrance, they reached a compromise. Ashen Blaze and Twilight Sparkle walked side by side at the head of their inter-mingled teams, as if to show that Harmony had room for all who could contribute to the cause. They approached the dais and formed a semi-circle in front of Princess Luna, who stood with proud and regal bearing despite lacking the stature and ethereal mane she normally bore, and Cadance who looked somewhat self-conscious about being there.
"Citizens of Equestria," Princess Luna said in a voice just shy of Royal Canterlot levels, "Today is a grand and glorious one, for we have once again witnessed the ending of a grave threat to our land and our world. Once again, it is thanks to these brave ponies before us that the wicked Discord has been sealed in stone and the disasters visited upon Equestria in his name have ended." Cheers and hoof-stomps rang through the hall, but there was a dampened quality to the enthusiasm. Luna raised her head higher and signaled for silence with her horn and then continued in a more solemn tone, "However, as many of you know, the victory has been bittersweet. Discord's attacks this time have left more lasting scars, especially around the town of Ponyville. My dear sister lies gravely wounded in her room and powerless to fulfill her duties over the daytime. I myself have suffered much and am yet too weary to rule both day and night, and so I have asked Princess Mi Amore Cadenza to remain at my side and assist me until Celestia regains her health. We must look past these sorrows however and look forward to a new and more tranquil night! ... And a brighter day after that and, ahem, so on." A low chuckle rolled through the audience as Luna blushed slightly. "Our first act," she said, regaining her composure, "Is of course to honor our heroes with medals. Next, we shall personally see to the reconstruction of Ponyville and the relief of all who currently dwell within its boundaries. Afterward, we shall devote ourselves to Celestia's recovery and a return to normalcy. Fillies and Gentlecolts, may I present the Elements of Harmony and the Order-naries, heroes of Equestria!" Renewed cheers echoes through the hall as a velvet-lined box of medals was brought forth and each of the ten ponies had one placed around their neck. "Now," Luna announced once the last medal had been presented, "back to the fun!" Pinkie whooped and raced to be the first out of the room, only to be restrained by Luna's magic. The Princess of the Night lowered her head and said in a low voice to the ten, "Join me in Celestia's chambers after sunset. We have some things still to discuss." She gave Ash a long, meaningful look, and then straightened up and left the hall.
The mood in Celestia's suite was a far cry from the joyous atmosphere of the presentation hall as Ash, Twilight, and company filed in, still wearing their medals and moving with apprehension. Princess Celestia was a still, white form on the bed, wrapped heavily in bandages that hid her nearly destroyed wing from sight but could do nothing to disguise the stump of her horn. Luna stood by the bedside, stroking her sister's hoof with her own, and Cadance stood a short distance away with Shining Armor by her side. They all looked up as the Element Bearers and Order-naries entered and spread out in a rough line. "Thank you for coming," Luna said, her tone grim as she turned away from the bed toward the little ponies, "As I said earlier, there are matters of great importance we must still discuss. I will not mince words: although Discord is indeed defeated, and is now locked deep below the castle and far away from any idle wanderers, I fear that Equestria is still in a dangerous position. Ashen Blaze, Soul Mage, Gold Heart, Gale, I know you have discovered the means to return to your original world, but I'm afraid I must forbid you from doing so."
"What?" Gale exclaimed, "Why?" Everypony else, save for Celestia and Shining Armor, looked aghast.
"You four have proven to be very valuable as protectors," Luna explained, "and with Celestia bedridden and myself greatly weakened, Equestria is vulnerable. Should the Changelings get word of this, and I have little doubt they might, they could attempt another invasion. Griffon nations might also try to take advantage of our weakness, or perhaps the threat will come from other races."
"You have the Guard though," Soul said, indicating Shining Armor, "pruned and strengthened repeatedly since your return from the moon. Cadance and Shining Armor together have great power in repelling invaders. And, best of all, you have the Elements of Harmony! We're just four ponies of curious origin next to all that."
"An extremely talented spellcrafter," Celestia spoke up, eyes twinkling, "a set of twins who together have the strength to restrain a spirit of chaos, or so I hear, and a maker of interesting and effective weapons. That's what I see."
"This isn't a permanent decree," Luna said, "We only need you to remain a while longer until we are sure Equestria is safe."
"And when will that be?" Ash asked, "Once Celestia's able to get out of bed in a few weeks or so? When she's actually able to resume the throne? Or when you are back to full power again Princess? Do you think you can even keep us here against our will? I can take full control of our means of egress with a word."
"Don't make this difficult Ash," Shining warned. Ash just huffed and eyed the stallion challengingly.
"Waiting for Luna to get her strength back shouldn't be that bad," Twilight said, looking around, "Should it?" Ash bit his lip and looked at the floor and Luna narrowed her eyes.
"I was going to bring this up next anyway," the dark princess said. Her horn glowed and Ash's saddlebags materialized, summoned from where he had left them under safe watch. Luna opened one of the bags and drew out an erlenmeyer flask stoppered with a cork and filled with a black, inky substance that writhed and thrashed against the sides. "Would you kindly explain what this is Ash?" Luna asked.
"You know what it is," Ash answered, "I explained it in the forest yesterday."
"I was only half-conscious at the time," Luna persisted, "and some ponies here weren't with us yesterday."
Everypony looked at Ash expectantly, and he sighed in defeat. "That is Nightmare Moon," he said, and nodded when Celestia, Cadance, and Shining all gasped in fright. "Discord's clone of me was trying to change Luna into Nightmare Moon permanently to serve as either a pawn or co-ruler who could manage the sun and moon until he could figure out how to harness such power himself," he explained, "He was destroyed while the spell was only half-finished, and that combined with the repercussions of my taking control of the spell to halt its progress and transporting the whole weave to another location led to a deviation in the effects. Rather than transposing Luna's personality with the Nightmare's it took that part of Luna's psyche and power and began to separate it, creating two minds instead of one with a... glitch in it. With Discord hovering over us and being worn out from fighting Thamule, there was no chance for me to completely reverse the spell, so I did the next best thing: I removed the Nightmare mind entirely and placed it in that magically-prepared flask. So, Luna is no longer in danger of becoming Nightmare Moon, but the cost was the Nightmare's share of Luna's magic."
"Yes," Luna said, "and I'm arguably weaker than when the Elements of Harmony cleansed my mind and drove the Nightmare into its little corner."
"But your power will return eventually," Ash said emphatically, reaching out to take the flask from Luna, "It's in your nature."
"I'm going out on a limb here," Rainbow said, "but could you, like, put it back so Luna can get her magic back?"
"No," Ash and Celestia said. Ash deferred to the Princess with a nod and she continued, "I would much prefer that my sister's mind remain free of any old corruptions than risk losing her again on a gamble. Mental magic is very dangerous."
"Quite," Ash agreed, still pulling lightly but persistently on the flask as Luna kept her grip on it, "and I happen to have a... well, a bit of a crackpot theory to be honest, but I might have a use of my own for the Nightmare."
"Like what?" Gale asked.
"Ask me again once I've had time to decide if it's actually viable," Ash replied in a dodgy manner. Gale gave him a withering look but didn't press the issue.
"I certainly do not miss the Nightmare's muttering in the back of my mind," Luna said, "Nevertheless, the price makes it all the more vital that we have as many trustworthy defenders in Equestria at this time as possible. Knowing how things stand, do you honestly still wish to leave us?"
Ash moved to reply, but Heart beat him to the punch, giving Luna a sympathetic look and saying, "We understand why you want us to stay Your Highness, but consider where we stand. Up until a few weeks ago we thought our home had been destroyed and all our friends and loved ones were dead. But it turns out it's almost the other way around; Taryn survived and we're the ones who've been presumed dead for nearly five years by all but a few. Five years of separation, loss, and hope have dropped on us all at once."
"I was sealed in the moon for a thousand years Gold Heart," Luna said, "I don't think you can compare."
"Luna," Celestia said gently, "A millennium is a long time, but for beings with lifespans like yours and mine it is perhaps a month by comparison."
"Sister, you would let them go?" Luna asked, "Right when we may need them the most?"
"I would," Celestia answered, "because the threats you imagine are only that at the moment: imagined. I don't think it's fair to withhold certain happiness because of speculative danger. However, you're the one with the most authority right now dear. I'm just an invalid." Her eyes twinkled mischievously as Luna cast her eyes down in thought.
"Very well," she said as she released the flask of Nightmare into Ash's possession, "You have our permission to return home whenever you see fit. We wish you the best of luck on your journey."
"It has been an honor to serve you Princess Luna, Princess Celestia," Ash said, bowing, "If we are welcome, we will visit from time to time, and if there is a need for our help when we're around, we will provide it freely."
"You shall be welcome," Luna replied, "you are all dismissed to your preparations and farewells." The Order-naries and Element Bearers bowed and filed out of the room, beginning to chat in the somber tones of those who must soon part ways. |
Summer Sun, Dawning Chaos | Epilogue: Farewell Ponyville | Everypony has something they treasure, something that they will go to great lengths to acquire, improve, and hold on to. Applejack has her farm and family, Rarity has her jewels and connections in the fashion industry, and I have my knowledge. However, nothing is more valuable than friends to a pony who has them. I've covered a lot of ground in the magic of making and maintaining strong friendships, but now I find myself facing a facet of friendship I have never really considered: how to say good bye to ponies who remain your friends but who you have no guarantee of ever seeing again. It has been several days since the Order-naries left to return to their long-lost home-world and I still find it difficult to believe.
Despite their clear desire to leave, it seems that Ash and the others had as difficult a time letting go of Equestria as we did letting them go. They took a couple days settling accounts in Canterlot, such ending the leases on Ash and Gale's apartments, arranging the discharge of Heart and Soul from the Royal Guard, and finding trustworthy "caretakers" for Gale's patents. As something of a farewell gift, Gale actually provided the formulas and blueprints for the Guard to create their own versions of her Gel Launcher and its specialized ammo. They then spent several days in Ponyville helping with reconstruction and, of course, attending the parties Pinkie Pie put on. Finally, however, Mr. Yu-san Maesi put his hoof down, saying he couldn't "stand one more minute of not having thumbs," and so they loaded up into the Lirin with only their medals, Ash's magic necklace, and the flask containing the Nightmare as souvenirs of their stay here and they flew away through the portal above Fluttershy's house. Heart had preemptively apologized for the noise disturbing Fluttershy's animals, saying there probably wasn't any way of knowing which of the two portals they'd emerge from when they come back to visit.
Rarity was distraught, as I suppose she has a right to be considering her feelings toward Ash. She couldn't even stand to be present when the Lirin took off. Hopefully she'll be ok; I hear that before they separated for the last time Ash made Rarity promise not to dwell on him forever, that if she should meet another stallion worthy of her affections that she should give them freely and without a second thought for Ash.
Visits. We here have to trust that they will return to visit, because there is no other way to stay in touch. Taryn is separated from Equestria by more than just the world of Valden and the connecting portals. A message would have to travel the same way as a pony: over a long time and through many unknown realities where Humans reign and a pony would be changed to fit. That does not sit well with me, but until recently the study of alternate dimensions wasn't even worth considering outside of fiction, and so I have nothing on which to base research into an alternative, faster means of staying in contact with the Order-naries. Not yet anyway.
I better go now. There are still lots of things around town that need repair, and I'm lending all the help I can.
It helps keep my mind off how much I miss them.
-Twilight Sparkle
Trixie pulled her caravan wagon through the dark silent night, her downcast eyes focused on the road as she walked. The combination mobile home and stage for her troupe had miraculously survived the Diamond Dog attacks, which along with the bits the troupe had earned in recent days stood out as one of the few blessings the showmare could attribute to Ponyville. The sound of wings followed by hooves impacting the ground ahead of her brought her to a stop and she looked up to see the midnight-blue Princess Luna approaching her.
"What are you doing out at this hour, Great and Powerful Trixie?" the Princess asked.
"I am relieving Ponyville of an additional burden Your Highness," Trixie answered, "They will not admit it, but they have little need for an actress who can barely pull her own weight in restoring damaged buildings while eating up their food. I was hoping to slip away under the cover of night to forestall any more arguments on the matter."
"I see," Luna said gravely, "and what of your companions?"
"Asleep in the wagon," Trixie said, "Except for the sister of Pinkie Pie who has been trying to help out with our finances lately. She was among those insisting we stay."
"Yes," Luna said, "it was through her, indirectly actually - she told Pinkie, who relayed the message to Twilight and Spike - that I was informed you'd be heading this way. Are you aware that I extended a royal offer of assistance to all who dwelled in Ponyville?" Trixie nodded. "At the time I made that decree, you were dwelling in Ponyville."
"I understand what you're offering Princess Luna," Trixie said, "but the Great and Powerful Trixie and her Traveling Thespians don't require charity. We have enough money to last us to Hoofington, and from there we should be able to get out hooves more firmly under us."
"I'm not offering charity Trixie," Luna said, "For you, a friend in need, I am offering sponsorship."
Trixie blinked in surprise, barely comprehending. "C-come again?" she said.
"I am willing to take the risk of linking a talented troupe of performers with the royal name," Luna said with a warm smile, "Canterlot will always have a venue and a willing audience for you, and as you travel you may use my name to attract curious seekers of entertainment. You can go wherever your hearts desire, or avoid certain towns at your whim. All I ask in return is that you do not abuse my name and that you stop by Canterlot to visit and perform for me and my sister every once in a while. Do we have a deal?"
Trixie's mouth had dropped open partway through the proposal, and now she struggled to stay calm and not fall to Luna's feet in tearful thanks. Instead, she put on a mask of consideration and said, "I will need to discuss this with my fellow performers Your Highness, but I suspect they will be eager to accept."
"Wonderful!" Luna crowed, flaring her wings triumphantly, "Make for Canterlot when your decision is finalized and I'll see to... sprucing up that wagon of yours to make it more fitting for Royal Performers." She took to the air and flew back toward Canterlot as Trixie unhitched herself and rushed around to wake her friends up with the good news.
It was a truly beautiful summer night, and the moon was full. |
Of Wubs and Men | pre | Before I set my plan in motion, I needed to go see the other actor in my play of revenge. She was playing a major role, and the best part was that she didn't even know. I set up a meeting place for us to discuss. Good thing Mason let me use his phone-thing. The only problem was getting there. Luckily, Mason just happened to be leaving for a job he had been hired for. He was helping so much in his own demise.
"Mom, Dad-I'm leaving," Mason said as he came from the guest room where his parents were staying, "Alright Vinyl, ready to go?"
I simply nodded as I grabbed my one-strap backpack. We headed for the front door and had to manually lock it since Tesla was still updating. (The housing system was only 40% done.) We both got into his car; he started it, and pulled out the driveway. After a couple moments of driving, his radio connected to his phone through something he called Bluetooth. The music played as we rocked our heads, but Mason turned it to a low volume, so he could speak.
"You've been here for about three week, and most of that time, you've been around me." Mason spoke, his eyes never leaving the road, "Who else could you possibly know enough to have lunch with?"
"I have other friends besides you." I responded, "Plus, who says I stay in at night when you're asleep?"
"Fair enough, pony. Fair enough."
We continued driving down the long, traffic filled roads. During this, I took the chance to look over Mason. He wasn't a half bad looking stallion. Mane a tad bit too curly, but nothing too bad. I did notice the way he dressed. Nothing was wrong with it, but it never changed- t-shirt and cargo shorts. It's like that was all in his closet. Not even a polo or button down shirt. Even I kept a spare dress around just in case.
"Mason, what size shirt and pants do you wear?" I asked.
"Large shirt, thirty-three- thirty-six pants." He responded, not even giving the question a second thought, "Though, I have been exercising..."
"You exercised, but then ate half of pizza as a reward. It was canceled out."
Minutes later, we arrived at the cafe. Mason for fifty bucks to pay for food, but I had other plans in mind. We said our goodbyes, and he left. With him out of sight, I hesitantly sat down at a table. It was the first time I was alone in L.A. I was expecting weird stares, but no one seemed to care about my presence. Soon, the waiter came along; I told him I was waiting for someone. I did look over the menu, yet they had no vegetarian options. I wasn't hungry anyway. I was just waiting for my guest to appear. Oh, and she did.
"Hello, Anastasia. I have been waiting for you!" I said, "Please, take a seat. We have much to discuss."
(Mason's POV)
I parked my car in front of some huge mansion, grabbed my laptop, and walked towards the front door. Above it said, "Happy Birthday, Isaac." I promised myself I would never do birthdays, but this family was paying too well for me to say no. Luckily, I could drown myself in the free refreshments at the party.
Before I knocked on the door, a butler opened it for me. He guided me to the main room, where I immediately regretted taking this job. Before me was a plethora of hipster teens. They wore skinny jeans, or whatever other weird fashion choices kids did at the time. When the Butler announced my presence, they stayed calm. Usually, I received a hand clap or-more recently-small, polite smiles. Soon, they returned to their conversations and forgot about me.
I sighed before walking over to the speaker system provided. It was a good setup. A bit simplistic, but good. With a simple plug in of the auxiliary cable, the room was being pumped with music. I watched as the kids did some new dance I was unfamiliar with. (They looked like idiots) The butler would bring me refreshments, and every so often I would check the music or play a request.
After a while, I began drowning in my thoughts and not the drinks. Had I, or rather, electronic music become so out of date, that hipsters listened to it? Was I that old that I didn't understand half the dances or words the kids were saying? Come on, I was barely twenty-seven. How could I have become so out of touch?
"Uh...Mr. Helix..." said a shy girl in a shocked tone.
"Just call me Mason, kid." I responded, jumping out of my thoughts. I got up from my post near the speakers, and guided her to a quieter area. The music played automatically, so there was really no need for me. "What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if you could sign this photo...maybe answer some questions."
I think at that moment, I was more shocked than she was. For the past couple of years, my career slowly descended, so did the fans. I hadn't been asked for an autograph in...I can't even remember. I thought I was just a speck of dust in the wind. But, this kid, she made me feel a tad bit special again. She reminded me of the better times.
I grabbed a pen and signed my name-a little too quickly- on an unbecoming photo of me back at my first show. The girl seemed elated as she carefully slid the photo into a protective sleeve. I offered to take a picture with her, which made the kid even happier. Thanks to butler, the photo wasn't an awkwardly angled selfie. With those things out of the way, the questions began.
"So when's your next album coming out?" She asked, eager for a good answer.
"...Well..." before I finished she fired another question.
"I hear you're working with a new artist. Is she going to be on the album?"
"Funny story. She grabbed the phone...wait...how did you hear about?"
"It's all over your producer's social media accounts. 'DJ Helix: Return from the Darkness?' It's gaining some speed." She explained, "So about that new album..."
I was stuck in my thoughts for a moment before answering, "Uh...You'll just have to wait for the album." It was an answer I gave when I just didn't know what to say or do anymore. It seemed like my producer was happy about me working with Vinyl. The world seemed sort of happy about a return that may or may not happen. Things seemed to be looking up.
About an hour later, the party died, so I began to pack my stuff. The payment credits were transferred into my account, and I received a piece of birthday cake. (SCORE!) I started to head for my car, yet before I left, I couldn't help but speak to that girl again.
"Hey...uh...what's your email?" I asked.
"Why?" She asked in return. She seemed a weary giving that information.
"Well, I thought a fan would want to know about a spectacular showdown I'm participating in."
"Really? A DJ battle! Where?"
"The club Genesis in downtown L.A. All the details aren't worked out yet, but it is happening." I told, "If I'm correct, you're the first person outside a small circle that knows."
After that, I'm pretty sure that girl nearly fainted. Without delay, she gave me her name- Amelia- and email. I wrote them down onto a napkin and put it into my pocket. After saying our goodbyes and promising to contact my "biggest fan", I climbed into my car and drove home.
(Vinyl POV)
"Hey, Vinyl...uh..." Anastasia started to speak, "What made you invite me to lunch?"
"Can't two friends just talk n such?" I replied.
"Friends, huh?" Anastasia relaxed as she ordered two light beers, "Alright, then."
For the next half hour, we made small talk and also finalized the preparations for the DJ battle. She's a nice girl...though she can be an asshole, only when it's for the enjoyment of everyone. She kept herself hidden; only letting small glimpses of her full personality out around me. I guess were still weren't on the best of friend levels.
The longer we talked, the more I realized that this girl was essentially, a female version of Mason. Of course, she was her own person, but I saw pieces of one in the other. It probably strings from their childhood together. I wonder if they realized it. Probably not. They were both too blind to see.
We continued to talk, and I tried to bring Mason into the conversation, but it seemed like an area she didn't want to go to. She would quickly change the subject to something else-usually about me or Equestria. She seemed fairly interested in my home-the music, clubs, food, fashion, politics, etc. So, to gain some ground, I answered her questions as best as I could. Soon, the conversation moved fully towards the battle.
"Let me see, so a separate station for each DJ, programmed LED lighting to go along with the beat, subwoofers placed along the inside and outside of the club, advertisements, and free drinks for performers." Ana repeated, going over a list she wrote, "...and you want this done in two weeks?"
"Don't forget the fire dancers and explosions." I stated, taking off my glasses. She stared into my eyes for awhile before returning o the preparations.
"Uh...I think that's a safety hazard, but I'll see if I can make everything else happen. Truth is: my club needs some excitement; things have been slow, so let's make this one hell of a night!"
"I can drink to that!" Both Ana and I lifted our bottles and tapped them together.
"So, do ya' have any pals coming? I can reserve them some VIP seats if ya want. Probably send them an invitation."
I looked down at my drink. I didn't know anybody else in this land that was from back home. I'm pretty sure they came, but who exactly was...a shot in the dark.
Anastasia seemed to take notice of my appearance and didn't push any further. We finished our bottles in comfortable silence, and decided to leave before anything got awkward. Though, I didn't complete everything I wanted to today.
"I don't know how to say this, but I know a guy who'd love to invest in your club." I spoke, almost out of the blue.
"Hmm... things are decent now, but I'd meet him anyway." She responded.
"Cool, tonight at the Gordano's Corner. He'll be there. Tell them 'The party of Vinyl'."
"Gordano's corner...A bit too fancy for my blood, but alright."
With that, we both split our ways. Luckily, Anastasia paid for my taxi home. (I really should get a job...or ask Mason for an allowance.) Though, before I headed home, I made a quick stop by a male clothing store. I needed to buy a large button down shirt and a pair of thirty-three to thirty- six pants.
(Mason POV)
We're going to interrupt the wubs for one second to tell you all some news from the world. How many of you have helpmates? I bet of whole bunch of you, right? Now, how many of you have married your helpmate? Yeah, I said marry! In Oklahoma, a group of humans with their pon-
I turned off the radio. I wasn't listening to it anyway. Something about marriage. People could do whatever they wanted as long as they are happy. Plus, the whole marriage thing probably had nothing to do with me anyway, so it wasn't my business.
I pulled into my driveway. It had been an interesting day, but it was finally over. Well, until Vinyl rushed outside, pulled me in, and hastily undressed me. I was shocked, thinking it was another "heat" relapse, but it proved otherwise. She was speaking, yet her words were slurred together. I barely caught some phrases: "Big gig", "Lots of money", "Put these on", "You're kinda getting pudgy", "Meeting at Gordano's corner", and "Party of Vinyl".
"Wait, Gordano's Corner? That's a bit too fancy for my blood."
"Just go!" Vinyl rushed as she picked my hair and pushed me to the car., "And don't fuck it up."
Barely knowledgeable, I climbed back into my vehicle. I didn't know what was going on, but the words "gig" and "money" sounded nice. Like I said before, purchasing Vinyl put a decent dent in my finances. With a quick search on my GPS, I was off to a fancy restaurant in L.A. Completely unknown to a person like me who doesn't exactly go for the finer things in life.
I drove. Jus drove to my destination. In some fancy clothes Vinyl gave me. She didn't take off the price tag, which they both conveniently added up to around fifty bucks. Did Vinyl buy these for me? I must say: they did fit rather nicely. My thoughts came to an end once I pulled to the front of the restaurant.
"Hello, sir. May I take your car?" asked the valet.
"Uh... sure... but don't scratch her. The clutch is sticky so be careful!" I warned as I got out, "If you turn on the radio, only play EDM...she likes that."
"I'll put the utmost care into it, sir."
I watch my baby disappear behind the building; it kind of hurt to see someone else driving her. I walked away with a heavy sigh and entered the building. I arrived to a guy dressed in a tux. He was waiting at the front stand for customers. He seemed overly pretentious and probably had a French accent.
"How may I help you, sir?" He asked...no French accent.
"I'm here for a meeting..."
"Name and Party?"
"Mason Williams...uh, Party Of Vinyl."
"Right this way, sir."
I was guided to a lone table, off in a secluded corner of the restaurant. There, at the table, was a beautiful woman. Her head was down, eyeing at her drink. She didn't seem to notice me yet, so I looked her over. She wore a blue dress that stopped above her knees. It wasn't tight, but was fitted to her body. Her brown hair was flowing down her back, yet came back up with a slight curl. Her light brown skin glowed in the light. It all seemed to be too perfect. Maybe it was the lighting, maybe it was something the air. Nevertheless, the woman was stunning.
"Introducing Mr. Mason Williams." said my guide as we stopped in front of the woman.
Immediately, her head shoot up. She wore a face of surprise that I had seen so many times before.
"Mason?!"
"Anastasia?!" |
Of Wubs and Men | That Damn Pony | (Mason's POV)
Nervous as all hell, I stood in front of Anastasia. A small bead of sweat flowed down the back of my neck. I tried my best to keep my cool, but nothing worked. It was like I was looking at a completely different person. The girl...no...woman sitting in front of me couldn't be the same one I grew up with.
(Anastasia's POV)
It's about damn time Mason finally grew a pair and took me to dinner...I mean: What a surprise! I was expecting the investor and not my childhood best friend. He looked so uncomfortable in those clothes he was wearing-light purple dress shirt with a matching striped tie, and black pants. Don't get me wrong, he looked good (Not as good as me), but the clothes weren't him. Well, not yet.
Moments passed, and he just stood there like a lost puppy waiting for guidance. Trying to be friendly, I ushered him to sit down. With a little hesitation, he walked slowly to the table and took the seat across from mine. Now that he was closer, I could see the anxiety in his eyes. This is why I never got all dressed up around him. He can't handle himself around women in these situations. His brain just shuts down... the little he has.
Well, perhaps I was a little overdressed.
(Mason's Internal POV)
Don't say anything stupid. She's your friend. You're best friend. You can't say anything stupid. She didn't change. She's still you're old friend, Ana. A very sexy, nicely dressed, beautiful Ana. Dammit!You're making is worst, Mason. Calm down. You're DJ Helix. Calm down. Breathe and look her in the eyes.
God dammit. They're absolutely stunning! I can just get trapped in those hazel eyes forever. Okay...calm down. Calm down. Calm down. You can do this! You are Mason Williams!
(Anastasia POV)
After growing up with somebody for so long, you tend to know what's going on inside their head. Right about now, I bet he's having some sort of weird conversation with himself. They never work. He talks himself up only to crash back down. It was sort of cute. Sigh. Though, it could go on all night unless someone steps in. So, I firmly took hold of his hands. He seemed to calm down as he looked up from the table. The curly-haired DJ let out a slight, nervous chuckle. He straightened in his chair. The Mason I knew and lo- I knew was coming back.
"So, how has my favorite subpar DJ been?" I asked.
"Oh, the same way my favorite subpar club owner has been." He responded, "How is that hole in the wall without its favorite headliner?"
"It's better than ever since we actually brought in some real talent."
We sat there in silence, just looking at each other with expressionless stares. Soon, our composures began to break. A snicker here. A smile there. We held it in as long as we could, but soon, we could barely hold it in anymore; we began laughing out loud. The laughter would stop, yet would resume when we made eye contact. It was so bad that tears filled our eyes. We laughed so loud and for so long, the waiter had to come tell us to quiet down, for we were "disturbing the other guest."
"It's been too long, Anastasia," Mason stated as he wiped a tear from his eye, "I almost forgot what your face looked like."
"Sure... It's not like you saw me when I saved your ass from a drunken citation." I smirked then sighed, "It's just the club keeps me busy. I haven't had much of a social life outside that place."
"It's not entirely your fault. Maybe, 67%, but not all. My career started rising ,and I forgot everything. I just left everything and everyone behind. Even now, when I'm not that big, I'm still busy with small jobs."
"At least we're here now...wait... why you are here? Are you my potential investor?"
"Investor? I already put a load of cash into that place." He stated before a wave of realization hit him," Let me guess: You're not here to hire me for a big gig?"
"Hire you? I tell you to play at my club."
Mason was quiet for a couple of seconds before a modest smile appeared in his face.
"That damn pony..." He said before grabbing a menu, "Alright, time to eat."
(Mason's POV)
It was all so obvious. Of course Vinyl would plan this event. How did I not see it coming? It must have been another part of her revenge scheme. Well, it's a lot better than that male stripper....or those clowns. Those scary clowns. At least I can spend the night with my best friend at a pretty fancy restaurant.
"So you're saying Vinyl planned all this," Ana stated, slightly intrigued.
"Yep. It is a part of her revenge."
"Revenge for?"
"I may have made a joke about her heat."
"In that case, you deserve everything."
"What?! It was a small joke."
"Perhaps, but heat it a very big thing for them. In relation, you made a huge joke. It probably made her feel terrible," Ana explained, "The poor thing. She didn't have anyone to help her through it."
Ana sure knew how to make a fellow feel bad about his past activities. In all honesty, I still felt terrible. Even after the joke, she continues to be my friend. Still continues to help me. I could learn a lot from that pony.
Ana and I ordered our food when the waiter came round to check us. I didn't know what half the stuff on the menu was, so I just ordered some spaghetti while Ana ordered a lobster. (I should have got the lobster.) While the food was being prepared, we made small talk and caught up on each other's lives. With my career and her club, we missed a lot. Though, we tried our best to keep in contact.
It seemed like time just faded while talking to her. We reminisced about our childhood, talked about things happening in our life, and spread a bit of gossip from the club. The awkwardness faded away and instead of me being in front of a stunning woman, I was talking to my best friend. Before I knew it, the waiter interrupted our conversation with the food.
I dived into my spaghetti with no remorse, yet quickly remembered where I am. I slowly looked at the woman across from me and opened my mouth to show her a remorseful, pasta filled grin.
"Really?"Ana asked as she wiped some tomato from my cheek, "You're this old, yet still can't eat properly. Ugh, you got a stain on your shirt."
"Just like old times, right?" I slurped a noodle into my mouth with a satisfying smack.
"Will you ever grow up?"
"I really don't know. Doctors diagnosed me with the mind of a thirteen year old. Good thing I have my looks, right?"
'"Yeah...don't quit being a DJ."
"If I do, I'll just work at the club. I do own thirty percent."
"No, you own ten percent. I own ninety. I know my numbers, Mr. Helix," Ana drew a crude pie chart with our faces on it. It showed our percentages of the club.
"With that big slice of pie, you might get fat...ter." I joked.
"Oh? Then I guess I'll just split my half of pie with Vinyl. We will be co-owners, perhaps?" Her retorts were good. A lot better and more bone crushing than mine. "Speaking of Vinyl, what made you...get her? I never took you for a brony."
"I'm not a brony. I just like the show a little," I paused to think out my answer, "I really don't know why I got her. An urge maybe. I was slightly tipsy during a binge of MLP with the bros. Then, I received a notification from this Vogon Biotech company. Honestly, I thought it would be a neat way to get my name back on top. Enhance my career sort of speak. Turns out: I bought a lifelong friend."
"Weird...I never heard of Vogon Biotech." She rubbed her chin trying to recall information, "Nope. Nothing, but I have seen other ponies in L.A. Maybe they know?"
"Maybe, but I have another way to figure stuff out...anyway, let's not let this food go to waste."
We finished our meal while playing footsie. She got in a couple of actual kicks, but I didn't mention them. The waiter came around with the bill, and I paid (Like the gentleman I am...plus, I owed her some money). Ana left the tip and we left. As we walked away, I couldn't help, but look at her. My god, she looked ravishing in that dress. I know she knew it because she added a little more sway into the way she walked. "Flaunt it if you got it," she said once. How true it was.
We stepped outside of the restaurant into the cold night. Seeing Ana in her dress, I offered my jacket. She gladly took it and bundled up. We made small talk, waiting for the valets to bring my car around.
"Have you ever had an urge to do something stupid?" she asked.
"Most of the time," I joked, "Though, I'm usually already doing something at the mome-"
In the next instant, Ana took hold of me and brought my face to hers. I had no time to react before our lips touched. Her soft, warm lips interlocking with mine caused my body to lock before relaxing into the motion. I wrapped my arms around her body and pulled her in close. With her body close to mine, the cold night seemed to melt away, replaced by a warming sensation.
Our lips only parted when we both had to stop for air. We both looked at each other, smiling. She wore this coy look about her that I've only seen a few times before. With a relieved breath, she laid her head on my chest. We just stood in each other's embrace until the valets came.
The first valet pulled around in my Civic. I hesitantly let Ana out of my arms to tip the valet and get in my car. I was about to offer her a seat until her car pulled around, but out of nowhere, the roar of an engine could be heard. Around the corner came a brand new, yellow Camaro. The female valet stepped out, and Ana stepped in. She looked at me, her coy look replaced, by one of superiority.
"Just a perk of owning ninety percent." She stated, looking at me, "That was good kiss. Better than the last one where you froze."
With that, she blew me a kiss, and the engine of her beast roared as she drove off. I smiled, remembering the last time we kissed. It wasn't my shining moment, but it was in the past. I was more focused on the future. With a happy sigh, I drove home. |
Of Wubs and Men | Knowledge is Everything: Part One | (Mason's POV)
"Will you just tell me what happened?!" begged a certain white unicorn.
"Eenope. That stays my secret, "I replied, changing the solar panel on my car, "You should have been there."
"That's not fair!" Vinyl pouted, "I planned the entire thing! I need to know what happened!"
"Tough luck, pony."
It had been about two days since the Gordano's Corner incident. Vinyl had begged me to tell her what happened, but, as my own revenge, I decided not to tell her. Luckily, Ana decided not to tell her either. Vinyl would whine, pout, and sometimes fake cry, yet I never told. Information like that needed to stay private.
The sun was out, the sky was blue, and my parents wanted to tour L.A. As there loving son, I would tag along, but not say anything. This was their "vacation", and they liked doing things on their own. My job would basically be keeping them around the safe tourist areas. Though, I wouldn't be around the entire day. I had to do my own thing.
"Mason, honey, we called the cab company! Your dad and I decided that would be more fun!" My mom exclaimed as she walked from the house. She wore a yellow sundress with a yarn hat.
"Plus, I don't trust your driving," joked my father, following behind.
"I drive better than you, old man, but I do need a break from driving," I stated as finished the replacement. "I'll be back. I forgot something in the house."
I walked into the house and up to my room. I stepped over to the closet, knelt down, and grabbed a brown box. I sighed as I opened it. Inside was a simple .45. Where I was going, I needed to have, yet I hoped wouldn't use it.
I held the empty handgun in my hand getting a feel for it. I fired it at a firing range a couple times, but that's about it. With another sigh, I wrapped the holster around my waist, put a full magazine into the gun, holstered the weapon, and covered it with my shirt. I also double checked to see if my concealed carry license was still active which it was.
I walked back outside to see everyone loading into the taxi. My dad took the front seat, resulting in everyone else having to share the back. It wasn't too cramped, but a little breathing room couldn't have hurt. The driver made sure we were all buckled in before driving to the pre-registered destination my parents had chosen.
We drove in relative silence. The only person making noise was my mother who excitedly looked and took pictures of everything. Living in the city, I had seen everything, but for her, it was a new experience. Eventually, the cab arrived to the destination and everyone got out except me.
"I'll be back. Just gotta handle some things. You three have fun," I told them as I climbed in the front passenger seat, "Alright, cabbie, I have two stops- Verizon store, and the stacks."
The cab driver turned to me with a confused look, "Why in hell would someone like you go to the stacks?"
"Personal reasons."
The cabbie shrugged and drove me to the nearest Verizon store. He had a point. Why would someone like me go to the stacks? It was dangerous after all. Guess I was too focused on the task at hand to see.
After some minutes, we arrived at the entrance of the store. The cabbie told me the meter was still running as I ran in. I didn't need to shop around, for I knew exactly why I came.
"Hello, sir! How may I help you?" asked a cheery, dragon-girl helpmate.
"I'd like to add another line to my plan," I answered her question, "I think it's time a friend of mine finally had one of her own."
"That's easy, sir." The helpmate scanned my finger before typing something onto the computer, "Alright. It is done. Now just choose the phone."
Several phones appeared on the counter before me. They all looked the same; it was the inside that mattered. Trying to hurry, I chose a phone with easy to use features and high internal memory. The helpmate activated the phone, and I left, yet a voice in my head nagged me until I went back to the counter.
"Would it trouble you to add a third line?" I asked.
"No, sir. I am pleased to help."
I left the store with two new phones and a content smile. The cabbie was waiting for me in the same spot. As soon as I got in, he pulled off towards the L.A stakes. A place of poverty, melancholy, and a hive of villainous scum. It was terrible for a place like that to exist, but they had to save space someone. But, staking mobile homes on top of mobile homes didn't seem like a good idea.
Shallow in my thought, I didn't know we arrived to the entrance of the stacks. The cabbie wished me luck as I got out. He said that he'd be waiting down a couple blocks where it was safe. With him gone, I was by myself. I felt my side to remind myself about the handgun and started walking.
I had been to the stacks before. Back when it was just poverty stricken families. Back before the crime rate was so high. Though, all things eventually turn to shit. That's why I made sure to keep track of my surroundings. All was calm, except for two kids playing; no one else was around, which made my trip much easier.
A minute later, I arrived to my destination- a lone mobile home. If you didn't know, it would look like a regular place, but for someone who did know, this was the home of a tech genius. Well, he claimed he claimed he was.
"I know you're looking. Just opened the door!" I yelled.
I heard rustling from the inside, and then the door opened, "Will you keep it down!" A skinny man named Charles said, "I don't need anyone to know I'm here!"
He pulled me in, locked the door, and walked back over to his only chair. It was the only piece of furniture he owned and needed. In front of it was his computer with multiple monitors on the wall. Around the rest of the home were small gadgets that had been disassembled for specific parts and empty packages of junk food. The smell in the place was anything but nice, yet you got used to it after a couple breaths.
"So Mason, what brings you here?" asked Charles as he sat in his chair, "Need new music software? Perhaps you need me to 'boost' you reputation over the internet. Maybe in the market for something erotic..."
"No. You've known me since high school. I don't do that stuff. I just need you to do a simple web search."
"You walked into the Stacks for a simple web search?"
"Well, not that simple. I can't find much on this company. Thought you could find more since you have the skills," I stated, explaining myself, "Also, why do you live here? We both know you have the money to live elsewhere."
"Simply put: I look less suspicious if I dwell here than in other nice areas. Especially since I do stuff that tends to be...illegal." He put on his Immersion gloves and the monitors came alive. On each one something different was happening- coding, hacking, NSFW material, forums, etc. "Now tell me the name of this company. I'll get you all the information you want."
"Vogon Biotech."
"Never heard of it." Charles told me as he began typing on some unseen keyboard. As I watched him search, I noticed his typing and motions began to slow, almost to a complete standstill.
(Discord's POV)
They say: Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. A truly interesting saying. Especially one to think of as I watched a human try to satisfy his curiosity. If only he had called my name, I would have appeared to quench his thirst. Sadly, this guy took the hard route. Pity. I had to leave my office. Well, it wasn't all bad, I suppose. I got a chance to get out and finally meet the one who befriended Equestria's favorite DJ.
With a snap of my fingers, I appeared in some...filthy hovel someone called a home. I had to watch my step, or else I might dirty up my shoes. These things weren't cheap either, I might add. To ensure the discretion of the conversation, I slowed time, or rather, the perception of time for the pale man at the computer. Only Mason would be aware of my presence.
"Hello, Mr. Williams. I don't think we've formally met." I said.
He turned around slowly, a frightened expression plastered on his face. "Uh...who are you?"
"I am the head of Vogon Biotech, the brains behind the operation, the God of Chaos himself-Discord!" A small display of fireworks exploded over my head to spell my name. "A little birdie told me you were in search of information. I came to provide. Ask away."
A comfy chair appeared in the room and swept the poor lad from his feet. He wasn't expecting it, but quickly settled into the softness. He seemed not to believe what was happening. Jeesh, after Vinyl, you'd think he'd be used to things by now.
"How many others are there? I know I can't be the only one..."
"Smart kid. You're not. There's the author, wielder, Russian, peach farmer, that Stacks kid, Twilight's on her own, that weird one, his brother...there's a lot. The list is constantly growing. Next question."
"Why me? I wasn't even into My Little Pony. "
"Well..." I stood there in thought, stroking my chin. (I really needed to shave, but watching over the ponies was more important.) "It's more based on a need than a want. Yes, you being a fan of the show is necessary, but ones need out ways that."
"So..."
"I can't tell you your need. Now, anymore questions? I can't spend too much time with one customer."
Mason thought for a moment before asking, "Why are they here? Equestria looked so happy and cheery. Why come here?"
"Do you really want to know? Yes, I could tell you, but would you really want to carry that information around? You can't tell them. They can't know. It'll be our and the other human's secret."
He sighed, knowing he wouldn't want to hold onto that information.
"Good. Now, before I go, I need you to sign this." I brought out a scroll and unfurled it.
"What is it?"
"You know how Vinyl has been helping you these past weeks, making your life better? Well this is a way to help her and make her happy. The scale is leaning heavily to her good graces...and you made that heat joke."
"Yeah, I know. If it'll make her happy, I'll do whatever it takes." He took hold of the pen I summoned and wrote his name, "How bad could it be since it makes a friend happy?"
The scroll rerolled when he finished writing his name. With a farewell, I told the young man to keep Vinyl happy and then disappeared. Good thing he didn't read the contract. Sometimes, people make it too easy.
(Mason's POV)
"Dude, I couldn't find much. Some back-water articles...that's it," yelled Charles, regaining regular tempo. I guess he didn't notice my conversation.
"No problem, dude. Thanks for the help," Everything here was done so I decided to leave, "Yo, dude. Before I leave, you wouldn't happen to have any laptops preloaded with DJ software?"
"Open my closet. It's the blue one. Fifth down on the second row. I knew you'd ask for it eventually."
"It's for a friend," I opened the closet, filled with dozens of laptops, and grabbed the one he mentioned. I then walked to the front door of the trailer and looked back, "Be safe and try to get out more."
Charles only waved as I closed the door. In the open again, I put my hand on my pistol as I walked to the exit. Maybe I was being paranoid, but one could never be too safe. I did see a couple of shady figures, but they didn't mess with me. They were too busy in their own accords. Within minutes, I reached the exit and called for the taxi. He quickly drove by and picked me. He asked me if I was going back to meet my family, yet before I could answer my phone began to vibrate.
"Hello, sir. I, Tesla, am fully updated and operational!" Tesla said. She seemed overly cheerful. Guess the update added emotions, "You have one new message!"
"Nice to have you back. I missed you," I replied, "So, what's the message?"
"Your Parole Officer is on the way to check on your house arrest."
"Fuck..."
I completely forgot about the house arrest. Ever since Vinyl took the anklet off, I was free. I looked at the cabbie, who gave a slight smirk before accelerating towards my home. If all the luck in the world was on my side, the planets aligned, and the cabbie wasn't pulled over for speeding, I could make it home before the Parole Officer.
The Cabbie dropped me off a couple of houses shy of my own. He did a great job of getting me there, so I took down his Taxi number, so I could call him again if I needed a ride. After that, I snuck to my house. To my horror, the parole officer was there already. Though, she seemed to be talking to some...pony. It wasn't Vinyl. The pony talked, keeping the officer busy. When she noticed me, she made a slight head movement for me to get into the house.
With stealth like a ninja (Beverly Hills), I snuck into my house. Tesla began powering things up, but I told her not to. Not till I found the anklet. It took some time, but I found it by the door, underneath a small table. With some ingenuity and black tape, I reattached it to my leg. Just in time too. My front door flung open with officer and the pony standing there.
"Ah, Mr. Williams. I see everything is alright," said the officer, "Why are you on the floor?"
"Yoga..." I lied.
"Alrighty. I just needed to see if you're abiding by the rules." After a quick look around, the officer wrote something in her book, "Everything seems to be in order. I'll be taking my leave."
After that, the officer left. It was only me and the pony. She wore a white dress shirt covered by a gray vest with the treble clef sewed on the side. Her pants were black which matched her black shoes. Yet, what really stood out was the pink bowtie. It just seemed to be her personal signature.
"Hello, Mason. My name is Octavia Melody. I am the marefriend of Vinyl Scratch," The pony stated. She reached out a hand to help me up. She seemed completely opposite from Vinyl. Calm, well-spoken, smooth, and tranquil, yet she had this small conceitedness just like Vinyl.
"Uh...hey...thanks for the save back there."
"It's no problem. I had to do it a lot for Vinyl back in Equestria. To think things would change." Octavia sighed a little before regaining her composure. "Sorry. It took me longer to get here than I expected. Thanks for letting me stay."
"...what?" At that moment, my phone vibrated. I excused myself before looking at the message. It was a bank statement from recent transactions. I opened the message to see another twenty-two thousand credit deduction to Vogon Biotech. My mind began thinking of how, but then it hit me...that damn contract.
"GOD DAMMIT, DISCORD!" |
Of Wubs and Men | Knowledge is Everything: Part Two | (Vinyl's POV)
"I can't believe I'm spending the day in L.A with DJ Pon-3!" Mason's mother screamed soon after Mason disappeared. To where, I don't know.
"It's not that big of a deal," I told her as I readjusted my shades, "You can just call me Vinyl, Mrs. Williams."
"Mrs. Williams? No need for formalities; I'm not that old yet, "She twirled in her yellow sundress to add affect, "You can call me Sasha and that grumpy man over there is Mason Sr."
"Mr. Williams will do..." chimed in the grumpy man as he looked through his map, "I can't find anything in this god forsaken city."
For the next hour, we spent our time trying to find big tourist attractions, yet only ended up getting lost. It wasn't all bad since we had some fun along the way. Sasha and Mr. Williams asked about my home which I told them, though it seemed they knew a decent amount already. I asked about their home and Mason's childhood which they answered without hesitation. Apparently, Mason was an unruly child unless he was listening to music. It figures (I was the same way.)
After being lost for so long, we grew hungry and tired. Fortune finally decided to shine on us as we found a small noodle shop on the corner of a street. We entered, ordered, waited, and began eating. I'll give the humans one thing: They certainly have a lot of delicious food. I dived in without second thought. I only ever looked from the steaming bowl of "Raman" to breathe. After the noodles and vegetable were gone, I downed the broth like a shot. (Who knew chickens tasted so good?)
I had eaten the food so fast that I had to wait for Mason's parents to finish there's. That is, after they finished staring at me after that display. Eventually, they went back to eating. So, I waited. And waited...and waited. They were very, very slow eaters. Though, the wait wasn't all bad since a kid approached me.
"Uh...Vinyl Scratch?" The kid couldn't have been any older than eight and was so cute, "My dad is a huge fan of yours...could you sign this for him?"
The kid lifted up a small doll of me- the one thing I thought I wouldn't see. Not to disappoint, I signed it. The kid seemed so happy when I handed the signed toy back. He ran back over to his mother, showed her the toy, and pointed to me. The mother looked and almost died of shock. When she recovered, she came over and took a couple photos of me and her kid together. (It was about time ponies started recognizing me.) When that was over and Mason's parents finished eating, we headed out the store.
"I wonder where Mason is." Sasha said.
"Probably somewhere...doing something stupid." Mr. Williams said.
"Naw...he's not the guy to just leave and not come back without warning. Where ever he is, it's probably important."
We walked around for a couple more minutes before deciding to go home. Of course, we didn't know how to do that either, but we quickly found the nearest train station that would get us back quickly. We descended into the subway, which seemed to be new. It was empty below except for a few people who seemed to be protesting something or the other. Though, I knew something was up when Mr. Williams and Sasha began to speed up. Unfortunately, they were still intercepted.
"Stop! We see the sins you hide and you must confess them," said one man from the group, obviously the leader.
"Look, buddy. I respect you Purist's religion and your right to express it, but I don't need this right now," Mr. Williams spoke bluntly to the man, trying to end the conversation before it started, "Now, would you kindly let me, my wife, and our friend pass."
"Looks like you do need it. Letting your wife walk around in such an outfit...leaving nothing to the imagination" The man eyed at me before speaking again, "And you called this...this thing your friend?! It's an abomination! It's unnatural! God would never let this monster dwell naturally on his Earth! You're in more need than you think."
"Fuc-"
Mr. Williams was going to say something I presume was vulgar, but Sasha interrupted by jumping in front of her husband.
"Hey! I can dress the way I want to dress." Sasha's polite, cheery voice was going away. Her white cheeks went red as she became frustrated. It was sort of cute, "We are all beings under God's eyes. Vinyl is not any of those things you called her. You're wrong and closed minded!"
When she finished, the lead protester shoved her out the way. To the ground she fell, ruining her yellow dress. The women in the protest looked away from the act. Their modest appearance soiled with the violence of their leader. I ran over to Sasha who kept telling me she was alright. She was more worried about Mason Sr. than anything.
"You need to teach your woman a women's place. Now, back to what I was sayi-"
A dark brown fist sailed through the air, hitting the protest leader straight in the jaw, yet before he could crumple; his body was lifted and then carried to a nearby wall.
"Don't you dare...lay a hand...on my wife again..." Mr. Williams' voice seemed to be trembling, "I tried to play nicely, but you forced my hand. Now, I'll let you go...but I don't want to ever see your face again."
In the next instant, the man's body hit the floor. Immediately, he was surrounded by his fellow protesters. Mr. Williams walked back to us, helped his wife up, and walked us to the train which would take us near home. We boarded the train and found a lone compartment near the front. We all sat close to each other, holding strong after the incident.
"Are you sure you're alright, honey?" Mr. Williams asked his wife. He took off his replacement arm, which was beeping from low power.
"I'm fine, dear. I took worst hits at Bronycon in 2021. HA! And I still got the last Luna figurine," Sasha sat in her memory for a moment before looking at me, "Are you alright, Vinyl.
I only whispered four words, "Thing...Abomination...Unnatural...Monster..." Then tears began to flow from under my glasses.
(Octavia's POV)
"So when Vinyl opens the door, we both jump out and yell surprise," Mason explained.
"That's...painfully cliche." I retorted.
"Then what's your idea, Octavia?"
"I simply sit here until her arrival. When she comes into your home, she'll see me and will be naturally surprised and happy."
"Not as exciting."
"The best things in life aren't...exciting, Mr. Williams."
"Please, that's my father' name. Mason will do."
"If you insist."
This..."friend" of Vinyl was an interesting character. He was laid-back and calm, yet possessed this urgency about him to get things done. I must say this stallion was good company. Not to take around my orchestra, but to have some good, memorable laughs. I doubt he had a high society bone in his body. Though, Vinyl doesn't either, and I love her. I guess he's alright.
Another thing about this stallion was that he was a DJ like Vinyl, yet he didn't posses the energy of a musician. You may think I'm crazy, but musicians have this...aura. One connected to the world itself to feel its beat, rhythm, and tone. It is how one makes, feels, and becomes music. This musician...he didn't have one...or it was very weak. Somewhere along the road he had one, but along that same path, he lost it. Though, I wonder how?
"Excuse me, but I have a question," I spoke out loud.
"Shoot," He responded, lying on the couch half sleep.
"How long have you been creating music?"
"Since I was sixteen. So twelve years."
"And when did your career take off?"
"I was twenty- three when I got signed."
I kept quiet after that. I had a pretty good idea of what happened. It happens to a lot of young musicians. At first, their career is good. Everyone's happy. Soon, the musician finds themselves leaving the public's eye. So to get back, they start making music to please the label and the fans, and not themselves. This results in a sort of emptiness. One were the musician is no longer connected to world, weakening the aura. Though, today was not the day to discuss such matter with him. Maybe I'll say something another day when Mason and I are better...situated to one another.
I grabbed my instrument case and sat down in a chair across from where Mason was lying. I sat the case onto the floor and opened it. There, was my prized possession- my cello. I lifted the wooden beauty from its case, stood it up, and plucked a string. Alas, it was sharp. After getting each string to the perfect pitch, I began playing. Softly at first, yet when I saw Mason's foot moving to the beat, I began playing louder.
I was getting deep in the song, almost reaching my favorite part, yet my ears picked up on a sound- car doors. I didn't stop playing, but started listening intently to the outside. First, I heard talking. Second, I heard multiple footsteps approaching. Finally, I heard the door unlocking, and who walked in was the most beautiful mare I had ever seen.
"OCTAVIA!"
"VINYL!
I quickly sat down my cello before running to my love. I had to slow myself down before I reached her open arms, or else we would have fallen. When we connected, everything seemed at peace. The embrace we shared was something ponies only dreamed about. As we hugged each other, an elderly couple and Mason left the room, leaving only us alone. I looked towards Vinyl who had on her stupid shades. I smiled before kissing her on the side of her lips, and when I did, I noticed tears lines.
"Vinyl? Have you been crying?" I asked as I hugged her tighter.
"Oh it's nothing to worry about." Vinyl said as she took off her glasses to reveal her scarlet eyes and more freshly forming tear lines, "I'm just happy you're here."
"Me too, Vinyl. Me too." |
Of Wubs and Men | An Old and New Relationship | (Mason's POV)
I watched as Octavia and Vinyl hugged each other after being apart for so long. It is a nice thing seeing a couple reunite. One could feel the love flowing from the two souls connected (I'm getting too mushy for my taste). Deciding to give the two ponies some personal time, I headed for my room. Well, I did after ushering my parents away from the scene.
"YO! MASON!"Vinyl yelled to me, "Where ya going? Ya have to meet Octy!"
"We've already met. I'm just going to my room to give you two some privacy," I opened my room door, turned to Vinyl, and slyly smirked; "Don't stain my couch, please?
I didn't hear what she yelled back since I closed my door as soon as I finished speaking. I laughed at tad bit a my joke before heading to my bed. Through the event that just happened, I almost forgot about the stuff I bought. Luckily, I kept it in my hand the entire time. Weirdly, Vinyl didn't notice. Octavia probably had her full attention. Good. Maybe some of that energy will be used.
I threw myself on my bed; it smelled like months of not getting washed. I added that to my to-do lists...of things that'll probably never get done. I got comfortable, grabbed the remote control, and turned the TV on. Of course, nothing was on. Nothing is ever on. So, I decided to mess through my phone.
I scrolled through the device looking for stuff to do. Unfortunately, I didn't want to do anything on the phone. I threw it down onto the bed and just laid there. Time seemed to go at a crawl. This gave my mind time to fester.
There are five people in this house. Four of those people are relationship with another in the house, leaving you by your lonesome. Well, not completely alone. You still have Chloe and Ana...oh...you can only have one, though. Hmmm... whatcha going to do, mate?
I shook the thought out of my head, trying to get to sleep. Sadly, the thought wouldn't leave, but my phone vibrated and took my mind away the idea. Too lazy to grab the phone, I asked Tesla to tell me the message.
"You have a voice message from your producer, sir!" Tesla stated cheerily, "He sounds happy!"
"Play the message," I responded
"Mason! My god ...Mason. You don't know how much Fuckin' hype is going on for your little battle thing. It's huge! Bigger than a porn stars slong! Bigger than my ego! Fuckin' huge! At first, people were like "alright, cool!" Then, I mentioned that DJ PON3 and everyone nearly came in their pants! If you play your cards right, and don't fuck up, you'll be back on top."
The message ended, and brought a smile to my face. It was good enough news for me not to remember my thought. Though, life has a funny way of saying, "Fuck you, kid."
My phone vibrated again. At first, I thought it was Percy calling back. Something told me it wasn't.
"You have a voice message from Anastasia!" Tesla squealed, "Sounds kinda urgent."
"Play it," I felt kind of anxious after the night we had together.
"Get your ass to the club or you're fired. Oh, and bring Vinyl too. I actually like her." The recorded messaged said. It paused for a moment before playing again, "Plus, we need to talk about stuff. Talk about us."
In was the instant after the message ended that I knew what I had to do. Some type of clarity. I felt very cliche, but fuck it. I knew what had to be done. I took a deep breath, picked up my phone, and dialed Chloe. A tingling sensation flowed through me as the anxiety grew.
"Hello, Mason," I heard her voice on the other end, "What do you want?"
"Well, I think we need to talk..." I replied.
"About what, honey?" her voice became slightly worried, but I didn't notice it at the time.
"Look...I don't know how to say this, but uh...We've...I..."
What happened next surprised me. Her deposition completely changed. She stopped talking like a typical valley girl. She became...mature.
"I know where you're going with this and I agree. We seem to have two different outlooks on life that differ from the other. I agree it's time we ended this. My only hope that we remain friends." "..."
"Mason? You there?"
"Uh yeah...we can definitely stay friends."
"Good. Well, I will TTYL," Her valley voice returning, "I have to, like, finish my study on the totally awesome world of typical scene chicks or else I'll fail my class."
With that she ended the call. Who knew she was just acting? Which makes me thinks what would happen if I would have gotten to know the real Chloe. O well, I made my bed and chose my path.
Speaking of bed, I decided to take an hour nap before going to see what Ana wanted.
(Octy POV)
I lay on the couch, holding Vinyl in my arms. She may act all tough, but deep inside, she wants to be held. So, I let her snuggle into my arms and breast as one's filly may do when it is nap time. (Of course, there's not much difference between Vinyl and a young filly, now is there?) Her breathing began to slow, becoming steadier. The unicorn even levitated a blanket to cover the both of us up as she let out a tiny yawn...then a belch. Sigh...my Vinyl. I too wanted to fall asleep with her in my embrace, yet there was so much to talk about.
"Wake up, Vinyl," I shook her gently, "Don't fall asleep."
She responded by nuzzling deeper into my bosom. I responded by pushing her onto the carpeted floor.
"Ugh...my mouth was open! Yuck,I got carpet stuff in my mouth," She prattled, "Jeesh if you wanted me to eat carpet, I woulda ate yours."
The DJ crept close to me with speed of a timber wolf. Why, I barely had enough time to brace myself when she jumped on top me. A blush came over my face as I diverted my eyes from her piercing, scarlet gaze. Using one finger, she pushed my chin causing my head to follow; our eyes met. Ours face only inches apart.
"You do know that I missed you, right?" Vinyl asked, and then placed her lips on mine before taking them away.
"And I you, my dear," I responded, "But can we no-"
I felt her hand gently cup my chest. She gave a slight squeeze before pulling my bowtie loose with her mouth. The pink decoration flowed to the ground, yet my attention was drawn back to Vinyl who began unbuttoning my vest. Before I could stop her, I felt the sweet relief of having the blasted thing from on me.
"My...my...my," Vinyl mused, "Have your boobs grown while I was gone?"
She cupped both of them from outside my white dress shirt; my gray fur shown through. She began to move her hands in a fluid motion, almost massaging my...chest region. I couldn't help but let out a soft moan. One unbecoming of a mare of my standards.
"Vinyl..." I managed to say in between moans, "We have to speak...seriously. This...can...wait."
"You know you want this," The DJ kissed me again, her tongue dancing in my mouth. I was too distracted by that to notice her use her magic to unbutton my shirt. Once the pressure was released from my torso ;my breast came forth from the shirt. Luckily, I had my black bra on.
"I swear you got bigger!" Vinyl smirked a coy smile. She then pulled off her T-shirt, "I think mine are shrinking though. Feel 'em. They aren't the same."
Using her hand, she grabbed mine and placed it against her chest. They were soft, warm, and decent sized for a mare of her lean stature. The fur on them seemed to invite me in closer; a forest of lust.
She removed her hand from mine and slowly leaned me down onto the sofa. Our faces were once again inches away. She kissed my lips then worked her way down. Next was my neck. Then was my breast. A couple on my stomach. I knew what she was heading for. If she reached it, we'd never talk. Not now atleast.
Vinyl used her fingers to unbutton my black pants, and then unhurriedly pulled down the zipper. Almost as if she was toying with me. She knew I wanted it...but I needed to talk to her. Though she wouldn't let me and pulled the pants down, revealing my pink undergarments. Instinctively, I opened my legs wider, and Vinyl was gave me one last smile before diving in.
