Fate's Substitute

Chapters

Chapter 0: Prologue
[Original] Abducted
[Original] Slim Chance
[Original] Keep Calm
[Original] Run
[Original] Iron and Ice

Chapter 0: Prologue

Snowflakes sparkled within the golden, lying light; dancing unmolested through the heatless glare. A foal could be forgiven for thinking that the brilliant orb looming above was the Sun in all her glory; but the light was anemic, unable to ward away the bone-grinding cold.

The blizzard-hardened Elk, long praised by the northern races for their stalwart courage and tenacity, had blanched and balked at the request to guide her expedition. Their elders cited ancient prophecies from decaying scrolls, ranting and raving about the end of time. To them, the Expanse was an abominable graveyard best left alone, a blight that would one day spread to consume the world.

One look at the fabled snowfields and she had found it hard to disagree.

For as far as her light could reach, and farther still into the surrounding abyss; the land was barren. Nothing stood in the way of the howling polar winds and the skies remained eternally dark, having long forgotten the embrace of the true Sun. Even the stars were nearly invisible in the frigid heavens; muted by a cold, palpable hate that shunned their distant light.

Celestia the Radiant, Diarch of Equestria and the Immortal Avatar of the Sun, buried her head within her billowing mane; taking long, deep breaths to warm her frost-blackened muzzle. She shivered as she stamped her hooves upon the ice-entombed land, desperately trying to get the blood flowing back into her numb limbs.

‘Even the demons of Tartarus aren’t as cruel as this.’ She groaned to herself, arching her stiff back to adjust her heavy armor. The ancient, intricately engraved silvery metal just wasn’t designed with the blistering cold in mind; and though she wouldn’t have trusted any other set of armor for this trek, she truly wished that Starswirl had had the foresight to add a warming charm or two in addition to the composite shield arrays.

Her ears flicked at the distinctive clatter of armor striking ice. Sub-captain Millfoil was a burly green earth pony, one of the strongest in her personal guard and a braggart when he wanted to be; it should have been a shock to see him staggering back to his hooves, a trail of dark blood frozen to his nose from the fall… but over the last few weeks such things had become a regular sight.

“Captain,” she began as she trotted over, her brow furrowed with worry, “Perhaps you should…” she was going to suggest he return to the gateway, he was due for rotation anyways; but the stubborn stallion puffed out his chest, and quickened his step before she could make it an order.

“Just tripped over a pebble is all, your Highness.” He smiled back at her, chuckling to hide a strained cough.

Her ears drooped and she bit her lower lip in worry. Her ponies were all like that, willing to push themselves to the limit; and if she even hinted, proud to go beyond. She made a mental note to talk to her commanders about the potential cost of pride.

Five whole battalions, each with a thousand guards apiece stretched over ten miles of search-line; and slowly but surely more of her ponies were falling to the waste, one after another, after another. The baleful glare of white medical beacons had become far too commonplace, not even warranting a glance anymore.

She thanked Luna’s stars that none had been truly lost, but she knew it was only a matter of time. If the cause had not been so dire she would have never subjected her ponies to this.

With a tired flick of her horn the false-Sun winked out of existence, plunging the trudging guards back into the abysmal darkness. All along the line, lights of every color bathed the snowfield in their glow as her unicorns lit their horns. It was beautiful in its way, but after three weeks of watching the pain on her ponies faces, she doubted they would ever look at Hearth’s Warming lights the same way.

She sighed, the throbbing under her horn started to dwindle after releasing the pseudo-Sun, “Half an hour, then I’ll relight the Guide.” It was a strain to keep that much raw magic so high in the sky, but the pain was worth every second if it gave her ponies even a shred of hope.

Millfoil winced as he subconsciously scratched at his nose before giving her a quick bow, “Of course, Princess.”

Celestia closed her eyes and kept her aching legs moving, trailing her vanguard by the sound of their hooves. Her mind wandered to warm memories: reading the fiction of Hearth’s Warming to little Twilight as they curled up by a fire; bickering with Luna over who could stay under their mother’s wings the longest; the look on her niece’s face at their true wedding. She couldn’t help but smile as she quietly relived those moments, her memories crystal clear thanks to Discord’s “gift”.

“Oh… Oh, no.”

Her eyes snapped open at the dread in one of her pony’s voices, her breath hitched in her throat. Far off into the darkness, nearly below the horizon, a mote of light pierced the eternal night before rocketing high into the sky. At the top of its arc the light exploded into a giant, red flare that for a just a second rivaled her false-Sun in brilliance.

Celestia’s eyes widened and a deep dread settled in her gut. It wasn’t a medical beacon…

Frozen tendons screeched for her to yield as she opened her wings to take flight; but their pleas were ignored as she swiftly launched into the air, moving as fast as she dared without dipping into her reservoir of magic.

A trio of red flares arced into the sky, and more were popping up each second as the unicorn guards winked their units to the scene. For miles around, the snows of the Expanse flickered in the ominous red glow as if they had somehow caught fire. Snowflakes swirled like embers racing around a blaze.

Her five Astral Guards slid seamlessly into formation around her as they raced toward the epicenter; constantly shifting their gaze to watch every angle of the sky. These steel armored pegasi weren’t the golden honor guards that dogged her every step back home. These were the ponies that she entrusted with her life, the best Magebreakers Equestria had to offer. Even more importantly on a trek like this, they were her friends.

With an energy conserving glide they descended toward the flare. She watched with intense pride as her officers on the ground quickly cajoled the rank and file into proper battle lines, circling the site. It was always better to be prepared, especially when dealing with him.

Her blood slowly curdled in her veins as the center of the formation came into view. A few of her high-ranking officers were arrayed around a pony-shaped silhouette sprawled out on its side in the snow. She was tempted to save time and alter her course to land within the circle, but not a single guard had approached closer to the silhouette than a stone’s throw. They formed a rough circle around it, and even from this distance she could make out the glowing outlines of interlocking shields that her unicorns had cast.

Her teeth threatened to chatter as the wind’s icy talons clawed at the gaps in her armor. She wanted nothing more than to curl up and forget everything that had happened and anything that might, but she forced herself to stop shivering as she backwinged toward the edge of the circle.

Celestia landed with grace, standing tall and proud for her ponies. She activated the hundreds of enchantments in her armor, and strode confidently into the circle; her stomach churning with dread. “What happened here? Who lit the beacon?” her calm voice cut through the building tension.

“I-I did, your Highness.” A tall, guard-white unicorn with trails of ice running down his cheeks, bowed low. She recognized him as Private Surehoof, a normally happy-go-lucky unicorn with a talent for silversmithing. “I sent for help after she… after L-Lemie…” he stuttered, his mouth flapping as he tried to find the words.

Celestia bowed her head and gently wrapped a wing over the distraught unicorn, giving him a few seconds to regain his senses, “I w-would have helped her, I WANTED to save her. But… but… see for yourself.” He pointed a shaking hoof at the dark silhouette without looking at the body himself. He gulped and voice lowered to a whisper “Lemi screamed the entire time… Whatever you do, don’t… don’t get too close.”

She nodded her head and squeezed him gently against her side, quietly bidding a medic to lead him back to the gateway.

Celestia the Radiant strode forward, careful to keep herself from shivering while her ponies watched. She remembered Private Lemongrass, just like she remembered every pony she had ever met. The fragile, canary-yellow pegasus had joined the Guard to help fund her future, like so many others. The mare’s special talent was cooking exotic, far-east cuisine, not acting as a scout in the field. She was just an Auxiliary, trained for the guard but kept in reserve to be deployed for emergencies only.

Her ears drooped as she approached the body. Losing a guard was always difficult, but the death of one whose special talent was in some other field always felt hollow. If only one of her Regulars had been in the private’s place, maybe nopony would have died.

Celestia inched closer to the unicorn shields to get a better look, wary of getting too close. Lemongrass’ flesh had been perfectly crystallized; preserving every detail of the willowy pegasus, everything but her color. The crystals varied in hue from light brown to the blackest of black, seeming to siphon off what little light there was. The petrified scream on the mare’s face was enough to make Celestia cringe.

Squinting, she noticed something that made her skin crawl. A small, jagged shard of black crystal jutted up from the ice just beneath the mare. She leaned in closer to the shield to get a better look, but she stumbled back with a startled yelp when one of the mare’s legs exploded, scattering small shards of the dark crystal against the shields.

“PRINCESS!” one of the unicorns yelled as he galloped toward her.

“I’m alright, stay where you are!” she held a hoof out to stop Lieutenant Clearsight from getting any closer. With as much grace as she could muster, she brushed the ice off her armor and stood. A gentle tap to her shoulder was all she needed to know that her Astral Guards were at her back, and not for the first time she was relieved to have their support.

Golden light swirled around her horn as the dome of a shield encapsulated the remains of the pegasus. There was no way she was going to have anypony risk this trap again. Turning to address her ponies, her voice boomed over the icy waste, “My little ponies, it’s time to return to the Gateway. You’ve all done a superb job in one of the toughest environments we know, but now it’s time to end this insufferable march. It’s time to go Home.”

Stomping and hollers of delight could be heard from the guards farthest from the circle, but those close by quickly backpedaled from the scene, anxious to leave before something worse happened. Her officers quickly rounded up their forces, packing them as close together so that their unicorns could easily wink them back to the gateway. Celestia listened as the last groups teleported out, never taking her eyes off of Lemongrass.

“That means you too,” her voice was soft and weary as she addressed the steel-clad guards beside her.

Peacelilly, the group’s leader for the month hummed in thought before smiling “Nope, not gonna happen Celi, we’re not leaving you alone up here… orders or no.”

“Stupid…” Celestia barked a laugh and shook her head, catching Lilly’s smirk out of the corner of her eye. “Thank you.”

One hoof after the other, Celestia advanced upon the remains of her guard as she strengthened the shield. She lit her horn and simply tried to telekinetically pick Lemongrass up within the shield. Not even a unicorn foal would have trouble with this; but the crystallized body didn’t move, not even hair.

A tear froze to her cheek as she watched her magic dissipate, siphoned away by the abominable crystals. Luna’s suspicions had been right all along… the Mad King had returned.

Author's Note

After years of psychiatric treatment and a gender change of my own, I am back to writing. This story made me question myself more than a few times; and though answering those questions hurt worse than anything else I have been through, I am now much better off than ever before.

The original version of Fate’s Substitute needs to be rewritten, but I will keep the original as you see it for the time being. Thank you all for being so patient with me as I deal with my own issues.

-Crystallite

[Original] Abducted

Fate’s Substitute

Chapter 1: Abducted

I must be going mad; it’s the only plausible explanation.

Yelling, cursing, and pleading with my unseen captors has accomplished nothing! Absolutely NOTHING! Not a single answer has been forthcoming. I’m not even sure they can hear me because this crazy cell seems to absorb all sound. The walls won’t even reflect a reassuring echo when I scream for help.

The high pitched whine of my overactive tinnitus certainly wasn’t helping the situation. After hours of being imprisoned in this deathly silent cell, the phantom noise has only increased in pitch and intensity from the lack of stimulus. I’ve tried to drown it out by humming a tuneless song, but I’ve only succeeded in making myself hoarse.

The omnipresent white light; however, is much worse than the enforced silence. The all-illuminating light seems to originate from everywhere within this space, streaming in from every direction. Even if I shut my eyes and completely cover them with both hands, the light still finds a way to assault my vision.

It’s really amazing how much you miss your shadow when you’ve lost it, but maybe I’ve become Peter Pan and I just need to catch the damn thing. I must be going mad if I’m seriously starting to think that fairy tales are real, though this place certainly seems to warrant it.

During the first few hours of my stay, I threw everything I had into trying to break out. All of my strength and ingenuity meant diddly-squat to the impenetrable walls, which easily absorbed blow after rage filled blow. The scary part was that I hadn’t hurt myself in the exchange, not a single scratch or bruise marred my skin. In the darkest recesses of my psyche, I’ve begun to worry that the final option of suicide is not available here; though I’m not that desperate… yet.

As the hours slowly tick by, I’ve come to realize that it’s impossible to escape on my own. Like a dog in a cage I’m forced to sit and wait, there’s no other choice. I violently pounded my fist against the floor and stood up, struggling to drive away the feelings of hopelessness.

I need something to do, anything to keep my mind off it all.

I hastily work my hands over my business suit, trying in vain to smooth out the wrinkles born from my struggles. If this is hell and I’m to meet my maker, I figure I should at least look somewhat presentable. I frowned and shied away from the walls as I cautiously eyed the others also smoothing out their own suits, mimicking my every move.

Since the beginning of this ordeal, I haven’t been entirely alone… or maybe I have. My ‘companions’ are the six portly gentlemen who’ve been silently watching from the walls, ceiling, and floor of this crazy cell. Slightly balding with a tinge of grey and all sporting identical navy blue business suits, they look like investment brokers who belonged on Wall Street. I say that they look like they belong in New York because they actually do, for they’re my reflections… I think.

The walls, ceiling, and floor of this insane prison are mirrors which reflect my image, but nothing else. They don’t reflect my mangled briefcase in the corner nor do they reflect any article of clothing that I take off. The mirrors also don’t show the expected infinite regress of reflections that Science Museums love to display. They selectively reflect ONLY my image… most of the time.

Even though I suffer from acute paranoia in the real world to the point that I’m always armed, doesn’t mean that I’m wrong! Out of the corner of my eyes, I sometimes catch my reflections gloating, laughing, or winking at me. I’d react to the grinning specters by quickly pivoting my head to look, but as soon as my eyes focus on the offender he instantly reverts to a standard reflection, as if it was all just a hallucination.

