-Chapter 1-
Duo
{~Present day on a cool, quiet night on the outskirts of Trottingham~}
Heth. The balance has shifted, and time has done nothing but make me stronger...
A shadowy figure, cloaked by a torn and tattered dark gray cloth, moved himself to the top of a hill, overlooking the sleepy city below.
For a Millennium I have slept, Rhadts... hiding from those that would only seek to further tip the scales. Niptar lik kalem... their own foolishness is threatening to cause chaos once again in this world of Rethen... Peace.
The figure turned its gaze to the largest mountain overlooking the city, its yellow eyes glowing like two small orbs in the night.
Hyliate was a fool, nipt, and Cecil was ruled by his emotions. Kalen'do Kirmenth ir mandulok kalen whoaze... they both deserved the punishments they received. One imprisoned in stone, the other thrust into nether, chaos.
Another, smaller figure approached the first one, a shroud concealing its identity as well.
f I do not act soon, the Rethen and Nether will no longer be whiszlok, myths from a long forgotten book, but rather a nightmare that will consume both of our worlds...
“Master Blaasz,” came a voice from the smaller figure as it approached with something in its possession. “I have retrieved the ancient tome. What would you have me do with it?”
“Weys. Give it here, young one, I shall hold it for the time being...” Blaasz said as he seemed to stretch out a limb towards the smaller figure.
The figure in question appeared to nod, handing over with a scaly hand an old, thick book with only an illustration of a complex symbol on the cover. After a few moments another figure appeared, this one from the sky, landing beside the smaller figure as its wings furled under its own cloak.
“Master Blaasz, I have found the map,” this figure said, holding out a rolled-up scroll.
“Yes, another piece of our Sigmiz, puzzle...” Blaasz extended another limb towards the second figure, taking possession of the map.
I need to stop this before it has a chance to begin. I must go back from whence I came, and trade places with the other from this world, so balance may finally be restored once and for all...
A breeze flowed through the air, but not one of any particular temperature. It was not cold, yet it ran a shiver through Blaasz's and the two smaller figures' bodies. It was not hot, but its energy seemed to sear their exteriors. A whisper, a message of some sort, was heard by Blaasz, his eyes closing momentarily to take it all in. He opened them slowly after a few moments, his gaze turning skyward towards the moon above.
“Are you two prepared to do what needs to be done, for the preservation of countless lives?”
“Yes, Master Blaasz.” both smaller figures said in unison without any sort of delay.
“Weys. Ponyville is your next target. Ook med, Go now and find the Heth'nral, the seventh diamond, so that we may obtain the first six. Do what you must, and do not fail, or the nether spread by Discord only a few months ago will look like a blessing in comparison to this world's fate.”
“Yes, Master Blaasz! We shall not fail,” again, their words were spoken in unison without hesitation.
The two figures turned around immediately and sped off, one taking flight while the other dashed across the ground. Blaasz did not turn to watch, but could sense them even as they went beyond earshot.
Slowly, he raised up his arms and brought his claws to the top of his cloak. He pulled it down, his feathers and beak staring off into the town with the same glowing eyes. The body that was not his own shifted around slightly, visibly shaken by the message he heard just a minute ago.
I have stayed in this Rethen for far too long. Parso... but If what the Nether Drake says is true, then the only way to restore Heth, balance, is to find the one who would inherit the title of guardian from him.
(Three days later, two hours after sunrise.)
The sun was high in the sky on another beautiful day in Ponyville. The town was buzzing with its everyday activity, ranging from trading at the markets to ponies working at their jobs, to traveling around to see friends or taking a nap on some cloud in the sky. Everypony in the town was outside and enjoying the beautiful day, except for, of course, Twilight Sparkle.
“Spiiike!” Twilight called from her reading desk after taking another sip of her green tea. “Did you find it yet?”
“Sure did, Twi!” Spike replied as he came rushing through the basement door holding a book. “I got it right here – The History of Major Magical Gems and Trinkets in Equestria.”
“Great!” Twilight smiled, taking it from Spike with her magic and setting it in front of her. “I'd been hoping to get some time to finish reading this book.”
“Are you sure you don't want to go outside today, Twilight? It sure is pretty today, better than usual now that Rainbow Dash has gotten the clouds clear.”
“Don't worry, Spike, there's plenty of gorgeous days in Ponyville, gotta find at least a few to sacrifice in order to read through a good book.”
“If you say so. But hey, all the chores are finished up, do you think I can go out for a while?”
“Go out?” Puzzled, Twilight turned to look at her assistant. “Where would you want to go out?”
“Oh ya know, go to Pinkie's place for a treat, maybe stop by Applejack's farm to hang out with the Crusaders, or even go to Rarity's!” Spike paused for a moment, his heart fluttering as he lifted his head and clasped his hands together. “Rarity....”
Twilight giggled, amused by Spike's fanboy antics. “Alright, you can go out for a while. Just try to steer clear of any trouble, alright?”
“Sure thing, Twilight!” Spike said with a smile as he quickly shot out the door and went out into the town.
Twilight sighed slightly and returned to her book, just reaching the next chapter.
-|-
Spike took his time walking around Ponyville, taking deep breaths of the fresh air every now and then. The town was alive and well, just as he'd always known it to be; Ponies were selling their products, the sky was clear of all clouds, kids were racing up and down the streets playing tag, two ponies were sitting on a bench talking, and even – hey, was that a dragon?
Spike stopped and looked down the street, seeing a small figure walking on two legs with a tail and spines similar to his. As they got closer, Spike was also able to see that this other dragon was about his height – and probably age as well – and was accompanied by... a griffon! There hasn't been a griffon in this town since Gilda was here, Spike thought to himself as he saw the pair casually walk down the street.
Many of the ponies in the town had stopped and watched the two for a few moments, most of them seeming pretty interested in the two newcomers. The two in question, however, simply watched ahead of them and didn't bother looking around at the ponies who were staring from the sides of the street, as if they had been through this before.
Curious, Spike also watched as they walked and eventually passed by him, though managing a split second eye contact when the dragon looked over at him, looking straight into his eyes just long enough for Spike to realize that he really was looking at him.
The two continued on, almost seeming to walk aimlessly through the streets of Ponyville. Spike saw them exchange a few short words, but never heard either of their voices. He thought about talking to them, but decided against it as he realized how close to Rarity's Carousel Boutique he was.
With his interests in her outweighing his curiosity towards the griffon and the other dragon, he simply shrugged the event off and continued on his way, the thought of Rarity's face bubbling up into his mind.
Upon reaching the Boutique, he was met with Sweetie Belle racing out the front door with Applebloom and Scootaloo close behind her. All three stopped one at a time after just passing Spike, turning their bodies to greet the young dragon.
“Hi Spike!” Applebloom greeted cheerfully.
“What's goin on dude?” Scootaloo asked, her attitude appearing upbeat and ready for a full day of crusading.
“Are you here to see my sister?” Sweetie Belle asked with a small smile.
“Uh, yeah! How'd ya guess?”
“Well it's kind of obvious,” Scootaloo remarked. “Everypony knows you have like, the biggest crush on Sweetie Belle's older sister.”
“Yeah Spike!” Applebloom giggled.