"Vinyl!!" I yelled, clamping her head in between my legs, "We can't do this here, I need to talk to you!"
I heard her mumble something from my privates, the vibrations from her voice gave me quite the shakes. I let her free of my grasp so she could repeat what she said.
"Ya' coulda said something earlier. Ya know, before I dived in for some Octy flesh." She stated, "What do you need to talk about."
It took me a while to regain my composure, but I managed to speak.
"As you know, we are both in a different place. This one being completely different from Equestria."
"Okay..."
"That being said, we must find a way to support ourselves in this new place."
"Well, Mason-"
"I know he's letting us live here. He'll probably let us do it indefinitely, but don't you want your own home? A place just for us? A place to raise our young?"
"Yeah...I do. A place where I can go between your thick thighs and-"
"I'm being serious, Vinyl..."
"Who said I wasn't?"
I took a deep breath while Vinyl gave me a sensual look.
"To get to the point: we have to get jobs. We save that money; we buy a house."
"Ugh..."
"I know you hate work, but it is for us and our future, "I noticed the look of longing, annoyance, and dissatisfaction on her face, "I'm sorry I ruined the moment."
Her expression calmed and turned into a smile.
"Naw, you didn't ruin anything. You're just getting ready for our future," Vinyl leaned in and kissed my cheek, "Besides, I'll just get ya tonight in my room."
"Or..." I wrapped my arms around her neck and brought her in close, her barren torso touching mine, "You can get me now..."
Just then, we both heard a familiar voice.
"Am I interrupting something here?"
(Mason POV)
By me being a DJ, I've seen a lot of things. Drugs, bears in tutus, money, drunks, and dudes wearing Speedos while break dancing on the dance floor, etc. But nothing can prepare a man walking in on two ponies having lesbian sex. That's something you could have told me would happen and I wouldn't believe you. Oddly enough, it was slightly arousing. I won't lie on that matter.
It was here, when both Vinyl and Octavia were half naked, that I saw the differences in their body type (Not that I was looking.) Octavia, being an Earth pony, was more robust in her appearance. Thick thighs, big breasts, and medium height. Her body screamed "Child bearing". Vinyl, on the other hand, was leaner and taller. She had an hour glass figure to her.
"Well you didn't interrupt anything, but you're just in time to join." Vinyl said to me from on top her lover.
"Thanks for the offer, but I think I would get lost in the fur." I responded nonchalantly, "Nice panties, Octavia."
"So what brings you from you room?"
"Anastasia needs us at the club for some odd reason. Put you some clothes on and I'll meet ya outside."
"Pfft, clothes. You know you like looking at them."
That crazy unicorn began to fondle her breast. I looked away but not without grabbing a peak (I'm only human.)
"Whatever, Vinyl. I'll see ya outside. You too, Octavia. Pull up your pants and let's get rolling."
I waited in my car for those two to come outside. Seemed like forever before they finally came out the house. Something told me that they got a little...busy before they decided to come out. Plus the fact that both were breathing heavily and their outfits were in some sort of disarray. Though, being the gentleman I am, I spoke nothing about it. Mostly.
"You two rabbits ready to go?" I asked as I started the car.
"Yes," replied the calm, considerate Octavia.
"Let's blow this joint!" yelled the savage, outgoing, loud Vinyl Scratch as she turned on the radio and nearly blew my ear drums. --
The ride to the club wasn't anything exciting. Just mostly idle chat and the two Equestrians catching up. I started to feel like the third wheel, but it was okay. They had something special going on; it wasn't my place to interrupt. So, I kept my peace and didn't speak unless spoken to. It wasn't all bad, keeping my mouth shut for once. Just listening to the sound of a couple catching up. The smiles, the laughter, and even the embarrassment from old stories brought up by the other. Sounded like they were having fun...sounded like what Ana and I did at our dinner.
"How much further to this club you speak of?" questioned Octavia.
"We're here now. Welcome to Club Genesis. The first place Vinyl and I got wasted at together."
"That's a charming way to remember this establishment."
The sarcasm was boiling over in her voice. Plus, when you add her high class voice, it doubles the hit.
"Well at least we don't remember it as the first place we shared the hay. Remember, Octy? Behind my station." Vinyl chimed in.
Octavia blushed; Vinyl laughed; and I smiled at the situation as I parked. I was about to open my door, but something pulled at the edge of my mind. I looked down in between my legs to see the bag of phones I had bought earlier that day. I could have sworn I left them in the house, but there they were plan as day.
"Wait guys. Before we go in, I have to give ya this," I reached into the bag, produced the two cell phones, and handed one to each, " 'Bout time each of you had your own. It's has my number in it plus some others that are probably good to have, but that doesn't mean you can't put in other ones."
"You didn't have to get us these." Vinyl said, her voice breaking a bit.
"It's no problem. There will be times when I'm not around or you need to call for help. Can't have you two exploring L.A without proper communication."
Vinyl unbuckled her seat and leaned over to give me a hug, I responded by giving her one back. Though it lasted a bit longer than I thought it would, and got weird. Especially when the hug got tighter.
"Okay....okay. Enough of that lovey dovey mess. Save it for your marefriend."
The hug ended and we all walked to the club. Vinyl messed with her phone while Octavia simply thanked me and put it in her pocket. We walked to the entrance and were greeted by Anastasia who looked tired; the bags under her eyes told the story of a long night.
She brought us inside the building to see her entire night's work, which is outside any human's capability. Two separate stations were in place of the head station for the Dj. Each one facing the other. Speakers and subwoofers were placed strategically around the club to make sure no sound was lost to anyone. Some were even placed in areas that would be impossible to get to-the ceiling. LED lights were placed around the club and glowed dimly since no beat was playing to give them life. The bar was fully stocked, floor freshly waxed...everything was done. The biggest thing was the poster at the back of the club behind the DJ stations. One side was Vinyl's face, the other my face. Both were facing each other with a smirk of arrogance permanently stuck on our face.
"That's amazing!" Vinyl cheered. She then began running around the club examining everything. Octavia followed.
"You did this in one night?" I asked Ana, "You could have called for help."
"I thought I needed to, but then I really got into the work. It all seemed to turn into a dream. Things were just falling into place. Everything seemed to just move by themselves. Though, after everything was done, I was really tired. Probably just over exerted myself." Ana let out a yawn, "Anyway, let's go to my office to talk."
She began walking...really slowly. So, I scooped her in my arms and carried to the office. I could hear Vinyl and Octavia let out a couple of
"Aww"s. Once we reached her office, I sat her down in her chair and I sat down on the other side of the desk hat separated us. We remained silent for a moment before she spoke up.
"About Gordano's corner..." She spoke.
"I know...the food was terrible." I joked.
"Mason...taco..."
I sighed knowing the symbol from our childhood to let the other know that they were serious..
"Taco..." I replied.
"Good. Now, about what happened. That was a spur of the moment type thing. I don't know what came over me."
"True feelings long forgotten in time?"
"Something along those lines. So, how do you feel, Mr. Helix?"
"Honestly. I'm glad you did it. Celestia knows I wouldn't have," I stopped for a moment to think about a random pony reference I made, "Twas nice."
Silence grew in between us. I suppose this happens to every best friend-to special person relationship. I guess the feelings have always been there, in some shape or fashion, but when they actually showed themselves, we weren't ready. Well, no...we were ready...just not...I don't know.
"Well this is awkward," Ana spoke, "We've haven't been this silent since I showed you mine and you showed me yours."
"That was a long time ago and little me wasn't ready."
"Which little you?"
"Shut up,"She chuckled a bit before calming her expression, "So I'm game to try out this relationship. But apparently, you have Chloe."
"About her...it's over. . Anyway, I'm willing too. I suppose it's about we did this."
"Whatever, Mr. Willliams. Pick me up Friday at 7. I got reservations at Gordano's again."
"Whatever you say, Ms. Clark. I'll see ya' Friday."
"Cya. Oh and the battle is that Saturday. Prepare yourself. Vinyl isn't a joke. She knows what she is doing. She's a professional."
Ana got up, kissed my cheeks, and ushered me outside her office. Once I crossed the threshold, she closed her office door behind me. I simply shrugged it off and walked towards Octavia who were still examining the DJ stations. Vinyl seemed amazed and happy while Octavia seemed sort of disinterested , but supportive.
"So Vinyl filled me in on the Battle you're having and the little joke you made. Not funny." Octavia said.
"I know. I know. "I responded.
"Don't worry, Octy. I got him Saturday. He'll be my little bitch." Vinyl stood up from the station she declared as hers, right under her face on the poster.
"Language, Vinyl." Octavia mentioned.
"Sorry," Vinyl walked to me and wrapped her arm around me, "So, what did you and Ana talk about? Comeon, tell me."
I opened my mouth to speak, yet my phone vibrated. I took it out and opened a message from Anastasia- "I love you."
"We just got some things in order." |
Of Wubs and Men | Sunday Sundae | "Mason, I want some ice cream," Vinyl stated from the back seat of my car.
"There's ice cream at the house," I replied, "Just wait till we get there."
"But I want it now..."
I looked in my rearview mirror to see her pout. In a way, it was cute. I looked at Octavia who was beside her; she didn't seem to be paying much attention to us. She looked more interested in taking in L.A's sights. Can't blame her; it is a beautiful place. Well, if you go to the right places.
We stayed quiet in the car, heading home from the club; the radio playing some pop song I don't care to remember. I do remember it being bright, sunny, and the streets free of any traffic. My kind of day. Maybe that Celestia pony still has control of the sun. (You know what's funny? Rumor is that she's here and running for President. Go figure. Too bad I never registered to vote.)
"Truth be told, I could go for a bit of ice cream myself," Octavia stated.
"Not you too. Ice cream is at the house. Plus, the nearest place that sells good ice cream is 30 mins off our route." I said.
I looked back in the rearview to see both ponies pouting. Though, Octavia's looked to be a bit more scheming than pouting. I saw her and Vinyl pull out their phones in unison; they probably were going to text each other. I simply shrugged it off and kept driving. All seemed well until Tesla alerted me about an urgent text message on my phone.
I pulled to the side of the rode to read the message.( I usually wouldn't have done that, but I had two passengers weary of this mode of transportation.) With a quick swipe, I opened up the message to see all bold words from my mother, "GET THOSE PONIES SOME ICE CREAM!" I stared at the message, reread it twice, and then received another message from my father, "NOW!"
Turning around in my seat, I looked at the unicorn and then the Earth pony. They both had this innocent look about them, one saying they could do no wrong in the world. A look that needed protection from the evils of this world. The twist was...they were the evil of the world...and they lived with me.
"Did...did you guys tell on me?" I asked.
"What do you mean, dude?" Vinyl asked back.
"Yes, what do you mean? We were simply sitting back here, listening to the music coming from your carriage."
"Sure...and the text I received from my parents has nothing to do with your craving for ice cream?"
"No, but you should probably listen to them."
They kept the innocent looks on their faces until I turned around. Then, I heard them snicker. I sighed before making a U-turn and driving towards the nearest Ice cream parlor. Though, the more I drove, the more a smile on my face grew. Truth was: I wanted some Ice cream too.
"I'll take one cookie and cream, one vanilla, and one chocolate." I told the human cashier, "All cones.
"No...wait...I want turtle, not vanilla." Vinyl interjected.
"You know it's not actually turtle flavor."
"I know. I'm not a idiot like you, Mason."
"Ouch. I thought you ponies were supposed to be nice."
"The tales of our niceness have been greatly exaggerated."
To add affect, Vinyl took a jab at my arm. It hurt...a lot. I couldn't let her know, though.
"Any change for you, Octavia?" I asked, a tear forming in my eye.
"No, chocolate is the best and only flavor I will eat. I thank you for asking, though."
"In that case, one cookies and cream; one vanilla; and one chocolate."
The cashier asked for my thumb, scanned it, and told me my purchase was approved. I nodded and waited for the frozen treats. Vinyl and Octavia went to seat down at one of the tables while a lady and her son came behind me, so I moved out the way and let her order. A moment passed before I received the ice cream. I hurriedly rushed them to the table and handed them out to the respective owner. I was thanked ,and we ate in delicious, cold heaven.
Though, we barely got halfway before Octavia noticed the sons of the lady were staring at us with judging stares. We did our best to ignore the kid, but when he began to walk over, there was nothing we could do.
"Hey, buddy, what can we do for you?" I asked.
"Are those ponies yours?" he asked.
"No. I don't own them. They are my friends."
"My dad said bronies, like you, were cancer on the internet when he was growing up and that ponies are stupid"
I was sort of shocked that the kid just came out and said that.
"Uh...number one: I'm not a brony," I took a lick of my ice cream that was starting to run down the cone, "Number two: your dad is a-"
"Language, Mason," Octavia interrupted, "He's only a child, repeating what he was told."
I held my tongue, trying to reword what I was trying to say.
"Your dad has a point of view that's ignorant and wrong. Trust me, kid. Ponies are pretty freaking cool. Even though they force you to buy them ice cream."
At that moment, the kid's mother walked over. She seemed a tad bit weary of my little group. I'm guessing she was coming to investigate. Makes sense a mother would do that.
"Hey, Joel. What are you talking to these...persons about?" she asked her son.
"The man said dad is ig-nor-rent and wrong about bronies and ponies." Joel answered.
"Okay. Joel go to the car and wait for me there," She waited for her son to get out of hearing distance before speaking again, "What gave you the right to tell my son his father is wrong?"
"Well he was talking bad about a group of people who done more good than harm and ponies which my friends here happen to be."
"That doesn't mean you can tell my son his father is wrong. WE choose how to raise our son."
"Ma'am please...just listen. I was trying to help him know the-"
In the next instant, I felt a sharp pain in my drink. When I recovered, I saw the lady's hand lowering from the sky. She turned and walked away. Both Octavia and Vinyl surrounded, trying to make sure I was okay.
"Are you okay?" Vinyl asked.
"Does it hurt?" Octavia asked.
"Naw. It doesn't hurt much." I smiled a bit, "I've been slapped harder and by way prettier women."
"So how are we going to get revenge?" asked Vinyl.
"Vinyl, revenge is wrong." Octavia said.
"No, Octavia. Revenge is like ice cream. It's sweet and best served cold, "I opened my phone and dialed, "Hey, Charles. I need you to find the address that belongs to this license plate and sign them up for the puritan news letter...and weekly visits."
Octavia rushed over, grabbed my phone, ended the call, and grabbed my ear. She began to walk towards my car, and my body began to follow. Vinyl laughed as she followed.
"Revenge...is wrong." Octavia stated once more, "Now, let's go home." |
Of Wubs and Men | Monday's Mishaps | I was asleep in my bed, waiting for my daily alarm to go off. Within my sleeping motions, I rolled over, wrapped my arms around something warm, furry, and soft; and snuggled into it. I happily sighed and went back to sleep. The breathing motions of whatever I hugged were calming. I was becoming one with the warmth beside me. There was only one problem though-I sleep alone.
My eyes flew opened only to be filled with gray fur. Instantly, I knew who was in my bed. Sorta just needed to know why.
"Octavia...why are you in my bed?" I asked out loud, yet received no answer. Shaking her received only a grunt and biting her received a moan...I regretted biting her. I resorted back to shaking until she awoke.
"Is there a reason why you woke me up?" she asked with a yawn, "I was having a good dream."
"Yeah, why are you in my bed?" I asked again.
"The bed in Vinyl's room is too small for the both of us, so I opted to sleep in here."
"Okay..."
It was sort of weird that she had gotten comfortable enough with me to just hop in the bed, but I'm no stranger to waking up with people in my bed. (One would think Vinyl would jump in before Octavia did.) With a sigh, I readjusted my arms around her, snuggled in deeper, and went back to sleep.
"Uh...what are you doing?" she asked.
"You're soft and warm," I replied as I squeezed, "Also, this is strictly platonic, so no ideas, Octavia."
"With you? Ha! Don't make me laugh." She shoved her thigh into my crotch, "Well...maybe. Depends on what Vinyl thinks."
"Invasion of privacy, much?"
She rolled out of my bed and into the cold of the morning air. To my...Not to my surprise, she was naked. I adverted my eyes to give her some privacy. I didn't know what she was about to do; it was still early in the morning-11 a.m. Maybe she was going to cook some breakfast. (I hoped she did.) She actually just told me to wake up. I replied by yawning and replacing her with a pillow.
She shook her head, walked to the bed, grabbed my leg, and pulled me out. The cold air hit like a kick from Bruce Lee. I cringed on the ground in over exaggerated agony until Octavia picked me up, and slunge me over her shoulder. What was happening, I didn't know.
"Please tell me you're not going through heat..." I worriedly said from her shoulders.
"No. Vinyl handled that already."
"Ew...pony sex."
"Ew...human sex."
"Touche. So where are we going?"
"To the basement to practice our instruments."
"Ugh...put me down..."I began to struggle within her grasp, but no matter what, she wouldn't let go, "Why are you so strong?!"
"Natural Earth Pony strength. For you information: I'm not letting go."
"Well, could you at least put on some clothes?"
"No. Those clothes are a hindrance. I just wear them not to cause a disruption in your society, but I'm home, so it doesn't matter if I wear clothes or not. Your second brain doesn't seem to mind."
"It's early in the morning...that's it."
She opened the door to the basement, gracefully walked down the steps, and lowered me into a chair. She then got another chair and sat right across from me-in her full glory. She looked me in the eyes as she slid my trumpet case over. She then located her Cello case, opened it, and got ready to play. Luckily, the instrument hid her more private parts. (Maybe unfortunately.)
She reached back into her case and passed me a piece of sheet music. From the little music I could understand, the sheet seemed out my league; I could probably muddle through it. She looked at her music and began tapping her hoof in a 4/4 beat. I opened my case, put my mouthpiece in my trumpet and got ready to play.
"Vinyl told me you played a little," Octavia said before playing, "I'd thought we practice together."
She counted us in; we started to play. Needless to say, she was perfect. Never missed a note, stayed on rhythm, and hit the pitch perfectly. I, on the other hand, was mediocre. Missed a lot of notes, got lost in the music, messed up the rhythm, and didn't exactly hit every pitch.
About halfway through the song, I gave up. Though, Octavia didn't notice. She kept playing, inside some sort of trance. I didn't bother, but did slowly get up from my chair and walk to my sound table. I waited for her to stop playing and; when she did I played an applause track. She smiled within her trance before abruptly snapping out of it.
"Excuse me, Mason. I seemed to have gotten entranced in the song," She apologized.
"It's no problem, pony," I said, "Music has that power."
"Yes it does..."
"Seems like you're used to the stage light."
"Of course! All my life I knew I was a pony that everyone should know. As soon as I got my cutie mark, I practiced and practiced until I got a big audition. I got the job and left for Canterlot. My fame grew and so did my hunger for more. Then I began to realize something. Mason, I realized that I didn't truly want fame...no...I didn't want what came with the fame. I received no privacy...I had to constantly work to keep my name recent and fresh."
"So fame wasn't all it was cracked up to be, huh?"
"No it wasn't. That's why I'm happy the incident happened."
"What incident?"
"Nothing...nothing. I'll tell you another time."
She smiled, remembering the past. Though, she shook the memory from her mind and rose up from the chair. She put her cello back in its case and walked towards the exit. She walked up the stairs, her hips swaying and her breast bouncing, free from any clothes.
"Oh, and two things, Mr. Williams. Number one: As perfect as my hind quarters are, you must stop looking...so much."
"Sorry..."
"Ah, so you were looking. Good to know." She shook her head while smiling, "And number two: I have a job interview today."
"You have been here for two days...how the hell did you get an interview so fast?"
She raised her phone from her cello case and spoke, "The power of technology."
I waited in the living for Ocatvia to put on some clothes, so we can leave to her interview. I noticed Vinyl lay unconscious on the couch, a beer tightly clenched in her hand. She snored loudly, yet still looked peaceful. Though, even with her fur, she seemed to be cold; I walked over to the nearest closet, grabbed a blanket, and put it over her(while taking the can of beer and finishing the rest. ) She snuggled deep into the warmth of the blanket before drifting off into drunken slumber.
"She can hold her liquor; she just takes a long time to get it out her system." I heard Octavia say from behind me.
"That...and the fact she drunk all my beers..."
"That too..."
We both headed towards the car. I put her cello case in the trunk as she got in. Once I walked around and got into the driver's seat, Octavia told me the address of the place. I put it in the GPS, and we were off. While we were driving, I noticed Octavia seemed somewhat nervous. She fumbled with her hands or shifted in her seat for no apparent reason. To soothe her, I tuned the radio to something she'd enjoy-classical music. It seemed to do the trick...well until she began to evaluate the music.
"Violins are playing ahead of tempo...trombones aren't hitting the right pitch...is the director deaf? How can he listen to this train wreck?"
Thank you for listening to L.A's Fountain Elementary Children's Symphony on L.A's classical station-98.7
"I bet you feel bad for talking bad about little kid's music."
"Not at all. Maybe a bit judgmental but still...they were playing it wrong."
"Why don't you go teach them how to play it, master?"
"Why do you think I'm going to this interview?"
"Wait, what?"
"This interview is for the job of director for that Orchestra. The old one is retiring, so I thought to take his position."
I pulled the car into some school, where the GPS had led me. The pony thanked me for the ride, grabbed her instrument, and hurried off to her interview, leaving me to my own devices. With nothing else to do but wait, I decided to nap. It was still early in the morning, and a growing man like me needed some sleep. Sadly, the universe doesn't work in my favor.
As I closed my eyes to sleep, a vibration in my pocket startled me. I wanted to ignore it. I really did, but I knew I had to answer it. I reached for my phone to see my producer was calling. With a somewhat annoyed sigh, I answered.
"Mason...please tell me you got a date for that thing you're doing with that pony," He said. Even over the phone I could tell he was slightly intoxicated.
"It's this Saturday...but let's not make this a big thing."
"Are you fucking crazy, kid?!" He burped though the phone, "This is the comeback you need...the comeback you want!"
"I know, I know, I'm really digging this quiet life. Look, we can set up some live stream cameras, but other than that, I want this event to stay small and local."
"Okay, kid. Yer killing me here, but okay. You know, I'm starting to think those ponies are getting to ya. Anyway, I have to get back to my mid-morning drinks. That's the only thing keeping me from not killing myself from the new music coming in town."
"And what about my love for you?"
"It's sweet, and you have a nice ass, but it's not enough to keep me from tying the rope. Cya, kid."
"Cya."
With nothing else to bother me, I leaned the chair back and went to sleep.
Later, I awoke to the sound of classical music playing around me. With a yawn I woke up and looked around me. All seemed normal, and Octavia was in the passenger's seat. She seemed to be waiting patiently for me to awake and gave me a nice smile when I did.
"Look who's finally awake," She stated.
"How long have I been out?" I said.
"About...an hour and thirty minutes."
"You could have woken me up?"
"I could have...or could have just let you sleep."
"True...but-"
In the next instant there was a tap on my window. To my dismay, the tap came from my parole officer; the same one who visited my house just a few days earlier. She wore the annoyed expression with slightly disappointed elements. In the situation, I could only awkwardly smile and roll down the window.
"Mr. Wiiliams...I see you're having a good time outside your home."
"Well, officer..."
"Breaking the rules of your house arrest...not a serious charge but it comes with a hefty fine...and more house arrest."
"Well..."
"And pony...how could you help him get away with it?" said the Officer in a patronizing tone.
Octavia held her head down in shame, yet a sly smile itched at the corners of her mouth.
"Comeon, officer. I was just helping her with a job interview..."
"Sorry...you broke the law, Mr. Williams."
The gears in my brain began to turn as I thought of a way to weasel my way out of the situation. My record was already spotty, and I didn't need anything else on it.
"Look, what if I...played at your next event for half-price?" I felt Octavia nudge me from the side, "NO! For free!"
Octavia nudged me again, this time harder than before. I think she may have been worried about bribery or something, but she didn't need to worry. I had this parole officer multiple time in the past. She plays along nicely.
"Bribery, Mr. Williams. How unbecoming..." The Officer wrote out the citation and handed it to be, yet before I could take it, she snatch it away,
"Well, there is one thing you can do..."
"Anything..."
"I have a nephew whose birthday is coming up tomorrow. Unfortunately, my schedule is too busy, and I can't make it. Lucky for you, he's a fan of the wubstep."
"Actually it's Dub-"
Octavia nudged me again; I took the hint to shut up.
"If you could make it to his party, and play...for free, this citation may just find its way in a shredder."
"It's a deal. Where's the party?"
"Oklahoma City."
"That's so far..."
"Not my problem, Mr. Helix."
With that, the officer walked away. She climbed in her cruiser, and pulled off. I chuckled a bit as I laid my head on the steering wheel. Octavia gently put her hand on my back and rubbed in small circles. It was calming, I must say, but my situation was dire. More or less.
"So...how did the interview go?" I asked, my head still on steering wheel.
"I got the job," Octavia said elated, "I start in a year..."
"A year?"
"The old director still has a year left on his contract. After that, he'll retire and I'll take his place."
"Till then you could do some gigs at local clubs. Though, you probably have to go more jazzy than classical."
"I'd rather just practice and mooch off you for the next year."
"And here I thought you were the dignified one of the two ponies in my life."
"Looks can be deceiving, Mason."
"Well, Octavia, I'll make sure not to judge a book by its pompous cover."
"Nor I by its unkempt, unshaven, bachelor, in-need-of-a-wife cover. Oh, and you know you don't have to call me by my full name. 'Octy' will do."
"Alright, 'Octy'. I'll remember that."
"You better..." She paused from speaking, trying to gather her thoughts, "Sorry about you getting caught."
"That was no problem. It was bound to happen eventually. Honestly, being caught is the least of my worries."
"So what's your main one?"
"How the hell am I going to get to Oklahoma City by tomorrow?" |
Of Wubs and Men | Tuesday( Part A to be inserted into part B) | (Mason' POV)
I sat in the living room; the sun almost peaked in the sky. In front of me were three shot glasses and an unopened bottle of Jack Daniel's peach mix (A gift from Chloe from long ago). Apparently it was made from some local peach farm- Sweet Nectar Farms or whatnot. Truth be told: I hate peaches, which is weird because I'm from the peach state. Unfortunately it was the only thing to drink in the house since Vinyl chugged everything else.
I was debating whether or not to brave the horrible taste of peaches, so I could get a slight buzz going. I could have just gone shopping, but that involved moving, so it wasn't happening. I could have drank water, yet I'm already seventy percent that; why add more? With a lack of options, I chose the peaches.
I grabbed the bottle and was about to open it when the two ponies living with me decided to walk in. For some odd reason, they were dressed and not naked as usual. Each one had a bag as if they were planning for a short trip. When they noticed me just sitting on the couch in a white tank top and boxers, a confused expression graced both their faces.
"Mason...what are you doing?" Vinyl asked.
"Same thing I do every morning; I sit here and think about what I'm going to name our children." I responded, "I know you ponies love your meaningful names. So, Vinyl, I think if it's a boy, I'll name him Jazz. If it's a girl...maybe Melody or Viola. And our kids, Octy, their names will be...Never mind...you look as if you're about to kill me."
(Octy's POV)
Mason...he's a good stallion. Decent sized heart...not bad looking...but he doesn't know when where to draw the lines with humor. One would think after the first joke incident, he'd learn. Apparently, he's a harder egg to crack. Least, I think he was joking about the children. One can never tell with him.
I watch as Vinyl's eyes began to glow and shimmer. I knew that shine. It was the same shine whenever she got a huge job. It was the same shine when her song made it on the top ten list. It was the same shine that happened when I expressed my love for her. Mason may not have known what he did, but I did.
Quickly, before Vinyl could respond to his tomfoolery, I spoke, "Why aren't you ready to go to that party?"
"Well, I wasn't really planning on going," he responded, "Wouldn't have been enough time to make it."
"It's better to try than not at all."
"Maybe, but it's too late now. Time I just accepted my fate."
"But..."
"The way I see it, we have two options. You both can sit with me and take shots of Jack, or you can force me to go. I'd choose the former... It's peach flavor."
(Andrew's POV)
"Damn it..." cursed Mr. Anderson as he slammed the dusty phone book closed and hung the phone on the receiver.
"Everything alright?" I asked him.
"No," Mr. Anderson rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Every Dj in town is booked or says it's too late. The Djs out of town won't come in because the drive it too far. This is why I tell people to book this place three weeks in advance. Not two days before."
"Is the Dj necessary for the party?"
"No...the kid's mom said they can live without one, but it's more of Pinkie Pie wanting one for the kid."
At that moment, I heard the hum on my beautiful wife. Her shorts slightly too tight and slightly too high. Her shirt revealing just the lower bit of her stomach as it got round with child. She had that glow of pregnancy about her. Unfortunately, it was cancelled out by her deflating mane and the worrying aura she was releasing into the atmosphere. She went from area to area checking the decorations to make sure they were perfect. Even if they were already, she double, triple, and quadruple check them.
I walked to her, wrapped my arms around her neck, and laid my head on her shoulder. She seemed to calm down a bit and her hair fluffed up a small amount. Still, I knew she was anxious.
"You look beautiful today," I whispered in her ear.
"Did you guys get a Dj?" she replied in a quiet tone.
"No..."
"How can we have this party without the Dj?"
"Well the mother said we don't need one..."
"But the birthday colt wants one, and how can we not give the birthday colt what he wants on his birthday? That's crazy! That's preposterous! It clearly states in the Birthday Handbook-volume three- that the birthday colt/filly gets their every wish! He's not getting his wish ,Andy!"
"I know how much parties mean to you, but it's not like we know a Dj we can just pull from thin air..."
After I finished speaking, Pinkie's eyes widened in realization; her hair inflated back to its original size; and the worrying aura changed to one of excitement. She broke the grasp I had on her and ran to the stage- where the sound equipment was- as the party goers started to file in. She reached her hand deep behind the equipment as If she was reaching into a bag, feeling for something.
"I almost forgot, Andy. I do have a Dj I can just pull from nowhere. I used to do it all the time in Equestria. Though, I can only hope she's here."
(Mason's POV)
Before I knew what was going on, I was being lifted, then carried into my room. When we arrived, my body was suspended in the air by Octavia, and Vinyl used her magic to dress me since I wasn't dressed for outside activities.
"You don't have many clothes to wear, do you?" Vinyl asked, "Just cargo shorts and random designed shirts."
"This is kidnapping!" I yelled, "And partially sexual harassment..."
"How so?" Octavia asked.
"Well, I'm being forced to go somewhere against my will, and I'm dangling from your arms mostly nude. Could you hurry and dress me?"
With a flurry of blue magic, the clothes Vinyl had chosen covered me. I breathed out a sigh of relief which was ended when Octy threw me on her shoulder and followed Vinyl to the front door. There was no point in struggling since the grey pony was stronger than me (only by a little...).
"We're not gonna make it," I stated.
"There's no harm in trying. Or would you rather pay that citation or worse...jail time."
"Not jail...there's no alcohol in there." I joked.
"Are you ever serious?"
"Only when his life depend on i-"
Vinyl's sentence was interrupted when a pink hand grabbed her by the collar. In the blink of an eye, she was gone. I looked to Octavia who let out a sigh of annoyance; I grew worried. Without delay, the pink hand returned and grabbed Octavia, causing me to fall to the floor. I hot the wood floor hard and grew anxious as I crawled backwards to the wall.
" Where did the ponies go? Is the hand coming for me next?" I thought.
My breathing grew heavy. I tried to calm myself down, yet couldn't. Soon, the hand returned. It loomed over me, fingers wiggling in excitement. I closed my eyes and felt it grab my shirt and pull. For a split second, there was nothing. No sound, no movement, just nothing. I simple existed. Then, the world exploded back. I heard a crowd talking in front of me. I felt the cold air from the AC flow over my skin.My eyes opened and I saw the sound equipment and my laptop in front of me. Lastly, I heard someone whisper something in my ear.
"Repeat after me..." The voice spoke.
"Hello, party goers!" I repeated what was said in my ear, "We'd like to wish a Happy Birthday to the Birthday colt...erm Boy from his aunt in California. This is for you!"
In the next instant, there was an explosive cheer. The sound reminded me of part of what I had wanted to remember about this business. It was the excitement of the moment, the buildup to the music. I looked at everything, and then I looked at Vinyl. She seemed to be standing in awe of a retro looking turntable.
"M... My bass cannon," she whispered. I could see her touching it softly, her hands moving over the worn patches, and then she flipped a switch with caused the front to open and display one of the biggest speakers I've ever seen. My eyes switched over to Octavia and I noticed her eye twitched.
"Play something cool!" a young voice shouted.
"Yeah! Something cool!" another joined in.
"Something cool! Something cool! Something cool!" a chant of young voices began.
"Play Freebird!" someone in the back shouted.
Looking at my gear, I saw Vinyl pull two old school LPs, place them on the turntables, and
in the next second I heard the heavenly choir open up as she began to assault the crowd with wubs.
I began recording the mix she was throwing out, sampling it, and replaying it with some I had done before. The effect began immediately. The chant from the crowd changed into a kiddie version of clubbing. It was adorable.
(Pinkie's POV)
I smiled as the birthday colt danced. This was what a party was supposed to be! The birthday colt or filly getting the party they wanted, and everypony having fun. I looked toward Octavia, and I grinned. I still remembered her Welcome to Ponyville/brand new Pony party! It was so much fun... It was too bad that her friend Ludwig Beethooven had a stick in his plot! He was so sour about the music, and then he tried to drag poor Octy away from the party, and you don't leave your own party early!
"I really wish that you could have forgone finding that thing, but I am glad that you found it for her regardless," Octavia said as she watched Vinyl having fun.
"I'm glad I did too. I had a twitch, and my flank itched, then my nose felt all sneezy, and I knew that I just needed a bass cannon. So, I had to think of where I could get one. I know Andy would have gotten one made, but it wouldn't be the same, and that's when I remembered where I put it, so I pulled it out, and set it up!" I said smiling.
"This is the greatest party ever!" the birthday colt shouted as he jumped around.
I smiled and watched him. I remembered the cake, and I took off to the kitchen to get it. Luckily, I made a super, extra, huge cake just in case anypony extra came.
(Mason's POV)
The party was a success. I was actually surprised at how much of a success. The kids and everyone else seemed to love our sounds, but it finally it started dying down. We stopped the music for a bit while the kid unwrapped his gifts. I saw a brand new immersion rig, and shook my head. Tons of power, and that kid was going to be plugged in for weeks. Too bad, he'd miss time playing with the puppy he got.
I looked toward Vinyl who was happily showing Octavia everything on what she called her bass cannon. The thing was loud, that was for certain. Loud, and played with amazing clarity. Well as much clarity there was with mixing. Weirdly enough, there were no wires leading from it. Maybe an internal power source?
"You look like you could use some cake!" a far too cheerful voice said.
I turned to see a familiar pink hand and I nearly fell off of the seat I was on. I looked up the arm to see another Pony. She was smiling, happily so, and grinned at me. I reached up, and took the offered cake and gave a slight smile back. She bounced, seriously bounced, from where she was over toward some guy. They talked for a little before she kissed his cheek and bounced off to the kitchen.
"Hey Mason, how you diggin' your first Pinkie Pie party?" Vinyl asked, "Too bad it's for a bunch of foals. Otherwise we could have really gotten you broken in good. Octy remember your party? That was so-," she stopped when Octavia placed a finger on her lips.
"I don't think that Mason is really ready to hear about the events of that party, not yet anyway," she replied.
"Really, Octy? Do you not trust me with your dirty pony secrets? Affairs! Scandals! " I announced in a low tone before placing a piece of cake in my mouth.
(Vinyl's POV)
Everyone's first time trying Pinkie's cake is different. I ,for one, ate the whole thing in one bite. Octy simply smiled. Mason, on the other hoof, began to tear. Even as he cried, he would shovel another fork of cake into his mouth. This continued for a while until the plate was empty, which I could tell brought him some sadness. He sat the plate down and sighed; there was nothing else to do.
"You could go mingle with these people, you know?" I said to him.
"Most these people are married with kids. We have nothing in common." He responded.
I simply smirked as I turned around and noticed Pinkie standing, making sure the party was still going alright.
"Well, while you mope, I'm going to go talk to Pinkie."
I walked away from Octy and Mason; they were talking about getting more cake. Anyway, I walked through the crowds of people chattering amongst themselves. Mostly catching up with one another or gossip. My name occasionally came up as the party goers would look at me. Not with weird stares, but with a sort of awe or appreciation for me playing. I suppose these people accepted Pinkie, so why wouldn't they accept me?
After stopping by the Birthday boys colt's table, I continued to Pinkie, who welcomed me with a surprise hug. One that was too tight and pushed my stomach back towards me.
"Are you..." I began to ask.
"YES! I'm with foal! Isn't it amazing!" She finished.
"That's great! Who's the father?"
Pinkie pointed towards a guy standing next to an older man ,who kept the refreshments stocked. He wore a collar shirt with khaki pants and had a half smile on his face as he watched the party. Though, behind the smile, I could tell there was something...I don't know, but there was something.
"He's not half bad looking.." I stated.
"Oh, he isn't!. He has the nicest, kindest, biggest heart of anypony! Plus, he's not bad in the hay either."
"By the looks of your stomach, I guess not."
"Sooooo, how's your life?"
"Living in L.A. Sunny place with lots of jerks...just like Canterlot."
"And your stallion friend?
"He's a cool guy. Laid back...humorous....Bit of a lightweight, but cool nonetheless."
"That's it! No stories? With you, Octavia, and him, your nights have to be pretty crazy!"
It took me a second to comprehend what she was saying, but when I got it, I think a blush appeared on my cheeks.
"Noonononono! We're not that way. He's just my friend...a good friend."
"Pssh! You expect me to believe that? I saw the way you looked at him on stage. Compassion, happiness, thrilled to be next to him. All these things were pouring off of you."
"Whoa Pinkie...I see what you're getting at, but no. He is only my friend."
Pinkie grabbed my shoulders and turned me around to look in the direction of Octavia and Mason. He was trying to steal Octy's cake, but to no avail. She simply slapped his hand away. He tried this multiple times before finally giving up. When they both noticed me looking, both waved. I, of course, waved back. Now Mason ,being the sneaky devil he is, took this chance to snatch slice of cake away and eat it. Once Octy noticed his crime, her look turned sour. I didn't see what happened next since Pinkie turned me around, but I did hear loud punch come over the crowd's noise.
"...'Only a friend' you say. That smile of your's proves otherwise."
"Whatever, Pinkie. You're seeing something that isn't there.I've been living with the guy for like a month. Pretty sure it would take longer for feelings to develop. Plus, I love Octavia already."
"Oh you unicorns. Always thinking with your horns and not your hearts."
"Huh?"
"Just because you head thinks one way, "Pinkie pressed the middle of my forehead then the middle of my chest. "Doesn't mean your heart feels the same way. Also, what make you think that you can only love one person? Vinyl, stop being so silly! Love isn't only meant to be given to one person. Don't you love your parents too?"
"I do, but the love you're talking about is a different kind of love."
"That's true ,but what makes you think that love can't be shared either? Something special like that deserves to be shared with those who you care about."
"Alright...alright. You've given me something to think about, but enough lovey dovey stuff. Time for the real questions: Ya have anything to drink that's not kid friendly?" |
Of Wubs and Men | Tuesday(Part B. Make sure it's inserted into Part A) | (Mason's POV)
"YOU ATE MY FUC-...You ate my cake...that was very wrong of you." Octavia said as I wiped the corners of my mouth.
"Ahh ,looks like that high society shell of yours almost broke," I teased as I rubbed my shoulder, "Did you have to hit so hard? I might bruise."
"Hopefully you do. Twas my cake you eateth." Her stomach growled, "Now, I will starve."
"How about I get you some more?"
"That may help me survive...for now."
I looked around for the refreshment table and spotted it near the rear . With a pained sigh, I rose from the table.
"I'll be back ,Octy."
"Bring something to drink, as well."
I nodded and walked to towards the counter. Well, that was my original goal until the party goes pulled me to their tables to talk, or thank me for showing under short notice. I didn't have the heart to tell them I wasn't planning on going, I just nodded and smiled. Some even asked my contact information. I doubt they'll ever call, though.
Eventually, I finally made it to the counter where an elderly man stood. He looked somewhat bored, yet perked up when I came around. (I think it was just a natural tendency for his customers.)
"How can I help, Mr..." He began.
"Williams. Mason Williams. Though, you can just call me Mason." I replied.
"Another Williams, huh? What are the odds they'd both have a pony?" He marveled.
"Another?"
"The man you need to see is over there, "The man mumbled as he pointed to his right, " And don't worry. Octavia will get her cake. Maybe she might punch you a new one for taking it in the first place..."
I let out a half smile before walking towards a man standing against the wall. I would have easily overlooked him any other time. I mean,he was just sort of blended into the wall. That would be the case if you just gave him an idle glance, but if you actually looked, there seemed to be something going on. A battle, perhaps. He seemed like he wanted to be happy, yet a nagging voice in the back of his head kept telling him no. Usually these type of people silence the voice with alcohol or drugs, but seeing as this man has a pony(Pinkie no less), that was the only crutch he needed.
When I was close enough to the guy, I extended my for a handshake and spoke, "Hey, man, my name is Mason. Mason Williams."
He was startled, not expecting someone to just approach him, yet recovered quickly, "Oh, uhh the name is Andrew Williams, and Thank You for showing up and playing...given the random and untimely circumstances."
"No problem...just a bit of a warning first," I said , then we both shared a mutual, chuckle before I continued, "That elderly man told me you also had a pony. Guessing it must the Pinkie Pie."
"Yes, my loving wife, Pinkie," he said as he looked toward where she was, "I didn't realize how much I needed her until after she arrived."
He looked back at me and picked up a cup that near him. He took a small drink, and then set it back down. I could see that he was trying to enjoy himself. He gave me a smile and then nodded toward the stage.
"So, you got Octavia and Vinyl. Everything I ever dug up about them had them either as really good friends, or a couple. Regardless, it looks like the three of you seem to get along well," he replied.
I looked at Octavia, who was nursing her replacement piece of cake, and Vinyl, who seemed to be talking with Pinkie Pie. We were close, not that I didn't have close friends. I once had an entire collection of friends, but part of them began to fall out when my music began to die out. Percy was there through it all, but that was because I was his client more than anything else. There was my buddies that would binge watch MLP with me, back before Vinyl and Octavia came into my life. I still wonder what they would do if they were to see Vinyl. Then there was Ana.
"We do. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but I found a couple of friends," I said.
He grinned, nursed his drink a bit, and then looked toward me.
"They'll help in ways you don't even understand. I don't know how to explain it, but they will. To be honest I'm not sure why I'm talking so much. I guess that Pinkie is rubbing off on me. She never meets a stranger, everyone has the chance to be a friend, and if you become her friend she's there through thick and thin. I have found that she needs something from me too," he said.
I smirked a little and I guess he noticed it.
"Not that, well, not exactly. Pinkie practically lives on hugs and cuddles. She's the happiest when she's making someone smile, and when she's doing what she's meant to do. I'm not sure, but I think that they have to follow what they were meant to do. It's... it's like they need to interact with that magic," he stated.
It did make sense. Octavia seemed the happiest when she was playing her Cello, Vinyl was at her happiest when she was mixing, playing, and entertaining others. Sure, she liked to party, but she seemed to shine the brightest when she was doing exactly what she was doing on that stage. In a way it pushed me to want that same feeling. I wanted to fall in love with the music like that again. I wanted to create and feel some seriously accomplishment that I created something that made people excited and happy for a while.
"I suppose I need all the help I can get," I responded, "Music just doesn't feel the same anymore."
"We all needed help. That's why I think we got the advertisement when we did.l, " Andrew looked away as if he was remembering something, "...Don't worry. As long as you're around each other, help will be there. Just keep them happy...not that you aren't or anything."
"I gotcha...I gotcha."
We both stood there in silence watching over the party. In a couple minutes, I would have to return to the stage and resume the music. Send everyone home tired. Though, I still had time to laze around. I looked back to Octy who now was playing with some random kid. Both seemed to being enjoying. I then looked to Vinyl who had a can of Peach Cider... alcoholic of course. Before I could react, Andrew asked me a question that shut me down.
"So is there a wedding in the future?" He asked.
"A what?!" I responded in shock.
"A wedding?"
"Whoa whoa...sorry buddy, but Vinyl, Octavia, and I are only friends. Plus, I'm already in a relationship. Besides, I'm too young to be tied down just yet."
"Hmmm..."He wanted to finish his sentence, but decided not to, "Okay, I won't say anything more, but just keep something called 'Herding' in mind."
"Herding?"
"When you're comfortable...ask Octavia or Vinyl."
I nodded before stretching my arm out to shake his hand. It was time for Vinyl and I to hit the stage, yet as I turned to leave, Andrew grabbed my shoulder.
"I don't want to impose, but could you do me a favor?"
I nodded again, and he whispered something into my ear. A smirk appeared on my face as I agreed to his favor. He thanked me as I ran off to grab my slightly intoxicated partner. As I got closer to her, the smell of peaches became stronger, and I felt like vomiting, but I held it in since the kid's party was important.
I grabbed the unicorn's arm, and she jumped. Pinkie let out a slight giggle. I don't know what they were talking about before I got there, but Vinyl had a slight blush and Pinkie had a serious look about her. Well, serious for her.
"Sorry to interrupt you ponies, but we're needed on stage. Plus, we have a special job to do." I stated.
"Please, go do your jobs, "Pinkie smiled, "And Vinyl, keep in mind what I said."
Vinyl sighed with a smile before she turned to follow. Once we got out of Pinkie's hearing range(I think) I spoke.
"What does she need you to keep in mind?" I asked, walking onto the stage.
"Nothing...nothing," She walked to her bass cannon and turned it one, "I saw you talking to her husband. What did you two talk about?"
"Nothing...nothing. Just man stuff." I turned on my station, pulled out my laptop, and thought about the favor, "Crap...I didn't give you the laptop I had for you."
"No worries...I found it that same day you brought it home, "Vinyl's horn lit and red laptop appeared, "Been making some pretty sweet sounds with this thing."
"Sneaky little pony. Anyway, good thing you did it. We've been asked to make a special song for that pink lady."
"How long do we have?"
"About twenty-five minutes..."
"That's more than enough time."
"I know, right? Tesla...if this place has a open connection, connect both our computers and create a private connection between us."
Within seconds, Vinyl and I were creating a song specifically for Pinkie. Taking the liberty of borrowing some samples, the song was coming along nicely. Of course, we had some creative differences, but we worked through them...more or less. While we worked, the crowd listened to a playlist I had saved for a rainy day. It wasn't too fast nor too slow. Just enough to keep the party going and people distracted.
"What is that?" I asked Vinyl, "Sounds iffy..."
"It's the main rhythm; trust me. They'll love it," She responded while looking at her screen, "Hey...when did those vocals get there..."
"I had Tesla to find a voice and make it say specific words. Trust me, it'll add to the song."
The members of the party started to head out. Some said their goodbyes while others simply left. Soon, the only persons left in the room were the ones who were working it. Yet, Vinyl and I didn't notice. We kept working on the song. Pinkie starting cleaning the tables. Andrew began to help her, and the old man talked to Octavia. Both seemed to be having a serious conversation.
"The song is done," Vinyl whispered to me.
"Nice...Here's the mic. When you're ready, just-"
"HEY, THERE PARTY PONIES!!!" Vinyl yelled in the microphone, "THIS IS DJ PON-3 ROCKING IT WITH DJ HELIX! WE ARE ABOUT TO RELEASE OUR BRAND NEW SINGLE...LIVE FOR YOUR EARS' PLEASURE!! BUT FIRST: WE'D LIKE TO LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT THIS SONG IS DEDICATED TO A VERY SPECIAL PINK MARE FROM HER HUSBAND! ALRIGHT, HIT IT!!"
With enthusiasm, I pressed the play button. The song slowly began to fill the room; Vinyl and my attention went to maintaining it. On the floor, Pinkie pulled her husband into a tight embrace before letting him go and starting to dance. Awkwardly, he joined her. Octavia and the old man simply sighed before returning their conversation. Though, both nodded their heads to the beat. Unexpectedly, the birthday boy stuck his back in the room and yelled, "Guys, the party is still going!"
After his words, everyone returned to the room and danced. The overhead lights slowly dimmed while rave lights rose from the floor and turned on from behind the stage. In a way, it felt like the real thing...just with more kids. I couldn't help but smile as the scene unfolded. It reminded me of the old days of when I first started. A club here...a club there...barely making it every month. Pretty sure that's how every musician felt at one point.
I took my hands away from the setup since there was nothing left to do. Well, I thought that. Vinyl, on the other hand, kept working. Changing things even as the song played. Sweat began to drip from her brow as she pushed the laptop to its limit. I didn't even think she noticed me looking. Just admiring how deep she got into her work. How she never stopped...not even for a moment. Though, my staring came to an end when she slightly turned her head; I went back to controlling the sound.
(Pinkie's POV)
I can't say how long the song was on repeat for, but soon enough, people started to leave, and Mason was packing up his laptop. Vinyl was doing the same. Mr. Anderson closed up shop after the last person left. He said he needed the rest of the day to rest. He couldn't party like he could when he was younger. Andy, tired from dancing, fetched himself some water before we both walked to the stage.
"Thank you for taking the job under the time constraint," Andy stated, "And also for coming to the party."
"No problem," Mason replied, "I wasn't do anything today anyway. I needed to get out."
"Yeah, there's a whole story behind him being so nonchalant about coming. It involves his parole officer," Vinyl added.
"Let's just say, I was suppose to show up here anyway."
Andy simply nodded before taking out his phone and opening his credits account.
"Seeing as the family didn't pay for your services, how much? " he asked.
Mason was about to say something, but his mouth shut tight as his eyes opened in terror. He was looking behind me, so I turned; I saw Octavia staring with a look of death in her eyes. Vinyl also had the look, yet it was blocked by her glasses.
"No charge. No charge at all," Mason hastily said, "Well, maybe a ride home through whatever way we got here."
"That should be no problem, Mr...Williams, you said?"
"Yep. Same as you? Wait...you don't think..."
"I doubt it. It's a common last name. Plus, it doesn't seem like you came from...my background."
"I suppose you're right. Would be interesting. Anyway, guess we'll be on our way. Whenever you need a DJ or something, just hit me up, "Mason said a he handed a card with his information to Andy, "Ready, guys?"
Octavia nodded and Vinyl looked down at her Basscannon. I knew then, what I had to do. With swift movement of my hands, the three were gone back to L.A.
"A lively bunch of characters," Andy commented.
"They're good for each other," I said, " I Just hope they're ready for the three tiny responsibilities they'll have."
(Mason's POV)
In the blink of an eye, I was back at home. Everything was the same as when I left- three shot glasses and a bottle of peach Jack left on the table. One thing was different; there was a note from my parents telling me they had went out to dinner. They deserved some time alone outside this house.
"So what now?" Vinyl asked.
"Well...I resume my regularly scheduled activity, "I grabbed the Jack and poured three shots, "You're free to join in."
Both ponies shook their heads. I shrugged my shoulders, grabbed a glass, and before I could drink it down, a call call came through.
"Hello, " I spoke, knowing the microphones around the house would pick up my voice, "How can I help you?"
"Hello, Mason. It's Ana. How are you?"
"I'm good, Ana. You?"
"Oh...I'm just peachy...except for the fucking fact a giant fucking...speaker turntable thing just appeared in the middle of my club!"
"Our club...and it's Vinyl's bass cannon."
"You know...when this thing appeared...I was wondering how and why? Then I began thinking. 'Where did this weird thing come from? It's almost magic it appeared.' Then it hit me! Who do I know that deals in weird and magic stuff?"
"Me..."
"Yeah...you."
"Do you think you can hook it up for the battle?"
"...you have the audacity to ask me that!? After what just happened! Okay...okay...I'll do it. But you owe me."
"Owe you what?"
"Oh...you know."
Anastasia ended the call. I simply smiled and went back to nursing my shot.
"You know she can't hook that up, right?" Vinyl said.
"Why not?" I asked.
"It's magical. Not electrical. It'll take loads of electricity to get it to even think about starting."
"I'll call her back then-"
"No...don't. Just wait till tomorrow."
"Alright then," I finished one shot, cringed, and then picked up another, "I'll see you in the morning." |
Of Wubs and Men | Wednesday | (Third Person)
Mason shifted in his drunken slumber, causing him to fall towards the floor. Once his face collided with the hardwood, he awoke with a jump. The first thing he registered was the taste of peaches and something else more-or-less familiar. Secondly, he smelled meat being cooked in the kitchen, which made hungry and nauseated at the same time. Thirdly, he felt some odd feeling of relief. From what, he didn't know. Finally, with his eyes still closed from the morning sun, he felt the cold floor against his bare skin; he slowly rose and sat back on what he assumed was the couch.
He had to fight off the nauseated feeling from moving before he could open his eyes. Once he reached a point he was comfortable with, he hesitantly opened them. The brown pupils searched the room for life until they found a nude, white unicorn sipping a glass of orange juice.
"Morning, sleepy head," The unicorn said, "Bout time you woke up."
"Hey, Vinyl..." Mason spoke before connecting things in his mind, "We didn't...you know?"
"Me and you? No. You and her. Yes, "Vinyl answered, pointing to the kitchen.
Mason turned his head towards the kitchen, keeping in mind his hangover. There he saw his current, and if he was lucky, his last girlfriend. A sleek black apron, and her modest underwear, seemed to be covering most of the skin on her body. She turned around with a knife in hand to cut something Mason couldn't see, yet when she saw him awake, she smirked.
"Good morning, dear," She said, "How'd you sleep?"
"What happened last night?" Mason asked in return.
"I simply came and got what you owed me for hooking that machine up. Though, more things 'came' if you catch my drift."
Mason eyes opened in amazement before he responded, "But...but I don't remember anything!"
"Perhaps you shouldn't have been drunk."
"I don't even drink that often."
"You get blackout drunk 3 times a week. You need to slow down."
"If you're insinuating I have a-"
"Yes, it is a problem, especially for a man of your age." Came a deep voice from around the corner.
Everyone turned to see Mason Sr. and Sasha coming from the hallway. Both were dressed in only their undergarments. Both walked into the living taking seats on the loveseat to the left of Mason. For everyone, this situation was normal, but for Mason, having everyone nude, seemed awkward.
"Your father is right," Sasha agreed, "You're drinking a lot."
"Whoa whoa...are we forgetting Vinyl drunk my entire stock two days ago?" Mason included.
"Don't bring me in this," Vinyl chimed in.
"But we need to," Spoke the dignified voice of Octavia as she walked from the hallway too. Also nude, "You both tend to drink a lot. You may not see it as a problem since it's part of your lifestyle, but you need to slow down. If not for your health, for financial reasons."
Vinyl looked to Mason and Mason to her. Both shrugged and mentally agreed to whatever everyone else was saying. It was just the easiest course of action.
"Alright. Alright. We'll slow down drinking if it'll make you guys happy." Mason sighed, "But can we talk about why everyone here is nude in some way or fashion."
"You're not the only one who got lucky last night," Octavia said nonchalantly as she moved towards the kitchen for breakfast.
Breakfast ended in a comfortable silence. All the plates were empty and the stomachs were full. Even though no one spoke, it was unanimous that the food was delicious, and the cook deserved an award. Though, seeing as no one had one, they settled on someone else cleaning the dishes.
"Thanks for the breakfast, Anastasia," Vinyl spoke, "You go rest, I'll do the dishes."
"Yes, thank you dear," Sasha agreed, "I'll help you, Vinyl."
"It was no problem. Truly. I just think a warm meal is good after...nightly escapades." Ana said.
Everyone smiled at the last remark before leaving to their separate areas. Vinyl and Sasha started the dishes; Mason Sr. went to watch the news, Mason headed towards the basement, and Anastasia-along with Octavia- stood with no place to go.
"Mason, where are you going?" Octavia asked, "To practice your trumpet?"
"Naw. I have this thing I need to finish. Some rapper wants to make a comeback, so he asked me to whip him up something to grab people's attention. Ehh, I'm not really into rap, but he's paying well so...a job is a job. I'm almost done anyway. So, I'll be up here in about 20 minutes to get the mail."
"You still receive physical mail? Asked Ana, "Dude, you know what year it is, right?"
"Excuse me for liking to receive letters..."
"You're old...That explains that outdated housing system you have."
"Hey! Tesla works just fine. It's better than yours...whatever it is."
"Edison."
"...you do this stuff on purpose."
"What stuff?" Ana replied snidely.
"Nevermind. I'm gotta finish this."
With that, Mason descended down the stairs, leaving the unlikely pair together. With Mason gone, the two stood together in silence waiting for something to break it. Soon, Anastasia had an idea. She grabbed Octavia's hand, led her to the back porch of the home, and stepped outside. Both, one nude and the other barely covered took in the morning air with enthusiasm.
Anastasia then sat on the barely used patio furniture before urging Octavia to follow. Once the Earth pony did, Ana pulled out her phone.
"Would you like to play chess?" Ana asked.
"I would, if there was chessboard around," Octavia replied.
"Pfft. Chess board," Ana pressed numerous times on her phone before a holographic chess appeared in-between them, "Your move ,pony."
Mouths closed and minds open, both females played. Pieces were moved, sacrificed, saved, and taken as strategy filled the atmosphere. Each player kept a calm demeanor, not giving the other anything to base a move on. As the game progressed and it seemed as if neither side was winning, the game slowed and turned into conversation.
"So, Anastasia...tell me about yourself." Octavia stated.
"That's something I haven't done in awhile, Octavia. Hmm, first things first: my whole name Anastasia Stepp. Sister of Charles Stepp who I assume you know through Mason. Anyway, my childhood is nothing special, so let's jump to when I moved to Cali."
Octavia noticed a small gleam appear in her opponent's eyes as she recalled memories. A small smile teased at Ana's lips before she spoke.
"You might not believe me, but I had a bit of a singing voice. Not to brag, but I was good. So, I came here to launch my career. At first I struggled, but soon, I made a small name for myself. Clubs began calling me and I made enough money to move out of the trailer my brother still calls home."
"I noticed you said 'had'. Ones voice just doesn't disappear. If that was your talent, you should have kept at it."
"But singing wasn't my talent. Or rather my main one. I didn't open a club for shits and giggles," Anastasia moved her last pawn forward a space, "It would be better if I told you. One night, after a performance, I sat at the bar beside the owner waiting for my pay. He was talking to himself, mumbling over money problems, when suddenly he asks me if I was any good with math. I nodded my head, he handed me his tablet and told me to look over his work. "
"The result was?" Octavia asked moving her queen to intercept the pawn.
"Perfect math. Guy knew his shit. But, that's not the end, my little pony. I noticed that he was managing all wrong. Buying too much of one thing while buying too little of another, overcharging for drinks, underpaying performers, etc. He was doing everything wrong. Well, based off of what I've seen in other clubs I performed in. I told the owner, and he gave me a quick look over before hiring me as the assistant manager."
"So I assume this how you found your love for managing a club, so then you opened up you own?"
"Exactly. Got a loan, bought a place, fixed it up, and the rest is history. So, how about you, Octy? What's your story?"
Octavia shifted in her seat to get a better view of the board. She was going to use her queen to take our Anastasia's pawn but realized it was a diversion from the rest of the pieces. Instead, she moved her knight closer to her king. Anastasia saw this, sighed in disapproval, and withdrew her bishop from moving in on Octavia's king.
"Pony lives are simple really. Not much to tell. I grew up, found my cutie mark, and joined my small ensemble where we went around Equestria doing 'gigs'. Then Pinkie Pie sort of ruined our credit when we decided to humor her at the Gala. Anyway, my group disbanded shortly after that since no one would hire us together. So, I went out on my own."
"And..." Anastasia said, yet when Octavia didn't catch her drift, she continued, "How did you meet Vinyl?"
"Hmmm, I was catching train to Manehatten for a job when I got aboard a train car with an eccentric looking mare who blasted her music through headphones. It was so loud that I couldn't take it. I simply had to put in my own earphones and listen to more refined music. Slowly, I drifted away into my own world until this rude mare snatched my earphones away and replaced them with hers. Though, before I could protest, I noticed that she was listening...no...admiring the music I enjoyed. I just had to return the favor. I had to say, it was bearable. Anyway, I listened until my stop was reached in which she handed back my earphones, and we both exited the train. As we split paths, the mare asked if we could have lunch together. Strangely, my mouth said yes when my mind said no. And the rest is history."
