Gang Aft Agleyby The Phantom ManChaptersChapter 2: Dark SecretsPrologueChapter 1: Meeting New FriendsChapter 2: Dark SecretsSunlight shined through white curtains in the early hours of the day. Steel's slumber was disturbed by the light. He opened his eyes, only to see Sweetie Belle staring straight into them with a smile on her face. "Good morning, Steel!" Sweetie Belle yelled. "Uh, good morning, Sweetie. How long have you been there?" "Since I had breakfast." "And how long ago was that?" "About twenty minutes." "O...kay. You're patient, I'll give you that." "Rarity wants you to come down stairs so you can have your breakfast as well." "Great," Steel said as he rose up out the bed. "What's on the menu?" "I don't know. I just had a bowl of oatmeal." "Well, guess I just have to go down and see. When do you have to leave for school?" "Still have thirty minutes." "Okay, gotcha." Steel and Sweetie Belle made their way down stairs and into the kitchen. Rarity was standing by the coffee machine. "Ah, good morning Steel. I was just about to make some coffee. Would you like some?" "Yeah, that would be great." "As for you, Sweetie Belle. What took you so long to get Steel down here?" "He looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake him." "That's the whole purpose of waking someone, Sweetie Belle. You're supposed to disturb them from their peaceful slumber." "Oh..." "Anyway, Steel, what would you like to eat?" "Food," Steel replied jokingly. Rarity couldn't help but give out a slight giggle. "Just kidding. You got any apples?" "Of course." Upon opening one of the cupboards Rarity surrounded a delicious red apple with the blue glow, lifting it out and placing it on the kitchen table. "Help yourself, my dear." "Thanks." Steel trotted up to the table, took the apple, and started munching on it. "I hear you offered to walk Sweetie Belle down to school." "That I did." "Well, that's very generous of you." "Thank you." "Once you return, I'll show you around Ponyville." "That would be nice." "Sweetie Belle, it's nearly time to go. You better go get your things." Sweetie Belle did as she was told, and went upstairs to fetch her saddle bag. "So, why did you offer to walk Sweetie Belle to school?" "Is that a problem?" "No, of course not. I'm just curious as to why you did it." "Well, I'm probably going to be staying here for a while. So, I thought during our walk, me and Sweetie could get to know each other better. I don't want to be that pony that's labelled 'the awkward guest'. Plus, it just seemed like a nice thing to do." "Well, I am happy that you did." Steel glanced to his side as Sweetie Belle returned with her bag in tow. "You got everything you need, Sweetie?" Steel asked. "Yep," Sweetie Belle replied, in her ever-so-cheerful voice. "You want something for a snack?" "Sure, I'll take an apple." Rarity then levitated another apple out of the cupboard and placed it inside Sweetie Belle's bag. Steel grabbed the bag in his mouth and lifted it onto her back. They both began making their way out the door, until they were stopped by Rarity. "Steel! What about your coffee?" "Just leave it, I'll pour it out myself when I come back." "Very well." With that, they exited Carousel Boutique and made their way towards the school. Over at the library, Clever had just woken up and was searching the cupboards in the kitchen. Hearing the commotion, Twilight came through. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Looking for breakfast," Clever replied. "Surely you must have went through cupboards that have food in them by now." "Yes, but there's no kiwis." "Kiwis? I'm afraid I don't have any of those." "What?! You don't have kiwis?!" "Well, I'm sure the market has what you want." "They have kiwis?" "I'm sure at least one of the shops or stalls do." Clever gave out a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "Oh Spike!" Twilight called. A small purple dragon dragged himself into the kitchen in response to Twilight's call. "Twilight, it's too early in the morning for any chores." "Sorry Spike, but I need you to guide our friend hear down to the market." Spike looked behind Twilight and saw Clever, who just gave a small wave. "I don't believe we have met yet," Clever said, as he walked up to Spike. "My name is Clever Dodge." "Spike," he said as he shook Clever's hoof. "Well, if we're going down to the market to buy things, I'll need to go get some money from my brother." "Oh, you don't need to. I'll loan you some," Twilight said. "The last time I borrowed something from someone, it didn't end well. My brother has a bag full of money with him. I'll go and get some from him, Princess." "Oh no, it's not a problem, I insist. And please, just call me Twilight." "Well, it's just that I don't feel right borrowing things from others. Especially money," Twilight levitated a saddle bag over to Clever. She then proceeded to put ten bits into the bag, and place it onto Clever's back. "There, that should be enough to buy your kiwis," "Are you sure about this, Twilight?" Clever asked. "Of course. I'm pretty sure that there are better things to spend your money on," "Well, if you say so. Don't worry, I'll pay you back." "No, don't bother. Consider this a friendly gesture." Clever accepted the bag a levitated it onto his back. "Wait, why can't you take him to the market, Twilight?" Spike asked. "Spike, I have to go and tell Princess Celestia about our new arrivals," Spike sighed. "C'mon, Clever, let's go." Spike and Clever made their way out of the library and began heading towards the Ponyville market. "So, what was it you wanted to tell me last night, Sweetie?" Steel asked, as he and Sweetie Belle continued on their way towards the school. "Huh?" "You were going to tell me something, but then Rarity called for you to go to bed." "Oh yeah. I was going to ask if you wanted to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders." "The Cutie Mark Crusaders?" "Yeah!" "So, what's the story behind them?" "Well, me and my two friends, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, were being made fun of for being blank flanks. So, we started a group dedicated to getting our Cutie Marks." "I can tell that you haven't had much luck in finding out what your special talent is." "Yeah, I know." "And you want me to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders?" "Yeah! It'll be super fun, I promise." "I'm not so sure, Sweetie. Don't you think I'm a little old for that? I mean I'm as old as your sister." "I'll have to talk to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom about it. Though, I'm sure you'll be allowed in." Steel and Sweetie Belle then reached the school. "Here we are," Sweetie Belle announced. The school kind of looked like a church. To the left side of it, there was a playground. There were already fillies and colts in there. It was clear to Steel that the school day hadn't started yet. "So, this is your school, huh?" "Yep, this is my school!" "Seems like a decent place." "I guess." "What d'you mean?" "Well, sometimes it can get quite boring. Stuck in a building for most of the day." "Sweetie, you might want to cherish your moments at this school." "Why?" "Because, you're not going to be here forever. And, I'm sorry to say, life doesn't get any easier when you do leave school." Steel was trying his best not to sound cruel. "I never had the opportunity to go to school when I was your age." "Why?" "Because...we didn't have anything like this where I stayed," Steel replied as he gestured towards the school. "When I was your age, I was out...um...working." "Why?" "That's just the way my life was. My family wasn't very wealthy, and I couldn't really on my dad to make money. So, I had to work to make money to keep our house." "What about your mum? Wasn't she there too?" Steel hesitated before he answered, "No, Sweetie, my mum wasn't there." "Oh..." There was a couple of seconds of silence before Sweetie Belle came out with another question. "So, what did you work as?" "Well...I...um..." Just then, the school bell rang, and all the fillies and colts started running into the schoolhouse. "Well, would you look at that. It's time for you to go." "Wait, you didn't answer my-" "You don't wanna be late for class, do you?" Steel said as he gently pushed Sweetie Belle towards the entrance of the school. "Have a nice day, Sweetie." Steel then zipped away from the school, and Sweetie Belle walked inside. "Whew, that was a close one. Now, let's see if I can take any steps towards bedding Rarity." Steel began walking back towards Carousel Boutique, but was stopped as he heard a familiar voice call out to him. He looked up and spotted Robin flying over to him, with Rainbow Dash on his back. "Steel, would you be so kind as to take dear Rainbow to the hospital?" Robin asked, as he landed next to Steel. "What? Why can't you do it? I have things to do as well, you know." "Well, I don't." "Exactly, so you take her." "You don't understand. Taking Rainbow Dash to the hospital would interrupt my day of doing nothing. If I took her there, it would defeat the purpose of my day plan. That would require me to do something, rather than nothing." "You're a lazy prick, you know that?" "Yes, I know," Robin dumped Rainbow Dash on the ground and began flying away. "Hey! What was that all about?!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "Sorry, you're not my problem anymore," "Just remember, you're living in my house!" Robin was already gone, leaving Rainbow Dash alone with Steel. "So, shall we get going?" Steel asked. "Yeah, sure." "I take it you're going to get that wing checked." "Yeah, no thanks to you." "Look, I'm sorry about that. You attacked my friend. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing." "Well, at least we have that in common." "Huh?" "Why do you think I attacked your friend in the first place?" "Well, it's Robin. It could've been any number of reasons." "Y'know, after spending some time with him, I can see what you mean by that." "He's a real pain in the flank, ain't he?" "You can say that again." "So, why did you attack him?" "I thought he was another gryphon I know." "I take it you're not exactly on good terms with this other gryphon?" "Pretty much, yeah." Steel and Rainbow continued to talk as they made their way down to the hospital. "Here we are, Ponyville market," Spike announced. "Wow, this is quite a nice little place. It's beautiful in the sense that it doesn't go over the top with anything fancy." "Well, Ponyville ain't exactly the kind of place where all the fancy ponies live." "Why do you keep referring to the residents here as just ponies. Are there no other species among you?" "What d'you mean?" "Are there no gryphons living here?" "Well, not that I know of. They live in the Gryphon Kingdoms." "That must be where the king was from originally." "What?" "Oh, nothing. So, where do they sell the fruit?" Spike gestured over a stand that sold both fruits and vegetables. "Morning, Carrot Top." "Ah, good morning Spike. Here to pick up a few things for the princess?" "Nope, my friend here would like to see if you have what he wants." "And what would that be?" Carrot Top asked as she turned to Clever. "Yes, you wouldn't happen to have any kiwis in stock?" "Kiwis? I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't know what they are." "Oh, well, that's no problem." "I'm sorry, I can see if I can get some for you if you want?" "No, that's quite alright. You needn't trouble yourself." "Okay, well, come back if you need anything else." Spike and Clever walked away from Carrot Top's stand. "So, what are kiwis anyway? Spike asked. "They are a delicious type of fruit. Truly, the food of the ancestors," Clever said, with a slight twinkle in his eye. "Obviously you can't get them here." "Well, you might be able to. I know somepony who might be able to get you these 'kiwis'." Clever gave Spike a serious look. "Take me to them." Spike guided Clever to Sugarcube Corner. Clever took a look at the oddly, but appropriately designed building. He couldn't help but wonder if that was actually made out of real gingerbread. "Haha, Steel would love the design of this place," Clever thought. "This...is Sugarcube Corner." "Isn't this where Pinkie Pie lives?" "Yep." "Also, if I may, that house isn't actually made out of gingerbread, is it?" "Nopony knows." "But, if it was, that would be impossible. It would just crumble as soon it started raining." "Huh, I guess you're right." Spike and Clever walked through the doors, only to be greeted with extreme enthusiasm from both Pinkie Pie and Jay. "Well, it's nice to see that you're as lively as ever, Jay," Clever observed. "You bet, and the best part is I didn't get a single hour of sleep last night." "Are you being serious?" "Yeah! I wanted to stay up all night! It was awesome!" "So, what have you two been doing all this time?" "Coming up with new cupcake recipe's!" "And what did you come up with?" "Absolutely nothing!" "Of course." At this moment, Pinkie Pie jumped in. "I get the feeling that you're here for something," she said. "Yes, we just came from the market, looking for kiwis." "Kiwi's? You mean something like this?" Pinkie Pie reached and grabbed a kiwi from seemingly nowhere. "Where did you-? How the-? What?" "Isn't she great, Clever!" Jay said. Clever stood there with the kiwi levitated in a magical aura, confused about what had just happened. "Well, that's Pinkie Pie for ya. The stuff she does hardly makes any sense," Spike said, noticing Clever's confusion. "I just- Where did she even get this from?" "My advice to you, Clever, don't question what she does. Just go along with it and you'll be fine." "I think that may be best." "Anyway, we'd best get back to the library, now that you have what we came for." "Aw, you're leaving already?" Jay complained. "Can't you stay a little longer?" "Well, I'm not sure," Clever replied. "Is there anything that needs doing at the moment, Spike?" "I don't think so. We could hang out here a little longer if you want." "In that case, I guess we'll stay here for a little while longer." Pinkie and Jay let out a simultaneous 'woo-hoo' and started showering their guests with all sorts of pastry's. Meanwhile, over at the Canterlot Royal Palace, Twilight was informing her teacher, and fellow princess, Celestia, about the four new arrivals in Ponyville. "So, these four are from Inter Terra?" Celestia asked. "Yes, precisely," Twilight responded. "Interesting. Did they tell you why they left their home country?" "From what I recall, they said something about the king being a tyrant. They also said that life there was generally unpleasant." "I see. If it's the king I'm thinking of, he won't take kindly to those four leaving the country." "So, what should we do about them for now, Princess?" "They are free to stay, as long as they do not cause any trouble." "Okay, I understand. And Princess?" "Yes, Twilight?" "What is Inter Terra? None of the history books I've read seem to mention it." "Inter Terra isn't exactly the kind of place you want to find yourself in. It's dark, violent, and dangerous overall. I make the journey there every so often to renew a peace treaty that we have with the country." "What are the peace treaties for?" "Inter Terra is situated between us and the Gryphon Kingdoms. That means every time we export and import items, it goes past Inter Terra. What do you suppose would happen if the peace treaty didn't exist?" "The Gryphon Kingdoms and Equestria would decline in terms of economy." "Precisely. Inter Terra has already done that to us once, I'm not going to allow it to happen again." "So, what does Inter Terra get out of this peace treaty?" "We allow them to take some of our exports and imports, but since they are an independent country, that rarely happens." "But, if there king is a tyrant, why are you letting him get away with it?" "Twilight, it's not that simple. Inter Terra has always been an extremely cautious country, they have never taken kindly to outsiders. I already risk a lot by going into there and renewing the peace treaty. Inter Terra may be considerably smaller than Equestria, but our army would be no match for theirs. When it comes to war, numbers alone are nothing compared to skill. And Inter Terra has always had a ruthless, but extremely effective, army training program. To go to war with Inter Terra would be an extremely bad idea. The Gryphon Kingdom learned that the hard way." "Why did the gryphons go to war with them?" "Back when Inter Terra was just getting started, the Gryphon Kingdoms weren't too happy to have gryphons move to another country. They decided to try and take their citizens back by force. This inevitably caused a war between the two countries, with Inter Terra coming out on top. The war had only lasted a few months before the gryphons surrendered. Luna and I had no intention of making the same mistake, so we just let them be. When they started attacking our exports, I had to make a stand. I journeyed to Inter Terra and formed a peace treaty with them." "Then why isn't this in the history books?" "The king of Inter Terra personally requested to be kept out of the history books. He didn't want any attention being drawn to his country. He and his subjects preferred to be left alone. Inter Terrians like to keep to themselves, which is why they hate outsiders." "Who was king when Inter Terra was in its early days?" "During the war with the Gryphon Kingdoms, it was Lord Plume. The king I formed the peace treaty with was Lord Talon, which was his grandson." "What about the current king?" "To be honest, I am unsure whether the king I renewed the peace treaty with is still in power. He was Lord Talon's youngest son, although that could have changed when I wasn't looking. Did the arrivals say who their king was?" "Unfortunately, no. But wait, why did Lord Talon's youngest son come to be king? Why not his oldest child?" Celestia hesitated for a moment. She then began to speak in a more serious and dark tone of voice. "There were rumours surrounding his rise to power." "What were they?" "When Lord Talon passed away, it was his eldest daughter, Lady Cloud, that was set to become the next queen. But, when I went to renew the peace treaty a few years ago, I was greeted by his youngest son, Lord Qwee Qwee," "Lord Qwee Qwee?" Twilight was trying desperately not to laugh. "This is no laughing matter, Twilight. This was one of the worst things that could have possibly happened." Twilight regained her composure, and perked up to listen. "Lord Qwee Qwee was the runt of the litter, as I understand. He was always being pushed around as a child. The only gryphon who ever comforted him was Lady Cloud." "So, what happened?" "After I had finished renewing the treaty, Lord Qwee Qwee permitted me to take a few supplies back to Equestria, as a sign of good faith. As I walked through the noble section of the country, I started hearing little bits and pieces surrounding the king's rise to power." "What did you hear?" "I had heard that before Lady Cloud's coronation, she was murdered. The killer was never found. Then royal family members were getting killed one by one until only Lord Qwee Qwee was