“W-what? Who told you!? Er, I mean, I'm just coming over to help... uhh... yeah, just coming to help Rarity out, that's all!” Spike said sheepishly, his eyes darting side to side.
“I think it's really sweet,” Sweetie belle said. “But don't worry, we won't get in the way. We're just going over to the market to see if we can find anything there to help us get our cutie marks!”
“Yeah! Today we're totally gonna try racing shopping carts down the street, it's gonna be rad!” Scootaloo smirked to the other crusaders.
“Yeah! Let's go do it!” Applebloom cheers.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADER SHOPPING CART RACERS, YAY!” And with that, all three of them zoom off past Spike, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.
Unsure of what all that was about and not finding much reason to care, Spike casually walked into the Boutique. The first thing he saw was Rarity on the opposite side of the room carefully picking out the right ribbons for a dress she appeared to be making. She seemed to be in the zone, as it were, and talking to herself softly as she looks through from ribbon to ribbon. Spike, his heart now fluttering, slowly walks in and approaches Rarity.
“Not that, no that's too sparkly, too small, no that's... oh! Hello Spike!” Rarity said with a smile as she notices the dragon approaching. “How are you this fine day?”
“Oh, I'm alright!” Spike replies happily. “I was just uh, ya know, wondering if you needed any sort of help with your dresses or something, ya know.”
“Hmm... well, I could use some help with these needles,” Rarity levitated a few needles over in front of Spike. “Think you could help me keep these organized like last time?”
“Oh, of course! Anything for you Rarity!”
Spike smiled, even as the needles stick into the scales on his back. It doesn't hurt; his thick scales prevent him from really feeling anything other than some slight pressure from the needles poking in. Spike bends over so the colored ends of the needles are clearly visible to Rarity, his eyes rolled up and watching her work closely. Time passes, Rarity works with Spike as the work pushes through, and Spike simply enjoys her presence.
Their time together is interrupted about thirty minutes later when the door to the Boutique opens and the bell on the door rings, announcing the arrival of a customer. Hearing the bell, Rarity springs to attention from her focus on her work and turns towards the pair that just entered.
“Welcome to the Carousel Boutique!” Rarity calls out, her eyes then a bit wide when she realizes who, or what the guests are. “Oh my, I don't think I've seen either of you around before. You must be new here!”
“Hey there,” The male griffon replied, walking in calmly with his dragon companion beside him, the same ones Spike saw earlier. “Yeah, we just came into town earlier this morning. Man I'm hungry...”
“Knock it off Shuske,” The male dragon said, giving the griffon a slight nudge with his elbow. His voice was semi-childish, sort of like Spike's except with a bit more of a coarse sound when he spoke. “We'll have plenty of time to eat later.”
“Is there anything I can help you two with?” Rarity asked, slowly approaching the two.
“Yeah, do you know where we can find anything to eat?” The griffon named Shuske asked, the dragon beside him face-palming slightly.
“Oh, why there's a lot of food stands around town, I'm sure you've seen...” Rarity says, looking back and forth between the two inquisitively.
Where did they come from? The griffon has a name, but what about the other dragon? He looks rather similar to Spike, but his scales were a dark red where Spike's were green, and brown everywhere else. His scales were also arranged a bit differently, as if they were... pointier. Rarity contemplated whether or not to ask, but decided against it in an attempt to not seem rude or nosy.
“Yeah, we saw,” Shuske said with a roll of his eyes. “But I like sweet stuff, like candy and cake and things. Do you have a sweet shop or something around here?”
“Oh! What you want is Sugarcube Corner then! It's owned by the Cakes, but my dear friend Pinkie Pie helps run the place, and she can make the sweetest, most marvelous pastries and candies in all of Ponyville.”
“Oh man, that sounds great!” Shuske replied, his beak starting to water slightly. “Let's go there Tazer! Uhhh... Tazer?” Shuske looked around his sides, noticing his dragon companion missing.
Tazer, the red-scaled dragon in question was standing right in front of Spike, looking directly at him. Spike looked back, their eyes meeting as their gazes peered into each other, Tazer seeming to look as if he was closely examining something while Spike looked back with... confusion. This was the same dragon Spike saw earlier, for sure, but why did he seem so interested in him? He seemed to be staring straight into Spike's soul, even taking a step forward when Spike took a precautionary step backwards.
“Hey, Tazer!” Shuske called, finally snapping the dragon out of his focus.
“Huh, uh what?” Tazer replied, shaking his head a bit as he looked back at the griffon.
“C'mon bro, let's get goin! I found a place where we can get some food!”
“I told you not to call me bro,” Tazer replied in annoyance, pointing a finger at Shuske as he walked back to him. “And fine, let's go get this hunger thing of yours dealt with already.”
“Thanks for stopping by, come again!” Rarity waved, a bit disappointed from the uneventful visit, but excited to see some newcomers in Ponyville.
The two walked out the door, but as they did, Tazer turned his head and took one last look at Spike, their eyes meeting for another split second before breaking again by the door closing behind them. Spike blinked a few times, trying to comprehend just what all of that was about.
“Well,” Rarity began, still looking towards the door. “It seems like you just might have a new playmate here in Ponyville, Spike! Another dragon around here is sure to liven things up a bit.”
“Uh, yeah... right.”
-~-
“What was that about?” Shuske asked as he walked beside Tazer.
“That dragon...” Tazer replied slowly.
“You mean the one you were staring at?”
“No, the one stomping all over Tokyo right now... yes, that dragon,” Tazer said in annoyance.
“Alright alright, yeesh... so why were you staring at him?”
“I think he's the one we're searching for.”
“Really? How do you know?”
“Well, think about it...” Tazer began. “We're in Ponyville. Word is, the element holders are here. The only places we have left to check are here, Canterlot, and that crazy inventor in the Dragon Domain. So, where else would the Guardian of Balance be other than with the Elements of Harmony themselves? It's destined to be.”
“I hear what you're saying, but I don't think you should just assume everything is based off destiny. I like to think we all still have a choice, ya know?
“You can't change what has been set in stone Shuske... Master already told us that.”
Yeah, I know...” Shuske sighed. He then felt a rumbling in his stomach and sniffed at the air. “Hey, Tazer.”
“What?”
“I'm hungry, let's go find some chow buddy!”
“Ugh...”
-~-
“Hey there Rarity!” Twilight called out as she opened the door of Rarity's Boutique.
“Oh, why hello Twilight!” Rarity replied, happy to see her friend. “What can I do for you?”
“Oh, I just came here to pick up Spike, and tell you that we've been invited to a party.”
“A party?” Rarity questioned, rubbing her hoof on her chin. “Let me guess, Pinkie Pie saw the two newcomers and decided to throw a 'welcome to Ponyville' surprise party for them?”
Twilight blinked in surprise, but then smiled. “Yup! But, how did you know that?”
“Oh, why they were here just a little while ago. They told me they wanted something sweet to eat, so I simply directed them to Sugarcube Corner. And then, well, it shouldn't be hard to imagine Pinkie dear's surprise with newcomers to the town. She always gets so delighted.”
“Yeah, I remember when she first saw me in town.” Twilight giggled, pausing for a moment in recollection. At first the poofy-haired party pony had gasped and run as if Twilight had the plague, only for her to later discover that she had organized a welcoming party right inside the Ponyville Library. She figured that their latest visitors were in for quite a treat; although, to be fair, she hadn’t taken her first party so well.