"That's so sweet...unlike this beating you're about to get."
"Please, if I was sure I wasn't going to win, my king would be more heavily guarded."
The match continued on in silence. Neither player giving the other an inch to move. Pieces sacrificed to ensure over protection and victory. Temples rubbed to relieve stress of the game. Eyes opened wide to see the entire board. Each player thought of strategy to win, yet it was like the other player was in their mind, finding ways to beat it. Finally, after more time of playing, only two kings were left on the board.
"Well...shit." Ana stated, "That was a good game."
"It's been awhile since I've met someone who challenged me so."
"Anytime you want a challenge, just call me. I'll be waiting."
Octavia nodded before speaking again, "You do notice what's happening? Between Mason and Vinyl."
"I do...and I don't know how to feel about it. I bet neither of them does either. I say we see how things go. It may just be they are good friends or something is growing there. We just gotta watch."
"Indeed. One last question: how do you feeling about herding?"
"Herding?"
Mason sat in front of his equipment. Most of it off since the project he was working on was done already. He just never sent it off. With the press of the enter key, the song went to its destination. Hopefully, a reply would be sent back, along with the payment. A payment that would last him about 4 months with his utilities. Four months in which he could work without interruption. Release albums that lay deep in his SDD.
He closed his eyes, trying to let go of the last pieces of his hangover, and perhaps recover the events of last night. Though, only bits came to him. Some he was sure his mind created to make itself feel better. In his thought, his phone rang, causing the hangover to grow again.
He picked up the phone and spoke, "Hello?"
"Mason, how's my favorite DJ?" said a familiar voice.
"Percy...sup...I'm currently nursing a hangover. What do you need?"
"Two things kid and I'll be out of your hair. Number one: release a single. ASAP! With that battle coming up, you need songs out there to get the ball rolling. Number two: have you been contacted by World Round records?"
"I'll send one right over. Plus that rapper should get his album out soon too. Double the publicity. And no...what would they want with a small fry like me?"
"Trust me, kid. They'll take anything that can make 'em a buck. No matter what you do, don't sign with them. It's not just me wanting to keep you with me at Music Maid Records. You'll be just number there. That's a fact."
"You've been good to me Percy. I won't leave you. I promise."
"I'll hold you to that ,kiddo. Alright, I'll leave you be with that hangover. Tell that pony of yours I said hello."
"Which one?"
"God damn it, kid. Don't go too crazy on me."
The call ended, and Mason went searching through his songs for one to release. Files upon files flowed down his screen until he finally settled on one he named, "Parachute". With a couple of clicks of the mouse, the song was sent in an email to Percy, who would hopefully accept it.
With a yawn, Mason rose from his chair. By his calculations the mail should be arriving at any moment. He opened up a drawer filled with t-shirts and basketball shorts, and dressed himself. He then quietly walked up the stairs, walked past his parents and Vinyl, and out into the dry heat. Trying to return to the cool house, he walked quickly to the mailbox.
As he expected, the mail had arrived. Though, it only bared bad news, such as bills. He sighed as he walked back to his home, yet a white van parked near the curb. Out walked three men, all wearing white dress shirts and black ties. Mason noticed one appeared to have a broken nose as he got closer. Soon, both parties we less than five feet apart.
"Hello, "Spoke the man with the hurt nose, "Is this the residence of a Mr. Mason Williams."
"Uh...yes. I'm Mason Williams. How can I help you?"
"My...you're way too young. I suppose we're looking for Mason Sr."
"Yes, my father, but what business do you have with him? He doesn't live in L.A."
"We Puritans simply want to talk to him."
The three men all took a step forward, yet Mason held his ground.
"Yeah...no, dude. My father definitely has nothing to do with Californian Puritans. I'm going to have to ask you to-"
"We met...about a week ago, near the trains. We had a interesting conversation. He invited me here, so we could continue it."
"I doubt that...very much. But look, how about you wait here, I go get him, clarify what's happening, and we go from there."
Mason turned to leave, without getting any comment from the man. Yet, when a hand tightly gripped him around his shoulder, he stopped, and looked back. The man with the hurt nose gripped Mason's shoulder while the other two stayed back.
"There's no need to ask him. Just let us in. You're making this so much harder than it has to be." The man said, obviously getting agitated.
Mason pulled his shoulder away before looking the man in the eyes.
"Hey, this is my home. You need to respect the fact that I going to ask my father before letting someone unknown and not liked into my home."
Mason once again began to walk, but again, the hand returned to his shoulder. This time tighter.
"Look here, heathen. Your father disrespected me...in front of my brothers and sisters. I will not stand idly by while this injustice remains unfixed!"
"Number one: I'm not a full heathen, only half from my mother's side. The other half is annoyed, which I get from my father. Number two: whatever my father did, he did for a good fucking reason."
"Do not disrespect me, boy. I am-"
"I don't give two shits who you are. Now, you have wasted enough of my time. Please, leave my home so I can have premarital sex, use the lord's name in vain, and maybe think about mix feelings for these anthro-ponies in my home."
Mason broke the grip once more and began to walk to his door again. He heard the men following him from behind. The Dj stopped in his tracks and turned around to the men. He didn't them to go any further or else Tesla would notice other people in the area and notify everyone in the house of visitors. He didn't need such a good day to be ruined; he had to solve this himself.
"I said get the hell off my property," Mason stated, getting irritated, "Are you Puritans deaf or something?"
"You father embarrassed me in front of my fellow brothers and sisters. Then he proceeded to break my nose. His transgressions will not go unpunished..."
The Puritans stepped forward, and so did Mason. Both groups seemed adamant about staying put.
"Here I thought you puritans turned the other cheek..."
"Move or we will move you,"
"Is that a threat?"
"UGH, I grow tired of dealing with such idiocy,"
The head man made a fist, reared back his arm, and aimed for Mason's face. Quickly, the Dj dodged the attack before launching his own, making direct contact with the head man's nose. He fell back, blood flowing from his nose, ruining the pure white shirt. Mason couldn't help but smirk. It had been a while since he had gotten such a good shot. (He could barely remember the fight when he first met
Vinyl.)
The other two men helped their leader from the ground, and looked him over. The only damage was the re-broken nose and hurt pride. "It appears we have to teach the heathen some manners. Apprehend him." The two men followed order and grabbed Mason on either side. He struggled, yet couldn't free himself. Though, he still fought for freedom, slowly moving towards the house.
The men stood Mason up as the leader approached.
"I suppose," He said as let go of his still bleeding nose, "It's time for the son to pay for the sins of his father,"
"It's time for the son to pay for the sins of his father," Mason imitated, "That's some cheesy bullshit,"
The Dj was rewarded with a fist to his jaw. Mason's body wanted to drop to the floor, yet the two men holding him kept him upright. The leader then sent another fist into the Dj's torso. Mason coughed as freely fell to the ground. They let him remain for a moment before picking him back up. Then he received another punch to his left side.
"Any words?" asked the leader.
Mason wanted to say something. Something like they did in the action movies, yet the pain around his jaw prevented him too. He only hoped he was close to the house to be picked up by Tesla.
Octavia and Anastasia sat around the table. The holographic chess set was untouched ever since Octavia began speaking. Anastasia was in thought, trying to form from sort of opinion about what she had heard. She truly didn't know how to feel on the subject being that this is the first she had heard of anything like it.
"Any thoughts?" Octavia asked, "I know it's a lot to take in."
"I don't know...I'm not against it...just not sure if I'm for it."
"Seems we have the same dilemma, but I'd do anything for Vinyl."
"I'd...do most things for that numbskull. Though, the difference is: herding in your culture...is natural. With the low male count and such. Here...it would be taboo."
"I'm just giving a potential solution to this problem. "
"I'm glad you did. It's just something we'd all have to talk about..in a group."
Before Octavia could reply, Edison-Anastasia's Housing System- alerted her phone. Without Mason knowing, she secretly connected to his network. Not like he would mind though. Edison alerted her that three visitors along with Mason were in the vicinity. Instantly, she had a bad feeling come to her.
Usually when Mason brings guest, he would not hesitate to bring them inside, yet Edison reported that they hadn't entered the house. With a few swipes of her phone, she brought up the entrance camera, and gasped in horror.
"We have to go! NOW!" She hollered.
"What's the matter?" Octavia questioned, already getting up.
"Mason is in trouble!"
Both pony and human ran into the house. Running as fast as they could until they reached the other occupants in the home. Mason Sr. was already standing up while Vinyl and Sasha were finishing up the dishes. When they saw the worried look in Octavia and Ana's eyes, they dropped everything to ask, yet they didn't need to. Tesla had told them about the visitors as well.
"We need to go now!" Ana yelled.
Everyone nodded in agreement, and ran outside. There, they saw Mason face down on the ground and three men entering a vehicle. The men turned around at the sound of the door opening; the one with the broken nose released a normal smile as if nothing had happened.
"Mr. Williams, so sorry that we missed you. Hopefully we can chat another time. You see, I'm late for a meeting. Fortunately, your son and I had a nice little chat about your wrong doings. Think we've reached an interesting conclusion. Good day."
The men pulled off, and Mason Sr. went to chase after yet a tight grip on his shirt held him back. It was Octavia telling him not to. He sighed before rushing to his son. He flipped his son onto his back before lifting him into his arms, trying to wake him. Everyone else surrounded, each taking turns to wake him.
"Mason...wake up..."
"Snap out of it ,dude..."
"Please come back to mommy..."
"You must return to consciousness..."
"I'm sorry, son..."
Mason began to stir in his father's arms. He felt the pain on his torso, his eyes swollen to where he could barely see out of it, and his jaw throbbing like his speakers. He opened his eyes as much as he could to see his group surrounding him. He tried to smile, yet the pain hindered. Though, he knew he had to say something to let his family know he was okay.
"...those guys...are assholes..." |
Of Wubs and Men | Wednesday 2 | "Alright, Mr. Williams, everything seems alright. Our machine says you have a couple bruised ribs and some other bruises but for the most part, you are okay, "said a female Paramedic as she pulled a scanner way from Mason's body, "Though, I will give you this cream that'll accelerate healing."
"Thanks, "Mason replied, "I need it so I can be in tiptop shape for my next fight."
"Please, sir. Our records show that you've been in too many fights. Please, just don't move. Also, don't worry, the police have everything they need to catch the guys who did this."
Mason nodded, signed for the cream, and leaned back into his chair as the paramedic went to retrieve the medicine. He looked around his home to see his family all standing in various parts. His mom and dad were in the kitchen while Anastasia stood by the window. Vinyl and Octavia were sitting on the couch near him. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and let himself sink into the cushions.
His face hurt like hell. His ribs burned like the place too. Every time he breathed, it felt like the devil was sticking him with a pitchfork. He wanted to tell his family how bad he felt, but he couldn't. That would only cause more panic. He wanted them to stay calm
While he fought the pain, Mason felt a soft hand touching his; he opened his eyes to see it was his mother. She gave him a soft smile which he returned, yet winced from the pain. His mother's expression changed to one of worry, yet the Dj moved his hand so to playfully squeeze hers. This calmed her down a little, yet she couldn't help but worry for her child.
"Alright, Mr. Williams, here's the cream. I suggest you apply it ASAP, "The paramedic stated as she sat the cream on the coffee table, "And don't hesitate to call the authorities when needed."
Once she left and closed the door, everyone turned to Mason. He could only let out a nervous smile as they all crowded around him.
"What the fuck...?" Anastasia asked, "Please explain what you were trying to do..."
"Well..." Mason began.
"Dude, do you know what could have happened if we hadn't of came when we did?" Vinyl interrupted.
"Yeah but..." Mason said.
"Were you trying to play hero?" Octavia asked, "Because that's not a very smart thing to do. You could have gotten seriously hurt."
"Guys...guys...I know what I did was stupid, but we were having such a good day. I didn't want it to be ruined...I...who knew the Californian Puritans were so rough. I thought they would back off but...I guess not. I suppose they were pissed off at whatever you did, pops."
Sasha, Mason Sr., and Vinyl froze. Each one being there when the event happened; they knew why the Puritans did what they did.
"Well-" Mason's father started.
"Don't tell me. Those fuckers deserved it...whatever it was." Mason stated as he reached for the cream. Once he got it, he tried to open it only cringe in pain before smiling towards his family, "Who wants to help me?"
"Warning: This medicine may cause diarrhea, rashes, blisters, sneezing, blindness, and/or erectile dysfunction..." Octavia read.
"Wait...What?!" Mason questioned as he jumped from his chair, ignoring the pain, "Get this stuff off me!"
"I'm just kidding...kidding"
Mason lowered back into his chair, calming himself while letting out a nod of approval to the gray pony. Octavia smiled before continuing to read the medicine package. Once Mason settled, Vinyl and Ana resumed applying the cream. The Dj's torso and face both were hit hard, so the two decided to split the work among each other. Of course while they worked, the two held back giggles of their own towards Octavia's joke.
As they cream was smeared, it would start out cold and slowly warm up. It reached a point where Mason could barely tolerate it, yet the heat would disperse and disappear. Mason could only curse as this process had to be repeated three times a session, three times a day. Plus, the cream was relatively expensive. The money he would spend on alcohol would be used to buy it.
"Damn... you're getting a little chubby..."Ana commented, "Like really. I think I see love handles forming."
"Hey! I'm as fit as I have ever been, "Mason replied, "That's just muscle you're seeing."
"Naw, dude...that's fat, "Vinyl stated as she grabbed said love handle, "Squishy and soft."
Mason grabbed his shirt and quickly tossed it on; his face slightly red.
"I didn't come here to be made fun of."
"I'm not making fun of you...just commenting on what I notice."
"Don't be embarrassed," Vinyl said while looking at Octavia, "The bigger ones are more fun in bed."
Octavia glared at vinyl for a moment before walking towards the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. Ana and Mason nodded their heads in agreement, yet Anastasia punched Mason in the shoulder; her face of questioning and accusation. Mason simply shrugged and laughed nervously.
Everything for the day had seemed to calm down. Mason's parents left out for more sightseeing. Everyone else stuffed themselves onto the couch and watched T.V. Breathing room was to be desired as each person struggled to get comfortable.
"You know I have more seat, right?" Mason asked, turning on the television. He truly didn't mind being close to them.
"Yes..." The other three said in unison.
The Dj nodded his head before flicking through the channels. In all honesty, he didn't know why he paid for cable. It's not like watched T.V that often. If he wanted to watch something, he'd just use any one of the many streaming services. He guessed he was just for convenience or background noise. Maybe even for when a guest decided to come over which was rare. At the moment, his home was as full as it has ever been.
Soon the TV settled on a cooking channel that none of the group was paying attention to. Mostly, they enjoying each other's company and deep within their own thoughts. Idle words were said here and there followed by shifting on the crowded couch. Then back into the thoughts they went. Until the door bell rang.
"Who could that be...?" Vinyl asked.
"You don't think they came back, do you?" Anastasia asked.
"Well it could be anyone...let's not jump to conclusions," Octavia insisted, trying to keep everyone calm.
"Let's just open the door," Mason stated, walking towards the door, "The worst that can happen is I get the shit beat out of me again."
Mason opened the door; each of the females on the couch were ready for anything, yet calmed when they saw Percy, a Police Officer who looked slightly older than Mason, and Mason's parole officer. Mason, on the other hand, looked worried as he was unsure why those three would be together.
"Look...so some of the samples in my music are copyrighted, but I can explain..." Mason stammered.
"Shut up, kid," Percy replied, "We aren't here about that. I don't even know who these two are. They just happened to pull up when I did. Though, I'd like to know Miss. Officer."
"Not a chance in hell, pal, "The Parole Officer said, "I just came to tell Mason thanks for attending my nephew's party. How you did it...I don't know. One second your tracker is here, the next gone. Then it reappears on the map again, yet it doesn't move for three hours."
"Magic!" Vinyl says as she wiggles her fingers and curved her arms movement.
"Whatever it was, thank you. As promised, your citation is gone. As a bonus...I'll end your parole early."
"Really? Fuck Yeah!" cheered Mason
"Don't be too happy. I'm still watching you. Just don't be stupid, Mr. Helix. I don't like my trust to be broken."
The lady then kneed down, entered a code onto the tracker around Mason's leg, and pulled it off. Then, with a nod, she walked away, got into her car, and drove off. Mason smiled as he rubbed the raw section of his leg. It had been a while since he scratched the skin, so he scratched it until the feeling went away.
The next person of the trio to speak was Percy.
"What the hell happened to your face?" Percy questioned as he unlocked his phone and passed it to Mason to read, "Looks like hell opened up you."
"Ehh...more like heaven."
"Just take care of yourself. Anyway, ya see that, kid? It's a simple competition. You go, you play one song, you win, and bam! 5k credits!" Percy explained, "It's this Friday at six, and you are signed up to join. If...no when you win this, you explode! This, mixed with that pony show, plus the song with that rapper...things are going to get back on track!"
"Nice, dude. I can always count on you," Mason spoke; he turned to Ana, "I think I'll hit them with..."
Anastasia was looking downwards, not making eye contact. She seemed sad and maybe a little heartbroken.
"Percy...I can't make it. I got a date that day." Mason explained.
"Kid...I'm not mad and I'm not disappointed. It's your life, and you choose how to live it, but who will feel this spot? It's too late to say no and not showing is giving you a bad reputation...shit..."
"Hmm...how about Vinyl?"
"The pony?"
"Yeah...she's a good if not a great DJ. Probably better than me. She can fill the spot, win, and give you your 15 percent."
"That's not a bad idea..."Percy spoke as he took his phone back, "Yeah...this can work...I see it...What do you say, pony?"
All eyes turned to Vinyl took off her shades to wipe them. Her scarlet eyes seemed to glow a little bit brighter.
"Of course I'll do it. I've been meaning to test the jokers around here who call themselves musicians." Vinyl smirked, "Put 'em in their place."
"Alright...alright...I'll see you Friday, pony...erm Vinyl. Be late. Not too late, but late." Percy said as he walked to the door, "I gotta make some calls, fly to Detroit, sign some papers, attend a couple meetings, and be back here Friday. I'm getting too old for this...I really am."
Percy closed the door leaving Mason with the Police officer, who was waiting patiently in silence. Once it seemed like things had calmed down, he took off his hat reveling his brown hair, opened his arms, and invited Mason in for a hug. The only thing Mason could do was open his arms and return the gesture. The two men hugged for a couple moments before letting each other go.
"Where the hell have you been?" Mason asked; a huge grin on his face.
"Not all of us can live on one show a month, dick!" The officer smiled letting out his Hispanic accent, "The rest of us have actual jobs!"
The two men began to talk and ramble on about their lives while Vinyl and Octavia each had a confused expression on their faces. Neither knew why this Police Officer was so friendly and cheery towards a man who quite frequently broke the law. Anastasia sunk into her seat, not letting the officer see her.
The men continued to talk until Octavia cleared her throat, alerting the two men by the door. Realizing what was happening; Mason led the officer closer to the ponies. At first, the officer didn't want to, but soon gave in and walked towards them.
"Alright, guys...this man right here is a special man," The Dj stated as he patted the Officer on his back, "This is Officer Andrew Harper...this first man to ever arrest me ,and my best bro!"
Octavia placed her hoof to her forehead and sighed before walking to officer and giving her a warm welcome. Vinyl looked him over before deciding he was decent and following suit. She, too, wasn't too well with the law. Anastasia continued to sit in her sit, ignoring the guest. She seemed not want to be noticed.
Andrew had a sort of star struck look in his eye when he greeted the ponies. He had been a brony since his father showed him an episode and gave him his first plush, which he keeps in his squad car. Now- many years later- he was finally meeting a pony in real life. He felt their fur, their warmth, and even the rise and fall of their chests. There was no doubt; these ponies were living and his friend had something he needed to be told.
"It was nice meeting you all...and you too Ms. Clark...I hope you're staying out of trouble," Andrew said, "Anyway, I don't have long to chat, so Mason can we speak outside?"
"Sure."
Both men excused themselves before walking outside. When they stepped in to the open, they were nearly blinded by the rays. Even though the sun was starting to set, it still provided more than enough light for the neighborhood children to play outside. This brought some join to them and let Mason forget the pain in his face and torso.
"About time you finally let your inner brony out, "Andrew stated as he lit a cigar, "They say holding things in is dangerous. Though, when you finally let it out, you went with a boom."
"I am not a brony, okay? Vinyl and Octy are just awesome ponies." Mason corrected, "And why do you smoke those things? You know they're dangerous."
"Old habits die hard, my friend." Andrew released a puff of smoke, "Those Puritans... they did a number on you, huh?"
"Nothing too bad. It was 3 vs. 1. If they had one more guy, it would have been a fair fight."
"You wish, Mason. I got good news and bad news. Good news is: We found the guy who did it. Luckily, the footage from your home camera gave us a good glimpse of his face. Facial recognition traced him quick. "
"What's his name?!" Mason blurted out. He felt some type of anger build in him.
"That's the bad news. I can't legally tell you yet. More bad news is...We may not be able to book 'em. Puritans are everywhere, even in the legal system. Now listen, you're little school yard bully is a fish that got tired of swimming with the small ones. He wants to get bigger which he has. Slowly working his way through the ranks. Because of that, he has gained a lot of connections that can get him out quickly."
"So you're telling me this guy has the potential to keep tormenting me without any consequence?"
"Legally: no...Within his power: yes." Andrew answered; he put out his cigar and slid it into his shirt pocket, "No worries, I asked for more security around your house and Anastasia's club."
"Is that all you all can do...I mean...I have..." Mason struggled for the words, "A family to watch out for."
"I'll personally make sure this case goes as quickly as possible. I suspect your bully has more than transgressions than this that'll help us get 'em."
"Thanks, dude."
"No problem. Alright, Look, I gotta go, I only stopped by to check on you and make sure you they didn't beat you like the wimp you are."
"Shut up, dude. Go eat some donuts or something..."
"Whatever...you just make sure you take care of those ponies..."
"What do you mean?"
"You know you're not the only one with a pony. They are appearing around everywhere. I'm not sure whether to say 'Congratulations' or 'I'm sorry', but you've become part of something that may potentially change this planet. Trust me...I watch CNN."
"CNN..." Mason teased, "Hey, how's your Saturday looking? I gotta show you should come to."
"Oh yeah...I heard about that. The one where Vinyl is gonna beat you. Two ass whoopins in one week. Shit...this I gotta see."
The two friends shared a quick chuckle before Andrew left. Hands were shook, a vehicle was started, and goodbye were waved. Mason watch his friend drive off into the distance,quickly becoming a dot, before he locked the door back closed.
Inside the home, the three ladies were sitting on the couch, watching the same cooking show as before. As stealthy as he could, Mason walked towards before hopping over the couch and landing in his previous spot. This startled no one except Anastasia whose ears weren't keen enough to hear Mason walking.
"How was the 'bro '- time?" Asked Anastasia.
"The usual. Just caught up on some things." Mason replied as he snuggled into the spot.
"What did ya talk about?" Vinyl asked?
Mason looked too his left to see the ponies, and to the right to see Anastasia. He wrapped his arms around three and hugged them tightly while letting out a small smile.
"Oh, you know, the same thing we always talk about: some bullshit." |
Of Wubs and Men | Thursday | (Mason's POV)
I awoke on the couch, refreshed. I suppose not waking up in a hangover is pretty good. Though, a guy becomes pretty attached to something he felt almost every day. Fortunately, this is something I could easily get used to. Still, it's impossible for me to quit cold turkey with alcohol. Not like I was planning on it. Just slowing down a bit. A lot based on Anastasia's words.
I felt a need to drain the snake, so I began to move from my spot. I still can't figure out why I didn't feel three bodies all surrounding me. It seemed like Vinyl, Octy, and Ana had all fallen to sleep on the couch with me. It explained why I was stiff from not moving at night. After some maneuvering, I managed to lay each one of them on each other so they wouldn't wake.
All three looked peaceful huddled on the couch. Well, I wouldn't say that. They looked comfortable. Ana, resting on Vinyl, had her head leaned back while she slouched. Her deep, slow breathing match Octavia's, who had her head resting on her fist. In the middle of the trio was Vinyl who leaned on Octy. Her breathing was almost double the pace of the other two.
They seemed happy, which brought joy to me. Then, they damn went and almost gave me an heart attack. With a yawn, Vinyl snuggled into Octavia's bosom. This made Octy lift her arm and bring Vinyl closer in. Now, all this left Ana alone...for only a short while. Vinyl's horn lit and her magic surrounded my girlfriend. Her position shifted as Vinyl laid Ana's head onto her lap and laid a hand on her stomach.
The scene damn near made my heart give out, but my bladder was winning the fight, so I hurriedly rushed to the bathroom and relieved myself. With a flush and a wash of my hands, I closed left the bathroom and walked to the kitchen. I figured some breakfast would be nice for everyone. My body was feeling up to the workload. The cream the paramedic gave was doing wonders.
"Let's see what I can whoop up today," I said as I looked through the cabinets, "Fuck..."
I suppose I had been slacking on my shopping lately since the only thing left in my home was ten wrapped packets of beef instant ramen and a couple of eggs.. Usually when I purchase food there's enough to last me a while...I suppose I forgot about the guests in my home. I shrugged my shoulders and decided to make good out of a bad situation.
I filled a huge pot with water and struggled to carry it to the stove. I felt an intense pain run through me as I lifted it.(I had to rest for a moment.) Then I unwrapped each ramen packet and waited. I heard the saying a watched pot never boils but comeon! The fucking thing was on high! I mean, eventually it got there but shit. Anyway, once the water boiled, I put every Ramen packet in there and waited for 'em to cook. Three- ish minutes later I scooped the noodles into six different bowls and added the same amount of water to each. After that, I simple mixed the flavor powder into each.
Next, I cooked the eggs. I didn't scramble them; just sunny side up. Luckily, I could cook about three at one time, so breakfast would be ready in the next couple of minutes. Plus, I was starting to ache and the trio on the couch was stirring. When each egg was finished, I placed it on top of the ramen in the bowls. It was something I learned from years of living alone.
"What smells like food?" My father asked coming the hallway, "Smells like bachelor food and ingenuity ."
"Aren't they one in the same," I replied.
"True that. I'll get your mother and you wake up the three on the couch."
"As delicious as that was...you really need to keep your house stocked with food," My mother said as she wiped the corners of her mouth, "Now, having a barren house by yourself is alright; Having one filled with women is unacceptable; and having one with children is downright evil."
"Mom...there's no children here." I mentioned.
"Not yet."
I stopped eating. It was something about my mother's words that got to me. I would have kids...one day. Probably. Just not here soon. (I have time, right?) Though, my mother's words made it seem like it was bound to happen sooner than expected. I looked to my father who continued to eat, unfazed by his wife's words. I looked towards Ana who seemed to be in her own thought about the words. Then, I looked towards Vinyl and Octy who were looking at each other. It was like they were having a conversation no one else could hear.
"But right now, you need to get some food in this house, Mister, " My mom filled the silence.
"Uhh...yeah, she's right Mason. We can shop after we clean this mess up." Ana spoke as she came from her thoughts.
"Cool. I'll drive."
"No you're not. You're hurt and need to rest. I'll go."
"But..."
"She's right, Mason, "Octavia spoke, "I thank you for the meal, but taking you shopping and lifting items all day is not something we can let you do. Stay here and rest. Ana, Vinyl, and I can shop."
"Sounds like a plan." Vinyl added.
"I can't make you guys go do that. My fault there's no food; I have to fix. It only makes sense."
Octavia nodded in agreement as she stacked each bowl and put the utensils in the top one. She took them over to the sink and turned back to me.
"Well, if your're filling up to it, can you bring over the pot on the stove?"
"Sure..."
I grabbed the pot by both handles and lifted. The pot rose but then, a shock came through me, and I released. I was expecting it to crash and the water spill everywhere, yet I saw two gray, fur covered arms, holding the pot from behind me.
"You need to rest."
"And we're off! Make sure the house is clean before I sock you one, dear," Ana joked, "Seriously, you need to clean."
"Wow...I can't shop, but cleaning is just fine." I said
"You don't typically need to lift anything heavy to clean."
"Whatever. Vinyl and Octy...please watch her. She's a bit crazy when she's loose."
"Aye aye ,cap'n!" Vinyl saluted.
"We will watch her," Octy stated.
"No ,I'm serious,"
I turned to Anastasia with a serious look. As much as I could create.
"No smoking...or drinking while driving." I commanded.
"What?!"
"You heard me. If I can't drink as much, you have to follow the same rules."
"Come on...I smoke and I drink. Well, I don't drink as much as you, but it's what I do. I try to stop, but I can't."
"Don't be such a downer, dude, "Vinyl spoke, "I'm pretty sure she does those things for you."
"Don't worry, Mason. It's a toxic dance that posses a pony. We will be safe."
With that, the females left and I closed the door. I turned to walk away, no idea on how I was going to spend my day until a song rhythm and melody appeared in my head from nowhere.
"I smoke...I drink...I try to stop...I can't...'cuz this toxic dance has me all possessed..."
(Octavia's POV)
Once we were all outside, we walked towards, Ms. Stepp's carriage, which I must say looked a bit tougher than Mason's. We all climbed in: I in the front, Vinyl in the back, and Ana driving her carriage. She pressed her thumb against a pad and the inside illuminated before this contraption roared to life. Unlike Mason's carriage, this one was loud, rabid, almost as if it were ready to attack anything in its path. I dare say I liked it.
After pressing a peddle multiple time and making her beast roar louder, Anastasia decided it was time to go. We shot out the driveway, made a sharp turn, and sped down the road. I, for one, was getting a bit cautious for my life, yet Ana and Vinyl seemed to be enjoying it. A little too much for my taste. It wasn't until Edison-Ana's own assistant- alerted her of an officer coming closer, that she slowed down to the speed limit.
"Well, that was fun while it lasted, "Ana spoke, "I barely get to open this thing up."
"That was fucking awesome," cheered Vinyl from the backseat. She had to readjust her glasses, "We can we do that again?"
"Hopefully never. That was dangerous." I said.
"Come on, Octavia. Let loose a little," Ana swerved her car on the road to prove a point, "And we probably won't do that for a while. There's rarely an opportunity to do that since the police are always around."
"Then what's the point of having a machine like this?!" Vinyl asked.
"To impress the Joneses,"
We drove in silence for a little while longer. Not an awkward silence. Far from it. It was just three females in their own thoughts. My thoughts mostly surrounded the fact of Vinyl and Mason. I saw nothing against it...really. Earth ponies often did have a herd to keep our number high seeing as the male population is low back home. Though, often times my thoughts would drift to Ana. I had an urge to get to know her. A small one that would annoy me until I did its bidding.
"So, Anastasia, yesterday I noticed you shied away from the officer." I brought up. Perhaps it was getting too personal, but it was the only thing that came to mind.
"Hah...haha!" She laughed, letting go of the steering wheel before hastily grabbing it, "Long long time ago, the government decided to legalized marijuana-or should I say MARE-ijuana- as long as you bought it from them. It was smooth sailing from there. Everything was looking up. But, the government had to fuck things up..."
"So how does that relate?" I asked, noticing Vinyl leaning closer to hear.
"I'm getting there. I'm getting there. You see, they government wanted more money or something along those lines, so they produced cheaper, weaker strains of the drug, yet sold it at the same price. Now, people like me, who can tell the difference, noticed this quickly. Slowly but surely, an underground market of stronger marijuana formed. I never touched the illegal stuff...well to profit from it anyway. I just let the transactions happen in my club every so often. Wait...I'm rambling. Long story short, Mason's cop buddy caught on and gave me a warning about it. I stopped the deals ,and we lived happily ever after."
"Had to stop fighting the power...sucks "Vinyl sighed.
"Well, it was illegal..." I brought up.
"Both of you are right, but it was for the best. I had my business to think of. Besides, I never really stopped all transactions," Ana smirked.
She pressed a button on the wheel she was holding, and a compartment in front of me opened. In there were two rolled pieces of paper. She asked me to hand her one which I did. She put in her mouth, let go of the wheel, and lit the paper with a lighter from her carriage. She then breathed in deep, held her breath for a second, and breathed out. It only took a second for Vinyl and I to realize what she was doing and we rolled down our windows.
Within moments, her body drooped, and her expression calmed. She always seemed cheerful, yet now...I can't describe it, but I knew what was happening. I may have experience with this type of thing.
"I thought Mason said no smoking," Vinyl said covering her nose.
"Pshhh...He has no power here...this is my domain!"She yelled, once again letting go of the steering wheel, "Besides, I drive better when stoned."
She wasn't lying. She was staying the speed limit; started using the blinking lights on the side of vehicle, and let other people join traffic.
She took another deep breath before taking out the paper and offering it to us. Vinyl instantly said no, yet I considered it. Slight memories of the past came back, yet a look from Vinyl pushed me to say no.
"Thank you, but no thank you." I said, rejecting the offer.
"Don't worry..."She said as she took a deep breath, "I wasn't going to give it to ya. Might ruin your innocence..."
"Innocence?! Please, ponies would smoke this stuff like there was no tomorrow; it's just that it wasn't common. There was really no need."
"There's a need here, dear. A lot of need."
"You know, Octy used need it. Right before big shows, she'd do it to calm herself."
I looked at Vinyl with daggers. That was suppose to stay out little secret.
"Look, it wasn't necessary, but it helped. Besides, Vinyl had a worse experience with the drug."
"Hey!" Vinyl yelled, "That's a secret!"
"Dear, all of Equestria knows," I told before returning to Ana, "Basically, Vinyl over-indulged herself, started hallucinating, and shot magic beams ever where...we had to pay for all the damages."
Vinyl's cheeks turned red from embarrassment as she sat back in the seat. Ana, however, laughed. More than she should, but I suppose the chemicals in her system were hard at work.
"That's hilarious! You know, Mason also had a bad experience with once," Admitted Ana, "We were in an old car of his long ago when we were smoking. He got sooooo up there; he vomited on the outside of the car. Then when he tried to drive home, he scratched the shit out of someone's vehicle. He never smoked again."
We all shared a good laugh at Mason's expense before Vinyl said something along the lines of the drug being bad or stupid. Soon enough, we all arrived to the local super market. Anastasia rolled the windows up in her car and was about to put out the mare-ijuana, yet stopped.
"Since you two aren't innocent, would ya wanna hit?" offered Anastasia. I noticed her eyes were glassy and a tad bit red.
Vinyl shook her head and spoke, "No thanks. We have no need for-"
"Sure, I'll try," I spoke, interrupting Vinyl. I don't know why I took her offer. Maybe it was me trying to get on her good side. I don't know, but there wasn't any going back. I grabbed the roll from Ana and looked both mares in the eyes. Ana had a calm expression that somehow expressed her excitement while Vinyl had an iffy expression. She probably was remembering her bad experience. Though, I knew she'd try to.
So, without hesitation, I inhaled deep.
(Mason's POV)
I sat in the living room with a glass of water and my laptop. For the first time in months, I was making a song. Not just any song, but a song a song I decided to make on my own free will. A song that no one asked me to make or paid for. A song just for the hell of it. Just like I used to do. Before my career.
I had to admit: It felt great. Knowing that this creation was of my own free just energized me. It made me want to continue the song. It even made me want to create others, but I couldn't do that. I didn't need hundreds of unfinished projects lying around...like I already do. Anyway, it seemed like everything was in order. Words, snares, bass, etc. It was all coming together. Of course I could have done better, but I got rusty. Making a song from scratch was a lot harder than pulling together samples from forgotten songs or old projects.
In the midst of my genius, Tesla alerted me to a presence at my front door. It seemed ever since, those ponies came, my door closes. I blew air from my nose and walked to the door and opened it. Before me, stood a man dressed in a striped suit tailored to his form. His face had a gimmicky smile and showed he had one too many plastic surgeries and spray tan. Plus, his comb over looked like it was stuck in place by too much grease. Lastly, he smelled of money and the vehicle parked in front of my home helped that fact.
"Uh...can I help you? I asked, "I'm going on a limb here and say you're lost."
"No, Mr. Williams I'm exactly where I want to be," The man spoke. His voiced sounded like something along the lines of door-to-door sells men, "But are you?"
"Yeah...I am..."
"Are you sure? You have a simple two story house, a simple vehicle, a simple life, and a simple career that's almost over. These things don't seem like something the hotshot who calls himself DJ Helix would want. Now do they?"
I looked at this guy. I looked at him hard trying to figure out his angle. He was right ,though. The things I have now were not the things I dreamed about when I first started into music. Not even close. But, I couldn't complain. I got a lot further than most people do in this area. For that, I am proud.
"Skip the B.S. Why are you here?" I asked, mentally trying to keep the song I was working on in my head.
"I'm here to offer you a second chance, Mr. Helix," The man began, "A chance to get the fame you actually deserve. You see, I'm Walter Cobble from World Wide Records. Lately, we've been watching and finally we decided to offer a chance."
That moment, I remembered what Percy told me about that company. How I'd be just a number and be thrown away when the money stops flowing. Maybe old me wouldn't have cared, but I've grown a little. No alot
"I don't want it," I denied, "Music Maid has been good to me, and I won't leave 'em."
"You don't know what you're saying, kid. Loyalty is good and all, but when I'm literally handing you a new life, you choose the wrong time to show it."
"I'm sorry, but-"
The man's expression drastically changed. The cheesy salesmen mask fell off to reveal some angry, pissed monster. At that moment, I felt like slamming the door before the bomb could explode, but it was too late. Far too late.
"Do you know even know what you're giving up? What you are letting slide through your dirty little fingers? I'm literally handing you a new life! People would kill-no-People have killed for something like this, and you, being a little dumbass, is letting it go," Cobble walked away. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts through his rising anger, "Let me guess: those ponies came into your life and showed you the true meaning of music or some shit like that. Let me tell you this: life isn't a fucking story where everything ends all happy and nothing bad happens after the main plot. No, kid...life will continue to fuck you for as long as you live. What I was handing you was some lube so it wouldn't hurt so badly. But, I suppose you like biting the pillow. So, good day, Mr. Williams. Enjoy the shit hole you call a life."
Before I could respond-as if I had a response- the guy walked away towards his vehicle. Before he got in, he combed his hair which had gotten disheveled in his rant. The vehicle was started, yet before he drove off; he pulled out his phone, and made a call. I stood there watching him because what else could I do? I was still in shock. I wasn't sure whether he made a good points or it was one of his many ways to get me to sign.
As the guy talked on his phone, he nodded and only replied with single words answers. Finally, the call ended. He sat in his car for a couple of moment, calming himself. Once he was ready, he opened his door, straightened his suit, and walked back to me. I prepared myself for another rant, yet his salesmen masked seemed to be back on.
"Mr. Williams...sorry about my previous actions. It's just I'm very excited about music and bringing talent to the forefront. Anyway, my uppers tell me that expecting a big decision like this so quickly is inconceivable, so we are giving you till Saturday to make a decision."
"Sorry, dude...Saturday I'm bu-"
"Saturday it is! Have your decision ready! Make it a wise one."
Walter then handed me his business card, before walking off. I thought over the conversation we had when something hit me.
"Hey," I yelled, " How'd you know about the ponies?"
"Oh please, Mr. Williams, we always keep an I on potential musicians."
With those final words, Mr. Cobble left me standing there dumbfounded and confused. I looked over the business card again before sitting it down on the coffee table and returning to my laptop. That guy was making me think about things I didn't want to think about at the moment. I just wanted to finish the song I was working.
I could only hope the girls were having a better time. |
Of Wubs and Men | Halloween Wubz | Mason searched the refrigerator for something to drink. After being banned from alcohol, he filled the empty space with anything he could find that the females approved of. Unfortunately, the fridge was completely empty of anything he deemed worthy of drinking. He kept searching, determined to find something. He moved the eggs, shifted the milk, and even touched the week old lasagna before coming across a bottle with Vinyl's name on it. He picked it up and examined it close. It looked to be some type of red fruit punch. He shrugged before he opened the top to drink, yet a voice stopped him.
"Alright...I'm heading out to the club for the Halloween Party," Ana said as she grabbed her black trench coat from the closet," You all have fun giving out candy."
Mason turned to her and smiled, "Yeah...giving out candy..."
"I swear...you better not eat it all. At least save some for me."
"If it was only me, of course, but we have ourselves a chocolate loving pony." Mason explained before closing the bottle and returning it to the fridge.
Vinyl, looking up from the behind the couch, nervously smiled at Ana ,and showed her brown stained teeth. Then she looked towards Mason and watch him return her bottle. A moment later, she dived back into the bowl with no regrets.
Anastasia sighed before she grabbed her car keys and headed to the door. Though, she stopped when she saw Octavia coming from the bedroom wearing a similar trench coat. They made eye contact and simply nodded with each other in an unspoken agreement.
"I'm going with Ana, so you two behave. We don't need the police coming by here...again." Octavia spoke.
Vinyl rose from the bowl of candy and mumbled something incoherent. Besides being unable to understand, Octavia also cringed at the display of bad manners.
"She means we will be on our best behavior," Mason translated, " You two should be on your way. Don't wanna be late."
The mature members of the group squinted their eyes before heading out of the door. Once they started the vehicle, pulled out the driveway, and were out of sight, Mason unfolded piece of paper from his pocket and taped it on the outside of the door. With a smirk, he read it out loud to Vinyl.
"No candy," He spoke out loud, "Alright, pony...pass the...HEY! SHARE THE BOWL!"
Vinyl and Mason lay in the floor surrounded by mounds of empty candy wrappers. Their mouths stained with sticky residue and their tongues permanently tasting of sweetness. Neither wanted to move, not for a long time ,but Mason began to thirst. With struggle, he rose from the carpet, poked Vinyl in her swollen stomach, and walked to the fridge once again. He looked around, hoping that things might have changed, yet nothing did. Nothing caught his attention except the bottle of fruit punch, so he grabbed it.
"Hey, pony! Did ya make this fruit punch yourself?" Mason asked.
"Fruit punch? I didn't make any fruit punch." Vinyl replied, still laying on the floor.
"Ya had to. It's in the bottle with your name on it. Why didn't you make more?"
Realization hit Vinyl quick as she rose from the ground and made her way to Mason.
"Dude...put that down now!" Vinyl warned as she began to reach for her bottle. Yet, Mason lifted his arm outside of her reach.
"No need to get aggressive. It's only pun-"
At that moment, Tesla alerted the two of visitors at the front door. Annoyed at the interruption of his fun, he went to the door and opened it. In front of him were three kids, who didn't bother dressing in costumes, and their mother. He looked at them, and then his front door with the sign. The mother took the hint and spoke.
"They...wanted to check every door." She explained.
Mason nodded and spoke," Sorry, kids, but I don't have any sweets."
"What about that?" asked a one of the kids, pointing a wrapper on Mason's shirt.
"Uhhh..."
"Or that," said another child, pointing at the bottle.
"It's blood!" Mason said in a spooky way, "O positive. It's good for ya bones!"
The kids got excited and began to urge Mason to take a sip. He hated to leave an audience waiting, so he lifted the bottle to his lips. Vinyl began to run to him as she saw what he was doing, yet it was too late. The bottle touched his lips and he took a big gulp. His eyes opened in horror as Vinyl finally reached him. They made eye contact; she could see the horror and confusion in his eyes. With speed and strength she shouldn't have, she pulled Mason into the house, and locked the door.
"Look, you weren't supposed-" Vinyl started to say.
"What...the...FUCK IS THIS!" Mason yelled, referring to the bottle. His teeth light red.
"Just let me explain!"
"Is this your idea of a joke?!"
"This isn't some Nightmare Night joke. Mason,dear, you have to calm down."
"How? How Vinyl?! You're drinking blood...from what...I don't know! Oh gawd...I drunk so much..."
Mason walked away from the pony and began to pace. He rubbed his temples, trying to grasp what had happened, yet he couldn't. He had drank blood and the pony in his home apparently saw nothing wrong with it. Said pony, stood in her same spot, also thinking about the situation, yet she came to an answer quicker than the other.
"You weren't supposed to find out..." Vinyl whispered to herself, "This was suppose to be a secret, but no. You had to find out..."
"Find what out?! That you drink blood like I drink water!"
At that moment, Vinyl took off her glasses to reveal her scarlet eyes. Yet, they seemed different. Glowing. She opened her mouth and two fangs began to grow. When fully extended, she graced over them with her tongue and then smiled a sadistic smile. She walked over to the nearest chair and sat down.
"I'll give you ten seconds," She said.
"Ten seconds for what..." Mason asked, noticing the change of atmosphere.
"7...6...5..." Vinyl counted," Ten seconds to run...3...2...1..."
Mason turned and ran. Looking back, he saw Vinyl standing up before she sprinted towards him, knocking over everything in her path.At that moment, he ran faster than he though he could-least he thought-away. Yet, it didn't matter. Once he turned his gaze forward, Vinyl was standing in front of him. With a quick swipe of her arm, Mason went flying into the wall.
The collision with the wall made the dj's mind go blank for a moment. When he finally came to, his back hurt and felt cut up. He opened his eyes to see a furry finger covered in blood was in his eyesight. He followed the finger to a sadistic yet familiar face. One that also looked hungry.
"Is that all ya got, Mason? You're not being very fun," said Vinyl as she began to suck her blood covered finger," You're pretty good. Not the best, but good. Reminds me of your career.
"Too far,pony," Mason replied, trying to get up and run yet a sharp pain stopped him.
"I wouldn't move too much if I were you. You sorta crashed into a framed picture of gram-gram."
Mason shifted himself up and slid the frame from behind him. In his hands the frame fell apart, allowing the picture of his grandmother to fall on the floor. He slowly reached for the picture only for Vinyl to swipe it away. She looked it over before slowly folding it up and placing it into her pocket. "Don't worry, you'll meet her soon."
The unicorn grabbed the DJ by his collar, stood him, and gave him a quick push. Mason took the and limped away. He heard Vinyl counting and counting; he limped faster until he made his way into the basement. He took a deep breath, and limped down the stairs. Each step causing great pain. Sadly, he couldn't scream or else the pony might hear. Once he reached the bottom, he walked over to his booth and locked himself inside. He checked the door a couple times before placing his back against the wall and sliding down.
The Dj began to calm himself down, taking deep breaths. He tried to rationalize his situation, but there was nothing he could think about to even make the situation normal. His pony was crazy. There was only one thing he could think about doing and that was going to the source for answers. So, he took out his phone and searched for "Vogon Biotech". After refreshing google a couple times, the website finally appeared. He pressed the link and went to FAQs.
"Welcome to Vogon Biotech's FAQs page. Your Identity has been identified as Mason Williams, the owner of Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody, " welcomed a pony that appeared on the screen, " Now please select the pony you wish to know more about."
Mason hurriedly selected "Vinyl" as he heard said pony begin to walk above him.
"Ah, Vinyl Scratch. The DJ. What do you want to know? Use the voice command and we will see if we have something close to what you want."
Mason pressed the voice button, "Vinyl is drinking blood...strong...fast...and for some reason...very sadistic."
"Mason...I'm coming for you..."
"Searching...Ahhh...yes. The answer is simple. Vinyl is a vampire."
"Oh haha...Funny Halloween joke. Seriously, why is she doing this?!"
"I'm being completely serious with you,sir. Vinyl Scratch is a vampire."
"Well, I don't remember asking for a vampires."
"You didn't ask for anything," The mare replied in a matter-of-fact way, "You told us to make Vinyl in a way that any brony would want. We figured adding some character development from the fanfiction, "My Roommate is a Vampire," wouldn't hurt."
"Where...the hell are you?!"
"You guy's thought adding vampire characteristics was what every brony wanted?!"
"It's a popular story. So popular, we also did something with Octavia..."
"The hell were you guys thinking?!"
"We simply did the best we could to serve the customer."
"I gotta call Ana...Pony...how do we protect ourselves? Sunlight? Garlic? Wooden Stake? Silver Bullets?"
"Actually, none of those things work. Well, besides the bullet and wood. I mean, who wouldn't those kill, right? Anyway, we opted not to put those things since the ponies wouldn't be able to enjoy a full life."
"Okay...uhhhh I GOTTA CALL ANA!"
"Seriously, I'm hungry!"
Quickly, Mason got out of the browser, and went to his contacts. He didn't know how he missed her in his contacts, but he finally found her. He dialed, waited, and waited. Eventually, he reached the voicemail. He decided not to leave one, and called again and again until she finally picked up.
He barely heard her say, "hello," but knew she was annoyed. The music in the background was loud, yet he knew the sound anywhere. It was a song he made back in his glory days, but he shook the thought from his head.
He asked her to go someplace private, she sighed, but obliged. She walked to her office, greetings customers along the way before opening the door and walking in.
"Alright, what do you want?" Ana said with a sigh.
"VINYL IS A VAMPIRE AND SHE'S TRYING TO BITE ME!" Mason yelled.
"Look, I don't want to hear about you two having sex." Ana replied, looking through papers on her desk, "Though, vampire roleplay does sound fun."
"No! Seriously! She's a vampire!"
"You're really into it. We might have to try that sometimes."
"Ana...please..."
"You two have fun. Octy and I will be home in a couple hours. Maybe then we can- Oh! speak of the devil. Octavia! How's things looking out there."
Mason heard no reply from the mare; he heard only low growls escaping her mouth and the faint sounds of running.
"Wow, Octy! Good job on your costume. Jeez, I didn't know you even brought one.
Ana began to complimenting the pony. She began to say things like, "What big teeth you have," and "You look terrifying." Though, Octavia never replied. She stayed in "character", slowly stepping closer to Anastasia. Finally, the gears began to turn in the humans head. She slowly backed away, fumbling with her phone. Then, she tripped; she dropped her phone. Quickly grabbing it, she spoke.
"Are you sure this isn't a joke?" Ana asked, terror rising in her voice," Please say it is..."
"Sorry..."
"Well shit..."
The call ended with a loud growl followed by the dial tone. Mason tried calling back only to be sent straight to voicemail. With a sigh, he tossed his phone across the room. It would only be a short time before Vinyl would get him. All he had to do is wait. He thought to himself how he bought two items that lead to his demise. It was kind of funny. In a way, "I'm about to die" kind of way.
Then, he heard it. A knock at the window. He turned to look and saw Vinyl smiling at him. She blew air on the window to fog it up. Inside it, she drew a heart. For a second, Mason thought things were looking up, but when Vinyl began to bite it, he knew he was wrong. She wiped the heart away before coming to the door, and unlocking it.
"How...did you?" Mason asked, standing up.
"You forget I live here. I have the key." Vinyl replied, waltzing to the dj.
"Shit..."
"Well...I say it's time for me to eat and you to sleep."
"Vinyl...please..."
"Sorry, bro. This is just how the bass drops."
"Ew...that was just terrib-"
Vinyl grabbed and pulled Mason close. For one second, she looked into his eyes. Then, she bit into his neck. Oddly, the bite didn't hurt. It felt like a numbing experience that spread from his neck and around his body. The more Vinyl sucked, the more tired mason got. It got to a point where he could barely hold his eyes open. Then, Vinyl dropped him. Before he took his last breaths, Vinyl leaned over him, and fully closed his eyes.
When Mason awoke, he did it with a jump. He was covered in sweat. He touched his neck and felt nothing out of the usual. Perhaps all the candy he at last night gave him strange dreams he thought. With slow movements, he rose out of his bed and walked to the kitchen; he was parched.
The walk seemed a alot longer than it should have been, but he finally made it. The first thing he noticed was Anastasia and Octavia laying on the couch. Their clothes were torn and ripped. Oddly, they had blood and feathers around their mouths, yet Mason didn't think anything of it. Then, he walked to the kitchen and saw Vinyl sitting, reading a people magazine.
Mason didn't open his mouth to say hello. He simply walked to the refrigerator and looked for something to drink. Same as yesterday, there was nothing but a bottle filled with red liquid.
"Hey...Vinyl...what's this in the bottle?" Asked Mason, he voice dry and crackling.
"Blood. AB." She replied, still reading.
Mason didn't hesitate as he brought the bottle to his lips. First, he took one sip. Then, he finished the bottle.
"Hmm...not bad." |
Of Wubs and Men | Thursday Two | Three females stood in the cereal aisle of the local supermarket. Each one surrounding a certain brand with a happy-go-lucky leprechaun mascot. While they have each been surrounding the item, each one took it in differently.
The human female seemed calm and had an easygoing expression as she wondered about the taste of the cereal. She groaned as she repositioned Octavia on her back. Only moments after the pony breathed in the smoke, she turned into a vegetable. Barely responding to words and wearing an indifferent expression. She was too big to fit into the cart ,so the only option was to hold her. Unfortunately, Vinyl was of no help. Once the smoke got in her system, she became erratic and paranoid. She checked every box that was put into the shopping cart out of precaution. Stared down every customer to get them to back away. On a couple of occasions, she would light her horn, ready to fire.
"Guys...we gotta help this little fellow," The unicorn whispered, "He needs our help...those kids won't leave him alone."
"Vinyl, for the eighth time: he's not real. Just a drawing on a cereal box." replied Anastasia.
"Oh...that explains why he can't hear me," Vinyl realized, grabbing the box and holding close to her chest, "...but what about the tiger, Ana?"
"Also, a drawing. I didn't know letting you all smoke would be this bad. Least Octavia is alright. More or less." Ana sighed while looking at the Earth pony, who simply was existing, "Alright ,you two, we have everything we need. Let's get out of here."
With a force filled push, the packed cart slowly rolled forward. It had enough food to keep Mason's house stocked for a while. Well, it had enough to feed the six occupants until they could returned to the store, which would probably been within another couple of days. Another problem was the price. While she had no problem paying for Mason, she had always been a pennypincher. She would have to just find a way to cover the difference. Perhaps she'd just deduct it from his performance checks from her club. Little by little in amounts he would never notice. This would likely be the best course of action since he doesn't pay attention half the time.
Vinyl cautiously walked alongside the buggy. Every noise that entered her ear, she would turn in the direction of its source. The leprechaun would be protected at all costs. Even if he wasn't real. Besides, how did Anastasia know he wasn't real? She could be secretly working for the Captain of Crunch to kidnap the tiny green fellow, trying to get Vinyl to lower her guard, so they could attack when she's most vulnerable. Would that mean her lover was one of themtoo?
The unicorn nonchalantly sidestepped away from her group, she no longer trusted them. Though, she kept her cool as to not let them on what was going on. She continued to walk up the aisle until she spotted him. The dreaded scorn of the milky seas. He and his army of clones were looking directly at her from their cardboard ships. At that moment , she knew she had no choice but to escape with her green friend. Sadly, she was surrounded.
Octavia, slowly coming down from her high, was regaining some of her control back. Honestly, she was there the whole time-mentally. She just wasn't able to control her bodily functions until it was too late. She noticed Vinyl slowing down and scanning everything. She had the same look on her face from that time she shot magical blasts everywhere. Octavia knew what was about to go down, yet she couldn't prevent it. The only thing she could do was barely whisper, "She's about to snap," in Anastasia's ear.
"She's about to wh-" Anastasia began to repeat.
"GET THE BUCK AWAY FROM ME!" Vinyl warned, her horn igniting with magic, "Y-you won't take my friend away!"
Ana looked at Vinyl for a moment, squinting her eyes and uttering, "The fuck are you talking about?" After Octavia whispered more on the subject at hand, Ana acted quickly, "Calm down, Vinyl. Like I said earlier, it's just a drawing..."
"That's what you want me to think, right? So you and cap'n here can steal my friend and run away! You even got Octy in on it!"
"No...no. You just smoked some very strong mare-ijuana, "Ana laughed to herself as she stepped closer, " Just calm down."
Vinyl shot a magical burst at the human's feet, causing her to jump back and almost drop the Earth pony she was holding. Both human and Equestrian locked eyes. Time slowed, slower than it already was to them. Their breathing synced as though the stalemate made them become one. The air in between both parties seemed to vibrate as they became more and more focused on their next move. An elderly woman passed through the group carrying box of bargain raisin cereal, simulating a tumble weed.
"I got to get Mason..." Vinyl whispered to herself as she bolted away, disappearing around a corner.
"Dammit! Why is she so quick?!" Ana asked herself as she sat Octavia down on the floor," Stay here while I try to catch her. I don't need Mason breathing down my back about a lost pony...or the police. You wouldn't happen to know anything that can help?"
Octavia sighed before opening her mouth. Nothing came out but a raspy sound. She smacked her lips and spoke lethargically, "She won't leave the store. Just chase her around for a bit...and bring duct tape."
"Chase her? Come on...there has to-
"Just do it!"
"Aye Aye cap'n!"
Ana, nodding her head at Octavia, was filled with determination. She stood up proud, breathing in the cold store air. Once she breathed it back out, she ran forward to her target. Though, she made a quick stop to the tool section to get herself a roll of duct tape. From there, she went searching. Fortunately, it wasn't hard. The sound of magical blasts and pony screaming could be heard across the store. Mentally preparing herself(and coming down from her high) Ana ran into battle while a certain Earth pony struggled to wiggle her big toe.
"Ma'am, please calm down...or else I'll have to call security, "squeaked a young employee.
"You're one of them, aren't you? " Vinyl questioned, a glass jar of pickles held tight in her magic, " I won't let you take him!"
At that moment, everything in the aisle was grabbed by Vinyl's magic. The unicorn pointed her finger directly towards the her enemy before hurling everything at the young man. He barely managed to dodged before everything hit the spot he was just standing at. The items exploded once they made contact, leaving behind a less than favorable mixture of processed foods.
From behind, Anastasia had witnessed the display of power and wondered how she was going to match it. All she had on her was duct tape. Even if it was the best brand, it still stood no chance against the raw magic of a high unicorn. No matter the odds, she promised Octavia she would help. Besides, the worst that could happen would be a stain on her outfit. Possibly disfiguring cuts from shards of glass.
"Alright, Vinyl, that's enough," Ana said, stepping from around the corner, "You had your fun, but now it's time to leave."
Vinyl turned to face the human female. A sigh of annoyance escaped her snout as she placed the cereal box behind her back, hiding it. She knew this person was trying to hurt her friend. And she thought this person was her friend. Funny how things turn as time moves on.
Vinyl eye down Ana before speaking, "Leave... or I'll have no choice but to act."
"Look pony, you had some stuff that was too strong for you. That's my fault. Now, it's time to calm down..."
"I can't calm down when you all are harming my friend!"
"Friend...I bet you don't even know his name!"
Vinyl opened her mouth to speak, yet nothing came out. She thought and thought, yet no answer came. She looked down at the box, examined it, and looked back at Ana.
"Lucky?" Vinyl guessed.
"You had to look at the box, which proves that this situation you created doesn't exist."
Vinyl stopped, thinking. Perhaps she did make up the situation. Perhaps everything was in her head. Perhaps she was making a fool of herself. She looked at the cardboard box once more to see the smile of her small, green friend. His happy face pleaded for her to help. It was that reassurance that let her know she had to keep going.
Anastasia saw the break in Vinyl's resolve and took this opportunity to step closer. With one hand out of sight, she began to peel the duct tape. All this was to assure whatever Octavia was planning, would work.
Then, a stinging sensation went through Ana's left arm. She dropped the tape and grabbed her wound. It was tender and red, yet didn't seem serious. After her check, she looked towards the source to see Vinyl and her glowing horn with a look of confidence and paranoia. And also a grey earth pony crawling into the area.
"Stay back! I won't let you hurt Lucky!" Vinyl yelled, her horn glowing brighter.
"He's a cereal mascot for fuck's sake!" Ana roared back, yet once she saw Octavia sake her head as she struggled to stand, she regained her calmness. Another look towards the earth pony and Ana knew that Octavia would need some time, "Okay...I'll play your game! Prepare to taste the wrath of Cap'n Crunch!"
Anastasia threw her hand out with force. She then pointed towards the last ketchup bottle standing on the shelf. With a couple of breaths, she began to concentrate on the item. She even began to move her fingers in the ways magicians would do when they would perform. She didn't chant words as she thought that would have been overselling it.
Vinyl stared, filled with curiosity. She always thought there was something different about this human. Especially since see somehow connected her Bass-cannon and got it to work. The machine ran off of magical energy, so to get it work is no easy feat for a human. Though, to be a human working for the Captain, nothing is short of possible.
As Vinyl watched, she soon realized that nothing was happening. The bottle wasn't moving. Ana was simply playing her as some fool. Was she mocking her? Making fun of her unicorn abilities...could she stoop that low?
"You're not even doing anything. Try as you may, you won't move it." Vinyl spoke.