It’s probably just my paranoia acting up, but I’d swear on a stack of bibles that the feeling of eyes boring into the back of my skull is real. They constantly leer at me like a lion eyes its next dinner. If I wasn’t so certain that I couldn’t be hurt in this space, I’d worry about a heart attack from the constant stress.

Originally, I thought that my incarceration was due to a clandestine government study on the psychology of isolation, but I doubt our government is really that sick… or competent. The second possibility is that I’ve been abducted by aliens and it’s only a matter of time before I’m lashed to a metal table, raped by scientific instruments, and dissected by their biologists. I guess it could also be an acid flashback, but I’ve never had one so coherent before. No, none of those options make any real sense; however, I am truly afraid of another possibility.

My father was a zealous, firebrand preacher and used to preach that fire and brimstone awaited my brothers and I if we didn’t lead a godly life. My father was so proud when my two older brothers joined the clergy, but he never truly accepted my profession. I’ve long been resigned to the annual Christmas Dinner Sermon where he always questions my morality and warns of my impending torture at the hands of Satan. Maybe he’s right.

It might be the years of sermons or the fact that I’ve got no other solid ideas, but I’m fairly sure that I died on my way to work and this is my personal hell. It would at least explain why I couldn’t hurt myself and the instant dislocation of how I got here. I must have been hit by a truck or something fell and crushed me, because one second I was walking down the sidewalk in a crowd of pedestrians and the next I was in this wretched cell.

An eternity of silence and being laughed or leered at is probably one of the worst punishments imaginable. I haven’t led a selfless or truly charitable life, but I don’t think I’ve done enough wrong to actually deserve a trip to hell.

“Please let me be in an asylum, and they’ve just forgotten to give me my meds,” I plead while covering my eyes with my hands, trying to hide from my mocking reflections.

I’m far past the point of frustration, rage and fury fester within a hollow core of hate at the very center of my being. Every attempt to escape this mirror-walled nightmare has failed miserably, forcing me to sit idle and wait. Am I to spend all of eternity alone in this bright and silent nightmare? Is there nothing I can do?

I was startled out of my seething anger by the realization that my hands were wet. Looking down at the offending appendages, I could tell that I’d hit rock bottom. I was crying, blubbering even. Aaron Dority Medders; Vice President of the Samson and Lawrence Brokarage, one of the hated “one percent;” was crying like a damn fool. Only a few hours of torment and I’d completely lost it…

‘I give up… There’s nothing I can do to escape…’ I moaned to myself, so tired of the madness. ‘But, there is one last possibility…’

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I stood up and straightened my business suit again. With an aura of determination I didn’t know I had left, I marched over to the mangled remains of my briefcase and started searching. Partially hidden by a torn contract, a glint of metal morbidly lured me forward.

Hours before, I had succumbed to a fit of rage. I kicked my designer briefcase across the room and violently tore it apart, but I gave into a false sense of hope when my engraved Colt .45 revolver fell out of the case. Laughing manically, I aimed the revolver at the head of one of my reflections and rapidly fired off three rounds. I was absolutely sure that the kinetic force would release me from my prison, but the mirror refused to break and the reflection’s grin remained unscathed.

The mad hope that I held was dashed upon the impenetrable mirror, but I wasn’t ready to give up. My addled mind was convinced that if I just got closer, I could do some damage. I leveled the revolver at my reflection, the muzzle flush with the mirror, and fired off two rounds into my observer. The gun had bucked in my hand and the bullets left the chamber, but nothing happened. The mirror stood impregnable as always, and in another mockery of physics there wasn’t a ricochet either.

I was devastated. I had wasted five out of six shots, leaving just one left…

Back in the present I opened the revolver’s action and rotated the cylinder so that the unspent bullet lined up with the barrel. I had been saving that round for vengeance, but now it was my only salvation. I had to break out of here, one way or another.

Taking a moment to survey this crazy cell, I couldn’t help but curse at my reflection a final time. I still wasn’t sure this was going to work, what with the insane physics and what not, but it was worth a try.

“Linda… I’m sorry,” I quietly called out to my wife, hoping beyond hope that she might one day forgive me.

Taking a deep breath, I placed the muzzle flush against my temple. I waited for a second to see if my captors would try to stop me, but my reflections only mimicked my act of desperation.

“FUCK YOU!” I spat out as my rage returned and pulled the trigger. My last thought as the hammer came down was that I hoped I made a hell of a mess for them to clean.

But… I made a mistake.

My heart hammered in my chest and I broke out in a clammy sweat, evidence that I was still alive. I had heard the click of the hammer striking the pin, but nothing else happened. Taking the gun away from my head, I quickly broke the action and checked the cylinder. The unspent bullet was still there, but was now one spot to the left of the barrel.

“GOD DAMNIT! How could I be so FUCKING STUPID?” I exclaimed in disbelief. “Double-action revolvers always cycle the cylinder when you pull the trigger, not after the shot like a pistol…”

The damn hammer had hit a spent casing, and now I’d have to work up my courage again for another try. I opened the action to place the cartridge in the CORRECT location this time and closed the gun.

‘Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,’ I thought to myself as I hesitantly aimed the muzzle at my temple again.

My interior debate on whether to pull the trigger was thankfully cut short by a deep, gravely voice. “Hah! That was very entertaining, my little human. Your idiocy would serve you well as a court jester or perhaps as one of the Three Stooges,” his laugh boomed in the cell from no discernible direction.

My reflections disappeared and were instantly replaced with monstrous eyes that took up the entirety of each wall. The irises were blood red while the whites of the eyes had turned a sickly bright green color. The cat-like pupils followed me as I paced around the cell in a panic, my revolver at the ready in my hand.

“Who’s there?” I ask in a mixture of anger and bewilderment. The last thing I expected was for my warden to make himself known after all this time, and in such a spectacular fashion. “Do you have ANY idea of what you’ve just put me through? I’M GONNA SUE YOUR ASS!” my anger got the best of me.

The voice laughed heartily at my tantrum, probably seeing me as nothing more than a spoiled child, “Heh. Calm yourself human, or would you prefer to spend some more time in this cell?” His voice grew darker, “We could do an experiment if you prefer… I’d love to know how long your sense of self would survive if I left you to rot.”

“Wha… What do you want from me?” I managed to stammer out as my anger turned to terror at the threat of being left behind.

He chuckled darkly, “That my dear, is something I’ve already received.” The eyes winked out of existence and a plain, wooden door appeared on the wall I was facing. “Come. Let’s discuss your fate in a more… comfortable setting.” And with that the voice was gone.

It took a couple of minutes to work up the courage to move. The cell was horrifying in its ability to psychologically torture me, but at least it was a known quantity. The wooden door; however, lead to the unknown, a place where I might be physically tortured or worse. I mentally struggled with my fears for a minute before my emotions took a very dark turn and made the decision for me.

My anger, previously muted by the hopelessness of the inescapable prison, had returned in force. All the rage and hate from being abducted, ignored, and psychologically tortured, possessed my heart. I silently swore vengeance upon my captor, and I had exactly one bullet to do it with. I quickly pocketed the revolver and trudged toward the door, my fury somewhat blocking my fear of the unknown.

As I neared the exit, the entire door was engulfed by a translucent black fog and opened by itself. Peering inside, I witnessed a completely new hell that defied the senses. The doorframe enclosed a roiling haze of thick black fog, accented by random flashes of green lightning. The portal was terrifying, but I argued that anything was better than remaining in my cell.

My hand shook as I nervously prodded the churning mist with a finger, trying to physically gauge how much of a risk it was. As soon as my finger made contact; however, the boiling fog reached out for me. Dark tendrils of smoke shot out of the doorway and deftly wrapped themselves around me, suffocating me in the thick haze.

As soon as the solid fog had a firm grip on me, whatever hell beast that lived on the other side of the doorway slowly dragged me forward. I dug my heels into the floor and cried out in terror as I fought the haze as hard as I could. My progression slowed a tad due to my struggles, but the monster that commanded the haze picked me up off the ground like a rag doll and threw me through the doorway.

The transition was almost instantaneous and I was able to land on the other side without stumbling too badly. The room that greeted me was so much different than my cell that it took a moment to take it all in.

Gone were the dreaded mirrors, and in their place stood the rich maroon coloration of stained mahogany paneling. The room was at least three to four times larger than my prison, and was richly decorated with a large four poster bed, dark red leather sofas and arm chairs, and a few intricate tapestries on the walls. My nose indulged in the flavorful smoke of cedar crackling away in the large fireplace, casting long shadows that flickered across the entire room.

A magnificent oil painting, depicting the military conquest and destruction of a medieval city, hung over the mantle of the gigantic fireplace. Many of my lawyer friends had similar paintings hanging in their offices as physical expressions of their ‘power’, but this painting was odd. It depicted an armored grey horse, triumphantly standing over the ruins of a city that looked very similar to the Emerald City in the Wizard of OZ. Bloodied bodies were strewn all over the landscape, but none of them were men.

The room was dimly lit by a few lamps and the fireplace, seeming to embrace a subtle darkness that I could only find comforting after the confines of the bright room. The room stunk to high heaven of old money, reminding me of the gentlemen’s club that some of my partners and I belong to.

I actually felt myself beginning to relax in the rather familiar setting as my anger abated slightly, until I remembered how I’d been brought there. I jumped back a bit when I noticed the pair of red and green glowing eyes, glaring at me from a sofa by the fireplace.

His name for me ‘human’ made sense now, seeing that he wasn’t one at all.

The creature’s coat was a dark grey while his mane and tail were black as midnight. Mane seems to be the right word since my captor looks to be closer in relation to a horse than to anything else. It takes a moment to notice the odd protrusion on his head, though. A single red horn jutted out of the middle of his forehead, apparently marking him as a unicorn. I realized rather late that the painting above the fireplace was in fact of him, though he was now wearing a burgundy bath robe instead of armor.

A drug induced nightmare seems all more likely now…

His eyes bore into mine with a ferocity that I’d never encountered before, far far worse than any irate billionaire I’d ever dealt with. His fiery gaze drilled through my soul, battering down any mental defenses I had erected to hide my fear. I quickly averted my eyes, unable to hold my own against his stare.

After a few more seconds of intense scrutiny, his lips contorted into a smirk as the bright green of his eyes faded to a more normal white. “Welcome to my humble abode, human,” he said with a chuckle. “With the amount of time you’ve spent in your crystal, I suspect that you’re rather thirsty. Let no one claim that I’m not a gracious host,” his horn was enveloped by the dark fog from before.

Working up my nerves to stutter out a question, I was interrupted when the back of my neck was assaulted by something very wet and cold. I jumped with a bit of a shriek as I turned to see a glass of water impossibly floating next to my head, surrounded by the now familiar dark fog.

The glass hung weightlessly in the air for a few seconds before I tentatively reached out and grabbed it. The black mist faded and the weight of the item suddenly returned. My thirst overwhelmed my caution as I quickly downed the water, quenching my thirst. He didn’t turn his head, but I could feel his presence studying my every move.

An uncomfortable silence took hold after I set the empty glass down. He seemed to be waiting for me to say something, but nothing came to my mind. I was absolutely terrified and though I was hydrated, my mouth felt like it was filled with cotton balls.

He turned back to the fire and enveloped his horn in the black mist once again. While he was distracted by whatever he was doing, I took a chance to fumble around in my pocket and get a firm grip on my revolver. One lucky shot was all I needed, one shot and I could just go home…

A somewhat forceful cough caught my attention as my captor pointed to a newly set carpet next to him with one of his fore-hooves, obviously commanding me to sit. I hesitantly took a step forward but stopped, very much afraid to get any closer to this freaky equine. His impassive face scrunched into a bitter scowl as he violently thrust his hoof at the offered rug.

I hung my head a bit and quickly took the offered seat, careful to keep my right hand on the gun and in my pocket. My knees cracked and complained from sitting on the floor for the first time since college.

If we were both standing side by side I’d be at least two feet taller than this miniature horse, but he towered over me as he sat on his couch. He looked down at me and his stern visage softened a bit, his lips curling into a predatory smile, “Your politicians are such a boor, wouldn’t you agree?” his horn glowed as he summoned a TV, cleverly hidden behind his portrait.

The television was split into four quadrants, each displaying a 24hour news show. I noticed a floating remote off to his side as he un-muted the sound, causing a cacophony of reporting to assault my ears. There were too many overlapping sounds to make any sense, but all four programs were focused on the most recent North Korean threat. He muted the sound again and looked back to gauge my reaction.

“They all seem to have tiny minds harboring little creativity, easily manipulated with simple things like money. No backbone at all really,” he waved a dismissive hoof. “They play god and lord over others like they themselves actually matter.” His visage darkened a bit, the fire danced within his eyes, “They wouldn’t know a god if one appeared right in front of them.”

“What is it you want from me?” I asked shakily, tightening my grip on the revolver.

“What do I want?” he turned away as a malicious smile crept across his face. His dark chuckle evolved into a full blown evil laugh, spanning multiple octaves.

I slowly pulled the gun out of my pocket, making sure to keep it out of sight. His maniacal laughter reverberated across the room, hopefully muffling the loud metallic click of the hammer cocking.

His head suddenly shot toward me, stopping only an inch away from my face. His eyes glowed a baleful red and green while wisps of a purple mist formed at the sides of his eyes. He growled as he moved even closer, the fur of his muzzle scraping against the tip of my nose. “I am King Sombra, rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire. What could you possibly give me when I’ve already taken everything?”