Come to think of it, neither had Gilda; the only other griffon to ever be in Ponyville that she knew of. And the dragon was an unknown quantity as yet. She frowned slightly, but decided to shrug it off until later.
“Anyways, I'm about to head over to Sugarcube Corner right now, and I told Pinkie I would bring you and Spike along with me. That’s okay, right?” her expression turned half-expectant, half-sheepish.
The white unicorned beamed a lustrous smile. “Oh why of course! In fact, I had just finished the last of my dresses thanks to Spike here helping me with a few things. I'll get my things and head over there right away!” And with that, she gracefully trotted upstairs, humming to herself. Spike stared at her fleeting form with a goofy expression on his scaly face.
“Alright. So Spike, ready to meet some new friends?” Twilight asked as she approached her assistant, a vibrant smile on her face.
To his credit, he managed to break free from his Rarity-mode without embarassing himself again, and cast a quick glance with a smile at her before speaking. “Yeah, sure, just let me get these needles out of my back.” One by one, Spike plucked out each of the razor-sharp objects and carefully set them on the table next to the others. Rarity always liked it when he helped to keep things orderly...
“It still baffles me how you're unable to feel a thing with those needles in your back like that...”
“I told you Twilight, thick scales. It just comes with being a dragon,” Spike shrugged with a bit of a smug smile.
“Right... well, when Rarity gets back, we'll all head over to Pinkie's for the party. Alright?”
“Sounds good to me, I guess,” Spike looked to the side for a moment, thinking back to when the dragon – who he then remembered was named Tazer – had stared him down earlier. Something about that didn't feel right to him, but he couldn't put a claw on it...
-~-
What is she doing here...? Rainbow Dash growled in her mind as she looked down from her single napping cloud above Ponyville. It didn't take exceptional eyesight to see the two strangers traveling through the streets from a distance, but with Dash's eyes, she was able to clearly distinguish one of the two as a griffon. And to Rainbow Dash, there was only one griffon that she knew...
“Gilda....” Rainbow Dash snarled. “She better not be trying to break me away from my friends again.”
As Dash watched, she noticed the two figures – more importantly the griffon – turn a corner and begin heading straight for Sugarcube Corner.
“She IS trying to break me away from my friends again!” Dash gasped, assuming that Gilda was heading over to Sugarcube Corner to confront Pinkie Pie. “Or worse... she's upset at Pinkie and wants revenge, so she's come to...” A rather horrible thought passed through Rainbow Dash's mind, one that made her cringe at first, but then infuriate her.
Without thinking twice, she jumped off the cloud she was on and sped straight down towards the griffon on the ground just as it was about to reach the door of Sugarcube Corner.
CRASH!
There wasn't any time for the griffon to react. One moment he was casually walking towards the door of Sugarcube Corner, his mouth already watering with the smell of delicious pastries. The next, a blue blur had swooped down beside him and hit him right on his side, sending him crashing into a nearby vegetable stand.
The stand practically exploded with the impact, sending carrots and cabbages everywhere along with pieces of broken wood and a large cloud of dust. Several ponies near the area screamed out in terror while one orange-maned pony with a yellow coat simply stared at the scene in awe, amazed that her vegetable stand could be so abruptly taken out like that.
“What are you doing here!?” Rainbow Dash blurted out loudly, not caring to wait for the dust to clear as she already knew she had her target pinned. “Why did you come back to Ponyville Gilda!?”
“Gilda..who? Ow!” Shuske rubbed the back of his head, his body aching in pain with a large lump present on the back of his skull. “What are you trying to do you crazy pony, kill me!?”
“Wait... what?” Rainbow Dash leaned back, holding still for a few seconds as the dust began to fade. This wasn't Gilda's voice, nor was it any female's voice, and when the dust finally let up enough to reveal her target's face, she gasped loudly, immediately pulling off of him. “You're not... oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!” She said, leaning a hoof forward for him to grab onto. “Are you okay?”
“Ugh...” Shuske replied, taking the hoof in his claws and tugging himself to his feet. With his other claw still rubbing the back of his head, he looked around at the mess and the pony who had caused it. “I'm fine, but... why did you tackle me?”
“I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else, someone who was here just to cause trouble and hurt my friends!” Rainbow dash fell back on her haunches in a bit of shame.
“Well that might be the result of all this...” Shuske said almost in a whisper.
“Excuse me?”
“Uh, nothing, but...” Shuske's ears perked up as he spotted the rainbow mane and tail on the pegasus. “Hey... I know you!”
“You do? Uh, I mean, of course you do!” Rainbow Dash started to flutter her wings, making her float of the ground. “Everypony knows about me and how awesome I am!”
“Yeah, you're Rainbow Dash! Like, one of the fastest fliers in all of Equestria!”
“One of?” Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrow. “Well, I'd like to see a pony try to beat MY speed skills... but hey, glad ya heard of me!”
“Of course! Who else can pull off a sonic rainboom TWICE!? That's so awesome!”
“Oh my gosh, I know right!? I could hardly believe I did it myself! Uh, I mean, yeah, piece of cake! Just you wait, pretty soon I'm gonna be doing DOUBLE Rainbooms!”
“Doubles!? Oh man that's just-”
“Excuse me!” Called a raised voice from beside the two. Looking over, it was the same earth pony with an orange mane from before with a very upset look on her face. “Any reason you two decided to crash into my stand like this...?”
“Uh, sorry about that Carrot Top!” Dash said as she rubbed the back of her head. “That's my fault, not... uh, what's your name?”
“My name's Shuske,” the griffon replied, wiping a bit of dust off his shoulder.
“Uh, yeah, it's not his fault. I kinda crashed into him myself so, I'll fix this, don't worry!”
“And how are you going to do that?” Carrot Top glared at her angrily.
“Um, well, how about... Twilight!” Rainbow gasped happily as she saw her friend coming down the road. “Man am I glad to see you!”
“Hey Rainbow Da-... uh, what happened here?”
“Uh, let's just say I was giving the newcomers a Rainbow Dash hello... hehe,” Rainbow Dash smiled sheepishly at Twilight, who simply sighed in moderate irritation.
“I see...” Twilight looked over the wreckage, then over to Carrot Top who was still gazing angrily at Rainbow Dash. “Here Carrot, let me help you with this real fast...”
Twilight's horn flared up, and in a matter of seconds the cart and all its carrots were repaired and placed back where they were, including the jar holding all of the day's earnings in it, which was set next to Carrot Top's feet.
“Thanks Twilight,” Carrot Top sighed, calming down.
“Not a problem,” Twilight smiled before looking over to Rainbow Dash. “Just please try not to make a mess of things like that again, okay Rainbow?”
“Yeah... sorry!” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck as she fluttered her wings a bit, holding her hovering in the air.
Twilight looked to her side, and immediately noticed the two strangers. It was then that she realized these must be the two new ones that Pinkie is holding the party for.
“Oh! You two must be the newcomers to Ponyville!” Twilight said.
“Yup, that's us!” Shuske replied with a cheerful smile as Tazer simply stood there apathetically. “My name's Shuske, and this here is Tazer, we're companions on a quest!”
“You're on a quest?” Twilight asked, seeing Shuske about to answer but Tazer elbowed his abdomen.