left. Obviously, he was made king. After his coronation, he executed anypony who had made fun of him as a child. Anypony who crossed him was executed. Anypony who second guessed his rule was executed. He didn't care for his subjects. I had heard that criminals were running free throughout the country, and no attempt was being made to catch them. The guards there were all corrupt, they abused their power countless times. But, Lord Qwee Qwee didn't care. He only cared about himself" "That's horrible. No, that's beyond horrible. That's just pure evil." "Keep in mind, Twilight, that these are just rumours. That does not mean to say it actually happened." "I understand, Princess." "Very good. Now, head back to Ponyville and inform our guests that they are free to stay." "Yes, of course." As Twilight walked out of Canterlot Palace, she couldn't help but think about the story she had been told. It unsettled her, to say the least. "To think that a country could have a ruler so cruel and malicious as to kill his own family members, and then not care about anything to do with his subjects. No, I can't keep thinking about that. Those are just rumours, remember? That means that it could all be one big lie. Yeah, that's it, it's not true. It can't be..." Back in Canterlot Palace, Princess Celestia was thinking about what she had told Twilight, as she was on the balcony that gave her a view of Ponyville. She knew that Twilight would want to do something, had she been told that the events surrounding Lord Qwee Qwee's rise to power were fact and not rumours. Princess Celestia already knew what Lord Qwee Qwee had done to become king. Princess Luna, Celestia's sister, then walked in on her. "Sister, I passed Twilight Sparkle a moment ago, I gather she was up here speaking with you?" "Yes, she was." "I sense that something is the matter." "It's Inter Terra, Luna." "Do you mean the country which is between us and the gryphons?" "Yes." "What about it?" "Do you know who their current ruler is?" "It is Lady Cloud, is it not?" "No, it is Lord Qwee Qwee." "But, from what I've heard, it would be a disaster to put him on the throne." "That is the problem, he is the king, and I fear we may be hearing from him soon." "Why? What did you do?" "I didn't do anything. Four subjects of his have arrived here in Equestria. I'm sure you know how Lord Qwee Qwee feels about outsiders and refugees." Luna walked up beside Celestia on the balcony. "This bodes ill for us all, Celestia." PrologueInter Terra, a poor country that resides in between Equestria and the Gryphon kingdoms. The country was full of ancient-looking and run-down buildings. The only one that actually looked nice was the king's castle. The king isn't very kind to outsiders nor his own subjects. A ruler who is only out for his own monetary gain. A dictator who doesn't know the meaning of mercy. His name...Lord Qwee Qwee. Yeah...stupid name, I know. Make no mistake, however, that he is not one to be trifled with. Ha ha...trifled. Stay on track, dammit! Okay, okay, sorry. It's just a funny word, that's all. Dude, we're meant to be telling a story here. Not pointing out funny words. Ahem, anyway. It is here that our tale begins. Our first hero, a pony named Steel Blade. Steel Blade...how original. Hey, you're the one that came up with the name. Oh, right. Anyway, Steel Blade is an Earth Pony who lives with his abusive drunk of a father. He makes money by participating in street fights. As a result he has quite a collection of scars all across his body. Also, a scar on his right eye that just screams "I'm a badass" Dude! Okay, okay. Jeez, I was just saying. All the money he makes, his father takes. Hey that rhymes. Oh, for the love of Celestia. Move aside. I'll handle the narration. What? Why? You said I could do it. Well you keep messing around. Move. Fine. Let's just cut to... oh, that's not good. What? What is it? It says here in the script that he's supposed to be in a fight right now. Oh, well. Cue the transition! Steel Blade paused for a moment to catch his breath. The fight had already gone on for at least five minutes. Steel knew he couldn't lose, there was a lot of money riding on this fight. His opponent, who was on the other side of the ring made of pony and gryphon spectators, stared at the earth pony as he was also regaining his stamina. Steel's black coat and crimson eyes gave an intimidating look about him. The scars that were marked around his coat and down his right eye added to the intimidation. However, when his opponent looked at his purple mane, he began laughing. "What's so funny?!" Steel said. "Nothing. I'm just thinking how good that mane of yours will look once I've sent you to the hospital," his opponent said. "You really think your going to get the chance?!" "Look at you, you're out of breath already and you've hardly laid a hoof on me. You're outta your league. Go back home and cry on your mummy's shoulder. Oh, wait..." His opponent and all the spectators began laughing. This remark hit a nerve. "You're dead," Steel muttered under his breath. Steel charged at his opponent, who was still laughing, and gave him a swift punch to the stomach, which winded him. His opponent fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Steel didn't relent, however, he just kept piling on the punches. "Okay, okay! You win! I give, I give!" his opponent was on the verge of begging. The cries fell on deaf ears, Steel didn't care. He just kept hitting. Eventually his opponents cries for mercy were silenced. Steel stopped and backed away, covered with blood. His opponent's body lay on the ground. All the spectators looked at Steel in horror. "Anybody else want to say anything about my mum? Huh?!" Steel shouted. Another pony broke through the crowd with a pouch in his mouth. It was the winnings for the fight. Steel snatched the pouch and walked away. Steel reflected on the fight, thinking about the areas he could improve on. He said to himself that what he did to his opponent was the right thing to do. He deserved it. Steel returned to his house grabbed another bag, put the pouch inside the bag and started to head back out again. "And just where do you think you're going?" Steel's dad stuttered. It was clear that he had been drinking again. "Out. Is that a problem?" Steel replied. "Now, is that anyway to talk to your *hic* dad?" "When he's a drunken moron, yeah." "Cheeky little brat." Steel's dad moved threateningly towards him. "Looks like you still haven't learned who's in charge around-" Before he could finish his sentence, Steel punched him across the side of his face. Knocking him out. With that Steel left the house. Okay, that does it for Steel. Whose next on the list? Robin. The gryphon. Oh joy. A gryphon flew high above Inter Terra. However, that gryphon is not Robin. We thought we'd just point that out. Robin was in his room, thinking about whether to leave the country or not. "Should I leave? It is fairly boring here. Then again, it's too much walking and flying. I don't want to make any effort, too much effort involved in making an effort." Robin was then interrupted by his dad walking into his room. "Robin, your friends are at the door." "Friends?" "Yeah, the gryphons from your school." Robin didn't have any friends from his own school. He was constantly picked on for being unnaturally small and having a "girly" red plume. Hence his name. So, he was obviously confused. "Yeah...you know that meeting you have today, dad?" "Yes." "Can I just go with you?" "I don't see any harm." Robin breathed a sigh of relief and tagged along with his dad. Oh yeah, his dad is in charge of the police force. Wait, we forgot to mention what he looks like. Dude, he's a gryphon. The only thing that makes him unique is his red plume. Oh, okay. Though it was quite short. Well he is a supporting character. Good point. Next. Along one of the many run-down streets, a pony was being dragged off by two officers of the law. His name is Da- "Hey, I want to do my own introduction. Thank you very much." But- "No. No buts." *sigh* Fine, what should we call you then? We're going to have to re-write some of the script because of you. "Jay." Fine, "Jay". "Hey, get rid of those quotation marks." Fine, Jay. "Much better." Take it away, narrator. "Well, my name's Jay. I'm a pegasus. I have a yellow coat, a mane with red and white vertical stripes in a mohawk-like style, a jester hat for my cutie mark, my left eye is blue and my right eye is green." Thanks. "You're welcome." *sigh* "Hey, quiet prisoner. Who are you even talking to?" "The audience." "Quiet, fool. We are not in theatre." "That's what the authors want you to think. They're writing your lines and making you oblivious to the fact that you're just a character in a story." "Do you have any idea what he's talking about?" "Well, we were warned that he was insane." "Ah, what do you two know? You're just background characters." The two guards looked at each other and dragged him off into the distance. Where he couldn't interrupt the narrators again. Well, I think that does it for him. I think there's only one more guy left, right? Yeah. We have no idea how to properly introduce the next character. So, we're just going to jump into his room say his name is Clever Dodge, describe his appearance and his hobbies. This pony's name is Clever Dodge. He's a unicorn. He has a teal coloured coat, a white mane with a dark blue stripe in it, dark green eyes and a quill and parchment within a love heart for a Cutie Mark. Clever enjoys reading and writing. That was a bit blunt. Well, we didn't really know how to introduce him. Fair point. Clever's father was the steward of the king. Every story that Clever wrote, his father took credit for them. This made his father greedy, and was always pushing Clever to come up with new ideas for a story. There was only one book that Clever was credited as the author. And that book was outside the country. It was actually a really successful book. Clever was currently trying to come up with a new idea for a story. He sat on his bed, deep in thought. It was then that his father barged into his room. "You thinking of any new ideas?" his father asked. "Yes, father," Clever replied. "Good, I have enough to worry about with trying to find a new guard to prevent you from leaving your duties. The other one I hired was completely useless." "I can't understand why you won't let me leave." "I told you before. You will come up with new stories and I shall be credited for writing them. In order to do that you will stay in the castle unless I give express permission that you are allowed to leave. Which, is never." "Until tonight," Clever muttered under his breath. "What did you say?" "I was just saying that I think I have an idea of who you could hire." "Oh, really?" "Well, in the few times that I have been out-" "Escaped, you mean." "Yeah sure, whatever. I heard about this pony who is meant to be quite tough. He's a street fighter." "A street fighter? You can't be serious." "Street fighters have been known to fight better than most royal guards. And I hear this pony is good at what he does." "Who is it?" "I think his name was Steel Blade or something." "Hm, yes. Well, I shall consider it. Wait, why are you telling me about somebody who'd make it more difficult for you to leave?" "Well, the more stories I write, the more money you get. And if I had somebody like that outside my door, I could ask him all sorts of questions regarding what it is actually like to be in a fight. Therefore, making some of the fight scenes in my stories more effective." "You make a valid point, boy." "Well, I did get my brains from you." "A fair point. Very well, I shall seek out this "Steel Blade" and see if he is as good as you claim to have heard." Yeah, Clever is quite the persuasive liar, isn't he? Anyway, I think that about does it for his introduction. That's it for the character introductions. So, let's recap. We have: Steel Blade. An earth pony who has spent his days as a street fighter. Robin. A really lazy gryphon. Jay. A pegasus who is quite insane (in a funny way). And Clever Dodge. A genius story writer who appears to be a bit on the cunning side. Quite the line-up of characters we have here, huh? The only thing left to do now is go on with the main story and finish the Prologue. Steel Blade stood, stoic, outside the meeting point he was told to head to. Clever had sent him a message about his employment as a personal guard. Steel knew that wasn't the case. He knew that Clever would have a plan to escape the castle. He always did. Steel couldn't think of how he did it. His little brother always did prefer brains over brawn. Plot twist! Shut up and continue writing! Okay, okay. Jeez! Anyways, yes, little brother. Well, half brother. Confused? let me explain. Make it quick, we have a story to write. Okay. Mummy and daddy are together. Mummy and daddy have a baby. Daddy becomes an abusive drunk. Mummy runs away and marries a rich lord. Mummy and rich lord have a baby. Mummy dies. The end. That looks like a morbid story you would tell a child. You told me to be quick. Nevermind, the guard is coming to escort Steel. Oh yeah. Steel was snapped out his thoughts when he heard someone address him. "Are you Steel Blade?" the guard asked. Steel didn't answer immediately, instead he scanned the guard. Finding no hint of deceit, he answered. "Yeah." The guard nodded and replied "Follow." Steel complied and let the guard lead the way. The trip was quiet and allowed Steel to observe his surroundings. Everything was cleaner than Downtown. The pavement was clear of litter, the buildings weren't covered in grime and the ponies and gryphons around him were dressed in clothing. Most of the high class lords and ladies stole a glance at the new pony among them. They either turned their nose up in disgust or turned to their partner and started whispering to each other about the new arrival. Steel didn't really care about pompous, stuck-up, arrogant, self-centred- For the love of Celestia, just keep writing. Right, okay, fine. In short, he didn't care about posh crowds. Before Steel had time to think about anything else, he was in front of the castle. Most would be in awe, and feel extremely privileged to be standing in front of such a spectacle. But, again, Steel didn't care. "Wait, here, peasant," the guard commanded, as he began heading into the castle. Steel's reply was pretty relaxed. "Whatever," he said. Steel turned around to look at the passers by. Most of them just ignored him. Then came a most peculiar sight. Steel watched as Jay was being dragged into the penitentiary. As he was being dragged away, Jay was whistling some sort of tune to himself. He then noticed Steel standing outside the castle. "Hey Steel!" he shouted. All Steel did was wave back, still confused about what was going on. He then heard one of the guards talking to Jay. "Shut up back there. First the whistling, now you're talking to commoners. Disgraceful." Jay mouthed words as the guard was speaking to him. Presumably mocking what the guard was saying. Jay continued whistling as he was being dragged off into the distance. At that moment, the guard returned. He was accompanied by the steward of the king. "So, my boy. You're the stallion known as Steel Blade?" "Yeah." "Excuse me. I am the steward of the king, and you shall address me as such," "Look, I've never really cared much for any royalty. Much less the king. So, if you don't mind, I would just like to start working," "Hmph, very well. But you would be wise to watch your tongue, boy." The steward led Steel through the castle, all the way to Clever's bedroom door. "Your only duty is to make sure that my son does not get out of the castle. If he comes out of the room for any reason, you are to follow him and make sure he does not try to escape. For a street fighter such as yourself, this job should be fairly easy. Do I make myself clear?" "Whatever." "Good. Now, go and get acquainted with my son. I must return to my...stewarding...duties." Stewarding duties? Seriously? Well how the hell else am I supposed to know what a steward does? In Skyrim they just stand around doing absolutely nothing. The only thing they're good for is buying houses. I think I see your point. Anyway, on with the story. With that strange end to their conversation, the steward walked away. Leaving Steel alone, in front of Clever's bedroom door. He opened the door, to which Clever turned around. Enthusiasticly. "Steel! Haven't seen you in ages." Clever rushed forward to give his half-brother a hug. However, Steel just pushed him away. "Quill, dude, you know how I feel about hugs." "Oh yeah, sorry. It's just that it feels like forever that we haven't seen each other." "I know. We still have to get out of the castle though." "I have a plan for that." "I know you do. You always do." Clever used his unicorn magic and brought over what appeared to be a checklist. He used his magic again and brought over a quill. "Okay, meet Steel, check." As he said that, he flicked the quill across the paper. "What is it with you and check lists?" "I like to be organised, give me a break. Next, we need to meet Robin." Steel looked behind Clever and noticed that Robin was hovering outside the window. "Sup," Robin said. "Well, that was convenient," Clever said. "Um, how long have you been out there?" Steel asked. "Long enough to know that you should check the second step of your plan off the list." "Okay, meet Robin, check. Now, we just need to meet Jay and we can go on with the main section of the plan." "Yeah, that might be a problem," Robin said. "How so?" Clever asked. "He's kinda in jail." "So that's where he was getting pulled off to." "No worries. It's all part of the plan," Clever stated, smugly. "Would it kill you to just let one unexpected thing happen in your plans?" "Well, we don't know that. It still has to happen." Steel face-hoofed as his sarcasm went unnoticed. "So, what is the plan, anyways?" Robin asked. "Well, all we have to do now is get Jay out of jail, creating a prison riot in the process. And then we escape the country," Clever replied. "You make it sound so simple." "That's because it is. The king will be too worried about the prisoners 'desecrating his sacred castle' and divert all his guards to controlling the prisoners." Steel face-hoofed. Because, once again, his sarcasm went unnoticed. "Let's just get on with it," Steel said. Steel, Clever and Robin gathered supplies together and made their way towards the penitentiary. From the outside, the penitentiary looked like a five star hotel. However, that was probably just so it matched the nice-looking area that it was stationed in. "Okay, seeing as how Robin is the only one with clearance to get into this place," Clever said, as he pulled out a letter and handed it to Robin. "That letter contains the code to allow access to the security room, so you can open all the prisoners' cells when we tell you to." "Okay, simple enough. What will you two be doing in the meantime?" "Well, I'll be waiting for you three outside. The guards back at the castle will probably already be looking for me. If not, they soon will. So, I'll be