Author's Note

Thanks for reading my first foray into fiction! Comments and critique are always welcome. I’ll try to get the next installment out in a couple of days.

Crystallite

[Original] Slim Chance

Fate’s Substitute
Chapter 2: Slim Chance

“What could you possibly give me when I’ve already taken everything?” the force of his shout was unnaturally strong, sending the sparse hair of my comb-over flying backwards. The room physically darkened and the temperature dropped a few degrees under his fierce scrutiny. His question wasn’t meant to be rhetorical; but when it became clear that I was too terrified to speak, he rolled his eyes and snorted in contempt.

Lord Sombrero let his scowl falter a bit as he closely examined my body, feigning disinterest in what he saw. He prodded my pudgy stomach with a hoof and closely inspected my hands. Even though I was scared out of my mind, I couldn’t help but snigger when he retched after taking a deep whiff of my armpit. A sharp growl by my ear was enough to shut me up.

He backed off after a few minutes of further investigation and licked his viciously sharp fangs. The fire in his eyes dulled a tad as he eyed me with a very hungry look. My eyes bulged and my muscles seized up as I finally came to the realization that this mythic equine was a fucking carnivore. He was only poking and prodding me to figure out how to best go about the task of butchering me!

Outright panic turned to fuming indignation as I locked eyes with the glowering monster. There was no way in hell I’d go quietly to the broiler. I forced myself to stay perfectly still, not wanting to raise any suspicion. I would only need one clean shot…

The devil’s salivating mouth was less than an inch away as I sat on the floor to the right of his couch, not exactly the best shooting position. His freaky telekinetic superpowers would easily stop me the instant he saw my gun, so I would need a momentary distraction.

Summoning all the strength I could muster, I lashed out and backhanded the beast with my left fist. His skull was as hard as granite and pain radiated through my hand, but the force of the blow was enough to turn his head to the side. Using the momentum from the hit, I fell onto my back and raised the gun in my right hand, taking aim at the abomination.

He recovered easily from the blow and slowly pivoted his head to face me, a dark and evil laugh rumbled forth like distant thunder heralding a storm. By the time his glaring focus had fully returned, my back was well supported by the floor and both hands steadied the revolver. My thoughts had never been so clear and the adrenalin coursing through my veins seemed to slow down time. He was only a foot away from the muzzle as I aimed right between his eyes and pulled the trigger.

He realized the danger all too late. His momentary look of confusion was quickly replaced by a truly malicious grin as the hammer rammed home. The colt kicked painfully in my hands and erupted in a blaze of incandescent fury, far more powerful than I remembered.

The evil beast tried to move his head at the last second, but the attempt was too little too late. The round struck him squarely in his large left eye with a thousand foot-pounds of force, snapping his head hard to my right. I smiled like a kid in a candy store as I watched the unicorn’s body crumple against the sofa.

‘I can’t believe that worked! No more psychological torture and no date with a meat cleaver!’ I thought, astonished that an eldritch monster such as he could be killed so easily.

“Hurray, hurray, the foul beast was slain!” I cheered and laughed to the empty room. My back complained as I stood up, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying a small victory jig.

With an ear-to-ear smile, I took a few seconds to admire the painting above the fireplace. I wondered if he ever considered a future like this; the powerful and despotic conqueror who vanquished an entire city, falling prey to a three dollar bullet? I chuckled as I briefly considered commissioning a similar painting for my own office, memorializing the slaying of this mythic beast.

I took another look around and realized something rather disturbing; the room, the painting, the furniture… this unicorn definitely liked to live large. So where were the servants and sycophants that would have heard the very loud gunshot? Where were the zealous followers, hell bent on avenging his death? It was just so oddly quiet. I gave up musing over my good fortune and focused on the biggest mystery of all.

How the hell was he able to do all of that? Was it due to some piece of advanced alien technology or was it simply the manipulation of a fundamental force we haven’t scientifically encountered yet? Surely he would have some kind of clue to the mystery on his body.

‘Maybe I should saw off his horn and see what’s inside… It would be a nice trophy at the very least.’ I callously considered, looking to further sate my desire for vengeance.

I stepped closer to the beast, his wound still hidden from view. Crouching down I lay my hand on the back of his neck and pulled his head toward me. I didn’t get a good feel for it when I backhanded him, but his fur was truly amazing. It was softer than a kitten’s fuzz and the long hair of his mane felt like fine silk, caressing my hands as I pat it. I shook my head and mentally berated myself for wanting to hug the soft and cuddly dead psychopath.

Continuing with my inspection, I could see that a plumb sized hole had been blown right through his left eye. The wound had apparently cauterized since there wasn’t any blood oozing from the hole. I leaned even closer to get a better look at the mortal wound, but I froze in place when I felt his neck muscles tense up under my hand.

Staggering backwards, I nearly tripped over a low coffee table as I shakily aimed the empty gun at what had been a corpse. Its chest rose and fell in shallow, deliberate gasps as the zombie struggled back from the grave. A low groan rumbled out as it gradually picked its head up and turned to study me, its left eye seething with the dark mist as green and purple lightning arced within. For a mortal wound, it was healing up ridiculously fast.

“You know… That hurt,” his deep, harmonic voice reverberated throughout the room with a note of amusement.

‘He can use a force tantamount to magic, speak without moving his mouth… and survive a bullet to the head,’ that was the straw which broke the camel’s back.

I couldn’t tell whether the sound of breaking glass came from the vase I knocked over or the shattering of my fragile sanity, but either way I knew I had to flee. I threw the empty gun at the unicorn and bolted for the other side of the room, desperately looking for a door or a window to escape. I briefly considered the chimney, but the fire was still roaring and I didn’t want to help him by cooking his dinner.

The gun sailed high over Sombrero’s head, completely missing its target. The beast’s chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh as he watched my panicked antics from the comfort of his sofa, his left eye having completely healed. Sporting a broad smile, he covered his eyes with a fore-leg and slowly started counting backwards from ten, trying and failing to stifle a low pitched giggle.

I was running out of breath and my endurance was flagging, there were no doors or windows in this funhouse. As the monster hit the 5 second mark, I settled for hiding behind the four poster bed in the corner of the room.

‘This is so stupid,’ I chided myself, ‘he clearly wants to play a sadistic form of hide and seek. I should just go over there and…’

“3… 2… 1 Ready or not, here I come!”

I calmed my shivering as best I could and cautiously poked an eye around the corner of the bed. Not in any great hurry, the abomination stood up and casually made his way off the couch. He growled happily as he stretched out his muscles and cracked his long neck. A sick grin was plastered to his face.

“Oh where, oh where, has my little mare gone?” he sang as he casually looked behind his sofa.

“Oh where, oh where, could she be?” closer this time, I could see his head dip down to nonchalantly look beneath a coffee table.

“With her sexy plot.” His grin grew wider.

“And her tail held high.” He sang in his harmonic voice as I lost track of him.

“Oh where, oh where, could she… be?” his voice was suddenly far too close, moist breath warmed the back of my neck.

‘Shit! He wasn’t planning on eating me… he was… he IS…’

Run, I had to run! I had to make a last ditch effort to get out before…. Even the fire looked appealing, just so long that it was away from this crazy devil. I got as far as a crouch before the familiar black mist engulfed my body and easily lifted me into the air. I struggled furiously in his telekinetic grip as he carried me back to the rug in front of the fireplace. He set me down on my feet as he climbed back onto his couch, but he didn’t release his hold on me.

“Just to be clear,” the black fog exerted immense pressure from above, forcing me to kneel before the creature. “My name is Sombra, not Sombrero. I am the shadow, not some wide brimmed hat!” his tone was low and his demeanor calm, but the fire was back in his eyes as he telekinetically pulled me face to face. “You would do well to remember that, Umbra.”

My body slumped in his firm telekinetic grip, the hours of fear and exertion finally catching up to me. It was nearly impossible to keep fighting when this mad horse had some crazy, ‘magical’ solution to every single thing I tried. Thankfully, he relaxed his telekinetic hold and allowed me to sit more comfortably, the field still surrounding me as he made sure that I wouldn’t run again.

“Wh-What…” I was finally able to work up the nerve to stammer out a question, but his horn flashed and a piece of sheet metal was riveted over my mouth, effectively sealing it.

“I’ve waited a long time for this,” he stared deeply into my eyes and caressed my cheek with a hoof, “A very long time. But, I’m a very patient pony and I’m willing to wait a little longer.”

He climbed off the couch and sauntered over to the fireplace, lazily poking the burning logs with his telekinesis, “When you pulled the trigger in your crystal prison, you meant to end your life… did you not?” I slowly nodded my head in the affirmative and looked down, not wanting to be reminded of my moment of weakness.

With a large smirk he returned his attention to the fire, playing with the flames as if they were putty in his telekinetic grip. “Even though you failed rather spectacularly, I received what I required. By willing yourself to die you gave up the rights to your soul, giving me far more control over your fate than otherwise possible.”

He chuckled, letting the solid flames dissolve back into the fire as he turned to look at me, “You should know that your life was never at risk in that prison. It was designed by ponies greater than myself to extract information from criminals in a… ‘humane’ fashion,” he chuckled. “Even if you had loaded your revolver correctly, the round wouldn’t have hurt you physically and I still would have gotten what I wanted.”

He trotted back over and sat down right in front of me on the floor. I was still looking at the ground when he gently placed a hoof under my chin and raised my head. He was slightly taller than me while sitting, but he craned his neck down so that our eyes were level with each other. “If I was to let you talk, I’m guessing that you would ask something along the lines of ‘What do you want from me’?” I closed my eyes and nodded yes.

“Let me answer your question this way then. Do you agree that I can basically do anything with your body, and you’re powerless to stop me?” I tried to look away, hot tears forming in my eyes. He brought his hoof back up to gently guide my gaze back to his. I nodded yes so I could just look away again.

He smiled at my affirmation. “So I have your body. I also own your soul and your hold on the threads of fate, whether you believe that or not. It’s not something you humans can sense… or most ponies for that mater.” A vicious scowl marred his face as he looked away for a second.

“Then the only thing left for me to take is your mind.” I didn’t want to look up to see his gloating face; I already knew I was a fucked. He continued, “I could easily use my magic to make you into a willing slave, but there’s little challenge to that and I know you’ll come to accept your future on your own.”

‘I’m so fucked… literally,’ I thought to myself as I continued to stare at the floor, which was slightly wetter than before.

“Whether it was true courage or just righteous indignation, I was impressed by the look in your eyes when you turned your gun on me. Because of that, I’ll give you a chance to change your fate. If you succeed, you’ll never see me again,” my eyes nervously held his steely gaze as he offered me a chance at salvation.

“If you prove to be weak minded and succumb to fear or hatred, a part of you will transform into the mare I wish you to be. You’ll be free to go home if you can go three days without completely transforming.” He levitated a necklace bearing three large gems over my head. “But, if you fully transform before the three days are up… your plot will be mine!” he licked his lips and leered at me.

“The pink gem on your left is the transformation crystal. Whenever it’s activated by a sufficient amount anger or fear, it will begin to glow brilliantly and you will feel the physical change. You only have so many transformations before you turn into a fully functional Earth Pony, so I’d make sure to keep a lid on those emotions… if you can. Your soul will also morph to fit your new body, but that will be a lot more painful than the physical transformation,” he looked a little distant as if he was affected by the thought of physical pain, but that had to have been my imagination. “When the gem turns white, the process will be complete and irreversible. Though I could use a glamour spell to make you look human at any time, you will always be an Equestrian from that point on.”

“Personally, I give you less than a day before you’re my sexy broodmare,” he said as he perked back up.

‘Shit, he wasn’t kidding…’ I could barely believe my ears. I fumed at the thought of loosing my manhood… and species for that matter.

“The clear diamond on your right is the crystal prison that you were originally trapped in. I know how attached you were to that place, so I’ll let you carry it around as a reminder that I can always send you back.”

My fists balled and I started shaking in anger, ‘I’m going to find a way to murder you, you furry, sadistic, son of a…’

White hot pain lanced through my heart and I felt a strange buzzing sensation on my lower back. I watched as the red ruby in the center of my necklace glowed just as brilliantly as the pink transformation crystal. After a few moments, the strange sensation stopped and I nervously reached back to check the area.

I had a tail… a pony’s tail to be exact. Tears fell and I choked back a sob as I grabbed the thick bundle of hair and pulled it to my front. The long hairs were black in color with light blue highlights, silky smooth to the touch. They would have been amazingly beautiful if I weren’t so freaked out that they were attached to me.

Sombra’s deep chuckle returned, “Well that didn’t take long. A fine coloration if I do say myself. It certainly fits my dark and brooding nature very well.”

My fear or another transformation grew by the second as I watched the pink gem glow brighter and brighter. The more scared I was of the gem glowing, the brighter it got. I had to end this dangerous feedback loop or I’d turn into a pony because I feared turning into a pony. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, willing myself to calm down. After a few moments I thankfully watched the glow from the transformation crystal diminish. My escape from this hell was just that simple; all I’d have to do was keep calm.

“Good, you’re learning. Though I still doubt you’ll make it more than a day.” His sadistic grin was back.

His horn glowed and the metal on my mouth disappeared. I was about to say something rather unflattering about the necklace and where he could put it, but I was rudely interrupted.

“You have one question you may ask me, so choose well. After that I’m sending you back to where I found you.”

Hundreds of possible questions fumbled around in my head. Why would you do this? What the fuck are you? What kind of pact with the devil have you made? Why isn’t there a door in this room? Are you a spy? And so on and so forth. But the one that I settled on was the most concerning to me.