“Uh, not really. We just like to pretend, ya know?” Shuske chuckled awkwardly.
“I see... well, I'm the Ponyville librarian, and my name is Twilight Sparkle!”
“Twilight Sparkle!?” Tazer blurted out suddenly, his eyes widened. “You mean THE Twilight Sparkle!? The same one who defeated Discord using the Elements of Harmony!?”
“Uhh, yes, but I don't like to boast about it...”
“Psst, Tazer!” Shuske whispered. “we is incognito, remember? Ushhay with the lementseay!”
“R-right...” Tazer calmed himself down, returning to his previous apathetic appearance.
Just then Rarity and Spike came up the road right behind Twilight. Rarity had a new hat on while Spike was as his usual self. However, when Spike approached, Tazer once more began to stare at him, only this time it was... different. Like he knew something about him, rather than trying to find something out.
“Twilight, Rainbow Dash, aren't you two supposed to be inside...?” Rarity asked as she came up beside Twilight.
“Oh, Rarity!” Twilight smiled, then remembered what she was doing here in the first place and did a double-take. “Ah, right! C'mon Rainbow, let's get inside and uh, get those cupcakes we ordered!” She put on an unusually convenient smile as she approached the door.
“Uh, right! Let's go!” Rainbow Dash quickly followed Twilight to the door.
As the two were about to enter, however, a large collection of screams from the distance met their ears. All of them turned around to the source of the screams, looking down the road to see a dust cloud rapidly making its way down the street towards them. As it got closer, they could see that the source of the cloud was not one thing, but actually three different things... shopping cart things, to be exact.
“Move outta the way everypony!” yelled Scootaloo from the front-most cart. “We don't know how to stop this thing!”
The three carts, one filly in each, careened down the streets at breakneck speeds. Over and over ponies just barely dove out of their way as the karts ran through front yards, flower patches, small fence lines, and even a pear stand. For some reason, though, Applebloom didn't look all that devastated when her cart hit that stand.
“Uh oh, this looks bad,” Twilight muttered as she watched the carts get closer.
“Ugh, those crusaders are always getting themselves into this kind of trouble!” Rainbow Dash complained as she got up into the air. “C'mon Twilight, lets stop those carts before something really bad happens.”
“Right, let's go!” Twilight replied enthusiastically as the two charged out in the path of the speeding carts.
“Oh, be careful!” Rarity called out as Twilight and Rainbow Dash raced to meet the carts head-on. “Make sure they don't get hurt!”
Twilight and Rainbow Dash were too far out at this point, only mere seconds from meeting with the carts. The speed of the grocery carriers was amazing; they must have been sent off by something really strong! But Twilight and Rainbow Dash pressed on, unfazed as the two prepared to stop them. Twilight's horn glowed with magic as Rainbow Dash tensed her muscles, ready for some quick muscle maneuvers.
Shuske, Tazer, and Rarity watched from the entrance of Sugarcube Corner as the events played out before them. While at first Shuske and Tazer looked pretty unaffected, a cold shiver suddenly ran up their backs, their thoughts becoming clouded as if a black haze was streaming in through their brains. Something was trying to talk to them...
Tazer... said a ghastly voice in both of their heads that no one else but them could hear. Shuske... they are essential to lakem viscer... our mission. Prove yourselves now, so they will aid you in the future.
Twilight's magic reached out, focusing on the front most cart with Scootaloo in it. The other two were trailing close on either side, and her magic soon began to affect those as well. Twilight smirked, this was just as simple as she thought it would be... until her magic suddenly lost effect on her targets. A magical backlash pushed away all of her magical energy, allowing the carts to continue pushing forward at a slightly reduced speed.
“What!?” Twilight gasped as she gaped at the oncoming carts. “But, but that's not supposed to happen! My magic was supposed to-GYAH!” Twilight screamed as the carts knocked her out of the way, putting her in a daze as she flew to the side of the street and into a pile of fruits.
“Hold on, I got ya covered!” Rainbow Dash took the initiative, swooping down to the carts in order to pull the fillies out.
As she tried to reach down and grab onto Applebloom in the left cart, something set her off balance. She swerved in the air, eventually sending her crashing into the side of the cart, bouncing off of it and into a pile of hay beside a house.
The carts continued on, the fillies inside each screaming louder as they realized their rescuers had just failed. There was no sign to them stopping, and nothing they could do seemed to slow down the carts at all. They were too scared to move, too scared to try to think of something. All they could do was stare forward and scream for their lives as they sped out of control.
Tazer and Shuske shot each other a look, as if verifying that they each heard the same thing the other did. Tazer gave a quick nod, and Shuske a quick gulp. Suddenly another shiver ran up their spines, this one more ferocious, accompanied by a demanding voice that sprung them into action.
OOK, MED! GO, NOW!
After that, they did not hesitate. Shuske and Tazer both leaped into the paths of the carts, each grabbing on to one of the two back ones. They climbed aboard, the fillies not even noticing them through their screams. Shuske was the first to act, putting his talons on Applebloom's shoulders as he talked to her.
“Hey, I'm gonna get you out, you're gonna be safe, alright!?”
“Just help me outa' here!” She screamed, her front hooves flailing around and hitting Shuske in the face a few times.
Shaking off the annoying spots of pain, he grabbed onto Applebloom and flapped his wings hard, pulling her off. As he did, his left leg hooked onto the side of the cart and knocked it over, sending it toppling onto its side and safely into a collection of bushes, narrowly missing a few ponies in the process.
Tazer was on Sweetie Belle's cart, trying to figure out the best way to act. He could save the white filly right then, but that would leave the orange one all on her own, with probably no one to save her. Tazer looked forward, his eyes widening as he saw house dead ahead with a lone unicorn filly playing ball out in the front. This was it, now or never.
Tazer grit his teeth as he reached over to Scootaloo's cart, grabbing onto its edge with both hands as his feet clung onto Sweetie Belle's. With all his might he tugged, forcing the two carts into each other and forcing them into a hard skid, causing a nasty spray of dirt smoke and little bits of dirt and rocks to come up from the wheels. The carts were losing speed, but it was gradual, and the house with the filly in front was still getting closer and closer. Tazer pulled harder, grunting loudly as his muscles did all they could to put pressure on the carts.
The filly, little Dinky Doo, stopped playing with her ball as she heard the commotion from down the road. She looked up to see the two rapidly approaching carts with its passengers inside. She froze up, staring wide-eyed at the oncoming food carriers.
“Get outta the way!” Tazer yelled frantically as the carts approached her, fearful that it might run her over. “What are ya waiting for!? MOVE!”
Dinky did nothing. She just stared straight forward, even when the carts got so close that she could feel bits of dirt splattering her cheek. Tazer closed his eyes and gave all his strength into the carts, but it just didn't seem to be enough. Then, at the last moment, the carts suddenly skidded to a halt mere inches from the tip of Dinky’s nose.
“Huh...?” Tazer opened his eyes, and the screaming of the two fillies stopped.
He looked around to see Applebloom and Scootaloo already jumping out of the carts and making their way back to the others. He then looked forward, seeing the little gray filly stare up at her. A few seconds of awkward pause later, then the little filly giggled, licked his nose, and hopped away with her ball.