laying low until you get back." "So, what am I doing?" Steel asked. "You will have the difficult task of actually sneaking around the cell blocks. Once Robin makes it to the security room, he'll be tracking you and any incoming guard patrols, and he'll be telling you when and where to move," "And how are we supposed to-" "Communicate with each other? Way ahead of you." Clever reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a book of advanced spells. "Oh, reading a book are we? No worries, we're only trying to escape the country here. There really is no hurry," Robin said. "But there is a hurry. We need to get Jay out of jail, and fast," Clever replied, innocently. "Oh for the love of the ancestors. Do you not understand the meaning of sarcasm?" Steel said. "Sarcasm? I think I've seen that in a book somewh-" "Don't even bother. Just find what you were looking for and let's get out of this ancestors-forsaken country," Steel said. "But, I found it a while ago. You two just kept bombarding me with this 'sarcasm'." "Little brother, I swear to-" "Telepathy." "Telepa- what now?" Robin asked. "It's the spell I'm going to cast on you two," Clever replied. "And what will it do exactly?" Steel asked. "It will enable you two to communicate with each other telepathically." "Yeah, that doesn't exactly answer my-" Steel was cut off by Clever performing his spell on both him and Robin. The spell left them dazed for a little while. "What did that even do?" Steel thought to himself. "Hey, Steel. Would you be so kind as to get out of my head. Or I'm gonna have to ask you to start paying rent," Robin thought-said. "Okay, Clever, you want to explain why me and Robin can hear each other's thoughts?" "First of all, the correct term would be 'Robin and I'." "Quill..." "And second, that's what telepathy is. Telepathy is the ability to use each other's thoughts as a means of communication." "In English, please," Robin said. "But, I am speaking English." "Are you just doing this to annoy us?!" Steel shouted. "Can you explain what you just said, but in simpler terms?" "You can talk to each other using your heads." "Thank you." "So, you're saying that whatever I think, Robin can hear?" "Yes." "Hey, Robin. I was the one who ate the last cookie yesterday." "Oh, you son of a bitch!" Robin shouted. Yeah, I think that's something we have yet to mention. There's swearing in this. But since you're down here, I gather you already know that. Steel laughed as Robin rushed forward in an attempt to strangle him. "Guys, seriously. We have to get this done now." "Why? Do we have a time limit on this telepa- whatever you called it, spell?" Steel said, jokingly. "Yes, actually." Steel and Robin stopped in their tracks and stared at Clever. "You bein' serious, boy?" Robin asked. "Yes." "You're not pulling our legs or anything?" "No." "Oh, well...that's not good." "How long do we have left?" Steel asked. "Well it's been around five minutes since I cast the spell on you two. And it only lasts about half an hour. So, you two have about twenty five minutes to get Jay out of there." "Oh crap." "So, you two better get moving." Robin went into the penitentiary through the gates, saying hello to the gate guard as he did. Steel went off to find a way to sneak in, and Clever went to find a decent place to hide. Steel climbed over the walls in order to get in. Despite the fact that there was barbed wire at the top. By the time he made it fully over the wall, there were more scars marking his coat. More to add to the collection, I guess. Anyway, bottom line is, he made it in and he's a badass. Steel made his way throughout the prison until he reached a heavily guarded cell block. All the while he was playing a sort of secret agent theme in his head. "Remember, I can hear that," Robin thought-said. "Whatever. Have you reached the...room you were told to go to yet?" "Yeah, I actually just got there. Okay, let's see. The code is one-two-three-four." "Did your dad get a five year old to come up with that?" "It's my dad, he could've for all I know." "Hey Steel. Hey Robin." "Wait, what? Jay? How can you talk to us in our heads?" "I don't know about that, but I know how to speak in all italics!" For Celestia's sake, Jay. Stop messing around with the damn script. "Sorry." The guards outside Jay's prison turned to him. "Did you say something, prisoner?" "Nope." Meanwhile, Robin entered the security room, and started guiding Steel towards Jay's cell via the security cameras. "There's still a guard outside Jay's cell." "Oh, I wonder what this button does?" Robin pressed a big blue button that said 'DO NOT TOUCH'. Naturally, Robin touched it. Blue button? Isn't it supposed to be red? Hey, we're not that cliché. Oh yeah. And the 'DO NOT TOUCH' on the button isn't cliché at all? Shut up, don't question me. All right, fine. Anyway, as Robin pressed the button, every cell in the penitentiary unlocked. The prisoners cheered and thanked the ancestors. And then...they went on a riot. Some of the prisoners that Jay was cooped up with rushed forward and beat the guard to death. "Well, I guess that works," Steel said. Before they left, the prisoners that were with Jay shook his hoof and told him that he was possibly the greatest stallion who ever lived, and how happy they were that they got to know him. "What was that all about?" Steel asked. "Oh, I gave all the prisoners harmonicas. You can't have a prison without harmonicas," Jay replied. Steel face-hoofed. "Where did you even get the-. You know what, I'm not even going to ask." "Hey, Steel. I'll meet you back outside," Robin thought-said. "So, any ideas on how we can get out of here alive?" Steel asked. "I've been thinking about that. And I say, we sneak out in a cardboard box." "Are you being serious?" "Yeah." "What kind of idiot sneaks in and out of enemy territory in a damn cardboard box?" "Oh, come on. It'll be fun." "You said that last time, when you hooked us both up with a couple of mares. You ended up going back home with both of them." "Oh yeah, good times." "You got both of them pregnant." "All the more reason to hurry up and get out of the country. Let's go!" "Alright, let's- wait a minute. How did you know about our plan to escape the country?" "Clever told me in his letter. He said for me to get arrested and that it was part of a plan to escape the country." "Oh...well I guess that makes sense. For once." "You bet your blank-flank it does, now get in the box." "This is the worst idea you've ever had." "It'll work, trust me. I know a guy who does it all the time." "I'm not even gonna ask who." As Steel and Jay made their way through the prison...in their box...the shouting and yelling was starting to die down a bit. It sounded like the riot was being put down. "Sounds like we don't have much time," Steel said. "We'll be fine," Jay said. "What makes you say that?" "You're a main character. Nothing bad ever happens to the main character. Well, except in Shakespeare plays." "Shakespeare? What are you talking abou-," Steel was cut off by a guard walking around. The guard walked up to the suspicious-looking box. It was suspicious because it was the only box lying in the middle of the floor...and it was moving and talking. The guard began inspecting the box. "We are so screwed," Steel said. Just then the guard's expression softened. "Must've just been the wind," the guard said as he walked away. "These guards are idiots," Steel said. "I know, now let's move." So, they continued to shuffle along in that little box of theirs and eventually made it out of the penitentiary. Clever and Robin just stared as a box slowly shuffled its way out of the gates, which were unguarded at the moment. Robin hovered over to the box. "For me? Aw, you shouldn't have." He lifted up the box and revealed the two stallions concealed within. Clever walked over and joined the others. "Excellent, now that we're all here, we can get out of the country." "So, how are we going to do that? Blow up the outer walls? Kill every guard we see until we reach the exit?" Steel asked. "No, we go out through the gates. The prison riot has moved downtown," Clever replied. "How nice. C'mon, let's just go." The four of them moved into the downtown area. The place was lined with blood, bodies, partially destroyed buildings and fire. "Wow, these prisoners work fast," Robin said. "It's not just prisoners. Some of the more rebellious townsfolk have been rioting as well," Clever said. Steel walked over to one of the guard's bodies and picked up a Daedric Longsword. Dude! What?! What the hell do you think you're doing?! I thought that would be a cool thing to implement into the story. A sword I can deal with, not that. And besides, you're OC doesn't use weapons. He fights with his fists...or...hooves. Aw, I wanted mine to have a sword. Oh stop being a big baby and do what we agreed to do. Okay. "C'mon, we're wasting time here," Steel said. "Agreed," Clever said. As the group got closer and closer to the border, the sounds of rioting was getting louder. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Robin said. The focus of the riot was at the country's border. "Now can we destroy a wall?" Steel asked. "Well, actually, we can just walk around it. See?" Clever pointed out a route that was conveniently carved out from the riot. "We can just run through there and we're home free." "I don't know why you're saying it was convenient. You're the one that put it there," Jay said. Jay! "Okay, okay. Sorry." "Um, Jay? Who are you talking to?" Robin asked. "Nobody." "Okay. Before we leave, we have to make sure we have everything we need," Clever said. "I have the food and other essentials." "I've got the money that I won from my last fight," Steel said. "I have my dignity," Robin said. "I have...nothing. I just got out of jail," Jay said. "Okay, we're all set. To the border," said Clever. "And towards a new life," Steel said. "Woo-hoo," Robin said, in a somewhat delibarately dull voice. "C'mon Robin, put a bit more enthusiasm into it. Like this. Woooooooooooo-hoooooooooooo!" "You already did it for me, let's go." And so, our "heroes"- "Get rid of the damn quotation marks." For Luna's sake Jay, leave me alone. And so, our heroes made their way through the convenientally laid-out path. And eventually reached the border, and started journeying into the lands of Equestria. "I love it when a plan comes together," Clever said. Chapter 1: Meeting New FriendsAfter escaping the country known as Inter Terra, our "heroes"... did he notice? It doesn't look like it. Okay, good. Our "heroes"- "Quotation marks." Oh for the love of- we're just starting a new chapter, Jay, and you're already pointing out these kinds of things "Well, putting quotation marks around the word 'heroes' doesn't seem very nice. It's actually kinda mean." Well how about we refer to you as 'the four main characters'. How's that? "That's a bit better actually." I'm glad we came to an agreement, now get back in the story. "Okay." Our four main characters were- "You know, now that you say it out loud, it doesn't have the same ring to it. Why can't you just get rid of the quotation marks?" If I do, will you stop interrupting the narration? "Maybe." *sigh* Fine. "Thank you." Our four heroes were wandering aimlessly around a forest after escaping their home country. As Clever was reading a map, looking for a way out, all four of them were enjoying each other's company "Are we there yet?" Jay asked. "No," Steel replied "How about now?" "No." "Now?" "Jay, I swear, I will choke you out if you ask that one more time." A devious grin grew on Jay's face. "Are we there yet?" "That's it!" Steel started chasing Jay. The both of them weaved in and out of trees. Steel was just about to catch Jay before he crashed into a forcefield created by Clever's unicorn magic. "What do you say we just rest up and calm down?" "Hmph, fine." "That's good, I was getting tired of running anyway." "Can we just have something to eat? I'm hungry." "Robin, you're always hungry. You need to get out more, get some exercise." "Nah, too much effort." Steel sighed. "Look, there's a clearing over there. Let's build a camp-fire, have something to eat, and then get some rest." The four of them walked over to the clearing and observed their surroundings. "Well, this is a conveniently sized clearing," Jay said. "Indeed," said Clever. "Okay, you three prepare the food, I'll go fetch some wood," said Steel. "Hey that rhymed, you should be a poet or something," Robin said. "I hope you're not being serious. I hate poetry." With that, Steel trotted off into the woods. Leaving the bag of money he had been carrying all that time. "Alright, let's get everything ready." With that, Clever pulled out four chairs that were conveniently sized for each of the four characters. "How the hell did you manage to fit those in your bag?" Robin asked, surprised. "Shrinking spell." "Of course." "What is it with you and the word 'conveniently', seriously." Jay, shut up and go along with it. "Okay, I'm just saying. You should vary your vocabulary more." Y'know, he does have a point. Whose side are you on?! Whichever side does have a good point. *sigh* Anyway, Steel returned from his trip of gathering firewood. "Y'know, this forest is weird. I could swear that on more than one occasion, I saw wood moving. How crazy is that?" "Yeah, yeah, very crazy. Now can you just set the wood down so we can have something to eat and then go to sleep," Robin said. "Jeez, somebody's impatient." Steel set down the firewood, and Clever set it on fire with some magic. Steel then noticed the chairs. "Where did these come from?" "Shrinking spell," Robin replied. "That doesn't answer my question." "Well, I think it's safe to assume that his Cutie Mark won't have anything to do with being smart, that's for sure." "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" "He can't even understand what I mean by that." "That's enough, Robin. My big brother might not be the smartest, but he could kick your feathery backside any day of the week." "Of that, I have no doubt." The meals were prepared for each of the characters. Steel and Jay had apples prepared for them, Clever had kiwis, while Robin had an assortment of...gryphon...food. Really? That's the best you could come up with? Well, how am I supposed to know what gryphons eat, they're mythical creatures. Fair enough. Fine, you want me to change what he eats. Here you go. "Has anyone got any cheese?" Robin asked. "What are you? A mouse?" Steel asked, sarcastically. "No, he's a chimera. Haven't you noticed?" Clever replied. "Once again, my sarcasm is lost on you. And also, what the hell is a chimera? Robin's a gryphon." "They're basically the same thing." "So, why didn't you just say 'gryphon'?" Robin and Jay watched as they ate their food. Entertained by the two bickering siblings. The plume of smoke that was created by the camp-fire rose above the trees in the forest, visible for any onlooker to see. "Thanks for letting me help you out with your animals, Fluttershy." "It's no problem, Pinkie Pie, I needed somepony to make sure that none of the chickens ran off while I was cleaning out their coop." Pinkie Pie was just coming away from her friend, Fluttershy's house. Fluttershy enjoyed visits from Pinkie when she was calm, which was almost never. As Pinkie said good-bye, she noticed a plume of smoke coming out of the Everfree Forest. "Hey Fluttershy, look." Fluttershy looked over and noticed what Pinkie was pointing out. "Let's go have a look, it'll be fun," Pinkie said, bouncing up and down in her usual fashion. "Oh dear, what if it's a forest-fire. Oh my, the animals could be in trouble. Oh no, oh no." Fluttershy rushed into the forest to investigate the cause of the smoke. Pinkie Pie bounced after her, somehow managing to keep up with her. Back at the camp, Steel and Clever had stopped fighting, and both Clever and Robin had went to sleep. "So, Jay, when do you think we're going to stop wandering around?" "Whenever the authors feel like it." "...what?" "Nothing...wait do you hear that?" "Hear wha-" Steel was interrupted by Jay shoving his hoof into his mouth. Boing Boing Boing "That," Jay said, as he took his hoof out of Steel's mouth. "Really? You really just did that?" Steel said as he spat out the taste of Jay's hoof. "It's probably just a frog of some sort." "No, no. The sound of the boing wasn't right to be a frog." "So, what, you're a frog specialist now?" "Well, no." Just then, a pink pony with a curly, pink mane popped out of a bush, Another yellow pony with a pink mane followed suit. "Hey, look Fluttershy! Ponies!" "Oh my, where's the fire?" Jay quickly moved his back hoof to extinguish the fire. "I don't know what you're talking about. It's only us here," Jay said, as the last of the flames went out. "But, there was a plume of smoke, and..." Fluttershy's voice trailed off as Steel and Jay began to whisper to each other. "Dude, I think the ancestors have blessed us today," Steel said. "I know. We need to move quickly, before the other two wake up." "Agreed, I call dibs on the yellow one." "I thought you might do that. The light-voiced ones have always been your type." Steel and Jay high hoofed one another, and went in to make their move. "...and so we came in here to make sure that everything was okay." Both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie then noticed that the two stallions were making their way over. "Well, now that you know that there is no fire, how about you mares tell us your names." "I'm Pinkie Pie, and this is one of my best friends, Fluttershy." "Pleased to make you acquaintance Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. I am Jay, and this is one of my best friends, Steel Blade." Steel then moved over towards Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, eh? That is quite a cute name, if you don't mind me saying." Fluttershy began blushing. "Well, n-no I don't mind. Th-thank you for the compliment Steel Blade." "Please, call me Steel." "O-okay, Steel." Steel continued flirting with Fluttershy, while Jay did the same with Pinkie Pie. Or at least tried to. "So, you must be the kind of mare who knows how to have fun." Pinkie Pie giggled. "Of course I do. I throw awesome parties. Oh, that reminds me, I need to throw a party for you, Steel, and your two friends back there." "What for?" "I always throw parties for new ponies here in Ponyville." "Ponyville? Is that what this forest is called?" "No, silly. Ponyville is the name of the town that this forest is near. This forest is called the Everfree Forest." "The Everfree Forest, well, at least we know where we are now." "Oh, if you want, I could show you and your friend around." "Uh, thanks, but we really should get going." "Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaase. I promise it'll be lots of fun." "I guarantee we don't have the same ideas of fun." "What?" "Oh, nothing, I didn't say a word." "Well, you can at least let me show you what Ponyville is like. I'll introduce you to the rest of my friends. My friend, Twilight, she's a princess. But, she chooses to stay in a library instead of a castle, I don't know why. Maybe because Ponyville is just