“What is the red ruby in the center of the necklace for?”

The sadistic humor drained out of his eyes as they took on a cold and somber feeling, “That… you’ll have to find out on your own…” he closed his eyes and his horn was surrounded by the dark mist once again. Reality began to ripple and warp around me, but as the distortions intensified I thought I could hear Sombra say one last thing, “As will I…”

Author's Note

And the second chapter is done. The third one should be out as soon as I finish editing... which always seems to take the longest.

[Original] Keep Calm

Fate’s Substitute
Chapter 3: Keep Calm

Bright light hammered my eyes as the twisted world focused and gravity regained control. My senses were wracked by a crippling nausea that was far worse than the time I lost my lunch to a Coney Island tilt-a-whirl. I shut my eyes and slowed my breathing in a desperate attempt to stay upright.

‘That teleport was much worse than the first one Sombra used, so why was there a difference this time?’ I groaned to myself as my stomach finally calmed down, only too happy to keep the rebellious bile where it belonged.

I cautiously cracked open an eye to survey my new surroundings, but I quickly shut it again to keep from being blinded. ‘Jesus Christ it’s bright out…’ I cursed to myself, only then realizing where I’d been sent…

‘No! Please god, not again!’ I pleaded with the lately absent deity. That grey bastard had sent me right back to the crystal prison, even after he said he wouldn’t. I seriously considered just laying down to die… until my ears were met with the familiar hustle and bustle of a crowded New York City street… and the click of a nearby camera.

I quickly blinked away the bright sunlight and wiped a stray tear from my cheek. As my vision cleared, I found myself standing in front of a snot-nosed college kid sporting a fedora and exceedingly tight jeans. His cell phone was pointed right at me as I heard another click of its camera.

“Word to the wise, Pops,” the condescending kid smirked. “Rumpled business suits, gaudy fake gems, and tails were never in style,” he chuckled as he tapped his cell phone and strutted away.

‘Son of a… I might actually prefer the reflections….’ my tail flicked in annoyance.

“Hey kid, 1923 wants its hat back,” I lamely hollered as he nonchalantly waved an arm and continued on his merry way.

‘Fucking hipster… I’ll probably be the laughing stock of the internet in a few minutes.’ I fumed.

A cold sense of dread slithered down my spine as I remembered Sombra’s warning, drawing my attention to the pink transformation crystal. It had definitely reacted to my annoyance with the hipster, but luckily it wasn’t glowing too brightly. I thanked the cosmos that the threshold for transformations wasn’t set too low; otherwise I’d never make it the entire three days.

I sighed and took a deep breath to relax, especially since I should be somewhat happy. Somehow, I’d earned a chance to escape Sombra's influence and regain my old life. I wasn’t about to waste it on useless anger directed at a fashion obsessed jackass who couldn’t be bothered to mention the whole physically impossible teleportation thing.

‘Just think happy thoughts Aaron; like puppies, Ferraris, cake and whatnot,’ I forced a smile, eager to look for a more permanent solution to this mess.

I had to find a way to escape the prying eyes of the public, lest my building anxiety force another change. Behind me sat the majestic Trinity Church which stood sentry over the financial juggernaut of Wall Street. I briefly wondered whether I should talk to a priest about an exorcism, but with my luck he’d just scare me into being a pony.

‘Happy thoughts dammit…’

It was only then that I really noticed the hordes of ravenous brokers and businessmen shambling down the packed sidewalks, hunting for a restaurant to spend their scant hour-long lunch break. The beast couldn’t have picked a worse time to teleport me back, but luckily this was New York City. My instantaneous and downright odd appearance would certainly garner more than a few stares and gaping mouths, but it’s unlikely I’d be bothered… again. The weird was to be expected in this city, and then promptly ignored.

However, I was worried that my coworkers were lurking about on their own lunch breaks. If I was going to keep my job after Sombra’s three days, I’d have to keep my reputation intact. If the partners ever saw me proudly sporting a horse tail and strutting around with over a million dollars in jewels around my neck, they’d kick me to the curb as fast as possible. Image was everything in this business.

I hastily spun around and headed for the entrance to the church, hoping that God wouldn’t strike me down for bearing the grey devil’s mark. As I walked, I could feel my tail sway back and forth like a pendulum, but I really had no idea how to consciously control it. It flicked occasionally as I tried different muscle groups in my lower back, but by the time I reached the door I was no closer to controlling the unruly appendage.

The pink gem glowed maliciously as more than a few pairs of eyes gawked at the odd spectacle, luckily they kept their thoughts to themselves. Once inside the ornate church, an overly bored receptionist waved me to the men’s room without taking her eyes off her book. I quickly made my way to an empty stall, closed the door and sat upon the solitary throne.

Now that I had a bit of privacy, my first priority was to get the damned necklace off before my unstable emotions gave it a chance to make another alteration. I grasped it with both hands and tried to gently lift it over my head, but the damn thing wouldn’t move past my chin before halting in midair. I tried over and over, pulling harder and harder to get the necklace to release its grip, but every attempt was easily thwarted by whatever force Sombra used. In desperation, I tried to rip the necklace apart, but it didn’t give an inch. The only reward I got for my effort was a bright pink glow from the transformation crystal and a very faint glimmer from the ruby.

‘Calm down, calm down! Happy thoughts only! T-bone steak, piles of money, bad sci-fi movies,’ I reminded myself and took a deep breath.

The best plan I had was to head home and wait this ‘sickness’ out. I could walk home, but I lived more than twelve blocks away and I doubted that making the trip with a magical talisman that reacts to emotions would be a good idea for my barely coping psyche.

A cab ride home would be best, but my wallet was still in my briefcase… which was stuck in the crystal hell of the diamond I had to lug around with me. At least I didn’t have to worry about identity theft in this case… other than the job the pink gem was already working on.

‘Wait… it’s lunch time.’ I remembered, ‘That means that the office is nearly empty. If I can get there, I can change out of these clothes and don a fresh suit. I’ve even got a fold of cash in my desk as well, so I can kill two birds with one stone if I act fast.’ I clapped my hand to get the blood moving and set about my task.

I quickly hid the necklace under my shirt and stood up. I figured I’d just tuck my tail into my pants and walk off, but something cold and wet flopped around the back of my pants, instantly soaking them. I let out a girlish shriek and spun around, sending the cold water flying everywhere. The bottom portion of my damned tail had been soaked in the toilet bowl when I sat down.

I held the revolting appendage as far away from my body as possible and thoroughly inspected the toilet. I lucked out, no floaters or anything else but ‘clean’ water.

“Fucking… can’t catch a break…” I muttered as I dried it off with fat wads of toilet paper. My frustration compounded as little pieces of the insanely thin paper kept on ripping off and sticking to my tail hairs, causing them to clump.

“None of this is fair! I shouldn’t have to deal with this level of crazy, I’m a simple broker for Christ’s sake,” I whined to myself and pounded my fist against the side of the stall. Bright pink radiation emanated from my necklace, bringing me back to my senses.

‘CALM THOUGHTS!’ but I was too late.

The electric buzzing was back, only this time it was centered on my eyes. My vision briefly blurred before going back to normal. I pulled out the necklace only to see the bright pink glow diminish as I was too shocked to feel anything; something in my eyes had changed.

I hung my head in shame, ‘Well that was stupid,’ I mentally kicked myself, ‘I lost another piece of my humanity because of a fucking wet tail…’ I wanted to get mad, but the pink glow warned me not too.

After a few more minutes of toweling off my tail, I realized that it had actually changed color. Instead of the black and blue that Sombra had ‘gifted’ me, my tail was now a light brown with tan highlights.

‘What the hell is going on?’ I asked myself, but I needed to get a move on or I’d miss my chance at a stealthy infiltration of the office. I wrapped my damp tail around my waist and tucked it into my pants, careful to smooth out the hairs as much as possible so that they wouldn’t pinch my new flesh when flattened under my belt. Once my tail was safely hidden away, I stepped out of the stall and headed for the sinks to thoroughly wash my hands.

I watched my hands intently as I washed them, afraid to look into the mirror and see what other life altering change had been wrought by that crazy beast’s magic. The pink gem glowed faintly in response to my trepidation as I finally lifted my vision to see my new eyes for the first time. I sighed in relief to see that the size of my eyes hadn’t changed, remembering the enormous size of Sombra’s. Gone was the hazel of my irises and in its place was a bright red color that almost seemed to flicker in the fluorescent lighting of the bathroom. They looked really odd, but I doubted anyone would notice.

‘The plan to get to the office is still a go!’ I pumped my arm and half smiled to my well-behaved reflection. ‘With any luck I can also raid the liquor cabinet… God knows I need it.’

With the worst of my embarrassment hidden, I boldly stepped out of the bathroom and trotted out of the church. There were only two blocks that separated me from my destination, but they were some of the busiest intersections at this time of day.

Focused on getting to the office as fast as possible, my walk was a bit more hurried than normal. I ignored the momentary glares I got for my shabby appearance and kept my head held high, projecting a sense of pride as I navigated the busy sidewalk. At a little under four feet tall, I never saw the kid aimlessly wandering in front of me until I had completely bowled her over.

I stumbled, but saved myself from a nasty fall as the kid picked herself up, no worse for wear. I coughed out a muffled apology and continued on, thinking that our encounter was over; until she dropped the doll she was carrying and stared at me with her mouth hanging open. I quickly patted myself see if my tail had fallen out, but it was still uncomfortably stuffed into my pants.

“OH MY GOD, IT’S A PONY!” she screamed at the top of her lungs and lunged at me in a tackle hug. “YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! I ALWAYS KNEW MY LITTLE PONY WAS REAL!” she cried in excitement while bear hugging me.

Shocked by the situation, I was completely unable to move. I could almost feel the pink gem shimmer as my fear of being seen ripped right through me. ‘How the hell had this kid seen anything?’

“Katie! What are you doing?” a boy around her age bumbled over and poked her in the side, a bit worried that his friend had gone crazy. “Why are you hugging that man? You know mom said that we’re not supposed to talk to strangers… or hug them,” he looked up at me with an apologetic expression.

“But Nathan, she’s a pony. A REAL one!” she gave her brother a look like he had two heads.

“That’s a MAN Katie,” he narrowed his eyes and tried to look through me, as if he wanted to see my soul. He returned his attention to his sister, unconvinced, “He’s wearing a business suit, and it’s nothing to go crazy about.”

“I know that!” she finally let me go, a fierce expression plastered on her face as she stalked over to him and jabbed a finger back in my direction. “She’s also a pony! See the golden coat, the four hooves, the orange and red mane… that’s a pony,” she squinted her eyes, taking another hard look at me and squealed in delight, “OH MY GOD! She’s got a horn, which makes her a UNICORN! Don’t you SEE Nathan?” She turned back to me with a huge smile. “Don’t mind my idiotic little brother. I can see you just fine and you’re a really pretty pony!” her face lit up in an even bigger smile and she tackle hugged me again, “OOOOHHH! Can you show me some of your magic? PLEEEAAASSSE?”

Nathan’s patience for the ridiculous conversation had worn out, “Come on! We gotta meet mom at the market.” He grabbed his sister’s hand and started leading her away.

“Bu-but… ok. Bye bye Ms. Unicorn! Please tell Princess Celestia that I think she’s the best! And tell Fluttershy that she’s really nice and that she should try not being so scared all the time! And tell…” She struggled against her brother’s grip to retrieve the doll she had been carrying, which I realized was a mostly purple pony with an odd star on its butt.

“COME ON!” Nathan pleaded with his stubborn sister, pulling her with both hands.

The two of them started to walk away. “Nathan, what’s wrong with you? You’ve been…” I stood still and listened to the pair until they walked around the corner.

How I survived that encounter beat the hell out of me. I had to have been close to the threshold for a change, but for some odd reason that little girl had actually intrigued me more than anything else. She seemed to know exactly what I was, a ‘My Little Pony’ pony. I’d have to look up the names she dropped on my computer… Celeste and Butter… something.

I continued on my way, thinking ‘How could she see me as a pony though, and a completely different color than what I had before or now?’ I asked myself, ‘And what was that about magic? Is that what Sombra was using? But, that’s just crazy… right?’ There were just too many questions that I didn’t have answers too, and I probably didn’t have much more time before the lunch break was over.

I continued my journey to the office without another incident, though people still gave me the stink eye for the rumpled suit. Lucking out, I rode the elevator up to my floor with someone so engrossed in reading their paper that I doubt he even saw me. I dreaded opening the elevator doors though, there was always someone manning the front desk.

But, yet again I lucked out. The secretary on duty must have taken a quick bathroom break. I quietly scooted toward the back, into my office and quietly shut the door. Not a single one of my coworkers had seen me.

‘Maybe, just maybe I’ll live through this mess.’

The clock on my desk showed that it was 12:50. I only had a few minutes before the main mass of office workers came back from lunch. The partners liked to have everyone back in the office promptly by 1:15pm so that business could resume in a timely fashion.

Strolling over to my closet, I took down a nearly identical business suit to the one I had and walked into my private bathroom. I quickly changed into the new suit and made sure my hair was neatly brushed, but I left the tail hanging out. It was just so uncomfortable stuffed into my pants that I relished the chance to just let it be free for a bit.

Flicking my tail too and fro, I smiled as I felt the air caress the skin underneath. It had changed color again, a burnt yellow this time. I wondered whether it was going to continue changing, remembering what the psychic little girl had predicted.

I frowned at the condition of my tail though. The hairs were matted and little pieces of toilet paper clung tightly too many of the clumps. I couldn’t just leave it alone.