"What...I'm just getting warmed up..." Insisted Anastasia. She concentrated harder on the bottle, taking quick glances at Octavia, who was now holding herself up against a shopping cart...barely. Ana kept the act up.
"Please stop, you're only embarrassing yourself..."
"Trust me...I'm about to do something amazing!"
"I doubt..."
At that moment, something caught Vinyl's tongue. Nothing came out of her mouth again. Maybe it was a trick of the eye. Maybe it was her imagination, but she saw the bottle twitch. She also felt something from that human girl. Some aura, yet it was so miniscule, she was not sure if it existed. Though, she didn't want to find out it was real or not. She just wanted to get Lucky out.
Vinyl lit her horn, ready to fire an ending shot towards Anastasia. "I'm sorry ,my dear. Enough games. This is where it ends...for you."
"Okay...no more weed for you...ever!"
Anastasia prepare for the worse: to be blasted into a million pieces. Her only regrets being not having children or collecting Mason's debt. She closed her eyes and waited. Though, nothing ever came except a choking sound. She opened her eyes and let out a sigh of relief, for Vinyl was held tight in Octavia's grasp; her horn being held at its base by Octavia.
"Thank god, Octy!" cheered Ana, stepping to them, "I would have been dust."
"No problem...and actually, the spell would have simple put you to sleep...for a long time. Essentially a vegetable."
"Oh..."
Octavia nodded slowly before pointing towards the duct tape. Ana nodded, got the tape, and returned to wrap the struggling unicorn. Multiple time around the torso and one small patch around the mouth. Yet, the horn was left un-taped. Ana went to ask, but once she saw the ecstasy filled looked from Vinyl; she knew the horn holding was enough.
"Let's live this place. I think we've done enough."
"Yes,"
Ana and Octy carried Vinyl to their shopping cart and then placed her on top of their groceries. They walked towards the checkout before the manager along with two guards blocked their path. All three seemed unhappy.
"We can't allow you to leave without paying for everything you destroyed...including store damages," said the manager.
"I'll pay for the items in my cart and send you an address to bill...Edison send the amount for my groceries and Mason's address to the fine man in front of me," Ana replied, she then looked to Octy and whispered, "Prepare to run..."
Once the transfer was complete, Ana sprinted, followed by Octy and the cart, barely missing the manager and the guards. Ana hoped they didn't give chase. She sure didn't feel like a car chase.
(Mason's POV)
I sat there, touching up on the song I had been working on. It was far from done, but for one day, I had made a lot of progress. I would be much further if that man hadn't of interrupted me. His offer sounded nice, but messing with big companies meant losing my identity. I worked too hard to lose that.
As I continued to work, there was another knock on my door. Getting annoyed, I stood to answer it, yet I got a pleasant surprised when it opened itself. There before me was Ana, a tape covered Vinyl, and Octy, who was carrying a lot of store bags. All of them seemed to have a mellow stare and a slight smile. I knew what they had done and I felt a bit jealous that they let me out. Though, my history with the plant was not a good one. Still, it hurt.
"I could of sworn I said no smoking with the ponies..." I said, noticing her, " The hell happened there?"
Ana walked up to me and wrapped her arms around me. Then she put her index finger on my lips and spoke,
"Mason...buddy...shhhhhhhhhhh. There's nothing wrong with a little plant. Though, I think what I gave them was a bit too strong. Anyway, the only reason we're like this is because woke up and blasted the second joint as I went to throw it away."
"Second...blasted...and still your arm."
"It's a long story...now if you'll excuse me..."
Ana passed out onto the floor with a comical thump. Before I could do anything, Vinyl walked towards me, all cautious like. She handed me a box of cereal and winked. I didn't know what she meant, but she too passed out onto the floor. I looked towards Octavia, who I expected to pass out too, yet she remained standing.
"You okay?" I asked her, yet received no reply. She simple existed. I sighed before accepting what I had to do. I couldn't just leave them there; I had to place them somewhere comfortable until they worked the drug out their system. Unfortunately, with my body not in top condition, this comfortable place would have to be the living room set.
I went to Octavia and loosened her tight grip on the bags. I sat them on the ground and walked the pony to the couch. (I guess you could say I led the horse to water.) Once there, I eased her onto the couch, which then she brought me into a tight embrace. Through the pain, I hugged back. She then whispered something about how Ana was great and amazing. I simply agreed before wiggling out the hug.
Next, I picked up Vinyl. She was pretty light so carrying her wasn't a problem. Well, it wasn't too bad. While I carried her, she mumbled something about Cap'n Crunch and Ana's magic. At that point, I had began to wonder what exactly happened at the store. Millions of questions stormed my head, but I knew I would get any answers anytime soon. So, I laid her down...and placed the cereal box back into her arms.
Lastly, I grabbed Anastasia. I could help feeling some way to her. I was a bit angry that she exposed the ponies to that sort of thing. I guess part of me wanted them to stay those innocent ponies I saw on TV, but I knew deep down they weren't that at all. They were like me or any other human...just ponies and magical.
I lowered Ana on the couch, treated her wound, and gave her small peck on the lips. Turning to walk away, I looked at Vinyl and Octavia. Both of their eyes were half open and their faces filled with slight jealousy. I didn't know why, but I went to give them pecks of their own. First, to Vinyl who let out a small smile after and then too Octavia who turned her head at the last second. Our lips made contact; I pulled away quickly.
"Bad Pony!" I spoke, yet she pretended not to hear me, "Okay...we will talk when you wake up..."
I sighed before walking over to the groceries. Looking through each bag, I simply nodded and carried them to the kitchen to be put away.
"47 Boxes of pancake mix again...this is why I don't want her shopping while high..." |
Of Wubs and Men | Friday's Finances | Mason's POV
There was no need to have a house filled with hungry people...and ponies early in the day, so I awoke earlier than usual to get breakfast going. I noticed the sun, alone in its morning ascent rose quietly, until the ripping of cardboard boxes resonated through the house. Once the box's contents were emptied, mixed with milk, and one extra egg; it was mixed together, with a few lumps, and ready to be cooked. So, I turned on a griddle and left it to heat, which should have been done earlier, yet was forgotten.
Soon enough, pancakes sizzled on the hot griddle ,and I felt my pride rise as the pancakes did. The smell of cooking pancakes filled the kitchen before drifting throughout the house. I knew within a few minutes the others would be awake, which would be fine. Though, before they did, I thought to make myself some special pancakes and perhaps something else to accompany the pancakes. Unfortunately, when I looked around my kitchen there was nothing else to go with the food except more pancakes and a glint of a hidden bottle. A smirk crossed my face as I examined the bottle. I could still make my special pancakes, just as long as no one else ate them.
Octavia's POV
My nose filled with the aroma of slightly overdone pancakes. To be honest, the only reason I came out of my slumber was from the slight fear that someone may be burning the house down. I, for one, didn't want to be part of that. Besides, I still had a life to live and music to play. Anyway, through the feeling of possible fire, I did sensed my hunger pique because of the smell. Perhaps it was time to get up.
I turned to Vinyl who was sprawled on the bed , still asleep, and snoring. Her earphones were placed in hear while some song played loudly enough for me to hear the melody. That might explain why I could never get a good night sleep, but that's beside the point. She seemed not to even know I was awake or what time it was. It would seem I would have to wake her up the hardway.
With a slight push, I sent her over the edge of the bed and onto the floor.
"What in the..." Vinyl yelled as she poked her head from the side of the mattress, " I was dreaming of foals for some reason. I'll say the dream had this sweet soundtrack to it..."
"Yes...Vinyl...the dream where the foals are eating cotton candy shaped like musical notes, while a hydra shuffles after them," I said, remembering a dream she had told me a while back.
"No ...well there was cotton candy, but no hydra...they were happy. Playing around and calling me moth-"
At that moment, Mason's mother knocked on the door and spoke, " Not sure if you two are awake or not, but I know you can smell that breakfast cooking. By the smell of it, Mason's cooking, so we need to get down there and watch him."
"Yes Mrs. Williams, We both will be down shortly." I replied, "Finish telling me about your dream later, Vinyl. Right now, I'm hungry."
Mason's POV
With a huge pan of pancakes in the middle of the table, everyone gathered around and took their seats. I passed out the plates to everyone and took my seat. I could see everyone's faces looking at each other, wondering if the food was good to eat. I didn't take it as an insult; my cooking has been none not to be the best but still, I felt a little irritated by it.
"Look guys, I know they don't look the best, but they taste just fine, " I assured, " Plus, you ate the food I cooked the other day."
"That is true...I suppose if he's alive then I suppose they're okay, "Ana spoke in a low voice, still unsure. She reached for the pancake on the top of the pile, brought it towards her lips, and took a bite. With her mouth filled she spoke, "They aren't the best thing in the world, but they I had worse."
With that, everyone dug in without mercy, piling their plates high with food. I felt proud that my cooking was good enough for them. Good enough to make it where everyone focused on their food and not conversation. I didn't mind though. Having them around was what really mattered.
"Mason, you did some good work here. I think 'm going to have one more," Vinyl spoke as she reached for one more. I didn't mind at all until she took a bite. In fact, I felt great until she took a bite. "This tastes weird. Maybe...like...can't put my hoof on it."
"Maybe he cooked it wrong?" My father suggested, but Vinyl shook her head in disagreement.
"Let me try, " Ana said as she reached over and tore a piece, "Tastes...like Jack Daniels. Shit Mason! Thought I said no more drinking."
My mouth opened ,but only a hoarse sound came out. That is, until I came out with a way to weed my way out.
"Technically, I ate it so..."
"That's bullshit and you know it..."
I began to scratch my shaggy beard and uncombed hair, finally gaining some ground through my mistake, "Well, you didn't stop smoking. Can't expect me to do as you say when you don't follow your own words."
"True, but my habit wasn't ruing my life, now was it?"
I couldn't say anything about what she said because it was truth. Her habit wasn't going to ruin her...unless she got caught. My habit, although legal and fun, was destroying me. So, she had a point. One I truly didn't want to admit, but nonetheless, I admitted defeat.
"Okay, my bad. I messed up," I apologized," Never again."
"Somehow, I don't believe you." Ana said, sarcasm oozing out of her words.
Anastasia went around the table asking if anyone wanted the tainted pancakes. When the only one who wanted one was Vinyl, she grabbed the pan and tossed the rest away. I felt my heartbreak a little as I watch the food enter the trash bin. It wasn't like I didn't have a ton of other boxes of pancake mix; it was the fact the bottle was the last bit of alcohol I had. The last taste of blacking out freedom. I suppose it was time to change; I am a bit young to be passing out every night. That's for older men.
We all rose from the table, cleaned our mess, and began to go our separate ways. My parents returned to their room for an after breakfast nap. The rest of us stood in the kitchen, finishing up the cleaning. I didn't know what they were planning to do with their days, but I planned on not doing one thing today. Not with the week I had.
"Mason, you do know that grooming oneself is a great part of one's well being, " Octavia informed as she put away a dish, "and before you ask...yes, I saw you fussing with your beard and mane. You're starting to look bad."
Vinyl and Ana turned to look at me; one quick observation and they agreed I wasn't the most stunning horse at the rodeo. Ana came over and began grabbed a chunk of my hair. From seemingly nowhere, she summoned a pick, slid it deep into my hair, and flung her arm upwards. The pick was caught near the mid section of my hair; that's where all the knots and tangles held strong. They did, but I didn't. I let out a wail of pain and grabbed the part of my head that she damaged.
"Tangled, knotted, and maybe even matted. He's probably been ignoring his hair for a while. Probably taking care of it every so often-still not enough though. It may take some work to get it back to normal," Ana explained, " I suggest taking him to a professional."
"No. Professionals cost credits ,and that's something I can't be throwing around at the moment." I managed to say through my pain, recalling the amount used to get Vinyl and Octavia, "I'm pretty much broke at the moment."
"No expense is too much for a stallion to look his best, " Octy stated.
"How about I just do it for free?" offered Vinyl, " When I was on the road for tours, my team would keep everypony looking nice; I even picked up a couple things."
"Free sounds nice..." I said, accepting the deal, "After some business, we can do it."
Octavia and Ana both had unsettling looks on their faces. They asked me if I was sure about the plan, which I replied with a nod of my head. If my hair was as bad as they say it was, then Vinyl couldn't mess it up any worse.
So, with a farewell, we all retreated to our different area until later. Ana went to my room. I went to my studio, and the ponies went to their room.
Anastasia's POV
Mason's talk of not having enough credits really got to me even if I didn't show it. With my business, loans, and other things all flying around, money was getting a bit stretched. So stretched I had to make a choice earlier this week that affected me in a way.
I'm surprised Mason hasn't asked me why I've been at his house for the past couple of days. Perhaps it's his blind trust or his dense skull. Either or, I'd have to tell him soon. Tell him that I sold my home for my business. Well, our business if you can count ten percent that's his. That's beside the point. The point was that my club was making enough money to support itself. That was it. Not enough to pay the loans I had to use to get it up and running. I, for one, didn't want to lose everything I worked for and go to a labor camp to pay off my debt, so I did the next best thing...sold my home.
It wasn't as if I was ever there to begin with. The place was gathering dust and needed some TLC. Rather, it needed someone to fill its empty walls more than 3 hours a day. So, I threw it on the market and within a couple weeks, it was bought by a nice, small family. Their smiles made the day seem better, but the credits that transferred into my account made it seem great.
With those credits, I lowered down the loans to a comfortable place in which I could sustain myself and the club. Which at this point, is all that mattered.
Throwing those thoughts out my head, I began to drift to sleep. That is, until my phone rang.
I answered and tried not to sound annoyed, " Hello, this is Anastasia of Club Genesis. How may I help you?"
"Yes, Good Evening ma'am, I am Shelly from L.A's Loan Services, " spoke a young voice on the other side, "I was just calling about a loan you got through us."
"I don't know why you're calling...I paid more than enough to ensure you all are off my back for a while."
"Oh yes...we know. This is just a courtesy call to thank you for your payment and to remind you that any debt not paid off will result in immediate seizure of assets and the person sent to a labor camp to pay off the rest of the debt."
"Yes...I know."
"Oh goody. Then that ends our conversation. You have a good day."
"You...too, I suppose."
The woman hung up the phone and returned to ruining other people serenity. I threw down my phone, tightly coiled the covers around me, and tried to get some sleep. It seemed like these companies knew when to call and ruin your day. Fortunately, I wouldn't let it get me down. I've done everything right up till this point and deserve good nap. Though, deep in my mind, I knew I would have to tell Mason my situation.
Mason's POV
I have no clue why I went to my studio. I suppose it was one place to get peace and alone time. Though, I planned on using this time to check on my credits. Dropping that much money for Vinyl and Octy truly did hurt, but I don't regret it. I just have to come up with some way to build myself back.
"Okay ,Tesla, tell me the profit from my sales and such," I said out loud to my electronic helper.
"Well, profits from the single you released are still pouring in ,and of course Percy is getting his percentage. Credits from the rapper you helped are slowing down as his sales lower too. Though, he sent an email thanking you and hinting at future collaborations. "
"Alright...I can dig that," I spoke, then I wondered something, " If I didn't do anything else, how long could I survive with what I have? "
"Seeing as you have six people...wait... four people excluding your parents...calculating...you can live up to six months off of your savings if it's just a diet of beans and rice."
"That's it? Any options to make that number a bit larger?"
"Percy suggests you get back into the music scene; he told me to tell you that. Also, I hear investing wouldn't
hurt."
"You know, I think my dad knows a thing or two about that...maybe I should ask him."
"They often say ask for help before diving into something like this, Tesla said before fading and returning, "Also, you have a bill from the local market for 764 credits in regards to damages and food costs."
"What...?"
"They sent a bill along with a message saying not to return with your pony helpmates or wife."
"Send the credits along with an apology... wait wife?"
"Will do, Mason."
When Telsa went to handle business, I leaned back in my chair and began to think. Nothing to serious, but think about how I should get a better grip on life. That or life will grip me. So, I searched through my music files and found an EP I've been saving for a rainy day. So with a quick click, I sent it to Percy for evaluation. Once that was done, I decided to look up some information about this investing thing while I applied the medicine to my wounds.
Octavia's POV
Neither Vinyl or I felt like going back to sleep. I sat on the bed debating on practicing my cello or not while Vinyl fiddled with the laptop Mason had gotten her, possibly choosing a song for today's competition she'll be attending. Now, I was still uncertain how credits worked here, but 5000 of anything was a lot. Of course, this amount of bits and the thought of what Mason said earlier, got me thinking.
"Vinyl, we need to talk." I stated, looking towards her, and as always, her ear were crowded with her earphones. I gently pulled one out and repeated what I said.
"About what?" She replied.
"You remember when we first came here and I spoke to you about us eventually finding our own place?"
"Yes...but this again, Octy? Comeon...we haven't even been here a half a year and you're already talking about moving on. Keep calm and go with the flow."
"Yes yes yes...the flow. You always speak of the flow, yet I'm the one who has to watch out for any dangers ahead."
"What does that mean?" Vinyl inquired, sitting up from her spot and closing her laptop.
"It means I'm the one looking ahead to the future. We can't live here forever, Vinyl. Soon enough, we will have to find our own path."
"And how do you know that path isn't with Mason and Ana?"
One few occasions has Vinyl actually made valid point, and this was one of them. I honestly couldn't say that she was wrong, but I couldn't say she was right. All I could do was hold my tongue and what for her to say something.
"Look, Octy," Vinyl spoke in a low calming voice," I know this place is a bit scary for you. Hell it's scary for me. Not knowing where anything is and having these hate groups attack at random times. It's crazy. I also know you rather have your feet planted firmly into the ground for security, but right now we have to settle into the dirt first. You already have a job lined up for next year or something which is good. So, until then, let's just enjoy ourselves and see where life takes us. Besides, We're about to have five-thousand credits in our pockets. "
"Don't forget to subtract the fifteen percent for Percy."
"You know, I was never good at math."
"It's still a lot, " I said, smirking a bit at my love," You should hurry and get ready. That competition is at six."
"A great DJ never shows up on time." |
Of Wubs and Men | Friday 2 | Octavia's POV
I watched Vinyl sleep like a baby... Who am I kidding? She sleeps like a train wreck covered with Discord's secret ingredient. She sleeps like an enemy army coming to take your land. Simply put, she sleeps rough. Sometimes the only way to get her calm down is to climb on top of her and use my weight to keep her from moving. Which...now that I think about it, could be a way for her to draw me closer. If that were the case, I had been underestimating Vinyl's cleverness for a while.
I looked towards the clock and noted the time; it was 5:30. Vinyl had thirty minutes to somehow make it across town and get ready for her competition. Usually, one would be worried in this case. I wasn't. Vinyl somehow had the ability to make it to places on time. Whether it be clubs, competitions, our dates, et cetera, Vinyl always managed to make it and sometimes arrive early. After a while, you stop worrying and let her do her thing.
So, I sat there, reading a human novel about a teenage male being lost in the woods after a plane crash. I had to say it was pretty good how he learned to survive outside of his element. Anyway, I heard Vinyl stir once; I knew she was about to awake. I stood from my position on the bed ,so Vinyl had room to explode. Funny thing was, I knew Vinyl's routine for when she woke before an event. First, she'd slowly rise. Then she'd look at the time, freak out, fall out of bed, and put on the clothes she wore the day before.
"Ugh...what time is it?" Vinyl asked as she slowly rose from her nap, "5:33...BUCK!"
Vinyl rolled onto the floor in shock, and I snickered. Once she recovered from the shock on hitting the floor, she sprung back to sky ready for action.
"Are you ready, Vinyl?" I asked as she walked towards the bedroom door.
"I'm always ready to defeat some chumps," She replied with her usual confidence.
"Well, let's hurry up and go."
"You're coming with me?"
"Of course. Someone has to keep you in check. We don't need any more fights with competition."
"Hey, I hardly ever get into fights."
"Well, in this new place, any fight could mean jail time and jail here sounds worse than back home."
We left the room together and walked towards the living room. There we saw Mason and Anastasia in formal dress. I remembered something about them having a date. It was nice that they were spending some time together. Though, I couldn't help but feel two separate emotions. One was for Vinyl to take me ,and the second was to spend time with Ana. It was weird that I felt the latter.
"Wassup, my furry friends?" Mason greeted. He looked decent in his outfit, but he could have done better. His blue dress shirt and black dressed pants were both wrinkled, yet seemed to give out some boyish charm. The only problem- the biggest problem- was his unkempt hair. "I see you guys are finally up for the competition."
Vinyl lit her horn to straighten Mason's tie, and then spoke "Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world. The only problem is how am I going to get there. You guys are leaving ,and neither Octy or I can use those carriages."
"Stop worrying, Vinyl. You can say it's from personal experience, but I had a feeling you'd oversleep. Percy is waiting outside by his car, and yelling at his phone. Just hurry outside and you'll make it to the competition...probably."
We gave each other farewells before we each split our separate ways, yet before we left Ana, in a blue dress that matched Mason's shirt, cleared her throat. When we looked back, She pointed towards Mason's hair. With an understanding nod, Vinyl's horn lit again, casting an aura around his hair. Then a comb, clippers, moisturizer, and other hair items floated from various rooms in the house until they hovered near Mason's head. In a flash and a swirl of magic(chaos) his hair was cut and tidy.
Mason tapped the top of his head and felt the softness that was now present. I noticed a smile smirk appear on his face before he thanked Vinyl.
"You know, I like having a huge 'fro, but this will work just fine."
"He loves it," Ana spoke before hugging both Vinyl and I. We gave each other a warm squeeze before we were ushered us out the door.
Outside, we saw Percy leaning against a pearl white carriage. Well, car. It was much more luxurious than the one Mason or Anastasia operated ,and it probably a lot more expensive as well. I supposed when you have the money, you have the urge to spend and flaunt it. Even the nobles back home did that. To think, I was on my way to start, but I met Vinyl and she humbled me. Or shall I say, she used her money for other uses that did not involve flaunting, but elevating her craft.
"I don't give a rat's ass if the performance was too loud, if he was too drunk to perform, or the property damage from the fans! You signed a contract for a three-day concert, and we will get a three-day concert! Or maybe another hotel would love to host the hottest male pop singer of this year?" screamed Percy into his device
We thought he was angry, but the way he kept his cool said otherwise. It seemed it was an act. After he yelled he waited, closely listening to the phone before smiling deeply. He listened to the phone as muffled words came from the other end.
"Good. Good. I knew you'd come to your senses. I'll talk to him and tell him to slow down on the drinks. You can take the half the cost of the damage from out profits... only half..." Percy said, and then he noticed us, "Okay, if that's it then I have to go. Call me later if you have any other questions. Bye."
He pressed the screen of his phone and turned his attention to us. With a literal press of a button, the doors of his car opened wide. He quickly ushered us into the seats and then pressed the button again to close the doors. Vinyl took the front and I took the back. All I can say was that the inside was magnificent. The front was made of polished wood. The seats were so smooth that I felt I might slide off but didn't, for they sucked me in deep. It felt like I was royalty, so I closed my eyes to enjoy the feeling.
"Yeah, this car has that effect on people. You get used to it though," Percy spoke, "Anyway, you two just relax while I drive. Also, Vinyl, there's not much I can tell you since you don't know these people like Mason does."
"Tell me anyway," Vinyl demanded, sitting up from the comfort, "I gotta know my competition."
"Okay...uhh...well, there's only one guy you should worry about. He calls himself 'Curb Stomp'. That's because he claims his drops are dirty, raw, and painful. He used to be Mason's old rival and won the competition I happened to be at. I chose Mason because the other guy is a huge dick. Also, because he's pretentious, cocky, he infringes a lot of music, and he has ghost writers."
"So...kick his flank is what you're telling me..." Vinyl whispered. She took off her glasses and wiped them with her shirt; her scarlet eyes shined brighter than usual. I knew what this meant; she was filled with determination and wanted to win.
"You got it, kid. Do that and you'll start making a name for yourself...well, you'll resurface in L.A."
Anastasia's POV
Mason and I sat down to our date which was nice and romantic. Well, as romantic as Mason could be. We needed this to truly connect to one another on a level that wasn't friendship. Though, that wasn't the reason we were out. I just needed some elaborate situation to get us away from Vinyl and Octavia. They didn't need to know what I was telling Mason.
"Then once the police raided the place, they immediately dropped me to the ground. I managed to get free and run out the joint. If it wasn't for a convenient tree house, I would have been caught." Mason spoke, reliving his story.
"I bet you probably ate the snacks in the house too," I said. I already knew he did because he told me this story while he was drunk months back. I knew he wouldn't remember telling me so finishing it for him would bring a good laugh. I basked in his confusion for a moment before starting a new topic, "Mason, can I say something serious for a moment."
"Yeah, sure."
"The competition tomorrow...I bet you think you're ready."
"Of course I'm ready. I'm ready to win!"
"That's good, but why are you going easy on Vinyl?" Before Mason could interrupt, I continued, "I've heard what you're going to play and it is nowhere near your best."
Mason's lips spread ,so he could defend himself, yet only air escaped. They closed back before he broke eye contact. I knew he was struggling for the words to say, so I was not going to rush him. Because of this, silence filled the area around us. It wasn't heavy or awkward; it was filled with thought. I didn't know what he was going to say... I could only wait until he was ready to say it.
It wasn't until our food arrived and the waiter had left did Mason look me in the eyes and spoke.
"I know how it feels to be on top and then suddenly be nothing. Imagine being pushed out a plane with no parachute. The fall is quick yet takes forever. There is nothing you do can to stop it, yet you flap your arms hopping something will happen. Call it intuition, but I know Vinyl is going through that now. She'e been here a while and the only show she has played was that weird birthday party. That's why I gave her my spot at the competition...and so I could spend the night with you. So, If I let Vinyl win tomorrow...she'll have a chance to get back on top."
"That's a nice way to think," I said to Mason, lovingly touching his hand, "But that's fucking stupid. It's disrespectful to her; it's disingenuous of you. Any artist, when you don't bring their A-Game, is going to call you out on it. She is coming with her all; she expects you to do the same. Don't cheap out on her because you feel bad, or want to help. If you really want to help her out, be your best ,and she'll try to beat you. That energy produced will shine bright and power her ride back to her throne."
Mason, once again speechless, looked towards his plate and sighed. He knew I was right. I think he always knew this was the right path, but he was thinking with his emotions and not with his head. But I must say, thinking with both is a good idea.
"You're right...."
Vinyl's POV
We drove for a while. Passing through the skyscrapers, suburban houses, and even the slums until we reached a series of abandoned industrial buildings. Any regular person might have been frightened, but to a veteran, like me, I knew what was going on. Places like these were free from disturbances, and far away from people that loud music wouldn't be a bother. Typically, the owners don't mind...not that they're ever around to say much.
As we pulled into the parking lot, I could feel the music vibrating the area. It sounded okay, but in my experience, an okay song with a great crowd equals an amazing night. I knew this was going to be an amazing night because I could hear crowd cheering and roaring. The energy filled me and expanded my mind. I knew this was my night and no one was going to hold me back; I would win this competition and take home the money.
"Alright, Vinyl, are you ready for this?" Percy asked. He got out his car, walked to my side, and opened the door.
"Not at all," I replied, putting my glasses on, "I don't know what I'm playing or how I'm doing this... But as Celestia is my witness, I'm gonna kill the noise!"
"That's what I like to hear! Look, I'm going to go sign you in; do what you want until they call you."
Percy rushed towards the entrance with haste I didn't think a man in a suit could obtain. I'm guessing because we were already late because I slept to long, but with him dealing with Mason, I doubted if he held any negative feelings against it. If he did...he'd probably just have to get used to it.
With a shrug, I began to walk to the warehouse until I heard a knock from behind. I let out a small chuckle as I saw Octy still in the backseat. I rushed back and opened the door like a gentlemare.
"The nerve of that man. Not opening the door for all mares..." Octy said. The scowl of her face seemed to be etched in.
"He's just busy. Give him a break," I replied.
I grabbed the earth pony and rushed inside the building. Almost immediately we were bombarded by sweet, sweet music. Our sight was met with pitch black darkness only being illuminated by flashing lights or the neon worn by the ravers. I felt at home. I closed my eyes and drifted into the crowd; I think I left Octavia alone at the edge of the dancers, but she could understand why.
My body drifted into the center of the party, barely touching anypony else. Raves are fluid and flow like the ocean. Once you submit yourself, you become part of it. That's what I and everyone else did. Soon, I flowed straight into the middle and let loose. I don't know how exactly I danced that day; I just remember that being the first moment I felt at home in this new place. I felt truly happy as the music poured into me and flowed out as dancing. I felt that I could live here and be included in everything. None of the ravers judged me. None of them questioned what or who I was. We just danced together. The PLUR lifestyle was alive, and I felt it.
Though, in Mason's world, it feels like someone always must mess with you.
"Vinyl Scratch?" I heard someone ask, "Is this for real? No no...you must be one of those -bio-robot things. I can't believe someone would think it's cool to bring that here..."
I turned to look at whoever said that. To my surprise-not so much- I was greeted by a leather jacket wearing, aviator sporting, gelled haired, pants too tight young man. This type of person wasn't rare, but they were never seen unless you were happy and the universe didn't want you to be.
"Number one: I am not a machine. I am the living breathing Vinyl Scratch. Secondly, I came here on my own willpower."
"Wow...you must be an expensive model. I actually felt genuine emotion from that. Let me guess: You're here to perform, right?"
"Yes, I am. DJ PON3 is here to win the prize money." I cooed.
"I doubt that. My set I played earlier was epic. It's gonna take a miracle to beat it."
If there was one thing good about this guy, it was his confidence. That was something ever dj needed.
"Too bad I missed it," I said," By the way, are you Curb Stomp?"
"What?! No! That guy left earlier. Something about he knew he won so he didn't need to stay and see the results. Anyway, I'm Recharge. Perhaps you heard of me?"
"Nope."
The man looked visibly hurt before he gained he composure and spoke, "Yeah... like somepony like you would even know. Look, I'll see you around, unicorn."
"Buck yeah, you will," I crowed back, "and you'll be looking up at me from second place on the podium!"
This earned me a glare from Recharge, but he shrugged his shoulders and sauntered out of the dancing throng. I fell back into the groove of the dance floor, barely paying attention to my fellow revelers. This competition was about putting others on notice: DJ Pon3 was back and ready to rumble! I didn't have time for negativity and neither Curb Stomp or Recharge could dissuade me from dropping the sickest of bass.
Roughly forty-five minutes after I arrived, Percy came back and ushered me through the ravers to the stage. The previous DJ was spinning the last of his playlist. When he saw me, he did a double take and nearly let his records skip. It was kinda funny, which was exactly what I needed. Whatever anxiety I was feeling from before was gone an instant. I was now ready to bring down the roof of this place!
"Are we five-by?" Percy asked.
"Oh yeah," I replied, "gimme a beat and I would rock entire worlds!"
"Good," Percy said, "then got out there and own 'em."
I looked at the stage, the turntables, the speakers, the crowd; I was home here. Now I needed to make everybody, and everypony, know that.
Curb Stomp's POV
I don't know what possessed me to return to the club after I wowed the audience. Maybe I needed to bask in the glory of adoring audience. That recharge kid had some chops to him but he was nowhere in my league. I had this competition sorted. I had every right to felt confident about it; so far, I hadn't seen a single MC that could do a tenth of what I had already mastered. I know you should't count your chickens before they hatch, but I had skillz that killz; what did I need to worry about?
I should have known better... I saw that android piece of shit turn on the stage ,and I just about lost it. I heard about those play-mate things or whatever and I didn't like them much. The fact that this was one was snow white with neon blue hair and a set of goggles like an anime character didn't make it any less endearing to me. That horn it had was some kind of transceiver or something, although I wasn't so sure of that when the horn glowed and stacks of discs floated towards it.
I played the best set of my life, really turned the crowd on it's head; the follow up acts couldn't compare to the masterful show I put on! The crown, the credits, and the crown was mine, all mine. Then this- thing, turns up and starts to play. I was mad as fuck.
Then I really tuned into to what it was doing. Fuck me, it was good. No, it was better than good, it was exceptional. I would even go so far as to say it was outstanding. It had the entire floor eating out of it's hands. I was impressed. It wasn't just its technical skill, but its raw talent. I didn't those android things had that kind of ability but I swear, my blood was pumping just as much as the crowd's was! Anyway you put, this thing was giving me some concern. I shouldn't have felt that way, but I did.
Once the android was done with it's set, which was twice as long as mine and hit bass so low you could feel it in your teeth, I set out to find the thing. I wanted to know how it was programmed or whatever to drop such sick beats. I caught it roaming the crowd, which was still entranced by it's performance. It had wound its way another android, this one a gray one lacking a horn a bearing a treble clef on it's thigh. I couldn't believe I saw one of these fuck toys and now there were two here. I had to know where their owner/programmer was.
"Yo!" I called out, "You that robot that just threw down on my crowd?"
"I'm not a robot," the white one retorted, "the name's DJ Pon-3. And I did I just own your flank? Why yes, yes I did!"
That pissed me off even more.
"So, yeah, you got some skills," I sneered, "but you'll never be at my level. I'm a fucking pro, yo."
"So you're Curb Stomp?" The white one asked.
"The one and only," I replied.
"Good," the white said, "it's good to know who third place is going to be."
"Oh, yeah?" I asked, "What makes you think you can beat me?"
"Because I'm DJ Pon-3," the white one answered, "and I drop bass for a living. You probably wouldn't know a bass line if it kicked you in the stallionhood!"
"You would love that, wouldn't you," I said, "oh, wait, you can't, because you're a machine."
"I'll have you know, you cur," growled the gray one, "that Vinyl is no less a sentient entity than you are. And she would surely be affable to seeing you getting your plot handed to you."
"DAMN, Octi!" The white one commented, "I didn't know you had that in you!"
"Something had to be said to this ruffian," the gray one huffed, "come, we have spent enough time wallowing in this Philistine's stench."
The gray one grabbed the white one by the arm and they left. A mob formed around the pair as they exited. I had mobs like that form around me after I played but never to the degree the white one was getting now. I couldn't wait until the next night to show this machine who's boss. (Hint, that's me, Curb Stomp.)
I tried to move through the crowd to get closer to those machines, but the crowd was too dense for me to through. I'll admit, I was getting a bit jealous. The cheers the crowd were making mixed with how big it was only added to my anger. Though, I stopped once the host came over the mic to announce winner. Look, I don't even want to remember the results because results don't show skills. And because fuck that pony and everything she stands for. But...It's a part of my life.
All I want to say is that, when I saw the crowd lift that pony into the sky, I became more angry than I have ever been. This..thing came into my city and stole my trophy...my money! I couldn't stand by and let it be. I tried to force my way through the crowd, but it was too thick to move through. My only option was to stand and watch that thing accept my rewards, but the worst part wasn't when she raised the trophy up high, but was when she spoke.
"A lot of talented people played tonight, and I just want to thank the crowd for choosing me as the winner. I played my heart out ,and you guys heard its every beat. And that's what music is about: Putting yourself into the song and letting everyone hear it. But enough of that poetry jazz! DJ PON3 is here to stay!" She proclaimed, as the crowd cheered loudly at her, "If ya want some more, I'll be having a battle tomorrow with local favorite DJ Helix! It's at Club Genesis and it's something you don't want to miss."
With that, she waved to the crowd and left the stage. I don't know where she went and I didn't care. All I knew was that DH Helix, or shall we call him Mason, had something to do with this pony, and I wouldn't sit back and take it. He already took my record deal, I won't let him take every competition too.
Mason's POV
The night went well after the talk. Of course Ana is made me realize the errors of my ways, but that's what she's here for. Things could have gone very wrong if I had done what I planned. I would have lost a friend and the respect of many others. PLus the shot at any career would be gone. So, I appreciate what she has done. I mean, everything she has done since day one. Someday I'll show her how much I appreciate her. One day.
Anyway, we pulled into my driveway after a delicious meal. The sun was long gone and the only lights were from our car, the streets light, and the light on my doorstep. But for some odd reason, my door was wide open. I started to worry that I was being robbed , but the sight of my father with two suitcases eased me. Though, I wondered why he had the suit cases.
When Ana parked her car, I hopped out and walked towards my old man. He looked at me with a small smile before handing both suitcases. After that, he went back into the house to retrieve some more. Immediately, I sat them down to chase after him only to be greeted by a living room filled with their belongings and my mom ending a call.
"What's going on?" I questioned.
"We are heading back to Georgia," My father replied, getting two more suitcases, "Grab some of these. The taxi will be here soon."
I did as I was told, but continued to ask questions.
"What do you mean? I thought this was a vacation? You're retired! Why do you have to go back?"
My mother, her voice low and not as cheery chimed in, "Your father may be retired, but he still helps companies. They need him ASAP."
"Well can ASAP be after tomorrow?My show is then, and it's been years since you've seen me live."
"You know how these companies work, "My father spoke, "They won't take no for an answer. Besides, the credits I earn help me take care of your mother for that much longer. Retirement isn't what it's used to be. Hell, you should be very worried."
Confused, I looked at my father. He looked back at me with all the seriousness he had in his body. Whatever words were swimming in his mind, I knew I would have to catch them. So, I opened my ears, ready to listen.
"Look, times are only going to get worse. They may get better, but not yet. As a man, it's up to you to make sure your castle doesn't topple over when the wind starts picking up," My father then paused. He wasn't looking towards me anymore, but past me. It seemed the memories of his life were right behind me, "What I'm saying is, you now have a lot of luggage. With Ana, Vinyl, and Octavia, things are going to be tough."
"Whoa, dad...the ponies are going to be on their place own soon enough. Octy said it ,and Vinyl is working on it. Maybe Ana, but let's not get ahead of ourselves."
"Mason, if you let those ponies out into the world by themselves you are insane. The world is not ready yet. And let's be real, Ana is your future wife. We saw that when she first pushed you to the ground."
I wanted to respond. Perhaps, deny whatever he said, but from the experience with the the religious groups, or the awkward stairs whenever I was out with Vinyl. I knew he was right. This world wasn't ready. The Ana situation...I wasn't ready to talk about it.
"Okay, what do you think I should do then?" I asked.
"That's for you to figure out, DJ," He answered, "You're a grown man, who has taken on grown man responsibilities. It's up to you to find a way."
A taxi then pulled in front of my house; I knew it was time for my parent's to leave. With heavy hearts, the luggage was carried to the car and loaded into it. My mother held back tears as she gave me a hug and jumped into the taxi and slammed the door; I could hear the tears explode out. My father closed the trunk of the taxi before he held out his hand for a handshake, but quickly brought me in for a hug.
We held each other tightly before we let each other go.
"Look, Mason...A bad father would leave you out in the dark, so what I'm going to do is help. Right now, you need to create assets."
"I don't know anything about assets though..."
"Yes you do. The club and your music are nice starts. You may need a few more though..."
"That's easier said than done, dad."
"When there is a will there is a way, " My father said as he got into the passenger side of the taxi, "Take care of those ponies and Ana. You have an opportunity to do something here. Don't ruin it."
He closed the door and seconds later, the taxi pulled off. I waved goodbye until the tail lights of the car were out of sight. Sighing, I turned back towards my house only to hear the flick of a lighter and see Ana inhaling her joint.
She smiled at me, offering me some, yet I denied. For once in my life, I believed I needed a clear head. No alcohol or weed could help me. I just needed to wipe the dust off the gears and turn the machine on.
"How much did you hear?" I asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"Just enough to remember I kicked your ass when we were kids," She replied, taking another deep inhale before blowing the smoke away from my direction, "So, what now ,castle man?"
"We figure out this asset thing. We got the club and music. Maybe we do rental property. If destiny is so determined for us to be soulmates, we could move in together and rent out the other house..."
"Oh...about that," Ana spoke, pulling away from me and slowly making her way to the house, "I sort of...sold my house to fund the club, so I'm living here indefinitely. I meant to tell you earlier, but ,you know, things come up."
"So, you were just gonna slowly move your stuff, hoping I wouldn't notice?"
"First truck arrives Sunday." |
Of Wubs and Men | Final Count Down | I stood in the kitchen, frying some eggs and waiting for my day to start. Well, my day had started a couple of hours ago, but my anxiety wouldn't let me move any further. Today was the day of the competition; I didn't know why I felt so anxious about it. I was prepared to play my best. Leave everything I had out on the floor, yet it all went away when I woke up that morning.
Vinyl and Octavia were gone before I woke; I hadn't seen them since yesterday, yet I knew they were okay because I received a photo of Vinyl and her trophy. Anastasia went to make sure the preparations were great for that night's events. Of course, my parents had left the day before. So, for the first time in a while, I was alone in my house again.
I forgot how silent things were. I forgot how it felt to awake without a hangover. I forgot the peace I experienced in these four walls. I forgot how much I hated it. No cello practice, no loud bass, no angry phone calls about low inventory. Those are things I came to expect, yet it wasn't here. It was only me, breathing in the fumes of eggs.
"Mr. Mason, you have a phone call!" Tesla spoke, "It's from Percy."
"Put him through," I replied excited to hear another voice.
After a short pause, I heard Percy's voice.
"How's my favorite DJ doing" He asked, brimming with excitement.
"I bet you say favorite to every DJ you have," I said, "And I'm slightly nervous."
"Actually no...Everyone else are real bummers. Anyway, that's good. Use that nervous energy and- "
"Channel it into my performance. Yes, I know and I will."
"Well, I guess my work here is done. Social media is going nuts for this. You'll be big again."
"Yeah...uh I can't wait."
He sensed something in my voice. For a short moment, he didn't speak, and I didn't either.
"Mason, go out there, play your best, and just enjoy the night. Don't worry about the money. Don't worry about the fame. Just enjoy battling Vinyl and proving you're the best in California."
We talked for some time longer. Percy ask about everything that had to deal with the night and I told him everything and he simply accepted, trusting Ana's judgement. After that, we ended the call. The silenced returned .
I went back to my eggs. Unfortunately, the heat got to them and they were slightly burnt. Luckily, I like things a bit dark. Or rather, I've gotten used to it. So, I scrapped the eggs on my plate, made some toast, and sat down. I took one bite and waited. I waited for some sign of life, yet nothing came. The only life was me. Getting tired of the silence, I grabbed my food and walked outside.
The day was pretty as usual. California never disappointed. It didn't take long for me to hear the chirping of birds, the talking of my neighbors, and the loud roar of the few gasoline powered cars still running. It passed my home and kept driving. From the sound of its engine, it might have needed some work. Though, it looked crisp on the outside.
Once it passed, I sat on the ground and relaxed. Ironically, the noise made me feel better and allowed me to eat in peace. Then I heard a clunk and the reversing of the vehicle. It made way for my home until it stopped right in front my drive way. Slowly, the driver's side window lowered until someone's face showed through. A face I have not seen in awhile.
"Curb...I mean...Clinton?" I asked, getting up walking towards the car. Immediately, the car was put into gear, and drove off, "I suppose they had the wrong home."
Vinyl's POV
"You look absolutely wonderful in that outfit, " Octy said as I stepped outside the changing room.
"You know this isn't my style... " I said
"I believe we may have found you a new style."
I stood there wearing a pure white sundress with trim that matched the color of my mane. You could say it was me in dress form. All it needed was my cutie mark and maybe a beer stain. In all honesty, it was beautiful dress, but it was so form fitting that I felt naked. Don't get me wrong, I like being naked; I just don't like dresses.
"People will laugh if I walked in public like this..."
"No...they'll stare in awe. You're a very pretty mare. If only you would embrace your feminine side more often."
"I'll embrace it once you produce a track that's number one on-"
My sentence was interrupted by something being place on my head. I could not recover before I heard sounds of appreciation coming from Octavia.
"This yarn hat will finish off the outfit perfectly." Said one of the workers.
"You are so right" Octavia agreed, "We will take the whole set."
The worker nodded her head excitedly before rushing off to get things ready for our purchase. I looked at Octavia with a confused look, while she looked at me with a smile. We stood there for a moment before I started to undress. I quickly realized I was not in the dressing room, and ran back into the room. Not like I cared about being seen, but public indecency was a major thing here.
Before I stripped, I peered into the mirror. For once, I did not look like I had raved for my entire life. For once, I did not look like a mare who could out drink you. For once, I looked like a mare on the beach. I looked like a mare you could take home to mother. I like this look, but I knew in my heart it was not me. I am a mare of the night who craves the music scene.
I stripped down, put the clothes of the hanger, and put them to the side. After that, I began to put on my street clothes. My ripped blue jeans I found at the local thrift shop slid on easily and hugged me in the right places. I put my black, sponsored shirt on that advertised the event tonight. Finally, I put my glasses on my nose; I felt at peace.
When I stepped out the dressing room Octavia had a bag ready for my clothes. I put them in the bag as she ushered me out the clothing store and we began walking around town. Apparently, she had already paid for my clothes even before I tried them on. I would say she bought them more for her than for me.
"How much did these run for?" I asked, trying to find a price tag.
"You're not supposed to ask the price of gift..." Octy replied.
"Well when we are on a imposed budget, I gotta ask,"
"Just know your new outfit didn't cost a lot. Besides, we have to celebrate today"
"Really?"
"Yes." Octavia jolted in front of me to grab my hands, "This is your first major performance since we moved here. The crowds, the media, it'll be like the old days."
I couldn't help but drift back into my memories of being on stage. Thousands of ponies waiting...begging me to start my track. The lights flashing around the darkness, and the smell of sweat, alcohol, and joy going in the air. Those were my nights and it was time for me to return.
Deep in my thoughts, I did not notice that Octavia and I had reached the subway. If she hadn't had caught me, I would have tumbled down the stairs, and that was a deep fall. Paying attention, we descended and waited to for the next train that would put us close to Club Genesis; Octy and I decided to wait there for the competition.
We waited and waited for the train and things seemed to go well until someone gripped my and turned me around. A man who was pale and clean shaven looked me in the eyes as a smirk stuck to his face. Two other men soon backed him up except they themselves kept their faces neutral. I can't say they looked familiar, yet the aura they had about them was.
"Where do you two think you're going?" The leader asked.
"We are going home...without you all," Octavia spoke, pulling me away from the men.
"That doesn't sound fun at all. Seeing as me and my friends here have taken interest in you two.
You know, there's been a lot of uproar about ponies appearing. We thought we would get to know a few."
"How about you look for some other ponies? We are currently not looking for more friends," I said, standing my ground.
"Seems like we might have to tame these horses,buddies..." The leaders said, taking a step forward.
I ignited my horn to prepare to defend myself and Octavia was breathing heavier than usual. We were ready, but fortunately a female security guard approached us, curious by what was happening.
"Is everything alright?" She asked, "Because I have full authority to make sure everything stays alright..."
The leader stepped back and his buddies followed suite.
"Yeah rent-a-cop. We are alright. Just talking to my new friends here about their event down at Club Genesis. I know some friends would love to be there, so I was just going to pass the word along."
"Don't you dare"...I mouthed to the man. To which, he simply smiled and began walking away.
The moment they were gone, the officer turned to us with her full attention.
"I'm guessing those losers were messing with you? Don't think nothing of it. They are part of some weird religious thing, but since they don't quite follow the rules, they don't have good standing. Anyway, Y'all good?"
"Yes... we are good. Thanks for coming to our aid." Octy said.
"Just doing my job. Well, the train is coming and y'all don't want to miss it. "
"Thank you so much and if you're free tonight, come see my show. I'll make sure you get in free ms..."
"Just call me, Shelly, and sure. I'll try."
The train arrived just as she said and Octavia and I stepped aboard. We waved goodbye and I sat on a seat near the door. Calming myself down, I placed my headphones into my ear and prepared to play my heart out tonight.
Mason's POV
"Do you see this line?" I asked Anastasia as I drove up the street, "I haven't seen a crowd this big in ages."
"Tell me about it...I don't think everyone can fit inside...the Fire Marshall won't allow it."
"I think he'll understand today. If not, we will get him drunk and then he will. Anyway, I'll see you on the inside."
I parked my civic, opened the door, and breathed in the warm night air. I smelt the food drifting from the kitchens in the surrounding restaurants. I bet they'd appreciate the extra business. I walked towards the entrance only to be greeted by the screams of fans and a couple exposed breasts. The biggest smile spread over my face as many fans ran to hug me or ask for autographs. I felt as if I was back at the height of my career. I was getting lost in the fame until a security guard grabbed me and pulled me inside.
What greeted my eyes was a masterpiece to say the least. I haven't seen Club Genesis like this before. It was clean, shiny, and seemed renovated. The bar was fully stocked, and the internal kitchen was already bustling with life. The lights were moving with no real direction and the lights on the floor were waiting for command. The speakers stood tale like warriors waiting for battle. And in the middle sat two stations. One for me and one for Vinyl. Each had our separate logos plastered on the front. In-between the stations was a huge screen that I was pretty sure was connected to our stations.
Then I saw Anastasia coming out of her office with huge smile. She ran over to me gave me a hug, which came with a kiss.
"You outdid yourself," I said when our mouths disconnected, "You really did."
"I know...I just don't know how I did it. With the amount of time I had, I did not know how I was gonna finish it. Then after encountering Vinyl's speakers, I got a jolt of energy and managed to finish everything."
Huh? Well, I guess that's good. You could have asked for help though."
"Naw. If it has to be, it's up to me. No one can do it like I can."
"If you say so. So where's Vinyl and Octavia?" I asked, looking around.
"They are in the backroom...releasing some stress if you know what I mean. And no we aren't going too."
"Thanks for reading my mind."
"It's what I do. Anyway, we have about an hour before things get interesting. Get set up and rest. It's about to be showtime!" ` |
Of Wubs and Men | Competition 1 | Mason's POV
"Alright you bass lovers, you beat thumpers, you absolute MADMEN!" Ana yelled into her mic, " Tonight, we have a battle for the ages! Dj Helix...vs DJ Pon3...y'all I don't know what to say, but get ready to get wild. In less than an hour, these titans will be battling tonight for your pleasure. So, what I need yall to do is is keep partying, keep eating food, keep drinking , and have fun!"
As Ana stepped off the stage, music began playing and the lights followed along. She walked and walked towards me in the audience. A few people in the crowd congratulated her on the event, but she only spared a few seconds as she approached me.
"Hey, you got one hour. Do what you need to do and be on that stage at 8. Do not do anything stupid. I know this is an event for you and Vinyl, but the club also needs this to survive alright?" she said in a stern voice, hugging me and getting close to me ear.
"Yeah...I got you..." I replied.
"You better get me," She then sighed and kissed me on the cheek," I'll be in the main office doing some administrative stuff. I'll get someone to handle the onstage announcements from here on out. See you stage and good luck."
After that, she walked towards the office and disappeared in the crowd; I was left alone. The crowd was too busy dancing to notice who I was. I figured I'd find Vinyl and maybe talk to her a little bit. Maybe calm my nerves down a little bit. In this mess we called a club, I figured she would be at the bar, so that's where my feet began to take me as my body once again conformed to the movements of the crowd.
The closer to the bar I got, the more memories of my drunken nights hit me.A smile appeared on my face as the good times kept rolling. Anastasia may have been right that I was developing a problem but hell, she could never deny the fun that came of those escapades. Out of nowhere, my mouth got dry and I started to crave a small drink. Nothing serious, but something to wet my tongue.
In that moment, I began rationalizing. "One small drink could hurt right?" I thought to myself as I leaned over the counter. "I can't get intoxicated from one beer." I thought, as I ordered one Guinness. "This isn't going to hurt..." I rationalized, as I lifted the bottle to my lips.
I completely forgot about Vinyl, and my only focus was on the dark bottle that was the portal to bitter goodness. I could almost smell the hops as the bottle came closer.
"I swear Ana said no alcohol," came a male voice," Be a shame if someone told her..."
"Charles...naw...this is for you,"I lied, "She told me you were coming so..."
"I highly doubt that...I never told her I was coming." he replied as he grabbed the beer that the bartender sat in from of me. He took a small swig and sat at the bar, "You all know I hate social environments..."
"So what made you come?" I asked, watching him take another sip from the bottle and gag in reflex.
"She threatened to tell our parents how I live..." He replied, defeated.
"Still on the Bank Teller lie?" I asked, "That's insane they still fall for that."
"I may not be good at a lot of things, but lying and computers are my forte. Also, check your six, I think your ex is coming. "
I turned around and was immediately greeted with a tight hug that squeezed the air out of me. The fragrance smelled of strawberries and I could practically feel the makeup rubbing off onto my shirt. Below me, was a head full of blond hair with brown roots. Strangely, I cant say i was sure if she ever dyed her hair or not. I never asked.
"Long time, no see ,Helix," Chloe yelled in her regular voice as she let go of the embrace, "How's life been treating you?"
"It's been great actually...didn't know you'd been here. With all your classes and stuff, " I replied
"You're acting like I wouldn't find time to see your big comeback in between school.Besides, I'm sure i can find someway to mold this into an economic report."
I began to say something, yet the sarcastic voice of Charles overpowered me.
"You can write it on how capitalism continues to bring the downfall of society..." Charles said before said, taking another sip of my beer.
Chloe stepped around me and approached Charles; I could feel her entire aura change.
"Let me guess, another momma's boy who barely leaves his home and talks in an echo chamber forum about politics and memes?" She retorted back.
"Oh? Let me guess, another college girl who believe whatever her teacher says because he's wear tight button ups and has a master's degree?"
I could see the situation slowly becoming worse and left before they could drag me in. I was never one for economics or school and knew they would drag me if I said something wrong. As i walked away, I could hear them yelling about economic policies and I swear Charles mentioned communism. After that, I knew Chloe would blow, so I ran faster into the crowd.
I expected to see a few familiar faces in the crowd. Old friends, A few older collaborations. But a certain old rival took me by surprise.
"Sledge..hammer?" I asked, touching a man's shoulder, "This can't be real..."
"It is Mason..." He replied, looking around," So this all you, huh?"
"I mean kinda, I had the idea, but Ana made it happen. You remember her right?"
"Of course, I do. I wanted to date her, but I always knew she was out of my league."
We both laughed a bit a stood around each other in silence. To be honest, I didn't know what else to say; I hadn't seen this man in years and didn't expect him to be here. Though, I figure Vinyl probably met him at that other competition I had to miss.
"You know, Mason...I came her to bash you...get mad...cause a scene. Maybe even fight that pony person you somehow know, " he started, taking another look,"But I can't bring myself to do it. You're doing really well for yourself, I don't wanna be more of an asshole than I already am and ruin it for you."
"I appreciate that, Clinton," I replied, "I really do."
"Don't call me that. God, I always hated my name. Like who names their kid Clinton?"
From there, the conversation seemed to flow like a river that just got unblocked. We caught up on everything, and I almost told him how I met Vinyl and Octy, but i kept that to myself. He told me how he was doing, how he lost to Vinyl, and swore revenge. It seemed like Vinyl had many more challenges in the future.
Vinyl's POV
I was a little away from the club after Ana dismissed us. With a half filled beer bottle in my hand and my hood hiding my identity, I could relax and calm myself before this show. A smirk crossed my face as I watched the club get fatter and fatter with people waiting to hear my gift. It felt good to be wanted again. To be back in the limelight. I guess this is sort of how Mason feels too.
Lost in my thoughts, my phone beeped. It took me a second to actually open it up since I was still getting used the strange device. From what i could see, it was a text, as they call it, from Octavia. It said something along the lines of Ana wanted to meet in the office to go over a few last minute things.
I have to admit, I was very annoyed when I saw the text since my relaxation time was cut down. Without a second thought , the beer was finished and my legs began to move me towards the back entrance of the club. Though as I moved forward, I noticed this black mechanical carriage from down the street turn on and begin to approach me. I usually never felt uncomfortable, but for some reason there was an aura coming from that vehicle that didn't make me feel safe; I sped up.
Unfortunately for me, the vehicle sped up too and was fast approaching me. Thinking quick, I turned to go towards the front entrance. Surely, whoever it was wouldn't dare continue, right? I heard the machine stop and the doors open. I kept moving until I heard a voice call my name. It had a friendly tone, but I felt the malice right behind it...waiting. I don't know why, but my head turned back to see who it was.
I have to say, I was surprised to see it was those religious bastards who kept bothering us. Tonight of all nights...why? I turned back around and continued not giving them the satisfaction of answer. Not until I heard something that pissed me the fuck off.
"How's Mason doing? " I heard one of them say, "Didn't think he would be able to make it after his accident. Maybe we will pay him a visit to see how our friend it doing."
"Oh you guys can go fucks yourselves," I yelled
My horn lit and I was ready to beat some ass. Those non-magical chumps would regret speaking some shit to me like that. I had a plan, some magical blasts and then a whole of hoofs up asses. OH the fire was burning bright, but then I felt a hand on my shoulder. Still angered, I hastily turned around and received face full of cigar smoke.
"Hey wassup ,Vinyl, " Andrew said, "Didn't expect you to be this far from the club."
The smoke kinda disoriented me a bit and the magic in my horn faded. It filled my lungs, but oh, it tasted terrible. After a few coughs, I replied.
"I was relaxing a bit...well until Octavia called me and then those assholes..."
"Way ahead of you. I had some buddies watching them all night. Unfortunately, they haven't done anything, so I can't arrest them. Though, I can promise those Puritans won't ruin your night. Look, let's get you to Ana' office and have you get ready for the show."
"Alright, that sounds nice."
As we walked away, I took one more look at those bastards. To say the least, it warmed my heart to see a police officer writing them what i assumed was a speeding ticket for going down the street at the speed they did.
Inside Ana's office, everything appeared calm. I really thought she'd be stressed, but she was holding everything together, or so I thought. Once I entered, she turned to me and cracked.
"Vinyl, we don't have enough drinks; I just had to order more! The vendor said they won't be here for another hour! What will the people drink?! Why are they drinking so much?! Who hurt them tonight?! OH but they are also hungry! We are running on fumes, pony! Just sent the chef on a emergency grocery shopping trip. I thought I had planned for this but my numbers are wrong!"
Ana went back to her computer and began to look over some files, and I turned to Octavia who simply shrugged and patted Ana's back.
"So Ana....uhh why did ya call me here?"I asked, not expecting answer in the state she's in
She didn't look up from her computer to answer.
"It's simple really. I need you not to hold back against, Mason." She said , not skipping a beat.
"Excuse me? DJ Pon3 does not hold back!"
"Cool, in that case, this talk is just a reminder." She said said looking up finally and starring me in the eye, "This competition is really just more than a event. It's a chance for you and Octavia to start something here. It's a chance for Mason to restart and get out his rut. It's a chance for Genesis to become the best club in L.A. I'm not trying to sound selfish or put pressure on you, but if this crowd fills even an ounce of your strength not in it, they'll lose excitement."
"You don't have to tell me; I know." I said, sighing a bit, remembering a few of my shows that went terribly wrong.
"Good, " Ana replied, lighting a joint, inhaling deep and blowing the smoke in another direction, "I told Mason the same thing, so no one's holding back. In that case, beat the pants off, Helix. No mercy! Now head to the stage and make sure to remind him and everyone why you're the best DJ in Equestria!"
Octavia came over and hugged me. She whispered, "Good luck; you got this." in my ear, before returning to the computer and speaking on some last- minute administrator stuff. I knew the conversation was over, so I turned to leave and made my way to the stage. I saw Mason on the other side heading towards the stage as well. He didn't seem nervous...nor drunk. Just normal and in the moment.
Little secret, I always got a little bit nervous before an event.
A few moments later, I heard the office door open and both Ana and Octy walk from the room. Ana ran passed me and onto the stage. In an instant, the music cut off and the club was completely quiet.
Mason's POV
I walked up the metal stairs on my side of the stage. I saw my setup sitting there in its polished and abused glory. Before I could approach, I saw a X made of duct tape which I assumed I was supposed to stand while Ana did her theatrics.
Looking across the club, I saw Vinyl standing on her X. She seemed calm, chill, relaxed. I never understood how people did that. Without some alcohol in my system, anxiety was hitting me from all angles. Nevertheless, the show went on.
"Y'all have been waiting...for the battle and I'm here to say that the dogs are out of their cages!" Ana screamed into the mic, followed by the crowd exploding in cheers.
"In this corner, the home favorite- DJ....HELIX!!!!"
The lights came on directly above me ,and I felt all the anxiety melt away. My arms began pumping and the crowd fed me their cheers. I walked towards my setup, the lights following me, and turned her on. Immediately, a deep guttural bass escaped and passed through the crowd like a wave. The cheering only got louder and I...only got hungrier.