that great. So, if a princess staying in Ponyville doesn't make you want to come, then I've still got a party planned for you. So, please." Just then, a shadow started looming over Jay's head. How a shadow is visible in a forest with a dark background, I have no idea. It was Clever. "Excuse me, but did you just say 'library'?" Jay gulped. "What have you done?!" "Yes, I did." "Library? Library?! Libraryyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" "Um, what's going on?" Pinkie asked as Clever continued screaming the word 'library' in the background. "That's one of my friend's, Clever Dodge. He's absolutely obsessed with books, and anything else that involves words on paper." "Oh, I know what you're talking about. My friend Twilight is the same." "Really? The princess you mentioned earlier?" "Yeah. Why do you think she lives in a library, silly?" Jay and Pinkie continued to have a surprisingly calm and sane conversation. While Robin woke from the sound of Clever's shouting and began complaining. Unperturbed by the noise in the background, Steel continued flirting with Fluttershy. Well, it wasn't so much flirting as a one-sided beating of compliments, but that's beside the point. Clever ran up to Steel. "Steel, can we go into Ponyville?" "In a minute. I'm kinda busy here right now." "No you're not, you're just talking." "Clever, have you learned nothing about this sort of thing?" "About what thing?" "About stallions and mares..." Fluttershy's face started turning red by the mention of that. "Of course I have. I've read plenty of books on the subject." "In that case, you should leave me alone for now." "But Steel, there's a library in Ponyville." "Oh, well that changes everything." "Really?" "No." "Aww, why not?" At this point, Steel was getting fed up. "If I say we can go, will you stop pestering me?" Clever violently nodded his head. Steel sighed. "Fine, we'll go into Ponyville." Clever bounced up and down with joy. He rushed in and hugged Steel, and then zipped over to Jay to tell him where they were going. Steel was slightly embarrassed, as he didn't want to seem soft. "Yeah, that was my little brother, Clever Dodge." "Oh, I wasn't aware that he was your brother." "Well, he's my half-brother." Fluttershy gave Steel a look of curiosity. "Yeah, story for another day." "Oh, okay. Don't worry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." "Yeah, let's just say that he's the only proper family I have." "Aw, you sound like a nice big brother." "Why thank you, Fluttershy. That's the first time I've heard that. Do you live in Ponyville, Fluttershy?" "Why yes, it's a really nice place to live in." Just then, groaning was heard. "Do I have to move?" Robin complained. "Listen, I said we're going into Ponyville, and I meant it," Steel shouted. "Ugh, why?" "Because these mares have been kind enough to show us around town. Now get up." "What is it with you and mares?" "What are you talking about?" "Every time there's a mare involved in a situation, you always try and do your best to help them and then bed them." "Robin, shut up." "Is that what your trying to do with this mare?" Steel grabbed Robin by his red plume. "I said, shut...up." "Oh my, I seem to have struck a nerve." Steel threw Robin to the side. "Just get up and get ready to move." "Okay, fine." The four of them packed away their stuff and followed Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy out of the Everfree Forest and on the road to Ponyville. Meanwhile, in the skies above the Everfree Forest, the cyan coloured, rainbow maned pony known as Rainbow Dash was lying back on a cloud. The only company she had was one of the instalments of the Daring-Do book series. The peacefulness of the evening made sure that nothing pulled Rainbow Dash out of the book. She had just finished reading a chapter of the book when something caught her eye. Six figures making their way out of the Everfree Forest, two of which she recognised. The other four were unknown to her. Upon closer inspection she discovered that one of the creatures in the company of the four strangers was a gryphon. She put the Daring-Do book back into the bag she had with her, and lifted herself up off the cloud. "Oh no you don't, Gilda." "So, Pinkie Pie, what's Ponyville like?" Clever asked. "Well, it's probably the mostest, bestest town in Equestria." "Um, 'mostest' and 'bestest' aren't real words." "Well duh. Of course I know they aren't real words, but I use them anyway." "May I ask why?" "Because, the words that aren't real are the funnest ones to use." "That's not a-" "Clever, just leave it be," Steel said. Clever sighed. "Hey, do any of you guys hear like wooshing sound?" Jay asked. "A wooshing sound?" "Yeah, you know, like woooooooosh. Like that." Just then, shouting was heard. "Pinkie Pie! Fluttershy! Get down!" The whole group looked up and saw Rainbow Dash heading straight towards them. "Does that pony...have a rainbow coloured mane?" Steel asked. "Oh damn, watch out guys, it's the pride parade," Robin chuckled. Rainbow then dashed through the group and tackled Robin to the ground. "What do you think you're doing here?!" "Well, tagging along with my friends. What are you doing here?" "Don't play dumb with me Gil-" Rainbow was interrupted as a frying pan hit her on the side of the head. "Um, Jay, where did you get the frying pan?" Clever asked. "Uh...plot device?" Jay replied. "O...kay." Steel rushed towards Rainbow Dash as she was getting up. Steel jumped on her, dislocated her wing and pinned her on the ground. "Don't you ever touch my friends again." The pain from Rainbow's dislocated wing was unbearable, however, she didn't make any sound, as she didn't want to seem weak. "What the hay do you think you're doing?!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "I should be asking you the same thing. Why are you attacking my friend?" "Your 'friend' happens to be a massive jerk." Steel turned to Robin. "Hey, Robin, have you two met before? She seems to know a lot about you already," Steel chuckled. "Oh ha ha, you're so funny." "Wait...Robin? That's her name?" "Wait, 'her'? Robin's a 'he'." "But I thought that was Gilda." "Who the hell's Gilda?" "Um, maybe we can talk about this once we get to Twilight's library?" Fluttershy suggested. "I think that sounds like a favourable idea," Clever agreed. "You're taking these guys to go see a princess?! You barely know them!" "Yep, then we're going a tour, and I'm going to throw them a party!" Rainbow Dash sighed. "Can you please get off me now?" "Only once you promise that you won't try anything stupid." "Ugh, fine." "I want to hear you say it." "What?!" "I want to hear you promise that you won't try to harm my friends." Rainbow Dash hesitated. Making a promise to Steel would basically be like admitting defeat. "Ugh...I promise I won't try to harm your friends..." Rainbow said, reluctantly. "There's a good mare," Steel taunted. Rainbow Dash growled. Steel merely laughed. "Can we go now?" Robin said. "Lead the way Pinkie," Jay said. "Okie dokie lokie." The group then continued to make their way over to the library. Rainbow Dash had to walk on the ground, on account of her dislocated wing. "Was dislocating her wing really necessary?" Clever asked. "I wanted to make sure she didn't escape," Steel replied. "That's kind of cold, Steel." "You of all people should know that anyone who does anything to hurt my friends, gets shown no mercy." Clever was about to say something in retort to that, but decided against it. He knew his brother was too stubborn to accept criticism over past actions. Clever looked back at Rainbow Dash. She seemed pretty upset about not being able to fly. "Listen, I'm sorry about that situation earlier," Clever said. Rainbow Dash said nothing. "I can understand if you're mad. You love flying don't you?" "How do you know?" Rainbow asked. "Well, the speed at which you swooped in on Robin was pretty impressive." "Well, what can I say? I'm the best flyer Equestria has to offer," Rainbow boasted. Clever chuckled. "By the way, what's with the black stallion there? He doesn't seem to be the nicest guy around." "Yeah, he's my big brother." "Heh, I feel sorry for you." "Well, he can be a pain sometimes, yeah. But he has good intentions. Chances are, if you hadn't attacked Robin, he would've been a lot more friendly with you." "What do you mean?" "Well, he does have a habit of being more friendly towards mares than stallions." "Is that so?" "The only time he's unfriendly towards anyone, is if they attack any of his friends or family." "So, he's over protective?" "Well, not really. He's just protective. He'll go to any length to protect those close to him." "Any length? He's even prepared to kill somepony?" "Yeah...he is." "That's not just protective kid." "Well, I wouldn't know any better." "How so?" "I've been stuck in a castle my entire life." "Wait, so you're some sort of noble?" "I guess so. My father is the steward to the king of our home country." "So, why did you four come here?" "Long story." "I see. Well, thanks for talking to me. I'll admit, I didn't feel like talking to anypony after that whole kerfuffle with your brother." "No problem. By the way, my name is Clever Dodge." "Nice to meet ya, Rainbow Dash." Clever and Rainbow shook hooves. "We're here~!" Pinkie shouted. Steel, Clever, Jay and Robin stood staring at the massive treehouse, which was the library. "Nice architecture," Clever observed. "Wow, definitely didn't see this coming," Robin said, surprised. "That is one biiiiiig tree," Jay said. "It's just a tree. I don't see what the big deal is," Steel said with a lack of interest. Pinkie Pie zipped forward and rapidly knocked on the door. "Coming," a voice said. The door then opened to reveal a lavender alicorn. "Seriously, all that's missing is a mysterious glow and a choir and we're all set," Robin said. Steel began to step forward. He was then stopped by Clever rushing into the library. "Books!" Everyone just stared at Clever. Twilight noticed that there were new individuals in amongst her friends...and in her library. "Greetings, I am princess Twilight Sparkle." Steel then stepped forward. "Hello, Miss Twilight. My name is Steel Blade, but you can call me Steel." "Easy there, lover boy. It's too late in the night for that," Robin said. "What are you saying? It's never too late to greet a beautiful mare." "He really does have a weakness for mares," Rainbow Dash thought. "Steel, from what we've heard, she's the princess of this country. You mess up with her, we could easily get flung out," Jay said. Steel thought for a moment. "Y'know, that's the most intelligent thing you've said all day," Robin said. Steel then stepped back. "I'm sorry, your majesty. I wasn't thinking." "It's quite alright, the complement was not unwelcome. It is a refreshing change for somepony to treat me like a regular mare." "That's what I'm here for. Steel Blade, mare-pleaser extraodanaire," Steel chuckled. Twilight laughed. "Anyway, is there a reason you're all here so late at night?" "Well, we found these guys in the Everfree Forest. We said that we'd bring them to you so that they could explain their situation," Fluttershy said. "Well, come on in you guys. Make yourselves comfortable." The group entered the library and Steel got Clever to sit down...eventually. Clever then explained the entire prologue to Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. "I see, so you escaped your country because your king was a tyrant. And now you are looking for a place to settle down," Twilight said. "Precisely," Clever said. "Now that that's explained, you mind telling us if there's a place we can crash for the time being?" Steel asked. At that moment, a white unicorn with a stylish, purple mane made her way into the library. She was closely followed by an orange earth pony wearing a hat. "Good evening, Twilight, darling." "Howdy, Twilight." "Ah, Applejack, Rarity, perfect timing." "Oh, ancestors, I must be in heaven," Steel thought to himself. Steel zipped forward and shook hooves with the two mares who had entered the room. "Good evening, ladies. A pleasure to meet you both. My name is Steel Blade, but you two can call me Steel." "A pleasure to meet you Steel, my name is Rarity." "And am Applejack, howdy." "Well, I must say, you two mares look absolutely amazing tonight." "Why, thank you. I do try my best to look my best. I'm actually quite glad you noticed," Rarity said. "You sure know how ta make a mare feel special don'tcha?" Applejack said. "Well, I aim to please." "This has got to be a new record. Steel has successfully complemented four mares in one day," Robin said. "And he was wanting me to calm down about the books in this library," Clever said. "Anyway, as I was saying. You two have perfect timing, these guys were looking for a place to stay," Twilight said. "I suppose I could clear up a room. I'd be more than happy to accomadate such a gentlecolt." "Okay, so, I guess Steel's staying with Rarity. Robin, you'll stay with Rainbow Dash." "Oh joy," Robin said. "Jay will-" "Ooh, ooh, I know, I know. He can stay with me!" Pinkie said, while bouncing up and down. "You'd think there was a trampoline at her feet or something. But I'm in." "And as for Clever..." "Y'know, if it's alright with you, I'd prefer to stay here at the library," Clever said. "Of course you can, I'd be more than happy to let you stay," Twilight said. "So, that's us sorted?" Steel asked. "Yeah, I guess so," Clever replied. "It's getting late, so I think we should just go to our new temporary homes and get some rest." "Sounds good to me. Robin, you'll have to give Rainbow a lift up to her home." "Ugh, do I have to?" Robin protested. "Yes, you do. In case you've forgotten, her wing isn't exactly in any condition to flap," Clever said. Robin sighed, but agreed to give Rainbow a lift. They both walked out of the library, Rainbow hopped onto Robin's back and the two of them made their way to Rainbow Dash's house. "I guess that's our cue, c'mon Pinkie." Pinkie and Jay then began literally bouncing over to Sugarcube Corner. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Clever," Steel said, as he and Rarity walked out the door. Twilight and Clever were left alone in the library. Twilight led Clever upstairs to where there was a spare bed in her room. "Sorry I don't have a spare room, all I have is a spare bed." "It's okay Twilight, it's no problem. This is perfect." "I've got a few more things to take care of, so make yourself at home." "Okay, thanks, I will." With that, Twilight walked back down the stairs and walked out the library. "Well, this turned out better than I expected," Clever said to himself. Meanwhile, on the road towards Carousel Boutique. "...and so that's how I gained the respect of Hoity Toity." "Wow, it sounds like you really love what you do." "But of course. Fashion is more than just my hobby. It's my passion, my way of life." "I don't think any of the clothes you make will match up to your beauty, Rarity." Rarity began blushing. "Why thank you Steel. I must say, you do know how to make a mare feel special. I'm surprised you don't already have a marefriend." The pair then arrived at Carousel Boutique. "And here we are. Carousel Boutique." "Looks like you put a lot of time into designing it." "If you think the outside looks great, wait until you see the inside." As soon as Rarity opened the door, a filly jumped up and greeted her. "Hi Rarity!" "Sweetie Belle! What are you still doing up? I told you to go to bed while I went and visited Twilight." "But I don't wanna go to sleep." "That's too bad, you have school tomorrow and I will not have you being tired." Sweetie Belle then turned her attention to Steel. "Who's your friend?" "Sweetie Belle, this is Steel Blade. He is going to be staying with us until he can get a place of his own." "So, is he your coltfriend or something?" Rarity's cheeks began turning red. "No, he is not. He's just a friend, a real gentlecolt mind you, but a friend nonetheless." "It's nice to meet you Sweetie Belle," Steel finally said. "I take it your Rarity's little sister?" "Yep," Sweetie Belle replied, cheerfully. Steel smiled at the young filly. "Now, Steel, allow me to show you where you'll be sleeping." Rarity led Steel through to a spare room that was right next to Sweetie Belle's. The walls were pure white, there was a cupboard on the far side of the room, the bed was on the right wall, a window was positioned just shy of left corner, accompanying the window were lovely white curtains. Not to mention the white floor was so clean Steel could almost hear it squeak when he dragged his hoof across it. The bed itself looked like it had been waiting for someone to sleep on it. It was a double bed, there were two pillows, one white and one that was purple. The same shade of purple as Rarity's mane. The blanket had that same shade of purple facing up, and had a white underside. Everything in the room was so neat and tidy, Steel was almost afraid to sleep on the bed, fearing that Rarity would yell at him for making the room look messy. "Make yourself at home. I'm going to finish up a few more dress designs, so if you need anything, just let me know." "Thanks Rarity, will do." "Rarity?" "Yes, Sweetie Belle?" "Can I stay up and talk to Steel?" "Sweetie Belle, I don't think-" "Pleeeeaaaase?" Rarity looked over towards Steel. "It's okay, I don't mind. She can stay and talk to me if she wants." "Very well, but no more than ten minutes. Do you understand Sweetie Belle?" "Yep." Rarity then walked out the door, and Sweetie Belle turned to Steel. "So, what do you want to ask, kiddo?" "Where did you come from?" "I came from a country that's between Equestria and the Gryphon Kingdoms. A land called Inter Terra, ever heard of it?" "Not really." "Well, you're one of the lucky ones." "How come? Is it a bad place?" "Yeah, it's really bad." "What kind of things go on there?" "It's not something that a filly of your age should hear." "Awww." "Maybe I'll tell you when you're older, if you haven't already found out by then. It really isn't something that I should speak about to young fillies and colts." "Well, what about your Cutie Mark?" "What about it?" "How come you don't have one?" Steel looked at his flank. "To be honest with you, Sweetie, I don't know." "Well, you could always-" "Sweetie Belle! Time to go to bed!" "Aw." "Don't worry, I'm sure what you have to say can wait until tomorrow." "I guess." There was look of disappointment in Sweetie Belle's eyes. "Tell you what, I can walk you down to your school tomorrow, and you can tell me then." "Really?" "Yeah, sure. I am going to be living here for a while. So, we might as well get to know each other." "Thanks Steel." "No problem, Sweetie. Now run along to bed, wouldn't want you to get in trouble with Rarity." "Okay." Sweetie Belle walked out the room, leaving Steel alone. "Man, I'm beat," Steel said to himself. Steel walked over to the window, pulled over the curtains, jumped onto the bed, and made himself comfortable. He almost didn't feel right, messing up a perfectly laid-out bed. Nevertheless, Steel eventually fell asleep. Waiting for the dawn of the next day to arrive. "Or at least until the next chapter." God dammit Jay!