“Might as well,” I murmured to myself as I grabbed the hairbrush sitting by the sink and started to straighten my tail. Brushing out the clumps of hair hurt, but once those were out of the way the steady feeling of the brush stroking my long tail was amazingly therapeutic. I could feel the tension slowly ease as I must have sat there for a solid ten minutes, calmly brushing my tail.

‘At least a small part of all this craziness is nice,’ I smiled to myself.

My eyes drooped and my head nodded to the side, but a sharp rap on the bathroom door shocked me out of my stupor. “Just a minute,” I called out as I very reluctantly stuffed my sleek tail back into my pants.

As I washed my hands, I could hear some serious grumbling coming from the other side of the door. I took a quick look at my necklace under my shirt, and sure enough the pink gem was dimly glowing alongside the red ruby, though the ruby was much fainter. I stared into my red eyes and willed myself to calm down. I didn’t want a simple lecture over tardiness to be the cause of yet another transformation.

I hesitantly opened the door to see Carl Lawrence, head partner of the brokerage, sitting behind my desk and glaring at me. I could almost feel Sombra’s laughter through the pink, glowing gem.

“Mr. Medders, please have a seat.” He pointed to one of the chairs in front of my desk, his scowl deepening at the sight of me.

‘Fuck he used my last name…’ I realized I was in deep shit.

“What seems to be the problem Mr. Lawrence? I’m sorry I haven’t been in for… a while, but something rather important came up that I couldn’t get out of.” I still wasn’t sure how long had passed.

I averted my eyes from the burning inferno that flared in his. Hard to believe it, but Carl was actually angrier than Sombra had been. What the hell was I missing?

‘Why is everyone always mad with me these days?’ I groaned as I prepared for a verbal beating from my boss.

“Your tardiness and lack of work ethic are hardly a problem worthy of my attention, though I suspect it has something to do with the contacts you’re still wearing,” he looked accusingly at me and continued, “It’s none of my business if you use your off hours to go to the ‘raves’ that young people seem to frequent, even though you’re over forty… but your private life CANNOT interfere with the firm’s business!” he pounded my desk as he made his point.

I sank back in my chair, trying to calm myself in the wake of Mr. Lawrence’s tirade. But if the foam building at the side of his mouth was anything to go by, he was far from finished.

“In my defense, sir…” I tried to stem the tide of what looked to be a chewing out of epic proportions, but he would have none of that.

“I’M NOT FINISHED!” he yelled, pausing for only a second as he caught his breath. “Your behavior over the past couple of days has been inexcusable. We’ve tried to get in touch with you almost hourly, but no one had a clue as to where you went. We even contacted the police, but they advised us to wait a couple more days before filing a missing person report. Where did you go Mr. Medders?”

“I-I-I…” I stammered, but something was holding me back. I desperately wanted to tell him the truth that I had been abducted by a magic wielding sociopathic unicorn, but the words refused to form in my mouth. He looked at me with seething hatred and I could feel the pink gem picking up my fear of this man’s wrath.

“Can’t or won’t say it… fine then, let’s just move onto the elephant in the room!” he violently shoved the chair away from the desk as he stood up and stomped toward me. I leaned back as far as my chair would allow as he towered over me.

He took a deep breath and collected himself, “I’ll ask you once. Where is the Henderson contract?”

‘Oh, shit!’

He saw the look of horror etched on my face and kept going, “Yes, that one. The 52 million dollar deal we struck with Henderson Pharmaceuticals… the one you were supposed to have filed after your meeting. Where is it?”

‘Fuck. I know exactly where it is, sitting right next to my wallet in the diamond prison. Maybe if I… no, it’s not worth going back there. If I could just tell him…’ but I couldn’t.

Mr. Lawerence must have seen me twitching as I considered my options, taking it as a sign that I’d lost the contract. My knuckles went white from gripping the armrests as he leaned in, looking more like a volcano than a man.

“From the look on your face, I can tell that you don’t have it. Did you LOOSE it?”

“I-I didn’t loose it, I…” My eyes went wide as I felt the necklace stopping me from spilling the beans to my boss. Without that information, I was as good as dead.

‘Ha-happy thoughts!’ I started to hyperventilate. I knew I was close to the threshold for fear; but as I tried to calm myself by thinking about fishing, Mount Lawrence erupted.

“WELL, IF YOU DIDN’T LOOSE IT THEN YOU MUST HAVE IT, RIGHT? SO, WHERE IS IT?” Spittle splattered against my face as I physically shook from the blast.

My voice caught in my throat as I felt the buzzing sensation of the transformation energy take hold of me. I could tell from the intensity of the buzzing that this was going to be a very big change. The electrical charge went from my waist all the way down to just above my knees, encompassing the whole region.

“I knew making you a VP was a mistake… from your silence I can only assume that you’ve either lost the contract due to incompetence or are willfully lying to me. Either way it doesn’t matter, the result is the same,” he said as he moved toward the door, a cold expression set like steel on his face.

I squirmed in my seat as I held Carl’s steely gaze, worried that he would notice the not so subtle shifting in my pants. An itchy feeling spread all over the electrified area, my hips shrank a bit, and the energetic field seemed to have a firm grip on my penis. From the bottom of my vision, I watched in horror as my manhood slowly receded, shifting against my pants. I let out a small sob, feeling and seeing the changes I feared the most.

Carl looked at me with a note of disgust, “You’re fired, effective immediately. I’ll give you twenty minutes to clear out your office before I send security in to do it for you.” He turned and slammed the door to what used to be my office. I had really fucked up on this one.

Wasting no time in mourning the loss of my career, I had to see the extent of the changes. As soon as the door to my office was closed, I leapt up from my chair and ran to the bathroom, tears leaking from my eyes. I didn’t even care about watching my emotions since the worst had already happened; there was no way I was going to escape being that black beast’s bitch…

My pants started to fall as I lost my concentration and my tail erupted in a brilliant blaze of orange and red before I could tighten my belt. I subconsciously flicked the tail side to side as I took a little comfort in the feeling of freedom I got from the action.

‘Another color change,’ I thought as I sadly admired my beautiful tail in the mirror, ‘It’s just like the kid said, and I bet this color change is for good.’

Locking the bathroom door, I hesitantly dropped my pants in front of the mirror to survey the damage. Bright golden fur greeted my eyes, which must have been the itching sensation I felt before. I cautiously ran my hands along my hips and backside, softly caressing the velvety short fur. The feeling was amazingly calming, much like brushing my tail had been; but I had to keep exploring the changes, I had to see the worst of it.

I cast my vision further down and confirmed what I already knew; my not-so-little stalwart companion was completely gone and in its place was a slit. I stared at my new vulva for a good while; depression turned to blinding rage at the injustice, but I looked away at the last second and was able to control myself… or at least I thought I did.

The electric buzzing was back, but this time it was very faint and it seemed to spread throughout my entire body. ‘This is it… the final transformation,’ I thought, resigned to my fate. But instead of fully turning into a pony, the generous deposits of fat that I’d accumulated over a lifetime of overeating seemed to just vanish into thin air. My pot belly shrunk and my man boobs flattened as the pink crystal radiated under my shirt.

I stood still, amazed that the crystal had finally done something I was actually thankful for. There was even some muscle definition to my resculpted body, though it bordered on androgynous at best. I admired my toned form in the mirror as the pink glow dimmed, happy that the changes were over for the moment. But as soon as the pink crystal quieted down, the ruby flashed a bright red light from beneath my shirt. It was strong, nearly blinding and I feared what the mystery crystal was up too.

A warm, pleasant, tingling sensation flowed over my body, like I had been tossed into a hot bubble bath. My fear completely washed away as I wallowed in the bountiful warmth of the red gem.

The feelings quickly turned from comforting to maddening as they focused on my brand new anatomy, heating up and itching to be scratched. My tail began to rise in answer to the strange sensations, and my hands absent mindedly trailed down my luscious golden fur toward my sopping wet pussy.

‘What I would give for a [strong, hard fucking right now…]’ I thought as a smothering blanket of lust clouded my mind. Far past the point of caring, I barely noticed that the red light from the ruby was bathing the entire bathroom in a bright, comforting red glow.

I kicked off my pants and kneeled down on the tiled floor. It wasn’t exactly a comfortable position, but I could hardly care about that in my current state of need. I slowly split my legs apart, gently separating my folds and letting the cool air caress my hot nethers.

I stifled a girlish moan and my tail strained to rise higher as my fingers closed in, stroking the sensitive skin of my labia. The warmth increased exponentially and my new parts dribbled in excitement as I slowly ran a finger down the center of my slit.

Sweat stained my shirt and I panted heavily as I curled a solitary finger into the void, deliciously massaging my inner folds. My head rolled back and my eyes crossed when I brushed by a nub that pulsed almost painfully with need.

I moaned loudly, needing a release of the tension that had been steadily building. I completely gave into the urge to finger myself into oblivion. My moans increasing in tempo as I neared the edge…

A loud knock sounded from the door, halting me in mid stroke. The red light winked out and the pink gem shimmered to life.

‘Fuck… what was that?’ I questioned as I very reluctantly removed my fingers from my vulva, slick with the juices of my desire. ‘And what was I doing?’

“Uhh… Mr. Medders… sir? Hello? I’ve been asked to escort you to the lobby… I’ll give you a couple of minutes too… compose yourself…” came the deep voice of a security guard from the other side of the door.

‘F-F-FUCK… H-he heard everything! What am I going to d-do?’ I panicked as I searched for my pants. There was fluid on the ground, my shirt was soaked, my tail was flicking side to side in agitation, and my nethers were still begging for release.

The room was bathed in pink light as the transformation crystal burned on my chest, ‘NOT NOW!’ I pleaded, but it never listened.

The electric buzzing of the transformation field was as beautiful as it was horrible, a shimmering veil of pink and red energy completely encapsulated my arms from my shoulders to the very tips of my fingers. I watched in horror as my muscles rippled and twisted under my skin as the bones adjusted to fit an equine skeletal structure. Tears flowed as my hands morphed into hooves and a dense forest of golden fur sprouted all over.

“Sir? Are you ready?”

[Original] Run

Fate's Substitute
Chapter 4: Run

The bathroom door rattled on its hinges, the dense mahogany creaking and groaning under the strain of the security guard’s assault. Minutes had passed since the last transformation ended, and the hefty rent-a-cop had resorted to body-slamming the door.

I sat in shock on the cold, tiled floor, unable to do anything but gape at my new appendages.

‘Hooves, I have hooves now…’

From the beginnings of my withers down to my hooves, a fine golden fur covered every inch of my new forelegs. The hooves themselves were the same color as my coat and shimmered faintly in the pink light of the crystal, glistening from the remnants of my earlier excitement.

I was truly shocked, but as time ticked by the horror slowly abated as the carnal desire to finish what I started took center stage. My tail was hiked high in the air, the new muscles straining to lift it even higher as my nethers dribbled and winked in desperation. It would be so very, very easy to fall back into that welcoming haze of arousal, and my hips lightly bucked backwards at just the thought of scratching that itch.

My right forehoof trailed ever so softly up the velvety pelt of my inner thighs, sending wave after wave of pleasurable shivers up my spine. I moaned loudly as the edge of the hoof lightly parted my needful, aching…

A loud snap jolted me from my ministrations as a crack suddenly appeared in the door.

‘What the hell am I doing?’ I shook my head to clear my thoughts, ‘and why am I so damned horny?’ I desperately needed a cold shower, but I ditched that idea as a second crack shot through the door, letting a narrow shaft of fluorescent light into the bathroom.

The guard cursed in pain and leaned against the door, opting to give diplomacy a final chance. “Come on man, give up!” he half-heartedly pleaded as he tried to catch his breath, “The wood’s cracking and it’s only a matter of time, no reason to make this any harder on yourself… or me for that matter.”

My withers slumped, ‘Harder, he says… give up, he says… Maybe he’s right; it would be easier just to accept it.’

I flicked my long tail so that the end was draped over my lap, and calmly ran my hooves through the soft hairs. ‘How bad would it be to start a new life, even as a new gender?

‘Worst that will happen is that Sombra would gloat for a while, finish the transformation, and give me a good, solid fucking,’ I licked my lips at the mere thought of being mounted, ‘Lord knows I need it…’

My tail bristled and I slammed a hoof down onto the tiles, cracking a few in the process. ‘No. No, fuck that!’ I seethed, cursing myself for even considering that idea.

‘If I give in to that maniac, the rest of my life will be his to command. Every other surrender will be easier than this one...’ I grit my teeth, ‘The bastard would completely own me… and what’s worse, is that he knows it too!’ I picked up the first thing I could find and hurled it at the wall in frustration.

I resigned myself to yet another change as I watched my smart phone shatter against the wall. I groaned and swore a blue streak as the familiar tickling sensation of new fur engulfed my stomach, all the way up to my pecs.

“Oy! You alright in there, big guy?” the guard called, having heard the commotion, “You’d better not be breaking anything expensive!” He groaned and loudly popped his back as he lumbered back to his feet, preparing to take on the door again.

I quickly glanced around the bathroom, looking for any avenue of escape; but I knew from years of sitting upon the throne that there wasn’t one. If I was going to make a run for it, I desperately needed more time to cover up the changes before I made my public debut.

“Dave, right?” I guessed out of the blue, picking a blue-collared sounding name at random. I had never bothered to learn the names of all the help in the building, but sometimes if you act like you know their name but get it wrong, people will be a bit more sympathetic.