“What...” Tazer deadpanned before he wiped the bit of saliva off his nose.
“Tazer!” came a familiar voice off in the distance. “Are ya alright bro!?”
“I told you not to call me bro!” Tazer called back as he turned over, seeing Shuske flying towards him.
His expression changed from one of annoyance to moderate surprise as he saw the other ponies and the dragon trailing right behind him. After getting himself situated on the carts, he jumped off of them and brushed himself off, taking the time to take into account his surroundings. With a simple scratch of his head, he began walking to meet the group heading towards him. After a short while, Tazer was reunited with the others. He tried to say something, but Shuske flying into him with a tackling hug sort of made him pause in mid-sentence.
“You did great Tazer!” Shuske cheered as he hugged the dragon tightly, swooshing around in the air. “Ya saved those fillies like it was nothing it all!”
“Let go of me you freakin re-re!” Tazer growled as he struggled against Shuske's embrace.
Shuske blinked a few times, and then let go, unintentionally dropping Tazer a good ten feet to the ground. Tazer yelped before he hit the ground, his body slamming into the dirt and leaving a slight imprint.
“Oops! Uh, sorry!” Shuske said as he smiled sheepishly.
“Why you...” Tazer got up slowly, gritting his teeth. “Shuske, if I had my way, I would-”
“You saved them!” a voice called out suddenly, cutting off Tazer's threat. He looked behind him just in time to see the ponies gathering around them, with the sounds coming from the lavender one. “Wow, I can't believe you managed to do that all by yourselves!”
“That was pretty cool...” Rainbow Dash said as she flew by. “I still don't understand how the heck those carts just screwed us up like that!”
“Yeah, that was really strange....” Twilight paused to think about the event. “I don't get how my magic could just, fail like that! That's, that's never really happened before!”
“Uh...” Shuske looked over at Tazer, a look similar to the one they gave each other before they jumped at the carts. Tazer looked back at him, pausing for a second as he seemed to zone out into space, and then refocused and nodded his head slightly. “...Maybe it was just a fluke?”
“Hmm... hold up a second, dears,” Rarity said before she turned behind her. “Applebloom! Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! Come over here please!”
The three fillies in question approached with a quick trot, but their heads were low as they expected some sort of scolding for their brash actions. Tazer and Shuske, meanwhile, backed off to the side of the road to try not to bring up that certain subject again.
“Yes Rarity?” Sweetie Belle spoke up as the three slowly raised their heads.
“What in the world were you three fillies thinking?” Rarity asked, her tone turning serious as Twilight and Rainbow Dash came up beside her. “You could have gotten seriously hurt! Do you have any idea just how fast those carts were going!?”
“But, we were just tryin 'ta get our cart racin’ cutie marks an' then-”
“That's no excuse for putting yourselves in danger like that,” Twilight spoke up in a mildly upset tone, one she usually would have used on Spike. “Those carts could have seriously hurt you, somepony else, somepony's property, or even a combination of the three.”
“Yeah, and what the hay kind of cutie mark would a shopping cart racing cutie mark be anyways?” Rainbow Dash added in.
“We're sorry...” Scootaloo said as all three fillies lowered their heads again.
“But, there's something I don't quite get...” Twilight began in a much more concerned tone. “When I used my magic on the carts, nothing happened. In fact, it was almost as if something was pushing away my magic.”
“You had that trouble too?” Rarity asked, almost in disbelief.
“Yeah! But, wait, I didn't see you out there Rarity.”
“Well of course not! Did you see those clouds of dust!?” Rarity began as she puffed her mane with one hoof. “Anyhow, I stayed back to the side, but I certainly did attempt to use my magic on the carts. The odd thing was I felt some sort of... resistance with them, as if they were enchanted somehow.”
“I sort of had a similar thing,” Rainbow Dash added in. “When I tried to grab onto the carts to stop'em, I lost balance somehow and flew into the side of it, and then it just bounced me off! I mean, I never lose balance when I'm flying! Or at least not doing stuff like that... but, still, it felt like something was throwing me off somehow.”
“Hmmm...” Twilight brought a hoof to her chin to think for a few seconds. “That is pretty strange...”
“GIRLS!” came a voice from the distance all of a sudden. The group of mares turned just in time to see Pinkie Pie leap at them at breakneck speed, just happening to tackle Twilight in the process. “Hey! Spike came into sugarcube corner trying to tell us something but we all thought it was somepony else like one of the new guys and we started our surprise but we found out it was really him and then he told us there was trouble with the cutie mark crusaders outside and I thought they were already in the building so I checked and they weren't so he was right and I came out here to check and I see you all waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down here so I came over to see if you all were okay and you were!” Pinkie gave everypony there a bright smile.
That's when she glanced over to the side, seeing the two beings she had everything prepared for in the shop. “OOH! There you two are!” She gasped as she seemed to teleport directly in front of the duo. “Hey, you two should really come with me over to Sugarcube Corner! There's some really good food and pastries and sweets and other fun things just waiting there and maybe a little something fun and surprising and here's an invitation!” Suddenly, Pinkie Pie reached back with her head and pulled out two pink slips of paper out of nowhere, each with the words 'You're Invited!'' written in bold on the front.
“Uh... thanks...?” Shuske said hesitantly as he and Tazer slowly grabbed one.
“You're welcome!” Pinkie Pie beamed, before suddenly turning to her friends. “Hey girls, c'mon! We still gotta get ready for the Surprise remember?” Her eyebrows moved up and down at almost each word.
“Uhh... right, darling, um,” Rarity turned to her friends and the crusaders. “Well girls, shall we go on to Sugarcube Corner then? I really don't think we should keep Pinkie Pie and the others waiting more than we have to.”
“Alright, sounds fine with me,” Rainbow Dash replied with a small grin as she began to fly towards the corner, the Crusaders following close behind in an effort to escape any further scolding.
“Hmm...” Twilight hummed, still thinking deeply.
“You alright, Twilight?” Rarity asked as she approached her friend.
“I'm fine, it's just... I'm still wondering how that incident with our magic and Rainbow's flying could have happened with those carts.”
“Oh I wouldn't worry about it too much,” Rarity waved her hoof dismissively. “Who knows what could have happened? I mean, it's like that griffon already said to me; it was probably just a fluke.”
“Hmm....” Twilight didn't really notice Rarity trotting off until she found Pinkie Pie up in her face.
“Hey! Are ya coming Twilight?” Pinkie batted her eyelashes with an expectant smile.
“Oh! Yes, right, I'm coming...!” she replied; composing herself for just a brief moment before heading towards Sugarcube corner herself.
“So!” Pinkie said as she approached the duo again. “You both should come with me now to see a wonderful surprise!”
“Uh...” Shuske scratched his head. “Is this like... to a party or something?”
“Sooooooooort of!” she giggled.
“Will there be food?”
“Yup! Lots of tasty treats and sweets and eats!”
“Allllriight!” the griffon exclaimed, a hungry smile upon his face. “Let's go then! C'mon Tazer!”
“Ugh, fine...” Tazer huffed as he followed behind Shuske and the pink pony.
It didn't take them long to reach the door, and while Shuske seemed perfectly fine, Tazer was having a hard time figuring out where that strange pink pony got all the energy to constantly hop around like she did. Was she a mutant?