Chapter 2: Dark SecretsSunlight shined through white curtains in the early hours of the day. Steel's slumber was disturbed by the light. He opened his eyes, only to see Sweetie Belle staring straight into them with a smile on her face. "Good morning, Steel!" Sweetie Belle yelled. "Uh, good morning, Sweetie. How long have you been there?" "Since I had breakfast." "And how long ago was that?" "About twenty minutes." "O...kay. You're patient, I'll give you that." "Rarity wants you to come down stairs so you can have your breakfast as well." "Great," Steel said as he rose up out the bed. "What's on the menu?" "I don't know. I just had a bowl of oatmeal." "Well, guess I just have to go down and see. When do you have to leave for school?" "Still have thirty minutes." "Okay, gotcha." Steel and Sweetie Belle made their way down stairs and into the kitchen. Rarity was standing by the coffee machine. "Ah, good morning Steel. I was just about to make some coffee. Would you like some?" "Yeah, that would be great." "As for you, Sweetie Belle. What took you so long to get Steel down here?" "He looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake him." "That's the whole purpose of waking someone, Sweetie Belle. You're supposed to disturb them from their peaceful slumber." "Oh..." "Anyway, Steel, what would you like to eat?" "Food," Steel replied jokingly. Rarity couldn't help but give out a slight giggle. "Just kidding. You got any apples?" "Of course." Upon opening one of the cupboards Rarity surrounded a delicious red apple with the blue glow, lifting it out and placing it on the kitchen table. "Help yourself, my dear." "Thanks." Steel trotted up to the table, took the apple, and started munching on it. "I hear you offered to walk Sweetie Belle down to school." "That I did." "Well, that's very generous of you." "Thank you." "Once you return, I'll show you around Ponyville." "That would be nice." "Sweetie Belle, it's nearly time to go. You better go get your things." Sweetie Belle did as she was told, and went upstairs to fetch her saddle bag. "So, why did you offer to walk Sweetie Belle to school?" "Is that a problem?" "No, of course not. I'm just curious as to why you did it." "Well, I'm probably going to be staying here for a while. So, I thought during our walk, me and Sweetie could get to know each other better. I don't want to be that pony that's labelled 'the awkward guest'. Plus, it just seemed like a nice thing to do." "Well, I am happy that you did." Steel glanced to his side as Sweetie Belle returned with her bag in tow. "You got everything you need, Sweetie?" Steel asked. "Yep," Sweetie Belle replied, in her ever-so-cheerful voice. "You want something for a snack?" "Sure, I'll take an apple." Rarity then levitated another apple out of the cupboard and placed it inside Sweetie Belle's bag. Steel grabbed the bag in his mouth and lifted it onto her back. They both began making their way out the door, until they were stopped by Rarity. "Steel! What about your coffee?" "Just leave it, I'll pour it out myself when I come back." "Very well." With that, they exited Carousel Boutique and made their way towards the school. Over at the library, Clever had just woken up and was searching the cupboards in the kitchen. Hearing the commotion, Twilight came through. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Looking for breakfast," Clever replied. "Surely you must have went through cupboards that have food in them by now." "Yes, but there's no kiwis." "Kiwis? I'm afraid I don't have any of those." "What?! You don't have kiwis?!" "Well, I'm sure the market has what you want." "They have kiwis?" "I'm sure at least one of the shops or stalls do." Clever gave out a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "Oh Spike!" Twilight called. A small purple dragon dragged himself into the kitchen in response to Twilight's call. "Twilight, it's too early in the morning for any chores." "Sorry Spike, but I need you to guide our friend hear down to the market." Spike looked behind Twilight and saw Clever, who just gave a small wave. "I don't believe we have met yet," Clever said, as he walked up to Spike. "My name is Clever Dodge." "Spike," he said as he shook Clever's hoof. "Well, if we're going down to the market to buy things, I'll need to go get some money from my brother." "Oh, you don't need to. I'll loan you some," Twilight said. "The last time I borrowed something from someone, it didn't end well. My brother has a bag full of money with him. I'll go and get some from him, Princess." "Oh no, it's not a problem, I insist. And please, just call me Twilight." "Well, it's just that I don't feel right borrowing things from others. Especially money," Twilight levitated a saddle bag over to Clever. She then proceeded to put ten bits into the bag, and place it onto Clever's back. "There, that should be enough to buy your kiwis," "Are you sure about this, Twilight?" Clever asked. "Of course. I'm pretty sure that there are better things to spend your money on," "Well, if you say so. Don't worry, I'll pay you back." "No, don't bother. Consider this a friendly gesture." Clever accepted the bag a levitated it onto his back. "Wait, why can't you take him to the market, Twilight?" Spike asked. "Spike, I have to go and tell Princess Celestia about our new arrivals," Spike sighed. "C'mon, Clever, let's go." Spike and Clever made their way out of the library and began heading towards the Ponyville market. "So, what was it you wanted to tell me last night, Sweetie?" Steel asked, as he and Sweetie Belle continued on their way towards the school. "Huh?" "You were going to tell me something, but then Rarity called for you to go to bed." "Oh yeah. I was going to ask if you wanted to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders." "The Cutie Mark Crusaders?" "Yeah!" "So, what's the story behind them?" "Well, me and my two friends, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, were being made fun of for being blank flanks. So, we started a group dedicated to getting our Cutie Marks." "I can tell that you haven't had much luck in finding out what your special talent is." "Yeah, I know." "And you want me to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders?" "Yeah! It'll be super fun, I promise." "I'm not so sure, Sweetie. Don't you think I'm a little old for that? I mean I'm as old as your sister." "I'll have to talk to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom about it. Though, I'm sure you'll be allowed in." Steel and Sweetie Belle then reached the school. "Here we are," Sweetie Belle announced. The school kind of looked like a church. To the left side of it, there was a playground. There were already fillies and colts in there. It was clear to Steel that the school day hadn't started yet. "So, this is your school, huh?" "Yep, this is my school!" "Seems like a decent place." "I guess." "What d'you mean?" "Well, sometimes it can get quite boring. Stuck in a building for most of the day." "Sweetie, you might want to cherish your moments at this school." "Why?" "Because, you're not going to be here forever. And, I'm sorry to say, life doesn't get any easier when you do leave school." Steel was trying his best not to sound cruel. "I never had the opportunity to go to school when I was your age." "Why?" "Because...we didn't have anything like this where I stayed," Steel replied as he gestured towards the school. "When I was your age, I was out...um...working." "Why?" "That's just the way my life was. My family wasn't very wealthy, and I couldn't really on my dad to make money. So, I had to work to make money to keep our house." "What about your mum? Wasn't she there too?" Steel hesitated before he answered, "No, Sweetie, my mum wasn't there." "Oh..." There was a couple of seconds of silence before Sweetie Belle came out with another question. "So, what did you work as?" "Well...I...um..." Just then, the school bell rang, and all the fillies and colts started running into the schoolhouse. "Well, would you look at that. It's time for you to go." "Wait, you didn't answer my-" "You don't wanna be late for class, do you?" Steel said as he gently pushed Sweetie Belle towards the entrance of the school. "Have a nice day, Sweetie." Steel then zipped away from the school, and Sweetie Belle walked inside. "Whew, that was a close one. Now, let's see if I can take any steps towards bedding Rarity." Steel began walking back towards Carousel Boutique, but was stopped as he heard a familiar voice call out to him. He looked up and spotted Robin flying over to him, with Rainbow Dash on his back. "Steel, would you be so kind as to take dear Rainbow to the hospital?" Robin asked, as he landed next to Steel. "What? Why can't you do it? I have things to do as well, you know." "Well, I don't." "Exactly, so you take her." "You don't understand. Taking Rainbow Dash to the hospital would interrupt my day of doing nothing. If I took her there, it would defeat the purpose of my day plan. That would require me to do something, rather than nothing." "You're a lazy prick, you know that?" "Yes, I know," Robin dumped Rainbow Dash on the ground and began flying away. "Hey! What was that all about?!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "Sorry, you're not my problem anymore," "Just remember, you're living in my house!" Robin was already gone, leaving Rainbow Dash alone with Steel. "So, shall we get going?" Steel asked. "Yeah, sure." "I take it you're going to get that wing checked." "Yeah, no thanks to you." "Look, I'm sorry about that. You attacked my friend. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing." "Well, at least we have that in common." "Huh?" "Why do you think I attacked your friend in the first place?" "Well, it's Robin. It could've been any number of reasons." "Y'know, after spending some time with him, I can see what you mean by that." "He's a real pain in the flank, ain't he?" "You can say that again." "So, why did you attack him?" "I thought he was another gryphon I know." "I take it you're not exactly on good terms with this other gryphon?" "Pretty much, yeah." Steel and Rainbow continued to talk as they made their way down to the hospital. "Here we are, Ponyville market," Spike announced. "Wow, this is quite a nice little place. It's beautiful in the sense that it doesn't go over the top with anything fancy." "Well, Ponyville ain't exactly the kind of place where all the fancy ponies live." "Why do you keep referring to the residents here as just ponies. Are there no other species among you?" "What d'you mean?" "Are there no gryphons living here?" "Well, not that I know of. They live in the Gryphon Kingdoms." "That must be where the king was from originally." "What?" "Oh, nothing. So, where do they sell the fruit?" Spike gestured over a stand that sold both fruits and vegetables. "Morning, Carrot Top." "Ah, good morning Spike. Here to pick up a few things for the princess?" "Nope, my friend here would like to see if you have what he wants." "And what would that be?" Carrot Top asked as she turned to Clever. "Yes, you wouldn't happen to have any kiwis in stock?" "Kiwis? I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't know what they are." "Oh, well, that's no problem." "I'm sorry, I can see if I can get some for you if you want?" "No, that's quite alright. You needn't trouble yourself." "Okay, well, come back if you need anything else." Spike and Clever walked away from Carrot Top's stand. "So, what are kiwis anyway? Spike asked. "They are a delicious type of fruit. Truly, the food of the ancestors," Clever said, with a slight twinkle in his eye. "Obviously you can't get them here." "Well, you might be able to. I know somepony who might be able to get you these 'kiwis'." Clever gave Spike a serious look. "Take me to them." Spike guided Clever to Sugarcube Corner. Clever took a look at the oddly, but appropriately designed building. He couldn't help but wonder if that was actually made out of real gingerbread. "Haha, Steel would love the design of this place," Clever thought. "This...is Sugarcube Corner." "Isn't this where Pinkie Pie lives?" "Yep." "Also, if I may, that house isn't actually made out of gingerbread, is it?" "Nopony knows." "But, if it was, that would be impossible. It would just crumble as soon it started raining." "Huh, I guess you're right." Spike and Clever walked through the doors, only to be greeted with extreme enthusiasm from both Pinkie Pie and Jay. "Well, it's nice to see that you're as lively as ever, Jay," Clever observed. "You bet, and the best part is I didn't get a single hour of sleep last night." "Are you being serious?" "Yeah! I wanted to stay up all night! It was awesome!" "So, what have you two been doing all this time?" "Coming up with new cupcake recipe's!" "And what did you come up with?" "Absolutely nothing!" "Of course." At this moment, Pinkie Pie jumped in. "I get the feeling that you're here for something," she said. "Yes, we just came from the market, looking for kiwis." "Kiwi's? You mean something like this?" Pinkie Pie reached and grabbed a kiwi from seemingly nowhere. "Where did you-? How the-? What?" "Isn't she great, Clever!" Jay said. Clever stood there with the kiwi levitated in a magical aura, confused about what had just happened. "Well, that's Pinkie Pie for ya. The stuff she does hardly makes any sense," Spike said, noticing Clever's confusion. "I just- Where did she even get this from?" "My advice to you, Clever, don't question what she does. Just go along with it and you'll be fine." "I think that may be best." "Anyway, we'd best get back to the library, now that you have what we came for." "Aw, you're leaving already?" Jay complained. "Can't you stay a little longer?" "Well, I'm not sure," Clever replied. "Is there anything that needs doing at the moment, Spike?" "I don't think so. We could hang out here a little longer if you want." "In that case, I guess we'll stay here for a little while longer." Pinkie and Jay let out a simultaneous 'woo-hoo' and started showering their guests with all sorts of pastry's. Meanwhile, over at the Canterlot Royal Palace, Twilight was informing her teacher, and fellow princess, Celestia, about the four new arrivals in Ponyville. "So, these four are from Inter Terra?" Celestia asked. "Yes, precisely," Twilight responded. "Interesting. Did they tell you why they left their home country?" "From what I recall, they said something about the king being a tyrant. They also said that life there was generally unpleasant." "I see. If it's the king I'm thinking of, he won't take kindly to those four leaving the country." "So, what should we do about them for now, Princess?" "They are free to stay, as long as they do not cause any trouble." "Okay, I understand. And Princess?" "Yes, Twilight?" "What is Inter Terra? None of the history books I've read seem to mention it." "Inter Terra isn't exactly the kind of place you want to find yourself in. It's dark, violent, and dangerous overall. I make the journey there every so often to renew a peace treaty that we have with the country." "What are the peace treaties for?" "Inter Terra is situated between us and the Gryphon Kingdoms. That means every time we export and import items, it goes past Inter Terra. What do you suppose would happen if the peace treaty didn't exist?" "The Gryphon Kingdoms and Equestria would decline in terms of economy." "Precisely. Inter Terra has already done that to us once, I'm not going to allow it to happen again." "So, what does Inter Terra get out of this peace treaty?" "We allow them to take some of our exports and imports, but since they are an independent country, that rarely happens." "But, if there king is a tyrant, why are you letting him get away with it?" "Twilight, it's not that simple. Inter Terra has always been an extremely cautious country, they have never taken kindly to outsiders. I already risk a lot by going into there and renewing the peace treaty. Inter Terra may be considerably smaller than Equestria, but our army would be no match for theirs. When it comes to war, numbers alone are nothing compared to skill. And Inter Terra has always had a ruthless, but extremely effective, army training program. To go to war with Inter Terra would be an extremely bad idea. The Gryphon Kingdom learned that the hard way." "Why did the gryphons go to war with them?" "Back when Inter Terra was just getting started, the Gryphon Kingdoms weren't too happy to have gryphons move to another country. They decided to try and take their citizens back by force. This inevitably caused a war between the two countries, with Inter Terra coming out on top. The war had only lasted a few months before the gryphons surrendered. Luna and I had no intention of making the same mistake, so we just let them be. When they started attacking our exports, I had to make a stand. I journeyed to Inter Terra and formed a peace treaty with them." "Then why isn't this in the history books?" "The king of Inter Terra personally requested to be kept out of the history books. He didn't want any attention being drawn to his country. He and his subjects preferred to be left alone. Inter Terrians like to keep to themselves, which is why they hate outsiders." "Who was king when Inter Terra was in its early days?" "During the war with the Gryphon Kingdoms, it was Lord Plume. The king I formed the peace treaty with was Lord Talon, which was his grandson." "What about the current king?" "To be honest, I am unsure whether the king I renewed the peace treaty with is still in power. He was Lord Talon's youngest son, although that could have changed when I wasn't looking. Did the arrivals say who their king was?" "Unfortunately, no. But wait, why did Lord Talon's youngest son come to be king? Why not his oldest child?" Celestia hesitated for a moment. She then began to speak in a more serious and dark tone of voice. "There were rumours surrounding his rise to power." "What were they?" "When Lord Talon passed away, it was his eldest daughter, Lady Cloud, that was set to become the next queen. But, when I went to renew the peace treaty a few years ago, I was greeted by his youngest son, Lord Qwee Qwee," "Lord Qwee Qwee?" Twilight was trying desperately not to laugh. "This is no laughing matter, Twilight. This was one of the worst things that could have possibly happened." Twilight regained her composure, and perked up to listen. "Lord Qwee Qwee was the runt of the litter, as I understand. He was always being pushed around as a child. The only gryphon who ever comforted him was Lady Cloud." "So, what happened?" "After I had finished renewing the treaty, Lord Qwee Qwee permitted me to take a few supplies back to Equestria, as a sign of good faith. As I walked through the noble section of the country, I started hearing little bits and pieces surrounding the king's rise to power." "What did you hear?" "I had heard that before Lady Cloud's coronation, she was murdered. The killer was never found. Then royal family members were getting killed one by one until only Lord Qwee Qwee was left. Obviously, he was made king. After his coronation, he executed anypony who had made fun of him as a child. Anypony who crossed him was executed. Anypony who second guessed his rule was executed. He didn't care for his subjects. I had heard that criminals were running free throughout the country, and no attempt was being made to catch them. The guards there were all corrupt, they abused their power countless times. But, Lord Qwee Qwee didn't care. He only cared about himself" "That's horrible. No, that's beyond horrible. That's just pure evil." "Keep in mind, Twilight, that these are just rumours. That does not mean to say it actually happened." "I understand, Princess." "Very good. Now, head back to Ponyville and inform our guests that they are free to stay." "Yes, of course." As Twilight walked out of Canterlot Palace, she couldn't help but think about the story she had been told. It unsettled her, to say the least. "To think that a country could have a ruler so cruel and malicious as to kill his own family members, and then not care about anything to do with his subjects. No, I can't keep thinking about that. Those are just rumours, remember? That means that it could all be one big lie. Yeah, that's it, it's not true. It can't be..." Back in Canterlot Palace, Princess Celestia was thinking about what she had told Twilight, as she was on the balcony that gave her a view of Ponyville. She knew that Twilight would want to do something, had she been told that the events surrounding Lord Qwee Qwee's rise to power were fact and not rumours. Princess Celestia already knew what Lord Qwee Qwee had done to become king. Princess Luna, Celestia's sister, then walked in on her. "Sister, I passed Twilight Sparkle a moment ago, I gather she was up here speaking with you?" "Yes, she was." "I sense that something is the matter." "It's Inter Terra, Luna." "Do you mean the country which is between us and the gryphons?" "Yes." "What about it?" "Do you know who their current ruler is?" "It is Lady Cloud, is it not?" "No, it is Lord Qwee Qwee." "But, from what I've heard, it would be a disaster to put him on the throne." "That is the problem, he is the king, and I fear we may be hearing from him soon." "Why? What did you do?" "I didn't do anything. Four subjects of his have arrived here in Equestria. I'm sure you know how Lord Qwee Qwee feels about outsiders and refugees." Luna walked up beside Celestia on the balcony. "This bodes ill for us all, Celestia."