”Nah. It’s Bill, Mr. Medders. Dave’s down watching the front door, but that’s an easy mistake to make since Dave’s Irish and I’m not,” he was obviously insulted, “Mr. Lawrence told me that he wanted you cleared out of this office, pronto. He was very insistent that now really meant now. So, now that you’re not ignoring me, let’s pack it up and get moving.”

“Shit!” I swore under my breath. I looked down to see my shirt horribly wrinkled and dirty, my underwear soaked from my escapades, and my pants on the opposite side of the bathroom.

I faked a dry heave and splashed my hoof in the toilet bowl, hoping that the stooge would buy the oldest trick in the book. “Look… I know it’s a lot to ask, but I need another ten minutes,” I called back, trying to sound as pathetic as possible. “I’m blowing chunks the size of boulders all over the john and need some time to make myself presentable.

“Please…” I begged, subconsciously pawing the floor, “Please let me save this last shred of my dignity.”

The guard sighed, “Well, I feel for ya buddy. I really do… especially after I hurt my damn arm trying to get you out, but orders are orders. You’ve got a date with the sidewalk downstairs and I’m the matchmaker,” he grunted and stood away from the door, “I’ll give you twenty seconds to give up and get your tail in gear!”

I cursed and grabbed what clothes I could. It really amazed me that my hooves weren’t completely useless, but the fine control that a hand would have was completely lacking as my belt buckle proved nearly impossible to latch.

While I fought to stuff my tail back into my pants, the obnoxious rent-a-cop hit the five second mark. My heart shot into my throat; no matter what I did, this asshole was going to see the full extent of my changes.

“Two… One… Well, you asked for it, READY OR NOT!” I could almost hear the shit-eating grin in his voice as he thundered toward the door, “HERE I COME!” The poor, abused door buckled and split under the force of his charge, sending a shower of mahogany shards and a wheezing rent-a-cop sprawling out on the tiles.

The hefty guard floundered about on the floor, trying to find his footing as he fought to stand amongst the scattered debris. Once he was safely on his feet, he crouched into a sloppy fighting stance and swung around to face me.

His confident smirk was instantly replaced by confusion, which quickly morphed into horror as he backed away from the chimeric creature before him. His mouth flapped as he tried to form a coherent thought, but he never got the chance to voice his concerns.

As soon as the guard had exploded into the room, the white gem on my necklace began to pulse black with unholy power. Green and purple energy arced between the crystal facets as the entire necklace hummed with a tangible aura of malice.

A jagged bolt of black lightning shot out of the gemstone, splitting in two just before they impacted his eyes. The guard’s shrill scream cut off suddenly as the force of the blast propelled the unlucky chump back against the wall, holding him firmly above the floor. His mouth foamed, opening and closing in silent terror as the whites of his eyes turned black as night.

With a final pulse of power, the dark energy from the crystal released its hold on the man, and his body crumpled to the ground.

I hiked up my baggy pants and tried to keep my enormous shirt wrapped around my furry tummy as I slowly stepped forward to inspect the damage. Looking closely, nothing seemed to be physically wrong with the man, other than his entirely black eyes and the frozen look of pure terror on his face.

I stumbled away from the guard as something akin to a static shock clicked in the back of my mind. My blood ran cold as the monster’s rumbling voice echoed through my thoughts. ‘Oh my, this has been truly entertaining, pet! I must say though, I honestly expected these changes to take a bit longer,’ his voice grew darker, ‘But not all’s fun and games in my empire these days...’

“What did you do to the guard?” I blurted out, afraid of the answer but needing to know.

Sombra snorted in contempt, ‘The oaf’s dream in life was to write a cook book. Simple dreams for simple minds I suppose… All I did was show him a glimpse of a future where he actually attained his dream, except that no one cared.

‘You see… Whelps like him subconsciously crave a moment in the spotlight. They need to be the center of attention, where the world’s eyes are upon them and them alone, even if it’s only for a short time. Receiving zero recognition for a life’s work was too much for his poor psyche to handle, and he broke so very easily.’ His laugh boomed through my head.

Whatever humor he felt was quickly replaced by a steely resolve, ‘But further explanations can wait for a more… relaxed setting, I think. As it is, you don’t have much time, pet.

‘Something…’ he hesitated for a second, ‘Someone magical is on the move. I can smell the ebb and flow of magic through your gem, and whoever is disturbing the aether is moving your way.’

“W-what is ‘it’?” I stammered, my tail tucking subconsciously.

‘You could stay there and find out, if you wish.’

He laughed heartily as I bolted from the bathroom, nearly tripping over the brain-dead lump on the floor. I nabbed a spare sports coat that was lying on my office sofa and threw that on to try and cover most of my forelegs.

I raced out the door and turned left, sprinting down the long corridor leading to the service area and the hopefully empty service elevator. With one hoof keeping my pants hiked up and the other keeping the coat closed over my fur, there was no way I was going to walk out of the building without people seeing my hooves; but hopefully they wouldn’t see everything else.

I made it to the end of the first corridor and thanked god that the lunch crew hadn’t returned yet, but that still left more than a few people that could be in the office.

“So, what do I do if ‘it’ catches me?” I quietly asked as I peeped around the corner.

‘Rest assured, my fine piece of flank. I will always come to the rescue of my beautiful mare; but that would be tantamount to giving in to me, now wouldn’t it?’ He chuckled darkly as I started down the next hallway, ‘All you need to do is shout my name in that soon to be sweet voice of yours and I’ll gladly help you, like any true stallion would. Though I will exact a price… but I’m fairly sure that you would enjoy it far more than you wish to admit.’ I could feel the smug bastard leering at me through whatever spying device he was using.

All of the office doors were shut as I ran down the hall. Thinking I was home free, I rounded the final corner to the service elevator without looking and shoulder-checked someone into the wall. The grip on my pants and sports coat faltered as I tripped over his flailing legs and faceplanted on the million-dollar carpeting.

“WATCH WHERE… Medders?!” I froze in place. Carl Lawrence was sitting across from me, covered in the mountain of finance reports he’d been carrying.

“What the fuck is this? I thought I told you to take a hike, you piece…” he stopped and took a good, long look at the state of my body as I scrambled to cover it up, his eyes settling on my tail that waved freely in the air. “What the fucking fuck is wrong with you? I knew you were into those bullshit raves or something, but I never thought you’d go so far as to get hair extensions for your ass, you furry piece of shit!” He pushed himself off the floor and shakily stood, slapping away a few stray reports, “I’m fucking calling the cops if you don’t get the fuck out, RIGHT NOW!”

The safety of the service elevator was tantalizing close. I stood up to retrieve my lost pants, but Lawrence savagely kicked my leg out from under me before going on another tirade. “You know what, fuck it! I actually want to see what the cops would do to a pervert like you,” he kicked me hard in the stomach while I writhed in pain on the floor. “I never fucking liked you, Medders; never trusted you,” he kicked me again, “I always thought you were some kind of freak, so stay down while I call the fucking animal control!”

Any other day I would have pleaded with him to just let me go, any day but this one.

After everything I had done for the firm, all the boring meetings I had suffered through, all the sucking up to the partners… none of it had mattered when I was the one who needed their help. I had spent more than half of my life working for these assholes, and now I’d been tossed to the wolves without even a second thought.

White-hot hate burned within, ‘Even before this insanity, they treated us like animals… like pets…’

Carl went to kick me a fourth time, but his foot stopped mid swing as his entire lower leg was engulfed by a thick, reddish haze of magic. He howled in agony as orange and red flames burst up the sides of his leg, charring his pants and skin.

He tried to pull his leg away, but the red magic refused to yield, keeping his leg firmly suspended in the air. His screams rose in pitch as the fire bored deeper and deeper into his leg until only the blackened bones remained.

The anger I had felt quickly transformed to horror as I watched his leg turn to ash. Shocked at the sight, I took a half-step back and prepared to run, but the red haze followed right after me. The remnants of Lawrence’s brittle leg shattered as the blackened bones were wrenched about in the magic’s grip.

Without the physical support from the ball of magic, Lawrence finally pitched backward and fell hard to the floor, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as he lost consciousness from the trauma.

I stood as still as possible, waiting for the clump of magic to go on the attack. I fully expected the evil haze to try and find a new victim, but it just sat there as it lazily cooked the last of Lawrence’s bones.

‘Come on… go burn something else!’ I silently pleaded with the fiery ball of death.

As soon as I asked, the ball of magic accelerated away and slammed into the wall above Lawrence’s body. The haze exploded outward, setting the wall and much of the surrounding hallway on fire. Globs of liquid flame rained down on me, but they instantly went out as soon as they touched anything of mine.

‘Oh god, it’s me!’ I realized with a start as I looked up to see red tinted energy swirling around a horn that hadn’t been there before.

The haze of magic dissipated as soon as I realized that I was the cause, but the hallway was still on fire. The sprinklers finally opened up and drenched the hallway with water, but the growing conflagration refused to be tamed.

‘W-what have I done?’ I thought as I watched Lawrence’s soaked body slowly burn away.

I averted my eyes from the horrific scene and headed for the elevator, the tendrils of fire moving out of my way as I walked by. I was about to mash the call button when I noticed a small, silvery bit of metal glint in the dancing light of the flames.

‘Car keys!’ I mentally exclaimed when I looked down to see that Lawrence’s key chain had fallen out of his pocket. I wondered for a second whether it was right to take them, but I’d probably be wanted for murder and arson after this… so why not add grand theft auto to the rap sheet.

‘Besides, he was an asshole!’ I justified the theft to myself as I stepped over his body and called the elevator.

The bell chimed almost immediately, and I thanked god that something was finally going my way. But just as I entered the elevator, Jerry Floch rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks, his brown eyes going wide with surprise.

Jerry was a tall man at about six and a quarter feet, and he was skinny as a rail. His owlish face and permanent scowl were great for intimidating lawyers, but his annoying sense of duty and lack of humor made him a bore to be around. We both started at roughly the same time, but we never really passed the point of acquaintances. So to say that I was shocked when a light blue horn shimmered into existence on his forehead would be an understatement.

I repeatedly mashed the button for the garage, wanting nothing to do with any more crazy, magical creatures.

Jerry’s look of surprise contorted into a rage-filled snarl as he took one look at my chimeric body and rushed through the flames toward the elevator.

His horn glowed as he ran, wrapping itself in swirling eddies of icy-blue magic. The steel doors of the elevator suddenly glowed the same shade of blue, but whatever it was doing failed as they kept on closing. He cursed in frustration as he tried to close the distance, but he was tripped up by what was left of Lawrence and fell to the floor.

He lifted his head to glare at me, a cold fire dancing in his eyes. I could taste his frustration, knowing that he wasn’t going to make it to the elevator in time. But just as the final inches of the doors were closing, he lowered his horn and shot a spike of ice right at me.

I barely ducked to the side in time as the icy missile missed my neck by a fraction of an inch, slamming into the back of the elevator with enough force to pierce the metal. I stumbled backwards and yelped as I fell on my tail, thankful that the doors had finally shut and the elevator began its descent.

“What the FUCK was that?” I asked, not really expecting an answer.

The static charge clicked in the back of my mind and I could almost feel Sombra’s frown. ‘That… That was another unicorn. A being like me… and you, apparently,’ he added with a half-hearted growl. ‘He merely hid away his true nature with a simple glamour spell, which was interrupted when he channeled his magic.’

The elevator was dropping fast, and I leaned against the side to catch my breath. I did a quick body check and found that the golden fur was now up to my neck and down to below my knees, but that’s not what worried me.

I could see the anger in Jerry’s eyes… The man had wanted to kill me.

“Alright, what the hell is going on? Why was one of my oldest colleagues trying to kill me back there?” After a few seconds of silence I threw my hands up in frustration, “I deserve to know what’s going on, you sadistic pri-,” The dreaded black haze emerged from the prison crystal and wrapped itself around my throat, cutting off any complaint. It then lifted me by the neck and slammed me against the wall of the elevator.

‘I would suggest you remember who you are speaking to. I am very fond of what you will become, but do not assume that my fondness will keep you safe from my wrath!’ he growled and let me fall to the floor before continuing, ‘I don’t know why a Solar Mage would be here, but rest assured that I’m going to get some answers… Do not bother me with any more questions as I’ll be quite busy for a while.’

I was suddenly left alone in my head as the connection switched off. I shuddered to think that my only friend in this madness could be the one who had put me here…

‘No…’I shook my head, ‘I just need to go with the original plan and find a safe place to lay low for a while. I don’t need anyone else’s help to do that!’ I nodded my head in agreement with myself, sure of a plan for the first time since my abduction.

The elevator came to a stop and the doors hissed open to reveal the highly coveted underground parking garage. Every senior manager was entitled to a single space and my classic Charger, which I barely used, was on the other side of the lot. I would have taken it, but my keys were stuck in the nth dimensional space of Sombra’s crazy crystal.

Hanging back by the elevator, I looked for any kind of movement between the cars. The last thing I wanted was to be seen by anyone else who might have a grudge against me.

Feeling that the coast was clear, I hefted the keys in my hoof and managed to click the panic button by biting it. The wail of the horn was obnoxiously loud and I jumped back in surprise when I saw the car.

There, safely nestled between two large SUVs was the means for my escape and deliverance from the black beast. However, I was both elated and mildly annoyed to see what it was.

As if the fates were laughing at my predicament, my escape would be in a Ford Mustang, and a late 60’s vintage one at that. The cherry red paint shimmered under the dirty fluorescent lighting of the garage, clashing oddly with the tacky flame decals on the hood and sides.