“Here we are!” the pink one announced. “Here, lemme just get inside real fast, and you two should follow behind me in exactly 7 seconds! Are ya ready? 1 2 3 start!” without pause, the mare dashed into the door, closing it behind her so fast that they didn't even catch a glimpse of the inside.
The two stood puzzled for a few moments, before Shuske took the initiative and spoke up as he approached the door.
“Hey C'mon Tazer! Let's go see what these ponies got cookin up in there!” He said with a smile as he reached out to grab the doorknob.
“Alright alright, let's go then you big lunk.” Tazer scoffed as he and Shuske approached the door.
“That's the spirit!” Shuske smiled as he turned the doorknob and opened it slowly. “Oh man, I can just smell all the pastries inside! Like the muffins, the cupcakes, the turnovers and croissants, danishes, and maybe a big tasty-”
“SURPRISE!”
-|-
The surprise party went off without a hitch; the two newcomers were welcomed warmly, and over half the town was present. As with any Pinkie Pie party, especially a welcome party, there were balloons, streamers, confetti, and an assortment of sweets strewn out through the entire bakery. Even her upstairs bedroom was being used as a secondary recreational area for dancing and hanging out.
Tazer and Shuske got their chance to introduce themselves. Shuske said he came from the Griffon Kingdom as part of a training program in order to get himself familiarized with adventure. Tazer didn't say much, but he did mention coming from the Dragon Domain and that he was also out to get familiarized with adventure and things of the sort. Shuske added in that they had their own personal trainer, or 'master' that gave them guidance and put them through a series of tests and trials for them to pass to become stronger and better rounded.
After an introduction to the Elements of Harmony, and to many of the other ponies around Ponyville, the party pushed into full swing and everyone spent the following two hours simply eating, playing, and having fun. All except for Spike, who couldn’t help but notice the occasional stares he received from Tazer. Getting a strange sense from the other dragon, he approached Twilight about the situation.
“He's doing what to you?” Twilight asked after gulping down another bite of cake she was floating up beside herself.
“He's like, staring at me or something... it's getting really creepy.”
“Why would he be staring at you?”
“That's what I'm trying to figure out! But every time I look over I always see him just... staring... it's really weird. It's like he's stalking me or something.”
“He's probably just surprised to see another dragon around here, that's all. You may just be over-thinking this, Spike.” Twilight took another bite of her cake.
“There's something up with that guy, I just know it...”
Pinkie Pie had just finished pulling off a dance move when she suddenly froze, her eyes wide as a cold shiver ran through her body. She relaxed for a moment, sitting down as her eyes narrowed. She turned to look at a few of the ponies, not noticing anything at first, but when she turned to Spike her body began to lightly shake and shiver all over, similar to how it did with Twilight and the hydra.
“Uh oh, my Pinkie Sense is telling me there's a doozy coming!”
AUTHOR NOTE:
-|- and -~- are simply different types of transitions. I will change between these two and a few others from time to time, each capable of signaling either a passage through time and scene, or simply scene or time alone. Their workings are flexible in that sense.
ALSO: “re-re” is another way of saying “retard”. It’s an insult.
-Chapter 2-
Masters
(~The Griffon Kingdom, inside the castle of the capital city of Brisalzia~)
“What is the meaning of this!?” bellowed a large griffon as he pushed open the doors of the main conference room, marching in on his hind legs with his front claws curled up into fists.
The griffon in question was Chalizar Brownbeak the Fifth, ruler of the Griffon Kingdom. He was almost twice the size of Gilda and was muscularly built throughout his body. He bore a scar over his left eye, a crack on the left side of his beak, and his right back leg had a bald streak on it where he was burned years ago.
He wore his royal crown, gold and pointed with an assortment of gems, his cape which held the griffon colors of red, brown, white and yellow, and his bracelets made of hardened steel that he wore on his wrists at all times. The feathers around his eyes and protruding from his forehead were a dark gray with a hint of maroon. His claws were sharpened, his tail was long and braided at the end, and his wing tips were sharp and crisp.
Inside the conference room was a large oval table surrounded by an assortment of different chairs. There were were three other griffons inside; one was the captain of the royal guard, the second was one of his guards, and the last one was one of the King's most trusted advisors. All of them turned their heads as Chalizar Brownbeak stormed into the conference room.
“What is this I'm hearing about my son being lost!?” He stomped on the ground loudly as he approached the group of three.
“My lord,” the noble, a skinnier griffon with a tan robe and a frantic look on his face spoke up, “We tried searching everywhere for him but-”
“I don't want to hear it!” Chalizar growled. “I want to know what the hell was going on before he got lost, and then I'll decide what to do from there!”
“Sir,” the captain spoke up. “We were last notified of his presence when he visited the Equestrian city of Trottingham. He was with his trainer at the time, and was also accompanied by what our informants say was a baby dragon. He should have arrived back at the village of Chardwort two days ago, but has not been spotted since leaving Trottingham.”
“Trottingham!?” Chalizar ignored the part about the dragon. “In Equestria... by the gods they've gone too far this time!”
“My lord...?”
“Those bloody ponies, always snooping around in our affairs! I knew they would try something like this, but with my own son...”
“S-sir, are you suspecting that the Equestrian Government had something to do with your son's disappearance?”
“It's the only reasonable explanation!” The king barked, balling his claws up into a fist. “I've had it! Captain, rally your guards and gather the council of nobles, we're going to Equestria to find my son by force if that's what it takes!”
“S-sir, are you sure that-”
“Do you question my authority!?”
“Enough!” A feminine voice called out, silencing the individuals in the conference room. They all looked to the entrance to see Queen Melihana Brownbeak there, wearing her royal attire as she walked calmly into the room.
“My queen...!” The noble choked out, startled slightly by her entrance.
“That is quite enough dear; I do not think there is any need to jump to such rash conclusions...” Melihana spoke calmly as she approached her husband, who started to look as though he was calming down.
“B-but Meli... he was last seen in Equestria, surely that means that those ponies had something to do with-”
“I have another idea,” she interrupted, holding up a claw to his beak. As the King finally stood back on all fours, she continued. “As the Queen, I have taken personal watch over our son's training these past several months. Up until a few days ago, things have been going smoothly, yet I still have my suspicions about his trainer...”
“Farnatchi?” The King's face was full of confusion. “But he is their trainer, a mere guide on their current training quest. He is a fellow griffon, one with an outstanding service record in our military. Are you proposing that-”
“It’s not how things seem,” Melihana spoke up, her eyes narrowing as she stared straight into her husband's eyes. “I was just informed earlier that they found Farnatchi's remains near the outskirts of one of our smaller villages, the second place your son went on his quest.”
“What!? But, he's already nearing the final few spots in the training program, months ahead of then! T-that would mean...”
“Farnatchi isn't the one your son is with...” the seriousness in the queen's voice caused an uneasy still in the room. “Chalizar... someone else is with our son. And whatever they have planned, they're starting it now.”
“No...” Chalizar looked down, his eyes peering side to side in thought. His claws bundled together in anger as he grit his beak. “I cannot accept this....” he turned to his captain suddenly, rage consuming his eyes and his voice. “Go to the barracks you! Get your finest men out to Trottingham and get searching for him, NOW!”