God, did I miss the moments like this.
"Now, new to these parts, but not new to the game...the challenger...DJ PON3!!1"
The lights on Vinyl's side came and she screamed in excitement. From her horn, only something I can call small fireworks exploded around her. She approached her setup, the fireworks stopped, and a blue aura enveloped her horn and the setup. The sound started off low, yet grew until the room was shaking and ended the laser effects.
"Looks like both combatants are ready... but let me explain how this works. This is a battle of adaptability and staying on your feet. Each DJ will play 5 songs alternating from each other that lasts one minute each. As one song is playing that respective Dj can mix and chop it how they want while it's playing, but as soon as that minute is over , the other Dj has to immediately transition into their song. The second silence is heard, you lose. Try not to let the crowd lose it's excitement, "Ana explained, " Now if both survive, we will enter sudden death, but let's not worry about that. Anyway, it's house rules that the challenger always goes first. Dj PON3,I'll play a short minute clip of a track, after that...take it away!" |
Canterlot ist Krieg! | pre | "Hey, he was the one who spilled those horse guts on mah lil' sister, remember?!" Applejack bellowed. At this point, the conversation could have turned into an all-out cross-shouting match, but said instance was thrown off when the door opened, and the doctor came in, needles in hand.
"Alright, everyone here who isn't family, head back to the waiting room," he said.
"Excuse me, Doctor?" Fluttershy asked timidly. "Can Big Mac stay and hold my hand? I really could use the emotional support."
"Hmmm," the doctor thought before answering, "Well, if it's young love we're talking about, I don't see why not."
"It's alright, Fluttershy," Big Mac crooned as he tenderly clasped Fluttershy's right hand. "You'll be okay. Ah'll be here for ya."
"Take care, sis," Rainbow Dash waved. And with that, she, Sunset Shimmer and the other Rainbooms all headed out the door and back towards the waiting room...
"But seriously," Rarity then said, as they all sat down. "Not only are Bronycorpse scary-looking; sure, they can play their instruments, but their music is terrifying! Is their even a name for that... noise?!"
"Uh," Sunset hesitated before answering, "I believe it's called black metal."
"Black metal?" Twilight asked incredulously. "How come we've never heard of it?"
"Well, I'm kinda into the heavy music myself," Sunset admitted. "And I might not have listened to much black metal, if any at all, but I've seen pictures of some of the musicians, so I kinda figured that was also what Bronycorpse is."
"Well, that still doesn't give us a clue as to what they're really all about," Twilight said. "And there's only one way to find out!" With that, she took her laptop out of her backpack and turned it on. When it had fully loaded, she got on Google Chrome and searched "black metal."
"Alright, here's the Wikipedia article," Twilight announced. She clicked the link to the article; everyone gathered around her in anticipation and began to read;
According to the article, black metal was "an extreme subgenre and subculture of heavy metal music," and that "Common traits include[d] fast tempos, a 'shrieking' vocal style, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, raw (lo-fi) recording, unconventional song structures and an emphasis on atmosphere." Said definition seemed to fit with Bronycorpse's type of music, though the girls agreed that they seemed to forego atmosphere in favor of all-out chaos and brutality. It also said something about artists using corpse paint and pseudonyms - though the guys in Bronycorpse presumably used their real names, the KISS-type makeup they were wearing must've been what the term "corpse paint" was referring to.
But as smart as Twilight Sparkle was, she knew that that alone couldn't really influence a sane person (assuming Hest Endetarm was indeed sane) to do crazy things like what happened to Fluttershy. Maybe their was something in the "history" section of the article that would shed some light on that? Either way, she scrolled down to that section, to the section that would shed light on the grim, dark piece of music history called black metal;
It started in the early 80's with the First Wave - while most of these bands were not regarded as black metal per se in present times, they were highly influential nonetheless. The term was coined by a British speed metal band called Venom; Black Metal was the title of their second album. Then there was Hellhammer; from Switzerland, they played music bordering on death metal with Satanic lyrics, released in 1983, years before death metal itself even came to fruition; their successors Celtic Frost continued in a similar vain. Bathory, from Sweden, released Under the Sign of the Black Mark in 1986 - arguably the first pure black metal record - and then went on to pioneer something called "Viking metal." There was even a more traditional heavy metal band called Mercyful Fate, from Denmark, who were highly influential on the lyrics and imagery of black metal - in fact, it was they who pioneered the use of corpse paint that would become a genre standard/stereotype. Other early bands included Bulldozer (from Italy), Tormentor (from Hungary), Sarcofago (from Brazil), Root and Master's Hammer (both from the Czech Republic), Samael (from Switzerland), Von (from the United States) and Blasphemy (from Canada).
The girls all agreed that this could conceivably influence a less sane person to do something weird, but even crazier things were yet to come, as they scrolled down to the Second Wave;
Even though the Second Wave of black metal had bands from all over the world, the heart and soul of the movement was none other than Hest Endetarm's home country of Norway. Bands in this movement mentioned in the article included Mayhem, Thorns, Darkthrone, Burzum, Immortal, Satyricon, Emperor, Enslaved, Carpathian Forest and Gorgoroth. These guys were undoubtedly the most sadistic heavy metal musicians ever conceived; as the article itself stated, "The scene also had an ideology and ethos. Artists were bitterly opposed to Christianity and presented themselves as misanthropic Devil worshippers who wanted to spread terror, hatred and evil. They professed to be serious in their views and vowed to act on them. Ihsahn of Emperor said that they sought to 'create fear among people' and 'be in opposition to society.' The scene was exclusive and created boundaries around itself, incorporating only those who were 'true' and attempting to expel all 'posers'. Some members of the scene would be responsible for a spate of church burnings and murder, which eventually drew attention to it and led to a number of artists being imprisoned."
"So they actually did worship Satan?" Sunset gasped. "I thought it was all just theatrical."
"Well, they did burn churches and kill people," Rainbow Dash pointed out. Twilight, meanwhile, scrolled down to some more details about this scene and their crimes;
The so-called figurehead of the movement was a man who went by the name "Euronymous;" he played guitar for the band Mayhem. He owned his own record label - Deathlike Silence Productions - and his own record shop - Helvete (Norwegian for "hell"), which was the focal point of the scene, as well as a meeting place for the bands Mayhem, Burzum, Emperor and Thorns, amongst a few others. But the real darkness began in April of 1991, when Mayhem's lead singer - known by the name "Dead" - shot and killed himself in the head with a shotgun. Euronymous used it exploitatively to foster the band's evil image by taking staged pictures of the corpse (one of which was used as the cover of a bootleg album) and actually taking bits of his skull and making them into necklaces, which he then gave to members of the Swedish bands Marduk and Abruptum. It was also claimed (falsely) that he'd made a stew with bits of his brain, and that Hellhammer - Mayhem's drummer - used the bones as drumsticks. False as those last claims were, the general way Euronymous treated the suicide was more than enough to get Necrobutcher - Mayhem's bassist - to quit the band.
"Why on Earth would anyone do that to their own bandmate?!" Rarity exclaimed.
"Oh my God...!" Sunset shuddered. "Now I really don't wanna imagine what Hest would do to Flashy!" Twilight couldn't help but glare at her as she read on to the bit about the church arsons;
As what they saw as the ultimate attack on the Christian faith, there were over 50 church arsons committed by Norwegian black metal musicians and fans from 1992 to 1996, and it had even spread into Sweden - which is more known for its death metal - by 1993. The main perpetrator of these was Varg Vikernes, the sole member of the band Burzum. Also found to have partaken in these acts were Faust and Samoth of the band Emperor (the former was also convicted of the murder of a homosexual man) and Jørn Inge Tunsberg of the band Hades Almighty.
"Ah don't see what they could've had against Christianity," quipped Applejack. "Islam's the true devil, if ya ask me. Actually, I don't see why none o' them were Muslims - if ya ask me, Allah's basically rendered Satan null and void." Nobody dared react to this statement; instead, they all simply read along to the part about the climax of the scene...
It occurred in August of 1993, when Euronymous was murdered in his own apartment - not by fanatical Christians, but by fellow musician Varg Vikernes, whom Euronymous himself had taken under his wing when the scene was just getting started. The motive was speculated to either be a power struggle, financial dispute over Burzum records, or Varg trying to outdo Faust at his own game, so to speak. Varg himself claimed that it was in self-defense, and that Euronymous had planned to kill him and make a snuff film out of it. Either way, in May of 1994, he was sentenced to 21 years in prison - the maximum sentence in Norway. That same year, Mayhem released their debut album - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, which featured Euronymous on lead guitar... and Varg Vikernes himself on bass! It had since remained the only album in all of music featuring both a murderer and his victim. Since then, the black metal genre had continued on, spreading to all corners of the world and diversifying musically, as well as lyrically and ideologically, but stilled forever marked by what happened in Norway, all those years ago...
So that's what must be inspiring that clown Hest to do what he does!" steamed Rainbow Dash.
"Sounds about right," Twilight Sparkle nodded. "But I think we ought to look more into the band themselves."
She went back to the Google homepage and searched "Bronycorpse;" the very first link was to a website known as Encyclopaedia Metallum; better known as The Metal Archives, this site was regarded as the ultimate database and encyclopedia of all things metal, having comprehensive information on upwards of 100,000 bands from throughout history and all corners of the world, including Bronycorpse; Twilight clicked the link that took her to their page. It was on a black background with dull purple tinting, and the profile information at the top read as follows;
BRONYCORPSE
Country of origin: United States
Location: Canterlot
Status: Active
Formed in: 2014
Years active: 2014-present
Genre: Black Metal
Lyrical themes: Blasphemy
Current label: Unsigned/Independent
After reading through all of this, Twilight clicked on the tab labeled "MEMBERS" and read the following;
CURRENT LINEUP:
Hest Endetarm: Vocals (2014-present)
Satanik Pervertor: Rhythm Guitar (2014-present)
Tartarus: Bass (2014-present)
Discordia: Drums (2014-present)
Flash Sentry: Lead Guitar (2014-present)
Sunset was clearly outraged. "Now why did they have to put Flashy at the bottom?!" she exclaimed. "He's a much better musician than all those other buffoons put together! Right?"
"Right," Twilight replied with jealousy tinting her voice as she clicked on the name "Hest Endetarm." At the top of the resulting page was this;
HEST ENDETARM
Real/full name: Hest Endetarm
Age: 17 (born Oct 31, 1997)
Place of origin: Norway (Tromsø)
Gender: Male
"He's from Norway, too?" gasped Applejack. "Well... it does explain that stupid accent of his."
"And he's from the same country as those Satanist murderers," Rarity pointed out. "It all fits!"
But there was even more to it than just that, as Twilight read further into Hest's Metal Archives page. There was nothing in the "BIOGRAPHY" section, but the "TRIVIA" section contained some absolutely jaw-dropping words;
"Hest Endetarm is rumored to be the son of Geit and Heks Endetarm, the infamous wealthy benefactors of the early Norwegian black metal scene of the early 90's. Believed to be worth in excess of 4,000,000,000 kroner (660,000,000 US dollars), they were convicted in 1994 for funding the church arsons taking place at that time, and they both served 2 years, 6 months in prison. It is also strongly believed that they contributed money to Euronymous's record label Deathlike Silence Productions, as well as his record shop Helvete; some even speculate that they offered massive bribes to Norwegian Correctional Services which led to Varg Vikernes's early release from prison in 2009.
Hest Endetarm is Norwegian for 'horse rectum.'"
"So that ruffian is rich?!" exclaimed Rarity.
"And his name's 'horse rectum?'" replied Rainbow Dash, equally aghast.
"Well if these that loaded," said Pinkie Pie, "he should be throwing parties for all of his friends every day!"
"Ah'm not sure if someone like him could have any real friends, Pinkie," quipped Applejack.
"Yeah," replied Twilight. "Plus, I'd bet that kind of money only gives him another reason to treat his bandmates like crap... and that includes Flash Sentry!"
"My poor Flashy!" Sunset Shimmer moaned.
"Hey, he's my -" Twilight started. But before she could finish, Applejack jabbed her with her elbow and said, "Ah don't mean to interrupt, girls, but Fluttershy's standing right next to us just now."
Everyone looked behind them, and sure enough, there stood Fluttershy, covered in bandages from where the raccoon scratched her and where the rabies shots were administered. Big Mac stood beside her, still holding her hand, and behind them stood Fluttershy's much-relieved parents.
"Thank God you're alright!" Rainbow Dash beamed as she hugged Fluttershy. "And it looks like someone's in love." She winked.
"Eeyup!" Big Mac winked back.
"Listen, Fluttershy," Twilight Sparkle spoke up. "While you were being treated, we believe we figured out who set that raccoon on you, and we've also shed some light on what motivated them."
"Ironically, it's all very dark and grim," Sunset affirmed.
"Can't that wait until at least tomorrow?" Fluttershy's dad implored.
"Yeah, our baby's been through too much today as it is!" replied Fluttershy's mother.
The rest of the girls couldn't help but agree. So they all just silently walked out of the hospital, deciding not to dwell on the topic for the time being. They could also take some solace for the fact that Hest was suspended, meaning he wouldn't be able to cross any of them at school for the next week. But of course, the key words are "at school..." |
Canterlot ist Krieg! | Digging Up Dirt | With their cocks of fire
The chimeras penetrate
Fiery devilish cum launching fire
Filling them with their seeds of hate
There lie the embittered faggots
Humiliatingly raped
By creation's destroyers
Raped by the chimeras
And with one last set of chaotic blast beats, the black metal band called Bronycorpse finished off their song "Raped by the Chimeras." It was Saturday, the day that they normally met in the garage at the old abandoned house in the suburbs of Canterlot; also the day following the one in which their vocalist Hest Endetarm set the rabid raccoon on Fluttershy - she had since recovered, but they were now onto Hest, for they deducted that it was he who did it, and they didn't really trust any of his bandmates either; even so, they were pretty much all in the dark. Neither rhythm guitarist Satanik Pervertor, bassist Tartarus, drummer Discordia nor lead guitarist Flash Sentry were aware of Hest's "off-stage antics..."
"Dats... dat was alrights," Hest commented as his bandmates all panted to catch their breaths. "Buts it stills sucked! De drum weres way offs pace! Seriously, Discordias, haven't you learnsed anythings from Battle ins the Norths?!?"
"Hey, Battles in the North was better than Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism and Pure Holocaust," Discordia retorted. "And besides, the drumming on that record, I think, makes it sound more chaotic - is that not kind of what we're going for?"
"Oh, whatsever," Hest shrugged, clearly dissatisfied. "Let's just play 'Demon's Chrysalis.' Are yous jackoff readys, or whats?"
"Yeah, sure," Pervertor, Tartarus and Flash all panted as they got into position on their instruments. Discordia then tapped 1-2-3-4 on the hi-hats, and they broke into fast, thrash metal-esque beats and riffs...
"Nos, nos, stop!!" Hest bellowed. The instruments all ceased abruptly. "De guitar are offs sequence! What in de hells is with yous guy today?!?"
"Hey, we're just playing it like we always have, man," Pervertor replied.
"Wells, it nots tight enoughs," Hest shot back. "Ands Flash!"
"What?"
"I've beens holding dis in for too long; dat guitars is so nots metal! Why don'ts you get sometings dat was actuallys made fors our kinds of music, likes an Ibanez Xiphos, or Jacksons King V, or someting?"
"Does it really matter what the guitar looks like," Flash questioned. "I've had this baby since freshman year. Just put on the right pickups, and you should be good."
"Oh, screws you guy!" Hest scoffed. "I'm takings five!" He trudged out of the garage and into the empty bowels of the abandoned house.
"Gee, I didn't know he was that... 'hardline,'" Flash squirmed. "How the heck do you guys manage to put up with it?"
"Well, it's not entirely his fault," Pervertor reasoned. "He really is a nice guy once you get to know him - he's just got a lot on his plate, that's all."
"What do you mean?" Flash asked.
"Poor guy comes from a poor family," Tartarus explained. "When he's not with us, he's spending his days cooped up in a crappy, dilapidated house in the woods on the edge of town, with no friends to go see him or anything. Hell, he's so poor, he can't even pay his own parking tickets."
"Oh... well, wouldn't he have been better off if he was a better driver?" Flash asked. "And how did he get away without paying for them, anyway? Shouldn't he be in jail, or something?"
"No," Tartarus replied. "I paid them off."
"Then again, it was my car he was driving," Discordia added.
"Seriously?" Flash asked incredulously. "Getting ticketed while using your car? Okay, that's seriously so low, I'm beginning to wonder why you still allow him in our band!"
"Easy, Flash," urged Pervertor. "That's just the kind of stuff that you get driven to when times are tough. Why, I even got him a big-ass BC Rich Bich double neck guitar - he's always said that he wants to have his own solo side act, like many great black metallers have."
"Like Varg Vikernes?" asked Flash.
"Exactly," said Tartarus. "It would be murder to prevent anyone from living out their dreams... which reminds me; how exactly did you manage to get here without your parents buggin' you, anyway, Flash?"
"I just told them I'd be hanging with Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer," Flash responded.
"Well played," commended Discordia. "But seriously, whatever's going on with Hest, the fact remains that he is our brother-in-arms. And brothers-in-arms stick up for each other."
"Like you guys did for me?"
"Exactly."
No sooner had Pervertor said that word, when Hest reemerged from the depths of the house back into the garage, having shaken off his earlier frustration. "Alrights, guy, let's takes it froms the top...!"
Of course, Hest Endetarm's situation was, in fact, nothing like what he'd claimed, as some of the Rainbooms were about to undercover. While Hest was rehearsing with Bronycorpse, his parents Geit and Heks had left to spend a day together sunbathing and getting "busy" on Canterlot Beach. And while they were out doing that, Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer and Pinkie Pie descended on their home for proof of what they'd read about them on the Metal Archives;
"Wait, this can't be right," Sunset quipped upon seeing the house. "It's so small, crappy and dilapidated; wouldn't they be living in a giant mansion, or something?"
"Maybe they're donating all that extra money to charity!" Pinkie Pie suggested. "It would get them a tax write-off; rich jackasses hate taxes, you know!"
"I wouldn't count on it, Pinkie," Twilight intoned. "Actually, this looks very much like someplace you'd find a creepy black metal guy; if I remember correctly, Dead and Euronymous were living in a hellhole a lot like this when Dead killed himself." She shivered. "By modern standards, Jack the Ripper would be jealous."
"Well, at least it'll be easier for us to work with," Sunset said as they approached the front door...
"Hey, it wasn't even locked!" Twilight and Pinkie exclaimed as Sunset effortlessly opened the front door.
"They're Norwegian!" Sunset quipped. "You girls think Canada is peaceful? Well, they're a war zone compared to Norway, heh heh! But seriously, here's the plan; Twilight, you're the computer genius of the bunch, right?"
"Uh, I guess you could say that."
"Right then," Sunset continued, "You go in and get on Hest's computer, and see what kind of dirt you can dig up on him. Pinkie Pie and I will stand guard out here at the door in case any of those Endetarms show up. We all clear?"
"Okey-dokey!" Pinkie Pie beamed. "We're gonna make Tommy Cruise and Sean Connery proud!"
"Yeah, sure," shrugged Twilight. And with that, she walked into the house, with Sunset closing the door behind her.
It was undoubtedly the creepiest house she had ever set foot into. The floor was covered with inverted pentagram rugs, and inverted crosses hung on the walls. Also mounted on the walls were pictures of the Endetarms along with various other Norwegian black metal musicians that she and her friends had read about while at the hospital; she couldn't identify them by sight, but she was certain that Ihsahn, Samoth, Faust, Necrobutcher, Hellhammer, and possibly Euronymous and Varg Vikernes were among them, and maybe even Dead, also...
After some looking around, Twilight found her way into one of the bedrooms; it only had one small twin bed, there was a desk with a laptop on it, a small HD TV on the bedside table, a really radical-looking double neck guitar sitting on a stand in the corner (much more sinister-looking than the one Rainbow Dash was ogling that one time), and the walls were covered with Satanic symbols and posters of various black metal bands whose logos she could not decipher. This, undoubtedly, was Hest's room, and the laptop was his computer - she had reached her target. Now all she had to do was get in...
Luckily for her, Hest's laptop was using Windows 7, not Windows 8 - that requires a password to get in all of the time, which doesn't necessarily hold true for 7. When the desktop loaded, Twilight got onto the Internet via Google Chrome, and then went onto Bookmarks - the Google Chrome equivalent for Favorites.
It turned out, Hest had bookmarked a lot of sites, most of which were to the websites of other metal bands, ranging from really famous bands to local bands whom he'd manage to befriend. But amidst all of those band pages, there was one link that stood out; "Bank Statements."
"Jackpot!" proclaimed Twilight as she clicked the link. To her surprise, she was taken right to his list of bank statements. Normally, there would be a password required to access sensitive information, and there was here; but Twilight didn't have to enter it because Hest had made it so that the browser saved the password, so that he wouldn't have to type it in every time he went onto a site that required a password. This, of course, would come with the consequence of allowing anyone to hack into those sites, as Twilight has just done.
She was presented with a number of statements spanning the course of a decade; the most recent of which dated to just last year; that would surely be the one that would provide the most accurate insight into the Endetarms' current financial situation, so she clicked on it. What she saw on the statement was very damning indeed;
The first part that stood out was what was on the upper left-hand corner of the statement. It was the name of the facility where Hest and his parents kept all their money; Cayman National Bank. Twilight's eyes immediately grew wide; she didn't have to read their address to know that this bank was located on the Cayman Islands down in the Caribbean. And the Cayman Islands had always been known as one of the world's most notorious tax havens, where rich individuals and corporations alike would hoard their money to keep their countries' governments from getting their hands on it. The Endetarms were no exception, as Twilight learned when she looked over to the top-right portion of the document.
There was where the family's net worth was stated: approximately $700,000,000 in cash and gold!
"That's even more than what the rumors claimed!" Twilight gasped. "Wow... I could've dated Hest for a few months."
The reason why they were worth more than what the rumors claimed was, as revealed in the statement, that those who perpetrated the rumors forgot that there was such a thing as a return rate. In other words, even though that rate was only 0.1%, that still translated into the Endetarms accumulating about $700,000 a month; in other words, they didn't even have to work. No wonder Hest was so unpleasant; he must've thought he could've gotten away with anything! Aside from that, Norway, being the social democracy/welfare state that it was, was also known for a ridiculously high tax rate, which placed much of that burden on the rich. No doubt that was why Endetarms had come to America in the first place -- to escape those taxes; but evidently, as much the U.S. was known for catering to its ruling class, it still wasn't enough for the Endetarms, so they decided to store their money offshore so that the IRS couldn't get their hands on it, and they chose the Cayman Islands, since they would be much closer to them than Switzerland.
But by the list of expenses that was on the statement, one probably would've never figured that out. Their total expenses for that year were only around $30,000; just enough for them to get by without spending excessively. This all made sense; after all, it was very much the way famous Norwegian black metallers of the early 90's lived; in spite of their stacks of money, the Endetarms were still very much dedicated to the black metal ethos, and they probably wouldn't have liked the attention they'd have received from the commoners, either. Still, others might've called it fiscal conservatism gone mad...
Either way, Twilight felt like she'd gotten all of the proof she needed with this statement. Wasting not further time, she turned on the printer that was sitting beside the laptop, printed out the statement, folded it up, pocketed it, then turned off the printer and the computer, and left the room. She had to take care not to fall down the stairs in her flight.
It took a whole minute before Twilight exited the house with Sunset and Pinkie Pie flanking her.
"Well, Twilight, did you get it?" asked Sunset.
"Have we found the buried treasure?" joined in Pinkie Pie, excitedly. "How big is it? Enormous? Gigantic? Or even gynormous??? Tell me, tell me, tell me!"
"I'll show you at the Boutique," explained Twilight. "Then, we'll just have to come up with a plan."
Sunset raised an eyebrow. "What sort of plan?"
"A plan that should have us save Flash and see Hest Endetarm behind bars..."
Hest himself, meanwhile, was walking back to his place, having just called it a day with band rehearsal. Needless to say, he was not satisfied; being the traditional elitist that he was, he was so focused with the belief that all of the instruments, as well as his vocals, should be totally perfect; as tight and as brutal as they could possibly be. And no matter how hard Discordia banged on his drums or how fast he blasted on them, no matter how far up Satanik Pervertor, Tartarus and Flash Sentry cranked up their amps and their distortion pedals, Hest just didn't think that they were good enough. This might've led some to wonder why they didn't crack under the pressure and kick him out of Bronycorpse, but Hest had managed to convince his bandmates that he was impoverished and struggling, and naturally, they'd believed him and took pity on him; if ever there was something that would've clued him in on his real situation, it surely would've been how unappreciative he seemed to be of when they reached out to him, and especially of the effort they put into the music...
That's when Hest looked up and saw Rainbow Dash going into her house from the front porch; she had been dozing on the porch for quite some time after having eaten a big meal, and now she was headed inside to take a big leak and an even bigger dump. But what really stood out to Hest was that she'd left her smartphone on the table on the porch...
"Ooh, yes!" Hest cackled with anticipation. "I wonders what sorts of dirts she has in deres!" With no one noticing, Hest snuck his way up onto the porch, took Rainbow Dash's smartphone and began to navigate through it;
He very quickly found the media folder and opened it; surely, there would be some music, photos or videos in there that he could use to smear her or use for blackmail. Again, he didn't have to look far; before long, he came upon a folder entitled; "Stuff for Soarin.'"
"Stuff for Soarins'?" Hest wondered. "Don't knows who dats is, but dis should bes good." He promptly opened the folder, and his jaw dropped when he saw what was on there.
"You have gots to be kiddings me!"
There were many photos, along with several videos, showing Rainbow Dash wielding her guitar and wearing a miniskirt, her usual black shorts, long boots... and nothing else. Every picture showed her striking a number of different sexy poses that flaunted both her guitar and her B-cup breasts, erect nipples and all (it must've been quite cold in her bedroom!). The videos were pretty much the same, except that they were also able to show her shredding on her guitar, playing face-melting licks that some might argue would've given Yngwie Malmsteen a run for his money (too bad she wasted those talents on girly pop music, huh?). This certainly would've been more than enough to get this Soarin' guy hot for her; Hest had no way of denying it, for he too got quite aroused going through this racy content...
But by no means was he interested in love; rather, he saw this saucy stuff as a vehicle for one of the trickiest, most sinister acts one can pull on another person: blackmail. Without hesitating - he had to act fast before Rainbow Dash returned - he right-clicked and copied all of the topless content, then he accessed the Internet, got onto his own e-mail account, opened a new message, pasted all of the topless content on as attachments, typed a short message to go with it, along with a street address; then, he typed in Rainbow Dash's own e-mail address in the "Send To:" box, and then hit "Send."
"Perfects," he chuckled. "At least by nows, I won't haves to pays with my own moneys so oftens."
He then exited out of everything, set the phone down in the exact position that he found it in, and then quickly ran off of the porch and down the sidewalk away from the house before anyone could catch him. Then, just as he got completely out of sight, Rainbow Dash emerged from the restroom back to the porch. Though she couldn't immediately tell that her phone had been hacked into, it was beeping, notifying her that she had just received an e-mail. Without thinking twice, she picked up the phone to check her e-mail, unaware of the dire shock she was about to receive... |
Canterlot ist Krieg! | A Proposition | "Pay up $100 in cash, slipped under the front door of the following address by tomorrow evening, or else all the attachments on this message will go viral;
666 Lillehammer Lane
Canterlot, USA
P.S: You have no idea how many loads I shot over these attachments. Prepare for utter humiliation.
"Pfft!" Rainbow Dash scoffed as she read this e-mail. This has got to be some really stupid and pointless spam! Wonder what sort of retarded crap this joker attached, anyway...
"WHAT THE @%&#!!!"
That was when she saw them. The topless guitar pictures and videos she had made of herself. Every single, complete image of her, her guitar and her B-cup breasts were there, in crisp, clear high definition. And she hadn't even put them online - at least, she didn't even remember doing so. Her breasts were meant only for the eyes of Soarin' - a freshman at Cloudsdale University on whom she'd had a long-standing crush - and yet someone, somehow, managed to get their hands on them. And she hadn't even put them out online, nor did she have any intention to do so!
"What do I do now?" Rainbow Dash asked herself frantically, her cheeks warming up. "What the hell do I do now?!? I don't even have $100 on me!"
For what seemed like an eternity, she paced back and forth across the porch, trying to think of a solution. She was initially hoping not to get her friends involved, but after a few minutes, she realized that there was no other way. She hadn't the resources to handle this dilemma by herself and she was too ashamed to consult her parents.
So she sent a text message to Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity:
"Everyone here meet me at my place ASAP! I'm in major trouble and I need your help badly!"
She hit "Send," certainly not looking forward to what the girls would think about the nature of the mess she'd wound up in...
In a matter of a few minutes, the entire gang had arrived at Rainbow Dash's front porch, all of them panting heavily to catch their breath. "We all got yer text," Applejack panted. "Now tell us what 'n tarnation is goin' on, already!"
"Okay," Rainbow Dash said as she drew in a breath. "I'll just be blunt; someone, I don't know whom... well, they got some pictures of mine, and-"
"Ooh! Ooh! Were they cute pictures?" Pinkie Pie perked up.
"No, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash broke in before the party girl could go on one of her cheery rants. "Actually, well... How should I put this? They were... risque, provocative, uh... suggestive..." She stopped herself abruptly, wondering where she learned that expansion of vocabulary.
"Dashie, I can't believe you would take those kinds of pictures! I think this guy taking them, whoever he is, is the universe's way of telling you that what you did was wrong."
"Oh yeah, sure, blame the victim. Right you are, Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash sarcastically scoffed.
"Uh... well, I don't know if this will help," Sunset says uneasily, "but do you remember the sender's address?"
"Something along the lines of 'black metal up your rectum,' or something like that," Rainbow Dash shrugged.
"I knew it!" Twilight raged through her teeth. "Hest did it!! That BASTARD!!!"
"Um... are you sure?" squeaked Fluttershy.
"Black metal up your rectum, get it?!?" exclaimed Twilight "Oh, and here are the pictures."
Twilight showed everyone the pictures and the videos; the others originally weren't willing to believe it, but sure enough, they could see her breasts in every one of the images. Surely, it wasn't characteristic of someone as tough-minded as Rainbow Dash to stoop to such lowly, suggestive
"Well, I think the more pressing question here," Rarity broke in, "is why would you even take those photos of yourself in the first place, darling?"
"Uh, w-w-well," Rainbow Dash stammered as all her friends stared daggers through her. "Y-you see, the thing is, uh... I, uh, kinda like this guy-"
"Ooh, I knew you'd fallen for Soarin'!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"
"Alright, easy, Pinkie," urged Sunset. "I think the rest is self-explanatory. What we need to do now is find a way to take Hest Endetarm and his goons down a peg."
Again, Pinkie Pie was the first to speak up. "Battle of the Bands! Battle of the Bands!" she cheered. "We both have bands, and the music we do is way more popular than theirs, and what better way to beat an enemy than with music? Right? Right?"
"That's... actually a very good idea, Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash beamed. "You're absolutely right. Plus, I'll get to show those losers just how much better I am at guitar than they are. It's perfect!"
"Hey, no one's a better guitar player than Flash Sentry!" Sunset growled. "Hear me? No one!"
"Oh, shut up, Sunset!" Twilight snapped. "Besides, you're forgetting that what we're trying to do here is get rid of Hest; as in, put him behind bars where he belongs."
"Maybe we could just get him deported back to Norway...?" Fluttershy squeaked.
"Aw, please!" Rarity scoffed. "That wouldn't be a punishment at all; Norway has the highest standard of living in the world... and their prison cells are like hotel rooms! Seriously!"
"Well, Norway does have really high taxes," Applejack explained. "That's probab'ly why they came here; to evade those darn taxes."
"I think that's exactly why they came here, Applejack," replied Twilight, ominously. "But either way, regardless of what country it's in, Hest really is better off behind bars. Personally, I'd prefer that they detain them here in America, where criminals actually get their comeuppance... Whatever we do, we can't be straightforward about it. Hest may not be the smartest guy, but he's really mean enough, cunning enough, and manipulative enough. If he figured out we were onto him, he'd surely find a way to weasel himself out of it.
"That's where this Battle of the Bands comes into play. We'll pass it off as just a friendly competition between two bands with differing tastes in music; that's something I'm sure the guys in Bronycorpse will really dig. Hest will let his guard down, which would distract him from our moves, and hopefully lead him to forget about blackmailing anyone anymore. It's perfect!"
"Hopefully..." Rainbow Dash shivered, afraid to even think about what would happen if those pictures did indeed go viral...
"There's just one thing, darling," Rarity chipped in. "If this whole thing really is going to be a big ruse to defeat Hest and get him in jail, then just how exactly are we going to get the police involved. More importantly, where are we going to find an audience? We need an audience to rule in favor of us, you know!"
"Actually, it just came to me," Twilight grinned. "It could be part Musical Showcase, part Battle of the Bands! It'd be run by our school, and held at the Canterlot Concert Hall downtown. That's where our audience would come from. The Musical Showcase would be the side show, so to speak, with numerous opening acts from school, and maybe from around town, as well. Then the Battle of the Bands between Bronycorpse and The Rainbooms would be the headliner, of course. And knowing how much more popular our brand of music is than theirs, as Pinkie Pie pointed out, we'd win by a landslide!"
"Well, I certainly would love to beat 'em that way," Rainbow Dash said. "But what about the whole 'putting Hest in jail' thing, hmm?"
"Unfortunately," sighed Twilight, "we don't have any hard evidence of when he set the raccoon on Fluttershy." She face beamed almost instantly as another thought struck her. "But I have the evidence of his family's tax evasion, and you, Rainbow Dash, have the evidence of his blackmail attempts on you, which I think might also qualify as sexual harassment... Sometime this week, you'll go to the police with those candid pics and videos, and I'll go to them with the bank statements. We should preferably do that sometime early this week; it'll take them some time to get their arrest warrant put together."
"Err, well how exactly are we gonna get the school to set this whole thing up?" Applejack asked. "Have ya thought o' that?"
"Well I do know that Principals Celestia and Luna do love music," Twilight answered, "so I'll just talk to them about it; they should jump on the idea. And after what happened last time a certain band performed at the school, I think they'll be keen on holding the show away from there."
"Don't remind me..." Applejack shivered.
"And when do you think this show should be held, exactly?" inquired Sunset.
"Next weekend," Twilight responded. "Remember, Hest will be suspended from school this coming Monday through Friday; if the show is held during the week, he won't be able to show up, which means neither Bronycorpse nor the cops show up, which means the whole thing will be a bust!
"Oh yeah, and tomorrow is when we should meet Hest and Bronycorpse and talk to them about it. But again, nobody clue them in to the fact that we're onto them, because he will find a way out. Which reminds me; Fluttershy?"
"Um... yeah?"
"I think it's best that you stay home while the rest of us are meeting the band," Twilight said. "Not only are you still clearly shaken up from what happened yesterday, but if Hest saw that you were still alive, he'd be tipped off for sure, and that'd totally ruin our plans."
"Any crazy escape plan or Ponzi scheme he'd come up with would likely involve his band getting roped in," added Sunset, "including Flash. So it'd be best if we don't give Hest an excuse to get a head start... for Flashy's sake."
Twilight glared at Sunset as she said those last words, but quickly pulled back her jealousy. She knew her friend made a point.
"Well we're not gonna meet them at Hest's house, are we?" Pinkie Pie asked urgently. "'Cause that place is so creepy, and so not a good place for a party!"
"Actually, I have an idea," Sunset suggested. "You all know that abandoned house that's just a few blocks away from Flash's place?"
"Uh... yeah," the other girls all said.
"Well, have any of you realized how, uh, noisy that place is for being abandoned?"
This led the other girls into deep thought. It was true; that house was pretty noisy for a place that was abandoned. But why, exactly...?
"You mean..." Rainbow Dash spoke up.
"Precisely!" Sunset exclaimed. "I have no doubt that Bronycorpse is using that house as their rehearsal space. But I think it's best that we all not meet right in front of that house; that way they don't get suspicious. You know the fire hydrant that's about halfway in between Flash's house and the abandoned house? Well, we'll meet there at 11:00 tomorrow morning; from what I've heard, the band is sure to be rehearsing then. Once we're all together at the hydrant, we'll head to the house together and confront them there. Agreed?"
"Agreed," everyone replied in unison. So, with their plans in place, and thus with nothing more to discuss, Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity all exchanged hugs and dispersed, each one of them absolutely raring to set this grand play in motion...
By tomorrow morning, Sunset was the first to arrive at the fire hydrant, at 10:55 AM. She did not have to wait much longer; by 11 AM, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity were all gathered at the hydrant.
"Alright, everybody ready?" Sunset asked, to which the others all nodded.
"Cool. I'll lead the way." And with that, Sunset walked forward, the other girls tagging along from behind. Sure enough, just two blocks up the street, exactly where Sunset said it was, was the abandoned house. It was indeed, very old and dilapidated, and there was, indeed, very ghastly sounds coming from behind the closed garage door; if what Sunset said about this place was true, then there'd be no denying what those sounds were...
"Alright girls, let's do this," said Sunset as she led the girls up to the garage door. When they got there, Sunset gripped the bottom edge of the door and lifted with all of her might. Sure enough, with minimal trouble on Sunset's part, the door was lifted all the way up. And there, in the garage that looked more like a Satanic altar, was Bronycorpse in the flesh - rhythm guitarist Satanik Pervertor, bassist Tartarus, drummer Discordia, lead guitarist Flash Sentry and vocalist Hest Endetarm. They had just finished up their song "The Four Horsemen of Hate," and they were quite startled to see that they had been barged in on, but they very quickly recognized the intruders;
"Hey girls, what's up?" Flash greeted them.
"Whats in the names of helvete is de meanings of dis?!?" Hest demanded. "Do yous not knows how rudes it is to just barge ins on a bands when they're practicings?"
"Actually it's good that you guys are practicing," Twilight smiled innocently, "because we just so happen to have a proposition for you."
"What kinds of prospositions?" Hest asked. As he did so, he took notice of the fact that Fluttershy wasn't there; it was obvious to him that she was, indeed, dead. Yet none of her friends were showing signs of grief - then again, she was only the tambourine player, after all. And the tambourine's not even a real instrument, anyway...
"We were thinking," Twilight explained, "just a friendly competition between your band and my band. I know and you know that are musical genres are always at war with each other, so maybe this friendly competition will get us both some closure, and hopefully some good fun! What do you think of that, hmm?"
"You mean likes a Battles of the Band?"
"Exactly."
After giving the matter a mere second of thought, Hest signaled the Rainbooms the wait, and then made a signal to his bandmates, which led to Bronycorpse all huddling up together; it was clear that Hest had a plan of his own;
"Dis is perfects, you guy," Hest said to them. "Assumings dat dere'll bes an audience, dis'll be the perfects opportunsity to show everyones just hows much betters we are than them!"
"Uh, I'm not sure that the majority of them would agree," Pervertor replied uneasily. "Our music is not at all mainstream, you know; in fact, that's the very thing it seeks to steer clear of."
"Well anyone that doesn't like it will likely be running out the door terrified," Tartarus smirked. "That's how we'll know we've done well."
"Well, either way, we'll be doing what we do best," affirmed Discordia, "and that's playing the most grim, raw, necro black metal imaginable!"
"I just think merely playing the music will be fun that's all," Flash shrugged with a smile. "But then again, what's the point of playing music if you're not having fun doing it? Right?"
"You're rights," Hest nodded. "You're alls right, in fact. Ands I just cames up with a killers idea...!"
In no time, Bronycorpse broke their huddle. Hest turned to The Rainbooms and said, "We have decidsded, Rainboom, tos accept your challenge, but onlys under ones condition; we tinks that, in orders to level the playings field, sos to speak, our littles 'battle' should be black metal vs. black metal!"
"Are you serious?" exclaimed Sunset. Instantly realizing what a stupid question that was, she gave an exasperated look. "You're serious, aren't you?"
"I'ms dead serious!" replied Hest. "Yous do blacks metal, or yous get disqualsifieds! Really, the onlys way yous chump will be ables to beats us anysway is with black metals more raws and brutal thans ours, not dat dere such a ting. And beside, whats better way to beats someone dan at deirs own games, right? But seriously, eithers you play black metal ins our battle, or yous play nothings and get disqualsifieds. Dis is nons-negotiable! Agreeds?"
Most of The Rainbooms looked at each other incredulously, unsure of how they'd stand a chance with this stipulation imposed. But then Rainbow Dash stood and said boldly, "Agreed! And may the best band win."
"Oh, wes intend tos," Hest smirked. "Now gets de helvete outs of here!" And he reached up and closed the garage door, laughing maniacally as his came down; he obviously thought that he and his band would have an easy victory. Surely, no one like The Rainbooms could do anything even remotely close to traditional heavy metal, much less black metal!
Once the Rainbooms were well out of earshot, Rainbow Dash prepared for whatever criticism the others had for her. Sure, what she just did was crazy, but surely not as much as sending topless pics and videos of herself to a potential crush. She'd understood that much.
"Rainbow Dash, have you gone completely mad?!?" snapped Rarity. "We're not going to be able to stand a chance now!"
"Oh, I think we will," Rainbow Dash smiled to her friends and bandmates. "We have the musical skill to do any kind of music, including black metal! And Hest said it himself; what better way to beat them than at their own game! Right?"
Sunset, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity looked at each other for a few moments. They couldn't help but agree, even though they were unsure of their own abilities to even approach music as dark, evil and chaotic as black metal. Nonetheless, they all knew that the only way that they would stand a chance at taking Hest down was by standing up to the challenge, in spite of the new, super-steep slope that had just risen in front of them. And somewhere in each and every one of them, they knew that somehow, in some way, even if the audience didn't vote for them and Bronycorpse won the battle, the Rainbooms would ultimately win the war, and Hest would lose it... |
Canterlot ist Krieg! | The Grand Plan | The next Monday morning, the school bus stopped in front of Canterlot High School, beginning another school week after the crazy weekend that had just transpired. For Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity, being back at school came with a strange sense of relief.
Phase 1 of this grand plan was setting up the Battle of the Bands that Bronycorpse and The Rainbooms agreed to, and for that, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna had to be brought on board to the idea. So, as soon as she got off the bus, without even acknowledging her friends about it, Twilight ran full speed ahead, into the building and down the hall.
Once at the door to the principal's office, she knocked at the door and was immediately buzzed in. There sat Celestia at her desk, with Luna standing at her side.
"Good morning, Twilight," greeted Celestia cordially and casually.
"What brings you here?" inquired Luna. "Not another review of some 'failed exam,' I hope." She did what she could not to laugh.
"Well actually, I need your help with something big," Twilight replied. "Hest Endetarm is up to no good, and we think we have a plan to put a stop to it, but for that, we need you on board."
"Seriously?" Both sisters were aghast - especially Celestia. "I suspended that troublemaker just last Friday!" she exclaimed. "And he's still up to no good? What's he done this time?
"Uh, well," began Twilight nervously, "he set a rabid raccoon on Fluttershy and stole a bunch of.... sensitive media of Rainbow Dash; he planned to blackmail her, but we agreed to a battle between our two bands in order to distract him from that issue. But that's just a part of a bigger plan to bring him down and I need your help."
Celestia and Luna exchanged incredulous glances. Being in the positions of authority that they were, they'd thought that their power and influence was more than enough to set anyone straight when called for. But apparently, Hest had not been deterred - certainly not something that either of them were used to when it came to discipline - and considering how dangerous he was, they decided it might behoove them to play along with whatever Twilight had in mind. After all, Twilight was certainly the kind of person with the intelligence and cunning that was required to deal with creatures like Hest Endetarm.
"What can we do to help?" Luna asked eagerly.
"We need you to organize our Battle of the Bands," Twilight explained. "Actually, I was thinking; to get more of the students involved, the brunt of the event would be a musical showcase with various other bands from the school as the opening acts, so to speak. The Battle of the Bands between Bronycorpse and The Rainbooms would be the main event. But anyway, the idea is that Hest will be so determined to win, that he'll be so busy rehearsing with his band that he'll be too distracted from our plans. After school tomorrow, if not today, Rainbow Dash and I are going to the police; she's going to show them the e-mail that proves he harassed her, while I'm gonna show them a real dirty secret that'll have him and his family put away for a real long time!"
"What kind of dirt?" Celestia asked with intrigue.
"Uh... I'll save that story for later," Twilight said sheepishly. "Anyway, my idea was for you to see if you could rent out the Canterlot Concert Hall this Saturday evening and hold this event then and there. I know you're a bit reluctant on holding it here after what happened last time... plus, it takes a while for the cops to make those arrest warrants and junk. Oh,and if you hold it during the week, Hest won't be able to perform, because he's suspended, remember?"
"Quite right," acknowledged Luna. "But what about that raccoon attack you mentioned?"
"I'm afraid don't have any hard evidence of that for the cops. But we do have proof of the harassment; that and the dirt I've dug up on the Endetarms is sure to have them locked away."
"Yes, and it's a great way to get the students involved in something," Luna beamed to Celestia. "They, of course, will vote for The Rainbooms in the end, because your pop music is so much better than their noise... right?"
"Uh, well actually..." Twilight started. But before she could finish, Celestia broke in:
"We'll contact the Concert Hall and start getting this event set up straightaway!" she smiled. "Now you best be off, Twilight; I believe the first bell is about to ring."
"Thanks for everything, ma'ams." Twilight waved as she saw herself out of the office and on her way to her first class of the day. So far, so good; Celestia and Luna were on board.
The rest of the school day went by rather typically. Everyone went through all of their classes as normal, except that they could all breathe easier without Hest there to harass them. The other major difference here was that, at least for the time being, Sunset and Twilight were not obsessively arguing over Flash Sentry. There was no point in it, for this time, they both had a common goal, and that was to save Flash from the clutches and influence of Bronycorpse...
When school was officially dismissed, rather than get on the bus, Twilight and Rainbow Dash walked straight towards the Canterlot Police Department. It was good to get some exercise.
"I'm not gonna lie to you, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said in an uncharacteristically nervous tone. "I've, uh, never had to file a report with the cops before."
Twilight sighed. "I figured as much. And I know it isn't in your nature, but it would be best to act as distressed as possible. You know, hyperventilate, talk frantically, maybe even force out a couple of tears if you can."
"I still don't know... what'll happen to my street cred?"
"Look, do you want the police on our side, or not?" asked Twilight sternly.
"Yeah," Rainbow Dash answered somberly. "I do. Badly."
A few minutes later, the two arrived at the police station. Before they entered the building, they got their evidence ready; Twilight pulled the Endetarms' bank statement out from her backpack, and Rainbow Dash pulled up the racy e-mail on her smartphone, and then the two went in. Putting on their urgent faces, the pair went up to the front desk, saying that they had a report and a tip to file. Immediately, the receptionist called for two detectives, and shortly afterwords, Twilight and Rainbow Dash were escorted out of the lobby and into two separate conference rooms by Detective Bore and Detective Hogg, respectively.
"I have some evidence that'll blow your mind!" Twilight exclaimed to Detective Bore. "You know the Endetarm family?"
"Who?" asked a perplexed Bore.
"You know, Hest Endetarm, the crazed lead singer for that band Bronycorpse!"
"Uh, I think I've heard of them," Bore replied. "I heard they got a really awesome lead guitarist... but what's this gotta do with them?"
"Well, that's just it," Twilight explained. "I've discovered that Hest and his family are here in America for all the wrong reasons. They came here from Norway to avoid their high taxes, but they've gone way too far doing so. See for yourself."
Twilight promptly handed Detective Bore the bank statement. His eyes grew wide as he read what he saw on that paper; a black metal family, seemingly living in poverty as metalheads were known for, but were actually worth in excess of the equivalent of 700 million US dollars! And they hadn't had to pay a single dime in taxes, as all of that money was stored offshore in the Cayman Islands without them notifying the I.R.S; a clear and blatant violation of the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)!
"This is big!" exclaimed Bore. "This is some really serious dirt you've dug up. Just how did you come by this anyway?"
"It was, uh, inadvertently leaked to me by Hest's relatives," Twilight responded. If she had spilled the beans, she could be arrested for breaking and entering, as well as hacking. Not to mention the fact that if it was known that this evidence was obtained illegally, it would not be allowed to be used in court.
"Uh, OK," the detective shrugged. In all honesty, he didn't care how the evidence was obtained, as long as he got another bust for his quota. "Well, we'll get this evidence submitted, but it'll likely be the weekend before we can get the arrest warrant out, and-"
"Perfect!" Twilight said. "I know for the fact that Bronycorpse is performing this Saturday night at the Canterlot Concert Hall! You should drop by there and bust him then!"
"I'll make a note of that," noted the detective. "Well, thanks for the tip. I'm gonna go submit this evidence and get that warrant. You can go, now."
"Alright, thanks a lot, officer!" Twilight smiled as she exited Detective Bore's office...
"So what seems to be the problem, ma'am?" Detective Hogg asked Rainbow Dash.
"It's awful!" cried Rainbow Dash in a panic. "This jerk... Hest Endetarm... I don't know how he did it, but somehow, he got a hold of a bunch of embarrassing footage of me, and he's been threatening... he... He's been threatening to post them online! What if he actually does it?!? I'll be ruined! What the hell am I gonna do?!?
She took one rushed breath before sobbing out, "You gotta heeeeelp meeeeee!!!"
"Ma'am, relax," Detective Hogg urged. "Now this man hasn't yet posted these images, has he?"
"No," Rainbow Dash answered as she started to tone down the blatant display of distress. "But he could at any moment, and I really don't know what to do!"
"Your evidence?" Hogg asked routinely, almost apathetically.
Rainbow Dash handed him her smartphone, which was already showing the incriminating e-mail. It didn't take long for Hogg to skim through the list of photos and videos. He looked as if his eyes were going to pop out.
"Now just who are you trying to attract with these sorts of crazy displays, anyway?" asked the detective as he tried like hell to not look the least bit aroused.
"Uh... this college freshman at, uh, Cloudsdale University," Rainbow Dash blushed nervously.
"Figures," Hogg scoffed. "I got me a daughter in college over in Manehattan who does this same sort of crap to try and win guys over! I try and tell her that that's not gonna land her a good man; it's only gonna land her a dirty pig. But she never listens."
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash became outraged. There was something about the seemingly disparaging way this detective was describing her methods of attraction that just set her off.
"Are you blaming the victim?!?" she snapped. "Because if you are, then you're the pig here! And not because you're a cop, either!"
"Ma'am, relax!" Detective Hogg urged once more. "I'm not blaming you. I'm just saying that there are more reasonable ways to win over this boy."
"Well what the hell would you know?" Rainbow Dash scoffed defiantly.
"What I do know," Hogg replied firmly, "is that all you have to do is ask him out, already. The worst he can do is say no. But let's face it; when a girl asks a boy out, the boy is pretty much obligated to say yes. Right?"
"I guess so," Rainbow Dash shrugged.
Hogg winked. "Trust me, kid. He'd be a moron not to say yes to someone as striking as you."
"Thanks, I guess," Rainbow Dash said, trying to sound as reassured as she could.
Seemingly convinced, Hogg returned to the business at hand. "Now who did you say got a hold of these... wacky pics and vids?"
"Hest Endetarm," Rainbow Dash answered. "He's this creepy Norwegian guy, very muscular, long black hair, screams at the top of his lungs for that band Bronycorpse..."
"Oh, those guys!" Hogg affirmed. "Yeah, I know Bronycorpse. My son's a fan of theirs. I knew they were crazy, but I didn't know they were that crazy! Anyway, mind if I e-mail this to myself? We'll need it for evidence."
"Yeah, sure."
With that, Hogg promptly copied all of the racy pictures and videos, attached them onto another e-mail message, and sent that message to his own computer for evidence.
"Now it'll take some time to get an arrest warrant out," Hogg spoke in his most serious voice. "Likely, it won't be until this weekend. Just try not to provoke him into sending those pictures out; but if he does, you know who to call."
"Okay. Thanks, officer." Rainbow Dash walked out of the office to meet back up with Twilight in the lobby. She didn't notice that her memorabilia were still on Detective Hogg's computer screen, and that the detective himself had just unzipped his pants...
"So is Bore going through the files?" Rainbow Dash asked Twilight.
"Yeah. He said the warrant would be out by this weekend, and I told him to be at the Concert Hall on Saturday night with that warrant ready. So how'd it go on your end?"
"Hogg bought my story. He also told me that I should just ask Soarin' out already. And you know what? I think I will! I mean, he is pretty much obligated to say yes, right?"
Twilight shrugged. "Well, that's what society programs us to believe. But even if it wasn't like that," she added with a grin and a wink, "I just know that he'd still say yes all the same."
"Aww, thanks, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash smiled as she hugged her.
"No problem," Twilight grinned back.
So with that, all that was left on the two friends' respective agendas was the walk back home, homework, and hitting the sack. Celestia, Luna, and the C.P.D. were all now on board with their grand plan to defeat Hest. But starting tomorrow, there would be a much bigger hurdle for them and the rest of the band to overcome. They hadn't forgotten about the fact that they still had to rehearse for this upcoming Battle of the Bands. Even more pressing was Hest's forced condition of The Rainbooms playing black metal, lest they wanted disqualification. Granted, it would be most ideal to use Rainbow Dash's idea of fighting fire with fire.
Even so, Twilight didn't seem like the type of girl to pull off those menacing shrieks, Rainbow Dash certainly couldn't produce that heavily distorted guitar sound with the gear that she had, and Pinkie Pie probably didn't even know what a "blast beat" was. Even so, they knew that regardless of whether or not the police followed through with the warrant in time, they still had to try their absolute hardest to prevail, for the sake of The Rainbooms' pride and credibility as a band, as well as to save Flash from Hest's dark, corrupting, and maddening influence. |
Canterlot ist Krieg! | Metallized | Now it was Tuesday afternoon at Canterlot High School. There were just five days, including today, left before the Battle of the Bands between Bronycorpse and The Rainbooms at Canterlot Concert Hall. It had become evident that not only had the Concert Hall agreed to hold this battle, but that the battle itself was something very much looked forward to by the other students at the school.
This might have been, in large part, because this battle was just the main event of the show, and not the whole thing; there would also be a musical showcase in which a menagerie of bands from the school would serve as the opening acts, giving them a great opportunity to strut their own stuff, as well as a more laid back type of entertainment for the other students before the much more serious battle took place.
All-in-all, things seemed to be going well for The Rainbooms. Thus far, throughout the day they'd gotten heaps of praise from other students school-wide, wishing them luck against the twisted, demonic black metal machine that was Bronycorpse. It wasn't until lunchtime that The Rainbooms, along with Sunset, got a moment to chat amongst themselves privately without getting barged in on.
"So the Principals got the show booked," Rarity said to Twilight.
"Yep," replied Twilight. "From what I understand, the whole school's gonna be at the Concert Hall this Saturday. A lot of opening acts and a lot of other students to see us defeat Bronycorpse!"
"Um, speaking of that," Fluttershy spoke up timidly, "the police are gonna be there to take Hest down... right?"
"Well, they did say that Saturday would be when they'd get the arrest warrant," Twilight explained. "Plus, I told that detective that they should go to the Concert Hall that night when they do get the warrant. So as far as I'm concerned, we're all set."
"YAY!!" squealed Pinkie Pie. "We're gonna beat the bad guys and get the girls! WOO-HOO!!!"
"Uh, Pinkie," Applejack said flatly, "we're the girls!"
Pinke blushed. "Oh."
"Actually, we're not gonna beat the bad guys with what we have," Rainbow Dash broke in, with a most urgent tone coloring her voice. "You're forgetting that we'll be disqualified from the battle unless we do black metal; so the only way to beat them will be to play black metal that's somehow better than theirs. Don't get me wrong, I'm still looking forward to beating them at their own game, and while I'm pretty sure most of us could hit the notes right, what about the sound? Did you even hear them when we saw them play last Friday?!? Their guitars were so heavily distorted, and their drums were so brutally fast and heavy at the same time!
None of us are equipped to sound anything like that! Suddenly, I'm not so sure if we can do it."
The other girls exchanged glances. This was not like Rainbow Dash at all; she was always so determined and confident. Now, she had backpedaled on that and was actually letting some pessimism show through. Surely this wasn't something they thought she'd ever let show through.
Sunset, however, was not fazed. "Hey, if you can hit the notes right, you should have no problem playing raw black metal," she grinned. "You just need some little, uh, 'additions' to your rigs, if you catch my drift." She winked.
"What kinda additions?" asked a curious and intrigued Applejack.
Sunset shrugged. "Well, I figured you wouldn't catch on right away, seeing as how you girls don't use guitar effects pedals or anything like that. All of the metal bands, including Bronycorpse, use these pedals in their guitar rigs to add that heavy distorted sound, amongst other things. But the distortion is all that's really needed for black metal... and the double bass pedal. You ever try your hand at a double bass pedal before, Pinkie?"
"Nah!" Pinkie shrugged. "I'd need a third foot to work the hi-hat cymbal."
"So just hit the hi-hat with your stick or use the ride cymbal," Sunset urged. "Because you're gonna need that double pedal in order to do those super-fast bass drum parts... and I'm pretty sure not even your feet are quick enough to do the job single-handedly."
"Uh-huh. And how are we supposed to get all of this stuff, exactly?" asked an unsure Twilight.
"Well, if I'm not mistaken, that music shop that Vinyl Scratch works at sells stuff for metalheads," Sunset explained. "I'll take you girls there after school today, and we can browse and hopefully get some good new metal gear for you. Whaddya say?"
The other girls looked at each other for a second of collective urgency. Though neither of them had bothered with these so-called effects and double bass pedals, as they seemed like more trouble than they were worth, what other choice did they have in this case? Sunset did, after all, seem like she knew what she was talking about, and they needed all the help they could get in order to change their sound from girly pop to blistering black metal.
So, seeing no alternative, they all nodded their heads.
"Great!" Sunset smiled, just as the bell rang. "And it sounds like class is about to start back up. See you girls after school!" And with that, she parted ways with The Rainbooms, for the time being...
Later that afternoon, as the other students were boarding the school buses for their rides home, neither Twilight, Sunset nor the other Rainbooms got on board, for home was not their destination at the moment. Today, they were walking into town, to Vinyl Scratch's music shop, where maybe, just maybe, they would obtain the means to play the black metal that would bring Bronycorpse to their knees;
It was a bit of a walk, but they eventually managed to arrive at the shop.
"Hey, it's The Rainbooms!" beamed Vinyl Scratch enthusiastically as she ran out from behind the cash register to greet them. "I've been hearing all about that battle you've got going on with that black metal band; the whole school's looking forward to it! I was actually kind of hoping you girls would show up; don't get me wrong, I think you'll do just fine, but I've been thinking you might need some help takin' on a real honest-to-God black metal band!"
"Actually, that's exactly why were here," Sunset said in the most serious tone she could muster. Getting close to Vinyl, she said rather inconspicuously, "Don't tell anyone else, but, uh, Bronycorpse's lead singer has imposed a stipulation for this battle that The Rainbooms have to do black metal also, or else be disqualified. I was hoping you'd have some distortion pedals and a double bass drum pedal that would help us get that sound?"
Needless to say, Vinyl was not expecting such a stipulation. Luckily, though, her shop was equipped with anything for any kind of music.
"Yeah, I have some of those," she said. "But I'm no metalhead, so I couldn't make any specific recommendations. You look metal enough to me to figure it out, though."
"Hopefully," Sunset replied with a sheepish chuckle. "Well, I guess we'll just browse then. Thanks."
Vinyl said nothing; she simply gave everyone a thumbs up as The Rainbooms all dispersed to various corners of the shop to browse through gear.
Sunset herself accompanied Rainbow Dash over to a long shelf on the wall towards the end of the shop, where the effects pedals were kept on display for potential customers. It turned out that Vinyl Scratch had a butt-load of different kinds of pedals stockpiled, most of which Rainbow Dash had never even heard of before, including wah-wah pedals, compressors, chorus effects, flangers, phasers, pitch shifters, reverb and delay pedals...
"Over here!" Sunset suddenly called out to Rainbow Dash. "I've found it!"