PrologueInter Terra, a poor country that resides in between Equestria and the Gryphon kingdoms. The country was full of ancient-looking and run-down buildings. The only one that actually looked nice was the king's castle. The king isn't very kind to outsiders nor his own subjects. A ruler who is only out for his own monetary gain. A dictator who doesn't know the meaning of mercy. His name...Lord Qwee Qwee. Yeah...stupid name, I know. Make no mistake, however, that he is not one to be trifled with. Ha ha...trifled. Stay on track, dammit! Okay, okay, sorry. It's just a funny word, that's all. Dude, we're meant to be telling a story here. Not pointing out funny words. Ahem, anyway. It is here that our tale begins. Our first hero, a pony named Steel Blade. Steel Blade...how original. Hey, you're the one that came up with the name. Oh, right. Anyway, Steel Blade is an Earth Pony who lives with his abusive drunk of a father. He makes money by participating in street fights. As a result he has quite a collection of scars all across his body. Also, a scar on his right eye that just screams "I'm a badass" Dude! Okay, okay. Jeez, I was just saying. All the money he makes, his father takes. Hey that rhymes. Oh, for the love of Celestia. Move aside. I'll handle the narration. What? Why? You said I could do it. Well you keep messing around. Move. Fine. Let's just cut to... oh, that's not good. What? What is it? It says here in the script that he's supposed to be in a fight right now. Oh, well. Cue the transition! Steel Blade paused for a moment to catch his breath. The fight had already gone on for at least five minutes. Steel knew he couldn't lose, there was a lot of money riding on this fight. His opponent, who was on the other side of the ring made of pony and gryphon spectators, stared at the earth pony as he was also regaining his stamina. Steel's black coat and crimson eyes gave an intimidating look about him. The scars that were marked around his coat and down his right eye added to the intimidation. However, when his opponent looked at his purple mane, he began laughing. "What's so funny?!" Steel said. "Nothing. I'm just thinking how good that mane of yours will look once I've sent you to the hospital," his opponent said. "You really think your going to get the chance?!" "Look at you, you're out of breath already and you've hardly laid a hoof on me. You're outta your league. Go back home and cry on your mummy's shoulder. Oh, wait..." His opponent and all the spectators began laughing. This remark hit a nerve. "You're dead," Steel muttered under his breath. Steel charged at his opponent, who was still laughing, and gave him a swift punch to the stomach, which winded him. His opponent fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Steel didn't relent, however, he just kept piling on the punches. "Okay, okay! You win! I give, I give!" his opponent was on the verge of begging. The cries fell on deaf ears, Steel didn't care. He just kept hitting. Eventually his opponents cries for mercy were silenced. Steel stopped and backed away, covered with blood. His opponent's body lay on the ground. All the spectators looked at Steel in horror. "Anybody else want to say anything about my mum? Huh?!" Steel shouted. Another pony broke through the crowd with a pouch in his mouth. It was the winnings for the fight. Steel snatched the pouch and walked away. Steel reflected on the fight, thinking about the areas he could improve on. He said to himself that what he did to his opponent was the right thing to do. He deserved it. Steel returned to his house grabbed another bag, put the pouch inside the bag and started to head back out again. "And just where do you think you're going?" Steel's dad stuttered. It was clear that he had been drinking again. "Out. Is that a problem?" Steel replied. "Now, is that anyway to talk to your *hic* dad?" "When he's a drunken moron, yeah." "Cheeky little brat." Steel's dad moved threateningly towards him. "Looks like you still haven't learned who's in charge around-" Before he could finish his sentence, Steel punched him across the side of his face. Knocking him out. With that Steel left the house. Okay, that does it for Steel. Whose next on the list? Robin. The gryphon. Oh joy. A gryphon flew high above Inter Terra. However, that gryphon is not Robin. We thought we'd just point that out. Robin was in his room, thinking about whether to leave the country or not. "Should I leave? It is fairly boring here. Then again, it's too much walking and flying. I don't want to make any effort, too much effort involved in making an effort." Robin was then interrupted by his dad walking into his room. "Robin, your friends are at the door." "Friends?" "Yeah, the gryphons from your school." Robin didn't have any friends from his own school. He was constantly picked on for being unnaturally small and having a "girly" red plume. Hence his name. So, he was obviously confused. "Yeah...you know that meeting you have today, dad?" "Yes." "Can I just go with you?" "I don't see any harm." Robin breathed a sigh of relief and tagged along with his dad. Oh yeah, his dad is in charge of the police force. Wait, we forgot to mention what he looks like. Dude, he's a gryphon. The only thing that makes him unique is his red plume. Oh, okay. Though it was quite short. Well he is a supporting character. Good point. Next. Along one of the many run-down streets, a pony was being dragged off by two officers of the law. His name is Da- "Hey, I want to do my own introduction. Thank you very much." But- "No. No buts." *sigh* Fine, what should we call you then? We're going to have to re-write some of the script because of you. "Jay." Fine, "Jay". "Hey, get rid of those quotation marks." Fine, Jay. "Much better." Take it away, narrator. "Well, my name's Jay. I'm a pegasus. I have a yellow coat, a mane with red and white vertical stripes in a mohawk-like style, a jester hat for my cutie mark, my left eye is blue and my right eye is green." Thanks. "You're welcome." *sigh* "Hey, quiet prisoner. Who are you even talking to?" "The audience." "Quiet, fool. We are not in theatre." "That's what the authors want you to think. They're writing your lines and making you oblivious to the fact that you're just a character in a story." "Do you have any idea what he's talking about?" "Well, we were warned that he was insane." "Ah, what do you two know? You're just background characters." The two guards looked at each other and dragged him off into the distance. Where he couldn't interrupt the narrators again. Well, I think that does it for him. I think there's only one more guy left, right? Yeah. We have no idea how to properly introduce the next character. So, we're just going to jump into his room say his name is Clever Dodge, describe his appearance and his hobbies. This pony's name is Clever Dodge. He's a unicorn. He has a teal coloured coat, a white mane with a dark blue stripe in it, dark green eyes and a quill and parchment within a love heart for a Cutie Mark. Clever enjoys reading and writing. That was a bit blunt. Well, we didn't really know how to introduce him. Fair point. Clever's father was the steward of the king. Every story that Clever wrote, his father took credit for them. This made his father greedy, and was always pushing Clever to come up with new ideas for a story. There was only one book that Clever was credited as the author. And that book was outside the country. It was actually a really successful book. Clever was currently trying to come up with a new idea for a story. He sat on his bed, deep in thought. It was then that his father barged into his room. "You thinking of any new ideas?" his father asked. "Yes, father," Clever replied. "Good, I have enough to worry about with trying to find a new guard to prevent you from leaving your duties. The other one I hired was completely useless." "I can't understand why you won't let me leave." "I told you before. You will come up with new stories and I shall be credited for writing them. In order to do that you will stay in the castle unless I give express permission that you are allowed to leave. Which, is never." "Until tonight," Clever muttered under his breath. "What did you say?" "I was just saying that I think I have an idea of who you could hire." "Oh, really?" "Well, in the few times that I have been out-" "Escaped, you mean." "Yeah sure, whatever. I heard about this pony who is meant to be quite tough. He's a street fighter." "A street fighter? You can't be serious." "Street fighters have been known to fight better than most royal guards. And I hear this pony is good at what he does." "Who is it?" "I think his name was Steel Blade or something." "Hm, yes. Well, I shall consider it. Wait, why are you telling me about somebody who'd make it more difficult for you to leave?" "Well, the more stories I write, the more money you get. And if I had somebody like that outside my door, I could ask him all sorts of questions regarding what it is actually like to be in a fight. Therefore, making some of the fight scenes in my stories more effective." "You make a valid point, boy." "Well, I did get my brains from you." "A fair point. Very well, I shall seek out this "Steel Blade" and see if he is as good as you claim to have heard." Yeah, Clever is quite the persuasive liar, isn't he? Anyway, I think that about does it for his introduction. That's it for the character introductions. So, let's recap. We have: Steel Blade. An earth pony who has spent his days as a street fighter. Robin. A really lazy gryphon. Jay. A pegasus who is quite insane (in a funny way). And Clever Dodge. A genius story writer who appears to be a bit on the cunning side. Quite the line-up of characters we have here, huh? The only thing left to do now is go on with the main story and finish the Prologue. Steel Blade stood, stoic, outside the meeting point he was told to head to. Clever had sent him a message about his employment as a personal guard. Steel knew that wasn't the case. He knew that Clever would have a plan to escape the castle. He always did. Steel couldn't think of how he did it. His little brother always did prefer brains over brawn. Plot twist! Shut up and continue writing! Okay, okay. Jeez! Anyways, yes, little brother. Well, half brother. Confused? let me explain. Make it quick, we have a story to write. Okay. Mummy and daddy are together. Mummy and daddy have a baby. Daddy becomes an abusive drunk. Mummy runs away and marries a rich lord. Mummy and rich lord have a baby. Mummy dies. The end. That looks like a morbid story you would tell a child. You told me to be quick. Nevermind, the guard is coming to escort Steel. Oh yeah. Steel was snapped out his thoughts when he heard someone address him. "Are you Steel Blade?" the guard asked. Steel didn't answer immediately, instead he scanned the guard. Finding no hint of deceit, he answered. "Yeah." The guard nodded and replied "Follow." Steel complied and let the guard lead the way. The trip was quiet and allowed Steel to observe his surroundings. Everything was cleaner than Downtown. The pavement was clear of litter, the buildings weren't covered in grime and the ponies and gryphons around him were dressed in clothing. Most of the high class lords and ladies stole a glance at the new pony among them. They either turned their nose up in disgust or turned to their partner and started whispering to each other about the new arrival. Steel didn't really care about pompous, stuck-up, arrogant, self-centred- For the love of Celestia, just keep writing. Right, okay, fine. In short, he didn't care about posh crowds. Before Steel had time to think about anything else, he was in front of the castle. Most would be in awe, and feel extremely privileged to be standing in front of such a spectacle. But, again, Steel didn't care. "Wait, here, peasant," the guard commanded, as he began heading into the castle. Steel's reply was pretty relaxed. "Whatever," he said. Steel turned around to look at the passers by. Most of them just ignored him. Then came a most peculiar sight. Steel watched as Jay was being dragged into the penitentiary. As he was being dragged away, Jay was whistling some sort of tune to himself. He then noticed Steel standing outside the castle. "Hey Steel!" he shouted. All Steel did was wave back, still confused about what was going on. He then heard one of the guards talking to Jay. "Shut up back there. First the whistling, now you're talking to commoners. Disgraceful." Jay mouthed words as the guard was speaking to him. Presumably mocking what the guard was saying. Jay continued whistling as he was being dragged off into the distance. At that moment, the guard returned. He was accompanied by the steward of the king. "So, my boy. You're the stallion known as Steel Blade?" "Yeah." "Excuse me. I am the steward of the king, and you shall address me as such," "Look, I've never really cared much for any royalty. Much less the king. So, if you don't mind, I would just like to start working," "Hmph, very well. But you would be wise to watch your tongue, boy." The steward led Steel through the castle, all the way to Clever's bedroom door. "Your only duty is to make sure that my son does not get out of the castle. If he comes out of the room for any reason, you are to follow him and make sure he does not try to escape. For a street fighter such as yourself, this job should be fairly easy. Do I make myself clear?" "Whatever." "Good. Now, go and get acquainted with my son. I must return to my...stewarding...duties." Stewarding duties? Seriously? Well how the hell else am I supposed to know what a steward does? In Skyrim they just stand around doing absolutely nothing. The only thing they're good for is buying houses. I think I see your point. Anyway, on with the story. With that strange end to their conversation, the steward walked away. Leaving Steel alone, in front of Clever's bedroom door. He opened the door, to which Clever turned around. Enthusiasticly. "Steel! Haven't seen you in ages." Clever rushed forward to give his half-brother a hug. However, Steel just pushed him away. "Quill, dude, you know how I feel about hugs." "Oh yeah, sorry. It's just that it feels like forever that we haven't seen each other." "I know. We still have to get out of the castle though." "I have a plan for that." "I know you do. You always do." Clever used his unicorn magic and brought over what appeared to be a checklist. He used his magic again and brought over a quill. "Okay, meet Steel, check." As he said that, he flicked the quill across the paper. "What is it with you and check lists?" "I like to be organised, give me a break. Next, we need to meet Robin." Steel looked behind Clever and noticed that Robin was hovering outside the window. "Sup," Robin said. "Well, that was convenient," Clever said. "Um, how long have you been out there?" Steel asked. "Long enough to know that you should check the second step of your plan off the list." "Okay, meet Robin, check. Now, we just need to meet Jay and we can go on with the main section of the plan." "Yeah, that might be a problem," Robin said. "How so?" Clever asked. "He's kinda in jail." "So that's where he was getting pulled off to." "No worries. It's all part of the plan," Clever stated, smugly. "Would it kill you to just let one unexpected thing happen in your plans?" "Well, we don't know that. It still has to happen." Steel face-hoofed as his sarcasm went unnoticed. "So, what is the plan, anyways?" Robin asked. "Well, all we have to do now is get Jay out of jail, creating a prison riot in the process. And then we escape the country," Clever replied. "You make it sound so simple." "That's because it is. The king will be too worried about the prisoners 'desecrating his sacred castle' and divert all his guards to controlling the prisoners." Steel face-hoofed. Because, once again, his sarcasm went unnoticed. "Let's just get on with it," Steel said. Steel, Clever and Robin gathered supplies together and made their way towards the penitentiary. From the outside, the penitentiary looked like a five star hotel. However, that was probably just so it matched the nice-looking area that it was stationed in. "Okay, seeing as how Robin is the only one with clearance to get into this place," Clever said, as he pulled out a letter and handed it to Robin. "That letter contains the code to allow access to the security room, so you can open all the prisoners' cells when we tell you to." "Okay, simple enough. What will you two be doing in the meantime?" "Well, I'll be waiting for you three outside. The guards back at the castle will probably already be looking for me. If not, they soon will. So, I'll be laying low until you get back." "So, what am I