I managed to click the unlock button and shook my head as I tried to understand why someone would wreck a classic car with modern technology, but the worst was yet to come. The leather upholstery was decorated with hundreds of white skulls and even the gearshift had been replaced with a skull of its own. I sighed as I half expected it to have a set of balls on a fake trailer hitch.

‘Now I don’t feel so bad about killing him… That idiot deserved to die for buying this monstrosity of a mid-life crisis,’ I thought as I solemnly apologized to the car for the actions of its owner.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, I found that I could easily grip the wheel and the gearshift with my hooves and fetlocks, but the key chain presented a serious problem. I just didn’t have the dexterity to grab a single key and turn it.

I was steadily growing more and more frustrated as I wasted the precious little time I had, until I finally found a method that worked. I spread the keychain out on the passenger seat and clamped both hooves around the car key. After several tries, I was finally able to navigate the key into the ignition and turn it to start the motor.

A huge, goofy smile was plastered on my face as the eight cylinders roared to life, and I thanked all the deities that the moron hadn’t skimped on the car itself. For a few seconds, the world was as it should be. I was in control of own destiny, about to embark on a journey of personal salvation. Not God, Sombra, Lawrence, or even the Tooth Fairy could stop me, but my hope for the future came crashing down as soon as I looked into the rearview mirror.

Jerry was standing right behind the car, glaring at me through the rear window. Flanking him on both sides were two suits who showed almost no emotion.

The suits looked like your typical government agents from an action flick; wearing the standard black business suit and tie, close cropped hair, and dark sunglasses. Their faces were also nearly identical, and I doubted that I could have picked one over the other in a police lineup.

My grip on the wheel tightened when Jerry finally spoke up, “Come on, Aaron. Get out of the car… We need you to come in for questioning.”

I slowly inched my right hoof over to the stick, preparing to put the car into reverse.

“You saw what I could do to you if I wanted… You must come with us!” his tone was beginning to sound desperate, “We know about the transformation, we can help you reverse the condition, Aaron. We just need to know how you got a hold of your crystal.” He dropped the attitude for a second, “Look, you saved my ass on the Tycho merger last year. Please, let me return the favor!”

Something was horribly off about all of this. I sat there for a few seconds and considered what I had been told. ‘He’s been a friend, well, an acquaintance for years… what the hell has he gotten mixed up in, or me for that matter.’

Jerry kept trying to coax me out, but my focus switched to his friends. The two agents slowly inched to either side of the car as Jerry kept talking, trying very hard to look like they weren’t moving. The one on the right calmly fumbled for something in his coat while the one on my side reached for the door handle.

‘No, it’s not right… Jerry wasn’t trying to help me in the hallway, he was trying to kill me. There’s something else going on.’

I took a look at my face in side view mirror. Other than the horn on my forehead, red eyes, and the golden fur that was now encroaching upon my chin; that rugged, manly face really hadn’t been touched by Sombra’s magic. But now, if I wanted to live, I’d have to give up the last of my humanity… there just didn’t seem to be a way to stay free AND human.

A low growl escaped my throat as I watched the suits step ever closer, little smirks penetrating their practiced nonchalance. ‘They all deserve it, every… last… one of them!’

I hit the clutch and redlined the engine.

In the rearview mirror, I watched as the familiar blue light of Jerry’s magic surrounded his horn, far brighter than the last time. The suits on either side also glowed in their own colors, orange on the left and a very manly pink on the right.

No, the pink was from my own crystal, reacting to what I was about to do.

I wrenched the steering wheel to the right, shifted into reverse, and popped the clutch. The wheels engaged immediately, squealing as they fought to grip the cement.

The mustang lurched backward and the nose of the car careened to the left as the wheels finally found the traction they had sought.

The agent on my left tried to jump away, but wasn’t quick enough. His scream didn’t last long as the screech of grating metal drowned him out as the mustang ground against the SUV.

Having cleared the parking spot, I slammed on the brakes… and cursed as the car stalled. I swore to myself and threw the engine into neutral. It had been a while since I had driven a standard, and I had neglected to hit the clutch.

The normally dark interior was bathed in the red and pink light of transformation. I could feel my face deform as my hooves fumbled to turn the key. My vision blurred for a second as the car roared back to life, but it cleared just in time to see the driver’s side window glow blue and explode outward.

The white hoof of a blue-eyed pegasus wearing an elaborate set of golden armor shot through the open window and wrapped his fetlock around my lengthening neck. Sometime during my panic to restart the car, the other agent had dropped his glamour spell and gone on the attack.

I growled and grabbed the pegasus’ forearm with my left hoof before shifting the car into first gear. His large, blue eyes widened in panic as I revved the engine and popped the clutch once again.

The car accelerated down the aisle, dragging the former agent along for the ride. He tried to let go, but my grip was firm. He flapped his wings and fought as hard as he could, but couldn’t find the leverage to get away. With my free hoof, I turned the steering wheel to the left and scraped the pegasus off on a parked BMW as the mustang picked up speed.

My grin was mad and I felt truly alive as I quickly shifted from second to third, the car racing toward the exit and away from a very pissed off Jerry.

I chanced a look in the rearview mirror and saw his snarling face as he tried to help the downed pegasus, but my view in the mirror was suddenly blocked by the sight of a growing, golden ear.

‘Not much time left,’ I mused, seeing that the transformation crystal was still glowing strong.

The car careened through the exit and into the blinding light of the street. My heart skipped a beat as I swerved and skidded to a stop, nearly ramming a ladder truck that had taken up residence in the middle of the road.

The firefighters on top waved their arms, gesturing for me to get out of the way. I gladly hit the gas and sped down the road until I realized why the firefighters were there in the first place.

I stomped on the break and clutch with my new rear hooves and turned my elongated neck to look out the window. The top ten stories of the building were completely engulfed in flames, billowing smoke high into the sky.

The fire I had told to find something else to burn… it had. And now the firefighters were powerless to stop it.

Author's Note

After many months stewing on the back burner, this story has finally been resurrected. I hope you enjoyed Chapter 4!

Thanks go to Spacecowboy for helping me edit this beast!

[Original] Iron and Ice

Fate’s Substitute CH 5: Iron and Ice

The stench of metal permeated the stale air of the underground parking lot, mixing with the acrid taste of burnt rubber left by the retreating mustang. For Seaskimmer, smell had always been the first of his senses to return upon waking, though he often wished it wasn’t.

There were so many distinctly human odors in this city, and each one was a horror in its own right. Exhaust from millions of cars, mountains of trash heaped along the streets, burnt animal flesh sold by street vendors, and even the humans’ own pungent body odor wafted on the winds. Each and every one would cause him to scrunch his muzzle in disgust; but it was the ever-present tang of metal that haunted him the most, serving as a constant reminder that he was so very, very far from home.

Seaskimmer gingerly laid his head down on the cool concrete and tried to focus his mind, willing his spinning vision to settle. He could almost see the stars and birds circling around his head, like in the early morning cartoons that so many of the other guards were hooked on.

His whole body ached and he was definitely suffering a concussion, but the most worrisome injury was his left foreleg, which was bent at an impossible angle just above the hoof. Even the slightest movement caused the bones to grind beneath his skin, sending a mind-numbing lance of pain through his wrist.

A low, annoyed growl rumbled from his chest when he looked down at the crumpled hoof guard. There was no way that a crash under thirty miles per hour should have done that much damage. Between the enchanted armor he wore, and the innate pegasus resistance to falls, he should have easily bounced off the car, suffering nothing more than a bruise or two.

His muzzle scrunched and his brows furrowed in recognition. Iron — everything about this planet always came back to iron.

Back home, the Princesses were known to use steel to protect their castle and the royal archives, as well as forge the weapons that the guard used. It was an amazingly rare metal as its only source was from meteorites, whose fall to Equis was jealously guarded by Princess Luna. It was so important that the unauthorized sale of starmetal was one of the few crimes punishable by a life-term jail sentence.

Of course, that didn’t mean that there wasn’t a thriving black market centered around the metal and Griffonia's deep pockets. A single pound of pure, un-alloyed iron in the right talons could bring in enough bits to feed and house a family for over a year.

It was a very tempting retirement package that many of the guards dreamed about, and one that Command closely watched for.

The first time Seaskimmer saw a junkyard on Earth, his eyes had swum with bit signs. There were millions of bits in iron just lying around, allowed by the ignorant apes to just rust away. But, the metal was so common on Earth that the humans used it in almost everything, they even had it in their blood.

Rarity, however, was not the only reason that iron was worth so much back home.

Skimmer had never really been a book-learning type of pegasus, leaving that kind of science to the nerdy Canterlot boneheads, but he had been told time and again that iron was an almost perfect magic sink. It resisted all but the most complicated of enchantments and shattered most spell matrices instantly. Even a simple telekinetic field would dissolve on contact with the Nightmare spawned metal.

Skimmer looked down at his dented armor and scowled. The car’s metallic body must have negated the armor’s enchantments and probably messed with his own pegasus magic. Whatever the cause; though, he had to act fast.

They had to catch him — her, had to catch their charge before they were all too late. Seaskimmer may not have liked the humans or their iron infused world, but he’d be damned if he didn’t do everything he could to uphold his vows and protect them from Equestria’s enemies.

He grit his teeth and willed himself to stand on his three good legs, careful to hold the twisted hoof in the air. The dizziness returned and he swayed back and forth as he fought it, feeling like he was rolling along the rough seas atop a very small rowboat. He carefully spread his wings out to use for balance and quietly thqanked the gods for protecting his delicate wings from damage. He felt a bit better, but he was still too woozy to take wing.

The glowing white rectangle of the garage exit loomed in the distance and Seaskimmer’s eyes watered as they tried to adjust to the bright afternoon light. He summoned every ounce of determination he had and slowly hobbled forward, whimpering slightly with each agonizing step.

The clack of his armored hooves against the concrete was a comforting sound, reminding him of his training within the marbled halls of the Royal Palace, but something wasn’t quite right. The whiff of metal was still strong in his nose as he looked down at his body, his pony body.

His pupils shrank in panic and he cursed his crash-addled brain for making such a rookie mistake. He was so used to his disguise activating and deactivating when needed that he had almost trotted out into public with his feathers ruffling in the breeze. He concentrated on the Liar's Promise, willing the enchantment to envelop him in his disguise, but he couldn't feel the normal warmth of magic from any of the armor's enchantments.

With ears turned back he scowled at the armor's chest plate. The normally shiny, golden armor was now dented and scuffed, the luster having faded to the dull red of the thaumatic substrate. His heart sank when he noticed the long, hair-line crack that ran right through several of the usually invisible enchantments and their arcane inscriptions, including the complicated weave of the Liar's Promise.

He shambled in-between two black, off-road Hummers; looking for a place to hide. His teeth ground together as he fought the desire to curse Celestia's name, the throbbing of his foreleg making every step hurt.

As carefully as he could manage, he laid down within the shadows, making sure he didn't jar the leg. With the disguise gone, he would have to hide until another guard came to investigate. He shuddered at the thought of being found.

Two of Command’s worst nightmares were the exposure of Equestrians and true magic to the humans at large. After seeing what the apes could do with technology alone, Skimmer had to agree that it would be best for everypony if the humans continued to live out their short, iron-born lives in total ignorance of one of the universe's fundamental, and most destructive forces.

A small voice in the back of his head argued that hiding the truth was wrong, that the guard shouldn’t have to skulk about in the shadows if what they were doing was right and just. Maybe, just maybe if they learned about magic and had help from Equestria they could better take care of themselves and their world.

Many of the other guards thought that the heavily edited history shown in the My Little Pony cartoon was the first step in truly making contact with humanity. Others thought it was created to be a cover-up, since anyone who saw a sentient pony would be branded a nut who watched too much TV. Either way, Seaskimmer hoped that he could someday ditch the disguise for good.

Hurried footsteps echoed off the concrete walls, focusing Skimmer’s attention. His brow quirked upward in surprise as he listened to the slight hesitation in every other step, realizing that the human suffered a limp. He couldn’t be sure of who it was, but he prayed to whoever would listen that Frost or Summer were coming to help.

Seaskimmer’s ears laid low as he backed up further into the shadows. The problem was that even between the overly large autos, the shadows weren’t all that dark. To make matters worse, three of his hoof guards still had their enchantments intact, allowing the gleaming surfaces to reflect light. He didn’t have time to quietly take his armor off, so he just hoped that the shadows would give enough cover to hide from prying eyes.

“Jesus…” a familiar voice swore from the general direction of the dented BMW, “Jack? JACK!! Where are you?” Seaskimmer’s pained expression morphed into a giant smile at the sound of his Lieutenant’s voice. He was saved, he wouldn’t end up on some examination table like the aliens in all those sci-fi movies he had been forced to watch.

“Frost!” Seaskimmer hissed out in as loud a whisper as possible, not wanting to risk any more attention than necessary. He could actually see the pony’s loafers from underneath the Hummer, and what he saw made his smile falter.

Frostlance was favoring his right leg as he quickly shuffled along. The right pant leg was smeared with tire rubber and blood. Seaskimmer’s ears were pinned back to his skull — none of them had escaped without an injury. The veterans were never going to let them live this down once the whole mess was cleaned up.

Skimmer’s smile grew wide again when he saw his friend round the corner, and he was very relieved to see that Frost was mostly intact, if a bit dirty and scuffed up. The only thing off were the splotches of blood that mottled his clothes.

“Jack, thank god,” a tired, but genuine smile worked its way across his owlish face, “I really dreaded training up another rookie.”