Eagerly, Rainbow Dash trotted a few feet over to where Sunset was, at which point Sunset showed her what she had found; the Boss ML-2 Metal Core distortion pedal. It was small, black and rectangular in shape, with the words "Metal Core" written in white on the footswitch at the bottom. On both sides were jacks labeled "Input" on the right and "Output" on the left, and on the top were four knobs, labeled, from left to right, "Level," "Low," "High," and "Dist."
"So you think that's gonna get me my black metal sound?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Of course," Sunset assured her. "I know for a fact that Boss's Metal Zone pedal is by far the most popular distortion pedal amongst metal guitarists, but the Metal Core pedal is their most extreme! It should have no problem getting you that sound that's gonna have Bronycorpse shakin' in their boots!"
"Alright, I'll take it," Rainbow Dash said with approval.
"Oh mah God, Ah gotta get me this!"
Sunset and Rainbow Dash suddenly sped over to where Applejack was as soon as she made that aloud declaration.
"What have you gotta have?" Sunset asked.
"This, o' course!" Applejack grinned as she showed them what she was holding in her hand.
It was the Ibanez Bass Tube Screamer; an overdrive pedal for the bass guitar; something Applejack, and especially Rainbow Dash, would never have figured had effects pedals made for it. The Bass Tube Screamer was slightly larger, physically, than the Metal Core pedal. It was green, with a silver footswitch that had the word "Ibanez" engraved on it in blue. On the top were five knobs; a Drive knob on the upper-left, a Level knob on the upper-right, a Bass knob on the lower-left, a Treble knob on the lower-right, and a Mix knob in the middle.
"Oh, no way!" Rainbow Dash snarled as she snatched the Tube Screamer from Applejack's hand. "There's no way you should be messing around with these stupid pedals. You're just the bass player, remember?"
"Hey, Ah'm not gonna jus' let ya shut me outta the mix this time, partner!" Applejack snapped as she snatched the Tube Screamer right back. "Ah'm gonna be heard this time, whether ya like it or not!"
Rainbow Dash was certainly spoiling for a fight now, but Sunset, sensing this, quickly jumped in front of her before she could do anything rash.
"Just let her have the pedal," she urged. "This is for the good of the band, and for the sake of your battle with Bronycorpse. Besides, bass distortion is actually quite popular in metal, and I'm sure Bronycorpse uses it also, so you'd do well with it too!"
"Alright, fine," Rainbow Dash grudgingly conceded. "But only for the sake of the band!"
"Thanks a bunch, R.D.!"
Applejack and Rainbow Dash were about to hug when they suddenly heard a stream of low-end heavy beats sounding off at a rapid pace from an adjacent part of the store. Sunset, having a hunch, led Rainbow Dash and Applejack to the source of the sound, which was coming from where the drums were.
There, sitting at one of the pre-assembled drum kits, was Pinkie Pie, beating away on the bass drum at what sounded like a supersonic pace, using a double bass pedal just as Sunset suggested; a PDP 502, to be exact. She beat that bass drum pedal so hard and so fast with her feet that it looked like she was going to punch a hole in the bass drum at any moment.
"I... freaking... love this pedal!" Pinkie panted as she caught her breath.
"I think our work here is done," Sunset grinned.
With that, the entire gang regrouped and headed up to the counter, where they paid for Rainbow Dash's distortion pedal, Applejack's bass overdrive pedal, and Pinkie Pie's double bass drum pedal. Then they left the shop, eager to try out their new gear, with Vinyl Scratch wishing them the best of luck as they walked out...
Some time after that, the girls all found themselves inside Rainbow Dash's garage; The Rainbooms's unofficial rehearsal space. Pinkie Pie had just swapped out her old single bass pedal and put her new double pedal in its place, Applejack had just hooked up her Bass Tube Screamer to her bass and to her Fender Rumble bass amp, and Rainbow Dash had just hooked up her Metal Core pedal to her guitar and to her Peavey Valveking II amp. In short, they were all raring to go.
"Alright, Rainbow Dash," Sunset signaled. "Let's see what that thing can do!"
"With pleasure..." Rainbow Dash played a single E power chord. It was just one, simple chord, but with her new distortion pedal on, her guitar had a new, demonic scream added on to its sound, like a sinner being cut in half by a flaming buzzsaw.
"Oh, I'm diggin' this pedal already!" Rainbow Dash smirked. She then played a positively evil tremolo riff in the key of E, on the minor third scale, moving up from the E note to F# for a couple of bars, and then up to G for a couple more bars, and back down to F# for a bar, then back down to E for a bar, and then down to D for a few bars before playing the riff through once more.
Without effects pedals, said riffing surely would've sounded rather dry, but not with the Metal Core pedal in her rig.
"That... was the most evil thing I've ever heard from your guitar," Sunset mused. "It's perfect! It's sure to make Bronycorpse shudder with fear!" She smirked after taking in all the satisfaction. "Now let's see what your Tube Screamer sounds like, Applejack."
With her Bass Tube Screamer engaged, Applejack played mostly the same riff Rainbow Dash played - a minor third riff in the key of E - except that it was plucked in half time. By itself, this bass line would've sounded ominous enough. But her newly acquired overdrive pedal added an unmistakably vicious growl to her sound, making her instrument sound like a cold-blooded monster whose stomach was hungry for the flesh of human carcasses.
"Ah, yes, that's textbook!" Sunset said with a sinister smile. "So heavy, it'll probably bring down the Concert Hall... plus, you might actually be heard!" Applejack couldn't help but grin at this remark, and Rainbow Dash, being the dominant instrumentalist, rolled her eyes in response.
"Ooh! Ooh! Me next! Me next!" Pinkie Pie squealed. Then, immediately after she said that, she tapped 1-2-3-4 on the hi-hat... and then, she let it all out. She went into an all-out assault on her drums, hammering rapid, machine gun-like low-end 16th notes on her bass drum with her new double bass pedal while at the same time hitting simultaneous 8th notes on the snare drum and the hi-hat cymbals. The result was a sound that wasn't as rhythmic as it was sonically violent, but for black metal, it had all the brutality the band would need.
As Pinkie continued to blast away on the drums, Sunset looked at Rainbow Dash and Applejack and said, "C'mon, play along!" And they did.
They both played the same ominous guitar and bass riffs they played before, and in perfect timing with Pinkie's drumming, as well. The result was something that one would've never before expected The Rainbooms to be capable of; pure, raw, unadulterated black metal that might've even impressed the old-school hardline black metallers from Norway.
After playing about 16 bars, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash all stopped, panting slightly to catch their breaths.
"That... was amazing!!!" Sunset commended them. "You actually did it... uh, I mean I knew you could do it. Bronycorpse will be begging you for mercy!"
Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie couldn't help but blush a bit.
"Excuse me, Sunset," Rarity spoke up. "I'm in this band too, you know."
"Sorry, Rarity, I just... kinda got lost in the rhythm."
"That's alright, dear. Meanwhile, just last night I was experimenting with the sound palate on my keytar, and I think I've come up with something really, truly ghastly. Observe!"
Rarity then went on to play a series of long, minor chords on her keytar following the same general pattern as Rainbow Dash and Applejack, except she was playing in the key of B, which would form a perfect 5th harmony with their instruments. As it so happened, that ghastly sound she said she'd come up with was, in fact, that of a giant pipe organ from the old European cathedrals. Nothing alien about it at all, but still very eerie and foreboding nonetheless, leading her other bandmates, and Sunset, to give her thumbs-up.
"Um, well I think I'll just play my tambourine in the background," squeaked Fluttershy. "I, uh, don't wanna get hurt... or seem offensive, or anything."
"Hey, sis, don't worry," soothed Rainbow Dash, as she walked over to place a hand on her shoulder. "If Hest ever tries to come at you again, he'll have to go through me first."
"Fair enough," shrugged Sunset. "But now for the hard part; if you girls are really gonna do pure, raw black metal and beat Bronycorpse at their own game, then you, Twilight, need to do those gnarly black metal screams like what Hest does. That's one main ingredient we'll require; otherwise, we won't stand a chance against them."
"What are you nuts?!?" Twilight protested. "I can't do those screams! I'll blow my throat out!"
"Fine! Be that way!" Sunset said. It was clear now that she would try and provoke her somehow. Then she had it. "Guess we'll be disqualified from the battle, and we won't be able to save Flash." She switched to her more romantic drama queen voice; one that might put Rarity to shame. "Oh, my poor Flashy! I'm really, truly gonna lose him forever... Never will I ever get the chance to kiss him again, to hold him, to make love to him..."
That last part was just too much for Twilight to brush off. With a growl, she lunged at Sunset with all of her might, grabbed a hold of her neck with one hand, and then screamed as only she could into the microphone she was holding with her other hand, "FLASH SENTRY IS MINE, DO YOU HEAR ME?!? MIIIIIIIIINE!!!"
She threw Sunset to the ground, and then stopped herself to catch her breath, panting heavily. Sunset, however, was actually not deterred at all by Twilight's attack on her. In fact, she was happy. The way Twilight screamed at her was so ghastly, so gnarly, and so powerful. It was perfect! Just the kind of scream that would complete The Rainbooms's own black metal formula!
"Do that last part again, Twilight!" Sunset exclaimed as she stood back up.
"MIIIIIIIIINE!!!"
That was it. Sunset wasn't sure at first that she could, but Twilight had done it. With a little provocation, she had nailed that black metal scream!
"Yes! Yes! That's it!" Sunset cheered. "That's just the kind of sound we're looking for. That's how you need your black metal vocals to sound, right there. "Alright, now you do that scream one more time, and everyone else play along this time. C'mon! One, two, three, GO!!!"
Once again, Twilight screamed, "MIIIIIIIIINE!!!" as gnarly and powerfully as she could. And as she continued to belt out this scream, Pinkie Pie played her blast beats on the drums, Applejack plucked her E minor third riff on her bass, Rainbow Dash picked her E minor third riff on her guitar, Rarity played her B minor third pipe organ chords on her keytar, and Fluttershy tapped along on her tambourine in the background, keeping in half time with the drums;
Somehow, in some way, Twilight was able to keep up her screaming for a grand total of about thirteen seconds; a kind of power no one would've ever thought she had in her! And in that time, the rest of the band managed to squeeze in a total of 32 bars played, all in a 2/4 time signature. And as soon as they all stopped to catch their breath, they knew that they had all done it.
They had solved their black metal formula, they had found their black metal sound, and they all knew that now, they most certainly had a good shot at putting a certain other black metal band to shame.
"We did it, girls!" Sunset commended them all. "We're now a black metal band!"
As The Rainbooms all exchanged high-fives, Sunset then said in a more serious tone of voice, "But we still have a lot of work left ahead of us. We have to learn one or two, preferably two, complete songs for the battle this Saturday - I think that bit you all played just now might be the foundation for one of those songs. What do you think?"
"Definitely!" winked Rainbow Dash. "But we have time, and I'm so relieved that we've found our sound... I think I'm ready to take five. Who's up for some cupcakes and fruit punch?"
"YAY, CUPCAKES!!" Pinkie Pie squealed as she dashed back into the house for some treats. And with grins all around, the rest of the girls all eagerly followed, all very much relieved to have overcome one major hurdle towards their upcoming ordeal, and now licking their chops for a moment of some much-needed refreshment...
Meanwhile, over at the old abandoned garage - that is, Bronycorpse's rehearsal space - the music was just as tense as ever.
Deceit!
Intolerance!
Despair!
Malevolence!
Disgrace!
Black magic!
BEHOLD THE ELEMENTS OF DISCORD!!!
And with one final bloodcurdling scream, Bronycorpse capped off their song "Elements of Discord." They had been rehearsing nonstop all afternoon, whacking away 110% on all of their material. They were all working really hard so that they might be at their best for their musical showdown with The Rainbooms, and none of them wanted it more than Hest did.
"So fars, I'd say wes all have dones excellents," he mused. "Buts always keep dis in minds; nevers be satsisfieds wit where yous currsentlys are. Always be strivsings to bes even betters in de futures dan yous are in de presents. We alls need to bes in as tops of a forms as wes can get tos in orders to defeat dose Rainbooms on Satsurdays. Ands we will defeats dem! Yous all can quotes me ons dat!"
"Honestly," Flash broke in, "I just hope I'm still on good terms with them all after we're done. Even Sunny..."
"Huh?" Pervertor raised an eyebrow. "Sunny?"
"Sunny, as in... Sunset Shimmer?" Discordia chipped in.
"Um... yeah." There was no way Flash could deny it. He'd let it slip. Might as well face the teasing.
"Why would you, of all people, address her by that kind of a pet name, anyway?" Tartarus jabbed.
Flash suddenly began to sweat bullets as his bandmates all stared at him intently, eager to hear what he had to say for himself.
"W-w-well," he stammered. I... kinda, sorta, used to, uh... date Sunset. I broke up with her because she was just using me for social status, but she's reformed since then, and and I'd developed a... thing on Twilight. But now I'm thinking there's a chance I might want to get back with Sunset, and..." He paused, his face a deep shade of red. "She used to call me 'Flashy.'"
"Flashy? Really???" Hest burst out. "Dat's a laughs! Wow. Even today, she must sounds really pathetic. No wonders you dumpsed her ins de firsts place."
There was something about that comment that set something off within Flash. Even he wasn't exactly sure what it was. But before he could contain his sudden spark of anger, he suddenly made a mad rush at Hest, backing him into the wall, almost impaling him on one of the many horned devil heads that adorned the walls of the garage.
"Listen, Hest!" he snapped. "Sunset may not be perfect, I know! But she's a hell of a lot closer to it than she was before - and yeah, I'd like to either get back with her or get with Twilight, but that's none of your business which one I choose! If you're smart, you'll never... ever talk about Sunset that way again!"
Hest looked as though he had just been through an Olson Twins movie. He couldn't utter a sound. His face turned palely white. He was breaking a cold sweat.
"You understand me, pal?" barked Flash. "DO YOU?!?"
"Alright, lay off, already!" Discordia pleaded as he yanked Flash away from Hest by the back of his leather jacket. "You've made your point, now calm down. The last thing we need is to be fighting amongst ourselves; that'll leave us in no condition for our battle with The Rainbooms.
"Yeah, you're right," acknowledged Flash as he caught his breath. "I'm sorry. But surely you guys would understand. You've all had girlfriends before... right?"
Pervertor, Tartarus and Discordia said nothing. They all just looked at each other for a second. Then, they all collectively hung their heads, with the most ashamed facial expressions that Flash had ever seen on another person's face.
It was Discordia who broke the silence. "There was this girl I dated once," he muttered. "The hottest chick I ever met. We were made for each other. And she dumped me for a sax player. I hate jazz..."
"I messed up real big with a girl from my science class," groaned Pervertor. "I was gonna ask her out during an assignment. One step on the slippery floor while holding dangerous chemicals and she spent a whole month in a biohazard isolation room..."
"I tried to impress this babe at the nearest nightclub," confessed Tartarus. "Wanted to get her attention. So I played my bass as loudly as I could while doing a song I wrote in her name. Maybe a little too loud... Lucky thing I didn't get sued for giving her that hearing aid afterwards."
"Man," gasped Flash. "Sorry, guys. I... didn't know."
Hest, however, just rolled his eyes in apathy. "Excuse mes, I needs to gos vomit," he scoffed. "Now cans we please just get backs to business? I wanna wins dis battles, you knows!"
"Actually," Pervertor said as he turned off his amp, "I feel like throwing in the towel for today. We've been at it for, like, so long, my fingers and my back are getting stiff."
"Yeah, mine too," Tartarus noted as he turned off his bass amp, with Flash following suit with his own amp.
"Fine, whatevers," Hest shrugged. "But come straight backs here after schools is out tomorrows for rehearsals ASAP!"
"Alright," Flash said half-heartedly. He packed up his guitar, pocketed his pick, high-fived his bandmates and walked out of the abandoned garage, starting back for home.
All the while, his earlier outburst on Hest was swirling around in his mind. The way he freaked out when Hest spoke ill of Sunset made him start to wonder; between Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle, Flash still couldn't decide whom he should hook up with. But, as crazy as it might sound, maybe, just maybe, his heart had just made that decision for itself...
He was so lost in thought he didn't notice Hest watching him from a distance, his teeth clenched. His face distorted with quiet rage. His eyes filled with envy, wounded pride, and a desire for payback. |
Canterlot ist Krieg! | The Show | For the next few days, The Rainbooms worked more seriously than they ever did before. Over time, they all grew into the new black metal sound that they'd managed to create, and eventually, managed to learn a complete black metal song that caught on to them. In short, things were going unexpectedly well for them, and they were in peak physical and musical condition to take on Bronycorpse.
Bronycorpse, meanwhile, were also working as hard as ever. Even though they'd already found their black metal sound and nailed all their own original material many times over without a single mistake, Hest pushed them all harder than he had ever done before. He was especially hard on Flash. To outsiders, this would be quite understandable, since Flash was the lead guitarist, after all. But ever since Flash's outburst last Monday, Hest had become noticeably less friendly towards him than he had been initially, leading Pervertor, Tartarus and Discordia to wonder whose fuse would detonate first...
And then, before either band knew it, it was Saturday evening. It was the night of the Battle of the Bands at Canterlot Concert Hall, between Bronycorpse and The Rainbooms. Of all the bands scheduled to perform, The Rainbooms were the first to arrive at the venue. There was already loads of students from the school and their parents piling into the building, eager to see these two bands, and all of the other opening acts, in action. This, however, led to the ironic side effect of the front entrance being nearly impossible.
But for The Rainbooms, this wasn't a problem. Rainbow Dash simply drove the van into a back alley behind the Concert Hall and parked it there; a perfect spot for getting around the dense crowds.
"This way, we'll be able to get our gear unloaded and onto the stage without people mobbing us," she affirmed. "It'll save security the trouble."
"We should get this done as soon as we possibly can," said Twilight, "before Bronycorpse comes in and decides to pull anything tricky on us. The cops should be on their way any minute now."
"Remember, girls," Sunset chipped in. "They still think Fluttershy is dead... at least, Hest does. I think it's best we don't spill the beans until we go onstage."
"But I don't want to face Hest again!" squeaked Fluttershy. "He looks like an angry orc ready to clobber me!"
"Don't worry about it, darling," Rarity assured her. "We'll keep you safe from him if anything does go wrong."
"Well we'd better get rollin', then!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie.
"Right-o!" replied Applejack.
The girls then all got up, opened the two back doors to their van, and with much effort and hard teamwork, unloaded Rainbow Dash's guitar, Applejack's bass, the individual pieces of Pinkie Pie's drum kit, Rarity's keytar, Fluttershy's tambourine, Rainbow Dash's amp, Applejack's bass amp and Rarity's Roland KC-550 keyboard amp. It then took them multiple trips to get the load into the building and onto the stage to be set up, but they all managed to get it done just in time for them to retreat to one of the backstage dressing rooms where they could all breathe easy, for the time being...
Much later, the venue was totally packed and ready to go. All of the fans, students and parents alike, were in their seats. The stage was crowded with the instruments and amplifiers that were to be used by Bronycorpse and The Rainbooms, as well as all of the opening acts.
Meanwhile, at the front and center of the crowd, sat a number of assorted family members and friends of The Rainbooms, including Big Macintosh, Soarin'--the boy whom Rainbow Dash's crush on was a big contributing factor to this event-- and Flash Sentry's parents.
"I still don't like this," Flash's mom panicked. "I thought we told him that he shouldn't be playing in this devil band!"
"I don't like it either," replied Flash's dad, "but we gotta support our son nonetheless. Plus, Principal Celestia told us that Bronycorpse and all the other bands would be barred from doing any of those crazy theatrics, so this shouldn't be a repeat of what happened last time."
"I hope you're right, dear," replied his wife nervously. "We paid forty bucks for this."
"Cheaper than the usual price around this joint."
The crowd immediately fell silent. At the front and center of the stage were Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna.
"Welcome, one and all, to Canterlot High School's Musical Showcase/Battle of the Bands!" Celestia announced.
After the resulting applause died down, Luna spoke up. "This is where two of Canterlot High's most prominent musical acts--the fabulous pop girl group The Rainbooms, and the vicious black metal band Bronycorpse--will settle their differences once and for all. Of course, when we were first pitched this idea, I was reminded of our last Battle of the Bands, and how it was conceived originally from a musical showcase. So my sister and I thought, why not combine the two into one event? These two bands might achieve closure, and the other students are getting involved without getting involved, if that makes any sense..."
"Anyway," Celestia broke in. "Give it up, everyone, for our first opening act; the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"
The crowd then applauded as the stage was taken over by Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. The applause quickly grew into loud cheers and cat-calling from the men and boys in the audience when they noticed that the Crusaders were all in bikinis; Apple Bloom had on a black bikini with white stars, along with a black bandanna with white skulls, and her hair was hanging loose, as opposed to the ponytails and bows she normally wore; Scootaloo was clad in a purple bikini with blue and purple stripes; and Sweetie Belle was sporting a pink bikini with light green stripes. Her hair was hanging loose like Apple Bloom's, only hers was down past her waist and was done in a very rough rocker-type style, plus she had pink makeup around her left-eye to compliment her bikini.
As for their actual performance, it was very short, but very sweet; the males in the audience could certainly attest to that statement! They came up with one familiar song: "Hex Girls" from the movie Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost. They didn't play their own instruments; rather, they had the music playing on the speakers while they sang and danced in unison. Sweetie Belle was allowed to be the main singer of the group; no girl could be just as talented as she was.
This really got the crowd, especially the boys around the girls' age, focused on them. Pipsqueak, a slightly shorter foreign exchange student from Trottingham, couldn't help being entranced by the lovable Sweetie Belle. Featherweight, the buck-toothed photographer of the C.H.S.'s newspaper, trained his camera on Apple Bloom almost entirely throughout the song. Rumble, little brother of Wondercolts player Thunderlane, imagined Scootaloo winking at him.
As they sang, the girls did the most challenging dance moves they could think of, ranging from Elvis-style pelvic thrusts and gyrations, all the way up to modern-day styles like twerking. It was tough, but they managed through practice. During the final chorus, they even grinded against one another. Most of the audience cheered wildly. Watching from backstage, however, Celestia and Luna started to ponder over the effects of pop culture on young girls. Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash just shook their heads, knowing that this lifestyle was not what they wanted their younger sisters to lead.
When the song was over, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle took their bows and blew kisses at the cheering men in the audience as they retreated backstage. Many other opening acts followed them, but none of them were as "engaging" as the Crusaders.
Snips and Snails, wannabe rappers, did a hip-hop duet that resulted in the audience booing harshly. Lyra Heartstrings and Sweetie Drops played a duet on the harp and piano that left everyone soothingly mesmerized. Photo Finish and her band, the Snapshots, did some entertaining geek rock that managed to bring the inner nerd out of even the biggest jocks in the crowd. Bulk Biceps, normally a big, tough jock himself, pleasantly surprised everyone by letting his softer side show through a soothing piece on the violin. Vinyl Scratch, using her stagename DJ Pon-3, broke out her turntables and blasted some powerful hardcore techno and dubstep that made everyone want to get up and dance like how the Crusaders were dancing when they were on stage. The self-proclaimed "Great and Powerful" Trixie, along with her band The Illusions, finished off the opening musical showcase with their signature song; the electronic/rock hybrid hit "Tricks Up My Sleeve."
Once Trixie and the Illusions finished up their piece and took their gear backstage, Celestia and Luna got back onstage.
"Are you ready for the main event, the Battle of the Bands?!" asked Celestia.
The crowd responded with a chorus of loud, excited cheers.
"Great!" replied Luna. "Now brace yourselves; first up is the most extreme band to ever set foot at our school. So extreme that Celestia and I had to pull the plug on them when they played there! Give it up for... BRONYCORPSE!"
The crowd applauded as Hest, Pervertor, Tartarus, Discordia and Flash slowly, ominously made their way onto the stage. All of them were wearing the black-and-white corpse paint on their faces that was the staple of the black metal look. Hest, Pervertor, Tartarus and Discordia were all sporting spiked gauntlets on their forearms and bullet belts on their waists, and neither of them were wearing shirts, instead preferring to show off their very prominent muscles on their upper bodies, earning some cat-calls from the females in the audience. Flash, meanwhile, just stuck with his regular old black leather jacket.
Almost casually, Discordia sat down at his massive drum kit, while Pervertor and Flash picked up their guitars and Tartarus picked up his bass. As Hest went up to the mic, Flash, Pervertor and Tartarus started out with a single sustained A note...
The audience jumped in shock, some of them genuinely frightened, as they got their song started. The song they opened with was "Black Metal ist Krieg," as made famous by the German black metal band Nargaroth. The first half of the song consisted of Discordia furiously blasting away almost constantly on the drums, with the occasional fill thrown in, while Flash, Pervertor and Tartarus played an ominous tremolo-picked harmonic minor-third riff in the key of E.
All the while, Hest screamed these words...
Black Metal ist Krieg!
Black Metal ist Krieg!
Black fucking Metal ist Krieg!
Black...
Black Metal ist Krieg!
Black fucking Metal ist Krieg!
Black Metal ist Krieg!
Black...
Black Metal ist Krieg!
Ihr Wichser, es ist Krieg!
Black Metal!
Black...
Black Metal ist Krieg!
Black Metal ist Krieg!
Black...
Black...
Black Metal ist Krieg!
Fuck, Metal ist Krieg!
Black Metal!
Black...
Black Metal ist Krieg!
Black fucking Metal ist Krieg!
Black Metal ist Krieg!
Krieg...
Ihr Wichser, es ist Krieg!
Black Metal ist Krieg!
Ihr Wichser...
Krieg...
Krieg...
Black Metal ist Krieg!
Black fucking Metal ist Krieg!
Krieg...
Fuck you!
Krieg, es ist Krieg!
Black Metal ist Krieg!
Krieg...
Ihr Wichser, Krieg!
Es ist Krieg!
Black Metal ist Krieg ...
The second half of the song was more mid-paced, but even more chilling. As Discordia played a more rock n' roll-type beat, with the occasional double-bass kick thrown in, Flash, Pervertor and Tartarus played a riff that went from high E, down to low A, up to high D, then up to E, all in conjunction with minor chords and arpeggios in between and throughout that were so grim, chilling and ominous that the audience all literally got goosebumps. To them, it literally felt like it had just gotten colder inside the venue, even though no one had tampered with the thermostat; that was just how grim and frostbitten they managed to sound.
Hest, meanwhile, screamed indistinctly now and then as the rest of the band played on, and also took the opportunity to drink some water now and then in between measures. Even his vocal cords weren't exactly invincible.
However, that was where the real exclamation mark of the song came into play.
Before everyone knew it, the song came to its end, but it was a powerful one indeed. As Flash, Pervertor and Tartarus all played one, long, final sustained E note to cap it all off, Hest went over to Flash and held the microphone up near his mouth, at which point Flash, almost without thinking, yelled in an incredibly raspy, black metal-like tone that he never thought he could pull off.
"CANTERLOT IST KRIEG!"
This brought the crowd into a raucous applause as the sound from the guitars died off. The audience continued to cheer as Hest, Pervertor, Tartarus and Discordia all posed arrogantly before the crowd, flexing their massive muscles, while Flash just casually gave the sign of the horns and smiled.
When the cheering and applause started to die down, Bronycorpse retreated backstage, all satisfied with their performance, especially Hest.
"De Rainsboom will nevers be ables to tops dat!" he cackled to himself. "Dey'll either bes disqualsifieds or blow dere throat outs and chafs dere finger offs, and we'll wins by defaults! It perfects..."
"I dunno what you're saying, Hest," said an eavesdropping Tartarus, two fingers pinching his nose, "but I know you could use a breath mint."
"Alright, this is it, girls," Rainbow Dash said to her bandmates as Celestia and Luna addressed the crowd. "This is what we've been training for, right here! We're gonna do black metal so cold, so dark and grim, that Bronycorpse will be pleading for mercy! When the crowd goes crazy for us more than they were for those chumps, we'll win for sure! Now who's with me?!"
"We are!!!" cheered the rest.
"And now," proclaimed Celestia, "put your hands together for our school's biggest breakout popular hit group... THE RAINBOOMS!"
That was their cue. Twilight went up to the front and center stage where the microphone was, while Rainbow Dash walked up near the front with her guitar, Applejack with her bass, and Rarity with her keytar. Pinkie Pie sat down at her drum kit and Fluttershy stood back by the drums with her
tambourine in hand. As the crowd watched with bated breath, Pinkie tapped one-two-three-four on the hi-hats, and then their song started.
It was called "A Sovereign Fortress," originally performed by an old Norwegian black metal band called Antestor. That band had been strongly hated by the broader black metal scene because they practiced something that all those other bands stood against; Christianity. Antestor were a Christian black metal band, something that other black metal bands saw as blasphemy, and likewise something that The Rainbooms thought would be the perfect slap in the face to Bronycorpse, especially the radical, fanatic and maniacal Hest Endetarm.
The song started with Rainbow Dash and Applejack playing a riff in the key of D minor, that went from D, down to B-flat, down to G, up to A, and then back up to D again. They played this riff through for four measures; starting on the third measure, Pinkie Pie beat out a six-eighths beat on the drums, Rarity played some dark, cold ambient background noises on her keytar, while Fluttershy quietly tapped her tambourine along with Pinkie's drums in the background.
Then, for the next eight measures, Rainbow Dash and Applejack played in the key of A minor, moving from A, down to F, down to E and then back to A again. Pinkie Pie continued her six-eights beat on the drums while adding in double-kicks on her bass drum. Rarity kept up with her cold, ambient sounds on her keytar, Fluttershy kept tapping along on her tambourine, and Twilight, in a harsh, raspy screech that no one would've ever thought she could hope to achieve, belted out the beginning lyrics;
In You, I Have Taken Refuge
Never Let Me Be Put To Shame
As You Are Righteous Rescue Me And Save My Life
Hear Me And Set Me Free
Be A Rock Of Refuge For Me,
Where I May Ever Find Safety At Your Call
For You Are My Towering Crag And Stronghold
O Lord, Keep My Life Safe From The Wicked
As she sang those words, she reached up to the sky with her right hand, as if she were reaching out to God Himself. Already moved by the band's performance so far, the audience did the same. And as Bronycorpse was watching from the closed circuit TV screen in their backstage dressing room, Hest was outraged. Not only were The Rainbooms actually performing real black metal, but they were worshipping God, not Satan. To him, there was no greater blasphemy...
Twilight smirked. She had planned on using Rainbow Dash's suggestion of a song the minute she read the music.
Meanwhile, The Rainbooms played on. The song suddenly slowed down considerably, with Pinkie plodding along on her drums almost at the pace of a funeral march. Rainbow Dash and Applejack remained in the key of A minor, starting in D, then up to E, and then up to A before starting the riff over again. And as Rarity and Fluttershy plodded along on their instruments, Twilight, still in her God-worshipping pose, kept on shrieking.
You Are My Hope, O Lord, My Trust, O Lord, Since Girlhood
From Birth I Have Leaned Upon You
My Protector Since I Left My Mother's Womb
The song then went into one of black metal's signature trademarks; blast beats. Pinkie Pie broke out into a furious blast beat, still in the six-eighths time signature. Rainbow Dash and Applejack played along in the key of D minor, going from D, up to E, down to C then back up to D again. They played that through a couple of times, then went down to B flat, then down to A, before starting the riff over again, with keytar and tambourine still playing along in the background... then the song abruptly went back to its earlier six-eighths A minor segment from the first verse.
Twilight, now once again reaching up to the heavens, screeched these words;
Let All My Traducers Be Shamed And Dishonored
Let All Who Seek My Hurt Be Covered With Scorn
But I Will Wait In Continual Hope
I Will Praise You Again And Again
All Day Long Your Righteousness, Your Saving Acts,
Shall Be Upon My Lips
You Shall Ever Be The Theme Of My Praise
Your Righteousness, Yours Alone
Then they once again played their really slow and doomy piece, with Twilight once again screaming;
You Are My Hope, O Lord, My Trust, O Lord, Since Girlhood
From Birth I Have Leaned Upon You
My Protector Since I Left My Mother's Womb
The song then went back to the blast beats, playing that segment over again for four measures. Then, it went right back to its opening riff, this time with Pinkie Pie playing along in a slow four-fourths beat. She played like this for two measures before switching to a six-eighths beat while the guitar, bass and keytar kept playing their D minor riff.
At the same time, Twilight screamed these words up to the heavens;
For You Have Done Great Things
Who Is Like You?
With one final shriek of "O LORD!" the song ended abruptly. As cold and dark as it sounded, the song was also very uplifting for the audience; uplifting enough for them to reap massive amounts of applause upon The Rainbooms, who humbly took their bows, satisfied with their own performance, and more confident than ever that they'd beat Bronycorpse.
Bronycorpse themselves emerged from backstage to join The Rainbooms on stage once the cheers died down; it would now be time for the audience to judge which band won this battle. Both bands stood facing the crowd, trying like hell not to look at each other, but none put up a greater effort on that regard than Hest.
"Hows in helvete dids they pull dats off!" he seethed. "Black metal is ours ting! Hell, deys even brought dat Fluttershy chick back from the dead?!? None of my pacts with de Devil dids anything closes to dat!"
"Dude," began Pervertor in a straight monotone, "zip it."
In the meantime, the mood throughout the venue as a whole was more upbeat as Celestia took the microphone once again. "Well, I think we can all agree that those were both top-notch black metal performances that would make Norway proud," she said, with the audience applauding in response.
"Unfortunately," Luna broke in, "only one can come out above the other one here. And there's only one way to decide that outcome. If you think Bronycorpse is the winner, make some noise!"
On cue, loud cheers erupted from the crowd. Hest, Pervertor, Tartarus and Discordia all arrogantly flashed their muscles for the fans as they cheered while Flash simply smiled and waved.
"If you think The Rainbooms are the winners, make some noise!"
The Rainbooms all bowed as cheers came from the crowd; cheers that were just noticeably louder than those Bronycorpse received. Flash just shrugged it off; he wasn't looking to win, so much as to have fun, after all, which he did achieve, so all-in-all, he was satisfied nonetheless. If anything, he should be glad that his friends were getting this much applause. But Hest, Pervertor, Tartarus and Discordia hardly even noticed. They were all still certain that a large majority of the crowd had voted for them.
As Flash began to turn his head toward The Rainbooms' direction, he suddenly remembered seeing a flicker of gold and crimson to his right a few seconds ago. He looked back and found Sunset standing backstage, giving him a tiny, warm, encouraging smile. Nervously, Flash lifted his right hand and waved in her direction. Sunset's face instantly flushed.
Now Flash understood what came over him when he tacked Hest. It was like grade school all over again. Back when Flash and Sunset first met. Back when she was so helpless and he had to be the one to rescue her...
His focus was broken as Celestia and Luna took the mic one more time. "We have a winner," they declared in unison. "THE RAINBOOMS!!!" |
Sunset Shimmer and the Castle of Everfree | pre | "See for yourself," Sunset said as she stood up and handed the binoculars to Starlight.
The purple woman sat down on Sunset's seat and looked through the binoculars. She scanned the castle until she spotted a police car and two large trucks entering the castle through the front gate. The three vehicles stopped in the middle of the courtyard, and a couple dozen policemen came out from the back of the trucks. The front doors of the police car opened, and a purple man with spiky green hair and green eyes came out from the driver's seat. Starlight gasped in shock as a grayish mulberry woman with dark sapphire blue hair with moderate purple and brilliant raspberry streaks wearing glasses, a tan trench coat, and a white hat came out of the passenger seat. The woman was scanning the area with a determined look in her moderate violet eyes as she closed the door and started marching her way inside the building with the purple man following her.
"Crap. It's Sparkle and the Canterlot police," Starlight said fearfully.
"Sparkle as in Inspector Twilight Sparkle?" Tempest asked. "The woman who keeps trying to capture you guys?"
"Yup. That's her. Her brother, Lieutenant Spike, is there too," Starlight moaned. "Oh, why did they have to be here when we're about to get our biggest payday ever?"
"Hey, relax, Starlight. It's all part of the plan," Sunset said.
"What?! You brought them here?!" Starlight shouted.
"That's right," Sunset said. "I gave them an anonymous tip about my little note to the queen."
"Why on Earth would you do that?!" Starlight shouted.
"Oh, just wait and watch," Sunset said with a cocky smirk.
***************************************************************************************************
Back inside the castle, Adagio was in the dining hall, eating the most delicate fruit, bread, ham, and eggs money can buy. Cozy Glow was standing next to her, waiting on her queen while a group of butlers was standing beside the wall, ready to carry out whatever command their ruler would give regarding her meal. As she was sipping a cup of tea, the door opened, and a maid with light greenish-gray skin and moderate aquamarine hair entered the hall.
"Excuse me, Your Grace, but a force of the Canterlot police has arrived, and the leader and her second-in-command wishes to speak to you," she said.
Adagio raised her eyebrow as she put down her cup and said, "Very well. Send then in, Wallflower Blush."
Wallflower Blush gave the queen a bow before she opened the door, allowing Inspector Twilight Sparkle and her brother to come in. The two of them put their feet together and saluted Adagio before Twilight spoke.
"Sorry to interrupt your meal, Your Highness," Twilight said.
"I'm sure you are," Adagio said uncaringly. "Who are you?"
"My name is Inspector Twilight Sparkle of the Canterlot police, Your Majesty," Twilight replied. "And this is my second-in-command.
"Lieutenant Spike Sparkle, at your service, Your Highness," Spike greeted.
Cozy Glow covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing before whispering into Adagio's ear, "Spike Sparkle. Try saying that ten times fast, My Lady."
Adagio chuckled with her mouth closed before taking another sip of her tea. Spike glared at them for making fun of his name until Twilight elbowed his side
"What can I do for you, Inspector Sparkle?" Adagio asked.
Twilight cleared her throat and said, "We are in a special assignment to hunt down an international thief known as Sunset Shimmer."
"And that's a reason to interrupt my breakfast?" Adagio asked.
"I am telling you this because we have received a report that Sunset Shimmer has given you a note announcing that she is going to kidnap your fiance," Twilight said.
"So?" Adagio asked.
"We wish to protect you and aid your security in stopping her," Twilight said.
Adagio chuckled with her mouth closed again and said, "I think my security can handle an overconfident thief, inspector."
"With all due respect, Your Highness, Sunset Shimmer is not to be underestimated," Twilight said. "She is a criminal mastermind who has stolen from some of the most highly secure places in the world. If you're not careful, she will sneak up from under you and take what she wants before you know it."
"Oh, please. How can she do that when she's already given away that she wants to steal my groom?" Adagio asked.
"Because that's how she works, Your Majesty," Twilight said. "She reveals what she's going to steal, and then she does it before you can do anything to stop her. Recently, she stole from a national casino in Yakyakistan, publicly telling it to her audience before security could do anything."
"The security of a casino isn't the same as the security to the leader of a country, inspector," Adagio said.
"Fair point, Your Majesty, but even the homes of kings, queens, presidents, and chancellors have proven to be no match for Sunset Shimmer," Twilight said.
"And what makes you so sure you can protect my fiance when you haven't captured Sunset Shimmer already?" Adagio asked.
"Because I believe with my knowledge and the teamwork between my men and your security, we can catch her," Twilight replied.
Adagio stared at Twilight, unconvinced with her claim. Then she smirked and picked up a bell next to her plate. With a little ring, another door opened to reveal a tall, muscular man with red skin, and light indigoish gray hair and beard wearing gold armor. He marched into the hall with a stern look until he was standing next to Twilight and Spike. Spike felt a chill down his spine as the man glanced at him with a menacing look in his brilliant yellow eyes while waiting for orders.
"This is the captain of my royal guard, Tirek," Adagio introduced. "Tirek, this is Inspector Sparkle. You are to cooperate with her as she helps you protect the prince. Listen to any information she has regarding Sunset Shimmer."
"As you command, My Queen," Tirek said in a low voice.
"Thank you, Your Highness," Twilight said. "Also, if I may ask, do you have any idea why Sunset Shimmer would want to kidnap Prince Rough Draft? Any knowledge you have would be helpful."
"Why don't you tell me?" Adagio asked smugly. "You're the inspector, after all."
Twilight and Spike furrowed their brows before they saluted the queen again with Twilight saying, "Thank you for your time, Your Majesty." The two of them followed Tirek out of the hall while Adagio quietly went back to her meal.
"My Queen, are you sure letting the police stay here is a good idea?" Cozy Glow asked. "If we are not careful, they might suspect something."
"I wouldn't worry about it, Cozy Glow," Adagio said confidently. "I have an influential friend in Canterlot, so the inspector is not going to be staying here for long. Besides, I see no harm in gathering information that can be used to stop the person who wants to take my Rough Draft away from me."
Cozy Glow thought about it for a moment before she smirked, deciding to trust her mistress's devious mind.
************************************************************************************************
As Adagio ate her breakfast, Tirek showed Twilight and Spike around the castle. Twilight looked around the area as she walked, thinking of ways that Sunset might sneak in. It seemed like there was no way that the thief could get in given the guards, butlers, and maids all over the castle, but the inspector experienced too much of Sunset's clever tricks to be convinced. It didn't help that Tirek was boasting about how secure the building was like many have before.
"We have thirty members of the royal guard all armed with swords and wearing the best armor there is," Tirek said. "Our maids and butlers are unarmed, but they know how to defend themselves through martial arts if necessary."
"Uh, that's all well and good, captain, but we're trying to stop a thief, not an assassination," Spike said.
Tirek scoffed at the policeman whose height only reached his chest and said, "Well, don't you feel smart for stating the obvious, you little pipsqueak?"
"Hey! Who are you calling a pipsqueak?!" Spike barked.
"Calm down, Spike," Twilight said before turning to Tirek. "He's right, though. Sunset Shimmer tends to find ways to sneak past security. She'll only use violence when stealing something if she wants the heist to be fun."
"Heh. Whatever you say, inspector," Tirek said uncaringly.
Twilight furrowed her brow at the captain, as the three of them entered the courtyard at the second level. The area appeared simple enough with green grass, cemented pathways, and rose bushes planted close to the wall. Twilight looked at how close the bushes were to the wall skeptically, thinking Sunset might climb up the wall and use the bushes to sneak her way inside. She took a step to get a better look until Tirek blocked her path with his thick arm.
"I wouldn't go any further if I were you," he said.
"And why's that?" Twilight asked.
Tirek thought about how to answer before he asked, "Do either of you have a pen or something like that I can use?"
"I do," Spike said as he took a pen out of his pocket.
Tirek took the pen and held it out so that the tip was just above the grass. Twilight and Spike watched in confusion until the end of the pen exploded with a pop. They jumped in alarm, and Tirek grinned, amused by their reaction.
"What in the world was that?!" Twilight asked.
"Laser guns," Tirek said. "They are hiding in the bushes. We have motion detectors that activate them. Anyone who goes farther than here will be dead before they've taken their first step. I suggest you let your officers know not to go wandering around if you know what's good for them."
Twilight and Spike stared at the remains of the pen, dumbfounded by this information. Tirek chuckled as he gave the pen back to Spike and said, "Let's move on." The siblings turned to each other and frowned as they walked behind Tirek.
"I don't like this, Twilight," Spike whispered. "Something is fishy."
"I agree, Spike," Twilight whispered back. "Maids and butlers knowing martial arts covering every hall and laser guns? This castle has very elaborate security. Too elaborate. Not even Canterlot Castle has security like this. There's no reason the castle of a small country like Everfree should have more security than some of the major countries in the world."
"But, isn't this a good thing?" Spike asked. "Maybe they have the right preventive measures to stop Sunset Shimmer."
"Maybe, but this still seems fishy," Twilight said. "The way Queen Adagio was acting mixed with this security makes it seem like she's hiding something, and somehow the prince is the key for Sunset Shimmer to get it. We might have to keep an eye out for Her Highness as well as Shimmer."
***********************************************************************************************
But while the two officers were following Tirek, Sunset was watching them with her binoculars from the shack with a devious grin.
"Laser guns, eh? Interesting," she said. "I knew I could count on our old buddy, Twilight."
"Ah, so that's why you got Sparkle into the picture," Tempest said.
"Of course," Sunset said. "Twilight always inspects whatever place we're going to break into to find out what security it has. That's what makes it so hilariously ironic that she's helping us find out what we're up against by spying on her."
"Heh. Trick your enemies into helping you with your heist. I like the way you think, Shimmer," Tempest said.
"But, how will we sneak in and get the prince when we have all of that security and Sparkle to worry about?" Starlight asked. "That might be too much for us to handle."
"Possibly," Sunset admits. "The queen's security is nothing like what we've faced before. Heck, there wasn't anything like motion detectors or lasers when I tried to break in last time. Having said that, I have a few ideas starting with how we're going to get in."
"And that would be?" Tempest questioned.
"The aqueduct," Sunset said.
"The aqueduct?" Starlight asked.
"The lake up here in Rough Draft's family garden flows into a tunnel underneath the clocktower that leads to the aqueduct. That's how the castle gets its water supply," Sunset explained. "With the scuba diving gear Tempest brought us, we're going to swim our way inside the aqueduct into the windmill on the other side. That's how we'll get to the castle grounds. From there, we're going to take advantage of the fact that the Sparkle siblings are here and disguise themselves as them."
"Oh, I see. With the Canterlot police aiding the security, no one would question why Inspector Twilight and Lieutenant Spike are wandering around the castle," Starlight said.
"Or why they would go to where Rough Draft is since everyone inside knows he's the target," Sunset added.
"Hmmm. That sounds all well and clever, Shimmer, but how do you plan to leave with the prince?" Tempest asked.
"Uh, I haven't figured that out yet," Sunset admitted. "More than likely, they'll be holding him in one of the towers. Worst case scenario, we'll break a window in his room, use my grappling gun to safely take us down to the rooftops on the lower levels of the castle, and basically walk on the roofs back to the windmill and then walk back here on top of the aqueduct."
"I say that's risky, but that's nothing new when working with you, boss," Starlight said.
Sunset smirked at her friend before Tempest asked, "So, what am I doing?"
"You're going to be the lookout," Sunset answered. "If anything goes wrong, you're going to be the person we contact for help. We might be fighting our way to escape, so we'll look to you to come to our aid, sword ready."
Tempest frowned and said, "That's an insulting waste of my talents, but if that's what I need to do to get my thirty-five percent, then I'll do it."
"Excellent," Sunset said. "We'll begin the operation at ten tonight. Let's take that time to set up and rest before then."
"Sounds good, boss," Starlight said.
"Very well," Tempest said.
With that, Starlight opened the other case and started taking out the scuba gear and disguises while Tempest decided to take a nap while still on her chair. As her comrades were getting ready, Sunset turned to look at the castle again through the window. She took out her rose necklace from under her shirt and held it close to her as she looked at the towers where her beloved could be.
"Hang on, Rough Draft," she whispered. "I'm coming." |
Sunset Shimmer and the Castle of Everfree | Chapter 6 | It was five minutes until ten at night. The moon was shining brightly again, and the town was asleep. But over at the Lunar property, Sunset and Starlight were getting into their scuba diving suits while Tempest kept watch at the top of the tunnel. Starlight had her anti-tank rifle put inside a waterproof bag that she strapped to her back while Sunset had a backpack that contained their disguises. The two of them got into the water, which went up to their chests, and Sunset loosened one of the bars blocking the tunnel before looking up at Tempest.
"Alright, ladies, it's time to get the show on the road," she announced. "Tempest, I'm counting on you to be ready for anything."
"Understood," Tempest said. "But since I'll be all the way here, I must ask: how do I know if you two have died while breaking in?"
"Er, just give us a couple of days," Sunset said with a shrug.
"A couple of days?" Starlight questioned.
"Hey, you never know," Sunset said.
Tempest thought about it before she hummed with her mouth closed and said, "Very well. I hope you don't waste so much of my time by making me wait to make sure that you died."
"Yeah, well, at least you'll have the money you earned for bringing our equipment," Sunset said.
"That isn't reassuring, Shimmer," Tempest said.
"No, I guess not," Sunset said. "Anyway, ready to go, Starlight?"
"I'm right behind you, boss," Starlight replied.
"Alright, then let's go," Sunset said.
Sunset gave Tempest a salute, who responded with a nod before the amber woman went through the gap in the bars, followed by Starlight. They walked carefully into the dark tunnel until they heard the sound of water falling. The two of them moved close to the wall as they looked down to find that the water was sliding down a long slope leading to under the clock tower.
"This is it," Sunset said. "We're swimming underwater all the way to the windmill from here."
"Understood," Starlight said. "Good luck, Sunset."
"You too, Starlight," Sunset replied.
The two of them put their regulators in their mouths and slid down the slope belly down with Sunset leading. When they reached the bottom, they started swimming further into the tunnel. Neither of them could see where they were going because the area was pitch black, so they were forced to trust the current. Eventually, they spotted a light on the other side and swam towards it, knowing they were heading in the right direction. They came out of the tunnel and saw that they were below the many gears inside the clocktower.
But as they went further down the stream, they looked ahead, and their eyes widened, realizing they were heading to a waterfall. Starlight swam to the side and grabbed a small gap between the bricks, but Sunset wasn't so quick. She turned around and moved her arms and legs as fast as she could, but that only delayed the inevitable as she moved closer to the edge. Starlight could do nothing but watch as Sunset went down the waterfall.
Sunset looked down as she fell, and her eyes widened with horror to find that she was falling toward the area between two moving gears. She quickly moved to the side of the waterfall before she could be crushed between them only to fall into the gap between two other gears. She slid down from one gap between gears to another, keeping her body straight, and her head turned to the side to barely fit into the right spaces. Finally, she made her way to the bottom and found another dark tunnel on the other side. Realizing the tunnel was leading the way through the aqueduct, Sunset swam towards that direction, hoping that she didn't have to worry about being crushed the rest of the way.
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Back in the castle grounds, Twilight was keeping a watchful eye around the area. Her officers were back in their trucks, eating instant noodles before starting their patrol around the castle. The grayish mulberry woman scanned the castle's second-level courtyard as best as she could without getting hit by the lasers, but she couldn't think of a way Sunset could get inside the castle without getting killed. It didn't help that she still had the unsettled feeling that Adagio was up to something. She wished there was a way to find out what the queen was hiding.
"Twilight?"
Twilight snapped out of her train of thought and turned around to see Spike walking over to her, carrying two cups of instant noodles and chopsticks. Spike gave his sister a worried look and handed one of the cups and a pair of chopsticks to her as he said, "You're doing it again."
"Doing what?" Twilight asked.
"You know what," Spike said. "You're getting worked up about whether or not we will catch Sunset Shimmer this time."
Twilight sighed and asked, "Can you blame me, Spike? We've been trying to catch her for years, and every time we think we can catch her, she finds a way to outwit us. I want to think she's going to fail with all of this security, but I'm almost positive that she will find a weakness. There has to be a way that we can discover a flaw and stop her before she uses it."
"Well, you're not going to find out on an empty stomach," Spike said as he took out the lid to his cup.
Twilight smiled and said, "You're right, Spike," before she opened her cup and separated her chopsticks. The two siblings ate in silence, with Twilight still scanning the area as she slurped her noodles. Spike finished his cup first before deciding to strike a conversation.
"By the way, I called Rarity while I was heating the water for our noodles," he said.
"Oh, dear. What did you tell her?" Twilight asked.
"Just that she has nothing to worry about," Spike said. "I explained how tight the security is and why Sunset Shimmer isn't going to break in guns blazing this time. That seemed to assure her that nothing bad is going to happen."
"Good," Twilight said. "Is there a message for me?"
Spike smirked and said, "Just the usual warning: 'not a scratch, Twilight Sparkle. Not one scratch on my Spikey-Wikey."
"Seriously?" Twilight asked. "I get that she worries about you every time we're on an assignment outside of Canterlot, but you'd think she'd worry about her sister-in-law's wellbeing once in a while."
Spike chuckled and said, "What can I say? I'm very precious to my wife."
Twilight groaned and rolled her eyes before going back to her noodles. As she lifted her head to drink the remaining contents of her dinner, however, she noticed the windmill and stopped drinking in mid-slurp. Spike looked at his sister curiously as Twilight raised her eyebrow.
"What is it?" Spike asked.
"That windmill," Twilight said. "Do you know if that's used for anything?"
"Yeah, I heard from one of the guards that they use it to retrieve water from the river using the aqueduct," Spike said.
"Where does the water go from the windmill?" Twilight asked.
"It leads to a fountain up the third level," Spike answered.
Twilight frowned and asked, "Do they have any security there?"
"Huh? Why would they have security for a windmill?" Spike asked. "You'd have to be silly to think someone would install lasers or something to guard an -"
Twilight and Spike's eyes widened as it hit them. They dropped their chopsticks and cups and raced to the nearest staircase to the third level. They looked around until they found a fountain in the third-level courtyard. At the center of the fountain was a statue of a lion with water coming out of its mouth. Twilight and Spike looked at each other and nodded before they walked to opposite sides of the fountain. They stepped into the water and slowly walked to both sides of the statue before leaning in to look inside the mouth.
But while they were looking at the mouth of the statue, a police officer with white skin and navy blue hair ran over to them, panting before he saluted Twilight.
"Inspector, Derpy just received a call from Chancellor Neighsay," he said. "We are to withdraw and head back to Canterlot at once."
"What?!" Twilight screamed. "We're in the middle of trying to nab Sunset Shimmer! Why in the world does he want us to withdraw?"
"I don't know, ma'am," the officer replied.
Twilight groaned and said, "Come on. Let's get to the bottom of this."
The inspector and the lieutenant got out of the water and marched out of the courtyard, the officer following behind. For several seconds the area was quiet apart from the sound of water coming out of the statue's mouth. Then two amber hands came out of the mouth and pulled up for Sunset to slip out. She fell into the fountain and took a moment to ease up, relieved that she wasn't trapped inside the statue anymore before she stood up and took the regulator out of her mouth.
"Man, that was close," she whispered to herself. "Twilight's getting smarter."
Sunset ran to a wall covered in shadow and took off her scuba gear. She then opened her backpack and took out the same clothes Twilight was wearing, a wig, and a makeup kit, and started covering her face in grayish mulberry makeup. As she was putting on her disguise, she noticed Starlight's disguise as Spike still inside her backpack and wondered what happened to her friend.
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Back at the property of the Lunar family, Tempest was on top of the wall next to the clocktower. She rested her head with her arms, already bored from keeping watch. Minute by minute, she grew eager to find out that Sunset and Starlight needed her help so that she could run on top of the aqueduct to the castle and start mercilessly cutting people down with her sword.
As Tempest dreamed for action, she heard the sound of someone coming out of the tunnel. She raised her eyebrow as she stood up and grasped the handle of her sword. The dark orchid woman waited until the person came out of the tunnel to draw her sword, jump into the water, and point her weapon at the unknown person.
"Whoa, whoa, easy! It's just me!" Starlight shouted, waving her hands in defense.
Tempest looked at Starlight, confused, and asked, "Where's Shimmer?"
"We got separated," Starlight said. "We were riding the current to the clocktower, but there was a waterfall, and Sunset fell in. I had to use the gaps between the bricks to climb my way back here."
"So, she's dead?" Tempest asked.
"I hope not," Starlight said. "There was no other direction the water could have gone that led to the aqueduct, so maybe she went the right way."
"Maybe isn't good enough," Tempest said. "Is there any way we can find out for sure?"
"I tried getting out of the water to look, but there are laser guns inside the clock tower, too," Starlight said.
"That's not good," Tempest said. "What do we do now?"
Starlight sighed and said, "I guess we're just gonna have to wait and hope she made it."
Tempest frowned and said, "I'm already bored from keeping watch for thirty minutes. Do you seriously expect me to wait a whole day or two for someone who might already be dead?"
"Tempest, if there's one thing I've learned about Sunset, it's that she's hard to kill," Starlight said. "With any luck, she's in the castle and is already using her disguise to get the prince. She'll figure something out."
"You better be right, Glimmer," Tempest said. "I didn't come all this way for a job that fails as soon as it began."
Starlight frowned and turned to the tunnel while Tempest was getting out of the water.
"I hope I'm right too, Tempest," she whispered.
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Back in the castle grounds, Twilight, Spike, and the white officer walked back to where the police trucks and Spike's car were. One of the officers, a gray woman with sapphire bluish-gray skin, grayish apple green hair and crossed moderate gamboge eyes, was carrying a large pack strapped to her back with a phone attached. The officer looked at Twilight, concerned as the inspector took the phone from her hand and held it up to her ear.
"This is Inspector Sparkle. What's the meaning of this?" She asked. "What? But chancellor, we have solid evidence that Sunset Shimmer is attempting to kidnap the prince. She said what? That's not true! But she permitted us to help her stop Shimmer. I don't care what she said. If she underestimates Sunset Shimmer, she wi - Hello? Hello? Augh!"
Twilight slammed the phone on the slot in the pack, frustrated. Spike and the officers looked at each other, concerned before the lieutenant asked, "What did the chancellor say?"
"He said Queen Adagio requested that we pull back, claiming that we insulted her by saying she has poor security," Twilight said.
"That's ridiculous. We never said anything like that," Spike said.
"That's what I told him," Twilight said. "Chancellor Neighsay also said that the queen was crying hysterically when she called him."
Spike frowned and said, "That doesn't sound anything like how she acted when we talked to her. Do you think she manipulated the chancellor to order us to leave?"
Twilight frowned and looked up at the castle with a suspicious glare, saying, "Yes, I do. This raises my suspicions that Queen Adagio is hiding something she doesn't want us to know about."
"What are we going to do?" Spike asked.
Twilight hummed in thought before she turned to her officers and ordered, "Derpy, tell everyone to get their gears ready and await further instructions."
"Yes, ma'am," the gray woman named Derpy replied.
"Spike, come with me," Twilight said.
"You got it, sis," Spike replied.
The two siblings marched their way back up the stairs to the main entrance of the castle. Unknown to them, however, Sunset was hiding behind the bushes next to the staircase. Her face and hands were covered in grayish mulberry makeup, and she had violet contact lenses in her eyes. She was dressed in Twilight's clothes and wearing a wig of the inspector's hair. The thief in disguise grinned as she quietly followed the police behind the bushes.
When Twilight and Spike made it to the top, two guards were standing on opposite sides of the entrance holding spears while Tirek and a couple dozen other guards stood behind them. Twilight marched ahead of her brother toward the entrance only for the guards to block her with their spears.
"I demand to see the queen at once," Twilight said.
"I'm sorry, but Her Majesty has strict instructions not to allow you or any of your police officers past this point," Tirek said with a smug grin.
"But Sunset Shimmer could be sneaking her way into this castle any moment," Twilight said. "How do you expect to stop her without help?"
"I don't," Tirek replied. "You were ordered to leave, Inspector. I suggest you do it."
"How did you know about that?" Spike asked.
Tirek turned to Spike and mockingly said, "Why do you think the mighty royal guards need help from little pipsqueaks to do their job?"
Spike grinded his teeth and marched toward the muscular man only for Twilight to force him back with her arm.
"Take it easy, Spike. He's not worth it," Twilight said. "It's obvious the captain relies too much on his muscles than his brains. It's no wonder he can't say insults worse than what a nine-year-old boy can think of."
Tirek frowned and asked, "Are you saying I'm dumb?"
"I didn't use the word 'dumb,'" Twilight taunted while smirking. "But if you're wondering if you are, it would explain why you think you need brawn over brains to capture a thief."
Spike snickered while Tirek grew angry and growled, "My men and I are the only security Queen Adagio needs. You're just a puny woman trying to act tough when you have never caught this Sunset Shimmer."
"True, but I'm smart enough to learn from my mistakes, and I've worked together with security from other castles. And do you know what they have in common? They're all smarter than you," Twilight countered. "They had brains as well as brawn to do their jobs. You? You probably rely on your sword and muscles so much that you can't even stop a teeny tiny mouse from entering the castle. In fact, I bet the teeny tiny mouse can do better at capturing Sunset Shimmer than you."
At this point, Spike was laughing out loud, and Sunset was covering her mouth to keep her enemies from hearing her laugh. Even Tirek's men were struggling to keep straight faces. Twilight crossed her arms and gave the captain of the guard a smug look as a way of saying, "Your move." Tirek's anger grew, and he barked, "Enough! I want you out of the castle grounds, and I want you out now!"
Twilight and Spike looked at each other, satisfied with the former's work before Twilight said, "Yes, I think we've overstayed our welcome. But, if Sunset Shimmer kidnaps the prince and the queen blames you for it, don't say we didn't try to help you."
With that, the siblings saluted the captain and started walking down the staircase. As they walked down, Sunset saw Spike looking back to see Tirek still annoyed and then turned to his sister, saying, "Thanks."