doing?" Steel asked. "You will have the difficult task of actually sneaking around the cell blocks. Once Robin makes it to the security room, he'll be tracking you and any incoming guard patrols, and he'll be telling you when and where to move," "And how are we supposed to-" "Communicate with each other? Way ahead of you." Clever reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a book of advanced spells. "Oh, reading a book are we? No worries, we're only trying to escape the country here. There really is no hurry," Robin said. "But there is a hurry. We need to get Jay out of jail, and fast," Clever replied, innocently. "Oh for the love of the ancestors. Do you not understand the meaning of sarcasm?" Steel said. "Sarcasm? I think I've seen that in a book somewh-" "Don't even bother. Just find what you were looking for and let's get out of this ancestors-forsaken country," Steel said. "But, I found it a while ago. You two just kept bombarding me with this 'sarcasm'." "Little brother, I swear to-" "Telepathy." "Telepa- what now?" Robin asked. "It's the spell I'm going to cast on you two," Clever replied. "And what will it do exactly?" Steel asked. "It will enable you two to communicate with each other telepathically." "Yeah, that doesn't exactly answer my-" Steel was cut off by Clever performing his spell on both him and Robin. The spell left them dazed for a little while. "What did that even do?" Steel thought to himself. "Hey, Steel. Would you be so kind as to get out of my head. Or I'm gonna have to ask you to start paying rent," Robin thought-said. "Okay, Clever, you want to explain why me and Robin can hear each other's thoughts?" "First of all, the correct term would be 'Robin and I'." "Quill..." "And second, that's what telepathy is. Telepathy is the ability to use each other's thoughts as a means of communication." "In English, please," Robin said. "But, I am speaking English." "Are you just doing this to annoy us?!" Steel shouted. "Can you explain what you just said, but in simpler terms?" "You can talk to each other using your heads." "Thank you." "So, you're saying that whatever I think, Robin can hear?" "Yes." "Hey, Robin. I was the one who ate the last cookie yesterday." "Oh, you son of a bitch!" Robin shouted. Yeah, I think that's something we have yet to mention. There's swearing in this. But since you're down here, I gather you already know that. Steel laughed as Robin rushed forward in an attempt to strangle him. "Guys, seriously. We have to get this done now." "Why? Do we have a time limit on this telepa- whatever you called it, spell?" Steel said, jokingly. "Yes, actually." Steel and Robin stopped in their tracks and stared at Clever. "You bein' serious, boy?" Robin asked. "Yes." "You're not pulling our legs or anything?" "No." "Oh, well...that's not good." "How long do we have left?" Steel asked. "Well it's been around five minutes since I cast the spell on you two. And it only lasts about half an hour. So, you two have about twenty five minutes to get Jay out of there." "Oh crap." "So, you two better get moving." Robin went into the penitentiary through the gates, saying hello to the gate guard as he did. Steel went off to find a way to sneak in, and Clever went to find a decent place to hide. Steel climbed over the walls in order to get in. Despite the fact that there was barbed wire at the top. By the time he made it fully over the wall, there were more scars marking his coat. More to add to the collection, I guess. Anyway, bottom line is, he made it in and he's a badass. Steel made his way throughout the prison until he reached a heavily guarded cell block. All the while he was playing a sort of secret agent theme in his head. "Remember, I can hear that," Robin thought-said. "Whatever. Have you reached the...room you were told to go to yet?" "Yeah, I actually just got there. Okay, let's see. The code is one-two-three-four." "Did your dad get a five year old to come up with that?" "It's my dad, he could've for all I know." "Hey Steel. Hey Robin." "Wait, what? Jay? How can you talk to us in our heads?" "I don't know about that, but I know how to speak in all italics!" For Celestia's sake, Jay. Stop messing around with the damn script. "Sorry." The guards outside Jay's prison turned to him. "Did you say something, prisoner?" "Nope." Meanwhile, Robin entered the security room, and started guiding Steel towards Jay's cell via the security cameras. "There's still a guard outside Jay's cell." "Oh, I wonder what this button does?" Robin pressed a big blue button that said 'DO NOT TOUCH'. Naturally, Robin touched it. Blue button? Isn't it supposed to be red? Hey, we're not that cliché. Oh yeah. And the 'DO NOT TOUCH' on the button isn't cliché at all? Shut up, don't question me. All right, fine. Anyway, as Robin pressed the button, every cell in the penitentiary unlocked. The prisoners cheered and thanked the ancestors. And then...they went on a riot. Some of the prisoners that Jay was cooped up with rushed forward and beat the guard to death. "Well, I guess that works," Steel said. Before they left, the prisoners that were with Jay shook his hoof and told him that he was possibly the greatest stallion who ever lived, and how happy they were that they got to know him. "What was that all about?" Steel asked. "Oh, I gave all the prisoners harmonicas. You can't have a prison without harmonicas," Jay replied. Steel face-hoofed. "Where did you even get the-. You know what, I'm not even going to ask." "Hey, Steel. I'll meet you back outside," Robin thought-said. "So, any ideas on how we can get out of here alive?" Steel asked. "I've been thinking about that. And I say, we sneak out in a cardboard box." "Are you being serious?" "Yeah." "What kind of idiot sneaks in and out of enemy territory in a damn cardboard box?" "Oh, come on. It'll be fun." "You said that last time, when you hooked us both up with a couple of mares. You ended up going back home with both of them." "Oh yeah, good times." "You got both of them pregnant." "All the more reason to hurry up and get out of the country. Let's go!" "Alright, let's- wait a minute. How did you know about our plan to escape the country?" "Clever told me in his letter. He said for me to get arrested and that it was part of a plan to escape the country." "Oh...well I guess that makes sense. For once." "You bet your blank-flank it does, now get in the box." "This is the worst idea you've ever had." "It'll work, trust me. I know a guy who does it all the time." "I'm not even gonna ask who." As Steel and Jay made their way through the prison...in their box...the shouting and yelling was starting to die down a bit. It sounded like the riot was being put down. "Sounds like we don't have much time," Steel said. "We'll be fine," Jay said. "What makes you say that?" "You're a main character. Nothing bad ever happens to the main character. Well, except in Shakespeare plays." "Shakespeare? What are you talking abou-," Steel was cut off by a guard walking around. The guard walked up to the suspicious-looking box. It was suspicious because it was the only box lying in the middle of the floor...and it was moving and talking. The guard began inspecting the box. "We are so screwed," Steel said. Just then the guard's expression softened. "Must've just been the wind," the guard said as he walked away. "These guards are idiots," Steel said. "I know, now let's move." So, they continued to shuffle along in that little box of theirs and eventually made it out of the penitentiary. Clever and Robin just stared as a box slowly shuffled its way out of the gates, which were unguarded at the moment. Robin hovered over to the box. "For me? Aw, you shouldn't have." He lifted up the box and revealed the two stallions concealed within. Clever walked over and joined the others. "Excellent, now that we're all here, we can get out of the country." "So, how are we going to do that? Blow up the outer walls? Kill every guard we see until we reach the exit?" Steel asked. "No, we go out through the gates. The prison riot has moved downtown," Clever replied. "How nice. C'mon, let's just go." The four of them moved into the downtown area. The place was lined with blood, bodies, partially destroyed buildings and fire. "Wow, these prisoners work fast," Robin said. "It's not just prisoners. Some of the more rebellious townsfolk have been rioting as well," Clever said. Steel walked over to one of the guard's bodies and picked up a Daedric Longsword. Dude! What?! What the hell do you think you're doing?! I thought that would be a cool thing to implement into the story. A sword I can deal with, not that. And besides, you're OC doesn't use weapons. He fights with his fists...or...hooves. Aw, I wanted mine to have a sword. Oh stop being a big baby and do what we agreed to do. Okay. "C'mon, we're wasting time here," Steel said. "Agreed," Clever said. As the group got closer and closer to the border, the sounds of rioting was getting louder. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Robin said. The focus of the riot was at the country's border. "Now can we destroy a wall?" Steel asked. "Well, actually, we can just walk around it. See?" Clever pointed out a route that was conveniently carved out from the riot. "We can just run through there and we're home free." "I don't know why you're saying it was convenient. You're the one that put it there," Jay said. Jay! "Okay, okay. Sorry." "Um, Jay? Who are you talking to?" Robin asked. "Nobody." "Okay. Before we leave, we have to make sure we have everything we need," Clever said. "I have the food and other essentials." "I've got the money that I won from my last fight," Steel said. "I have my dignity," Robin said. "I have...nothing. I just got out of jail," Jay said. "Okay, we're all set. To the border," said Clever. "And towards a new life," Steel said. "Woo-hoo," Robin said, in a somewhat delibarately dull voice. "C'mon Robin, put a bit more enthusiasm into it. Like this. Woooooooooooo-hoooooooooooo!" "You already did it for me, let's go." And so, our "heroes"- "Get rid of the damn quotation marks." For Luna's sake Jay, leave me alone. And so, our heroes made their way through the convenientally laid-out path. And eventually reached the border, and started journeying into the lands of Equestria. "I love it when a plan comes together," Clever said.
Chapter 1: Meeting New FriendsAfter escaping the country known as Inter Terra, our "heroes"... did he notice? It doesn't look like it. Okay, good. Our "heroes"- "Quotation marks." Oh for the love of- we're just starting a new chapter, Jay, and you're already pointing out these kinds of things "Well, putting quotation marks around the word 'heroes' doesn't seem very nice. It's actually kinda mean." Well how about we refer to you as 'the four main characters'. How's that? "That's a bit better actually." I'm glad we came to an agreement, now get back in the story. "Okay." Our four main characters were- "You know, now that you say it out loud, it doesn't have the same ring to it. Why can't you just get rid of the quotation marks?" If I do, will you stop interrupting the narration? "Maybe." *sigh* Fine. "Thank you." Our four heroes were wandering aimlessly around a forest after escaping their home country. As Clever was reading a map, looking for a way out, all four of them were enjoying each other's company "Are we there yet?" Jay asked. "No," Steel replied "How about now?" "No." "Now?" "Jay, I swear, I will choke you out if you ask that one more time." A devious grin grew on Jay's face. "Are we there yet?" "That's it!" Steel started chasing Jay. The both of them weaved in and out of trees. Steel was just about to catch Jay before he crashed into a forcefield created by Clever's unicorn magic. "What do you say we just rest up and calm down?" "Hmph, fine." "That's good, I was getting tired of running anyway." "Can we just have something to eat? I'm hungry." "Robin, you're always hungry. You need to get out more, get some exercise." "Nah, too much effort." Steel sighed. "Look, there's a clearing over there. Let's build a camp-fire, have something to eat, and then get some rest." The four of them walked over to the clearing and observed their surroundings. "Well, this is a conveniently sized clearing," Jay said. "Indeed," said Clever. "Okay, you three prepare the food, I'll go fetch some wood," said Steel. "Hey that rhymed, you should be a poet or something," Robin said. "I hope you're not being serious. I hate poetry." With that, Steel trotted off into the woods. Leaving the bag of money he had been carrying all that time. "Alright, let's get everything ready." With that, Clever pulled out four chairs that were conveniently sized for each of the four characters. "How the hell did you manage to fit those in your bag?" Robin asked, surprised. "Shrinking spell." "Of course." "What is it with you and the word 'conveniently', seriously." Jay, shut up and go along with it. "Okay, I'm just saying. You should vary your vocabulary more." Y'know, he does have a point. Whose side are you on?! Whichever side does have a good point. *sigh* Anyway, Steel returned from his trip of gathering firewood. "Y'know, this forest is weird. I could swear that on more than one occasion, I saw wood moving. How crazy is that?" "Yeah, yeah, very crazy. Now can you just set the wood down so we can have something to eat and then go to sleep," Robin said. "Jeez, somebody's impatient." Steel set down the firewood, and Clever set it on fire with some magic. Steel then noticed the chairs. "Where did these come from?" "Shrinking spell," Robin replied. "That doesn't answer my question." "Well, I think it's safe to assume that his Cutie Mark won't have anything to do with being smart, that's for sure." "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" "He can't even understand what I mean by that." "That's enough, Robin. My big brother might not be the smartest, but he could kick your feathery backside any day of the week." "Of that, I have no doubt." The meals were prepared for each of the characters. Steel and Jay had apples prepared for them, Clever had kiwis, while Robin had an assortment of...gryphon...food. Really? That's the best you could come up with? Well, how am I supposed to know what gryphons eat, they're mythical creatures. Fair enough. Fine, you want me to change what he eats. Here you go. "Has anyone got any cheese?" Robin asked. "What are you? A mouse?" Steel asked, sarcastically. "No, he's a chimera. Haven't you noticed?" Clever replied. "Once again, my sarcasm is lost on you. And also, what the hell is a chimera? Robin's a gryphon." "They're basically the same thing." "So, why didn't you just say 'gryphon'?" Robin and Jay watched as they ate their food. Entertained by the two bickering siblings. The plume of smoke that was created by the camp-fire rose above the trees in the forest, visible for any onlooker to see. "Thanks for letting me help you out with your animals, Fluttershy." "It's no problem, Pinkie Pie, I needed somepony to make sure that none of the chickens ran off while I was cleaning out their coop." Pinkie Pie was just coming away from her friend, Fluttershy's house. Fluttershy enjoyed visits from Pinkie when she was calm, which was almost never. As Pinkie said good-bye, she noticed a plume of smoke coming out of the Everfree Forest. "Hey Fluttershy, look." Fluttershy looked over and noticed what Pinkie was pointing out. "Let's go have a look, it'll be fun," Pinkie said, bouncing up and down in her usual fashion. "Oh dear, what if it's a forest-fire. Oh my, the animals could be in trouble. Oh no, oh no." Fluttershy rushed into the forest to investigate the cause of the smoke. Pinkie Pie bounced after her, somehow managing to keep up with her. Back at the camp, Steel and Clever had stopped fighting, and both Clever and Robin had went to sleep. "So, Jay, when do you think we're going to stop wandering around?" "Whenever the authors feel like it." "...what?" "Nothing...wait do you hear that?" "Hear wha-" Steel was interrupted by Jay shoving his hoof into his mouth. Boing Boing Boing "That," Jay said, as he took his hoof out of Steel's mouth. "Really? You really just did that?" Steel said as he spat out the taste of Jay's hoof. "It's probably just a frog of some sort." "No, no. The sound of the boing wasn't right to be a frog." "So, what, you're a frog specialist now?" "Well, no." Just then, a pink pony with a curly, pink mane popped out of a bush, Another yellow pony with a pink mane followed suit. "Hey, look Fluttershy! Ponies!" "Oh my, where's the fire?" Jay quickly moved his back hoof to extinguish the fire. "I don't know what you're talking about. It's only us here," Jay said, as the last of the flames went out. "But, there was a plume of smoke, and..." Fluttershy's voice trailed off as Steel and Jay began to whisper to each other. "Dude, I think the ancestors have blessed us today," Steel said. "I know. We need to move quickly, before the other two wake up." "Agreed, I call dibs on the yellow one." "I thought you might do that. The light-voiced ones have always been your type." Steel and Jay high hoofed one another, and went in to make their move. "...and so we came in here to make sure that everything was okay." Both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie then noticed that the two stallions were making their way over. "Well, now that you know that there is no fire, how about you mares tell us your names." "I'm Pinkie Pie, and this is one of my best friends, Fluttershy." "Pleased to make you acquaintance Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. I am Jay, and this is one of my best friends, Steel Blade." Steel then moved over towards Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, eh? That is quite a cute name, if you don't mind me saying." Fluttershy began blushing. "Well, n-no I don't mind. Th-thank you for the compliment Steel Blade." "Please, call me Steel." "O-okay, Steel." Steel continued flirting with Fluttershy, while Jay did the same with Pinkie Pie. Or at least tried to. "So, you must be the kind of mare who knows how to have fun." Pinkie Pie giggled. "Of course I do. I throw awesome parties. Oh, that reminds me, I need to throw a party for you, Steel, and your two friends back there." "What for?" "I always throw parties for new ponies here in Ponyville." "Ponyville? Is that what this forest is called?" "No, silly. Ponyville is the name of the town that this forest is near. This forest is called the Everfree Forest." "The Everfree Forest, well, at least we know where we are now." "Oh, if you want, I could show you and your friend around." "Uh, thanks, but we really should get going." "Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaase. I promise it'll be lots of fun." "I guarantee we don't have the same ideas of fun." "What?" "Oh, nothing, I didn't say a word." "Well, you can at least let me show you what Ponyville is like. I'll introduce you to the rest of my friends. My friend, Twilight, she's a princess. But, she chooses to stay in a library instead of a castle, I don't know why. Maybe because Ponyville is just that great. So, if a princess staying in Ponyville