“Yes sir!” The guard said with a quick salute before his wings unfolded and he shot out of the conference room, flying through the halls as fast as he could.
“You!” He pointed to the noble next, who jumped slightly as he looked back at him. “Get in contact with our police force and alert them of the situation! Get everyone in and out of the country looking for my son, right now! I will personally head to Canterlot and demand they do something about this travesty!”
“Y-yes my lord!” The noble stuttered, also leaving the conference hall in a haste similar to the guard captain's.
Chalizar stood there, his eyes still wide open as he began to think about what he would do to the perpetrator once he got his claws on him. He stared there for a few more moments before he felt two arms slide around him from behind, a body embracing him. He calmed slightly, but internally his rage still burned. He closed his eyes and held onto his wife's arms with one of his own.
“Chalizar...” the queen whispered softly as she buried her beak into his neck. “I fear for our son... I am afraid of what might happen...”
“As am I...” he replied before turning to fully embrace his wife. “As am I...”
(~The Dragon Domain, inside the mountain palace of the capital city of Belrock.~)
“Lord Talranis!” A dragon clad in light armor shouted as he burst into the main throne room dug into the rock of the mountain. “I bring dire news of your son!”
The dragon in question, Dragon Lord Talranis Mith, was in the middle of eating through a large platter of assorted gemstones. His scales were a dark red with his middle scales along his belly up to his chin and down past his legs were a dark gray, almost black. His spines were long and curved, their tips as sharp as pinpoints as they traveled all the way down his back to his tail, which had two spines running straight out to make a forked end. His elbows had smaller spines protruding from them while his wings had sharpened tips at every end.
Talranis looked up at his guard, chewing through the gems he had taken in and swallowing before standing up in front of the stone table in front of him. He licked at his muzzle while looking at the dragon, staring straight into his eyes for a few moments, examining him carefully.
“So then...” He said just above a whisper of his level, but his voice was as loud as war drums and just as deep, reverberating through the halls. “My son is missing after all, isn't he?”
“I, y-yes! How did you know my liege!?”
“I could see it in your eyes,” Talranis explained as he walked around the table to approach the guard. “After all the years I spent ruling this kingdom, I can tell many things just by the looks that are given to me, and to others.”
“Well, that's not everything sir...”
“You know where he was last spotted?” Talranis asked, his voice unusually calm. “Tell me, so then we might go to wherever it is and burn it until we get some answers.”
“Well, as you know, your son was taking lessons under a trainer of the Griffon Kingdom,” Talranis nodded. “But the last place he was seen before his disappearance was the Equestrian city of Trottingham. After they left the village to head back to one of the outlying griffon towns, they never reported in. Furthermore, our informants never even saw them enter the village!”
“Hmph...” Talranis turned around, making a few slight flaps of his wings as he contemplated his next moves. “As your leader it is my job to assume the worst, while still wishing for the best. The griffons have had a steady alliance with us for some time, but the ponies have been... somewhat resistant.”
“My liege...?”
“I see the main issue leaning on the Ponies right now. But I know Celestia, and I know she would not do anything without probable cause...”
“Should we send a diplomatic force to Canterlot to see what we can gain from the princesses there?”
“No.” Talranis turned back around, breathing once through his nose and sending a small flurry of golden flame out. “I will go there myself. This is a matter directly associated with my line, with my blood. It is only fitting that I handle this personally.”
“And what of Trottingham? We may be able to find something useful there if we investigate!”
“Indeed we may... send a small group of smaller dragons there, preferably ones that are still in their schoolings. Assign a cadre of guards as their escorts, and begin gathering what information you can. By the time they arrive, I should have already made it to Canterlot and begun discussions with Celestia and Chalizar.”
“Chalizar? Chalizar Brownback? Why would the Griffon King be in Canterlot?”
“The trainer was teaching the Griffon Prince as well, and if they all went missing, then Chalizar is obviously going to have a fit...” Talranis walked towards the door, shoving the guard out of his way as he expanded his wings. “So I expect to see him there soon, assuming his hot head hasn't already ordered an army against the ponies by this time.” Talranis took a few more steps before stopping, waiting another moment before turning his head. “Well, get moving! Get those groups I just mentioned out to Trottingham right now!”
“Yes, of course my liege!”
(~Back in Ponyville, inside Sugarcube Corner~)
“You two are leaving?” Pinkie Pie asked, her voice almost saddened as she looked at Shuske and Tazer.
“Yeah, sorry,” Shuske apologized, scratching the back of his head. “But we're scheduled to meet back up with our master pretty soon, and he doesn't like to wait.”
“Oh, I guess that makes sense,” Pinkie said with a small smile, and then perked up suddenly in excitement. “Oooh, maybe we should throw a party for your trainer guy too! Wouldn't that be great!?”
“NO!” Both Tazer and Shuske suddenly yelled, causing half the party to fall silent. “Uh, I mean,” Shuske stared up in a much lower tone. “It's okay, really. We're really busy, and we normally don't have this long by ourselves. This whole visit here was more or less like a mini-vacation.”
“Oh, well then we need to give you a proper goodbye before you go, like a going away party!” Pinkie hopping in place as she thought about another party.
“Uh, no thanks, I mean, we really appreciate it but it just can't happen, sorry,” Shuske backed up a bit, slightly uncomfortable with the pink pony's obsession with parties.
“Hey, you guys are leaving?” Rainbow Dash asked as she floated over, accompanied by Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike.
“Yup, sorry, but we really gotta get back to our master. I hope you all don't mind.”
“Oh, not at all,” Twilight replied with a reassuring smile. “We know you have an adventure to go on, so it wouldn't be right to keep you waiting.”
“Why, of course! In fact, we sincerely wish you two the best of luck in your travels,” Rarity added.
“Kick flank, you two!” Rainbow Dash smirked with a swing of her hoof.
“Ya'll be safe now, and don't get yerselves into any trouble,” Applejack tipped her hat slightly.
“Make sure you treat all cuts and abrasions with the proper ointment, and try to be careful of the wildlife,” Fluttershy added.
“Thanks, we will,” Shuske smiled back at them while Tazer simply shrugged them off before they both turned around and headed for the door. “Take care!”
“You too!” Twilight Sparkle said as she and her friends waved. “Hope to see you soon!”
“Oh, you will...” Shuske spoke quietly after turning back around to exit through the door.
The two walked through town together, their bellies filled with sweets and punch and their focus set on returning to their master. Shuske, however, appeared to be in deep thought, and as they reached the outskirts of town, he decided to bring up his questions with Tazer.
“So we're sure about this then... right?” Shuske asked as he glanced towards Tazer.
“I'm positive... I mean, where else would he be? You got the Elements of Harmony and some random dragon... it's gotta be him! It's fate!”
“Hey, you know what Master says about fate...”
“Yeah yeah, but I mean, c'mon... there's gotta be some other force making all this happen. It can't be just coincidence.”
“No, it can't...” said a voice from nowhere, making Shuske and Tazer stop just as they reached the Treeline to the Everfree Forest.
Just then a cloaked figure dropped down from the canopy before them, its glowing yellow eyes visible past the shadow over its face. Shuske and Tazer immediately dropped to their knees and bowed in respect in the presence of their master. The cloaked figure approached, but stopped at the edge of the shadows created by the trees.