"Hey, I wasn't going to let him talk to my little brother like that," Twilight said. "Besides, you wouldn't have helped things if you tried to attack him."
"Yeah, I guess not," Spike said. "But, what do we do now? They might fail to stop Sunset Shimmer even with their tight security."
Twilight frowned and said, "We'll think of something. Hopefully, if she does, that will teach Queen Adagio for getting rid of us. But, if Sunset Shimmer does kidnap the prince, I hope she doesn't harm him."
"Heh. If only you knew about me and my baby, Twilight," Sunset whispered before looking back up the stairs with a mischievous grin. "So, the captain of the guard has a quick temper, eh? I think I can work around that."
She waited until Twilight and Spike were far enough down the steps to come out of her hiding place. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to get into character before running up the stairs, panting as though she had been running up the entire staircase. Tirek was turning around before he heard the thief climb up, and the two guards in front of him blocked the entrance again. When Sunset reached the top of the stairs, she got on her knees, pretending to be out of breath before looking up at Tirek.
"Were my brother and I here just now?" She asked.
"Yes, And I told you both to leave," Tirek growled.
"You imbecile! Those were Sunset Shimmer and her partner, Starlight Glimmer, in disguise!" Sunset shouted. "They were trying to sneak in, you big brute!"
Tirek and his men looked at Sunset, confused before the captain frowned and said, "You're just trying to get in to see the queen."
"Oh, come on! It's so obviously, not us!" Sunset rebuked. "Can't you tell how Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer sounded different from us? That wasn't even one of their best disguises! Why, I know security guards, who couldn't make it past third grade who could figure out that that was them!"
Tirek and his men stared at her, shocked by her claims. The captain of the guard began to grow angry again as he started to believe Sunset. The amber woman in disguise resisted the urge to grin over the fact that she had Tirek right where she wanted him.
"What's the matter, you brainless ape?! Are you going to let them get away?!" She mocked. "What if the queen finds out?! She'll probably want your head! On second thought, she probably wouldn't want your head because there's nothing inside! She'll probably just have you shot dead and be done with it! You must be so dumb that your mother turns in her grave regularly for giving birth to such a witless oaf! Now you and your men better go after those two right now before I tell the queen about how worthless her royal guard is!"
By this point, Tirek's already red face turned barn red, and even his guards were furious that they supposedly had been tricked. With bloodthirsty cries, Tirek and his men drew their swords and charged down the steps. Sunset backed away with an amused smirk as the entire royal guard passed by her. It wasn't long before Twilight and Spike, who were close to the bottom of the staircase, turned around to find Tirek and her men running toward them.
"You won't get away from us, Sunset Shimmer!" Tirek screamed.
"Sunset Shimmer?!" Twilight asked. "What are you talking about?!"
But instead of a response, Tirek let out another war cry, aiming his sword at Twilight as he ran down the stairs. It took a moment before Twilight and Spike realized that Tirek thought the inspector is Sunset in disguise and began running down the stairs for their lives.
"Officers, help!" Spike cried out as they ran.
The squadron on the ground floor heard the lieutenant and looked in shock to see the royal guard chasing their superiors. They quickly grabbed their clubs and ballistic shields and charged up the stairs to meet Tirek and his men. The two forces clashed into each other with the police surrounding Twilight and Spike. Tirek and his men were hitting the police's shields to no effect while the police tried to force the guards back.
"What in the world is with them?" Twilight asked. "I'm not Sunset Shimmer."
"I don't know," Spike said. "They couldn't possibly mistake any of us for her unless..."
At that moment, Twilight and Spike looked past the guards to find Sunset watching at the top of the stairs, still disguised as the inspector. Sunset could see the two of them while the police and guards were fighting, and she lowered her bottom eyelid and stuck her tongue out at them. Twilight and Spike clenched their teeth as the thief turned around and walked toward the main entrance.
"Hey! Sunset Shimmer is up there! She's disguised as Twilight!" Spike shouted.
"I'm not falling for your tricks again, Starlight Glimmer!" Tirek roared.
Spike frowned and turned to his older sister, asking, "What do we do now?"
Twilight thought about it and said, "I'll just have to sneak away and grab her myself."
"Are you sure you can do that?" Spike asked. "Let me go with you."
"No. Stay with the squad. They need you to lead them in my absence," Twilight commanded. "Just distract Tirek long enough for me to get through."
Spike's frown deepened, not wanting his older sister to chase Sunset alone. He sighed in defeat and said, "Be careful, okay?"
"You too," Twilight said with a smile. "Please don't get a scratch so that Rarity doesn't kill me."
"I'll do my best," Spike said with a chuckle.
The two siblings gave each other one last look before Twilight went down on her knees, and Spike turned to Tirek. The captain was slamming his sword against one of the officer's shields as Spike scooted his way to stand behind the officer.
"Hey, big, tall, and stupid! Not so tough with your muscles and pretty sword, are you?" He mocked. "You guys aren't doing anything to our shields!"
Tirek's face turned from barn red to mahogany, and he screamed, "I'm going to make you wish you never stepped into the compound, Starlight Glimmer!"
"Joke's on you! I'm not Starlight Glimmer!" Spike teased.
As the police and guards tried to push the other back, Twilight crawled on all fours, carefully making her way through the guards who were too focused on the fight to notice her. When she made it out, she stood up and ran up the stairs, taking out a pair of handcuffs as she ran.
Back up the staircase, Sunset walked over to the front doors and pressed her ear against one of them. When it didn't sound like anyone was on the other side, she carefully opened the door and found a bust of Adagio standing on a white column several feet from the entrance. Sunset looked at the statue suspiciously and carefully placed her foot inside. The floor seemed stable, but there was something about it that didn't feel right.
"Sunset Shimmer!"
Sunset jumped and turned around in shock to find Twilight at the top of the staircase. The grayish mulberry inspector held up her pair of handcuffs and charged at the thief, shouting, "You're not getting away this time, Shimmer!" But just as the inspector pounced, Sunset moved away, causing Twilight to run past her and burst through the doors. Twilight had a second to regain her balance before the floor suddenly opened beneath her. Sunset watched as Twilight fell down the hole, screaming before the floor closed up.
Sunset stared at the floor, surprised until she heard the sound of someone opening a door. She quickly closed the entrance door on the right and left the left door open just enough to see Cozy Glow open a hidden door on the wall. She walked to the head statue of Adagio, where a photo of Twilight falling into the trapdoor came out of its mouth. Cozy Glow chuckled with her mouth closed as she took the picture out of the statue's mouth and turned the head of the statue to face the wall.
"That stupid four eyes. She should have left when she had the chance," the teenager said before she frowned and looked at the entrance. "But, what are Tirek and his men doing away from their post?"
Sunset quickly moved to the side as Cozy Glow opened the doors and started walking down the steps. The amber woman waited until the maid was far enough down the steps to open the doors and quietly come inside the room. She walked over to the statue and inspected it before a devious smirk entered her face.
"I see. If the statue is facing the door, anyone who enters the room will fall into the trap, but if it's facing the wall, they'll be fine," she said to herself. "I think I have time for a little fun with this."
Sunset walked behind the statue and turned its head to face the door again before putting her wig and hat on top of it. She then took off her costume, took the violet contact lenses out of her eyes, and started using makeup remover to remove the grayish mulberry makeup on her face and hands to pass the time. She had finished removing the makeup on her face and left hand when she heard the sound of two people walking toward the entrance on the other side.
"I can't believe you let the inspector get inside!" Cozy Glow rebuked. "You're lucky she fell into the trap."
"I wish both she and brother fell in," Tirek growled. "I'm going to strangle that pee-wee if I get another chance."
"It's no use grumbling about it now, you buffoon," Cozy Glow said as she opens the doors. "We need to get back before Sunset Shim -"
The maid and the captain froze in place, and their eyes widened as they saw the bust facing them with the wig and hat on top of it. Sunset Shimmer turned to them while using the makeup remover on her right hand and gave them a smug look as she waved her hand and said, "Buh-bye," in a singing voice. The trap door opened, and Tirek and Cozy Glow screamed as they fell into the hole while Sunset laughed out loud.
"Mental note: thank the queen for the opportunity to pull that prank on those two," she said as she finished removing the makeup and started walking down the hall. "And now to find my Rough Draft." |
Sunset Shimmer and the Castle of Everfree | Chapter 7 | On one of the higher levels of Castle Everfree, Flash was inside a dark drawing-room. He had opened a safe behind a painting on the wall and started looking through the files. But no matter what he found, there was nothing that gave a hint as to where the Horse Bills were coming from.
Suddenly, he felt a hand grab his shoulder. He let out a gasp and froze in place, worried that he had been caught by one of the queen's people. He tried to think of a way to escape until he heard a familiar voice whispering in his ear.
"You're cute whenever you break into a safe. You know that, Flash?" Sunset said.
"Sunset?" Flash asked, shocked as he turned around to see the amber thief. "I can't believe you made it up here."
"Aw! Is that all you have to say after two years? I'm heartbroken," Sunset said with a playful pout.
Flash frowned and said, "Drop the act, Sunset. I know you're only here for the prince."
"Oh, you know about my little message?" Sunset asked.
"I do," Flash said, crossing his arms. "Why are you trying to kidnap the prince?"
"Kidnap?" Sunset asked, pretending to be offended. "That's such a naughty word. I prefer the term 'dashing rescue.'"
Flash raised his eyebrow and said, "Seriously, Sunset, why are you going after the prince?"
Sunset smirked and raised her eyebrow as she asked, "Why do you ask? Are you jealous?"
"Should I be?" Flash asked.
"Extremely," Sunset replied.
"Why?" Flash asked.
"Let me put it this way," Sunset said as she reached under her shirt and took out her rose necklace. "You've always wondered where this came from, right?"
Flash stared at the necklace, taken aback. He looked up at Sunset, who gave him a serious look and a nod to confirm what he was thinking. Flash frowned as moments between him and Sunset in the past became clear just by looking at the necklace.
"I see," he said. "So, you're really here just for him?"
"I am," Sunset answered.
"Then, you're not here for the counterfeit money?" Flash asked.
"Oh, I'm here for that too, but I'm not going to try anything until Rough Draft is free," Sunset replied.
Flash hesitated and said, "Well, I'm here to find where the queen is printing the fake money. If I tell you where the prince is, will you not interfere with my job?"
"We'll see," Sunset said.
Flash frowned before he sighed, knowing Sunset well enough to know that was the best deal he was going to get.
"Fine," he said. "He's in the north tower."
Sunset smiled and said, "I knew I could count on you, Flash."
"Save it," Flash said. "Just don't cause any trouble."
"Hey, it's me," Sunset said with a cheerful smile as she walked away into the shadows.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Flash said before he went back to looking through the files.
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The lights were out in Rough Draft's bedroom, and he was sitting on a chair next to the large window. It was over half-past eleven, but the prince couldn't sleep. His bed was left tidy and unused, and he hadn't changed into his nightclothes. He simply sat down and stared at the moon, which was the only thing that was giving light to his room. His face showed no emotion apart from the look of despair in his eyes, which grew as clouds covered the moon, keeping it from shining on him.
As he stared at the night sky, however, he felt a soft breeze blowing from behind him. He turned around to find the small window on the ceiling open, and there was a shadowy figure standing on the other side of the room. Rough Draft stood up and moved back to the edge of the window, worried that he was going to be attacked.
"Who are you? What do you want?" He asked.
The figure chuckled with her mouth closed and said, "Now, babe, I thought I told you you don't need to be afraid of me."
Rough Draft became confused with the figure's response until he realized that the person's voice sounded familiar. The figure walked over to him, and the clouds uncovered the moon just in time for it to shine on the room again, revealing Sunset looking at Rough Draft with a loving smile. The purple man stared in disbelief for a moment before his face lit up, and he ran towards her. The two of them squeezed each other as if it would make up for all the time away from each other's arms. Sunset sighed blissfully as she closed her eyes and snuggled her head on Rough Draft's shoulder.
"This is real," Rough Draft said. "You're really here."
"I can say the same thing to you," Sunset said.
Rough Draft smiled and rested his head on Sunset's as they hugged. Sunset felt a tear in her eye while her heart leaped at the feel of her beloved's arms. Eventually, the two of them broke the hug, and they stared at each other's eyes with Sunset caressing Rough Draft's cheek.
"What are you doing here?" Rough Draft asked.
"What do you mean, what am I doing here? I've come to save you, silly," Sunset said.
"Save me?" Rough Draft asked.
"Well, you want to get out of here, right?" Sunset asked. "You obviously don't want to marry the queen."
"Well, no, I don't, but there's no way we can escape," Rough Draft said.
"Aw, come now, Rough Draft. You should have more faith in me," Sunset said with a playful pout. "I made it all the way here, didn't I? That's much farther than the last time I tried to break into this castle."
"I know, but there's no way that you can keep me away from her for long," Rough Draft said sadly. "Adagio is a powerful woman, Sunset. She has the resources to get whatever she wants no matter what it takes."
"Oh, you mean like this?" Sunset asked as she took out Rough Draft's ring from her pocket.
Rough Draft looked at the ring in shock and hissed, "Sunset, are you crazy? I left my ring with you because I wanted it away from here!"
"I know, but I don't think we need to hide it anymore since I'm getting you out of here," Sunset said as she put the ring on his finger. "Besides, it's your father's ring."
Rough Draft couldn't help but smile at the way Sunset was being thoughtful. Sunset smiled back, glad to see the prince smiling before she frowned and moved closer to him with her hand on his cheek again.
"I'm sorry about your parents, Rough Draft," she said.
Rough Draft's face fell, and he placed his hand on Sunset's hand that was on his cheek.
"Thank you, sunshine," he said.
"Do you know what caused it?" Sunset asked.
"No. No one has any idea what happened," Rough Draft answered. "There was nothing in the remains that gave the firefighters a clue as to what happened."
"I swear, if I heard about it sooner and knew where you were, I would have come over to comfort you," Sunset said.
"I know you would have, sunshine," Rough Draft said.
The thief and the prince smiled before they rested their foreheads against each other. Sunset began to slowly caress Rough Draft's cheek as she fondly stared into Rough Draft's emerald eyes.
"Where did you go after your birthday, babe?" She asked.
Rough Draft's sad smile turned into an amused one, and he said, "My parents sent me to a monastery."
"What?!" Sunset shouted, moving her head back. "A monastery?! A freaking monastery?!"
"Yeah, it goes without saying that talking to them about our teenage love didn't go as well as I hoped," Rough Draft said. "They thought we were doing it since Granny Smith caught us in my room. I told them we weren't, but they didn't believe me, so they sent me to a monastery to atone for my 'impure deeds.' Spiritually, it was an enlightening time, but I didn't care for the people in Appleloosa or that I was so far away from you."
Sunset stared at Rough Draft in disbelief before she moved away from him and started pacing back in forth, growling in frustration.
"I don't believe this!" She snarled. "I looked everywhere from Canterlot to Manehattan, to Las Pegasus, to Saddle Arabia, and the whole time my boyfriend was in a monastery in some stupid apple farm town in the middle of the desert?!"
Rough Draft looked at Sunset, touched, and asked, "You went looking for me?"
"Of course, I went looking for you, you bookworm!" Sunset barked as she walked back to him. "How do you think I felt when I heard that your parents sent you away, and they didn't know where?"
Rough Draft smiled and pulled Sunset into a hug as he said, "Well, I think it would have been hard for us to meet in secret even if you did find me. A one-story monastery where I was staying in a tiny room isn't the same as my family's castle.
"That wouldn't have stopped me," Sunset said as she tightly hugged Rough Draft back in a possessive manner. "If the monks didn't like it, then they should have thought of that before keeping what is mine away from me."
Rough Draft chucked with his mouth closed and petted Sunset's head. The amber thief eased up as she felt her prince's hand on her head for the first time in years. The two of them embraced in silence again until Rough Draft frowned and said, "I heard about you stealing again while I was Appleloosa."
"Yeah, I am," Sunset admitted as she rested her head on Rough Draft's shoulder.
"I thought you weren't going to do that anymore," Rough Draft said.
Sunset pulled her head back to face Rough Draft and said, "I know, but when I used up all of my money looking for you and accepted that I would never see you again, it was all I could do. It's the only thing I've ever been good at, and it kept me going after losing you."
Rough Draft looked at her suspiciously and asked, "Does that mean you're here for the counterfeit money too?"
Sunset hesitated and said, "Well, that is originally why I came back to Everfree."
Rough Draft sighed in disappointment and broke the hug, saying, "I should have known."
"Hey, don't be like that, babe," Sunset protested. "That doesn't mean I'm not here for you too. I made it clear to my comrades that we're not going after the Horse Bills until you're safe."
"Yeah, right," Rough Draft said, turning his back on Sunset. "Nice to know I'm a little bonus for you."
"You're not a bonus!" Sunset hissed as she forced him to look at her. "My friends see you that way, but I don't. You're more important to me than the money."
"I don't believe you," Rough Draft said.
Sunset frowned and said, "Fine. If you don't believe me, then believe this."
She reached under her shirt and took out her necklace again, holding it up high so that the jewel was in front of Rough Draft's face. The prince stared at the necklace in disbelief and leaned his head closer to make sure that it was his present to Sunset. After a moment, he smiled and looked up at Sunset, who smiled back for a moment before she gave him a guilty look.
"I did try to forget about you, Rough Draft," she confessed. "I tried to convince myself that what we had was just a teenage romance, and I should move on. I even dated another guy at one point. But no matter what I did, I couldn't let go of you. I knew I would never forgive myself if I moved on or broke my promise to treasure my necklace. It's all I had left of you apart from our memories, but now that I found you, I want you back."
For a few seconds, Rough Draft did nothing but stare at the jewel again, making Sunset wonder if he heard her. Then, he reached into his pocket to take out the golden locket, pressed the button on top of the locket, and it opened to reveal Sunset's picture. The amber woman looked at the locket surprised as Rough Draft gave her a heartfelt smile.
"It turns out this was exactly what I needed before my parents sent me away," he said. "I admit I wanted to get over you too, but seeing your face in this picture helped me hold on. It kept me sane at the monastery, and while I've been stuck here in the queen's castle."
Sunset smiled while still looking at the locket. Rough Draft then lifted her chin so that she was facing him. They stared into each other's eyes a third time as Rough Draft put the locket back in his pocket before putting his hands on Sunset's waist, and she, in turn, placed her hands on his shoulder.
"Nothing would make me happier than for us to be together again, sunshine," he said. "Just promise me that you will find a way to stop Adagio."
"I promise," Sunset said.
With that, they tilted their heads, closed their eyes, and their lips connected. They kissed slowly at first, savoring the simple feel of each other's lips for the first time in years, and then the kissing sped up as Sunset wrapped her arms around Rough Draft's neck, and he pulled her closer to him. They moved their lips around passionately until they were out of breath and pulled back to look at each other lovingly again. The couple was silent for a minute until Sunset remembered something.
"You know, speaking of your fiancee, why does she want your ring?" She asked. "I read the inscription on it talking about light and shadow becoming one and something being restored, but what does it mean?"
Rough Draft frowned and said, "It's a prophecy made centuries ago about a hidden treasure."
"Oh, a hidden treasure? Do tell," Sunset said with a mischievous grin.
"Subtle," Rough Draft said sarcastically. "Anyway, Adagio also has a family ring that has the crest of the Celestial family. Somehow our rings are the keys to obtaining this treasure. That's why she's forcing me to marry her. Not only will it be good for her image to bring the families together, but she would become more powerful in terms of wealth than she already is from her counterfeit operation."
Sunset frowned and said, "I knew she's using you for her image."
"Uh, well that and she wants an heir among...other things too," Rough Draft said.
"Over my dead body," Sunset snarled. "How are you being forced to marry her, though? Did she threaten you?"
"No, she couldn't threaten me when my parents are gone, and you weren't here," Rough Draft said. "I'm engaged to her because, under Everfree law, people of royalty around our age have to be married whether we're ruling the land or not to keep both royal families alive. Add that to the fact that I'm an Everfree citizen, royalty or no, and Adagio kinda went all the way to Appleloosa just to command me to marry her, and I'm pretty much obligated to do it."
Sunset stared at her beloved, dumbfounded and said, "Good grief. That's ridiculous. Is there no way to avoid it?"
"Not really," Rough Draft answered. "If my parents were still alive, they would have prevented it because you have to get consent from a person's parents to marry them whether you're the ruler or not. As it is, I lost them and everything else in the fire. No castle, no money, and no political power whatsoever. It's just my lonely self and my family ring, and that's all Adagio wants."
"Well, bully for her," Sunset growled before she smirked and said, "Still, I'm going to enjoy disappointing her. After all, you're just one escape away from being mine again, and I'd be remiss if I didn't say I'm interested in this treasure."
"I thought I'm your priority," Rough Draft said.
"You are, baby, but there's nothing wrong with snatching this treasure from the wicked queen who is trying to use the love of my life like an object," Sunset said. "Besides, it kind of sounds like The Tale of Flaming Arrow and Silver Gleam. Don't you think? You are Flaming Arrow, Queen Adagio is the evil sorcerer, and I'm the heroic Silver Gleam who steals her handsome man and the powerful jewel that is your family's hidden treasure."
Rough Draft thought about it before he smiled and said, "Well, I've always seen you as the Silver Gleam to my Flaming Arrow."
Sunset's smirk turned into a sweet smile, and she placed her hands on both of Rough Draft's cheeks as she said, "And you're the Flaming Arrow to my Silver Gleam, and I don't know what I would do without you in my life."
"Nor would I."
Before Sunset or Rough Draft knew it, the lights in the room turned on to reveal dozens of Cozy Glow's Shadows surrounding them. The ones in front of them had their hands straight with the pointy ends aimed at Sunset. She moved in front of Rough Draft defensively, but two of the Shadows snuck up behind them and grabbed Rough Draft.
"No! No! Sunset!" He called out as they dragged him away.
"Rough Draft!" Sunset shouted.
Sunset turned around to go after Rough Draft, but more Shadows blocked her way, pointing their sharp fingertips at her. She backed away to avoid getting stabbed just in time to find Adagio and Cozy Glow standing beside the assassins with mischievous grins.
"Well, well, well. The notorious Sunset Shimmer herself," Adagio said. "I must say I'm impressed. You made my captain of the royal guard, and my most loyal servant, two of the most deadly people I know, look like a pair of clowns. I'd be enraged if it wasn't so amusing."
Sunset kept her cool and said with a boastful smirk, "What can I say? I'm just full of surprises. And your little maid seems to have gotten out of that trap sooner than I thought. Either that or I've spent too much time catching up with Rough Draft."
"Tirek and I may have underestimated you, Sunset Shimmer, but you're a fool to think we don't know how to get out of one of the castle's traps," Cozy Glow said
"Yeah, I guess so," Sunset said with an uncaring shrug. "Is Twilight still down there, though?"
"She is," Cozy Glow answered. "We've led the rest of the Canterlot police to believe that she drove on ahead back to Canterlot."
"Did you? I would think Spike would be very suspicious of that claim," Sunset said.
"Oh, he was," Cozy Glow confirmed. "But after we told him that the inspector was chasing you, he was quick to get their force to pull back and try to catch up."
"And how do you expect them to find her when she's still in your trap?" Sunset asked.
The young maid chuckled mischievously with her mouth closed and said, "People disappear when traveling all the time."
"Indeed," Adagio said. "But enough about Inspector Sparkle. Let's get back to you, Sunset Shimmer. You have my thanks for bringing the ring back."
"Don't flatter yourself," Sunset said. "I only brought it here to give it back to Rough Draft."
"Indeed? And what other business do you have with my fiance?" Adagio asked. "Were you hoping to use him to get to me?"
Sunset smiled proudly and said, "You can keep your little counterfeit operation for now, Your Highness. All I want is my Rough Draft."
Rough Draft looked at Sunset lovingly while Adagio frowned and put her hands on her hips.
"And what makes you think he belongs to you, thief?" She asked.
"Because I have his heart, and he has mine," Sunset said. "You just want his ring and his body, but I want the person."
Adagio gasped, pretending to be offended, and shouted, "How dare you! I value Rough Draft more than a criminal like you ever could!"
"And yet the two of us just agreed we want to be together," Sunset countered.
"Yes, I overheard," Adagio said, smirking. "The two of you think you're like two characters in some fairy tale book that are going to get a happy ending after years of being apart. How childish can one get?
"You can insult us all you like, Your Highness, but it won't change how what I have with him is greater than anything you'll ever have," Sunset said.
Adagio's smirk grew, and she said, "I should have Cozy Glow's Shadows tear you to shreds for making that claim, but I'd rather not have my groom's room tainted with your blood."
"You'll regret not doing that, Your Highness," Sunset said. "You'll never get another chance to get rid of me so easily."
"Oh, I beg to differ," Adagio said. "Now, if there's anything you want to say to Rough Draft before I dispose of you, now would be the time."
Sunset turned to Rough Draft, who was still struggling with the two assassins that were restraining him. The prince was visibly terrified for the amber woman's life. Sunset gave her beloved a small smile and blew a kiss before she said, "Don't worry, babe. I'm going to be fine."
"How do you know?" Rough Draft asked.
"Just have faith in your sunshine," Sunset said. "I'll be back soon enough."
Rough Draft stopped struggling, and he looked into Sunset's cyan eyes that showed incredible confidence in what she said. He smiled back, trying to look hopeful as he said, "I love you."
"I love you more," Sunset said.
Adagio chuckled and said, "That is so sweet. Truly it is. Now, without further ado, Sunset Shimmer, I must bid you farewell."
At that moment, the floor opened beneath Sunset's feet. The amber woman screamed as she fell down the hole, having not expected to be standing beneath a trap. Rough Draft's heart sank as the assassins let him go, and he rushed to the trap door only for it to close before he was close to it. He stared at the floor, afraid of what happened to Sunset while Adagio and Cozy Glow grinned.
"Even if the fall doesn't kill her, she'll still be in a foul pit where there is no escape," Adagio said before turning to the teenager. "Now, leave me. I must speak with my groom alone."
"At once, Your Grace," Cozy Glow said with a bow.
The teenage maid gave her Shadows a signal, and they all bowed to the queen before they disappeared within a blink of an eye. Cozy Glow took a moment to smirk at where Sunset fell into the trap door before she exited the room through the bedroom door. The room became quiet with Adagio watching Rough Draft staring at the floor before walking over to her fiance.
"You've broken my heart, dear Rough Draft," she said. "Snogging another woman days before our wedding? I expected you to be more loyal as my husband-to-be."
Rough Draft stood up and glared at Adagio, saying, "Spare me the act, Adagio. I never wanted to marry you, and you know it."
"I know, but I still expect loyalty as your future wife," Adagio said. "Besides, I may seem like a horrible person now, but I know that you will eventually see through my flaws and learn to love me."
"I doubt it," Rough Draft snarled. "Sunset is the only woman I will ever love."
"Oh, please don't give me that, my precious. You're a grown man. You should learn to move on from an ex-girlfriend from when you were a teenager," Adagio said. "Besides, it's not like I had her killed just because she tried to take you away from me. She was an international criminal after all, and breaking into the Castle of the Two Sisters has been punishable by death since before our families split apart."
"That won't change how much Sunset means to me," Rough Draft countered.
Adagio sighed dramatically and said, "I suppose that's fair, my love. Even when you do fall in love with me, it may be difficult for us to match what was special about an old flame. It's a challenge many married couples go through."
"You think?" Rough Draft asked.
"I'm counting on it," Adagio said. "But I'm not afraid. Let any challenges come after us. We will pull through as husband and wife."
"You're delusional," Rough Draft said.
"You may think that way about me now, Rough Draft, but you soon will accept that I'm right," Adagio said, placing her hands on Rough Draft's shoulder and leaning close to him with a kittenish look. "We're all that's left of the ancient blood of the sun and the moon, my love. For centuries, light and shadow have been kept apart, and thus our bloodline has been divided. It is our destiny to reunite the families of Celestia and Luna in holy matrimony. Our heritage, our legacy, and our grand future as the royal family of Everfree are ours for the taking, and I am thankful that I will fulfill the prophecy with you by my side."
The queen then moved her hand to caress Rough Draft's cheek, but he swatted it away. Adagio furiously slapped her fiance hard in the face, making Rough Draft step away backward, holding his cheek. The pale apple green woman walked over and grabbed Rough Draft's chin, aggressively, forcing him to look at her.
"You would do well not to do that again, Rough Draft!" She barked. "Even if we're not married yet, you're still an Everfree citizen under my rule! You will respect and honor me in the manner I deserve as your queen and your wife! When I tell you to come to me, you will come! When I tell you to do something, you will do it! When I want to touch my husband, even if it's a small stroke on his cheek with just one finger, you will not refuse me! Do you understand?!"
Rough Draft coldly glared at Adagio and said, "I'm not afraid of you."
"You will be if you keep up that rebellious attitude," Adagio snarled. "I'd rather not earn your love and respect through fear, but I'm willing to do anything to get what I want, including your heart. You and the hidden treasure will be mine, Rough Draft, and your beloved ex can't do anything about it."
But as Adagio and Rough Draft glared at each other, the moment was suddenly interrupted by a faint beeping sound. They looked at each other, confused until Rough Draft looked down and found that the beeping was coming from his ring. Adagio was baffled as she let go of Rough Draft's chin, and she lifted his hand to look closely at the ring. Suddenly, the top of the ring exploded with a pop, and small confetti came out of it, followed by a small statue of Sunset lowering her eyelid and sticking out her tongue on a spring. The queen looked in horror while Rough Draft gave his fiance a smug look.
"A fake?!" Adagio shrieked.
"Looks like you better be sure you're right about Sunset, Adagio," he taunted. "After all, my sunshine warned you about it being hard to get rid of her."
Adagio's face turned red in fury, and her hands became balls of fists. But then she took a deep breath and slowly regained her confident demeanor, saying, "Perhaps you're right, my love. Even so, no one has ever come out of the pit that your ex is in now. Dead or alive, it won't be difficult for Cozy Glow and her Shadows to get the real ring and make sure that she doesn't come back."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Rough Draft said. "I have faith that Sunset will outwit your people no matter what you throw at her."
Adagio smirked and said, "Then, I guess we'll just have to see what good that faith does. One way another, though, I will get the ring back in time for our wedding. Until then, I bid you goodnight, my dearest Rough Draft."
With that, the queen exited the room, leaving Rough Draft all alone. He stood still for a moment before he decided to walk over and sit back in his chair and began staring at the moon again. Then he took out his locket and opened it again to look at the picture of Sunset's smiling face. He smiled and thought about Sunset's promise to free him from Adagio's grasp, but the smile soon faded as a feeling of doubt entered his heart.
"Oh, Lord," he said. "Just let her be okay." |
Sunset Shimmer and the Castle of Everfree | Chapter 8 | Sunset was falling for a couple of minutes, unsure of where the narrow hole led to. For all she knew, the trapdoor was leading to a pool of water for her to drown in or spikes on the floor. The uncertainty made her uneasy with whether or not it was possible to survive the trap, much less save Rough Draft. Finally, she fell out of the hole and found herself in a three-story catacomb. She quickly took out her grappling gun, replacing the hook with a claw, and fired at the ceiling. The claw pierced through the stone ceiling, giving it a tight grip that broke Sunset's fall with her holding on to her gun for dear life.
Sunset sighed in relief until she looked up and saw a skeleton right in front of her. She screamed and almost let go of her grappling gun before she looked around to find that she was surrounded by skeletons hanging from the ceiling. All of them were dangling with ropes tied to their necks, and most of their clothes had disintegrated. Sunset struggled to keep herself together with the smell of rotten flesh filling up her nose.
She pressed the button on her gun, and the rope extended, slowly bringing her to the ground. She detached the claw from her grappling gun and looked around to find several tunnels around where she was. There was a stream running down from them, and the stone pathways were covered with corpses. Some have decayed completely, and others have partially or mostly decomposed, stating that they had been dead for only a few years or so. Their clothes varied from suits, dresses, soldier uniforms, and other outfits decades, if not centuries back.
"So, the Celestial family has been killing people who opposed them for centuries," Sunset said. "Rest in peace, you poor souls."
She started walking down one of the tunnels, hoping to find a way out of the catacomb. But no matter how far she looked, there were no doors, and the windows high up in the wall were too narrow to squeeze through even if she could reach them with her grappling gun. Eventually, the path led her back to the center, and she tried a different tunnel only to end up back where she started again. Sunset grew afraid as she kept looking around only to find nothing but corpses wherever she went.
But as she walked, she saw an inscription on the wall above the corpse of a woman with blue and pink hair. Sunset reached into her pockets to find a flashlight, and she turned it on to read the inscription.
1904
Here lies Sweetie Drops: Special Agent of Chancellor Octavia Melody of Canterlot
Sunset looked at the corpse sympathetically, hating that inscribing on the wall as though it was her tombstone was all the poor soul could do in her last hours. At the same, however, for some unknown reason, her amber skin crawled, and she felt an urge to hold Rough Draft in an overprotective body hug from reading the name, "Octavia Melody."
Just then, she heard the sound of footsteps and saw light coming from the other side of the tunnel. She took a fighting stance, thinking it was the queen's assassins looking for her to finish the job. But then she eased up when the light came closer to reveal Twilight walking over to her while holding a flashlight. The grayish mulberry inspector was ambling, feeling drained from walking so much. Her clothes were torn and covered in mud and dirty water, and there were cracks on her glasses. When she was close enough, Twilight realized that Sunset was several feet in front of her, and her energy immediately came back as she rushed over to Sunset and grabbed her by the jacket with both hands.
"Don't move a muscle, Sunset Shimmer! You're under arrest!" She shouted.
"Are you sure about that?" Sunset said with a smug look.
"Of course, I am!" Twilight claimed. "Now, show me how to get out of here so that I can send you to prison in Canterlot."
Sunset frowned and said, "I hate to burst your bubble for once, Twilight, but I'm as stuck here as you are. I haven't found any possible way to escape."
Twilight looked at Sunset in disbelief before her legs gave out, and she began to cry quietly. Sunset kneeled to pat Twilight in the head before Twilight swatted her hand away.
"Don't touch me, thief!" Twilight said bitterly.
"Well, excuse me for having sympathy," Sunset said. "Contrary to what you might think, I don't like that you're stuck here either."
"Where is here?" Twilight asked. "A catacomb is hardly a place to be a gravesite."
"If I were a betting woman, I'd say this is where the Celestial family has left any of their enemies or people who have tried to discover their secrets to die," Sunset said.
"What makes you say that?" Twilight asked.
"Look at the inscription over there," Sunset said, pointing at the wall.
Twilight turned to the wall and used her flashlight to look at the inscription. Her eyes widened with horror as she read the inscription and then looked at the corpse of Agent Sweetie Drops.
"May the Lord rest your soul, Agent Drops," Twilight said as she crossed herself.
"Amen," Sunset agreed.
Twilight stood up and looked around the area to look at all the corpses and asked, "So, you think all of these people died because they opposed the family."
"It makes sense to me," Sunset answered. "With all of the tight security and traps that this place has, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that they're protecting more than just the leader of the country."
Twilight frowned and said, "I had a suspicious feeling that Queen Adagio was hiding something, but I would never have guessed that she would go through such lengths to hide something her family's been hiding for years. This is sickening!"
"You can say that again," Sunset said.
"But, wait a minute. Does this mean you know about this secret, Sunset Shimmer?" Twilight asked. "Were you trying to kidnap the prince to discover what they're hiding?"
"I was after Rough Draft for different reasons," Sunset answered. "Otherwise, yes. I'm also here for the secret."
"And do you know what that secret is?" Twilight asked.
"I'd rather not say," Sunset said.
Twilight clenched her teeth, and she said, "Now see here, Sunset Shimmer, we may be enemies, but as long as we are stuck here left for dead, you might as well come clean about what you know! Besides, if you're attempting to steal whatever Queen Adagio is hiding, then how can you be okay with getting something that has cost so many innocent lives?!"
Sunset flinched at Twilight's question. She turned to Sweetie Drops' corpse, and then looked at all the other dead bodies surrounding her and Twilight. Sunset felt a painful sense of guilt in her heart for not considering how the counterfeit operation is to blame for so much death. She sighed heavily and said, "You're right, Twilight. This is more than I morally bargained for."
"I'm relieved to hear it," Twilight said. "Now, out with it already."
"Alright, alright," Sunset said. "Have you heard of the Horse Bills?"
Twilight looked at Sunset, surprised, and asked, "Horse bills? You mean the high-quality counterfeit bills that so many people confuse for the real thing?"
"The very same," Sunset said. "My partner and I found a large safe full of fake bills in Yakyakistan. That's when we decided to come here to find where it was coming from and take over the operation."
"What?! You mean all the money you stole from Gladmane's casino were fake?!" Twilight shouted.
"Ah, you heard about my little show?" Sunset asked, smirking boastfully.
Twilight took a few steps back until her back was against the wall and then slid down to a sitting position. She hugged her legs and stared at the stream, looking terrified as though she learned the world was going to end.
"Good heavens. If the Horse Bills are real, then we are at the source of so many economic catastrophes," she said.
"Economic catastrophes? What are you talking about?" Sunset asked.
"Are you kidding me?!" Twilight rebuked. "How could you know about the Horse Bills and yet not know about the trouble it has caused throughout history?!"
"Twilight, you of all people should know that I've been a thief since I was fourteen," Sunset said. "I didn't exactly have the time to finish school as a burglar, and you don't exactly need a history lesson to prepare for a heist. So, maybe you can enlighten me on how the legendary Horse Bills impacted history."
Twilight groaned like a teacher who has to answer a question from a student she should already know the answer to.
"Fine," she said. "The Horse Bills have been the cause of economic problems and wars over the past few centuries. No one knew where the fake money came from, but it was clear to many historians that whoever was making them were using it to support their allies and destroy their enemies. Fake Mt. Ares doubloons were used for funding General Seaspray's revolution that removed one of the country's royal families. Mysterious gold coins aided the Grogar Dynasty to invade the Badlands. Heck, the counterfeit money caused the Great Depression in Canterlot and Manehattan back in 1903."
"Ah, I guess that explains what our friend, Agent Sweetie Drops, was doing here a year later," Sunset said. "She must have been assigned to find the cause of said depression."
"Most likely," Twilight agreed. "Bottom line, Sunset Shimmer, authorities have been trying to figure out who has caused all this trouble to Canterlot and its allies, so forgive me if I'm having trouble believing that I might be forever trapped in the place where it all came from."
"Sure," Sunset said before something hit her. "Wait a second. You said this all started a few centuries back. How far back are we talking about?"
Twilight looked at her, confused, and said, "1479. Why do you ask?"
"1479? That's just a couple of years before the civil war between the royal families," Sunset realized.
"Seriously? How can you know so little history and yet know that?" Twilight asked, baffled.
"Er, my boyfriend is a bookworm. He used to read some Everfree history to me," Sunset said.
"Boyfriend? What boyfriend?" Twilight asked.
"That's not important right now," Sunset said. "The reason I asked is because if everything revolving Horse Bills throughout history started back then, I wonder if this is why the Celestial family beat the Lunar family during their civil war.
"What? You mean they used the fake money to fund their operations to win?" Twilight asked.
"Bingo," Sunset replied.
"But how do you know the Lunar family didn't partake in the counterfeiting before then?" Twilight asked.
"Because I recall my boyfriend saying that the Lunar family never had a chance during the civil war financially speaking. The Celestial family always had the upper hand," Sunset answered. "So, I think the Lunar family either knew about the Horse Bills and fought against the other family anyway, or most likely, they fought for control not knowing their enemies had an enormous advantage against them. There's nothing said about the fake money during that war, so either one might be true, but the only thing we know for sure is that the Celestial family has been using the operation to make sure everything goes their way. And while I don't know about what the Lunar family knew about the Horse Bills back then, I do know that Prince Rough Draft is against having anything to do with Queen Adagio, much less marry her."
"How do you know that?" Twilight asked.
"Let's just say I have a very reliable source," Sunset said.
Twilight frowned, knowing that Sunset was hiding something that would back up her information. She then looked down and thought about everything the criminal said, and asked, "Let's say for the sake of the argument I take your word for it. If the prince is against marrying the queen, then why is he?"
"Apparently, he has to since royalty at their age have to marry, and she ordered him to marry her, which made him obligated to do it since he's an Everfree citizen, prince or no," Sunset explained.
"Well, that's unfortunate for him," Twilight said. "Actually, is that a new law, or something?"
"No. Why?" Sunset asked, confused.
"Well, after discovering the lengths Queen Adagio's family has taken to get they want, I'm starting to think that the queen will come up with anything to reach her goal," Twilight said. "I mean, it seems awfully convenient that there are already laws that allow her to force someone into marrying her."
Sunset stared at Twilight for a moment before she stared at the floor, deep in thought. Twilight watched the amber woman curiously as Sunset furrowed her brow while thinking. After a minute, Sunset looked up to glare at the wall like she was imagining someone was standing there. Her hands were shaking with her fingers bent, looking like she was resisting the urge to turn her hands into fists. Twilight grew uneasy at the violent look in the thief's eyes, having never seen her behave that way before."
"Shimmer!" She shouted, standing up.
"Huh? What?" Sunset asked, snapped out of her thoughts. "You say something, Twilight?"
"What was that about?" Twilight asked. "You looked like you wanted to murder someone?"
"I did?" Sunset asked.
"Yeah, what were you thinking about?" Twilight asked.
Sunset frowned and looked away and said, "It's nothing. Private business."
"That doesn't make me feel any better," Twilight said.
"I wasn't trying to make you feel better," Sunset said. "Besides, we need to focus on getting out of here."
"How? There's no way out," Twilight said. "No one knows we're here."
"No one but the queen and her security," Sunset corrected.
"Yeah, but there's no way they would come over here and let us out," Twilight said.
"Not unless we have something they want," Sunset said.
Twilight looked at the thief confused while Sunset reached into her pants pocket and took out Rough Draft's ring. The inspector tilted her head and asked, "What is that?"
"Something Queen Adagio wants very badly," Sunset said.
"And you stole it from her?" Twilight asked.
"Actually, it was given to me," Sunset said.
Twilight frowned suspiciously and said, "I'm having a hard time believing that."
"Believe what you want, Twilight, but this ring is our only ticket out of here," Sunset said, holding the ring up with an eager look in her eye. "Adagio is going to find out that I have it and send her assassins here, and when she does, we need to be ready for them. So, we're gonna have to work together to outwit them and get out of here."
Twilight hesitated, not wanting to work with the thief she wanted to catch before she said, "Okay, then I guess we're gonna have to have a truce. But once we get out of here and stop the queen, I'm taking you in."
"That's fair," Sunset said with a smug grin on her face, unintimidated by the inspector's claim. "Now, listen to me very carefully..."
***************************************************************
Several hours later, light was coming from the small windows high up the catacomb. Not a sound could be heard apart from the water flowing down the stream. Two bodies were lying on the ground next to Agent Sweetie Drops' corpse wearing Sunset's jacket and Twilight's trench coat and hat. The bodies were lying down in sleeping positions with their faces hidden.
Unbeknownst to the two figures, two of Cozy Glow's Shadows were slowly emerging from the water with breathing masks. Their eyes were fixed on the two bodies as they quietly climbed up to the stone floor. They straightened their hands so that the points in their fingers were aligned, and held them up for a second before they jabbed at the bodies.
But instead of their gauntlets piercing through flesh, the assassins felt nothing but cloth and bones. They looked at each other before lifting the bodies to see that they attacked two skeletons wearing Sunset's jacket and Twilight's coat and hat. Suddenly, Sunset and Twilight emerged out of a pile of corpses behind the assassins. They encircled their arms around the assassins' necks and grabbed their biceps with their other arms, and began chock holding them. The assassins struggled, flailing their arms helplessly until they eventually lost consciousness. Sunset and Twilight carefully laid their enemies down before Twilight let out a heavy sigh.
"I can't believe you talked me into this," she said as they put their damaged coat, and jacket back on. "We better not have caused any serious injuries on these guys, Sunset Shimmer."
"I doubt we did," Sunset said. "Neither of us are particularly strong, and that was your first time doing that after having only hours to learn how to do it. Nicely done, by the way."
"Thanks," Twilight said sarcastically as she put on her hat. "How do you know how to do that, anyway?"
"I learned it from some ex-security guard named Bulk Biceps," Sunset answered. "You just never know if you need it during a heist."
"Heaven forbid that you'd be unprepared," Twilight said, rolling her eyes. "So, now what do we do? We don't know the way out."
Sunset smirked and looked at the unconscious assassins, saying, "Not yet, we don't. Thanks to these guys, we now know that there's a way out underwater. Shouldn't take long to find it and escape with our new disguises."
*****************************************************************************************
Inside a small room, Cozy Glow and Wallflower Blush were staring at a square hole of water with an open gate attached to it. Wallflower Blush was holding a lantern while Cozy Glow was tapping her feet impatiently.
"What's taking them so long?" She asked. "Shimmer can't be that hard to find."
"Well, the catacomb is pretty large, and she could be trying to hide somewhere if she survived the fall," Wallflower Blush said.
"Possibly," Cozy Glow said. "Even so, I prefer that we get that ring back to Her Highness before she -"
Just as she was about to finish her sentence, two of her Shadows emerged from the water. Cozy Glow's eyes immediately turned to the assassin closest to her, for it was holding Rough Draft's ring with two of its claws.
"Finally," she said before she knelt down and reached for the ring.
But as she was about to take it, the Shadow grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the water. Wallflower Blush only had a moment to react before the other Shadow grabbed her ankle and pulled her into the hole. Before the maids knew it, the assassins had climbed out of the hole and closed the iron gate above them.
"Let us out!" Cozy Glow screamed. "What are you doing?"
The assassins took off their helmets to reveal themselves to be Sunset and Twilight. Cozy Glow and Wallflower Blush's eyes widened as the thief bit her thumb at them, and the inspector gave them a taunting salute. The maids started shaking the gate and begging, "Let us out," and "I can't swim," while Sunset and Twilight exited the room. They ran up a spiral stairway and opened the door at the top, only to take a few steps inside before they realized where they were.
"Oh, my gosh!" Twilight exclaimed.
"There it is!" Sunset chirped.
The women found themselves on the second floor of a two-story hall full of printing presses. Beside the machines were desks for designing fake money and boxes full of counterfeit bills. Sunset and Twilight climbed down the ladder to the first floor, and the amber thief started opening the boxes while a stunned inspector stared at a roll of fake Mt. Aris doubloons.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing," Twilight said.
"Me neither. This is incredible," Sunset said with stars in her eyes. "There's fake money for more countries than I thought. Aquastria, the Crystal Empire, Griffonstone, heck, I have no idea what these bills are. They must be from countries outside of Equestria."
"What? Let me take a look," Twilight said.
Sunset took out a roll of bills, each from several boxes, and handed them to Twilight. Twilight looked at them closely before she gasped loudly.
"You're right, Sunset Shimmer. These are from places outside of the continent," she said. "Marapore, the Dragonlands, even Somnambula. Good grief, most of these are fake currency to counties on the complete other side of the world."
"You're kidding," Sunset said, amazed. "So, Everfree has been sending counterfeit bills to the whole world?"
"Looks like it," Twilight said. "I can't believe this. A high-quality counterfeit operation that covers the whole world and is hiding under the royal castle of the smallest country there is?"
"Well, that's what makes it the perfect place to do it. No one would suspect that it would be in a small country, much less being run by its ruler," Sunset said. "If I didn't find out that the Celestial family has murdered so many people to keep this a secret, I'd be losing my cool over the fact that I finally found this place and I would make more money than I could imagine by taking over."
Twilight frowned and said, "Well, you have found out, and now you know we have to stop the queen. And I don't want you getting any crazy ideas, Sunset Shimmer. I want to bring this operation down by the book. I'm going to be looking for evidence to bring to Canterlot along with you in handcuffs. You understand?"
"Yeah, sure. Find your evidence," Sunset said uncaringly. "Though I think we're going to need another one of my 'crazy ideas' if we're going to get out of here."
Twilight frowned and asked, "What kind of crazy ideas?" |
Sunset Shimmer and the Castle of Everfree | Chapter 9 | The bell inside the clock tower rang, announcing that it was seven in the morning. Tempest was still keeping watch on top of the dam while Starlight was sleeping on the ground, holding her rifle. The purple woman was snoring softly until the loud bell woke her up. She sat up and stretched before she looked up at the clock.
"It's morning already?" She asked before turning her head to Tempest. "Is there still no sign of Sunset?"
"Nothing," Tempest said, still looking at the Castle Everfree. "I've been watching all night, and I've seen nothing happen after the Canterlot police left."
"I was afraid you'd say that," Starlight said as she stood up. "She's sure taking her time getting the prince."
"If she's even alive," Tempest said. "Which at this point I'm certain that she isn't."
"We don't know that for a fact. She could still be alive," Starlight said.
Tempest huffed and said, "Glimmer, I admire your devotion to your partner, but we must face facts. Her plan was to use her disguise as Inspector Sparkle to make her way to the prince, simple as that. It's been almost twelve hours, she's not back with the prince, and the police are gone. Assuming she made it inside, odds are they found her and killed her, which is why the police left. Frankly, we're better off leaving because there's little reason to think they captured her alive."
"Or she could be hiding and decided to improvise," Starlight said. "We both know it wouldn't be the first time she did that."
"Even so, it's likely that we're wasting our time," Tempest said. "Sooner or later, Glimmer, you're just gonna have to face the fact that not even someone as crafty as Sunset Shimmer could poss -"
The dark orchid woman stopped herself in mid-sentence as she noticed something black coming out of the lower levels of the castle. She lifted her hand above her eyes and squinted, confusing Starlight.
"What is it?" Starlight asked.
"I see smoke," Tempest said, pointing at the castle. "There's smoke coming out from inside the castle over there."
Starlight looked where Tempest was pointing and squinted her eyes to see a black cloud of smoke coming from inside the third level of the castle. She took out Sunset's binoculars and looked closer to see guards, butlers and maids running toward where the smoke was coming from, carrying fire extinguishers. Starlight smirked as she put down the binoculars and gave Tempest a smug look.
"What did I tell you? That has Sunset written all over it," she boasted.
Tempest frowned and said, "This does look like something she would do, but why?"
"No idea," Starlight said. "But whatever it is, it's something sneaky."
***********************************************************************************************
*five minutes earlier*
Back in the north tower, Flash was standing guard in front of Rough Draft's bedroom door. He was trying to hide his unease overhearing that Sunset might have died from falling into the trap door. He always knew that his ex had a habit of being careless, but he hoped it wouldn't have led to her death, leastways when she was trying to save the prince. Now, he wished more than ever that he could find the printing presses so that the queen could be stopped.
But as he thought about what he could do, his walkie talkie was beeping. He took it out of his belt and adjusted the frequency before holding it close to his mouth, saying, "This is Canterlot 4."
"Agent Sentry, you are to abort the mission and return to Canterlot immediately," Commander Harshwhinny said.
"What? Why?" Flash asked.
"Chancellor Neighsay forced me to drop the investigation," Harshwhinny grumbled. "Apparently, there's some clause to the treaty between Canterlot and Everfree that dictates that all personnel are to pull back if we try anything that might offend our ally. By the sound of things, having a police squadron come there and cause a commotion is all the chancellor needs to shut down the investigation."
Flash groaned and said, "Understood. Though if I may ask, I would like permission to take the prince with me."
"Why would you do that?" Harshwhinny asked. "That would make things worse."
"Not necessarily," Flash said. "Prince Rough Draft is held up here against his will, so it would be our moral obligation to assist him. And besides, he knows about the Horse Bills and what the queen is planning, meaning that he can testify that what we're looking for is there. If I recall correctly, there is a part of the treaty between the countries that makes the chancellor obligated for us to investigate further if we have any witnesses."
The walkie talkie was silent for a moment, making it clear that the commander was thinking about Flash's idea before she replied with a devious tone in her voice, "Permission granted. Be cautious, though, Agent Sentry. You must act as quickly and stealthily as possible so that we don't cause any more trouble."
"Yes, commander," Flash said. "I'll contact you when I have left the country with the prince. Over and out."
Flash put away his walkie talkie and pressed a button on the wall. A rectangular part of the wall opened to reveal a large, black briefcase, and he grabbed it before entering the bedroom. Rough Draft was sound asleep in his bed, wearing pajamas. The secret agent walked over to the bed and shook the prince until he woke up.
"Uh. Huh? What? What's going on?" Rough Draft asked, as he sat up and yawned.
"Pardon me, Your Highness, but I've come to get you out of here," Flash said.
"What? You are? Why?" Rough Draft asked.
"Well, you see, I'm not who you think I am," Flash answered. "I'm not a security guard working for the queen. I'm Agent Flash Sentry of Canterlot's secret service."
"Secret service? Then what are you doing here?" Rough Draft asked.
"I was on an assignment to find the printing presses where Queen Adagio has been making the counterfeit money," Flash explained. "But I just got ordered to abort the mission with permission to get you out of here. My commander is hoping you will testify that the Horse Bills are real so that I can go back to finding them and nabbing the queen."
"Yes, absolutely," Rough Draft said. "I will do anything to stop her. But is there any way we can find out if someone I know is still alive first?"
"I assume you mean Sunset Shimmer, Your Highness?" Flash asked.
"You know her?" Rough Draft asked.
Flash scoffed and said, "Know her? I dated her."
Rough Draft stared at Flash, taken aback, and said, "So, you're the guy she mentioned."
Flash looked back at the prince, astonished, and said, "Seriously? She told you that she dated another guy? She must trust you more than anyone else."
"What do you mean?" Rough Draft asked.
"Well, without going into too much detail, Sunset and I were kinda doomed from the start," Flash said. "We kept going back and forth between being enemies and allies, flirting in the process, before we finally started going out. But no matter how fun it was, she was always holding back. Sometimes I would find her looking at a rose necklace she hides under the shirt when she thinks no one was around. Whenever I asked her about it, she acted hostile and refused to give me an honest answer. Eventually, I ended it because I knew she was never going to trust me completely."
"Really?" Rough Draft asked. "She did promise to always treasure her necklace when I gave it to her, but I didn't think she would act that way over it."
Flash smirked at the prince and said, "Honestly, Your Highness, man to man, I think dating me was just a means to try to fill a void in her heart. But, after the mistrust we had and seeing her go through the lengths she made to help you, I think we can both agree that there's only one person who can fill that void."
Rough Draft briefly smiled before he looked away with an uneasy look.
"I hope she's okay," he said.
"So, do I," Flash said. "I want to say Sunset's been in worse spots than what she might be in now, but after seeing all the traps and security this place has, I would... wait a second."
Rough Draft looked at Flash, confused as the secret agent made a funny face, and started sniffing. He then felt a strange smell touching his nostrils and started sniffing too.
"Do you smell smoke?" Rough Draft asked.
"Yeah, I do," Flash said. "I think it's coming from outside."
The two men walked over to the large window and looked down to see the smoke reaching the top of the castle. They looked down and found Adagio's people running towards where it was coming from inside.
"The castle is on fire," Rough Draft said worryingly.
"I don't think so," Flash said. "If anything, it's likely Sunset?"
Rough Draft turned his head to Flash and asked, "How can you be sure?"
Flash smirked at the prince and said, "Your lady is many things, Your Highness, but subtle isn't one of them. I think she caused the fire to create a distraction."
"A distraction? For what?" Rough Draft asked.
"More than likely, to save you," Flash said. "And if she is, we better be ready because she's going to do it in a way that's going to attract attention to anyone who isn't focused on that fire, and we might have to fight our way out of here."
"I see," Rough Draft said. "Then I better get dressed for when she arrives."
"That would be best, Your Highness," Flash said.
Rough Draft nodded and hurried to his wardrobe to start changing out of his pajamas. Flash, meanwhile, took off his coat, opened his suitcase, and took out a double shoulder holster. As he put it on and started loading two pistols and a submachine gun, he glanced at the window where the smoke could still be seen.
"You better know what you're doing, Sunset," he whispered.
*******************************************************************************************
Back in the printing room, Sunset had set a pile of fake money ablaze. The fire was covering the room with smoke as she tossed boxes of counterfeit bills to keep the fire going. Twilight was rapidly going through papers on the desks, eager to find anything she could use to make her case against the queen. Sunset tossed more fake money with a mischievous grin until she heard fire alarms sounding off.
"Hurry up, Twilight! They're going to be here any minute!" She called out.
"Not until I find the evidence I need!" Twilight shouted.
"Twilight, that evidence isn't going to do much good if we don't start hiding!" Sunset yelled.
"But I need it!" Twilight shouted.
Sunset growled in frustration, irritated by Twilight's stubbornness. She looked around to find a couple of blueprints next to her and grabbed it and several rolls of fake bills. She ran over to Twilight, forced her to turn around to face her, and stuffed the blueprints and the fake bills into her trench coat pockets.
"There. Enough evidence to bring down an empire. Now, let's go!" She shouted.
Sunset grabbed Twilight's wrist and dragged her to the back of one of the printing presses next to the main entrance. Sunset peeked around the corner of the machine just in time to see the doors burst open, and several guards, maids, and butlers came in, led by Tirek. The maids and butlers were carrying fire extinguishers while the guards were holding a large water hose. The servants started using their extinguishers on the edges of the fire while Tirek's men shot a long beam of water at the center of the fire.
"Okay, it looks like they're completely focused on the fire," Sunset said. "Now, when I say go, we're going to sneak past them and make our way outside."
"Got it," Twilight said before something hit her. "Hey, is this how you snuck past me when you stole the diamonds from that museum last year?"
Sunset gave Twilight a smug look and said, "Come on, Twilight. You're the inspector. Surely, you can figure it out on your own."
Twilight glared at the amber thief, who turned her head away to look at the guards and servants taking out the fire. Sunset lifted her hand in front of Twilight, signaling her to get ready. After waiting a couple of seconds, Sunset prepared to signal Twilight to go until she heard a familiar young voice.
"Tirek! Where's Sunset Shimmer and the inspector?!"
Sunset and Twilight looked at each other, shocked before the latter took a peek from the other side of the printing machine and saw Cozy Glow and Wallflower Blush on the second floor. The greenish-gray maid wrung the water out of her dress while the pinkish-gray one looked at Tirek with a murderous look in her eyes.
"What are you talking about? They're dead," Tirek said.
"They escaped the catacombs and trapped us in the waterhole before coming this way!" Cozy Glow shouted.
"We haven't seen anyone coming down here, so they must still be here somewhere," Tirek said.
"Find them!" Cozy Glow yelled.
Twilight turned to Sunset, who groaned childishly and pinched the area between her eyebrows, having overheard the maid and the captain.
"Why won't the people I trap in this heaven-forsaken castle stay trapped?" She whined.
"What do we do now?" Twilight asked.
Sunset huffed and said, "There's only thing we can do, and you're not gonna like it."
"And that is?" Twilight asked.
"Run!" Sunset yelled.
Before Twilight knew it, Sunset had already left her hiding spot, and she hurried to catch up with the thief. The guards and servants were too distracted by the fire to notice the two women running towards them before Sunset and Twilight barged through them. By the time Tirek realized what happened, the thief and the inspector were racing up the stairs.
"There they are! Get them!" Tirek shouted.
"No! You focus on the fire! I'll go after them!" Cozy Glow shouted as she climbed down the ladder and chased after them.
Sunset and Twilight climbed up the stairs as fast as they could, shoving maids and butlers that were walking down the steps with fire extinguishers as they ran. They made their way to the exit and found themselves inside a three-story tall chapel. They looked around the area and realized that the stairway to the printing room was behind an altar with a tall golden, ornate cross standing on top of it.
"Double or nothing, Queen Adagio has this chapel for show and doesn't practice the faith," Sunset said.
"That goes without saying," Twilight said. "Now, keep moving!"
They ran to the other side of the chapel and found themselves outside in the third-level courtyard. Sunset and Twilight had a moment of relief to be out until they saw several more guards running towards them from the other side of the yard, swords ready.
"Great. They're everywhere. How are we going to get to the prince?" Twilight asked.
Sunset frowned, unsure of how to answer Twilight's question. She looked around the area until she noticed an outside staircase leading to the top of a tower. She looked up and saw that at the top was the landing platform where the autogyro was. The amber woman had a wicked grin on her face as the wheels in her head turned.
"Tell me, Twilight, do you have a fear of heights?" She asked.