doesn't make you want to come, then I've still got a party planned for you. So, please." Just then, a shadow started looming over Jay's head. How a shadow is visible in a forest with a dark background, I have no idea. It was Clever. "Excuse me, but did you just say 'library'?" Jay gulped. "What have you done?!" "Yes, I did." "Library? Library?! Libraryyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" "Um, what's going on?" Pinkie asked as Clever continued screaming the word 'library' in the background. "That's one of my friend's, Clever Dodge. He's absolutely obsessed with books, and anything else that involves words on paper." "Oh, I know what you're talking about. My friend Twilight is the same." "Really? The princess you mentioned earlier?" "Yeah. Why do you think she lives in a library, silly?" Jay and Pinkie continued to have a surprisingly calm and sane conversation. While Robin woke from the sound of Clever's shouting and began complaining. Unperturbed by the noise in the background, Steel continued flirting with Fluttershy. Well, it wasn't so much flirting as a one-sided beating of compliments, but that's beside the point. Clever ran up to Steel. "Steel, can we go into Ponyville?" "In a minute. I'm kinda busy here right now." "No you're not, you're just talking." "Clever, have you learned nothing about this sort of thing?" "About what thing?" "About stallions and mares..." Fluttershy's face started turning red by the mention of that. "Of course I have. I've read plenty of books on the subject." "In that case, you should leave me alone for now." "But Steel, there's a library in Ponyville." "Oh, well that changes everything." "Really?" "No." "Aww, why not?" At this point, Steel was getting fed up. "If I say we can go, will you stop pestering me?" Clever violently nodded his head. Steel sighed. "Fine, we'll go into Ponyville." Clever bounced up and down with joy. He rushed in and hugged Steel, and then zipped over to Jay to tell him where they were going. Steel was slightly embarrassed, as he didn't want to seem soft. "Yeah, that was my little brother, Clever Dodge." "Oh, I wasn't aware that he was your brother." "Well, he's my half-brother." Fluttershy gave Steel a look of curiosity. "Yeah, story for another day." "Oh, okay. Don't worry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." "Yeah, let's just say that he's the only proper family I have." "Aw, you sound like a nice big brother." "Why thank you, Fluttershy. That's the first time I've heard that. Do you live in Ponyville, Fluttershy?" "Why yes, it's a really nice place to live in." Just then, groaning was heard. "Do I have to move?" Robin complained. "Listen, I said we're going into Ponyville, and I meant it," Steel shouted. "Ugh, why?" "Because these mares have been kind enough to show us around town. Now get up." "What is it with you and mares?" "What are you talking about?" "Every time there's a mare involved in a situation, you always try and do your best to help them and then bed them." "Robin, shut up." "Is that what your trying to do with this mare?" Steel grabbed Robin by his red plume. "I said, shut...up." "Oh my, I seem to have struck a nerve." Steel threw Robin to the side. "Just get up and get ready to move." "Okay, fine." The four of them packed away their stuff and followed Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy out of the Everfree Forest and on the road to Ponyville. Meanwhile, in the skies above the Everfree Forest, the cyan coloured, rainbow maned pony known as Rainbow Dash was lying back on a cloud. The only company she had was one of the instalments of the Daring-Do book series. The peacefulness of the evening made sure that nothing pulled Rainbow Dash out of the book. She had just finished reading a chapter of the book when something caught her eye. Six figures making their way out of the Everfree Forest, two of which she recognised. The other four were unknown to her. Upon closer inspection she discovered that one of the creatures in the company of the four strangers was a gryphon. She put the Daring-Do book back into the bag she had with her, and lifted herself up off the cloud. "Oh no you don't, Gilda." "So, Pinkie Pie, what's Ponyville like?" Clever asked. "Well, it's probably the mostest, bestest town in Equestria." "Um, 'mostest' and 'bestest' aren't real words." "Well duh. Of course I know they aren't real words, but I use them anyway." "May I ask why?" "Because, the words that aren't real are the funnest ones to use." "That's not a-" "Clever, just leave it be," Steel said. Clever sighed. "Hey, do any of you guys hear like wooshing sound?" Jay asked. "A wooshing sound?" "Yeah, you know, like woooooooosh. Like that." Just then, shouting was heard. "Pinkie Pie! Fluttershy! Get down!" The whole group looked up and saw Rainbow Dash heading straight towards them. "Does that pony...have a rainbow coloured mane?" Steel asked. "Oh damn, watch out guys, it's the pride parade," Robin chuckled. Rainbow then dashed through the group and tackled Robin to the ground. "What do you think you're doing here?!" "Well, tagging along with my friends. What are you doing here?" "Don't play dumb with me Gil-" Rainbow was interrupted as a frying pan hit her on the side of the head. "Um, Jay, where did you get the frying pan?" Clever asked. "Uh...plot device?" Jay replied. "O...kay." Steel rushed towards Rainbow Dash as she was getting up. Steel jumped on her, dislocated her wing and pinned her on the ground. "Don't you ever touch my friends again." The pain from Rainbow's dislocated wing was unbearable, however, she didn't make any sound, as she didn't want to seem weak. "What the hay do you think you're doing?!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "I should be asking you the same thing. Why are you attacking my friend?" "Your 'friend' happens to be a massive jerk." Steel turned to Robin. "Hey, Robin, have you two met before? She seems to know a lot about you already," Steel chuckled. "Oh ha ha, you're so funny." "Wait...Robin? That's her name?" "Wait, 'her'? Robin's a 'he'." "But I thought that was Gilda." "Who the hell's Gilda?" "Um, maybe we can talk about this once we get to Twilight's library?" Fluttershy suggested. "I think that sounds like a favourable idea," Clever agreed. "You're taking these guys to go see a princess?! You barely know them!" "Yep, then we're going a tour, and I'm going to throw them a party!" Rainbow Dash sighed. "Can you please get off me now?" "Only once you promise that you won't try anything stupid." "Ugh, fine." "I want to hear you say it." "What?!" "I want to hear you promise that you won't try to harm my friends." Rainbow Dash hesitated. Making a promise to Steel would basically be like admitting defeat. "Ugh...I promise I won't try to harm your friends..." Rainbow said, reluctantly. "There's a good mare," Steel taunted. Rainbow Dash growled. Steel merely laughed. "Can we go now?" Robin said. "Lead the way Pinkie," Jay said. "Okie dokie lokie." The group then continued to make their way over to the library. Rainbow Dash had to walk on the ground, on account of her dislocated wing. "Was dislocating her wing really necessary?" Clever asked. "I wanted to make sure she didn't escape," Steel replied. "That's kind of cold, Steel." "You of all people should know that anyone who does anything to hurt my friends, gets shown no mercy." Clever was about to say something in retort to that, but decided against it. He knew his brother was too stubborn to accept criticism over past actions. Clever looked back at Rainbow Dash. She seemed pretty upset about not being able to fly. "Listen, I'm sorry about that situation earlier," Clever said. Rainbow Dash said nothing. "I can understand if you're mad. You love flying don't you?" "How do you know?" Rainbow asked. "Well, the speed at which you swooped in on Robin was pretty impressive." "Well, what can I say? I'm the best flyer Equestria has to offer," Rainbow boasted. Clever chuckled. "By the way, what's with the black stallion there? He doesn't seem to be the nicest guy around." "Yeah, he's my big brother." "Heh, I feel sorry for you." "Well, he can be a pain sometimes, yeah. But he has good intentions. Chances are, if you hadn't attacked Robin, he would've been a lot more friendly with you." "What do you mean?" "Well, he does have a habit of being more friendly towards mares than stallions." "Is that so?" "The only time he's unfriendly towards anyone, is if they attack any of his friends or family." "So, he's over protective?" "Well, not really. He's just protective. He'll go to any length to protect those close to him." "Any length? He's even prepared to kill somepony?" "Yeah...he is." "That's not just protective kid." "Well, I wouldn't know any better." "How so?" "I've been stuck in a castle my entire life." "Wait, so you're some sort of noble?" "I guess so. My father is the steward to the king of our home country." "So, why did you four come here?" "Long story." "I see. Well, thanks for talking to me. I'll admit, I didn't feel like talking to anypony after that whole kerfuffle with your brother." "No problem. By the way, my name is Clever Dodge." "Nice to meet ya, Rainbow Dash." Clever and Rainbow shook hooves. "We're here~!" Pinkie shouted. Steel, Clever, Jay and Robin stood staring at the massive treehouse, which was the library. "Nice architecture," Clever observed. "Wow, definitely didn't see this coming," Robin said, surprised. "That is one biiiiiig tree," Jay said. "It's just a tree. I don't see what the big deal is," Steel said with a lack of interest. Pinkie Pie zipped forward and rapidly knocked on the door. "Coming," a voice said. The door then opened to reveal a lavender alicorn. "Seriously, all that's missing is a mysterious glow and a choir and we're all set," Robin said. Steel began to step forward. He was then stopped by Clever rushing into the library. "Books!" Everyone just stared at Clever. Twilight noticed that there were new individuals in amongst her friends...and in her library. "Greetings, I am princess Twilight Sparkle." Steel then stepped forward. "Hello, Miss Twilight. My name is Steel Blade, but you can call me Steel." "Easy there, lover boy. It's too late in the night for that," Robin said. "What are you saying? It's never too late to greet a beautiful mare." "He really does have a weakness for mares," Rainbow Dash thought. "Steel, from what we've heard, she's the princess of this country. You mess up with her, we could easily get flung out," Jay said. Steel thought for a moment. "Y'know, that's the most intelligent thing you've said all day," Robin said. Steel then stepped back. "I'm sorry, your majesty. I wasn't thinking." "It's quite alright, the complement was not unwelcome. It is a refreshing change for somepony to treat me like a regular mare." "That's what I'm here for. Steel Blade, mare-pleaser extraodanaire," Steel chuckled. Twilight laughed. "Anyway, is there a reason you're all here so late at night?" "Well, we found these guys in the Everfree Forest. We said that we'd bring them to you so that they could explain their situation," Fluttershy said. "Well, come on in you guys. Make yourselves comfortable." The group entered the library and Steel got Clever to sit down...eventually. Clever then explained the entire prologue to Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. "I see, so you escaped your country because your king was a tyrant. And now you are looking for a place to settle down," Twilight said. "Precisely," Clever said. "Now that that's explained, you mind telling us if there's a place we can crash for the time being?" Steel asked. At that moment, a white unicorn with a stylish, purple mane made her way into the library. She was closely followed by an orange earth pony wearing a hat. "Good evening, Twilight, darling." "Howdy, Twilight." "Ah, Applejack, Rarity, perfect timing." "Oh, ancestors, I must be in heaven," Steel thought to himself. Steel zipped forward and shook hooves with the two mares who had entered the room. "Good evening, ladies. A pleasure to meet you both. My name is Steel Blade, but you two can call me Steel." "A pleasure to meet you Steel, my name is Rarity." "And am Applejack, howdy." "Well, I must say, you two mares look absolutely amazing tonight." "Why, thank you. I do try my best to look my best. I'm actually quite glad you noticed," Rarity said. "You sure know how ta make a mare feel special don'tcha?" Applejack said. "Well, I aim to please." "This has got to be a new record. Steel has successfully complemented four mares in one day," Robin said. "And he was wanting me to calm down about the books in this library," Clever said. "Anyway, as I was saying. You two have perfect timing, these guys were looking for a place to stay," Twilight said. "I suppose I could clear up a room. I'd be more than happy to accomadate such a gentlecolt." "Okay, so, I guess Steel's staying with Rarity. Robin, you'll stay with Rainbow Dash." "Oh joy," Robin said. "Jay will-" "Ooh, ooh, I know, I know. He can stay with me!" Pinkie said, while bouncing up and down. "You'd think there was a trampoline at her feet or something. But I'm in." "And as for Clever..." "Y'know, if it's alright with you, I'd prefer to stay here at the library," Clever said. "Of course you can, I'd be more than happy to let you stay," Twilight said. "So, that's us sorted?" Steel asked. "Yeah, I guess so," Clever replied. "It's getting late, so I think we should just go to our new temporary homes and get some rest." "Sounds good to me. Robin, you'll have to give Rainbow a lift up to her home." "Ugh, do I have to?" Robin protested. "Yes, you do. In case you've forgotten, her wing isn't exactly in any condition to flap," Clever said. Robin sighed, but agreed to give Rainbow a lift. They both walked out of the library, Rainbow hopped onto Robin's back and the two of them made their way to Rainbow Dash's house. "I guess that's our cue, c'mon Pinkie." Pinkie and Jay then began literally bouncing over to Sugarcube Corner. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Clever," Steel said, as he and Rarity walked out the door. Twilight and Clever were left alone in the library. Twilight led Clever upstairs to where there was a spare bed in her room. "Sorry I don't have a spare room, all I have is a spare bed." "It's okay Twilight, it's no problem. This is perfect." "I've got a few more things to take care of, so make yourself at home." "Okay, thanks, I will." With that, Twilight walked back down the stairs and walked out the library. "Well, this turned out better than I expected," Clever said to himself. Meanwhile, on the road towards Carousel Boutique. "...and so that's how I gained the respect of Hoity Toity." "Wow, it sounds like you really love what you do." "But of course. Fashion is more than just my hobby. It's my passion, my way of life." "I don't think any of the clothes you make will match up to your beauty, Rarity." Rarity began blushing. "Why thank you Steel. I must say, you do know how to make a mare feel special. I'm surprised you don't already have a marefriend." The pair then arrived at Carousel Boutique. "And here we are. Carousel Boutique." "Looks like you put a lot of time into designing it." "If you think the outside looks great, wait until you see the inside." As soon as Rarity opened the door, a filly jumped up and greeted her. "Hi Rarity!" "Sweetie Belle! What are you still doing up? I told you to go to bed while I went and visited Twilight." "But I don't wanna go to sleep." "That's too bad, you have school tomorrow and I will not have you being tired." Sweetie Belle then turned her attention to Steel. "Who's your friend?" "Sweetie Belle, this is Steel Blade. He is going to be staying with us until he can get a place of his own." "So, is he your coltfriend or something?" Rarity's cheeks began turning red. "No, he is not. He's just a friend, a real gentlecolt mind you, but a friend nonetheless." "It's nice to meet you Sweetie Belle," Steel finally said. "I take it your Rarity's little sister?" "Yep," Sweetie Belle replied, cheerfully. Steel smiled at the young filly. "Now, Steel, allow me to show you where you'll be sleeping." Rarity led Steel through to a spare room that was right next to Sweetie Belle's. The walls were pure white, there was a cupboard on the far side of the room, the bed was on the right wall, a window was positioned just shy of left corner, accompanying the window were lovely white curtains. Not to mention the white floor was so clean Steel could almost hear it squeak when he dragged his hoof across it. The bed itself looked like it had been waiting for someone to sleep on it. It was a double bed, there were two pillows, one white and one that was purple. The same shade of purple as Rarity's mane. The blanket had that same shade of purple facing up, and had a white underside. Everything in the room was so neat and tidy, Steel was almost afraid to sleep on the bed, fearing that Rarity would yell at him for making the room look messy. "Make yourself at home. I'm going to finish up a few more dress designs, so if you need anything, just let me know." "Thanks Rarity, will do." "Rarity?" "Yes, Sweetie Belle?" "Can I stay up and talk to Steel?" "Sweetie Belle, I don't think-" "Pleeeeaaaase?" Rarity looked over towards Steel. "It's okay, I don't mind. She can stay and talk to me if she wants." "Very well, but no more than ten minutes. Do you understand Sweetie Belle?" "Yep." Rarity then walked out the door, and Sweetie Belle turned to Steel. "So, what do you want to ask, kiddo?" "Where did you come from?" "I came from a country that's between Equestria and the Gryphon Kingdoms. A land called Inter Terra, ever heard of it?" "Not really." "Well, you're one of the lucky ones." "How come? Is it a bad place?" "Yeah, it's really bad." "What kind of things go on there?" "It's not something that a filly of your age should hear." "Awww." "Maybe I'll tell you when you're older, if you haven't already found out by then. It really isn't something that I should speak about to young fillies and colts." "Well, what about your Cutie Mark?" "What about it?" "How come you don't have one?" Steel looked at his flank. "To be honest with you, Sweetie, I don't know." "Well, you could always-" "Sweetie Belle! Time to go to bed!" "Aw." "Don't worry, I'm sure what you have to say can wait until tomorrow." "I guess." There was look of disappointment in Sweetie Belle's eyes. "Tell you what, I can walk you down to your school tomorrow, and you can tell me then." "Really?" "Yeah, sure. I am going to be living here for a while. So, we might as well get to know each other." "Thanks Steel." "No problem, Sweetie. Now run along to bed, wouldn't want you to get in trouble with Rarity." "Okay." Sweetie Belle walked out the room, leaving Steel alone. "Man, I'm beat," Steel said to himself. Steel walked over to the window, pulled over the curtains, jumped onto the bed, and made himself comfortable. He almost didn't feel right, messing up a perfectly laid-out bed. Nevertheless, Steel eventually fell asleep. Waiting for the dawn of the next day to arrive. "Or at least until the next chapter." God dammit Jay!