Skimmer smirked, but winced when he mistakenly moved his left foreleg, “Yeah, yeah. It's nice to see you too, L.T. And drop the bucking song and dance when my feathers are showing.”

Frost’s smile became more genuine, though it still held more than a bit of worry. “Skimmer, we need to get you and Summer back to the Rift as soon as possible.”

“I guess that blood's not yours then, huh?" Seakimmer grimaced and his ears drooped low, "I really didn't think she made it.” The mare’s wet, guttural scream was still fresh in his memory.

“Yeah, it’s going to be close. Without the stasis crystal she wouldn’t even stand a chance, which means I don’t have extra one for you." He paused for a moment and gently thumbed the white crystal hanging around his neck, "She'll be alright, the doctors have patched up worse injuries."

Seaskimmer studied the Lieutenant's face. The stallion would never admit it, but he had an absolutely terrible poker face, which often made him a favorite at the other guard’s card tables. Skimmer's ears drooped lower, Summer had been a good partner.

Seaskimmer felt the cool, familiar touch of the officer’s magic gently probe his wounds. The painful, aching areas were soon dulled as a layer of frost encapsulated them. His pulsing headache was also cooled by the Unicorn’s magical touch.

“There, that will have to do for now,” Frost said as he stepped away from Seaskimmer and looked back toward the twin trails of burnt rubber that led toward the parking lot exit.

Skimmer shook his head weakly, “She got away clean, didn’t she?”

“Yep,” Jerry didn’t hesitate to respond, but his angry eyes lingered on the exit. The man’s shoulders drooped in defeat and he knelt back down with his subordinate, “The tracking spell fizzled,” he angrily clenched his hands, but focused back on Skimmer, “Did you at least get a look at the Keystone? Was it still intact?”

Seaskimmer sighed and scuffed his good hoof against the concrete, “She drove like a madmare and I panicked, but that red crystal was glowing like the sun, Frost. There were two other crystals on her necklace, but I have no idea what they were. You’re the bonehead, that’s your department.”

Frost's gaze hardened, “This is important, Skimmer. Was the keystone cracked at all? Could you see any fractures in the gemstone?”

Skimmer warily eyed his superior and thought back to the very little he had been told about the keystones. Why would it matter if the gem was broken or not if she already had her hooves on it? “I was kinda busy hanging on for dear life and it was bright as hell, L.T.; but no, I think the crystal was intact.”

Frost heaved a huge sigh of relief, “Thank Celestia! We still have time...”

“Time for what, if I might ask?”

Seaskimmer's fur stood on end. He was just about to ask the same, exact question; but he had been beaten to the punch by a deep, gravely voice that reverberated through the air like the rumble of an approaching avalanche.

Frost gulped and raised a single, shaky finger to his lips before handing Summerstep's stasis crystal to Skimmer. Their eyes met and an understanding was reached; no matter what happened, Frost wanted both of his subordinates to survive.

The Lieutenant scowled and stood up, fixing his shirt as he walked out into the middle of the aisle to face down whoever had interrupted them.

Skimmer quietly ducked his head under the car, making sure to keep his armor form rattling. From beneath the Hummer he prayed to see a pair of sneakers or loafers, anything human, but he was sorely mistaken. Standing to the left of Frost, in the middle of the lot, were four steel hoof guards attached to the dark grey legs of a pony. The end of the pony's jet black tail swayed back and forth underneath a long red cape.

"Well, I'm all ears." Skimmer could almost hear the smirk in the intruder's voice.

Frost's horn shimmered into existence as he channeled magic away from the Liar's Promise, revealing his true self. His coat was the light blue of pure ice and his mane and tail were glacially white, though you couldn't see much of either under the enchanted armor.

Frost's deep blue eyes narrowed at the intruder, daring him to make the first move.

Seaskimmer fought to suppress a shudder. For Frost to cancel his disguise meant that he knew a real fight was coming — and a magical one at that. Skimmer had only seen one true unicorn duel while he worked with the Canterlot City Watch, and that had been a messy affair. To do that on Earth was insane.

"Who are you?" Frost demanded. He pawed the ground and snorted, getting ready to charge, "This realm is completely off limits! You're obviously not a Guard, so what in Celestia's name are you doing here?"

The intruder barked out a harsh, condescending laugh. "Celestia, hmm? I thought I recognized the reek of solar magic coming from your armor." The intruder took a menacing step closer to Frost, "I was simply out for an afternoon stroll when I chanced upon a very interesting conversation."

The intruder took another step and Frost lit his horn, firing a small warning icicle at the ground in front of the steel-clad pony, spraying his legs with shards of ice. "That's my last warning! Stay back and answer the question!"

Seaskimmer heard an exaggerated sigh and watched from beneath the Hummer as the other pony sat roughly on his haunches. Steel armor completely covered the stallion's torso, but the red cape had opened slightly, revealing a very familiar cutie mark.

A cluster of three black, elongated crystals that burned in a purple and green fire.

Skimmer's eyes became the size of dinner plates. He frantically waved his good leg at his friend to get his attention, but Frost's full concentration was on the one unicorn nopony ever wanted to see again. He tried to shout a warning, but his voice was strangled by fear.

"You know, I'm not exactly sure that I even got a first warning," King Sombra said nonchalantly as he polished his hoof on his armor, but when he didn't get an immediate response, he continued with a subdued growl, "Whatever happened to the famous Equestrian hospitality? Don't your princesses still preach love, tolerance, and friendship ad nauseam?" he chuckled and pointed to himself, "Here I sit, a friendly traveler, looking for a simple conversation, and all I've gotten in return are threats and demands."

Seaskimmer looped the stasis crystal around his neck and quietly picked himself up, hobbling as he backed away from the two unicorns. With his armor damaged and a hoof down, there was no way he could help in this situation — especially against somepony like Sombra.

He tried to signal Frost again, but the Luna cursed stallion had always been blinded by tunnel vision whenever he concentrated too hard.

"My name is Lieutenant Frtostlance of the Equestrian Royal Navy. In the name of the Sun and Moon, I ORDER you to tell me who you are and what you are doing here!" Frost punctuated his declaration by slamming his hoof against the concrete, sending a spider web of cracks radiating outward from the amplified hit.

Seaskimmer silently rounded the tail of the giant SUV and unfurled his wings, preparing to escape. He wanted to take wing before all Tartarus broke loose, but a peculiar sense of morbid curiosity took over, prodding him to look death in the eye. He peered around the side of the Hummer, trying to catch a glimpse of the tyrant; but his breath caught in his throat.

As soon as he poked his head around the corner, Sombra's red and green eye caught his own. The monster's gaze was piercing, so much so that Skimmer could almost feel Sombra's will rooting around in his skull, scouring his memories for his deepest secrets and darkest fears. The King's smirk grew a bit before he returned his attention to the outstretched hoof he had been inspecting, leaving Skimmer trembling in fright.

"Far be it from me to ever disobey the order of a swabbie." Sombra stood back up and gave a mocking, half bow to Frost, "My name is King Sombra. As for why I'm here, I'm simply curious about why were following my pet."

Seaskimmer could hear a slight gasp from Frost as the unicorn took a half step backwards, finally understand who he was facing off against. Frost tried to stammer out a question or a threat, but he was interrupted by the dark king.

"Now," Sombra stretched his back and neck, the vertebrae snapping as they realigned, "I could simply kill you both where you stand and follow your magic and paper trails back to whatever hovel you call home, but it's been a great day so far and I'm feeling generous." Purple energy oozed out of his eyes, waving in a non-existent wind, "So, I'll give you a choice, you can either willingly tell me what I wish to know," his cheshire grin grew wide as he barred his razor sharp teeth and fangs, "or you can happily tell me."

The space around Sombra exploded into a fine, white mist as Frost pulled moisture out of the air and instantly cooled it, obscuring the evil king in a cloud of microscopic snowflakes. Seaskimmer watched in horror as Frost lobbed two incredibly sharp icicles into the mist, only to have them emerge completely intact on the other side.

A deep, rumbling laugh echoed throughout the underground parking-lot and the fluorescent lights started to flicker and dim, "Oh, I had hoped that would be your answer! It's been a long while since I've enjoyed a proper duel."

Fear incarnate lurked within the growing shadows of the quickly darkening garage, but Seaskimmer's wings refused to move. His heart pounded in his ears and every mote of self preservation screamed at him to flee, but the animal side of his brain refused to move. It was hopeless, they were powerless...

Blue lightning arced from Frost's horn as he snarled at the darkness. Wherever the brilliant lightning blazed through the air, a swath of snow formed in its wake, filling the air with a spider's web of enchanted snow. With a toss of his mane the snow began to churn around him, forming an impenetrable blizzard of snow and ice.

Frost grunted and strained within his snowy cocoon as blades of crystalline ice erupted out of the floor and walls of the parking-lot. Natural sunlight from the garage exit was collected, bent, and refracted through the icy spires, bathing even the darkest recesses of the garage in a rainbow of colors.

"You can't hide within the shadows when there aren't any, Sombra!" Frost taunted, his voice resonating through the blades of ice, "You'll have to face me like a stallion, horn to horn!" With Frost's proclamation, the whirlwind of snow and ice spun faster and faster.

A green ray of prismatic light passed over the inky shadows that lurked between two closely packed cars. The hackles on Seaskimmer's back stood on end as he watched the green light seemingly dissolve the shadow, revealing the form of a smirking Sombra. He chuckled as he dipped his horn at the unsuspecting unicorn, unleashing a roiling beam of black and purple energy.

The icy maelstrom instantly reacted to the foreign magic; forming a solid, circular shield of enchanted ice in the path of Sombra's attack. When it hit, the shield cracked and the ice boiled under the strain of repelling the attack; but after a moment of intense concentration, the beam of dark energy was reflected back at its owner.

Sombra's eyebrows shot up in surprise and Skimmer's hopes soared to think that the king might have been caught unaware, but the unicorn's wide smile returned as he easily batted his attack out of existence with a steel hoof guard.

Frost's strained, but triumphant grin caused Sombra to growl and light his horn, summoning three small, impossibly dark orbs out of thin air. They crackled and pulsed with green and purple energies as they slowly orbited his head.

"Your defense was good, even if you tend to use too much magic on theatrics," he bowed his head slightly in respect, "Not that I should be one to comment. But I think there's room for improvement."

Sombra's cheshire grin returned as he lobbed the orbs, one at a time in different directions. They swayed back and forth in the air as they tracked toward Frost, seemingly on random trajectories that Skimmer knew would only end at his friend.

The blizzard died down and the snow formed into three solid shields, each a third the size of the original. Frost grit his teeth and sweat poured from his brow as he focused his concentration on the orbs, waiting for them to hammer his defense. They seemed to slowed down before they hit, darting in one direction or another, but never quite making contact.

Frost's eyes followed their random movements, constantly moving the shields to always keep himself protected. A mad grin played across his face as he struggled to keep up with the intricate movements of the orbs, completely oblivious to the mortal danger he was in.

Seaskimmer needed to warn him; shout, wave, or anything to get his attention, but he remained silent and still. Sombra's bored looking eyes gazed into Skimmer's once more, forcing his body to go rigid from fear. With a trot that was more of a stroll, Sombra causally walked up right beside the preoccupied Lieutenant and lightly tapped his horn with a steel hoof guard.

Frost stumbled forwards as if a hammer had hit him, the magic he had collected around his horn spraying out in useless arks of light as the spellform collapsed. Catching himself before he fell, Frost whipped around, only to see Sombra standing close by with a bright, self-satisfied smile on his face.

"W-what?" Frost sputtered as one of the orbs bopped him playfully on the nose before winking out of existence.

"You're obviously lacking in the finer points, so I'll elighten you. First rule in any of the arcane disciplines; never, ever take your eyes off the target," Sombra taught as he slowly prowled around Frost, his hungry eyes never leaving his target. "The second rule though is my personal favorite; trust your instincts because looks are always deceiving."

all of a sudden, the pillars of ice that illuminated the garage shattered, plunging the entire lot into near darkness. A deep peel of laughter echoed throughout the room.

"I thank you for the honorable duel little pony, but the time for simple games is at an end. Tell me now, why were you chasing that unicorn? If you answer truthfully, I might even let you go."

Frost's vortex of snow sprang to life as he prepared to attack the darkness once again.

"S-skimmer!" Frost called, a touch of panic reaching his voice, "Get out and warn the others. Take Summer with you!" He ordered, and launched a flurry of icicles in all directions.

Seaskimmer hesitated for half a second, wondering if he could really leave his friend to fight the monster alone; but Sombra's gravely voice didn't let him stand idle for long. "Stick around little birdie, I'm sure that I can find a use for you," he finished with a hearty laugh.

Skimmer's wings cut through the air like twin sabers as he launched himself toward the garage exit. His good hoof gripped Summer's stasis crystal protectively to his armor as he banked around the few remaining pillars of ice that Frost had summoned.

With the exit almost upon him, he chanced a look back, hoping to see that Frost was holding his own. But he missed a flap and nearly crashed to the ground when he saw the immense wall of black energy hurtling towards him.

His wings strained and his muscles ached as he pushed his body to go even faster. The exit was so tantalizing close and he could even see the firetrucks parked outside, but Sombra's magic was even closer, licking at his hooves.

He gripped the crystal to his chest and prayed for the protection of anydiety that would listen. For a second, he thought that his prayers had been answered as the crystal flashed brightly and the world turned white, but the darkness overtook them all the same.

Author's Note

Thanks again to Spacecowboy for his help!

Next chapter is mostly done, so expect it in the next week or so.