“Hoosim... you two seem to have found what we were looking for," their master said, his voice almost to a whisper.
“We believe so, Master,” Tazer spoke up as he kept his head down.
“Lak vok... tell me what you have discovered then; I'm all ears.”
“Master,” Shuske spoke up as he raised his head to look at him. “The Elements of Harmony are here; all six are ponies, just like you said they would be.”
“And they're not alone,” Tazer said as he raised his head as well. “They are accompanied by a dragon, one that goes by the name of Spike.”
“Hmm...” The Master looked up for a few moments, and then back down to the two before him. “Tell me more about this dragon then.”
“According to what we learned from the ponies, he is the assistant to a pony by the name of Twilight Sparkle, and-”
“Twilight Sparkle!?” The master blurted out suddenly. “Kala chruntz...That is the Whasd'Irilen, the Element of Magic! Muul... wait, Is this pony a lavender unicorn mare with a cutie mark that looks like a purple and pink star?”
“Actually, yes, that's exactly what she looks like,” Shuske spoke up, a bit surprised at the Master's ability to describe the pony.
“Then there is little doubt... I have seen this mare myself; I watched from a distance as she and her friends returned returned Nether'Bwala, the Spirit of Chaos, to his stone prison.”
“Master...” Tazer spoke up. “If I may, what is the significance with Discord and The Powers of Balance?”
“Ah... that, my young student, is a booch und gry osdolo, tale for another time. For now, let us focus on the task at hand...” The upper right half of the master's cloak shifted, and he then reached out one of his arms to bring out a large, old book and held it in front of the two. “Take this tome, and bring it to the Whasd'Irilen, Twilight Sparkle.” The two took the book from his claws as he continued. “Vok kalee... tell her about your quest to find the diamonds, and how the Elements of Harmony, Rethen'Irilen, are needed to avert a major crisis...”
“Yes, Master.” Shuske said as he looked down at the book that he and Tazer both had a hold on.
“And what of the dragon Spike, Master?” Tazer asked.
“He is the one, I have no doubt about it. Ensure he joins the element bearers on the quest, and make sure he comes in contact with each diamond at least once during your travels... do you understand?”
“Yes, Master,” They both said in unison.
“Zu mith rhodo... one more thing,” The master said as he stared at each one of them intensely. “In order for the diamonds to be lingan, active... either the Elements or that dragon must touch it first. Once they have touched it, then you can handle it yourself. And remember...” He leaned his head forward, bringing it out of the shade, parts of his face becoming visible, and his eyes momentarily turning to a shade of red. “Do not fail laka viscer... this mission. Use whatever means necessary to achieve your goal, or neither of you will escape the coming shadow... Tre-buneth, do I make myself clear?”
“Yes master,” they both replied, visibly shaking as their eyes were wide with fear.
Their master stared at them for a few more moments, his featureless gaze seeming to stare straight into their souls. But after a few moments he turned away as several ragged coughs escaped from his body.
"Master," Shuske began, "Are you-"
"Kovo!" their master snapped, his eyes snapping back to them. "Silence! It is merely the essence of this world tearing away at my form again... I need to go recover."
"Yes, master," Shuske replied softly.
It turned away again, coughing a few more times as it cursed under its breath. "Gaza'doochin... Jhink." With that, the shrouded body jumped back up into the trees, disappearing into the branches.
Shuske and Tazer turned to each other, a nervous look in both their eyes. Shuske then proceeded to take the book and place it under his shoulder as he flapped his wings to get into a hover.
“Let's get going then,” Tazer said as he looked at the book, and then back at the town.
“Yeah, we got a long road ahead of us. I just hope we don't run into too much trouble.”
“Don't worry. The master will watch over us and help if we really need it... the only thing that worries me is Spike...”
-~-
Zecora cantered through the forest at a steady pace, her wicker bags filled with berries on both sides. She had a content smile on her face, pleased that she had gathered so much in such a short amount of time. With the sun still relatively high in the sky and enough berries to last her past dinner, Zecora began to contemplate going out again to gather ingredients for a new potion she had been reading about.
A noise was heard and she stopped, recognizing it as the sound of something falling to the ground. She stood still, listening closely to her surroundings before she heard another noise, able to pinpoint its source to be just beyond a small line of bushes. Curious, but weary that it might be a dangerous creature, Zecora slowly and quietly poked her head through the bushes, being careful not to make too much noise.
Hey eyes widened as they fell upon a figure covered in a shroud. It was large, about the size of an adult griffon, and the cloth surrounding it was old and tattered, bearing little color other than what had come in contact with it as it traveled through the forest. What startled Zecora the most was its eyes; she could see into the darkness covering the head and at the glowing yellow orbs. It seemed to look around momentarily, as if making sure nothing was watching it before it let out a deep sigh. It then began coughing, gagging even as something seemed to be tearing away at its lungs. A cacophony of bodily sounds escaped from it as the shrouded figure nearly collapsed to the ground in what could only be discerned as pain. The zebra was about to reveal herself and offer her assistance, but what she saw next quickly changed her mind.
Zecora continued to watch, her face shifting to a look of horror as she watched what she thought was a griffon change. A dark purple mist had begun to seep out from under the cloak, pouring straight out from the exterior of the being itself as if there were a billion tiny pores all over its body. The mist oozed out and covered it and most of the cloth, but the eyes were still shining through the darkness. Though no parts of the body could be seen, Zecora could make out that mist was changing its shape as it fell away, revealing that whatever was under it was changing form.
The area where its arms was grew, and its face seemed to get longer and wider. The body also enlarged, as did its limbs and its feet. She could not make out any of the main body out from the mist still, but she was able to see a couple sets of tentacles begin to dangle around where the arms were, as well as some sort of distorted jaw up at the face. All the while the creature seemed to groan like it was doing some sort of heavy lifting.
The area around the creature grew unnaturally dark, as if the mist it produced was absorbing the light around it. The grass in the immediate vicinity of the creature turned brown and then to a black charcoal color in a matter of seconds. The air was ghastly; it smelled like something that had been dead for years, mixed with with a heavy charred odor like the same thing that had died was smoldering. Little wisps of the mist reached Zecora and seemed to drain the light around her and the life from the bushes that concealed her slowly.
What she saw next almost made her blow her cover. The figure took off its cloak, revealing its true identity. Zecora could not look any longer, unable to gaze upon such a horrific scene. She quickly pulled back and ran in the opposite direction, quietly and carefully at first, but then as fast as she could as she gained distance. She needed to get home, she needed to get to safety and wait for this thing to pass.
If she was lucky, she thought of how she would be able to get to Ponyville later to tell the ponies of what she had just seen, hopeful that they would know what it was. She sincerely hoped they knew, for a creature of such composition was nothing like she had ever even heard of in the wildest tales from her homeland.
She reached her home and slammed the door behind her. She then set the berries down and turned off all the lights and closed all the windows except for one. The one window was left cracked as she peeked out of it, her body shaking as she kept watching for the creature, hoping it didn't follow her. She could still feel its presence, the mist that radiated from its body. There weren't many things that spooked Zecora too much, but what she witnessed had her bones chilled and her heart feeling like it was about to burst from it beating so hard.
She waited there for a while, still looking around for the creature from her window. Whatever it was that she saw, it must not have noticed her, and by then, was probably gone.