Twilight looked at Sunset, confused before she turned to where Sunset was looking. It took a couple of seconds before she understood what was on Sunset's mind, and her pupils shrank.
"Oh, no," she said. "There is no way we're going to do that."
"It's either this or we keep tackling people all the way to Rough Draft's room and back, hoping we don't fall into any more traps," Sunset said.
Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but she stopped herself and thought about it before she reluctantly accepted Sunset's logic.
"You better know what you're doing," she said.
"We'll find out soon enough. Now let's go," Sunset said.
Twilight huffed before she followed Sunset to the stairway. By the time they started climbing up the steps, Cozy Glow and Wallflower Blush were outside, and the former immediately spotted Sunset and Twilight.
"They're heading for the autogyro!" She shouted.
"Why are they going there?" Wallflower Blush asked.
"Sunset Shimmer is probably trying to use it to get the prince!" Cozy Glow answered. "Go after them! I'll contact the queen!"
"Yes, ma'am," Wallflower Blush answered before turning to the guards. "Everyone follow me!"
The greenish-gray maid started rushing up the stairs with the guards running behind her while Cozy Glow ran to the other side of the courtyard toward the elevator. She grabbed a walkie talkie from the butler standing next to the elevator before she went inside and pressed the button to the top floor. As the door closed and the elevator went up, she adjusted the frequency to the walkie talkie before holding it close to her mouth.
"My queen, come in. This is Cozy Glow," she said.
"Cozy Glow, what is going on down there?" Adagio asked, irritation filling her voice. "Tell me you have the ring."
"I wish I could, but Sunset Shimmer and Inspector Sparkle escaped the catacombs," Cozy Glow answered. "They set a fire in the printing room and are now heading to the autogyro."
"Imbecile!" Adagio barked. "Why is it so hard for you to kill two women?!"
"You can rebuke me all you like later, Your Majesty. Right now, we need to stop them from getting to Prince Rough Draft," Cozy Glow said.
Cozy Glow heard a vicious growl from the speaker before Adagio said, "Have everyone closest to the north tower arm themselves and meet me up there! Rough Draft does not leave that tower!"
"At once, Your Grace," Cozy Glow said.
Meanwhile, Sunset and Twilight made it to the top of the tower with Wallflower Blush and the guards still chasing after them. Sunset climbed into the cockpit and looked at the various levers and buttons, instantly nervous. Twilight climbed up to the side of the cockpit and noticed the amber woman's look of unease.
"You said to come up here, and you have no idea how to pilot an autogyro?!" She screamed.
"Hey, I'm figuring things out as I go," Sunset replied.
"Oh, Lord, help us," Twilight groaned. "This is what I get for listening to you of all people."
Sunset bit her lip as she looked through the labels for the switches before she said, "Okay, I think I got it."
She flipped the switches before she pulled the lever next to the steering wheel. The engine started to turn on, making Sunset smile boastfully before it slowly turned off with a whine.
"Okay, I don't have it," she confessed.
Twilight scoffed and leaned closer to the cockpit to look at the labels herself before saying, "You're supposed to turn off the brake. It's right next to the ignition."
"Oh. I knew that," Sunset said sheepishly before she followed Twilight's instructions.
The engine roared, and the blades on the top and the tail of the autogyro started spinning. Wallflower Blush and the guards made their way to the top just in time to see the flying machine rolling toward the edge of the platform. They ran toward the autogyro, desperate to stop Sunset and Twilight from taking off, but by the time Wallflower Blush could grab the flying machine by the tail, Sunset lifted the autogyro up, causing the maid to nearly fall off the edge. Wallflower Blush and the guards could only watch as Sunset slowly managed to keep the autogyro steady.
"See? No problem," Sunset said. "I knew I'd figure it out
"No, you didn't!" Twilight rebuked while holding on to the side of the cockpit for dear life. "Now, how do you plan to leave with the prince when there's room for only one person in the cockpit?"
"Oh, I have a good idea for that," Sunset said with a flirtatious look in her eyes. "Now quit criticizing me and hang on. I'm gonna try to turn this thing."
Twilight tightened her grip on the side of the cockpit as Sunset carefully turned the steering wheel clockwise, trying not to make a sharp turn that would cause Twilight to fall off. The autogyro slowly turned around, making a U-turn until it was facing the north tower. Sunset then pulled the lever on her left side, and the autogyro levitated higher until it was at level with the roof of the tower.
"Okay, Twilight, this is the tricky part," she said. "You're gonna have to fly the autogyro while I get Rough Draft."
"What?! I can't do that!" Twilight shouted.
"Sure, you can," Sunset encouraged. "Just keep it steady while I hop on the roof."
"But I've never flown one of these things before," Twilight protested.
"Neither have I, but I've managed to do okay," Sunset said. "Now get ready. I'm about to get out."
"Wait! No! Hol - Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight screamed.
Sunset climbed out of the cockpit, and Twilight quickly grabbed the steering wheel to keep the autogyro level. The poor grayish mulberry inspector reluctantly climbed inside the cockpit while Sunset carefully walked on one of the autogyro's wings and jumped onto the roof. She walked over to the window, carefully trying not to slip and fall off the edge, and kicked it open. Sunset leaned her head in the window and smiled warmly to find Rough Draft and Flash looking up at her.
"Sunshine!" Rough Draft shouted with a bright smile.
"Did someone order a heroic rescue?" Sunset asked.
"No, but I'll gladly sign for it," Flash said. "I hope you know how to get us up there."
"I sure do," Sunset said as she took her grappling gun out of her belt. "I trust you still remember how to use this."
She dropped her gun into Flash's hands, and he took a couple of steps back before he fired it at the window. The hook attached itself to the edge of the window, and he gave it a good tug to make sure that it's secure before turning to Rough Draft.
"You go first, Your Highness," he said.
"Okay, but how do I use it?" Rough Draft asked.
"Just hold on tight and press the button on the right side," Flash answered.
Rough Draft hesitated, feeling nervous until Sunset called out, "Don't be afraid, babe. I'll pull you up at the top." The prince gulped before he pressed the button, and the gun slowly lifted him to the window. Sunset reached out for Rough Draft until he made it to the top, and she grabbed his hand and pulled him up into her arms. The couple hugged each other tightly before as they kissed.
"I told you I'd be back soon," Sunset said.
"Yes, you did," Rough Draft said. "I'll never doubt you again."
"You won't need to once we're free," Sunset said.
Rough Draft nodded before he frowned and asked, "But how are we going to escape on the autogyro with Flash and the inspector?"
Sunset chuckled while looking at her beloved flirtatiously and said, "Oh, I was thinking Flash and Twilight hold on to the sides of the cockpit while I fly with my sweet prince on my lap."
Rough Draft stammered and looked away with his cheeks turning red. Sunset giggled before planting a kiss on his cheek.
"I miss seeing you blush, Rough Draft," she said. "It's as adorable as ever."
"S-s-stop it! That's not helping!" Rough Draft shouted, his cheeks turning crimson.
"It wasn't supposed to, lover boy," Sunset said.
"Hey! You think you can stop being snoggy-woggy and help me up?!" Flash called out.
Sunset snapped out her loving gaze and sheepishly said, "Oh, yeah. Sorry, Flash."
She undid the hook on the edge of the window and dropped her grappling gun into the grayish amber man's hands again. But, just as he was about to fire the gun, the bedroom door opened, and a couple of butlers and maids walked in with guns. Before the servants could do anything, Flash drew his submachine gun and fired, forcing them to exit the room. He threw a grenade for good measure before looking up the window.
"You better get that autogyro ready, Sunset. Odds are I won't hold them off for long!" He called out.
"Got it," Sunset said before turning to the autogyro. "Alright, Twilight, bring it back over here!"
"I'm trying!" Twilight shouted as she struggled with the controls.
The autogyro moved back and forth, barely staying level. Twilight panicked as she accidentally lifted the machine higher, causing it to fly over Sunset and Rough Draft's heads. Sunset ran up the steep roof, hoping that Twilight would fly close enough to the top that she could jump back into the autogyro and take over.
But suddenly, the amber thief felt something small zoom through her body. She stood still in shock and looked down to find a hole in her shirt right below her chest. She stared at the hole in a state of shock, not hearing Rough Draft screaming her name before her legs gave out. Sunset rolled down the slope toward the edge of the roof before Rough Draft dived in and stopped her with his body. At the same time, Flash made it up the window with the grappling gun before several bullets flew past him, causing him to drop his gun and take cover.
Rough Draft looked up to find one of the tall windows in the corner of the tower turned into a platform where Cozy Glow was holding a machine gun attached to the railing and Adagio was standing beside her. Rough Draft and Flash turned their heads to find another platform on the other side with another maid aiming her machine gun at the special agent. Adagio smirked triumphantly as she looked at where Flash was hiding behind cover.
"So, it seems I have a rat in my castle that I let stand close to my beloved groom. How careless of me," she said. "I'll have to interrogate you later, Mr. Rat. But first, kill Sunset Shimmer, Cozy Glow."
"With pleasure, My Queen," Cozy Glow said as she aimed her gun at Sunset with a sadistic grin.
Rough Draft covered Sunset with his body, and Adagio said, "Rough Draft, move away."
"No!" Rough Draft shouted. "You'll have to kill me to get to her!"
Cozy Glow fired her weapon, and Rough Draft ducked as bullets hit the area surrounding him and Sunset. He covered the love of his life as best he could until Adagio lifted her hand, and the maid stopped shooting.
"You're very brave, Rough Draft. Loyalty is a valuable trait in a husband," Adagio said.
"I'm not your husband!" Rough Draft shouted.
"Not yet, anyway," Adagio said. "Since you're so devoted to your thief, my love, I'll make you a deal. If you cease your rebellious ways and marry me, I'll forgive you and make sure Sunset Shimmer gets medical help."
"Yeah, right! You're obviously lying!" Flash called out from his hiding spot.
"I've never lied to my groom, Mr. Rat," Adagio said. "If he comes to me with the ring, I'll make sure Sunset Shimmer gets the best medical attention money can buy."
"How do I know that I can trust you?" Rough Draft asked.
"What other choice do you have, Rough Draft?" Adagio asked. "Your thief is getting weaker by the second. She just might die right here while you're trying to protect her. So, what's it going to be?"
Rough Draft hesitated, feeling stuck in the situation. He looked at Sunset, who had her eyes shut and was clenching her teeth, trying to ignore the pain. A stream of blood was running down to the edge of the roof. He wished he could think of an alternative, but he knew that he had no power over what was happening apart from choosing whether or not to help Sunset.
"Sunset, where is the ring?" He whispered into Sunset's ear.
"No. Don't do it, Rough Draft. She's lying," Sunset said weakly.
"I have to take that chance," Rough Draft said. "I'd rather marry her than let you die."
"No. I won't let you," Sunset said.
"Look into her right jacket pocket," Flash said. "She always puts things in there."
"Darn you, Flash," Sunset growled.
Rough Draft reached onto Sunset's pocket and took out his ring. He then kissed Sunset on the head and said, "It's going to be okay, Sunshine. I promise." Sunset whimpered in protest as Rough Draft stood up and held out the ring close to the edge with a serious look.
"I have the ring," he announced. "Now have your maids drop their guns and back away. If I see either of them attempt to grab their guns and shoot Sunset or Flash, I'll throw the ring into the lake."
Adagio smirked and said, "You heard your future king, ladies. Back away."
Cozy Glow and the maid on the other side of the tower frowned before they reluctantly lowered their weapons and backed away.
"You too, Adagio. Back away," Rough Draft commanded.
"As you wish, my love," Adagio said as she backed to the other side of the railing.
Rough Draft looked down at Sunset, making sure she was still alive before walking over to Adagio. He turned around to make sure that the maid on the other side didn't try anything as he walked. The queen and her head maid waited patiently for him while the teenager leaned her head close to her mistress.
"Are you going to give the criminal medical help, Your Grace?" She whispered.
"I'm a woman of my word, Cozy Glow, and I intend to earn Rough Draft's trust," Adagio replied. "But just because I'm giving her medical attention doesn't guarantee she's going to be saved from her wounds."
Cozy Glow resisted the urge to smirk so that Rough Draft wouldn't get suspicious. But suddenly, a heard loud crash was heard, and everyone but Sunset looked up to find that Twilight had smashed through the roof. With the inspector losing control of the machine, the autogyro slid down the roof, causing Rough Draft, Adagio, Cozy Glow, and the other maid to duck and cover. Seeing this as the opportunity to escape, Flash emerged from his hiding spot and scooped up Sunset just in time to grab the plane by the side before it fell off the roof. Cozy Glow took her gun and started firing at the autogyro before Rough Draft ran over to the platform and forced the gun to face up. Adagio grabbed the prince by the wrist and pulled him into the platform, holding him down to the floor. The two of them struggled until the queen took the ring out of Rough Draft's hand.
"Finally, I have it back!" she said triumphantly.
"Sunset was right! You are a liar!" Rough Draft barked.
"Oh, don't give me that, Rough Draft. I didn't lie," Adagio said. "I said if you gave me back the ring I'll give Sunset Shimmer medical attention. It's not my fault if that idiotic inspector intervened, and the rat used that to take her away."
"And yet you didn't hesitate to fire at them," Rough Draft said.
"That was Cozy Glow, not me," Adagio said. "I didn't give her the order to fire upon them. Did I, Cozy Glow?"
"No, Your Majesty, you did not," Cozy Glow replied.
"You're making excuses. You never intended to let them live at all," Rough Draft accused.
Adagio shrugged and said, "Well, I would have kept my word for you, my love, but if they didn't survive, it wouldn't be so terrible. Your ex is still a criminal, after all, and I can't have any of them snitching about my operation. I know you understand."
Rough Draft glowered at the queen and said, "Say whatever you want, but I will die before I marry you, Adagio."
Adagio frowned and said, "Is that so? Well, there are ways that I can keep you from doing that, my love."
*************************************************************************************
Back near the clock tower, Starlight was looking through Sunset's binoculars in horror, having seen far enough to witness everything that happened at the noth tower. The autogyro was heading toward them with smoke coming out after crashing into the roof. Twilight was still struggling to stay airborne while Flash had one hand on the side of the cockpit, and his arm wrapped around where Sunset was shot. The secret agent saw Starlight and Tempest at the top of the wall and mouthed something out to them.
"What's he saying?" Starlight asked.
Tempest lifted her hand above her eyes and squinted to get a better look. She analyzed Flash's mouth movements closely before her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped.
"He's going to drop Shimmer!" She shouted. "I think he's expecting us to catch her!"
"What?!" Starlight asked. "How are we supposed to do that?!"
Tempest took a second to think before she ordered, "Get in the car!"
Starlight didn't hesitate to do as she was told as she grabbed her anti-tank rifle and rushed to the slug bug with Tempest. The purple woman turned on the ignition and slammed on the gas while the autogyro was getting closer to them, and Flash turned to Twilight.
"Hold steady so that we're right above the car," he instructed.
"I'm trying!" Twilight shouted in panic. "I can only do so much when this thing barely has a tail!"
Flash turned his head and realized that the tail of the autogyro was falling apart. He muttered under his breath and looked down to see that they were getting closer to the car. Tempest climbed up from the sunroof and held her hands up while Starlight was driving. The grayish amber man waited until he was just above them before he let go of Sunset, and she landed right into Tempest's arms.
"There are entrance and exit wounds right below her chest area!" Flash called out.
"Understood!" Tempest replied.
The dark orchid woman climbed back down and laid Sunset down on the backseat. Starlight slammed her foot on the gas and drove ahead while Flash climbed up to the cockpit.
"Come on. We gotta get off now," he said.
"I can't!" Twilight shouted in fear.
"Yes, you can," Flash said. "This thing is not going to last much longer. We need to jump off right now!"
"We can't do that!" Twilight shouted. "At this height, there's no way we can -"
"Trust me, we're going to be fine," Flash said, stretching out his hand. "Now, take my hand and get out of that cockpit now!"
Twilight hesitated, unsure of whether or not to believe Flash until she realized that the autogyro was heading straight toward a tree. She took Flash's hand, and he pulled her out of the cockpit, wrapped his arm around her waist, and jumped off. Twilight screamed in fear until Flash took out Sunset's grappling gun and shot it at a nearby tree. The hook wrapped itself around a branch, and the rope broke Flash and Twilight's fall, leaving them dangling a few feet above the ground. Flash pressed the button, and the gun lowered them to safety as the autogyro crashed and burst into flames. Twilight took a moment to collect herself before she saw Sunset's car driving away.
"SUNSET SHIMMER!!!" She shouted with her hands on both sides of her mouth. "DON'T YOU DARE DIE BEFORE I CAN ARREST YOU!!! DO HEAR ME!?! I'M STILL GOING TO BRING YOU TO JUSTICE!!!"
Flash snorted out a laugh, and Twilight glared at him, asking, "What's so funny."
"Oh, nothing," Flash replied. "I just think you look cute when you're acting authoritative, miss."
Twilight's cheeks turned red, and she barked, "The name is Inspector Sparkle, buster. Now, take me back to Canterlot."
"You can't command me. I'm a special agent," Flash said, smirking.
"Prove it," Twilight said.
Without hesitating, Flash took out his badge and held it up to Twilight. She adjusted her glasses to read the badge and said, "Okay, so you're a special agent for Canterlot. In that case, that makes you even more obligated to help me get back."
"And why is that?" Flash asked.
"Because I need to get to Chancellor Neighsay and give him proof that there is a counterfeit operation in Everfree," Twilight replied.
Flash's smug expression instantly disappeared. Twilight tilted her head in confusion as the grayish amber man stood still like a statue.
"I'm sorry. Did you say you have proof that the printing presses are there?" Flash asked.
"Do you know about them?" Twilight asked.
"I've been undercover looking for those machines for months," Flash said. "Chancellor Neighsay just forced my superior to have me pull back before you and Sunset tried to rescue the prince."
"Really?" Twilight asked.
"Really, really," Flash replied. "So, on behalf of Canterlot Secret Service, Inspector Sparkle, please tell me you have legitimate evidence."
Twilight smirked and reached into her pockets to take out the folded blueprints and the rolls of fake bills. Flash gazed at the evidence in awe as though he was looking at the holy grail itself. He then looked up at Twilight and smiled as he stood up straight and put his hand behind his back.
"Why don't we start over," he said before he took a bow. "Special Agent Flash Sentry at your service, Inspector Sparkle."
Twilight couldn't resist the urge to giggle, finding Flash's sudden change of demeanor to be amusing before she played along and gave him a curtsey.
"Inspector Twilight Sparkle at yours, Agent Sentry," she said.
Flash chuckled back and said, "I think we're gonna have a lot to talk about, Inspector Sparkle."
"Twilight," Twilight said.
"Twilight," Flash corrected with a smile. "So, tell me, how did you come across this evidence?"
****************************************************************************************
Meanwhile, while Starlight was driving, Tempest was tending to Sunset, who was lying down on her back in the backseat. She removed Sunset's jacket before she opened a briefcase behind Starlight's seat, took out a first-aid kit, and started cleaning the wounds as best as she could. Sunset was moaning and whimpering with her eyes shut as Tempest put pressure into the bullet holes.
"We need to get her help fast," Starlight said, terrified for her friend.
"The queen might send her people after us," Tempest said. "We should leave the country and get Shimmer help beyond Queen Adagio's jurisdiction."
"We can't do that," Starlight said. "She'll never make it if we take that long to get her proper care, and there's no way the guards would let us leave with someone bleeding to death in the back."
"Then what are we going to do?" Tempest asked.
Starlight bit her lip, unsure of how to answer the samurai's question. Her grasp on the wheel tightened as she shut her eyes and said the first thing that came to her mind.
"I think I have an idea," she said. "It's a risky idea, but if it saves Sunset, I'll try anything."
"Okay, what is it?" Tempest asked.
"First, we gotta go far enough to make sure they haven't followed us, and then we're turning back," Starlight said.
"What?! Are you out of your mind, Glimmer?!" Tempest shouted.
"I told you it's risky," Starlight said. "But there's someone back at the Castle of Luna who's the caretaker of the place. If they're not following us and if we're careful enough, we just might be able to find her and convince her to help us with the queen and her people having no idea that we're still in Everfree."
Tempest frowned and said, "That sounds too risky."
"Anything we try is going to be risky, Tempest!" Starlight barked, glaring at Tempest through a rearview mirror. "I'm going to roll the dice with whatever is the best chance Sunset has, so are you with me or not?!"
Tempest glared back at Starlight through the mirror. Then, she sighed and hung her head, saying, "Fine. Do what you think you have to do. Just don't get us all killed while doing it."
"Fair enough," Starlight said as her eyes went back to the road.
Tempest grumbled quietly before going back to focusing on Sunset. The bleeding had stopped, and Sunset's breathing was starting to slowing down. The amber woman quivered in pain, but she also looked sad as though she was having a nightmare. Tempest could only watch as Sunset kept muttering two words before she lost consciousness.
"Rough Draft. Rough...Draft. Rou...Rough...Draft. Rrrrroooouuuuggghhhh..." |
Sunset Shimmer and the Castle of Everfree | Chapter 10 | When Flash and Twilight returned to Canterlot, Spike and the squadron were relieved to find out that Twilight was okay. Spike explained how the queen's people said she went out ahead of them back to Canterlot, but when they didn't see her already back home, he was worried that something happened to her. The grayish mulberry inspector furrowed her brow when she realized that the queen deceived her brother as a means to hide that she was left to die in the catacombs, but then she grinned and explained to her squadron everything she and Sunset discovered under the castle. Twilight went on to say that she was confident that they were going to move out to arrest the queen as soon as she and Flash brought the evidence to Chancellor Neighsay.
The two of them went to the headquarters to Canterlot's Secret Services, where Flash introduced Commander Harshwhinny and showed her the proof. The commander had a mischievous grin on her face as she looked at the evidence, excited to show it to the chancellor, who she thought he would feel ashamed for discrediting her operation. She also checked the secret service's databanks and confirmed about Agent Sweetie Drops going missing while finding the Horse Bills. The brilliant orange woman expressed her most profound gratitude for Twilight's accomplishment in discovering the printing presses before the three of them left to meet the chancellor.
Inside Canterlot Castle, Chancellor Neighsay was in his office in one of the highest towers in the palace. He was a thin man with light azureish gray skin, dark grayish azure hair that was pulled back, and a small goatee. When Twilight entered the office with her backup pair of glasses followed by Commander Harshwhinny and Flash, Chancellor Neighsay looked at them with a stern look in his moderate turquoise eyes as he rested his elbows and clasped his hands together.
"Inspector Sparkle, you did not immediately return with your squadron as ordered," he said sternly. "I cannot overstate my disappointment that a woman of your stature would disobey direct orders because you are determined to capture one thief."
"My apologies, Your Excellency," Twilight said, unintimidated by the chancellor's words. "I'm afraid there were some unfortunate setbacks that misled my squadron into thinking I went ahead of them with returning to Canterlot."
"Indeed?" The chancellor asked before turning to Harshwhinny. "May I ask what business you have to come to my office without permission, commander?"
"Sir, Agent Sentry returned to Canterlot with Inspector Sparkle, and they have made discoveries in Everfree that require your attention," Harshwhinny answered.
"Discoveries?" Chancellor Neighsay asked. "Please don't tell me this has to do with your daft claims that Queen Adagio is running some counterfeit operation."
"I'm afraid it does, Chancellor," Harshwhinny said. "And the matter is worse than we suspected."
Chancellor Neighsay furrowed his brow, displeased with her response. Twilight took his silence as her moment to take out the blueprints and the rolls of fake bills out of her pockets and put them on the chancellor's desk. Harshwhinny and Flash smirked as Chancellor Neighsay looked at the evidence.
"As you can see, chancellor, these are blueprints of the printing presses inside Castle Everfree," Twilight said. "There is a large hall full of these machines that are making fake bills for Canterlot and its allies, as well as countries outside of our continent. In other words, the queen of Everfree is creating false money all over the world. Furthermore, I have discovered catacombs deep under Castle Everfree that contain countless bodies of people who have opposed the queen and her ancestors, signifying that -"
"Silence!" Chancellor Neighsay shouted.
Twilight jumped and took a step back, taken aback by the way the chancellor angrily interrupted her. Flash and Harshwhinny were also shocked as the gray-skinned man glowered at them.
"Claiming that Everfree is sending counterfeit money all over the world? Putting so-claimed blueprints on my desk? Saying that the queen has a catacomb full of dead bodies? How dare you speak such nonsense in front of me!" He growled.
"It's the truth, chancellor," Twilight protested. "These are real blueprints from their printing room, and I saw the catacombs myself. There are bodies everywhere, including the body of a special agent from Canterlot named Sweetie Drops."
"It's true, Your Excellency," Harshwhinny said. "We checked our databanks after Inspector Sparkle testified to us and there was an agent named Sweetie Drops who was sent to Everfree by Chancellor Octavia Melody to find the counterfeit operation in the country and went missing and was later declared K.I.A."
Chancellor Neighsay turned to Harshwhinny and said, "Now you're creating stories to back up your obsession on an old myth, commander."
"Obsession? The evidence is right here in front of you. What more do you want?" Flash rebuked. "Are you in so much denial that you can't just admit that you've been proven wrong like an adult?"
"I resent that accusation, Agent Sentry!" Chancellor Neighsay growled. "The fact is you just walked into my office trying to convince me to try to arrest the ruler of one of our allies. Even if a single word of what you're saying is true, it is not within my power or the power of our allies to meddle in the affairs of another country, leastways a small, well-respected country like Everfree."
"Meddle in the affairs of another country? This is no political matter!" Twilight shouted. "Ruler of a country be disregarded. Queen Adagio is a criminal, and with this evidence, we have her dead to rights."
"And I only have the desperate words of two members of our secret service trying to prove that a myth exists and an inspector who has a bad public image of late to go by," Chancellor Neighsay said.
"Bad public image? What are you talking about?" Twilight asked.
"You mean you haven't read the morning papers?" Chancellor Neighsay asked. "It's been in the talk of the city for the last two days."
He took out a newspaper lying next to him on his desk and put it on top of Twilight's evidence. Twilight slowly picked it up and looked closely before she gasped. Flash and Harshwhinny looked over Twilight's shoulders, and their eyes widened as the headlines read, "Queen Adagio bravely saves her fiance from a criminal mastermind." There was a large picture of Adagio in a full-body photo standing tall and proud and waving at the camera on the front page. To the left of the photograph were half-body pictures of Rough Draft and Sunset. The prince was sitting on a chair with a melancholy look, and the image of Sunset was a mugshot.
"They say that Sunset Shimmer attempted to kidnap the prince and hold him for ransom," the chancellor said. "They've also been talking about a henchman disguised as you tried to help her."
"That wasn't a disguise. That was me," Twilight said.
Chancellor Neighsay frowned and said, "You mean you knowingly aided a criminal attempting to kidnap the prince?"
"Uh, no, we weren't kidnapping. We were rescuing," Twilight said.
"Rescuing?" The chancellor asked unfazed.
"Yes, sir. The queen is holding Prince Rough Draft against his wishes and blackmailed him into marrying her," Flash said.
"A royal wedding arranged through blackmail? This is by far your tallest story yet," Chancellor Neighsay said.
"But it's the truth," Twilight protested again. "Since when has my word and the word of Canterlot's secret service accounted for so little?"
"That's right. No matter what you believe, Your Excellency, you have solid evidence right in front of you that Queen Adagio is committing a horrible crime," Harshwhinny said.
"What I have is fake money and blueprints that could have come from anywhere along with your words against the queen's, and to be blunt, I believe the queen," Chancellor Neighsay said.
Twilight stared at the chancellor in disbelief and asked, "I'm testifying as an eyewitness. How can you be so dismissive about the evidence right in front of you just because the person in question is a queen?"
"It's quite simple, Inspector Sparkle. The world believes what it wants to believe," Chancellor Neighsay said. "It believes that the queen of Everfree is a courageous hero who protected her future husband, and that, whether you were there or not, you have some part in an international thief attempting to commit a heinous crime. What you consider to be the truth is irrelevant. No matter what you say, these claims are coming from an inspector who has defied orders and two members of our secret service who are desperate to be seen as proven right."
"Your Excellency, please be reasonable," Harshwhinny said. "It can't be that -"
"Enough!" Chancellor Neighsay growled. "I will say no more about the matter. Harshwhinny, your case is closed. Inspector, I'm going to discuss your past actions to the commissioner and recommend that you are suspended from the Canterlot police."
"Suspended?!" Twilight shouted. "But I -"
"Dismissed! All of you!" The chancellor barked.
Twilight, Flash, and Harshwhinny looked at Chancellor Neighsay in disbelief before they sadly left the office. Neither of them said a word to each other as they exited the castle. It was dark out when they left, and Spike and the rest of Twilight's squadron were waiting for them in formation in front of the castle gates. The lieutenant smiled and saluted his big sister.
"Everyone is ready to go, Twilight," he said. "Just say the word, and we'll be back in Everfree before you know it."
Twilight gave her brother a sad smile before she looked down in defeat and said, "No one's going anywhere, Spike."
The squadron looked at each other confused, and Spike asked, "What do you mean? Didn't you give the chancellor the proof?"
"Chancellor Neighsay didn't believe us," Twilight said. "He said the bills and blueprints could have come from anywhere and said he's going to recommend that the commissioner suspends me."
"What?! But that's ridiculous!" Spike shouted.
"Understatement of the century, Lieutenant," Flash said.
Twilight sighed and said, "Just go home, everyone. There's nothing we can do about Chancellor Neighsay's decision. More than likely, he'll have the commissioner replace me before long."
The squadron looked at her in disbelief and shouted words of protest until Twilight held up her hand and said, "Disperse. That's an order." The officers reluctantly did as ordered, glumly leaving while occasionally glancing at their leader as they walked as a final act of loyalty. Before long, Twilight, Spike, Flash, and Harshwhinny were the only people left. The purple man with green hair walked over to his sister and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Twilight, is there anything I can do?" He asked.
Twilight gave Spike an appreciative smile before she frowned again and said, "No. There's nothing. Go home, Spike. Rarity's waiting for you."
Spike opened his mouth to object, but then he closed it and reluctantly walked away. Harshwhinny then walked in front of Twilight and gave her a sad smile.
"You have my deepest apologies for what happened there, inspector," she said. "If it's any consolation, I want to thank you for your contribution to our case. Without you, the Horse Bills would still be just a myth."
"Thank you, Commander," Twilight said in a monotone voice.
Harshwhinny then turned to Flash and said, "I want a report on your investigation by the end of the week, Agent Sentry."
"Understood, Commander," Flash said.
Harshwhinny gave her agent a short nod before she walked away to her own home. Twilight hung her head and put her hands in her trench coat pockets as she started walking down aimlessly down the city streets. Flash watched her walk away sympathetically before he looked down and scratched the back of his head. He then ran over to catch up with Twilight, who turned to him, having heard him running toward her.
"Hey, listen, do you want to go get a drink or something?" He asked.
Twilight frowned and asked, "Are you asking me on a date after I just found out that I'm going to lose my job?"
"No, I mean, do you want to get a drink after everything that happened in there?" Flash clarified. "I mean, I don't know about you, but I just learned that the assignment I've been working on for months has been for nothing, so I could certainly use something."
Twilight took a moment to think about Flash's offer and said, "I don't want a drink. I want comfort food. Something sweet."
Flash smirked and said, "In that case, I know just the place that's open at this hour."
Twilight smiled, feeling hopeful that what Flash is thinking would be just what she wanted. She followed the grayish amber man to the other side of the city, where there was a small donut restaurant close to the city walls. When Flash and Twilight came in the front door, a little bell rang, alerting a tall man with light amber skin, moderate orange hair, and broad shoulders standing behind the counter. The man turned around to see Flash and Twilight walking over to them and gave them a friendly smirk.
"Well, well, well. As I live and breathe. Flash Sentry," he said. "Haven't seen you around these parts in some time, old buddy. Where have you been?
"Oh, I had a long business trip," Flash replied.
"I see," the man said before turning to Twilight. "And who is she? Your girlfriend?"
"He should be so lucky," Twilight said. "I'm just someone he met during his...business trip. I'm Twilight Sparkle."
"Pleased to meet ya. I'm Donut Joe, but you can call me Joe," Joe said. "So, what can I do for you two?"
"I'm craving for something sweet, and Flash recommended your establishment," Twilight replied.
"Did he now? Well, you've come to the right place, Ms. Sparkle," Joe said proudly. "When it comes to donuts and coffee, you'll never find a better restaurant than mine."
"That's quite a claim," Twilight said. "In that case, I'd like a half dozen of your best donuts and a cappuccino, please."
"Excellent choice," Joe said. "How about you, Sentry?"
"I'm thinking of a long john and a cappuccino myself," Flash said. "And I'll be paying for both of us.
Twilight frowned and said, "You don't need to -"
"I insist," Flash said with a smile. "We're here more for you than me."
Twilight continued to frown at Flash for a moment before she smiled and silently accepted his offer. Flash took out his wallet and paid Donut Joe before he and Twilight found a booth to sit on next to a window. For a minute, the two of them were awkwardly silent as they waited for Joe to bring them their orders.
"So..." Flash said.
"So..." Twilight said back.
"I guess this is redundant to ask, but how are you feeling right now?" Flash asked.
Twilight was silent for a couple of seconds before she sighed and said, "I don't know. I guess I'm sad, but at the same time, I feel frustrated and confused. Nothing makes sense anymore."
"What do you mean?" Flash asked.
"I mean nothing goes the way it should," Twilight said. "When I decided to be an inspector, I wanted to find and bring down criminals using logical deduction and solid evidence. Nothing about my job should be simpler than that. I may not always succeed just on account of trying to hunt down Sunset Shimmer alone, but I give myself some grace considering how she is by far the most cunning and resourceful criminal there is."
Flash nodded in understanding while Twilight continued.
"So, when I discover something as atrocious as what the monarchy a country has been doing for centuries, was able to escape with solid evidence of what is happening, I expect someone like Chancellor Neighsay to see the truth and act on it. And yet, just because of what the newspaper says and I ignored an order, my evidence is discredited."
"Yeah, I know. It doesn't add up," Flash said, sadly.
The two of them became silent again, feeling defeated by the situation. After another minute, Joe came back with their drinks and pastries on a tray. They politely thanked him as he put the orders on the table before he went back to the counter. As soon as he was gone, Twilight opened her box of donuts and dove right into one. She munched hastily until her mind fully processed the sweet taste, and she chewed slowly to savor the donut before swallowing. She grabbed another donut and took a smaller bite to relish the taste while Flash was eating his long john at a moderate pace. The edges of Twilight's mouth curled up as she finished her second donut.
"I take it that hits the spot?" Flash asked, smirking.
"Good golly, does it ever?" Twilight replied as she took another donut. "How have I not heard of this place before?"
Flash chuckled and said, "Well, Canterlot is a big place, so there's going to be hidden gems when it comes to food."
"No kidding. My sister-in-law would love these," Twilight said. "This is just what I needed."
"Glad to hear it," Flash said. "I usually come here to reward myself after completing an assignment."
"How long have you been in the secret service?" Twilight asked.
"Eh, about eight years or so," Flash answered. "How about you with becoming an inspector?"
"About the same," Twilight said.
"Yeah? How long have you been trying to catch Sunset?" Flash asked.
"Seven years," Twilight answered before it hit her. "You know, I think I've read something on the file for Sunset Shimmer saying that she dated a special agent when I started looking for her."
"Uh, really?" Flash asked, nervously.
"Yeah, do you know anything about that?" Twilight asked.
"I...might have an idea," Flash answered, looking away from Twilight.
Twilight tilted her head, puzzled by the way Flash was acting. He was looking down, facing the floor while scratching the back of his head. It took a moment before it hit her, and she looked at Flash in disbelief.
"You dated her?" She asked. "What in the world possessed you to do that? She's a criminal."
"It was during my early years as a spy," Flash answered, looking at Twilight again. "Every now and then, she would be there when I was on assignment to steal something. Most of the time, she was my enemy interfering with my job, but other times she and Starlight Glimmer were my allies. Though even when we were, it was because Sunset and Starlight could get something valuable like jewels or money out of helping me. Eventually, Sunset and I got to a point where we would secretly date."
"Seriously? You could get in huge trouble for that," Twilight said.
"Oh, I did," Flash confessed. "Commander Harshwhinny was fuming when she learned about us. She looked the other way when we needed her for our operations as long as I completed my assignment, though."
"And Sunset Shimmer was okay with helping you just because you were her boyfriend?" Twilight asked.
"Partially, but I think it's really because she and Starlight have a moral obligation to do the right thing when there's something worse than stealing is happening," Flash answered.
Twilight looked at Flash dumbfounded until she thought about it and said, "That does add up. Sunset Shimmer was disgusted by how the Celestial family has killed so many people to hide their counterfeit operation. She didn't want to take over anymore after that."
"Exactly," Flash said.
Twilight frowned and said, "But I hope you realize that doesn't excuse her crimes. If I don't get suspended or eventually get my job back, I still intend to lock her up once and for all."
"I would be disappointed if you weren't planning to do that," Flash said with a smile. "Truth be told, after traveling back here from Everfree and seeing you so determined to get the chancellor to accept the truth, I admire your passion for justice."
Twilight smirked and asked, "Did you just say that to make a move on me?"
"I said that because it's the truth," Flash insisted before he played with his fingers and said, "Though if you were flattered in that way, I wouldn't mind."
Twilight covered her mouth to hide a snicker while Flash looked away shyly. Then he turned back to her, and the two of them smiled while looking into each other's eyes. But while Twilight was staring, she noticed something at the corner of her eye and looked away from Flash, furrowing her brow. Flash was puzzled by her change in mood until he turned his head to where Twilight was looking and frowned.
On the black square tv hanging above the wall behind the counter, a news station was reporting on Adagio and Rough Draft's wedding. The station then cut to Adagio standing in front of the front gates of Castle Everfree with a stand holding several microphones in front of her, waving with pride as photographers took pictures. The sound of journalists trying to get the queen's attention roared through the TV speakers until Adagio pointed at one of them.
"Your Highness. Snappy Scoop from the Baltimare daily news," a journalist said. "How are you feeling about the wedding just days away."
"Oh, there are no words to describe how I feel," Adagio said blissfully. "I always believed that Rough Draft and I would be the ones to unite our families after centuries of separation, and our wedding will be a day that I will treasure always."
"Your Majesty. Press Release of the Las Pegasus Journal," said another journalist. "Where is Prince Rough Draft right now?"
"I'm afraid he is staying in his quarters right now," Adagio said. "The poor dear is still traumatized from the attempted kidnapping, but he will be right as rain in time for the wedding."
"Your Highness. Buried Lede of the Manehattan Post," said the third reporter. "How are you holding up after saving your fiance from the international criminal, Sunset Shimmer?"
Adagio let out a soft gasp and placed her hand on her heart.
"The mere idea that the coldhearted villain, Sunset Shimmer, came so close to kidnapping my precious groom still haunts me," she said. "But I assure you, my courageous act has never made me feel prouder of myself. As far as my people and I are concerned, I have proven that I will be a loyal and protective wife to my husband and king. As long as we are together, Rough Draft will worry for nothing."
"Oh, brother," Twilight groaned.
"But can you say for an absolute fact that Sunset Shimmer is dead?" Buried Lede asked.
"Absolutely," Adagio claimed. "She was mortally wounded when she tried to kidnap Rough Draft. I offered medical attention from the goodness of my heart, but the prideful woman refused and tried to escape with her life. We have not found the body yet, but at the critical state she was in, there can be no doubt that she succumbed to her wounds."
"Pfff. Yeah right. If you call blackmailing the prince an offer from the goodness of your heart," Flash grumbled.
The news then cut back to the newscaster who said, "Citizens of Everfree and tourists alike have grown more excited for the unity of the royal families as the festivities continue in the country's capital. The Archbishop of Mt. Aris has already left for Everfree to officiate the royal wedding. Queen Adagio has only allowed your Canterlot 9 News to record the wedding live, and we will broadcast the historical event worldwide."
"This is ridiculous," Twilight complained.
"No kidding," Flash said. "If you ask me, the queen is overcompensating by having the archbishop marry her and Prince Rough Draft."
"That and having it shot worldwide," Twilight agreed. "She probably expects everyone in the world to watch."
Flash hummed in agreement, while still looking at the TV. But after a second, his eyes widened, and the edges of his mouth curled up. He sprang up from his seat, startling Twilight as the grayish amber man started laughing like a madman.
"That's it!" He shouted.
"What's it?" Twilight asked.
"The whole world is going to see the broadcast," Flash said.
"I'm not following," Twilight said.
"Twilight, don't you see? We can use that to reveal the Horse Bills to everyone," Flash said.
"What? How in the world are we going to do that?" Twilight asked.
"The newscaster said that only Canterlot 9 News it's going to record the wedding," Flash explained. "If I can get Commander Harshwhinny to have me and a couple of my fellow agents pretend to be the news crew going to Everfree, we can prove to the whole world about the printing presses under Castle Everfree. You said there's a stairway that leads to the printing room inside the castle's chapel, right?"
"Right. Just behind the altar," Twilight said.
"There you have it. We'll already be inside the chapel to shoot the wedding, so all we have to do is get behind that altar and go down to the printing room for the entire world to see," Flash asked.
Twilight hummed and held her chin in thought before she said, "That sounds well and good, Flash, but how do you plan to get to the altar unnoticed?"
"Well, that's where Sunset and her friends come in," Flash said. "If she is still alive, and we inform her about the wedding, she will no doubt crash the ceremony and prevent the prince from marrying the queen. That'll give us a big distraction while we sneak our way there."
"That sounds like a big risk to assume that Sunset Shimmer is alive and will be able to crash the wedding," Twilight said.
"True, but if she does it, it will be smooth sailing for you and me to sneak inside the printing room," Flash said.
"But I can't do that, Twilight said. "I'm going to be put on suspension, remember?"
"But you're not in suspension yet, so technically you're still on the case to hunt down Sunset," Flash pointed out. "You're not exactly disobeying orders if you're going back to Everfree because Sunset Shimmer is there, right?"
Twilight thought about it before she smiled brightly and stood up, saying, "That's right. I can take my squadron back to Everfree in secret, and if Sunset Shimmer appears at the wedding, we'll charge right into the chapel, pretending to be chasing after her. No doubt she would do something over-the-top to get away with the prince, which can be used for us to sneak our way to the altar in all of the confusion."
"Exactly," Flash said with a grin.
Twilight smirked at Flash and crossed her arms as she said, "You know, this plan of yours sounds like something Sunset Shimmer would conjure up. Clearly, she rubbed a bit of her mischievous mind on you."
"Is that going to be a problem between us?" Flash asked.
"Not unless you come up with ideas like choking people unconscious or flying an aircraft neither of us have used before," Twilight said. "And you better not try anything to stop me from arresting your ex when this is over."
"Then I shall do everything in my power accomplish our goal with a little restraint, my lady," Flash said with a smile and a bow.
Twilight giggled and asked, "Are you going to do that every time you say something to try and please me?"
"I don't know. Let's find out after we take down the queen," Flash replied.
"Fair enough," Twilight said. "So, how do we find out if Sunset Shimmer is alive and bring her into our little plan."
Flash's smile turned into a smirk, and he said, "You just focus on getting your squadron ready for a fight, Twilight. Leave Sunset and everything else to me." |
Sunset Shimmer and the Castle of Everfree | Chapter 11 | Starlight didn't sleep much after Sunset got shot. She was in a small bedroom, sitting on a chair in front of a bed, where Sunset lay unconscious with bandages wrapped around her wound while Tempest sat on a chair at the other side of the room, holding her sword close. A gas lantern lit up the room on a bed stand while the window beside the bed was covered in darkness. An old brown collie was lying down close to Sunset on the bed, cuddled up in a little ball as it slept. All Starlight could do was stare at her friend, worried about whether or not she was going to wake up.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Starlight drew her magnum, and Tempest stood up and prepared to unsheath her sword.
"Who is it?" Starlight asked in a hostile tone
"It's me," said a woman in a southern accent.
The two women eased up, and Starlight stood up and opened the door to reveal Applejack on the other side. The grayish gamboge woman gave them skeptical looks as she entered the room, carrying a basket of food.
"Now, why would you think anyone besides me would be coming in when I'm already inside my own house?" She asked.
"We can't be too careful, Applejack," Starlight replied as she put away her gun. "The queen and her people are a persistent bunch."
"So you've told me," Applejack said. "Anyway, I got some food for y'all."
"Thank you," Starlight said as Applejack gave her the basket. "And thanks again for taking us in, by the way."
"You should be thanking my dog," Applejack replied. "If it weren't for the way she's been acting around your friend, I wouldn't have thought twice about not letting you in my home. She doesn't normally like strangers."
"You could have fooled me. That dog refuses to leave Sunset's side when it doesn't need to go out to go outside to use the restroom," Starlight said.
"Indeed," Tempest said. "It's nothing short of peculiar."
Applejack hummed in acknowledgment before her eyes turned to Sunset, and she asked, "How is she, by the way?"
"Well, her fever is gone, and it looks like the wound is almost closed judging by the last time we changed bandages," Starlight said. "We just have to hope she wakes up soon now."
"The sooner, the better," Tempest agreed.
But while they were talking, Sunset's mouth twitched, and she let out a quiet groan. The collie's ears perked up, and it raised its head to find Sunset turning her head and slowly adjusted her body. Starlight, Applejack, and Tempest noticed Sunset waking up, and the purple woman sighed in relief.
"Oh, thank God," she said.
Sunset slowly opened her eyes, and they instantly met the collie's black eyes. The dog immediately stood up and walked over to lick Sunset's face with its tail wagging rapidly. Sunset chuckled with her mouth closed as she reached over her head to pet the dog as it licked her.
"Hi, Winona," she said. "How's my good girl? Who's a good Winona the dog?"
Starlight smiled as Sunset pet the dog, and the side of Tempest's mouth curled up, secretly glad that her client was awake. Applejack also smiled for a moment before she gave the amber woman a puzzled look.
"Wait a minute. How does she know the dog's name?" She asked.
Starlight looked at her, confused, and asked, "Isn't its name on its name tag?"
"It is, but there's no way she can see it with Winona so close to her," Applejack said.
"Who's such a loyal dog?" Sunset asked as Winona continued to lick her. "Where is your master, though? Shouldn't he be with you?"
Starlight, Applejack, and Tempest looked at each other before the grayish gamboge woman walked over to the bed and asked, "How do you know the dog's name? The only people who should know about Winona are Prince Rough Draft and me."
Sunset looked up at the ceiling while Winona was still licking her. She hummed as she smiled as though she was still asleep and having a good dream.
"Prince Rough Draft," she mumbled. "I like that name. Rough Draft...Rough Draft...babe..."
Suddenly, she gasped and sprung up into a sitting position. She turned to Starlight and asked, "How long was I out?!"
Starlight hesitated before she answered, "Three days."
"Three days?!" Sunset shouted. "The wedding is tomorrow! We gotta save Rough Draft! We need to - ACK!"
Sunset hugged her stomach and bit her lip as she felt the sting of her wound like several swords piercing her body. Starlight lightly pushed her down to a lying position, but the amber woman forced herself back up.
"Sunset, lie down. You're going to reopen your wound," Starlight said.
"I can't," Sunset said, fighting through the pain. "I need food."
"I got ya covered there, partner," Applejack said. "I got some bread and cheese in the basket."
"No, I need a feast!" Sunset demanded. "I don't care if I blow up like a balloon from overeating! I'm low on blood, and I need to build up my strength! I'll pay for whatever I eat! Just keep it coming! I'm not letting Rough Draft marry that witch!"
Applejack frowned at Sunset's demands. She turned to Starlight, who gave her an apologetic look for her partner's behavior, and then to Tempest, who looked at her with her stone eyes before she shrugged.
"That would be the best way to get her to heal quickly," she said. "And when she says she'll pay you back, she'll do it."
Applejack looked at her skeptically before she sighed and said, "I'll see what I can do."
*********************************************************************************************
By the time Applejack had finished preparing more food for Sunset, she had long finished eating the bread and cheese from the basket. The grayish gamboge woman came back to the room with a large tray full of bread, sausages, chicken, fruit, and more cheese and bread. As soon as she placed the tray down on the bed, Sunset immediately started devouring her large meal like an animal. Applejack, Tempest, Starlight, and Winona watched in silence as Sunset shoved handfuls of food into her mouth.
"Boss, take it easy. If you don't chew, you're going to get indigestion," Starlight protested.
"Clam it, Starlight. I've never had indigestion in my life," Sunset rebuked after drinking a large gulp of water to wash down the cheese and sausage in her mouth. "Just give me twelve hours, and I'll be fine."
Starlight and Applejack looked at each other concerned as Sunset started eating a drumstick with one hand and a pear in another. Winona tilted her head as it sat next to Sunset on the bed, bewildered by the way her old friend was acting. Even Tempest was silently amazed at how much food Sunset could eat so quickly. Finally, Sunset gathered the remaining slices of sausage, ham, bread, and cheese and shoved it all into her mouth with both hands. She slowly chewed the large amount of food in her mouth that made her look like a chipmunk holding acorns in its mouth until her amber face turned apple green, and she covered her mouth.
"See? What did I tell you? You're gonna choke," Starlight said.
"Get a water basin. She's probably going to puke," Applejack said.
Starlight and Tempest looked around until the latter found a water basin on the corner table. She quickly picked it up and brought it over to Sunset, but the amber woman held her finger up in front of her. Everyone waited carefully as Sunset slowly chewed and swallowed her food bit by bit. Eventually, Sunset swallowed the last of her food and chugged the rest of her water before laying back down with a plop. Tempest kept holding the basin just in case while Sunset moaned and patted the big lump in her belly with her eyes shut.
"Are you full?" Starlight asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm full," Sunset groaned.
"Well, that's a relief," Applejack said. "Any more and there wouldn't be any left for the rest of us. You must have the stomach of a full-grown stallion."
"That would be news to me," Starlight said. "I've never seen her eat that much before."
"It is unusual for her. I agree," Tempest said. "She must be really determined to save the prince."
Applejack furrowed her brow and said, "Speaking of which, none of you ladies have told me why your friend is so determined to rescue the prince."
"Well, Sunset secretly dated the prince when they were teenagers," Starlight said.
Applejack looked at the purple woman curiously before turning to Sunset and saying, "So, you're the girl my grandma found with Prince Rough Draft in his room all those years ago."
Sunset opened her eyes and turned her head to Applejack, asking, "Granny Smith is your actual grandmother?"
"Was," Applejack corrected. "She passed a few years ago."
"Sorry to hear that," Sunset said.
"Thanks," Applejack said. "Anyway, I was heading home from school when she told me about the prince fooling around with some girl in his room. Couldn't believe that he would do that considering his upbringing."
"And you shouldn't believe it," Sunset said with a serious look. "Rough Draft and I weren't fooling around."
"Says the lady he was with," Applejack said.
"We. Did. Not. Do it," Sunset insisted. "Heck, your grandma caught us dancing. That's it."
Applejack crossed her arms, and asked, "And why should I believe you?"
"Do you think that I would go through so many lengths to save him just so that I can do it with him?" Sunset challenged. "For heaven sakes, the queen is only marrying him for that and so that she can get her hands on some treasure."
"Treasure?" Starlight and Tempest asked simultaneously.
"What are you babbling about?" Applejack asked.
"It's why Queen Adagio wants Rough Draft's ring," Sunset explained. "He told me Adagio also has a ring that has been passed down in her family for centuries. Somehow both rings are the key to some mysterious treasure, and she's marrying Rough Draft to get it."
Starlight looked at her partner, puzzled, and asked, "How great is this treasure? Is it supposed to be more valuable than any wealth the queen has from making the Horse Bills or something?"
"I don't know, but the queen wants it bad. That's why she's been so determined to get Rough Draft's ring," Sunset said.
"Horse Bills? You mean you believe that nonsense about the Celestial family making a bunch of counterfeit money?" Applejack asked.
"I know they are. I've seen it myself," Sunset said.
"Really? You've seen where they make them?" Starlight asked.
"There's a large hall hidden underneath the castle's chapel full of printing presses," Sunset said. "They're making fake money to countries all over the world."
By this point, Starlight was beaming the more Sunset explained what she saw. Even Tempest's had a sinister grin on her stone face as she said, "So, the legend is true. We're going to have more wealth than we can imagine."
Applejack frowned and said, "Now see here, I've tolerated having you three in my house, but I will not have any thieves trying to take over something so disgraceful under my roof."
"Good, because we're not going to," Sunset said.
"What? What are you talking about, boss?" Starlight asked.
Sunset turned to her friend and said, "Starlight, when we became partners, we agreed that we would never murder anyone to get what we want, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Starlight asked.
"The Celestial family has been murdering people for centuries to hide their operation," Sunset said. "There are catacombs under the castle that Queen Adagio dropped me in when I got caught. Twilight was there too after she fell through a trapdoor. The place was full of skeletons and rotting corpses. Hundreds of people were left to die for opposing the monarchy or trying to find the printing presses. If the queen didn't send her assassins to find me when she realized I still had the ring, Twilight and I wouldn't have found a way out, and we would have starved to death down there."
Starlight and Applejack stared at Sunset, shocked with the latter covering her mouth. Tempest frowned as she put down the water basin in her hand and picked up her sword lying on her chair. She unsheathed her weapon and stared at her reflection on the blade before she closed her eyes and sighed through her nose.
"I consider myself a samurai with some honor despite stealing and selling weapons," she said. "When the situation demands it, I will take action with my sword drawn, cutting down all who oppose my clients and me. But I will never kill a defenseless person."
She sheathed her sword and turned to Sunset, saying, "You're one of the most deceitful people I know, Shimmer, but you've never lied to me or Glimmer. If what you're saying is true, then I have no desire to take over those presses and live off the wealth that has cost so many innocent lives."
"Me neither," Starlight said.
"I can't believe that the ruler of my country would do such a thing," Applejack said. "I never respected Queen Adagio apart from what is obligated for me as an Everfree citizen, but I never imagined that she would do something so horrible.
"Yeah, well now that you know, that gives us all the more reason to stop her," Sunset said. "Twilight took some blueprints and rolls of fake bills from the printing presses when we were escaping. Hopefully, she's back in Canterlot, and the chancellor will get the other nations to investigate and bring her down. Until then, we need to focus on saving Rough Draft before he marries her."
Applejack nodded in agreement until she realized something and asked, "Hold on. Assuming you succeed in rescuing the prince, does that mean you're gonna try to get back together with him?"
"Of course," Sunset said without hesitating.
Applejack furrowed her brow and asked, "Are you sure that's such a good idea?"
"What do you mean?" Sunset asked. "I love Rough Draft, he still loves me, and neither of us want to be away from each other again."
"I understand that, but have you considered that there might be repercussions if you do?" Applejack asked.
Sunset gave Applejack a puzzled look and asked, "Like what?"
"Well, if Queen Adagio is brought to justice for everything that she and her family has done, the country will be in a fragile state because of all the things its monarchy has done against its allies," Applejack explained. "She might even be arrested, and thus Prince Rough Draft will have to take her place as ruler of Everfree."
Sunset looked at Applejack as if the grayish gamboge woman said something silly and said, "So? What's the matter with that? Rough Draft is a good man, and he'll make a great king. I'd be proud of him as his girlfriend."
"I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about what the prince being with you could do to the country," Applejack clarified.
"What does that have to do with the two of them?" Starlight asked.
"Think about it. When the world finds out what the government of Everfree has done for so many years, the trust between Everfree and its allies are going to be frail at best," Applejack said. "Prince Rough Draft might be able to mend that trust if he proves himself a good king, but that will be difficult to do if he's dating a criminal. An international criminal at that. As far as the world would be concerned, it would seem like Everfree is not much better under Prince Rough Draft's rule than the queen's. Can you honestly tell me that you would be okay with what that might do to the country's future just because you want to be together with him so badly?"
Sunset stared at Applejack, not knowing how to answer her question. Starlight looked at her friend concerned while Winona was still lying down next to Sunset. Tempest stared at the wall and hummed in thought before turning her head to Sunset.
"I'm afraid she has a point, Shimmer," she said. "You are an international criminal who has stolen from various countries throughout your career. You're not a murderer like Queen Adagio, but you're still a criminal mastermind like her. If you got together with the prince and maybe even marry him, the country may as well have traded one criminal mastermind in the country's monarchy for another. That might cause problems for the country in the long run, considering that it's a small country of little significance apart from all the money that the queen is made through the counterfeit operation. It would not be fair for things to get worse for Everfree if the country has to deal so much just because of what you want."
Sunset winced at her words as if Tempest touched her bullet wound. She turned to Starlight, who gave her an apologetic look, silently agreeing with Applejack and Tempest. Sunset then turned her head to her rose necklace, which was lying on the bed stand, and reached out for it with her left hand. She held it up to her face and slowly rubbed the surface with her thumb, imaging she was looking at Rough Draft. Starlight and Tempest looked at each other with grim looks over the way Sunset was disheartened.
But as Sunset stared at her necklace, she felt something wet, and she turned her head to see Winona licking her hand. The collie turned to her and sat down on her bottom, knowing that she has the amber woman's attention. Sunset knew that the dog couldn't say anything or show any certain facial expressions, but she could tell that Winona was trying to cheer her up. She smiled and petted the dog behind her ear, feeling a little better from Winona's encouragement.
The moment was interrupted; however, when a knock on a door outside of the bedroom was heard. Starlight and Tempest readied their magnum and sword respectively and silently left the room with Applejack in front of them. The thief and the samurai put their backs to the wall on both sides to Applejack's front door, ready to fight if the person on the other side was an enemy. Applejack took a deep breath before she slowly her front door, only to find a car driving away from her property in the distance. The grayish gamboge woman watched the car drive away, confused until she looked down and saw Sunset's grappling gun lying on the porch.
Starlight took a peek from her hiding spot and noticed the gun, saying, "Hey, it's Sunset's grappling gun."
"This is your friend's?" Applejack asked as she picked up the gun and handed it to Starlight. "What's it doing here?"
"I dunno, though now that I think about it, I don't recall her having it when she escaped," Starlight said.
"Maybe the note will give us a clue," Tempest said.
Starlight looked at Tempest, confused until the dark orchid woman pointed at a rolled-up piece of paper tied to the hook. She took it out and saw a stamp of a blue shield with a yellow lightning bolt in front of it and said, "It's from Flash."
"Who?" Applejack asked.
"Flash is Sunset's ex who works for the secret service in Canterlot," Sunset explained. "Wonder why he had it."
"Better show that to Shimmer," Tempest suggested.
Starlight nodded before the three women went back to the bedroom, where Sunset was petting Winona again. Sunset noticed them coming back from the corner of her eye and turned her head to see her grappling gun in Starlight's hand.
"Ah, so Flash gave it back," she said.
"You gave it to him?" Tempest asked.
"Just so that he could escape from Rough Draft's room," Sunset said. "So, I guess it was him outside?"
"Looks like it," Starlight said. "He left a note for you too."
Sunset looked at her friend curiously as Starlight gave her the rolled up piece of paper, and she started reading. Starlight, Applejack, Tempest, and Winona watched patiently until Sunset gave the note a bewildered look.
"I don't believe this," she said. "Chancellor Neighsay disregarded the proof Twilight and Flash gave him."
"What?! Why?!" Starlight asked.
"He said there was no proof that it came from Castle Everfree, and he was more concerned about Twilight disobeying orders and what Adagio is making the world believe," Sunset said.
"What kind of chicken crap is that?" Starlight asked.
"Disapproving of that kind of talk in my house aside, I can't believe it either," Applejack said.
"Mmmm. It seems you went through all of that danger in Castle Everfree for nothing, Shimmer," Tempest said.
"Hold on guys, there's more," Sunset said. "He said that he and Twilight have a plan to expose the truth during the wedding, but he's looking to us to make a distraction during the ceremony."
"Does he have an idea of how we're going to do that?" Starlight asked.
"I'm not sure. The last thing he says in the note is that the Archbishop of Mt. Aris is coming tomorrow through the main road to perform the ceremony," Sunset said.
"Why would he tell us that?" Tempest asked.
Sunset furrowed her brow, unsure of how to answer the samurai. Then, she looked up the ceiling with her eyes wide, and a mischievous grin entered her face. She then turned to Applejack, who immediately became uneasy with the way she was looking at her.
"Applejack, how would you like to meet the Archbishop?" |
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